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__label__cc	0.564395	0.435605	Last issue special issue #5 (83), October 2013 A special issue devoted to KAZENERGY Eurasian Forum Astana By 2022, Production of Oil And Gas Condensate May Increase 1.6 Times Peter Costello: «Must Constantly Focus Our Efforts on Delivering Safe, Reliable Production» KazMunayGas: Upward Curve Great Opportunities for Local Contractors The Second Tengiz. Offshore KAZENERGY Innovative Approach to Extending Field Life Chevron Open for Business at Atyrau Gate Valve Plant Tengizchevroil Fact Sheet Mid-Year 2013 Rolls-Royce Wins US$175m Contract to Power Kazakhstan-China Natural Gas Pipeline Register of Reliability Professional Training Expertise Pictures Taken from Life Recent Amendments to the Migration Legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan Additional Work under a Construction Contract: Practical Advice on How to Avoid Disputes Karachaganak: Path to Success Manufacturing operations are underway at Chevron’s new Atyrau Valve Plant (AVP), a $40 million facility that is unique in Kazakhstan and other CIS countries. The valve plant is part of Chevron’s efforts to support the diversification of Kazakhstan’s economy by introducing new technologies and business opportunities to Kazakhstan. “Chevron strongly supports economic diversification,” said Chevron Eurasia Managing Director Scott Davis. “We believe that AVP will contribute to the development of the domestic machinery industry and increase Kazakhstan’s future export capacity.” The plant produces iron gate valves with diameter range of 80-400 mm for use in water supply, sewage and natural gas transportation systems. AVP is Chevron’s second investment project in the Atyrau oblast outside of its core oil and gas business and follows the Atyrau Polyethylene Pipe Plant (APPP) that was commissioned in April 2003. AVP uses unique Chevron licensed technology from AVK, a manufacturer of iron gate valves headquartered in Denmark. Today there are 40 people working in one shift at AVP, but as the plant reaches its capacity to produce 30,000 pieces per year, the number of employees will increase to 75. All employees are resident of Kazakhstan who received on-the-job trainings during assembly and start-up of the production facilities. For three months before the plant start-up, experienced instructors from similar plants in Denmark came to Atyrau to train employees and transfer knowledge of the technology and production process. Chevron also ensures that AVP employees receive appropriate health care and that professional training continues as employees develop in their jobs and careers. The technology and materials used at AVP enable production of a highly competitive product.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line804
__label__cc	0.734668	0.265332	Opera Scotland Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2019 This year's Fringe programme has been released - and a mighty big tome it is too. Over 400 pages of listings include many operatic events. We've had a quick look to pull out some of the most appealing ones and save you some time. Click through the links to find out more. Highlights include Opera Bohemia's new production of Lehar's Merry Widow. The Edinburgh performance, the first of the tour, will feature an eight-piece band, and promises to be a fine production. Cambridge... Posted 14 Jun 2019 \| Comments 'Riveting': a great opportunity to see Scottish Opera's Anthropocene 'Historic' is a much misused term. However, there is no doubt that technology is revolutionising the way we can access culture, whether football or opera. Anthropocene, the acclaimed new work commissioned by Scottish Opera from composer Stuart MacRae and librettist Louise Welsh, is now available to watch free on OperaVision. Whether we are young or old, and live in Inverness or Auchtermuchty, this offers an unparalleled opportunity. All we need is access to the Web. Directed by Matthew... Posted 28 May 2019 \| Comments Arias and Energy Arias will accompany ground-breaking green energy production when Byre Opera, the University of St Andrews opera company, performs at the University’s biomass plant within the Eden Campus Energy Centre Guardbridge next month. The £25m plant on the east side of the former paper mill site houses a biomass boiler which uses clean, sustainable fuel from sources across Scotland to produce hot water. This water is then pumped four miles underground to St Andrews where it heats University... Opera North and Aïda at the Usher Hall Another welcome visit from Opera North who bolster the major operatic programmes of Scottish Opera and the Edinburgh International Festival. Opera North's renowned presentations of opera in concert form are coming again to the Usher Hall on Tuesday 21 May. Their production of Verdi's great work Aïda has earned praise from all quarters. This work presents great challenges for any company in alternating scenes of powerful intimacy with operatic spectacle of the highest order. Reunited for... Posted 5 May 2019 \| Comments Hawaiian-language opera for Fringe The Battle of Kuamoo a new opera in the Hawaiian language, is reportedly headed for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In August, 25 students from Kamehameha Schools will travel to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, an annual performing arts festival in Scotland, to perform the opera in front of a... Opera fan and influential force in the arts: John Calder John Calder died on 13th August at the age of 91. Most of the obituarists refer to his remarkable career as a publisher, to campaigns for freedom of expression, and to his support for writers and the book trade. However to the team behind OperaScotland, he will be remembered as one of a handful... Iain, Peter and Stephen Fraser, co-founders of OperaScotland and researchers into Carl Rosa Opera, offer organisations such as Probus and Arts societies the chance to learn about the origin and development of this website and the influential life of Carl Rosa. Carl Rosa: from ‘juvenile Paganini’... What's new: an update on progress with OperaScotland Since this website was launched almost ten years ago, a vast amount of information has been uploaded. In addition many relatively small changes have been made to improve ease of use. Traffic has continued to build and it is clear from the visits and comments we receive that OperaScotland is highly valued both by performers and opera fans. However, to ensure that the site continues to be relevant, we have decided to launch a major review. We therefore need again to be asking what you, the users, want from the site. Some of our recent work is summarised below. What do we do well? What could we do better? Please email us with comments and ideas. In the first instance please send your suggestions to iain@operascotland.org. Carl Rosa Opera We have been concentrating on building up performance details of Carl Rosa Opera. This amazing organisation, under shifting managements after the death of Carl Rosa, took opera in English to the provinces and made it into a popular form of entertainment. From its first visit to Scotland, in 1874, to its last in 1957, it gave mainstage performances not just in Glasgow and Edinburgh, but Dundee and Aberdeen. Greenock and Perth too were visited. Our list of the Rosa’s mainstage performances in Scotland now totals 2916. Doubtless there will be some more to add in due course. Richness of content New items of interest are found and published on the site. These should be quite clear because visible. Site development 'backstage' is less obvious. For example, as well as adding more performances, we have been inserting more links to develop navigation between entries. This is inevitably a slow process. Look at these examples – Tannhauser 1905 Pagliacci 1916 Jeanie Deans 1918 Barber of Seville 1948 Benvenuto Cellini 1957 Scroll down each page, then click on the links and work your way round other performances on the tours. You should follow Opera Scotland on Twitter here And join us on Facebook here What's On16 Mar - 16 Apr Sorry, we have no tours for this month. Please check back soon when more dates will be added. © Copyright Opera Scotland 2019 Site by SiteBuddha Acknowledgements \| Terms of Use \| Using the Website \| Contact	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line805
__label__wiki	0.692626	0.692626	Gadgets • Technology Samsung mocks iPhone with an ad that reviews its ‘weak points’ of the last decade Written by Andy Prosper Three days after the launch of the new iPhone model, the South Korean company “Samsung” has published a video in which it reviews in a funny way the disadvantages of its competitor since 2007. The arrival of the iPhone X just a few days ago has caused much commotion among its followers. Hundreds of people have been those who have made endless lines to be the first to get this device. That is why Samsung has taken advantage of this key moment for the company of the bitten apple and has launched a new advertising spot in which the war between the two is more than evident. It is not the first time we see something like this since for years we have been checking how both brands have tried to discredit each other. With the title of “Growing Up” per flag and only sixty seconds, this new Samsung advertising shows the journey for ten years of an iPhone fan. Start with the protagonist back in 2007 acquiring an iPhone very excited. The announcement will show how this initial emotion will gradually fall apart when faced with what according to Samsung, have been the weaknesses of Apple during these years. Samsung’s video about iPhone The video, published on Friday by Samsung on its YouTube account, compares the development of the two smartphone lines from the perspective of a young man who bought his first iPhone in 2007. Throughout the video, the protagonist perceives differences between the Apple phones, which he buys, and the Samsung that his girlfriend uses. The video notes that some features first appeared on Samsung phones, such as water resistance or wireless charger. Samsung highlights some peculiarities of the design of Apple phones, such as the need to use an adapter to connect the charger and headphones at the same time. He also makes fun of the black stripe that appears on the screen of the latest iPhone model, showing a man with the same design in his hair while guarding near an Apple store. At the end of the publicity, the protagonist decides to move to the South Korean company after 10 years of fidelity to the iPhone. Reason for this war The arrival of the iPhone X just a few days ago has caused much commotion among its followers. Hundreds of people have been those who have made endless lines to be the first to get this device. The first disappointment comes when the user takes a photo, but space is insufficient, making reference to the 16 GB of storage of this terminal. In a flashback of 2013 will be the large screen of 5’5 inches of the existing Galaxy Note 3 with a built-in stylus, in front of a 4-inch iPhone 5S. Three years later and already referring to 2016, they make it clear how the water resistance on the part of the iPhone was nonexistent, as opposed to a Galaxy with a waterproof function already in use on their phones. It’s 2017, and the spot reflects a protagonist who has an iPhone 8 with the lack of a headphone jack, so charging the phone and listening to music through it is a real show. Of course, Samsung does not lose the opportunity to show his Galaxy charging wirelessly. As expected, finally the protagonist ends up changing terminals and is “happy” now that he has finally switched to Samsung. No more detours, it is best to see and think for yourself. Apple iPhone Samsung technology Metamaterial: New refined material promise relief Artificial intelligence: Case Cruncher Alpha – The Future of Law is in their hands Smart Steps to Take After You Have Lost Your Android... The Tech You Need for the Ultimate Den Top 5 Wi-Fi Range Extender to Eliminate the Dead Zones... Andy Prosper Cat S60: This Thermal Imaging Phone Lets You See... SuperComputer: US researchers are building powerful... Feuerwear in test: Bags from old fire hose Quartz crystals: Extremely structured crystals allow... iPhone 7: Should You Buy it, or Wait for the Next... Doppler Labs Earbuds Let You Control Your World’s... Google Pixel 2 and 2 XL: The New features confirmed Samsung’s Best-Looking Phones Ever – The...	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line817
__label__cc	0.616505	0.383495	Centennial Celebration Set for July 21 at Swan's Market The East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation has transformed the market into its vibrant current self. By Anneli Star Josselin Rufus Image courtesy of EBALDC Swan's Market is celebrating its hundredth anniversary this year. To celebrate this centennial, the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation will host a hundredth birthday party at the market on July 21. Having originally opened in 1917 in the district that would later be called Old Oakland, Swan's Market expanded in stages over the next thirty years. But as in the ensuing decades it became gradually divided from the bulk of the city by the construction of a BART station, a police station, and the 880 and 980 freeways, the market closed its doors in 1984 -- only to be acquired and renovated twelve years later by the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation, a local organization that aims to increase safe, affordable, accessible homes and neighborhoods. While the block where Swan's Market stands was once more or less blighted, the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation worked to revitalize it by establishing a diverse blend of artistic, cultural, and culinary influences -- now vibrantly manifested by restaurants (including Deep Roots Oakland, Super Juiced, Miss Ollie's, and more), nonprofits, and cohousing condominiums. You are currently logged in as . (logout) Please enter the letters from the image below: Audio version (mp3) East Bay 365: Our Daily Blog Big savings on local dining & more. 40 Percent Off at Kouzina Hoedown at the O' Club Building the Future CEO James Head Brings a Revolutionary Approach to East Bay Community Foundation Greetings From Oakland! Best Of Oakland Hey, Insurance Lady!	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line821
__label__wiki	0.715481	0.715481	How to Hold An Extremely Successful Event - 10 Tips Every event you hold can be extremely successful. Apply these 10 tips to guarantee a memorable event for everyone who attends. Create excitement through a teaser campaign - create a marketing plan to include activities to contact your delegates before the event to create excitement. Create a clear and correct agenda - publish an accurate agenda that includes locations, room names, times, speaker biographies and tips for your event. Create an environment of expectation & learning - the teaser campaign will assist you create expectation. In all communications state what your delegates will learn by attending the sessions. Encourage personal action plans as a result of their learnings - regularly remind delegates to make a note of the actions they will take when the event is completed. You may like to provide them with a separate booklet or page to list these actions. Brief speakers on the conference theme and company challenges - Ask your speakers to customise their presentation to ensure it is relevant to your delegates. Invite your speaker to the meal with delegates after the presentation - get more out of the excitement from your speaker's presentation by asking them to be available to your delegates after the presentation. They will enjoy being able to ask questions and provide feedback to your chosen speaker. Send article or information from the speaker after the conference event - leverage your investment by sending an article from your speaker in your internal newsletter or e-zine to remind delegates of their event experience and also provide valuable self-development at the same time. Book a series with the same speaker so they can address the audience multiple times - your delegates will anticipate what the speaker is going to say and they will remember their experience from your previous event. Follow up delegates 30 days after the event - include in your marketing plan a communication piece that includes delegate's feedback, possibly photos of your event and the top 10 tips from the event. Make your event fun - include fun in the agenda, capture the fun moments on a digital camera and project a slide show at the end of the event, include activities where delegates can laugh and relax. Neen is a Global Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy - and where they focus their attention - Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice, sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Subscribe to Neen's free monthly ezine at neenjames.com">http://neenjames.com Four Democratic women targeted by Trump accuse him of following an ‘agenda of white nationalists’ at a press conference Four Democratic congresswomen of color targeted by Donald Trump’s racist attacks have accused the US president of following an “agenda of white nationalists” and asked that Americans “do not take the bait” of his divisive rhetoric. In a joint press conference at the Capitol, the congresswomen spoke out after Trump said they should “go back” to the “crime infested” countries they came from, prompting condemnation in the US and across the world. EU expected to reject outright Johnson and Hunt's backstop plan Next PM will be told in ‘no uncertain terms’ that axing backstop amounts to no deal Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt’s Brexit plan to axe the Irish border backstop from the withdrawal agreement will be rejected outright by the European Union, EU sources have said. Informed sources say that it is doomed to failure and if the next prime minister goes to Brussels with such a plan, he will be told in “no uncertain terms” that it amounts to a declaration of no deal. Death toll from floods in south Asia rises to more than 100 Millions displaced in India, Nepal and Bangladesh, with Assam and Bihar among the worst-hit regions More than 100 people have been killed and millions more affected by devastating floods and landslides across India, Nepal and Bangladesh. In the Indian state of Assam, among the worst hit areas, agencies were working on a war footing to deal with the situation, the chief minister, Sarbananda Sonowal, said. Evelyn Beatriz Hernández was jailed for murder after she was ruled to have induced abortion A 21-year-old woman who gave birth to a baby in a toilet in El Salvador has returned to court for a second trial for murder in a case that has drawn international attention because of the country’s highly restrictive abortion laws. Evelyn Beatriz Hernández, who says she was raped and had no idea she was pregnant, had already served 33 months of her 30-year sentence when the supreme court overturned the ruling against her in February and ordered a fresh trial with a new judge. $800,000 spent at jeweller in one day on Najib Razak's credit cards, court hears Platinum cards of former Malaysian prime minister used for spree at jeweller in Italy, say prosecutors Credit cards belonging to the disgraced former prime minister of Malaysia were used to spend more than $800,000 at a jeweller in Italy in a single day, a court in Kuala Lumpur has heard during his corruption trial. The spending spree took place at De Grisogono, a Swiss luxury jeweller, in Italy on 8 August 2014 where items worth 3.3m Malaysian Ringgit ($803,000 or £645,000) were purchased on Najib Razak’s Visa and Mastercard platinum credit cards, the court was told. Ursula von der Leyen makes final pledges to secure EU's top job Candidate to lead European commission seeks to win over MEPs and seal knife-edge vote The woman seeking to replace Jean-Claude Juncker as the European commission president has made last-minute pledges on the climate crisis, Brexit, an EU minimum wage and gender quotas for company boards as she faces a knife-edge vote on her candidacy. In leaked letters to the leaders of two of the EU parliament’s main political groups, Ursula von der Leyen, who was nominated two weeks ago by the heads of state and government for the top EU post, has sought to win over critical left-leaning MEPs at the risk of alienating some on the right. Croatian police use violence to push back migrants, president admits Human Rights Watch calls on Croatia to end illegal practice of forcing people back over Bosnian border After months of official denials, Croatia’s president has admitted that the country’s police are involved in the violent pushbacks of migrants and asylum seekers apprehended inside the country. The best chance for thousands of refugees stuck in Bosnia is to cross its border with Croatia to make it to the European Union. For the past year there has been repeated evidence of police using force against those who have made it across the border and then dumping them back in Bosnia. Budget airline says it plans to close some bases and will carry fewer passengers Ryanair has warned delays to deliveries of Boeing’s 737 Max aircraft will reduce passenger numbers next year and it plans to downsize or close bases at some airports as a result. Europe’s biggest budget carrier has ordered 135 of the 737 Max models, which remain grounded after two crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed a total of 346 people. Boeing has yet to convince regulators that software modifications are sufficient to ensure the plane’s safety. Judge advises $14m in damages to Jewish woman targeted by neo-Nazi ‘troll storm’ Daily Stormer publisher incited his readers to contact Tanya Gersh, who received threatening emails, texts and voicemails The publisher of a neo-Nazi website, who organized a “troll storm” to target a Jewish woman and her family with months of abusive messages, should have to pay more than $14m in damages and remove all posts that encouraged his readers to contact her, a US judge has recommended. The US magistrate judge called the harassment campaign, launched by the Daily Stormer publisher Andrew Anglin a month before Donald Trump’s inauguration, “egregious and reprehensible”. Anglin targeted Tanya Gersh, a Jewish real estate agent in Whitefish, Montana, a town where the prominent white nationalist Richard Spencer and his family have sometimes lived. Street in Wales wins record for world's steepest Ffordd Pen Llech in Harlech beats renowned Baldwin Street in Dunedin, New Zealand A meandering street in north-west Wales that challenges the fittest of walkers and cyclists has been confirmed as the steepest in the world. Ffordd Pen Llech in the historic town of Harlech – better known for its castle and rousing song, Men of Harlech – has been judged steeper than Baldwin Street in Dunedin, New Zealand. Ridership is high and there’s plenty of work for drivers, but success has come at a cost to this Ontario town Photographs by Cole Burston When Daniel Arrega, 19, heads to work at a mall in Innisfil, he has few options for his commute. Walking along the highway would take nearly three hours. A taxi is faster but expensive. So he takes the town’s public transit: Uber. Rebuilding Aleppo: 'We cannot preserve the place but we can save our memories' Thousands of Aleppians are using a Facebook group to share their way of life before the Syrian war Going to the hammam was once a beloved ritual for Aleppo resident Atef Shikhouni and his friends. Recalling the boisterous, joyful experience, the 55-year-old wrote: “Here is a man shouting, ‘Where is the soap?’ while another one is asking for the shampoo and a third wants someone to rub his back. It becomes very noisy. After spending some time in the sauna, it is time for the ‘rubbing man’. He uses a rough loofah to rub my body mercilessly and I pray it will end without any damage.” But that was before the outbreak of war in Syria. “Today, the bath is cold and has no soul,” the sports teacher wrote in February 2017, shortly after the worst of the fighting in Aleppo had ended. “Cruel are our days, exactly like our bath today.” Easy or bland, outdated or ordered: what's it like to live in a planned city? This week Guardian Cities has been exploring cities built from scratch around the world. Here’s a roundup of readers’ experiences – from Harlow to Perth, Shannon to Islamabad Read more about Cities from scratch Perth really is about as bland a built environment as you could imagine, luckily set on amazing natural beauty. But its planning is still rooted firmly in 1950s style suburbia and auto dependence. Car ownership is one of the highest in Australia, which nationally is one of the highest in the world. Vibrancy is lacking, community occurs despite, not encouraged by, the built environment. Walking is hardly done, and the streets of suburbia are deserted as everyone drives. Are artificial islands the answer to Hong Kong’s housing crisis? Will a $60bn development to house 1.1 million people help to ease the world’s most unaffordable property market or is it simply ‘pouring money into the sea’? “Reclamation is unavoidable,” Hong Kong’s leader, Carrie Lam, told journalists in a Q&A session on land supply last year. “In the long term, many developing cities have to adopt this choice.” Hong Kong suffers from chronic overcrowding and housing shortages – a situation made worse by the 150 residence permits a day that have been issued to mainland Chinese citizens since 1997. Additionally, 62% of land is “locked up” or “semi-locked up” by law or regulatory constraints due to environmental reasons in terms of land development, according to the thinktank Our Hong Kong Foundation. More than half of all textiles produced each year include plastic. Now the urgent search is on for a more sustainable way to clothe the world It was probably the only time a 93-year-old has stolen the show at Glastonbury’s Pyramid stage. Sir David Attenborough had important things to say when he warmed up for Kylie Minogue last month. After showing scenes from Blue Planet 2, the wildlife series credited with inspiring a sea change in attitudes towards plastics pollution, the broadcaster thanked festival goers and organisers for banning single-use water bottles. “This great festival has gone plastic-free,” he said to cheers. “Thank you! Thank you!” Kylie’s crowd was right to feel virtuous – single-use plastic is an oil-derived menace to marine life – but how many paused to look down at the elastic in their waistbands, the polyester in their T-shirts and the nylon in their shoes? Plastic in what we wear may be less visible than it is in bottles or straws, but it is no less toxic. Yet somehow we have woven it so tightly into our throwaway society that we barely notice it, even when it is on our own backs. Now there are moves – at the top and bottom of a complex global supply chain – to do something about it. Twenty seven per cent rise to 1,187 deaths puts country on par with US in terms of per capita fatalities Scotland’s drug-related death toll has increased by 27% over the past year to reach a record high of 1,187, putting the country on a par in terms of the fatality rate per capita with the United States, where synthetic opioids like fentanyl have devastated drug-using populations. The death rate is now more than three times that of England and Wales, and has more than doubled since 2008, when there were 574 deaths. UK wage growth hits 11-year high as self-employment total surges - business live British worker are getting the biggest pay rises in a decade, as jobless rate remains at 44-year low. But the market may be cooling.... Self-employment rises as gig economy booms Basic pay growth jumps to 3.6%, highest since 2008 Wages rising faster than inflation amid skills shortages Minister: Labour market is resilient Introduction: Why UK jobs report matters 11.00am BST Andy Bruce of Reuters has also spotted that rising self-employment is making up for a drop in the number of employed workers. Cause for concern? That there was any employment growth at all in 3 months to May is down to a hefty increase in self-employment. Employee jobs declined at fastest rate since 2011. pic.twitter.com/cg05f02Az2 Along these lines, looks clear that vacancies have peaked already. pic.twitter.com/t06diHVMRn The Resolution Foundation have produced some neat charts showing how wages are growing across the UK economy... but still not fast enough to reach their levels before the financial crisis (once you adjust for inflation). New @ONS data on wages released this morning (THREAD). The good news is that real pay growth continued to strengthen – rising to 1.7 per cent over the past year. This is the fastest growth since October 2015 (when inflation was close to zero). pic.twitter.com/FHxXyM68jT While real pay growth is still slower in the public sector, it is now growing at almost the same rate as in the private sector (1.6% vs 1.8%). pic.twitter.com/rfYp2yxCs0 Rising real pay growth comes from both strengthening nominal earnings – which at 3.6 per cent is growing at the fastest pace since the financial crisis – and slightly slower inflation (which dipped to 1.9% last month). pic.twitter.com/SxwXnfgigJ But the recent good news has not changed the long-term picture of a decade of poor pay growth: real weekly earnings are still £5 below the pre-crisis peak. pic.twitter.com/1UUpKn4uRy France demands access to dual-national academic held in Iran Prominent researcher Fariba Adelkhah was arrested in June, reports say France has demanded immediate consular access to a senior French-Iranian academic who has been arrested in Iran. Fariba Adelkhah, a prominent researcher in anthropology and social sciences based at the Paris political institute Sciences Po, is believed to have been arrested in June. 'People think I'm very odd': how Ibrahim Mahama brought Ghana's past to Manchester From second-hand train seats to old school cupboards, the artist has transported discarded objects from his west African homeland to create a ‘parliament of ghosts’ ‘We’re haunted all the time by ghosts of the past,” says Ibrahim Mahama as we sit on dirty old plastic second-class Ghana Railways carriage seats in Manchester’s Whitworth Art Gallery. Even these seats from an abandoned railway? “Especially these,” he says, smiling. Mahama, a junkyard utopian whose art involves recycling stuff that’s lost its purpose, bought up rows and rows of these seats. He packed them into shipping containers and sent them on a 5,000-mile trip, from his west African homeland to the Whitworth, along with some school cupboards no longer fit for purpose, exercise books of children now grown up, and the minutes of Ghanaian parliamentary debates now deemed obsolete. US briefing: the Squad, Prime Day protests and floods in south Asia Tuesday’s top story: Congresswomen denounce Trump’s racist remarks. Plus, French cuisine’s renaissance Good morning, I’m Tim Walker with today’s essential stories. Why Treasury blaming a lack of 'job switching' for stagnant wages may have backfired By suggesting switching jobs can even out the power imbalance between employers and employees, Treasury hinted at an obvious solution Treasury caused consternation in the labour movement on Tuesday by suggesting the best way to win a pay rise might be to switch jobs. It looked to unions like an attempt to blame workers for their bosses’ failure to grant a pay rise. ‘Alarming’ shortfall in foreign aid for world's biggest crises Chief of leading aid agency warns that halfway through current funding year, less than a third of required money has been donated The head of one of the world’s leading aid agencies has issued a stark warning over the “alarming lack of funding” for global humanitarian crises. Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, noted that halfway through the current funding year, humanitarian organisations had received less than a third of money – 27% – needed to provide relief to people affected by crises worldwide. Stall in vaccination rates putting children at risk, says Unicef Agency blames war, inequality and complacency for 20 million children missing immunisation A dangerous stagnation in vaccination rates is putting children at risk of preventable diseases around the world, the UN children’s agency has warned, blaming conflict, inequality and complacency. One in 10 children, totalling 20 million globally, missed out on basic immunisation against the life-threatening infections of measles, diphtheria and tetanus last year, says Unicef. Wiping out hunger in Africa could cost just $5bn. What are we waiting for? \| Feike Sijbesma Ripping off the bandage of food aid and investing in self-sufficiency is the only way to fight malnutrition Billions are spent on humanitarian aid, yet nearly 60 million children across Africa go to bed hungry. Efforts to alleviate the constant cycle of droughts, poverty and war have caused new problems. The biggest of these is a crippling dependency on food aid that is undermining much of the continent’s efforts to feed itself. Rose seeds from Syria: the refugee family cultivating a new life \| Jenny Gustafsson Sweet-smelling success for Syrians who have settled in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley is dampened by growing anti-Syrian sentiment When the plastic bucket is filled with roses, Nahla al-Zarda takes it into the kitchen, where she separates the petals from the buds. She soaks them in boiling water, which blushes pink. “I love this colour. It will be even stronger when the drink is ready,” she says. Life is getting better for world's poorest – but children bear greatest burden India and Bangladesh drive progress but UN study identifies vast inequalities between countries and among poor The UN’s key global poverty index has identified that conditions for the world’s poorest 40% are improving more quickly than for those just above them. The positive trend has been identified in the latest assessment of world poverty collected by the UN Development Programme, which quantifies relative impoverishment across the globe by multiple factors. 'His only tool is racism': why Trump's bigoted tirade could be a vote winner The president seems to regard divisive, nativist rhetoric as his best chance of staying in the White House. Analysts say he may be right It was foul and repugnant. But was it a vote winner? Donald Trump’s bigoted tirade against four congresswoman of colour, telling them to “go back” to the countries they came from, prompted widespread revulsion – the comments “drip with racism,” said the Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer – and yet will not necessarily damage his chances of reelection. Republican muted response to Trump’s tweets reveals party’s ingrained racism Trump telling four politicians of color to ‘go back’ to countries they came from shows more than just his own nativist instincts In an unfashionable corner of Washington, with African American community activists standing behind him, House speaker Paul Ryan described Donald Trump’s view that an American-born judge was not qualified to preside over a case because of his Mexican heritage as the “textbook definition of a racist comment”. Related: 'You can leave': Trump unrepentant over racist attack on congresswomen Australia must prepare for a Chinese military base in the Pacific \| Hugh White The cost of keeping China out of the region is too great. We must build forces that could counter its operations instead Let’s be honest: Australians have never had much time for our South Pacific neighbours. The island nations that lie to our north and north-east, stretching from Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands to Vanuatu, Fiji and beyond, may be close to us geographically, but we have not found them especially interesting, important or profitable. The US World Cup team is loudly, proudly claiming the applause women deserve \| Arwa Mahdawi Celebrating yourself in a world which tells you you’re worth less than men is an act of resistance – and it’s angering insecure men Sign up for the Week in Patriarchy, a newsletter on feminism and sexism sent every Saturday. Donald Trump says tweets about congresswomen were 'not at all' racist – video Donald Trump has said that his tweets on Sunday were 'not at all' racist after he was questioned by the media as he walked up the podium at his Made in America showcase speech. On Sunday, the US president used racist language to attack four progressive Democratic congresswomen, telling them to 'go back and help fix the totally broken and crime[-]infested places from which they came'. Trump did not name his targets, but the attack was directed at a group of liberal congresswomen who have had a run-in with the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, and who are sometimes referred to as 'the Squad': Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota Trump's racist attack prompts trickle of criticism from handful of Republicans May condemns Trump's racist remarks about four congresswomen 'Go back home': Trump aims racist attack at Ocasio-Cortez and other congresswomen Jeremy Hunt says 'small window' exists to save Iran nuclear deal – video Arriving in Brussels on Monday, the UK’s foreign secretary said there was still time to save the Iran nuclear deal. European powers are trying to preserve the landmark deal, which the US abandoned unilaterally a year ago. Iran recently announced it would start enriching uranium beyond agreed limits Failure of Iran deal could pose ‘existential threat’, says Hunt Riot police clash with protesters in Hong Kong shopping centre – video Officers dressed in riot gear have fought with demonstrators inside a shopping centre in the residential district of Sha Tin, as they tried to disperse tens of thousands of people rallying against an extradition bill that would allow suspects to be sent to mainland China to face trial. Millions have taken to the streets in the past month in some of the largest and most violent protests for decades Hong Kong protest ends in chaotic clashes between police and demonstrators Storm Barry makes landfall in Louisiana - video Thousands of homes have been left without power after Storm Barry battered parts of Louisiana early on Sunday. The storm flooded highways, forced people to scramble on to rooftops, and dumped heavy rain as it made landfall 160 miles west of New Orleans. Authorities have warned of disastrous flooding across the Gulf Coast Barry spares New Orleans but Mississippi faces flash flood fears Jet-powered flyboard steals the show at France's Bastille Day celebrations – video This year’s Bastille Day celebrations in France featured a French inventor hovering above Paris on a jet-powered flyboard. The former jetskiing champion and military reservist Franky Zapata clutched a rifle as he soared above the Champs-Élysées on his board, which can reach speeds of up to 118mph (190km/h) Jet-powered flyboard soars over Paris for Bastille Day parade Deadly monsoon floods and landslides hit Nepal – video The death toll in Nepal from flash floods and landslides in the past three days rose to 47 on Sunday, with dozens more injured or missing. Incessant monsoon rains have pounded many areas in the mountainous country, submerging large portions of land, inundating homes, and destroying bridges and roads across the country At least 47 people killed in Nepal floods New York citizens direct traffic after power cut hits Manhattan – video Members of the public stepped in to direct traffic in central Manhattan on Saturday night after a power outage knocked out traffic lights and other infrastructure in the heart of New York. Thousands of people streamed out of darkened buildings, crowding Broadway pavements next to bumper-to-bumper traffic. The outage came on the anniversary of the 1977 New York City blackout that left most of the city without power Heart of New York goes dark as fire causes blackout in Manhattan Odr news Right Business Partner Top Ten Tips Business Top Ten Reasons to Write a Sales Letter for Each Product? - Part 1 Authors/publishers are great at getting their books written. Entrepreneurs know their products. Are You a Project Manager Or a Project Mangler? Which one are you? An effective IT project manager, able to deliver software on time, according to specs, and within budget, or someone referred to by your peers as a project mangler? Find out with these Top 10 Signs You're a Project Mangler.10. Wealth Building Scams I have some good news and I have some bad news. First the good news. The Warning signs of Online Fraud and How To Avoid It The number may seem grim for Web-based commerce. In 2004 in the Unites States alone, computer users logged in more than 207,000 Internet fraud reports to the U. The 10 Benefits of Cross Cultural Training Cross cultural differences can and do impede upon communication and interpersonal relationships. In the business world this occurs daily, where people from different cultures interact and are expected to perform and make decisions. Seven Keys to Get Out of a Rut Rut -- a routine procedure, situation, or way of life that has become uninteresting and tiresome.. Reminders For Running A Better Business The following tips are from an article we contributed to Compute magazine. These are ideas that we all should know, but many times forget. Management, Balance & Time - 10 Tips for Managing Overwhelm in your Business How many of us have been in a position where we have more to do than can realistically fit into one day, or week. So we spend all of our time feeling rushed, being rushed, and wondering how on earth we are going to manage. 7 Tips On Getting Ready To Put Attraction Marketing Into Action Attraction marketing is about making a customer for life not just making a sale. It's about connecting your passion in business with your perfect clients and customers and giving them a enjoyable experience with your company. Ten Tips For Starting A New Job 1. Get to know people. Top Ten Tips for Improving Your Cash Flow Cash is king-so they say. If you work for yourself or someone else, you need to be aware of ways to improve the cash flow. 7 Ways To Profit From Other Peoples Products If you don't possess the time, money or inclination to create your own hot selling product there is plenty of scope for profit by using other people's.In this quick article I'll detail the best ways to take a third-party product and use it to fill your own bank account. Famous Business Strategies Either simply a looker-on or a player in the world of business, you see millions piling into the accounts of world's most famous businessmen and naturally the question pops "How?", wondering what is the alchemy they've discovered? Yet, there is no magic here - it's mostly pure strategy. And what it takes to spot it and make it real. Ten Tips on Delegating Work One way to manage your time more effectively is to delegate work to others on your staff or to contract workers you hire for specific projects. How often I hear such comments as, "It takes too much time to delegate. Business Meeting Etiquette Business etiquette is essentially about building relationships with colleagues, clients or customers. In the business world, it is these people that can influence your success or failure. Top Ten Things to Do to Make your Signature File Sell Always include a powerful signature on every email you send out, even to friends. It's even more important when you send out articles to opt-in ezines (no spam) and top web sites in your field--more important than your article's message. Ten Tips for Effective Meetings Here are ten things that you can do to hold more effective meetings.1) Avoid meetings. 10 Reasons to Use Online Banking With today's technology and people's need for more information it is no wonder that online banking is growing as one of the most popular uses of the internet. Here we have listed the 10 biggest benefits to start using online banking. 1 Step Program to Achieve All of Your Goals In Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen's original "Chicken Soup for the Soul," I am reminded of the short story titled "Another Check Mark On the List." This is a story about a 15-year-old boy named John who, on one rainy day, when it was too wet outside to play, he decided to write a list of goals. Want a Web Site that Turns Lookie Loos into Buyers? Seven Passion Copywriting Tips Web Site Blues? Need one, don't know where to start? Got one, but aren't getting enough sales? If you need a Web site soon you may be wondering where to start and who to trust. All Web masters are not equal. Interesting sites: site map- lamaze leget�j- Beijing rejse odrnews.com ©	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line822
__label__cc	0.698743	0.301257	SharePoint Glossary, Terminology and Acronyms What follows is a list of relevant SharePoint terms and what they mean. The goal of this list is to make understanding SharePoint terminology easier for end users and those just starting with SharePoint. There are glossaries supplied by Microsoft as well. Here is the SharePoint 2013 glossary. Word (Docx) Version: Glossary of SharePoint Terms Please let me know if I should add more to this list, or suggest extra entries in the comments. 🙂 Active Directory The Active Directory stores information about a variety of objects in the network. Importantly, user accounts, computer accounts, groups, and all related credential information used by windows and SharePoint. Activities Activities are tracked updates related to a specific user. They are often related to the users social interaction within SharePoint (such as tagging, rating, etc). Activity Feed A message that provides updates about items of interest based on custom notification settings. This includes updates about changes to documents, the status of colleagues, social tags, and colleague profiles. Alerts To notify users of changes to existing information or new information add an alert to track new matches to search queries, changes to content in an area (list/library, folder, and document/item), or a new site added to the Site Directory. Anonymous Authentication/Access An authentication mode in which neither party verifies the identity of the other party. Anonymous User A user who presents no credentials when identifying himself or herself. Areas A means to organize the portal for navigational simplification. Ascending Order A sort order in which text strings are arranged in alphabetical order, numerical values are arranged from smallest to largest, and dates and times are arranged from oldest to newest. Attachment An external file that is included with an email message or associated with an item in a SharePoint list. Audience A named group of users that is used for targeting content. Audiences Groups of users, who meet certain criteria, created for targeted distribution of information. Users are said to be a member of an audience if they meet that audience’s membership criteria. The criteria are associated with properties found in the Active Directory. Authentication (1) The ability of one entity to determine the identity of another entity. (2) The act of proving an identity to a server while providing key material which binds the identity to subsequent communications. (How the system knows who the user is) BCS Business Connectivity Services – A new service that empowers users (who have sufficient access rights) to pull in external data use in SharePoint. BDC Business Data Catalog – For connecting with other lines of business (enterprise level feature) Collaboration Content Collaboration content is content stored in lists like calendars, task lists, and document libraries. Content Type A named and uniquely identifiable collection of settings and fields that store metadata for individual items in a SharePoint list. One or more content types can be associated with a list, which restricts the contents to items of those types. Data Validation The process of testing the accuracy of data; a set of rules that specify the type and range of data that users can enter. Default View The view of a list that is defined by the owner of the list to appear when users browse to the list without specifying a view. Descending Order A sort order in which text is arranged in reverse alphabetical order, numerical values are arranged from largest to smallest, and dates and times are arranged from newest to oldest. Discussions SPS supports two types of discussions: discussion boards and Web discussions. Discussion boards are similar to any newsgroup forum. Web discussions, on the other hand, are a new way to comment on documents and share those comments with others. When a new site is created, a discussion board is automatically created. Distribution List A collection of users, computers, contacts, or other groups that is used only for e-mail distribution, and addressed as a single recipient. Document Center A document library template that is preconfigured to store a large quantity of documents. Document Library A configurable list in which documents and folders can be stored. The document library has special settings above and beyond a folder such as versioning settings, workflow settings, and information policies. Document Workspace A document repository that enables users to collaborate on one or more documents. Document Workspace SharePoint Services site that contain a document library, tasks, links, and other information. Document workspaces can be created directly in SPS as a new site, or they may be created ad-hoc from within an Office product. End users can collaborate without having SPS open alongside Office. External Content Type A reusable collection of metadata that defines a set of data from one or more external data sources, the operations avaialble on that data, and connectivity information related to that data. External List A list of items of an external content type. Feature A package that can be activated or deactivated at either the site or site collection level. Each feature varies considerably so you must refer to it’s description to understand the impact of activating or deactivating a specific feature. Gallery A library that is used to store a collection of site resources, such as Web Parts, list templates, or site templates. Item An individual entry within a SharePoint list. Each list item can have multiple columns associated with it depending on the list it is contained within and, depending on the content type of the item. Key Performance Indicator (KPI) A predefined measure that is used to track performance against a strategic goal, objective, plan, initiative, or business process. A visual cue is frequently used to communicate performance against the measure. Keyword One or more words or phrases that site administrators identified as important. A keyword provides a way to display best bets and definitions on a search results page. Libraries In order to share files, SharePoint makes use of libraries. The three types of libraries available in SharePoint are document libraries, form libraries and picture libraries. List Template An XML-based definition of list settings, including fields and views, and optionally list items. List templates are stored in .stp files in the list template gallery. Lists Along with document libraries, lists form the foundation of content within SPS. A list is a collection of information items displayed in an area or on a site. List types include: Announcements, Links, Contacts, Events, Tasks and Issues. Lookup Column A column of the Lookup type that allows a user to select items from another list/library. This column can also bring in extra data/fields from the list it is referencing. Major Version An iteration of a document, or list item that is ready for a larger group to see, or has changed significantly since the previous major version. For an item on a SharePoint site, the minor version is always zero for a major version. Managed Term A word or a phrase that can be associated with a SharePoint item . Managed terms, are usually predefined, can be created only by users with the appropriate permissions, and are often organized into a hierarchy. Also called “term” where “managed” is clear from the context. Masterpage The masterpage is the structural content which often surrounds your site. Often it makes up the header and footer of the site and may or may not also contain the left navigation. Typically if you have multiple masterpages these will significantly alter the look of each site they are applied to. Meeting Workspace A specialized SharePoint Services site. Can be created directly in SPS or in Outlook as a part of a meeting request. Should not be confused with Live Meeting, etc. Metadata Data about data. This is often seen in the form of column values in a SharePoint library or list, but can take many other forms. Minor Version For an item on a SharePoint site, the minor version number is never zero and is incremented for each new version of an item, unless a major version is explicitly published. When minor versioning is disabled on a SharePoint site, only major version numbers are incremented, and the minor version is always zero. Moss Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 – The fully licensed product in 2007 (note there is still enterprise and standard variations) My Network My network is a page designed to provide a summary and roll up of the activities going on in your network. My Site A single page portal that contains the user’s personal sites, links, etc. My Site consists of both a public and private view. The private view is intended as a personal workplace for the individual end user. The public view, on the other hand, acts like a business card that can be accessed by other portal users. You can see the different views by clicking either Private or Public under the Select View list.I am leaving this, because many will still refer to My Home, or Personal Sites as MySites for some time. OOTB Out of the box. Typically in SharePoint this represents the components and features shipped with the product. As in the existing webparts, and templates in the product. There is contention around whether using SharePoint Designer is OOTB as SharePoint Designer (while free) is still another product from SharePoint. Page Layout A dynamic Web template that is stored as a document. It contains content placeholders that bind to fields of a publishing page. A page layout has an associated content type that determines which publishing pages it can be bound to. The page layout can contain webpart zones, as well as webparts. In SharePoint think of the Masterpage as the wrapper for page layouts. Permission A rule that is associated with something to regulate which users can gain access to that something and in what manner. Permission Level A set of permissions that can be granted to users, distribution lists or SharePoint groups on an entity such as a site, list, folder, item, or document. Personal Site A type of SharePoint site that is used by an individual user for personal productivity. The site appears to the user as My Site. Privacy Level A setting that specifies the category of users who are allowed to view the personal information of other users, such as user profile properties, colleagues, or memberships. Private Web Part A Web Part added to a Web Part Page by a user who is working on the page in personal view. Private Web Parts are available only to the user who added or imported the Web Part. Provision The process of creating and deploying something, and in some cases, populating that something with default data and settings. Published Version The version of a list item that is approved and can be seen by all users. The user interface (UI) version number for a published version is incremented to the next positive major version number and the minor version is zero. and minor version. Publishing Pages Publishing pages are pages under /Pages/ document libraries on each site that include specific content types. Content for these pages are stored in this document library like columns in a list, with each column storing data for a page field. Recycle Bin A container for items that are deleted. Items in this container are visible to users with the appropriate permissions and to site collection administrators and can be recovered or removed (default of 45 days before they are automatically emptied). Ribbon The Ribbon is a new UI component added to simplify navigation, and increase the visibility of functions. It is Context Sensitive (which means when you click on something, it knows what you clicked on). Search Scope A list of attributes that define a collection of items to be filtered/returned in searches. Server Farm A central group of network servers maintained by an enterprise. A server farm provides a network with load balancing, scalability, and fault tolerance. In some configurations, multiple servers may appear to users as a single resource. Each SharePoint farm has a single, unique configuration database where information and configuration settings for the farm are registered. Each server in the farm relies on that configuration database to get information about the farm and to provide services in the farm. Shared Documents Library A document library that is included by default in the Team Site site template. Shared Web Part A Web Part added to a Web Part Page by a user who is working on the page in shared view. Shared Web Parts are available to all users of a Web Part Page who have the appropriate permissions. SharePoint Foundation (Server) This is the next version of WSS renamed. This version has no licensing costs (aside from infrastructure it runs on) and has less functionality than the full copy of SharePoint Server. SharePoint Server The new product/platform name. No longer called MOSS or Microsoft Office SharePoint Server. Site A complete Web site stored in a named leaf of the top-level Web site. Site Collection A set of Web sites on a Web application that has the same owner and share administration settings. Each site collection contains a top-level Web site and can contain one or more sites (or subsites). There can be multiple site collections on each Web application. A site collection can use only a single content database. Everything is now a site collection: a portal is a site collection where Home is the top-level Web site and the areas are sites (or subsites), a channel hierarchy is a site collection where the root channel is the top-level Web site and sub-channels are sites (or subsites). Site Collection Administrator A user who has administrative permissions for a site collection. Site Column A column that can be associated with a content type or list within a site or site collection. Site Content Type A named and uniquely identifiable collection of settings and fields that store metadata for lists within individual sites. This is at the site collection level, so that it is available throughout the subsites or sites beneath it. Site Groups Site groups are custom security groups that apply to a specific Web site. Users are assigned to site groups to grant them permissions on a SharePoint site. Site Membership The status of being a member of a site and having a defined set of user rights for accessing or managing content on that site. Site Templates Whenever you create a new site, SPS use predefined templates to simplify the creation of the new elements for the site. These templates allow you to create everything from a specialized team site to a blank site you can use to create content from scratch. SPD / Sharepoint Designer SharePoint Designer is a free tool which allows users to modify pages, and customize their SharePoint sites in more powerful ways than the out of the box GUI interface. SPS SharePoint Portal Server Subsite A named subdirectory of the top-level Web site that is a complete Web site. Each subsite can have independent administration, authoring, and browsing permissions from the top-level Web sites and other subsites. Survey A Web site component that enables users to respond to a set of questions specified by the creator of the survey. Results are tallied in a graphical summary. Surveys provide a way to poll portal users for input on a subject. Surveys support a wide variety of response types from simple Yes/No answers to free-form text. Term Set A collection of related terms. For example, the term set named “milestone” could include the terms “M0” “M1” “M2” “Alpha” “Beta1” “Beta2” “RC1” “RC2” and “RTM.” Top-Level Web Site The top, root default site in a site collection. Every site collection has, at its root a top-level Web site. Access to the top-level web site is provided supplying the URL of the site collection (like http://ServerURL or http://ServerURL/sites/SiteCollectionName) without specifying a page name or subsite. View A named collection of settings for querying and displaying items/documents in a SharePoint list/library. There are two types of views: Personal, which can be used only by the user who creates them; and Public, which can be used by all users who have access to the site. Web Application A virtual server that resides on an HTTP server but appears to the user as a separate HTTP server. Several Web applications can reside on one computer, each capable of running its own programs and each having individualized access to input and peripheral devices. Each Web application can have its own domain name and IP address. Web Part Customizable Web page element that can be added to SharePoint pages Web Part Connection An element in a Web Parts page that defines a provider-consumer data relationship between two Web Parts. When a Web Parts page is rendered, data provided by one Web Part can affect how and what is rendered by the other Web Part. Web Part Page Often certain pages will be called web part pages – Really this just means that these pages most likely have pre-defined zones you can use to add and re-arrange webparts on. Web Part Properties The properties which can be changed for a web part to appear or function differently. Web Part Zone A container with a set of properties that can be configured to control the organization and format of Web Parts on a Web Part Page. Web Part zones can also be used to provide protection against changes to Web Parts. Workflow The automation of business processes, where business documents and tasks are passed automatically from one user to another for action, according to a set sequence. WSS Windows SharePoint Services Post a Reply to Global Knowledge Training Blog » 10 SharePoint Terms to Get You Started cancel SharePoint 2010 Glossary, Terminology and Acronyms […] so without further ado here is mySharePoint Term and Glossary list (all shiny and updated) for your viewing […] Trung Pham View May 17, 2010 Great Richard Your SharePoint Glossary, Terminology and Acronyms are very easy to understand (easier understand that Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Glossary). Sometime, we need take a lot of time to explain the SharePoint concept for newbie SharePoint developers. With this article, everything is now better. […] broader to be honest it’s just not as useful or applicable. SharePoint uses different terminology , and in some cases a very different approach than many other Intranet technology systems out […] View September 20, 2010 Great list! I am sharing this with some of my coworkers, we are all SP newbies and this list will help immensely… I was wondering if you have a listing of all the OOB webparts too? Laura Rogers has already done this 🙂 http://www.sharepoint911.com/blogs/laura/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=44 I will also update the terms I have within this section soon. Thank you for the reminder. Sorry, I forgot the most important part- Thank you!! 🙂 Amar J Desai View October 14, 2010 Great content…my new sharepointopedia 🙂 BTW, “Workflow” has been mentioned twice…sorry couldn’t help it…once a tester always a tester! Chris G. Ive been working on writing up some basic user training for sharepoint. Below are a few more things you could add to your list if you would like. Breadcrumb: SharePoint has two breadcrumb trails that automatically appear as users navigate further into the site. The breadcrumb trail on the top of the site is known as the Global Breadcrumb trail that indicates what site users are on. The other breadcrumb in the middle of the page displays the path for any other SharePoint part. Top Link Bar: Links that display as tabs along the top of the site. Site owners can customize them to link to link to anything. Note: Site owners can configure the top link bar to inherit the links from the parent site. Quick Launch: The Quick Launch bar is a list of featured links on the left side of the page that reside between the View All Site Content link and the Recycle Bin. o The View All Site Content link is always located at the top of the Quick Launch. It displays all of the lists, libraries and sites that are contained on the site. SharePoint automatically organizes the different parts into six categories.  Document Libraries  Picture Libraries  Lists  Discussion Boards  Surveys  Sites and Workspaces o The Recycle Bin stores deleted items and files. It keeps the items/files for 30 days and then moves them to the site collection recycle bin for another 30 days. Items can be restored from the recycle bin to their original location. Each user can only see the items/files they delete. (The ammount of days items are stored in a recycle bin can be set by the server admins.) Tool bar: The tool bar appears on any list/library by default. Based on security it will display different menus that relate to the list/library. (such as new, actions, settings) View menu: A drop down menu that changes the data that is displayed in the list/library. Filter menu: All lists/libraries also have a filter menu that is located under the tool bar. It is useful for sorting and filtering the data that you see in each list if needed. Great compilation! Thank You. Maybe you can add “Sandbox” to this glossary. I would like to see clearer definitions of “upgrading,” and “updating.” Chris Collacott View October 6, 2011 How about a definition for Document Sets? Important Links for SharePoint reference. \| swapniljadhav View January 2, 2012 […] http://www.rharbridge.com/?page_id=60 […] Thanks for making this list available. We have a number of online glossaries at GEICO stored as SharePoint lists and accessible via the search system and JQuery. Might I use your list as the foundation for an internal SharePoint glossary? We would supplement it with our own internal entries for best practices and things we have developed. It would be available only to company employees via our internal network. Of course! What’s mine is yours! Feel free to use anything in my site/published content online if it can help. 🙂 shrpnt […] Небольшой глоссарий, а также терминология по шарпоинту (взято отсюда: http://www.rharbridge.com/?page_id=60): […] aneeta This is wonderful. Thanks! bmf This very helpful but for someone who is very new to SharePoint having an even more basic directory depicting a hierarchy would be helpful. I’m just a little more familiar with DNN so for example: DNN Page = what is seen by an end user after entering a unique URL; Skin = color and layout of a page also determines where a pane is located on a page; Pane = area of a page as defined in a skin and will contain a or several module(s); Module = performs a specific function such as a blog or calendar; Container = puts all of the elements together to create a module. Global Knowledge Training Blog » 10 SharePoint Terms to Get You Started […] If you need a little more help, check out Pentalogic’s post on SharePoint Terminology and Richard Harbridge’s SharePoint Glossary. […] @mobibob This is much better than any MS docs, help files, etc. which tend to define the term with the term, therefore, does not explain in any meaningful way. Instead you actually define the term as one expects in a dictionary or glossary. Good work! Going Native \| sharepointnative […] great place to get started is at Richard Harbridge’s site for a handy SharePoint glossary written for the everyday user. There are also lots of instructional posts and videos available on […]	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line828
__label__wiki	0.872696	0.872696	Harlem Globetrotters coming to Evansville By Sean Edmondson River City Weekend (Source: Harlem Globetrotters) On the heels of taking their unparalleled entertainment to capacity crowds overseas, the Harlem Globetrotters will return to North America with their one-of-a-kind show to Evansville at The Ford Center on Wednesday, December 5th at 7:00 PM. Featuring some of the most elite dunkers on the planet, exceptional ball handlers, and Guinness World Record holders, a Globetrotters game is more than just basketball – they are the ultimate in family entertainment that will bring smiles and fan interaction to people of all ages. The Globetrotters will bring their unrivaled show to fans in over 250 North American cities during their upcoming tour. The Globetrotters show will feature a star-studded roster, including Showmen like Big Easy Lofton, Hi-Lite Bruton, Ant Atkinson, and Hammer Harrison, as well as fan favorites Firefly Fisher, Bull Bullard, Thunder Law and Cheese Chisholm. To match the growing popularity of the Globetrotters’ female stars, the team will also bring the largest female roster in team history to fans across North America – including TNT Lister, Hoops Green, Torch George, Swish Young, and Mighty Mortimer.* After virtually every game, the Harlem Globetrotters remain on the court for autographs and photographs with fans. Tickets start at $26 and are now available at harlemglobetrotters.com, www.Ticketmaster.com, The Ford Center box office or by phone at 800-745-3000. For more information, please visit harlemglobetrotters.com. Events - Entertainment Other #Trending Stories Netflix: What’s coming and going in December Netflix has two notable additions scheduled to arrive Christmas Day, with Marvel’s box-office behemoth “Avengers:... Bluegrass music taking over Owensboro How to make an Easter surprise cake A delicious cake with a surprise center!	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line832
__label__wiki	0.672728	0.672728	TALKS/INTERVIEWS: Robert Egger at The Shine, Nov 25, 2016 Robert Egger on Business Rockstars, March 4th, 2016 Robert Egger at the Green Venice Expo 2.0, April 9, 2016 L.A. Kitchen Founder Robert Egger at the Aspen Institute, August 20, 2015 L.A. Kitchen founder-president Robert Egger on PBS’s Tavis Smiley Show, March 2013 DC Central Kitchen’s founder Robert Egger says clubs can bring similar program to NSW, Daily Telegraph, Oct 14, 2017 USC medical students hit the kitchen to learn nutrition firsthand, USC Magazine Sept 29, 2017 Q&A with nonprofit leader and activist Robert Egger, NH Business Review, August 4, 2017 Meet Robert Egger, a Global Citizen of America Who Doesn’t Want Any Food or Person to Be Left Behind, Global Citizen, March 30, 2017 Is It Time for Nonprofits to Get Political? February 15, 2017 Robert Egger: “Our Sector Is About To Be Hit, And Hit Hard” A Blue Avocado Interview, January, 2017 Robert Egger Dreamed of Changing the World Through Music. He Changed It Through Food Instead (LA Weekly, May 4, 2016) Why there’s ‘no profit without nonprofits in America (Generocity, March 31, 2016) 15 Questions with Robert Egger (CNN Money, October 23, 2015) A New Social Experiment Driven by Food: L.A. Kitchen Opens for Service (Food Tank, October 11, 2015) Why the World Goes Hungry, And Hopefully Won’t For Long, (GOOP, October 8, 2015) Gwyneth Paltrow Aims to Give Real Food to Those Who Need it Most, (Variety, Oct 6, 2015) How L.A. Kitchen does it all, from fighting food waste to training workers and feeding seniors (L.A. Times, August 17, 2015) How American non profits are getting politicians to sit up and notice (SCOPE, May 13, 2015) A First Look at L.A. Kitchen (Good Food w/ Evan Kleiman, February 28, 2015) Beyond Charity: Turning The Soup Kitchen Upside Down (NPR, September 20, 2014) Food Hero: Robert Egger-Founder and President of L.A. Kitchen (Food Tank, June 21, 2014) New L.A. Nonprofit Empowers the Disadvantaged to Reduce Waste and Build a Local Food System (Seedstock, June 16, 2014) The nonprofit leadership crisis we’re not talking about: Interview with Robert Egger (Idealist, May 29, 2014) On A Mission To Feed The Needs Of LA (NBC News, May 21st 2014) L.A. Prep, L.A. Kitchen to build huge incubator and training kitchens (L.A. Times, April 29, 2014) L.A. Prep Project in Lincoln Heights Secures Financing (Wall Street Journal, April 17, 2014) Activist Robert Egger’s SoCal Return (KCET, April 25, 2014) LA Kitchen’s job training for ex-cons, foster kids (KPCC’s Off-Ramp, November 15, 2013) L.A.’s Kitchen (Edible Westside, Fall 2013) L.A. Kitchen Will Salvage Produce to Feed Angelenos (AARP Bulletin, June 1, 2013) En Busca de Cocina para LA Kitchen (La Opinion, March 26, 2013) Food Provider Extraordinare Robert Egger takes it to Los Angeles” (Our Food News, January 16, 2013) AARP Foundation pledges $1 million to Robert Egger’s new L.A. Kitchen (Washington Business Journal, January 8, 2013) Huffington Post: “Robert Egger DC Tribute Party LA Kitchen (Huffington Post, January 8, 2013) AARP Foundation Announces Million Dollar Partnership with Nonprofit Start-up, L.A. Kitchen in Effort to Older Adult Hunger (AARP, January 8, 2013) Robert Egger to Launch Non-Profit L.A. Kitchen in 2013 (Eater LA, October 10, 2012) DC Central Kitchen’s Robert Egger Announces Departure and Plans to Launch LA Kitchen in 2013 (Eater DC, October 9, 2012) Ladling Soup, Raising Hell: Nonprofit insider Robert Egger is out to reform charities from within (UTNE Reader, March-April 2009) Giving Voice to the Nonprofit Sector (The Hill, October 2, 2012) Just in Time for the 2012 Election, Nonprofits Get Their Own PAC (Huffington Post, March 12, 2012) Budget Deficit Forces Questions About Charity Spending on Lobbying (The Chronicle of Philanthropy, March 4, 2012) CFOs Exceling Beyond Excel (Association/Nonprofit Bisnow, January 30, 2012) Nonprofit CFOs Honored for Work (Washington Post, January 29, 2012) 10 Nonprofits to Watch in 2012 (Chronicle of Philanthropy, January 5, 2012) Quote: Society \| Aspen Ideas Festival (2011) Nonprofits Triumph Over House Republicans in 2012 Budget Battle (The Hill, December 20, 2011) Nonprofits as Equal Partners in the Economy: An Interview with Robert Egger (Social Velocity, November 2011) New Group Endorses Politicians Who Pledge to Strengthen Nonprofits (Chronicle of Philanthropy, November 3, 2011) No Profits Without Nonprofits (HuffingtonPost, November 2, 2011) Occupy Wall Street – What’s Next? (Street Sense, October 14, 2011) Robert Egger On Why Nonprofits Need To Re-Think Marketing (Marketing Efficiency, May 22, 2011) Nonprofit summit shows need for unity, louder political voice (loHud.com, May 2011) What It Takes: Conversations with Achievers (Washington Post, June 2010) Some Nonprofits Push for Increased Federal Involvement (Washington Post, August 19, 2008) Generous To A Fault? Nonprofits Must Align Efforts (Hartford Courant, Feb 11, 2008) Nonprofit Primary Pursuits (Chronicle of Philanthropy, Jan 24, 2008) (PDF) WTOP ‘Player’ Interview Nonprofit Leaders Question Presidential Contenders Before New Hampshire Primary (Chronicle of Philanthropy, January 6, 2008) President Robert Egger shares his vision for changing charity in America with Baltimore’s Urbanite Magazine (Dec 2007) Time.com highlights Robert’s work with the Primary Project and the goal of getting the candidates to consider opening a national office for the sector (Time.com, Nov 20, 2007) DC Central Kitchen Partners with Divine Chocolate for Recipe Contest (Oct 15, 2007)(PDF) Robert Egger Recognized in Nonprofit Times’ Power and Influence Top 50 for 2nd Straight Year (The Nonprofit Times, August 1, 2007)(PDF) In the War on Hunger, His Plate Is Full (Washington Post, July 1, 2007) Robert Egger (Washington Life Magazine 2007) Homeless Grapevine Interview with Robert Egger (The Homeless Grapevine, October-November 2006) Oprah Magazine Chooses Robert Egger as one of its “Real Sexiest Men Alive” (Oprah Magazine, August 19, 2006) Robert Receives Oprah’s “Use Your Life Award.” (Oprah.com) 15 Minutes (Stanford Social Innovation Review, May 2005) Area Nonprofits Play Large Economic Role (Washington Post, February 23, 2005) BOOK REVIEW: An Appetite for Change (Philanthropy Magazine, July 4, 2004) Tough Words To Swallow (Chronicle of Philanthropy, April 1, 2004) How charity should work (USA Today, March 22, 2004) An Entrepreneur’s Approach to Hunger & Homelessness (Social Enterprise Reporter) Featured Use Your Life Award (Oprah, February 12, 2001)	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line834
__label__cc	0.615596	0.384404	This Writing Thing May Yet Pay Off… Up until now, I could tell people I’d never won a single contest, door prize or raffle of any sort. As of today, I can no longer say that. In mid-December, the Syracuse Media Group, which operates Syracuse.com and publishes the Post-Standard, announced the “Go See UNC” Essay Contest. All anyone had to do to enter was write a short essay – 100 to 150 words – on why they should win tickets for one of the premiere games of the season, kicking off the rivalry between ACC royalty North Carolina and ex-Big East stalwart, now-ACC newbie Syracuse. I happened to be reading the sports scores on Syracuse.com when the contest was announced, and promptly wrote an essay. It took me all of ten minutes. The subject of the essay was easy to devise, because it was the truth. My wife went to UNC for undergrad. And ever since Syracuse’s move to the ACC was announced, we’d talked about trying to get tickets to this year’s first-ever Carolina v. Syracuse ACC rivalry game. With four kids and a finite income, we determined at some point in the Fall that we just couldn’t make it happen. Then, along came the contest, and this is what I wrote: Ours is a story of love and basketball. My wife and I met on the concourse of Syracuse University’s Newhouse School in 1997, both there to attend graduate school. That she went to UNC Chapel Hill for undergraduate was the first thing out of her mouth. A Tar Heel to the core. Our first disagreement was whether the Big East or ACC reigned supreme in college basketball. We married four years later, and in the decade since have had four kids. In that time, she’s become as much a Syracuse fan as a Carolina one. And I, too, have learned to root for UNC, when they’re not playing Syracuse. We’ve raised our kids to bleed Orange -- and Carolina Blue. Now, since the ACC vs. Big East debate was finally decided in her favor, I figure the least I could do is take her to the game. Kind of like publishing a blog that nobody "likes" or comments on, I didn't hear a thing back for the longest time. I figured somebody else outdid me in the essay department. Then, this week I got an e-mail saying I was a finalist. Another email came later saying I had won. When I told my wife, she began hooting and hollering and jumping up and down. Apparently, she’d never won anything before either, and really wanted to go to this game. Of course, there’s only one problem. Shortly after we found out we won, I learned that part of my essay might not be entirely accurate: The part where I say she’s become as much an Orange fan as a Carolina one. The evidence I have for this is that every time she so much as thinks of the game she chants at the top of her lungs: “UUUUU!….NNNNN!….CCCCC!....Go Heels, Go!” It seems she still harbors more love for the Tar Heels than she’s developed for the Orange over our time here in Central New York. So, on Saturday, at a game for the ages that we never thought we’d get to go see, we will be rooting for different teams. But, we do agree on this: We both hate Duke. Mary Pat King said... Awesome. Have fun guys! GO ORANGE! MP On Snowshoes and Going Sideways A Worm Hole In My Life	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line840
__label__wiki	0.647125	0.647125	Ending gang violence and exploitation / Criminal Justice / gangs, Home Office Street gangs are becoming less visible in public, and more fluid in the way they organise. A key gang tactic is to exploit vulnerable people, but this problem is often hidden. This change is one of the main drivers behind this Home Office document which prioritises both reducing gang related violence and preventing the exploitation of vulnerable people by gangs by setting six new priorities. Changes in the way gangs operate The Home Office has just (13 January 2016) published its refreshed gangs strategy: “Ending gang violence and exploitation”. The strategy is particularly focused on the 52 local areas in which the Ending Gang and Youth Violence (EGYV) programme operates. The aim of the EGYV programme has been to reduce violence, and to achieve this through supporting a change in the way that public services respond to gang and youth violence. EGYV has generated a greater understanding of the way in which gangs operate and the way in which they are adapting to try to combat law enforcement efforts to close them down. Six new priorities All six priorities require a continuing multi-agency response and are described briefly in turn below. 1: Tackle county lines – the exploitation of vulnerable people by a hard core of gang members to sell drugs Gang members are moving into drugs markets outside the urban areas where they usually live and operate, because they are unknown to the local police, there is less competition locally from rival gangs, and non-metropolitan police forces tend to have less experience of addressing this type of activity. The exploitation of vulnerable people is central to county lines. For example, young people are groomed and/or coerced into moving or selling drugs, and the homes of vulnerable adults can be taken over as a base from which drugs are sold. Police forces and their partners need develop an understanding of what this means locally so that they understand how to identify and respond to gang related exploitation of vulnerable people. 2: Protect vulnerable locations – places where vulnerable young people can be targeted, including pupil referral units and residential children’s care homes Looked After Children and those children known to children’s social care or youth offending teams are at risk of being exploited and used by gangs. Children not known to services are, however, also used by gangs in an effort to evade detection. There is evidence that residential children’s care homes and pupil referral units are being targeted with reports of gang members waiting outside schools to meet children and take them to participate in criminal activities before returning them in time to avoid them being reported missing or raising suspicion. 3: Reduce violence and knife crime – including improving the way national and local partners use tools and powers. The Home Office states its commitment to continue to prioritise the reduction of gang related violence including tackling knife crime; emphasising the importance of local partnerships to do so. 4: Safeguard gang-associated women and girls – including strengthening local practices. The Home Office says that EGYV has given them a better understanding of a previously hidden cohort of vulnerable women and that local areas are now better able to identify and support vulnerable gang-associated girls. The priority is that vulnerable girls and young women are identified and receive appropriate help and interventions. 5: Promote early intervention The Home Office flags up the importance of using evidence from the Early Intervention Foundation to identify and support vulnerable children and young people (including identifying mental health problems). Intervening early can stop young people from becoming involved in gang and youth violence in the first place. Local areas have developed more effective preventative programmes which the Home Office is keen to spread. Police and Crime Commissioners have also shown a renewed interest in developing early interventions. 6: Promote meaningful alternatives to gangs such as education, training and employment It is essential that those involved in gangs or at risk of becoming involved are able to find a meaningful alternative, such as education, training and employment. The Home Office is working with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to support those at risk of gang involvement and exploitation into employment, education and training via a number of different programmes including the Youth Engagement Fund funded via a Social Impact Bond. The Cabinet Office is also leading three key programmes to provide alternatives to gangs for young people: A new mentor programme “Power Up London” and “Power Up Liverpool” will support more young people who want to put gang life behind them; Two social action programmes, the Uniformed Youth Social Action Fund and National Youth Social Action Fund, target young people in deprived areas and those from lower socio-economic groups respectively; and The National Citizen Service for 16 and 17 year olds brings together young people from different backgrounds in every local authority across England, and has been shown by consecutive independent evaluations to deliver more confident, compassionate and engaged young people. Social media and youth violence Stopping gang violence in London and beyond Joint enterprise criminalises young BAME people What’s in the new serious violence strategy? Ending the criminalisation of children in care PrevPreviousUnpaid work irrelevant to broader probation supervision NextReduction in temporary release harms resettlementNext Criminal Justice posts are sponsored by Get the Data Measuring social impact Our cutting-edge approach to measurement and evaluation is underpinned by robust methods, rigorous analyses, and cost-effective data collection. Proving Social Impact Get the Data provides Social Impact Analytics to enable organisations to demonstrate their impact on society.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line841
__label__wiki	0.537715	0.537715	This website works best with JavaScript switched on. Please enable JavaScript You are here: Home > For patients and visitors > Departments > Spinal Treatment Centre > Contact Information Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment Salisbury District Hospital SP2 8BJ Telephone: 44 (0) 1722 336262 ext 2430 Fax: 44 (0) 1722 336550 click map for larger view Getting to the Hospital / Spinal Centre Salisbury District Hospital (SDH) is near the village of Odstock, two miles south of Salisbury city centre. By car - See map on page 7. The Hospital is signposted from the ring road, and also at the junction of the A338 (Ringwood Rd.) and A354 (Blandford Rd.), on the A36 from the south (Southampton), from the West on the A36/ A 3049 via Wilton, on the A30 from London and Andover. From the North (Amesbury /Marlborough) the A345 joins the Churchill Way onto the A30/ ring road. Click here for map and route. Entrances to the Hospital are marked A and B. Entrance B is the most convenient one for the Spinal Centre. The car parks are numbered and clearly signposted, numbers 7, 10 and 8 being the nearest to the Centre. Please see the map of the hospital grounds on page 8. Visitor car parks are mostly pay and display, with car park 8 being pay on foot. There are some parking spaces for Blue Badge holders near the front entrance of the Spinal Centre and additional parking around the hospital site. Parking is free for Blue Badge holders in these designated areas. Please ensure a Blue Badge is clearly displayed. Family and friends visiting ‘acute’ patients or over a long period of time or who live out of the area can ask for a visitor parking season ticket at a reduced fee of £9.00 per week. Please ask the Ward Clerks for the request form. Rail services - There are regular rail services from Exeter, London Waterloo, Cardiff, Bristol, Portsmouth and Southampton which all stop at Salisbury. Salisbury station is approximately ten minutes’ walk from the centre of town. To get to the hospital you can either make your way down to Fisherton St. to catch a bus to the Market Square, or to walk to the Market Square in the centre of the city Taxi Service - Taxi ranks can be found at the station and at New Canal in the centre of the city. The approximate fare of a journey from the City Centre to the hospital is, at 2015, £7. Taxi firm telephone numbers can be obtained from the Ward Clerks or the Receptionist at the main entrance to the Centre. Buses - There is a regular bus service R1 (every 10 minutes) which travels from the Market Square in the City Centre to the Hospital and from the Hospital to the City Centre and on to the railway station. The last R1 bus from the Hospital Green bus stop to Salisbury is at 9.53 pm Monday – Saturday and 7.53 pm on Sunday. The local buses are wheelchair friendly and have room for one wheelchair. Some X3 Salisbury to Bournemouth buses, the service 29 to and from Shaftesbury, and the 44 to and from Woodfalls, also call at the Hospital. Leave the bus at the Green after entering Entrance B. For the bus company Help with travel costs - If you are receiving benefits or experiencing financial difficulties with travelling expenses please ask to see our Discharge Co-ordinator who may be able to assist you with this. Page Last Updated: 1/30/2016 3:25 PM	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line842
__label__cc	0.702058	0.297942	Qu’est-ce qui réduit le plus les émissions? Classé dans: — gavin @ 23 septembre 2008 - ( ) ( ) Traduction par Véronique Pagé A. Quelqu’un qui échange son vieux véhicule utilitaire sport (VUS) qui fait 12 miles au gallon (mag) pour une version hybride qui fait 18 mag, ou B. quelqu’un qui échange sa voiture compacte (25 mag) pour une Prius neuve (46 mag)? (Ignorons pour l’instant les questions de fabrication ou d’habitudes de conduite et considérons le cas où les distances parcourues sont les mêmes.) Étonnamment (du moins, si l’on ne fait pas le calcul), la réponse est A. On peut expliquer ceci facilement: si on considère une distance parcourue de 100 miles, l’économie d’essence (et donc la réduction d’émissions) en A est de 100/12-100/18 = 2.8 gallons alors qu’en B elle n’est que de 100/25-100/46 = 1.8 gallons. Pour la plupart des gens il est plus naturel de raisonner de façon linéaire que de façon inverse; pour cette raison plusieurs croient qu’une modification du mag amène une modification similaire de la consommation d’essence. Ce n’est pas le cas: une amélioration de l’efficacité au bas de l’échelle mag réduit beaucoup plus les émissions qu’une réduction semblable à haut mag. En fait il s’agit d’une observation générale: pour améliorer l’efficacité, il vaut toujours mieux commencer par les processus les moins efficaces. Il y a quelques mois, cette erreur fréquente se retrouvait sous les projecteurs suite à étude publiée dans Science par Larrick et Soll. Ils y rapportaient que la plupart des gens interprètent mal une variation du mag, ce qui affecte leur prise de décision. Ils ont aussi testé une manière différente de présenter la consommation d’essence – la quantité d’essence (en gallons) utilisée pour chaque mile parcouru. Comme cette quantité varie linéairement avec les émissions, la plupart des gens ont interprété correctement le lien entre les deux quantités (notons qu’à plusieurs endroits en Europe le standard de mesure pour la consommation d’essence est déjà le litres/100 km). En terme de gallons par miles, les choix de réponse à notre question de départ deviennent: A. Quelqu’un qui échange son vieux VUS, qui utilise 8,3 gallons d’essence pour parcourir 100 miles, contre une version hybride, qui utilise 5,6 gallons pour faire la même distance, ou B. quelqu’un qui échange sa voiture compacte (4 gallons /100 miles) pour une Prius neuve (2,2 gallons /100 miles)? Beaucoup plus clair, non? Les auteurs de l’étude tentent présentement de convertir les fabricants de voitures américains et l’EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) à ce nouveau standard de mesure (ils privilégient gallons/10 000 miles). Ceci nous semble judicieux. Commentaires (356). 356 Responses to “Qu’est-ce qui réduit le plus les émissions?” SecularAnimist says: 23 Sep 2008 at 11:30 AM Here’s what I think is eminently sensible: my 1991 Ford Festiva which gets 38 MPG in stop-and-go city driving and 48 MPG on the highway (approaching 2 gallons/100 miles), using the technology that was available 18 years ago. I note that mileage is quoted in Canada (and I think elsewhere in the world) in liters per 100 km, which makes this much clearer. How about the person who gets rid of their old SUV and buys a hybrid compact? Leonard Evens says: Of course someone switching from his old (8.3 gallon fir 1oo miles) to either a compact (4 gallons for 1000 miles) or a Prius (2.2 gallons for 100 miles) will do even better. Or, suppose the auto manufacturers produced larger vehicles for those who need the space which could get go 100 miles on 3 gallons. In passing, I saw Frank Lutz on The Colbert Report, who was explaining why GM was producing the Volt when he still doesn’t believe in global warming. Lutz came up with the old story about the 30,000 scientists who agreed with him that human activity wasn’t the cause of the warming. Colbert didn’t challenge him on that, which I think was a shame, but he did ask him just whom he expected to buy this new car if global warming was a myth. Peter Coates says: People have a hard time comparing inverses, so gallons/10,000 miles is a step in the right direction. But 400 gallons/10,000 miles remains an abstract concept. 4 gallons/100 miles is a concrete concept. It means something immediate. I do not see what the attraction is of gallons/10,000 miles. Is it just a gratuitous rejection of the (familiar to some) litres/100km measure? I wanted to use the word “reci…cals” instead of “inverses”, but hte spam filter saw a bad word imbedded in it. 23 Sep 2008 at 12:00 PM The argument loses some of its weight if we have to ignore manufacturing issues (i.e. the CO2 generated in the manufacture of a new car). Going a little off topic… it’s a bit like the solar energy discussions where the the CO2 generated in the manufacture is almost always completely ignored (along with the extra costs associated with regular cleaning required for both solar panels and mirrors) [Response: All analyses need to use the full lifecycle in order to be useful for decision making. However, this point is simpler than that. – gavin] Nash says: Yes yes, but the absolute amount of fuel required to travel those 100 “miles” still makes for a good anti-SUV argument. So what’s the point of showing that efficiency gains are more for a small improvement in a very inefficient system, rather than for a larger improvement in a very efficient system? Michaelis Menten graphs, saturation curves etc. How to account for things like PZEV, SULEV, ULEV? Are the emissions from a 15 mpg engine actually double those from a 30 mpg engine? What about the age of the engine? What about gas vs. “clean diesel” vs ethanol blends? I’ve even known someone who ran his pickup on propane, and I have NO idea what the emissions from that are like. What about oxygenating the fuel? What about someone who replaces part of his driving with riding a motorcycle or scooter? What about a vehicle (like the upcoming Volt) that gets some of its power from plugging into the grid? How do you calculate the impact of that? I know, I digress somewhat, but as fuel choices get more diverse, the general public probably gets more confused … [Response: Emissions are very closely tied to the fuel usage. Different fuels have different emissions per gallon (depending on the molecular structure – i.e. how many carbons, denisty etc.), so you need to be careful comparing mpg from a diesel than from a petrol engine. Hopefully someone knows a good source on this? As for ethanol blends, it all comes down to where the ethanol comes from. If it’s from corn in the US, emissions are basically the same as if it was pure gasoline (due to the fossil fuel use during production), if it’s from sugarcane in Brazil, net emissions are significantly lower. Plug-in hybrids benefit from the more efficient use of fossil fuels in electricity generation even now and so have lower emissions than internal combustion engine cars, and if they get their juice from renewables, emissions would be very low indeed. – gavin] rpauli says: What an excellent idea. Totally fresh view for evaluating mileage. Thanks for getting us thinking in that way. Of course total energy costs to manufacture that Prius should be considered. So I will keep my old Isuzu Pooper – and just drive it fewer miles. Because that saves all the energy that goes into a new car manufacturing. The next measurement consumers need is to know how much energy goes into products and services. Take for instance a cup of coffee. Measure the growing, picking, shipping, roasting, grinding, brewing, containers etc – all are energy intensive. I am sure that Starbucks knows precisely how much energy goes into a typical cup of coffee. I bet it is surprisingly high. All products need to show a rating of this energy – we might make a Starbuck the moniker for a standardized energy measurement. So any item could be rated by the starbuck standard… or without a brand name – just to think of how many coffee-cup-energy-units are in any item. Think of how much better decisions we could make. RichardC says: Good post. In a related matter, the exclusion of vehicles “expected” to be used for business from CAFE (Light trucks – all before, now over 8,500 lbs GVWR) is bad policy for the reasons you gave as well as because business vehicles travel far further! Thus, the argument for excluding business-type vehicles from CAFE is backwards. They should have been regulated first. Consider taxis, for example. They should all get absolutely the best mileage possible. Ethan, perhaps everyone should get a set amount of gas at normal prices, and as much over that as desired with a $10 a gallon tax tacked on. That might get a few folks to downsize. Too bad it would take record-keeping or ration cards or whatnot. Then again, the planet just might be worth the inconvenience… Captcha agrees: to permitting Samson says: 23 Sep 2008 at 1:54 PM I think liters per 100 kilometers would be better than gallons per 100 miles (why 10,000 miles?). We from europe have a few problems with miles and gallons ;-) Richard Harvey says: Please be advised that we in Quebec and the rest of Canada already use liters/100km. So it’s not only in Europe! Richard H. Chris Dudley says: The person switching to the Prius is going to be saving a factor of 1.84 on fuel while the other switch only saves a factor of 1.5. If fuel cost is what is bothering you, you are probably already driving the compact and you have more motivation. If we really want to tackle bulk fuel use, we should go to rationing. This works better than price signals when the ability to pay is so broadly spread. It can also make an energy trasition much much less costly: http://mdsolar.blogspot.com/2008/06/oil-is-too-expensive.html What’s always puzzled me is the “need” for a huge great big car. “So we can drive in comfort with the kids when we go on holiday”. So rent a big car. Especially in the US when there are so few holidays, they are spent like gold dust, they aren’t going to be highly contested on any one week. Rent it. Borrow it. And have a car appropriate for the normal use. With the possibility of sub-optimal use of the smaller car for transporting all the kids. rpauli, #8. Do you know what the most recycled (and most efficiently recyclable) part of a normal car is? The batteries. The prius batteries WILL be re-used. Heck, the reason why electric cars as expensive is because the batteries are expensive. WHO THE HELL is going to throw THAT away??? Especially when you know that a big current theft is taking the copper lines used for telecoms and selling the copper. DIGGING UP THE COPPER IS WORTH IT!!! Richard, I didn’t say that. I suppose that there are a lot of countries besides Canada and the EU which use litres per 100 km. As far as I know only the USA uses mpg. From my point of view a change from mpg to gallons per 10,000 miles is only a small step in the right direction (I had to look up the conversion for gallon in litre and mile in km). Kjartan Bleie says: Perhaps it is easier to measure the emission of CO2 produced in grams of CO2 per distance. The European Union had a voluntary agreement to reach an average of 120 g/km for all new passenger cars by 2012. mugwump says: RE #13 Mark: I’m with you, man. We got rid of all our cars and cycle everywhere now. Just strap a kid to each thigh, one across the pannier racks and another on my back and we’re away (I only make the wife carry one kid). Of course, visiting the relatives on the weekend can be a bit of a chore. By the time we’ve ridden the 135 miles there, it’s almost time to turn around and go home again. But it’s worth it for the warm inner glow I get from knowing our family’s carbon footprint is almost negligible. Ike Solem says: Well, there is a better choice – but let’s take the lifecycle approach: 1. Set up a solar PV manufacturing factory that derives all of its power from solar panels. 2. You will also need a polysilicon plant to feed high-quality silicon wafers into the solar PV plant, such as this one: http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS182891+15-Feb-2008+PRN20080215 3. Now, we have ourselves a solar breeder facility. In goes silica ore, out comes finished PV panels, and no fossil fuels are involved in the PV manufacturing process. 4. Take those solar panels and set them on top of carparks or home garages, or feed the electricity directly into the grid. 5. Build an electric car manufacturing factory, and surround it with enough solar panels to power the manufacturing process. 6. Take your electric car, charge it up with your solar panels, and you have a fossil fuel-free transportation system. Zero emission transportation. All the elements already exist – they just have to be put together. Now, we can port this concept to agriculture systems, which are heavily dependent on fossil fuels – solar / wind powered water pumps, electric farm equipment, even fertilizer. Currently, fertilizer is made using natural gas (steam reforming of methane to generate hydrogen to feed into the Haber process) – but with the new advances ( http://www.greencarcongress.com/2008/07/researchers-at.html ), it should be possible to generate that hydrogen directly from water using sunlight; feed the hydrogen into the Haber process (energy expensive, true, but doable), and then you have your ammonia, convert half of that to nitrate, and there you have your ammonium nitrate fertilizer, which currently accounts for about 1/2 of all agricultral fossil fuel use. So, now you have your fossil fuel free agricultural system, zero net emissions, with equivalent productivity. Whatever you grow that you don’t use for food can then be fed into biofuel production (as well as biochar production, as a soil amendment, meaning NEGATIVE emissions), and then you have some amount of ethanol, biodiesel, or bio-based hydrocarbon product. This lead us to: 7. Take your hybrid Prius, fill it up with that zero-emission biofuel, and you have the equivalent of a solar-powered electric car, emission-wise. So, those are two routes to zero-sum-emission transportation, as well as route to zero-sum-emission agriculture. Here’s a good question, though: how do you transport container-loads of raw materials all around the world without access to cheap fossil fuels? By sail? Well, ideally you don’t do that at all. Instead, you only ship high-value goods (laptops, refined chemicals, solar panels) and you eliminate the global trade in raw materials – because it is just too expensive. Those are the kinds of approaches that will be needed to get past the Fossil Fuel Age, which will end due to replacement by superior technology, which is also how the Stone Age ended. I bet the makers of stone tools were just as upset about their loss of market share to the bronze tools as our fossil fuel CEOs and investors are about their own eventual downfall. Did they also carry out massive PR campaigns in the hopes of holding off the inevitable? Karen Kohfeld says: Interesting post. I passed it on to my SUV-loving family members… Gavin, I realize that the life-cycle analysis was not the point of this post, but I think it would be a great future post. Do you have access to some good articles on this topic? Does the life cycle analysis of a prius vs a hummer actually give the hummer a smaller carbon footprint? (I doubt this, but I’ve seen an article suggesting that it is true). I know I know, not exactly climate science… Mark Schaffer says: So Mugwump… Did you miss the rest of Mark’s post on renting or borrowing a vehicle when you need more capacity or is your sarcasm of the lightweight variety??? ouini says: Another confounding factor is that, except for inexpensive staples, people use less when a product becomes more expensive, and use more when the product is cheap. Essentially, people spend more money when they make more money. So I suspect the answer isn’t as clear cut as it was stated in the blog post. The answer if a study were done might amaze Gavin. That is, it might not be ‘A’. If the driving distance is 100 miles for a person in a 12mph SUV, then the driving distance might drastically increase to 130 miles for a person in a 18mph SUV. If the driving distance is 100 miles for a person in a 25mph car, then the driving distance might only become 110 miles for a person in a 46mph hybrid. Then for case A the saving in fuel used is 100/12-130/18 = 1.1 gallons, while for B, you have 100/25-110/46 = 1.6 gallons. The confusion arises because people like to think statically about demand, not dynamically, and so tend to assume that a set relationship between change in effective supply (mpg) has identical (or no) impact on change in demand (car usage). This is not however the case – huge drops in cost for a staple that uses a perceived significant portion of income drive up usage more than they do for a huge drop in cost for a relatively cheap staple. This analysis reminds me of relative risk versus absolute risk in risk assessment. Your analysis is certainly correct but the relative change in gas mileage for the SUV example is 33.7% (2.8/8.3) compared to 45.0% (1.8/4) for the Prius example. In relative terms, the compact-to-Prius change is greater. Did I get that right? There are many different ways to think about this, but the instincts of linear thinkers are correct in terms of environmental outcomes: assuming equivalent CO2 etc. output per gallon of gas burned, the final outcome of the SUV change is two and a half times more damaging to the environment than the outcome for Prius change. [Response: I disagree. The issue is the total amount of emissions, not how important the relative improvement is. – gavin] Oxnardprof says: I think that this is a good transition to make. The framing of the energy consumption will help consumers make more effective decisions on their fuel use. The decision of whether to switch should be separate from when to switch vehicles. If a vehicle is replaced at the end of its service life (or near it), then the issue of energy cost in its manufacture are less important. I would guess that energy costs of production of vehicles is related to the mass of the vehicle. I think this concept could be stretched to show the fuel consumption per 100 miles at various speeds. Over the past two weeks, I tried driving on the freeway at 60 mph instead of 65 mph. Traffic conditions allow this easily. I travel 45 miles each way on the freeway, and my fuel consumption in mpg went from 50 to 55. (or 2 gallons / 100 miles to 1.8 gallons per hundred miles). The cost in time: about 5 minutes. (I drive a Prius, in case anyone is wondering.) In addition, it would be useful to know the energy cost (or relative energy cost) of more consumer items. The EnergyStar program has some severe problems, but it is a start. Energy consumption of other items is usually ignored (computers, for example). Finally, I think we need some concept of a level of energy consumption, or carbon footprint (take your measurement) that is acceptable with reference to preventing AGW. Measuring carbon footprint is complex – if you have not tried to do this, try it. It is complicated. How do you account for the aspirations and goals of folks – often related to a standard of living measured by wealth? One example: if I believe that AGW is real (I do) and I should minimize my carbon footprint (I try) how much air travel can I justify for pleasure and / or business? [Response: One of things I’ve noticed with drivers of hybrids is how their driving habits change if they have the mpg numbers on a real time display on the dashboard. That is, they drive to keep the numbers up (like a video game). I’m pretty certain that increasing the use of such displays in all cars would improve overall efficiency without any change in the fleet. – gavin] […though it might also increase accidents. I find I’m often looking at the darn screen instead of the road in my Prius…–eric tom delor says: Efficient driving is secure, easy and fun! A New Fuel Saving Device Can Change the Way We Use Fuel Driving Our Car. Using the momentum of your car will reduce your fuel consumption; The U.S. Patent Office issued a Patent for Moment-O-Meter. When Tom presented me his work, I was skeptical because it was utterly simple and logical, thus not new. It took thousands of years to put wheels on our luggage because nobody thought about it. Clearwater, Fla. (PRWEB) August 20, 2008 — GREEN TECHNOLOGY MFG manufactures the long awaited Moment-O-Meter, a consumer friendly device that helps to reduce fuel consumption (patent # 7,411,140). “It may take ten years for car manufacturers to create and redesign higher fuel efficient cars, fifteen years to find and exploit fuel fossil reserves in the US and maybe twenty more years to develop safe nuclear energy providing 50% of our electricity,” said the inventor, Tom Delor. It takes only a few seconds to stick Moment-O-Meter to your windshield and plug it in your cigarette lighter to upgrade your car to a fuel efficient car. “Moment-O-Meter was developed and tested during the last three years, and we now manufacture it in Clearwater, Florida,” added Delor, a retired ex-aeronautical engineer who co-invented this device to help his school teacher daughter to save gas. “It all started with my daughter and I’m always looking for a good reason to spend some time in my workshop,” added Delor. As Speed-O-Meter indicates the speed of a vehicle, Moment-O-Meter indicates its inherent momentum allowing users to coast by, moving their car effortlessly by force of the inertial mass generated. Green light indicates you can coast, red light indicates you need to use fuel to maintain the car’s speed. It’s like a personal trainer telling you what to do. “Every driver can take advantage of their car’s momentum to drastically increase their fuel efficiency if they are shown how,” the inventor said. “You will save 20% to 50% gas the very first time you use it. To make it work for everyone, it had to be simple and visual. Moment-O-Meter is very simple; just react to the device’s lights to save gas. I personally save 50% but my wife saves only 32% … It still depends on the driver’s skills, but improvement is expected as driving efficiently will become second nature,” concluded Delor. About GREEN TECHNOLOGY MFG GREEN TECHNOLOGY MFG, located in Clearwater, Florida, is the developer and manufacturer of this long awaited new instrument for cars. The device uses simple visual cues to allow drivers to take advantage of the moving vehicle’s momentum. It really does not matter if the vehicle uses gas, ethanol, or electricity or if the vehicle is a small or an eighteen wheelers. Retired ex-aeronautical engineer Tom Delor is the co-inventor, and patent attorney John Rizvy from Fort Lauderdale, Florida said: “When Tom presented me his work, I was skeptical because it was utterly simple and logical, thus not new. It took thousands of years to put wheels on our luggage because nobody thought about it.” Comparatively, nobody thought about showing the momentum of a moving vehicle until now, replied Delor. With the energy crisis, necessity became the mother of all inventions and the United States Patent Office by issuing the patent confirmed that Moment-O-Meter is a genuine new invention. http://www.extra-mpg.com http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-hybrid-news/30974-prius-vs-hummer-exploding-myth.html RE: Number 19 – Hummer vs Prius. the linked post discusses this illusion that is floated about on the web David W says: Instead of changing the car, why don’t we change the town. High density housing in the city, then farms and parkland. No suburbs. Would that fit the American dream? Karen Street says: I agree that it’s easier for me and others to compare cars in gallons/hundred miles. Re the GHG cost of manufacturing, there may be a newer analysis, but I use this one: On the Road in 2020 (pdf) Re the cost of flying, there are lots of assumptions around because of different ways of using or ignoring a 1999 report on aviation’s role in global warming [Aviation and the Global Atmosphere] for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change—the effects of flying are much worse than would be predicted by just burning the oil. Atmosfair calculates GHG emissions for flying, multiplying the effects of time at high altitude by 2 (IPCC said 2 – 4) and incorporating information about whether the flight was nonstop. Life cycle cost of a hummer is a great deal more than for a Prius. Johnno says: The embodied energy requirement (not just fuel economy) for replacing the entire fleet will be crucial when things get tougher. As others point out it may be difficult to produce enough metal and glass in a solar economy to even make cars let alone finding energy for propulsion. So far as I’m aware no-one has done a life cycle analysis of the Pickens plan as it affects cars. Under one scenario existing SUVs could get a $2000 conversion to compressed natural gas. Drive those cars for another 10-20 years and that saves a whole lot on replacing them with Priuses with an embodied energy equivalent to say 900 USgall or 3400L of fuel. I’ll omit the calculations. Francis Massen says: #3: I could very well be an anthropogenic global warming skeptic and buy a GM Volt. I think driving a noiseless e-car and possibly saving on traditional fuel could be a strong incentive, with no need to push it up with climate considerations. BTW New Scientist (20 Sep.2008) has an interesting comparison showing that plug-in hybrid electrical vehicles (PHEV) will emit about the same 95 g CO2eq/km regardless if the electric power comes from nuclear or renewabels. Greenpeace and others are trying to impose a still stricter 80g/100km maximum here in Europe, what makes me wonder if these enviros will ever be happy with an achievement, or continue to ask for the impossible , regardless of the difficult job of the scientists and engineers who made the first reduction happen. Larry Coleman says: Oxnardprof wrote about the improved mileage at lower highway speeds. He notes that it took only 5 minutes longer on his 45 mile commute. Recently, I wondered how much one would “earn” as an hourly wage in terms of the money saved per hour of extra travel time due to the lower speed. For some typical cars I looked up the mpg vs speed graphs, and assumed $4/gal gas. In the end I was kind of disappointed because the hourly “wage” was only $8-9 for a 20 mpg car and less for a 40 mpg vehicle, something like minimum wage. So you save more per hour with the gas guzzler, a fact that is closely – but not obviously – tied to the original question in this post. I was hoping for a higher hourly wage because it could be a strong incentive for people to slow down. In the end I decided that a better way to present the message is to cast it in terms of dollars saved per 100 miles…or maybe in terms of a reduced effective cost of a gallon of gas. People are very sensitive to the latter. Figen Mekik says: If hybrid (or eventually all alternative fuel) cars and hybrid commercial airplanes (imagine that!) were made more affordable than the traditional vehicles, I would imagine more people would take that route regardless of how much they understand or care about global climate change. Geoff Russell says: #27, the link “On the Road in 2020” is broken. Ed Davies says: Miles per gallon: ug! Gallons per hundred miles: a bit less bad. Litres per hundred kilometres: better still. Kilograms per hundred kilometres, best. kg/100 km is an improvement because the volume of a given mass of petrol changes (very slightly) with temperature and it’s the mass (not volume) burnt which determines both the energy available and the emissions produced. Airliners (747-400s, I believe) flying Hong Kong/London have their fuel chilled before loading to be able to get a larger mass into the fixed volumes of the tanks. The UK still mostly uses miles per gallon but l/100 km is used a bit. Larry, #30. That would only be lost OPPORTUNITY cost. How much would he earn if he didn’t go for a number one and wore incontinence pants? How often would he lose 5 minutes from a productive work day? Would he lose any pay over it? If he’s salaried, he’d earn exactly nil. If he’s on hourly, he has to spend 10 minutes at work. IF anyone is minuting him that closely. Which they aren’t. tharanga says: At the risk of swamping people with numbers, I’d like to see no less than three numbers quoted: miles/gallon, cost/mile, g CO2/mile. energy density, cost efficiency, and carbon intensity are three separate topics, yet all are relevant to the driver. This becomes more important as we begin to see a variety of fuels and blends available. KiwiInOz says: But, when upgrading to a more fuel efficient car, you tend to sell your old car to someone else. So the effect is actually additive. There are now two cars on the road rather than one, irrespective of whether one is more fuel efficient than the other. So really we should be crushing and recycling our old cars, rather than trying to recoup some financial return by selling them on and feeling smug about our new hybrids. :^) On the Road in 2020: http://lfee.mit.edu/public/el00-003.pdf Re the Pickens plan, I heard Lee Schipper talk a couple of weeks ago. Compressed natural gas does 10% better than gasoline re GHG emissions, except that the natural gas will come from Indonesia and there will be a lot of leakage if there are a lot of vehicles. Such was reported in a recent bus/train collision in LA. Another benefit of reducing driving speed, if all drivers reduced speed, is a reduction in traffic congestion. This was discussed in the NY Times not long ago, but if there is an incident blocking traffic, and highway speeds are reduced, then fewer cars will get caught in the delay, and traffic jams are reduced. Thus reduced highway speeds in urban areas would reduce fuel consumption both by reducing gallons per mile consumed when traffic is flowing, and by reducing the duration and intenstiy of congestion when traffic is blocked. Lowlander says: Gavin #7 “so you need to be careful comparing mpg from a diesel than from a petrol engine. Hopefully someone knows a good source on this?” Maybe this can help: http://www.epa.gov/oms/climate/420f05001.htm Gasoleum is a heavier oil and therefore has a higher carbon density per litre than gasoline. However, on average a diesel engine tends to be between 30% to 40% more eficient in fuel consumption than its equivelant engine size petrol counterpart, therefore, per km the diesel engine will emit less. The caveat here are the new hybrid gasoline engines which dramatically improve petrol fuel consumption, which coupled with the lower carbon density of the fuel make them lower emitters than an equivelant engine size diesel. I imagine that if a viable hybrid diesel engine is developed this will outperform the current toyotas and hondas by an equivelant margin of the other conventional engines. Aaron Lewis says: I do my best thinking while walking, so I walk to the market almost every day. I like to bicycle for exercise, so many of my “round about town” chores are done on my bicycle. If I have to be at the EPA in SF at 9:00 in the morning, bike/BART is far and away faster considering traffic and parking. My bike will get me to BART, and BART will get me to both airports, so “round about town” includes day trips by plane. (in nice weather) My point is the real measure of transportation efficiency is pounds of carbon per task, and for that, even the Prius comes out way down the list. China and the U.S. have a similar level of net emissions, but China’s population is four times as large. If everyone in the U.S. had the same per capita emissions as your average Chinese citizen, we’d reduce our emissions by 75%. However, that would only slow the rate of increase in atmospheric CO2 by about 16%. Frugal dependence on fossil fuels just won’t do it. The only option is to cut out fossil fuels entirely, starting with coal and heavy crude. Anyone who claims otherwise is just ignoring the obvious. The carbon can’t be buried in the ground; you just have to stop burning the stuff. If you buy a Prius and reduce your emissions by 50% and congratulate yourself on the good deed you are doing – well, sorry, that’s delusional. All you are really doing is keeping your gasoline bill a bit lower. Rick Larrick says: We appreciate people’s interest in this idea. As one of the authors, I wanted to answer a question that has come up a few times, which is “why gallons per 10,000 miles?”. In short, we think any measure of GPM would help car buyers recognize gains in efficiency more accurately. Shifting to “gallons per 100 miles” would be a big improvement over MPG. But we think there are a few advantages to gallons per 10,000 miles. Our main premise is that we’re trying to help people recognize efficiency gains at the time they’re buying a car—that’s the moment at which a car owner makes a commitment to a given level of efficiency for the next 5 to 10 years. Let’s help buyers see the magnitude of their gas consumption over longer (but realistic) periods of time. As a concrete illustration, here are gallons per 10,000 mile levels, at 100 gallon increments, and the corresponding MPG levels (with rounding): 1000 = 10 MPG 900 = 11 MPG 800 = 12.5 MPG We believe that thinking in terms of gallons per 10,000 miles during the car purchase decision helps in the following ways: It is a distance that is close to what many people drive in a year’s time and makes total gas use for a year salient (it directly quantifies the wastefulness of the inefficient cars and helps buyers think about cost and payback). The base is round, which makes it (reasonably) easy to scale up or down (and preferable to other large, realistic distances such as 12,000 miles or 15,000 miles). And, most importantly, it makes savings in gas between two vehicles large and obvious. For example, the MPG gain from 16 to 20 looks small, as does a gain in gallons per 100 miles from 6 to 5. But stating the improvement as reducing gas use from 600 gallons to 500 gallons is large and clear. That 100 gallon savings is about $400 and a ton of carbon. We think having gallons per 10,000 miles on car stickers, at Consumer Reports, and at fueleconomy.gov would reach buyers at the right time in the decision process. Following up on a few of the earlier comments: More metrics–such as cost/mile and CO2/mile–would be extremely helpful. This reinforces the shortcoming of our current reliance on MPG–MPG isn’t directly useful for knowing gas consumption or its consequences(cost and CO2) without more calculations. The ultimate goal, proposed by an earlier commenter, is to have a single meaningful CO2 metric for comparing a range of activities (driving, flying, upgrading an air conditioner, reducing meat consumption, etc.). The Wonderer says: I think it would be great to see a ZipCar type concept on a larger scale, and for renting pickup trucks and SUVs rather than just compacts. Or maybe just some community cooperatives. It will become more difficult to borrow one on occasion once all my friends downsize. Daily rentals from large companies are too expensive, and the taxes are ridiculous. in addition to the comments on #23 – I have a prius in Canada where all the gauges are in liters per 100km and a friend recently bought a new prius from the States so all the gauges are in mpg. It seems to me (maybe just the bias from looking at it for so long) that having an absolute bottom of zero and the linear y axis makes it far easier to discern relative difference in efficiency – filling up the entire top quarter of the guage from 75mpg to 100mpg is only a small change from 3.13 l/100km to 2.35 l/100km (assuming google has done my math correctly… using the correct gallons.) Just another small reason to change it. > moment-o-meter (website) > “… In-house tests CONFIRMED THAT the USE OF moment-o-meter > MPG PLUS® AVERAGES 20% to 50% FUEL SAVINGS …” I’d like to see your data, and your analysis. Will you provide these? It sounds like you’re asking $250 for information I can get with a bobblehead doll on the dashboard. Perhaps it is time for the United States to get into the 19th Century and go metric. In Australia we measure consumption in Litres/100 km. Makes a lot more sense. Jim Eager says: Re ouini @21: “If the driving distance is 100 miles for a person in a 25mph car, then the driving distance might only become 110 miles for a person in a 46mph hybrid.” Then again, it might not. Our annual milage went down when we sold our 10 year old Subaru and bought a Prius. 10 Samson, because 10,000 miles is a year’s worth of driving. I think 1,000 is better, though, since folks usually budget by the month. 17 mugwump (ahh, an appropriate BS in Humour name) I’m guessing you own TWO vehicles. Your argument fails miserably, even without the rental option. 19 Karen, the Hummer VS Prius spin assumed that GM’s vehicle would outlast the Toyota by perhaps 3 to 1 (they took the battery guarantee as the date the whole car would fry, yet strangely, didn’t take the Hummer’s guarantee for fry-time, even though GM products fry far faster than Toyotas.), and included tremendous fake recycling costs for the Toyota. (The Prius is built to make recycling easy, and Toyota gives a $200 refund for returning the battery.) The spin doctors then took the development cost for a hybrid system and leveraged it onto the few Priuses that had been built by then. The whole “analysis” was a pack of lies. Turns out 3 year old Prius resells for near its original price while the Hummer loses 54%! Turns out Toyota is making money off the development by spreading it throughout their line and also selling the tech to Nissan. 21 Ouini, you’re right. That’s why gas prices must be artificially inflated. Another way to do it is a $10 a gallon tax, with all proceeds refunded equally per adult legal resident. Ya don’t burn gas, you get free money. Cool, eh? 23 Gavin, I agree. I wonder when someone will come out with a video game with that premise. Pick different drivers (Little Old Lady, Eco-nut, Speed Demon), and score based on different parameters. Eric, I doubt displays cause a net increase in accidents. Folks get in the habit of leaving lots of space between themselves and other cars to allow for coasting. And accidents would be more :boinks: than ::BOOMS::. 30 Larry, add in lives saved, wear and tear, and the fact that cruising to tunes is better than slaving in a cube, and driving a bit slower makes ECOnomic sense. Plus, it’s “found” money (no taxes) and you save time by not pumping gas as often. A chip in the car that communicates with the speed limit signs would save lots of lives and gas. Speed limit is 65? Your car CAN’T go faster and society stops wasting gas on cops. OTOH, plenty of folks adore the rush given by pounding 300 ponies to their limit. 31 Figen, Airplanes can’t be hybridized (though I guess a 4 engine plane could have two tuned for efficiency and two for power, with the power engines turned off during cruise), but either inclined runways or launching vehicles could reduce the size of engines needed. Some safety reduction would result, and folks have shown an amazingly intolerant view of air-danger when considering their flip attitude towards car-carnage. Cars that increase danger are coveted! George Marshall says: 24 Sep 2008 at 4:08 AM Speaking from the UK, another problem with gallons is that the US gallon is only 0.83 of an Imperial (UK) gallon. In the UK, where we still think in mpg, this has led to a widespread belief that US cars are incredibly inefficient and a sense of self righteousness that Euro cars are greatly more efficient. It’s not particularly true. Urs Neu says: re 7, 39, diesel-gasoline comparison, other emissions (!) 1 gallon diesel leads to 15% more CO2 emissions than 1 gallon gasoline. diesel engines are about 25% more efficient in fuel use (litres per 100km) Thus: if you just compare the litres per 100km of a gasoline and a diesel car, you have to add 15% to the diesel number to get a comparison of CO2 emissions. If you focus on a certain type of car, CO2 emissions are about 10% lower (25% less fuel use, 15% more CO2 emissions) for the diesel car. But: CO2 is not the only thing! A diesel car without particle filter emits in the order of 100 to 1000 times more particulate matter (which is not a good thing) and about 3 times more NOx (which is a precursor of ozone) than a gasoline car with catalyst. Thus: When chosing between diesel and gasoline, do not forget the lungs of the people around and only take the diesel if it is with particle filter. These numbers are for the Swiss car fleet, but probably is not very different from other countries (we have no car industry of our own…)	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line848
__label__cc	0.743625	0.256375	(rated by 39 people) Rocketeer, The (1991) Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Science Fiction Cutting Edge/Hollywood Records CTCW-53012 Re-issue. 1. Main Title / Takeoff (04:45) 2. The Flying Circus (06:26) 3. Jenny (05:14) 4. Begin The Beguine (03:46) Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter, Performed by Melora Hardin 5. Neville Sinclair's House (07:25) 6. Jenny's Rescue (03:26) 7. Rendezvous at Griffith Park Observatory (08:15) 8. When Your Lover Has Gone (03:30) Music and Lyrics by E.A. Swan, Performed by Melora Hardin 9. The Zeppelin (07:58) 10. Rocketeer to the Rescue / End Title (06:33) Track listing contributed by Althazan Hollywood Records HR 61117-2 1. Main Title/Takeoff (04:30) 10. Rocketeer To The Rescue/End Title (06:30) Hollywood Records HWD CD 14 1-Jul-2016 2 CD-set. 2. The Gizmo (03:25) 3. Finding The Rocket (01:52) 4. Neville And Eddie (01:07) 5. Testing The Rocket (02:40) 6. Lothar Gets Wilmer (01:44) 7. The Helmet (00:45) 8. The Laughing Bandit (01:10) 9. Neville Eavesdrops (01:25) 10. The Flying Circus (06:35) 11. A Hero Is Born/Bye Bye Bigelow (02:51) 12. Begin The Beguine (03:44) 13. Jenny�s Rescue (03:52) 14. Love Theme* (05:10) 15. Cliff To The Club (00:49) 16. Cliff The Waiter (00:32) 17. When Your Lover Has Gone (03:28) 18. South Seas Send Up (03:43) 19. Neville Sinclair�s House (07:19) 20. Cliff Caught (01:38) 21. Rendezvous At Observatory (08:10) Disc 1 Total Time: 67:23 2. End Title/End Credits (06:30) Total Soundtrack Time: 81:55 5. Jenny* (05:10) 7. Neville Sinclair�s House (07:20) 8. Jenny�s Rescue (03:21) 9. Rendezvous At The Griffith Park Observatory (08:10) 11. The Zeppelin (07:56) 1991 Soundtrack Album Total Time: 57:16 Althazan Pony Canyon PCCY-00305 Silva Screen Records SILCD 1391 2 CDs. Also available as download. Dark Knight Rises, The Dark Knight, The Avengers, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Shadow, The Super Themes Silva Screen Records SILCD1351 Performed by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus and the London Music Works. Karate Kid, The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, The Beautiful Mind, A Mask Of Zorro, The Legends Of The Fall Man Without A Face, The Land Before Time, The Battle Beyond The Stars Music Of James Horner, The 1. The Karate Kid - I Want To Go Home 2. Avatar - War 3. The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas - Boys Playing Airplanes 4. Troy - Remember 5. A Beautiful Mind - A Kaleidoscope Of Mathematics 6. Deep Impact - The Wedding 7. The Mask Of Zorro 8. Titanic - My Heart Will Go On 9. Titantic - Take Her To Sea, Mr. Murdoch 10. Ransom 11. Apollo 13 12. Braveheart - For The Love Of A Princess 13. Braveheart - End Titles 14. Legends Of The Fall 1. The Man Without A Face - Lookout Point/End Titles 2. We�re Back : A Dinosaur Story - A Special Story 3. Patriot Games - Electronic Battlefield 4. Rocketeer - To The Rescue/End Credits 5. Glory - Charging Fort Wagner 6. Glory - End Credits 7. Willow 8. The Land Before Time 9. Aliens - Prelude/Ripley�s Rescue 10. Cocoon 11. Star Trek III: The Search For Spock - Bird Of Prey Decloaks 12. Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan Erik Woods Sonic Images SID-8807 Where The River Runs Black Name Der Rose, Der Heart Of The Ocean Film Music Of James Horner, The 1. My Heart Will Go On (03:50) from: "Titanic" 2. Rocketeer to the Rescue/End Theme (06:57) from: "The Rocketeer" from: "Commando" from: "Legends of the Fall" 5. Re-Entry & Splashdown (06:59) from: "Apollo 13" from: "Where the River Runs Black" 7. Epilogue (04:51) from: "The Name of the Rose" 8. The Journey Begins (05:00) from: "Vibes" 9. Epilogue/Finale (06:00) from: "Wolfen" from: "Cocoon" from: "Field of Dreams" 12. End Theme (04:46) from: "Braveheart" from: "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn" Track listing contributed by William Wass	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line852
__label__wiki	0.838322	0.838322	Home > Business > Lok Sabha Elections 2019 – ‘Will die but never insult PM Modi’s parents’: Rahul Gandhi – Hindustan Times Lok Sabha Elections 2019 – ‘Will die but never insult PM Modi’s parents’: Rahul Gandhi – Hindustan Times By Author on May 14, 2019 Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Tuesday that he would prefer to die but would never insult Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s parents. Rahul Gandhi’s comments came during his speech at Ujjain in the context of the Prime Minister attacking his father for corruption and calling him ‘Bhrastachari no. 1’. “I don’t hate anyone… But Narendra Modi ji insults my father. He speaks about my grandmother and grandfather. But I will never in my life speak about Modi’s family and parents. I will die, please listen, but I will not insult Narendra Modiji’s parents because I am not a RSS’ man. I am not a BJP man; I am a Congressman,” said Rahul Gandhi. The Congress chief was here to address three election meetings in Ujjain, Neemuch and Khandwa districts, all in Malwa-Nimad region which goes to polls on May 19. On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Madhya Pradesh to address an election meeting at Ratlam in the region. Rahul Gandhi said, “Modi ji doesn’t talk about farmers’ suicide, unemployment and corruption but in his interviews he tells how he eats mango, how he peels mango and how did he cut the sleeves of his kurta to save space in his bag.” Ridiculing the Prime Minister’s recent statement in an interview with a TV news channel that clouds helped Air Force’s fighter planes avoid radars in Pakistan during Balakot air strike, the Congress president asked, “When there is storm and rains in India do all the planes disappear from radar?” Referring to the police firing on farmers in Mandsaur in 2017 which had left 5 farmers dead he said the Prime Minister didn’t say anything when the police opened fire at farmers. Rahul Gandhi added, “When farmers were killed and you (people in the region) called me I came here. I promised that the farmers’ loans would be waived offand we kept our promise but Modiji says the loan was not waived. Please see this paper. The loans of Niranjan Singh and Rohit Singh from (former chief minister) Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s family were waived.” He said none of the farmers would go to jail for non-payment of their loans after the Congress was voted to power. There would be two budgets including one for farmers. Referring to the Congress’ promise on Nyay scheme to give Rs 72,000 annually to 50 million poor families he reiterated his charges on the PM in regard with Rafale deal and said once Congress was voted to power money would be taken out from the pockets of Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Anil Ambani and would be given to the poor. State BJP vice-president Vijesh Lunawat said, “Rahul Gandhi has realised well that the Congress is not going to cross the tally of 2014 in Lok Sabha elections and there is no chance of Congress coming back to power in 2019 again. That’s why he is targeting the Prime Minister in his every speech to save his chair and position in Congress after Lok Sabha polls.” May 14, 2019 20:53 IST Source Article from https://www.hindustantimes.com/lok-sabha-elections/lok-sabha-elections-2019-will-die-but-never-insult-pm-s-parents-rahul-gandhi/story-dJ6WF95C2AfIEyGfzjCsiI.html https://www.hindustantimes.com/lok-sabha-elections/lok-sabha-elections-2019-will-die-but-never-insult-pm-s-parents-rahul-gandhi/story-dJ6WF95C2AfIEyGfzjCsiI.html http://news.google.com/news?cf=all&ned=in&hl=en&topic=b&output=rss	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line853
__label__wiki	0.710433	0.710433	Dusty Wright \| Launch Dusty Wright from New York New York City Artist History Dusty Wright is a metaphysical cowboy riding the digital trails. When he's not playing and recording with GIANTfingers, he is usually recording folk-rock, roots-rock, even some alt country rock tracks. He's released four solo CDs and in 2008 two new tracks were featured in two movies -- Just Add Water and the Ricky Gervais/Greg Kinnear movie Ghost Town. He's latest solo CD entitled If We Never... is dedicated to two friends who recently passed away. He's also working on a second GIANTfingers long player. When he's not performing, he's host and producer of The Dusty Wright Show -- a smart culture celebrity-driven interview show -- on CultureCatch.com. He lives in NYC. Dusty Wright Blog "If We Never..." Reviewed by RadioIndy.com! POSTED BY: disturbed3003 POSTED ON: 08 May 2011 12:16 PM Guitarist, singer, composer, Dusty Wright, releases a wonderful Adult Contemporary Rock album, “If We Never…” Wright serves up some well crafted songs on this album which delves into life’s trials and tribulations on love, lust, and betrayal. His songs have a nice, relaxed feel as he sings and plays guitar with expressive honesty. The song, “Swirl,” has a catchy little lilt that cascades around Wright’s smooth vocals. “Lustful Blues,” flows with an easy flowing rhythm and has charming lyrics. The title track, “If We Never…” is quite insightful as Wright sings and plays guitar with sweet sincerity. The last track, “Secret Window,” is another song that captures the straight forward openness Wright has to offer. Kick back and enjoy the insightful Adult Contemporary Rock music on the excellent CD, “If We Never…” -Diane and the RadioIndy.com Reviewer Team Check out Dusty Wright's music on RadioIndy.com with link to purchase and links to popular sites New Blast! Dusty Wright: If We Never... POSTED BY: radioindy POSTED ON: 30 Apr 2011 06:48 AM Dusty Wright: If We Never... These folk-rock songs reflect a very personal ethos dedicated to two very close friends who passed away in 2010. It explores adult themes -- love, lust, betrayal -- albeit from the vantage of a middle-aged man's perspective and journey. Genre: Rock: Adult Contemporary MSN <> PayPlay www.CultureCatch.com Get Our Mobile App Free (iPhone, Android Smartphones, iTouch): Click Here Or Scan The Barcode Below puffdusty » New York New York City Rating: (5.00)	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line861
__label__wiki	0.935276	0.935276	Home >> News: January 23rd, 2018 >> Story Rocket Lab Gets Their Kicks ... Successfully Tests a Kick Stage to Circularize Satellites' Orbit Rocket Lab kick stage, with the four silver spheres of the new Curie engine seen in the middle. Photo Rocket Lab Rocket Lab's rocket named Still Testing was successfully launched on January 21st, and now they've announced a 'bonus'. Today the company revealed a test that was successfully conducted. “Until now many small satellite operators have had to compromise on optimal orbits in order to reach space at an accessible cost. The kick stage releases small satellites from the constricting parameters of primary payload orbits and enables them to full reach their potential, including faster deployment of small satellite constellations and better positioning for Earth imaging,” Rocket Lab CEO and founder Peter Beck says. Rocket Lab, a U.S. aerospace company with operations in New Zealand, has successfully tested a previously unannounced kick stage on the Still Testing Electron launch vehicle, using it to circularize the orbits of the two Spire Lemur-2 CubeSats on board. The kick stage was flown and tested on board the recent Still Testing flight that was successfully launched on January 21 (NZDT) from Rocket Lab Launch Complex 1 in New Zealand. The complex mission was a success, with the new apogee kick stage coasting in orbit for around 40 minutes before powering up and igniting Rocket Lab’s new restartable liquid propulsion engine called Curie, then shutting down and deploying payloads. With the new kick stage Rocket Lab can execute multiple burns to place numerous payloads into different orbit Rocket Lab CEO and founder Peter Beck says the kick stage opens up significantly more orbital options, particularly for rideshare customers that have traditionally been limited to the primary payload’s designated orbit. The kick stage is designed for use on the Electron launch vehicle with a payload capacity of up to 150 kg and will be used to disperse CubeSat constellations faster and more accurately, enabling satellite data to be received and utilized sooner after launch. Equipped with a precision pointing cold gas reaction control system, the kick stage also has its own avionics, power and communications systems. As the proliferation of small satellites in low Earth orbit continues and the risk of collisions increases, the kick stage also offers a sustainable solution to reducing the amount of staging left to decay in orbit. The kick stage offers a much smaller system with its own green propulsion system to de-orbit the stage after mission completion, reducing the launch vehicle material left in space.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line862
__label__cc	0.516286	0.483714	Javasript is currently not supported/disabled by this browser. Please enable JavaScript for full functionality. Contact Us \| Links \| Sitemap عربي 中文 Español Russian Hindi Chairman's Profile in many languages TAG highlights in 45 years Personal Documents Chairman and Music Chairmanships Board Memberships Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global TAG.Global Mission Member Firms TAG.Global List of Services Scientific and Professional Publications Acronyms for TAG.Global Companies TAG.Global Companies Websites TAG.Global's Profile TAG.Global Infographic Through the Eyes of Others Jordanian Upper House Appointment UN-GAID Appointment Selected Letters Recognition Letters Newspaper publications Blankets become Jackets Ser Al-Majd Rising to the Top WTO at the crossroads "The Dreaded Echo" by HE Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh The Palestinian Executive,Foreword by Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Marketing Publications Belfour Declaration Consulting Management Book The book, consisting of 38 chapters distributed to 5 parts and 7 appendices, will assist all researchers, instructors and specialists in developing their visions, ideas and business. The contents is considered fundamental and integrated reference in Arabic for all consultants. Price: 50 $ Order Publication Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Collocations Dictionary Take part in revealing the genuine authenticity, beauty and accuracy of the Arabic language. Refurbish Arabic speakers’ expressive abilities. Learning collocations improves linguistic competence. Collocations are a combination of words that together give out a very neat and accurate meaning. Price:15$ Price In Jordan Book Publish Date 30-Dec-2013 The Arab Certified Professional Accountant (ACPA) Curriculum-2008 The Arab Certified Public Accountant (ACPA) curriculum has been developed in accordance with the Certified International Professional Accounting Qualification curriculum of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), with the participation of experts from the Arab Society of Certified Accountants (ASCA), the Certified General Accountants Association of Canada, European Commission, Institute of Chartered Accountants in Scotland, the Accounting Standards Board of Poland, the International Federation of Accountants and representatives of academic organizations and international accounting companies who participated in their own capacity. Subjects of the Professional Accounting Qualification Curriculum The Professional Accounting Qualification Curriculum consists of a variety of academic materials related to the accounting and auditing professions, in addition to different modules related to other disciplines such as economics, business administration, financial management, statistics, law and legislation and information technology, as well as many other important subjects. Price:160$ Price In Jordan Book Publish Date 08-Jul-2008 Price: 160 $ Abu-Ghazaleh Accountancy & Business Dictionary (English/Arabic)-2001 This Dictionary is quite comprehensive and meets the needs of professionals such as accountants, auditors, bankers, business people and those who work in the fields of economy, law and state. In addition, it is useful to students of universities, colleges and institutes, and is a basic reference for them in their study and work in the globalization era when developments in scientific, knowledge and technological field are accelerating. The Dictionary contains 12000 terms which include accounting terms issued by international professional bodies and committees, as well as commercial terms, others used in computer science and the Internet, and new ones introduced by the information and knowledge revolution. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Dictionary of Patents 2012 - Basic terms and themes of intellectual property matters - Over 20,000 entries - Serves users from the finance and business sectors, innovators, inventors, lawyers and paralegal assistants, persons concerned with intellectual property and college professors and students. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Dictionary of Legal Terms First Edition 2012 It is a rich lexicon for the use of judges, lawyers, professors and college students. It is an insightful resource for researchers and students. It serves business people, companies and economists. It keeps you abreast of contemporary world legal jargon TAG ICT Dictionary (English/Arabic)-2008 Talal Abu –Ghazaleh Information Technology International One of our achievements for the year 2008 was the issuance of Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Information and Communication Technology (TAG ICT) Dictionary. The TAG ICT Dictionary is an English-Arabic publication of about 6500 ICT terms. It was created to serve various goals, one of which is meeting the needs of ICT specialists and students at universities, colleges and vocational institutions by providing necessary explanations for various terms rather than merely the equivalent meaning or synonym. The methodology adopted in preparing this work, was based on numerous principles, such as: - Association between the main term and its derivatives - Association between the main term and its synonyms - Translation of concepts and an avoidance of literal translation of a particular term - Defining the term to guarantee accuracy and scholarly integrity with an explanation if needed - Taking into consideration the consistency of style and content - Focusing on English terminology without listing terms from other languages unless necessary Anti Money Laundering Guide-2007 This Guide includes a background about Money Laundering. In addition to the roles of professional accountant, ethical and professional commitment, the Guide also includes legislation, regulations, pronouncements and enforcement steps focusing on combating money laundering and terrorist financing. (Arabic and English versions). Guide on Legal Retention Period-2004 The Guide was originally developed by Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global (TAG.Global) as a reference for audit and financial consulting companies. It shows the legal period for which merchants should retain their books, documents, and correspondence and also the legal retention period for auditor’s books, documents, correspondences and working papers files. In addition to auditors, it will be of value to businessmen in general and financial managers in particular. This guide is updated on an annual basis and copies can be obtained from TAG.Global offices which are listed at the end of the guide. (English version). Price: 7 $ Guide to Corporate Governance-2006 The Guide covers the following subjects: historical overview of corporate governance, external and internal auditors’ roles and functions, and external auditors’ responsibility toward the corporation. In addition, it comprises an overview and objectives of the internal control system. Corporate Governance is the system by which business entities are managed and controlled. It is a means to promote transparency and accountability. Thus, the cornerstones of having an effective system of corporate governance are fiduciary responsibility, transparency, accountability, control and ethical atmosphere. (Arabic and English versions). LESI Guide to Licensing Best Practices 2007 The LESI Guide to Licensing Best Practices was designed to update licensing professionals with the current changes and future opportunities in this dynamic field. The Guide is a collection of articles covering licensing issues, procedures, and regulations in Europe, the Middle East, Australia, Asia, and USA, the do’s and don’ts of licensing agreements, patent procedures, and licensing issues on the Internet. (Arabic version). Business Guide to World Trading System 1999 This Guide was translated into Arabic in cooperation with the World Trading Center UNCTAD/World Trade Organization, the Commonwealth Secretariat and Talal Abu-Ghazaleh & Co. International. It includes all agreements, market rules, legal regulations, terms of negotiation and mutual obligations under the World Trade Organization. It is the only Arabic reference source approved by the issuing organizations. Terms of Use \| Disclaimer \| Privacy Policy © 2019 All rights reserved Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Global	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line870
__label__wiki	0.536546	0.536546	Nominate GOOD Promote GOOD Advanced Profile Search Select a Cause Civics / Government Consumer Advocacy Housing / Homelessness International Affairs / Development / Peace Social Entrepreneurism Date Posted (YYYY-MM-DD) Kenita Pierce-Lewis Katie Stagliano Augie Nieto Scott Burkholder Trish Tchume Matt Hanna Toby Crittenden Arthur Morgan Audrey Forshey Molly Koch Yasmene Mumby Elijah van der Giessen Anne O'Brien Tina Thomas Cynthia Sarthou Laura Senturia Children's Well Being Christina Johnson Darius Wilmore Gloria Shin George Goehl Jose Corona Jamie McDonald Deborah Flateman Stephanie Archer-Smith Debbi Weinberg Travis Street Jessica Abo Karen Griffin Howie Feinstein Lydia Bowers Corinne Hindes Susan Retik Danielle Dobbs Maggie Doyne Who do you want to tell the world about? Talking GOOD helps business, nonprofit, and community leaders build recognition for people who they know are making a difference in the world. You tell us about someone who deserves recognition for the good they’re doing. We interview them. Then we start spreading the word. All free. And that’s just the beginning... Who do you want to see recognized for the good they’re doing? Click here to learn more and get started. Be an ambassador for GOOD! Learn how to easily further the recognition (and impact) of people on this site! Explore GOOD Find people who are making a difference. Explore by cause, region, age, or keyword. Do you know someone so inspiring that you want to share their story with the masses? Unless your name is Oprah, shining the spotlight on others with that kind of immediate reach and impact is nearly impossible. That’s where we help. Talking GOOD invites you to recognize people who are making a difference, by giving them a shot at widespread exposure. Here’s how the free program works: YOU NOMINATE someone who deserves recognition for their cause-related work (either on a professional basis or in their free time). WE INVITE your nominee to answer 3 interview questions as the basis for their Talking GOOD profile. WE POST all profiles on the Talking GOOD platform, alongside dozens of amazing and inspiring “citizen philanthropists.” Anyone can search profiles and share them with their networks. WE SPOTLIGHT select profiles based on their “inspiration factor.” They are featured on our homepage, pushed out through our Ambassador program, and “pitched” to an ever-expanding list of interested media outlets, including Huffington Post, CNN, Christian Science Monitor, Good News Network, Daily Good, and more. Check out some of our Talking GOOD success stories (below) and see Our Story for more details. (Click on the examples below to enlarge) Casey Baynes Marga Fripp Founder & Director Rich Polt, Communicate Good This site would not be possible without the generous contributions of many people’s time, resources, services, talent, expertise, motivation, and wisdom. Special thanks to the following: Hunter Barrington, Andy M. Chen, and team, FTW Development Nina Merkel, Merkel Design Studio Jonathan Wachs, Offit Kurman Thomas Neuberger, Social Toaster Voices of Reason, Critical Feedback, and Motivation Allie Kline Harry Bosk, The Write Image Jennifer Polt Jodi Hume, The Business of Life Miriam ElKorchi, Former Intern Rachna Jain, Profitable Popularity Sharna Goldseker, 21/64 Steve Kaiser, Kaiser Associates On the power of “thank yous” Katie Stagliano, Katie’s Krops. What is the fundamental purpose of Talking GOOD? Recognize people who are making a difference and multiply the impact of their work by spreading the word about them. At the risk of sounding corny, we emulate the words of Edith Wharton: “There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle, or the mirror that reflects it.” We want Talking GOOD to be a giant mirror that anyone can use when they find a candle. Why did you start Talking GOOD, and how have you grown? Rich Polt started Talking GOOD as a blog in early 2012 as a way to publicly acknowledge and generate awareness for the many inspiring people he’d meet in the course of work and life. Every week, Rich would interview a purpose-driven individual who was championing a cause and leading by example. Then, something really amazing happened. The blog’s small group of followers began nominating do-gooders who they wanted to see spotlighted. People like Daniel Brannon, who escaped a life of drugs and prison and now dedicates his free time to addiction counseling. Or Katie Stagliano, the 14-year-old hunger activist who recently became the youngest recipient ever of the Clinton Global Citizen Award for Leadership in Civil Society. As the “inspiration-factor” of our interviewees multiplied, so did the attention Talking GOOD receive from fellow bloggers and mainstream media outlets. Just one year into the program, our interviewees were already being regularly showcased in regional and national online news outlets. Turns out, people like to be inspired! With more and more people, businesses, and organizations wanting to recognize “good,” and ever-increasing demand for compelling and inspirational content, the idea for the new Talking GOOD platform was born. Who runs Talking GOOD? Everything you see here was accomplished by a small group of contributors who accept nothing or next-to-nothing for their services. The “conductor” of Talking GOOD is Rich Polt, principal of the Baltimore-based Public Recognition (PR) consultancy, Communicate Good, LLC Rich has grown Talking GOOD in the wee hours of the morning, late at night, and (with the permission of his family) on the weekends. How do you pay for Talking GOOD? Great question! We’ve been able to grow to this point with relatively few cost outlays, and what we have spent has been self-funded. If we are to scale this further, we will eventually require a more suitable and reliable source of income, but the mechanism for achieving this remains one big TBD… for now. Does Talking GOOD receive compensation for profiling individuals? Talking GOOD has established itself as a credible resource for inspiring content because, in part, we do not accept compensation, goods, or services in exchange for the profiles that we feature. Everything we do is with an eye towards fostering the continued growth of a credible, robust, transparent, and diverse community. What are your plans for the future? Whoa, slow down there. We’re just launching the new Talking GOOD website and want to make sure this is working smoothly before adding more to the mix. Right now, we’re focused on growing an amazing community of inspiring “citizen philanthropists,” fueled by our collective desire to recognize people who are making a difference. If we can do that, everything else will fall into place. Whom do you like to feature on Talking GOOD? We profile a group of people known as “citizen philanthropists” (no, we did not coin that phrase). These are purpose-driven individuals who champion causes and lead by example. These are regular people with jobs, families, and responsibilities, but their commitments to a cause are a central aspect of their being. They’ve learned that giving to others is also one of the greatest things they can do for themselves. Some are grandparents, while others are still in high school. Some are professional do-gooders, while others do “good” in their spare time. They inspire us. They remind us that anyone can make a difference, and that to be a philanthropist one does not need money– just passion, energy, and belief in a cause. What are the criteria for being profiled on Talking GOOD? Our goal is to interview and post a profile on Talking GOOD for every nominee. Why? Who are we to say if someone is making a difference or not? If a nominator is inspired by someone and takes the time to nominate them for a profile, we believe it’s our responsibility to honor that gesture. It’s what Talking GOOD is all about. Still, we have an official nomination process to: (1) confirm that nominations are both legitimate and generally inoffensive to our community (a safeguard that is very similar to a blog where comments must first be approved before they go live), and (2) more efficiently collect all relevant information in our system. For more information on this topic, please read our Terms of Service. But while we strive to include all profiles on Talking GOOD, it’s true that only a subset of this group is selected to be featured. Right now, we have the capacity to feature roughly one person every week. But that can certainly change in the future. The decision to feature someone is based on a variety of factors– some tangible, and others less so. For example, is there something about the person and their story that makes featuring them timely? Is there something unique about the person that makes their story extra compelling? How much adversity has the person overcome to do what they’re doing? What constitutes “purpose-driven” work? This is something that is highly subjective, so we therefore try to avoid defining it. Purpose-driven work means different things to different people. By way of example, Rebecca Kerins fosters cats for numerous Baltimore-area animal shelters in her free time. To date, she has bottle-fed and nursed to health 65 kitties (and counting). Spencer Kympton, a former Blackhawk helicopter pilot, walked away from a lucrative position as a business consultant to helm a national organization focused on veteran service work. While the scope and impact of Spencer’s work may be more extensive than that of Rebecca’s, who are we to dare suggest that the passion and sense of purpose which Rebecca brings to her fostering is any less or any more than that of Spencer? Do you maintain nominators’ anonymity? During the nomination process, nominators can select if they want their identities disclosed to the people who they’ve nominated. Separately, nominators can elect to keep their identities disclosed from the public. If nominators want their identities withheld from nominees, their identities will automatically be withheld from the public. Should a Talking GOOD nominee wish to know the identity of a nominator who has requested anonymity, Talking GOOD will reach out to the nominator on behalf of the nominee with a one-time request. For additional information on how we may use the information collected about our nominators (and nominees), please read our Privacy Statement. Can I nominate more than one person? Yes, but please don’t abuse this right. Talking GOOD is still in its nascent stages, and we are excited about growing a vibrant community of inspiring people from around the world. To the extent that you want to shine the spotlight on a variety of deserving individuals, we welcome your nominations. Copyright © 2019 Communicate Good Privacy Statement \| Terms of Service	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line871
__label__cc	0.608422	0.391578	Choose a language Deutsch English Distribution North America Distribution South America Distribution Europe Distribution Africa Distribution Asia Distribution Australia Welcome to TECO, the company specialized in blood coagulation and hemostasis. TECO develops, produces and distributes high performance coagulation instruments of latest generation specially suitable for doctors up to hospital laboratories. Additionally, TECO trades the full line of coagulation and hemostasis reagents. TECO was established in 1990 by a product takeover from company LRE medical technology, Munich. In the last 20 years the company grew constantly every year with the new developments and new distribution partners. The company distributes its products worldwide in more than 60 countries and additionally through well-known OEM (private label) partners. In the beginning TECO started mainly with two instruments: the Coatron JR., a manual 2-channel coagulometer, which was succussfully produced and sold worldwide, also as OEM product for Instrumentation Laboratory, USA under the brandname "MCL-2". the Coatron F2, a semi-automated coagulometer with automatic pipettors, mainly produced and sold through SIGMA, USA under the brandname "AccuStasis 5000". With its motivated, professional and experienced engineers and developers TECO presents a stable basement for new product developments. The company catches up more and more to worldwide known enterprises in the field of coagulation and hemostasis. The wide range of coagulation instruments from small microcontroller systems for home user (P.O.C.) up to fully automatic coagulation analyzers for big hospitals and laboratories is constantly extended by new innovative ideas and technologies. Become a customer / distributor Customer Distributor All contact information to contact us or our distributors	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line873
__label__wiki	0.889825	0.889825	Norm Coleman backs Jeb Bush's candidacy January 25, 2016 — 5:43pm WASHINGTON – Former Republican Sen. Norm Coleman threw support behind Jeb Bush's presidential bid Monday. Coleman, a former one-term Minnesota senator, was previously supporting Sen. Lindsey Graham's presidential bid and running his super PAC. Graham ended his bid in December and in January said he was supporting Bush, a former Florida governor sagging in the national polls. On Fox News on Monday, Coleman said that Bush is the one person "ready to be commander-in-chief on day one, the one person that put together in November, before Paris, before San Bernardino, a plan to defeat ISIS," he said, referring to the terrorist group. "That's the issue," Coleman said. "National security is the issue." A Star Tribune poll conducted Jan. 18-20 showed Bush was in fifth place among Republican presidential candidates, with 7 percent support among Minnesota voters. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was the top pick of 23 percent of the state's voters, leading the pack. Allison Sherry Star Tribune Recommends Minneapolis Several staffers resign from Mayor Hodges' re-election campaign Minneapolis Two top officials in Mpls. Mayor Betsy Hodges' campaign resign Politics Rep. Keith Ellison to stay in Congress after loss in DNC race Nation Some Republicans pushing back against EPA cuts Several staffers resign from Mayor Hodges' re-election campaign Two top officials in Mpls. Mayor Betsy Hodges' campaign resign Rep. Keith Ellison to stay in Congress after loss in DNC race Some Republicans pushing back against EPA cuts Travis d'Arnaud third homer rallies Rays, stuns Yankees New york – Travis d'Arnaud hit three home runs, including a startling three-run shot with two outs in the ninth inning off Aroldis Chapman,… Monday's MLB roundup Brandon Crawford went 5-for-6 with two homers and tied a San Francisco team record with eight RBI, and the Giants scored a season high in… Philadelphia 76ers' Ben Simmons will get five-year, $170 million extension Ben Simmons is about to get paid. The 76ers point guard and the team agreed to a five-year, $170 million contract extension Monday, according… Pernell Whitaker's career in brief As on OlympianPernell Whitaker was a gold medalist at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.As a proWas a champion in four weight classes in a… Corrections for Tuesday, July 16, 2019 A story on A1 Monday misstated one element of a proposed limit on tenant screening in Minneapolis. Applicants with credit scores greater than 500 would… Arrests at Mexican border drop for first time in 2019 • Nation Rock climbing is ascending in popularity in Minnesota Saturday's men's and women's college basketball roundup	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line878
__label__wiki	0.603471	0.603471	supertom Disgruntled fan! I know we are all entitled to our own opinions and most of your reviews I agree with you supertom, but I completely disagree with you. I really think you are not giving the credit in which this film deserves. I will admit the plot felt a little dull and was a little stale, but this is some of Seagal's if not Seagal's best work for a dtv release in years. You can tell Seagal was more involved then he ever has been. The action and fight scenes were some of Seagal's best. I really disagree with your review, maybe you expected so much more from the trailer that you were dissapointed in the end result. I agree I did expect much more, but I really believe you are not being fair to Seagal in this review. This film in my opinion is his best DTV release yet, classic Seagal action, fights, one liners. And to say it is a little better than Kill Switch, that is an understatement. It is a lot better than Kill Switch. Kill Switch to me is his WORST dtv release ever! Driven To Kill is a great Seagal film, so far this is the ONLY negative review, and I believe if you watch it again with an open mind and understand that most of the fans look forward to the action and fight scenes, not A class acting, you'll be satisfied. But I really feel you are too harsh on this film and do not agree with you review at all. We'll have to agree to disagree on this one. I just didn't like the film. I went in to this one expecting more. To be honest, I wasn't expecting it to be on a level with PW, and it was not at all, but I felt it could be as good as UJ. It's a lot better than Kill Switch, but that's not saying a lot at all. It might be action packed but the action wasn't very well filmed, or thought out. Certainly, I'd like to see Seagal move back to doing more aikido based moves. The fights were very offensive on Seagals part. A lot of big boots, punches and violent payoffs, and in part that's down to him playing a darker character. But I prefer the more evasive moves, when he uses his opponets momentum against them. That scene in Marked for Death, when he escapes capture, is just a brilliant fight scene. If you look at it, he hardly throws any punches, but he manages to beat 3 guys (I think it was 3). He seems to have moved away from that sort of stuff, the sort of thing he was doing in his earlier career in his fight scenes. There was a little re-treat of that in PW and UJ. There was some great moves in PW for example, one where he simply knocks someone over using his body weight. Simple, real, and looked good. Again though, the editing was probably my main gripe. It was totally inconsistent. Sometimes they tried to quicken the pace and up it to a Bourne-esque rate of cutting, but then it would switch to very laboured cutting. A film should have a consistent pace of editing throughout, otherwise it just becomes choppy. Again, some scenes were played out too much, some cut too short. The scene when Seagal poses as a cop at the crime-scene with his dead ex-wife and left for dead daughter, there's actually a moment where Seagal is showing some emotion, but right as we start to see it, it cuts. I kind of appreciate that they dared to have Seagal play, pretty much, a bad guy. This was quite possibly his darkest role, but there was no depth. So essentially, all it is, is this guy who does vicious things to people when it's not always called for. There's gratuitous, and then there's gratuitous to the extreme. This might be the first negative review on here, but I don't think it'll be the last, nor will it be the first on the net. Even Kill Switch got some fairly forgiving reviews on here. I do agree with you on some points: I was not pleased with the editing, it had the same up close hard to see what's going on fight scenes such as Kill Switch. The music was terrible, I hated the Russian music every time a fight took place, thought it was really bad choice in music and very corny. Also I thought the production value looked cheap, didn't have the big budget feel to it like his other DTV releases like Into The Sun, Mercenary For Justice and Today You Die, etc... However... I liked this movie, and it Driven To Kill and Into The Sun are my two favorite Seagal DTV releases in my opinion. I thought the action was what we were waiting for. Out of all the times, even though Urban Justice had great fight scenes, and the action in Pistol Whipped was good, I thought Driven To Kill had the most promising action and fight scenes out of all his DTV releases. Seagal did play a bad guy type persona, it was different, I liked the film and think it should be praised as one of his top dtv releases so far. I feel this film is better than Urban Justice and Pistol Whipped. supertom;197289 said: I don't know what on the editing should be bad. I thought it was a very good editing. The problem is, that the camera is to close to the persons in the fights, but that has nothing to do with the editing. I think The Keeper will be better but Ruslan was still a cool little movie with some great shootouts. Martin01;197300 said: Yea Ruslan was a good movie. Personally Ruslan is my favorite DTV release so far. I liked Ruslan better than Pistol Whipped and Urban Justice. However I do agree I believe The Keeper will be a better movie as a whole. But the fights and hand to hand combat in Ruslan were outstanding. I'm surprised to read some members complaining about how there is no Aikido... There is plenty of Aikido in the film, wrist locks, arm locks, etc... I noticed that, and to be fair, there were plenty of them. The end fight was quite good. I'd still love to see him do stuff more like the early days. Not just the fights, but in terms of his persona and the standard of film. It's not like Hard To Kill or Out For Justice set a very high bar. If the fights were shot wide and cut well, there'd be less of a problem. This is what I want, and what, really, Seagal should still deliver: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8ixgdDPufA The trouble with DTV flicks nowadays, is they don't have people who know how to shoot action, or people who really know how to cut an action scene. Those 80's and early 90's flicks would normally be done by action specialists, and have decent editors. :apeace: yeah i really don't understand why Steven doesn't hire good editors anymore... seagalfan128 Just watched Driven to Kill / Ruslan. After reading some of the other reviews already posted, I see there are two ways to review this film. First, to review this film like I would any other action movies, or secondly, to review this film in comparison to Kill Switch. The second part is rather easy, so to get it over with -- Ruslan is much better than Kill Switch. (Obviously). The first 30 minutes of Ruslan looked to be a rather promising direct-to-video action flick. Obviously, none of us go into a Seagal film anxiously awaiting a Oscar-caliber movie, but we do wish to experience a fun and entertaining movie without the amateur and childish characteristics found in the previous bunch of Seagal DTVs (Against the Dark, Kill Switch, Flight of Fury, Attack Force). The opening half hour of the film displayed a steady pace and some straightforward direction, nothing too special but nothing worth criticizing. However, the film quickly falls apart after a fight scene involving Seagal and few gun runners, just after the thirty minute mark. The rest of the film gives off this sense of rushing, yet not going anywhere. Basically, the film has no flow. There are quite a few action scenes, but none that really make this movie worth watching. Both the audio and video editing is extremely amateur, and the acting falls short of just about everything. The dubbing in this movie gets out of hand - along the lines of Submerged. Seagal's "Russian" accent is very inconsistent, and often fades in and out in random scenes, hence the reason for the dubbing. The sound effects are laughable, and so is the dialogue. The music is some sort of odd joke. At the start of some of the action sequences, there comes this Russian music that would normally be found in a Russian cafe. There are also awkward moments when loud rock music begins to play during what were supposed to be intense and quiet buildups. When will they learn? Now, my criticism comes from the feeling I get that there was very little effort put into this. The story is dull, obviously, but I don't care because I can enjoy a Seagal movie for what it is...but there's this sense of "I don't care" that runs through the entire film. Here's the nutshell review: - First 30 minutes are really enjoyable; then goes downhill - One or two good fight scenes; the rest are lame, including a knife fight that goes on way too long - Acting is terrible; should have replaced secondary characters with animals - Villain is decent towards the last half of film, everybody else is irrelevant - Both audio and visual editing is extremely amateurish, which contributes heavily to the movie's lack of "tone" This movie is neither a step back, nor a step forward. It just seems to be a tweener in the Seagal filmography. I have a feeling that some of the people on these boards will enjoy it, but still, I don't find anything to really get excited about. Please feel free to ask any questions! pold Классный фильм, ребята! С этим не поспоришь, не так ли? pold;197319 said: अरबी भाषा को अरबी लिपि में लिखा जाता है । ये दाएँ से बाएँ लिखी जाती है । इसकी कई ध्वनियाँ उर्दू की ध्वनियों से अलग हैं । हर 'Driven To Kill' is getting really great word of mouth I was in IMDB and all the comments are positive they re saying the movie was great and most of them are very excited about seeing steven run again..usuall that place is hate central..i hope this trancends in high dvd sales Pold said: "Class film, children! With it you will not argue, whether not so?" Now as for Martin - I need a clue as to the origin of the sanscrit! I'm glad, that you're with humour! To Mystery Mom: you're actually write! Bingo! What do you think about it? Pold, I am anxiously awaiting for the film's arrival in my mailbox and I hope to enjoy it based upon the reviews from this site. As for Martin - yes he has a sense of humor and can be quite funny at times...something the world needs more of in our times. I'm glad to hear it! So... Have a good watch of Ruslan, Dear Mystery Mom! You'll glad to see Steven at strong and healthy (not fat!) form! I wish you' ll get a pleasure to view the film! Yeah! Humour - also is one of the general parts of my life! Heh, but "Ruslan" is really interesting and dynamic film, that I wanna to see again! D2K Trailer Littledragon, where is your D2K trailer? i'm waiting for it!!!!!!!!!!!! To dante: Do you need it? Try it here: http://www.kinopoisk.ru/level/16/film/412315/trailer/26813/ That's official trailer to the film! Enjoy it! First professional review of 'Driven To Kill'! It is relatively positive and he comments about Seagal trying to get in shape again and praises the fact that he is running in a scene.. 'I didn't even know he could read. After suffering through the truly abysmal 2009 vampire action extravaganza Against the Dark earlier this year, I was beginning to wonder if my favorite aikido bulldog Steven Seagal was starting to slip back into his old ways. Thankfully, Jeff King's generic revenge saga Driven to Kill (aka Ruslan) finds the big guy getting back to basics, though, once again, I doubt the film will convert those cynical individuals who believe that Seagal is nothing more than a relic who enjoys going through the motions and collecting a paycheck. The story is certainly nothing to get excited about -- a former Russian mobster-turned-crime novelist violently pursues the goons responsible for an attack on his lovely young daughter -- and the acting might cause last night's leftovers to rise into the back of your throat, but King's penchant for unchecked absurdity and random, bloody fist fights helps ease this jagged suppository into your reluctant cinematic rectum. Seagal, who actually appears to have hit the gym once or twice before filming, stumbles blindly around his faux Russian accent, practically abandoning it altogether by the time the story's eye-gouging finale rolls around. Despite itself, Driven to Kill is solid entertainment -- for undiscerning parties only. It's easily on par with the thoroughly enjoyable Urban Justice, another film which finds Seagal portraying a thuggish, unlikable jerk. I'm sure both films were a stretch. Play it again, Steve. Recipe For Success: One Ridiculously Simple Script + Seagal Running For A Few Seconds + Pointless, Non-Stop Action Note To Future Directors: If you don't mind, please void close-ups of Seagal's face in your low-budget, direct-to-video productions. Nobody wants to see that.' the review is from filmfiend.com Nice review, outforamovie! You can write what you thihk! Good! Молодец, друг! here's a second one from a site called mikeymo 'Driven To Kill is visited by the ghost of Seagal-past, a ghost we have only seen glimpses of the in last couple of films (Pistol Whipped, Urban Justice) and was completely absent the years before that. This time the ghost stages a more lengthy exhibition of itself as Seagal finally starts putting more and more effort and energy into his straight-to-video releases. After killing his ex-wife and almost doing the same to his hard to kill daughter Seagal goes out for justice and a kill (or 2, 3...) These are the vintage Seagal plots we all came to love almost 2 decades ago so I was actually thrilled to see this flick and was curious to see if the fleshy fighter still had it in him... Seagal, for once, doesn't play a cop but a Russian mobster-turned-writer named Ruslan who's publications are non-fiction books, mostly about his past. He has daughter who lives with his remarried-to-a-lawyer ex-wife. She's about to get married to the son of a Russian mob-boss who doesn't want to follow in his fathers footsteps. On the day of the marriage gangsters break into the mansion of the lawyer, kill his ex-wife and hurt his daughter lethally. At the hospital it's clear she will survive but Ruslan tells the doctor to declare her deceased so that she won't be a target in the near future. Yup, that's a piece of Hard To Kill plot right there! Now Ruslan goes out to find out who was behind this attack and kill them, violently. His buddy this time is the wimpy groom, Stephan. So there you have it. It's a low budget version of Taken mixed up with Hard To Kill and other early Seagal flicks and it's a welcome addition in a world where they have pitted Seagal against zombie/vampires or whatever those things were in Against The Dark. What a boring crapfest that was! They get a lot of things right this time that were wrong the last couple of years. Gone are the partial redubs of Seagals voice, gone is the Eastern European setting (even though the dvd cover feautures exploding Russian buildings, these are not in the movie. Everything's situated in America), gone is the extensive use of obvious stuntdoubles and gone are the lack of fighting scenes. Seagal even looks more muscled than fat this time. He'll never be as pumped as Sylvester Stallone, but his arms did look muscular in this movie. Stallone btw uses steroids, Steven just drinks Lightning Bolt as a supplement so it's not a fair comparison. I was stunned how close Driven To Kill came to the oldschool feeling and it even makes me crave more for an Under Siege 3. Driven To Kill screenshot Now of course this movie isn't perfect, far from it. But when you've been dumped into years of abysmal releases this feels like a breath of fresh air. But there are some annoyances: Seagal's voice/accent. Seagal does a thick Russian accent. Unlike in Half Past Dead he actually keeps it intact the whole movie but it's really hard to understand him and I'm even wondering if he wasn't dubbed entirely because he sounds so different, but I'm pretty sure it was Seagal's own voice. There's this scene in a strip-joint. This is of course a fairly easy way to throw in some naked hot tits & ass, only all the tits were badly done silicone-jobs. You know, those girls who go from an A-cup to a Double D which gives them two of those ugly hard balloons on their chest. Seagal's movies had silicone-tits in the past but at least they were perfectly done (watch Under Siege for proof!). But come on, if you need some chicks to do some saucy dancing just get a couple of girls who at least have 100% natural tits, they're not too hard to find. Even the porn industry is full of them. Just get Gianna Michaels to do her thang! Then there's one artistic annoyance. Now the director, Jeff King, who also directed the previous Seagal film Kill Switch, must have thought it was stylish to show Seagal walking depressed. We see Seagal walking and in the background there's a ladder or something. Now Seagal walks in the camera and every 2-3 seconds we get another cut of Seagal coming any closer. It looks like it's some sort of montage, but then you see the ladder in the background the whole time and you realise we're seeing Seagal walk the same 20 metres 10 times over before he actually walks past the camera. It can be compared to the already infamous window scene in Kill Switch where we saw one guy flying out of the window 10 times. Jeff King must like repetition I guess. The fightscenes must be mentioned of course as they are what made Seagal an action star in the first place. They try to go back to the early days but don't reach that place. Even though there are no obvious stunt doubles and Steven actually uses his legs again (even for running!) most of the action is shot from very close up, which I dislike as Seagal's action scenes come to their fullest right when the camera takes a step backwards to shows us the entire fight from a spectators view. Sadly, a missed point. I hope that in his next movie this will finally return. So Driven To Kill isn't the best Seagal flick out there but it's a welcome addition to his filmography and I sincerely hope that this movie will be followed upon with even better efforts, I'd hate to see the guy leave the scene (who knows how long he'll keep on doing making films) in a crappy movie.'	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line880
__label__cc	0.58374	0.41626	At St John Ambulance, we recognise the strength that diversity brings to our work. We welcome volunteers and service users from any socio-economic background, sexuality, ethnicity, gender, age, disability status, religion or belief. Each of our volunteers and employees brings a unique perspective and experience to their role. We celebrate this and are committed to creating an equal and inclusive environment within St John Ambulance. We know that this is vital to creating a strong organisation, and making your volunteering experience enjoyable and rewarding. We aim to reflect the diversity of the communities we support, both on a local and national level. ‘Back in 2012, a major deterioration in my vision meant my volunteer role had to change. Despite my vision loss I wanted to carry on being a first aid trainer, and now I volunteer as an area training specialist. I love being part of the training team, and knowing that I personally help volunteers to develop in their roles. By working alongside me, other volunteers can see that having a disability is not a barrier within the organisation.’ – Carol Trigg, St John Ambulance Trainer We believe in challenging discrimination at every level of our organisation, whether it involves volunteers, employees or service users. If you experience discrimination while volunteering for us, your line manager can help you to resolve it. If the situation cannot be resolved informally, you can submit a complaint through our grievance procedure. We will take all complaints seriously. All staff and volunteers are committed to upholding our policy of equality, inclusion and diversity. What we do - St John Ambulance Ambulance operations Youth voice principles Current trustees Our heritage and museum St John 2019 - 2022 Strategy St John Fellowship What we do > St John Ambulance, 27 St John's Lane, London EC1M 4BU. Tel: 08700 10 49 50 · Fax: 08700 10 40 65 Registered charity no. 1077265/1. A company registered in England no. 3866129. Registered office: St John's Gate, Clerkenwell, London EC1M 4DA © 2015 St John Ambulance. Please read our legal and site information and privacy policy	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line884
__label__cc	0.650142	0.349858	THE LATEST NEWS FROM PINGHUB Revolutionising education in a traditional way: The Academy of Han Studies now open in Malaysia PINGHUB is pleased to anouce that The Malaysian Academy of Han Studies has opened in Malaysia. A new school in that aims to build and function as a self-sustaining community. Parents, teachers, staff and children will all live together, learning and teaching with the academy on a fully charitable and donated site. The heart of the school’s curriculum and function lie in the core principles of Confucianism, Taoism, and ultimately Buddhism. The form of the academy is inspired by the Tulou Clusters in southern China and creates an inclusive village atmosphere, whilst promoting circulation of people, energy and ideas alongside the ventilation and light that flows through the buildings louvred walls. Blending a Malaysian roof vernacular with an inverted Chinese historical community architecture, the centre is a contemporary fusion of tradition and new ideas. We have worked with the driving force behind this project and its design the Masters of Han Studies in previous exhibitions, notably the 360 Degree Peace and Harmony exhibition tour in 2015 (see our past events) PINGHUB NEWS All the latest news from our global online and local community of artists, collaborators and sponsors. Our members can come to us to promote, exhibit and sell new and exciting creativity through our network of local hubs and our PING SHOP PINGHUB Collaborations Silk Road Project	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line888
__label__cc	0.518445	0.481555	Please set up your off canvas menu Stuff You Missed Saturday Dirty Moonshine Reveal Video for Toxic Waltz Aghasura Debut “Kshatriya” Video Stream Interview: Brood Of Hatred – Progressive Death From Tunisia Deadline Unleash Video for Bloodbeast writeessay on Interview: Ripped To Shreds – One Man Death Metal From Cali Jack on Monstrance Reveal Cover Art and New Demo Track With New Vocalist Interview: Ripped To Shreds – One Man Death Metal From Cali For those unfamiliar with your band, please give a brief one liner about your sound and a quick FFO. Crushing buzzsaw death metal tempered by deathdoom and grind. FFO: Entombed, Bolt Thrower, Terrorizer What was the writing process like for your album? Some songs were easy, some were really difficult. I try to start by thinking of a concept or title, so I can write music that has an emotional arc that follows the “story” of the song, even if I don’t necessarily have complete lyrics sketched out. Then I come up with a main riff and try to build everything logically off of that. I think this process succeeded best on Bone Ritual and Yellow River. Not many songs were written in one go; Craven Blood I wrote in a week and half when I was still in Disincarnation, but the rest were written over a period of many months. I would come up with about 40-50% of a song, lose steam, start work on another song, and then come back to the first when I was inspired to add some new section/riffs, or change an old one. It’s hard to balance leaving things alone and recognizing what needs to be cut or reworked. Open Grave had a section that I actually just ripped out and rewrote right before I started tracking drums. What do you think sets your band apart from the rest? What does Ripped to Shreds bring to the table that no one else does? Frankly I’m not pushing any musical boundaries. I’m writing within the confines of OSDM and following the path that trailblazers have already made. I think it’s extremely difficult to be truly original; if someone finds your music novel, then they probably haven’t heard the music that influenced yours. Execution and attitude are what matters. However, the state of Chinese death metal is truly dismal. Taiwan only produces slam/BDM bands and there’s nothing I dislike more than slam. Mainland China is 99% black metal with no OSDM. They’ve had Ululate, who are okay, and Rupture, who are pretty kickass death/thrash, but it’s a very sparse field. So from that perspective I think I write some of the best Chinese-language OSDM around. 埋葬 by Ripped to Shreds What sort of things inspire you to create music? I’m inspired mostly by listening to music. Sometimes I hear a specific melody or riff that gives me an idea on how to fix a riff that I’ve been struggling with, other times I realize there’s a specific rhythmic or melodic device I haven’t yet tried. Chinese history and culture obviously are big points of reference for this record. Bone Ritual was specifically inspired from attending the Buddhist funeral of my grandfather. I wanted to showcase traditional Han funeral rites and explore some morbid twists that came to mind during the ceremony. For instance, after cremation the bone fragments and ashes are placed into a funerary urn which is venerated in ancestor worship. But what if during the cremation process, the crematorium workers brought the family the wrong ashes? The family would be making votive offerings to a complete stranger. How do you feel about the current state of the music industry, in particular streaming services, “illegal” downloads and such? As a consumer, the extreme metal underground is awesome. There’s a ton of amazing metal being made every year and there’s always something fresh to listen to. On the artist side, I personally feel like piracy is a matter of convenience and that someone who was going to buy the physical copy in this day and age would buy it regardless of a pirated version being available. On the other hand, I’ve never had an album leaked before release before so I might have a very different attitude if that happened. As for streaming services I have no real opinion. If you could share the stage with any other musician (dead or alive), who would it be? Nicke Andersson because Entombed is the greatest DM band of all time. Nicke is a drummer with a great sense of groove, taste, and aggression, even if he doesn’t play blastbeats. Plus his riffing is topnotch; I can’t wait to hear another Death Breath album. Which albums are in your top 10 right now? I’m mostly a death metal and grindcore guy, but there’s one black metal record from last year, a collaboration between Voidcraeft and Agonanist (who’s a friend of mine), that I couldn’t stop listening to. Crazy 17ET BM with a ton of riffs and twisted grooves. From 2017: Acephalix – Decreation Butcher ABC – North of Hell Cavurn – Rehearsal Cloud Rat – Clipped Beaks // Silk Panic MMXVIII (sorta cheating cause it’s a compilation of their splits) Contaminated – Final Man Cryptic Void – Desert Temple Death Toll 80k – Step Down Sonic Poison – Combat Grind Vulture – The Gullotine Voidcraeft – Indoctrination of Emptiness Fast forward 5 years from now, what’s Ripped to Shreds doing? Headlining CDF 2023. Putting together a live lineup will be tough as I need to thoughtfully choose musicians who are on the same page in attitude, approach, and influences. I think in my first band Disincarnation I found “people who wanted to play” rather than “people who had the same vision.” I’m still very grateful to them and it was absolutely necessary for my growth as a musician to have that experience, but after a brief fruitful period the results of our collaboration were not what I wanted. Craziest thing you’ve ever done together with the band? The band is just me so I couldn’t really say I’ve done anything crazy. Going to sleep after midnight is about as crazy as I get these days! Thanks for your time, anything else you’d like to add? Thanks for reading, thanks to everyone for their support, and of course thanks to Craneo Negro and Necrolatry Records for bringing this album to you guys in physical formats! Digital preorders are available from my bandcamp right now, and I’ll be putting up tape/CD preorders as they get shipped to me from the labels. You can follow for upcoming news of 埋葬 at: https://rippedtoshredsdeathmetal.bandcamp.com https://twitter.com/rippedtoshreds4 https://www.instagram.com/rippedtoshredsdeathmetal/ https://facebook.com/rippedtoshredsband https://facebook.com/ixcraneonegroxi/ https://facebook.com/NecrolatryRecords/ Craneo Negro Recordsdeath metalNecrolatry Recordsold school death metalripped to shreds Copyright © 2018 Void Unveiled. All Rights Reserved.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line905
__label__cc	0.68296	0.31704	Thread: Do you care about Baz and Jessica? Trey Strain Eric Bischoff had one good idea, which was the NWO. But he did it so much that it killed the show. When Johns saw that the Black Lanterns story didn't work, he should have knocked the emotional spectrum in the head. But it was his ego. He didn't want to take Green Lantern back to the 80s and 90s. He wanted to redo it, make it into something entirely different. He wanted it to be HIS property, so he doubled down on what he was doing. Send a private message to Trey Strain Find More Posts by Trey Strain	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line911
__label__cc	0.73598	0.26402	thelandofunlikeness.com thelandofunlikeness.com Privacy Policy At thelandofunlikeness.com, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information that is received and collected by thelandofunlikeness.com and how it is used. Like many other Web sites, thelandofunlikeness.com makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol ( IP ) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider ( ISP ), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user's movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable. Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on thelandofunlikeness.com. Google's use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to your users based on their visit to thelandofunlikeness.com and other sites on the Internet. Our third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on thelandofunlikeness.com send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see. thelandofunlikeness.com has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers. You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. thelandofunlikeness.com's privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites. thelandofunlikeness.com \| Privacy Policy	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line914
__label__cc	0.67106	0.32894	The Population is Growing – Why So Many Smaller Airliners? The last time I saw both my grandparents alive and together, I was 12 years old. I took an American Airlines 767 from Phoenix to Chicago. Today, the 767 is rare at Phoenix Sky Harbor. Typically, it’s a Boeing 737 or Airbus A320 that handles runs from here to Chicago. This is weirdly counterintuitive. The Phoenix population has only grown. Airline tickets are cheap. Booking flights is ridiculously easy (sorry, travel agents, but that’s the truth). This all adds up to more people in the air. Hawaiian Airlines flies one of the few widebody aircraft serving Phoenix Sky Harbor. Yet there’s a never-ending downsizing of aircraft. And I’m not just talking about the retirement of the 747 (most of which are 20-year-old 400 series planes) or the flameout of the even-bigger-than-jumbo Airbus A380. I mean at the workaday domestic flight role, shuttling between large domestic cities. What once was a job for an airliner that could hold close to 300 people is now the purview of smaller airliners that hold closer to 175 (this completely depends on how the airline configures its aircraft, of course). By far the latest and coolest airliner is Bombardier’s C Series, a high-tech, efficient little plane – 150 passengers or less, depending on the model – that is getting rave reviews from operators, pilots and passengers alike. I’ve always seen the bigger airliners as a smart solution for the entire system. Passengers can get on and off of twin-aisle planes far more quickly. And fewer planes with more people means far fewer planes sitting on a taxiway waiting for their turn to take off. So what gives? Bombardier’s slick little C-Series jets are getting rave reviews from all corners – but are smaller airliners what we need as more people fly? (Wikimedia Commons) Economics plays into it, for sure. In the US, airlines have to essentially pay by the pound for their landing fees. Smaller airliners are also a smaller capital outlay, require smaller crew and use less fuel. I am sure the airlines puzzled this all out and somehow found that more-but-smaller airliners are better than fewer-but-bigger planes. These guys crunch numbers like crazy to eke more profit out of their actions – like how much fuel they can save by removing a pair of olives from first-class meals. Despite that, airlines are notorious for filing bankruptcy. Another consolidation always seems imminent. So I’m not 100-percent confident saying that airline bean counters have everything figured out – and that includes the downgauging into smaller airliners. I also admit that I’m completely atypical from most airline passengers. When I book, aircraft type is a huge factor for me. I avoid planes I don’t like and will pay extra for the ones I prefer (the 737, Airbus A330 and MD-80 rank at the bottom of my ladder). Qantas uses smaller airliners like the 717, but they’re thinking about upgauging for certain routes. (Photo by planegeezer) And then comes this Inc. story about Qantas considering bigger planes on shorter routes. This is a solution I’d like to see US airlines ask. The question here doesn’t really seem to be whether airlines can sell enough seats to make this work. Nearly every flight I’ve been on in the last decade has started with the announcement “We have a completely full flight today,” followed by a request to gate-check your bags. This made me think of an excerpt from something I wrote for the now-defunct Yahoo Voices awhile back. It’s more-relevant than ever. Affordable airfare spiked the demand. But rather than larger planes to meet it, the industry went toward a glut of smaller aircraft. “You’re tempted to think … Instead of flying a 200-seat 767 from New York to Los Angeles, make it a 747 instead, with 450 seats,” wrote Patrick Smith, commercial pilot and author of Ask the Pilot. “But that’s not how it happened.” Southwest Airlines is one example of the “many small planes” phenomenon. It has nearly 560 aircraft, all narrow-body. It has six daily flights from Phoenix to Los Angeles – some with as little as 40 minutes between them. Every US carrier has moved on to smaller airliners by retiring their 747 fleets. Southwest bases its business model on the 737. The airline aims for one aircraft family to standardize maintenance and training requirements – all of which saves money. “Also, carriers have switched many flights to smaller regional jets, which don’t fly as fast as bigger planes and can also force planes behind them to slow down,” Scott McCartney wrote in The Wall Street Journal. Regional jets are even smaller than Southwest’s 737s or the A320-series planes low-cost carrier Jet Blue prefers. McCartney’s sources said planes not only spend longer in the air, but an average of 10 minutes more on the ground than they did in 1977. The conclusion? The taxiways are more crowded. Welcome to Sky Harbor – smaller airliners everywhere you look despite being a big city. The crowded skies are also an added burden for air traffic controllers. Smith and many other writers say the nation’s air traffic-control system are already antiquated and insufficient for current needs. Economics lecturer Lynne Kiesling points out that airlines have no incentive to choose bigger planes – airports charge for landing slots by weight. Instead, the fees should be based on time slot: higher-demand time slot, higher landing fee. That would create incentives to land as many people as possible in that slot. Kiesling hints at but doesn’t fully explore aircraft separation. Some aircraft generate more wake turbulence, and they need to be separated from other aircraft. The Boeing 757 is notorious for its wake turbulence, despite being a medium-sized jet. Wide-body jets also generate quite a bit. That means regional jets need to be insulated from them, creating delays as they wait for the larger aircraft to move a safe distance away. So what’s the solution? There’s no agreement about that. Too many airlines are too entrenched in using smaller aircraft. Some, like Southwest, depend on it for short-term success. But there has to be a point at which the flying population will grow too large for the system to work. That may be a long time in the future, but it’s something airlines should be considering right now. I have not flown a widebody aircraft in the US since the trips to Chicago I mentioned earlier. My wife flew in a 747 from Minneapolis to Phoenix, but that was a replacement aircraft for several different flights. On the flip side, I’ve flown international flights in a single-aisle 757. My gut tells me the landing fees are the sticking point that will keep airlines from adjusting to what the population needs. Airline apologists are quick to say the bean counters have it all figured out and this really is the best way. Then why the bankruptcies, consolidations and mergers? They don’t have it figured out beyond the next few quarters. And then what happens? Speaking of Patrick Smith, we must’ve been reading each other’s minds: He just published a similar story with more of a focus on the logistics. It’s worth reading, as are most of his posts – yes, even the ones about Husker Du. This post just might contain affiliate links. Fear not, they’re non-spammy and benign. Hey, I have to keep this thing running somehow! It’s Time to Fix How We Renew a Passport in the US The 737 MAX: One Refreshed Version Too Far Costa Rican Craft Beer in 2018 Previous A Few People are Upset About Scottsdale Bike Share Services Next I’m a Dad, and I Have One Small Request for Playground Designers	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line917
__label__cc	0.587942	0.412058	Michael Heitkemper-Yates - An Interview with Robert Coover John Ashbery - Not Beyond All Conjecture Rae Armantrout - Exit Row Lisa Steinman - Two Poems Stephanie Yorke - Two Poems Tim Smith-Laing - Cimetière Marin Ed Sugden - Art in the Age of Economic Recession: B.S. Johnson and Ben Lerner John Culbert - Killjoy Alexandra Manglis - Getting Wires Crossed / Science Fiction in Conversation John Culbert The joke never fails to amuse. That said, certain conditions must be met. The audience should be neither abstracted, unconscious, preverbal, or mentally deficient. They should also be present for the telling, but if non-present, must be linked via some form of communication, eg. television, telephone, radio, or internet. As a rule, the teller of the joke is alive, but if dead, still existing as a simulacrum, for instance as a recorded voice on tape, CD, or digital medium, or as a moving image in a film or video. The teller may also choose to convey the joke in print, in which case, as above, he or she may no longer be living when the joke is read, though to speak here of a “simulacrum” seems inappropriate, for reasons that are unclear but commonly accepted. A child may sometimes tell the joke, but even if the delivery is adequate, the effort is only humored, as they say. Similarly, a robot or other automated system might generate the appropriate word-chain without the desired effect. No computer program exists yet that can recognize a successful joke, and while a doll or toy clown sometimes has a voice-box that mimics the human laugh, like canned laughter on TV, such responses are considered purely artificial. Were the joke to appear from out of a random set of letters, a box of scrabble tiles, a hostage-taker’s alphabet, a set of moveable type, or in a sequence composed by the proverbial typing monkeys, the result would likely be less funny than disturbing. One virtue of the joke is its brevity; it can be told in one breath. However, being made up of several phrases, it could be conceivably delivered in separate parts, for example, with a pause in the middle, during which the teller might take a bite of a cracker, or sip his drink, only so long as to whet the listener’s interest, or break off momentarily to pick up his cell phone, perhaps to mute the ringer, but if expecting important news might suspend the telling a while longer, most likely to the detriment of the joke. Delay however could be exploited as a purpose in and of itself. A person of infinite means might choose to deliver one word of the joke each time he circled the earth; arriving by plane after each trip, he would convoke his listeners to hear the next word, or even, in order to extend the journey – but why? – the next letter or syllable, though no doubt the listeners would grow impatient, or would have heard the joke elsewhere by that time, since it is so popular, and popular jokes travel quickly, faster even than planes, in fact. Everyone recalls the time and place they first heard the joke, and some may also remember what they were doing when, while perhaps rehearsing it in their mind, they felt a layer of meaning peel away to reveal some hidden truth, like a body lying in the weeds. So for each person it has a special meaning, utterly private, though everyone shares in a common recollection, as with the day of the (first) Kennedy assassination. No doubt Freud’s insight remains as true today as it did a hundred years ago: a joke is passed from person to person like news from the battlefront. Of course the joke is funniest if never heard before. Like many jokes, though, it bears repeating, but not right away, unless the listener or listeners failed to hear it, due to some noise, momentary inattention, or other interruption, eg. the cat knocking over a vase, ice cream truck, or even, since the TV is always on, a joke on a sitcom, in which case the joke is interrupted by a joke, never auspicious. The passage of time may work to the benefit of the joke, which thereby reclaims some of its novelty, and a change of context can also warrant a retelling. One cannot, however, call one’s friends into an adjoining room to hear the joke again. On the other hand, one might tell the same joke to the identical group of friends some years later in the very same room. In this case, the retelling might carry a dividend of nostalgia, while the joke itself may have paled imperceptibly in humor, but not so much as to make it pleasureless. The forgetful and amnesiac would enjoy it perhaps most. Beyond a certain point, such as one’s own life-span, the joke will likely have no further value, and cultures of the future, whether living the horrors we expect or an unforeseen earthly paradise, probably would have no use for the joke, assuming it were comprehensible to them and passed down in a language they understood. Do angels tell jokes? One hardly imagines them snickering, sniggering, snorting, or guffawing, all of which imply some malice or sarcasm. And though they might be considered to giggle or chuckle, what humor would they find in the topic of the joke (death)? Placid, indolent, mostly silent, they are no doubt more like animals, or rather household pets, the ones who are glad to see us happy, but alarmed to hear us laugh. © 2019 Wave Composition	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line918
__label__wiki	0.885833	0.885833	Urbanalyst Menu: HomeNewsSpotlightReportsAboutContactNewsletter Dwelling approvals decrease by 12.6 per cent in October Written by Urbanalyst FOLLOWING a revised decrease of 9.3 per cent in September, the total number of new dwellings approved in October decreased by 12.6 per cent, in seasonally adjusted terms, according to the latest figures released last week by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS). A total of 16,279 dwellings were approved in October, compared to seasonally adjusted totals of 18,628 in September and 20,529 in August. When compared to the same month last year, the number of dwellings approved in October 2016 was down by 24.9 per cent, in seasonally adjusted terms. Above: New House / by Alexander Kesselaar. In seasonally adjusted terms, no states recorded increases in dwelling approvals. Dwelling approvals decreased in Victoria (down 2.7 per cent to 4,917 dwellings), Tasmania (down 3.1 per cent to 153), South Australia (down 8.4 per cent to 824), Queensland (down 9.8 per cent to 3,304), Western Australia (down 14.3 per cent to 1,409) and New South Wales (down 15.7 per cent to 5,199). In seasonally adjusted terms, 9,203 private sector houses were approved in October, compared to 9,522 in September (a decrease of 3.4 per cent). A total of 6,712 private sector dwellings excluding houses were approved in October, which was a 24.8 per cent decrease when compared to September's result of 8,929. The seasonally adjusted estimate of the value of total building approved fell 30.3 per cent in October following a rise of 27.1 per cent in the previous month. The value of residential building fell 15.2 per cent and has fallen for three months. The value of non-residential building fell 46.9 per cent following a rise of 102.6 per cent in the previous month. More information is available from the Australian Bureau of Statistics website at <http://www.abs.gov.au/>. Photo: 'New House Lock Up HDR' / Alexander Kesselaar / Licensed under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 2.0. Dwelling approvals decrease by 1.2 per cent in December - 6 February 2017 Dwelling approvals increase by 7 per cent in November - 16 January 2017 Dwelling approvals decrease by 8.7 per cent in September - 6 November 2016 Dwelling approvals decrease by 1.8 per cent in August - 10 October 2016 Dwelling approvals fall 2.9 per cent in June - 6 August 2016 Dwelling approvals decrease 5.2 per cent in May - 10 July 2016 Latest Australian Articles Infrastructure Australia calls for a renewed commitment to infrastructure reform Regional development inquiry findings – yet another reason for a national settlement strategy: PIA Dwelling approvals decrease by 5.0 per cent in April Creating Great Australian Cities research project released by Property Council of Australia 'Incentives not the be-all and end-all of affordable housing': Planning Institute of Australia Dwelling approvals decrease by 6.2 per cent in February State and Territory News Two METRONET projects on track to begin construction next year Development approval granted for twin-tower Iconic Scarborough proposal Sydney Metro authority comes into effect Designs revealed for Melbourne Metro Tunnel stations Cycling key to unlocking congestion: City of Melbourne discussion paper Final scoping requirements signed off for Environment Effect Statement for Mordialloc Freeway Latest Additions to Urbanalyst 6 July 2018 - Australia 6 July 2018 - Western Australia 6 July 2018 - New South Wales 2 June 2018 - Victoria Dedicated advisory committee established by Victorian Government to improve stormwater management Copyright © 2009 - 2015 Urbanalyst. All Rights Reserved.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line922
__label__cc	0.506234	0.493766	Twilight Onesies And Other Horrors by: Mummy Buzz You'd be forgiven for thinking it's Halloween. In fact, Twilight madness is upon us once again, with the release of Breaking Dawn, the final installment of the adaptations of Stephenie Meyers vampire books. Twihards, as they're known -- many of whom aren't tweens but moms -- are out in full force, travelling to the saga's settings and sucking up related merchandise. And no baby is safe. Onesies labeled "Team Jacob" and "Team Edward", complete with bloody lips and claw marks. How about hand-painted, fang-motif pacifiers. Is the fanfare, reminiscent of the musical cult classic, Rocky Horror Picture Show, harmless fun, in the spirit of the movie, or just bad taste? Would you deck your babe out in Twi-gear? For the record, this yummy is Team Edward. Culture - Celebrity mummy buzz Preschool Does Piercings Mommy, My Ears Hurt So much blind faith goes into leaving your preschooler in someone else's care, even for a couple hours. It can't be that hard, you figure. Your child will have a snack, sing some songs, build a tower, maybe. Think again. In recent months, tots have been drugged and managed to escape daycares. And what if you picked up your child, only to find they'd been altered? That's exactly what happened to Eloise Cardenas. When she picked up her five-year-old daughter, Mia, from Dallas-based Marquita KinderCare recently, her daughter was wearing earrings. Incredulous, Cardenas discovered that another teacher at the school had pierced Mia's ears, which were red and sore, according to the Star-Telegram. Although Mia had previously had her ears pierced, she'd stopped wearing earrings two years ago, leaving the holes to heal. Then it was some teacher's bright idea to re-pierce the child's ears. When confronted, the teacher in question said the child had given her permission. Call me crazy, but since when does a five-year-old hold such decision-making power? Notwithstanding the fact that the needles probably weren't sterilized (or that the teacher had needles or piercing gun in her classroom in the first place!) Needless to say, Cardenas has filed a report with Fort Worth police, while the KinderCare teacher has merely been "disciplined" -- code for written up. How would you react if it was your child? I think I would start by pulling mine from the school. Or is it a case of a bad egg spoiling the bunch. Life - In The News No Sexy Eyes for Saudis Bedroom Eyes Blues It would be funny if it wasn't so ridiculously sad. Not only will the women of Saudi Arabia need to cover up their bodies and faces when in public, women unfortunate enough to have "sexy eyes" will soon have to cover them up, too, lest they tempt Saudi men. Saudi Arabia's Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, Sheikh Motlab al Nabet hopes to pass a law that would force women with "sexy eyes" to conceal them in public. Currently Saudi women must wear a long black robe called "abaya" which leaves only a slit-like space to enable them to see. Those who appear in public without the "abaya" are punishable with fines and public flogging. As absurd as it sounds, according to the Daily Mail, a member of the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice suggested the law after a "fell to the wiles of a woman with sexy eyes." His straying glance led to a fight in which he was stabbed in the hand by the woman's husband. Founded in 1940, the Committee is essentially the morals "watchdog" of Saudi Arabian society, ensuring that it keeps to the strict morality of Koranic laws. Not only is the Committee responsible for the women's driving ban, it refused to evacuate girls from a burning school fearing that the mere sight of the "immodestly" dressed girls in the holy month could cause men to sin. In the end, 15 girls died in the blaze while the Committee considered the best means to move them without tempting the men. Apparently the Committee has the full backing of the state. In fact, King Abdullah recently gave an extra 200 million riyals ($53 million) to the Committee, to perform its duty of promoting virtue and preventing vice. Feminism, what? I know dogs who get treated better than this. Even those with nice eyes... Life - Relationships Mummy Buzz This Instagram Beauty Hack for Acne is Smelly Pantry Staple Mummy Buzz Plus-Sized Instructor Celebrates Yoga for All Bodies Mummy Buzz The Buzz You Loved: Our Top MummyBuzz Stories 2011-2016 Mummy Buzz Alicia Keys Shamed for 'Naked' VMAs Look Mummy Buzz When Your Child Doesn't Want to Hug a Relative Mummy Buzz Quick Fix To Conceal Tummy Flab Mummy Buzz Girl Goes From 0-14 In Amazing 4-Minute Timelapse Mummy Buzz Why the Prosthetic Pregnant Belly Business is Booming Mummy Buzz Young Girls List 30 Requirements For Future Boyfriend Mummy Buzz Kristina Pimenova - Gorgeous, has 329,000 "Fans." She's 9.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line942
__label__wiki	0.899924	0.899924	Return of the Disco King Mumbai Mirror \| Updated: May 15, 2019, 06:00 IST Mithun Chakraborty, who has been undergoing therapy for back pain in Kerala, is back in town and already at work. The original Disco Dancer of Bollywood made an appearance on the dance reality show, Super Dancer. Giving in to nostalgia, the veteran actor revealed that songs like “I Am A Disco Dancer,” “Yaad Aa Raha Hai” and “Ae Oo Aa” were filmed in a single take. “I recorded 64 beats of the song in a single take,” the actor reminisced. Citing his 1982 film, Disco Dancer, which is known as the biggest Indian hit in Russia, he added, “In countries like Russia, France, Egypt, Turkey, Algeria, I am recognised as the Disco King.” Shilpa Shetty, one of the three judges on the show, chimed in, saying that while on a vacation in Ukraine, a local Bollywood buff had walked up to her and told her he was a fan of “Jimmy Jimmy.” Shah Rukh Khan completes 27 years in Bollywood: 5 different avataars ... Kalank celeb review: Bollywood celebrities praise Karan Johar's perio... Bollywood comes to Yogi's rescue in Gorakhpur From Entertainment Pooja Batra finds love in Nawab Shah Sonakshi Sinha: I don't want any man or... Sonakshi Sinha: I don't want any man or woman feel shy to talk about sex Lata Mangeshkar requests Dhoni to not r... Lata Mangeshkar requests Dhoni to not retire This week, that year: Guru Dutt and the... This week, that year: Guru Dutt and the sands of time	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line945
__label__cc	0.549761	0.450239	Songs Videos Pictures Artist Radio Flynnville Train is an American country rock band. Their self-titled debut album was released on September 11, 2007, and it produced two singles on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. The band is composed of Brian Flynn (lead vocals), Brent Flynn (lead guitar), Damon Michael (bass guitar), and Tommy Bales (drums). Read More Biography from Wikipedia Katrina Elam Rissi Palmer Stations With Flynnville Train Flynnville Train Radio Plays Flynnville Train along with similar artists like: Crossin Dixon, Big Kenny, Southern Bitch, George Canyon, Steve Holy… Joanna Cotten Radio Plays Joanna Cotten along with similar artists like: John Corbett, Holly Dunn, Whitney Duncan, Whiskey Falls, Sarah Buxton… Williams Riley Band Radio Plays Williams Riley Band along with similar artists like: Telluride, Mac McAnally, Joey + Rory, Jason Meadows, Randy Montana… Scotty Emerick Radio Plays Scotty Emerick along with similar artists like: Tommy Alverson, Chris Cummings, Joanna Cotten, Crossin Dixon, Trent Tomli… Mark McGuinn Radio Plays Mark McGuinn along with similar artists like: Charly McClain, The Tractors, K.T. Oslin, Rissi Palmer, Crossin Dixon… Fisher Stevenson Radio Plays Fisher Stevenson along with similar artists like: One Flew South, Bomshel, PinMonkey, Brian McComas, Danielle Peck… Mustang Creek Radio Plays Mustang Creek along with similar artists like: Joey + Rory, Earl Thomas Conley, The Drew Davis Band, Fast Ryde, Tellurid… The Drew Davis Band Radio Plays The Drew Davis Band along with similar artists like: Rhett Akins, Katrina Elam, Shane Owens, Kevin Sharp, Zona Jones… Sunny Ledfurd Radio Plays Sunny Ledfurd along with similar artists like: Mark McKinney, The Warren Brothers, Nic Cowan, Arc Angels, Crossin Dixon… From Flynnville Train High On The Mountain Tequila Sheila Redneck Side Of Me	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line946
__label__cc	0.721753	0.278247	ALEMIL Welcome to a blog about application and game development Soulash devlog #1 - Iteration process 2018-12-31 19:13:15 Est. read time: 4 minutes, 57 seconds The end of the year is a good time to retrospect. I thought it would be an interesting idea to start writing about the game I'm currently working on by showing how it evolved during the first full year of development and where it is going next. Soulash is a fantasy roguelike with survival elements where you play a character set on destroying the world. But let's start from humble beginnings. The very first screenshots of the game, a ruined village of Kabula with some NPCs and a map with a few goblins to test basics of combat. A little over 1 year ago, this was but a prototype that I wasn't sure where I wanted to take. At the beginning of the year 2018, I got inspired by the Goal Oriented Action Planning as an AI system. I thought maybe I'll use that to make a strategy roguelike, with the main focus on trading and crafting. In January I made an attempt on tiles and new GUI to support that direction. Tiles were eventually pushed for when the gameplay was more set in stone, as "tweaked" ASCII is sufficient for now. It was also a time when I was implementing GOAP for villagers and a first version of the crafting system The crafting system consists of fishing and butchering to produce food, skinning to gain leather and fur from animals, woodcutting to get wood and mining for ore. All resources were to be processed in the crafting system either by the player character or ordered to be made by one of the NPCs. Unfortunately, this match of a trading game with ordering NPCs that you don't see and a traditional roguelike didn't turn out well, at least with my take on that mix. At that point, I was worried that it might become yet another of the countless projects that I have thrown away. For a short period, I even thought of changing direction more toward RPG. After some consideration, I decided it was time to go back to the roots and look for a different path. I definitely wanted to have a map maker, as I don't like what current procedural generation offers in most roguelikes, which is often just a different shape of the same generic map. I've made a simple editor. I wanted to build a more consistent world over just moving between disconnected maps, so I've done that. I've made a choice to scrap all talking, trading and other NPC interactions and decided to simplify things (a little). The main focus of the game from that point is combat and survival and all mechanics were tweaked to support that direction. I decided to stick with ASCII and create a simple animation maker. And started making professions and their abilities. The UI has changed yet again. And from the first humble village of Kabula, a new world is emerging. A new character creation screen was made with 7 races and 8 professions to choose from. And new iteration of inventory screen. More game shaping decisions have been made. All items are now temporary, limited by durability. These items cannot be repaired, only recreated through crafting or replaced by looting. Salvaging has been added as a way to gain new recipes and recover some resources, making all found items useful, even the broken ones. On leveling up it's possible choose one of 3 abilities, one is always from the selected profession and 2 random in the pool. This allows for developing more interesting hybrid characters. And to finish the year with something interesting, I've created a random NPC description generator, which gives a bit of a soul to the enemies. It's definitely much more interesting to fight Delbert, a slim human fisherman with long brown hair, blue eyes that looks a bit nervous than just another, generic human fisherman. All descriptions are loaded from files, different for different races, so the system is easily extendable. There were some technical decisions that I feel paid off, like choosing ECS for code architecture (for which I scrapped my first 2 months of work in 2017) because I feel like I have a very maintainable codebase even with 72 different components and 62 systems that I actually want to expand upon for years to come. Writing my own engine in C++ gives me great control and allows me to finish even the crazy ideas, like the consistent world. However my biggest regret this year is that I didn't decide to write unit tests in C++, but I hope to make amends soon. I started this year with 7.1k lines of code written for engine and 13.7k lines of code written for the game. At the end of the year, the engine has 8.3k lines and the game 39.6k lines of code. Even though the number of lines doesn't mean much, as every programmer write differently and the same feature can take 300 lines or 2000 lines, it is still very encouraging to know that I have tripled the size of the game during this year. Being able to look back and see progress helps keep motivation. And because I measured the time it took me to do tasks, I now know that coming into 2019 I should be able to squeeze about 1500 hours for game development. I can adjust my plans accordingly. So, what's next for Soulash and what are plans for 2019? The core gameplay is already in place. The next milestone will be a playable alpha version, so hopefully, I can gather some feedback. In the first quarter, my main focus will be playtesting and improving the gameplay for the first 5 character levels of all professions. After that, fixing bugs, improving gameplay and expanding the world further. I hope you found the read interesting. If you would like me to explain any of these topics in depth, please let me know in the comments below. You can also follow me on Twitter, where I share news and gifs from the game. See you in 2019! Articles with similar tags: 32 small game ideas Gamedev Inspiration First game Event-driven programming Gamedev Webdev Programming Design Pattern Code Architecture Beginner How logging can simplify complex problems Gamedev Webdev Debugging Programming Beginner Field of View in tile based games Cpp Gamedev Programming Roguelike Algorithm FoV Entity Component System Est. read time: 16 minutes, 9 seconds Cpp Gamedev Programming Design Pattern Intermediate Code Architecture ECS Comments + 23 guidelines for writing readable code Est. read time: 26 minutes, 14 seconds How to stay productive as a solo developer Est. read time: 5 minutes, 3 seconds Bitmask - why, how and when Soulash Gamedev Roguelike Copyright © 2019 Artur Śmiarowski	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line947
__label__wiki	0.924726	0.924726	Space NASA Image of the Day Start date Jul 29, 2011 astronomy nasa space Last Test Article for NASA’s SLS Rocket Departs Michoud Assembly Facility The last of four structural test articles for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) was loaded onto NASA’s barge Pegasus Wednesday, June 26, 2019, at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans. (More at NASA Picture of The Day) Reactions: Xhadex Orion "Go" for Launch A test version of NASA’s Orion crew module is ready for rollback at Space Launch Complex 46 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida. (More at NASA Picture of The Day) Taking to the Skies: Orion Test Brings Moon, Mars Missions Closer A launch abort system (LAS) with a test version of Orion attached soars upward on NASA’s Ascent Abort-2 (AA-2) flight test atop a Northrop Grumman provided booster on July 2, 2019, after launching at 7 a.m. EDT. (More at NASA Picture of The Day) NASA's First Rover on the Red Planet This 8-image mosaic of the Sojourner rover on the surface of Mars was acquired during the late afternoon on Sol 2. Sojourner arrived aboard the Mars Pathfinder on July 4, 1997. (More at NASA Picture of The Day) Earth's Glow, the Moon and a Starry Night This was the view as the International Space Station orbited 256 miles above the Pacific Ocean, southeast of the Hawaiian island chain. (More at NASA Picture of The Day) Total Solar Eclipse Darkens the South Pacific On July 2, 2019, skywatchers in the beach city of La Serena, Chile, looked up at 4:38 p.m. local time to see a black circle in the sky. (More at NASA Picture of The Day) Jupiter Abyss NASA’s Juno spacecraft captured this view of an area within a Jovian jet stream showing a vortex that has an intensely dark center. (More at NASA Picture of The Day) Growing VEGGIEs in Space Leafy greens are growing in space! (More at NASA Picture of The Day) Delivering Saturn Test Hardware to Marshall in July 1964 In July 1964, the first Saturn V S-IVB, or third stage test hardware, was delivered to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (More at NASA Picture of The Day) The galaxy NGC 1156 resembles a delicate cherry blossom tree flowering in springtime in this Hubble image. The many bright "blooms" within the galaxy are in fact stellar nurseries — regions where new stars are springing to life. (More at NASA Picture of The Day) Artist Russ Arasmith's Visions of Apollo Artist Russ Arasmith's vision of Apollo was a potent vision of the program that shows in the works he created. (More at NASA Picture of The Day) NASA: Birth of the Space Age NASA: Day of Rembrance NASA: First TV Image of Mars The Encyclopedia of Astrobiology, Astronomy, and Spaceflight Space NASA Day on the Hill	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line948
__label__cc	0.74163	0.25837	4th Of July Heat Wave Coming To NYC NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- New York is really heating up just in time for the holiday weekend. On Friday, much of the central U.S. felt temperatures reaching into the triple digits, and that scorching weather is expected to make its way east for the first widespread heat wave of the summer. A heat wave is classified by three or more days straight of temperatures above 90 degrees. An excessive heat watch was issued by the National Weather Service and will be in effect from Sunday afternoon through Monday evening. New York and other parts of the northeast will most likely see those temperatures by Friday afternoon into Saturday and that should last through July 4 and beyond. Real-feel temperatures will read triple digits in the afternoons for inland areas for part of the week, while beaches will remain in the 80s. Sunday could reach a record 98 degrees with a RealFeel of 105. 1010 WINS' Al Jones spoke to people Friday at the Howard Pool in Brownsville, Brooklyn who were cooling off in the sparkling, blue water. But 6-year-old Rhianna was a bit picky, and told Jones she hoped the water wasn't too cold. "Because ... so I could swim so it could be warm in the water." Meteorologists are also cautioning for the chance of a thunderstorm on Independence Day. Heat waves New York Weather	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line961
__label__wiki	0.997073	0.997073	TV’s 10 Most Shocking Plot Twists In honor of the Season 2 return of 'Westworld,' the reigning king of plot twists, look back at some of TV's most mind-boggling reveals. Dana Getz 2016 Emmy Nominations Announced! Gee, isn't it nice to not have to wake up at 5:30 A.M. for the 2016 Emmy nominations? Either way, the big announcement is finally here, as presented by black-ish star Anthony Anderson and Gilmore Girls returnee Lauren Graham, so let’s find out what we're all angry about/celebrating … 'Sherlock' Season 4 Eyed for 2016 The ever-growing popularity of the BBC's Benedict Cumberbatch-Martin Freeman starring 'Sherlock' all but assures that the modernized detective drama will return for a fourth season, its shocking season 3 cliffhanger not withstanding, but the similarly growing popularity of its leads makes scheduling… 'Sherlock' Seasons 4 + 5 Ordered, Says Steven Moffat This coming Sunday will see Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman's beloved 'Sherlock' bringing its latest season to a close yet again (at least in the UK), but for all of series creator Steven Moffat's talk about future season likelihood, has the BBC officially ordered the nex… 'Sherlock' Season 3 Finale Trailer: "His Last Vow" Yes, already! 'Sherlock''s third season opener, "The Empty Hearse," won't hit PBS stateside until January 19, but already across the pond UK fans are preparing for the great detective's third finale, hopefully for a bit less biting cliffhanger this time around. The first trailer for "… New 'Sherlock' Season 3 Photos: "The Sign of Three" We're just days away from the New Years' premiere of 'Sherlock' season 3, "The Empty Hearse," but even with the relatively short wait until the subsequent premieres, why wait for an early look at the second and third installments of the new series, "The Sign of Three" and "H… ‘Sherlock’ Season 3 Full Trailer: The One Person Who Mattered the Most We've less than a month before 'Sherlock' Holmes makes his dramatic return (at least in the UK), but the game is officially on! The BBC has released a new full-length trailer for the great detective's long-awaited third season, as well as exclusive content and clips for us to inv… ‘Sherlock’ Season 3 Spoilers: Who Shows Watson “The Sign of Three”? 'Sherlock' season 3 has been more and more generous in unveiling its mysteries as we approach the January 1 premiere (in the UK at least), but beyond the latest photos and details of "The Empty Hearse" lies episode 2, "The Sign of Three!" There's a …	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line962
__label__wiki	0.962706	0.962706	About > Our History AE Publications began developing learning resources in 1999. The founder of AE Publications, Dr Stephen Curran, started creating, developing and publishing his own ‘how-to’ material for use within his tuition classes, due to a lack of quality material on the market. As the number of books grew he decided to publish them for wider use. AE Publications timeline Accelerated Education, with its tuition centres and publishing company has been active for nearly 30 years Dr Stephen Curran (as AE Tuition) began teaching children to prepare them for the 11+ examination for state grammar school entry. The success achieved by his pupils led to a substantial demand for Stephen’s tutoring service and practices. AE Tuition rapidly expanded and additional teachers and support staff were employed. AE Publications was founded to enable other children to benefit from Stephen’s proven methodologies. His first materials were published – the Maths for 11+ & SATs series for years 5-7. To demonstrate the quality of the material, the ‘classroom tested’ endorsement was added to the book covers. AE Publications continues to work closely with AE Tuition to ensure all of its titles are thoroughly classroom tested. AE Publications launched its first Verbal Reasoning titles. AE Publications launched its Times Tables series. The Spelling & Vocabulary series was launched. The first Non-verbal Reasoning books were published. The 25th title (and first testbook) was published – 11+ Maths Testbook 1. The Creative Writing workbook series was launched. AE Publications obtained its own premises, including office and warehouse space. AE Publications expanded its range to include titles for year 3. Year 4 titles were added to the range. AE Publications moved to bigger premises. AE Publications’ full range was rebranded to include a modernised front cover and full colour inside pages. The 50th title was released – 11+ Verbal Activity Year 5-7 Workbook 6. The Semantics & Comprehension series were launched. AE Publications purchased IPS/EPEG publishing rights and began incorporating this material into its range. The first testpack was released. Due to increased numbers of staff and a growing range of books, AE Publications moved to even bigger premises. The 100th title published. AE Publications became an Affiliate Member of The Tutors’ Association.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line971
__label__cc	0.510656	0.489344	by Anton Chekhov THE dog was barking excitedly outside. And Ananyev the engineer, his assistant called Von Schtenberg, and I went out of the hut to see at whom it was barking. I was the visitor, and might have remained indoors, but I must confess my head was a little dizzy from the wine I had drunk, and I was glad to get a breath of fresh air. "There is nobody here," said Ananyev when we went out. "Why are you telling stories, Azorka? You fool!" There was not a soul in sight. "The fool," Azorka, a black house-dog, probably conscious of his guilt in barking for nothing and anxious to propitiate us, approached us, diffidently wagging his tail. The engineer bent down and touched him between his ears. "Why are you barking for nothing, creature?" he said in the tone in which good-natured people talk to children and dogs. "Have you had a bad dream or what? Here, doctor, let me commend to your attention," he said, turning to me, "a wonderfully nervous subject! Would you believe it, he can't endure solitude -- he is always having terrible dreams and suffering from nightmares; and when you shout at him he has something like an attack of hysterics." "Yes, a dog of refined feelings," the student chimed in. Azorka must have understood that the conversation was concerning him. He turned his head upwards and grinned plaintively, as though to say, "Yes, at times I suffer unbearably, but please excuse it!" It was an August night, there were stars, but it was dark. Owing to the fact that I had never in my life been in such exceptional surroundings, as I had chanced to come into now, the starry night seemed to me gloomy, inhospitable, and darker than it was in reality. I was on a railway line which was still in process of construction. The high, half-finished embankment, the mounds of sand, clay, and rubble, the holes, the wheel-barrows standing here and there, the flat tops of the mud huts in which the workmen lived -- all this muddle, coloured to one tint by the darkness, gave the earth a strange, wild aspect that suggested the times of chaos. There was so little order in all that lay before me that it was somehow strange in the midst of the hideously excavated, grotesque-looking earth to see the silhouettes of human beings and the slender telegraph posts. Both spoiled the ensemble of the picture, and seemed to belong to a different world. It was still, and the only sound came from the telegraph wire droning its wearisome refrain somewhere very high above our heads. We climbed up on the embankment and from its height looked down upon the earth. A hundred yards away where the pits, holes, and mounds melted into the darkness of the night, a dim light was twinkling. Beyond it gleamed another light, beyond that a third, then a hundred paces away two red eyes glowed side by side -- probably the windows of some hut -- and a long series of such lights, growing continually closer and dimmer, stretched along the line to the very horizon, then turned in a semicircle to the left and disappeared in the darkness of the distance. The lights were motionless. There seemed to be something in common between them and the stillness of the night and the disconsolate song of the telegraph wire. It seemed as though some weighty secret were buried under the embankment and only the lights, the night, and the wires knew of it. "How glorious, O Lord!" sighed Ananyev; "such space and beauty that one can't tear oneself away! And what an embankment! It's not an embankment, my dear fellow, but a regular Mont Blanc. It's costing millions. . . ." Going into ecstasies over the lights and the embankment that was costing millions, intoxicated by the wine and his sentimental mood, the engineer slapped Von Schtenberg on the shoulder and went on in a jocose tone: "Well, Mihail Mihailitch, lost in reveries? No doubt it is pleasant to look at the work of one's own hands, eh? Last year this very spot was bare steppe, not a sight of human life, and now look: life . . . civilisation. . . And how splendid it all is, upon my soul! You and I are building a railway, and after we are gone, in another century or two, good men will build a factory, a school, a hospital, and things will begin to move! Eh!" The student stood motionless with his hands thrust in his pockets, and did not take his eyes off the lights. He was not listening to the engineer, but was thinking, and was apparently in the mood in which one does not want to speak or to listen. After a prolonged silence he turned to me and said quietly: "Do you know what those endless lights are like? They make me think of something long dead, that lived thousands of years ago, something like the camps of the Amalekites or the Philistines. It is as though some people of the Old Testament had pitched their camp and were waiting for morning to fight with Saul or David. All that is wanting to complete the illusion is the blare of trumpets and sentries calling to one another in some Ethiopian language." And, as though of design, the wind fluttered over the line and brought a sound like the clank of weapons. A silence followed. I don't know what the engineer and the student were thinking of, but it seemed to me already that I actually saw before me something long dead and even heard the sentry talking in an unknown tongue. My imagination hastened to picture the tents, the strange people, their clothes, their armour. "Yes," muttered the student pensively, "once Philistines and Amalekites were living in this world, making wars, playing their part, and now no trace of them remains. So it will be with us. Now we are making a railway, are standing here philosophising, but two thousand years will pass -- and of this embankment and of all those men, asleep after their hard work, not one grain of dust will remain. In reality, it's awful!" "You must drop those thoughts . . ." said the engineer gravely and admonishingly. "Because. . . . Thoughts like that are for the end of life, not for the beginning of it. You are too young for them." "Why so?" repeated the student. "All these thoughts of the transitoriness, the insignificance and the aimlessness of life, of the inevitability of death, of the shadows of the grave, and so on, all such lofty thoughts, I tell you, my dear fellow, are good and natural in old age when they come as the product of years of inner travail, and are won by suffering and really are intellectual riches; for a youthful brain on the threshold of real life they are simply a calamity! A calamity!" Ananyev repeated with a wave of his hand. "To my mind it is better at your age to have no head on your shoulders at all than to think on these lines. I am speaking seriously, Baron. And I have been meaning to speak to you about it for a long time, for I noticed from the very first day of our acquaintance your partiality for these damnable ideas!" "Good gracious, why are they damnable?" the student asked with a smile, and from his voice and his face I could see that he asked the question from simple politeness, and that the discussion raised by the engineer did not interest him in the least. I could hardly keep my eyes open. I was dreaming that immediately after our walk we should wish each other good-night and go to bed, but my dream was not quickly realised. When we had returned to the hut the engineer put away the empty bottles and took out of a large wicker hamper two full ones, and uncorking them, sat down to his work-table with the evident intention of going on drinking, talking, and working. Sipping a little from his glass, he made pencil notes on some plans and went on pointing out to the student that the latter's way of thinking was not what it should be. The student sat beside him checking accounts and saying nothing. He, like me, had no inclination to speak or to listen. That I might not interfere with their work, I sat away from the table on the engineer's crooked-legged travelling bedstead, feeling bored and expecting every moment that they would suggest I should go to bed. It was going on for one o'clock. Having nothing to do, I watched my new acquaintances. I had never seen Ananyev or the student before. I had only made their acquaintance on the night I have described. Late in the evening I was returning on horseback from a fair to the house of a landowner with whom I was staying, had got on the wrong road in the dark and lost my way. Going round and round by the railway line and seeing how dark the night was becoming, I thought of the "barefoot railway roughs," who lie in wait for travellers on foot and on horseback, was frightened, and knocked at the first hut I came to. There I was cordially received by Ananyev and the student. As is usually the case with strangers casually brought together, we quickly became acquainted, grew friendly and at first over the tea and afterward over the wine, began to feel as though we had known each other for years. At the end of an hour or so, I knew who they were and how fate had brought them from town to the far-away steppe; and they knew who I was, what my occupation and my way of thinking. Nikolay Anastasyevitch Ananyev, the engineer, was a broad-shouldered, thick-set man, and, judging from his appearance, he had, like Othello, begun the "descent into the vale of years," and was growing rather too stout. He was just at that stage which old match-making women mean when they speak of "a man in the prime of his age," that is, he was neither young nor old, was fond of good fare, good liquor, and praising the past, panted a little as he walked, snored loudly when he was asleep, and in his manner with those surrounding him displayed that calm imperturbable good humour which is always acquired by decent people by the time they have reached the grade of a staff officer and begun to grow stout. His hair and beard were far from being grey, but already, with a condescension of which he was unconscious, he addressed young men as "my dear boy" and felt himself entitled to lecture them good-humouredly about their way of thinking. His movements and his voice were calm, smooth, and self-confident, as they are in a man who is thoroughly well aware that he has got his feet firmly planted on the right road, that he has definite work, a secure living, a settled outlook. . . . His sunburnt, thicknosed face and muscular neck seemed to say: "I am well fed, healthy, satisfied with myself, and the time will come when you young people too, will be wellfed, healthy, and satisfied with yourselves. . . ." He was dressed in a cotton shirt with the collar awry and in full linen trousers thrust into his high boots. From certain trifles, as for instance, from his coloured worsted girdle, his embroidered collar, and the patch on his elbow, I was able to guess that he was married and in all probability tenderly loved by his wife. Baron Von Schtenberg, a student of the Institute of Transport, was a young man of about three or four and twenty. Only his fair hair and scanty beard, and, perhaps, a certain coarseness and frigidity in his features showed traces of his descent from Barons of the Baltic provinces; everything else -- his name, Mihail Mihailovitch, his religion, his ideas, his manners, and the expression of his face were purely Russian. Wearing, like Ananyev, a cotton shirt and high boots, with his round shoulders, his hair left uncut, and his sunburnt face, he did not look like a student or a Baron, but like an ordinary Russian workman. His words and gestures were few, he drank reluctantly without relish, checked the accounts mechanically, and seemed all the while to be thinking of something else. His movements and voice were calm, and smooth too, but his calmness was of a different kind from the engineer's. His sunburnt, slightly ironical, dreamy face, his eyes which looked up from under his brows, and his whole figure were expressive of spiritual stagnation -- mental sloth. He looked as though it did not matter to him in the least whether the light were burning before him or not, whether the wine were nice or nasty, and whether the accounts he was checking were correct or not. . . . And on his intelligent, calm face I read: "I don't see so far any good in definite work, a secure living, and a settled outlook. It's all nonsense. I was in Petersburg, now I am sitting here in this hut, in the autumn I shall go back to Petersburg, then in the spring here again. . . . What sense there is in all that I don't know, and no one knows. . . . And so it's no use talking about it. . . ." He listened to the engineer without interest, with the condescending indifference with which cadets in the senior classes listen to an effusive and good-natured old attendant. It seemed as though there were nothing new to him in what the engineer said, and that if he had not himself been too lazy to talk, he would have said something newer and cleverer. Meanwhile Ananyev would not desist. He had by now laid aside his good-humoured, jocose tone and spoke seriously, even with a fervour which was quite out of keeping with his expression of calmness. Apparently he had no distaste for abstract subjects, was fond of them, indeed, but had neither skill nor practice in the handling of them. And this lack of practice was so pronounced in his talk that I did not always grasp his meaning at once. "I hate those ideas with all my heart!" he said, "I was infected by them myself in my youth, I have not quite got rid of them even now, and I tell you -- perhaps because I am stupid and such thoughts were not the right food for my mind -- they did me nothing but harm. That's easy to understand! Thoughts of the aimlessness of life, of the insignificance and transitoriness of the visible world, Solomon's 'vanity of vanities' have been, and are to this day, the highest and final stage in the realm of thought. The thinker reaches that stage and -- comes to a halt! There is nowhere further to go. The activity of the normal brain is completed with this, and that is natural and in the order of things. Our misfortune is that we begin thinking at that end. What normal people end with we begin with. From the first start, as soon as the brain begins working independently, we mount to the very topmost, final step and refuse to know anything about the steps below." "What harm is there in that?" said the student. "But you must understand that it's abnormal," shouted Ananyev, looking at him almost wrathfully. "If we find means of mounting to the topmost step without the help of the lower ones, then the whole long ladder, that is the whole of life, with its colours, sounds, and thoughts, loses all meaning for us. That at your age such reflections are harmful and absurd, you can see from every step of your rational independent life. Let us suppose you sit down this minute to read Darwin or Shakespeare, you have scarcely read a page before the poison shows itself; and your long life, and Shakespeare, and Darwin, seem to you nonsense, absurdity, because you know you will die, that Shakespeare and Darwin have died too, that their thoughts have not saved them, nor the earth, nor you, and that if life is deprived of meaning in that way, all science, poetry, and exalted thoughts seem only useless diversions, the idle playthings of grown up people; and you leave off reading at the second page. Now, let us suppose that people come to you as an intelligent man and ask your opinion about war, for instance: whether it is desirable, whether it is morally justifiable or not. In answer to that terrible question you merely shrug your shoulders and confine yourself to some commonplace, because for you, with your way of thinking, it makes absolutely no difference whether hundreds of thousands of people die a violent death, or a natural one: the results are the same -- ashes and oblivion. You and I are building a railway line. What's the use, one may ask, of our worrying our heads, inventing, rising above the hackneyed thing, feeling for the workmen, stealing or not stealing, when we know that this railway line will turn to dust within two thousand years, and so on, and so on. . . . You must admit that with such a disastrous way of looking at things there can be no progress, no science, no art, nor even thought itself. We fancy that we are cleverer than the crowd, and than Shakespeare. In reality our thinking leads to nothing because we have no inclination to go down to the lower steps and there is nowhere higher to go, so our brain stands at the freezing point -- neither up nor down; I was in bondage to these ideas for six years, and by all that is holy, I never read a sensible book all that time, did not gain a ha'porth of wisdom, and did not raise my moral standard an inch. Was not that disastrous? Moreover, besides being corrupted ourselves, we bring poison into the lives of those surrounding us. It would be all right if, with our pessimism, we renounced life, went to live in a cave, or made haste to die, but, as it is, in obedience to the universal law, we live, feel, love women, bring up children, construct railways!" "Our thoughts make no one hot or cold," the student said reluctantly. "Ah! there you are again! -- do stop it! You have not yet had a good sniff at life. But when you have lived as long as I have you will know a thing or two! Our theory of life is not so innocent as you suppose. In practical life, in contact with human beings, it leads to nothing but horrors and follies. It has been my lot to pass through experiences which I would not wish a wicked Tatar to endure." "For instance?" I asked. "For instance?" repeated the engineer. He thought a minute, smiled and said: "For instance, take this example. More correctly, it is not an example, but a regular drama, with a plot and a dnouement. An excellent lesson! Ah, what a lesson!" He poured out wine for himself and us, emptied his glass, stroked his broad chest with his open hands, and went on, addressing himself more to me than to the student. "It was in the year 187--, soon after the war, and when I had just left the University. I was going to the Caucasus, and on the way stopped for five days in the seaside town of N. I must tell you that I was born and grew up in that town, and so there is nothing odd in my thinking N. extraordinarily snug, cosy, and beautiful, though for a man from Petersburg or Moscow, life in it would be as dreary and comfortless as in any Tchuhloma or Kashira. With melancholy I passed by the high school where I had been a pupil; with melancholy I walked about the very familiar park, I made a melancholy attempt to get a nearer look at people I had not seen for a long time -- all with the same melancholy. "Among other things, I drove out one evening to the so-called Quarantine. It was a small mangy copse in which, at some forgotten time of plague, there really had been a quarantine station, and which was now the resort of summer visitors. It was a drive of three miles from the town along a good soft road. As one drove along one saw on the left the blue sea, on the right the unending gloomy steppe; there was plenty of air to breathe, and wide views for the eyes to rest on. The copse itself lay on the seashore. Dismissing my cabman, I went in at the familiar gates and first turned along an avenue leading to a little stone summer-house which I had been fond of in my childhood. In my opinion that round, heavy summer-house on its clumsy columns, which combined the romantic charm of an old tomb with the ungainliness of a Sobakevitch,* was the most poetical nook in the whole town. It stood at the edge above the cliff, and from it there was a splendid view of the sea. *A character in Gogol's Dead Souls. -- Translator's Note. "I sat down on the seat, and, bending over the parapet, looked down. A path ran from the summer-house along the steep, almost overhanging cliff, between the lumps of clay and tussocks of burdock. Where it ended, far below on the sandy shore, low waves were languidly foaming and softly purring. The sea was as majestic, as infinite, and as forbidding as seven years before when I left the high school and went from my native town to the capital; in the distance there was a dark streak of smoke -- a steamer was passing -- and except for this hardly visible and motionless streak and the sea-swallows that flitted over the water, there was nothing to give life to the monotonous view of sea and sky. To right and left of the summer-house stretched uneven clay cliffs. "You know that when a man in a melancholy mood is left tte--tte with the sea, or any landscape which seems to him grandiose, there is always, for some reason, mixed with melancholy, a conviction that he will live and die in obscurity, and he reflectively snatches up a pencil and hastens to write his name on the first thing that comes handy. And that, I suppose, is why all convenient solitary nooks like my summer-house are always scrawled over in pencil or carved with penknives. I remember as though it were to-day; looking at the parapet I read: 'Ivan Korolkov, May 16, 1876.' Beside Korolkov some local dreamer had scribbled freely, adding: " 'He stood on the desolate ocean's strand, While his soul was filled with imaginings grand.' And his handwriting was dreamy, limp like wet silk. An individual called Kross, probably an insignificant, little man, felt his unimportance so deeply that he gave full licence to his penknife and carved his name in deep letters an inch high. I took a pencil out of my pocket mechanically, and I too scribbled on one of the columns. All that is irrelevant, however. . . You must forgive me -- I don't know how to tell a story briefly. "I was sad and a little bored. Boredom, the stillness, and the purring of the sea gradually brought me to the line of thought we have been discussing. At that period, towards the end of the 'seventies, it had begun to be fashionable with the public, and later, at the beginning of the 'eighties, it gradually passed from the general public into literature, science, and politics. I was no more than twenty-six at the time, but I knew perfectly well that life was aimless and had no meaning, that everything was a deception and an illusion, that in its essential nature and results a life of penal servitude in Sahalin was not in any way different from a life spent in Nice, that the difference between the brain of a Kant and the brain of a fly was of no real significance, that no one in this world is righteous or guilty, that everything was stuff and nonsense and damn it all! I lived as though I were doing a favour to some unseen power which compelled me to live, and to which I seemed to say: 'Look, I don't care a straw for life, but I am living!' I thought on one definite line, but in all sorts of keys, and in that respect I was like the subtle gourmand who could prepare a hundred appetising dishes from nothing but potatoes. There is no doubt that I was one-sided and even to some extent narrow, but I fancied at the time that my intellectual horizon had neither beginning nor end, and that my thought was as boundless as the sea. Well, as far as I can judge by myself, the philosophy of which we are speaking has something alluring, narcotic in its nature, like tobacco or morphia. It becomes a habit, a craving. You take advantage of every minute of solitude to gloat over thoughts of the aimlessness of life and the darkness of the grave. While I was sitting in the summer-house, Greek children with long noses were decorously walking about the avenues. I took advantage of the occasion and, looking at them, began reflecting in this style: "'Why are these children born, and what are they living for? Is there any sort of meaning in their existence? They grow up, without themselves knowing what for; they will live in this God-forsaken, comfortless hole for no sort of reason, and then they will die. . . .' "And I actually felt vexed with those children because they were walking about decorously and talking with dignity, as though they did not hold their little colourless lives so cheap and knew what they were living for. . . . I remember that far away at the end of an avenue three feminine figures came into sight. Three young ladies, one in a pink dress, two in white, were walking arm-in-arm, talking and laughing. Looking after them, I thought: " 'It wouldn't be bad to have an affair with some woman for a couple of days in this dull place.' "I recalled by the way that it was three weeks since I had visited my Petersburg lady, and thought that a passing love affair would come in very appropriately for me just now. The young lady in white in the middle was rather younger and better looking than her companions, and judging by her manners and her laugh, she was a high-school girl in an upper form. I looked, not without impure thoughts, at her bust, and at the same time reflected about her: 'She will be trained in music and manners, she will be married to some Greek -- God help us! -- will lead a grey, stupid, comfortless life, will bring into the world a crowd of children without knowing why, and then will die. An absurd life!' "I must say that as a rule I was a great hand at combining my lofty ideas with the lowest prose. Thoughts of the darkness of the grave did not prevent me from giving busts and legs their full due. Our dear Baron's exalted ideas do not prevent him from going on Saturdays to Vukolovka on amatory expeditions. To tell the honest truth, as far as I remember, my attitude to women was most insulting. Now, when I think of that high-school girl, I blush for my thoughts then, but at the time my conscience was perfectly untroubled. I, the son of honourable parents, a Christian, who had received a superior education, not naturally wicked or stupid, felt not the slightest uneasiness when I paid women Blutgeld, as the Germans call it, or when I followed highschool girls with insulting looks. . . . The trouble is that youth makes its demands, and our philosophy has nothing in principle against those demands, whether they are good or whether they are loathsome. One who knows that life is aimless and death inevitable is not interested in the struggle against nature or the conception of sin: whether you struggle or whether you don't, you will die and rot just the same. . . . Secondly, my friends, our philosophy instils even into very young people what is called reasonableness. The predominance of reason over the heart is simply overwhelming amongst us. Direct feeling, inspiration -- everything is choked by petty analysis. Where there is reasonableness there is coldness, and cold people -- it's no use to disguise it -- know nothing of chastity. That virtue is only known to those who are warm, affectionate, and capable of love. Thirdly, our philosophy denies the significance of each individual personality. It's easy to see that if I deny the personality of some Natalya Stepanovna, it's absolutely nothing to me whether she is insulted or not. To-day one insults her dignity as a human being and pays her Blutgeld, and next day thinks no more of her. "So I sat in the summer-house and watched the young ladies. Another woman's figure appeared in the avenue, with fair hair, her head uncovered and a white knitted shawl on her shoulders. She walked along the avenue, then came into the summer-house, and taking hold of the parapet, looked indifferently below and into the distance over the sea. As she came in she paid no attention to me, as though she did not notice me. I scrutinised her from foot to head (not from head to foot, as one scrutinises men) and found that she was young, not more than five-and-twenty, nice-looking, with a good figure, in all probability married and belonging to the class of respectable women. She was dressed as though she were at home, but fashionably and with taste, as ladies are, as a rule, in N. " 'This one would do nicely,' I thought, looking at her handsome figure and her arms; 'she is all right. . . . She is probably the wife of some doctor or schoolmaster. . . .' "But to make up to her -- that is, to make her the heroine of one of those impromptu affairs to which tourists are so prone -- was not easy and, indeed, hardly possible. I felt that as I gazed at her face. The way she looked, and the expression of her face, suggested that the sea, the smoke in the distance, and the sky had bored her long, long ago, and wearied her sight. She seemed to be tired, bored, and thinking about something dreary, and her face had not even that fussy, affectedly indifferent expression which one sees in the face of almost every woman when she is conscious of the presence of an unknown man in her vicinity. "The fair-haired lady took a bored and passing glance at me, sat down on a seat and sank into reverie, and from her face I saw that she had no thoughts for me, and that I, with my Petersburg appearance, did not arouse in her even simple curiosity. But yet I made up my mind to speak to her, and asked: 'Madam, allow me to ask you at what time do the waggonettes go from here to the town?' " 'At ten or eleven, I believe. . . .' " "I thanked her. She glanced at me once or twice, and suddenly there was a gleam of curiosity, then of something like wonder on her passionless face. . . . I made haste to assume an indifferent expression and to fall into a suitable attitude; she was catching on! She suddenly jumped up from the seat, as though something had bitten her, and examining me hurriedly, with a gentle smile, asked timidly: " 'Oh, aren't you Ananyev?' " 'Yes, I am Ananyev,' I answered. " 'And don't you recognise me? No?' "I was a little confused. I looked intently at her, and -- would you believe it? -- I recognised her not from her face nor her figure, but from her gentle, weary smile. It was Natalya Stepanovna, or, as she was called, Kisotchka, the very girl I had been head over ears in love with seven or eight years before, when I was wearing the uniform of a high-school boy. The doings of far, vanished days, the days of long ago. . . . I remember this Kisotchka, a thin little high-school girl of fifteen or sixteen, when she was something just for a schoolboy's taste, created by nature especially for Platonic love. What a charming little girl she was! Pale, fragile, light -- she looked as though a breath would send her flying like a feather to the skies -- a gentle, perplexed face, little hands, soft long hair to her belt, a waist as thin as a wasp's -- altogether something ethereal, transparent like moonlight -- in fact, from the point of view of a high-school boy a peerless beauty. . . . Wasn't I in love with her! I did not sleep at night. I wrote verses. . . . Sometimes in the evenings she would sit on a seat in the park while we schoolboys crowded round her, gazing reverently; in response to our compliments, our sighing, and attitudinising, she would shrink nervously from the evening damp, screw up her eyes, and smile gently, and at such times she was awfully like a pretty little kitten. As we gazed at her every one of us had a desire to caress her and stroke her like a cat, hence her nickname of Kisotchka. "In the course of the seven or eight years since we had met, Kisotchka had greatly changed. She had grown more robust and stouter, and had quite lost the resemblance to a soft, fluffy kitten. It was not that her features looked old or faded, but they had somehow lost their brilliance and looked sterner, her hair seemed shorter, she looked taller, and her shoulders were quite twice as broad, and what was most striking, there was already in her face the expression of motherliness and resignation commonly seen in respectable women of her age, and this, of course, I had never seen in her before. . . . In short, of the school-girlish and the Platonic her face had kept the gentle smile and nothing more. . . . "We got into conversation. Learning that I was already an engineer, Kisotchka was immensely delighted. " 'How good that is!' she said, looking joyfully into my face. 'Ah, how good! And how splendid you all are! Of all who left with you, not one has been a failure -- they have all turned out well. One an engineer, another a doctor, a third a teacher, another, they say, is a celebrated singer in Petersburg. . . . You are all splendid, all of you. . . . Ah, how good that is!' "Kisotchka's eyes shone with genuine goodwill and gladness. She was admiring me like an elder sister or a former governess. 'While I looked at her sweet face and thought, 'It wouldn't be bad to get hold of her to-day!' " 'Do you remember, Natalya Stepanovna,' I asked her, 'how I once brought you in the park a bouquet with a note in it? You read my note, and such a look of bewilderment came into your face. . . .' " 'No, I don't remember that,' she said, laughing. 'But I remember how you wanted to challenge Florens to a duel over me. . . .' " 'Well, would you believe it, I don't remember that. . . .' " 'Well, that's all over and done with . . .' sighed Kisotchka. 'At one time I was your idol, and now it is my turn to look up to all of you. . . .' "From further conversation I learned that two years after leaving the high school, Kisotchka had been married to a resident in the town who was half Greek, half Russian, had a post either in the bank or in the insurance society, and also carried on a trade in corn. He had a strange surname, something in the style of Populaki or Skarandopulo. . . . Goodness only knows -- I have forgotten. . . . As a matter of fact, Kisotchka spoke little and with reluctance about herself. The conversation was only about me. She asked me about the College of Engineering, about my comrades, about Petersburg, about my plans, and everything I said moved her to eager delight and exclamations of, 'Oh, how good that is!' "We went down to the sea and walked over the sands; then when the night air began to blow chill and damp from the sea we climbed up again. All the while our talk was of me and of the past. We walked about until the reflection of the sunset had died away from the windows of the summer villas. " 'Come in and have some tea,' Kisotchka suggested. 'The samovar must have been on the table long ago. . . . I am alone at home,' she said, as her villa came into sight through the green of the acacias. 'My husband is always in the town and only comes home at night, and not always then, and I must own that I am so dull that it's simply deadly.' "I followed her in, admiring her back and shoulders. I was glad that she was married. Married women are better material for temporary love affairs than girls. I was also pleased that her husband was not at home. At the same time I felt that the affair would not come off. . . . "We went into the house. The rooms were smallish and had low ceilings, and the furniture was typical of the summer villa (Russians like having at their summer villas uncomfortable heavy, dingy furniture which they are sorry to throw away and have nowhere to put), but from certain details I could observe that Kisotchka and her husband were not badly off, and must be spending five or six thousand roubles a year. I remember that in the middle of the room which Kisotchka called the dining-room there was a round table, supported for some reason on six legs, and on it a samovar and cups. At the edge of the table lay an open book, a pencil, and an exercise book. I glanced at the book and recognised it as 'Malinin and Burenin's Arithmetical Examples.' It was open, as I now remember, at the 'Rules of Compound Interest.' " 'To whom are you giving lessons?' I asked Kisotchka.' " 'Nobody,' she answered. 'I am just doing some. . . . I have nothing to do, and am so bored that I think of the old days and do sums.' " 'Have you any children?' " 'I had a baby boy, but he only lived a week.' "We began drinking tea. Admiring me, Kisotchka said again how good it was that I was an engineer, and how glad she was of my success. And the more she talked and the more genuinely she smiled, the stronger was my conviction that I should go away without having gained my object. I was a connoisseur in love affairs in those days, and could accurately gauge my chances of success. You can boldly reckon on success if you are tracking down a fool or a woman as much on the look out for new experiences and sensations as yourself, or an adventuress to whom you are a stranger. If you come across a sensible and serious woman, whose face has an expression of weary submission and goodwill, who is genuinely delighted at your presence, and, above all, respects you, you may as well turn back. To succeed in that case needs longer than one day. "And by evening light Kisotchka seemed even more charming than by day. She attracted me more and more, and apparently she liked me too, and the surroundings were most appropriate: the husband not at home, no servants visible, stillness around. . . . Though I had little confidence in success, I made up my mind to begin the attack anyway. First of all it was necessary to get into a familiar tone and to change Kisotchka's lyrically earnest mood into a more frivolous one. " 'Let us change the conversation, Natalya Stepanovna,' I began. 'Let us talk of something amusing. First of all, allow me, for the sake of old times, to call you Kisotchka.' "She allowed me. " 'Tell me, please, Kisotchka,' I went on, 'what is the matter with all the fair sex here. What has happened to them? In old days they were all so moral and virtuous, and now, upon my word, if one asks about anyone, one is told such things that one is quite shocked at human nature. . . . One young lady has eloped with an officer; another has run away and carried off a high-school boy with her; another -- a married woman -- has run away from her husband with an actor; a fourth has left her husband and gone off with an officer, and so on and so on. It's a regular epidemic! If it goes on like this there won't be a girl or a young woman left in your town!' "I spoke in a vulgar, playful tone. If Kisotchka had laughed in response I should have gone on in this style: 'You had better look out, Kisotchka, or some officer or actor will be carrying you off!' She would have dropped her eyes and said: 'As though anyone would care to carry me off; there are plenty younger and better looking. . . .' And I should have said: 'Nonsense, Kisotchka -- I for one should be delighted!' And so on in that style, and it would all have gone swimmingly. But Kisotchka did not laugh in response; on the contrary, she looked grave and sighed. " 'All you have been told is true,' she said. 'My cousin Sonya ran away from her husband with an actor. Of course, it is wrong. . . . Everyone ought to bear the lot that fate has laid on him, but I do not condemn them or blame them. . . . Circumstances are sometimes too strong for anyone!' " 'That is so, Kisotchka, but what circumstances can produce a regular epidemic?' " 'It's very simple and easy to understand,' replied Kisotchka, raising her eyebrows. 'There is absolutely nothing for us educated girls and women to do with ourselves. Not everyone is able to go to the University, to become a teacher, to live for ideas, in fact, as men do. They have to be married. . . . And whom would you have them marry? You boys leave the high-school and go away to the University, never to return to your native town again, and you marry in Petersburg or Moscow, while the girls remain. . . . To whom are they to be married? Why, in the absence of decent cultured men, goodness knows what sort of men they marry -- stockbrokers and such people of all kinds, who can do nothing but drink and get into rows at the club. . . . A girl married like that, at random. . . . And what is her life like afterwards? You can understand: a well-educated, cultured woman is living with a stupid, boorish man; if she meets a cultivated man, an officer, an actor, or a doctor -- well, she gets to love him, her life becomes unbearable to her, and she runs away from her husband. And one can't condemn her!' " 'If that is so, Kisotchka, why get married?' I asked. " 'Yes, of course,' said Kisotchka with a sigh, 'but you know every girl fancies that any husband is better than nothing. . . . Altogether life is horrid here, Nikolay Anastasyevitch, very horrid! Life is stifling for a girl and stifling when one is married. . . . Here they laugh at Sonya for having run away from her husband, but if they could see into her soul they would not laugh. . . .' " Azorka began barking outside again. He growled angrily at some one, then howled miserably and dashed with all his force against the wall of the hut. . . . Ananyev's face was puckered with pity; he broke off his story and went out. For two minutes he could be heard outside comforting his dog. "Good dog! poor dog!" "Our Nikolay Anastasyevitch is fond of talking," said Von Schtenberg, laughing. "He is a good fellow," he added after a brief silence. Returning to the hut, the engineer filled up our glasses and, smiling and stroking his chest, went on: "And so my attack was unsuccessful. There was nothing for it, I put off my unclean thoughts to a more favourable occasion, resigned myself to my failure and, as the saying is, waved my hand. What is more, under the influence of Kisotchka's voice, the evening air, and the stillness, I gradually myself fell into a quiet sentimental mood. I remember I sat in an easy chair by the wide-open window and glanced at the trees and darkened sky. The outlines of the acacias and the lime trees were just the same as they had been eight years before; just as then, in the days of my childhood, somewhere far away there was the tinkling of a wretched piano, and the public had just the same habit of sauntering to and fro along the avenues, but the people were not the same. Along the avenues there walked now not my comrades and I and the object of my adoration, but schoolboys and young ladies who were strangers. And I felt melancholy. When to my inquiries about acquaintances I five times received from Kisotchka the answer, 'He is dead,' my melancholy changed into the feeling one has at the funeral service of a good man. And sitting there at the window, looking at the promenading public and listening to the tinkling piano, I saw with my own eyes for the first time in my life with what eagerness one generation hastens to replace another, and what a momentous significance even some seven or eight years may have in a man's life! "Kisotchka put a bottle of red wine on the table. I drank it off, grew sentimental, and began telling a long story about something or other. Kisotchka listened as before, admiring me and my cleverness. And time passed. The sky was by now so dark that the outlines of the acacias and lime trees melted into one, the public was no longer walking up and down the avenues, the piano was silent and the only sound was the even murmur of the sea. "Young people are all alike. Be friendly to a young man, make much of him, regale him with wine, let him understand that he is attractive and he will sit on and on, forget that it is time to go, and talk and talk and talk. . . . His hosts cannot keep their eyes open, it's past their bedtime, and he still stays and talks. That was what I did. Once I chanced to look at the clock; it was half-past ten. I began saying good-bye. " 'Have another glass before your walk,' said Kisotchka. "I took another glass, again I began talking at length, forgot it was time to go, and sat down. Then there came the sound of men's voices, footsteps and the clank of spurs. " 'I think my husband has come in. . . .' said Kisotchka listening. "The door creaked, two voices came now from the passage and I saw two men pass the door that led into the dining-room: one a stout, solid, dark man with a hooked nose, wearing a straw hat, and the other a young officer in a white tunic. As they passed the door they both glanced casually and indifferently at Kisotchka and me, and I fancied both of them were drunk. " 'She told you a lie then, and you believed her!' we heard a loud voice with a marked nasal twang say a minute later. 'To begin with, it wasn't at the big club but at the little one.' " 'You are angry, Jupiter, so you are wrong . . . .' said another voice, obviously the officer's, laughing and coughing. 'I say, can I stay the night? Tell me honestly, shall I be in your way?' " 'What a question! Not only you can, but you must. What will you have, beer or wine?' "They were sitting two rooms away from us, talking loudly, and apparently feeling no interest in Kisotchka or her visitor. A perceptible change came over Kisotchka on her husband's arrival. At first she flushed red, then her face wore a timid, guilty expression; she seemed to be troubled by some anxiety, and I began to fancy that she was ashamed to show me her husband and wanted me to go. "I began taking leave. Kisotchka saw me to the front door. I remember well her gentle mournful smile and kind patient eyes as she pressed my hand and said: " 'Most likely we shall never see each other again. Well, God give you every blessing. Thank you!' "Not one sigh, not one fine phrase. As she said good-bye she was holding the candle in her hand; patches of light danced over her face and neck, as though chasing her mournful smile. I pictured to myself the old Kisotchka whom one used to want to stroke like a cat, I looked intently at the present Kisotchka, and for some reason recalled her words: 'Everyone ought to bear the lot that fate has laid on him.' And I had a pang at my heart. I instinctively guessed how it was, and my conscience whispered to me that I, in my happiness and indifference, was face to face with a good, warm-hearted, loving creature, who was broken by suffering. "I said good-bye and went to the gate. By now it was quite dark. In the south the evenings draw in early in July and it gets dark rapidly. Towards ten o'clock it is so dark that you can't see an inch before your nose. I lighted a couple of dozen matches before, almost groping, I found my way to the gate. " 'Cab!' I shouted, going out of the gate; not a sound, not a sigh in answer. . . . 'Cab,' I repeated, 'hey, Cab!' "But there was no cab of any description. The silence of the grave. I could hear nothing but the murmur of the drowsy sea and the beating of my heart from the wine. Lifting my eyes to the sky I found not a single star. It was dark and sullen. Evidently the sky was covered with clouds. For some reason I shrugged my shoulders, smiling foolishly, and once more, not quite so resolutely, shouted for a cab. "The echo answered me. A walk of three miles across open country and in the pitch dark was not an agreeable prospect. Before making up my mind to walk, I spent a long time deliberating and shouting for a cab; then, shrugging my shoulders, I walked lazily back to the copse, with no definite object in my mind. It was dreadfully dark in the copse. Here and there between the trees the windows of the summer villas glowed a dull red. A raven, disturbed by my steps and the matches with which I lighted my way to the summer-house, flew from tree to tree and rustled among the leaves. I felt vexed and ashamed, and the raven seemed to understand this, and croaked 'krrra!' I was vexed that I had to walk, and ashamed that I had stayed on at Kisotchka's, chatting like a boy. "I made my way to the summer-house, felt for the seat and sat down. Far below me, behind a veil of thick darkness, the sea kept up a low angry growl. I remember that, as though I were blind, I could see neither sky nor sea, nor even the summer-house in which I was sitting. And it seemed to me as though the whole world consisted only of the thoughts that were straying through my head, dizzy from the wine, and of an unseen power murmuring monotonously somewhere below. And afterwards, as I sank into a doze, it began to seem that it was not the sea murmuring, but my thoughts, and that the whole world consisted of nothing but me. And concentrating the whole world in myself in this way, I thought no more of cabs, of the town, and of Kisotchka, and abandoned myself to the sensation I was so fond of: that is, the sensation of fearful isolation when you feel that in the whole universe, dark and formless, you alone exist. It is a proud, demoniac sensation, only possible to Russians whose thoughts and sensations are as large, boundless, and gloomy as their plains, their forests, and their snow. If I had been an artist I should certainly have depicted the expression of a Russian's face when he sits motionless and, with his legs under him and his head clasped in his hands, abandons himself to this sensation. . . . And together with this sensation come thoughts of the aimlessness of life, of death, and of the darkness of the grave. . . . The thoughts are not worth a brass farthing, but the expression of face must be fine. . . . "While I was sitting and dozing, unable to bring myself to get up -- I was warm and comfortable -- all at once, against the even monotonous murmur of the sea, as though upon a canvas, sounds began to grow distinct which drew my attention from myself. . . . Someone was coming hurriedly along the avenue. Reaching the summer-house this someone stopped, gave a sob like a little girl, and said in the voice of a weeping child: 'My God, when will it all end! Merciful Heavens!' "Judging from the voice and the weeping I took it to be a little girl of ten or twelve. She walked irresolutely into the summer-house, sat down, and began half-praying, half-complaining aloud. . . . " 'Merciful God!' she said, crying, 'it's unbearable. It's beyond all endurance! I suffer in silence, but I want to live too. . . . Oh, my God! My God!' "And so on in the same style. "I wanted to look at the child and speak to her. So as not to frighten her I first gave a loud sigh and coughed, then cautiously struck a match. . . . There was a flash of bright light in the darkness, which lighted up the weeping figure. It was Kisotchka!" "Marvels upon marvels!" said Von Schtenberg with a sigh. "Black night, the murmur of the sea; she in grief, he with a sensation of world -- solitude. . . . It's too much of a good thing. . . . You only want Circassians with daggers to complete it." "I am not telling you a tale, but fact." "Well, even if it is a fact . . . it all proves nothing, and there is nothing new in it. . . ." "Wait a little before you find fault! Let me finish," said Ananyev, waving his hand with vexation; "don't interfere, please! I am not telling you, but the doctor. . . . Well," he went on, addressing me and glancing askance at the student who bent over his books and seemed very well satisfied at having gibed at the engineer -- "well, Kisotchka was not surprised or frightened at seeing me. It seemed as though she had known beforehand that she would find me in the summer-house. She was breathing in gasps and trembling all over as though in a fever, while her tear-stained face, so far as I could distinguish it as I struck match after match, was not the intelligent, submissive weary face I had seen before, but something different, which I cannot understand to this day. It did not express pain, nor anxiety, nor misery -- nothing of what was expressed by her words and her tears. . . . I must own that, probably because I did not understand it, it looked to me senseless and as though she were drunk. " 'I can't bear it,' muttered Kisotchka in the voice of a crying child. 'It's too much for me, Nikolay Anastasyitch. Forgive me, Nikolav Anastasyitch. I can't go on living like this. . . . I am going to the town to my mother's. . . . Take me there. . . . Take me there, for God's sake!' "In the presence of tears I can neither speak nor be silent. I was flustered and muttered some nonsense. trying to comfort her. " 'No, no; I will go to my mother's,' said Kisotchka resolutely, getting up and clutching my arm convulsively (her hands and her sleeves were wet with tears). 'Forgive me, Nikolay Anastasyitch, I am going. . . . I can bear no more. . . .' " 'Kisotchka, but there isn't a single cab,' I said. 'How can you go?' " 'No matter, I'll walk. . . . It's not far. I can't bear it. . . .' "I was embarrassed, but not touched. Kisotchka's tears, her trembling, and the blank expression of her face suggested to me a trivial, French or Little Russian melodrama, in which every ounce of cheap shallow feeling is washed down with pints of tears. I didn t understand her, and knew I did not understand her; I ought to have been silent, but for some reason, most likely for fear my silence might be taken for stupidity, I thought fit to try to persuade her not to go to her mother's, but to stay at home. When people cry, they don't like their tears to be seen. And I lighted match after match and went on striking till the box was empty. What I wanted with this ungenerous illumination, I can't conceive to this day. Cold-hearted people are apt to be awkward, and even stupid. "In the end Kisotchka took my arm and we set off. Going out of the gate, we turned to the right and sauntered slowly along the soft dusty road. It was dark. As my eyes grew gradually accustomed to the darkness, I began to distinguish the silhouettes of the old gaunt oaks and lime trees which bordered the road. The jagged, precipitous cliffs, intersected here and there by deep, narrow ravines and creeks, soon showed indistinctly, a black streak on the right. Low bushes nestled by the hollows, looking like sitting figures. It was uncanny. I looked sideways suspiciously at the cliffs, and the murmur of the sea and the stillness of the country alarmed my imagination. Kisotchka did not speak. She was still trembling, and before she had gone half a mile she was exhausted with walking and was out of breath. I too was silent. "Three-quarters of a mile from the Quarantine Station there was a deserted building of four storeys, with a very high chimney in which there had once been a steam flour mill. It stood solitary on the cliff, and by day it could be seen for a long distance, both by sea and by land. Because it was deserted and no one lived in it, and because there was an echo in it which distinctly repeated the steps and voices of passers-by, it seemed mysterious. Picture me in the dark night arm-in-arm with a woman who was running away from her husband near this tall long monster which repeated the sound of every step I took and stared at me fixedly with its hundred black windows. A normal young man would have been moved to romantic feelings in such surroundings, but I looked at the dark windows and thought: 'All this is very impressive, but time will come when of that building and of Kisntchka and her troubles and of me with my thoughts, not one grain of dust will remain. . . . All is nonsense and vanity. . . .' "When we reached the flour mill Kisotchka suddenly stopped, took her arm out of mine, and said, no longer in a childish voice, but in her own: " 'Nikolay Anastasvitch, I know all this seems strange to you. But I am terribly unhappy! And you cannot even imagine how unhappy! It's impossible to imagine it! I don't tell you about it because one can't talk about it. . . . Such a life, such a life! . . .' "Kisotchka did not finish. She clenched her teeth and moaned as though she were doing her utmost not to scream with pain. " 'Such a life!' she repeated with horror, with the cadence and the southern, rather Ukrainian accent which particularly in women gives to emotional speech the effect of singing. 'It is a life! Ah, my God, my God! what does it mean? Oh, my God, my God!' "As though trying to solve the riddle of her fate, she shrugged her shoulders in perplexity, shook her head, and clasped her hands. She spoke as though she were singing, moved gracefully, and reminded me of a celebrated Little Russian actress. " 'Great God, it is as though I were in a pit,' she went on. 'If one could live for one minute in happiness as other people live! Oh, my God, my God! I have come to such disgrace that before a stranger I am running away from my husband by night, like some disreputable creature! Can I expect anything good after that?' "As I admired her movements and her voice, I began to feel annoyed that she was not on good terms with her husband. 'It would be nice to have got on into relations with her!' flitted through my mind; and this pitiless thought stayed in my brain, haunted me all the way and grew more and more alluring. "About a mile from the flour mill we had to turn to the left by the cemetery. At the turning by the corner of the cemetery there stood a stone windmill, and by it a little hut in which the miller lived. We passed the mill and the hut, turned to the left and reached the gates of the cemetery. There Kisotchka stopped and said: " 'I am going back, Nikolay Anastasyitch! You go home, and God bless you, but I am going back. I am not frightened.' " 'Well, what next!' I said, disconcerted. 'If you are going, you had better go!' " 'I have been too hasty. . . . It was all about nothing that mattered. You and your talk took me back to the past and put all sort of ideas into my head. . . . I was sad and wanted to cry, and my husband said rude things to me before that officer, and I could not bear it. . . . And what's the good of my going to the town to my mother's? Will that make me any happier? I must go back. . . . But never mind . . . let us go on,' said Kisotchka, and she laughed. 'It makes no difference!' "I remembered that over the gate of the cemetery there was an inscription: 'The hour will come wherein all they that lie in the grave will hear the voice of the Son of God.' I knew very well that sooner of later I and Kisotchka and her husband and the officer in the white tunic would lie under the dark trees in the churchyard; I knew that an unhappy and insulted fellow-creature was walking beside me. All this I recognised distinctly, but at the same time I was troubled by an oppressive and unpleasant dread that Kisotchka would turn back, and that I should not manage to say to her what had to be said. Never at any other time in my life have thoughts of a higher order been so closely interwoven with the basest animal prose as on that night. . . . It was horrible! "Not far from the cemetery we found a cab. When we reached the High Street, where Kisotchka's mother lived, we dismissed the cab and walked along the pavement. Kisotchka was silent all the while, while I looked at her, and I raged at myself, 'Why don't you begin? Now's the time!' About twenty paces from the hotel where I was staying, Kisotchka stopped by the lamp-post and burst into tears. " 'Nikolay Anastasyitch!' she said, crying and laughing and looking at me with wet shining eyes, 'I shall never forget your sympathy. . . . How good you are! All of you are so splendid -- all of you! Honest, great-hearted, kind, clever. . . . Ah, how good that is!' "She saw in me a highly educated man, advanced in every sense of the word, and on her tear-stained laughing face, together with the emotion and enthusiasm aroused by my personality, there was clearly written regret that she so rarely saw such people, and that God had not vouchsafed her the bliss of being the wife of one of them. She muttered, 'Ah, how splendid it is!' The childish gladness on her face, the tears, the gentle smile, the soft hair, which had escaped from under the kerchief, and the kerchief itself thrown carelessly over her head, in the light of the street lamp reminded me of the old Kisotchka whom one had wanted to stroke like a kitten. "I could not restrain myself, and began stroking her hair, her shoulders, and her hands. " 'Kisotchka, what do you want?' I muttered. 'I'll go to the ends of the earth with you if you like! I will take you out of this hole and give you happiness. I love you. . . . Let us go, my sweet? Yes? Will you?' "Kisotchka's face was flooded with bewilderment. She stepped back from the street lamp and, completely overwhelmed, gazed at me with wide-open eyes. I gripped her by the arm, began showering kisses on her face, her neck, her shoulders, and went on making vows and promises. In love affairs vows and promises are almost a physiological necessity. There's no getting on without them. Sometimes you know you are lying and that promises are not necessary, but still you vow and protest. Kisotchka, utterly overwhelmed, kept staggering back and gazing at me with round eyes. " 'Please don't! Please don't!' she muttered, holding me off with her hands. "I clasped her tightly in my arms. All at once she broke into hysterical tears. And her face had the same senseless blank expression that I had seen in the summer-house when I lighted the matches. Without asking her consent, preventing her from speaking, I dragged her forcibly towards my hotel. She seemed almost swooning and did not walk, but I took her under the arms and almost carried her. . . . I remember, as we were going up the stairs, some man with a red band in his cap looked wonderingly at me and bowed to Kisotchka. . . ." Ananvev flushed crimson and paused. He walked up and down near the table in silence, scratched the back of his head with an air of vexation, and several times shrugged his shoulders and twitched his shoulder-blades, while a shiver ran down his huge back. The memory was painful and made him ashamed, and he was struggling with himself. "It's horrible!" he said, draining a glass of wine and shaking his head. "I am told that in every introductory lecture on women's diseases the medical students are admonished to remember that each one of them has a mother, a sister, a fiance, before undressing and examining a female patient. . . . That advice would be very good not only for medical students but for everyone who in one way or another has to deal with a woman's life. Now that I have a wife and a little daughter, oh, how well I understand that advice! How I understand it, my God! You may as well hear the rest, though. . . . As soon as she had become my mistress, Kisotchka's view of the position was very different from mine. First of all she felt for me a deep and passionate love. What was for me an ordinary amatory episode was for her an absolute revolution in her life. I remember, it seemed to me that she had gone out of her mind. Happy for the first time in her life, looking five years younger, with an inspired enthusiastic face, not knowing what to do with herself for happiness, she laughed and cried and never ceased dreaming aloud how next day we would set off for the Caucasus, then in the autumn to Petersburg; how we would live afterwards. " 'Don't worry yourself about my husband,' she said to reassure me. 'He is bound to give me a divorce. Everyone in the town knows that he is living with the elder Kostovitch. We will get a divorce and be married.' "When women love they become acclimatised and at home with people very quickly, like cats. Kisotchka had only spent an hour and a half in my room when she already felt as though she were at home and was ready to treat my property as though it were her own. She packed my things in my portmanteau, scolded me for not hanging my new expensive overcoat on a peg instead of flinging it on a chair, and so on. "I looked at her, listened, and felt weariness and vexation. I was conscious of a slight twinge of horror at the thought that a respectable, honest, and unhappy woman had so easily, after some three or four hours, succumbed to the first man she met. As a respectable man, you see, I didn't like it. Then, too, I was unpleasantly impressed by the fact that women of Kisotchka's sort, not deep or serious, are too much in love with life, and exalt what is in reality such a trifle as love for a man to the level of bliss, misery, a complete revolution in life. . . . Moreover, now that I was satisfied, I was vexed with myself for having been so stupid as to get entangled with a woman whom I should have to deceive. And in spite of my disorderly life I must observe that I could not bear telling lies. "I remember that Kisotchka sat down at my feet, laid her head on my knees, and, looking at me with shining, loving eyes, asked: " 'Kolya, do you love me? Very, very much?' "And she laughed with happiness. . . . This struck me as sentimental, affected, and not clever; and meanwhile I was already inclined to look for 'depth of thought' before everything. " 'Kisotchka, you had better go home,' I said, or else your people will be sure to miss you and will be looking for you all over the town; and it would be awkward for you to go to your mother in the morning.' "Kisotchka agreed. At parting we arranged to meet at midday next morning in the park, and the day after to set off together to Pyatigorsk. I went into the street to see her home, and I remember that I caressed her with genuine tenderness on the way. There was a minute when I felt unbearably sorry for her, for trusting me so implicitly, and I made up my mind that I would really take her to Pyatigorsk, but remembering that I had only six hundred roubles in my portmanteau, and that it would be far more difficult to break it off with her in the autumn than now, I made haste to suppress my compassion. "We reached the house where Kisotchka's mother lived. I pulled at the bell. When footsteps were heard at the other side of the door Kisotchka suddenly looked grave, glanced upwards to the sky, made the sign of the Cross over me several times and, clutching my hand, pressed it to her lips. " 'Till to-morrow,' she said, and disappeared into the house. "I crossed to the opposite pavement and from there looked at the house. At first the windows were in darkness, then in one of the windows there was the glimmer of the faint bluish flame of a newly lighted candle; the flame grew, gave more light, and I saw shadows moving about the rooms together with it. " 'They did not expect her,' I thought. "Returning to my hotel room I undressed, drank off a glass of red wine, ate some fresh caviare which I had bought that day in the bazaar, went to bed in a leisurely way, and slept the sound, untroubled sleep of a tourist. "In the morning I woke up with a headache and in a bad humour. Something worried me. " 'What's the matter?' I asked myself, trying to explain my uneasiness. 'What's upsetting me?' "And I put down my uneasiness to the dread that Kisotchka might turn up any minute and prevent my going away, and that I should have to tell lies and act a part before her. I hurriedly dressed, packed my things, and left the hotel, giving instructions to the porter to take my luggage to the station for the seven o'clock train in the evening. I spent the whole day with a doctor friend and left the town that evening. As you see, my philosophy did not prevent me from taking to my heels in a mean and treacherous flight. . . . "All the while that I was at my friend's, and afterwards driving to the station, I was tormented by anxiety. I fancied that I was afraid of meeting with Kisotchka and a scene. In the station I purposely remained in the toilet room till the second bell rang, and while I was making my way to my compartment, I was oppressed by a feeling as though I were covered all over with stolen things. With what impatience and terror I waited for the third bell! "At last the third bell that brought my deliverance rang at last, the train moved; we passed the prison, the barracks, came out into the open country, and yet, to my surprise, the feeling of uneasiness still persisted, and still I felt like a thief passionately longing to escape. It was queer. To distract my mind and calm myself I looked out of the window. The train ran along the coast. The sea was smooth, and the turquoise sky, almost half covered with the tender, golden crimson light of sunset, was gaily and serenely mirrored in it. Here and there fishing boats and rafts made black patches on its surface. The town, as clean and beautiful as a toy, stood on the high cliff, and was already shrouded in the mist of evening. The golden domes of its churches, the windows and the greenery reflected the setting sun, glowing and melting like shimmering gold. . . . The scent of the fields mingled with the soft damp air from the sea. "The train flew rapidly along. I heard the laughter of passengers and guards. Everyone was good-humoured and light-hearted, yet my unaccountable uneasiness grew greater and greater. . . . I looked at the white mist that covered the town and I imagined how a woman with a senseless blank face was hurrying up and down in that mist by the churches and the houses, looking for me and moaning, 'Oh, my God! Oh, my God!' in the voice of a little girl or the cadences of a Little Russian actress. I recalled her grave face and big anxious eyes as she made the sign of the Cross over me, as though I belonged to her, and mechanically I looked at the hand which she had kissed the day before. "'Surely I am not in love?' I asked myself, scratching my hand. "Only as night came on when the passengers were asleep and I was left tte--tte with my conscience, I began to understand what I had not been able to grasp before. In the twilight of the railway carriage the image of Kisotchka rose before me, haunted me and I recognised clearly that I had committed a crime as bad as murder. My conscience tormented me. To stifle this unbearable feeling, I assured myself that everything was nonsense and vanity, that Kisotchka and I would die and decay, that her grief was nothing in comparison with death, and so on and so on . . . and that if you come to that, there is no such thing as freewill, and that therefore I was not to blame. But all these arguments only irritated me and were extraordinarily quickly crowded out by other thoughts. There was a miserable feeling in the hand that Kisotchka had kissed. . . . I kept lying down and getting up again, drank vodka at the stations, forced myself to eat bread and butter, fell to assuring myself again that life had no meaning, but nothing was of any use. A strange and if you like absurd ferment was going on in my brain. The most incongruous ideas crowded one after another in disorder, getting more and more tangled, thwarting each other, and I, the thinker, 'with my brow bent on the earth,' could make out nothing and could not find my bearings in this mass of essential and non-essential ideas. It appeared that I, the thinker, had not mastered the technique of thinking, and that I was no more capable of managing my own brain than mending a watch. For the first time in my life I was really thinking eagerly and intensely, and that seemed to me so monstrous that I said to myself: 'I am going off my head.' A man whose brain does not work at all times, but only at painful moments, is often haunted by the thought of madness. "I spent a day and a night in this misery, then a second night, and learning from experience how little my philosophy was to me, I came to my senses and realised at last what sort of a creature I was. I saw that my ideas were not worth a brass farthing, and that before meeting Kisotchka I had not begun to think and had not even a conception of what thinking in earnest meant; now through suffering I realised that I had neither convictions nor a definite moral standard, nor heart, nor reason; my whole intellectual and moral wealth consisted of specialist knowledge, fragments, useless memories, other people's ideas -- and nothing else; and my mental processes were as lacking in complexity, as useless and as rudimentary as a Yakut's. . . . If I had disliked lying, had not stolen, had not murdered, and, in fact, made obviously gross mistakes, that was not owing to my convictions -- I had none, but because I was in bondage, hand and foot, to my nurse's fairy tales and to copy-book morals, which had entered into my flesh and blood and without my noticing it guided me in life, though I looked on them as absurd. . . . "I realised that I was not a thinker, not a philosopher, but simply a dilettante. God had given me a strong healthy Russian brain with promise of talent. And, only fancy, here was that brain at twenty-six, undisciplined, completely free from principles, not weighed down by any stores of knowledge, but only lightly sprinkled with information of a sort in the engineering line; it was young and had a physiological craving for exercise, it was on the look-out for it, when all at once quite casually the fine juicy idea of the aimlessness of life and the darkness beyond the tomb descends upon it. It greedily sucks it in, puts its whole outlook at its disposal and begins playing with it, like a cat with a mouse. There is neither learning nor system in the brain, but that does not matter. It deals with the great ideas with its own innate powers, like a self-educated man, and before a month has passed the owner of the brain can turn a potato into a hundred dainty dishes, and fancies himself a philosopher. . . . "Our generation has carried this dilettantism, this playing with serious ideas into science, into literature, into politics, and into everything which it is not too lazy to go into, and with its dilettantism has introduced, too, its coldness, its boredom, and its one-sidedness and, as it seems to me, it has already succeeded in developing in the masses a new hitherto non-existent attitude to serious ideas. "I realised and appreciated my abnormality and utter ignorance, thanks to a misfortune. My normal thinking, so it seems to me now, dates from the day when I began again from the A, B, C, when my conscience sent me flying back to N., when with no philosophical subleties I repented, besought Kisotchka's forgiveness like a naughty boy and wept with her. . . ." Ananyev briefly described his last interview with Kisotchka. "H'm. . . ." the student filtered through his teeth when the engineer had finished. "That's the sort of thing that happens." His face still expressed mental inertia, and apparently Ananyev's story had not touched him in the least. Only when the engineer after a moment's pause, began expounding his view again and repeating what he had said at first, the student frowned irritably, got up from the table and walked away to his bed. He made his bed and began undressing. "You look as though you have really convinced some one this time," he said irritably. "Me convince anybody!" said the engineer. "My dear soul, do you suppose I claim to do that? God bless you! To convince you is impossible. You can reach conviction only by way of personal experience and suffering!" "And then -- it's queer logic!" grumbled the student as he put on his nightshirt. "The ideas which you so dislike, which are so ruinous for the young are, according to you, the normal thing for the old; it's as though it were a question of grey hairs. . . . Where do the old get this privilege? What is it based upon? If these ideas are poison, they are equally poisonous for all?" "Oh, no, my dear soul, don't say so!" said the engineer with a sly wink. "Don't say so. In the first place, old men are not dilettanti. Their pessimism comes to them not casually from outside, but from the depths of their own brains, and only after they have exhaustively studied the Hegels and Kants of all sorts, have suffered, have made no end of mistakes, in fact -- when they have climbed the whole ladder from bottom to top. Their pessimism has both personal experience and sound philosophic training behind it. Secondly, the pessimism of old thinkers does not take the form of idle talk, as it does with you and me, but of Weltschmertz, of suffering; it rests in them on a Christian foundation because it is derived from love for humanity and from thoughts about humanity, and is entirely free from the egoism which is noticeable in dilettanti. You despise life because its meaning and its object are hidden just from you, and you are only afraid of your own death, while the real thinker is unhappy because the truth is hidden from all and he is afraid for all men. For instance, there is living not far from here the Crown forester, Ivan Alexandritch. He is a nice old man. At one time he was a teacher somewhere, and used to write something; the devil only knows what he was, but anyway he is a remarkably clever fellow and in philosophy he is A1. He has read a great deal and he is continually reading now. Well, we came across him lately in the Gruzovsky district. . . . They were laying the sleepers and rails just at the time. It's not a difficult job, but Ivan Alexandritch, not being a specialist, looked at it as though it were a conjuring trick. It takes an experienced workman less than a minute to lay a sleeper and fix a rail on it. The workmen were in good form and really were working smartly and rapidly; one rascal in particular brought his hammer down with exceptional smartness on the head of the nail and drove it in at one blow, though the handle of the hammer was two yards or more in length and each nail was a foot long. Ivan Alexandritch watched the workmen a long time, was moved, and said to me with tears in his eyes: " 'What a pity that these splendid men will die!' Such pessimism I understand." "All that proves nothing and explains nothing," said the student, covering himself up with a sheet; "all that is simply pounding liquid in a mortar. No one knows anything and nothing can be proved by words." He peeped out from under the sheet, lifted up his head and, frowning irritably, said quickly: "One must be very nave to believe in human words and logic and to ascribe any determining value to them. You can prove and disprove anything you like with words, and people will soon perfect the technique of language to such a point that they will prove with mathematical certainty that twice two is seven. I am fond of reading and listening, but as to believing, no thank you; I can't, and I don't want to. I believe only in God, but as for you, if you talk to me till the Second Coming and seduce another five hundred Kisothchkas, I shall believe in you only when I go out of my mind. . . . Goodnight." The student hid his head under the sheet and turned his face towards the wall, meaning by this action to let us know that he did not want to speak or listen. The argument ended at that. Before going to bed the engineer and I went out of the hut, and I saw the lights once more. "We have tired you out with our chatter," said Ananyev, yawning and looking at the sky. "Well, my good sir! The only pleasure we have in this dull hole is drinking and philosophising. . . . What an embankment, Lord have mercy on us!" he said admiringly, as we approached the embankment; "it is more like Mount Ararat than an embankment." He paused for a little, then said: "Those lights remind the Baron of the Amalekites, but it seems to me that they are like the thoughts of man. . . . You know the thoughts of each individual man are scattered like that in disorder, stretch in a straight line towards some goal in the midst of the darkness and, without shedding light on anything, without lighting up the night, they vanish somewhere far beyond old age. But enough philosophising! It's time to go bye-bye." When we were back in the hut the engineer began begging me to take his bed. "Oh please!" he said imploringly, pressing both hands on his heart. "I entreat you, and don't worry about me! I can sleep anywhere, and, besides, I am not going to bed just yet. Please do -- it's a favour!" I agreed, undressed, and went to bed, while he sat down to the table and set to work on the plans. "We fellows have no time for sleep," he said in a low voice when I had got into bed and shut my eyes. "When a man has a wife and two children he can't think of sleep. One must think now of food and clothes and saving for the future. And I have two of them, a little son and a daughter. . . . The boy, little rascal, has a jolly little face. He's not six yet, and already he shows remarkable abilities, I assure you. . . . I have their photographs here, somewhere. . . . Ah, my children, my children!" He rummaged among his papers, found their photographs, and began looking at them. I fell asleep. I was awakened by the barking of Azorka and loud voices. Von Schtenberg with bare feet and ruffled hair was standing in the doorway dressed in his underclothes, talking loudly with some one . . . . It was getting light. A gloomy dark blue dawn was peeping in at the door, at the windows, and through the crevices in the hut walls, and casting a faint light on my bed, on the table with the papers, and on Ananyev. Stretched on the floor on a cloak, with a leather pillow under his head, the engineer lay asleep with his fleshy, hairy chest uppermost; he was snoring so loudly that I pitied the student from the bottom of my heart for having to sleep in the same room with him every night. "Why on earth are we to take them?" shouted Von Schtenberg. "It has nothing to do with us! Go to Tchalisov! From whom do the cauldrons come?" "From Nikitin . . ." a bass voice answered gruffly. "Well, then, take them to Tchalisov. . . . That's not in our department. What the devil are you standing there for? Drive on!" "Your honour, we have been to Tchalisov already," said the bass voice still more gruffly. "Yesterday we were the whole day looking for him down the line, and were told at his hut that he had gone to the Dymkovsky section. Please take them, your honour! How much longer are we to go carting them about? We go carting them on and on along the line, and see no end to it." "What is it?" Ananyev asked huskily, waking up and lifting his head quickly. "They have brought some cauldrons from Nikitin's," said the student, "and he is begging us to take them. And what business is it of ours to take them?" "Do be so kind, your honour, and set things right! The horses have been two days without food and the master, for sure, will be angry. Are we to take them back, or what? The railway ordered the cauldrons, so it ought to take them. . . ." "Can't you understand, you blockhead, that it has nothing to do with us? Go on to Tchalisov!" "What is it? Who's there?" Ananyev asked huskily again. "Damnation take them all," he said, getting up and going to the door. "What is it?" I dressed, and two minutes later went out of the hut. Ananyev and the student, both in their underclothes and barefooted, were angrily and impatiently explaining to a peasant who was standing before them bare-headed, with his whip in his hand, apparently not understanding them. Both faces looked preoccupied with workaday cares. "What use are your cauldrons to me," shouted Ananyev. "Am I to put them on my head, or what? If you can't find Tchalisov, find his assistant, and leave us in peace!" Seeing me, the student probably recalled the conversation of the previous night. The workaday expression vanished from his sleepy face and a look of mental inertia came into it. He waved the peasant off and walked away absorbed in thought. It was a cloudy morning. On the line where the lights had been gleaming the night before, the workmen, just roused from sleep, were swarming. There was a sound of voices and the squeaking of wheelbarrows. The working day was beginning. One poor little nag harnessed with cord was already plodding towards the embankment, tugging with its neck, and dragging along a cartful of sand. I began saying good-bye. . . . A great deal had been said in the night, but I carried away with me no answer to any question, and in the morning, of the whole conversation there remained in my memory, as in a filter, only the lights and the image of Kisotchka. As I got on the horse, I looked at the student and Ananyev for the last time, at the hysterical dog with the lustreless, tipsy-looking eyes, at the workmen flitting to and fro in the morning fog, at the embankment, at the little nag straining with its neck, and thought: "There is no making out anything in this world." And when I lashed my horse and galloped along the line, and when a little later I saw nothing before me but the endless gloomy plain and the cold overcast sky, I recalled the questions which were discussed in the night. I pondered while the sun-scorched plain, the immense sky, the oak forest, dark on the horizon and the hazy distance, seemed saying to me: "Yes, there's no understanding anything in this world!" The sun began to rise. . . . Amalekites or the Philistines: two groups of peoples in the Old Testament who came in conflict with the Hebrews Saul or David: both kings of the Hebrews; Saul committed suicide after his defeat by the Philistines (I Samuel) "descent into the vale of years": Othello, III,iii Solomon's "vanity of vanities": Ecclesiastes 1:2-5 Darwin or Shakespeare: examples of a great scientist and a great writer Tatar: the Tatars were a group of Turkic peoples known for their violence dnouement: outcome war: the Russo-Turkish war ended in 1878 tte--tte: face to face Sahalin: Sakhalin, in Siberia, was Imperial Russia's most oppressive prison; Chekhov visited it in 1890 Kant: the German philosopher Immanuel Kant (1724-1804) Blutgeld: blood money, money gained at the cost of someone's life Little Russian: Ukranian second bell: train passengers were given 3 warning bells: the first (single) ring indicated 15 minutes until departure; the second (2 rings) indicated 5 minutes; and the third bell (3 rings) sounded as the train left the station Yakut: a member of the people inhabiting a region in eastern Siberia Hegel: the German philosopher Georg W. F. Hegel (1770-1831) Weltschmertz: sadness over the evils of the world Mount Ararat: a mountain in extreme eastern Turkey Add Lights to your own personal library. Return to the Anton Chekhov Home Page, or . . . Read the next short story; Love	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line983
__label__cc	0.560337	0.439663	The Stolen Bacillus by H.G. Wells This again,' said the Bacteriologist, slipping a glass slide under the microscope, 'is a preparation of the celebrated Bacillus of cholera - the cholera germ.' The pale-faced man peered down the microscope. He was evidently not accustomed to that kind of thing, and held a limp white hand over his disengaged eye. 'I see very little,' he said. 'Touch this screw,' said the Bacteriologist; 'perhaps the microscope is out of focus for you. Eyes vary so much. Just the fraction of a turn this way or that.' 'Ah! now I see,' said the visitor. 'Not so very much to see after all. Little streaks and shreds of pink. And yet those little particles, those mere atomies, might multiply and devastate a city! Wonderful!' He stood up, and releasing the glass slip from the microscope, held it in his hand towards the window. 'Scarcely visible,' he said, scrutinizing the preparation. He hesitated. 'Are these - alive? Are they dangerous now?' 'Those have been stained and killed,' said the Bacteriologist. 'I wish, for my own part, we could kill and stain every one of them in the universe.' 'I suppose,' the pale man said with a slight smile, 'that you scarcely care to have such things about you in the living - in the active state?' 'On the contrary, we are obliged to,' said the Bacteriologist. 'Here, for instance-' He walked across the room and took up one of several sealed tubes. 'Here is the living thing. This is a cultivation of the actual living disease bacteria.' He hesitated. 'Bottled cholera, so to speak.' A slight gleam of satisfaction appeared momentarily in the face of the pale man. 'It's a deadly thing to have in your possession,' he said, devouring the little tube with his eyes. The Bacteriologist watched the morbid pleasure in his visitor's expression. This man, who had visited him that afternoon with a note of introduction from an old friend, interested him from the very contrast of their dispositions. The lank black hair and deep grey eyes, the haggard expression and nervous manner, the fitful yet keen interest of his visitor, were a novel change from the phlegmatic deliberations of the ordinary scientific worker with whom the Bacteriologist chiefly associated. It was perhaps natural, with a hearer evidently so impressionable to the lethal nature of his topic, to take the most effective aspect of the matter. He held the tube in his hand thoughtfully. 'Yes, here is the pestilence imprisoned. Only break such a little tube as this into a supply of drinking water, say to these minute particles of life that one must needs stain and examine with the highest powers of the microscope even to see, and that one can neither smell nor taste - say to them, "Go forth, increase and multiply, and replenish the cisterns", and death - mysterious, untraceable death, death swift and terrible, death full of pain and indignity - would be released upon this city, and go hither and thither seeking his victims. Here he would take the husband from the wife, here the child from its mother, here the statesman from his duty, and here the toiler from his trouble. He would follow the watermains, creeping along streets, picking out and punishing a house here and a house there where they did not boil their drinking-water, creeping into the wells of the mineral-water makers, getting washed into salad, and lying dormant in ices. He would wait ready to be drunk in the horse-troughs, and by unwary children in the public fountains. He would soak into the soil, to reappear in springs and wells at a thousand unexpected places. Once start him at the water supply, and before we could ring him in, and catch him again, he would have decimated the metropolis.' He stopped abruptly. He had been told rhetoric was his weakness. 'But he is quite safe here, you know - quite safe.' The pale-faced man nodded. His eyes shone. He cleared his throat. 'These Anarchist - rascals,' said he, 'are fools, blind fools - to use bombs when this kind of thing is attainable. I think - ' A gentle rap, a mere light touch of the finger-nails was heard at the door. The Bacteriologist opened it. 'Just a minute, dear,' whispered his wife. When he re-entered the laboratory his visitor was looking at his watch. 'I had no idea I had wasted an hour of your time,' he said. 'Twelve minutes to four. I ought to have left here by half past three. But your things were really too interesting. No, positively I cannot stop a moment longer. I have an engagement at four.' He passed out of the room, reiterating his thanks, and the Bacteriologist accompanied him to the door, and then returned thoughtfully along the passage to his laboratory. He was musing on the ethnology of his visitor. Certainly the man was not a Teutonic type nor a common Latin one. 'A morbid product, anyhow, I am afraid,' said the Bacteriologist to himself. 'How he gloated on those cultivations of disease-germs!' A disturbing thought struck him. He turned to the bench by the vapour-bath, and then very quickly to his writing-table. Then he felt hastily in his pockets, and then rushed to the door. 'I may have put it down on the hall table,' he said. 'Minnie!' he shouted hoarsely in the hall. 'Yes, dear,' came a remote voice. 'Had I anything in my hand when I spoke to you, dear, just now?' 'Nothing, dear, because I remember-' 'Blue ruin!' cried the Bacteriologist, and incontinently ran to the front door and down the steps of his house to the street. Minnie, hearing the door slam violently, ran in alarm to the window. Down the street a slender man was getting into a cab. The Bacteriologist, hatless, and in his carpet slippers, was running and gesticulating wildly towards this group. One slipper came off, but he did not wait for it. 'He has gone mad!' said Minnie; 'it's that horrid science of his'; and, opening the window, would have called after him. The slender man, suddenly glancing round, seemed struck with the same idea of mental disorder. He pointed to the Bacteriologist, said something to the cabman, the apron of the cab slammed, the whip swished, the horse's feet clattered, and in a moment the cab, Bacteriologist hotly in pursuit, had receded up the vista of the roadway and disappeared round the corner. Minnie remained straining out of the window for a minute. Then she drew her head back into the room again. She was dumbfounded. 'Of course he is eccentric,' she meditated. 'But running about London - in the height of the season, too - in his socks!' A happy thought struck her. She hastily put her bonnet on, seized his shoes, went into the hall, took down his hat and light overcoat from the pegs, emerged upon the doorstep, and hailed a cab that opportunely crawled by. 'Drive me up the road and round Havelock Crescent, and see if we can find a gentleman running about in a velveteen coat and no hat.' 'Velveteen coat, ma'am, and no 'at. Very good, ma'am.' And the cabman whipped up at once in the most matter-of-fact way, as if he drove to this address every day in his life. Some few minutes later the little group of cabmen and loafers that collects round the cabmen's shelter at Haverstock Hill were startled by the passing of a cab with a ginger-coloured screw of a horse, driven furiously. They were silent as it went by, and then as it receded-'That's 'Arry 'Icks. Wot's he got?' said the stout gentleman known as Old Tootles. 'He's a-using his whip, he is, to rights,' said the ostler boy. 'Hullo!' said poor old Tommy byles; 'here's another bloomin' loonatic. Blowed if there ain't.' 'It's old George,' said Old Tootles, 'and he's drivin' a loonatic, as you say. Ain't he a-clawin' out of the keb? Wonder if he's after 'Arry 'Icks?' The group round the cabmen's shelter became animated. Chorus: 'Go it, George!' 'It's a race!' 'You'll ketch 'em!' 'Whip up!' 'She's a goer, she is!' said the ostler boy. 'Strike me giddy!' cried Old Tootles. 'Here! I'm a-goin' to begin in a minute. Here's another comin'. If all the kebs in Hampstead ain't gone mad this morning!' 'It's a fieldmale this time,' said the ostler boy. 'She's a-following him,' said Old Tootles. 'Usually the other way about.' 'What's she got in her'and?' 'Looks like a'igh 'at.' 'What a bloomin' lark it is! Three to one on old George,' said the ostler boy. 'Next!' Minnie went by in a perfect roar of applause. She did not like it but she felt that she was doing her duty, and whirled on down Haverstock Hill and Camden Town High Street with her eyes ever intent on the animated back of Old George, who was driving her vagrant husband so incomprehensively away from her. The man in the foremost cab sat crouched in the corner, his arms tightly folded, and the little tube that contained such vast possibilities of destruction gripped in his hand. His mood was a singular mixture of fear and exultation. Chiefly he was afraid of being caught before he could accomplish his purpose, but behind this was a vaguer but larger fear of the awfulness of his crime. But his exultation far exceeded his fear. No Anarchist before him had ever approached this conception of his. Ravacho!, Vaillant, all those distinguished persons whose fame he had envied, dwindled into insignificance beside him. He had only to make sure of the water supply, and break the little tube into a reservoir. How brilliantly he had planned it, forged the letter of introduction, and got into the laboratory, and how brilliantly he had seized his opportunity! The world should hear of him at last. All those people who had sneered at him, neglected him, preferred other people to him, found his company undesirable, should consider him at last. Death, death, death! They had always treated him as a man of no importance. All the world had been in a conspiracy to keep him under. He would teach them yet what it is to isolate a man. What was this familiar street? Great Saint Andrew's Street, of course! How fared the chase? He craned out of the cab. The Bacteriologist was scarcely fifty yards behind. That was bad. He would be caught and stopped yet. He felt in his pocket for money, and found half a sovereign. This he thrust up through the trap in the top of the cab into the man's face. 'More,' he shouted, 'if only we get away.' The money was snatched out of his hand. 'Right you are,' said the cabman, and the trap slammed, and the lash lay along the glistening side of the horse. The cab swayed, and the Anarchist, half-standing under the trap, put the hand containing the little glass tube upon the apron to preserve his balance. He felt the brittle thing crack, and the broken half of it rang upon the floor of the cab. He fell back into the seat with a curse, and stared dismally at the two or three drops of moisture on the apron. He shuddered. 'Well! I suppose I shall be the first. Phew! Anyhow, I shall be a Martyr. That's something. But it is a filthy death, nevertheless. I wonder if it hurts as much as they say.' Presently a thought occurred to him - he groped between his feet. A little drop was still in the broken end of the tube, and he drank that to make sure. It was better to make sure. At any rate, he would not fail. Then it dawned upon him that there was no further need to escape the Bacteriologist. In Wellington Street he told the cabman to stop and got out. He slipped on the step, his head felt queer. It was rapid stuff this cholera poison. He waved his cabman out of existence, so to speak, and stood on the pavement with his arm folded upon his breast, awaiting the arrival of the Bacteriologist. There was something tragic in his pose. The sense of imminent death gave him a certain dignity. He greeted his pursuer with a defiant laugh. 'Vive l'Anarchie! You are too late, my friend. I have drunk it. The cholera is abroad!' The Bacteriologist from his cab beamed curiously at him through his spectacles. 'You have drunk it! An Anarchist! I see now.' He was about to say something more, and then checked himself. A smile hung in the corner of his mouth. He opened the apron of his cab as if to descend, at which the Anarchist waved him a dramatic farewell and strode off towards Waterloo Bridge, carefully jostling his infected body against as many people as possible. The Bacteriologist was so preoccupied with the vision of him that he scarcely manifested the slightest surprise at the appearance of Minnie upon the pavement with his hat and shoes and overcoat. 'Very good of you to bring my things,' he said, and remained lost in contemplation of the receding figure of the Anarchist. 'You had better get in,' he said, still staring. Minnie felt absolutely convinced now that he was mad, and directed the cabman home on her own responsibility. 'Put on my shoes? Certainly, dear,' said he, as the cab began to turn, and hid the strutting black figure, now small in the distance, from his eyes. Then suddenly something grotesque struck him, and he laughed. Then he remarked, 'It is really very serious, though.' 'You see, that man came to my house to see me, and he is an Anarchist. No - don't faint, or I cannot possibly tell you the rest. And I wanted to astonish him, not knowing he was an Anarchist, and took up a cultivation of that new species of Bacterium I was telling you of, that infest, and I think cause, the blue patches upon various monkeys; and like a fool, I said it was Asiatic cholera. And he ran away with it to poison the water of London, and he certainly might have made things look blue for this civilized city. And now he has swallowed it. Of course, I cannot say what will happen, but you know it turned that kitten blue, and the three puppies - in patches, and the sparrow - bright blue. But the bother is, I shall have all the trouble and expense of preparing some more. 'Put on my coat on this hot day! Why? Because we might meet Mrs. Jabber. My dear, Mrs. Jabber is not a draught. But why should I wear a coat on a hot day because of Mrs.--? Oh! very well.' Add The Stolen Bacillus to your own personal library. Return to the H.G. Wells Home Page, or . . . Read the next short story; The Stolen Body	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line984
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__label__cc	0.650152	0.349848	Archives for posts with tag: slow OK Go’s Revolutionary Music Videos Just when we thought the golden age of music videos has passed and true innovation was practically impossible, enter Los Angeles-based pop/rock band OK Go, who have made a reputation for music video ingenuity again and again. Their latest two videos, “Upside Down & Inside Out” and “The One Moment” (both released within about the past 13 months) continue to push boundaries. The former is a gravity-defying feat via what is referred to as parabolic flight. Without knowing the context, one would think it was an exercise in CGI and green screen trickery. But what makes this gem of a music video so special is the fact that the video was shot in a single, 45 minute take. Then non-micro-gravity portions were simply edited out, for a seamless looking weightless romp to the song’s three-minute length. The latter, “The One Moment”, is touted with the distinct honor of “the shortest amount ever filmed for a music video.” The video uses just 4.2 seconds of footage, stretched out to the song’s full-length by slowing down portions by some 20,000 percent. Sounds pretty straightforward, but rest assured the logistics behind this were meticulously orchestrated by some super creative minds. OK Go is diligent about offering a behind the scenes look at these mini masterpieces, which just bolsters our assertion that some folks simply use more of their creative potential than others. We cannot even begin to wrap our minds around how one would even dream up these concepts, let alone bring them to life. But we’re certainly glad these guys did. In a single word: inspiring. Now watch the videos… okay, go! Via okgo.net Tags airplane, assertion, balls, behind-the-scenes, BTS, concept, conceptual, creative, creative potential, diligent, explosion, filmed, flight, flying, golden age, Gravity, gravity defying, guitar, ingenuity, innovation, logistics, Los Angeles, masterpieces, micro-gravity, music video, OK Go, orchestrated, paint, parabolic flight, plane, pop, pop music, rock, seamless, shortest, slow, song, super creative, The One Moment, Upside Down & Inside Out, water balloons, weightless Categories Color, Design, Inspiration, Motion Graphics, Video	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line989
__label__cc	0.660731	0.339269	Five Finger Death Punch Name Dropped in ‘Jeopardy’ Question KENNETH SPORSHEIM Five Finger Death Punch bassist Chris Kael got quite the surprise when his band popped up in a question on last night's (Jan. 24) episode of the popular quiz game show Jepoardy. While the question didn't necessarily require the contestants to be familiar with Five Finger Death Punch and their music, it seems at least someone on the program's staff was. Instead, the clue was related to the film Kill Bill as host Alex Trebek stated, "Five Finger Death Punch got its name from a deadly move Uma Thurman used in this Tarantino movie series." The correct response was, "What is Kill Bill?" but plenty of non-headbanging viewers at home were probably wonder "Who are Five Finger Death Punch?" Kael posted a screenshot of the question on Instagram, commenting, "In a life that never ceases to amaze, this ranks pretty high up on the list of 'Things That Amaze Chris Kael' for $600, Alex," adding the hashtags "#LivingADream," "#Humbled" and "#ShitYesSon." There's been a number of instances where rock and metal artists were featured either in clues or as answers to Jeopardy questions with Megadeth being one of the most recent examples. Now, we've got one for you: This drummer, notably of progressive group Scale the Summit, is now touring with Five Finger Death Punch following Jeremy Spencer's departure. The correct answer: "Who is Charlie Engen?" Coincidentally, if you're wondering more about him, find that out here. 100 Metal Facts You May Not Know Source: Five Finger Death Punch Name Dropped in ‘Jeopardy’ Question Filed Under: Five Finger Death Punch, Jeopardy Categories: Loudwire Nights, Rock, TV	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1000
__label__cc	0.506384	0.493616	Apple launches recall program for select MacBook Pros due to battery safety concerns - Jun. 20th 2019 9:39 am PT Apple today said that it is launching a voluntary recall and replacement program for the 15-inch MacBook Pro. The company says that select 15-inch MacBook Pro units sold between September 2015 and February 2017 contain a battery that may overheat and pose safety risks. Sylvania HomeKit Light Strip In some instances, the battery used in these MacBook Pro units may overheat and pose a safety risk, Apple says. Affected customers can have their battery replaced by Apple free of charge. Apple today announced a voluntary recall of a limited number of older generation 15-inch MacBook Pro units which contain a battery that may overheat and pose a safety risk. The units were sold primarily between September 2015 and February 2017 and can be identified by their product serial number. Apple notes that the recall only affects 15-inch MacBook Pro units sold between September 2015 and February 2017. “The recall does not affect any other 15-inch MacBook Pro units or other Mac notebooks,” Apple says. Apple has launched a new support page where users can go to check their MacBook Pro serial number to see if it is affected. Here’s how to check if you have a MacBook Pro that falls into that window: To confirm which model you have, choose About This Mac from the Apple menu () in the upper-left corner of your screen. If you have “MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015),” enter your computer’s serial number on the program page to see if it is eligible for a battery replacement. View the full announcement here. Note that the support page doesn’t yet appear to be live for everyone, but it should go up soon. On the support page, you can check your eligibility and learn how to schedule a free replacement. Back in April, Apple announced a recall of travel kit and wall plug adapters used in three countries. Subscribe to 9to5Mac on YouTube for more Apple news: Apple's premium laptop comes in 13- and 15-inch screen sizes. Each model includes 2-4 USB-C ports for charging, accessories, and data transfer. Higher end models also include the Touch Bar. Chance is an editor for the entire 9to5 network and covers the latest Apple news for 9to5Mac. Tips, questions, typos to chance@9to5mac.com Chance Miller's favorite gear Shop Apple at Amazon Twelve South Curve	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1002
__label__wiki	0.930165	0.930165	Celebrities with misspelled tattoos Celebs who have defended Michael Jackson All the beautiful women Leonardo DiCaprio has romanced Celebrity exes who got back together Flashback Friday: iconic photos from Oscars past African-American celebrities who are vocal about equality Celebrities life advice - We all need a bit of a pick-me-up sometimes, whether it comes from friends, family, or even our favorite celebrities! While they may be living the high life now, for many celebrities it was a hard road to get there, and they learned a lot along the way. Click through the gallery and discover some of the best life advice from your favorite celebrity role models. Lady Gaga - Learn how to say "no," advises Gaga. It is important to know your limits. Leonardo DiCaprio - Leo DiCaprio confessed during an interview that success and wealth don't make you happy. It's all about living a fulfilled life and contributing to the world around you. Beyoncé - It's OK to fail. Beyoncé said in a video that everybody loses sometimes and that we need to embrace failure. Justin Timberlake - Be curious and always be willing to learn. Enjoy being a beginner and learning something new. This is Timberlake's view. Jennifer Lopez - In her memoir 'True Love,' J.Lo says that mistakes were crucial for her to develop better instincts. Denzel Washington - Life is not that complicated. The actor's advice is to have goals, work hard, and be humble. Taylor Swift - Embrace and be comfortable with uncertainty and the unknown. "None of us know how our lives are going to turn out. And I think it's better that way," said Swift. Justin Bieber - Justin Bieber gave former One Direction member Niall Horan advice on his music career. Bieber told Horan that you never know when you finish an album. So, remember, your best work may be yet to come! Sylvester Stallone - Sylvester Stallone gave 'This Is Us' star Chrissy Metz solid advice. He told her that it was all about resilience and having a thick skin. Sofia Vergara - Sofia Vergara told 'Modern Family' co-star Ariel Winter to wear whatever she wants, and feel good about herself. Jim Carrey - In a commencement speech at Maharishi University of Management, the actor said that "life doesn't happen to you, it happens for you." Selena Gomez - Gomez shared some wise words on Instagram with a fan who was contemplating suicide. She told her: "you are not alone in this world. People every day feel so many emotions they wish they could turn off. But that's not why we are here. We are here for relationships, for people just like us who feel worthless. Your purpose is to share, help, encourage." Ellen DeGeneres - A humorous message with a deep meaning: "Never follow anyone else's path, unless you're in the woods and lost and you see a path. Then, by all means, follow that path." Miley Cyrus - Cyrus' advice is to focus on yourself instead of trying to please other people all the time. You're the one that has to be happy. P!nk - The singer has solid advice for when people criticize you. "We don’t change. We take the gravel and the shell and we make a pearl." J.K. Rowling - J.K. Rowling told NBC's Today: "It would've really helped to have someone who had had a measure of success come say to me, 'You will fail. That's inevitable. It's what you do with it.'" Bradley Cooper - Lady Gaga shared in an interview a lesson she learned from Bradley Cooper: "it’s okay to be relentlessly sure of your vision, and to go after it with every fiber of your being." Amy Poehler - Amy Poehler stresses how important it is to work with other people and be open to collaboration. Robert Downey Jr. - Tom Holland was given a good tip by Robert Downey Jr. while doing a screen test. He told him to relax, to let his body take over and, and if it's meant to be, it'll happen. Lucy Hale - The actress said that it's important for girls to know what realistic images of women look like. Jennifer Lawrence - Do not make fun of people. In fact, Lawrence thinks it should be illegal to call someone fat on TV! Tom Hardy - Jack Lowden received some simple, yet deep advice from 'Dunkirk' co-star Tom Hardy, who simply told him: "make it just for you." Chloë Moretz - Family comes first. Family should always come before friends and boyfriends/girlfriends, says Moretz. Tina Fey - Tina Fey stresses the importance of contributing with your ideas. Always add something to a discussion. Shonda Rhimes - Face your fears. It is important to leave your comfort zone and say yes to the things that scare you, advises Shonda Rhimes. Little Mix - British girl band, Little Mix, talks about the importance of making a positive impact on other people's lives. Taylor Swift - Selena Gomez shared valuable advice she got from Taylor Swift. Swift once told Gomez that she should constantly surround herself with people who are going to make her better, challenge her, and motivate her. Celebrities are just like us - Check out this other relatable gallery: Celebrities are just like us Inspirational life advice from your favorite celebrities Famous stars share their wisdom CELEBRITY Life advive CELEBRITY michael jackson 01/02/19 CELEBRITY Leonardo DiCaprio 01/02/19 CELEBRITY Relationships 01/02/19 CELEBRITY Academy Awards 23/02/19 CELEBRITY Black celebrities 01/02/19 CELEBRITY reality stars 04/02/19 Real to reel: Reality stars who became actors CELEBRITY Bob Marley 04/02/19 Bob Marley: the life and legacy of the reggae legend CELEBRITY deportation 04/02/19 Notable celebrities who have been deported The enviable style of celebrity couple Gisele Bündchen and Tom Brady CELEBRITY Celebrity smiles 05/02/19 Gaps, caps, and jacked: Celebrities with bad teeth CELEBRITY miscarriages 05/02/19 Celebrities who opened up about their miscarriages CELEBRITY Celebrity deaths 05/02/19 Celebrities who've passed away in 2019 CELEBRITY romance 06/02/19 Learn all about how these celebrities proposed! 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__label__cc	0.524158	0.475842	Samsung wants to help you manage all your devices with just one app Jacob Siegal @JacobSiegal January 6th, 2014 at 4:00 PM “The Internet of Things,” a buzz-phrase that has popped up in the news cycle for years, is a key focus at CES 2014. The idea that one day even our toasters would have Wi-Fi connectivity is no longer a joke, and now some of the most influential electronics companies in the world are trying to connect not only our appliances, but our phones, our televisions and even our entire homes. Samsung announced this week that it would be unveiling Samsung Smart Home at this year’s CES, “a service enabling users to control and manage their home devices through a single application.” “With Samsung Smart Home, we are bringing our capabilities as the world’s number-one manufacturer of smart devices to make the connected home a reality for consumers today,” said Wonpyo Hong, President, Media Solutions Center, Samsung Electronics. “In the coming days, we will continue to roll out better home services to our consumers to enable them to keep enjoying a brand-new experience of ‘Smart Living and Beyond’.” The three main features of the initial release of Smart Home are Device Control, Home View and Smart Customer Service. Device Control allows users to control their homes from a smartphone or Smart TV, Home View gives users a live feed to any appliance cameras within their homes, and Smart Customer Service will let users know when something needs repairing or replacing. According to the release, Samsung Smart Home, which will connect refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, camera, phones, watches and more, will see a commercial release in the first half of 2o14. The full press release follows below, along with a diagram of how the service will work. Samsung Unveils New Era of Smart Home at CES 2014 Samsung Smart Home enables home devices connectivity through a single integrated platform; provides foundation for emerging ecosystem of connected home services Samsung Electronics announced Samsung Smart Home, a service enabling Smart TVs, home appliances and smartphones to be connected and managed through a single integrated platform. The Samsung Smart Home brand and product logo will debut at CES 2014 in Las Vegas, and the service will be commercially rolled out across Samsung devices and appliances in the first half of 2014. Pursuing its vision for a connected world, Samsung will also collaborate with third-party partners to make the Smart Home service extendible to their products and services, building the foundation for a rapidly-growing ecosystem of connected home services. Samsung Smart Home’s unique functionality enables users to control and manage their home devices through a single application by connecting personal and home devices — from refrigerators and washing machines to Smart TVs, digital cameras, smartphones and even the wearable device GALAXY Gear — through an integrated platform and server. Samsung Smart Home will initially provide three main service features enabling users to connect with their devices from anywhere, anytime: Device Control, Home View and Smart Customer Service. With Device Control, users can use customized settings on their mobile devices or Smart TV to monitor or control home devices — turning on air conditioning or activating lighting, for example — while inside or outside the home, or even while travelling abroad. At the touch of a dedicated Smart Home app icon on their device, the service enables users to control one or multiple devices simultaneously no matter where they are. Smart Home also offers a voice command function on all the controller devices. If a user says ‘going out’ to his GALAXY Gear device, home lighting and selected appliances are turned off. If the user says ‘good night’ to their Smart TV remote control, the TV will be turned off and lights dimmed and gradually turned off in readiness for sleep. Users can also use chat control on their smartphone app as a fun, convenient way to communicate with their devices. With the service’s Home View feature users can also use their smartphone to get real-time views of the home via in-built appliance cameras; and Smart Home’s Smart Customer Service notifies users when it’s time to service appliances or replace consumables, and provides assistance in after-sales servicing. Initial deployment of Samsung Smart Home will focus on a range of Samsung Smart TVs, home appliances and smartphones. The service will gradually expand its coverage by including additional Samsung products as well as other manufacturers’ devices and appliances. Samsung has also developed a dedicated Smart Home software protocol (SHP) to enable connectivity between all Samsung Smart Home products as well as those from other device and appliance manufacturers. Through this strategy, Samsung aims to create a foundation for an emerging ecosystem of connected home services in collaboration with its partners. Samsung also plans to expand the Smart Home service to cover home-energy, secure home access, healthcare, and eco home applications through the partnerships with third-party service providers in these sectors, helping foster joint commercial opportunities and grow the connected home service marketplace. Led by Mr. Hong, Samsung established an internal organization in the middle of last year — called the Smart Home Steering Committee — to align all of the company’s product groups, including its R&D arm, behind the Smart Home platform and co-ordinate the development of innovative services and commercial partnerships around the service. Tags: Samsung, Smart Home 10 deals you don’t want to miss on Sunday: $20 off AirPods 2, SanDisk sale, $60 off Nest, $9 wireless charger, more	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1009
__label__wiki	0.663527	0.663527	Home » Research » Founder's Corner » Location of Biblical Bethel and Ai Reconsidered Further Considerations on the Location of Bethel at El-Bireh Written by David Livingston PhD Category: Founder's Corner The correct locations for both biblical Bethel and its twin city of Ai are crucial for chronology (since excavation at the-wrong sites could be completely misleading chronologically), topography (this should fit the detailed biblical description) and geography. The latter is related to the correct location of the border between Ephraim and Judah, as well as the locations of many biblical towns in southern Ephraim and Benjamin. We present here additional evidence that the generally accepted sites for both Bethel and Ai are incorrect and that both need to be relocated in the vicinity of el-Bireh, 3 km. south of the present locations. But first a summary of the earlier discussion of this problem in the Westminster Theological Journal. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION OF THE LOCATION OF BETHEL In my first article (1970) I pointed out that the original proposal to locate Bethel at Beitin was made by Edward Robinson, using the references to it in the Onomasticon of Eusebius and Jerome (Robinson 1856, 1.448-51; cf. Klostermann 1904). A century later, without checking the actual distances, W. F. Albright completely agreed with Robinson's location for Bethel and began excavations at Beitin assuming it was Bethel (1928, 9: cf. 1934, 25; 1968, 1-3). Was it really? What did the two Church Fathers actually say? The Church Fathers were not writing about road measurements. They were referring to specific mile-markers, or milestones. The location of Bethel is fixed by them at the twelfth Roman milestone on the Jerusalem-Neapolis (Nablus) road (see Fig. 1 for mile-markers related to the study below). The wording of the relevant entries in the Onomasticon is as follows (Klostermann 1904, 40-41): Jerome-- Bethel vicus in duodecimo ab Aelia lapide ad dexteram euntibus Neapolim, quae primum Luza, id est amugdalon vocabatur et cecidit in sortem tribus Beniamin, iuxta Bethaun et Gai, quam expugnavit Iesus, rege illius interfecto. Anyone using such evidence must know where the '0' milestone was located. Contrary to what many scholars assume, the pillar marked on the Madeba Map at what is now the Damascus Gate of Jerusalem cannot be the '0' milestone. This was made clear by the discovery of the third, fourth and fifth milestones at the turn of this century, all of them allowing measurements indicating that the '0' milestone is in the centre of Jerusalem. (We show below that additional milestone studies and references in other early writers sustain this.) According to Eusebius and Jerome the sixth and seventh milestones straddled Rama (Fig. 1: Klostermann 1904, 144-45, which cites Jerome's commentary on Hosea 5.8 for 'seventh'). The fifth milestone on the road northward from Jerusalem has been found and had clearly inscribed numbers in both Latin and Greek. Its location allows one more, the sixth, to have been located at the road turning into Rama (er-Ram) off the main northward route. The seventh, then, would have been where the road north out of the village joined the main road. Michael Avi-Yonah, in his Map of Roman Palestine (1940, 44), listed a milestone at Khirbet esh-She, about a mile south of el-Bireh. If, as he said, it is the tenth, then the eleventh was in el-Bireh, which in turn puts the twelfth between el-Bireh and Beitin. Howeve rif the stone at esh-She is really the eleventh milestone, as the location of the earlier milestones requires, then the twelfth milestone was at el-Bireh. One of Robinson's errors was equating biblical Beeroth with el-Bireh (1856, 1.452: cf. his map).The identification, however, clashes with Eusebius's statement in the Onomasticon, which indicates that Beeroth is seven miles distant from Jerusalem (Klostermann 1904, 48). It is also clear in both Eusebius and Jerome that Beeroth was considered to be on the road to Nicopolis, not on the road to Neapolis (modern Nablus). As for the location of Nicopolis, it is most likely at Imwus in the Valley of Aijalon. Thus the road to Beeroth went mostly westward (and a little north) from Jerusalem, not northward. Milepost 267 (in the catalogue of P. Thomsen) reads IG in Greek, or 'thirteenth mile', and it was found near Jifna (Thomsen 19l7, 76). However, in a study of the eighteenth milepost at Yabroud (milestone 260) C. Clermont-Ganneau pointed out that Jifna (ancient Gophna) was listed in the Onomasticon as being at the fifteenth or sixteenth milestone (1907, 93-94; cf. Klostermann 1904: 168). We suggested, on this basis, that the reading should be IE (15) instead of IG (13). This accords with Eusebius's distance for Jilha and agrees much better with other road distances. Significantly it further confirms el-Birch's location at the twelfth marker. A. F. Rainey responded to my article in the following year (1971, 175-88). He argued that toponymy, archaeology and biblical topography all supported the identification of Bethel with Beitin, and claimed that this was also true of the evidence of their Onomasticon once it was realized that the twelfth milestone was, as it is in other locations given there, the point at which one turned off the main road to reach Bethel, not the location of Bethel itself. ln reply to this I pointed out that the evidence appealed to by Rainey was less conclusive than he claimed and that the 'turn off' interpretation, while valid in some cases, need not necessarily apply to the case of Bethel (Livingston 1971, 39-50). I turn now to evidence about the location-of Bethel which has come to my attention since I published my original articles. Figure 1. Map traced from The Survey of Western Palestine sheets. 'RMS' indicates Roman milestones which were still in place in 1883. ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE 1. Bethlehem and the location of the '0' milestone in Jerusalem Two more opposite towns than Bethlehem and el-Bireh do not exist in terms of direction from Jerusalem. Bethlehem is almost due south and el-Bireh is almost due north. The use of milestones as well as measurements by road (or in a straight line, for the roads to both are relatively straight) should give an indication of the proper location of the '0' milestone. With respect to Bethlehem, Thomsen (1917, 82) records two milestones (section xliii, milestones 295 and 296). Thomsen 295 is milepost IV from Aelia Capitolina, located near modern Tantour. In Thomsen's day the stone was still in the Greek church at Beit Jala, but the number was not readable, so not much can be learned from this milestone. The more important milestone is Thomsen 296. According to the Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum (CIL 13591) this milestone does record the distance -- MP VI. Its location, according to both Thomsen and the CIL note, is opposite the Carmelite cloister, beyond or southward from where the road going south divides, the left fork going to Bethlehem and the right to Beit Jala. Eusebius and Jerome both say that Bethlehem is 'at' the sixth milestone on the road leading south to Hebron (Klostermann 1904, 42-43). When measured by car on modern [Page 157] roads, it is about 7 km. from the Zion Gate of Jerusalem to the road fork referred to by Thomsen and the description in CIL of milestone VI. It is 8.5 km. from the Zion Gate to the Carmelite cloister where the milestone was actually located. Using Bethlehem to establish the location of the '0' milestone in the centre of Jerusalem, one finds some striking correlations when considering the relationship of Bethlehem and el-Bireh to Jerusalem. Whereas it is 8.5 km. from the Zion Gate to the sixth stone at Bethlehem, it is 16 km. from the Damascus Gate to Ras et-Tahuneh in the centre of el-Bireh, and close by was the original location of the twelfth stone as described by the Church Fathers. From the centre of Jerusalem the distance to Bethlehem is almost exactly half the distance to the ancient ruins in el-Bireh at Ras et-Tahuneh. Thus, when we compare the distances and milestones mentioned by the Church Fathers regarding Bethlehem, the '0' milestone must be located in the centre of Jerusalem, and Bethel must be located at el-Bireh instead of at Beitin. 2. The distance from Bethel to Gibeon Rupert Chapman has pointed out in correspondence (letter to John Bimson, 8 March 1988) that the Onomasticon locates Gibeon four miles from Bethel (Klostermann 1904, 66-67). He was impressed by this while annotating a translation of the Onomasticon into English by G. S. P. Freeman-Grenville. He wrote: 'There is a track shown on the P.E.F. map which leads to el-Bireh via Rafat, a distance of fractionally over four miles.' Thus from this point of view too it appears that in the Byzantine period Bethel was located at el-Bireh, not Beitin.(1) 3. The Site of 'La Grande Mahomerie' In the early centuries of the Church some of the European Christians who made pilgrimages to the Holy Land wrote journals about their travels, several of which were published. Since the locations of many biblical sites were still known then, their reports can be helpful in finding correct locations, and they often confirm identifications made by Eusebius and Jerome. An important consideration from one of these reports follows. In an earlier article I mentioned that el-Bireh was the location of 'La Grande Mahomerie'. (1970:42) The importance of this identification will be expounded in the section below, but first, what was 'La Grande Mahomerie'? The best explanation of its meaning was given by F.-M. Abel (1926, 274-75). He indicated that the Crusaders named it thus because a Muslim sanctuary was prominent there in their time, which afterwards fell into disuse and was forgotten. The remains of a recently excavated Crusader church can be seen today in el-Bireh. Next to it on the south is an ancient Muslim holy place - a 'weli'- built over an even earlier church. W. M. Thomsen noted: 'It is part of the tradition that the ruined church was erected here by the Knights Templars to commemorate that event in the life of Jesus [when his parents returned to Jerusalem to look for him], since el-Bireh is the limit of the first day's journey of pilgrim caravans northward from Jerusalem . . .' (1882, 2.87). How can the location of La Grande Mahomerie help locate ancicnt Bethel? One problem is that scholars seem unable to 'let go' of the generally accepted location of Bethel at Beitin. The following misuse of evidence is typical of the misinterpretation caused by this error: Bethel, ancient Luz, where Jacob built his altar, was identified by most Christian travellers of the Crusader period with Kh. Luza on Mount Gerizim. In this way they followed the Samaritan tradition. Only a few identified it correctly with the village of Beitin, north-east of Ramallah. One of them, an anonymous traveller, wrote: 'Mahomerie was first called Luza and afterwards Bethel', identifying Bethel with Mahomerie or al-Bira, two kilometres [actually 3 km.] from Beitin. Burchard of Mount Zion in grand style locates it near Nablus and further on near Ratnallah. (Benvenisti 1970, 318, our emphasis) Note, to begin with, that Benvenisti equates Bethel with Beitin --- the usual identification. Then he quotes a pilgrim and Burchard who both contradict him! The first traveller quoted above equates Mahomeria with Bethel. Benvenisti himself correctly understands the pilgrim to say that Bethel was at 'Mahomeria or al-Bira', but he then makes a leap of logic and places Bethel at Beitin, apparently just because that is the usual view! Finally he notes that a location for Bethel suggested by the second pilgrim -- the thirteenth-century German monk Burchard -- is near Ramallah (which adjoins el-Bireh). This all supports our contention that early pilgrims understood Bethel to be at el-Bireh. 4. A Potential Identification for Beitin In the Itinerary of the 'Pilgrim of Bordeaux' (tr. Wilkinson 1981, 155) the pilgrim says: Twenty-eight miles from there [Nablus] on the left [east side] of the road to Jerusalem is the village called Bethar [in a footnote Wilkinson equates Bethar with 'Bethaun' or 'Bethaven', Joshua 7.2, 18.12], and a mile from there [southward] is the place where Jacob slept on his way from Mesopotamia [fn. 'Bethel'] . . . Jerusalem is twelve miles further on. Later on a nineteenth-century traveller, John Wilson, misinterpreted this reference when he said: 'The Bourdeaux pilgrim, A.D.333, places it [Bethel] at twenty-eight miles from Neapolis, on the left of the road to Jerusalem, giving it the name of Bethar...'(Wilson 1847, 288). But Bethar is not equated with Bethel by the pilgrim. The pilgrim says plainly says that Bethel is a mile south of Bethar. The point is, there is a little north of 'Bethel' a village named 'Bethar' by this pilgrim. If el-Bireh is Bethel (being at the twelfth Roman milestone north of Jerusalem), the next village north on the road to Nablus is modern Beitin. It should be clear at this point that the village there was known as 'Bethar' (and possibly 'Bethaun' or 'Bethaven') by this pilgrim in about A.D.333, at almost exactly the same time as Eusebius's Onomasticon was written. In the Onomasticon itself the authors even spell 'Bethaven' as 'Bethaun' (Klostermann 1904, 50-51). The Onomasticon, however, does not give Bethaven's location in miles --- it gives only its biblical description. As far as this pilgrim's account is concerned, the problem with postulating that modern Beitin was Bethel is that there is no village or ruins along the road north of Beitin itself to equate with 'Bethar'. On the other hand, excavations at Beitin have shown occupation for the times Bethaven is referred to in the Bible. Linguistically speaking, the modern name 'Bcitin' may have derived from 'Bethaven'. Among others, C.R. Conder suggested that Beitin could be either Bethaven, Bethel or just Aven (1879, 334-35). Besides Bethaven, two other possibilities to consider for Beitin's identification are Ophrah (Josh. 18.23, I Sam. 13.17) and Zemaraim (Josh. 18.22, 2 Ch. 13.4). Y. Aharoni mentions that Zemaraim must be in the vicinity of Ramallah and el-Bireh on the Judaean border (1966, 287). Beitin fits this identification very well. Most scholars place Ophrah at et-Taiyibeh (Aharoni 1966, 110; Baly 1974, 175). However, this may be because Bethel itself has been misplaced. Y. Kaufmann wrote that Ophrah 'may not be at et-Taiyibeh at all', since it is in the lists of both Benjamin and Ephraim (1953, 13-14). Thus Beitin itself might be considered a candidate for Ophrah. If we take into consideration the mileage measurements and Roman milestone studies outlined above, biblical Bethel should be found in modern el-Bireh. There does not seem to be any substantial reason to continue equating Beitin with ancient Bethel. Surface surveys at Ras et-Tahuneh have shown evidence of use as early as the Chalcolithic, Early Bronze and Middle Bronze periods (as well as several later periods including the Iron Age (Kochavi 1972, 178)). However, Bethel itself is not likely to be found there, since Ras et-Tahuneh lies on the left (west) side of the road as one travels north to Nablus. It is also too small to be the site of a town as important as Bethel. Ras et-Tahuneh may rather have been the 'high place' for the city. Bethel itself on the other hand, is described as being on the east side of the road. Therefore it should be somewhere between the now excavated Crusader church and the spring at the south end of the town (covered by a small mosque), on the right-hand side of the road as one travels north through el-Bireh. Finally, Ai should then be east of el-Bireh on the other side of Jebel et-Tawil (Gen. 12.8). Ten seasons of excavation at Khirbet Nisya, our proposed new location for Ai, have clearly shown that the site was occupied during the biblical periods when Ai was in existence. Periods of significant occupation, determined by ceramic, artefactual and architectural evidence are: Early Bronze (possibly), Middle Bronze II, Late Bronze I, Late Bronze IIB, Iron Age I and II, Persian, Hellenistic, Early Roman, Byzantine and Early Arab (Livingston 1987, 1989). A preliminary report on the excavations is in preparation. Furthermore, the topography around the site matches every detail given in the account of the destruction of Ai in Joshua 7-8. This article was first publshed in Palestine Exploration Quarterly, 126, 154-159. (1994). Posted with permission. (1) Rainey referred to this passage of the Onomasticon (1971, 185) and claimed that the 'four miles' represented the distance from (the turn-off to) Gibeon to Jerusalem. But the context and Jerome's specific statement (in quarto miliario Bethelis) are against this interpretation. Abel, F.-M. 1926. 'Les deux Mahomerie: el-Bireh, el-Qoubeibeh', Revue Biblique, 35, 272-83. _____ 1938. Geographie de la Palestine II, 2nd ed. (Paris). Aharoni, Y. 1966. The Land of the Bible (London). Albright, W.F. 1928. 'A Trial Excavation on the Mound of Bethel', BASOR, 29, 9-11. _____ 1934. 'The First Month of Excavation at Bethel', BASOR, 55, 23-25. _____ 1968. 'The Site of Bethel and its Identification', in J.L. Kelso et. al., The Excavation of Bethel (1934-1960) (AASOR 39: Cambridge, Mass.), 1-3. Baly, D. 1963. Geographical Companion to the Bible (New York). _____ 1974. Geogrpahy of the Bible, 2nd ed. (New York). Benvenisti, M. 1970. The Crusaders in the Holy Land (Jerusalem). Clermont-Ganneau, C. 1907. 'Section 13: Le milliaire de Yabroud', recueil d'archeologie orientale, viii (Paris), 93-94. Conder, C.R. 1879. Tent Work in Palestine, 2 (London). Conder, C.R. and Kitchener, H.H. 1883. The Survey of Western Palestine, 3 vols. (London). Kaufmann, Y. 1953. The Biblical Account of the Conquest of Palestine (Jerusalem). Klostermann, E. (ed.), 1904. Eusebius. Das Onomastikon der biblischen Ortsnamen (GCS: Leipzig; repr. Hildesheim, 1966). Kochavi, M. (ed.), 1972. Judea, Samaria and the Golan. Archaeological Survey 1967-1968 (Jerusalem). Livingston, D.P. 1970. 'Location of Bethel and Ai Reconsidered', Westminster Theological Journal, 33, 20-44. _____ 1971. 'Traditional Site of Bethel Questioned', Westminster Theological Journal, 34, 39-50. _____ 1987. 'Khirbet Nisya--- Is it Biblical Ai?' BAR, 13/5, 48-51. _____ 1989. 'Khirbet Nisya, 1979-1986: A Report on Six Seasons of Excavation', unpublished doctoral dissertation, Andrews University. Rainey, A.F. 1971. 'Bethel is Still Beitin', Westminster Theological Journal, 33, 175-88. Robinson, E. 1856. Biblical Researches in Palestine and the adjacent regions. A journal of travels in the years 1838 and 1852, 2nd ed. (London). Thomsen, P. 1917. 'Die romischen Meilensteine der Provinzen Syria, Arabia und Palaestina, ZDPV, 40, 1-103. Thomsen, W. M. 1882. The Land and the Book, 3 vols. (New York). Wilkinson, J. 1977. Jerusalem Pilgrims before the Crusades (Jerusalem). _____ 1981. Egeria's Travels to the Holy Land, 2nd ed. (Warminster). Wilson, J. 1847.The Lands of the Bible (Edinburgh).	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1010
__label__wiki	0.729498	0.729498	composed by Gabrielle Herbst libretto by a rawlings Commissioned by Roulette and the Jerome Foundation, “Bodiless” is the first evening-length opera by Gabrielle Herbst. Premiering at Roulette on April 8th (8pm curtain), the work, with libretto by Iceland-based Canadian writer Angela Rawlings, takes its inspiration from French feminist writer Hélène Cixous’ dream diaries Dream I Tell You. Vocalists Ariadne Greif, Lucy Dhegrae, and Gabrielle Herbst will be joined by Contemporaneous and led by conductor David Bloom. Costumes, lighting, and set design will be combined in Puerto Rican/Brooklyn-based designer Zaida Adriana Goveo Balmaseda’s unique original costumes, which weave a web of lights into each outfit. Progressing through three dream-like non-narrative tableaux exploring themes such as birth, life, and death, the three singers simultaneously embody each of the three bodiless fates, singing text which ranges from abstract vocals, to surreal associative poetry. A rule of three holds true throughout the opera. The instrumentation is comprised of trios of singers, flutes, clarinets, strings, a trio of plucked and struck stringed instruments: harp, piano, electric guitar, and finally percussion. The opera’s three movements through birth, life, and death are echoed in linguistic experimentation in the libretto. The first movement explores prefixes and pronouns (birth of identity), the second movement full sentences describing dreams (life experience), and the third movement which, through suffixes and text from earlier in the piece, moves towards ending with breath (death).	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1015
__label__cc	0.565297	0.434703	SEO Wizard Rand Fishkin Shares The 3 Most Important SEO Metrics Should you care about keyword rankings or backlinks? What about engagement metrics? How do you know what to measure during your SEO campaigns? We interviewed the one and only Rand Fishkin, founder of Moz and SEO guru, to find out what he thinks are the measurements that matter for search. He tells us the most important metrics and even the most important one… if you had to choose. Additionally, he alluded to some upcoming Moz initiatives that may be rolled out this year along with some other cool SEO measurement tools to check out! Arketi Group: Why does measurement matter in search marketing? Rand Fishkin: Fundamentally, you can only improve things you measure – that’s a statement of simple logic. If you're unable to quantify or qualify in some fashion where you're at today, there's no way to know if tomorrow's progress will be better or worse. With that in mind, what are the three most important SEO metrics for search marketing? If you could only measure three things in organic search, I would urge you to first measure organic search traffic to your website. This is something you can look at in your web analytics to see how much traffic was sent there and which search engines sent it. Second, I would look at the distribution of pages that received the search traffic. To find this, review which URLs on your website searchers arrived from and information related to each. You’re looking for things like time spent on the site, bounce rate and engagement – all those wonderful metrics. The third metric I urge you to consider is rankings – your search engine rank for the terms and phrases you care about most and believe are most likely to attract a high quality audience. The reason rankings are important is they show you where you can improve and tell you where to focus your energy and effort. So, if you see there are search phrases that you think are important, which you’re not ranking high enough for, you can invest resources to try and rank for those. Unfortunately, we are no longer able to connect search words and phrases directly to the URLs receiving traffic – at least not through Google because it no longer shows the referring keywords. It’s frustrating. You know that Google sent you a bunch of traffic, and you understand it went to this page, but you can’t necessarily see what keywords resulted in that visit – which is why rankings are critical. If we knew, that would give us a strong indication where to put our effort. Because we don't know, we have to conduct our own research to understand the keywords for which we do and do not rank. Correlating those is pretty difficult. There's software like Moz, Searchmetrics and Conductor, but the results are imprecise. They guess which terms and phrases they think are likely to be sending traffic in the page, but can't say for sure. Seven deadly sins of SEO With new search algorithms and Google's latest updates, search marketing is constantly changing. But there's nothing to get spooked about. Stop feeding your fear of the SEO monster - it's time to tame it instead! In this presentation, we dispel some common search marketing myths and show you 7 things you can implement immediately. Are there any false flags or red herrings when it comes to measuring SEO? Oh sure. Funny – one of the biggest ones we see is people who measure their SEO progress by links or link metrics – and that's probably unwise. It’s certainly true that more links from higher quality sites will help you to rank better, but there's much more to it than that. If those links are pointing to the pages you care about or are trying to run traffic to, it can certainly harm you if those links disappear over time, come from spammy or sketchy sites, or come from good sites you manipulated in some way. If Google's algorithm or a web spam team figures it out, you're in a world of hurt. Link metrics are a great way to assess the relative challenge of ranking for a specific term by looking at who of your competition is also ranking for it. I think it's an interesting way to look at your raw progress in terms of link quality, but I don't think I would put it on my top three metrics list. I think people who measure their SEO progress by links and link metrics rather than rankings and traffic are costing themselves opportunities. Of the three key measurements we talked about, if you could only measure one thing for SEO, which would you pick? That's tough. Probably organic search traffic. If I could cheat, I would say search traffic by URL. But I can measure just one single thing, I would look at the raw search traffic that's coming to me, how those visits are converting and all my efforts to see if I'm making progress on that one big metric. SEO is usually not about just getting rankings, getting links or visibility, but it's about the value that the traffic you get from search can drive. And when we're talking about SEO like that, that traffic tends to be incredibly high quality, highly relevant to what you're doing and much, much cheaper. It takes a lot of sweat equity, but it does not take nearly the same level of dollar investment that paid traffic takes. Speaking of dollars, what's the most cost-effective measurement in SEO marketing? Those three raw metrics we discussed are actually useful and helpful in making sure you progress. And if you want to get more sophisticated, look at engagement metrics. Look at the URLs that receive search traffic and understand what that traffic did once it got there. You should ask: Did people stay on the site for long? Did people engage with the page? Did people visit one or multiple pages? What's the browse rate or pages per visit? If you want to get truly sophisticated and high quality, look into the value of a visitor. You can do that by assigning some form of conversion metric to visitors. You decide a person is worth a certain amount of money. For instance, for every 100 visitors, you sold one item for $50, like an eBook. Therefore, you know each visitor who comes through search is worth $0.50 on average. That’s the dollar value of opportunity you have if you could increase search traffic by X. “If you're unable to quantify or qualify in some fashion where you're at today, there's no way to know if tomorrow's progress will be better or worse.” Rand Fishkin, The Wizard of Moz What tools would you recommend for measuring and why? One of the basics you must have to get started is Google Analytics, which measures web traffic. If you are uncomfortable with giving Google your analytics data or you don't trust them or you don't particularly like Google Analytics, there are a few alternatives. Some of them are very expensive, like Adobe, which used to be Omniture. Adobe Analytics, is really pricey, but it can do a lot of sophisticated things. Another option that is free and self-hosted is Piwik. It's reasonably sophisticated – it doesn't do quite everything Google Analytics does, but it has a broad feature set, and is open-source, so a lot of people are developing on it. A fourth option that I've only come to know about recently is Gaug.es, a paid analytics tool. It's a little simpler than Google Analytics and it's not quite as powerful in every facet, but it's inexpensive and somewhat easier to use. If you have a WordPress site, you can install the plugin WP-Stats that tracks a lot of data for you. It's not nearly as powerful as some of the others, though. From there, given the other things we've talked about today, you need a rank tracking solution of some kind. The cheapest one is free – it’s called Google Search Console, formerly Google Webmaster Tools. The problem is that it’s highly inaccurate. We've done a bunch of analysis on the data in the tool, and you can read some blog posts about that. The reality is we can't really be sure where the numbers are coming from or why they're so wild and all over the place. Here’s an example that happened to me: our Google Search Console account showed us that “yahoo” – the word “yahoo” – is the search term that sends our site, Moz, the most traffic. To our knowledge, we've never actually ranked on the first two or three pages of Google for that term, so that’s odd. We looked at that specific page on Moz, and Google certainly doesn’t seem to be sending us much traffic to that page. It seems random. Very weird. So for this reason, I wouldn't particularly trust Google Search Console. If you have no money, however, the platform gives you at least some insight. There are certainly lots of other good measurement things inside of Google Search Console. The crawl data is pretty solid in error checking and so is the mobile-friendly test. Alternate options are paid tools. There are many, many rank tracking tools out there. Look for one that tracks not only the organic web results – the basic “ten blue links” types of search results, but also all the different features that can appear in Google results, such as an image block, news stories, local and maps, the featured snippets and knowledge graph, the People Also Ask boxes, and all these different things that can change the click-through rates and the positioning of where you might rank. Moz is certainly an option to cover everything that affects click-through rates and where you might rank. It's certainly good and full-featured. I would say it's one of the best rank tracking tools out there. Other really good ones include Searchmetrics and GetStat. If you're doing large-scale rank tracking, hundreds of thousands or millions of keywords, GetStat is definitely the solution we recommend most. It's a great company, too. Many people also like SEMrush. We can’t thank Rand enough for his time. Hopefully you learned how measure your SEO efforts better for your B2B company. Be sure to check out Moz.com – its Open Site Explorer is one of the best free SEO tools on market! Join us for next issue of Core when we interview Jen Horton with SiriusDecisions to learn what really matters in demand generation measurements. In the meantime, check out what the rest of our experts have to say in our Measurements that Matter series! Content Marketing with Michael Brenner PR with Katie Delahaye Paine Arketi earns national B2B media relations award Bulldog Reporter recognized Arketi for its strategic media relations work with NCR. Celebrated as one of the Best Business Technology Campaigns of 2016, Arketi successfully secured the right media coverage needed to position NCR as a thought leader and drive buyers to NCR Silver.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1018
__label__wiki	0.91804	0.91804	keep on truckin' — Nikola Motor Company and Bosch team up on long-haul fuel cell truck A truck with up to 1,200 miles in range will run on Bosch’s eAxle platform. Megan Geuss - Sep 19, 2017 2:00 pm UTC Enlarge / This is what the Nikola Two will look like. Nikola Motor Company Salt Lake City-based Nikola Motor Company and German auto components giant Bosch are teaming up to build the Nikola One and Nikola Two—a pair of hydrogen-electric, long-haul trucks that will compete with the handful of other low-emissions trucks and powertrains that have been announced in mid-2017. The Nikola One truck isn’t a new development, but the startup’s partnership with Bosch is. Last December, Nikola Motor Company announced that it would build a hydrogen-electric truck that would be able to travel 1,200 miles on a tank of hydrogen and deliver 1,000 horsepower and 2,000 foot-pounds of torque. The company said at the time that its truck, deemed the Nikola One, would be market-ready by 2020. Now, that market-ready date has been pushed back to 2021, but adding Bosch’s experience into the mix no doubt helps firm up Nikola Motor Company’s projections. According to a press release from the startup, the class 8 Nikola One and Nikola Two will now be built on Bosch’s eAxle—an integrated unit blending motor, power electronics, and transmission. Bosch's eAxle was only just announced this January. The Nikola trucks will both pair hydrogen fuel cells with a 320kWh battery pack and offer a payload capacity of 65,000 pounds. That number demonstrates just how much bigger long-haul trucks need to be versus short-haul trucks—Daimler announced a new all-electric short haul truck last week, but its payload capacity will be about 7,000 pounds. At the moment, Nikola Motor Company's primary competitor would be Cummins, the diesel truck engine maker that announced an all-electric powertrain capable of hauling 22 tons, or about 44,000 pounds, on a 140kWh battery pack for 100 miles. Cummins said the power train could be paired with an on-board diesel generator to triple the car's range. Although battery-only trucks have a much shorter range than hydrogen-electric vehicles, both new technologies are hampered by a similar problem, that is, where to refuel/recharge. Back in December, Nikola Motor Company added that it would build 364 hydrogen fueling stations throughout North America starting in 2018. The dual-motor design and the fuel cell system in the Nikola One and Two will also be developed with Bosch's help, with a view to maximizing the truck's range. The truck's controls and software will also be a product of the Nikola/Bosch partnership. Bosch is well familiar with vehicle software, too—notoriously it helped develop the software that Volkswagen diesel vehicles ran to cheat federal emissions tests. But with fuel cell vehicles, the only emission is water, so it strains the imagination to think of a way to repeat such a stunt. At the moment, prices aren't available for the Nikola One or Two, but the company says the trucks will reflect "a competitive total cost of ownership" compared to traditional powertrains. Megan Geuss Megan is a staff editor at Ars Technica. She writes breaking news and has a background in fact-checking and research. Email megan.geuss@arstechnica.com // Twitter @MeganGeuss	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1020
__label__cc	0.501163	0.498837	Samsung, Apple continue smartphone market share tug-of-war The two companies trade top spots for the fourth quarter in a row. Chris Foresman - May 1, 2012 9:12 pm UTC Source: IDC As Nokia continues to give up market share, Samsung and Apple are persisting in their tug-of-war to lay claim as the world's top smartphone vendor. And while Nokia's smartphone shipments have nosedived year-over-year for the first quarter, lagging overall sales have made Samsung the number one mobile vendor worldwide. The overall mobile phone market declined slightly for the first quarter, with shipments down 1.5 percent according to market research firm IDC. Nokia, which had been the number one mobile phone vendor since IDC began tracking the market in 2004, has continued its slide in market share. With overall shipments down 23.8 percent year-over-year, it has now dropped to number two—still holding a respectable 20.8 percent market share. Unfortunately for Nokia, the competition isn't letting up. Samsung posted a 35.4 percent year-over-year increase in units to take the top spot among all mobile phone vendors. It now holds a commanding lead over Nokia, with a 23.5 percent share. Apple, which became number three in mobile phone sales last quarter after its blowout launch of the iPhone 4S, held its spot. The company still managed to increase shipments 88.7 percent year over year, enough to grab almost 9 percent of the mobile phone market with just its iPhone alone. China-based ZTE grabbed a point of extra share for the quarter, up to 4.8 percent for fourth place. However, LG's shipments slid significantly, dropping down to fifth place with just 3.4 percent. A wide variety of manufacturers battle for the remaining 39 percent of the mobile market. Smartphones are still where the real money is, though—overall shipments are up nearly 43 percent year-over-year—and that is catapulting Samsung and Apple to the top of the mobile market. "The halcyon days of rapid growth in the smartphone market have been good to Samsung," Kevin Restivo, senior research analyst with IDC, said in a statement. The company had an outstanding 267 percent growth in unit shipments year-over-year, according to IDC's reckoning, making it the top smartphone vendor for the quarter with 29.1 percent market share. Though Samsung no longer reports smartphone or tablet sales numbers publicly for "competitive reasons," IDC's estimates jibe with estimates from Juniper Research (which also ranked Samsung on top for the first quarter). Both companies disagree about just how well Samsung did compared to Apple, however—IDC gives Samsung a 7 million unit lead, while Juniper gives it a dominating 12 million unit advantage. Still, nearly 60 percent of smartphone shipments in the first quarter were from either Samsung or Apple. Apple's shipments were up significantly for the quarter, as we noted previously, enough to gain several points of share to nearly 25 percent, according to IDC data. Apple benefited from a major launch of the iPhone 4S in China, as well as sustained demand globally. And its gross margins continue to earn it more revenue than Samsung, despite the differences in unit shipments. "Apple's revenues from [iOS sales] continue to remain significantly higher than Samsung's, even when you take into account the latter's feature phones," Juniper Research analyst Daniel Ashdown said in an e-mailed statement. Apple's iPhone revenue alone was $22.7 billion for the quarter, while Samsung’s entire mobile division booked about $17.0 billion. Apple and Samsung have swapped the top two spots for the last four quarters, but their rivals have struggled to hang on to diminishing market share. No one felt the sting more seriously than Nokia, which is still bearing the brunt of its switch to Windows Phone. Its smartphone shipments were down over 50 percent year-over-year, enough to drop from 23.8 percent share last year to just 8.2 percent. RIM and HTC haven't fared any better, either. RIM is still struggling to ship its next-generation BB10 operating system, which it showed off publicly for the first time on Tuesday. It holds on to fourth place, with share dropping seven points to 6.7 percent. HTC lost half its market share as well, holding fifth place at 4.8 percent, though it seems to be banking on its recent One X and One S models to turn its tides. "With other companies in the midst of major strategic transitions, the contest between Apple and Samsung will bear close observation as hotly anticipated new models are launched," senior IDC analyst Ramon Llamas said. Chris Foresman Chris is an Associate Writer at Ars Technica, where he has spent the last five years writing about Apple, smartphones, digital photography, and patent litigation, among other topics. Email chris.foresman@arstechnica.com // Twitter @foresmac famousringo Ars Scholae Palatinae Android or Samdroid? How long until Samsung releases its own fork? kleinma Ars Tribunus Militum famousringo wrote: The problem with forking the OS is that you risk having problems migrating to newer versions, and fragmenting the android ecosystem worse than it already is. If apps in the app store or google play or whatever horrible name it is now, have to carry a badge to indicate that they are "android" or "samdroid" compatible, would be a step in the wrong direction. It is already bad enough as it is now. kleinma wrote: I'm inclined to agree, but Amazon and their customers seem to think it's a step in the right direction. I even hear murmurs that the Amazon Appstore is already pulling in revenues comparable to Google Play. Imagine you're a big OEM like Samsung. Do you want to get by on your thin hardware margin until some upstart like ZTE can make a "good enough" phone and sell it with a narrower margin? Or do you want to own the stack and vertically integrate in search of Apple-like margins? Challenging and risky? Sure. Good for the ecosystem and the consumer? Maybe, maybe not. But it sure as hell beats dealing in a commodity. microlith Ars Tribunus Militum et Subscriptor If Samsung is going to break ties with Google, they're in a prime position to do it completely. By mid next week we'll have Samsung hardware running a non-Android, Linux platform. another ars account Ars Tribunus Militum Very interesting point. Will Samsung have to start treating their devices as portable computers instead of never upgraded consumer throwaways before they can make that transition? Michael Scrip Ars Centurion Apple owns the entire vertical stack... that's for sure... but they still make 90% of their profit from the hardware itself. The App Store and iTunes are only supplements. Apple makes killer profits because they only make one new phone every year... and they have their supply chain completely optimized. Apple's efficiency is unrivaled. Samsung, on the other hand, pours tons of money into hardware R&D to pump out a dozen new phones every year. Even if Samsung made their own version of Android and had their own app store.... they probably wouldn't increase their profits that much. It's the $500 phone that earns you the most money... not the pennies you get from apps. XavierItzmann Ars Scholae Palatinae microlith wrote: You mean, like Bada Samsung (BSD-based, of course) ? dfiler Ars Tribunus Militum Does anyone know what is meant by "shipments" for each of the companies involved. Not to start a platform/company zealotry war... just wondering what the numbers refer to. Michael Scrip wrote: Fact: other than superb industrial design unmatched anywhere, Macs and iPhones are nothing other than cleverly packaged industry-standard components of the highest quality. When people buy an iPad for $500, they're paying more for the license of the integrated sw than what the value of the hw is. Gandhim3 Ars Tribunus Angusticlavius dfiler wrote: Samsung reports number of phones shipped to its customers - the telecoms Apple reports the number of phones its sells to its customers - the end users XavierItzmann wrote: No argument there But we were talking about whether Samsung would ever build their own vertically integrated ecosystem in attempts to get higher margins. Apple makes more money on the sale of the iPad itself... than the apps people may purchase. That's what I was referring to. melgross Ars Tribunus Angusticlavius et Subscriptor Meanwhile, iSupply estimates Samsung shipped 32 million smartphones. It's all just guessing with them. goglen Ars Scholae Palatinae Sorry to burst your bubble, though this information is a year or two old, Apple revealed they are pulling in $150 per year per iDevice (iPod, iPad, iPhone). Not sure if that was profit, or gross. Even if gross, that is $30, and with the average phone going for at least 3 years, that's a further $90 profit/phone. More when you consider the profit margins on iPods. Gandhim3 wrote: Irrelevant, after 1 fiscal quarter. Otherwise, you're implying that countless devices are never sold. Nope - even if it is shipments, retailers don't order more until they've burned through the inventory they had. So, they'll delay new requests while still selling devices in the current quarter. Therefore, in the second quarter, you're now shipping to a pipeline that is emptying behind you. a_v_s Ars Tribunus Militum No, apple does not report sales. It reports shipments just like everyone else... If you read their SEC 10K filing, they define sales as shipment: To quote the SEC 10K filing from Apple: Part II. Item 7. Page 26 Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates > Revenue recognition Net sales consist primarily of revenue from the sale of hardware, software, digital content and applications, peripherals, and service and support contracts. The Company recognizes revenue when persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred, the sales price is fixed or determinable, and collection is probable. Product is considered delivered to the customer once it has been shipped and title and risk of loss have been transferred. For most of the Company’s product sales, these criteria are met at the time the product is shipped. For online sales to individuals, for some sales to education customers in the U.S., and for certain other sales, the Company defers recognition of revenue until the customer receives the product because the Company retains a portion of the risk of loss on these sales during transit. RoninX Ars Tribunus Militum et Subscriptor Samsung is a hardware company; Amazon is a content company. It makes sense for Amazon to sell Kindle Fires at a loss if they can sell more ebooks, songs, and videos. Samsung isn't set up to be a media company, and there's no indication that they want to move in this direction. It's also important to note that smartphones are only a small (though profitable) part of the Samsung conglomerate, which includes everything from construction to defense. Besides, what they're doing now is working. Sony, on the other hand, might see things differently. They are a media company, as well as a hardware company. In their case, forking Android would only make sense if it would support higher margins on exclusive content -- say, by porting PS Vita games to a Sony-Android platform. a_v_s wrote: Then I was wrong, and retract my earlier statement. goglen wrote: The average selling price of the iPhone last quarter was $647.... and the iPad was $558. I've also read reports that the iPhone generates about $320 in pure profit. That coincides with the reports that iOS products have a roughly a 50% profit margin. So where are you getting $150 per iDevice? I'm genuinely curious. Atavism Smack-Fu Master, in training It has been always said that the App store itself isn't generating much money. Apple earns something like 17$ income per iOS device through the App store, considering 70% are paid to developers that means 5$ remain with Apple - that's absolutely nothing compared to their device margin and obviously ignoring any costs they have with running the App store. http://www.asymco.com/2012/02/19/app-de ... vice-sold/ CatOne41 Ars Centurion That looks like shipped to CUSTOMER not shipped to CHANNEL. The two are very different. "Shipped" in how people are referring to it with Samsung are shipped to CHANNEL. I think "persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists" is the key here, and I'm not a lawyer or whoever wrote that so who knows. One thing for certain: Over the last couple quarters iPhone 4S has been in a supply constrained situation, and in that situation the difference between shipped and sold is fairly negligible: There really isn't significant inventory sitting around unsold (a la BlackBerry Playbook). RoninX wrote: Or, perhaps, if Samsung wanted to drive mobile traffic to their own ad network rather than Google's: http://www.telecomasia.net/content/sams ... d-exchange timjones17 Seniorius Lurkius looking at those graphs, it's really glaring how small Apple iPhone's marketshare is, compared to Google's Android Quiet Desperation Ars Praefectus I like the iPhone, but competition is good. May the tug of war continue. Toadkick Smack-Fu Master, in training timjones17 wrote: What's not shown in those graphs is the fact that Apple has much higher profit share, and that they only sell 1 phone model (or 3, if you wanna pick nits and include the 3GS and the 4, which are technically older models), while there are numberable models of Android phones, many of them free to customers once carrier subsidies are accounted for. TechGeek Ars Praefectus What amazes me is that the "others" accounts for a huge share of the market. Wow. CatOne41 wrote: The shipped to customer bit is how I read that as well. Even if it wasn't, another test is to visit a few shops and see what's sitting on the shelves. It's a bit rare to see Apple stock with dust on it. And that's why, early last year, Samsung decided to not give shipped, or sales numbers for smartphones and tablets anymore. Guess why. The numbers we get from some of these organizations are nonsense. No Samsung figures later than early last year have any meaning. We all have seen just how far off both IDG and Gartner can be once real numbers come out of companies at the end of the quarter. But these numbers are just fantasy. There's no check on them, and we don't know how they're derived. Product is considered delivered to the customer once it has been shipped and title and risk of loss have been transferred. For most of the Company’s product sales, these criteria are met at the time the product is shipped. That looks like shipped to CUSTOMER not shipped to CHANNEL. In this case, the channel is the customer. Did you miss the part where they specifically split out sales to "individuals"? They are talking about "sales" being defined as when they no longer bear the risk and liability. Remember when people said Sprint was taking a risk with their Apple iPhone deal? They took on all that inventory and people weren't sure if they could sell it? Who do you think bore the risk in that? Sprint did... That means from Apple's perpective that criteria for sales were met, BEFORE any "individuals" even got their hands on the thing... That is what others would call a "shipped to channel". fuwafuwa Seniorius Lurkius Most of Samsung sales are feature phones with Android, but people assume all sales are GS or Note. So it's actually not something worth to be proud about. maars Ars Praetorian fuwafuwa wrote: It's pathetic indeed that the fanboiis will spin everything to make Google and its disastrous privacy violating OS positively. Nothing new. smorkin Ars Praetorian Apple used to spread out the income from an iPhone sale over a few years for a while, due to accounting rules so at that time, they did receive a few hundred dollars/year for each iPhone. Maybe that's what's being referred to? Because $150/year and device in post-sale income makes absolutely no sense, looking at Apple's iTunes store numbers... maars wrote: LOLwhut? VideoGameTech Ars Tribunus Militum Deep in Apple HQ... "Samsung outselling us in smartphones?! Unacceptable!!" Another 20 people are assigned to find frivolous patents to attack Samsung. .airstrike Wise, Aged Ars Veteran If this data is meant to make us think about market trends, then it's no use if not split by country/continent. This aggregate data is only useful to analyze each company's performance and revenue trends, but even such an analysis would require other data to be anywhere near thorough. JPan Ars Tribunus Angusticlavius Since most people seem to hate TouchWiz and Bada hasn't won much accolades I would assume: Never? Samsung seems to be intelligent enough to see that they are not the best software company out there and seem to be quite happy to let Google do the heavy lifting of that one. pixelstuff Ars Praetorian Sounds to me like Nokia needs to release their hardware with the Android OS on it before they completely tank. I like the looks of their hardware. Or better yet, be unique and build a utility that allows a user to swap operating systems at the push of a button between Windows Phone, Android, and whatever future license-able OS that might come down the line (such as the Ubuntu Phone OS).	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1021
__label__cc	0.520643	0.479357	Leaping ahead — SpaceX may begin testing its Starship spacecraft this week "Starship needs to be ready to fly again immediately after landing." Eric Berger - Mar 18, 2019 1:05 pm UTC Enlarge / For now, Starship's first mission will be to the Moon. Elon Musk/Twitter 578 with 115 posters participating For months in south Texas, SpaceX employees have been assembling a test version of the upper stage for its next-generation launch system. This prototype "Starship" is far from space-worthy, but it will allow the company to test the vehicle's ability to "hop" from the spaceport and then land propulsively back on the ground. On Friday, the company sent a notice to nearby residents saying it planned to conduct testing of the vehicle as soon as the week of March 18, and that it would be closing the main roadway of Highway 4 to non-residents during the tests. This "safety zone perimeter" is part of an agreement with the local county, and has been set up out of an abundance of caution. Here’s why Elon Musk is tweeting constantly about a stainless-steel starship On Sunday, company founder Elon Musk confirmed on Twitter that SpaceX was indeed close to beginning tests. Musk said that integration work remained to be done on test vehicle and its Raptor rocket engine, and that the first hops would lift off, but only "barely." Eventually the "Starhopper" test vehicle will have three engines, but for now it appears as though the company will start with just one. During something of a tweetstorm that was aggregated on the /r/spacex subreddit, Musk proceeded to share all manner of additional information about the test flights. (As we've previously noted, there are several reasons why Musk is sharing so much information about the development of Starship in south Texas). Heat shield tests Much of Musk's comments centered on the vehicle's heat shield, as SpaceX is attempting to design a spacecraft that can land on Earth through its thick atmosphere, and then take off again soon after. "Starship needs to be ready to fly again immediately after landing," Musk said. "Zero refurbishment." The latest iteration of Starship's heat shield—and the design appears to change rapidly, as one might expect during the prototyping process—uses hexagon-shaped tiles. Musk then shared a video in which he said the tiles were heated to 1650 Kelvin (1375 degrees Celsius), adding that the overall heat shield used "Hexagonal tiles on most of windward side, no shield needed on leeward side, transpiration cooling on hotspots." Testing Starship heatshield hex tiles pic.twitter.com/PycE9VthxQ In terms of orbital flights, Musk said the company is seeking regulatory approval for launches from both the south Texas site near Boca Chica, as well as from the launch complexes at Cape Canaveral, Florida. SpaceX prefers to operate experimentally, at least from the Texas location, because it has autonomy over the site and does not need to coordinate with other launch providers. As ever with the ultra-ambitious Starship and its companion Super Heavy rocket program, it is hard to know exactly how much progress is actually being made. But given that SpaceX now has a maturing Raptor rocket engine to power both stages and is nearing some semblance of flight tests, clearly the programs are moving forward. This is a testament to both the will of Musk, and the brilliance of his engineers. Eric Berger Eric Berger is the senior space editor at Ars Technica, covering everything from astronomy to private space to NASA. A certified meteorologist, Eric lives in Houston. Email eric.berger@arstechnica.com // Twitter @SciGuySpace alastairmayer Ars Praefectus reply Tue Mar 19, 2019 9:53 am T_Bartholomew wrote: Statistical wrote: TwilightSparkle wrote: I just want to say the progress rate is outstanding. The fact that the orbital version is being built outdoors is wonderful. The fact that they plan to figure out what areas need more shielding, by launching the rocket to see what ablates is hilarious and shows how starkly different SpaceX is in designing rockets. Yeah solidly in the move fast and break things. Can you imagine what the cost of a NASA cost plus based starhopper would have been. Hell they could easily have spent a couple hundred million just on facilities and early design analysis. SpaceX just builds it in a field. The "build-it-in-a-field" thing is absolutely fascinating. It reminds me of this book from my childhood which I must have read a thousand times. It gives me that same tingle as the "build-your-airplane-in-the-garage". That makes a bit more sense than building it in your cellar: The Dark Ars Praetorian alastairmayer wrote: Mrweidler wrote: trimeta wrote: scenario_dave wrote: Guys, you don't need rovers and ice mining to have the uncrewed missions collect the propellant which will be needed for the first crewed mission to return. Just include extra hydrogen from Earth, and collect CO2 directly from the air. Apply appropriate reactions, and you get methalox. This can be done by opening a window, no need to send out (and remotely control) robots. You may be able to make fuel without rovers but I like the idea of having scouted out the area that the people are going to land on if they are planning to stay there for two years. A supply of water would be very useful for many things for example. It'd be useful, but "we actually landed humans on Mars" is pretty useful on its own. And to ensure that those humans can return home safely, Priority One for the uncrewed mission will be to guarantee that the fuel for the crewed mission's return flight is already ready before they even leave Earth. Packing hydrogen in the uncrewed mission, and using ISRU from the atmosphere alone, makes that simple. Now, it wouldn't be a bad idea to have this mission located somewhere where water ice may exist. Perhaps "mine the water ice" will be part of the crewed mission's...mission. But we're not guaranteed that the site of the first human landing on Mars will be the site of the first human city on Mars: wherever they land, there will be surprises and discoveries. Just getting there is the important part. Take the methane. It's much easier to store than hydrogen. Make the oxygen from CO2. Yeah. Everyone can agree on getting oxygen from the atmosphere. Not sure how the methane vs hydrogen penceils out. You would save the weight of the carbon with hydrogen, but need more material for the tank vs methane. EDIT: Did some research. You can make 4 tones of methane from 1 tone of hydrogen so to make 240,000kg of methane, you would only need 60,000kg of hydrogen + tankage. So, just the weight of the fuel alone would require 3 starships if you shipped it in using methane. With hydrogen, you could ship it with 1 starship. It would be a pretty full load, but it would only take one. If you're worried about tank volume, take water. That has about 50% more hydrogen per unit volume than LH2, and is easier to electrolyze than CO2. The downside there is mass. Now, for each ton of methane, you need 1.25 tons of water to get enough hydrogen. Might as well just carry the methane. wagnerrp Ars Praefectus et Subscriptor reply Tue Mar 19, 2019 10:04 am Also less likely to result in robot skiing. mhalpern Ars Centurion chudan wrote: Off the top, there will be photovoltaics for power. Also, a lot of the 'industrial' and 'life support' systems of a Mars colony are going to produce waste heat so that can be used to drive some Stirling engines. Additionally, there is the possibility to use environmental/facility heat differentials to generate thermal heat energy. The issue it to use every energy generation technology available to capture every bit of energy from the environment AND from the base and its support systems. Within reason, great thing about Stirling engines is that they are really easy to make, on top of being efficient. Wickwick Ars Tribunus Angusticlavius et Subscriptor mhalpern wrote: DanNeely wrote: Of course this is in regard to being in-flight at speed where Starship has a chance to be moving away from the point of explosion and possible emergency power up its engines or have some kind of quick start emergency engine pull it away until mains come online. The weak zone of a booster explosion, IMHO, for Starship is on the pad or during the early part of the launch when it has very little relative speed. It's much higher math than I can do to figure if there might be a way to have some kind of Super Duper Emergency Thruster that can at least get the Starship moving until an emergency start of the Raptors can kick in. That is the only solution I can think of that might work in that situation. Also, an explosion on the Starship itself would be the same as if a Dragon capsule (or Starliner or Soyuz or Apollo capsule) had a thruster fuel explosion (catastrophic hypergolic thruster fuel leak/explosion). There is no way practical to make an escape system for such a scenario where the crew craft itself has an issue. As heavy as a fully fueled starship is going to be, if you need a way to separate n the pad/inflight faster than the raptors can spin up you're effectively limited to solid rockets. You can design them to burn crazy hard and fast for just a few seconds and because they'd only need to burn for the few seconds it takes raptors to get up to full thrust they could be far shorter and lighter than the big strapon's you see on something like an Ariane5/6 or H-II/III rocket. For an emergency in the starship itself, the only real option would be to go with a semi-modular design that would let part or all of the crew compartment detach like a giant capsule. Smaller would obviously make the abort mechanisms lighter. OTOH if the modular split was at the bulkhead between the crew area and propellant tanks, it would be theoretically possible to reconfigure a single starship from cargo to crew to tanker by just swapping a payload module (for the tanker a minimum mass aerodynamic fairing) trading up front engineering complexity for a lower initial capital investment. If something happens to the starship, your best bet is to use remaining engines and propellant to get to orbit and so you can work on rescue ops, provided you don't lose the propellant tanks and everything attached to them, if that happens you don't have power, you don't have RCS (because it runs on gaseous prop from the main tanks), you don't have a heat shield, and the lee side wouldn't be able to survive a traditional capsule style re-entry if you had a backup ablative heat shield on the bottom of the crew module. It might destroy the ship, but it's conceivable that you can sacrifice the entire structure as a sacrificial heat shield to protect the crew. I'm not sure if you could reliably run the engines after that, but it might get slow enough to allow a capsule release of the passengers - but a capsule that itself doesn't need an ablative base. MLMichael Wise, Aged Ars Veteran Tom the Melaniephile wrote: pkirvan wrote: It’s not a minor point. The interplay between billionaires and government is a very important concern. Musk believes that as a powerful white man he is exempt from SEC regulations and libel laws and that he can punish opponents by filing false police reports against them (ie sending the cops after Martin Trip by falsely claiming he was a shooter, hacker, and saboteur). If, in addition the this, Musk also has Texas authorities eating out of his hand that would be a major story, not the one-liner Berger acts like it is. Now it seems this is probably not the case here but if merits some clarification. Always with the negging on Musk. What's your obsession You know that the bolded section is blatantly false. His other company isn't even allowed to sell cars in Texas, and there is a bill in the legislature to ban their service centers as well. It's not quite true that Tesla is not allowed to sell cars in Texas. Texas has a law, many other states have similar ones, forbidding auto manufacturers from selling directly to consumers. Sales must be conducted by third party dealers. This applies to all auto manufacturers, not just Tesla. For whatever reason, Musk refuses to work through third party dealers and wants only to sell through Tesla Inc itself. Thus he can't sell in Texas. MLMichael wrote: Yes. We all know that. And those laws were important once upon a time. Tesla has successfully overturned those laws in several states but not in Texas. You do realize that such laws no longer work to protect the consumer but only pad the pockets of dealership owners? chudan Ars Centurion et Subscriptor Wickwick wrote: Let's be fair, that statement should be: "only pad the pockets of dealership owners" AND the politicians they bribe with contributions wyrmhole Ars Praefectus reply Tue Mar 19, 2019 1:04 pm First firing (tethered, static and/or extremely short hops) scheduled for Wednesday! Optional times on Thurs. and Fri. Methane was delivered to the launch site this morning. 7806 posts \| registered Sep 7, 2011 wyrmhole wrote: unfortunately it looks like we'll have to wait for Elon to tweet results: “Although the prototype is designed to perform sub-orbital flights, or hops, powered by the SpaceX Raptor engine, the vehicle will be tethered during initial testing and hops will not be visible from offsite.” I expect telephoto shots from South Padre Island, and maybe from Boca Chica Village, but yeah, no juicy up-close photos like we've been getting of the construction -- until Elon tweets them. My understanding is the first flight is going to go up only a couple meters. Very likely it isn't even visible at all from SPI. There's no FAA restriction in-place, right? Come on SpaceX fans, someone get a Cessna and get up there for the test. Michael Schnieders Ars Praetorian I am a huge fan of Stirling engines. I had always assumed (I know) that use of Stirling engines would be used to help maintain temperature in the starship while in coast phase. No mention anywhere. Is there a cost prohibition, whether mass or energy, preventing its use? Michael Schnieders wrote: How would a stirling engine maintain temperatures in a spaceship? Meters at most (article implies static fire only, but a couple meters is within fudging distance of that), but if you go up on a building you can actually see Starship from SPI no problem (okay right now the visibility is really bad but you can still see the outline). So we will get some video of the test fire. I'm not sure I follow. How would you use a Sterling engine to maintain temperature in the spaceship? The easiest way to maintain temperature is to regulate your albedo and area exposed to the sun. If the craft has a white and black side you can roll (even just using solar arrays to spin) the craft to heat up or cool down as necessary. A Sterling engine is a reciprocating engine that just happens to use an external heat source rather than the working fluid. So you can use it to pump things around or connect it to a linear motor/generator to create electricity, but if you're just looking to heat the craft it's not a solution. There's no flame trench, right? So when the test starts, all you're likely to see is a big cloud of dust. TLStetler Ars Centurion First hop NET Wednesday 1000-1600 Central, backups of Thursday or Friday https://www.themonitor.com/2019/03/19/c ... x-testing/ Apologies, I should have been more clear I was referring to using the sterling engines as a heat pump to maintain cryo-temperatures within the methane and oxygen tanks Still not sure how stirling engine fits in. Stirling engine is a heat engine that unlike internal combustion engine or a turbine the heat source is external to the engine. Maybe you were thinking of ULA ACES which plans to use the propellant boiloff to drive a small internal combustion engine to produce power. Last edited by Statistical on Tue Mar 19, 2019 1:34 pm Which will be awesome. Some have speculated that they'll use a portable steel flame diverter (aka aramp) to avoid the obvious problems of blasting your launch pad with a Raptor from 10 ft away and any resulting debris from blasting back onto your prototype spaceship and engine. The kind of thing that could be easily deployed on unimproved landing sites on Mars. I don't know about that, and I also don't know what a Raptor will do to reinforced concrete, but if the result is a huge cloud of dust, that's probably bad. Stirling engines run in reverse (applying power to the shaft externally) are heat pumps but I don't see why you would use them that way in this situation Or have radiators.... Which theoretically you could use with a heat pump to pump heat from the tanks to the radiator fluid, but you still need the radiators, and the fluid, and can probably do without the heat pump (just run the fluid past the tanks). There are cryogenic heat pump Stirling engines. Instead of utilizing heat difference to generate electricity, electricity is applied and and the hot side of the engine is cooled with a coolant and the cold side is exposed to the environment to be chilled. Below is a video of a tabletop liquid nitrogen generator utilizating one. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7PWESWqhD8s Edit: Jump forward to 6:28 to get directly to the stirling engine. Edit2: spelling Last edited by Michael Schnieders on Tue Mar 19, 2019 7:45 pm Peevester Ars Tribunus Militum et Subscriptor Is a two meter hop even useful? Generally you need to go over the ground effect height to learn whether your craft is stable and has enough proper lift. On the other hand, it does give the engine a workout in a slightly more realistic mode than a test stand. Last edited by Peevester on Tue Mar 19, 2019 2:07 pm https://www.brownsvilleherald.com/news/ ... 1b961.html First test fire is scheduled for Wednesday....as in tomorrow. Cameron County publishes notice of SpaceX testing Ryan Henry/The Brownsville Herald By MARK REAGAN Staff Writer Cameron County has posted public notice that it will close Highway 4 to Boca Chica Beach for space flight activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday. In the alternative, the public notice said Highway 4 to Boca Chica Beach will be closed for the same time duration on either Thursday or Friday. The notice comes after Cameron County Commissioners Court last week voted to give Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño Jr. the power to close the area for space flight activities. SpaceX has confirmed that it will be conducting non-public testing of the Starship Hopper prototype’s newly installed ground systems and will perform a short static fire test. Peevester wrote: Is a two meter hop even useful? Generally you need to go over the ground effect height to learn whether your craft is stable and has enough proper lift. On the other hand, it does test give the engine a workout in a slightly more realistic mode than a test stand. Think of this as a static test fire but instead of the rocket being locked into a test stand it is allowed to fly up against the tether. It's gotta be fun to tether something that size. Perhaps it's to test the rest of the pumps, etc. under real vibrational loads. I suspect their test vehicle is pretty light compared to the thrust of a Raptor so they know it's going to fly. But they can check the gimbaling, the control software, etc. under hot conditions even while it's pinned to its tethers. FYI, don't forget https://spadre.com/ has a live webcam of spacex launch site. Here is direct youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7zia2HqOOc Thanks to the intrepid photographers down at Boca Chica we know they're using Slingmax brand slings for the tie-downs. Probably rated for far more than what a Raptor could put out, much more the net force. One of the fun and interesting things about watching Starhopper development is tangentially finding out about all the things that seem like massive custom jobs (e.g. moving the Starhopper) that actually have more-or-less turnkey solutions for even bigger jobs in other industrial settings. Like you can just go rent Roll-lifts that can do the job easy. And what about something really big, though, like putting a fully-loaded Starship on top of a SuperHeavy booster? Surely thats... No, wait, you can just go out and rent a crane that could do it with capacity to spare. Okay. ivekadi Ars Praetorian And what about something really big, though, like putting a fully-loaded Starship on top of a SuperHeavy booster? Surely thats... No, wait, you can just go out and rent a crane that could do it with capacity to spare. Okay. I expect in the long term they would make their own crane. What is the rent cost on this type of equipment versus owning/making one? They do have the engineering force to design it. I think some folks here would benefit from visiting a strip mine or a shipyard. Rockets aren't big. A cargo ship is big. An ore hauling truck is big. Edit: The difference is, SpaceX uses those industrial tools rather than making something custom for every step of the process. ivekadi wrote: Even though they could certainly design their own crane, they'd still probably be better off just buying one from Krupp or something. Unless it's material to the performance of their rocket, SpaceX is better of using their engineering talent to solve internal problems that an outside group cannot do better. BrangdonJ Ars Scholae Palatinae et Subscriptor CRandyHill wrote: BrangdonJ wrote: KGFish wrote: GreenEnvy wrote: kasandr wrote: Sending people into space is a genuinely terrible idea. In the 1960s, humanity learned that you get more information with unmanned probes that measure more accurately and function for years. Once a human is on board, the whole mission is more difficult and severely limited. The mission statement for Spacex says its ultimate goal is to allow people to live on other planets. Fair enough- but rocket engines are the least of your worries. A serious company would be working on solving the problems of how to live there not how to get there. Everything about this reeks of an attention seeking stunt. SpaceX is a rocket company, so they are working on the rocket parts of it. Other companies will work on the long term habitation. Though knowing Elon, he'll probably try to do that in house too. And may have some information cross from Boring company to help with that. My guess is that he's envisioning tunneling into the sides of hills/mountains to create the first habitats. Not the worst idea, in my opinion. The plan as I understand (and assuming it hasn’t changed) it is the Starship will be the habitat, at least for the first decade or so. SoaceX will land a few cargo ships on one Mars cycle (the window for launches is every two years), then the first crews will land with more cargo and have years of supplies and a half dozen Starships to live in while they master making fuel for the return trip. I have heard that Starship would be the habitat, but I figured it would be for six months or so. First priority would be deploying solar panels and getting ISRU going. Setting up a habitat would surely come soon after, though, if only to minimise radiation exposure.Hopefully they'll find a site with a lava tube so they don't have to dig. They don't need to pressurise the whole tube, just set up their stuff inside it so they have protection from radiation. Alternatively, land on a glacier and melt a tunnel. Or dig a deep ditch, roof it with pieces of steel cut from one of the cargo Starships, then cover with regolith. Or just camp on the surface, as in The Martian. I agree it might be a decade before they send a boring machine. Those are heavy. The Starship should already have adequate radiation protection, including a “panic” room shielded for solar storms. And it’s questionable whether radiation risk is high enough to worry about, the NASA study I read pegged a two year mission as only increasing cancer risk by a trivial amount, 4% IIRC. The question about building habits runs to resource cost vs. benefits. If there is no large benefit to building ortinneking separate habitats, why expend the crew hours and give up payload to construction equipment when they could spend more time exploring for resources and making fuel? They have only two years to make enough fuel to fly them back to earth. Eventually will be different habitats for people wanna stay near permanently but that could be 10 or 20 years later. Starship radiation shielding will be fine for the 3 months or so the transit takes. Requiring crew to have that level of exposure for 10 or 20 years is not so fine. If there's no alternative, you could find volunteers, but there is an alternative. One of the big advantages of a planet is a plentiful supply of mass to use for shielding. Other benefits include time-to-surface. The crew section of a Starship is up high above the ground. Some kind of lift or crane will be needed to reach the surface. If this fails, then you're kinda stuck. Especially if the failure traps you on the surface. Even with it working, time wasted going up and down would be better spent on the ground. I said earlier that setting up ISRU would be higher priority, but hopefully after six months or so it would not require a lot of manual labour and the crew would have time for other things. Building the Mars base, figuring out how to live on Mars, are important. They are what the mission is for, for SpaceX. Getting it done will be good for morale, as will the increase in living space. Yeah I don't think they will use the BFRs as habitats for 20 years but they likely will for the first 2 or maybe 3 launch windows (4-6 years). Larger nicer heavier shielded habs will be a secondary concern to getting power, water, landing pads, storage facilities, and propellant manufacturing running at full capacity. That is the beach head which will allows increasingly larger fleets of ships to arrive each window. I think six months is unlikely. I really think people underestimate the sheer amount of work needed to build that beachhead and with a limited crew likely six or so. The beach head is what is critical because it will allow more BFR flights every two years but more importantly allow those to return. That means an exopential increase in materials and manpower at hopefully significantly reduced costs. I think six months is unlikely. I really think people underestimate the sheer amount of work needed to build that beachhead and with a limited crew likely six or so. Assuming you land near a crater (to position the solar panels effectively), perhaps one can find a wall or cave that has nearly no direct sunlight for much of the year. That would reduce the amount of mass necessary to cover your habitable area. Depending on how pinpoint your landing is with the Spaceship, perhaps you park the first one in such a shadow. The very first one is not likely to ever return so it's not like it has to be a long way from your eventual colony. They can also test how much damage the blast of debris will do to the engine bell.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1022
__label__cc	0.688682	0.311318	Wildcat Traditional Music Association Wildcat TMA was set up in the late summer of 2001 by four friends. These visionaries had decided that the cost of going 'down the line' to see traditional music was prohibitive. If you added up the cost of travel, accommodation, tickets etc for four people it worked out to be cheaper to ask the artists to come north. From such acorns... Obviously the more like minded individuals you can get together the cheaper you can make it or conversely the 'bigger' acts � whether in number of bodies on stage or reputation wise - you can book. We are based in Thurso, at the moment, with most of our evenings being based in the New Weigh Inn. We are not fixed there and have moved to other venues as the need arises. Our reason d'�tre, is to bring the best and brightest of traditional music from Scotland and further afield to an audience in the Far North. Along with this we also promote the wealth of local talent and give them a platform along side the established/professional acts. The evening's entertainment is funded by the Wildcat TMA membership. Each member pays ten pounds and month into the association account and this pays for all the costs. Also, as the evenings are open to all comers, our monthly funds are augmented by ticket sales and sales at the door on the night. Wildcat TMA is a non-profit making organisation and none of the Association members are paid for their work, so all the funds go on financing the evening's entertainment We are not an elitist organisation and encourage anybody who wishes, to join, but having said that if members of the public just want's to come along for the crack on the night, that's fine too. It's simple, there's an audience up here and we're geographically far from the hub of the folk music circuit. We want to establish Wildcat (& Caithness) as a centre where our members and audience can get access to traditional music and for traditional artistes to realise that there is an appreciative audience here willing to listen to them. wildcatmusic2@aol.com 31 Pennyland Drive KW14 7NZ News for Wildcat Traditional Music Association [Community Music Promoters] Wildcat Traditional Music Association - January Newsletter Hi Folks, and a happy new year to everyone! I've managed to keep my resolution...never make any NY resolutions! Just a wee reminder of January's gig. For those of you who have seen Robin Laing before you'll know that this will, as usual be a great night. Wildcat Traditional Music Association Newsletter Dec 2006 WILDCAT TRADITIONAL MUSIC ASSOCIATION MONTHLY NEWSLETTER , Dec 2006. Hi folkies, some dates for your new 2007 diaries. Wildcat Traditional Music Association Newsletter - September 2006 Hi Folks, just a wee reminder of what's on this month. Beverly Smith & Carl Jones Monday, 18th September, Pentland Hotel, Thurso. Wildcat TMA - Another Gig At Weigh Inn 10th August Wildcat TMA presents:- ERIC BOGLE & JOHN MUNRO NEW WEIGH INN MOTEL, THURSO. THURSDAY, 10th AUGUST, 8:00PM Wildcat TMA Members : Free Non-members : �8:00 Senior Citizens : �2:50 To reserve tickets, phone Frank on 892607 or e-mail:- wildcatmusic2[AT]aol.com. Wildcat Traditional Music Association - Monthly Newsletter Hi Folks, late again with this, but better late than never. Due to very poor attendances over the last few months, we find ourselves with a cash flow problem! This is the reason we do not have a guest artiste this month. Jim Payne and Fergus O'Byrne At Pentland Hotel Wildcat Traditional Music Association are pleased to present Jim Payne and Fergus O'Byrne from Newfoundland, Canada at the Pentland Hotel, Thurso, 8:00pm, Sunday 21st May, 2006. This celebration of Newfoundland culture will take you on a journey through stories, tunes and songs. Wildcat Traditional Music Association - March 2006 Newsletter Well Folkies, the monthly concert is once more nearly upon us! Jim Hunter & Jim Michie will be appearing at The Pentland Hotel, 17th of March.... Anyone who was there the last time the two Jims visited 2 years ago will tell you what a fine night of entertainment was served up, and I'm sure it'll be more of the same on the 17th. WILDCAT TRADITIONAL MUSIC ASSOCIATION - MONTHLY NEWSLETTER No. 38. 24th February, LYRA CELTICA. (Now a four piece band) PENTLAND HOTEL, THURSO. Wildcat Traditional Music Association Newsletter 36 It seems like ages since Tich Frier's visit on the 12th of August, and a grand night of song and laughter it was too! It was satisfying to find the wee man on great form and in good health, following his skirmish with the Big C. But now, for your delectation: "COCKERSDALE" SATURDAY, 24TH SEPTEMBER 8:00 PM PENTLAND HOTEL,THURSO, SUPPORTED BY "CLAPSHOT" This is a night not to be missed, not necessarily because Clapshot are performing outside their usual haunt of the Commercial Bar, Thurso, but because we have one of England's top harmony groups making a rare appearance in Scotland. Tich Fier - Pentland Hotel, Thurso 8.00pm, 12 August 2005 "Small Guy, Big Voice, Sharp Wit" - Wild These are the words often used to sum up Tich. Tich has been around the folk scene for more than thirty years and I first heard him with one of Scotland's finest groups, "Bitter Withy".	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1025
__label__wiki	0.719635	0.719635	Posts tagged ‘Jewish Americans’ Support for Israel ‘continues to drop’ among US liberals, youth In February 2017, Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked expressed concern about “decreasing support for Israel in the Democratic party”, telling her Jewish American audience that the problem was “a strategic issue” for Israel. “I couldn’t sleep after I saw a poll two weeks ago”, she added. A new US poll on the same topic will not help Shaked rest easy. The results indicate that key trends identified in recent years show no signs of slowing; Israel’s reputation is deteriorating among demographics such as Democrats, younger voters, African Americans and Hispanic Americans. Read more Demographics and Democrats: Brand Israel’s big problems ahead When David Friedman was sworn in two weeks ago as US ambassador to Israel, all went smoothly. The afternoon event was a straightforward affair; children and grandchildren were in attendance, and US Vice President Mike Pence hailed the bankruptcy lawyer as “literally … born for this job”. But the bonhomie and ceremonial formalities could not mask the fact that this had been no ordinary nomination or ambassadorial appointment. In fact, Friedman’s Senate confirmation hearing was both an unprecedented affair and a microcosm of trends that spell big trouble for “brand Israel”. Read more New edition of “Israeli Apartheid: A Beginner’s Guide” is out now If you appreciate my work, you can support me financially. Ben White on Twitter RT @benabyad: In TV interview Saturday, Israeli minister Rafi Peretz said he believes in gay conversion therapy, & urged annexation of West… 21 hours ago "The Israeli surveillance operation in the West Bank is...among the largest of its kind in the world. It includes m… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 1 day ago On Friday, an Israeli soldier shot a 10-year-old Palestinian child in the head suppressing protests in in Kafr Qadd… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 1 day ago In TV interview Saturday, Israeli minister Rafi Peretz said he believes in gay conversion therapy, & urged annexati… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 1 day ago Earlier today, Israeli occupation forces shot 10-year-old Palestinian boy Abdul-Rahman Yasser Shtewi in the head, s… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 3 days ago A special memorial screening to celebrate the life of Jeremy Hardy @OpenBethlehem and @MedicalAidPal proudly prese… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… 3 days ago Ben White is a freelance journalist, writer and activist, specialising in Palestine/Israel. He has been visiting the region since 2003 and his articles have been widely published in the likes of The Guardian’s Comment is free, Al Jazeera, Electronic Intifada, New Statesman, Salon, Christian Science Monitor, Middle East International, Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, and others.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1030
__label__wiki	0.804402	0.804402	By Tom Emrich Reviews & Write-ups, Tech Innovation, Technology February 17, 2014 Vancouver’s Vandrico Launches Wearable Technology Database The wearable tech space is booming. According to a new report from Canalys, 1.6 million wrist-worn wearables shipped in the second half of 2013 and it’s expected that over 17 million wearable bands will ship this year, growing to 23 million in 2015. To keep tabs on the fast-growing wearable space, Vancouver’s Vandrico Inc., a wearable tech agency, has launched what may be the first publically available wearable technology database. The database captures, classifies and provides insights on the wearable space to date. Vandrico currently has 115 devices in their database. These include wearables that are available on the market today like Pebble and Fitbit Force as well as those that have been announced like Recon Jet, Neptune Pine and Thalmic’s Myo armband. Each device has its own dedicated page that provides in-depth information such as the where the device is worn; it’s primary application and things like price and power source. According to Vandrico, the average price for a wearable is $431 USD and the most popular wearable component is the accelerometer. Their market insights also suggest that the most common areas of focus for wearables are Lifestyle, Fitness and Medical. When it comes to where these devices are to be worn on the body, Vandrico’s breakdown aligns well with the Canalys report on wrist-worn devices. The three most common body locations for wearables are wrists (49%), head (30%) and torso (12%). Vandrico CEO, Gonzalo Tudela, told us that these insights are a snapshot of the wearable space based on the information their research and developer teams have gathered over the past four months. These will change as new devices are added to the database, which is an on-going process for the team. “The goal of this database is to provide an accurate and valuable resource for the technology community on the new and emerging wearables sector,” Tudela told Betakit. “We believe that if everyone had access to this type of market research, the community may get some fresh ideas on how to innovate faster and further. It’s simply part of our values as proponents for the open source methodology”. If the Vandrico’s Twitter activity is any indication of how committed the company is to having complete and accurate information, this database is in good hands. Vandrico seems to be in constant contact with wearable companies and the community to ensure that the database is a powerful resource for anyone interested in this space. vancouvervandricowearable techwearables Toronto and New York-Based BorderFree to Go Public Watson Computers and Self-Driving Vehicles: Wavefronts Wireless 2014 Gave a Sign of Things to Come Wayne Purboo says he sold Quickplay to AT&T because his company no longer fit Canada’s mold In Canada, tech startups might find it easier to raise capital and access talented management and staff during the incubation stage. However, when startups…	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1032
__label__cc	0.671986	0.328014	A Girl Full Grown The cock crowed again, and to some it might have seemed a tad impatient – as if warning that this was the last time it would sound its summons. A few of the compounds were already stirring to life, getting ready for yet another monotonous day in the village. As kerosene lanterns were lit, the shadows faded and the menacing shapes of the night melted into the walls. A figure loomed over Amaka as she slept. The woman watched as the girl’s body rose ever so slightly before exhaling. She yanked at her bedsheet and shook Amaka awake. Amaka’s eyes slowly opened. She let out a yawn as she glanced around in confusion. ‘You’re still sleeping?’ her aunt shouted. ‘Come on, get up!’ Amaka’s gaze rested on her aunt as the older woman turned and marched out of the room. ‘Lazy girl.’ Amaka knew that Aunt Onyeka would go back to bed until sunrise. When she finally woke up, she would rouse her spoiled son Chimdi and prepare him for school. After rolling up her mat and bedsheet, Ameka stepped outside the modest bungalow. She swept the compound with a raffia broom while the final remnants of the night gave way to the dawn. Then it was time to fetch water from the well. As she sullenly trudged along the muddy footpath, her thoughts were interrupted by shouts. ‘Amaka! Amaka!’ She turned and saw her classmate Mercy rushing towards her. Mercy was also carrying a large bucket. Amaka squealed at the sight of her best friend, and they chatted eagerly as they made their way to the well together. Every so often, they would pause their chatter to respectfully greet passing elders from the village. After filling them with water, they heaved the buckets onto their heads and retraced their steps back to their homes. ‘Promotion exams are starting in a few weeks’ time and I don’t even know where to start,’ Mercy sighed. They used to sit next to each other in class, and they would revise together at lunchtime – particularly if it was exam season. ‘I wish you were still in school. You explained things so much better than that Mr Francis.’ ‘Mr Francis?’ Amaka snorted, remembering her former maths teacher. Although she missed school, she was glad to be away from him. She remembered the number of times she would be deep in study during his lesson only to gaze up and catch him staring at her. ‘Do you think you’ll ever come back?’ Mercy asked. ‘You’re talking as if you don’t already know,’ Amaka chuckled bitterly. ‘That witch won’t spend a single kobo on anything besides herself and Chimdi.’ Amaka’s father had died just five months ago, and her education ended as suddenly as the strange illness that had rapidly engulfed his body and killed him. Her paternal uncles, both businessmen in Kaduna, had swept into the village to make arrangements for his burial. Their next concern was their late brother’s property. His farm was sold to the highest bidder and a caretaker was assigned to the house after his valuables had been cleared. With the title deed to his house and compound safely transferred, Amaka’s uncles left – but not before foisting her onto her reluctant aunt, promising to send money for her education. Weeks passed and Amaka heard nothing from them. The deadline to pay her school fees came and went. Finally, after being kicked out of school, Amaka mustered up the courage to ask her aunt about the promised funds. ‘If they had sent anything, don’t you think I would have told you?’ the woman snapped. That was the last time anything was mentioned about her education. Her chores at home increased. At first she was asked only to fetch water, but quickly her aunt forced her to cook, clean and look after the home when she and her son were away. As the days went on, Amaka’s dream of attending university faded like the print on her aunt’s dresses. Amaka waved her friend goodbye. Her aunt Onyeka was waiting for her at the entrance to the compound, arms akimbo. ‘You left the yam boiling in that water!’ she shouted. ‘Did I tell you that I wanted to eat pottage? Stupid girl. Are you capable of understanding simple instructions?’ Ignoring Chimdi, who stood grinning behind his mother, Amaka shuffled past her aunt and emptied the bucket into a huge plastic container. She went to the kitchen and began pounding onions, tomatoes and pepper, mixing it with palm oil and crayfish. The aroma from the sauce rode lightly on the morning air but she ignored the moisture it coaxed from her tongue. As usual, once she finished preparing this meal, she would eat yesterday’s leftovers. Amaka had an inkling that jealousy motivated Onyeka. She wasn’t far off the mark. Her sister Chinyere, Amaka’s mother, had married first. When Onyeka had first laid eyes on Ikenna, Amaka’s father, her body burned for him. Ignoring her, he took a liking to Chinyere. Onyeka thought her chance had finally arrived when Chinyere died days after giving birth to Amaka, and she had made every effort to worm her way into the widower’s heart. She once snuck into his quarters and boldly offered herself, but to no avail. Soon after, Onyeka had left to learn dressmaking in the capital. She returned seven years later with a swollen belly and a bogus ring. She claimed to have been happily married in the city before the father of her unborn child passed away, yet most suspected that she had probably had a fling with a man who later abandoned her. Undaunted, Onyeka had stuck to her story of being a widow. She bore her son under her father’s roof and remained there after his death, sewing for a living. That afternoon, when Amaka returned from washing clothes at the well, she was surprised to see a silver Mercedes parked outside her aunt’s compound. She had no idea that her aunt knew anyone so wealthy. Fuelled by curiosity, she went through the main room on the pretext of retrieving something. As she greeted the visitor, she noticed the bottles of wine he’d brought along as gifts. After their evening meal, Onyeka called Amaka to her bedroom. ‘The man you saw today is Mr Ogbonna, a very rich businessman from Lagos,’ she told her. Amaka smothered a yawn as she listened to her aunt. It was late, and today had been particularly hot, so she was keen to get to sleep early. ‘He saw you at Christmas, but because your father had just died, he decided to wait a few months. He wants to marry you.’ Amaka looked at her aunt with horror. ‘I am not ready for that!’ ‘You’re almost seventeen,’ her aunt retorted calmly. ‘You are the same age at which your mother got married.’ ‘But... I want to go to school.’ ‘Mr Ogbonna wants that too. He says he will pay your way through school until you graduate. In fact, he has enough money to even send you to study abroad.’ There was a tinge of envy in her voice, which was lost on Amaka. ‘No…’ Amaka shook her head vehemently. ‘I can’t. He is too old.’ She remembered Mr Ogbonna’s receding hairline, his bulbous nose and his large belly as he sprawled on her aunt’s old sofa. ‘Shut up!’ her aunt hissed. ‘I didn’t ask for your opinion. You don’t want to marry him? No problem. But whatever you decide, just know that you must leave my house. I don’t have enough money to support three people.’ As she lay on her mat, bitter tears coursed down Amaka’s cheeks. Was she to be sold to a man old enough to be her father? And a sale it would be, because she’d glimpsed avarice in her aunt’s eyes. Onyeka was shrewd and would collect the bride price. Amaka wanted to experience what she read about in foreign novels: falling in love with someone young and dashing who would do everything in his power to give her the world… Whatever that meant. She knew her aunt would have hooted with laughter had she dared mention it. Even her father, though he’d encouraged her reading, had called the love stories ‘unrealistic’. Amaka wiped her face as she lay on her back and stared at the dark ceiling. What choices did she have? She had no money and no real skills. Would life with Mr Ogbonna, her new suitor, be better than her current life with Aunt Onyeka? She thought about her aunt’s promise that she may study abroad in exchange for being Ogbonna’s wife. She tried to imagine herself in a foreign university. Yet she shivered at the thought of that old man’s hands on her. Was she prepared to pay the sacrifice that came with being a wife, in exchange for this? Something her father used to say came to mind: ‘Life is like the bitter leaf. If you want the good out of it, you must also be prepared for the bad.’ Closing her eyes, she prayed for sleep. Amaka’s face split into a huge smile on seeing Mercy. Her braids were pulled up into a bun and her eyes were dark from the eyeliner she had applied. A colorful Ankara dress hugged her petite frame. She looked even prettier than Amaka remembered. ‘You’re on time!’ Amaka clasped her hands gleefully. Maybe it was a New Year’s resolution her friend was keeping, because she didn’t remember her being punctual for anything before. ‘I was too eager,’ she replied as she leaned in for a hug. ‘My God, Amaka. You’re living in paradise!’ With a resigned sigh, Amaka stepped aside to let Mercy walk through the mansion’s mahogany doors and into the living room. Her friend touched the dark surface of the plasma TV and went through the stack of DVDs. In a flash, she was caressing the glass-topped table at the centre of the room, which was decorated with artificial roses. She looked at Amaka with admiration. ‘Eziokwu, this is the life!’ Amaka couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s excitement. She could imagine how the room looked to untrained eyes. No doubt she had worn a similarly stupefied expression when she first arrived in Enugu almost three years ago. Had it really been that long? Of course, some of what Mercy admired now was Amaka’s doing. For all his wealth, her husband, Kanayo, had no taste. Since he spent most of his time in Lagos, Amaka occupied herself with redecorating the mansion’s interior. ‘Why didn’t you mention all of this?’ Mercy asked as she peered around the house. ‘We’ve been writing each other letters since you left the village. I had no idea you were living this kind of lifestyle.’ Amaka was silent for a while as she reflected. She could not say that she was happily married, yet she was sure the tradeoff was worth it. Sensing her friend’s reluctance, Mercy quickly changed topic. ‘You never mention school in your letters anymore.’ ‘You didn’t ask.’ Amaka’s face brightened up as she thought of her finals. ‘I just finished writing JAMB and I am waiting for my results.’ Mercy’s brow furrowed in confusion. ‘You were easily smarter than me in school, and I’m already going into my second year. I thought sending you to school was the first thing your husband said he would do. What happened?’ ‘You know how these things are,’ Amaka said, even though she was positive her friend didn’t. ‘Moving to a new place and adjusting…’ She let her words trail off. Mercy didn’t pursue it. Instead, she gently touched her best friend’s arm and asked, ‘Are the rumours true?’ Amaka knew where this was headed. ‘Depends on what you heard.’ Mercy paused, weighing her words carefully. ‘I have heard that your husband… married you as a second wife?’ Amaka was surprised by how blasé she had grown about this. It had been three years since Kanayo had married her as a teenager, and she had accepted this as her reality. He wasn’t single as she had initially assumed. The shock of that had long since faded, but not the humiliation. Nor the feeling of being stored in a box. A grand, spacious box, but a box nonetheless. ‘Yes… it’s true. Wife Number One has four girls so far. “Our” husband needs someone to give him a son, so…’ Amaka shrugged her shoulders. Mercy nodded her head slowly. ‘Men,’ she said finally. ‘And in three years…nothing?’ The pity in her solemn gaze made Amaka want to smack her. Amaka remembered her first night in Enugu. The bride price had been paid and she was officially ‘Mrs Ogbonna’. She was afraid. She struggled to maintain her pleasant demeanor as she sat in the passenger seat of his Mercedes, but her heart sank as she realised he was taking her further and further away from all that was familiar. By the time they arrived at his sprawling residence, it was dark. She remembered following him upstairs to the master bedroom, her heart pounding in anticipation of the inevitable. She watched him slowly unbutton his shirt and unzip his trousers. She had been unable to unzip her dress, her hands were shaking so badly. He eased her out of it, and as she lay back, she felt his large belly against her slim frame. He wasn’t unkind, but there was little romance. His hands felt alien as they roughly grabbed her breasts. When he eventually forced his way into her, she thought she was being ripped apart. Her cry of pain was drowned out by his groans as he thrust faster and faster. As tears rolled from her eyes, he climaxed and collapsed onto her, exhausted. She had silently prayed that she would conceive if that meant not having to endure this often. Mercy gently shook Amaka, snapping her out of her thoughts. ‘Sorry?’ Amaka said. ‘Don’t worry,’ Mercy replied, looking at her friend with concern. ‘Is there something to eat?’ ‘Of course!’ Amaka rushed to the kitchen and returned with a bowl of white rice, chicken stew and dodo. ‘I cooked this for you. I knew you would be hungry. You were always gobbling up your food during lunch at school – that I remember!’ Mercy chuckled as she watched her friend set down the food. ‘At least your husband looks after you.’ Amaka smiled brightly. ‘I can’t complain, honestly.’ ‘How often does he come down from Lagos?’ ‘Every few weeks – when he’s not busy with business or family.’ As Mercy began serving herself, there was a faint knock on the front door. Amaka went to answer it. Outside stood a tall man wearing a fitted shirt and smart trousers. ‘Amaka,’ he said, his hazel eyes lighting up. His trimmed goatee framed his sculpted face, and as he reached out to her, she shot him a warning look. ‘Dubem.’ Amaka stood back to let him in. He glanced around and saw Mercy. She smiled at him. ‘Dubem…’ Amaka hesitated. ‘This is my friend, Mercy. Mercy, this is one of my in-laws.’ ‘Nice to meet you,’ Dubem said, nodding at her friend. ‘Nice to meet you too. Come and join us, we’re just having something to eat,’ Mercy said. ‘Um… no, thank you. Maybe later.’ Dubem sought Amaka’s gaze. ‘I was just passing by to… drop something off with Amaka. I errr… have to get to the Federal Secretariat before they close.’ Mercy watched as he passed a small parcel to Amaka before quickly leaving. ‘He’s your in-law?’ Mercy asked, arching her eyebrows. ‘Yes,’ said Amaka, settling herself beside her friend. ‘He is my husband’s second cousin.’ ‘And you’re this friendly?’ Amaka shrugged, meeting her friend’s eyes. ‘Well, he was the one who took me in for some maths lessons when I was preparing for my exams. He’s a wizard with numbers, and he works as an accountant.’ ‘He’s fine. Does he live in Enugu?’ ‘No… he works in Port Harcourt.’ ‘Is he single, though? I didn’t see a ring.’ Amaka’s smiled. ‘Not every man wears a ring these days.’ Not her husband, for one. ‘But yes, he is single.’ ‘So, what are friends for?’ Mercy nudged her playfully. ‘I don’t mind marrying into your family. Then you and I can be in-laws!’ ‘I’m sure you have more than enough guys at school keeping you busy,’ Amaka giggled. ‘Besides, there’s a girl he’s mentioned a few times.’ Mercy’s face fell. ‘Is he serious about her?’ ‘Sounds like it.’ Amaka could understand Mercy’s instant infatuation. She remembered when, some months after their marriage, Kanayo had come home with Dubem. She had gone to the market, and when she returned she found them already there. She had barely acknowledged the young man at first. She was so nervous that her husband had arrived home before she had made dinner and was afraid he would get angry. ‘We ate something at one of the restaurants,’ Kanayo said offhandedly with his brusque Igbo accent. Legs stretched in front of him, he was tapping away at his phone as he added, ‘Dubem, this is my wife.’ Noticing the younger man for the first time, she caught the surprise in his eyes as he stared at her. She suddenly wished she wasn’t so sweaty from the afternoon heat and that she had worn something more flattering than her plain skirt and blouse. ‘Welcome,’ she curtsied. Still feeling flustered, she had escaped into the kitchen where she stared into space for a while, willing her system to return to normal. She began cooking as the two men continued speaking in the living room. When she had later reminded her husband about his promise to pay for her schooling, he signed her up to start an online diploma. She was able to ease back into studying most of the topics, but she struggled with maths. Uncomfortable at the prospect of his wife being tutored by a stranger, Kanayo suggested that Dubem help her. After all, he was good with numbers. So Amaka and Dubem began their private lessons together. Nighttime set in; Mercy kicked off her sandals and stretched her legs on the sofa. She yawned as they watched the large TV in silence, tired after spending the day laughing and catching up. Amaka felt a tinge of sadness, remembering that her friend would leave the following afternoon. ‘I wish you hadn’t booked your bus ticket to go home so soon,’ she sighed. Mercy smiled as she turned to look at her friend. Her eyes were red, and Amaka could tell that she would soon go to bed. ‘I have my finals soon – I can’t afford to take too much time off from revision. I will come back and stay with you for longer next time.’ Mercy slowly stood and stretched. ‘Follow me,’ Amaka beckoned. ‘We have a really nice guest room upstairs.’ After saying goodnight, Amaka headed to the room she shared with Kanayo and had a quick bath before putting on a satin slip. She lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep. As silence enveloped the house, Amaka grew anxious. But after what felt like eternity, she heard the familiar faint knock downstairs.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1038
__label__cc	0.698514	0.301486	They say living well is the best revenge. While everybody back here in SEC territory is fretting over the GPOOE‘s™ sex life, Matt Stafford is getting on with his life. This time, he paid somebody to lift the keg. Personally speaking, if I were Mark Richt, I’d be handing out copies of this to every eighteen-year old I recruit. Factoid of the day The Quad, in its preview of Tennessee, notes the passing of an era: We all know that Fulmer’s departure turns the page on a meaningful period of Tennessee football. But it also marks the end of an era in the SEC as a whole. Fulmer was born and raised in Maryville, Tenn., 20 miles south of Knoxville, and was an offensive guard at U.T. from 1969 to 1971. With his firing, the SEC not only no longer has a coach serving at his alma mater, but none of the conference’s 12 coaches were even born in the state in which they currently coach… Comments Off on Factoid of the day Filed under SEC Football The master schools the wannabe. Junior may think he’s supposed to be the center of attention today, but it looks like the OBC still knows how to draw a crowd. UPDATE: Bonus groveling to the Gator Nation! The man knows how to work it, doesn’t he? UPDATE #2: Not quite on point, but too funny not to mention, here’s a bit from cocknfire’s live blogging of Spurrier at SEC Media Days today: 10:59 a.m. ET Addresses coaching changes “A few folks just left on their own. A few were asked to leave.” Didn’t lose any recruits after the bowl game. He sees this as a sign that many players still see South Carolina as a potential winner. He doesn’t say this, but it’s also possible they’re not real bright. He’s a Gamecock fan, and I’ve always been a sucker for gallows humor. UPDATE #3: Leave it to Spurrier. Even when he apologizes, he has to be an ass about it. “We made a mistake. I made a mistake,” Spurrier said. “Tim Tebow is not only the best quarterback in this league, but the best football player in the country. I believe he and Danny Wuerffel will go down maybe as the two best players to ever play college football.” Danny Wuerffel? Really? I can’t figure out who that grouping slights more, players like Herschel Walker, or Tebow. Filed under Don't Mess With Lane Kiffin, The Evil Genius, Tim Tebow: Rock Star Some more spread quarterback thoughts One of my commenters yesterday mentioned Oklahoma’s offense yesterday, and in doing a little Internet digging on the subject, I came across this draft analysis of Sam Bradford that I thought was worth sharing. First, on the issue of mechanics and footwork, the author reiterates some of the points that Tom Luginbill made: … Most of the passes in the Sooner playbook are out of the shotgun formation. That brings us to perhaps the biggest concern that GMs have about not only Bradford but almost all of the college spread formation quarterbacks—what about his footwork? The QB is under center for nearly all plays in the NFL. Traditionally, shotgun or spread offense rookie QBs struggle with the 3, 5 and 7 step drops fundamental to the NFL passing game. Many high pick shotgun/spread formation QBs have failed. Nearly always their downfall has been due to footwork/accuracy problems. It is nearly impossible to have NFL level accuracy by a quarterback that lacks consistent footwork. The passing windows are microscopic compared to those in college even in good conferences. Timing of the throw is critical and timing is determined by footwork. But there’s another point he raises that’s noteworthy. A second and nearly equally significant concern is the ability of Bradford to make pre-snap reads. An NFL quarterback must be able to read the defense before the snap to determine if the play needs to be changed or not. The Oklahoma system involves the team looking to the sideline to get the play. The reading of the D is done by the coaching staff in the booth, relayed to the sideline and given to the QB. In the NFL, the QB must make the reads. Is the opponent going to blitz? Are they in zone, man or a combination coverage? Each of these possibilities requires different patterns and play calls. Many of the Big 12 QBs have never been responsible for making those reads. The problem is made more significant by the multiple defenses the NFL uses. While he had NFL quality receivers, they were not facing NFL quality defensive backs. These guys are bigger, faster, smarter, and hit a lot harder than any college conference defenses. There’s an interesting lab experiment coming up in the NFL. Look at what Ryan and Flacco did this past season. Compare them to how Stafford and Sanchez handle the game this year. And then next year, see how Tebow, McCoy and Bradford – three quarterbacks likely to be the top rated group, all out of spread/shotgun attacks – adjust to the pro game. Or, if HeismanPundit’s on to something, how the pro game adjusts to them. Filed under College Football, Strategery And Mechanics Kiffin watch: it’s all part of the plans By now, you’ve probably heard the news that Junior’s been shot down by another quarterback prospect, Jesse Scroggins, who’s evidently decided that being the fourth string quarterback at Southern Cal is a more attractive prospect than duking it out for first string at Tennessee. There’s no need to panic, though. As the linked article notes, Plan D (I confess that I’m not exactly sure where in the alphabet UT is right now with quarterbacks) is an obscure JUCO kid out of California. There’s a Plan E, to boot, as the Tennessee boards are excited about Coach O extending an offer to a recruit who is currently committed to San Diego State. You’d have to figure that the bar is being set low enough at this point for Junior to score one of the great recruiting successes of the modern era, but just in case these fall through too, I have a few other suggestions that might be worth considering. Plan F: Have the governor declare war on Kentucky, name the Tennessee football team the official state army and draft all of the quarterbacks currently on the Vanderbilt roster. Plan G: Petition the NCAA to rule that the arm Casey Clausen didn’t use against Georgia still has some eligibility remaining. Plan H: Have some Tennessee high school give diplomas to Eric Berry’s younger brothers and enroll them in the program as part of the class of 2010. Plan I: Bryce Brown and the single wing, bitches! Plan J: Get Mike Slive to ban the quarterback position in the interest of fostering greater parity in the SEC. Plan K: Ask the NCAA to grant every 2008 UT offensive player an additional year of eligibility on the grounds that the Clawfense constituted a medical hardship. Feel free to add your suggestions in the comments. After all, we’re here to help, right? UPDATE: While we’re on the subject of plans, what to make of this comment by Junior to Mike Slive? “Any violation we created or committed was not done on purpose,” Kiffin said. Translation: everything I’ve done so far has been purposeful, unless it’s going to get the program in trouble. UPDATE #2: Sigh. UPDATE #3: Plan D worked! Woo hoo! Friday morning buffet Inside and outside of SEC Media Days, (college football) life goes on: Hey! Finally, a Nick Saban quote I can get behind: Alabama football coach Nick Saban does not like predicting how “a bunch of adolescents” will perform, so he’s not about to guess where his Crimson Tide will be at season’s end. Crusty, but accurate. Georgia lawmaker to the state of Florida: give us your water, or we’re taking the WLOCP out of Jacksonville. Idiot. Dennis Dodd smacks Clay Travis over the “are you a virgin?” question. I had forgotten, but this article on Jeff Owens reminded me that the school’s all-time record on the bench press is still held by Ben Watson, physical freak. Joe at Coaches Hot Seat Blog can’t make up his mind whether, with the new TV deal, ESPN will do the SEC’s bidding and stop questioning the BCS or become the Trojan Horse that leads college football to the promised land of playoffs. Or something. Right now, Auburn has more commitments for its 2010 class from the metro Atlanta area than it does from the entire state of Alabama. Sounds like it’s time to get out that limo again. So this year’s motto for the Ole Miss team is “Unsatisfied”. Not bad, especially if they adopt this as their theme song: Filed under ESPN Is The Devil, Gene Chizik Is The Chiznit, Media Punditry/Foibles, Nick Saban Rules, Political Wankery, Recruiting, SEC Football, The Blogosphere	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1040
__label__wiki	0.522107	0.522107	/ Cory Doctorow / 7:43 am Tue Oct 3, 2017 Trump's pick for EPA pollution czar says kids are less sensitive to pollution than adults The Intercept's Sharon Lerner is the best journalist on Trumpian science appointees going, and her piece on Michael Dourson, whom Trump wants confirmed as the EPA's second most powerful executive as Director of the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention is a scorcher. Even by Trumpian standards, Dourson is a piece of shit work. He currently runs the high-profile greenwashing consultancy Toxicology Excellence for Risk Assessment (TERA) whose clients are a rogue's gallery of the country's most lethal polluters: Dow Chemical, CropLife America, the American Chemistry Council, the American Petroleum Institute, Koch Industries and more. TERA's stock in trade is manufactured sciencey numbers showing that pollution isn't harmful. In that regard, TERA excels, routinely asserting the harmlessness of industrial waste products that every independent researcher considers dangerous and/or deadly. For example, Dourson asserted that the pesticide chlorpyrifos was safe at concentrations 5,000 times higher than the EPA recommended dose, despite well-documented causal links between the substance and "memory, intelligence, attention, and motor problems in children." Dourson also asserted that children over six months old are less susceptible to toxic chemicals, despite the widespread, experimentally verified consensus that children are more susceptible -- something that has been verified through ghastly industrial accidents through the ages. Dourson's rap sheet goes on for pages (you should read Lerner's piece), but here's the kicker: in his new job, he'll be in charge of deciding which industrial pollutants are safe, and at which concentrations. He is not a fox in the henhouse, he's a serial killer in the nursery. In these dark Trumpian times, it's easy to get inured to the callous disregard for evidence, decency, safety, and humanity on display in Washington, but Trump's ability to find extremely vicious gators to fill the DC swamp with always manages to shock. After reversing the proposed ban, EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt recently delayed the evaluation of both chlorpyrifos and other organophosphates, the chemical class to which it belongs, which had been scheduled to begin in 2017. Dourson would have input on the timing of those evaluations, as well as the research considered in them. About two dozen organophosphate pesticides are commercially available, all of which are neurotoxins. Environmental scientists have long recognized that children are especially vulnerable to chemicals, including organophosphates, throughout their development. But in a 2002 paper paid for by the American Chemistry Council and the pesticide industry group CropLife America, Dourson suggested that after six months, most children are no more sensitive to chemical toxicity than adults and that in some cases, they are even less sensitive. This idea places him well outside the scientific mainstream and suggests how he might approach not just these pesticides but all chemicals affecting children. TRUMP’S PICK FOR EPA SAFETY CHIEF ARGUED KIDS ARE LESS SENSITIVE TO TOXINS [Sharon Lerner/The Intercept] (Image: Trumps Hair) a fox for every henhouse / a gator for every swamp / corporate murder / denialism / epa / Kids / parenting / Science / what the fuck is wrong with these people The new £50 notes will feature Alan Turing (whilst HMG proposes bans on Turing complete computers AND working crypto) The Bank of England has unveiled its new £50 notes, which had been earmarked to honour a distinguished British scientist, and which will feature Alan Turing, the WWII hero who discovered many of the foundational insights to both modern computing and cryptography, and whose work with the codebreakers of Bletchley Park are widely believed to […] Science offices throughout U.S. government closing under Trump at alarming rate The great science purge, they’ll call it one day. Donald Trump is closing science offices throughout the federal government. ‘As of June, around 85 percent of all scientific posts in the federal government, including an official scientific advisor to the President, were left unfilled,’ write the editors of I F***ing Love Science blog in an […] Show Your Stripes: visualizing climate change in your location by displaying 100 years of average temperatures in color bars Ed Hawkins, a climate scientist, created Show Your Stripes as a way to easily visualize the past century's climate change: give it a location and it will render a series of stripes representing a century's worth of average annual temperatures (above: global average temperature); as Kottke notes: "The warming patterns for particular regions are not […]	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1042
__label__wiki	0.920008	0.920008	Home » Yearly Breakdowns » 2001 » JOY RIDE [Total: 8 Average: 3.5] Directed By: John Dahl Written By: Clay Tarver, J.J. Abrams Release Date: October 5, 2001 Domestic Distributor: New Regency (through FOX) Cast: Steve Zahn, Paul Walker, Leelee Sobieski Financed by: New Regency Joy Ride was financed by New Regency for $23 million and they also paid for the domestic P&A expenses. Regency’s output was handled by FOX, which received a fee for use of its distribution resources. Joy Ride went before the cameras in September 1999 and a fall 2000 release was planned, but studio interference saw the picture languish in post-production for almost two years. Director John Dahl edited the film for over a year and was sent back to reshoot the ending twice. Joy Ride was eventually dated for October 5, 2001 and was accompanied by a poor marketing campaign that sold this as a witless generic teen thriller. Little buzz trailed the movie into release and it had the air of damaged goods from the studio tinkering and the delay — but Joy Ride landed strong reviews. It bowed against Training Day, Serendipity and Max Keeble’s Big Move and even with a slight uptick in interest after critics championed the film, Joy Ride opened with a poor $7,347,259 — placing #5 for the weekend led by Training Day. It declined a modest 33.2% to $4,905,863 in its second frame and then fell 48.1% to $2,543,786 in its third session. The domestic run closed with only $21,974,919. For the overseas release, the picture went out in most markets as Roadkill and FOX saw mostly soft numbers. The offshore cume was $14.6M. The worldwide total was $36.6M and about $20.1M would be returned after theaters take their percentage of the gross — which would leave much of the global P&A expenses in the red and the budget untouched by the theatrical receipts. Home video sales were enough to launch two cheap made for video sequels. Rollins says Good movie.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1044
__label__wiki	0.538504	0.538504	Home » Cliffside Industries announces launch of new website Posted on Tue, Apr 3, 2012 Tue, Apr 10, 2018 by Cliffside Industries Cliffside Industries announces launch of new website Cliffside Industries today announced the launch of its new website at www.cliffsideind.com. The new site features a new style and color scheme designed to reflect Cliffside’s innovative approach to purchasing fine decorative cabinet hardware. While retaining elements from the earlier website, the updated page presents an entirely new “look and feel” to customers seeking the Cliffside line. New or updated elements on the website include an enhanced finish guide and care section, streamlined explanations of Cliffside’s terms of purchase and return policies, and a fresh, new look at the company’s blog. Perhaps the most dramatic change, however, is Cliffside’s presentation of its hardware suites. “This new website offers the customer a completely re-designed hardware buying experience,” said technology liaison Keith Reifsnyder. “The hardware suite pages offer enhanced navigability and make it much easier for the customer not only to view the suites in their entirety, but to purchase them directly as well. The updated security features also make the new site a safer place to surf and to order hardware.” Teresa Hartman, president, agrees: “We have gone the extra mile to provide our customers with the optimum environment for purchasing Cliffside’s hardware. We believe that we are now at the forefront of hardware innovation.” Several products were launched with the opening of the new Cliffside site, including the company’s new line of luxury solid brass bath accessories. Coordinating with each of the five solid brass hardware suites, the special-order Luxury Bath Collections are available in eight distinctive and elegant finishes. Customers can view the new lines and the Cliffside Industries website by visiting www.cliffsideind.com. Cliffside Industries has been designing and distributing high-quality solid brass hardware since 1987 and supplies many of the industry’s most respected cabinet manufacturers. Cliffside’s hinges are high-quality solid brass extruded hinges developed in conjunction with European craftsmen who are masters of precision manufacturing. Our products exemplify the highest quality in the kitchen and bath industry. E-mail: info@cliffsideind.com Website: https://www.cliffsideind.com Address: 60 Wright Avenue; Lititz, PA 17543 “Cliffside Industries is an award-winning distributor of traditional solid brass hinges, knobs, and pulls respected industry-wide for our customer service. Family owned and operated since 1987.” Previous PostPrevious Video: Featuring the Stainless Steel Suite Next PostNext New Cliffside website tour: part 1 of 2	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1048
__label__wiki	0.897014	0.897014	This Week in Modern Software: Chatbot Lawyer Fixes 160,000 Parking Tickets By Kevin Casey • Jul. 1st, 2016 • Technology Industry AI, analytics, Brexit, careers, chatbots, cloud, data, global, government, hiring, modern software, software development, TWiMS, U.K. Welcome to This Week in Modern Software, or TWiMS, our weekly analysis of the most interesting and important news, stories, and events in the world of modern software and analytics. This week, as the United States preps for the long Independence Day weekend, we focus on long-term trends and engrossing deep reads. Our lead item, for example, ponders the continued emergence of chatbots, and how software designers are creating systems that are already performing useful tasks and taking over human roles. TWiMS Top Story: Chatbot Lawyer Overturns 160,000 Parking Tickets in London and New York—The Guardian What it’s about: An AI chatbot created by a 19-year-old Stanford University student has successfully gotten 160,000 parking tickets dismissed in London and New York City. The Guardian’s Samuel Gibbs put it best: “Chatbots can actually be useful.” Stanford sophomore Joshua Browder calls his DoNotPay app “the world’s first robot lawyer,” and says that it has overturned 160,000 tickets, out of 250,000 contested to date. Browder’s not stopping there; he’s now working on a chatbot to assist refugees with asylum applications. “So many services and information could be automated using AI, and bots are a perfect way to do that, and it’s disappointing at the moment that it’s mainly used for commerce transactions by ordering flowers and pizzas,” he tells VentureBeat. Elsewhere in AI, CNET’s Jon Skillings reports on the rise of “social intelligence” in chatbots, such as “Sara,” a socially aware virtual assistant created at Carnegie Mellon University that greeted attendees at the Annual Meeting of New Champions at the World Economic Forum. Jonathan Gratch, director of virtual human research at the University of Southern California’s Institute for Creative Technologies, defines artificial social intelligence for Skillings as the ability “to understand people, how they think, how to communicate with them, what their emotional state is”—in a manner similar to, say, a marriage counselor or psychologist. Why you should care: Turns out chatbots can be useful—in fact, they are already taking over roles and tasks we’ve long assumed required a human being. Moreover, bots like DoNotPay and Sara go far beyond the idea of AI threatening unskilled jobs such as fast-food service to the potential replacement of roles that require advanced degrees and specialized skills, such as attorneys and therapists. (They could even replace spouses, apparently, as man recently married his smartphone in Las Vegas.) Scoff if you will, but while it’s still early days for AI, DoNotPay’s results are far from theoretical: Those 160,000 overturned tickets were worth some $4 million, according to Browder. The World’s First Robot Lawyer—DoNotPay The DoNotPay Bot Has Beaten 160,000 Tickets—and Counting—VentureBeat AI and the Advent of the Virtual Human—CNET Speaking About Parking Tickets, Donald Trump, HIV/AIDS and Career Politicians in a TechCrunch Interview With Andrew Keen—Medium Artificial Intelligence’s White Guy Problem—The New York Times Till Death Do Us Part: Man Marries His Phone in Vegas—CNET The Latest News on Brexit: The Fallout Continues—Fast Company What it’s about: You didn’t really think Brexit would blow over in a week, did you? While the U.S. stock markets have already started to recover from their initial plummet, there’s plenty of continuing fallout and ongoing predictions of its tech effects—Fast Company has a good recap. Why you should care: We won’t know how Brexit will impact technology and innovation for quite a while—the effects will take shape over a span of years, not days or weeks. In the meantime, we’re left with educated guesses and one certainty: There will be tech impacts. A sampling of the latest perspectives: Matt Collins argues that Brexit could be a good thing, at least for the U.K. tech scene: “With its ‘Brexit’ of the European Union, the United Kingdom has the opportunity to pursue a new direction: embracing all four inputs [for technology industry success] and putting itself in a position to grow a more meaningful, more globally relevant, home-grown technology industry that the EU has deprived itself for decades.” An op-ed piece in Barron’s from MKM Partners suggests Brexit will be beneficial for SaaS firms. ZDNet’s Larry Dignan, on the other hand, describes six post-Brexit scenarios that could pose challenges for cloud computing. Chris Nolter writes in the financial site The Street that Brexit’s end-of-quarter timing could be problematic for some tech companies. The AP’s Brandon Bailey predicts post-Brexit regulatory changes might make Europe less-friendly terrain for some U.S. tech companies. Again, that’s just a sampling and no one really has a clue what will happen next. Brexit Damage Assessment—Monday Note A Brexit Beneficiary: UK’s Tech Industry—Matt Collins’ Blog Brexit a Boon to SaaS Software—Barron’s (Paywall) Brexit Spells Turbulence for Cloud Computing: 6 Stormy Scenarios—ZDNet Brexit Comes at a Particularly Bad Time for Software Companies—The Street Britain’s Exit Could Make EU Less Friendly to US Tech—AP, via SFGate Researchers Reeling as UK Votes to Leave EU—Nature What Brexit Means for Tech—Business Insider Brexit Is Tragic, But the UK’s Tech Ecosystem Is Open for Business—TechCrunch Hillary Clinton’s Tech Policy Proposal Sounds Like a Love Letter to Silicon Valley—Recode What it’s about: The 2016 presidential election campaign gains steam every day, and this week the momentum was fueled by tech. Among the highlights: Hillary Clinton released a pro-entrepreneur, pro-internet policy announcement that, as Recode’s headline puts it, reads like “a love letter to Silicon Valley.” And the news outlet followed up with a “he said/she said” comparison: Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Are Worlds Apart on Tech Policy Issues. CNBC reported that Donald Trump’s campaign has signed on AdTech firm Rocket Fuel to help track and target supporters online, which in turn generated a spike in the company’s stock price. Data analytics guru Nate Silver went on Good Morning America to predict that Clinton has a 79% chance to win the general election. Silver’s successful track record in predicting presidential election results is a big part of his data-driven fame, but don’t forget that he also had to walk back multiple statements claiming that Donald Trump had no chance of becoming the Republican nominee. Why you should care: Software and data are playing ever-increasing roles in politics and government, from open data initiatives to campaign analytics. So it’s not a particularly bold call to say this will be the most software-driven election in U.S. history. This quick read from Fast Company on NGP VAN, a software provider for the Democratic Party, gives a clear glimpse at how pervasive software and data have become in the political realm. As Neal Ungerleider writes, “The next time a volunteer for Hillary Clinton or another Democratic candidate shows up at your door, they may know more about you than you ever imagined.” Hillary Clinton’s Initiative on Technology & Innovation—HillaryClinton.com Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump Are Worlds Apart on Tech Policy Issues—Recode Trump Starts Tracking, Targeting Fans With Web Software—NBC News How the Democrats’ Leading Software Provider Plans to Win You Over—Fast Company This Adtech Firm Favored by Donald Trump Just Saw a ‘Yuge’ Stock Gain—Fortune Clinton’s Tech Policy Backs Entrepreneurs and More Internet Access—CNET FiveThirtyEight’s Nate Silver Predicts Hillary Clinton Wins Election Against Donald Trump—ABC News Relax this holiday weekend with more fascinating and significant stories from the world of modern software: U.K. Has Fastest Mobile Internet While U.S. Lags Behind, Says Report—The Verge In the aftermath of Brexit, the very name “United Kingdom” is, to quote John Oliver, “beginning to sound a bit sarcastic.” But when it comes to mobile internet speeds, the U.K. leads the world by a wide margin, according to Akamai’s latest State of Internet Report. The whole thing’s worth a read, but much of it is damning for the United States. Here’s The Verge’s Rich McCormick with the bad news: “The U.S. had an average connection speed of 5.1 Mbps for the first quarter of 2016, lower than Turkey, Kenya, and Paraguay, and on a par with Thailand. Many European countries, in particular, more than doubled the average U.S. speed, including Slovakia with 13.3 Mbps, France with 11.5 Mbps, and Germany with 15.7 Mbps. Algeria, with the lowest average speed of countries included in the report, was only 2.9 Mbps behind the United States’ average with 2.2 Mbps.” O-u-c-h! State of the Internet—Akamai Dear Landlord: Don’t Rip Me Off When It Comes to Internet Access—Backchannel I, Snowbot—New York Magazine It’s not powered by AI, and it probably won’t get you out of parking tickets, but it’s still a bot of sorts. New York magazine’s latest cover story profiles Edward Snowden’s jet-setting life in exile, thanks to “a wheeled contraption called a BeamPro, a flat-screen monitor that stands atop a pair of legs, five-foot-two in all, with a camera that acts as a swiveling Cyclops eye.” (Yep, people call it the “Snowbot.”) New York’s Andrew Rice notes that the “robot” itself has all the characteristics of a publicity stunt—and yet it signifies something much greater to Snowden and the federal government. “The technology is of real symbolic and practical use to Snowden, who hopes to prove that the internet can overcome the power of governments, the strictures of exile, and isolation,” Rice writes. Interestingly, Snowdon is using other technologies for other kinds of appearances: He’s starring in a play with Daniel Radcliffe at New York’s Public Theater via video link. From File-Sharing to Prison: A Megaupload Programmer Tells His Story—Ars Technica Ars Technica this week published a translated excerpt of an interview, first published in the Estonia weekly Eesti Ekspress, with developer Andrus Nõmm, one of seven people arrested and charged in connection with the U.S. government shutdown of filesharing site Megaupload, which at its peak accounted for about 4% of daily global internet traffic. Nõmm, who was recently released after serving the bulk of a one-year prison sentence for felony copyright infringement, answers a wide range of questions about his journey from self-taught developer to federal prison inmate, and his subsequent freedom. “I had to be made an example of as a warning to all IT people who were intending to work in similar companies,” Nõmm says of his conviction and Megaupload tenure. We Found the One Engineer Who Has Worked for 5 of the World’s Top Employers. Here’s His Secret to Picking Right—LinkedIn Pulse Want to know what it’s like to work for five of the biggest companies in tech? Ask the guy who’s worked for them all. Software engineer Edward Kandrot, who says he specializes in improving code performance, counts Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, Adobe, and Google among his former employers. He shares his experiences in an interview with LinkedIn’s Caroline Fairchild, including the questions he likes to ask of prospective employers. Reddit Users Weigh In on ‘Top Talent’ in Software Development—DZone “Top talent”—software companies are willing to pay big bucks for it, but what does the term really mean? What are the attributes of a “top” software developer? Reddit users chimed in with their definitions in /r/cscareerquestions, and Dzone’s Dave Fecak—who’s also a moderator on that Reddit forum—recaps some of the best and most interesting responses. It seems clear, though, why “top talent” is so hard to pin down: it’s very dependent on context, need, interpersonal dynamics, and other subjective variables. Want to suggest something that we should cover in the next edition of TWiMS? Email us at blog@newrelic.com. Tune In to the Future Can’t get enough modern software news and commentary? Be sure to check out our Modern Software Podcast. New Relic Editor-in-Chief Fredric Paul and guests discuss the most important things happening in the world of software analytics, cloud computing, application monitoring, development methodologies, programming languages, and more. Listen to episode 13 or subscribe on iTunes. Kevin Casey writes about technology and business for a wide variety of publications and companies. He won an Azbee Award, given by the American Society of Business Publication Editors, for his InformationWeek story, “Are You Too Old for IT?” He’s also a former community choice honoree in the Small Business Influencer Awards. View posts by Kevin Casey. This Week in Modern Software: How Will Brexit Impact Tech? By Kevin Casey • Jun. 24th, 2016 • Technology Industry AWS, Brexit, cloud, containers, DMCA, Docker, Europe, global, Google, government, Microsoft, modern software, soft, TWiMS, U.K. This Week in Modern Software: Microsoft Buys LinkedIn, Apple Hosts WWDC, Blockchain Gets FinTech Love Apple, banking, blockchain, bots, diversity, fintech, iOS, LinkedIn, macOS, Microsoft, modern software, net neutrality, productivity, Siri, social media, TWiMS, Twitter, WWDC	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1054
__label__cc	0.544504	0.455496	The Corpse Bride Movie Guide Optional Activity #1: In the land of the dead there are a number of business with “death” pun names. (The “second hand” store). How many businesses in “our land of the living” can you create puns out of? Seven/Eleven can be Zero/Zero. McDonalds can be AACCKKDonalds. Eyeball cookies. Make these up before you see the movie and serve them with the lesson. See recipe at the end of the lesson. I Corinthians 11:3-12 The Questions: The Butterfly is often seen as a symbol of the resurrection. How was the butterfly used in this movie? How is Victoria’s corset like her life? Victor plays the “Moonlight Sonata” on the piano in Victoria’s house. This song is often said to be “God’s favorite piece of music.” Why do you think the filmmakers chose to use it here? It is the music that brings Victor into a relationship with both his brides. What is the difference in how they respond? Victoria says her mother told her that music was not for proper young ladies, that it was “too passionate”. What are the “rules” we put on women today? What is the expected behavior? What is the difference between the maggot in Emily’s head and Jiminy Cricket? Have you ever argued with the maggot in your head? Talk about it. In what ways are we too caught up in being religious to be spiritual? Metaphorically speaking, why do you think Victors candle won’t light? Do you think our culture has changed in its ideas about marriage? In what ways? What lessons were your parents taught that have been passed down generation after generation? What does it take to break that pattern? Have you ever been to wedding from another religion or another part of the world? How were those weddings different than one here? What is a vow? Jesus changed the water into wine at a wedding. How is wine viewed at the weddings in this film? Why does the city of the dead have more life than the city of the living? Who did you want Victor to end up with at the end of the movie? Victoria or Emily? Why? What do you think happened to Emily at the end of the movie? Why did this happen to her? How do you think your parents would react if you brought home someone of another religion? Another race? When two people are married they are told that they are “one” person. How is that possible? Have you ever seen an old couple who have been married for years? How are they one? The characters spend a lot of time arguing about things going “according to plan”. Do your parents have a plan for your life? What is it? Do you have a plan for your life? What is it? Does God have a plan for your life or does God lay out the path and its up to us whether or not we follow? Explain your thoughts on this. Tim Burton likes to make movies where the outcasts seem to be the heroes…Edward Scissorhands, Nightmare Before Christmas, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory. Does it make you uncomfortable? What did Jesus say about the outcasts? Read Matthew 5:1-11. What is the difference between the old wise skeleton in the land of the dead and the minister in the land of the living? What point do you think the filmmakers were trying to make between the two worlds? Victor is told that he must make the ultimate sacrifice. What would you be willing to give up in order to be with the one you love? Would you give up your family? Would you give up everything you’ve ever known and move to far off place where you know no one and are completely unfamiliar with the customs? What do you think happens to a person after they die? Read I Corinthians 11:3-12. How do you feel about this verse? Why do you suppose the minister was so upset when Victor could not get the rituals and vows correct? In Victor’s world it seems that everyone is more concerned with knowing their place than knowing each other. How does that happen in your school? Are there certain lunch tables that only the “right” people can eat at? Read Ephesians 4:1-3. How does this apply to the relationships in the movie? Did you notice that the church (but not the minister) welcomed everyone? How does your church do at welcoming people? Who is allowed to tell you whom you are allowed to love? Closing Prayer: Watching, God we know you have more in store for us than we can possibly imagine. Help us to not clutter our lives with rules and regulations that keep others away from you. You are the God of all, not the God of some. Guide our hearts and decisions. Open our minds and close our mouths and let our relationships be blessed in your name. Amen. Eyeball Cookies: These cookies are often called Buckeyes and are a favorite at Christmas cookie parties. This time, use white chocolate instead of brown. This recipe takes a little time but it’s worth it when you bring out a tray full of eyeballs to the Bible Study. 1/2 cup butter, softened 1-1/2 cups peanut butter 12 ounces white chocolate Food Coloring Blue and Black Mix the butter, peanut butter, vanilla, and sugar together and form into balls. Refrigerate the balls for about an hour. Melt white chocolate in a double boiler. Using a toothpick dip cold dough balls into the melted chocolate and place on wax paper. When icing has cooled, add blue food coloring to the left over white chocolate and stir. Dip just the edge of the cookie into the blue to make an iris. Add black food coloring and repeat until you have about thirty to forty eyeballs.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1060
__label__cc	0.739156	0.260844	Burger King offered to pay 3 million rubles to Russian girls who fall pregnant from famous football players June 21, 2018 23 CommentsBy Elena Fast food chain Burger King published an ad in the Russian social network VK offering a substantial payout to local girls who fall pregnant from international soccer stars. As the reward the Russian brunch of Burger King offered 3 million rubles (USD 47,000) plus a lifetime supply of Whopper burgers. But then the fast food giant changed its mind. Users joked this could be because they calculated the funds and realized they would go broke. 3 million to get best soccer genes “The girls who manage to get the best soccer genes will provide for success of the Russian team for generations ahead,” the post stated. How the paternity would be checked, the ad didn’t go into details. “Go ahead! We believe in you!” the post called. The ad caused a meltdown and harsh criticism and was quickly taken down. Burger King apologized for the statement on its VK page. The company stated that the offer was “too offensive”. The company added that they removed all materials, connected with the statement, but candid screenshots were taken. The original offer by the network. Image: Screen grab. Burger King’s apology for “offensive” statement. Image: Screenshot. It’s not the first time the fast food chain is making provocative statements in its social network advertising, trying to capitalize on popular topics, however grim, and score some viral promotion. We get it, it’s a joke This time the network obviously jumped on the bandwagon after the backlash regarding a controversial statement made by the Russian lawmaker Tamara Pletnyova who advised Russian women to avoid having sexual relations with foreign men who came to support their teams during FIFA World Soccer Cup 2018. Pletnyova argued that women could fall pregnant and left to bring up the child alone, or worse, leave Russia, which in her view also would not be a positive thing for the country. She was dead serious about it, by the way. Some VK users realized that Burger King’s offer was a joke to make fun about Pletnyova’s statement. Danya Zhernenko commented, “Does it seem like poking fun about one lawmaker who said that girls should not have contacts with foreigners, or they will fall pregnant and it will be a serious threat to our nation?” Other users continued the joke, “My friend asks about the promotion, is it finished? What should she do if she is already pregnant?” Male users asked for a promo offer for men, who are unable to fall pregnant but would like to contribute to Russia’s greatness in soccer. Other users suggested the reason why the fast food giant pulled the offer was because they would go broke paying out the money to willing fans. And you say that Russians don’t have a sense of humour? By the way, if you think no one would take it for real, you are wrong. In Ukraine a mobile phone company offered to give a free iPhone 7 to people who officially change their names to “iPhone Seven” (in Ukrainian it sounds as “Ifon Sim”) and the first person to claim the reward showed up the next day! People there are not faint hearted. This time the offer by Burger King was obviously a joke, as there were no regular Terms and Conditions, which legitimate promotions usually have. Just saying! Wait, stop. I thought this was a serious article, until I reached the point that showed that it’s clearly satire. I mean, no one really believes that Russians have a sense of humor, do they? Clearly it’s a satirical and humorous post, and not serious. :p Sorin, I had a big discussion in comments under the article “Do Russians have a sense of humor?” with a Dude (that’s his nick) who was adamant that Russians have no sense of humor. Because he visited Ukraine 12 times or so and knows better than anyone. I guess maybe Ukrainians didn’t get his jokes? 😉 Hello Elena, hope all is well. Your guess that Ukrainians didn’t get my jokes is more or less correct. It’s understandable, as it’s a different culture, mindset and baseline for humour in the first place… I’m not putting anyone down, I’m just sharing my experiences and observations. I will also add that those people who had a greater exposure to English language in everyday life in Ukraine found the non-Russian humour much more palatable, preferable and enjoyable in general. Dude, I’ve been living out of Russia for 20 years now and I still enjoy Russian humor. I do understand and enjoy English humor as well. I find that not many English-speaking people are quick-witted, while most Russians joke all the time. English-speaking people tend to take everything too seriously, in my experience, while Russians first of all will joke about anything that happened, fortunate or otherwise, especially with friends. It’s like English-speaking people think that humor is best left to comedians, while in Russia everyone is an amateur comedian and cracks jokes all the time. Russians may not joke… Read more » Well said Sorin. However, let’s be fair… Everyone has a sense of humour, it’s just more developed in some than it is in others. No one can be at the very highest level at everything. If in doubt have a look at “blogs.elenasmodels.com/en/50-russian-jokes/“ and “blogs.elenasmodels.com/en/33-russian-jokes/“ and decide for yourself what level the humour is situated at. Each to their own… Dude, how about you crack a joke instead of just talking about humor? 😉 And while you are at that, translate comments to “50 jokes” in Russian, what girls say about the selection: https://blogs.elenasmodels.com/ru/smeshnye-korotkie-anekdoty-2018/ What I am saying is that you just don’t get the Russian humor. I wish I could help you with that but I can’t. Burger king insults both foreigners and women. I do not care if it was a supposedly joke. It was too much, and it was a public insult because basically burger king their statement was indirectly if people are dumb enough they can behave like prostitudes. This was one of the worst insults to Russians. those men who claim aka Sorin and Dude obviously have no respect nor understand the dignity and value of women. Why not joke other ways. To me it is funnier when I watch russian videos and people make fun of using words, or even change the… Read more » Eric, In this case, I disagree with you. Burger King’s joke didn’t mean anything insulting! Some people did find it offensive, but there are people who are offended by anything. You can look at them briefly and they find it offensive. Obviously, the company removed the joke because of the backlash and apologized, as a responsible business would. Here is the story: 1. Chairman of the committee on affairs of family, women and children in Russian Duma (Parliament) Tamara Pletnyova in an interview said that Russian women should not have sex with foreign men during Soccer World Cup, because they… Read more » I now see what you are saying. Now I understand It’s a cultural thing. I do not find farting jokes or even falling down and hitting your head jokes funny although there is many that do. I was raised this way, my grandfather even though he knew women would not do that he always told us to protect the reputation of any woman. It is just my upbringing but I always saw it normal. And of course my family would be bothered by the joke it is just the way were raised. We do joke and even are very sarcastic.… Read more » Eric, most jokes are offensive in some way I guess 🙂 I am not saying that. there is countless ways to joke, tease etc. I see we have our differences in this regard. Eric, I agree some jokes are more offensive than others. Like Melania Trump wearing the coat with giant words, “I really don’t care” to visit a detention center was definitely not appropriate. Although she probably didn’t mean to offend. My guess is that she was wearing it as a message to her husband probably they had a discussion before she went to the detention center. Or probably she does not care if the media will judge her just because the media judges her many times. Either way I do not think she wore the jacket to say she does not care about immigration nor immigrants. She does not care about rumors, she only cares that the children are safe and together. But that is a different story. I am not Pro-trump neither am I pro-hilary. But that is another… Read more » What I am saying is that sometimes other people see things differently to what we thought it would be. Paul Rose Well said! Russians are sceptics and their humor (when you’re talking to them) is kinda “down in the mouth”. “That would be nice” or “That’s good!” are common exclamations. I’ve been watching their television ads. They love synchronized dance movements which are a humor into themselves. They love, silly quirks and silliness in general. The Russian people are a wonderful, loving people….if they like you heh heh. Paul, nice to see a foreigner who is getting Russian humor! 😀 Actually, when I was in Ukraine in 2003 and watched Russian news (I normally don’t watch Russian TV), I was surprised how they presented news stories and asked locals if this was a humor program. They said NO, it’s just normal news. So, even the regular presentation is usually tongue-in-cheek style. Funny how some foreigners don’t get it! 🙂 They don’t get it because Russian’s are so good at it. Possibly 😉 Hey Eric, I’m not sure where you got the impression that I have no respect or dignity for women? I was pretty sure that I was clear that I didn’t see the humour in this and to be perfectly frank I found it to be downright distasteful and certainly in no way funny. By the way, I’m not being sarcastic here, in case there is any doubt. Again, I do NOT see this as amusing! However you choose to show and (mis)direct indignation isn’t my concern. However, making it clear this “joke” wasn’t particularly funny is my concern. Dude, most Russians thought it was funny 😀 That’s just hopeless I guess…….. 😉 But I guess you needed to know the context to understand it; like it’s playing on 2 facts: stupid statement by the Russian lawmaker + consistently bad results of the Russian soccer team. As I said, timeliness and uniqueness of the observation is everything in Russian humor. David, CAN Here’s a tip for those ladies thinking that a visit to Burger King could be the solution to all their problems: I highly doubt that “Whoppers” and French fries are a very common diet choice of the World’s most talented footballers! So ladies, always remember to look around for the “salad guys”, for these are the true World Class Athletes. Don’t forget now. Whopper + Fries = Foreign Faker Fool. Mandarin Orange Chicken Breast Salad = Smart thinking foreigner sacrificing his yummy Whopper for a salad and a fun time in the men’s room. ))) #bestlunchever. Are these pics of women showing what happens when you Preggo? Or is it they are showing what happens when you win a lifetime supply of Whoppers? The FIFA symbol looks like a space alien. Any Russian woman that gets preggo from a space alien wins American citizenship. Donald Trump, upon hearing this says “I don’t think so….uhh..Russian women? OK!”	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1061
__label__cc	0.641646	0.358354	Flooding: Is it corn’s fault? (5×8 – 6/20/12) Bob Collins June 20, 2012, 7:27 AM Jun 20, 2012 Do Minnesota’s weather woes come from Nebraska, hockey backtracks on its efforts to make the sport safer, the impact of the government worker, buying black, and the lights over Lapland. 1) MAKE IT STOP, NEBRASKA! While the Twin Cities were baking yesterday, much of the rest of the state was getting flooded by an endless stream of storms that may continue today. Duluth, a city on a hill, can’t exactly head for higher ground. This is unbelievable video coming from the city — at East 3rd and North 7th… And East Hillside… … and the view on Restormel Street. … Cascade Park and First Ave West… The flooding is expected to continue through most of the day today (Reader Ben Chorn is keeping us well up to date on his Twitter feed. Also check the Duluth News Tribune live weather blog). Up until the last 24 hours, the worst flash flooding in Minnesota history occurred 40 years ago, when Little Falls was victimized. About 10 inches fell near Fort Ripley and damage totalled $20 million. Judging by this picture, uploaded on Twitter by Flygirl_Jules at 9th Ave East and Skyline Parkway, it’s going to be worse in Duluth. We’ve already had more rain in a shorter period of time than the 1972 flood. Coincidentally, flash flooding hit Duluth that September. What’s going on here? Corn, a Weather Nation forecaster said on his broadcast last night. Specifically, he said, corn in Nebraska, offering no particular proof of the theory. On his outstanding weather blog, Paul Huttner relayed the results of a climatologist’s home-grown experiment on this in 2010, finding dewpoints were higher near corn in St. James: My take away from Pete’s little experiment is that corn does play a role by increasing summer dewpoints in densely planted areas. The effect is real, and millions of acres in the Midwest are planted with corn. This is not instrument failure, but rather success in picking up on the air mass modification by some row crops. The next question is; are the higher moisture levels significant enough to cause additional low level moisture to fuel thunderstorms and enhance rainfall? In science, we call this process a “feedback loop.” There are still many unanswered questions about corn and humidity. But on one day in August in the sweaty summer of 2010, a guy with a “psychro dyne” in a corn filed in St. Paul confirmed what many meteorologists have long observed. The corn is making things more humid in Minnesota….at least in the middle of the corn field. By the way, the weather in Lincoln, Nebraska today will be 95 and stormy. I blame Kansas. Stay safe, Duluth. 2) HOCKEY BACKTRACKS In the aftermath of Jack Jablonski’s devastating injury — he was paralyzed — when hit from behind in a JV hockey game last winter, youth hockey officials tightened the rules to prevent checking from behind, increasing penalties for players who do so. The Star Tribune reports today that Minnesota Hockey is likely to undo the rule and go back to the way things were. The paper reveals a split within the youth sport with many of its officials not wanting to change the way things were in the first place. But, they needed a good reason to do so at a time when a kid with a bright future in front of him is paralyzed, his friends and family calling for the crackdown on hitting from behind in the first place. This is what they came up with: The push to undo the changes at the youth level apparently stems from concerns that the penalties take players off the ice for too long and hampers their ability to learn how to properly play the game. Try this with your young son or daughter at home and let us know how it turns out. “I’d send you to your room for pushing your sister down the stairs, kid, but it would hamper my ability to learn how to properly behave.” There isn’t as much checking in youth hockey, officials say, so a five- or 10-minute penalty changes the nature of the game. But it’s the youth hockey system that feeds the rest of the hockey world and if it’s delivering players who don’t know the rules of the older system, what is it’s value? Ken Pauly, the coach of Benilde – St. Margaret, where Jablonski played, called checking from behind “the most dangerous play in hockey and we should all be standing shoulder-to-shoulder on that one.” But Hal Terse, who coaches at Providence Academy, told the paper, “If we get too aggressive, a generation of kids will be afraid to go in the corners or play along the boards for fear of getting kicked out. I’d like to believe we have the ability to coach the kids to play more safely and empower the referees to call the game properly.” One wonders what the parents of young hockey players have to say? 3) THE IMPACT OF THE GOVERNMENT WORKER Can private business pick up the lost jobs from smaller government? The theory is being put to the test and so far, at least judging by today’s New York Times story, it’s not working. After the stimulus money ran out, government payrolls have been shrinking, especially local government. In many cases — half the cases, actually — those are teachers. And that, the article claims, is what’s stalling the economy: Businesses can also be hindered by government cuts. They not only lose prospective If governments still employed the same percentage of the work force as they did in 2009, the unemployment rate would be a percentage point lower, according to an analysis by Moody’s Analytics. At the pace so far this year, layoffs will siphon off $15 billion in spending power. Yale economists have said that if state and local governments had followed the pattern of previous recessions, they would have added at least 1.4 million jobs. Conservatives have argued that the government was bloated after a hiring surge during the housing boom and is now returning to a more appropriate size. Michael D. Tanner, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, criticized the president’s budget proposal to give states an additional $30 billion for teachers, police officers and firefighters. “Those new public sector jobs must be paid for with more debt and taxes borne by the private sector,” he wrote. What’s happening here? The country is learning that government workers by things from private businesses. 4) BUYING BLACK This is a nearly incomprehensible statistic. In the entire United States, there are only three black-owned grocery stores. It comes in this insightful PBS NewsHour story about what happened when a suburban Chicago family tried to spent a year patronizing black-owned businesses. “Don’t just say that black unemployment is four times that of whites,” Maggie Anderson says. “Say that black businesses only get 2 percent of the $1 trillion of black buying power, and then say that black businesses are the greatest private employer of black people.” It might explain why the unemployment rate among blacks is in the double-digits. Watch One Family’s Effort to Buy Black for a Year on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour. “If buying black-only has the effect of encouraging African Americans withdraw into ethnically monolithic communities, I think that would be a grave mistake,” a commenter on the PBS site said. It was one of the few that wasn’t vitriolic. 5) LAPLAND’S LIGHTS Three years of “Northern Lights” over Sweeden. Lights Over Lapland the Aurora Borealis Experience from Lights Over Lapland on Vimeo. TODAY’S QUESTION The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule soon on the Affordable Care Act, the health reform law that many Democrats regard as President Obama’s signature accomplishment. Today’s Question: What’s at stake for you in the Supreme Court’s health care ruling? Daily Circuit (9-12 p.m.) – First hour: Florida perspective on Obama’s immigration decision. Second hour: How to invest in the current stock market? Third hour: Is Earth near a “tipping point” when it comes to climate change? MPR News Presents (12-1 pm): Talk of the Nation (1-2 p.m.) – The Political Junkie. All Things Considered (3-6:30 p.m.) – Catholic bishops are launching a”Fortnight for Freedom” campaign — two weeks of praying and fasting because the Church believes its religious freedoms are threatened by the Obama administration’s health care mandate. But not all Catholics agree. NPT reports on a controversial religious/political protest. ‹ Older Southern Baptists break color barrier Newer › In the big scheme, it’s a drop in the bucket Paul Weimer (@PrinceJvstin) Okay, now I get to stop complaining about seeing dryish waterfalls on the North Shore back in early May. This has definitely been an insane time. The Lake Superior Zoo experienced severe flooding. A seal escaped and made it’s way onto Grand Ave ( proof from twitter: https://t.co/4IGFggWb ). Fox21 reports that a polar bear did escape its exhibit, but not the zoo. At least 8 animals are reported dead. I have not heard of any human fatalities yet, which is great. I heard stories of people escaping flooding basements through windows, and cars with occupants being rescued from sinkholes. Definitely a flood of the century. Yes, govt workers spend money in the private economy but the question has to be do the govt workers provide value for the $ they take out of the economy via taxation for payrolls? Given the economic contraction that has occurred it should not be unexpected that the govt should contract as well? Govt has only shed one job for every 11 private sector job that was lost: http://keithhennessey.com/2012/06/11/is-private-sector-fine/ There is the level of teachers we would like to have, and there is the level of teachers we can afford. Just as there is the number of nights we would like to eat out, and the number of nights we can afford to eat out. I could buy into the Keynesian model of stimulating our way through a recession if we didn’t already stimulate our way through a boom. There is never the needed offset that makes the theory good practice. I played high school girls’ hockey the first year Minnesota had a league. Checking of any kind was against the rules. So I guess they weren’t so concerned with us learning “how to properly play the game.” // Govt has only shed one job for every 11 private sector job that was lost That’s a great statistic and it sure sounds like someone isn’t pulling their share of the sacrifice. But it leaves out a pretty important statistic — the percentage of total employment that is government-related. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21,969,000 people work in government jobs.111,040,000 work in private. Thus 16 percent of the non-farm workforce is government work. Two years ago — May 2010 — 107,191,000 worked in private industry. 22,626,000 worked in government jobs. On a net basis, 3.8 million more people are working in private business now, compared to two years ago (May). Meanwhile, there are 657,000 fewer people working in government jobs. My math says that for every private job created, 5.8 government jobs were lost. Four years ago, meanwhile, 114,968,000 were employed in the private sector, 22,478,000 in government. That’s a 7 percent decline in the private sector. And a pretty small decline in the government sector, to be sure. The key in making a 1:1 comparison on the NUMBER of jobs lost is adjusting for the percentage of jobs in the overall economy by a particular sector. How did you get your statistic? #3, talks about the impact of govt job loss on the economy so we are talking about raw numbers as opposed the % of govt job loss on the economy. So if we are talking about the absolute impact on the economy worrying about govt job loss is not really a means to fixing the problem. The other 11/12 of jobs lost should be a more pressing priority, no? I get that govt cannot hire construction workers, mortgage brokers and candlestick makers as effectively as it can teachers, fire fighters and police officers but that is not a cure all. Worse yet the economic impact of marginal fire fighters, police officers and teachers is far less than marginal private sector jobs especially in manufacturing, natural resources and durable goods. So targeting the least effective and smallest section, which is also the most politically connected portion (or we would not even be having this conversation) is not only a small solution it is a step backwards. “There is the level of teachers we would like to have, and there is the level of teachers we can afford” Wrong. There is the level of teachers we CHOOSE to afford. After viewing the videos of the flooding in Duluth, I have a question. What does the saturated ground do to the foundations of buildings? @Jeanne It’s not good for foundations. I know a person in Minot whose house last summer was flooded to the first story windows, so the foundation sat under water for many days. She completely rehabbed the house, but she said the basement walls moved and are “bowing” to some extent. No work was done to the foundation (evidently it wasn’t bad enough to fix). But I’m guessing she’ll never be able to sell the house, even after the renovations. @Disco, I accept your correction. But I will say that the conversation is never that simple because we do not have a straight “teacher contribution”. So we may put a limit on what we are willing to allow govt to spend – giving us what we can afford to spend on teachers, roads, bombs, etc so we are left to govt stepping in. “Yeah! we have a stadium plan with no new taxes but no money for teachers because we cant raise taxes!” I am not sure this is what we would have ended up with if we, “the people” got to choose between the two options. (of course for whatever reason the number of people willing to travel to St. Paul to buy a playground for millionaires always seems to exceed the number of people willing to travel for more teachers…so maybe we are choosing the current number :- ( // #3, talks about the impact of govt job loss on the economy so we are talking about raw numbers as opposed the % of govt job loss on the economy. So if we are talking about the absolute impact on the economy worrying about govt job loss is not really a means to fixing the problem. The other 11/12 of jobs lost should be a more pressing priority, no? I’m sorry, I’m a little slow today. I didn’t see an answer to the question I asked about the source of the numbers and conclusion. The blog you cited didn’t give a source for the numbers, it’s time period or context. I’m curious about the data that’s being used. ”The country is learning that government workers b[u]y things from private businesses.” Well, duh… It’s about time someone else realized that. Also, comparing numbers of jobs lost in each sector and making moral judgments about the comparison is not appropriate anyway. We HAVE to have teachers and firefighters and driver license examiners and people processing our tax returns, and the millions of other people who serve their communities, and jobs that keep our country running relatively smoothly. The same cannot be said about widget makers in the private sector who are laid off when the need for widgets wanes. The private sector and the public sector have very different missions. There is no reason why the public sector should have to “sacrifice” workers just because the private sector has lost workers. I’ve always been very skeptical about the private sector ever being able to hire all the government workers who lose their jobs because of Republicans not wanting to raise taxes on their millionaire friends. SomeGuy Of course corn causes humidity issues, just do a search on “corn Evapotranspiration.” It’s been shown that recent overplanting of corn has caused the water tables to drop and all of that water has to go somewhere. @Bob, Charts in the blog identify BLS payroll survey as the source, same as Ezra Klein used in his summation: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/post/obamas-press-conference-the-public-sector-isnt-fine/2012/06/08/gJQAp5rxNV_blog.html?wprss=rss_ezra-klein Of course both try and bottle into a bashing or sheilding of Obama. And in both the timing of the numbers are very clear. Same numbers you seem to be using as well so I don’t think we are disagreeing on the numbers. I have another Duluth flood question. What about bridges and overpasses. When the surrounding soil becomes saturated to this degree, does the stability of the structure become compromised, even after water recedes and soil “dries out”? I really wonder about how safe bridges, etc. will be once the water recedes. Any engineers in the audience? // so I don’t think we are disagreeing on the numbers. You maybe right. If so, then: Govt has only shed one job for every 11 private sector job that was lost for every private job created, 5.8 government jobs were lost. Come from the same data. Lies, damn lies, an statistics, eh? Same set of numbers different start dates for measurement. One could drastically alter the size of govt jobs shrinking simply by starting to measure right after govt hired 564,000 people for the 2010 census (impact seen in link to Ezra piece). That would paint a much worse picture. Since the crisis began in 2008 it seems logical (to me) to start the measurement there. Since 2010 is when the economy started its, not growth…but reversal of previous losses, it seems like a less logical point to measure from when we are talking about how to fix what is wrong. Total govt job loss 2008 to date -407K Total Private job loss 2008 to date -4607k Total govt job loss 2010 to date – 502k Total private job gains 2010 to date +4267k So even after adding 4.2 million jobs in the last 2 years we are still 4.6 million below private employment in 2010. And again the marginal value is going to be higher on manufacturing, etc than it will be on teachers, etc – especially when it comes to generating economic activity to employ the other unemployed people. Beyond that since govt job loss lagged private job loss (by my math govt added 95k jobs between 2008 and 2010) would we not expect govt job growth to lag private job growth? Do we not have fixed govt jobs and marginal govt jobs? Would there not be logical economic events that trigger changes in size? I think even Keynes would say that is true, and would agree that the elasticity of demand for govt might be different than the elasticity of demand for the economy as a whole. So a natural decline in the economy of 5% might create a natural decline in govt of 7%. Again, like it or not, the 2010 election was about reducing the size of govt. #3 //…concerns that the penalties take players off the ice for too long and hampers their ability to learn how to properly play the game. I am a parent of a young hockey player and this is bologna. Players learn how to play the game at practice. USA hockey recommends 2-3 hours of practice to one hour of game time. And most players are actually on the ice for about 30-50% of a game, but 100% of practice. I understand that change is uncomfortable. I also understand that youth hockey and the NHL are dealing with repurcussions of in-game violence. Checking from behind risks serious injury and it needs to be stopped. Cleaning up the game will make them more exciting as quick kids with skill will no longer be overshadowed by big kids that hit hard. It works in europe, they play a less physical/more open style. Look how many NHL stars develop in that environment. #4: I understand that news on the web is the home of haters, but why should people trying to end the chronic unemployment for which they are so often _blamed_ ALSO draw the hate? Sigh! And speaking of hate… last summer’s it’s-the-heat-AND-it’s-the-humidity week of misery was too much for me. I hate the corn all summer long now.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1066
__label__wiki	0.777791	0.777791	zero sum reality This makes more sense if the phrases “ideological players” and “professional employees” swap places in the sentence. That aside, it says what I’ve been trying to say about the next American presidency better than I said it. Cheney and his fellow travellers have created a zero-sum reality in American politics. They have played hard-ball with the civil service and the military. The opposition will have a difficult time not acting as if we are under a winner-takes-all system. If they fail to do that, the professional employees who have been completely replaced by ideological players will undermine them; but if they do clean house, the imperial pattern will become entrenched. The imperial pattern was already there. What seems to have been broken are the institutional restraints on it. that was then Gwynne Dyer compares and contrasts the diplomatic and political cover provided for Israel’s war in Lebanon last year to the reaction to the threatened Turkish chevauchee into Iraqi Kurdistan: What’s that? Washington is asking Turkey to show restraint and not attack Iraq at all? Even after the Kurdish terrorists killed or kidnapped all those Turkish people? Could it be that Turkish lives are worth less than Israeli lives? …and adds: Never mind. At least the United States officially classes the PKK as a terrorist organization and refuses to let its officials have any contact with it. But what’s this? There is a parallel terrorist organization called the Party for Free Life in Kurdistan (PJAK), essentially a branch office of the PKK, also based in northern Iraq, which carries out attacks into the adjacent Kurdish-populated region of Iran, and the United States does not condemn the PJAK? It even sends its officials to have friendly chats with the PJAK terrorists? How odd! Justin Raimondo speculates here that the 2600 US weapons recovered from the PKK by the Turks may have been originally supplied to PJAK for its operations in Iran. YMMV, as they say. The best practical argument against a Turkish assault is that it would turn out exactly like Israel’s attack on Lebanon last year, which left Hezbollah bigger and badder than ever. But there are other options: Turkey and Iran have begun exploring options to address the crisis resulting from the recent ambush of Turkish troops by the Kurdish PKK operating from northern Iraq. Turkey’s Foreign Minister is on a visit to Iran where he discussed the crisis with his Iranian counterpart Manoucher Mottaki. Turkey is actively considering invading northern Iraq to attack the PKK hideouts located in the Kandil mountains there. The PKK poses a common problem for both Turkey and Iran. The group’s sister organisation, the Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan (PEJAK), also operates from the similar mountain sanctuaries in the east against Iran. Turkey and Iran fear that the PKK’s aim is to form an independent state by carving out Kurdish enclaves in northern Turkey, Iran and Syria. At a press conference with Mr. Babacan in Tehran on Sunday, Mr. Mottaki said, “Bilateral consultations and regional cooperation should lead to the cessation of terrorist measures in the region.” So as far as the Turks and Iranians are concerned, the PKK and PJAK constitute the same problem. It’s probably too early to talk about a Turkish-Iranian mutual defence pact yet. But it’s a useful idea to leave hanging in the air, given that between them Turkey and Iran can close down the whole supply operation into Iraq. It also looks like a good way of applying diplomatic leverage without having the Turkish army go slamming into Kurdistan. what's so funny about peace, love and understanding OK, so the Royals are going into the big bunfest for the House of Sordid, and a nervous aide is briefing Prince Philip on what to say. Well, I was going to ask that Abdullah chappie why on earth he wears a tablecloth on his head. Aah..no, your royal Highness. While your curiosity about other cultures is heartwarming, perhaps that might be misconstrued. We really need to say something complimentary. You mean something like: I was told you fellows would smell of camels, but that was quite wrong. You don’t smell of camels at all. Well, that’s better. But it would really be appropriate for your Royal Highness to say something that showed a genuine appreciation of Saudi culture and the role of the House of Saud in upholding it. Something uncontroversial. Something that won’t end up plastered all over the media. Something that won’t be misunderstood. Something a little less racist, perhaps? Ah, yes. I see political correctness is rearing its ugly head again. I quite understand. Let me think about it. So off the flunkey goes, and later that night Prince Philip is wheeled over to King Abdullah to make conversation. I say, Abdullah old chap. You Saudis seem to have the whole woman problem sorted out marvelously well! escaping through the windows Danwei translates a sharp skit on how to get ahead in the Chinese media: When he first joined the station he did two really stupid things. First, he captured the scene of a city administration officer beating a vegetable farmer. Second, he was at the scene of a fire in an entertainment complex before the firefighters arrived, and he recorded the hostesses escaping through the windows. But much, much worse was the fact that he really should not have neglected to film the county leadership hurrying to the scene to deal with the emergency once the fire had been extinguished. Even though those two reports were never aired, the station boss felt that this young man didn't have the makings of a television journalist. Later, our hero discovers the career enhancing potential of fluffy bunny stories. It ‘s possibly worth noting that this first appeared in a state owned Chinese paper. the art/afterlife problem The most succinct illustration of the clash between the Schaefferism that could have been, and the fundamentalism that instead fed and grew on his work, occurred when Billy Zeoli told the Schaeffers they had to cut some footage from How Should We Then Live?. Frank had put his father on some scaffolding next to Michelangelo's David to give a sense of scale, and the senior Schaeffer, high above the ground, close to the art he loved, had been transported into a distinctly unfundamentalist rhapsody. But that wasn't Zeoli's problem. He wasn't concerned with ideas. It was David's exposed genitals. American evangelicals, he said, just weren't ready for that. Frank pointed out that they'd included footage of Mary's breast in depictions of the Virgin and the Baby Jesus. "One holy tit is OK," Zeoli responded. "But churches don't do cock!" I understand that the evidence varies on the last point. idle metablogging Noted in passing: at least three sidebarred blogs appear to be Boston Red Sox fans: Chris in Oxford, Lawyers, Guns and Money, from various places across the US, Granite Studio, who blogs out of Tianjin and abu muqawama, formerly based in Lebanon, now blogging in London. I have no interest in baseball in general or the Red Sox in particular; except that the team features fairly often as part of the mis en scene of George V Higgins’ novels, of which I’m most definitely a fan. Curioser and curioser: Steely Dan’s Kid Charlemagne is one of my favourite songs. I’ve only seen it mentioned by anyone at all on blogs, specifically by someone on Crooked Timber a few years back and on Dave Hill’s old blog. I don’t know whether this is an extension of coincidence caused by encountering more random people or an extension of affinity beyond having broadly similar interests or complementary political outlooks. But for the record, there you go. the Conservative and Separatist party Says Tim Luckhurst: This is the wrong moment for Mr Cameron to betray the UK by encouraging in England the very notions of ethnic nationalism that too many of Alex Salmond's supporters embrace in his still British fiefdom. There are many English Conservatives who imagine England without Scotland could continue to masquerade as Britain. It could not, and the divided nations would be much less than the former sum of their parts. I’m not sure why he thinks the Tories care. They came up with Unionism as an integral political position to take advantage of the old Liberals’ split over Irish home rule in the 1880’s. They’re toying with abandoning it now because of the possibility that England may have a permanent structural Tory majority. There’s also the dangerous whiff of mild social democracy issuing from over Hadrian’s Wall. Can’t have that catching on. If we’re talking constitutional rearrangements, I don’t see why the North, Wales and Scotland can’t secede from Southernistan and join a wider Scandinavian federation within the EU. It would make just as much sense as an independent England. Posted at 08:34 PM \| Permalink \| Comments (32) \| TrackBack (0) he pinched his pennies Matt Taibbi’s been on the road with republican candidate Mitt Romney. That's the Mormon one. He concludes: For a Republican, Mitt Romney did everything right. He pinched his pennies, fired everyone in sight, worshipped God loudly and often, and kept his cock in his pants for the whole of his enormously profitable adult life, before finally jumping into politics in late middle age with a giant war chest in tow. Calvin Coolidge reborn. Just what everyone needs right now. Taibbi adds: Only in America do audiences not burst out laughing when a guy worth $250 million gets up onstage and says he and his CEO buddies spend their spare time racking their brains to find ways to help people. We don’t seem to laugh at this sort of notion as much as we should in Britain either these days. swamp ghost Salvagers extract a B17 from a swamp in New Guinea. Controversy ensues: Of all the wrecks on PNG, none is as fabled as the "Swamp Ghost," a B-17E Flying Fortress that ran out of fuel on an ill-fated bombing mission in early 1942 and was ditched in the Agaiambo Swamp about eight miles inland on the northern coast. There the plane rested, intact and more or less unmolested, in soggy splendor for 64 years—that is, until May 2006, when an American salvager took it apart and removed it. This caused such a controversy that the plane was stopped from leaving the country. It sits crated in a warehouse near the coastal town of Lae. The episode raises what has become a burning issue: Who has the right to sell war surplus and what should be done with it in the face of a burgeoning international market? And then there’s the whole issue of cargo. It’s like Jesus coming back, not to do all that redeeming mankind stuff, but just to hoover up pieces of the true cross and whatnot so he can go back and sell them on celestial e-bay. "They should have given us money, because it was our accustomed land," Begasi told me. "The plane would bring tourists, but now there is nothing. That village has no name now. If they left it there, it would have a name by now." So who does have the right to profit from a genus loci as it evolves into a tourist attraction? of simple peasant stock I’m still struggling with almost cosmic levels of inanition concerning that blog I promised about Big 17 and What It All Means. For now, Jonathan Ansfield gives a sharp rundown of Hu and Wen’s likely successors: Liaoning province party boss Li Keqiang a long-time protege of Hu Jintao from his days in straight-laced Communist Youth League. Shanghai party boss Xi Jinping was identified with the rich and powerful interest group of Party princelings (the "GoP"). Xi was the son of a Revolutionary guerrilla and determined reformer who was persecuted thrice by Mao but pioneered the free-market laboratory of Shenzhen. Li was of simple peasant stock. Paunchy Xi had been sent down to the countryside and fought his way back. Solidly built Li started there and worked his way up. Li had been saddled with running tough-luck northern provinces; Xi married a patriotic pop star and“coasted” in booming areas along the southeastern seaboard. I’d blogged the Xi/Li combination back in August last year, which is not to boast since everybody else spotted it and I just nicked it from them. Li the K was Hu’s protégé and always a dead cert for one of the top two jobs, provided he wasn’t found rolling around in dollars under a pile of mistresses. Xi’s star was rising before being parachuted into Shanghai to replace the purged Chen Liangyu, which pretty much gave everyone the heads up. Except Will Hutton. Anyway, here's a quick reminder that one of the things about the CPC that never gets mentioned enough is that it's basically a middle class party. The humorless faces of delegates on Central TV hovered Oz-like from digital big-screens at shopping malls. In turn, chain-stores hung banners saluting them. (a reminder China’s rich bourgeois remain a colluder class). Gang of Princelings.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1069
__label__cc	0.6262	0.3738	Skip to Content Go To... Skip to Left Nav Skip to Utility Nav Skip to Search Download Acrobat Reader UVI A to Z About UVI Search UVI This site All of UVI Information for... Information for...Adult LearnersEmployers/BusinessesInstructorsMilitary & VeteransTest TakersYouth CELL Center About UVICELL Safety in Paradise SharePrintEmail Fumigation Training Date: July 15, 2019 - July 16, 2019 Times: 09:00 AM - 03:00 PM Location: St. Croix & St. Thomas This course will provide a basic introduction to the application of sulfuryl fluoride for fumigating structures in the control of drywood termites. Discussion will include the proper measurements of a structure, materials used for confinement of the fumigant, equipment necessary for use and introduction, aeration and final clearing process of treated structures. Location: REC-133, Albert A. Sheen Campus Location: UVI-CELL Center, Faculty East While the course is FREE, registration is required. Please complete the form below. Return to Course Listing The University of the Virgin Islands is a learner-centered institution dedicated to the success of its students and committed to enhancing the lives of the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands and the wider Caribbean through excellent teaching, innovative research, and responsive community service. The UVI is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. As a division of the University, the UVICELL Center supports the mission of the University by providing a wide array of quality training programs. Learn more about the UVICELL mission… Contact CELL © 2008-2019 University of the Virgin Islands - CELL Center \| Site Map St. Croix • St. John • St. Thomas	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1080
__label__wiki	0.546401	0.546401	Login/register to comment on this object Interview with Anthony Suarez on July 1, 2016, Segment 8 CENTRO: 100 Puerto Ricans Oral History Project, 2013- Suarez characterizes his college education, and his experiences as a Puerto Rican student while studying at predominately white universities. July 1, 2016, Recording date Anthony Suarez Jose Flores 3m 45.0s Location of interview Interview Location: Orlando, FL ASua.2016.7.1.8 Education, Military service, Catholicism, Social clubs Individuals or Organizations Mentioned Fordham University, St. John's University, United States. Marine Corps, Fordham University, St. John's University, United States. Marine Corps Orlando, FL (interview location), South Bronx (is referenced), The Bronx (is referenced), Queens (is referenced) CENTRO: 100 Puerto Ricans Oral History Project, 2013-. Interview with Anthony Suarez on July 1, 2016, Segment 8: ASua.2016.7.1.8. Center for Puerto Rican Studies Library & Archives, Hunter College, CUNY. Web. 16 Jul 2019. In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted Center for Puerto Rican Studies, Library & Archive Center for Puerto Rican Studies, Library and Archives	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1083
__label__wiki	0.933134	0.933134	Scientists Bring Pig's Brain, Dead 4 Hours, Back to 'Cellular Activity' By Dennis Thompson WEDNESDAY, April 17, 2019 (HealthDay News) -- The death of brain cells may not be as sudden, or as irreversible, as previously believed. Four hours after a pig's death, Yale scientists restored circulation and revived cellular activity within the dead animal's brain. The cells of the brain remained viable six hours later, compared with other brains not preserved using the newly developed process, the researchers reported. AHA News: After Stroke, Radio Legend Walks the Talk of Self-Care In a First, Scientists Eliminate HIV From an Animal's Genome It might sound like Frankenstein, but it isn't, the scientists insist. Although its cells were kept alive, the brain itself never displayed the sort of organized electrical activity associated with consciousness, said senior researcher Dr. Nenad Sestan. He's a professor of neuroscience at the Yale School of Medicine. "This is not a living brain, but it is a cellularly active brain," Sestan explained. The finding challenges long-held assumptions that brain cells swiftly and irreversibly die off once their blood supply has been cut, the researchers said. "By doing this, we can possibly come up with better therapies for stroke and other disorders that cause cells in the brain to die," Sestan said. The same process that preserved the pig's brain also might be used to preserve other organs harvested for donation, added co-researcher Stephen Latham, director of the Yale Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics. "It is safe to assume that if this works for preservation of brain cells, it would also work after some tinkering with less sensitive organs in terms of keeping them preserved and keeping their function intact," Latham said. What it took to revive brain cells This breakthrough required the development of three unique processes, the researchers said: A specially designed blood-like chemical solution tailor-made to preserve endangered brain cells. A device that would safely circulate the chemical solution through the brain. Surgical procedures to isolate the brain and hook up essential arteries and veins to the circulation device. Yale researchers named their creation BrainEx, and to test it they picked up freshly severed pig heads from a food processing plant near New Haven, Conn., Latham said. "The heads with the brains in them were obtained from the plant after the pigs had already been slaughtered for food," Latham said. "No animals were sacrificed for the research." The goal was not to restore consciousness in the brains, Latham said. The blood substitute contained chemicals that would block neuronal activity, and sedatives were on hand to halt the proceedings if researchers detected any organized electrical activity. Instead, researchers pursued this study after earlier research indicated that scientists might have been wildly pessimistic about the ability of brain cells to survive after an animal's death, Sestan said. Cut off from oxygen and a blood supply, the brain's electrical activity and signs of awareness disappear in a matter of seconds, and energy stores are depleted within minutes, the researchers said in background notes. Until now, that has been thought to be part of a swift cascade of brain death that permanently destroys cell function. Brain death not as simple as thought But this cascade might not be as overwhelmingly devastating as previously indicated, according to recent research. For example, studies have shown that live cells can be harvested from a brain after death and cultured in a dish, Sestan said. "This indicates that cells in the postmortem brain have the capacity to be revived," he explained. "If we can do this in a petri dish, can we do this with an intact brain?" This new study showed that "the process of cell death is a gradual stepwise process, and that some of those processes can be either postponed, preserved or even reversed," Sestan said. Neural cell integrity was preserved in the pig's brain, and researchers observed some metabolic activity and spontaneous synaptic activity. While further study might illuminate ways to save the brains of stroke patients, it's not likely that this avenue of research could ever help brain-dead patients being kept alive on life support, Sestan said. It's the difference between saving brain cells versus jump-starting the brain's complex electrical function. "We found no evidence that these brains have any activity which is associated with perception or consciousness. Activity was completely flat. These brains are really not clinically live brains," Sestan said. "It's very hard to see at the moment that we can do anything where this could be applied to anybody who is in that state," he concluded. Breakthrough finding could one day help those with stroke, brain disease The study is a tremendous breakthrough that upends a lot of pre-existing assumptions in neuroscience, said bioethicist Nita Farahany, a professor and founding director of Duke Science & Society at Duke University. "Not enough can be said about what an important breakthrough this is for ultimately being able to alleviate the tremendous amount of human suffering that occurs as a result of brain disease," Farahany said. The study opens the door for "a much better model for studying the human brain, ultimately to have an intact, cellularly functional brain," said Farahany, who co-wrote an editorial accompanying the study. However, it also leaves researchers "with a gaping gray zone, with almost no guidance of how to proceed ethically," she added. "We believed there was dead and there was alive, and once something was dead you couldn't bring back the brain," Farahany said. Ethics committees need to pitch in quickly and help create guidelines under which research like this can be pursued responsibly, she said. "The researchers here did everything they possibly could to figure out what the ethical path was forward," Farahany added, noting the use of neural blockers and sedatives. The findings were published April 18 in the journal Nature. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about stroke. SOURCES: Nenad Sestan, M.D., Ph.D., professor, neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn.; Stephen Latham, J.D., Ph.D., director, Yale Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics, New Haven, Conn.; Nita Farahany, J.D., professor and founding director, Duke Science & Society, Duke University, Durham, N.C.; April 18, 2019, Nature Last Updated: Apr 17, 2019	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1089
__label__cc	0.741993	0.258007	Petroleum coke calcination is one of the main processes for the production of anodes for aluminum. The purpose is to eliminate the volatiles of the raw materials and increase the density, mechanical strength, electrical conductivity and chemical stability of the raw materials. During calcination, petroleum coke changes from elemental composition to microstructure, and the physical and chemical properties of the raw materials are significantly improved after calcination. The calcined petroleum coke is directly used for anode production, and the quality of the calcined coke will directly affect the quality of the anode carbon block. In the case where the raw coke quality is determined, the calcination quality mainly depends on the calcination temperature, so the influence of the calcination temperature on the quality of the calcined coke is significant. 1. Effect of calcination temperature on volatile matter discharge The petroleum coke has a large amount of volatiles in the temperature range of 500 ° C ~ 700 ° C. When the temperature rises above 800 ° C, the removal rate of volatiles slows down, and the temperature rises to about 1300 ° C. The volatile content generally falls below 0.5%. The water in the coke is completely discharged, and most of the volatile matter is discharged. The relative content of the carbon is increased, the volume is contracted, and the porous internal crystal structure is formed, and the true specific gravity is large, and the electrical conductivity and mechanical strength are improved. 2. Effect of calcination temperature on structure and true density The change of true density of petroleum coke during calcination is linear with the calcination temperature. Figure 2 shows the change of the true density of a certain petroleum coke with the calcination temperature. It can be seen that before 1000 °C, the true density increases linearly with the increase of the calcination temperature. It can be considered that in this temperature range, the true density of the coke is delayed. The increase is the result of pyrolysis and polycondensation reactions, and is also the result of a large amount of hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and other elements being continuously discharged, and the molecular structure of petroleum coke is rearranged. The change in true density showed an inflection point around 1100 °C, and continued to rise after 1100 °C, mainly due to the coke structure. The true density and bulk density of petroleum coke increase with increasing temperature. As the heat treatment temperature increases, the lattice size of the petroleum coke grows and grows, and the Lc increases with temperature. 3. Effect of calcination temperature on resistivity Determination of the electrical resistivity of the calcined coke is an important means of testing the degree of calcination. The change in powder resistivity of petroleum coke during calcination can be roughly divided into three stages: (1) 500 ° C -800 ° C, the powder resistivity decreases linearly at this stage; (2) 800 ° C -1000 ° C, with the increase of calcination temperature, the powder resistivity continues to decline, but the decline is small; (3) At 100-1300 ° C, the powder resistivity still decreases slightly. It can be seen that in the case of determining the raw material of raw petroleum coke, the calcination temperature is an important factor determining the quality of the calcined coke. After the anode production system of an aluminum plant in Northwest China was put into production, the product quality was poor. After investigation, it was considered that the calcination temperature was insufficient, which was one of the influencing factors. For this reason, the discussion and practice of high temperature calcination were carried out. Silicon carbide (SiC) is produced by high-temperature smelting of electric furnaces such as quartz sand, petroleum coke (or coal char), and wood chips (which require the addition of salt when producing green silicon carbide). Silicon carbide is also a rare mineral in nature, Moissanite. Silicon carbide is also known as carbon silica. Among the non-oxide high-tech refractory raw materials such as C, N and B, silicon carbide is the most widely used and economical one, and it can be called gold steel sand or refractory sand. At present, China's industrial production of silicon carbide is divided into black silicon carbide and green silicon carbide, both hexagonal crystals, specific gravity of 3.20 ~ 3.25, microhardness of 2840 ~ 3320kg / mm2. Silicon Carbide is a kind of carbide accidentally discovered by the American Acheson in the 1891 fused diamond experiment. It was mistaken for a mixture of diamonds at that time, so it was named Emery. In 1893, Acheson came out. The method of industrial smelting of silicon carbide, which is commonly known as the Acheson furnace, has been used until now, with a carbonaceous material as the core of the resistance furnace, energized to heat the mixture of quartz SIO2 and carbon to form silicon carbide. Due to the low natural content, silicon carbide is mostly artificial. The common method is to mix quartz sand with coke, use the silica and petroleum coke, add salt and wood chips, put it into an electric furnace, heat it to a high temperature of about 2000 °C, and obtain silicon carbide powder after various chemical processes. . What advantages of using recarburizer for steel & iron casting? What is a recarburizer? A recarburizer is an carbon additive for steel & iron casting. In the production of steel, it not only reduces the use of pig iron, but also increases the amount of steel scrap. The recarburizer is an essential carbon raw material for the production of high-quality steel. At the same time, in gray cast iron and ductile iron, the recarburizer also plays a very good role in carbon addition. What are the advantages of using a recarburizer for steel & iron casting? Everyone knows that when steel is manufactured, castings are prone to various problems. This is not only a waste of financial resources, but also loss of human resources, and finally a waste of resources. The recarburizing agent is used in casting, which can greatly increase the amount of steel scrap, reduce the use of pig iron or even eliminate the use of pig iron, and greatly reduce the production cost. The recarburizers are mainly come from coal and petroleum coke. Most of the recarburizers are petroleum coke, and are suitable for electric furnace melting, and a small part of the reheating agent with a particularly fast absorption rate is used for the cupola. In the feeding mode of electric furnace smelting, the recarburizing agent should be placed together with the charging materials such as scrap steel. The addition of small doses can be added to the surface of the molten iron, but it is necessary to avoid feeding large quantities into the water to prevent excessive oxidation and carbonation. The effect is not obvious and the carbon content of the casting is insufficient. The amount of recarburizer added depends on the ratio of other raw materials and the carbon content. Different types of castings can be selected according to the needs of different types of recarburizers. Petroleum coke recarburizer can reduce the amount of pig iron. The amount of impurities, the choice of recarburizers can reduce the cost of living from that. For this reason, most manufacturers use petroleum coke recarburizers to reduce production costs. What are the uses of petroleum coke? What is petroleum coke? Petroleum coke is a product obtained by separating crude oil from heavy oil by distillation and then thermally cracking the heavy oil. From the appearance, coke is a black block (or granule) of irregular shape and size. ), with metallic luster, coke particles have a porous structure, the main elemental composition is carbon, and contains less impurities than coal. Petroleum coke can be used in the industries of graphite, smelting and chemical industry depending on its quality. Low-sulfur, high-quality cooked coke, such as needle coke, is mainly used to manufacture ultra-high-power graphite electrodes and some special carbon products. In the steel-making industry, needle coke is an important material for developing new technologies for electric steelmaking. Medium sulfur, ordinary cooked coke, used in large quantities for aluminum smelting. High sulfur and ordinary coke are used in chemical production, such as the manufacture of calcium carbide, silicon carbide, etc., as well as fuel for metal casting. Most of the petroleum coke produced in China is low-sulfur coke, which is mainly used for aluminum smelting and graphite production. It is mainly used for the production of carbon products, such as graphite electrodes and anode arcs, for steel making, non-ferrous metals, and aluminum smelting; for the production of carbonized silicon products, such as various grinding wheels, sand sheets, sandpaper, etc.; Production of synthetic fibers, acetylene and other products can also be used as fuel, but when used as fuel, it needs to be crushed by a graded impact mill for superfine pulverization. It can be burned after making coke powder through JZC-1250 equipment, using coke powder as fuel. Mainly some glass factories, coal water slurry plants, etc. Another use of petroleum coke is to produce higher quality carbon materials after calcination. For example, 3.0% of high sulfur calcined coke after calcination can be used as prebaked anode for aluminum, and low sulfur calcined petroleum coke can be used as recarburizer. It is a low-demand use such as gray cast iron. After deep processing of petroleum coke, graphitized petroleum coke can be obtained. It is a high-quality carbon material and can be used as a recarburizer. 20181115 China's petroleum coke market remains stable and calcined coke for aluminum... On Thursday (November 15), the petroleum coke market remained stable for a short period of time. The calcined coke recarburizer was still trading, the anode material and the graphitization coke demand were good, and the aluminum calcined coke was unsatisfactory. The three major groups of petroleum coke market: In terms of Sinopec, the trading performance of the petroleum coke market was stable today. The downstream aluminum spot price of the Yangtze River was below the fourteenth consecutive month. In the winter, most aluminum companies have higher cost and no profit margin due to the price of electricity. Some aluminum enterprises in Qinghai have begun to cut production. The market for raw petroleum coke and calcined coke is a negative factor. Most of Sinopec's refineries have recently shipped well, and there is no pressure on inventory. In the case of CNPC and CNOOC, the petroleum coke market in the northwest region still has no pressure and good demand. The petroleum coke market in Northeast China has performed steadily. The downstream calcined coke recarburizer is still trading. The demand for anode materials and graphitization coke is good. Short-term coke prices will also be stable. Refining petroleum coke: Today, the refinery of petroleum coke shipments is still stable. Petrochemicals are about to start with a set of 1 million tons/year coking. Today, the price of coke is down by 20 yuan/ton. The price of coke in the first two days has risen too fast, and today it has fallen by 100 yuan/ Tons; petrochemical petroleum coke content decreased to less than 1.0%, today's latest offer 2150 yuan / ton; in addition, petrochemical petroleum coke began to take off today, sulfur content of 2.0%, pricing 1,800 yuan / ton. Overall, the refinery of petroleum coke shipments has slowed slightly. Calcined coke market: Shandong Industry and Trade recently produced all the raw materials for calcined coke, and the calcined coke content of new materials was reduced to 2.5%. Recently, domestic aluminum calcined coke shipments are still poor. 20181104 Overview of China Petroleum Coke Related Markets this week 20181104 This week, the mainstream of petroleum coke market is stable, the support of the downstream market is limited, all enterprises are purchasing on demand, and the trading of petroleum coke market has slowed down. In detail, the price of petroleum coke in Sinopec's refinery was stable this week, and only some high-sulfur coke prices fluctuated slightly. Shipments along the Yangtze River this week were large, mainly for the delivery before the Shanghai Expo. The individual ports along the Yangtze River stopped operations on November 2-11, and the prices of other varieties were temporarily stabilized. Formosa Plastics Coke is about to start tendering in December, and there are more negative factors in the near future. In the early period, high inventory, southern metal silicon will enter the off-season, and some common downstream refinery petroleum coke prices are relatively low, the external disk high sulfur coke price fell, the RMB exchange rate continued. Falling, there is still a slight risk of falling under current prices. Prebaked anode: This week, the mainstream price of China's prebaked anode market has stabilized. Production: Shandong enterprises produce normal production, and ultra-low emission in autumn and winter can not limit production; Henan Zhengzhou area requires carbon enterprises to reduce 50% of all pollution sources, mainly controlling carbon emissions; in addition to individual enterprises, Hebei carbon enterprises Most of them meet the standard A category and are not restricted. Market outlook: raw material petroleum coke, coal bitumen this week, the overall price is stable, the price of individual enterprises is lowered, the support of cost side is limited; the heating season is approaching, the market supply may increase, but the growth rate is limited, some enterprises have maintained half of the work; downstream electrolysis The aluminum market fell below the fourth level, and the operating pressure of the company was relatively high. It was not excluded that the company actively reduced production in the later period and affected the consumption of the anode market. In general, most municipal policies are not yet clear, so due to multi-faceted factors, the price of prebaked anodes may fluctuate and stabilize in the short term. Metal silicon: This week, the metal silicon market performance is weak and stable, and the price of low-grade metallurgical grade metal silicon market has dropped slightly. The price of oxygen metallurgical grade silicon metal ports in the northern region dropped by 100-200 yuan/ton, while the market for non-oxygen 553# metal silicon was relatively light. The markets in various regions were light and the orders were few. Previously, the price strategy adopted by the manufacturers to deal with the shutdown during the dry season has not been applied. Some enterprises in Sichuan and Chongqing have already lowered the price of non-oxygen 553# metal silicon by a hundred yuan. The high-grade metallurgical grade metal silicon market is generally stable. Recently, the high-grade metal silicon output is low. The planned production of silicon enterprises remains on the sidelines. However, due to weak demand, prices are still not decreasing. The chemical grade 421# metal silicon market has a large gap. Due to raw material problems in Sichuan, the output of quality products is less, but the demand for long-term fixed customers is more, and there is a shortage of supply. However, the production of 421# metal silicon in Yunnan and other places in Xinjiang is relatively large, resulting in a sufficient spot of 421# metal silicon in the overall market. On the whole, in November, chemical companies all over the country had maintenance plans, and the demand for metal 421 in the later period was weak. Steel: This week, domestic steel prices are dominated by high-level consolidation. Leading steel mills have a strong willingness to price and boost market confidence. Social stocks continued to decline, and the decline was obvious. The environmental protection and production restriction policies were strict and the steel prices were supported. However, due to factors such as tight capital at the end of the month, the transaction was relatively light. It is expected that short-term domestic steel prices will likely rise and fall. Cement: This week, the national cement market price has blossomed everywhere, and the price in the southern market has been singing all the way. On the 31st, the price of clinker in the Yangtze River Delta region in China rose sharply by 50 yuan/ton, driving the price of cement in the surrounding areas of Zhejiang and Jiangsu to continue to rise. During the week, Jiangxi, Shanghai and Shandong all had different price increases. The cement market in Central and South China was stable. There has been a rise, and the Guangdong region has once again gained a round. The two lakes market is still showing signs of rising. The price changes in Henan are frequent and the offer is chaotic. In the southwest Sichuan-Chongqing region, the price increase was discounted, the market in North China was stable, the prices in Tianjin and Hebei increased, and the prices in the northwest of Shaanxi Province were higher than those in Shaanxi, and the rest were stable. Affected by temperature, demand is gradually declining. 20181019 China Recarburizer price market overview this week 20181019 This week, the mainstream price of China's Recarburizer market is stable, the low-grade Recarburizer market is generally trading, the company's inventory is high, and the medium and high Recarburizer market is better. The heating season is just around the corner, the downstream steel mill's production restriction policy is clear, the company's operating rate is low, and the receiving sentiment is relatively dull. The Rebondurizer market price is generally stable and the possibility of deposit and loss is high. The prices of raw materials in the medium and high-grade Recarburizer market were generally raised after the holiday, and the cost pressure of production enterprises increased. However, due to the limited acceptance of the downstream market, the company's quotation has not been raised. At present, the main materials of Recarburizer are coal and petroleum coke. The petroleum coke is divided into ordinary calcined Recarburizer and graphitized Recarburizer because of the degree of calcination. After years of tempering in the market, the petroleum coke Recarburizer has gradually replaced the market position of coal-based Recarburizer, and the shipment volume is relatively high. Calcined Recarburizer: This week, the mainstream price of China's general calcined Recarburizer market remained stable, and the overall market shipments were generally due to the general consumption of downstream steel mills, and the demand was relatively light. Most of the recalcinated Recarburizer manufacturers are electric calcined anthracite enterprises, self-produced screening, and the environmental protection facilities of the local enterprises in the main producing area are undergoing the inspection and acceptance of environmental protection facilities. If the enterprises fail to meet the standards or restrict production, the market starts will be limited. The production of enterprises in North China is normal, but the reaction starts low, the market is generally trading, and the enterprises have inventory. Downstream: China's construction steel prices are trading strongly this week. Recently, in the environmentally-friendly production and the leading regions, the stock market digested and enlarged, coupled with the decrease in the shipments of the leading steel mills, the stronger willingness to price, and the support of the construction steel market continued to rise. It is understood that the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development said that all localities should take effective measures to speed up the progress of construction, increase the construction of supporting infrastructure for sheds, and the terminal demand is still acceptable. However, as the price gradually increases, the terminal transaction will gradually decrease, and the market risk preference will be lower. The high price of the willingness to accept is relatively limited, which is not conducive to the sharp rise in prices. Coupled with the recent snail and steel billet red and green intertwined, resulting in a turbulent mentality in the building materials market, traders are cautious, and the atmosphere is strong. Market outlook: It is expected that the short-term building materials market will fluctuate and strengthen, with a range of 50 yuan/ton. Calcined Petroleum Coke recarburizer: This week, the price of China's calcined coke Recarburizer is stable, the raw material price is high, and the production cost of the enterprise is high. However, in view of the environmental impact of the downstream enterprises, the low-level operation, the demand for Recarburizer is relatively stable, the market is generally trading, the late heating season is coming, the calcined coke Prices may fluctuate due to limited production, etc., affecting Recarburizer shipments, or will benefit other quality Recarburizer. Medium and high sulfur calcined coke: This week, the medium and high sulfur calcined coke market was generally trading, the shipment was stable, the market was slightly weak, and the price of the coke was not adjusted. In terms of production, the production load of Zhaoxing carbon is increasing, and individual enterprises in Shandong Guangrao are not expected to reduce production. It is understood that the impact of this winter's limited production policy on calcined coke enterprises will be less than expected. A new carbon-fired enterprise in Shandong is expected to ignite four new calciners at the end of this month, and the monthly output is expected to increase by about 20,000 tons. There is no inventory backlog, and there is no pressure on the trading market of calcined coke. However, at the same time, after the production load of the enterprise is increased, coupled with the recent poor performance of the aluminum market, the price of domestic medium and high sulfur calcined coke at the end of the month is still at a downward risk, and the estimated range is about 50 yuan/ton. . Graphitized petroleum coke Recarburizer: This week, the price of China's graphitized petroleum coke Recarburizer is stable. The price of raw material petroleum coke is stable and the price is high. The pressure on the production cost of Recarburizer is increasing. Among them, the production of individual enterprises in Henan and Xinjiang was suspended due to environmental protection, and the operating rate fell. In addition, the graphitization enterprises of anode materials in the market will start construction in the second half of the year, and the output will be released. Enterprises in Jiangsu Province have normal production, good shipments and smooth exports. Late prediction: The general market for recarburization of Recarburizer is currently trading, and the stock of enterprises is higher, but the price of raw materials for electric calcination may be lower due to limited production, which stimulates the price of Recarburizer; the price of calcined coke and graphitized Recarburizer is driven by cost. The pressure is increasing, and the price push is stronger. 20181014 China Prebaked Anode Price Market Weekly Review 20181014 This week, the mainstream price of the prebaked anode market rose, which is good for industry confidence. The fourth quarter has begun, the heating season is just around the corner, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region policy has been released, and ultra-low emissions can not be restricted, and local policies are being released. It is reported that some enterprises in Henan have passed the ultra-low acceptance test, and the Hebei region has limited production. India’s import of carbon-grade petroleum coke bans and sets quotas, which will benefit anode exports. Start-up situation: start-up situation: Hebei area: Hebei Hongke, Hebei Quxin carbon conventional, normal production, Zhongdong plans to switch production, Xinfeng raw blocks are all for Qinghai and peak, Hebei heating season adopts "step A\B \C" limited production; enterprises in Shanxi Province started to work weakly, Danyuan roasting is in the open, do some electrodes, Guan Aluminum plans to transform the enterprise, plans to do electrode paste or roasting electrode, has not been determined; The production of enterprises in Jiangsu area is normal, and the construction started higher than that in the second quarter. “The autumn and winter plan of the Yangtze River Delta has been released”, and production in Jiangsu will be limited during the heating season. Hubei Province has strict inspections, Hubei Tailai carbon production has been reduced, and environmental protection equipment has been transformed. Enterprises have a small amount of stocks; Guizhou area, Chinalco Guizhou carbon plant relocated, no output; Henan, some enterprises have reduced production, Boda electric porcelain processing electrodes, roasting A small amount, Huihao environmental protection equipment renovation, August shutdown maintenance, Henan Yuhui, Zhengzhou Great Wall discontinued production, Gongyi area, Jinyu started about 50%, Zhulin Saxin external processing carbon block, some enterprises have been low acceptance. In the southwestern region, some enterprises have reduced production; in the normal production of enterprises in Shandong, the output of individual enterprises has fluctuated. The carbon blocks of the supporting anodes are upgraded by environmental protection reasons or the electrolytic cell is overhauled. 1. The notice of the implementation plan for the implementation of the peak production regulation of industrial enterprises in the heating period of 2018-2019 during the reporting period of 2018-2019 indicates that the carbon enterprises used for electrolytic aluminum are limited to 50%. The production line is stable and achieves ultra-low emission (particles, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides are not higher than 10, 35, 50 mg/m3 respectively), and the production is limited to 50% in the non-ferrous recycling industry. Production line meter. 2. The Action Plan for Comprehensive Management of Air Pollution in the Autumn and Winter of 2018-2019 in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei and the Surrounding Areas has been released. 3, "The Yangtze River Delta autumn and winter air pollution tough battle to seek comments released", involving Jiangsu, Hubei. Cost aspect: Petroleum coke for prebaked anode: This week, the price of petroleum coke market rose first and then stabilized. During the National Day, some refineries executed pre-holiday orders, and the inventory performance after the holiday was low. The coke price was obviously pushed up, but the downstream market procurement operation was late this week. The performance was general. At the same time, the petroleum coke index of some enterprises was changed, the market low sulfur coke resources decreased, and the medium sulfur coke resources increased, so the market price gradually stabilized. Coal tar pitch: After the National Day holiday, the coal tar pitch market has risen sharply, and the revised asphalt offer has risen sharply, but as of this Thursday, the high level is still playing. Medium-temperature asphalt supply reduction in the short-term, downstream demand is still acceptable, low-end delisting, high breakthrough is limited. Supply side: According to statistics, in August 2018, the total output of China's prebaked anodes was 1,560,500 tons, of which 740,500 tons of commercial anodes and 802,000 tons of anodes were increased by 16,900 tons from August, an increase of 1.09%. The output in September increased slightly compared with the output in August. The main reason was that the output of individual anode enterprises increased, and the output of commercial anode enterprises increased and decreased, which was the same as last month. Downstream demand: Production cuts: Dengdian Group Aluminum Alloy Co., Ltd. and Henan Yongdeng Aluminum (Yangcheng) have slightly reduced production due to power supply problems. Gansu Zhongrui Aluminum has reduced production problems. Henan Zhongfu and Linfeng Aluminium Electric actively reduced production due to losses. Shanxi Zhaofeng Aluminium Power Environmental Inspection, shut down 65 units, involving a production capacity of 40,000 tons. Zouping Aluminum has all stopped production, involving a production capacity of 140,000 tons. Chinalco Liancheng reduced production by about 160,000 tons due to electricity price problems. Henan Shenhuo reduced production by about 110,000 tons. Xinjiang Oriental hopes to reduce production to 800,000 tons due to the indicator problem. Shaanxi Tongchuan Aluminum Industry Co., Ltd. all stopped, and the index was transferred to Meixin. Chinalco Guizhou's 150,000 tons has all been reduced. Huo Coal Tongshun Aluminum Industry is expected to implement around 2020 due to losses, intra-group replacement demand, or production cuts but not explicitly reduced production by 115,000 tons. Resumption of production: Jiaozuo Wanfang Aluminum has basically completed the resumption of production and partial rotation of the trough. In addition to the wheel repair, Linfeng Aluminium Electric has basically resumed production. Some of the tanks in the Longquan Aluminum Industry of Yugang were overhauled, and the rest of the production was completed. The current production capacity is 600,000 tons. Henan Zhongfu resumed production and the remaining rounds were repaired. Henan Wanji Aluminum completed its resumption of production in mid-May and now has a production capacity of 570,000 tons. Henan Yongdeng Aluminum Co., Ltd. (Yangcheng) Branch completed the resumption of production. In terms of new production: 125,000 tons of the fourth section of Guizhou Huaren Aluminum has been completed. Inner Mongolia Huayun New Materials on the 21st, the remaining 88 sets of the second plant began to start, and is currently completed. Shaanxi Meixin began commissioning equipment on September 15 and is expected to start production in November. Shanxi Chinalco China Resources 1st and 8th District has a current operating capacity of 80,000 tons and is temporarily stable. It is expected to continue production in late October. Yingkou Xintai Aluminum started production on September 5th. Yun Aluminum Haixin Aluminum Co., Ltd. put into operation 100,000 tons. Xinhengfeng Energy started production in August 2018 and plans to start production of 200,000 tons. Guizhou Xingren climbed the high, and the 122.5 million tons of electricity in the first phase was suspended again. It is expected to continue in early November. Gansu Zhongrui Aluminum Industry Phase I has completed 100,000 tons of production, and the second phase has not yet started production. The current funding problem has been reduced. Guangxi Hualei new materials four stages of 100,000 tons due to unit maintenance delayed production until October. Mengtai Aluminum is expected to complete production of 250,000 tons within the year. Inner Mongolia Chuangyuan Metal, with a current operating capacity of 90,000 tons, is now temporarily put into operation due to the price of electricity. Guangxi Suyuan's second series of 100,000 tons is expected to start production at the end of October. A series of 100,000 tons of Guangxi Debao 100 mines has been completed. A series of 100,000 tons of aluminum in the Tianlin 100 mine in Guangxi is currently slowly put into operation. Guangxi Laibin Yinhai Aluminum has a production capacity of 500,000 tons. Heqing Yixin Aluminum Co., Ltd. is expected to start production in October 2018. Market outlook: The price of raw petroleum coke is generally raised after the holiday, the price of coal tar is pushing up, the price is increasing, the pressure of prebaked anode is increasing; the stocking of downstream electrolytic aluminum market is still going on, which is good for anode consumption, but the price of aluminum has been Low-level operation, aluminum enterprises almost all losses, enterprises may take the initiative to reduce production, the pace of new investment, resumption of production slowed down, negative anode consumption. Therefore, the short-term prebaked anode market price has limited support and is stable in the short term. Petroleum coke prices remained stable during the 2018 Chinese National Day Monday (October 8th) today is the first working day after the National Day. According to the understanding of the price of petroleum coke during the National Day, the price remains mainly stable, and the price after the holiday has been adjusted. The price of calcined petroleum coke is slightly raised, and the coke is burnt. The price of recarburizer is temporarily unchanged. Sinopec, during the National Day, Sinopec's Tahe and Maoming Petrochemical prices have been adjusted, and today, Tahe coke prices continue to increase, it is reported that Tahe petroleum coke cumulative increase of 60 yuan / ton, Maoming petrochemical coke price before the holiday cut significantly 120 yuan / Tons, mainly due to the high price in the previous period, coupled with the price adjustment of the National Day holiday, the current oil coke shipments of the factory are low. The price of petroleum coke in Yanshan Petrochemical Company of North China was lowered by RMB 60/ton today. The factory shipped poorly during the festival and there were fewer transport vehicles. Luoyang Petrochemical's shipment is still acceptable, and the price of Dongming is raised to support its shipment. The price of Tianjin Petrochemical Railway Transportation was raised by RMB 50/ton. The quality of petroleum coke in Anqing Petrochemical was slightly lower due to higher prices in the previous period. The Sinochem Quanzhou coking unit has been shut down during the National Day and there is currently no inventory in the plant. In the case of PetroChina and CNOOC, Daqing and Fushun Petrochemical in Northeast China began to sell their petroleum coke in October, and the shipment is relatively stable. Liaoyang Petrochemical's price is lowered by 50 yuan/ton today, and the coking unit of the plant is expected to be shut down for one year from mid-October. The commencement of the Liaohe petrochemical coking unit has been postponed and it is expected that products will be available in the middle. The petrochemical coking unit in the northwest region started construction at the end of September. At present, it has been out of focus, and the price is raised by 50 yuan/ton. Wu Petrochemical and Dushanzi Petrochemical petroleum coke shipped well, among which the petrochemical index of Wujiang Petrochemical continued to improve in the near future. The sulfur content was all within 1.0%, and the price of Yumen Petrochemical Petroleum Coke was raised by RMB 50/ton from 10.1. As the first working day after the National Day, the price of refinery petroleum coke has risen in an all-round way, with a concentration of 30-130 yuan/ton. Before the holiday, due to the high cost performance of the refining petroleum coke, the refineries have signed a large number of contracts. At present, most of the refineries have no inventory and the shipments are smooth. In terms of refinery dynamics, Hengbang Petrochemical Co., Ltd. resumed production and still produces projectile coke; Zhenghe Petrochemical Coking Unit was shut down for maintenance on September 30, and petroleum coke has no inventory; Longhai Petrochemical and Qirun Chemical Coking have not yet started. Calcined petroleum coke recarburizer market: Today, the market for calcined coke recarburizers is stable, and corporate prices have not been adjusted. During the National Day of PetroChina Liaohe Petroleum Exploration Bureau Co., Ltd., the two rotary kiln have been started normally. However, since the refinery coking unit has not been out of focus, the plant is not yet fully loaded. At present, the plant is burning coke recarburizer. The price is maintained before the National Day, and the shipment is acceptable. Weekly analysis: China's prebaked anode price market review (2018.09.27) This week, the mainstream price of China's prebaked anode market was running smoothly. The heating season is approaching, and the environmental protection policy and the limited production ratio are the focus of the industry. At present, the “2+26 and surrounding areas” autumn and winter tackling schemes have been released, and specific implementation measures will be released one after another. It is reported that enterprises in Henan Province are actively rectifying and reforming, and will continue to accept and accept in October to determine the ratio of production restrictions; Zibo area will not limit production. Starting situation: Four enterprises in Hebei, Hebei Hongke, Hebei Quxin carbon, regular production, Zhongdong plans to switch production, Xinfengsheng block is all for Qinghai and peak, Hebei area for the national three, the country five car transport restrictions, autumn The winter tackling plan has been released; the Shanxi region is weakly started, Danyuan roasting is being opened, some electrodes are being used, and the Guanlan plan enterprise is undergoing transformation, and the electrode paste or roasting electrode is planned to be determined. The inspection in Hubei is strict, and the production of Hubei Tailai carbon is reduced. In the renovation of environmental protection equipment, enterprises have a small amount of inventory; in Guizhou, Chinalco Guizhou carbon plant relocated, no output; in Henan, some enterprises have reduced production, Boda electric porcelain processing electrode, roasting a small amount, Huihao environmental protection equipment renovation, August Shutdown maintenance, Henan Yuhui, Zhengzhou Great Wall discontinued; Gongyi area, Jinyu started about 50%, bamboo forest Sasin outside processing carbon block. In the southwestern part of the country, some enterprises have reduced production, and the carbon blocks of individual anodes are upgraded due to environmental protection reasons or the electrolytic cell is overhauled. Petroleum coke: petroleum coke for prebaked anode: This week, the price of petroleum coke market began to bottom out, mainly reflected in local refineries. Sinopec's refinery's petroleum coke remained stable this week, with a slight downward adjustment. PetroChina's refinery's coke price remained stable. More, CNOOC this week, two refineries started working. In detail, Sinopec's refinery's petroleum coke is only 20-40 yuan/ton in the two refineries of Gaoqiao and Guangzhou, and the price of Lanzhou petrochemical in the northwest of CNPC is raised by 60 yuan/ton. CNOOC Binzhou Zhonghai and Zhoushan Petrochemical re-pricing this week. The price has dropped before the stoppage. In terms of refining, the price of this week has risen and fallen by 50-100 yuan/ton. Coal bitumen: This week, the coal tar pitch market has been pushed up, and it has been actively promoted. The atmosphere of negotiations has been strong, and attention has been paid to the establishment of purchasing prices for key enterprises. The cost pressure of coal tar pitch manufacturers is obvious. In October, the equipment maintenance plan increased, and the increase was more confident. Late forecast: It is expected that the coal tar pitch market will go up and the increase will be a game. The raw material price is high before the holiday, and the price reduction may not be ruled out after the holiday. The supply of coal tar will be reduced in October. There are still restrictions on the terminal market. According to statistics, in August 2018, China's total output of prebaked anodes was 1,543,600 tons, of which commercial anodes were 751,500 tons, and supporting anodes were 799,800 tons. The increase was 0.77 million tons in July, an increase of 0.5%. In August, the output increased slightly compared with the output in July. Some enterprises in the Gongyi area of Henan resumed production and the production capacity was released. The overall output increased compared with July. However, the enterprises supporting the anodes have stopped production and repaired zero production, resulting in a small increase in the overall supply of the market. Resumption: Jiaozuo Wanfang Aluminum has basically completed the resumption of production and partial tank repairs. Linfeng Aluminium, in addition to the wheel repair, the rest of the production capacity is basically resumed. Some of the long-slots in Longquan, Henan Province were overhauled, and the rest of the production was completed. The current production capacity is 600,000 tons. Henan Zhongfu began to resume production in late April, and began to resume production in late April. The resumption of production was completed and the remaining rounds were repaired. Henan Wanji Aluminum completed the resumption of production in mid-May and now has a production capacity of 570,000 tons. Henan Yongdeng Aluminum Co., Ltd. (Yangcheng) Branch completed the resumption of production. New production: The remaining 88 troughs of Inner Mongolia Huayun New Materials No. 2 Plant began to be launched one after another and are currently in operation. Shaanxi Meixin began commissioning equipment on September 15 and is expected to start production in November. Chinalco China Resources 1st and 8th District 125,000 tons was officially put into operation on May 19th. The current operating capacity is 80,000 tons, which is temporarily stable. It is expected to continue production in October. The 125,000 tons of network fee in the fourth section of Guizhou Huaren Aluminum Industry has been resolved, and it is expected to be completed in mid-October. Yingkou Xintai Aluminum, on September 5, new production capacity began to be put into production. Yun Aluminum Haixin Aluminum Industry Co., Ltd. started power supply in late July and is expected to start production to around 150,000 tons during the year. Baotou Xinhengfeng Energy started production in August 2018 and plans to start production of 200,000 tons. The problem of 125,000 tons of electricity in Guizhou Xingren's first stage was suspended again and is expected to continue in early November. Gansu Zhongrui Aluminum Industry Phase I has completed 100,000 tons of production, and the second phase has not yet started production. The current funding problem has been reduced. Guangxi Hualei new materials four stages of 100,000 tons due to unit maintenance delayed production until October. Mengtai Aluminum in Baotou City is expected to complete production of 250,000 tons within the year. Inner Mongolia Chuangyuan Metal Co., Ltd., with a current operating capacity of 90,000 tons, is now temporarily put into operation due to the price of electricity. Guangxi Suyuan Investment Series 100,000 tons began to continue construction, is expected to start production at the end of October, completed production within the year. A series of 100,000 tons of Guangxi Debao 100 mine started production on April 7, 2018. The current operating capacity is 65,000 tons, which is expected to be completed in October. A series of 100,000 tons of aluminum in the Tianlin Baiyuan Mine in Guangxi began production in early May 2018 and is currently in slow production. Guangxi Laibin Yinhai has completed production in early May and now has a production capacity of 500,000 tons. Heqing Yixin is expected to start production in October 2018. Market outlook: The price of raw petroleum coke stopped falling, the price of coal tar pitch was stable, and the support of anode cost was stable. The enthusiasm of downstream electrolytic aluminum enterprises was not reduced, mainly for stocking in winter, which was good for anode consumption. In addition, the maintenance of individual anodes for supporting anodes To increase anode consumption, there will be a small price increase in the short-term market, which is about 100 yuan/ton. In the fourth quarter, the development will be subject to the implementation of environmental protection policies and the multi-faceted price of raw materials.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1101
__label__cc	0.718764	0.281236	Unbalance of Power Published Sept. 7, 2004 - By Al Gore "What would Benjamin Franklin think of President Bush’s assertion that he has the inherent power…to launch an invasion?" The U.S. is now in a permanent state of war, says Al Gore, former vice-president of the United States. Read his biting assessment of the Bush administration's trespass of our trust and our liberty. Published Sept. 7, 2004 - By Bruce Kasanoff Your customers don't want more, they want LESS! Kasanoff uses examples to point out the mind-twistingly frustrating customer experiences that have become commonplace in today's corporations. Improve your customers' lives: Clone your best people! Anticipate your customers' needs! Make a don't-do list! (Item #1, don't ask for your customers' account number three times in one call!) What's wrong with Atkins? Published Sept. 7, 2004 - By Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine According to Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, not only are high-protein low-carb diets unlikely to be effective tools for keeping the weight off, but they be harmful to your health. Meat protein-heavy diets such as Atkins have been shown to dramatically increase susceptibility to colon cancer, heart disease, kidney This I Believe! - Tom's 60 TIBs Published Aug. 25, 2004 - By Tom Peters Tom Peters is back with more Big Ideas for your job, your company, and your life. The marketing and strategy guru holds forth on why audacity matters, why women are the future of leadership, and why diversity is crucial to business success. Those who have never read Tom will find an excellent primer here; those well-versed in Peters' ideas can get up to spee How to Defeat Terrorism Published Aug. 25, 2004 - By Benjamin Kuipers Terrorism expert Benjamin Kuipers lays out a step-by-step process for defeating terrorism. Calling the Iraq war a major step backward in the fight against terror, Kuipers writes that mutual trust between communities is an important weapon against the spread of terrorism, as is trust between those communities and their authorities. Once trust is established, Ku Before It Happens to You Published Aug. 24, 2004 - By Jonathan Sackner Bernstein, M.D. This manifesto could save your life. Every single one of us is at risk of heart attack and disease, and a simple daily regimen can help stave off such heart problems, says Dr. Jonathan Sackner-Bernstein. A well-respected cardiologist and lecturer, Dr. Sackner-Bernstein has extensively investigated the effects of betablockers on patients with h How To Get Better Teachers—and Treat Them Right Published Aug. 24, 2004 - By Chester E. Finn, Jr. To start producing better students, we need to find better teachers. To do that, Chester E. Finn, Jr., a distinguished visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution, proposes taking a common-sense approach to lure our best and brightest to join the profession: deregulate teaching, and pay outstanding teachers more than mediocre ones. The Corporate Weblog Manifesto Published Aug. 24, 2004 - By Robert Scoble Before you post to the company blog again, read this manifesto. To blog guru Robert Scoble, business bloggers should have a few things in common. Among them, they should steer clear of PR-cleansed jargon, they should have a thick skin, and they should avoid writing during times of emotional turmoil. Scoble, a Microsoft strategist, knows his stuff--he's one Published Aug. 24, 2004 - By Seth Godin Marketing guru and agent of change Seth Godin writes that for your company to do more, sometimes you need to do less! Stop trying to be all things to all people (or customers), and focus (in your life and in your work) on your core strengths. Your business (and probably your sanity) are likely to improve. The Art of the Start Published Aug. 13, 2004 - By Guy Kawasaki & Shawn Welch A former Apple Fellow and entrepreneur extraordinaire, Guy talks about up-starting a start-up. A sneak preview from his upcoming book, "The Art of the Start." Guy encourages entrepreneurs to make meaning, make mantra, and get going. According to Kawasaki, some examples of making 'meaning' are: make the world a better place, increase the quality of life « Previous 1 2 … 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 Next »	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1103
__label__cc	0.686667	0.313333	Terms & Conditions of website usage These Terms of Sale, together with any and all other documents referred to herein, set out the terms under which Goods are sold by Us to consumers through this website, (“Our Site”). Please read these Terms of Sale carefully and ensure that you understand them before ordering any Goods from Our Site. You will be required to read and accept these Terms of Sale when ordering Goods. If you do not agree to comply with and be bound by these Terms of Sale, you will not be able to order Goods through Our Site. These Terms of Sale, as well as any and all Contracts are in the English language only. In these Terms of Sale, unless the context otherwise requires, the following expressions have the following meanings: means a contract for the purchase and sale of Goods, as explained in Clause 8; means the goods sold by Us through Our Site; “Goodwill Guarantee” means the goodwill guarantee offered by Chiltern Office Furniture Ltd. , a limited company registered in England under10637890, whose registered address is The Downshire, 71 Baldwins Lane, Croxley Green,Rickmansworth, Herts. WD3 3LT and whose main trading address is 5 Amber Cottages, Barrack Hill, Coleshill, Bucks, HP7 0LW , which exists to enhance the legal rights of Our customers in the United Kingdom to change their mind and return Goods to Us; means your order for Goods; means our acceptance and confirmation of your Order; means the reference number for your Order; and “We/Us/Our” means Chiltern Office Furniture Ltd., a company registered in England under 10637890, whose registered address is The Downshire, 71 Baldwins Lane, Croxley Green, Rickmans worth, Herts WD3 3LT and whose main trading address is 5 Amber Cottages, Barrack Hill, Coleshill, Bucks HP7 0LW. Our Site, http://www.chilternofficefurniture.co.uk/ is owned and operated by Chiltern Office Furniture Ltd., a limited company registered in England under 10637890, whose registered address is The Downshire, 71 Baldwins Lane, Croxley Green, Rickmansworth, Herts WD3 3LT and whose main trading address is 5 Amber Cottages, Barrack Hill, Coleshill, Bucks HP7 0LW. Our VAT number is 263746581. Access to and Use of Our Site Access to Our Site is free of charge. It is your responsibility to make any and all arrangements necessary in order to access Our Site. Access to Our Site is provided “as is” and on an “as available” basis.We may alter, suspend or discontinue Our Site (or any part of it) at any time and without notice.We will not be liable to you in any way if Our Site (or any part of it) is unavailable at any time and for any period. Use of Our Site is subject to our Website Terms of Use http://chilternofficefurniture.co.uk/terms .Please ensure that you have read them carefully and that you understand them. Consumers may only purchase Goods through Our Site if they are at least 18 years of age. None of the Goods on Our Site may be purchased by anyone under 18 years of age. These Terms of Sale do not apply to customers purchasing Goods in the course of business. Please note that We only sell to customers in the United Kingdom. We do not accept orders from, or deliver to, customers outside the United Kingdom. Goods, Pricing and Availability We make all reasonable efforts to ensure that all descriptions and graphical representations of Goods available from Us correspond to the actual Goods.Please note, however, the following: Images of Goods are for illustrative purposes only.There may be slight variations in colour between the image of a product and the actual product sold due to differences in computer displays and lighting conditions; Images and/or descriptions of packaging are for illustrative purposes only, the actual packaging of Goods may vary. Please note that sub-Clause 7.1 does not exclude Our responsibility for mistakes due to negligence on Our part and refers only to minor variations of the correct Goods, not to different Goods altogether.Please refer to Clause 11 if you receive incorrect Goods (i.e. Goods that are not as described). Where appropriate, you may be required to select the required size, model, colour, number, or other feature of the Goods that you are purchasing. We cannot guarantee that Goods will always be available.Stock indications are not provided on Our Site. Minor changes may, from time to time, be made to certain Goods between your Order being placed and Us processing that Order and dispatching the Goods, for example, to reflect changes in relevant laws and regulatory requirements, or to address particular technical or security issues.Any such changes will not change any main characteristics of the Goods and will not normally affect your use of those Goods.However, if any change is made that would affect your use of the Goods, suitable information will be provided to you. We make all reasonable efforts to ensure that all prices shown on Our Site are correct at the time of going online.We reserve the right to change prices and to add, alter, or remove special offers from time to time and as necessary.All pricing information is reviewed and updated every 10 days.Changes in price will not affect any order that you have already placed (please note sub-Clause 7.9 regarding VAT, however). All prices are checked by Us before We accept your Order.In the unlikely event that We have shown incorrect pricing information, We will contact you in writing to inform you of the mistake.If the correct price is lower than that shown when you made your Order, we will simply charge you the lower amount and continue processing your Order.If the correct price is higher, We will give you the option to purchase the Goods at the correct price or to cancel your Order (or the affected part of it).We will not proceed with processing your Order in this case until you respond.If We do not receive a response from you within 10 days, We will treat your Order as cancelled and notify you of this in writing. In the event that the price of Goods you have ordered changes between your Order being placed and Us processing that Order and taking payment, you will be charged the price shown on Our Site at the time of placing your Order. All prices on Our Site include VAT.If the VAT rate changes between your Order being placed and Us taking payment, the amount of VAT payable will be automatically adjusted when taking payment. Delivery charges are not included in the price of Goods displayed on Our Site.For more information on delivery charges, please refer to http://chilternofficefurniture.co.uk/delivery .Delivery options and related charges will be presented to you as part of the order process. Orders – How Contracts Are Formed Our Site will guide you through the ordering process.Before submitting your Order you will be given the opportunity to review your Order and amend it.Please ensure that you have checked your Order carefully before submitting it. If, during the order process, you provide Us with incorrect or incomplete information, please contact Us as soon as possible.If We are unable to process your Order due to incorrect or incomplete information, We will contact you to ask to correct it.If you do not give us the accurate or complete information within a reasonable time of Our request, We will cancel your Order and treat the Contract as being at an end.If We incur any costs as a result of your incorrect or incomplete information, We may pass those costs on to you. No part of Our Site constitutes a contractual offer capable of acceptance.Your Order constitutes a contractual offer that We may, at Our sole discretion, accept.Our acknowledgement of receipt of your Order does not mean that we have accepted it. Our acceptance is indicated by Us sending you an Order Confirmation by email.Only once We have sent you an Order Confirmation will there be a legally binding Contract between Us and you. Order Confirmations shall contain the following information: Your Order Number; Confirmation of the Goods ordered including full details of the main characteristics of those Goods; Fully itemised pricing for the Goods ordered including, where appropriate, taxes, delivery and other additional charges; Estimated delivery date(s) and time(s); We will also include a paper copy of the Order Confirmation with your Goods. In the unlikely event that We do not accept or cannot fulfil your Order for any reason, We will explain why in writing.No payment will be taken under normal circumstances.If We have taken payment any such sums will be refunded to you as soon as possible and in any event within 30 days. Any refunds due under this Clause 8 will be made using the same payment method that you used when ordering the Goods. Payment for Goods and related delivery charges must always be made in advance and you will be prompted to pay during the order process.Your chosen payment method will not be charged until We dispatch your Goods. We accept the following methods of payment on Our Site: Delivery, Risk and Ownership All Goods purchased through Our Site will normally be delivered within 30 calendar days after the date of Our Order Confirmation unless otherwise agreed or specified during the Order process (subject to delays caused by events outside of Our control, for which see Clause 14). If We are unable to deliver the Goods on the delivery date, the following will apply: If no one is available at your delivery address to receive the Goods and the Goods cannot be posted through your letterbox or left in a safe place nominated by you, We will leave a delivery note explaining how to rearrange delivery or where to collect the Goods; If you do not collect the Goods or rearrange delivery within 5 working days, We will contact you to ask you how you wish to proceed.If we cannot contact you or arrange redelivery or collection, We will treat the Contract as cancelled and recover the Goods.If this happens, you will be refunded the purchase price of the Goods themselves, but not the cost of delivery.We may also bill you for any reasonable additional cost that we incur in recovering the Goods. In the unlikely event that We fail to deliver the Goods within 30 calendar days of Our Order Confirmation (or as otherwise agreed or specified as under sub-Clause 10.1), if any of the following apply you may treat the Contract as being at an end immediately: We have refused to deliver your Goods; or In light of all relevant circumstances, delivery within that time period was essential; or You told Us when ordering the Goods that delivery within that time period was essential. If you do not wish to cancel under sub-Clause 10.3 or if none of the specified circumstances apply, you may specify a new (reasonable) delivery date.If We fail to meet the new deadline, you may then treat the Contract as being at an end. You may cancel all or part of your Order under sub-Clauses 10.3 or 10.4 provided that separating the Goods in your Order would not significantly reduce their value.Any sums that you have already paid for cancelled Goods and their delivery will be refunded to you within 60 days.Please note that if any cancelled Goods are delivered to you, you must return them to Us or arrange with Us for their collection.In either case, We will bear the cost of returning the cancelled Goods. Delivery shall be deemed complete and the responsibility for the Goods will pass to you once We have delivered the Goods to the address [including, where relevant, any alternative address] you have provided. Ownership of the Goods passes to you once we have received payment in full of all sums due (including any applicable delivery charges). Any refunds due under this Clause 10 will be made using the same payment method that you used when ordering the Goods. Faulty, Damaged or Incorrect Goods By law, We must provide goods that are of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, as described at the time of purchase, in accordance with any pre-contract information We have provided, and that match any samples or models that you have seen or examined (unless We have made you aware of any differences).If any digital content is included in the Goods, that digital content must also conform.If any Goods you have purchased do not comply and, for example, have faults or are damaged when you receive them, or if you receive incorrect (or incorrectly priced) Goods, please contact Us at info@chilternofficefurniture.co.uk as soon as reasonably possible to inform Us of the fault, damage or error, and to arrange for a refund, repair or replacement.Your available remedies will be as follows: Beginning on the day that you receive the Goods (and ownership of them) you have a 30 calendar day right to reject the Goods and to receive a full refund if they do not conform as stated above. If you do not wish to reject the Goods, or if the 30 calendar day rejection period has expired, you may request a repair of the Goods or a replacement.We will bear any associated costs and will carry out the repair or replacement within a reasonable time and without significant inconvenience to you.In certain circumstances, where a repair or replacement is impossible or otherwise disproportionate, We may instead offer you the alternative (i.e. a replacement instead of a repair or vice versa) or a full refund.If you request a repair or replacement during the 30 calendar day rejection period, that period will be suspended while We carry out the repair or replacement and will resume on the day that you receive the replacement or repaired Goods.If less than 7 calendar days remain out of the original period, it will be extended to 7 calendar days. If, after a repair or replacement, the Goods still do not conform (or if We cannot do so as previously described, or have failed to act within a reasonable time or without significant inconvenience to you), you may have the right either to keep the Goods at a reduced price, or to reject them in exchange for a refund. If you exercise the final right to reject the goods more than six months after you have received the Goods (and ownership of them), We may reduce any refund to reflect the use that you have had out of the Goods. Within a period of six years after you have received the Goods (and ownership of them), if the Goods do not last a reasonable length of time, you may be entitled to a partial refund.Please be aware that after six months have passed since you received the Goods, the burden of proof will be on you to prove that the defect or non-conformity existed at the time of delivery. Please note that you will not be eligible to claim under this Clause 11 if We informed you of the fault(s), damage or other problems with the Goods before you purchased them (and it is because of the same issue that you now wish to return them); if you have purchased the Goods for an unsuitable purpose that is neither obvious nor made known to Us and the problem has resulted from your use of the Goods for that purpose; or if the problem is the result of normal wear and tear, misuse or intentional or careless damage.Please also note that you may not return Goods to Us under this Clause 11 merely because you have changed your mind.If you are a consumer in the European Union you have a legal right to a 14 calendar day cooling-off period within which you can return Goods for this reason.Please refer to Clause 12 for more details. To return Goods to Us for any reason under this Clause 11, please visit the returns page on Our Site http://chilternofficefurniture.co.uk/returns to complete a returns form please contact Us at info@chilternofficefurniture.co.uk to arrange for a collection and return.We will be fully responsible for the costs of returning Goods under this Clause 11 and will reimburse you where appropriate. Refunds (whether full or partial, including reductions in price) under this Clause 11 will be issued within 14 calendar days of the day on which We agree that you are entitled to the refund. Any and all refunds issued under this Clause 11 will include all delivery costs paid by you when the Goods were originally purchased. Refunds under this Clause 11 will be made using the same payment method that you used when ordering the Goods. For further information on your rights as a consumer, please contact your local Citizens’ Advice Bureau or Trading Standards Office. Our Liability to Consumers We will be responsible for any foreseeable loss or damage that you may suffer as a result of Our breach of these Terms of Sale (or the Contract) or as a result of Our negligence. Loss or damage is foreseeable if it is an obvious consequence of Our breach or negligence or if it is contemplated by you and Us when the Contract is created.We will not be responsible for any loss or damage that is not foreseeable. We only supply goods for domestic and private use by consumers.We make no warranty or representation that the Goods are fit for commercial, business or industrial use of any kind (including resale).We will not be liable to you for any loss of profit, loss of business, interruption to business, or for any loss of business opportunity. Nothing in these Terms of Sale seeks to limit or exclude Our liability for death or personal injury caused by Our negligence (including that of Our employees, agents or sub-contractors); or for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation. Nothing in these Terms of Sale seeks to exclude or limit your legal rights as a consumer.For more details of your legal rights, please refer to your local Citizens Advice Bureau or Trading Standards Office. Events Outside of Our Control (Force Majeure) We will not be liable for any failure or delay in performing Our obligations where that failure or delay results from any cause that is beyond Our reasonable control.Such causes include, but are not limited to: power failure, internet service provider failure, strikes, lock-outs or other industrial action by third parties, riots and other civil unrest, fire, explosion, flood, storms, earthquakes, subsidence, acts of terrorism (threatened or actual), acts of war (declared, undeclared, threatened, actual or preparations for war), epidemic or other natural disaster, or any other event that is beyond Our reasonable control. If any event described under this Clause 14 occurs that is likely to adversely affect Our performance of any of Our obligations under these Terms of Sale: We will inform you as soon as is reasonably possible; We will take all reasonable steps to minimise the delay; To the extent that we cannot minimise the delay, Our affected obligations under these Terms of Sale (and therefore the Contract) will be suspended and any time limits that We are bound by will be extended accordingly; We will inform you when the event outside of Our control is over and provide details of any new dates, times or availability of Goods as necessary; If the event outside of Our control continues for more than 10 days We will cancel the Contract and inform you of the cancellation.Any refunds due to you as a result of that cancellation will be paid to you as soon as is reasonably possible and in any event within 30 days of the date on which the Contract is cancelled; If an event outside of Our control occurs and continues for more than 60 days and you wish to cancel the Contract as a result, you may do so in any way you wish, however for your convenience contact us directly to cancel, please use the following details: Telephone:01494 432543 Email: info@chilternofficefurniture.co.uk ; Post: 5 Amber Cottages, Barrack Hill, Coleshill, Bucks HP7 0LW In each case, providing Us with your name, address, email address, telephone number, and Order Number. Any refunds due to you as a result of such cancellation will be paid to you as soon as is reasonably possible and in any event within 60 days of the date on which the Contract is cancelled. Communication and Contact Details If you wish to contact Us with general questions or complaints, you may contact Us by telephone at 01494 432543, by email at, info@chilternofficefurniture.co.uk or by post at 5 Amber Cottages, Barrack Hill, Coleshill, Bucks HP7 0LW. For matters relating the Goods or your Order, please contact Us by telephone at 01494 432543, by email at info@chilternofficefurniture.co.uk, or by post at 5 Amber Cottages, Barrack Hill, Coleshill, Bucks HP7 0LW . For matters relating to cancellations, please contact Us by telephone at 01494 432543, by email at info@chilternofficefurniture.co.uk, by post at 5 Amber Cottages, Barrack Hill, Coleshill, Bucks HP7 0LW, or refer to the relevant Clauses above. We always welcome feedback from Our customers and, whilst We always use all reasonable endeavours to ensure that your experience as a customer of Ours is a positive one, We nevertheless want to hear from you if you have any cause for complaint. All complaints are handled in accordance with Our complaints handling policy and procedure, available by emailing info@chilternofficefurniture.co.uk If you wish to complain about any aspect of your dealings with Us, please contact Us in one of the following ways: In writing, addressed to Chiltern Office Furniture Ltd, 5 Amber Cottages, Barrack Hill, Coleshill, Bucks HP7 0LW By email, addressed to Chiltern Office Furniture Ltd. At info@chilternofficefurniture.co.uk ; Using Our complaints form, following the instructions included with the form; By contacting Us by telephone on 01494 432543 How We Use Your Personal Information (Data Protection) All personal information that We may collect (including, but not limited to, your name, address and telephone number) will be collected, used and held in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 and your rights under that Act. Provide Our Goods and services to you; Process your Order (including payment) for the Goods; and Inform you of new products and/or services available from Us (if you opt or have previously opted to receive it).You may request that We stop sending you this information at any time. 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We may revise these Terms of Sale from time to time in response to changes in relevant laws and other regulatory requirements.If We change these Terms of Sale as they relate to your Order, We will give you reasonable advance notice of the changes and provide details of how to cancel if you are not happy with them.If you do opt to cancel, you must return any affected Goods you have already received and we will arrange for a full refund (including delivery charges) which will be paid within 60 days of your cancellation. These Terms of Sale, and the relationship between you and Us (whether contractual or otherwise) shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, English law. If you are a consumer, any disputes concerning these Terms of Sale, the relationship between you and Us, or any matters arising therefrom or associated therewith (whether contractual or otherwise) shall be subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland, as determined by your residency. If you are a business, any disputes concerning these Terms of Sale, the relationship between you and Us, or any matters arising therefrom or associated therewith (whether contractual or otherwise) shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1105
__label__wiki	0.988666	0.988666	Turkey’s Davutoglu says he will step down (Update 4) By FORMER STAFF May 5, 2016 November 9, 2016 99 20 Turkish Prime Minister Davutoglu speaks during a news conference at his ruling AK Party headquarters in Ankara By Ercan Gurses and Nick Tattersall Ahmet Davutoglu announced on Thursday that he was stepping down as leader of Turkey’s ruling AK Party and therefore as prime minister, bowing to President Tayyip Erdogan’s drive to create a powerful executive presidency. In a speech defending his record but also vowing loyalty to Erdogan, Davutoglu said he had kept his party and the government intact during a tumultuous period and pledged that “strong” AKP government would continue. After a leadership meeting of the party founded and dominated by Erdogan, Davutoglu told reporters that, under the current circumstances, he would not run again for leader at an extraordinary party congress on May 22. “I am telling our members, up until today I was leading you. From now on, I am among you,” he said. Davutoglu’s departure plunges the NATO member into political uncertainty just as Europe needs its help in curbing a migration crisis and Washington needs support in fighting Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. There could now be a third parliamentary election in less than 18 months. Davutoglu’s departure follows weeks of tensions with Erdogan. His successor is likely to be significantly more willing to back Erdogan’s aim of changing the constitution to create a presidential system, a move that opponents say will bring growing authoritarianism. Main opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu condemned what he called a “palace coup” and rejected attempts by AKP officials to dismiss it as an internal affair. Mehmet Ali Kulat, head of the pollster Mak Danismanlik, which is seen as close to Erdogan, forecast an election in October or November. “From now on, Turkey’s sole agenda is the presidential system and an early election,” he said. Erdogan sees rule by the head of state as a guarantee against the fractious coalition politics that hampered the government in the 1990s. His opponents say he is merely furthering his own ambition. “These are critical developments in my mind in Turkey – likely setting the long-term direction of the country, both in terms of democracy, but (also) economic and social policy and geopolitical orientation,” said Timothy Ash, strategist at Nomura and a veteran Turkey watcher. “Turkey changes as a result to an Asiatic model of development, with strong central control from the presidency, and most key decisions taken by the president and a small group of likely unelected advisers.” With growth slowing and inflation well above target, investors were nervous about the prospect that economic reforms could be delayed further. But the lira recouped around half the previous day’s losses after Davutoglu indicated he would go quietly, while Istanbul’s BIST 100 share index also rebounded to finish slightly below Wednesday’s close. Davutoglu said the fact that his mandate had been cut short was “not my choice but a result of necessity”. But he said he bore no grudges and urged the AKP, which has governed Turkey since 2002, to remain united. Government spokesman Numan Kurtulmus and Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag, both Erdogan loyalists, are potential candidates to replace Davutoglu, three sources close to the presidency said. Transport Minister Binali Yildirim and Energy Minister Berat Albayrak, Erdogan’s son-in-law, have also been touted, they said. Presidential adviser Cemil Ertem said the economy would stabilise further when a prime minister more closely aligned with Erdogan took office. He said economic policy would not change, and that no election was likely before the government’s mandate expires in 2019. But a member of the AKP’s executive board and a source close to the party both told Reuters an autumn election was the most likely scenario. The aim would be to win two-thirds of the 550 seats in parliament – a gain of 50 from the AKP’s current 317 – to allow the party to change the constitution without the need for a referendum. “Erdogan will move fast and try to reach enough of a majority for the executive presidency. A party structure and a leader who will design that will be put in place,” the second source said. “He does not want to lose any more time.” ELECTION CALCULATION The member of the AKP executive board, its main decision-making body, said Bozdag was the favourite and that the question of an early election would hinge on a leadership battle in the nationalist opposition MHP. MHP leader Devlet Bahceli, a sombre 68-year-old, is facing a challenge from Meral Aksener, a 59-year-old woman who served as interior minister in the 1990s. Some opinion polls suggest Aksener could double the MHP’s support, while under Bahceli it could drop below the 10 percent threshold needed to enter parliament, which would give the AKP a significant boost. “The most likely alternative is an early election in October,” the AKP board member said. “But if Aksener takes the (MHP) leadership, there may be no election until 2019.” Early election or not, Davutoglu’s departure is likely to test relations with Europe just as Ankara implements a deal on stemming the flow of illegal migrants in return for accelerated EU accession talks, visa liberalisation, and financial aid. Davutoglu, who negotiated the deal and has largely delivered Turkey’s side of the bargain, is seen in Brussels as the more liberal face of the Turkish government and more concerned about the rule of law. EU officials involved in the deal were reluctant to be drawn on the implications of Davutoglu leaving, insisting that Ankara’s existing commitments should not be affected. “We will obviously discuss this first of all with the Turkish authorities and define together how to move forward,” EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in Pristina, Kosovo, saying it was too early to assess the impact. AK PartyPrime Minister Ahmet DavutogluRecep Tayyip ErdoganturkeyShare0 Registered unemployed figure lowest in 27 months Reuters News Service July 16, 2019 Nuclear deal parties not ready to launch dispute mechanism against Iran, more diplomacy preferred Will new Greek Premier change anything?	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1111
__label__wiki	0.7014	0.7014	The Positional Quick 3: Secondary Jeff Hughes \| June 25th, 2018 I’m traveling in Dingle, Ireland years ago and I’m exhausted. This was my first day ever in Europe and I couldn’t keep my eyes open at 4:30 in the afternoon. My uncle turns to me and says, “Have a quick three. You’ll be fine.” I drank three Guinness in the span of a half hour. Seven hours later I’m dancing to a shitty Irish house DJ with Jenny Pye, a local lass who dreamed of being an EMT in New York City. I’m very tired of this 2018 off-season. And incredibly eager for the season to begin. So I’m taking the quick three approach to each position group as we head into the summer. Not grading the groups or anything. Just making some points. Is there a star at the back of this defense? PFF says Adrian Amos is. (He’s not.) Kyle Fuller often flashes star qualities but he’s not one of the top corners in the league. Every time I try to convince myself this could be the best defense in the league, I find myself wondering how that’s possible with questionable outside rush and no stars at the back. I think they’ll be a terrific unit but they need more elite-level talents at these impact positions. What’s up with this PFF/Adrian Amos shit? It’s bizarre. Amos is a decent enough player but “coming close to elite status”? I’ve seen every snap of his career. A lot of them twice. And while I think he’s a player the Bears can win with, I also can’t name anything he does at an elite level. He’s a good box safety. He’s serviceable with the ball in the air. He doesn’t get out of position too often. But Harrison Smith is what a great safety looks like. Amos don’t look like that. There is a tremendous amount of pressure on Fuller this season. Two years ago he never overcame an injury many considered minor and had coaches publicly questioning his desire to play. Last year he was the player the Bears expected when they selected him in the first round and he got paid. If he doesn’t deliver on that contract in 2018, a suspect fan base will not be giving him the benefit of the doubt. Data & Andrew, tomorrow and Wednesday. Thursday: Defensive coaches. Tagged: Adrian Amos, Kyle Fuller, PFF Audibles From the Long Snapper: We Got the Beat Edition Jeff Hughes \| June 5th, 2017 Lamarr Houston: Forgotten Man? Many figured Houston would not be part of the Bears plans in 2017. Patrick Finley opines otherwise in the Sun-Times: The Bears think Houston still can be a pass-rushing threat three seasons after then-general manager Phil Emery signed him to a five-year, $35 million contract. They signaled that by not signing or drafting any significant outside linebackers this offseason. After rehabbing in New York during the offseason, Houston has participated in OTAs. He said his recovery is on schedule, though he hesitated to predict when he would be at full strength. ‘‘All you can do is work day by day and try to get better,’’ he said. ‘‘I work to be impactful, and I work to be the best at what I do.’’ Outside linebacker Willie Young, for one, can’t imagine how he would have handled tearing both his ACLs in a span of three seasons. Tagged: Adam Jahns, Brad Biggs, Lamarr Houston, Mike Glennon, Mike Tanier, Neal Anderson, Patrick Finley, PFF, Victor Cruz Audibles From the Long Snapper: Statistics, Barnwell on “That Play” & Tasering Wives Jeff Hughes \| November 7th, 2013 PFF SAYS SHEA PLAYED POORLY Some guy named Pete who has been anointed over at PFF Tweeted the following: Shea McClellin: 2nd-worst @PFF grade of any 4-3 DE in Wk 9. But 2 loud sacks, so naturally NFC Defensive Player of the Week. PFF attempts to qualify the performance of a player over the course of an entire game and thus weighs a run stop on 2nd and 3 in the first quarter equally to a run stop on 3rd and 1 with the game on the line in the fourth quarter. This is essentially what the baseball metrics folks do. They believe players play to their numbers. But football is a situational sport. If your analytics tell you Shea McClellin played poorly Monday night, you have to acknowledge in the text of that piece the limitations of your analytics. I responded via Twitter: Tagged: Bill Barnwell, Chicago Bears, DaBearsBlog, Devin Hester, Green Bay Packers, Josh McCown, Marc Trestman, PFF, Shea McClellin, Wife Tasering	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1112
__label__wiki	0.869764	0.869764	11-Year Old Slashes Intruder’s Head With Machete, Suspect Escapes From Hospital Jake Dima Contributor An 11-year-old North Carolina boy defended his home from intruders Friday when he struck one with a machete. After burglars broke into his Mebane, NC, home and forced him into the closet using a pellet gun, the young boy escaped, grabbed a machete and plunged it into his captor’s head, CNN reports. The man then kicked the boy in the stomach and the side of the head before fleeing the scene. Deputies called the boy a “star baseball player” in a WRAL report. A total of three intruders participated in the break-in while the boy was home alone. One knocked on the boy’s door, another climbed through the window and one waited outside by their vehicle. (RELATED: MS13 Gang Members Allegedly Kill Maryland Teen With Machete And Baseball Bat) The man attempted to steal some electronics, but the bleeding from his head sent him running from the home with his partners-in-crime. The Sheriff’s Office says responding deputies identified a suspect in the crime as 19-year-old Jataveon Dashawn Hall after he checked into a local hospital with injuries to his head. “This is very tough kid who kept his wits about him,” Sheriff Charles Blackwood said, according to WRAL. Hall faces a slew of charges when he is discharged from the hospital including breaking and entering, second degree kidnapping and assault on a child younger than 12, CNN reports. “Not only did this youngster thwart the larceny attempt, he created blood evidence that very well may lead to a conviction in this case,” Blackwood said in a statement. Hall escaped police custody at the hospital, CNN reports. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office says Hall simply “walked out” of the hospital in his gown holding a glass of water. The hospital released a statement to CNN detailing that an officer was not placed on guard in Hall’s hospital room. “This patient was admitted to the ED, but was in the legal custody of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department which did not place an officer with him,” the hospital said. Both county law enforcement and U.S. marshals are looking for Hall. Follow Jake on Twitter Tags : cnn north carolina orange county Jake Dima	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1113
__label__wiki	0.756335	0.756335	Ridgewood Daily Voice serves Ridgewood, NJ Fair Lawn-Glen Rock serves Fair Lawn & Glen Rock Sussex County Beauty Queen Turns Corner Months After Near-Fatal Crash Nearly four months after a near-fatal car accident, Grace Honigsberg is beginning to turn a corner. Photo Credit: Grace Honigsberg Facebook The Honigsberg family is finally seeing a glimmer of hope. Nearly four months after a near-fatal car accident, Grace Honigsberg is beginning to turn a corner. The 23-year-old and former Miss Frankford is not yet conscious but is beginning to turn a corner, her family said on a GoFundMe page that had raised more than $12,200 as of Monday. "Grace is not yet conscious but is making small gains in rehab," the page says. "She is scheduled to be discharged to outpatient rehabilitation. At that time, regardless of her status of still needing total care assistance, her family will be taking her home to the farm rather than placing her in a sub-acute care facility." The single mom, formerly of Montville, was found comatose at the scene of the harrowing Feb. 20 accident. She was admitted to Morristown Medical Center surgical ICU having suffered a traumatic brain injury -- specifically a diffuse axonal injury. She lives on a farm in Sussex County with her 4-year-old daughter, mom, step-dad and brother, and is heavily involved with the Sussex County 4-H program, according to the GoFundMe. Pickup Collides With Wagon, Slams Into Tree In Ridgewood ‘Truly Tragic Accident’: Bus Driver Not At Fault For Death Of... Ridgewood Daily Voice!	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1114
__label__cc	0.660409	0.339591	#JackieBurroughsIsDead HomeLATEST NEWS#JackieBurroughsIsDead We stepped in to the studio with dancers Danielle Baskerville, Luke Garwood, Robert Kingsbury, and choreographer DA Hoskins. The artists are spending their final week in rehearsals. The show, Jackie Burroughs Is Dead and what are you going to do about it? opens on April 7 at the Harbourfront Centre Theatre. The world premiere focuses on how energy reverberates and the power of reaction – how we observe, absorb, and ultimately respond. Choreographer DA Hoskins tells us: “For this project, I specifically wanted to explore the “physical” in physicality on a sensorial level – how the body feels and responds outside of an emotional or cerebral realm. The physicality is expansive and broad in its dynamic and always in response to the moment. Motion, touch, and most integrally, energy is the essence of the work. It has been important not to get trapped by the emotional connotations in the work’s title as I want to celebrate the physical – the living matter that becomes electric when danced. What is most fascinating about the physicality is how the energy reverberates and creates an atmosphere – this has become the most profound and pivotal player in the piece”. Jackie Burroughs is Dead and what are you going to do about it? opens on April 7 at the Harbourfront Centre Theatre. Tickets are available at the Harbourfront Centre Theatre Box Office. Photo credit: Javier Castellanos	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1121
__label__cc	0.601232	0.398768	Category: Writers Ray Bradbury Dead at 91, Martians, and Sci-fi Man-juice (Editor’s warning: clicking on links might lead you to some insanely funny shit. Or just to some informative shit. Depends on the link) You ever just sit around and think about Ray Bradbury? I did, yesterday when I heard that that great American writer had made his final journey to the Martian landscape that lies beyond the great beyond. No, that’s,not quite it… He got cornered by imaginary lions in a virtual reality who tore him into worm food…No, still not right…He morphed into a heap of books, heated to Fahrenheit 451, turned to ash, and blew into little bits of cosmic dust to then descend on some Red Planet at the edge of the Universe. Yeah, that’s a little more like it. Hot damn! I’m sorry. I’m not. I really am! I am sorry that we’ll no longer share airspace with a guy who, to my mind, was one of the most original and gorgeous voices in our American literary canon. Old Ray was born in Waukegan, Illinois, in 1920. He grew up during that tonic for the restless imagination, the Great Depression, a time when the future seemed not only bleak and depressing as shit but, well – unimaginable. But imagine it Ray did, and with a visionary zeal that always took our collective breath away. The boy was good! Was he actually a Martian? We’ll never know. But we do know that his stories sprang from the deep and potent well of his childhood fears. In an interview on Fresh Air he once said: “As soon as I looked up, there it was, and it was horrible,” Bradbury remembers. “And I would scream and fall back down the stairs, and my mother and father would get up and sigh and say, ‘Oh, my gosh, here we go again.’ ” Childhood was indeed an important time for the budding author. Ray read and read and read everything he could get his grubby little alien hands on. He dug on Jules Verne and H.G. Wells and dreamed of outdoing them, and so, between frenzied bouts of cranking out adolescent sci-fi man-juice (to pics of big-boobied Martian chicks no doubt), he also managed to crank out a short story a week. Lesson: the only way to (re)produce is through consistency! Great American sci-fi writer Ray Bradbury dead at 91 When the Bradbury fam up and moved to SoCal, little Ray took to hiding out in the dank, scary basement of the UCLA library, where, for 10 cents a half-hour, he could rent a typewriter. Said Ray years later: “I thought, my gosh, this is terrific! I can be here for a couple hours a day. It’ll cost me 30, 40 cents, and I can get my work done. Also, it’s awesome to spew sci-fi man-juice in a public venue. Much more exciting than at home.” Ray hit it big with his 1950 collection, The Martian Chronicles. Then, while that fat old cow masturbator, Joe McCarthy, was looking to anally violate anyone evenly remotely aligned with anything Red, planet or otherwise, Ray did a right ballsy thing — he shot a FUCK YOU ray-gun at censorship in general with his best known work, Fahrenheit 451, and did so in a FUCK YOU kind of way, having the story that would become his signature novel first printed in Playboy. Have you read that fine, fine book? If not, put down whatever you’re doing, go out and get a copy, and sit the hell down. It’s about a future society in which McCarthy-like fat old cow masturbators have firefighters burn books for the purpose of keeping folks dull and ignorant. There’s never been a revolution without there first being a revolution of ideas, goes the theory. In practice, the only trouble comes when the firefighters become curious about what exactly it is they’re being made to burn. Then all hell breaks loose! Shit fire! Hot damn! Great book. People the world over and even those in outer space loved old Ray. The crew of Apollo 15 so totally dug Bradbury’s novel Dandelion Wine that they named a lunar crater after the it. Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, the second guy on the moon, and the man forever-and-a-day frustrated by the fact that he scores way less poon than Neil Armstrong, had this say: “Ray Bradbury is one who is contributing to the understanding of the imagination and the curiosity of the human race.” Hey, it would have been better if pussy-champ Neil Armstrong had said it, but novelists can’t be choosers, right? Amazingly, despite his visions of the future, Ray never got into using computers. He even once told The New York Times that the Internet was pointless. Well, buddy, on that point at least, we’ve gotta say: FAIL! It’s okay – nobody’s perfect! Old Ray finally settled down to family life right here on Earth in 1947, when he married a gal named Maggie, and the happy couple had four little Martian girls. Ray suffered a stroke at age 80 and, sadly, couldn’t write anymore. He did, however, keep having his strange visions of things to come. He felt sure we’d be landing on Mars right soon and asked that his ashes be buried on that vast and vacant red planet. We’ll sure miss you, old buddy, old Ray, venerable imaginer of humanity’s many possible destinies. We’ll sure miss you. I raise my cup of Dandelion Wine to you, Sir. I truly do. Get Ray’s Ashes to Mars: A Fund If you’d like to help Ray complete his dying wish, shoot me an email: me (at) claytondiggs (dot) com. It’s gonna take a lot of dollar bills to make it happen, but if Ray taught us anything, it’s that every dream has got to start somewhere. “I’m so fucking cool. How big will penises be in the future? THIIIIS BIIIIG!”	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1132
__label__cc	0.511537	0.488463	0161 881 3465 EMAIL 563 Barlow Moor Rd, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester M21 8AE Dentology Chorlton 020 7221 1680 EMAIL 563 Barlow Moor Rd, Manchester M21 8AE < back to services FILLINGS & ROOT CANAL TREATMENT A Filling is material that fills the opening that’s left after a decayed portion of a tooth has been removed. Fillings fall into three categories: amalgam, composite and GIC. 1) Amalgam Fillings use an alloy (mixture) of mercury and other metals (such as silver, copper or tin) that is carved and contoured after placement in the tooth. 2) Composite Fillings use a composite made of minute glass or ceramic particles that are mixed into a gel-like substance. The color of the substance is similar to that of a tooth. After it is applied to the tooth, the composite is hardened using a light that causes it to solidify almost instantly. 3) GIC Fillings use a gel-like composite (mixture) made of minute glass particles. After it is applied to the tooth, it sets within five to 10 minutes. The composite bonds to the tooth and releases fluoride into the tooth for a period of time. Root canal treatment involves the removal of inflamed or diseased pulp from inside the tooth, in order to save the tooth. After the Root canal treatment, the patient must return for the placement of a crown. The crown strengthens the tooth and offers a seal that keeps contaminants out, thereby preventing the need for another Root canal treatment. Dental Services in Manchester, United Kingdom IMPLANTS & AESTHETIC DENTISTRY Hygienist Clinic Monthly Practice Plan \| Complaint Policy	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1137
__label__cc	0.604743	0.395257	VSTS future releases: Orcas, Rosario, and Power Tools A new high-level roadmap for Orcas, Rosario, and Power Tools is now available. The Visual Studio Team System Future Releases web page covers these topics at varying levels of detail, with the greatest amount detail being supplied for Orcas, of course. The Orcas TFS information is basically the same as what we’ve published before. Here’s what it says about Rosario. Visual Studio Team System code name “Rosario” The next major release of Visual Studio Team System is code-named “Rosario” and will be released following the “Orcas” release. In this exciting release, we will be delivering new innovations to build on our award-winning Application Lifecycle Management (ALM) solution. Some of the major scenarios and features in Visual Studio Team System code-named “Rosario” will include: Joint prioritization and management of IT projects through integration with Microsoft Project Server Project management across multiple projects for proactively load balancing resources according to business priorities Full traceability (inc. hierarchical work items) to track project deliverables against business requirements and the ability to conduct rapid impact analysis of proposed changes Comprehensive metrics and dashboards for shared visibility into project status and progress against deliverables Powerful new features to enable developers and testers to quickly identify, communicate, prioritize, diagnose and resolve bugs Integrated test case management to create, organize and manage test cases across both the development and test teams Testing automation and guidance to help developers and testers focus on business-level testing rather than repetitive, manual tasks Quality metrics for a ‘go/no-go’ release decision on whether an application is ready for production and has been fully tested against business requirements Rapid integration of remote, distributed, disconnected and outsourced teams into the development process Easy customization of process and guidance from Microsoft and partners to match the way your team works Improvements to multi-server administration, build and source control Only the last bullet mentions build specifically, but we have significant plans for Team Build in Rosario. It’s also involved to various degrees in several other bullets. Technorati tags: vsts, team system, tfs, team foundation, orcas, rosario Tagged Source Control, Team Build, Team Foundation Server, Work Item Tracking	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1142
__label__wiki	0.543921	0.543921	deafscotland the lead organisation for deaf issues in Scotland History of deafscotland Disclosure for people working with protected groups Policy and Influencing Human Rights Briefings Awarenessbites Deaf Awareness / Communication with Deaf and Deafblind People An Introduction to Human Rights Human Rights, the law and how to apply it to practice Communication For All: Inclusive Communication and Accessible Information Integration: How to influence and how to make an impact The Scottish Sensory and Equality Conference Join deafscotland deafscotland on facebook deafscotland on twitter deafscotland on YouTube deafscotland on LinkedIn VMG Donate Button Mental health project "CONNECT US TOO" Find Out More Equality and integration through communication for all Empowering Deaf People Promoting Integration Campaigning for Positive Change deafscotland is the lead organisation for deaf issues in Scotland. We aim to ensure that deaf people in Scotland can access services and information across all sectors of society, from their local communities to what comes from government departments. We represent organisations working with and on behalf of people from across the full spectrum of deafness. Understanding the four pillars of deafness We use the term the “four pillars of deafness” to describe Deaf, Deafblind, Deafened and Hard of Hearing as people with different levels of deafness have different barriers to overcome and have different language and communication support needs. BSL version Deaf Sign Language Users Deaf Sign Language users are people whose first or preferred language is British Sign Language (BSL), or another Sign Language if they grew up in another country. These people have been born deaf or have become deaf early in life. People with this level of deafness are described as being profoundly deaf. Deaf BSL users usually see themselves as part of a linguistic/cultural minority known as the Deaf Community. Imagine you have just landed in a foreign country. You do not speak the language, and nobody in that country speaks English. Imagine the impact that has on you. Would you become fearful? Would you be able to act with the same independence you have at home? Would you become isolated? People who are Deafblind Deafblindness is sometimes called dual sensory impairment. This is because deafblind people will have both some hearing loss and some sight loss. A person can be born deafblind (called congenital deafblindness) or lose both their hearing and sight in later life. It is important to remember that many deafblind people may not be totally deaf nor totally blind. Understanding life for a deafblind person is best reached through simulating their experiences. The use of SimSpecs to mimic various visual impairments and ear defenders to simulate hearing loss or deafness can be very effective in understanding how deafblind people communicate. People who are Deafened People who were born able to hear and become severely deaf after learning to speak are often described as Deafened or as having an acquired profound hearing loss (APHL). This hearing loss may be due to a disease or illness or there may not be an identified reason for the loss of the person’s hearing. Deafened people may rely on lipreading to follow a conversation or need to have things written down for them. If arranging a meeting or appointment with a person who is Deafened, it is important to find out what support they need, for example, an Electronic Notetaker or a Lip Speaker. You’re speaking to someone, taking in every word they are saying but then they turn the opposite way and you can no longer hear anything they are saying. Hearing people may experience this in loud environments or windy conditions, but imagine that every conversation you have is like this. People who lose their hearing experience an element of grief and it may take a person some time to realise the extent of their hearing loss. People who are Hard of Hearing Hard of Hearing is a term used to describe people with a mild to moderate hearing loss. People who are Hard of Hearing will, in general, lose their hearing gradually and the majority of Hard of Hearing people do so later in their lives. A person with a mild hearing loss might wear a hearing aid and have some difficulty in following conversations in noisy situations. A person with a moderate hearing loss might have one or two hearing aids and will have difficulty following normal speech without the aid. You are at a comedy show, engrossed in the comedian’s stories, but the microphone keeps cutting out and occasional words are being dropped. The people in the front row are laughing heartily, but you have missed the joke. This continues throughout the performance. How frustrated do you become? Latest News from deafscotland Safety Survey British Sign Language, Children and Young people, Equality, Health, Housing, Human Rights, Information, Integration, Justice, News deafscotland is producing accessible information on a number of safety issues. We would like to know how you feel about your own safety and what information would help you feel safer in your home and when you are out and… Connect Us Too British Sign Language, Equality, Getting involved, Health, Human Rights, Public bodies deafscotland launched a series of mental health videos on Friday 12 April 2019 at the Tayside Deaf Hub. The videos can be viewed on the deafscotland YouTube site – see below for the links. Out Of My Head: https://youtu.be/0benfedpI-8 The… Human Rights Training just announced! Children and Young people, Education, Employment, Glasgow, Health, Housing, Human Rights, Independence, Information, Integration, Justice, Legislation, News deafscotland is running two new Human Rights training sessions on Thursday 9 May in Glasgow. For more information go to deafscotland.org/what-we-do/training/ 2019 Mental Health Programme “Connect Us Too” British Sign Language, Equality, Getting involved, Health, Human Rights, Independence, Information On Friday 12 April 2019 deafscotland, Deaf Links and ITV SignPost will be launching a series of related accessible video clips in British Sign Language (BSL) with subtitles and voiceover, introducing some key information from the See Me Campaign about… Thank you for making our conference great! British Sign Language, Employment, Equality, Getting involved, Glasgow, Health, Hearing Loops, Human Rights, Information, Integration, Legislation, News deafscotland and Disability Equality Scotland would like to thank all the delegates, stall holders, workshop leaders, language/communication support professionals, sponsors and the hotel for making our Scottish Sensory and Equality Conference 2019: Communication for All a great day. We will… Safety Survey is now live! British Sign Language, Children and Young people, Equality, Getting involved, Human Rights, Information Our safety survey is now live. Please go to https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/ZSKVN7V to take part. This survey will take no longer than 10 minutes and will give us information on who knows what about personal safety and what gaps… “Mental Health and Wellbeing for all people affected by deafness: Past, Present and Future” British Sign Language, Children and Young people, Equality, Getting involved, Health, History, Human Rights, Independence, Information, Research It is 10 years since SCoD published the research paper “Making the Case for Specialist Mental Health Services in Scotland”. SCoD has produced a paper that shows the developments that have been put in place for people with a hearing… 2021 Census: Question on Health Conditions Children and Young people, Equality, Getting involved, Health, Human Rights, Independence, Information, Integration, Justice, Legislation, News, Public bodies, Research, Training, UK Parliament, Welfare Reform SCoD has been campaigning to get the health question in the Census changed since 2007. We have beein involved in the consultation on the health conditions question for the 2021 Census. As there is still little accurate data on the… Supporting a Human Rights Approach Equality, Human Rights, Information, Justice, Legislation, Office news, Public bodies, UK Parliament We have added a new page to our website – Human Rights in Scotland – which will have information on what we are doing to support a human rights approach and what members are doing across Scotland. For more information,… c/o The ALLIANCE Venlaw Building 349 Bath St G2 4AA Tel (v): 0141 248 2474 SMS: 07925 417 338 Email: admin@deafscotland.org deafscotland is the outward facing brand of The Scottish Council on Deafness (SCoD). SCoD is a company limited by guarantee registered in Scotland with company number: 492886 and a registered charity: SC016957 Copyright 2018 deafscotland \| Website Designed for Inclusion	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1148
__label__wiki	0.840487	0.840487	British Conservatives advocate gassing working class people This 30 August 2017 video from Britain is called Theresa May‘s Nasty Nazi Tory Youth want to “Gas the Chavs”. ‘Chavs’ is a British upper class term of abuse for working class people. The ‘gassing’ part reminds me of this. And of, more recently, the London Grenfell Tower fire disaster. The local Conservative Kensington and Chelsea council had again and again dismissed fire hazard warnings by the working class Grenfell residents and by the fire brigade. Some of the Grenfell people who died in the fire were killed by poisonous gas, a result of hazardous insulation material. By Steve Sweeney in Britain: Tories Forced to De-Activate New Group as ‘Gassing Chavs’ Row Grows Friday 1st September 2017 NEW TORY campaign group Activate was in disarray yesterday after it was forced to issue a statement denying it had ever launched following a string of sickening messages circulating on social media. Comments posted in a Tory WhatsApp group calling for “chavs to be gassed” were leaked on Wednesday night, with screenshots of the comments circulated on social media after they were published on the Guido Fawkes blog — run by Tory supporter Paul Staines. The WhatsApp group was alleged to be a part of the new Tory organisation Activate, a campaign seen as the Tories’ attempt to appeal to young voters. Members of the group swapped offensive messages including one calling for “Chavocide” and another describing working-class people as “vermin” who populate at high rates. Others suggested using “chavs” as “substitutes for animals when testing” with one member writing: “Can we just introduce compulsory birth control?” The group were warned to be careful as the conversation was “turning to a nazi chat”, although it continued until others intervened to stop them. It was the latest in a string of gaffes by the so-called “Tory Momentum” group — set up to try to woo the youth vote — which has been subjected to widespread derision since its “non-launch” earlier this week. Activate’s website quickly removed a list of key people after it was criticised for appearing to include only men. And a page asking supporters to help raise £10,000 in campaign funds also disappeared after it raised just £39, with contributors named as serial killer Harold Shipman and child rapist [and friend of Conservative Prime Minister Thatcher] Jimmy Savile. Following the latest revelations, Momentum called on the Prime Minister to intervene, saying: “Theresa May, your youth wing is discussing gassing chavs. What are you going to do about it?” And political commentator and author Owen Jones asked: “Why’s there never been a national scandal about Tory activists focusing on a culture of hatred and bullying on the right of politics?” Activate was formed after Environment Secretary Michael Gove suggested the Tories should try to emulate Momentum following their disastrous general election result, saying they had much to learn from Labour’s grassroots campaign group. However, in another display of staggering ineptitude, Activate abandoned its original Twitter account but left the handle available for leftwingers to use as a parody account still linked to the official website. Commentators scoffed at Activate’s membership fee of up to £500 and a website shop which showed nothing available for sale. Activate’s national chair is reported to have stepped down one day after its “launch” and the Conservative Party has distanced itself from the organisation. An Activate spokesperson denied it was a Tory version of Momentum and claimed it had not even officially been launched. … “Activate is a collection of young adults from a wide variety of backgrounds who want to provide a common meeting point for young Conservatives,” the spokesperson said. Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner said appeals to the youth were not new for the Tories, recalling former leader William Hague’s claim to have drunk 14 pints of beer in a day before he donned a baseball cap and leather jacket on a log-flume ride. “The Tories just don’t get it. Young people see right through them. It’s the policies, the actions, the belief that Labour will deliver for them, not glorifying Margaret Thatcher or boasting how many pints you can guzzle in a day that will inspire our young people. “I suspect the Tories will have to “de-activate” their latest effort on attracting younger voters who abandoned them en masse in the general election”, she said. From daily The Independent in Britain, 31 August 2017: Young Tory activists caught discussing ‘gassing chavs’ and ‘shooting peasants’ in leaked WhatsApp group Members discussed ‘chavocide’ and conducting ‘experiments to see why they breed so much despite living rough’ From Wikipedia; about young Conservatives (the article is limited to those at Oxford University): In 2000 four OUCA [Oxford University Conservative Association] members were expelled from a meeting for making “Nazi-style salutes“.[15] The New Statesman reported that a member of the OUCA committee at the University’s 2001 Fresher’s Fair greeted new students by saying, “Welcome to OUCA – the biggest political group for young people since the Hitler Youth”.[16] Another member was dismissed from the Oxford University Student Union‘s executive for “marching up and down doing a Nazi salute”.[16] In 2007 a drunken OUCA member gave a Nazi salute at a meeting attended by a former Tory MP.[17] In 2004 an ex-treasurer of the association was found guilty of bringing OUCA into disrepute “after posting ‘offensive’ comments about India in a newsletter”.[15] At an OUCA hustings in 2009, two candidates made racist jokes, encouraged by others present. The incident led to national media coverage[18][19][20][21][22] and an investigation by the University,[23] which then refused to re-register the association, forcing it to drop University from its name[21][24][25] and become OCA (Oxford Conservative Association). As a result of the incident, two members were expelled from the national Conservative party,[19] and the Oxford Union banned OUCA from using its premises for hustings and in-camera events.[26] In 2011 The Oxford Student newspaper received leaked video footage of an OUCA member singing the first line of a song glorifying the Nazi Party in the Junior Common Room of Corpus Christi College after an OUCA meeting at the Oxford Union in 2010. That Conservative student song went, to the tune of Jingle Bells: Riding through the Reich/In a Mercedes-Benz/Killing lots of kikes/Making lots of friends. This February 2014 video from Britain is called Conservative MP Aidan Burley recorded chanting names of Nazi leaders; Mail Online. The pro-nazi tendency within the British mainstream right-wing goes back to Hitler-admiring King Edward VIII; and arguably even further. From the (Conservative) Guido Fawkes blog in Britain, 31 August 2017: Activate Logo Rejected Over Swastika Resemblance As members of the now infamous Tory WhatsApp group joked about “gassing chavs”, discussion turned to what the new ‘Tory Momentum’ group should be called. At the time the name “Future Focus” was considered, with one young member even creating a logo. The idea was quickly dropped when other members pointed out it bore resemblance to a swastika. They went with ‘Activate’ instead, alas they didn’t get rid of the sentiment as well as the logo… ‘You know what some people call us: the nasty party‘, present Prime Minister Theresa May told a Conservative party conference. Now we know some of the reasons why. The Tories and the Hindu right: betraying the victims of caste oppression: here. TORY backstabbers were emerging from the woodwork yesterday after Prime Minister Theresa May pledged to lead her party into the next general election: here. This entry was posted in Economic, social, trade union, etc., Human rights and tagged Conservative party by petrel41. Bookmark the permalink. 16 thoughts on “British Conservatives advocate gassing working class people” sdbast on September 1, 2017 at 11:49 am said: petrel41 on September 1, 2017 at 3:42 pm said: posted by Morning Star in Editorial DISGUSTING chatter about gassing “chavs,” conducting medical experiments on them instead of animals, shooting “peasants” and sterilising the poor have, since exposed by Guido Fawkes’s right-wing blog, shone a light on the class hatred that motivates some Conservative activists. The revelations have sent the hapless organisers of the “Tory Momentum,” Activate, into a tailspin just days after they were deluged with mockery for their ham-fisted launching tweet. Now we learn that “the ‘Whatsapp’ posts that are being connected to Activate by the media did not originate from Activate or any of our members.” A day earlier all it could claim was that those responsible did not “currently” have “any seniority” within their organisation — which, they now claim, has not actually been launched at all and is “in no way, shape or form associated with the Conservative Party.” Funny that, since the items on its home page’s “about” section commit the group to “work to get Conservative candidates elected to office at both local and national level through professional and modern campaigning” and to “foster links with Conservative University and Constituency Associations.” The Conservative Party has simultaneously raced to distance itself from its new groupies, although denying links to Activate doesn’t get the party off the hook. Questions remain over whether it has taken action against the purveyors of such hate, whether or not they are also part of the new “grassroots organisation.” We can already predict the response: that these views were just jokes, admittedly in bad taste; that they illustrate the juvenile mindset of a few “bad apples” but tell us nothing about the Conservative Party more generally. It’s unfortunate these bad apples crop up with such regularity. It is not so long since Cambridge University Conservative Association was forced to expel Ronald Coyne for burning a £20 note in front of a homeless person, displaying a sneering contempt for the poorest reminiscent of David Cameron’s chief whip Lord Young — who, in an earlier incarnation as housing minister, defined the homeless as “the people you step over when you come out of the opera.” Comments like these are not harmless. As detailed in Owen Jones’s landmark study Chavs: The Demonisation of the Working Class, the creation of a culture of contempt around working-class people helps justify policies that further impoverish millions. This narrative fed the relentless cuts imposed by Conservative-Liberal Democrat and Tory-only administrations since 2010, as the idea that the poor were “shirkers” justified the transformation of the welfare state into a punitive regime that forces desperate families to jump through any number of shrinking hoops to keep the children fed and a roof over their heads. Labour MP Laura Pidcock met a chorus of anger for her assertion that she was not elected to make friends with MPs on the Conservative benches and thus perpetuate the cosy Establishment consensus that keeps working people at the bottom of the pile in this country. But principled socialists are quite right to refuse association with members of a party that provides a fertile breeding ground for such revolting attitudes. There is no comparison with the occasional hotheaded comments from left-wing activists which drive the press into a frenzy against Corbyn, Momentum, Labour or whoever the target of the moment may be. Young Conservatives ooze power and privilege and sorry incidents like this show how they abuse it. The anger of ordinary people at a class rolling in wealth while others starve has nothing in common with the poisonous hatred of those who have everything for those who have nothing — a hatred that ruins lives and disfigures our whole society. http://morningstaronline.co.uk/a-9fb0-Class-hatred-and-the-Tories#.Wal_HsZpwdU Pingback: ‘Centrist’ politics, what is it really? \| Dear Kitty. Some blog Pingback: British Grenfell Tower disaster and poetry \| Dear Kitty. Some blog Pingback: Theresa May, a British Jewish New Year message \| Dear Kitty. Some blog petrel41 on October 6, 2017 at 8:35 am said: posted by Morning Star in Britain But problem is policies not presentation, says Labour Assembly Against Austerity THE Tories are looking to hire a digital director following their disastrous general election campaign, which led to the party losing its Commons majority. The role has been advertised after an internal review of the election campaign by former cabinet minister Eric Pickles concluded that the Conservatives should “urgently upscale” their media and digital department as they had been “outfought” by Labour on social media. Analysis showed that the campaign saw a massive surge in Facebook and Twitter followers for Labour, with Jeremy Corbyn’s posts receiving 2.8 million shares compared to just 130,000 for Theresa May. The Tories’ lack of appeal on social media was underlined when the party’s efforts to go “behind the scenes” using Instagram at its Manchester conference were widely mocked on Twitter. Recent attempts to emulate Labour’s grassroots movement Momentum group fell flat, with the party distancing itself from Activate after a group of alleged supporters were accused of calling for the “gassing of chavs” in a leaked WhatsApp discussion. And a series of embarrassing memes led to claims that the social media accounts of the Tory-supporting group had been hacked with confusion over whether it was a “spoof” organisation. The job advertisement stated that candidates should have a “substantive and demonstrable track record and experience of online advertising and marketing, excellent political judgement” and “a commitment to the values of the Conservative Party.” Labour Assembly Against Austerity spokesman Matt Wilgress told the Star: “The reason the Tories’ social media doesn’t resonate is because they have policies for the few, not the many. “Just like their embarrassing attempts to replicate the success of Momentum with the cringeworthy Activate campaign, this is bound to fail.” Meanwhile, Mr Corbyn has given his backing to British indie band Wolf Alice in their bid to top the album charts this week. He said he was returning the favour after the band, who played at a People’s Assembly “Tories Out” national demonstration in June, supported Labour’s general election campaign. In a tweet, the Labour leader said:” “After helping Labour beat the odds in the election, it’s great to see @WolfAliceMusic doing the same in the charts.” http://morningstaronline.co.uk/a-4d1a-Tories-look-for-digital-whizz-to-end-Labours-social-media-lead#.Wdc_pTtpEdU Pingback: British corrupt Conservative Liam Fox’s anti-Labour ‘spy’ smears \| Dear Kitty. Some blog Pingback: British anti-Semite still Conservative candidate \| Dear Kitty. Some blog Pingback: British Conservative broken promises to Grenfell disaster survivors \| Dear Kitty. Some blog Pingback: ‘Tommy Robinson’s’ nazis’ violence against police, London bus \| Dear Kitty. Some blog Pingback: Scottish Conservative politician supports Honduras, Haiti dictatorships \| Dear Kitty. Some blog Pingback: Trump attacks children, British poem \| Dear Kitty. Some blog Pingback: Burberry burning its own fashion for profit \| Dear Kitty. Some blog Pingback: British extreme right update \| Dear Kitty. Some blog Pingback: Hitler-whitewashing US Trumpists-British Conservative connection \| Dear Kitty. Some blog Pingback: New Zealand mosque murderer and other fascists \| Dear Kitty. Some blog	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1150
__label__cc	0.693565	0.306435	Welcome to CALS CALS Magazine Communicating with Plants CALS is Hiring Paths to CALS CALS Scholarships Guidance for Applicants CALS Partnerships Field Days & Events Feeding our Future Improving our Health Enriching our Youth Strengthening our Communities Extension Website Access Initiative Plant Sciences Initiative Food Animal Initiative Food Manufacturing Initiative CALS Leadership Office Systems Initiative CALS Alumni and Friends Advancement Staff Freshman Programs Academic Difficulty Advising Scheduler Diversity Partnerships K-12 Partnerships North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics The North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics (NCSSM), North Carolina State University, on behalf of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on March 20, 2009, outlining the Creating Awareness of Agriculture and Life Sciences Disciplines, Degree Programs and Discoveries Project, also known as CAALS 3-D. Led by the CALS Diversity Council, the project is designed to increase awareness and interest in career fields within the food, agricultural and life sciences among male NCSSM students from underrepresented groups and engage them in research. On April 19, 2017 the CALS Diversity Council agreed to expand the reach of this opportunity to high school students who would not otherwise obtain exposure to agriculture and life sciences disciplines. Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Visitation Program Through the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Visitation Program, NC State’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions collaborates with colleges to host a group of high school students from the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Participating students are given an extensive campus tour and several hours to visit different colleges. College and University Partnerships Visit NC State Graduate Recruitment Program This program extends educational opportunities for talented, underrepresented students interested in pursuing graduate degrees within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Students participating in the two-day event can: Interact with world-class faculty within their desired discipline and research area in which they are interested Visit several state-of-the-art research facilities and laboratories Learn about research opportunities Network with current graduate students and other prospective students Meet academic administrators Explore CALS This program offers students who attend historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), tribal colleges and universities (TCUs), and Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs) an opportunity to learn about graduate programs in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Students interact with world-renowned faculty, visit research facilities and laboratories and learn about the innovative research of current graduate students. CALS Communications Subscribe to CALS News Bulletin Give to CALS CALS Intranet Administrative Resources for Faculty and Staff	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1153
__label__cc	0.654981	0.345019	Horticultural Science Home Horticultural Science News Faculty Focus AgPackStrong! Gifts and Awards Student Spotlight: AGI Entrepreneur Andrew Emanuels September 4, 2018 \| Suzanne Stanard Andrew Emanuels got his first job cutting grass at age 8. By the time he was a high school senior, he was managing 32 landscaping accounts and two crews. Today, the Smithfield, North Carolina, native is studying agribusiness in the NC State Agricultural Institute and serving as a United States Coast Guard reservist. His career goal may be “TBD,” but all signs point to success for this extraordinary student-entrepreneur. Why did you choose the Agricultural Institute? First things first, I applied to the Agriculture Institute due to my trade, landscape subcontractor. I started my own landscaping company my junior year of high school and it took off from there. What is your career goal? To be honest, my career goal is to be determined. I’m interested in multiple businesses, not just landscaping. I’m intrigued with property management. How has your experience at NC State helped prepare you for your future? When I came to NC State, my mind opened up to a new world. When I came to NC State my freshmen year, my mind opened up to a new world. I began making new friends from all around the state and beyond. As I grew these relationships, I got a better understanding of what life was like in every corner of this great state and not only became more educated but gained some really good contacts. I did an internship this summer with the Carteret County Managers Office and shadowed the county manager every day. I met a lot of local ‘movers and shakers’ and learned more about the local community. I’m kind of a networking junkie … this world is smaller than you think. I’m currently part of Build Office Managers Association and Triangle Apartment Association which are networking ‘clubs’ for local businesses. Dr. Phillips, Dr. Russ and Dr. Wilson have been among the most influential people to me here in CALS; they’re all humble, real people who get it and understand the average ordinary person. How have you balanced your duties as a Reservist Guardsman with your studies? Has it been difficult? Being a reservist in the United States Coast Guard can get difficult at times with trying to maintain my normal class and work schedule on top of my duties that are expected of me at the station I serve at, Fort Macon, Atlantic Beach, North Carolina. In the end, it is worth it and I would not trade it for anything. What have you learned here that you’ll take with you when you graduate? It’s been one interesting journey and I’m grateful for the number of people who have helped me along the way. Eventually, it’ll be me helping that same beginner like me. When I leave here after graduation, I will carry on the amazing relationships I’ve established here at NC State, many at that! Also with that, I will take with me the strong skill set in networking strategies that I’ve obtained over the years here at NC State; it has given me purpose and helped me become more driven. What advice would you give someone hoping to follow in your footsteps? Anyone looking to do something similar to what I have done here at NC State, I’d say go for it and don’t look back. In these recent years here at NC State, I’ve learned that in order to stay on the straight and narrow, you need faith and strength to overcome the challenges/adversity. Don’t ever cave and always press forward. You can make a difference in the lives of students like Andrew! This post was originally published in College of Agriculture and Life Sciences News. Other Top News High School’s Not Too Early For Internships – Just Ask Addison Furr Raleigh Charter High School senior Addison Furr talks the challenges and triumphs of tackling internships early – in her case, with the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service. Faculty Focus: Spayd is a Winner in Growing the U.S. Wine-Grape Industry NC State University Professor Emerita Sara Spayd has spent decades working to build the U.S. wine-grape industry, and the American Society of Enology and Viticulture recently celebrated her accomplishments with its highest honor, the Award of Merit. Horticultural Science	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1154
__label__wiki	0.570304	0.570304	AAUA Management Reduces Student’s Fees You are Here: campusportalng.com » AAUA » AAUA Management Reduces Student’s Fees AAUA Management Reduces Student’s Fees April 30th, 2018CampusPortalNGStaff2 , Last Updated: April 30, 2018 AAUA Announces Further Reduction in School Fees. The Management of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko in Ondo State, has announced a further reduction in the fees payable by all categories of students in the Institution. In a statement signed by the Registrar, Mr. Sunday Ayeerun, the downward review was sequel to the intervention of the state Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, following pleas from various quarters and stakeholders including students, parents, alumni, guardians and unions. The new fees regime shows that fresh students in the Faculties of Arts and Education would now pay the sum of N100, 000 per session or N50, 000 per semester, rather than the initial sum of N150, 000 per session they were to pay. Fresh students in the Faculties of Agriculture, Law, Science, and Social and Management Sciences are now expected to pay a reduced N150, 000 per session or N75, 000 per semester. Returning students in the Faculties of Arts and Education would now pay N80, 000 per session or N40, 000 per semester, while returning students in the Faculties of Agriculture, Law, Science, and Social and Management Sciences are now required to pay N100, 000 per session or N50, 000 per semester. The statement added that all final year students would pay a uniform fee of N70, 000 per session or N35, 000 per semester. The Registrar further urged all fresh and returning students to pay their school fees and resume as earlier scheduled.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1157
__label__wiki	0.84794	0.84794	Multidrug Resistance-Associated Protein 1 (MRP1) mediated vincristine resistance: effects of N-acetylcysteine and Buthionine Sulfoximine Ilhan Akan1, Selma Akan1, Hakan Akca2, Burhan Savas3 and Tomris Ozben1Email author © Akan et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2005 Multidrug resistance mediated by the multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 (MRP1) decreases cellular drug accumulation. The exact mechanism of MRP1 involved multidrug resistance has not been clarified yet, though glutathione (GSH) is likely to have a role for the resistance to occur. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is a pro-glutathione drug. DL-Buthionine (S,R)-sulfoximine (BSO) is an inhibitor of GSH synthesis. The aim of our study was to investigate the effect of NAC and BSO on MRP1-mediated vincristine resistance in Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK293) and its MRP1 transfected 293MRP cells. Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK293) cells were transfected with a plasmid encoding whole MRP1 gene. Both cells were incubated with vincristine in the presence or absence of NAC and/or BSO. The viability of both cells was determined under different incubation conditions. GSH, Glutathione S-Transferase (GST) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) levels were measured in the cell extracts obtained from both cells incubated with different drugs. N-acetylcysteine increased the resistance of both cells against vincristine and BSO decreased NAC-enhanced MRP1-mediated vincristine resistance, indicating that induction of MRP1-mediated vincristine resistance depends on GSH. Vincristine decreased cellular GSH concentration and increased GPx activity. Glutathione S-Transferase activity was decreased by NAC. Our results demonstrate that NAC and BSO have opposite effects in MRP1 mediated vincristine resistance and BSO seems a promising chemotherapy improving agent in MRP1 overexpressing tumor cells. MRP1 vincristine HEK293 N-acetylcysteine The acquisition of resistance to anticancer agents used in chemotherapy is the main cause of treatment failure in malignant disorders, provoking tumours to become resistant during treatment, although they initially respond to it [1–4]. Resistance of cancer cells to a single drug is usually accompanied by resistance to other drugs with different structures and cellular targets [3, 4]. Identifying the mechanisms leading to intrinsic or acquired multidrug resistance (MDR) is important in developing more effective therapies. At least, two proteins are well-known for causing MDR. Both proteins, the MDR1 gene encoded-Pgp and MRP1 are members of the ATP binding cassette transporter superfamily. Despite their common involvement in MDR, there are clear differences in function and substrate specifity of Pgp and MRP1 [5]. Pgp transports neutral, or positively charged, hydrophobic compounds [5]. In contrast, MRP1 extrudes conjugated organic anions from cells and is known as multispecific aniontransporter (MOAT) [4, 6, 7]. The exact mechanism of MRP1 involved multidrug resistance remains unknown, although GSH is likely to have a role for the resistance to occur. Thus, clarifying the mechanism of action of MRP1 in cell lines ortumors overexpressing MRP1 and the search for inhibitors of drug transport can give new insights in future experiments and therapies. Multidrug resistance protein (MRP1) mediated drug resistance occurs against a broad spectrum of natural product drugs like vincristine, although the mechanisms have not been exactly understood and it has not been possible to demonstrate that MRP1 can actively transport unmodified forms of vincristine [8]. Vincristine is a vinca alcaloid type drug and a widely used chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of acute leukemia and solid tumors [9]. Efflux of hydrophobic natural product anticancer drugs agents such as vincristine from cells expressing MRP1 is thought to require GSH [10, 11]. The nature of the involvement of GSH is not fully clarified, though co-transport of GSH is now believed to take place [8, 10, 12]. GSH is the most abundant non-protein intracellular thiol containing compound that is a key molecule in MRP1-mediated MDR [3, 13]. It was shown that ATP-dependent uptake of vincristine by MRP-enriched, inside-out membrane vesicles could be stimulated by physiological concentrations of GSH [14]. It is suggested that increased MRP1 expression without an increase in GSH biosynthesis would not cause any drug resistance in tumor cells, but would result in cell death [15]. GSH conjugates with drugs catalyzed by the enzyme GST and causes their subsequent removal from the cells [15]. BSO inhibits GSH synthesis by irreversible inhibition of γ-glutamyl cysteine synthase and has no other known effect on cells [3, 11, 16]. N-acetylcysteine is a thiol antioxidant and cysteine source for GSH synthesis [17]. The study aimed to define the mechanism of action of vincristine and the effects of NAC and BSO on MRP1-mediated vincristine resistance in Human Embryonic Kidney (HEK293) and its MRP1 transfected 293MRP cells. For this purpose, HEK293 and 293MRP cells were incubated with vincristine in the presence or absence of NAC and/or BSO. Vincristine cytotoxicity, cell viability and the effect of vincristine on cellular GSH levels, GST and GPx enzyme activities were determined in both cell groups in the presence or absence of NAC at two different concentrations. Western Blot analysis using monoclonal QCRL-1 anti-MRP1 antibody demonstrated MRP1 expression in 293MRP cells, unlike HEK293 cells (Fig 1). Western Blot Detection of MRP1 in Human Embryonal Kidney Cell Line Transfected with the MRP1 gene. Cytotoxic Activity of Vincristine The experiments were repeated 3 times and the results obtained from these repetitions were averaged. The cytotoxic effect of different concentrations of vincristine on HEK293 cells was shown in Figure 2. The lethal concentration (LD50) of vincristine was found as 0.156 μg/ml on HEK293 cells using crystal violet method (Fig 2). This concentration of vincristine was applied for incubation of the cells. Cell viability of MRP1 and HEK293 cells against different concentrations of vincristine. Effects of NAC on vincristine cytotoxicity The viability of HEK293 and 293MRP cells treated with vincristine was significantly lower than the respective untreated control cells (11.4 ± 2.3% and 52.4 ± 5.2% respectively, p < 0.5) (Fig 3). 293MRP cells were more resistant to vincristine than HEK293 cells. The lowest level in cell viability was observed in HEK293 cells. Both cells were incubated with 1 or 5 mM NAC in the presence of vincristine. N-acetylcysteine supplementation at both concentrations enhanced significantly the resistance of 293MRP and HEK293 cells against vincristine cytotoxicity compared to their respective untreated control cells (p < 0.05). The viability of HEK293 cells increased significantly (p < 0.05) from 11.4 ± 2.3% to 31.1 ± 4.1% with 1 mM NAC and to 37.5 ± 4.7% with 5 mM NAC. The viability of 293MRP cells increased significantly (p < 0.05) from 52.4 ± 5.2% to 57.2 ± 5.4% with 1 mM NAC and to 70.1 ± 6.2% with 5 mM NAC. There was no significant difference between the viability of HEK293 cells treated with two different concentrations of NAC, but 5 mM NAC was more effective in 293MRP cells compared to the 1 mM NAC (p < 0.05). Effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on vincristine cytotoxicity in human embryonic kidney (HEK293) and 293MRP Cells. * p < 0.05 vs untreated control HEK293 cells p < 0.05 vs untreated control 293MRP cells * p < 0.05 vs HEK293 cells treated with Vinc † p < 0.05 vs HEK293 cells treated with Vinc + 1 mM NAC †† p < 0.05 vs HEK293 cells treated with Vinc + 5 mM NAC ††† p < 0.05 vs 293MRP cells treated with Vinc ‡ p < 0.05 vs 293MRP cells treated with Vinc + 1 mM NAC. Effect of BSO on vincristine cytotoxicity and survival promoting action of NAC Cells were pretreated with 100 μM BSO for 24 hour before drug treatments. The viability of 293MRP and HEK293 cells pretreated with BSO was not different significantly (85 ± 5.3% and 93 ± 6.1%, respectively. p > 0.05) (Fig 4). After inhibition of GSH synthesis with BSO, 293MRP cells lost their vincristine resistance significantly from 52.4 ± 5.2% to 19.0 ± 1.9% (p < 0.05) (Fig 4). Pretreatment with BSO didnot affect the viability of HEK293 cells treated with vincristine (11.4 ± 2.3% vs 10.2 ± 1.2%). N-acetylcysteine at both concentrations increased significantly the viability of 293 MRP cells pretreated with BSO against vincristine (from 19.0 ± 1.9% to 33.6 ± 5.4 with 1 mM NAC and to 40.5 ± 6.2% with 5 mM NAC). Similar increase was observed in HEK293 cells under the same conditions (from 10.2 ± 1.2% to 19.2 ± 2.4 with 1 mM NAC and to 29.9 ± 3.2% with 5 mM NAC). Pretreatment with BSO antagonized partly the increases in the viability of both cells caused by treatment with NAC compared to the increases caused by NAC alone (Fig 3 and Fig 4). In other words, NAC increased less the viability of both cells pretreated with BSO than the cells treated with only NAC against vincristine. Effect of DL-Buthionine (S,R)-sulfoximine (BSO) on vincristine cytotoxicity and survival promoting effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in human embryonic kidney (HEK293) and 293MRP Cells. * p < 0.05 vs HEK293 cells pretreated with BSO p < 0.05 vs 293MRP cells pretreated with BSO * p < 0.05 vs HEK293 cells treated with Vinc † p < 0.05 vs 293MRP cells treated with Vinc †† p < 0.05 vs HEK293 cells treated with BSO+Vinc and HEK293 cells treated with Vinc ††† p < 0.05 vs 293MRP cells treated with BSO+Vinc ‡ p < 0.05 vs 293MRP cells treated with BSO+Vinc+1 mM NAC ‡‡ p < 0.05 vs HEK293 cells treated with BSO+Vinc+1 mM NAC. Effect of vincristine and NAC on cellular GSH concentrations Cellular GSH levels were measured after 24 and 48 hour vincristine treatments in the presence or absence of NAC at two different concentrations. Cellular GSH concentrations were not different in untreated control HEK293 and 293MRP cells (80.2 ± 4.6 μg mg-1 protein and 84.6 ± 4.9 μg mg-1 protein, respectively) (Fig 5). Glutathione levels decreased not significantly after 24- and 48-h vincristine treatments in HEK293 cells from 80.2 ± 4.6 μg mg-1 protein to 75.9 ± 3.8 μg mg-1 protein and to 72.2 ± 3.5 μg mg-1 protein (p > 0.05) and in 293MRP cells from 86 ± 4.9 μg mg-1 protein to 72.4 ± 3.4 μg mg-1 protein and to 64.9 ± 3.2 μg mg-1 protein (p < 0.05). N-acetylcysteine at both concentrations caused a significant increase in GSH concentrations in both cells treated with vincristine for both incubation times, in comparison to untreated control cell lines and cells treated with only vincristine (p < 0.05) (Fig 5). Effects of Vincristine and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on intracellular glutathione (GSH) levels in human embryonic kidney (HEK293) and 293MRP Cells. * p < 0.05 vs untreated control 293MRP cells p < 0.05 vs untreated control HEK293 cells and HEK293 cells treated with Vinc for 24 and 48 hour * p < 0.05 vs untreated control 293MRP cells and 293MRP cells treated with Vinc for 24 and 48 hour † p < 0.05 vs HEK293 cells treated with Vinc+1 mM NAC for 24 and 48 hour †† p < 0.05 vs 293MRP cells treated with Vinc+1 mM NAC for 24 and 48 hour. Effect of vincristine and NAC on the activity of cellular Glutathione S-Transferase and Glutathione Peroxidase Glutathione S-Transferase activity in both untreated control cell lines was not significantly different. 48 hour, but not 24 hour incubation with vincristine significantly increased the GST activity in both cell lines comparing to the corresponding untreated control cells (Fig 6). N-acetylcysteine (1 mM) for 48 hour caused a significant decrease in GST activity in 293MRP and HEK293 cells compared with nontreated control cells and cells treated with only vincristine for both incubation times. 5 mM NAC at both incubation times caused a significant decrease in the GST activity in both cell lines compared to nontreated control cells, cells treated with vincristine only and cells treated with vincristine + NAC (1 mM) for both incubation times (Fig 6). Effects of Vincristine and N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on Glutathione S-transferase Activity (GST) in human embryonic kidney (HEK293) and 293MRP Cells. * p < 0.05 vs untreated control HEK293 cells p < 0.05 vs untreated control 293MRP cells * p < 0.05 vs untreated control HEK293 cells and HEK293 cells treated with Vinc for 24 and 48 hour † p < 0.05 vs untreated control 293MRP cells and 293MRP cells treated with Vinc for 24 and 48 hour †† p < 0.05 vs untreated control HEK293 cells and HEK293 cells treated with Vinc and HEK293 cells treated with Vinc+1 mM NAC for 24 and 48 hour ††† p < 0.05 vs untreated control 293MRP cells and 293MRP cells treated with Vinc and 293MRP cells treated with Vinc+1 mM NAC for 24 and 48 hour. There was no significant difference in GPx activity between HEK293 and 293MRP cells (2.4 ± 0.2 IU mg-1 protein and 2.2 ± 0.1 IU mg-1 protein, respectively) (Fig 7). Non-significant increases in GPx activity were observed after vincristine treatment for both incubation times in HEK293 (2.8 ± 0.3 IU mg-1 protein for 24 h vincristine incubation and 3.1 ± 0.3 IU mg-1 protein for 48 h vincristine incubation) and 293MRP cells (2.6 ± 0.2 IU mg-1 protein for 24 h vincristine incubation and 3.0 ± 0.3 IU mg-1 protein for 48 h vincristine incubation) compared to untreated control cells (p > 0.05). N-acetylcysteine (1 mM) incubation for 24 and 48 hours increased GPx activity in both cell lines compared to untreated control cells. 5 mM NAC incubation for 24 and 48 hours increased the GPx activity significantly in HEK293 and 293MRP cells compared to the other cell groups (p < 0.05) (Fig 7). Effects of Vincristineand N-acetylcysteine (NAC) on Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx) Activity in human embryonic kidney (HEK293) and 293MRP Cells. * p < 0.05 vs untreated control HEK293 cells p < 0.05 vs untreated control 293MRP cells * p < 0.05 vs untreated control HEK293 cells and HEK293 cells treated with Vinc and HEK293 cells treated with Vinc+1 mM NAC for 24 and 48 hour † p < 0.05 vs untreated control 293MRP cells and 293MRP cells treated with Vinc and 293MRP cells treated with Vinc+1 mM NAC for 24 and 48 hour. In our experiments, the viability of MRP1 transfected cells (293MRP) treated with vincristine was higher than human embryonic kidney (HEK293). Our results are in accordance with O'Brien and co-workers who reported that MRP1 confers resistance to doxorubicin, etoposide, and vincristine in NIH 3T3 fibroblast cell line [18]. Our experiments with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and DL-Buthionine (S,R)-sulfoximine (BSO) showed that MRP1 mediated vincristine resistance largely depends on GSH and this is in accordance with previous data [3, 18, 19]. N-acetylcysteine supplementation at both concentrations increased the survival rate of vincristine treated HEK293 and 293MRP cells which had increased GSH levels confirming that the viability depends on the level of GSH (Fig 3 and Fig 4). After inhibition of GSH synthesis with BSO, 293MRP cells lost their vincristine resistance (Fig 4). Similar results were described previously in different cell lines overexpressing MRP1 [3, 16]. We compared the viability of both cells treated with vincristine and NAC in the presence and absence of BSO. N-acetylcysteine at both concentrations increased significantly the viability of 293MRP and HEK293 cells pretreated with BSO against vincristine, but these increases were lower in comparison to the corresponding cells untreated with BSO (Fig 3 and Fig 4). Pretreatment with BSO antagonized partly the increases in the viability of both cells caused by treatment with NAC compared to the increases caused by NAC alone. In other words, NAC increased less the viability of both cells pretreated with BSO than the cells treated with only NAC against vincristine. This might be explained that BSO counterbalances the effect of NAC as a precursor of GSH. This is another proof that survival promoting action of NAC depends on GSH synthesis and is in accordance with our previous findings with doxorubicin [1]. In our experiments, cellular GSH concentration decreased after vincristine treatment which might be due to GSH efflux (Fig 5). Enhanced GSH efflux has been reported in MRP1 expressing cells and this enhanced efflux can be inhibited by indomethacin and probenecid [10]. They suggested that changes in the concentrations of GSH and its oxidised form GS-SG inside cells may each influence MRP1-mediated anion transport. Furthermore, hypoxia or oxidative stress may cause depletion of glutathione (GSH). Increased oxidative stress has been reported to associate tumorigenesis [20, 21] and this may play a role in GSH depletion [22, 23]. which in turn may affect efflux of drugs. The higher GPx activity in vincristine treated cells might be a compensatory effect of cells against depletion of GSH (Fig 6). It has been hypothesized that vincristine resistance of myeloblasts is related to its degradation by myeloperoxidase (MPO) [9]. Myeloperoxidase (MPO) catalyzes the formation of HOCl from H2O2 and chloride ion. It was shown oxidation by HOCl is the final step in vincristine degradation in both a cell free system and in cultures leukemic cell lines. Oxidation of anti-neoplastic drugs may cause a reduction in efficacy or an increase in toxicity. This could lead to a decrease in the therapeutic index. Inhibition of MPO in these different disease states could eliminate this intra- and extracellular oxidation pathway and could effectively increase the therapeutic index. The identification of MRP1 as an important glutathione-conjugate efflux pump raises the possibility that MRP1 and GST may act in synergy to confer cellular resistance to some of these compounds [3, 14, 24, 25]. It is not clear yet if glutathione is either co-transported as a GS-conjugate with vincristine or activates MRP1 for vincristine transport [4]. Studies so far showed conjugation with GSH and extrusion are not the major pathway [4]. Co-expression with MRP1 of any of the human GST isozymes A1-1, M1-1, or P1-1 failed to augment MRP1-associated resistance to drugs including doxorubicin, vincristine, etoposide, and mitoxantrone [4, 24]. This might be an evidence that vincristine is not conjugated with GSH, but co-transported with GSH in MRP1 mediated drug resistance. In our study, NAC supplementation decreased GST activity level in both cell lines (Fig 7). This might be explained that NAC may spontaneously form conjugates with vincristine, therefore decreasing the need for GST activity for conjugation. Although, it is not clear whether NAC spontaneously conjugates with vincristine, it is known that mercapturic acids (N-acetylcysteine S-conjugates) are spontaneously formed, released into the circulation and delivered to the kidney for excretion in urine [26–28]. Similarly, Weigand et al reported attenuation of GST activity after NAC supplementation [29]. Our results demonstrate that NAC enhances MRP1-mediated vincristine resistance and this effect depends on GSH synthesis. DL-Buthionine (S,R)-sulfoximine seems a promising chemotherapy improving agent in MRP1 overexpressing tumor cells. This finding might be relevant and have an implication in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Dulbeccos' Modified Eagles' Medium (DMEM), NAC, BSO, geneticin, Feotal Bovine Serum (FBS), and other chemicals were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich Corp. St. Louis, MO, USA. Vincristine was obtained from Oncology Department of Akdeniz University Hospital. The plasmid (pcDNA3.1/MRPK) encoding the whole MRP1 gene was kindly provided by Dr. Susan Cole from Oueen's University, Ontario Canada. Protein Assay Kit was purchased from Bio-Rad Laboratories Ltd., Herts, UK. Monoclonal anti-MRP1 QCRL-1 antibody was obtained from Centocor Inc., Malvern, PA, USA. Horseradish peroxidase (HRP) conjugated seconder goat-anti mouse antibody was purchased from Santa-Cruz Biotechnology Inc., Santa Cruz, CA, USA. Human embryonic kidney cell line, HEK293, was grown in DMEM, supplemented with 10% heat inactivated FBS, 2 mM L-glutamin, and 1% antibiotic-antimycotic solution. Cell cultures were kept at 37°C in a humid atmosphere containing 5% CO2. Cells (1 × 106 cells in 100 mm dish) were transfected with the plasmid (pcDNA3.1/MRPK) encoding the whole MRP1 gene. The transfection was made according to the calcium phosphate transfection method [30]. Sixteen hours after the transfection, the cells were feeded with DMEM supplemented with 400 μg/ml geneticin. Preparation of Membrane Enriched Fractions and Immunoblotting For immunoblotting of the 293MRP and HEK293 cells, membrane enriched fractions were prepared according to Grant et al [31]. Briefly, cell pellet was resuspended in the collection buffer (10 mM Tris-HCL, pH 7.4, 10 mM KCl, 1.5 mM MgCl2 and protease inhibitors), homogenized on ice in a Potter-Elvejhem tissue homogenizer. The intact cells and nuclei were removed by centrifugation at 800 g at +4°C, and the supernatant was further centrifuged at 100 000 g at +4°C for 20 minutes to prepare the membrane enriched fractions. The pellet was resuspended in buffer (10 mM Tris-HCl pH 7.4, 125 mM sucrose, and protease inhibitors). The protein suspension was mixed with solubilizing buffer (4 M urea, 0.5% Sodiumdodecylsulphate (SDS), and 50 mM dithiotreitol) and equal amounts of proteins were subjected to SDS-PAGE (SDS-Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) on 7% polyacrylamide gels, then transferred onto nitrocellulose sheet for overnight at 40 volt, and analysed by immunoblotting with anti-MRP1 monoclonal QCRL-1 antibody. Cell Viability Assays Cell viability was assayed using the crystal violet method [32]. 3 × 104 cells were seeded in a 96 well microplate. After 24 hours, cells were incubated with 0.06–1000 μg/ml vincristine for 72 hours. LD50 for vincristine was determined to be 0.156 μg/ml and this dose of vincristine was used in the rest of the experiments. Both HEK293 and 293MRP cells were incubated with vincristine (0.156 μg/ml) in the presence or absence of NAC (1 and 5 mM) for 72 hours at 37°C in a humid atmosphere containing 5% CO2. At the end of incubation period, the medium was replaced by 0.5% crystal-violet (w/v; in 50% methanol) solution. Plates were incubated for 10 min at room temperature, washed with water and adsorbed dye was eluted out with Na-citrate (0.1 M Na-citrate in 50% ethanol, pH 4.2). Absorbance, which was proportional to cell viability, was measured at a wavelength of 600 nm. Cell viability was monitored as the percentage of viable cells comparing to control, untreated cells. For BSO experiments, cells were pretreated with 100 μM BSO for 24 hours before incubating them with vincristine with or without NAC for 72 hours as described above. Preparation of Cell Extract for GSH and Enzyme Measurements Cell extracts were prepared as described by Bravard et al with a slight modification [33]. 106 cells were seeded in a cell culture dish and incubated for 24 hours. After incubation with vincristine in the presence or absence of NAC for 24 or 48 hours, medium was discharged and cells were washed with phosphate buffered saline (PBS), collected in potassium phosphate buffer (50 mM, pH 7.4) with cell scraper and repeatedly freezed and thawed in liquid nitrogen for four times, and then centrifuged at 10 000 g for 10 minutes at 4°C. The supernatant was used for enzyme activities and GSH measurements. Protein concentrations were determined using Bio-Rad protein assay kit. All measurements were adjusted by dividing with the protein content of each sample. Reduced Glutathione Assay Cellular GSH concentrations were determined as described by Virgil et al [34]. Briefly, the supernatant was deproteinized and GSH content was monitored spectrophotometrically with 5-5' dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) at a wavelength of 412 nm. The GSH concentration was evaluated using a standart curve of known amounts of GSH. Results are expressed as μg/mg protein. Glutathione S-Transferase Activity Assay Glutathione S-Transferase (GST) activity was measured at 340 nm wavelength in the presence of 1-cloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), GSH and sodium phosphate buffer (pH 6.5) at 30°C for 6 minutes [33, 35]. Results are expressed as ΔOD / mg protein. Glutathione Peroxidase Activity Assay Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx) activity was determined using a modification of the method of Paglia and Valentine [36]. In a cuvette kept at 37°C, GPx activity was monitored at 340 nm by the absorbance of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) for 3 minutes in the presence of glutathione reductase (0.5 IU), EDTA (0.3 mM) and t-buthyl hydroperoxide (0.4 mM). Results are expressed as IU/mg protein. Statistical analysis was performed using Anova test with SPSS packed program for Windows version 10.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). All the experiments were repeated three times. Mean values and standard deviations (mean ± S.D.) were calculated for every variable in each cell group and were compared between the groups. p < 0.05 was selected as statistically significant. This study was supported by Akdeniz University Research Fund. 12935_2005_124_MOESM1_ESM.jpeg Authors’ original file for figure 1 The author(s) declare that they have no competing interests. IA, SA and HA carried out the cell culture studies, transfection, immunoblotting, viability assays, GSH and enzyme measurements in the cell extracts. BS and TO participated in the design of the study and performed the statistical analysis, coordination and helped to draft the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biochemistry, Akdeniz University, 07070 Antalya, Turkey Faculty of Art&Science, Department of Biology, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Oncology, Akdeniz University, 07070 Antalya, Turkey Akan I, Akan S, Akca H, Savas B, Ozben T: N-acetylcysteine enhances multidrug resistance-associated protein 1 mediated doxorubicin resistance. 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__label__cc	0.747002	0.252998	Every week Anne shares what’s happening in Clontarf – comings and goings, news and notes, bits and pieces. Think of it as an old-fashioned newspaper column… The Annual St. Malachy Summerfest! Anne will be representing Swift County at the National Association of Towns & Township’s Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. next week! Anne has been township clerk of Clontarf for ten years. Congratulations!!!!! Virgil Thielke, 72, passed away earlier this week. His funeral is Friday at Our Redeemer’s Luthern Church. Obit was in West Central Tribune Thursday. He was mayor, chief of police, and a firefighter when he lived in Clontarf. Scroll down to the comments to read Anne’s news on recent Clontarf events! There is a crane in Clontarf today to assemble a new leg tower to Johnson Fertilizer. Anne is there right now taking pictures… A great-grandson of Simon Conaty was in town on Monday to check out his great-grandfather’s handiwork. Simon Conaty was the head carpenter on the building of the present-day St. Malachy Catholic Church in 1896. Great-grandson appreciated the fine state of the Church. (more to follow on this story…) This past week three ladies vacationing in Starbuck stopped in at Clontarf to see if they could find information on Conlogue relatives. Unfortunately, they didn’t run into Anne, but Scott and Marilyn directed them to the Prairie Pub for the Wednesday special. If you are out there ladies, read this, and get in touch with us! Last summer, three Kelley siblings visited Clontarf seeking information on Gilronans and Kelleys. I wonder if this is one of their Kelley ancestors? Dave & Deann (Chamberlain) Johnson will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on August 15th at the Parish Hall in Clontarf, 1-4pm. 37 responses to “Clontarf Today” Anne Schirmer Johnson’s 50 Anniversary Party was wonderful, with lots of photos on display, a flat screen tv with photos and some classy music in the background….Lovely day. Cian (KEE-an) Wayne Klucas was born to Amanda (Kent) and Nathan Klucas Tues. 8/17/2010 at 8 pm at Rice Hospital at Willmar, MN. Grandparents are Tammy Ascheman, Jon & Caroline Klucas, & Keith & Marlene (Brandt) Kent, all from Clontarf, MN. Living greatgrandparents are Alice Klucas, Dorothy Kent, and Clara Brandt. This is the second grandchild for Keith & Marlene in 6 months, and the 3rd for Jon & Caroline. Amanda’s brother, Charlie & wife Ani (Vantassel) Kent had son Jax Corrigan Kent March 1. Nathan’s sister, Dawn & hubby Aaron Johnson, had a boy, Roderick Johnson, and Nathan’s step-sister Beth Deitchman and Justin Stelzer had a boy, Arnie. Happy New Year! We’ve had a typical December – Snow, with sleet & rain, and then a slight thaw, and what do you know – more SNOW! Now with the new year we get some really really cold temps. . I don’t know how the pioneers ever survived this weather… The Prairie Pub at Clontarf had a special event on Jan. 1, (Sat.) 2011. It had entertainment that started at 2 pm (old time music) that was family entertainment, and then later the music changed to modern music. Many bars were closed for the new year after hosting New Year’s Eve parties, so some of the other bar owners were glad to come to Clontarf! It was a good event, as I hear. (I had to work my shift in Benson.) The newest Clontarfling was born January 2 in Willmar to Wade & Merrilee Ascheman! His name is Joseph Donald. “Joey”. Congratulation Wayne & Donna (Klucas) Ascheman on getting a new grandchild! Merrilee is a cousin to Chad Ness. Chad married Amanda Klucas, Bill & Char’s daugher, and Chad & Amanda live in Clontarf with their kids. The first wedding of a Clontarf connection will be Corey Fennell, Steve & Rhonda’s son. Steve’s dad, Bob, turned 80 in 2010. Corey’s wedding won’t be here in the area, but Mpls. ain’t that far! We wish Corey & Greta the best! I met another of Bob Fennell’s grandkids Fri. She came to work at Meadowlane as an CNA. We hadn’t met before, but I recognized her name when they told me who the new employee was for night shift. So then, I even explained to her how she and I are connected (not related by blood, but by marriage). The I explained how she was related to some of the residents! Clara Brandt said one day about people in Clontarf “Throw a stone at one and you hit them ALL”. If you have been watching ANY weather patterns on tv, you will see we here at Clontarf, MN, have had ENOUGH snow, the last blizzard being March 12, so we are ready for the warmer temps, even though it means flooding! More so the Benson residents that live near the golf course… Check swiftcountymonitor.com for articles on that topic… There is a new home under construction in the city limits of Clontarf! It is just west of town on County Road 22…we are all anxious to see it “come to life.” Construction just started the end of Feb. during a brief warm spell (3 days). Mulligan Stew will be served at the Prairie Pub in Clontarf March 17. Decorations are going up. Fine brews are on tap. It’s going to be a grand day! Parade in Benson Saturday starting at 3 pm. Should be fine weather for a parade, too. And another gathering of the Irish & Irish wannabees at the Prairie Pub in Clontarf. clontarfhistory How was the Mulligan Stew? I hope everyone in Clontarf had a very happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!!! Step into the Prairie Pub and read the names on the board for each day of the month.. the new house under construction is roughly 1/2 done. looks great! 3 rummage sales Fri & Sat.! Snow is nearly gone! yeah! Feb. 14, 2011 Agnes (Ascheman) Schirmer was crowned Valentine Queen at GoldenLiving Center – Meadowlane in Benson, MN. She looked lovely in a red top, gold cape, tiara, jeweled septer, and red roses. Her sisters-in-law Berniece (Sherman) Ascheman and Evelyn (Sherman) Ascheman were there with the others who came for the event. “Jack” Ascheman passed away Fri. early morning April 8,2011. He is the oldest of Alfred & Vina (Newell) Ascheman. Ellard Chamberlain, Jr., passed away Monday, April 11 at 2:15 am at his home. see obit at wct.com or swiftcountymonitor.com We miss his presence in our community. Fr. Bill Sprigler did a wonderful eulogy, and John Chamberlain, the 3rd son, gave a memorable “report” of why “Everybody loved Ellard”. In the beginning of his “report” he said he himself was “Raymond” in the family because he lived next door to his mother & father for 25 years! Then he changed it over to “Every loved Ellard”. Scott at the Prairie Pub in Clontarf, has started a new event this winter. It is an Acoustic Event – bring your guitar, and show off a little – or a lot! He has 2 of these events and I hear it has been a hoot. The next one is scheduled for April 30. There is a Hog Wild Ride scheduled for Sunday on Memorial Day weekend. This will be the 3rd annual ride. They depart from the Prairie Pub at 11 am and return about 4-5 pm and have a feed and charity auction with proceeds going to the Clontarf Fire Dept. Scot Thompson that would be ‘Scot’ at the pub. I don’t know who this ‘Scott’ character is, but he seems to be getting me into a lot of trouble… Dorothy Kent, 87, passed away in her residence at West Wood Manor at Benson on Sunday, May 15. Obituary in the West Central Tribune (wct.com) and Swiftcountymonitor.com Dorothy is survived by all her children: Keith, Bruce, Scott, Kathy, Debbie, Barb, Kevin, & Karen; and all their spouses and all the grand and greatgrand children. Preceeded in death by her husband, Chuck. Memorial Day was observed in the traditional manner at the cemetery at Clontarf today with children doing recitations, band members playing music, and the military (National Guard) giving a 21 gun salute. Our local veterans marched with the Fire Truck leading the ensemble of participants to the cemetery from the Hall. Afterwards everyone was invited to the Hall for rolls and coffee and fellowship. The children were treated at the Fire Hall to hotdogs and pop. Thanks to everyone who comes to our annual event at Clontarf on Memorial Day. Mason Schirmer of Clontarf and Lisa Mehr of Richmond were married at Rockville’s Catholic Church – St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception – May 21, 2011. The presider at the service was Fr. Steven Verhelst of Willmar, formerly pastor at the Catholic Area Parishes (Benson, Clontarf, DeGraff, Murdock, & oratory at Danvers). Mason used to be a mass server for Fr. Steve at Clontarf. Mason & Lisa will live at Cottonwood, MN, were Mason is city clerk/administrator since March 2011. Congratulations! The Catholic Area Parishes in the area of Benson, Clontarf, DeGraff, Murdock, and Danvers was titled the Area Faith Community of St. Isadore, the Farmer in March or so of 2011 by the Bishop at New Ulm, MN. Correction. That name “change” occurred six months or so before April 2011…about Oct. 1, 2010. Dan Birhanzel married a gal in the cities June 11. He is the son of Lonny Birhanzel, formerly of Tara Twp. (graduated from Benson High School 1966.). I think his folks were Charley & Isabelle (Palmer) Birhanzel. Ron & Laurie Kent went to the wedding and tool Ron’s mother, Cecelia (Becker) Kent, with them. Cele had her 91st birthday in April. You GO, girl! Cele & Clara (Bouta) Brandt have been known to fish off the dock at the local lakes…They are lawn neighbors here in Clontarf… Lonnie Birhanzel is __NOT__ the son of Charley. His parents were Fred and Della. please correct spelling of name and facts. Sorry. Thank you. St. Malachy Church at Clontarf will have it’s Summerfest July 10, 2011…. Anne — what goes on at the St. Malachy Summerfest? Will I see you Thursday? — Aine Summerfest here in Clontarf used to be a big turkey dinner with all the fixings and games galore (including BINGO under the tent) and would be a 6 hour event with an auction. But those type of events require a lot of man power (people power), and our congregation is dwindling. This is now billed as a fund raiser. The congregation members supply a host of hot dishes and cold salads and desserts for those who attend. There will be a silent auction on those items supplied by the members (handcrafted, restored, gift certificates, etc) My supplied item(s) will be photos (mostly 8X 10s) of local farm sites available for purchase/donation. They make great gifts! The Swift County Fair held at Appleton, MN, every year was Aug. 17-21, 2011. Lots of 4-H members were busy getting their projects completed for judging the 17th. The local paper had a few pictures. Hopefully, we’ll see more in next week’s paper. Today (25th) is the monthly meeting for the Swift County Historical Society at 2pm. Winifred “Wini” Fiala Becker passed away. Read obit at swiftcountymonitor.com She was daughter of of Belle Perrizo and Frank Fiala (only child). Wonderfully written obit, with a hint of humor, I believe. No one else was ever “crowned” Miss Hay Bale! Any no other obituary I’ve ever read mentioned Clontarf 7 times. I’m sorry I never met the lady. Belle had a sister named Winifred, so now I understand why I was confused on a few things,,, Ted Kellner’s wife, Arlene (Larson) passed away. Ted had attended school in Clontarf. Leon Fernholz, a brother of Theresa Doyle, passed away. Also Harold Ziegler, Mike Collins, and Helen (Jensen) Hargreaves.. Helen was married to “Bill” Willard Hargreaves. Coincidentally, on a Fri. night a couple weeks ago, the Hargreaves homeplace house (vacant) burned and fire departments were called. That location is east of Clontarf on 22, then first left after you cross the Chippewa River. second place on the left. A grove remains, and the charred structure (2 story home built of textured cement block – not bricks – cement block! Aggie thought Leland “Lee” and Rose (Fennell) Hargreaves built it…. Thanks, Anne, for keeping us posted. It is sad to see so many passing on. Is it usually arson when vacant places burn down? That has happened a few times this month here in the city. Are you ready for December? Talk soon – Aine Louise Byrne Bouta passed away Dec.4, 2011, in the cities. See obit in swiftcountymonitor.com Baby news: Dawn (Klucas) & Aaron Johnson had a new baby: Tori Alice Johnson Baby news: Corey Fennell & wife have a new little tax deduction, too. Baby Steven has 3 middle names. They are the first names of the soldiers that were with Corey’s group when they died in Iraq. Proud Great Grandpa Bob Fennell gave the news at coffee Fri. after Mass. Mason Schirmer has a new job. He is city clerk/treasurer at Freeport, MN. A retired gentleman came into his office and commented on his name: “Schirmer…are you related to those in Sauk Center?” No. “Are you related to those at Clontarf?”…Yesss. “Do you know Anne Schirmer?” Yesss…How do you know these names? To which he responded “Oh, I’m from that area. My folks were Woody & Annabelle Andersen – I’m the oldest. My sisters were friends of the Ollendick girls. Kathy w/Lucy. Judy w/Rita. Carol w/Anne”….needless to say, Mason was quite surprised… (I think he mentioned he had visited the clontarfhistory blog.) Stacey Boutain This is so much fun to read. Thanks for keeping things posted. I will keep checking the blog. Clontarf is a great place to have grown up. Happy 2014!! Thanks, Stacey! My brother, Peter Ollendick, died Dec. 27, 2013 and his funeral was Jan 4, 2014. My granddaughter, Hillary Rose Schirmer, was born Feb. 12, 2014. Then my sister, Rita (Olendick) Schmidt died from cancer March 4, 2014. A Memorial was held at St. Malachy Church for them May 10 and their ashes buried at the cemetery here, so my year was a mix of old memories and new joy. I hope to re-energize this blog about Clontarf because people like you are getting on board! GREAT! This site is awesome 🙂 Thanks, Desi! I’ve had a lot on my plate in 2014, but Clontarf and my friends here have my heart – even tho I’m not one bit Irish! I don’t know how to post pictures. Annie McCormack (in the cities) has been doing that. Her mother is Eileen (Regan) McCormack. They have been to Clontarf 10 times, I swear, collecting information and sharing pictures. It’s been fabulous! Barbara A. O'Connor I am a decendant of Michael and Anne Maloney, parents of Margaret, Bridget (or Agnes) William (born in Clontarf app 1880, Peter and Michael. Michael was buried in Clontarf as an infant. I cannot find any information on them and have looked everywhere. Can you help me? I have some data and can relay it to you if you request it. Thank you very much. Barbara O’Connor. Thank you, Barbara. So sorry for the delay. I spend too much time on FB! Can you give me dates you referred to? Have you visited Clontarf? Where are you living? Where have you gotten information? Swift Co Historical Society? St. Malachy is now a part pf St. Isadore Area Faith Community, with the office in Benson. Now all six parishes in Swift County are part of that AFC. I noticed too late! Sorry for the delay. I got away from this for quite a while. Please contact me on FB (my icon is a pink elephant) or else I wil look for ore from you here later this year,,,, Shelley Cameron Ann I just discovered this today!! How awesome this is for you to do….I know it takes work so many thanks!! Shelley Cameron Hey Shelley! Nice ro see you comment here! Clontarf is getting a new fire Hall! The shell is up, 3 doors empty onto Clontarf’s main stret ( Grace Ave.) so now we wait for the electrician to do his work. We have a lovely new door on the Hall. Johnson Fertilizer has a new name: Glacial Plains. Pretty big operation!	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1167
__label__wiki	0.560742	0.560742	Camera Obscura: The Worst Santa Claus Movie Ever; 10 Best Unseen Movies of 2010 Before we get into the Good Stuff, a short jaunt into some truly odd and weird moments of the week. For reasons unknown, this week CNN aired a story on the rather horrible illness of inflammatory bowel disease ... and to promo the story, they aired a clip from the movie "Dumb and Dumber", wherein the character played by Jeff Daniels experiences a thunderous blast of diarrhea. News anchor Ali Velshi was visibly stunned by the clip and said "We didn't just air that one live TV did we?" Yes, you did. Cinematical has the story and the CNN clip. What gift this holiday season might satisfy (or dumbfound) the Stanley Kubrick fan in your life? How about a toy version of the Space Monolith from "2001: A Space Odyssey"? Think Geek has one ready for sale (which they call an "action figure"). No word if it also plays the "Thus Spake Zarathustra" theme, but that would be cool. Now if I could just find a toy bone I could throw into the air which would transform into a spaceship. Are there other toys from "2001"? Well, yes, and all Christmasy ones too -- eBay has the space shuttle Orion Christmas tree ornament: And also for sale, the EVA Pod Christmas tree ornament. Now on to what is likely the worst Christmas movie I've ever run across - and you can watch it late tonite (around 2 a.m.) on Turner Classic Movies. It's a 1959 Mexican-made feature called "Santa Claus", which is surely one of the oddest Christmas movies ever made. Forget all that "Santa Claus vs The Martians" nonsense. This feature is truly a bizarre entry, which actually did quite well when released in the U.S. back in the day. TCM's write up explains the tale, where Santa, living in a floating space castle, is trying to help a wee young girl get a doll for Christmas, only to find that Satan (that's Satan, not Santa) sends an envoy named Pitch to Earth to muck up the whole deal. But let's go to that TCM write-up: "Dividing the action between Earth, the heavens (Santa occupies a cloud-straddling castle cum Fortress of Solitude) and deep in the bowels of Hell (where horned demons with beatnik goatees caper like Fosse dancers as the damned trudge mournfully to tarnation), Santa Claus is all the more strange for honoring a holiday not at all native to Mexico. "St. Nick's anthropomorphic toyshop (whose ordinances include a Nemoesque/Phibesian pipe organ cum communication console, a privacy-violating "master eye" and an alarmingly labial computer voice generator) points to the polymorphous perversity of key 80s era "new wave" productions, notably Stephen Sayadian's Café Flesh (1982), Richard Elfman's Forbidden Zone (1982), David Cronenberg's Videodrome (1983), Rene Daalder's Population: 1 (1986) and even the popular CBS Saturday morning show Pee-Wee's Playhouse (1986-1990)." The movie gained much fame one more time when the Mystery Science Theater 3000 folks spoofed the movie, and it is even funnier than the original film. And you can watch the MSTK3 send up for free online via Google video. And speaking of TCM, the Movie Morelocks blog has an excellent list of movies from 2010 which too few have seen and all of which are very much worth seeking out. These aren't horribly weird movies, these are truly original movies which deserve far more attention and praise than they received. The full list is here, and I have only seen one of them, which I really enjoyed. It's "The Killer Inside Me", starring Casey Affleck, Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, Ned Beatty and directed by Michael Winterbottom. Based on the novel by Jim Thompson, it's a crime story like no other. Deputy Sheriff Lou Ford (Affleck) is a casual and brutal killer, who begins to accept the reality that his darkest side is growing and he ponders on how much enjoyment it brings him. The story has been filmed before (badly) and while I was skeptical at first at Affleck's casting, he captures a man of perfectly natural innocence and innate brutality exceptionally well. The movie does not veer much from the novel, which I confess was so rugged it was a gut-wrenching read. The movie doesn't flinch away either, resulting in a movie that boggles the senses and is hardly mainstream fare. But it remains a completely fascinating descent into the darkest of criminal minds. Thompson's genius is brought to vivid and horrifying life. The full list is chock full of movies which should be on your list of must-sees. One other I look forward to watching is the animated (no CGI here) "The Illusionist," taken from French filmmaker Jacques Tati's last finished screenplay. WikiLeaks Outrage, Episode Number 137 image via http://www.designfloat.com Some recent articles and comments on Julian Assange and WikiLeaks - Glenn Greenwald: "Whatever you think of WikiLeaks, they have not been charged with a crime, let alone indicted or convicted. Yet look what has happened to them. They have been removed from Internet ... their funds have been frozen ... media figures and politicians have called for their assassination and to be labeled a terrorist organization. What is really going on here is a war over control of the Internet, and whether or not the Internet can actually serve its ultimate purpose - which is to allow citizens to band together and democratize the checks on the world's most powerful factions." Ron Paul: "In a free society we're supposed to know the truth," Paul insisted. "In a society where truth becomes treason, then we're in big trouble. And now, people who are revealing the truth are getting into trouble for it." Rush Limbaugh: "Where are the WikiLeaks cables proving that the CIA invented AIDS? Where is Obama's birth certificate? Where's the real good stuff? And how about all the hundreds of other left-wing lies we've been hearing about for years? [Is] WikiLeaks covering up for the United States?" Oh and Twitter says the First Rule of WikiLeaks is you don't Tweet WikiLeaks tags. Another viewpoint via James Moore: "I want information so that I can hold my government accountable. If my country acts improperly and in my name, I want the proof. I want to know if there actually is no evidence proving weapons of mass destruction. I want to know if America is working with Israel to overthrow Iran's leadership. I want data that has not been spun by reporters that work for publishers and broadcasters with political and business goals that conflict with the facts. And Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann claims President Obama does not say the word "God" enough. In Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s novel "Breakfast of Champions", a character named Kilgore Trout, a sci-fi writer who claims that a "leak" or "taking a leak" actually means the speaker is about to steal a mirror, as mirrors are portals to other worlds. If nothing else, the WikiLeaks hysteria is aiming a mirror at the modern world revealing a most unflattering reflection. Labels: media, politics Republican Senate Logic Camera Obscura: The Worst Santa Claus Movie Ever; ...	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1174
__label__cc	0.567826	0.432174	Employment and work / Student loans Fewer new graduates will start repaying their HELP debt January 6, 2015 Andrew Norton4 Comments In the mid-year Budget update, the government predicts that repayments of HELP debt will slow down. Unsurprisingly given recent posts on graduate employment, I think that’s right. Fewer graduates have any significant source of income. What I have not written about so far is what graduates are paid if they have a full-time job. What the latest graduate employment outcomes data shows is that median starting salaries were essentially the same in 2014 as in 2013, at $52,500 a year (for graduates aged less than 25 in their first full-time job). That means that graduate salaries are going backwards in real terms. The HELP thresholds, however, keep being indexed according to average weekly earnings, which are still going up. Unless there is a surprising surge in salaries paid to new graduates, this means that the median graduate who completed at the end of 2014 will not make a HELP repayment even if he or she has a full-time job. The slide below has the trends in starting salaries and initial HELP repayment thresholds. An implication of this is that, at least for younger graduates (older graduates are more likely to already have jobs, or employment histories that get them better-paying jobs), is that few of them will begin HELP repayments in the months after graduation. Overall, only 42 per cent of the graduating cohort from 2013 have a full-time job, down from 56 per cent in 2007 and 2008. If the median starting salary slips below the initial HELP repayment threshold, fewer than half of that group will make a repayment. This suggests that around one in five new graduates will earn enough to start repaying their HELP debt. Presumably these trends informed the 2014 Budget decision to lower the initial HELP repayment threshold to $50,638, which would require many more new graduates to start repaying, at the rate of 2 per cent of their income. But it is not clear why the Budget went for a once-off cut to the initial threshold, rather than changing the indexation system from average weekly earnings to the consumer price index. The government proposed this change for much more politically sensitive welfare payments. Originally, the HECS thresholds were indexed to CPI, but were changed to AWE in 1994. Which it is has major implications for repayment levels. In our doubtful debt report, we showed that if the initial threshold had been indexed to the CPI rather than AWE it would have been $44,836 in 2013-14, rather than its actual figure of $51,309. Although we did not model the other thresholds, using CPI rather than AWE could significantly speed up repayments by bringing people into higher repayment categories earlier in their careers. In 2013, graduates aged above 25 or above with previous full-time employment experience had a median salary of $58,000. What’s going on in the new graduate labour market? Does graduating into a recession reduce long-term employment levels? 4 thoughts on “Fewer new graduates will start repaying their HELP debt” Peter Bentley says: This is an important topic and you probably have mentioned it elsewhere, but the implications of the indexation of the minimum threshold are more significant than one might assume when looking at your chart because the HELP repayment scheme applies to total income, not marginal income. Even though HELP thresholds are occasionally referred to as “marginal rates”, they differ from marginal taxation rates because they do not apply only to income earned above that threshold. The implication is that someone earning $1 over the minimum threshold repays $2100 off their HELP debt, while someone earning $1 less pays nothing. By indexing the minimum threshold to AWE rather than CPI, we would expect an increased % of graduates in FT employment falling just below the minimum threshold in future years and paying $0 rather than $2100. The impact of changing indexation to the upper thresholds would be much less than the impact on the minimum threshold (at least in terms of doubtful debt). Personally, I think the HELP repayment system ought to be based on a genuinely marginal system which kicks in at $50,000(ish) and indexed to CPI. Under the current system one can literally be better off giving money to charity just to get below the minimum threshold (or moving into the next threshold). However, I suspect it is politically more effective to have the current system which is levied on entire income because it looks more benign when it is described as a “marginal rate” of 4%. Kind of like the Medicare levy (and others) look benign when described as a 2% levy. Andrew Norton says: Peter – Yes, this is an important aspect of HELP’s design. I think it is one reason why its finances are bad but not as bad as England’s loan scheme. There they repay based on a marginal rate above the threshold. For people earning just above the threshold annual repayments are small and they may never repay in full. In Australia, they would repay in 10-15 years. Neil Warren has an interesting, but so far as I can see so far unpublished paper, which extensively analyses the potential perverse income-reducing behaviour you mention. Mookster says: AWE and wage price indices more broadly have been barely keeping up with CPI since 2012. This may be why no change was made to HELP debt indexation in the 2014 budget. Though it would likely help to speed up HELP repayments over the longer term, under reasonable budget parameters out to 2017-8, this change may not have contributed much saving in the forward estimates period, and therefore missed the cut. I agree that AWE would not make a big short-term difference to HELP. But that did not prevent the government trying to change indexation of uni grants to CPI (replacing a labour market movements component), and explaining it as a whole of government measure. Leaving HELP indexation at AWE is inconsistent with their general approach, as well as changing it making sense in itself. Leave a Reply to Mookster Cancel reply	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1177
__label__cc	0.737446	0.262554	Please select your account About Flow Evo Flow ToGo Flow On Demand Postpaid Plans Mobile FAQ About Broadband Broadband FAQ About Home Phone Home Phone FAQ Simplified billing Help with webmail PART B PUBLIC SWITCHED NETWORK ACCESS Item 201 Basic Telecommunications Services This item is subject to the terms and provisions of Part A of this Tariff. Basic Telecommunications Services includes an access component – Telephone Line Rental service - and a usage component – Local Calling. Line Rental service is the rental of one Telephone Line. A monthly charge, as set out in sub-item 5 shall apply. Local Calling allows Customers to make and receive Local Calls. Local Calls are charged on a usage-basis, as set out in sub-item 5 below. The Calling Party pays for Local Calls. The Customer is entitled to one free copy of the Telephone Directory for each Telephone Line rented, as long as C&W has directories in stock. "Basic Telecommunications Service Application" is the C&W Application for Basic Telecommunications Service. “Call Set-up” is the process by which the switch provides dial tone to the calling party, and receives and analyses the dialed digits, connects to required number and provides ringing tone to the called party. “Ceased for Nonpayment” occurs when an account is unpaid and is suspended permanently, this cessation is initiated by C&W and not by the customer. "Telephone Line Rental" is the rental of a Telephone Line. To apply for Basic Telecommunications Services, new Customers must complete and submit C&W's applicable Basic Telecommunications Services Application. Completed Basic Telecommunications Services Applications can be submitted to the following C&W sales offices: Anderson Square, Galleria Plaza or Stake Bay. A passport or some other form of identification is required. 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__label__wiki	0.56627	0.56627	Author: Ondine Sherman Price : $19.99(NZD) Friendship can be found in the unlikeliest of places. After her mother's death, Sky leaves her city life to move in with her aunt and uncle in a small Australian town. Life in a new place isn't easy, and Sky finds comfort in the friendship of a stray dog she meets along the way. But her new friends at school are another story, and as Sky struggles to fit in, she finds herself doing things that go against everything she believes in. When Sky stumbles on a case of animal cruelty, she is forced to question what's really important to her and who she wants to be. An inspiring YA debut from Voiceless Co-founder Ondine Sherman about kindness, friendship and animals, perfect for young audiences with an interest in animal rights. ADDRESS: 1 Jervois Road, Ponsonby, Auckland 1011, NEW ZEALAND EMAIL: shop@dorothybutler.co.nz BUSINESS NAME: Wadsworth Sisters Ltd T/A The Dorothy Butler Children's Bookshop Wadsworth Sisters Ltd is a New Zealand registered comany.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1206
__label__wiki	0.547068	0.547068	Edible Seattle / January 2019 Story by Kelly Knickerbocker Raindrops slide down the edges of a dozen pop-up tents assembled outside of Peace Vans, a full-service shop for vintage vans and buses, in Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood. It’s early autumn, and a light breeze works its way through bundled attendees. Hands are shoved into pockets when not reaching for beers and freshly-shucked oysters. A sense of excitement permeates, despite the inclement Pacific Northwest conditions. Nelly and Michael Hand, owners of the Cordova, Alaska-based Drifters Fish, are throwing a party. Once a year, the couple loads up their vintage Volkswagen Vanagon DOKA and heads south to the Emerald City to distribute their haul: fresh, sustainably caught Copper River salmon. In addition to operating and maintaining their fishing vessel; harvesting salmon May through September; supplying acclaimed Seattle restaurants with wild, hand-processed fish; and smoking, canning, and distributing their line of shelf-stable products, the Hands also run a Community Supported Fishery (CSF). Like Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs that bring farm-direct produce to doorsteps across the region, members buy into the Drifters Fish CSF. Their prepaid deposits allow the husband-and-wife team to ready their boat — a 31-foot gillnetter named The Pelican — as well as buy and repair fishing gear, stock up on fuel, and clean, package, and ship salmon throughout open season. This means the Hands don’t start their fishing season at a deficit — all the pre-season work is financed by CSF subscribers. And the sales of their canned product sales help sustain them through the winter off season. “With the CSF and our shelf-stable products, we’ve extended our season,” says Nelly. “We’ve created a new type of job for ourselves that keeps us working for more of the year. Drifter’s gives us stability.” Life revolves around fishing in Cordova, home to just north of 2,000 people. At the start of each fishing season, the town rumbles to life with boat engines and families — couples, parents and their kids, and teams of siblings take to the waters that their livelihoods depend on. The 50-mile-wide Copper River Delta, where the river empties into the Gulf of Alaska, boasts a prolific salmon run. “Salmon go out into the ocean to eat and back to the river to spawn,” says Nelly, “and we’re catching them in the transition between the two — when they’re fat and strong and ready to move through those bodies of water.” That’s where the party comes in. Gathered under tents on a soggy October afternoon, CSF supporters are all smiles because they’re receiving their share of the bounty. The Hands’ handiwork is ready to distribute. Unique to Drifters Fish is the business structure: Nelly and Michael own every step of the supply chain, rather than selling their catch to a cannery or a third-party distributor. Each CSF member gets a box of prepackaged, portioned, flash-frozen salmon that the Hands have maintained at every step — from Alaska’s coastal waters to this end-of-season celebration in Seattle. After nibbling from passed plates — grilled Copper River coho salmon with fresh herbs and foraged chanterelles — and browsing other makers’ and artisans’ wares, CSF members leave with a box of fish hoisted up on their shoulders — five, ten, or twenty pounds worth. The Drifters Fish difference isn’t touted by CSF members alone. During the season, the Nelly and Michael harvest salmon, run back to town, have the fish packaged immediately, and drive it straight to the airport. Fresh fish arrives at some of Seattle’s best-known restaurants, including Canlis, Marine Hardware, Staple & Fancy, and The Walrus and the Carpenter, often within 24 hours after being pulled aboard The Pelican. Growing up, Nelly and Michael worked on their families’ boats in Cordova, which were docked at the same harbor season after season. Nelly and Michael now dock The Pelican at that same harbor, alongside Nelly’s brother, who took over the family boat when their dad retired, and Michael’s brother, who runs a boat, too. Depending on the conditions, days spent on The Pelican can range from defeating to back-breaking to awe-inspiring. Because fishery managers carefully monitor the Copper River to maintain ecosystem health and long-term sustainability, fishing time is determined day by day — from zero to 12 hours. “I don’t want to catch the last fish in the ocean,” says Nelly. “Fishing is my job, but I’m a huge advocate for healthy watersheds. When our fishing times are limited, I’m behind that. I hope it means in the future that more fish come back.” Even when they get the green light to fish, cyclical ebbs and flows are part of the gig. Last season’s low point was when The Pelican’s main hydraulic pump broke down. “It operates everything on deck, including the reel that pulls our net in,” Nelly says. “We couldn’t pack up for the day — the fish are too valuable. So we stayed and hand-rolled the net. It was exhausting, but we did it until fishing closed for the day.” Weeks later, Nelly and Michael were treated to a unique perk of the job: stunning views of the Northern Lights. “They stretched from horizon to horizon; the biggest I’ve ever seen.” Nelly and Michael’s day-to-day responsibilities take different shapes throughout the year, too. “Our season in Alaska is intense,” says Nelly. “We’re working every hour of the day, every day of the week. We’re so focused while we’re there to harvest. Bringing your adrenaline down after that is challenging, so I appreciate the chance to slow down when it’s over.” Back in the lower 48, off-season means Drifters Fish shifts from harvesting and shipping to distributing CSF shares from Seattle to Bellingham to Carnation, Washington. Moving further into winter, they distribute smoked salmon to wholesale partners and work the holiday market circuit. Nelly also spends time walking into restaurants. “I introduce myself, say, ‘I’m a fisherman, our salmon is sustainable and fresh, and I caught it.’” ← Back to Stories	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1209
__label__cc	0.628122	0.371878	« #155: Four Down, Two To Go #157: And it’s done…. Bring on 2017 » 156: The Home Stretch & The Braves Heat Up Published September 6, 2016 A.J. Pierzynski , Atlanta Braves , Baseball , Baseball Fans , baseball photos , baseball trades , Braves , Braves & Stuff , Braves Pitching , National League , Sports 401 Comments by Gil ‘N Mechanicsville So here we are, the final month of the season. A point in the past where we have seen the Braves totally collapse and limp into the postseason. No such worries this year, the Braves lost this season in April with a 5 wins, 18 loss record. May and June were hardly any better going 10-18 and 12-16 respectfully, so yes, it was over early for los Bravos. In fact, until August 31st, the Braves appeared to have a stranglehold on having the first overall pick in the 2017 draft. All that seems to have turned around though with a good, not great record, but relative to the rest of the season, a very good August. 13-15 for the month is not going to win many championships but considering the state of the Braves pitching staff, it was a pretty spectacular month. Two things seem to have the greatest impact on the turnaround for the home boys in Atlanta: (1) Matt Kemp and (2) resurgence in the young pitchers. Matt Kemp, no longer the All-star caliber player he was in LA is still head and shoulders above anyone else the Braves have had playing left field in years. He was traded for a guy who was a huge disappointment for all concerned with both the Dodgers and Braves. The Dodgers did at least recover some of their investment but the Braves basically ate about 30MM dollars. A guy who was so toxic, the Padres dropped him before he could get on a plane and fly to San Diego. Of course Olivera will have to console himself with the 62 million dollars he is signed for. A fellow can live pretty well in the Dominican Republic with that kind of scratch. Matt Kemp was a salary dump for the Padres, plain and simple. All I can say is it must have been a pretty miserable marriage for the offensively challenged Padres to want him off their roster. Kemp showed up in Atlanta about 30 pounds overweight and somewhat out of shape but he has made a big difference for Freddie Freeman in particular and the Braves in general. No longer fleet afoot, he still can drive in runs and has played a decent left field. In the final game with San Diego, he actually laid out for a sinking line drive. He came up just short and the ball rolled to the wall for a triple but hey, up by 7 runs at the time, it was gutsy and I’m sure the effort was not lost on his teammates. This team might be well out of it but they are not playing like it. The final month of the season is upon us and the Braves can only play the role of spoilers. They will again be playing a majority of NL East rivals. While the Nationals have pretty much wrapped up the division, the Mets and the Marlins are both clawing for a wild card berth. The Braves are playing for a modicum of respect and several are playing for a spot on next season’s roster. It should be interesting as to who will make up the roster when the Braves take the field in their new ballpark next April. Truthfully, I only see two spots on the roster as being givens: Freddie Freeman and Dansby Swanson; everyone else is on the bubble as far as I can tell. It should be an interesting offseason for the Braves. 401 Responses to “156: The Home Stretch & The Braves Heat Up” 1 Carolina Lady September 6, 2016 at 12:55 pm Excellent, Gil! There’s hope! Thanks so very much for writing this for us! 2 berigan2electricboogaloo September 6, 2016 at 1:34 pm Excellent work Mr Gil!!! I think Kemp was traded cuz the young GM looked at his WAR and decided he wasn’t worth a plug nickel… I need to go off on WAR , what a complete joke it is if we are to believe Kemp is no better than any ol Left fielder…who are you going to believe, your eyes or the lying stats that say he stinks????? 3 Vox O'Reason September 6, 2016 at 2:34 pm DO’B says he expects the Braves to sign Tim Tebow to a minor league deal. He doesn’t cite a source or even anyone “unnamed”. Just says he expects it. The timing of the showcase suggests he’s ready, willing, and able to go play winter ball somewhere to receive additional coaching and instruction. That gives a team time to decide which level he might slot into. For me personally… why not? Doesn’t cost the team a thing. Now, I don’t expect him to ever rise to the big league level, but there’s nothing to lose by giving him a chance. And he just might sell a few more minor league tickets along the way. No downside that I can see. 4 Gil in Mechanicsville September 6, 2016 at 3:11 pm I don’t know Vee, I don’t think El Orso Blanco was expected to amount to much either. He turned into some pretty decent pitching for the Braves in addition to being a cult favorite. Every body love a rags to riches story. Not sure exactly if Tebow would qualify under that heading… Maybe a hand me down to riches to J C Penney’s story. 🙂 I doubt he could be much worse than Brandon Snyder. If he can turn so of the bulk into tone, maybe he can get into baseball shape. Certainly he would have a built in fan base. Should be fun.. Like you said, very little down side at this point. Not like he has bad knees. Just couldn’t throw a football… By the way, I went back and posted some stats for the Braves as far as win loss by month. I forgot to go back and include them when I first outline the lead… DUH! Anyhow, I know it would not make a big difference to you guys but someone else might notice it. I know a lot of AJC blog regulars give grief to Chip Carey over his fax pas. That said, he is head and shoulders over the buffoons who are announcing the gNats telecast. They seem to have no clue as to whom the opposing team players are or what is going on in the game. PAINFUL… Had to make a trip to DMV today to get the car title straight for the sale. As bad as it was, I still think back to what it use to be and how it was an all day thing and some really, really nasty clerks. The attitude is moderately better now but at least they have chairs. 7 Carolina Lady September 6, 2016 at 6:28 pm I read a little about Tebow recently that generally wasn’t good from the writer’s perspective. Said his footwork in the outfield wasn’t good and there was something negative about his swing but I don’t recall exactly what. The ending comment was something snarky about him fitting on the Braves team. I’ll wait and see. With God, ALL things are possible and I know he believes strongly. Wouldn’t it be terrific for all concerned if Tebow suddenly burst onto the scene with good success? CL, I don’t think anyone will confuse Tim Tebow at this point as the second coming of Mickey Mantle. Well, except for those people who don’t know who Micky Mantle was. Sure, their is always work to be done but what is the down side? If it doesn’t work out, no biggie. Not like you are investing in a number one draft pick. Oh, I understand, Gil, but – just saying! 🙂 10 Gil in Mechanicsville September 6, 2016 at 7:29 pm I suspect said writer is a hater… Likely from the left coast. So, Braves jump off to a 2-0 lead in the first. gNats announcers stunned… 11 Carolina Lady September 6, 2016 at 11:21 pm 12 Vox O'Reason September 7, 2016 at 7:27 am Tim Tebow will always draw sharp criticism from some no matter what he does. They really don’t hate him so much as they hate what he believes and what he represents. I suspect that for many, the “hate” is more deeply rooted in envy. Quite honestly, the odds are long against him rising much above AA. But I don’t begrudge him the chase. Now the Braves are even catching heat for considering him. It’s being called a stunt and an attempt to sell tickets. Well… if that happens along the way, then good for everybody. I hope they sell alot of tickets. First and foremost, I hope it broadens his platform to share the love of Christ. Tim Tebow is a walking witness without even opening his mouth. 13 Gil in Mechanicsville September 7, 2016 at 8:47 am So, the Braves come up short last night after coming a bit unglued in the 8th. The game was lost however much earlier. Perez just does not have the “out” pitch needed to get real professional hitters out. Not a real knock on him, just a fact. Some day he will learn it’s better to walk one in that let four in at once. I was reading Coppy’s comments on Tebow this morning. I don’t think he needs to apologize for the Braves’ interest in the ex quarterback. Certainly a better investment than a multitude of former Cuban national team players. Rain delay in DC. TV news reports strong storms in Northern VA with lightning and hail. Going to be a late night for the Braves. We had a T-Storm this AM with about 1/2 inch of rain and one really loud clap of thunder. I guess someone near-by lost a tree… The lights flickered but no loss of CPUs. Things have been pretty quite on the Atlanta front haven’t they? I guess football is taking all the ink. That plus with the trade season essentially done and with the expanded rosters, there isn’t much to talk about personnel-wise either. Ozzie Albies did leave their playoff game last night with what appeared to be a wrist injury. I need to follow up on that. The Nats had to trot out 10th pitchers on the night and still beat us. Kinda sad. @HearKyleTait @mlbbowman pic.twitter.com/NjrNDVE9mY — Steve Hardy (@Shardy1963) September 8, 2016 Ominously, there is NO update on this injury since it happened. I’ve only seen it mentioned twice, and that was in the Mississippi recap and in the Pensacola recap. No news is not always good news, and in instances such as these, the silence is deafening. The only mentions by the Braves’ 3 beat writers was a retweet of Kyle Tait (Mississippi’s radio voice) by Bowman and McAlpin. Not even that from DO’B. As for Tait, he tweeted what he saw and fielded a ton of questions but had nothing much to add, clarifying it this way: “Injury news has to come from ATL. Keep eye on what [Bowman and DOB] get from Coppy. We can’t release injuries.” We’ll keep our eyes open today. Man, that was a long game last night… !0 pitchers… Not that they were in trouble, just Washington has a bunch of kids who were called up and Dusty seems determined to see all of them pitch. The Braves on the other hand just ran out of them. Having Jim Johnson hit for himself in the top of the 8th should tell you all you need to know about the Braves’ pen. It was only Johnson’s second at bat in his career. he is now 0-2 with 2 strike outs. All the itching changes just slowed things down incredibly. I think the league should allow teams to expand their rosters to 40 men in September but still only be allowed to dress 25 per game. Why do teams play under different conditions for only one month? Bad news about Mallex but he should be healed by spring training. Folty was strong last night. inconsistent strike zone was the main reason he only went 6 innings. Lots of deep counts. Dansby crushed one last night. That ball had a nose bleed by the time it landed… Tim Tebow signs with the Mets… Oh well… Mets are signing Tim Tebow to a minor-league contract, an MLB source tells ESPN. Instructional League or Arizona Fall League next for Tebow. — Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 8, 2016 That answers that question, now doesn’t it? Tim Tebow will inevitably be traded from the Mets to the Braves in a trade involving Kelly Johnson — Barrett Sallee (@BarrettSallee) September 8, 2016 Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!! 😀 The Braves are expected to provide details about Albies' injury later today. It didn't look good. — Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) September 8, 2016 Ugh! 😦 25 berigan2electricboogaloo September 8, 2016 at 9:08 am I saw a bit of the game…heard the last of it…Jim Powell said it was a stupid delay of game, no rain…but, I understand teams not wanting to use a starter for an inning or two…then a long rain delay…to hear the end of the game…braves up, then giving up a run to tie game back up, then 2nd and 3rd with no outs…if the Nats hadn’t won against the braves bullpen… it would have been the biggest shock since…Simmons was traded…Ted Simmons… 😉 Hope Ozzie is not too badly hurt…saw a homer of his on TV (shocking when a local TV station shows Gwinnett highlights) and the camera showing him round 3rd, he looked like a 12 Y.O. Little leaguer 😉 5 ‘9, 160? I don’t think so…looks 5’5 140…hopefully he will fill in a bit…19, you can still get a bit taller, right? no really guys, I am totally 5’9!!!!! 😛 Hey, it hasn’t stopped Altuve… Of course some balls will be hit over his head but what a miniscule strike zone. 29 Vox O'Reason September 8, 2016 at 10:12 am Jim Powell said it was a stupid delay of game, no rain…but, I understand teams not wanting to use a starter for an inning or two Not just that, but sometimes a short early preemptive delay can avoid a later long delay. I can remember a few weeks ago when they halted a game in ATL between innings with no rain because the radar showed a strong storm moving toward The Ted. It allowed the crew to get the field covered before the storm hit, and therefore the infield was fine when the cover came back off. Probably cut the prep time by more than half. Had they waited for the rain to start, it would have taken alot longer to get the IF back into playing shape. 30 Gil in Mechanicsville September 8, 2016 at 11:25 am Oh, there was a heck of a storm in the area last night, just didn’t reach the ball park. That happens with T-Storms. When they say scattered, well, you know… Early indication is Ozzie Albies suffered a right elbow injury that did not damage the ligament. He's being evaluated by Dr. Andrews today. Good news / bad news. Of course, the bad news is that he got hurt. The good news, and it is very good news, is that the ligament was not involved. If it’s a stress fracture, a broken bone can heal in plenty of time for him to resume baseball activities well ahead of spring. Also, the injury happened at the end of a full season, not hampering his development timeline as he did get his full season in. If the kid has to have an injury, the type and timing looks to be semi-positive. Aaron Blair is making a rehab start for Gwinnett in their playoff game 2. That’s kinda nice. 🙂 So, I wonder if the stress fracture is at the olecranon process? That is the bone at the tip of the ulna. Often times pitchers will experience it. Hey, the weakest link will break. I suspect he fell on it at some point and cause the fracture but it did not show up right away. As long as it is not a complete fracture, it should heal. Add cortisone to aid healing. It’s why no PED test are given to players on the DL… Of course it will postpone his stint in the AFL. Perhaps he will play in one of the winter leagues, or not. 35 Vox O'Reason September 8, 2016 at 2:18 pm .@SunTrustPark officially opens on March 31, 2017 when the #Braves will host the Yankees in an exhibition game! pic.twitter.com/FZUIYwxkgF — Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 8, 2016 Open only to A-List members -> season ticket holders. Pretty sure I won’t attend.. 🙂 According to A.J. Perez of USA Today, Hector Olivera has been found guilty in his domestic abuse trial. Olivera was sentenced to 90 days in prison, but 80 of them are suspended under the judge’s decision for his misdemeanor conviction. Close the chapter; close the book. Begone. DO’B from very early (1:45am) this morning: John Schuerholz told the Braves Banter blog talk radio show that [Ozzie] Albies fractured the olecranon bone, which is located at the tip of the elbow. He was examined Thursday by Dr. James Andrews, who has a clinic near Pensacola. Albies will miss the rest of the Double-A playoffs and the Arizona Fall League season. Edumacation: What is a Broken Elbow (Olecranon Fracture)? How is a Broken Elbow (Olecranon Fracture) treated? What is the long term outcome? Obviously the treatment and outlook section of the above-referenced article is from the perspective of the everyday Joe. You can rest assured that Ozzie Albies will receive the best possible treatment and the best possible rehab that Liberty’s dollars can buy. And I’m also fairly sure that Dr. James Andrews will be the one to perform the surgery. He’ll be ready for Spring Training. It is a bit of a shame that he won’t be able to participate in this year’s AFL, but he has faced the same level of competition at AA/AAA this season, so it won’t hamper his development. It just would be nice to see him against a different group in that context. Okay, no game last night. DUH.. I’m pretty sure you all knew that. I think the Braves really needed the day off too after getting swept by DC. For a team that has such an abysmal record, they seem pretty close to being back. At least the offense has shone up. Kemp has to feel pretty good about how the run totals have increased since his arrival. Now, if the Braves can just get some solid pitching. The depth chart on the starters is still pretty thin on experience although a couple of the youngsters are showing promise. The pen is a bit shallow too. I sure wish the Braves had hung on to Grille. That is especially true since they basically just at his contract. I don’t think the Braves are ready to make the big push quite yet as far as salary goes for free agents. They are getting close however. I look for the real push to come in 2018. Is it too early to guess who will get moved this winter? I do think they’ll go after a couple. Maybe not the top of the list – Cespedes or Encarnacion or Ramos – but I am almost certain that they’ll make a run at a couple of pitchers… maybe Jeremy Hellickson or Rich Hill. Hill is at the top of my list because he’s a lefty, but both would be ideal. And neither is going to command an “ace” contract. In my gut, I think they’ll make a hard run at bringing Martin Prado back to ATL to play 3B. Yes, Adonis has had a really good season, and he has saved our bacon on more than one occasion, but that just might make it the perfect time to trade him, not keep him. Jeff Francoeur is almost a lock to return. I’ve heard him say just this week on a radio show “I hope they (Atlanta) want to bring me back in 2017. No. In fact, I think there are a couple that stand out. You can bet your bottom that one of Mallex Smith or Nick Markakis will be traded. My money is on Mallex. He and Ender Inciarte fill the same role, and Ender is proven. In fact, he’s more than proven himself. He has excelled. Markakis is a steady presence that plays well with a young clubhouse. And he’s been steadily productive, if not flashy while doing it. Nick’s contract alone makes Mallex a more attractive trade chip. As I alluded to earlier, I believe Adonis will be included in a deal, not necessarily the center of a deal, but more of the “plus” that goes with a featured player. Here’s how I see the offseason paying out: Coppy will sign 2 starting pitchers. Will they be at the top of this year’s FA class? Well, maybe one will. Probably not both. Or, maybe he signs one, and trades a prospect for one that’s already established. I’m not talking Chris Sale or Carlos Quintana. There will be a team out there that has a guy going into the last year of his deal that they know they can’t afford. That’s the guy I’m talking about. Yu Darvish or Michael Pineda come to mind. Maybe Tyson Ross. They’ll make a real run at Martin Prado. And I think they could make that happen early. Obviously that would determine what they could do with Adonis. Frenchy is coming back. Almost a certainty. And all that brings me to the topic of catcher, which I’ll post separately so as not to make this one Savannah Guy-esque. Much has been made of a Braves / Brain McCann reunion. But it appears to me that more is being made of it outside Atlanta than inside Atlanta. Honestly, I don’t think they’ll go that route. The cost in terms of prospects and dollars is just too much for what you’d get back. McCann does not really fit the mold of what Coppy wants to do. Yes he’d be a big splash, and maybe a feel good story for somebody. But his overall numbers have not been great, and your taking away his short porch in RF. Add that to the huge contract obligation remaining and it simply doesn’t add up for ATL. As good a season as Wilson Ramos has had – and you can mark his 2016 campaign down among the best walk years in MLB – he’s never even approached this kind of productivity or health before. I picture him as stack of cash sitting in the training room. I don’t like it and don’t want it. And Matt Wieters… well, I suppose maybe it could happen. But I don’t see it. If you sign Wieters, you have to make him the #1. And by all accounts, Flowers is not going to sit for 6 out of 7 games. And he shouldn’t. Matt Wieters (2016) = 104 G, .244/.300/.392, w/ 12 HR, 53 RBI -> 162 G avg. 21 HR, 80 RBI Tyler Flowers (2016) = .68 G, 269/.366/.427, w/ 7 HR, 29 RBI -> 162 G avg. 17 HR, 56 RBI I don’t play on the WAR and fWAR playground. I don’t need to. I watch baseball. I can tell you that the upgrade from Flowers to Wieters is not worth the $$$ it will take to make it happen. Not when there are greater needs elsewhere (rotation). That said, I still can’t rule it out 100%. Still, I’ll stick to my earlier prediction that they pass on Wieters and go for Alex Avila or Jason Castro. Either would make a very good pairing with Tyler Flowers. Both are 30-years old, both bat LH. Neither will break the bank, but either would provide production. I’d prefer Castro as his bat plays a little better, but I’ll take either. Castro could re-sign in HOU, especially if they have a successful playoff run. And of course, I need to hedge this prediction against the possibility that Coppy could use some “capital” and make a trade for a guy not named McCann (unless it’s DET’s James McCann). I suppose I should have mentioned AJP’s name up there somewhere. I hope he retires and takes a job in the Braves system as a manager. Wouldn’t that be awesome? Man… if they’d make him the manager at AAA Gwinnett I’d be as happy as a tornado in a trailer park. 47 Gil in Mechanicsville September 9, 2016 at 12:13 pm “I’d be as happy as a tornado in a trailer park.” Now that’s funny, I don’t care who you are… 🙂 While I like Mallex, I like Ender better. With Kemp now occupying the role of left fielder/right handed power bat. The need for 7 outfielders is quite diminished. I know Frenchy would like to come home but he will get fewer plate appearances than he may want. He would be more of a late inning defensive replacement for Kemp or a relief guy for a day off for Kemp or Markakis. If the Braves trade Nick, that could change. One must remember that Wieters plays in the AL. That will skew a home run total as much as playing in the Pacific Coast League. Yes, Adonis poses a bit of a conundrum for the Braves. That said, he has increased his trade value quite a bit and takes some of the pressure to acquire a third baseman. I can live with a guy of Adonis’ caliber if the Braves can shore up their catching corps. 48 Vox O'Reason September 9, 2016 at 12:15 pm If the Braves could sign Prado and Castro, their lineup would be: 1- Ender Inciarte, CF (L) 2- Martin Prado, 3B (R) 3- Freddie Freeman, 1B (L) 4- Matt Kemp, LF (R) 5- Nick Markakis, RF, (L) 6- Juan Castro / Tyler Flowers, C (R/L) 7- Jace Peterson, 2B (L) 8- Dansby Swanson, SS (R) I believe that Ozzie’s injury will almost certainly cost him a ML job to start the 2017 season. Watch for him to start the year at AAA and be a mid-season callup. If the Braves could sign Frenchy for the bench, it would be: Castro / Flowers, C (R/L) Frenchy, OF (R) Rio Ruiz, IF/OF (L) They’ll continue to go with a short bench due to its versatility. If they could sign Hill and Hellickson, the rotation could be: Julio Teheran (R) Rich Hill (L) Jeremy Hellickson (R) * Tyrell Jenkins or Aaron Blair (R) And that leaves the bullpen… As big a shambles as the bullpen has been this year, there will be a buttload of options going into 2017, not counting whomever they want to bring in over the offseason. The closer will be decided between Mauricio Cabrera and Arodys Vizcaino, (with the outside chance that AJ Minter makes a run at it). And let’s not count out the possibility of Jim Johnson re-signing. I think ATL is a good fit for him, but other teams may be willing to pony up a few more $$. The loser of the closer race will be a late inning setup man, along with one of Shae Simmons and Jose Ramirez. Ian Krol should snag a LHRP spot. Paco Rodriguez, who should be fully recovered from his March TJ surgery will likely be on the team’s new extended recovery schedule. The Braves have now projected TJ return out to 18 months instead of 12, opting to go a slower route. Paco should open his year at AAA until he’s ready. I see any of John Gant, Rob Whalen, Joel de la Cruz, or even WillyP as candidates for the long role. Other possibilities are Chris Ellis or Casey Kelly. The key is locking in that closer role early. It establishes the rest of the order and eases the whole bullpen into their roles. Dang! I somehow overlooked Matt Wisler for the 2017 rotation!! My apologies Matt. Matt Wisler (R) That actually looks like a real MLB rotation. It also looks like a rotation that might save the bullpen some innings. The more I look at Hellickson, the more I like him. He projects to pitch 194 innings this season, with a 3.90 ERA. He only strikes about about 6.8 batters per 9 IP, but he only walks 2.8 to counter it. His WHIP (Walks + Hits per IP) is just 1.193. The only Braves with a better one is Julio (1.027). As for Rich Hill, his WHIP is 1.034, just behind Julio. But Hill’s IP don’t project as high, and while he strikes out a few more guys, he also walks more. As much as I want a LHSP, I think I’ll take Hellickson over Hill. Looking at this year’s FA class, starting pitching is pretty bleak. Hellickson could be the top of the heap. That’s a break for him in that he may receive more than his actually worth given the sparse market. That’s not good for the Braves, who will probably not engage in a bidding war for anyone. Bowman: My guess for the rotation at the start of 2017 is Teheran, Foltynewicz, Ivan Nova, Wisler and [Sean] Newcomb. You’ve got be encouraged by the improved control Newcomb showed late this season with Double-A Mississippi, and I included Nova because all former Yankees are now given the same treatment in Atlanta that former Braves used to be given in Kansas City. I had not considered Newcomb, but I suppose he should at least be mentioned alongside Blair and Jenkins as candidates for the #5 spot. I think the #5 decision will be totally dependent on the ability of Coppy to bring in 2 veterans. Then again, I suppose Bowman’s projection kinda shows that… doesn’t it? Bottom line is that Julio and Folty look to be locks, and Wisler is close. That leaves 2 openings to be filled from outside or inside. #Braves Alblies had his fractured elbow placed in splint, will have surgery next week, expected to resume baseball activities in Jan. — David O'Brien (@DOBrienAJC) September 9, 2016 Sums it up. Statement regarding Ozzie Albies: pic.twitter.com/lUjpv1XiDx Official word. I think you might be right about Ozzie’s timeline. No need to rush a 19 year old to the bigs. A couple of months in Triple A will do him no harm and allow for him to transition back from his injury. The down side for him will be the atrophy he will experience with the immobilization but he is young and has time to rebound. On Prado, he can still play second base too. I thought of him as a 2nd baseman if they decide to keep Adonis. Of course you don’t usually go big for a 2nd baseman. I think spring training should be fun next year. Still lots of opportunities for guys looking to be on a big league team. I guess that is what surprised me about Tebow signing with the Mets. We will just have to wait and see about that one won’t we? I did not see Kelly Johnson’s name on your list Vee…. I don’t think the Braves need a complete roster shake up at this point. Just some shoring up. A deeper bench and starting pitching. Of course there are about 29 other teams which are thinking the same thing. I also think Snit should get another year at the helm. He has done a pretty good job with the material he has been given to work with. I think the players respects him and that is a big plus. The Braves have this afternoon announced their minor league system Pitchers / Players of the Year. They are… AAA Gwinnett: Rob Wooten / Rio Ruiz AA Mississippi: Rob Whalen / Dustin Peterson A+ Carolina: Matt Withrow / Keith Curcio A- Rome: Patrick Weigel / Austin Riley Adv. Rookie Danville: Jhon Martinez / Ramon Osuna Rookie Gulf Coast League: Kyle Muller / Anthony Concepcion Dominican Summer League: Filyer Sanchez / Raysheandall Michel also think Snit should get another year at the helm. He has done a pretty good job with the material he has been given to work with. I think the players respects him and that is a big plus.* The players love him. The word is that he makes the effort to relate to each one of them personally. That is probably the thing that Bobby Cox did better than anyone else. Maybe he can stick around a couple of years until AJP gets some minor league seasoning. 🙂 Corrective post: also think Snit should get another year at the helm. He has done a pretty good job with the material he has been given to work with. I think the players respects him and that is a big plus. Maybe he can stick around a couple of years until AJP gets some minor league seasoning. 😉 d'Arnaud had a wart removed from his foot. Won't be available for a few days. Castro recalled from Gwinnett. #Braves @680_The_Fan — Kevin McAlpin (@KevinMcAlpin) September 9, 2016 Good for Castro. Not so good for Gwinnett as they forge ahead in the playoffs knotted 1-1 with Charlotte (Chisox). I suppose that Reid Brignac will take over at SS and Sean Kazmar will slide into 2B. 61 Gil in Mechanicsville September 10, 2016 at 8:47 am Ah well, the Braves had em and let the Mutts off the hook. Cabrera definitely shows his youth and inexperience on occasion. The mis-played double play ball did not help him either. I guess there is a very valid reason why the Bravos are 30 games under .500 this season. So, the Braves win in 10 and AJ Pierzynski gave all the appearances of someone who had just played his last game in an Atlanta uniform. Honestly, I thought he had been traded with all the hugs going on in the dugout. I guess will will find out later today. Pretty exciting game though. I thought John Gant showed great poise in not coming unglued in the first inning after having his defense desert him. It was ugly. 47,000 fannies in the seats tonight. Were there that many Chipper Jones bobble heads available? Nice to see that many Atlanta fans at the game. It was like old times. Big crowd, Braves beating the Mets…. Let’s keep it going folks. Parting shots…. I’m was trying to figure out why A.J. would be retiring at this point but then it struck me that the Braves must want to add someone to the 40 man roster and needed room. Kind of sad really. The most hated man in baseball has grown on me the past two seasons. Who would have thunk it? I hope he stays with the organization. 64 Carolina Lady September 11, 2016 at 4:18 am LOL LOL LOL LOL 65 berigan2electricboogaloo September 11, 2016 at 9:01 am I only just now got a chance to look at all the posts from Friday…whole lotta bloggin’ going on… I am glad use guys like Snit too. I think F.G. did a pretty good job with the “talent” he had to work with, but he did make some decisions that could be 2nd guessed…don’t feel that happens as often with Snit. I just hope Coppy, et al don’t think cuz he is 60 that he’s just too old for the talent going forward and/or has to buy into VORP, fWAR, and other made up things that drain the fun out of the game…. Weird, AJ acted like AJ wasn’t retiring….missed the game, but from what Gil says, and others I read online, it sure looked like he was…. As for the 40 man roster…I still want to know how the Red Sox, Astros, Cubs can forever bring up phenoms (and therefore putting them on the 40 man ) yet they don’t seem to have to jettison decent talent to do this….gotta believe the braves are protecting guys that don’t need protecting…. gotta believe the braves are protecting guys that don’t need protecting…. It might seem that way. 67 Gil in Mechanicsville September 11, 2016 at 5:18 pm PU! That was a stinker of a game. I’m thinking a lot of Atlantans were distracted by football today. Hopefully… I am officially boycotting Pro football. Will stick with the semi-pro college game. 68 Vox O'Reason September 12, 2016 at 7:47 am I think F.G. did a pretty good job with the “talent” he had to work with On that we disagree. FrediG always had the look of a deer in the headlights to me. VORP, fWAR, and other made up things that drain the fun out of the game Very well said. I think there are some measurements that can be a part of a fair measurement of results. I have become a fan of WHIP (walks + hits per inning) for a pitcher, and of OPS (on base % + slugging) for a hitter. But again, they are only one respective ingredient in a recipe. And both OBP and SLG are parts of the good ol’ slash line, so there’s that. And it irks me that the sabrecats call RBI an antiquated stat. Last I checked, you have to score runs to win a game. But they don’t really look at games, do they? It’s only about the individual player’s “value”. Fairly symptomatic of society, but I digress. AJP is now on the DL again with that hammy issue. Reports say he’s going home to FLA to be with his family and decide if he wants to be activated for the final week, and probably most specifically the last series in ATL. This has all the appearances to me that the leg issues that have dogged him this season simply never completely let him play the way he wants or needs to. From the outside, one might assume that they got AJ into the training room, prepped him up for one final go at it, and let him catch one more game. You make a good point that for the majority of his career he was looked upon as an abrasive character and someone that was very hard to get along with. Yet he has become quite beloved in ATL. I hope he can stay connected to the organization in some way. His home is in central FLA, near Lake Buena Vista, isn’t that far from ATL, and is very close to the team’s Spring Training facility and their rookie league team. Of course, selfishly I’d like him to manage the AAA team in Gwinnett. Plus, he AAA team is struggling with attendance, and he’d be a bit of a selling point IMO. V, in defense of FG, a bit… Adonis Garcia was so bad he was sent to the minors, and Inciarte was hitting .227 at the all star break, long after FG was gone…but, whatever..the team was worse then than now, and hopefully we have seen the worse play of this rebuilding team AJ was like the dad this team never had, Fredi G was more like a mom I fear. Sometimes you need someone to tell you your faults so you can correct them instead of someone who gives you a hug and tells you everything is not your fault. A team needs to have a strong hand at the helm. Their are exceptions but they are few. Speaking of the AAA team’s attendance problem, one of the suggestions the team’s GM has made for addressing the issue is to change the name of the team. He feels that since the team is so closely located to the ATL club, the locals don’t separate the 2 entities. I think he could very well be right. (I don’t think that’s the whole problem, but I do agree with his logic.) Anyway, they are assessing many possible solutions to the problem, and a name change is only one of them. From the perspective of a fan, I’d love to see the team adopt its own identity. I think it would be really fun. So for pure amusement, let’s come up with a few suggestions for the club. How about the Gwinnett Gophers? Then they could keep that popular rodent mascot. No… probably not good for the psyche of the pitchers. And the mascot is a chipmunk anyway. Gwinnett Choppers? (That’s the mascot’s name.) No… probably need to separate completely from the Braves identity. Look…. there are team names like the Bananas and Chihuahuas and Iron Pigs and Biscuits. There’s Wing Nuts, Nuts and Tin Caps. We have Yard Goats, Isotopes and Flying Squirrels. There are even Muck Dogs and Mudhens. Surely we can find a new identity for our bums. (But not Beach Bums. That one’s already taken.) If you wanted to go the historical route, you could call them the Gwinnett Buttons. Gwinnett County was named for Button Gwinnett, a representative of Georgia to the Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. Then again, Gwinnett was killed in a duel, so maybe the implications are ominous. If you wanted to be more representative of Gwinnett current events, you’d call them the Gwinnett Traffic Jams, or Gwinnett Creeps. OK, maybe not that last one. Gwinnett County is the poster child of the excesses of suburban overgrowth. How about the Gwinnett Sprawls? No. Maybe not. The Gwinnett Gladiators is a great name. Unfortunately it’s already being used by a minor league hockey team. While there aren’t any dog tracks (legal, anyway) in the state of Georgia, Gwinnett Greyhounds has a nice ring to it. There is, however, a Greyhound bus station in nearby Norcross, in Gwinnett County. Maybe a corporate tie in? Better make sure the team has some speed on it somewhere, though. Upon further review, I can’t think of many things less fun than a long bus ride. Strike that one… Gwinnett Fire Ants? Why not, there are plenty of them in Gwinnett County, although we certainly have our fair share 30 minutes NE of there, too. I cede the floor… Oh wait… I will cede the floor in just a minute. I would be remiss if I failed to mention that all 3 of the A- Rome Braves, AA Mississippi Braves and AAA Gwinnett Braves advanced to their respective League Championships. And now I cede the floor… well, if no one is watching the major league team, doesn’t it stand to reason fewer folks are going to watch the AAA team? We heard the same thing when the Braves Triple A club was in Richmond. Truth is, a winning ball club is still the best promotion. Also being the only thing going in town. That said, when you finally realize that minor league ball clubs are simply a means to an end. You understand it is not about winning and losing in the minors, it is about development. It would be like going to see auditions, over and over and over again. It’s why tickets are only $10 a pop for box seats. The fine folks in Gwinnett were sold a bill of goods in a manner of speaking. Minor league ball clubs are not known to be tourist attractions. They only attract families and friends of players and scouts. Did y’all know the Braves offered to sign a 25 year lease and build a new ball park in Richmond in exchange for a tax exemption for a real estate development which would surround the ball park (sound familiar)? Hiz honor, the mayor said no, the Braves left town…. Still no revenue for said property because a slave museum is being built on the site…. but I digress… I do not shop, visit or otherwise do anything in Richmond other than drive through it to get somewhere else. Now, back to possible mascot name… How about the Chattahoochee Catfish? The Georgia bloodhounds? The Coon dogs? or better yet, the Coon dawgs??? Of course if you are dead set on using the “G” hook, their is always the Gwinnett Grendels… yep, the real monsters of the midway… Gwinnett Gridlocks. Deadly accurate. Things we have learned about arenas, stadiums and ballparks. Building one in a slum is not a good idea unless the entire slum is eradicated. Would a municipality build a factory and then allow a company to use it for free? Does anyone really want one built in their back yard? If a new ballpark is so important for attendance, why is it that Wriggly Field and Fenway Park are so popular? As for the Braves, I think it is a good move for them to leave Turner Field. The current leadership in Atlanta city hall does not view baseball as important to the city. Only football and basketball fill that bill. To be honest, I do not feel any over whelming need to visit Atlanta proper for any reason other than to see the Braves and even that grew old the last time I was there. 86 Vox O'Reason September 12, 2016 at 11:17 am Happy Birthday to Freddie Freeman (27) and Matt Wisler (24)!! Nice piece by Bowman on AJP: http://m.braves.mlb.com/news/article/200734702/braves-put-aj-pierzynski-on-disabled-list/ 88 Vox O'Reason September 12, 2016 at 4:36 pm Snit said Mallex Smith, Rio Ruiz and maybe a few others will come up once the Minor League playoffs end. — Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) September 12, 2016 Looking forward to seeing Rio in ATL. #Braves RHP Perez says he's still waiting for MRI results. Left game Sun. with diagnosis of R triceps impingement. — David O'Brien (@DOBrienAJC) September 12, 2016 I have a bad gut feeling about this… One final(ish) comment about A.J.;s departure… I guess he figured that if he was not going to play, he might as well watch the games from home. I think he has been hobbled for most of the season. Just soldiered on. Recker has been a good addition to this team. He is no Buster Posey but he is light years beyond Corky Miller. Just when you think you have seen it ll, Dansby out with a (groin contusion) from a errant throw back to the pitcher during warm ups after Folty was clocked by a line drive. BUMMER! An errant throw leads Swanson to make an uncomfortable exit https://t.co/0o09wt5Vv3 pic.twitter.com/mOvpLnptdl Ewwwwwwwwww… And Ozzie thought his broken elbow was painful… That has to be one of the most star crossed moments in baseball history. So, the Braves are 6-5 for the month of August. At least a good trajectory. On a different note, I doubt Dansby will name his first born Tyler… A painful reminder that not all pitchers can catch. Not all catchers can throw… Like the old joke, “Doc, leave the swelling, just take away the pain”… Okay, enough cheap shots at Dansby’s expense. I’m pretty sure a lot of front office types were sweating last night… And what of the Marlins’ comeback after being down 7-0. Folty needs to find that happy place where his fastball has life on it. That perfect speed where the ball will hop or cut at the last second. It’s fast but too flat. Something to work on in the off season methinks. Matt Wisler returns to the mound tonight. Just in time too… 97 berigan2electricboogaloo September 13, 2016 at 10:28 am I was thinking…I do that every once in awhile….remember a few weeks back when the braves said they would go with a youth movement in the rotation the rest of the season? I didn’t dream it, right? can’t find a story right now…anyway, if I didn’t dream this (not to brag, but I can really have boring dreams like that) …well, what grizzled vets were going to lose starts, anyways??? I keep seeing guys like Perez, Gant, De La Rosa, or whatever his name is…starting…and they ain’t gonna start next year unless there is an outbreak of TJ surgeries (parish the thought!) so…why waist roster spots on guys that aren’t going to be part of the 2017 picture? One thought I had is that being September, the more likely prospects are so young, they are at innings limits…that would make sense….it’s just saying, going with the Youth movement that doesn’t make sense to me…if I didn’t dream the whole thing up… Some minor items (pun intended) that we missed on Sunday: After AJP was placed on the 15-day DL, the Braves brought up AAA 1B/C Blake Lalli, a 33-year-old career minor leaguer whose had a couple of previous “cups of coffee” in the majors with the Cubs (2012) and Brewers (2013). Not sure why the Braves chose to do this, though. He’s not a legit prospect, and It’s not like he’s gonna get any real playing time. He’s played more games at 1B than C this year and throughout his career. And his addition to the 40-man roster meant someone else had to be released. That someone was P Wilfred Boscan. I suppose they could simply be playing it safe and not want to get caught short in the unlikely event that both Flowers and Recker got hurt, especially with the expanded roster. But it seems a little bit unnecessary to me. I wonder if 2 weeks of a ML minimum salary and increased meal per diem is worth missing the Governor’s Cup finals? Yeah… probably. I suppose the real winner is some cat named Reed Harper, a 25-year-old SS who spent most of the year in A+ Carolina (who missed the playoffs) before being bumped to AA Mississippi when Ozzie got hurt, and has now been bumped to AAA Gwinnett to fill Lalli’s roster spot, presumably since Daniel Castro was promoted to ATL after Chase d’Arnaud had a wart removed from his foot. Man, that’s alot of moving parts! And of course the real loser is Boscan, who went from getting ready for the AAA Championship series to looking at the Help Wanted ads. 99 Gil in Mechanicsville September 13, 2016 at 10:49 am Man, that’s a lot of moving parts! Or in d’Arnaud case, parts removal… At this point in my life, even the grizzled veterans look like kids to me. 😦 If Gwinnett wins the cup, I guess they will still mail Boscan a ring… or not… Things are still pretty exciting in the AL East. Four teams with a shot of making the play-offs. It only takes one good week to cement a spot and one bad one to lose it all. I think the other two divisions are set. The Rangers own the Astros this year and that is the tale of the tape for the Stros. The Angles are almost as sad as the Braves. Do you think Simba thought that possible when he was traded? 100 Vox O'Reason September 13, 2016 at 4:30 pm #Braves Swanson saw doctor and was cleared to play, no damage down there. Keep your eye on the ball, so to speak. 101 Vox O'Reason September 14, 2016 at 8:06 am As Jim powell said so accurately last night on radio, “You don’t want to watch sausage being made, and you don’t want to watch young pitchers develop at the major league level.” That was the “thinking” Matt Wisler last night. He’s at his best when he stops nibbling and simply trusts his pitches. He needed AJP to remind him of that. Also, I am reminded again of why Tyler Flowers should be the backup catcher and not the #1. For one, he lacks that ability to be stern with his pitchers. Oh, he calls games and frames pitches just fine. But he needs to chew a butt now and then. Second, he can’t throw out base-stealers. Maybe that’s the most condemning trait. He has thrown out just 2-52 this season (1 of those occurring just last night). That’s simply unacceptable from a guy getting the lion’s share of starts. But Coppy addressed that again specifically yesterday… Coppy took to the braves official twitter account to answer questions again yesterday. You can scroll down to see them here: https://twitter.com/Braves I have, of course, read the entire discourse and came away with some very strong impressions. First, he didn’t shy away from any questions, and some were brutal. And he is brutally honest. I like that… I just hope it doesn’t bite him back. Second, it’s very clear what the expectations are for 2017. As he put it, they fully intend to compete and contend. He once again said that they will go after 2 veteran starting pitchers and a starting catcher, either via FA or trade. And when asked if the acquisition of 2 pitchers would block young pitchers from advancing his statement was stark and telling: The time for opportunities is over. In 2017, you have to win a job. Period. And that’s for position players as well as pitchers. He also mentioned that he would have more $$ to spend in FA than he has in 10 years. If you look at the committed dollars for 2017, and factor in reasonable raises for the arb guys, the team still looks to only have about $50M on the hook. (That’s by design, by the way. It’s the exact reason why Chris Johnson was traded for equal dollars. It was less about amount and more about length of contract.) That means they should be able to spend very freely. One other highlight, and I’ll let you go check out the whole text yourself. He said that he has been very pleased with the work Snit has done, and lauded Snit’s accomplishment with this year’s team. After reading the whole of his comments yesterday, in context, I think that out of 25 men on a roster, there may be only about a handful that you can say 100% will be on the squad when they open their new park. Folty Pen: TFlow That’s about it. 6 of 25. Less than 25%. And yes, he even stated that Dansby has to win his job. It’s not a given. This promises to be maybe the wildest winter we’ve seen in a very long time. Example of his honesty: The first Hector Olivera trade. Feel like we remedied it with Matt Kemp and all he brings, but it still haunts me. https://t.co/8pgk2k6UVP — Atlanta Braves (@Braves) September 13, 2016 The question asked to him was: What do you look at as your biggest mistake with the Braves? 106 Gil in Mechanicsville September 14, 2016 at 8:36 am John Hart was speaking with Chip & Joe last night and he indicated the organization was pretty happy whit a lot of the players currently in the pen. Ditto on his observation on the job Snit has done. He seem to feel the addition of Kemp really solidified the team’s offense. I have to agree on Tyler’s base throwing but a lot (not all) of the steals were on the pitchers. 107 Vox O'Reason September 14, 2016 at 10:22 am Proudest husband and happiest father! Welcome to the world Grady Vito! 9/13/16 @Kelly_Recker pic.twitter.com/DMR6xS9hL0 — Anthony Recker (@Anthony_Recker) September 14, 2016 And now we know why the team felt it had to add Blake Lalli to the roster. Recker went home for a few days while his 2nd child was being born. 108 Gil in Mechanicsville September 14, 2016 at 10:25 am Yes, the elephant in the room might just be Markakis… I think either way, the Braves would do okay but I don’t see anyone else in the system ready to fill his spot. Mallex is more of a centerfield type than a right fielder and a top of the order type player as opposed to an RBI guy. One has to admit, Markakis is a great RBI guy. I look for the Braves to hang onto him another season unless they suck at the beginning of the season, then they will flip him but other than for a catcher, I don’t see an up side to him being moved. He is not making all that much in salary as opposed to his replacement. Then again, I don’t know how much a free agent pitcher will cost either. Won’t be cheap, that is for sure. So, looks like starting pitching will be a big want next season. Note to Braves… Don’t blame a young pitcher for getting flustered when an umpire has a mystery strike zone… Note to hitters, those balls on the edge of the plate are hittable pitches. Just because it’s a ball, does not mean the umpire will deem it so. Freddie Freeman might soon join him on paternity leave. Despite some growing pains, I look for Dansby to be a lock at shortstop next season. That leave second and third base as the available infield spots. Ruiz might make an appearance at third next season but Adonis has made it tough on the brass to just replace him unless it is a big time third baseman. It is still some years off before a lot of the recently acquired youngsters make it to the show but by then, I expect Swanson to move to third base. On the all Turner Field team… Only locks are catching Javy Lopez, Third base Chipper Jones, Center field Andruw Jones, shortstop Raphael Furcal. First base is tough. Galarraga and McGriff over Freddie but I expect Freddie to take the spot because he is fresher in everyone’s mind. Second base I go with Lempke over Marcus Gilles because Giles was on the juice… of course the same could be said maybe of Javy. Right field? Dave Justice… Left field Ryan Klesko… Right handed pitcher, Greg Maddux, Left handed pitcher Tom Glavine, reliever /closer John Smoltz. Utility guy???? Prado or Infante? tough one there… 112 Vox O'Reason September 14, 2016 at 12:01 pm It is still some years off before a lot of the recently acquired youngsters make it to the show but by then, I expect Swanson to move to third base. Have to disagree there. Austin Riley is the guy many people point to as the most promising of the Braves crop of young hitters, and he’s a pure 3B. The 6’3″, 220 lb. 19-year-old is the first real home grown power hitter the Braves have developed since… when was the last one? And his athleticism keeps him on 3B. He’s prototypical there. Riley has big time RH power already, and is probably only 2 more years (2019) away from forcing some decisions. He slashed .271/.324/.479 w/ 20 HR and 80 RBI in 129 G at A- Rome this season, collecting 29 2B’s and 2 3B’s along the way. He’s a future cleanup hitter. As is typical of a kid at his stage of development, he does strike out a bit too much right now. But the flip side is that scouts say he does have a good knowledge of the strike zone, just some “swing and miss” in his game that’s not unexpected of a developing power hitter. Here’s a quote from his scouting report: The Braves haven’t produced many homegrown power hitters of late, but they feel Riley could eventually join the developed-from-within ranks of run-producing bats like Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones and Ryan Klesko. That’s high cotton. Here’s what I see… I see the Braves filling some gaps via FA for the next 2-3 years – sorta like 1991-1992 and the additions of Sid Bream, Terry Pendleton and Greg Maddux – with the system beginning to fill in the gaps in 2019 and 2020. Guys like Riley, Dustin Peterson, Travis Demeritte, and Braxton Davidson, with Ronald Acuna and Kevin Maitan right on their heels. The future really is pretty bright, and I haven’t even mentioned what many around the league refer to as the Braves’ “elite” crop of pitching prospects. When your rotation has 4 first rounders, 3 teenagers, and a playoff ERA of 0.75 pic.twitter.com/kZT1cg5fr3 — The Notorious B.O.G. (@BravesOptions) September 14, 2016 Rome’s rotation through 5 playoff games (Soroka, Allard, Fried, Touki) looks like this: 3-1, 36.1IP, 28K, 4BB, 3ER, 0.75 ERA. — courtesy of a Rome press guy 😂😂😂 Adonis Garcia making sure @Braves teammate Dansby Swanson is safe during the pitching change. Fantastic. #MLB pic.twitter.com/mMBoSv2KlW — FOX Sports Southeast (@FOXSportsSE) September 14, 2016 Ha ha ha ha ha 😆 115 Gil in Mechanicsville September 14, 2016 at 4:27 pm They showed that last night on the telecast… Pretty funny… when was the last one? Ryan Klesko, Javy Lopez and Dave Justice… They traded away Jermaine Dye… Been a while though… Okay, but how long is Freddie Freeman going to stay with the Braves? He is going to command a pretty big payday when his current deal is up. Freddie won’t get Giancarlo Stanton money but he will be in Boston/New York/Los Angeles territory. He will get at least as much as Paul Goldschmidt. Similar stats. Freddie had a bad start to the season but was working with a wrist injury no one knew about. With Kemp batting behind him, his career totals are going to improve more yet. I’m pretty excited to see if Matt Kemp is going to show up in shape next spring. He could put up MVP type numbers if he does and the Braves keep Markakis to bat behind him. Add another bat to the line up and the Braves could go from worst to first pretty quickly next year. It has been amazing how much difference Kemp has made in the short time he has been in Atlanta. I expect the Braves will have another good draft next June. No big international signings because they pretty much went all in this past July. I think they will again target the best players available but having said that, the philosophy of trading pitching for hitting has been altered somewhat. Last night John Hart was saying most teams are hanging onto their good young hitters and not trading them for pitching. Said organizations were going to have to groom their own bats going forward. how long is Freddie Freeman going to stay with the Braves? He is signed through 2021, so he’ll be here a little while. The big raise comes next year. Salaries: 2016: $12,359,375 By 2022, he’ll be 32 and looking for that one last big payday. Unless his career takes an unexpected turn, he can look for another 3-4 year deal before going year to year. I think it will be interesting to see if the Braves try to move Enders from the lead off spot. As hot as he has been, I would not want to tinker with the current line up too much. Adonis is a moving part as is Tyler Flowers. Dansby might be tried in the two hole before the end of the season. Still, when you are scoring 6 runs a game, you don’t really don’t want to mess with success too much. Add another bat to the line up and the Braves could go from worst to first pretty quickly next year. I agree, with a caveat. The offense has come together pretty well. I think they’ll add another bat at C, shore up the bench, and depending on the market, they’ll hold with Adonis for another year. It’s looking more like MIA will lock Prado down and not let him leave town. Same with Turner in LAD. Past those 2, I’d just as soon keep the inexpensive Adonis and redirect any money saved toward starting pitching. Maybe Ozzie joins the ranks; maybe not. Jace has been at least good enough, and should continue to do so until Ozzie is indeed ready. But the starting pitching is really going to be the story of 2017… can it come together and allow us to win some games? I think Coppy will be true to his word and bring in 2 veterans. Beyond that, Julio and Folty should remain. #5 is up for grabs. So to a certain degree, the fortunes of the 2017 Braves will depend heavily on the ability of Coppy to either sign 1 or 2 very good FA pitchers, or trade for 1 or 2 very good pitchers. If that fails, then it could be a less than successful 2017 season. But… he has surprised me many times in the last 2 years. And honestly, his track record in acquiring personnel is pretty good. If he says he’s gonna get us 2 good veteran pitchers, I think he will. Must be tough trying to get by on such meager earnings… I did not realize he was signed through 2021. By then I might be out of baseball myself… 🙂 I’m happy to say I have not yet seen a single NFL game. I doubt they have missed me, I am not in their target audience, 18 – 35… You know, the age where you will spend $1500 on a set of custom wheels for a car with a book value of only $500… I will watch college ball the same as basket ball. I have not seen a pro basketball game in years. I’m getting pretty savvy when it comes to NASCAR too, I usually watch the first 10 laps and the last 50. The rest is just filler between beer commercials. I think it will be interesting to see if the Braves try to move Enders from the lead off spot. Based on what I’ve heard Coppy say on radio and in print, Ender Inciarte isn’t going anywhere. Mallex is another story. Great kid, but no place on this roster. He could be a nice piece in a trade for a pitcher, though. I have not really looked at the pitchers who will be coming available in the free agent market, I can think of a couple who would likely be available for trade who would be strictly short term and salary dumps for some teams who are still a long ways away. Funny, but I can see why the Johns were so frustrated with the Braves’ abysmal start this season. The only real change has been Matt Kemp. No one thought the Braves would be a contender but did we really think they would lose 100+ games? I hope the Braves keep Snitker on for at least another year. While he might not be a sexy name but he knows how to manage a game and deal with players. No whispers about how he has lost the locker room like were saw with Fredi G. I have not really looked at the pitchers who will be coming available in the free agent market Well… it isn’t great. In fact, you can call it a down year for FA pitchers, especially starting pitchers. LAD’s Rich Hill is probably the top guy. Who? I know… right? There’s Rich Hill, PHI’s Jeremy Hellickson, and… well there’s those 2. It does kind of suck that the Braves finally have money to spend and no one to spend it on. But you hit the nail on the head, Gil: I can think of a couple who would likely be available for trade who would be strictly short term and salary dumps And that may be the way to do it. Pay no attention to Josh Collmenter or Joe Wieland. Those 2 were brought in mainly because Folty can’t walk yet and WillyP can’t open a can of soda. In fact, if I understand their respective contract status’ correctly, Wieland is a FA at season’s end and Collmenter’s deal has a mutual option for 2017 at $2M ($150K buyout for the club). Now that said, they could both come back and compete for a spot along with everybody else, but either way they are not the 2 starting pitchers Coppy keeps referring to. So who might be available for a salary dump? Let’s start with starting pitchers who are FA’s in 2018. There’s CHW’s Chris Sale. Alot has been said about him, but the Pale Hose aren’t the type of team to dump salary, and it’ll take a Shelbian deal to acquire him. I doubt that will happen. Plus, his deal contains team options for both 2018 and 2019. That’s alot of team leverage. How about the Cubs’ Jake Arrieta? He’ll be there. He’s said publicly that he wants to get “g’d up”. He’s ready for the big payday. And he’ll get it… probably from Chicago. So he isn’t really relevant to this conversation. Toronto has a couple of guys heading to FA in 2018 on big contracts now that might fit the scenario – Francisco Liriano and Marco Estrada. Neither is a top-of-the-rotation pitcher, though. OK… so maybe this exercise isn’t as apparent as it would seem. #Braves Snitker on Ramirez pitch high and in to Fernandez: “It just, I guess, got away from him.” R-i-g-h-t. I snicker at Snitker. Old school baller. I’m sure the Braves staff of crack analysts have been combing the bushes for two pitchers who could fill the bill both long and short term. The rub is, no one wants to give up pitching although I’ll bet Arizona would be willing to part with Shelby Miller. That’s a joke son… 🙂 On last night’s game… The bounce definitely went Miami’s way. Batted balls were ricocheting like crazy right to people. I’ll bet Arizona would be willing to part with Shelby Miller. I’d bet Dave Stewart would be willing to at least listen to 28 of the other 29 GM’s. Guess who wouldn’t be invited to the party? In all seriousness, as I’ve said here in out corner of cyberspace, I would be quite happy to sign Jeremy Hellickson. He’s not flashy, but he’s solid, efficient and gives you a chance most nights. As with most modern pitchers, he averages right around 6 innings per start, and will likely finish 2016 between 180-190 IP. He’s not an ace, but would be a good #3. 3 yrs / $36M is probably the going rate. And given that the market really only has 2 other decent options (Rich Hill and Ivan Nova), he may get a 4th year as incentive. Ivan Nova is an intriguing name too. Might have a higher ceiling if he can get with the right pitching coach. He’s also probably in that 3 yrs / $36M range. So, think the Twins would be willing to part with Ervin Santana? He is making a ton of money but he could be considered damaged goods. Still, he paired well with Julio. Jake Arrieta has found a home in Chicago. He won’t be leaving there until his arm falls off, which could be anytime given today’s game environment. Certainly no one really thought he would have the amount of success he has experienced this season. The Braves need to have another success story like Javier Lopez. A proven innings eater who had never really been considered a front line kind of guy. What the team really needs is for the kids to understand they do not have to strike out 20 guys. It only runs up their pitch count. Strikeout artist don’t usually get deep into games. Having starters who only pitch 5 or 6 inning can be really tough on your bullpen. So, I guess we will just have to wait and see what rabbits pop out of the Coppy’s hat. I’m sure there will be names that make us go “who”??? I only hope they stay away from the Kawakomies of the world… No need to travel down that path. We all want instant gratification but not at the expense of cleaning out the Braves farm like happened with Teixeira. Or worse, Lem Barker…. Oh the humanity… 🙂 132 Gil in Mechanicsville September 15, 2016 at 12:40 pm Of course Dave Stewart might also be looking for a job too… Very considerate of Freddie Freeman’s wife to have their baby on an off night, don’tcha think? 😉 BTW- regarding Josh Collmenter and Joe Wieland… Since Wieland had been DFA’d from the Mariner’s 40-man roster, the Braves do not immediately have to add him theirs, so he’s almost certainly destined to be in Gwinnett’s bullpen as they play out their Governor’s Cup finals series. Collmenter, on the other hand, will have to be added to ours which is currently full at 40. Who loses their spot? I’m guessing Joel de la Lose, er Cruz. He’s been awful and certainly does not factor into the Braves future plans. I doubt anyone would claim him on release waivers anyway, so he can simply be outrighted back to Gwinnett in 10 days if Coppy wants to keep him around. Nothing like getting outrighted to a vacant lot… Pretty low risk trade, cash deal in both cases. Right now, I’m surprised the Braves haven’t had Buddy Carlyle done a jersey for an inning or two. This is really a good opportunity to audition for a spot on next year’s team. Maybe the Braves’ coaches can spot a problem with Josh’s delivery. Considering what the D’backs did to Shelby Miller to mess him up, it’s possible. don a jersey… then again, if he put one on, he most likely would be done… So, the NFL has officially lost me as a fan/patron/supporter whatever… Because they don’t have the cajones to tell the mal contents to show a little respect and stand during the national anthem, they will just eliminate it from the pre game ceremony. Be gone NFL… be gone… and take the NBA with you… 138 berigan2electricboogaloo September 15, 2016 at 11:05 pm So, think the Twins would be willing to part with Ervin Santana? No…the Gm there said when asked why they didn’t trade him at the deadline, he said, basically where was he going to get a pitcher as good as him, during the offseason? That’s going to be the problem…as I have pointed out before, the reason the braves had to settle for Lowe and KK wasn’t because of money, the players didn’t want to come here, and with fewer players available as a Free agent starters, doesn’t it mean that the guys potentially available by trade ,that their teams are going to demand more for the ever rare “commodity”? ….so…what can the braves do about this? Frank Wren…did he screw something up? Wasn’t that the same offseaon Furcal reneged on the handshake deal? Or was it just a rough off season to try to need 2 starters??? Do “you” really want to sign 2 guys to 3-4 year contracts that have career 4 ERA’s? Ok, Jeremy Hellickson is only 29…that’s good. 3.91 ERA for the career 3.76 ERA this year in Phllly, but the 3 seasons before…5.17, 4.52, 4.62(first 2 years in AL, 3rd year in AZ) now…since many think Ramos is a dangerous signing in his walk year after being injured and not that great a hitter til this year, what about Hellickson? Will he be better than say, Matt Wisler? Hellickson feels like an innings eater, but in reality he is averaging less than 6 innings a start…still might be an improvement . Of course, pitchers will go down, you can’t have enough of them, can you??? Hey, lets trade for a young stud starter. a Guy that had 3 straight seasons of an era of 3.74 or lower…for 3 straight seasons at least 170 + innings, topping out at 205 and only 24! I mean, looking back, why wouldn’t you make that deal? Perhaps you don’t give up 2 #1 guys…but wouldn’t you if say you were set at 2nd and ss??? It would be beyond stupid for the Diamondbacks to sell low on him right now…still only 25. It’s just bad timing, this being the offseason….if was Coppy, I’d keep my powder dry til later in the year….or the next off season(then again, there may be no one then as well…of course he is under pressure to put a more competitive team on the field, especially for the new stadium. You can’t tell me this team isn’t bleeding money…no one is at the games. They say 18,000 when it looks like 5000. I know, season ticket holders too…well, find it hard to believe there are over 10,000 of them… I have had to stop and start this so many times…points forgotten, new ones thought up…anywho…braves have to have a plan B, cuz a team with the 2nd worst record in baseball is not going to have an easy road to signing one of the 3-4 guys out there when teams like the Red Sox, Yankees, Dodgers, etc can ante up the moola AND a chance to compete in 2017…the braves can claim they are going compete, and they may very well do so, but players will have to see it to believe it… ok, this will put this post beyond Savannah guy territory….and I had to leave it alone for several hours…. I think the braves should trade for 1 really good guy, then try to get a F.A. that isn’t all that likely to be gettable….but they can try…Julio T, Wisler, Follty, Traded for guy and 5th starter from within doesn’t sound too bad… Of course, you would have to trade both Nick M and Inciarte …what??? Inciarte??? You can’t trade him…did you see what I dug up from the All-Star break? His average? .227…remember how the braves couldn’t even trade him at the trade deadline cuz he, you know…sucked? Is he going to be much better than Mallex? Are teams going to give much for Mallex after hitting .237 this year? I Know he’s a kid, but still basically unproven…interesting to compare to Ender….Mallex 3 Hrs 21 RBI’s 14 steals in 169 AB’s. Ender (easier for me to type) 3 Hr’s 27 RBI’s, 15 steals in 465 AB’s…great defender, no doubt…but you gotta trade to get better, right? And just as in the draft, you have to go where the surplus is…trade Nick M, and Ender, either in same deal, or separate ones, and get 1 of the 2 starters needed…then go for 1 of the 2 Blue Jay outfielders via free agency….Juan Encarnacion would be great. Can you imagine a 1 to 6 lineup of Mallex,, Swanson , FF, Encarnacion Kemp, and Garcia? That and some average starting, can at least aim for .500 (after a 100 game loss season is very good) and a lot of teams do compete for W.C. games that are .500 or slightly better. So much to address… where to begin..? That’s going to be the problem…as I have pointed out before, the reason the braves had to settle for Lowe and KK wasn’t because of money, the players didn’t want to come here I have to disagree here. I believe that is a great misconception. First, money always talks. If you have enough of it, you can buy anyone. The problem in 2008 was that Frank Wren talked as if the Braves were going shopping at Saks, and they ended up in WalMart. The top pitcher signed in FA that year was CC Sabathia to the Yankees for 7yrs / $161M. His signing with NYY was a foregone conclusion. Frank talked as if he was going to sign A.J. Burnett, and the press bought in wholeheartedly. In fact, at one point, they even talked as if it were about to happen. The reality was that they never made an offer close to the 5yrs / $82.5M he got with NYY. Why? Because Wren would not go a 5th year on Burnett. For those 5 years, Burnett produced ERA’s of 4.04, 5.26, and 5.15 for NYY before being traded to the Pirates where he rebounded with a 3.51 revival and 3.30 in his contract year. Even if Frank had been willing to go there, we’d have grilled him for the first 3 years and considered it a bad signing. And it would have been. And for all of the odd negativity surrounding Derek Lowe (4 yrs / $60M), his first 2 years here gave us ERA’s of 4.67 and 4.00, with W-L totals 15-10 and 16-11 along with IP totals of 194.2 and 193.2 respectively before age began to catch up with him in 2011. And to be brutally honest, those teams were mediocre and living off the coattails of the “glory years”. How much would we pay for a 15 game winner and 190 IP now? If Frank was guilty of overpaying, it was in length of contract, not $$. And I am not in the habit of defending Frank Wren. I don’t think they “settled” for Lowe so much as they targeted Lowe as the best of the 2nd tier pitchers. And they were probably right. The next guys down were Oliver Perez and Jamie Moyer, who was already drawing Social Security when he re-signed with PHI. And there is no defending Kenshin Kawakami. They simply whiffed on that one. And if it’s necessary to pin blame, pin it squarely on Frank for running off all the good scouts. Somebody actually said KK would be a good MLB pitcher. That somebody should have been fired. KK did have a nice car collection, though. How many other people were driving around a Lamborghini in Pearl, MS? So technically, if you want to say players didn’t want to come here because Frank wasn’t willing to give them the $$ they were demanding, then you are right that Sabathia and Burnett did not. But MLB players will always take the most $$. Always. (Heck,if they don’t, they get raked over the coals by the MLBPA.) The only thing that will prevent Coppy from signing a top FA pitcher this year – of which the pool is agreeably shallow – will be a lack of willingness to outbid another team. And the other thing we do agree on is the strategy of signing one and trading for one. I believe it is the best route, and I believe it is what they’ll do. And I believe we probably have no idea where that trade may come from. The top 3 pitchers available via FA: LH Rich Hill (36) – 12-4, 2.06 ERA, 100.1 IP, 0.957 WHIP. Those numbers are split between OAK and LAD. And believe it or not, that’s his highest IP total since he pitched 195.0 for CHC in 2007. It’s also the only other time he’s pitched over 100 innings. He’s been limited again this year due to injuries. Given his age and career numbers, I wouldn’t even make a call that direction. RH Jeremy Hellickson (29) – 11-9, 3.76 ERA, 172.1 IP, 1.184 WHIP. His 2016 numbers are pretty consistent with his career numbers. What makes him attractive is that he averages only 2.2 walks per 9 IP. Scouts like him because he has a simple repeatable throwing motion that doesn’t put too much stress on his arm. He’ll never be a #1, but he’s a solid #3. For a team that has a #1, a possible #2 and a collection of #5’s and wannabes, a good solid veteran #3 could be a great steadyng force. RH Ivan Nova (29) – 12-6, 4.03 ERA, 149.2 IP, 1.209 WHIP. He was picked up by PIT at the deadline from NYY and has won 5 of 8 starts with a 2.41 ERA and 0.936 WHIP in yellow and black. Nova made 6 relief appearances in April for the Yankees which affected his IP total. His problem in NY was giving up the HR, of which 19 left that tiny park. He’s only given up 4 with the Bucs. He was considered a project when he came over, but has been their best pitcher since. He has also walked just 0.5 per 9 IP for them. That’s microscopic. To me, either Hellickson or Nova would fit here. Perhaps Nova has a higher ceiling than Hellickson. But the flip side is that you know exactly what you get with Hellickson… the proverbial “higher floor”. Each will probably get about the same amount – 3 yrs / $36M. It may take adding a 4th to land a deal. But a good consistent #3 pitcher could go a long way toward stabilizing an otherwise unstable rotation. Past those 3 names, the pickings really drop off. And I mean really drop off. Not even worth mentioning. Andrew Cashner is the only one with any pedigree, but he’s battling shoulder issues. No way I’d cast a glance his direction. Are teams going to give much for Mallex after hitting .237 this year? Not by himself. But as part of a deal involving one of the prized arms? Yes. He’s actually very attractive as a capable CF, a base-stealer and a leadoff hitter, all rare commodities. And he’s cheap for a number of years. That may be his most attractive quality. I could see the Braves trading 1 of their 4 OF, but not 2. And I think Mallex is the guy to go for the above stated reasons, and for the fact that what we’re getting now from Nick for the money he’s still due is not a bad deal ($11M per season for 2 more). Markakis has slashed .297/.359/.473 w/ 11 HR’s, 20 2B’s, and 47 RBI’s in 300 AB’s over past 78 games. .359 OBP! That’s the Nick Markakis we hoped for when we signed him. Now that we have him, why trade him? He’s the perfect 2 year bridge to Dustin Peterson. This is roughly the path I see Coppy taking in the offseason… He will sign a FA starting pitcher. Who? You can never tell with this bunch, but the one thing I can trust in is that the scouting dept. is back to being top notch. If they give a thumbs up on a guy, I’ll accept it. He will sign C Matt Wieters. I’ve flip-flopped on this one, but from the things I’ve read recently, he doesn’t want a compliment to Flowers, he wants a primary starter. That’s either Wilson Ramos or Matt Wieters via FA. Wieters seems like a natural fit to me. He will address the bench, with Frenchy signing his deal on day 1 of FA. Rio Ruiz could very make the team as the LH, and should. He has made great strides this year at AAA and his time is now. So speaking of Ruiz, I think Adonis will remain, and that those 2 could work in a loose platoon. That helps the bench as well. There is a caveat here, though. Either Adonis or Rio could find their names in… … a trade for a 2nd starting pitcher. I am not going to begin to speculate on who, though. This front office staff works in mysterious ways. Finding a #3 or #4 pitcher won’t be a prohibitive task. Finding a #2 or #1 will. This is gonna be a fun winter. That’s the heavy lifting. So here’s how I see 2017 unfolding… FA signee (3 yrs / $36M) Trade acquisition Wisler/Jenkins/Gant/Whalen CL Vizzy SU Shae Simmons SU Mauricio LH Ian Krol LH Paco Rodriguez 2 more of Wisler/Jenkins/Gant/Whalen/Ramirez/Withrow/Marksberry, etc. Kemp, LF (R) Markakis, RF (L) Matt Wieters, C (S) (3 yrs / $45M) Adonis/Rio (R/L) Jace (L) — caveat: Ozzie will be up at some point, likely June TFlow, BUC (R) Frenchy, OF (R) (1 yr / $2M) Adonis/Rio, IF (R/L) Chase d’Arnaud or Daniel Castro, IF/OF (R) Signee or acquisition, IF/OF (L or S) They can do this and still keep the payroll around $100M. The emergence of Adonis this year has made 3B a much lesser priority. Plus, the offense has not been the problem since Kemp was acquired. Pitching has, most specifically starting pitching. That’s where Coppy will direct his resources, and rightfully so. I don’t see another “worst to first” year. But I believe that lineup, with a quality rotation, could contend for a Wild Card in 2017 barring major injuries and with a few bounces going their way. Coppy said it himself. The time for “opportunity” is done. It’s now time to win a job or don’t. That will bear out all over the roster. So, let’s take a little inventory shall we? Here is a list of teams who have an excess of major league pitching… chirp…chirp…chirp… Yep, that’s right, 0 out of 30… It’s why teams like to trade for kids who are close. I fear the Braves will be lucky to gain one additional arm for next season unless they make a trade for a guy who is a short timer. Why else would the Braves actually get a return for a couple of retreads like Lucas Harrell and Bud Norris, both of whom finally broke down. The were the proverbial used cars who the Braves had filled the differential with sawdust to cover the defects. I think the Braves will be better next season if only because of the addition of Matt Kemp. While Markakis will be dangled, I would be hesitant to trade him because he is a clutch RBI guy. His power is returning but his time in rehab is done now. He is finally worth what his contract calls for. If the Braves can continue to score runs at a 5.7 per game, their record will greatly improve. The problem now is the pen is worn out. That is the fault of too many short outings by the young starters. So, getting back to the Braves’ Way… Keep your core and bring in fresh legs every season and add at least one rookie to the line up to replace guys who have roostered out and have become too expensive. So, where are the available roster spots in 2017 other than pitching? 2nd base, 3rd base and catching with catching being the number one for me. What we do know is the Ted Simmons and Johnny Benches don’t grow on trees. I would be open to bring back Brian McCann as a left handed platoon player if the Yankees were willing to face reality and know he is not worth the money they are paying him. No team is that desperate to give up top prospects plus pay his salary too. Congrats are due to Freddie Freeman and wife Chelsea on the birth of their baby boy! Our first picture as a family of three!!! 24+ hours of labor, epidural at 8-9cm dilated and 3 hours of intense pushing in every position possible and this little guy wouldn't flip (he was sunny side up) or budge past my pelvic bones. Ended up in c-section after exhausting every other option. Not how I wanted my labor to go, but he is healthy and perfect!! So smitten by this guy. ❤️👶🏼 A post shared by Chelsea Marie Freeman (@chelseafreeman5) on Sep 15, 2016 at 6:11pm PDT Congrats to the Mississippi Braves for being this year’s runners up in the Southern League Championship. Quite a season for the AA squad. The emergence of guys like Dustin Peterson and Patrick Weigel make this season a success regardless of the outcome. AAA Gwinnett is down 2-1 in the Governor’s Cup series and have to win out to take it all. Again, quite an accomplishment for a team that struggled to stay .500 much of the season, and had so many players shuttling back and forth between Buford and Atlanta. Late season improvement is a great measuring stick for the next season. The A- Rome Braves, however are up 2-1 lead in the South Atlantic League Championship Series. That rotation… That’s the group everyone needs to keep their eyes on. Oy! Touki Toussaint, Max Fried, Mike Soroka, and Kolby Allard… all 1st rounders. That rotation through the playoffs looks like this: 3-1, 36.1 IP, 28 K’s, 4 BB’s, 3 ER, 0.75 ERA. Flippin’ ridiculous numbers. Watch this curve from Touki: Touki and his friend, Uncle Charlie. @BravesReddit @BravesMILB pic.twitter.com/8Pe1O72fBK — K26dp (@K26dp) September 14, 2016 And they say that Fried’s is better… the best in the organization. It backs up my earlier statement that acquiring a couple of veteran pitchers on 3 year deals is all we need. Add this group to Sean Newcomb and you really have something special. Now, if only their arms can stay healthy. It’s incredible of how many kids futures depend upon one little sliver of tissue connecting muscle to bone. SIGH! Keep it healthy guys. Reminder… we have to have at least one roster move before Josh Collmenter (most likely) or Joe Wieland (less likely) can be added to the 40-man roster. As of today, there is still no starter announced for tomorrow’s start against WAS. There’s no real reason to do anything before tomorrow’s 1:05pm start, with an announcement likely following tonight’s tilt. I look for 1 of 2 guys to be DFA’d: Joel de la Cruz, because he isn’t contributing much and is almost a lock to pass through release waivers with nary a sniff. Pretty sure he’s given up at least 1 run in every relief appearance he’s made. Blake Lalli, because both Anthony Recker and Freddie Freeman will back to the squad, and he too is likely to pass through release waivers without being claimed, although given his ability to catch he carries at least a chance. Another reason to jettison de la Cruz and keep Lalli is that once the Gwinnett playoffs are completed, we’ll see Tyrell Jenkins and Aaron Blair back in ATL. Probably Rio, too, making his ML debut. Although that will require another 40-man adjustment. (He would need to be added anyway after the season for Rule 5 protection, but that’s another topic for another time.) If they choose to bring up Rio, that would almost certainly spell doom for Lalli. Teaser for another time: The whole Rule 5 thing will get very dicey once the season is completed. The rules are convoluted, but essentially we’ll need to add about 4-5 of the older prospects to the 40-man or risk losing them. The trick comes in that in-season, guys on the 60-day-DL don’t count against the 40. But once the season is complete, they automatically go back on. The list of 60 day guys are: OF Mallex Smith LSHP Jesse Biddle LHRP Andrew McKirahan LHRP EOF LHRP Paco Rodriguez RHRP Dan Winkler EOF is a goner, but the others are not. So you are looking at 5 spots right there alone. Also, the team will part ways with AJP (retirement) and Beckham (FA), and probably Recker (Rule 55 FA). I could see them also choosing not to re-sign Chaz Roe and Brandon Snyder, and possibly non-tendering Chase d’Arnaud. But I’m getting ahead of myself. That’s a topic better suited to the end of the season when the real speculation can begin. Gwinnett’s last possible game is Saturday, when Collmenter or Wieland will make their emergency start in Atlanta vs. WAS. Blair is already penciled into that spot in the rotation for it’s final 2 turns in Miami and back home against DET. There is still another hole for next Thursday, which rotates around 2 more times including the season finale. Now that AA Mississippi’s season is done, I wonder if Mallex will continue his “rehab assignment” in AAA Gwinnett? Why not? Number of pitchers per year to throw at least 200 pitches 95 MPH+ — Daren Willman (@darenw) September 16, 2016 And there is your direct causation to the overwhelming increase in elbow injuries. 157 berigan2electricboogaloo September 16, 2016 at 1:26 pm I think AJ Burnett, like Furcal, played the braves (and Wren) like a cheap fiddle…IIRC, after getting the offers increased, then we heard that his wife didn’t like to fly, and he needed her to be able to be within a “reasonable” limo drive from their home to the ballpark…or some sort of….crud… My point is, if you put all your eggs in one basket (no deplorables jokes please 😉 ) you are likely to be burned….or have your plans scrambled…hey, I’m tired…had to be up early for A/C guy (and couldn’t sleep well in a hot house) I think Mr V, you are a tad , just a tad cynical 😛 Players don’t always accept the most money…Borass clients? Yep…. but there are guys that would rather win…Ben Zobrist and JHey both had better deals I believe, but signed with the Cubs cuz…winning rules… So, that will be a challenge. But, we do have a lot of chips, perhaps lower down than some teams want…but still blue chips. Thing is, Coppy has found what I was saying months ago…no one seems to want to trade (young) hitters away, which seems so weird….so if you need to improve a team, via trades, it’s mainly going to be via pitching, which, as Gil said, no team seems to have a surplus of right now… so, do you give up prospects , blue chippers even, for for an innings eater? Give up the next Wainwright for a #3 so the team is a .500 team next year? Coppy and company have a tough job ahead…no doubt. V, I think you have convinced me that we shouldn’t trade Nick M…he has been better of late. One thing though, his is only signed for next year, right? Might be one reason to trade him…don’t know… And then there’s that… OF Mallex Smith with rejoin #Braves today after Double-A Mississippi was eliminted from playoffs. He's been out since broken thumb June 19 One thing though, his is only signed for next year, right? 2 more years (2017-2018) at $11M per year. If I had it my way, we’d keep Kemp, Inciarte, Kakes, and Mallex as the #4, getting to play occasionally to spell the others and keep everybody fresh through September. That would be ideal, and certainly preferred. But if a trade is to happen, he may be in demand. Actually, Ender will be in demand, but Mallex may be what’s settled upon. Still no Freddie. He’s earned a day or 2 off. just saw this post…of course they have to act like Kemp has made no difference with the braves cuz…that’s what the experts do… http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/09/poll-the-braves-outfield.html Yeah. I saw that. Some have suggested that Kemp’s presence has bolstered the production of Markakis and Freddie Freeman. However, as noted above, Markakis’ production is more a continuation of his June/July surge than something that could be directly attributable to Kemp’s presence in the lineup. Freeman, meanwhile, was already having a strong season and was entering a hot streak in the days leading up to Kemp’s acquisition. Haters gonna hate. #Braves Moving Their Advanced-A Team to @BCManatees in Kissimmee, Florida. Statement: pic.twitter.com/QJzqcubtGq Mudcats to Manatees. I like it!! 😀 So, with the A+ team moving to Kissimmee and playing in the Florida State League, seems like a perfect landing spot for a newly retired aspiring manager whose home is only about a half hour from there, to get his feet wet. Ahem… AJ? At least the bus rides are shorter. Sadly, the John Gant experiment may be coming to an end. Weber’s stock took off however. And what of Matt Kemp? Impressing the home crowd by laying out to catch a sinking liner… 30 games under 500 and still playing like it means something. 1:00 o’clock game today. Waiting for my son in law to show up this AM… Sold him my Lexus… I hope he appreciates it. Ahh. the fleet is dwindling… 🙂 So, Coppy reaches into his magic hat and pulls out Josh Collmenter. Amazing, 5 innings of dipsydoddle pitching and 8 strike outs and only two dingers given up to this years version of Pruig, Trae Turner who is 7 for 8 against the Braves in this series. No, he wasn’t Greg Maddux but he wasn’t Mike Minor either. Maybe the Braves will only have to find one additional vet for next season. You never know… So much packed into this weekend… where to begin? Begin at the beginning… 🙂 I’ll start with something that may have been overlooked with all the other comings and goings. The Braves transferred AJP from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL, eliminating any chance of him returning at season’s and, and essentially capping his career. Maybe not a HOF career, but he sure did put up some very good career numbers for a catcher. He has my highest respect. P’s Matt Marksberry (rotator cuff inflammation) and Rob Whalen (shoulder fatigue) were also 60’d, and together the 3 moves opened the necessary 40-man spots to accommodate Josh Collmenter, Rio Ruiz and surprise callup Emilio Bonifacio. I agree with Gil that Collmenter gave us 5 tough innings on Saturday, and should have earned another start in the process. Collmenter proved that you don’t have to blow batters away to get them out. Nothing he threw was straight, and every pitch seemed to have it’s own unique movement. And coming from straight over the top, and I mean 12 o’clock high, that has to be tough to pick up. If the guy could harness his command, he could be a really tough middle of the rotation pitcher. Maybe he’ll get a couple more auditions before season’s end. It wouldn’t be the first successful reclamation project on Roger’s résumé. What was fun was listening to the gNats announcers stun disbelief that the Braves beat their team… Twice! I thought Wisler was masterful yesterday. He has learned that strike outs (though sexy and great for Draft King points) are a lot less effective than ground balls hit at people because it leads to quick innings and low pitch counts…. Yes, going up right before our eyes… Now having said that… I sure would like to have that Trea Turner kid on out team. I would take him over Harper every day… and growing up too… Even in the middle of a major rebuild, is the top of the Braves lineup in need of anything? 1-5 you have Inciarte, Garcia, Freeman, Kemp, and Markakis. I’m not sure how I would ever find comparable top 5’s, but I cant imagine another group being as productive as these guys have been, outside of Chicago’s north side maybe. And overall, the offense has been among the best in baseball post-ASB, being #1 in OBP, and tied for 1st in AVG. From August into September the Braves offense is in the top 10 in all of MLB in almost every category that matters. If you consider Coppy’s plan, add another bat at C, and bring up Ozzie midway through, and the offense is ready to contend. Now pitching is another story, but wasn’t the major question this season where we were going to find offense? IMO, we have the offense and some young guys in the system to begin supplementing in a couple more years. Much is made of the “Mile High” city of Denver and the thin air but people forget that Phoenix fits that description too. No wonder their pitchers struggle a bit. Collmenter might not be a front line pitcher but he could well fill a need for the Braves. give him a go I say. One thing he will need is some guys behind him who can catch the ball… Trae Turner… 5-tool star. Yep, he’s a good’un. And maybe… just maybe his arrival will cause Nats mgt. to consider allowing Harper to leave via FA in 2018. Alot of people hate him. I’d take him on my team in a heartbeat. I think we all must agree that Matt Kemp is the proverbial “big right handed bat” the Braves have been seeking for years. Now, it’s just fine tuning the rest of the line up with role guys and pitching… It’s always pitching isn’t it? The Braves already have some solid bull pen guys but they have been overworked at time which makes them appear less effective. Having starters who can get you into the eighth inning instead of the sixth can sure lessen the fatigue experience by guys like Cabrea and Hernadez. One more thing of note then I must begin my workday… Scott Boras is flying to BAL this week to begin contract extension talks regarding Matt Wieters. Dan Connolly, BaltmoreBaseball.com: Without getting into specific money or contract length, Boras said he believes there is a mutual interest between the team and their veteran catcher to continue the relationship that began when the club selected Wieters with the fifth overall pick of the 2007 draft. When was the last time a Boras client was advised NOT to go into FA? And given the relatively thin catching market, he ought to garner a top deal. Gotta say.. it’s kind of a red flag for me. Makes no sense unless they know something nobody else does, and that would make me really nervous as a GM kicking the tires. But for argument’s sake, let’s say that Wieters comes off the board, leaving Wilson Ramos as the easy #1 on the market, with Jason Castro suddenly the #2. His price goes up dramatically. It really changes the landscape of FA catchers. Regardless, the market is not great, and if Wieters exits it becomes significantly weaker. It might actually force the Braves to engage in meaningful talks with NYY regarding Brian McCann. Not preferable. Harper will end up with the Yankees. It has been his goal from day one. It just happened that the gnats had the first round pick when he was drafted. The Nationals are deep but one must remember, it was mostly ex Braves scouts who helped build their farm system. Yep, starting pitching, and the acquiring of, is the real offseason story. That’s the linchpin to having a successful 2017 campaign. Ryan Cothran at Tomahawk Take makes a couple of good points… #1, as we have discussed ad nauseum, the 2017 FA crop is really thin. It figures that the year that the Braves are once again poised to spend some FA $$ to shore up some positions, the market is down in all across the board. #2, as bad as this year’s FA crop is, next year’s is loaded. Or as Cothran puts it, “frickin’ LOADED“. Here is his suggestion, and is isn’t too far off from ours, although the names he mentions are new: If I were given this scenario and I had to pick between these 2 scenarios [free agency or trade], I’d go with 1 of each. Don’t lay into me too hard: 1. Sign Clay Buchholz to a 1-year incentive-laden deal. It wasn’t too long ago that Buchholz was a top-5 consensus prospect in the Major Leagues. He’s had years of pure dominance and years of pure vomit. He seems like the perfect candidate for Roger to fix, and Roger has been really good at resurrecting careers (assuming Roger is asked to stay, which isn’t a lock given the pitching issues this season). Buchholz is also from the south and went to the same college as Jace Peterson, McNeese State University in Louisiana. 2. Trade Nick Markakis for Francisco Liriano. The Blue Jays acquired Liriano from the Pirates at the deadline and he hasn’t pitched that poorly for them (4.09 ERA through 7 games), but they have a problem staring them in the face in the form of free agency. As of now, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion, and Michael Saunders, all huge bats, are free agents in 2017. It’s been well-documented that the Jays cannot keep both Bautista and Encarnacion, and I’d be willing to infer that Saunders walks as well. Their payroll commitment for 2017 already accounts for $107MM without those 3, leaving them less than $30MM to fill numerous vacancies. A lateral move for a RFer seems wise. Now the Liriano mention really intrigues me. Not so sure about Buchholz. If I’m gonna watch a guy struggle throughout the year, I’d just as soon let it be one of our youngsters. That said, the point is taken that he has been very good at times. Maybe he simply needs a change of scenery and a new voice in his ear. Regardless of who is actually available and who is actually on the Braves’ radar, we all know that starting pitching has to be Coppy’s laser focus this offseason. 1-5 you have Inciarte, Garcia, Freeman, Kemp, and Markakis. I’m not sure how I would ever find comparable top 5’s That kid Swanson ain’t so bad either. That leaves catching and 2nd base and Jace keeps getting better. Not an everyday name but he has made the most of his opportunities. McCann?? The Yankees will pay for Brian to leave town and the Braves can use him if the price is not too high. Platoon him with Flowers and it could work. I would not over pay however and I don’t think Coppy will. Remember #Braves rookies, there's no crying in baseball! #DressUpDay pic.twitter.com/n4R0mNJ1RL No. Words. 185 berigan2electricboogaloo September 19, 2016 at 11:39 am They showed the other day the clip of Jose Fernandez after he hit a homer, and showboated a bit…and McCann gave him the what for…and that reminds one of him standing right in front of home plate after Carlos Gomez hit a dinger and really showboated…he is a leader….and I don’t know who on the current team is a leader type. Nick M? seems quiet to me. FF as well…..Has Kemp ever been labeled a leader? I honestly don’t know….You need leader type players, along with production… And when you consider that your rookie hazing picture contains 15 players – 15 players – you might want to add some veteran presence. If Wieters signs as extension before hitting the open market, then I view Jason Castro as the only really viable FA option. And his asking price will escalate accordingly as well. Given that HOU doesn’t have any realistic options in their pipeline, they will work very hard to keep Castro in the fold. Coppy better be talking to some GM somewhere, whether Brian Cashman in NY or not. If Wieters signs as extension before hitting the open market, then I view Jason Castro as the only really viable FA option. Man, the catching cupboards are bare! 2014, .222 BA, 2015, .211, this year…. .213. good grief…. Man, the catching cupboards are bare! 2014, .222 BA, 2015, .211, this year…. .213. good grief… Yes, but rated one of the best pitch framers in the game. And with a young pitching staff, the defensive side of the catcher’s game has to be as much a priority as his bat. Just as importantly, he has thrown out 11 of 39 would be base stealers, a 22% clip. By contrast, Tyler Flowers has caught 2 of 56, or a microscopic 3%. Yowch! The only thing I can’t figure out is why teams don’t run more on him..? 190 Carolina Lady September 19, 2016 at 5:51 pm Sure wish I could UNsee something! LOL Looks like they were having fun with it – as they should. Team effort, or so it appears! McCann was “raised” by Chipper. If nothing else, bring him back as a bench coach. That type of influence is badly needed. In an article chuck full of McCann bashing, talk of his throwing ability, or lack thereof Another aspect of his game that has gone the wrong direction is his ability to nab base stealers. When the Yankees signed McCann, he was just a year removed from shoulder surgery. In his final year with the Atlanta Braves in 2013, he was not great at throwing runners out, only nabbing 24 percent — four percentage points below the league average. Under the Yankees’ catching coach, Gary Tuck, who Girardi once praised as one of the best in the business, McCann was at 37 percent in 2014, 10 points better than the MLB average, and 36 percent last year, four points higher than the league. This season, with Tuck let go, McCann is throwing runners out only 20 percent of time, which is nine points worse than the league average. Cashman said it has nothing do with Tuck’s departure. McCann wouldn’t say if Tuck’s absence had impacted him. Girardi sees no difference. http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york/yankees/post/_/id/93497/brian-mccann-is-an-85m-platoon-player Mcann has not really been helped by playing in Yankee stadium either… Home 206 30 48 7 0 10 HR 33 RBI 29 5 55 0 0 233 BA .340 OBP . Away 195 23 46 6 0 9 HR 22 RBI 21 2 38 1 0 .236 BA .315 OBP We all know that McCann’s huge contract is a lifetime achievement award. He’s not even close to “earning” on the field the paychecks he’s receiving now. And I do not begrudge him that. I believe that a person is “worth” what ever someone is willing to give him. So there’s that. Where I would question any attempt to bring him back to ATL comes in the obvious: 1) How much would it cost the team in prospects? 2) How much would it cost the team in $$? There is no doubt that he still has both game and experience to contribute. And it’s even fair to say that he might be more valuable to a team like the Braves than to say… the Nats (who will also be catcher shopping if they can’t/don’t re-sign Wilson Ramos). But he becomes a detriment if you give up Mallex Smith, Lucas Sims, and Brett Cumberland to get him. That’s a non-starter for me. And if you’ll recall, the talks in July started and ended with Ender Inciarte and Folty. That’s when Coppy hung up the phone, as he should. And he becomes a detriment if it only costs you Chris Ellis and Travis Demeritte, but you’re still on the hook for all $49M that remains on his deal. While NYY might seem to be in a hurry to dump Mac and his salary given the emergence of their new franchise catcher Gary “Sanchise” Sanchez – who is really, really good – Mac won’t necessarily take playing time from the young catcher. In fact, with ARod having already retired, and Mark Teixeira hanging it up at season’s end, there will be plenty AB’s at DH and occasionally at 1B. And quite honestly, that might be the best thing long term for the 10 year veteran catcher who will be 33 when the lid is taken off 2017. But he does still have a few good years left to squat. If the Braves could get him in a deal without losing any of the real future, and without paying him an amount that takes away from the starting pitching budget, then I can live with it… especially if TFlow can get in a start a week. I always liked the way Bobby would assign his BUC to a pitcher so that he got a game in every turn through the rotation. I believe that works best for both catchers as long as your BUC is not Corky Miller. It keeps your starter fresher and your backup sharper. And it really pays dividends in September and October. I’ve given up trying to guess what Coppy & Co. are going to do. They’ve shown me both creativity and unpredictability. So this whole conversation may be rendered moot when they announce a deal for a guy that nobody ever envisioned… and we all go, “Where’d that come from?” If I had to lay money down right now and give a thumbs up or down on whether I think Mac will come back to his Georgia home and play out his career where it began, in my gut I think I’d have to say… As I said earlier, I would not be opposed to Mac returning to the Braves if the Yankees ate most of his contract and he did not cost ant top tier prospects. So, who will fill the spot next season? Recker may return for another season, he has been passable if not exactly all-star caliber. That said, don’t be surprised to see Coppy trade for some young backstop we have heard little of or sign someone who has been release because he no longer fits in that team;s plan. Hey, we have all become spoiled by catchers who can hit as catching was long thought to be defensive position. Somebody has to hit eight and if you have seven other guys who can hit, I can deal with someone who hits around .200 as long as he can call a good game, block wild pitches and throw out would be base stealers. 195 berigan2electricboogaloo September 20, 2016 at 9:09 am But he becomes a detriment if you give up Mallex Smith, Lucas Sims, and Brett Cumberland to get him. That’s a non-starter for me. Thing is, where is Mallex going to play if we keep Inciarte? If he’s only good enough to be a 4th outfielder on the 2017 braves, then…I think we can spare him. Brett Cumberland is 21 Y.O. Catcher (as I am sure you know 😉 ) Who, after playing College ball was sent to the Rookie league where he tore the cover off the ball in 45 games…. .216 B.A. I know that’s a fairly small window, but you don’t often hear of College players going to rookie ball, and….not hitting. So, I’d gladly give up those guys…and Lukas Sims…what is he exactly? The guy who was 5-5 with a 2.67 ERA at AA, or the guy who was 2-6 with a 7.56 ERA at AAA in 11 starts? Are any of these 3 guys elite? I forget who said it, but I heard/read about some Manager/GM that said basically don’t believe what you see on the field in April, or Sept, when it comes to judging a team. This September , the offense has been AWESOME!!! One of, if not the best in baseball…..but it might not be, probably can’t be as good come next year as what we are seeing now. Adding a catcher that will hit 20 HR’s drive in 60 or so, while batting 7th…would be a good thing, IMHO. And 17 mil a year for 2 seasons, with the possibility of 15 Mil the 3rd year with vesting options…just doesn’t sound that bad to me. Especially with the weak as always catching market. We should hope Ramos leaves the Nats and they can’t get someone like McCann…It would be nice to see them a weaker team next year, at least from the Catcher’s position. Mets, Nats, Marlins, Phils will all likely be better next year…we need to be better wherever we can be better, so as to be in at least the wildcard hunt…. That said, don’t be surprised to see Coppy trade for some young backstop we have heard little of or sign someone who has been release because he no longer fits in that team;s plan Christian Bethancourt is likely to be available, only 25 Y.O. Highly thought of prospect for some club, in the recent past 😛 Recker may return for another season, he has been passable if not exactly all-star caliber. He will be a FA at season’s end. He’ll get a job somewhere, and after showing he is a capable ML backup, he may even avoid the dreaded minor league deal. Thing is, where is Mallex going to play if we keep Inciarte? If he’s only good enough to be a 4th outfielder on the 2017 braves, then…I think we can spare him. I do not disagree, however I don’t want to waste him on a catcher at the end of his career when I need to fix my pitching rotation so badly. We should hope Ramos leaves the Nats and they can’t get someone like McCann… 2 things to note: #1. If Wilson Ramos is the real deal, why have the Nats not tried to extend him already? Multiple recent interviews show a somewhat disappointed Ramos saying that no one from WAS has even approached him about it. Nobody knows Ramos better than the Nats themselves. Given his long injury history, the Nats’ lack of willingness to lock up their own when they have nobody in line to take the reins makes me very wary. #2. If McCann is the answer to our woes, or to the Nats’ woes, why haven’t the other teams in need of catching – most notably the Cleveland Indians – lined up to make a deal? At the July trade deadline, the number of teams being connected to a possible Mac deal was 1… the Braves. Now as the Hot Stove season looms just a few weeks away, and offseason rumors are beginning to form, only 1 team is being connected to Mac… the Braves. Why not WAS? Why not CLE? Why not BAL? Why not HOU? Why not CHW? Why not [fill in the blank with any number of teams with question marks behind the plate]? Nope… just the Braves. There’s a reason teams aren’t clamoring to go get him. The Braves need to proceed with the same amount of caution. Stats courtesy of Bowman: NL East runs per game since 8/2 (Kemp’s ATL debut): Braves 5.22 Nats 4.73 Mets 4.49 Phillies 4.02 Marlins 3.73 MLB runs per game since 8/2 (Kemp’s ATL debut): Rockies 5.89 Red Sox 5.63 Dbacks 5.39 Rays 4.91 Mariners 4.85 Royals 4.84 Waddaya know? Maybe Kemp has some value beyond some boutique statistic created in somebody’s mom’s basement after all. Small note… ESPN.com’s remaining Braves schedule has Joel de la Cruz named in Thursday’s starter slot (where Josh Collmenter started last Saturday). Not sure of they’re privy to info not already public knowledge or not. I say that because as far as I know, the starters for the MIA series have not yet been announced. Anyhoo…. I’d think that the Braves would like to have another look at Collmenter and see if last week was a fluke. It’s not like JdlC gives the team a better chance to win. In fact, given that he’s 0-7 with a 5.09 ERA, I would say that anyone else gives the team a better chance to win. And before we get off into any philosophical discussion of looking at all the youngsters over the last 12 games, remember the team is currently 59-91 and would give anything to finish better than last year’s 67-95. Obviously that’s a tall order, meaning they’d have to finish out 9-3. But the bottom line is that the team – and most especially Snit – are looking to win over any other motivation. But I digress. I’ve not read any current updates on Folty’s condition, but if he’s able to make any more starts this season, you can bet he’ll be on the mound. As of now, the next turn looks to be Julio, Ryan Weber, (both already announced to wrap up the NYM series), with TBD, Wisler, Blair, with Julio back on the mound for the 4-game series in MIA. It’d be great if Folty is ready to come back into the next turn to open the series in PHI, bumping Weber back to the bullpen. That would also put him in line to pitch the season’s (and The Ted’s) finale. I’ll be keeping my ears (and eyes) open for the announcement of Thursday’s starter. It will be a good indicator as to whether Collmenter was just a one time fill-in or will be given another opportunity to audition for next year’s staff. I am most intrigued. One more thing about Collmenter. Roger has a track record of “fixing” issues with formerly successful pitchers. He taught Bud Norris a new pitch and extended his career. He has given Aaron Blair a new windup and might have revived his prospect status and ML chances. (Wasn’t that a thing of beauty last night? Wasn’t it cool watching a kid take his teacher’s lesson and put it into practice in a ML game against a team fighting for a playoff spot? And in the process earning his 1st ML W while out-pitching a notable pitcher with a cool nickname?) We need to give Roger alot more respect than we do. Something else we need to pay attention to over the last 12 games… At some point before this season wraps, the Braves have to either remove the ‘interim” tag from Snit’s title or tell him he’s out of the running. You cannot watch a guy work as hard as he has to keep this boat afloat, and to even lead the team to semi-respectability in his tenure. The players love him and more than that, they respect him. No way the team can ham-handedly drag Snit’s status out into the offseason. Not when they’re trying to regain some organizational luster. They way I see it, they either name him the manager for 2017 before 2016 wraps, or he’s out. IMO, they should go ahead and do it now. He’s earned it. You cannot watch a guy work as hard as he has to keep this boat afloat, and to even lead the team to semi-respectability in his tenure…, and not give him some clarity on his future. That’s what I meant to say there. I think we give Roger a lot more respect as a pitching coach than we ever gave Terry Pendleton as the hitting coach. Maybe it wasn’t really his fault that Andruw Jones was so hard headed and always tried to pull the ball… Anyway, I vote to give Collmenter another try at the brass ring, what really is the downside to that unless he has some mysterious illness/injury/condition no one knows about. Yes, it really appears the Braves are trying to win out. Why else would you have your first string guys in the line up everyday? Otherwise you would have guys like Mallex Smith and Rio Ruiz vying for a position. Folty took a wicked shot off his calf, somewhat reminiscent of the one that zapped Chipper Jones. No sense altering a guy’s delivery for one more start. Let it heal and then off to where ever young pitchers go in the off season to get ready for 2017. Agree on Snitker. The Braves could do a lot worse and little better. And on Arron Blair, for some reason he reminded me of Kevin Millwood last night. Not sure why. Just one of those things in the back of my head. Maybe it’s the similar body type or his mound demeanor. It’s been a long time since I saw Millwood pitch so I don’t know… He did pitch a nice game though. I think everyone was holding their breath after he gave up the homerun but he seemed to gather himself and get past it. That is maturity. Braves have a decent shot of winning this series. Not like the Mets aren’t playing for something. Again, some nice defensive play behind the Braves pitchers last night. I’ve seen a lot of guys give up on balls like the ones Kemp caught last night. If McCann is the answer to our woes, or to the Nats’ woes, why haven’t the other teams in need of catching – most notably the Cleveland Indians – lined up to make a deal? Cleveland is weird…they are going to get their regular catcher back next year, which is why Jonathan Lucroy didn’t want to go there, as they made it sound like they would go with their (had to look it up, Yan Gomes) in 2017. Makes no sense, Lucroy is a great catcher both ways…and would have had to be a 1st baseman/DH/Catcher. At the July trade deadline, the number of teams being connected to a possible Mac deal was 1… the Braves. Now as the Hot Stove season looms just a few weeks away, and offseason rumors are beginning to form, only 1 team is being connected to Mac… the Braves. Why not WAS? Why not CLE? Why not BAL? Why not HOU? Why not CHW? Why not [fill in the blank with any number of teams with question marks behind the plate]? I don’t know, though Sanchez hadn’t come up yet, and the Yankees probably weren’t really shopping him too hard…Now they know Sanchez is ready…. And it’s still early…Baltimore may re-sign Weiters….Nats may re-sign Ramos, depending on how the market plays out…. Houston is still playing Gattis , and has 28 HR’s, while only playing some at the Catcher position….Have no idea on White Sox…they let Flowers go last year after he sucked for several years….. I have to say Lucroy has no regrets on his choice to go to Texas and neither does Texas from what I can tell. He’s as happy as a pig in slop. Texas is the single most reason why the Astros will not make it back to the big dance this season. One last comment about B-Mac. I do not think McCann is an everyday catcher but I do think he is a player who could fill the role of mentor, leader and Shepard to a bunch of young arms. I think it all comes down to price in the end. A guy who can spit time with Tyler Flowers until the next block buster trade brings Buster Posey to Atlanta. I thought I would throw that one in there to see if y’all are paying attention. Norris is still available and I am sure others on the down side of their careers. Swerber from the Cubs might be had too. There might even be another Molina relative hiding somewhere. The real problem to me is the huge outcry for a catcher who is an offensive powerhouse. I’d rather have a Charles Johnson and let the other seven guys drive in runs. I guess the real problem is Draft Kings does not award points for throwing out base runners. Passed balls don’t count to the basement dwellers, only hits. Chicago won’t let Shwarber go. Not happening. Now Coppy might pry Swihart away from the Bosox… Y’all know so much about those still in the Minors, those on other teams – and I’m not even sure who’s on the home team. RESPECT! We read a lot and lots of free time on our hands… Well, some of us.. 🙂 Watching the Braves win is sooooo much better than watching them lose over and over and over again… This is even fun. So, who can the Braves pry away from San Fran for 2 weeks of Jim Johnson? I think a bunch of teams really missed an opportunity to pick up a really good closer. One has to wonder of JJ has enough in the tank for one more season as the Braves rebuild. Braves go for the sweep tomorrow, I would not bet the farm on the Braves to pull it off but I would not bet against them either. Weber will go about 85 pitches. Colon takes the ball for the Mets. Mets have to be hearing foot steps as the Cardinals are getting hot. 214 Carolina Lady September 21, 2016 at 2:59 am “…. I would not bet the farm on the Braves to pull it off…” Gil, they ARE the farm! 😀 So last night, the Giants beat the Dodgers, the Cardinals drubbed Colorado and the Mets lost to the Braves. That leaves a three way tie for the 2 wild card spots in the NL. Prediction, if the Mets don’t make the play-offs, look for Terry Collins to be seeking new employment. Does not make any difference his team has had more injured than a M.A.S.H. unit… The Astros might make it in if they do not have to play Texas again. Looks like the Tigers are going to be playing for something when they show up in Atlanta for the final three games of the season too. Going down to the wire and the Braves are the fly in everyone’s ointment… Gil, it sure is going to be an interesting few weeks before the season ends, eh? Mets best pitcher right now is 43 years old…Jay Bruce went from being just about the hottest hitter in the NL to hitting .176 with the Mets for something like 200 AB’s!!! How is that even possible? But yeah, clearly Collins fault… Cleveland basically has only 2 starters left…Dodgers are counting on 2 recently of the DL lefties, and hoping Alex Wood can help…Giants have no bullpen…This really could be the year for the Cubs, at least to make it to the W.S. Man, Cubs vs. Red Sox world Series….perhaps with NFL numbers down, people will remember/discover/rediscover why baseball is the best sport in the world!!!!! 🙂 🙂 🙂 Cubs will be the sentimental favorites just because they are the Cubs. They should be the favorite because they have the best team but as we know, the best teams do not always win. Especially win the umpires insinuate themselves into the game. Beware the infield fly rule, even the umpires do always understand it… At least there won’t be 15 pitching changes each game. Rainy day today… don’t you just love fall??? Cubs / Red Sox World Series… I’d be glued to the TV. I will when it gets here. Highs in the 90’s again. Ready for cooler temps for sure. Coppy, on a podcast with Buster Olney earlier today: “We have more money now than we’ve had in any of the 10 years that I’ve been a part of the Braves,” said Coppolella. “Our biggest needs are going to be starting pitchers. We have a lot of good young starters, guys with great arms, guys that we still really like. They have been somewhat force-fed into opportunities because of guys getting hurt and/or traded. So part of what we want to do is get guys that are more stable — not that we’re going to write off any of our young arms, we still like all them very much — but if we could add two veteran starting pitchers, that would really help our team.” More of that, when asked about about Snit: “Brian couldn’t have done any better,” Coppolella tells Olney. “…It’d be easy for this team, knowing that they’re not going to the playoffs, to just kind of go through the motions. That has not happened. These guys are playing hard every night. They’re doing great things every night, and that’s a big tribute to Brian as well as to this whole staff. … We’ll end up seeing which way it turns out. If he ends up being the guy — we aren’t set that he wont be, we aren’t set that he won’t be — we just feel that we owe it to our players, to our organization to at the very least talk to a few people without the Braves to see what they have to offer.” At least we are not alone in what we are seeing in a team that is playing to the limit of their abilities every night. I have seen it before where a team just seems to put it on auto pilot and end up losing games because they are out hustled. I guess that is what has impressed me about Kemp. I did not expect him to be diving for balls and taking an extra base. He was not playing that way in San Diego. The rest of the crew is hustling too. The results is a winning record in August against some good teams. For sure, a team better not go to sleep on these guys because they will swipe your lunch and leave you a bill. On Snitker… I’m all for the Braves giving him a two year deal and seeing how it works out. he has won with teams when he has had the horses. As it is, he’s dragging this herd across the finish line by shear will. Amen to your comments on Snit, Gil. And the post above has Coppy talking out of both sides of his mouth. That’s an insult to Snitker. A catch equal to or greater than Otis Nixon’s robbery of Andy Van Slyke of Pittsburgh back in the day. That my friends is what “The CATCH” really looks like. All that said, it was the supposedly hapless Braves all around play, coming back from 3 runs down and making plays, going all out that endears this team to me. The acquisition of Matt Kemp reminds me of another guy who set the Braves offense on fire, Fred McGriff. Somehow he has been the perfect guy to solidify the line up. And yes Vee… WOW… The perfect catalyst. Now that the kids know what it is to really play a game and to actually WIN, and keep winning, I can’t help but have hope again. I’ll never forget when the Crime Dog arrived. There’s just something like magic that happens when they walk into the right door. In case you missed it: 2 on and 2 out in the bottom of the 9th. Enter @Enderdavid18. #ChopOn pic.twitter.com/oDjydDXZ7q What a lot of folks may not have known is Jim Johnson was making his 4 appearance in five nights. he had struck out Cespedes the night before on a wicked 12-6 curve ball which produced one of the ugliest swings ever seen in New York. Just amazing the reaction from a team that has been in the cellar since spring training. You would have thought the Braves had just clinched the NL East pennant given the elation of the entire team after Enders brought back a ball clearly over the wall. The real shame is all the fans who have tuned out this team and moved on to football. This team has clawed and scraped and fought tooth and nail for the last two months in every game they have participated in. A very young pitching staff has shone their inexperience and have given up runs in bunches. The Braves have three series left, the Marlins need desperately to sweep the Braves if they hope to have a chance to make the play-offs. They cannot continue to rely on other teams ahead of them to lose. The last home stand kicks off with the Phillies who best attraction continues to be the Phanatic. Last but not least will be the Tigers who are also are in a dogfight to make the big dance. It is must see TV if you ask me. I was amazed by that catch! Just happened to flip by as I had been watching Charlotte descend into hell for much of the night…. I thought for sure Cespedes had won the game there….the reaction of the team was awesome! 🙂 People like Kemp were on the top of the dugout fence ready to hop over it, like they just knew Enciarte would catch it! Gil, I think Otis Nixon still has the title of best catch eva! I sure would like for someone to do a statcast comparison of the two plays. I think Ender covered more distance but Otis has the height. So the story goes like this… I was at church last night, being Wednesday and all, and came out of band rehearsal about 9:30, and hear that the score is 3-2, bad guys ahead, with Ender on base. The Mets were bringing in a new pitcher to face Freddie, who promptly reached on a broken bat single. (When you’re hot, you’re hot.) Then came the corresponding pitching change, and the battle between their power, being closer Jeurys Familia, and our power, being cleanup hitter Matt Kemp, commenced. Then of course, the double steal off an unsuspecting Familia, who is not very familia with having runners on base, to put the tying runner just 90′ away. Of course that meant a sac fly to tie it up was a great possibility, and I was absolutely locked in. As Familia and Kemp battled it out, I pulled into a Racetrack parking lot to “take care of some business”. Well, actually I pulled into a Racetrack parking lot to park my car and to go inside to “take care of some business”. Anyway, the 2 warriors battled pitch after pitch, and the drama was dragged out with an interrupting trip to the mound… and I could wait no longer and had to go on into the store. Funny thing was, I was confident that Kemp would drive the runner in while I was “taking care of business”. I truly was confident. And when I came back out, of course the game was tied. No big deal. I knew it would happen. So I get to the house with the game tied, and find that my family is watching a movie on Netflix. Not unusual. It was well into the movie, so I wasn’t going to ask them to stop and let me watch the end of the game. Plus, I was starving and needed to rustle up some late grub. I figured I’d just catch the highlights later on Twitter. Anyhoo… A few minutes later, Netflix freezes because my internet provider Windstream is more unreliable than Calvin Murphy (look it up) on Father’s Day, and we are all on hold briefly until it comes back. Then a second freeze occurs, and Mrs. Vox suggests we abandon Netfix,to which I heartily agree. I politely ask if they mind if I catch the last bit of the game, and they say OK. When I turned the channel to the game, I found our battlin’ Braves were up 4-3 and Yoenis Cespides was striding to the plate to face Jimmy John in the bottom of the 9th inning. Timing is everything. So as we hoped, it appears that Josh Collmenter will get the rotation slot that was formerly occupied by Joel de la Lose, er… Cruz, including tonight’s start. The current rotation beginning tonight is Collmenter, Wisler, Blair, Julio and Ryan Weber who pitched well enough last night to at least keep the game close enough for the offense to claw back in. His final line was 5.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 K, 2 BB. 2 of those 4 hits were of the longball variety. Not pretty in the box score. Y’all may have to fill me in on the actual game play. If the current rotation holds, Weber would get the final start of the season and final start EVER at The Ted. I like the guy and all, but I’d kinda hate to see that happen. Which brings me to my next question… Will Folty be back before we close the lid on 2016? I understand he threw about 25 fastballs in a bullpen session yesterday and said he felt “normal”. He says if that continues, he’ll mix in all his pitches during a longer bullpen Friday and hopes to make at least one more start this season. Of course, nobody knows when that may be, but the timing could set him up for next Tuesday when the boys return home to face the Phillies. Seems logical to me as long he does have a full bullpen Friday with no residual issues. That, of course, would line him up for two more starts, including the season finale. If Folty needs more time, but still can get back for that one start he mentioned, then it would land somewhere in that last turn through the rotation, pushing the other guys back a day and lining Julio up for the last start. I cannot imagine they’d let Folty miss another 10 days and then trot him out there for the season’s capper. I just can’t see that. And I kinda dig the symmetry of having Julio bookend the season. Great story Vee… And I had thought that Folty would be penciled in for the final start but who knows. Much depends on how deep the rest of the staff can go as to the availability of the Braves current long reliever, Weber, as to his availability. With a play-off berth on the line for the Tigers, I’m sure the Braves will play all the games straight up to assure the sanctity of the season. No free gifts to the the Tigers. I think what tickled me most last night was the intensity of the Braves for the whole game. They ran hard with every batted ball and NO LOLLYGAGGING… T’was a thing of beauty. Of course the home run given up to Cabrera was no cheapee but Weber was squeeze on the walk to Ryes preceding him. Still, even down 3-0, you had a feeling that Colon would not go nine and the Braves would strike. Recker’s line drive to the Met’s pen changed the whole tenor of the game. Once it was 3-2, you know the Braves had a shot. Of course, with just 10 games remaining, the 61-91 Braves need win just 2 more times to ensure they won’t lose 100 games, which earlier this season seemed completely unavoidable. In fact, I can recall at one point some national publication projected the Braves to lose 115. My have the times have changed. No… now the focus should go beyond simply playing the spoiler. The Braves need to go 6-4 over the last 10 to match last season’s 67-95 record, and 7-3 to finish with a better record. 7-3 is a tall order… yes. But no longer unthinkable. Does that 1 game matter when you’re still last in the division and 2nd worst in all of MLB. It does to me. I bet it does to Snit, too. Pitching matchups vs. Miami: Collmenter vs. Jose Urena (4-7, 5.59 ERA) I like our chances Wisler vs. Andrew Cashner (1-4, 6.18 ERA) I like our chances Blair vs. Bruce Chen (5-4, 5.04 ERA) I like our chances Julio vs. Jose Fernandez (16-8, 2.86 ERA) this will be a great matchup 3 wins in this series is so very achievable. Yikes!! 😯 Formatting error. I’ll try that again… http://m.braves.mlb.com/news/article/202642728/braves-freddie-freeman-extends-on-base-streak/ Collmenter is the Braves version of Colon and Jamie Moyer. I cannot help but think of Charlie Liebrandt when I see a guy with an 84 mph fastball… But it is a moving fastball. Nothing straight. He’ll get at least one more turn. With last night’s win, a couple of things happened, the Braves “magic number” is down to one. The Fish are fried… I can see no way for them to make the play-offs now. They just won’t be able to climb past everyone with only 9 game to go. Matt Kemp had his boom stick going last night. The first ball he hit went 408 feet to center to be caught. His other two homers went to shorter parts of the park but equally as far. Freddie continues his hit/on base streak. Keep the line moving folks… In his first start Collmenter pitched well enough to hang in and get a win with a good offense. Last night, Collmenter appeared to be in command of the game. I am very anxious to see his last start and see if he resembles a “get by” pitcher or a “commanding” pitcher. If he can repeat last night’s performance, I see no reason not to give him a shot next year. Technically he is under contract for 2017, although it is in the form of a mutual option for $2M. Given his pre-Atlanta season, Collmenter would be a fool do opt out of his side. And given the state of the team;s starting pitching, Coppy would be a fool to not pick up his side of the deal. I like the guy. He’s a funky dude, both on the field and off. It’s cool to have some “colorful” guys around the team. Was gonna report some interesting points from Heyman’s recent posting on the Braves, but have decided to simply cut and paste it all. It’s all pretty good. The Braves say interim manager Brian Snitker has done a fine job and is in the mix, but as expected, they plan to interview manager candidates, which seems to suggest there’s also a good chance they’ll hire a new manager. Terry Pendleton and Bo Porter are the other main inside candidates. In addition to Torey Lovullo, other names that could be considered include Bud Black, Ron Gardenhire and Don Wakamatsu … Give the Braves credit for not doing anything like tanking and happily allowing the Twins to get that No. 1 pick. And actually, the Braves are suddenly “dangerous” on offense, according to one scout. Ender Inciarte and Adonis Garcia have been very productive lately, joining Freddie Freeman, who’s been on fire. Garcia incidentally was signed after his release by the Yankees for a minor-league salary ($2,000 a month). Ex-Yankee execs Gordon Blakeley and Alex Cotto (nephew of Henry) deserve the credit there … A lot was made of GM John Coppolella’s remark that while Matt Kemp has been a terrific help to the lineup that they’d also prefer to see him improve his shape (said here and on MLB Network), but from here the GM made a rather obvious statement of fact and did so diplomatically. The truth is, while Kemp has hit and aided their lineup, his poor shape is shocking to everyone who’s seen Braves games recently. It would be impossible not to notice. How sensitive have we all become? … While Atlanta definitely is in the market for a catcher, they aren’t seen as likely to meet Matt Wieters’ price. Wieters has engendered significant Braves speculation since he is a Georgia Tech product … Max Fried, 13 K’s the other day, was throwing 93-96 mph and found his old curve. Good sign for him … Longtime former GM John Schuerholz’s Hall of Fame candidacy will be debated at the next veterans committee meeting, and with Bobby Cox, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz having gone in recently, it would be just for Schuerholz to make it, too. Fourteen straight division titles won’t ever be repeated. As to Heyman’s assertion, or more opinion I suppose, that the interviewing of outside candidates “seems to suggest there’s also a good chance they’ll hire a new manager”, I must respectfully disagree. 2 reasons: 1) Coppy has clarified that the team will look at and possibly interview other candidates for the job out of due diligence, in accordance with The Plan. As for me personally, I think Snit has done enough to keep the job, at least for 2017. That said, I don’t have a problem with the team staying their course in The Plan and going through the process. If Snit is the man for the job, he’ll get it. I believe that. 2) Those close to the team – the beat writers – seem to be of the opinion that Snit has the inside track, with DO’B even admitting his gut says Snit gets it. I’ll go with those who are in the clubhouse every day over a guy who only has cursory exposure. And I say that with all due respect to Jon Heyman, whom I like. And I can’t say the same about many most national writers. But Heyman simply isn’t around the clubhouse. Our local guys are. One more thing regarding the manager… If the team is to hire someone else, it makes no sense to hire internally. Snit has shown he’s the guy already here. Bypassing him for Pendleton or Porter would appear to be hiring new for the sake of hiring new. It would also give the appearance that Snit was never a real candidate. I don’t think the execs are of that mindset anyway, but beyond that it would send a bad message to both the players and to the fans. If they decide to go outside, Bud Black is nothing more than a name, and Don Wakamatsu has never succeeded as a manager. Neither brings anything of real substance. Torey Lovullo is currently Boston’s bench coach, and might be a good manager one day. But don’t you need a firm hand at the helm of a young team? I think you do. At least Ron Gardenhire had a good run in Minnesota. If Snit isn’t gonna get the gig full time, I’d be OK with Gardey. He’d be just about right for a young team on the rise. During his 13 years in Minnie, he finished in the Top 2 AL MOY voting 6 times, winning it in 2010. He also had a 3rd place finish in his 1st season managing. Well, the Braves improved play and the Twins’ downward spiral have pretty much cemented Minnie’s earning next year’s #1 draft pick. But he Braves hardly have a stranglehold on #2. Here are the worst teams and their records, and the teams they have left to play: Twins (55-98) Doesn’t really matter. They just suck. Braves (62-91) Marlins, Phils, Tigers Reds (63-89) Brewers, Cards Cubs Padres (64-89) Giants, Dodgers, D’backs D’backs (64-88) O’s, Nats, Padres Rays (64-87) Sox of both color, Rangers A’s (66-86) Rangers, Angels, Mariners Angels (67-86) Astros, A’s, Astros again The Reds, Padres and Rays especially have some tough sledding left. At first glance, I think the Braves could easily jump the Reds and Padres. Maybe the Rays, too. Without squinting too hard, I could see them falling (or rising, because winning deserves a positive connotation) to #5 in the draft. That’s good, right? I had heard somewhere that while Kemp agreed that he needed to get into better shape, he was somewhat put off but the national attention to that fact. Hey, no body like to be called fat. I don’t expect a 32 year old power hitter to come in looking like Trea Turner but we don’t want to see another Panda either. I expect Matt will get serious about his diet during the off season. He knows what he has to do. I think he really enjoys it in Atlanta. He is like a kid again. It happens. The only folks calling for a “name” hier as manager are people who don’t pay attention to baseball. Snit has always been a good manager, he just finally got an opportunity to show it. Face it, this team was never going to sniff a winning record and so much turn over on the pitching staff really doomed the Braves regardless. I think Snit would be okay with a one year extension and having the interim tag removed. No matter, I think Terry Pendleton will get a chance to manage somewhere if he wants to. Not sure about Bo Porter. I know Eddie Perez wants to manage but will have to start out riding the busses again. Got to pay your dues first. You are right about Collmenter. While there were some weak ground balls and pop ups, there were also some rocket shots hit at people. He not a guy who would have success in Denver. You are right in another start will be a good indicator of what the Braves have in him. He is a decent number 4 guy in a line up. I thought it was funny what Paul Byrd said of Josh and his 84 mph fast ball, a lot of those flame throwers would be fighting over who would get to follow him in the rotation. He would be like following a knuckleballer. Any pick in the top ten should assure a team of a quality player. It is really up to your scouting staff to do due diligence. I forget the number of drafted players who actually make it to the show but it’s pretty low. I think a team would have a better chance at hitting the lottery jack pot given such a low return on investment. The Braves do better just trading for talent from the Padres. Haven’t the fathers really traded away some super talent? Just saying… I was telling Ms Josie the other night that I think the Padres have become the Montreal Expos. That was a team that drafted some really good players who went on to star for other teams. I think the Nats need to shut down Harper until the play off. It is so obvious his shoulder is not right. It cannot be doing him any good to go out each night and aggravating it. #Braves lineup Friday pic.twitter.com/vss7tzP794 What do we notice about the above lineup card? Well, how about the fact that Blair is listed as a reliever, and Weber is listed as a starter? Also that Folty is listed as a starter. Can we assume from that that he’ll take a turn during this rotation? If so, in Blair’s spot? That would be tomorrow. No off day until Monday, so there cannot be any skipping. Intriguing indeed. I thought all along Folty would make the start in Miami as long as his leg was okay. Blair will be a starter some day, just not sure when. Doubtful it will be this season. I’m thinking he is more like the long relief guy until Weber explodes again. Funny thing about free speech, it is only free if you are downing our country or saying bad things about conservatives. Everyone else is off limits. #SteveClevenger Folty (calf) might start Tuesday. If so, he'll have a chance to make two more starts. As we laid out yesterday, that would be Weber’s slot including the season (and Turner Field’s) closer. My advice to anyone who wants to mouth off about anything. Keep editing it until all the invective and bile is removed. Otherwise what you say will be used against you someday. Or as the late great Lewis Grizzard once implored, “Damn brother, I don’t think I would have told that” .. 🙂 Rare political rant ahead. Tread carefully… Clevenger has the right to say whatever he wants, but has to expect the same level of repercussion as Kaepernick or any other athlete. In this instance, he’s employed in the great blue northwest. If he were in Texas, things might be different. Most of the Mariner fanbase are neo-socialist bleeding heart liberals, those who espouse tolerance above all else but have a marked intolerance for those who disagree with them. Take Kaepernick for instance. His remarks were no less pointed and inflammatory, but his hate opinion lines up with the leanings of the left leaning San Francisco ticket buyers. He has taken a beating in the conservative media outlets, but he’s golden to the mainstream. Yet a conservative is crushed underfoot as insensitive and racist. Sure… no double standard there. It also doesn’t help that Clevenger has grossly underperformed. The only reason he wasn’t simply released was that he’d get paid the rest of the season’s salary. This way he loses a little over $28K… which is absolutely nothing to the M’s, but alot to a guy making the league minimum. Thus, it’s clearly an intentional punishment and thumb in the eye as he’s headed out the door. It’s also a reminder to the rest of the club to keep their mouths shut if they share a conservative point of view. Free speech comes with a pricetag. Totalitarianism at its finest in the heart of the great blue northwest. Awesome observations, guys! Interesting comments all. It’s a lot like being married Vee, you are free to do anything you want, as long as the wife is okay with it… 🙂 Another tense game last night. Wisler was not sharp at all for is first 5 innings but for some reasons, the Fish just would not take advantage. Adonis had another big night and Freddie reached another milestone in a crazy lost season. Mallex Smith makes another great catch to end the game last night. As streaks go, this current win streak is not spectacular but it shur has been fun to watch. Perhaps the manager can make a big difference in how players perform. Aaron Blair takes the mound tonight looking for win number two in a row against Wei-Yin Chen, a veteran major league guy who has had a decent season for the Marlins. One more note, I don’t think the Braves would want both Williams Perez and Josh Collmenter on the same starting staff. Too similar in approach. Wow, what terrible news to learn of the sudden death of young Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez this morning. A terrible loss for baseball, the Marlins and the world in general. It makes me so sad. Blessed are those who mourn, because they will be comforted. – Matthew 5:4 I didn’t sleep well last night went back to bed and just while looking for the Braves game found it was cancelled and why. Jose Fernandez if he stayed healthy would have probably Wonderful World Series and had a Hall of Fame career and probably would have been the best pitcher in the game and I hear his wife was expecting a baby girl just so tragic so sad and so needless if he stayed healthy would have probably Won several World Series…Was using my phone…. Imagine how devastated his Mother must be, to lose her son….a son that jumped in to save her, when she went overboard on the boat they came from Cuba on….His girlfriend is expecting a baby girl he will never get a chance to hold, she will never get to know her Dad, except second hand….. Yes Ber, a harsh reminder of how life can be so short. I am reminded of the tragic lose of another young pitcher who was probably the best on the Angels staff. Nick Adenhart.. I don’t thinks the Angels ever recovered that season. Yes Ber, a harsh reminder of how life can be so short. Well, on this side of eternity, anyway. That’s why we better make it count. As I heard Pastor Greg Laurie say this weekend, we call it life and then the afterlife, but it should really be the beforelife and then life, because this one is “like smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes.” (James 4:14) Better be ready. Lost in all of the sadness from the weekend is the observation that Shae Simmons had not appeared in any games for about a week. And during his time back in ATL he was looking like the legit guy he was supposed to be before a myriad of injuries took him out in 2014, 2015, and slowed his return this year. According to the three-headed beat writer, Kevin O’Bowman, he’s been dealing with “forearm soreness” that the team is downplaying as “not serious”. I must add, though, that they said they hope it’s not serious. With that in mind, and with the end of the season closing in quickly, they’ve pretty much just shut him down. In my view, he’s an important piece to the team’s 2017 bullpen. Let’s all share in the team’s hope that it’s nothing serious. Alan Carpenter at Tomahawk Take makes the observation that if Detroit is still fighting for that last Wild Card spot on the season’s final day, and it’s a must-win game for them, the Braves could face Justin Verlander to close out their time at The Ted. What a treat that would be for what should be a full house. I hope the Braves play it like it’s them playing for a spot in the big dance. I suspect Detroit will not have wrapped up by then because other teams (Astros) will still be holding out hope. Also there are 2 teams in the AL east still pushing. No game tonight so the bullpen arms should be fresh, or a fresh as one can expect. forearm tightness Ominous words when strung together for a professional pitcher. I know what it meant for me, I wasn’t a pro by any stretch. Me of the 55mph fastball… I’m pretty sure the Marlins baseball team would just a soon call it a season and just try to get past it all. At least with family you get three days. With the bump in the rotation with yesterday’s cancelled game, and the return of Folty on Wednesday, the rotation for the last time through will be: Collmenter Wisler … with Julio returning to pitch the season-ender, which is somehow appropriate. And if it does end up being a must-win game for DET and Verlander is indeed on the mound, it’ll be a whale of a game. As for the cancelled game, the only way it will be made up is if it matters to MIA’s Wild Card chances, which are all but gone. They have to practically win out, and get some help from some other teams. They (along with PIT) are 4.5 behind San Fran for the last spot, and 4 behind St. Louis with 6 to play. And they have 3 vs. the Mets at home and 3 vs. the Nats in DC. In other words, don’t plan on that game being made up. So, I wonder what happens if the absent game effects the draft pick selection? Or I should say, the draft selection order… So, I wonder what happens if the absent game effects the draft pick selection order? With the bottom 5 teams being so close, it very likely will. The league will order the teams based on winning %. Obviously there’s no way to know if it will affect us positively or negatively, but it will no doubt affect us. I think it could affect the Marlis too. So winning percentage it is. I guess MLB had already planned for just such a scenario, or not… You can scratch a reunion with Martin Prado off the wish list. He and the Fish have worked out an extension. At this point, the only major upgrade at 3B will be Justin Turner, who will come at a very steep price. I say we keep Adonis, loosely platoon Rio Ruiz, and point our cash toward pitching. Having Rio will add another LH bat to the bench, too. can confirm @clarkspencer report #Marlins Martin Prado has agreed to 3 yr, $40 mil deal. Signing Prado, pending free agent, was priority — Joe Frisaro (@JoeFrisaro) September 27, 2016 Good for him. Good for them, too. Kinda hard to “hate” them right now. While Adonis will not likely make the All-star team not win a gold glove, He isn’t that awful either. I can live with his offense and his defense too. Makes it more likely 2nd base will be a real target for an up grade. That and possibly of adding catcher although I can live with Recker too. So, where to spend the money? Yep, veteran arm and hope they can last through spring training. I look for the Bravos to have a much better start next season, maybe not yet ready for primetime but in position to make a real run in 2018. Makes it more likely 2nd base will be a real target for an up grade. Gotta respectfully disagree. Jace will hold that position down until Ozzie makes his debut sometime in June, if not earlier. I think pitching and catching will be the main focus of the men in suits. Gonna take alot of cash to land a big fish with a big arm, but I think they’ll be fishing in that pond for one guy at least. If Ivan Nova rebuffs PITs extension overtures and enters the market, watch for him to be on Coppy’s speed dial. I like Jeremy Hellickson because I think he’s a “low floor” kinda guy that’ll chew up some innings and might win 12-15 games. But he won’t be a 20 game winner. Nova has that potential if he can get it all together. He can also be a 9 game winner if he gives up gophers at the rate he did before his mid-season trade. But he’s turned it around in PIT and has been the pitcher that NYY said he could be. So you take a little risk of getting Yankee Nova vs. Pirate Nova. But hey… gotta take some risks to gain reward, right? #Braves have traded INF Gordon Beckham to the Giants for cash Well that’s interesting. He wasn’t coming back here anyway. There it is. Wilson Ramos has a torn ACL, Dusty Baker says. — CSN Nationals (@CSNNationals) September 27, 2016 Yep. The guy has been plagued by injuries his entire career. Could there be a worse possible time for him? For the Nats? For the Braves? If Wieters takes an extension instead of hitting the open market he’s a fool. He’s gonna command a mint now. It also jacks the market for Jason Castro. After 2 lengthy rain delays, and with the Braves being down 6-1, I bailed in the 5th inning. Of course these boys never quit and came back to win it 7-6 on the strength of 5 scoreless from the bullpen and timely hitting from guys like Flowers and Smith. Heck, that sounds like a bakery! What’s going on over there? I watched the game until the rain delay and then switched over to watch regular TV. Went to bed at eleven and checked to find the game restarter. Then saw the Phillies’ pen cough up a 5 run lead and the Braves come back. These never give up do they? A player was announced to be coming back for Beckham. Amazing the Giants would give up someone for a one week rental. Amazing the Giants would give up someone for a one week rental. Well… let’s take a look at who this, ahem player is. Per DO’B: Minor league IF Rich Rodriguez, 23, has played parts of six minor league seasons in the Giants organization, four of those at the rookie-league level and this season in high Single-A, where he hit just .174 (19-for-109) with one extra-base hit. He’s played all infield positions and some at the outfield corners and has a .264 career average (217-for-821) with 18 doubles, two triples and 68 RBI in 264 minor league games. I would have preferred the previously announced cash. . BOOM! @TimTebow hits a homer during instructional league game! pic.twitter.com/8h9JCzr7Br — Katie Johnson (@Katie_Johnson_) September 28, 2016 First pitch of his instructional league career. You can't make this stuff up. https://t.co/eLs6EUamJb — Anthony DiComo (@AnthonyDiComo) September 28, 2016 So, about last night…. Julio sucked… just really could not get the ball down for the first three innings. Too much rest between starts? Perhaps fortunate for the Braves there was a rain delay. Tonight Folty returns. Dr said he would always have pain from where he was hit by the line drive. He will have to learn to pitch with it. I too flipped by last night…saw game was back, 6-1 5th inning, 11 pm…had no idea they came back til you guys said they won! Shockingly, baseball tonight did not mention this fact 😛 They did show Mallex Smith’s great catch the other night… Me, too! I really, really need to go shopping – for myself this time. You men probably won’t believe this, but I am an extremely LOW maintenance person. I don’t have even one dress in my closet and have basically one pair of shoes. (There are two pair in the closet but I can’t wear them because of my back.) I have a lovely selection of tee shirts and sweatshirts, and maybe a half-dozen pairs of slacks, but that’s it. I should at least have one ‘something’ nice to be buried in, don’t ya think? Have no idea where that thought originated. sigh 😀 I should at least have one ‘something’ nice to be buried in Funny you should mention that, I had the same exact thought about myself the other night. Problem is, it’s a crap shoot. By the time I die, I doubt whatever I have will fit… Closed casket… Then can be comfortable in a sweat suit… I am also requesting glove because my hands get cold easily… 🙂 Maybe my uniform… Now baseball… Folty looked sharp tonight. One hiccup but nothing catastrophic. he looked free and easy. The boys had the bats working against tonight’s sacrificial lamb run out by the Phillies. 12-2 was the final. Braves now tied with Arizona record wise. Still four games to go. Wisler tomorrow night and then the final curtain… Would love to bump the Tigers out of the dance. Boston and Chicago look to be the class of the field but anything can happen, just ask the Braves… Still watching ESPU eh Ber? Sigh… I watch MLB Tonight. at least they talk about all the teams. Quick Pitch usually shows the Braves highlight near the end of the show each night. It’s what happens when you are close to the bottom of the pile. baseball tonight did not mention this fact If I were walking by the set of Baseball Tonight, or anything on ESPN for that matter, and saw that it was on fire and I had a glass of water, I’d drink the water. The only time that network will be on my TV is if UGA football is there and I have no other alternative. (Actually, I am researching some newer tech alternatives to my TV reception choices anyway, but that’s a different conversation.) At any rate, even when I am forced to watch it, I don’t listen to the commercials, and if I could figure out a way to sync the latency between the radio broadcast and the satellite signal, I wouldn’t listen to any of it. I’d listen to the radio play-by-play. Unfortunately it takes a second or 3 to bounce all those microwaves off the various satellites and repeaters. If I could develop a device to let you dial in a corresponding delay to the radio reception, I’d probably make millions. Gil, I know, you and V mock me for still watching it…CL probably does too 😉 I don’t blame use guys…I think I mentioned before, MLB tonight, I like, but I don’t always want to look at live look ins, then get interested in the game, then they go away…then I also want to see the highlights of the games…which quick pitch does, but I can’t tell my DirectTV to record it, except if I tell it to record 1 specific hour. Otherwise, hit record all episodes (like I do for baseball tonight) I get like 10 hours a day recorded! I have to watch/record Quick pitch on friday, Saturday, and apparently Sunday’s as there is no baseball tonights on there….perhaps the last weekend. Sad that ESPN thinks there are so few baseball fans there is no need to bother having the show on the weekends…you sure can find football tonight, or whatever they call it year round… I also really like Tim K (who isn’t on nearly enough) Adnan Virk (I hate toupee man hosting) and a few other guys they have. Of course Adnan is pulled away from Baseball tonight the last month of the season (he’s a HUGE Blue Jay fan) cuz football. If MLB.TV would hire a few guys from ESPN I’d gladly give it up…of course, ESPN gets 6-8 bucks from ALL OF US, whether we watch them or not…might as well watch one show and NOTHING else they have on….. Plus, there are only a handful of national talking heads that I have much respect for anyway, and I can’t think of any on ESPN. I like Jon Heyman (MLB Network), Jeff Passan (Yahoo), Joel Sherman (NY Post, MLB Network)… that’s about it. Buster Olney and Jayson Stark left me behind a while back, and Ken Rosensource is too paranoid for my taste. If you want to hear about your team from ESPN, they better be from NY, LA, CHI, PHI, TEX, SF or BOS. And those just happen to be the top 7 TV markets, in order. Some coincidence, huh? Olney, Kurkjian and Stark all seem like the same guy to me. I do like Jerry Crasnick a little, but I prefer to just catch his tweets and stay away from his columns. I used to really like Peter Gammons, but as he got older, and ESPN got more politically motivated, he has distanced himself a little from the Death Star. But his first love and concentration is the Red Sox, so he doesn’t relate much to me. Dang. There go my millions… http://www.sportsyncradio.com/ FYI- the reviews on the free software download are mixed. The max delay time is 9.9 seconds. Apparently the latency for FM radio broadcasts is greater than that. I suppose it is fine for AM though. That said, AM is not an option after dark for those of us out in God’s country. I basically had this post written yesterday, and I guess I was going to put the cherry on top, and forgot to hit post…checked later, no post…sigh…. anyways…. You know who else has been plagued by injuries most of his career? Wieters! 😉 Seriously though…McCann has been for the most part injury free…and know he will be worth more in a very thin market, so not likely will the braves pony up what it will take to get him… and I’m sorry but Jason Castro sucks when he is not behind the plate. 222, 211, then 209. 31 RBI’s last year 32 this year, in a bandbox….while back in the day, you could get by with lame hitting catchers and SS’s those days appear to be over… so, the question is….is it really worth it to try to get Wieters, Castro, or McCann? Is anyone going to be markedly better than Flowers/Wrecker? Ok, better throwing, but…what else? McCann throws out runners at the same pace as Castro…costs more, but he does you know…hit talk about 3 guys I can’t tell from each other 😉 Yes, the catching market just got a lot thinner with the Buffalo going down in DC. An ACL tear… I can hardly think of a worse injury for a catcher. Ramos’ value has taken a marked change for the worse. I expect the Braves will search high and low for a new backstop but could well settle to keep the guys on their current roster. Not sure that Recker won’t sign with someone else in the off season as his stock has risen. Not sure if the low number of caught stealings is really all the fault of Flowers and Recker. The Braves young pitchers have not yet mastered holding runners and they have been pretty easy to get a read on by opposing runners. Most of the steals this season have appeared to be on the pitchers and not the catchers. I think that is why the Braves were so disappointed in Bethacourt’s failure to lunch. It really set the Braves back in that respect. LuCroy cost Texas a ton as it would any team but it may well have been the trade which could propel the Rangers into the World Series. The Braves scouting and assessment group under Frank’s regime were consistently bad about giving a realistic profile of our “top” prospects. I could go on and on naming failed players, but what’s the use? Bethancourt by far has hurt the team’s present and future given that he was “can’t miss”. Well, he missed. I think Flowers has done a good job. I can think of worse around the league. Recker has far exceed expectations as his backup, and will probably get a sweeter deal elsewhere in FA. Plus, he’s a RH hitter, same as Flowers. Ideally we could find a LH compliment, much the way AJP/TFlow were set up. I think at this point, Coppy is going to have to unearth a catcher in the trade market. Flowers may have another year as the primary guy, but he’s only under contract for 1 more year. And I agree 100% Gil that Lucroy cost alot, but is paying big dividends in Ft. Worth. I heard somewhere just this week that he has 5 or 6 game winning RBI since joining the Rangers. That’s alot of wins he’s directly responsible for. I still think the priority of Coppy this offseason will be: #1- Starting pitcher #3- Catcher #4- 3B Now… as to the subject of 3B, Adonis has done a nice job for us this year. In fact, he’s obviously exceeded expectations. But when you compare him to other 3B around the league, it’s kinda telling. Let’s do a MLB-wide comparison using the tried and true old school stats that you want out of the prototypical 3B: HR: 14 ties him for 23rd with 3 others, 1 of whom doesn’t even play the position every day (Javier Baez) RBI: 63 ties him for 19th with 1 other 2B: 29 places him 15th OPS: .715 places him 23rd; this is the one comprehensive stat that think best represents what you want offensively from a 3B And for the boo-teek basement stat of WAR, he’s 46th with .01. Hey, at least it’s a positive number. I personally could care less about “WAR”, but do place stock in the others. It reveals that he isnt even in the same class with guys like Josh Donaldson, Kris Bryant, Nolan Arenado, and Manny Machado. Not even with a creaky, aging vet like Adrian Beltre. Martin Prado is far ahead of him, as is David Freese… yes, David Freese. Here’s something to chew on. Would Tampa be willing to listen on Evan Longoria? He’ll be past his prime by the time the Rays are ready to compete again, and they would surely be interested in some young prospects. They always are. What a huge acquisition that would be! If Longo sat in our lineup, it would lessen the need at catcher, and make the top 6 a virtual murderer’s row: 1- Ender (L) 2- Dansby (R) 3- Freddie (L) 4- Kemp (R) 5- Longo (R) 6- Markakis (L) 7- TFlow (R) 8- Ozzie (S) Surgery will reveal extent of Ramos' injury. Possible meniscus tears in addition to torn ACL, per sources. Crushing impact on free agency. — Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) September 29, 2016 … always “per sources”. Couldn’t resist. Too easy. He should start his on line of tacky bowties and call them Per Sources. He should start his on own line of tacky bowties… Of course, online bowties might be a real business niche. “Bowties already tied and delivered to your door in just 2 days with Per Sources Prime!” Did y’all vote for the Braves All-Turner Field team? I did. The results were announced yesterday. There were some obvious one and some surprises. C – Javy Lopez 1B – Freddie Freeman 2B – Marcus Giles 3B – Chipper Jones SS – Rafael Furcal LF – Ryan Klesko CF – Andruw Jones RF – Brian Jordan Utility Player – Martin Prado Starting Pitchers – Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, John Smoltz, Tim Hudson, Julio Teheran Relief Pitcher – Craig Kimbrel There was some chatter that they would let Bobby make out a “lineup card” with these guys on it and “present it” to the home plate ump prior to the #6 countdown game Tuesday. What a great charity opportunity it would be to auction that bad boy off, huh? Alas it didn’t happen. So how would you line these guys up? I would go like this: 1- Furcal, SS (S) 2- Chipper, 3B (S) 3- Freddie, 1B (L) 4- Andruw, CF (R) 5- Klesko, LF (L) 6- BJ, RF (R) 7- Javy, C (R) 8- Marcus, 2B (R) That’s a tough call. Has there ever been a better #3 hitter in ATL besides Chipper? But I want both he and Freddie to get those 1st inning AB’s, and I want Andruw as my cleanup hitter. No question. The 1999 Braves had alot of those guys on it: Chipper, Andruw, Javy, Klesko, BJ, Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz were all on that roster. Furcal would come on in 2000. Marcus didn’t arrive until 2001. For the record, I voted for Uggla over Marcus and BMac over Javy (which was a tough choice). I think the others were pretty much all my choices. I just ran across a piece by Alan Carpenter over at Tomahawk Take where he suggests the Braves could offer a diminished “rehab and re-prove yourself” contract to Ramos (something like 1 or 2 years at $8M per), while retaining Recker as Flowers’ backup for another season. That’s an interesting take, but I can’t see it. All indications are the the team is ready to put a winning lineup on the field in 2017. The time for waiting and being patient is over. Other players have come back from ACL surgery in 6-8 months, but not necessarily to catch. I gotta think that’s going to take longer, so you just about have to give him at least a 2 year deal, right? And even then you can’t expect much in 2017. Nah. Can’t see it. Those $$ will go in a direction that will make an impact in 2017. As they should. V.I think we’re pretty much in agreement on WAR it’s an absolute joke. A few weeks back I just didn’t have the time when I was thinking about it but I was going to write a very long Savannah guy Length to post on what a joke WAR was. What I was going to use his example is about 2 weeks ago Matt Kemp had at least 30 home runs in about 95 RBIs and he wasn’t even in the top 100 players there were guys with seven home runs and 33 RBIs that were considered better players than him good guys that can hit 7 home runs and drive in 33 RBIs are a dime a dozen and a funny thing happened between the Braves got him everything started to fire on all cylinders but as we know baseball experts talk about an oxymoron will use any sort of excuse to explain away why the Braves are better except Matt Kemp because his War sucks so therefore he must suck With Garcia it’s sort of like Tyler Flowers is this year an aberration? Or have they really turned a corner? I heard Joe Simpson say something interesting yesterday we talked to this guy that said he had to completely rewrite everything he had about Garcia you had him as a guy that had for mechanics for body type little rain wasn’t very good hearing got to just throw his old scouting report away I think we’re going to find some day Terry Pendleton made a monstrous difference in his ability to bring his talents to the Forefront have you ever change so completely on both sides of the baseball like he did this year? I’m doing this by phone so it’ll be a few were there is but I kind of like writing a post in 3 or 4 minutes instead of 15 20 minutes Agree, Ramos would be a bad investment. Isn’t Travis d’Arnaud availble? I would thing the Braves would like to have a lefty to platoon with Flowers however. Ruiz is the current heir apparent at third but you are right Ber about how much TP has helped Adonis. Of course the Braves might just be showcasing Ruiz. Who do the Pads have available who can play third? I look for AJ Ellis to be released by Philly. I voted for Javy but I want the juiced Javy… 🙂 Brian Jordan over Sheffield? Naw… I like this lineup. Hope to see some of this game tonight. Brian Jordan over Sheffield? Now that you mention it… I think I voted for Shef. Can’t remember. Another righty… and not as much with the bat as Flowers. Heckuva clubhouse guy, though. Travis d’Arnaud would be a decent pickup…. probably a “change of scenery” guy. But he’s just 1st time arb eligible this year, and under the Mets control through 2020. It’d take a trade to get him. You wanna deal with the Mets? I don’t. That is unless they’ll take Chaz Roe and Joel de le Cruz for him… 😉 Interesting quote today from Wilson Ramos, courtesy of MASNsports.com’s Byron Kerr (via an interpreter): “Unfortunately, this injury happened so close to the end and it may affect whether I’m able to stay with a National League team or not, but if it’s up to me, I definitely would like to keep playing for the Nationals and play as long as I can.” He’s obviously alluding to the fact that while he can probably hit and run next season, crouching is another thing… as we discussed earlier today. And another point that can’t be dismissed. This is his 2nd right ACL tear. We keep talking about the Braves “going after a catcher”, but with all of the teams looking for catching help, it’ll be a rocky road no matter who we are looking at. For the Braves, we need starting pitching more than anything, and a couple of arms at that. A team such as the Nats… the only real thing they need now is a catcher. They’ll make that the top priority and make a hard run right out of the gate on the top guys. I can’t see Coppy being that aggressive. Although alot of national guys (not that I think they know everything) believe Wieters will sign with the Braves early. I just can’t believe that, though. Not with Scott Boras as his agent and with Ramos’ injury changing the catching market so dramatically. I think they’ll wait on through the Winter Meetings when they can get in front of alot of teams and allow them to all bid against each other. The Os are hanging tough for the second wildcard spot which is going to be tough having to play in Toronto. Of course the Jays have not yet clinched the spot. I’m sure there are three AL teams rooting for the Braves this weekend against Detroit. Come to think of it, this weekend will be a good yardstick for the Braves to see how they really stack up against a good team. The Braves end of season schedule has not been near as tough as the first six weeks of the season. Yep, Mallex in center and Ruiz at third. Maybe not next seasons starters but likely 2018’s opening day’s roster. Then again, Mallex would take Markakis’ spot, not Enders’. If Kemp can lose 20 pounds in the off season, I would like to see him in right field. Otherwise, he can play a decent left field. He and Mallex have both made some highlight reel catches in left this week. The guys in the booth said that Snit was going to let Mallex play three games against the Phils and let one of the outfield regulars sit. It’s Ender’s turn tonight. I think Daniel Castro has raise his stock this week as well. Smooth in the field and clutch with the stick. Don’t be surprised to see him on the 25 man roster next season. Not a lot of power but there are other guys who can fill that roll on the team. A word about Dansby… Walt Weiss with power…. I knew he reminded me of someone… yep, Charlie Liebrandt clone… or maybe the reincarnation of Jamie Moyer as a right hander. Amazing how a pitcher throwing an 80mph fastball can mess with a hitter’s timing. Almost like a person missing the bottom step. Pretty sure he will be in camp this spring. Takes a bit of pressure off Coppy and Company to go big on a free agent but then again, allows for a little maneuvering too. Note to the Braves… Stay away from Strausberg… Please… What the Braves need is a solid innings eater like Javier Lopez a few years back. Even a return of a guy like Ervin Santana would be huge. The next three games against Detroit will give the Braves a good measuring stick on how they stand. They will be facing some good pitching. It will be tough to score 5 runs and that could be a telling point. Oh by the way, wasn’t that dinger by Dansby dandy? Nice play by Jace Petterson at second in the fifth inning too which saved a run. Kind of sad to see the season come to a close now that the Braves are playing well. That is such a turn around from what we have come to expect from a Braves team the past 10 years. Always starter strong a faded in August and September. Amazing how a pitcher throwing an 80mph fastball can mess with a hitter’s timing. Especially following Folty in the rotation… No worries. Strasburg is the Nats’ burden through 2013. Kind of sad to see the season come to a close now that the Braves are playing well. One thing that is consistent with a “breakout” team is how they finished the previous one. A graphic on last night’s game showed that they Braves were “3 games back” of the Mets for the 2nd half. If we can improve the rotation we’ll close that gap a little. I believe that is the key to at least competing next year. We all scratched our heads and wondered where the offense would come from in 2017, but somehow it has already come together. Add in a couple of solid mid-tier starters and you have something to talk about. Add in a top starter and an innings eater (to help out the pen) and you really have something. Speaking of available mid-tier starters, too bad for Hellickson last night. Never good timing for an injury, but that is almost as bad as it gets. Not Ramos-ian bad, but bad nonethelesss. Wonder how many $$ dropped off his earning potential as he enters into FA? He was arguably in the top 3 starters available. Now he has question marks. Yowser. Hey Coppy… Ivan Nova is represented by The Legacy Agency. I’m sure you have them in your speed dial, but I’m happy to find a contact number if you want me to… Hellickson tweaked his knee running the bases. Not serious. He said he enjoyed his time with the Phillies, but would like a multi-year deal. — Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) September 30, 2016 For the record, Hellickson finished the season with a 3.71 ERA and 189 IP. In a pair of tweets by PIT’s scribe, Ivan Nova is quoted yesterday as saying “I don’t want to leave this clubhouse, to be honest. But it’s not up to me.” He said comfort will play a role in decision. I bet the new SunTrust Park clubhouse will be really comfortable. 😉 I bet the new SunTrust Park clubhouse will be really comfortable.😉 Yep, either guy would be solid and expensive… I am sure player around the major leagues have taken notice of what is happening in Atlanta too. Everyone wants to be a part of a winner. Funny how one player can be a game changer but Matt Kemp has been that guy. Heck, I remember the month Troy Glauss had which pushed the Braves over the top one season. It was only for one month but it was significant. I think Freddie will cut down on his strikeouts next season. If only because he realizes he does not have to be the guy… Matt Kemp, 34 HR’s 107 RBI’s…do we really want him to slim down? 😉 Funny, when he was in full on beast mode, he kept getting hurt….. Funny, I too have been feeling like the season is ending at exactly the wrong time…. Go point Ber on Kemp. Perhaps we put too much stock into “shape”… Still, twenty pounds of fat can mean the difference in playing right field vs left. That said, the Braves have not really had a decent left fielder (one who can hit) since Kesko was traded. Even so, Kemp has made some pretty decent fielding plays since coming to the big A. Just doesn’t need a big A to slow him down. I don’t feel the Braves need to sweep the Tigers to validate themselve this past month but 2 out of 3 would do it for me. 162 games and it comes down to the last three games for those teams vying for the final wildcard berths. My advice, celebrate while you can guys, someone is going home a “loser” after each series. #Braves now have better record than Tampa Bay and Arizona, in addition to Minnesota. ATL is a half-game behind Cincy. As usual, the ol’ B&S is ahead of the curve. I believe we discussed this last week. And just 1 out of 3 and the Braves front office is out from under a self made cloud, too. They promised us after the 2015 disaster that 2016 would not be as bad. Well, it appeared for most of the year that it was a foregone conclusion that 2016 would be worse. But if the Braves win just 1 from the Tiggers, we’ll match last season’s win total of 67 with only only 94 losses, 1 less than 2015. 🙂 Hey, one out of three would help the Braves meet a goal but I think everyone outside of the Tigers would feel let down. I would anyway. Just would be a bit of a downer. Of the teams left in the AL wildcard, I think Seattle is in the worst spot followed by the Tigers. No matter, it is going to be tough on the wildcard team to advance. Most of their front line pitching will have been used. With all the added games for the post season, I think it is time for baseball to shorten the regular season so the World Series is over in October. I know, team owners want to squeeze every nickle they can out of a season but fans reach a point of fatigue and want to move on to the next sport. There is just too much overlap. And this year the World Classic rears its ugly head. I know some guys will be worn out before they can get started. Then again, maybe the Braves can find a catcher… Wow. Stunning photo! http://www.cbssports.com/golf/news/look-rainbow-appears-over-country-club-after-arnold-palmers-ashes-are-spread/ So many of our Braves are on record lobbying for Snit to be given the full time job… Freddie, Jace, Ender, and more. Given the strong finish to this season, and going into the final series a The Ted and all that this weekend represents as far as being a springboard into the next era, I think the front office should remove the interim label tonight, and let this team go through this last weekend of the “past” with their leadership intact and manning the helm as they forge into the future. I fully agree, Raisins. They need to have some feeling of continuity that would with a familiar boss, as they move into a new stadium. Another manager at this point would definitely be detrimental, IMHO. I guess I’m saying the same thing you did above. Besides, Snit has earned it! I hope the upper echelon realizes all this. Saturday, October 1 : The Final Thank You 20140408_mets_pmd-0310-(3) Series presented by Gas South. The first 20,000 fans will enjoy a surprise gate giveaway and fan appreciation prizes will be distributed randomly throughout the game Free Scouts Alley games throughout the game Free entry into the Braves Museum 10% merchandise discount in the Braves Outlet Store located at aisle 230 Commemorative Turner Field poster presented by Gas South and SunTrust for all fans through the gates All gates open at 4 p.m. (3 hours early) Sat, Oct 1 @ 7:10 PM EDT Sunday, October 2 : The Final Game The-Final-Game Enter the gates of Turner Field for the last time and take your seat for the historic, final Braves game at Turner Field! Braves alumni will take the field in a special ceremony before the game to celebrate the last two decades of players at Turner Field and throw a ceremonial first pitch. Commemorative final game ticket in a WellStar lanyard for all fans through the gates. Free entry into the Braves Museum throughout the game Commemorative Turner Field poster presented by Gas South and SunTrust for all fans through the gates. Postgame: The Braves will close out Turner Field with a postgame ceremony that includes a ceremonial final pitch, the transfer of home plate to SunTrust Park, a Parade of Braves Country states, and a presentation featuring Braves VIPs. All gates open at 12 p.m. (3 hours early) Hey CL, MLB has the Braves game free tonight on line. Here is a link. http://m.mlb.com/tv/e14-449256-2016-09-30/v1181340283?clickOrigin=MSB&team=mlb Thanks, Gil!! They said there would be a special guest to remove the last number. I think it should be Ted Turner. Likely Jimmy Carter or Hank Aaron. 337 Carolina Lady September 30, 2016 at 11:05 pm WOW! A real, live ballgame! HEY, GUYS!!!!! Check out OUR visitors counter up top! We hit a big milestone tonight! Uh-oh. Trouble in the tropics: “Hurricane Matthew is now a major hurricane as it moves across the Caribbean Sea. An expected turn to the north this weekend will bring trouble to Jamaica, Cuba and the western Greater Antilles early next week. As of 11 p.m. EDT, Matthew was located near 13.3 N, 72.3 W, or about 80 miles north-northwest of Punta Gallinas, Colombia, and 440 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica. Maximum sustained winds are 160 mph, making it a Category 5 major hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. It is moving to the west at 7 mph. Its minimum central pressure is 941 mb or 27.79 inches of mercury. A Hurricane Watch has been issued for Jamaica. A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued from the Colombia/Venezuela border to Riohacha, Colombia and a Tropical Storm Watch has been issued for the southwestern coast of Haiti from the southern border with the Dominican Republic to Port-Au-Prince. Matthew is moving across the south-central Caribbean, and will continue to move to the west for the next several days. Warm water and lower wind shear will help Matthew maintain major hurricane status for the next several days. The forecast for this system diverges significantly early next week, with an expected turn to the north-northwest over the weekend. This could send this system close to Jamaica, western Haiti and eastern Cuba on Monday and early Tuesday and then eventually into the Bahamas Wednesday. However, the uncertainty surrounding the forecast track and strength will mean that all of the Greater Antilles, Florida, the Gulf Coast and Atlantic Seaboard should keep an eye on this system’s development.” Um, I’m thinking it might be a good time to go visit Nashville. Or Memphis, maybe. 339 Gil in Mechanicsville October 1, 2016 at 9:09 am I predict it will travel up the Gulf Stream. Young Matt Wisler was tagged early and often. It was over pretty early. Oh well, not a huge surprise was it? And it looks like Cuba is in for some more redevelopment… 342 Gil in Mechanicsville October 1, 2016 at 10:22 am With Aaron Blair scheduled to take the ball tonight against the Tigers, I am reminded of how shallow the Braves’ current roster is when it comes to starting pitchers. If Blair comes to the game with hos deer in the headlights look, the Bravos are doomed to defeat. However, if he can muster some brass, he can grow by leaps and bounds. hey, the Tigers are a legitimate top tier ballclub. No cheap wins against a very powerful offense with few holes to exploit. It will be a stress filled outing for the young righthander. Zimmermann is a tough cookie but he is beatable. Yes Vee, upon reflection and after last night’s loss, coming up 1-3 in this series would be a plus. 343 berigan2electricboogaloo October 1, 2016 at 6:14 pm Yay! 100,000!!!!! I was noticing that the number was pretty high up a few weeks ago(month?) but it was going so slowly…I forgot. I am pretty sure though that I was the 100,000 visitor/hit and I am also pretty sure that there was a promise of a large cash payout to said visitor 😆 😆 😆 344 Gil in Mechanicsville October 1, 2016 at 7:14 pm Ber, it’s free pizza for everyone… 🙂 Young Aaron Blair off to a much better start tonight than Matt Wisler last night. Maybe we have a chance after all. 346 Carolina Lady October 2, 2016 at 6:34 am http://www.talkingchop.com/2016/10/1/13131384/atlanta-braves-manager-search-interviews-brian-snitker-terry-pendleton The “Porter” that is often mentioned, is that Jeff Porter, the head medical guy? Bo Porter, who was the manager of the Astros during their rebuild. He is currently coaching third base for the Braves. I hope you watched last night’s game CL. MLB is free this weekend. Wow, what a performance by Aaron Blair, who would have thunk it? And Dansby Swanson doing it with his glove and his bat… A lot to like in this group, including playing with a passion, something we have not seen in a long time in Atlanta. 349 berigan2electricboogaloo October 2, 2016 at 12:53 pm I didn’t get a chance to say it last night, but was that a game, or was that a game???? 🙂 Clearly the best game the braves played all year, and for Blair to show up and really pitch…shame he won’t get another start , shame the braves season is ending today…. I do feel a bit sorry for Detroit, they really look like a good team, a playoff team….but after the braves did little against Detroit Friday in front of a huge crowd, it was great to see them play so hard against the Tigers…they played like a team in the playoff hunt…they are having fun…. I would have just assumed Snit was the guy, clearly he has a less than perfect team playing above and beyond what could be expected….and yet….from CL’s link…. Mark Bowman @mlbbowman The Braves interviewed their four internal mgr. candidates – Snit, Pendleton, Perez and Porter. Pendleton was said to be very impressive 9:11 AM – 1 Oct 2016 Ok, why say this??? Especially before the season is even over? Look I like TP, think he should have been given a chance to manage at this point…but, IF they were going to give him the job, give him the job for this year (After FG was fired) instead of Snit , with a 2017 contract…that way, if he showed to be a terrible manager, they could have looked for someone after this season… Snit through everything off, I don’t think “They” expected him to do as well as he has…team was supposed to look like the team before the all star break, the worst team in baseball….When everyone started to hit, then Kemp came over…they really got on a roll… How many minority managers are there? A faceless corporation owns the team, but I bet MLB can put real pressure on teams (especially one’s that aren’t owned by one man) to hire more minorities…. Tell me again what Snit hasn’t done with this team? Has he managed to put competitive team, a team that doesn’t quit, on the field , without any real starters (consistent ) save Julio and Folty (when healty) And if any vet pitched well in a few starts, he was traded….how about the way he uses the bullpen? Masterful job last night….how exactly is TP going to be better than Snit has been? Does TP buy into VORP and fWAR more than Snit? Or is he just what MLB wants? I hope, I am really reading too much into one tweet….perhaps they are just making it sound like he is a serious candidate when Snit is the guy….I think for all Snit has put up with (Joe Simpson was so PO’ed when he was demoted to AAA manager after being a 3rd base coach for years) I see absolutely no reason he shouldn’t be the 2017 manager in Cobb Co. Ber, you should forward that post to Coppy… Excellent job on the pre game program! Julio strikes out the side, throwing 94-95….don’t see that often! What a great finish to a somewhat disappointing season. Julio was dealing against a very good hitting team. The Braves, reminiscent of all those great teams in the 90s, score just enough to break the Tiger’s hearts. Good signing of Jim Johnson to a two year extension. Why not? Dansby made another big time play in the eight inning to keep the Braves ahead. What a game!!! I don’t want to see the season end! The closing ceremonies, are like watching paint dry though 😉 355 Carolina Lady October 2, 2016 at 10:53 pm Gil, yes, I did watch the games! For most of them, this was the first time I’d actually been able to see them play. But it was great to watch! Some neat photos from the ceremonies and the game: 356 Vox O'Reason October 3, 2016 at 8:56 am for Blair to show up and really pitch…shame he won’t get another start , shame the braves season is ending today… And that is exactly how the Braves needed to exit this season, leaving their fans wanting more, and letting all of MLB know that this team won’t be kicked around in 2017. Signing JimmyJohn to a 2-year extension was one of the best things the team could have done as this season wrapped up. Clearly he has revived his career this season, clearly he is comfortable here, and clearly the Braves intend to have alot more save opportunities in 2017. Now they will have a core group of JJ, Vizzy and Cabrera to handle the late inning duties, not to mention Jose Ramirez, who really came around in the 2nd half, and Ian Krol who quietly had a pretty good year himself. I mean… it seems weird to say it, but what’s not to like about the group of relievers we’ll be bringing to Disney in February? I think it could be a real strength of this team going forward. Extending JJ was brilliant, though. He’s the cement that keep it all together. Johnson revitalized his career with Braves pitching coach Roger McDowell's assistance. They've formed a great working relationship — Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) October 2, 2016 Which would seem to indicate that the team, and JJ’s agent, knows Roger will continue his tenure here. That would strongly indicate to me that an outside manager is not very likely. Now here is my HSO (hot sports opinion)… The report of Terry Pendleton having such a strong showing in his interview is a favor to the long time Braves employee. I think Snit has the job, and that the Braves are going to allow TP to chase his managerial aspirations with another club, COL or MIN or [fill in the blank]. And he’s earned it. I think he’ll a very good manager. But I also believe Snit has shown he is a very good manager of this club and it should be his going forward. All indications over the last couple of weeks have been that Snit has all but won the job, and the has certainly won over the team and clubhouse. And as CL said above, finishing this season strong and keeping the continuity of leadership is going to be key to turning the corner and beginning the next era of great Braves baseball. Having Bowman report that TP made a strong impression over the team’s official website – to me – was simply a statement to the other teams in need of a manger that there is a great candidate sitting in Atlanta. Consider him for your job. Snitker remains the favorite, but the Braves may continue to evaluate options before deciding who will be their manager next year. … and Bow agrees with me. 🙂 Jim Johnson endorsed Snitker and McDowell after signing a two-year extension yesterday https://t.co/3yzYOB1pvp It is kinda falling into place, isn’t it? 2017 is shaping up to be much different than 2016 when spring training was like a cattle call to man positions for the Braves. Sure, there will still be some opportunities for players to make this team’s pitching staff and 2nd and 3rd base as well as the catching position could be shored up but all and all, the team looks to be solid. I am not sure of how long the media black out last on team news and signings. I do know the league restricts big news event until after the World Series. So, I expect a lot of rumors to be swirling about until the ink is dried upon the paper in relation to what is in store for the Braves roster. The biggest news will be about Boston and Chicago as the fend off their challengers. Other small points of housecleaning as we wrap this season… Dansby Swanson finished the season with 129 official AB’s, which means he retains his rookie status for 2017 and will be eligible for ROY. Had he had just 2 more AB’s (131) he would not. That’s pretty close in the last game of the season, don’tcha think? One has to think that Viz, his late season arm woes notwithstanding, will come up in trade discussions over the winter. Certainly he won’t have the same value that he may have had when he was rolling in the first half, but he will still have value. And with JJ back for 2 more years, he’s somewhat expendable for the right return… or as part of a larger deal for a starter. How about the way Blair finished his season, eh? Showed me a couple of things. First, he’s coachable, because Roger completely reworked his windup and delivery. Not only did it add some movement to his fastball, it allowed him to locate it better. And apparently it has added some spice to his breaking ball too. That pitch was almost unhittable Saturday. And against a very good hitting team, too. Josh Collmenter… I don’t know what to say. Is it Roger? Is it a new environment? Who knows? But he won 2 of his 3 starts, gave us 19 innings in them, and pitched to a 2.37 ERA. He has earned as much of a claim on a rotation spot in 2017 as Wisler or Blair. I want to see which Wisler comes to Disney in spring. The one who thinks too much, or the one who trusts his pitches and simply throws what his catcher puts down. When he nibbles, he gets knocked. When he pitches, he looks good. I hope he has time to reflect and understand the time for kid gloves is done. Coppy wants to bring in 2 starting pitchers for 2017. That’s great. But I hope it isn’t 2 middling pitchers. If we can’t afford 2 top guys, I’d rather see one top guy, and another veteran to compete with the rest of the crew. Just don’t shortchange us with 2 more #3’s or #4’s. We have alot of those already. Julio has proven himself to be a #1 or #2, and Folty has shown he has the potential. Add a real bona fide #1 or #2 and we have something to build on. One can certainly understand TP’s desire to finally manage a club of his own. he has paid his dues but one cold say the same of Snit. All those bus rides in the minors, who could blame him? What one fears is for the Peter Principle to rear its ugly presence. I think VOX hit on it when he opined that the Atlanta Brass did not really expect the team to respond so well to the direction of Snitker. He was to be the sacrificial lamb who could be easily dismissed at the end of the 2016 season. Fooled em he didn’t he? The thing which worries me about Collmenter is how much the smaller ballpark will effect him? Flyball pitchers don’t generally do well when the fences are moved it. Josh and Williams Perez are both soft tossing, pitch to contact guys. There is room for only one on the roster if you ask me. I don’t think there will be two top tier guys available this winter. So, let’s set our sights on wrapping up one front line starter. I fear when too much money is put into one basket. It is just too big a risk. 365 Vox O'Reason October 3, 2016 at 10:05 am Final draft order: Twins (59-103) Reds (68-94) Rays (68-94) Braves (68-93) They did what seemed impossible even just 1 month ago. They leapfrogged 4 teams back to 5th. Cancelling that 1 game last week potentially made the difference between picking #2 an #5. Of course, had we won it – a distinct possibility – we’d still be #5. We’ll never know. For me, I’m not disappointed one bit. Heck, even the #1 pick is still a dice roll. Yep. And Williams Perez filled an empty spot when he needed to. I’m glad he did. But he isn’t a ML caliber starting pitcher. Maybe a long reliever. Maybe. I think spring training as well as off season trade will cull the herd a bit. While the adage is you never have enough pitching, the real truth is you never have enough good pitching… I noticed that Nationals’ pitcher Gio Gonzalez is a free agent this winter. I have no proof other than my lying eyes but me thinks the PEDs being sent to his dad somehow made it to Gio too. He has not been the pitcher he was prior to the Miami clinic being shut down. Just saying… A lot of guys will be looking to score the big final contracts. It’s the out years which are so risky when it come to long term contracts. While Jeff Kemp might be a bit overpaid, one has to believe the braves don’t mind a bit when you consider the albatross they were saddled with in Olivera before he was sent packing back to from where ever he came. One has to wonder if the Braves will be tempted to trade Markakis this winter or will try to ride him for one more season before trading him with only one season left on his contract. As it stands, he seems the perfect guy to back up Kemp in the line up. The one thing Adonis has going for him is his cost. While not a top tier 3rd baseman, he allows for the Braves to spend money in other areas of need. The thing which worries me about Collmenter is how much the smaller ballpark will effect him? I think it could play a little better to hitters, but not dramatically. Given the changes to wall height as well as distance, it should play kind of similar. I think Coppy answered a Twitter question recently saying it might favor hitters a little more, but I suppose it all remains to be seen. I do know that they employed a group of engineers to study wind patterns from a nearby USAF base and used that data to help determine wall heights to keep it “fair”. Per AJC: At SunTrust Park, batters won’t have to hit the ball as far to right-center field for a home run as they do at Turner Field. But they will have to hit it higher. A key difference will be the outfield wall, which is a consistent eight feet, four inches high all the way around at Turner Field but will be lower and higher at SunTrust Park. The SunTrust Park wall is to be only six feet high at the left-field foul pole; eight feet, eight inches high in left-center and center field; and 16 feet high in right field, including at the right-field foul pole. The right-field wall — almost twice as high as at Turner Field — will be balanced by a shorter distance from home plate. At Turner Field, the right-center power-alley fence is 390 feet from the plate. At SunTrust Park, it will be 375 feet away. Other planned outfield dimensions include 335 feet down the left-field line (same as Turner Field), 385 feet to left-center field (compared with 380 feet at Turner), 400 feet to straight-away center field (same as at Turner) and 325 feet down the right-field line (compared with 330 at Turner). At its deepest points, immediately to the left and right of straight-away center field, the SunTrust Park wall will be 402 feet from the plate. So it sounds to me that it will be pretty similar, but there will be a section of right-CF that will play shorter. I kinda like that. I also found an AJC story where braves exec VP Derek Schiller said the angles and varying heights of the SunTrust Park wall were designed to give the outfield “character and personality and uniqueness,” He went on to say, “It’s something that quite frankly we lacked at Turner Field.” As I told my wife yesterday when we were talking about closing a park that’s only 20 years old, it was a “good” park, but not a “great” park. It certainly wasn’t ATT Park (SF) or PNC Park (PIT) or Camden Yard (BAL). It ranked 24th a recent poll of all 30 MLB parks in “how fun they are to visit”. But it served its purpose. To me, Turner Field lacked personality. I think that is something the men in suits made a #1 priority in SunTrust. I can’t wait. The Braves open their new home on April 14. Might make a good countdown counter… wink wink. Camden Yard (BAL) A shame it is wasted by locating it in Baltimore… Beautiful ballpark. National’s park is typical of a facility built in Washington. Glitzy but with little imagination. I guess Bud Selig can look at yesterday and thumb his nose at all of us who didn’t like the 2nd Wild Card addition. 3 of the 4 WC teams were determined in game 162. I suppose it’s hard to complain about that. Congrats to those who made the dance… NL East champs: Washington Nationals NL Central champs: Chicago Cubs NL West champs: LA Dodgers NL Wild Cards: NY Mets and SF Giants AL East champs: Boston Red Sox AL Central champs: Cleveland Indians AL West champs: Texas Rangers AL Wild Cards: Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays Note that the AL East gave us 3 of the Junior Circuit’s 6 playoff teams. Pretty stout. Of course, one will get knocked out immediately in the play-in game. Turner Field was a ballpark that fell short of what it could have been. Bad parking and little to do around the park and located in a section of town which was less than inviting. Josie has already said we will likely make at least one trip to the new stadium next season. It seems a place to be safer and with something occupy the hours not filled with baseball. I’m sure there are lots of things to do in Atlanta but from what I understand, Underground Atlanta is not a place where one spends a lot of time any more without a bodyguard. I expected more from Walt Weiss. Courtesy of ABCsports.com: Colorado Rockies second baseman DJ LeMahieu won the National League batting title with a .348 average after sitting out both Saturday and Sunday against the Milwaukee Brewers. LeMahieu also sat out Wednesday and Thursday at San Francisco. He went 0-for-2 on Friday in the Rockies’ 4-1 win over the Brewers and left the game in the fourth inning with a .348 average, one point better than that of Washington Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy, who has been sidelined with a strained buttocks. Strained buttocks and sitting on your buttocks are 2 very different things. While the series against MIL had nothing to do with the final standings, the 2 games against SF (1 being a loss) had everything to do with it as the Giants snuck into the WC with a win in game 162. I’m thankful Snit & Co. cared about the integrity of the game and played all his regulars against playoff hopefuls, including putting Dansby’s 2017 rookie status in jeopardy as he was in the lineup for the entirety of the DET series. His glovework and bat contributed to both of ATL’s wins, too. One would think Walt Weiss would have the same respect for the game. Okay, time to get up and try to do something constructive outside today. Will catch up later. 375 Vox O'Reason October 3, 2016 at 2:06 pm Per Bowman today: The Braves will interview Ron Washington and Bud Black this week. Snit says he understands why the Braves will continue to evaluate external options. Hart acknowledged it would be hard to hire TP, Eddie or Porter given what Snit did as the manager over the past couple months. Per DO’B today: Braves are interviewing Bud Black today, will interview Ron Washington later in week. Braves made it clear won’t hire 1st-time manager after job Snitker already did. (I can’t see them hiring someone on staff for same reason) Players agree [on keeping Snit] and that’ll weigh into decision. If someone just blows them away in interview, maybe the’ll consider. Otherwise, Snit’s job. More manager stuff… Walt Weiss is out in COL. Robin Ventura was already out over the weekend in CHW. Nothing new on the roster needs front. Coppy still says he'd like to get 2 starting pitchers and a catcher to work w/ Flowers. Actually, there is a little bit there is you read between the lines. Now he wants a catcher to “work with” TFlow, not replace him. That would seem to hint that Wieters won’t be on their “to do” list. Given TFlow’s offensive production this year, it’s hard to argue. There really isn’t an obvious candidate with better numbers as a hitter. Gotta work on those base stealers though. (I know and agree… the pitchers are partially to blame. And I think that should improve. But his release time is still too slow.) Also, it looks like HOU will work very hard to keep Jason Castro an Astro. Perhaps TFlow’s old southside Chicago buddy Alex Avila is a candidate. Numbers aren’t gonna wow anybody, but a strong receiver. For what it’s worth, he carries a higher WAR (1.0) than TFlow (0.3), and even higher than Brian McCann (0.9). if you put any stock in that particular stat, TFlow ranks 48th. Interestingly, Recker ranks 33 with 0.6. I just have a hard time with that stat. How has Recker been worth more wins to the Braves than Flowers? I cant see that he has. Tell ya what, though. Looking at all the catcher stats from 2016, and looking at whom should be available, I’d just as soon re-sign Recker. Higher OBP and higher OPS than Avila. #Braves no longer looking for a starting 3B, after Adonis Garcia improvement during season — David O'Brien (@DOBrienAJC) October 3, 2016 Seems a no brainer. Similar to TFlow in that there isn’t a clear improvement now that Prado is no longer available. Turner is, but would cost too much to the Braves given their need at starting pitcher. Also, given that behind Adonis you have Rio, Jace and possibly d’Arnaud, the bridge to future starter Austin Riley is satisfactorily in place. More from a plethora of DO’B tweets: I’d be surprised if Braves Snitker doesn’t get the job, and probably within a week. Just a feeling. Braves have starting pitching as top priority, at least 2 and possibly 3 added, Coppy said. Still looking for catcher to pair with Flowers But Coppy said Braves would be content with Flowers and Recker if can’t get another catcher they like. "I'm gonna be here, I'm gonna work, whether I'm the manager or not. I will be a part of this in some capacity. I'm not going anywhere."-Snit — Ben Ingram (@IngramRadio) October 3, 2016 Braves lifer. Prediction, Snit will get the job in Atlanta, TP will get one of the vacancies coming open after the firings. Eddie Perez will take over as the bench coach. Working on a new lead, hopefully the Chief can edit it before the big wind blows in for Mathews which appears to be taking aim at Wilmington… So, the Braves will be seeking two good arms. Ahem, call Tampa… So, who else can Coppy fleece? Alan Carpenter, Tomahawk Take: This club just mowed down four playoff teams (oops: two of them aren’t playoff teams… mostly thanks to Atlanta) over the last two weeks when they each needed to win some games for their own purposes. That was just remarkable. I am grinning in agreement. In what started as a lost season, it became amazingly meaningful in August and September. It actually became a fun ride. This club just mowed down four playoff teams (oops: two of them aren’t playoff teams… mostly thanks to Atlanta) over the last two weeks when they each needed to win some games for their own purposes. That was just remarkable. I'm told Dave Stewart has been fired as Dbacks GM. — Nick Piecoro (@nickpiecoro) October 3, 2016 And likely out of ever being a GM again. Horrible job. Worse than Frank Wren. Glad he was on the job for the Shelby Miller heist, though. Tony LaRussa is equally culpable. Good on the field (and very fortunate to have the personnel he had), but never impressed me in the front office, especially as much as he impresses himself. Very arrogant and self-important. Deserves to be fired too. OFFICIAL: The #Dbacks have parted ways with Sr. Vice President & GM Dave Stewart and Manager Chip Hale. — Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) October 3, 2016 And their manager goes too. Can LaRussa be far behind? 388 Carolina Lady October 3, 2016 at 5:11 pm Great opines, guys! It seems that the Braves surprised everybody recently. Including me! I’m just so happy to have been able to see those last games!! I fully agree with the comment above that said the Braves are just where they should be before the big move to SunTrust. Fans ARE excited and eager to see them again. Let’s hope for a great Spring Training! I’ll get the new lead done as soon as I can. Kelly & I are making sure we’re ready if Matthew does bully its way into our neighborhood. Depending on its track and cat rating will determine if we can stay or have to get out of Dodge. If everything is clean beforehand, it makes cleanup afterward that much easier, especially getting the grass cut. Makes for easier raking. I guess the only real positive to having a hurricane blow over your trees is it takes care of your leaf problem all at once… In today’s age of specialization, front office types are groomed to be front office types, hard to make that transition from the field. Also more teams have devoted resources to scouting talent and evaluating said talent. Computers make things instantly available but you still have to have some grunt in a back room compiling said data and inputting it into the system. Garbage in, garbage out as they say. Today, being a GM and making trades is like counting cards at the blackjack tables, being able to do so does not guarantee success but it improves your chances. Sid Thrift said the secret to being successful as a baseball GM was having the ability to spot talent long before anyone else has the chance. Wren’s depletion of our best scouts is also showing. Makes one consider a contract hit –or maybe not….. Wren’s depletion of our best scouts is also showing. So much a part of the story that was told but forgotten. The top ones left en mass, many going to WAS…. and look at how that has paid off for the Nats. And after Wren was deposed, many of those same top scouts returned. All one has to do is look at the Braves’ drafts from this year and last to know that we have the backbone of our system back where it should be. I would never suppose to compare an untested teenager to a HOF pitcher, but that group that finished at Rome this year… Kolby Allard and Mike Soroka (drafted), and Max Fried and Touki Toussant (via trade) are ridiculously talented. Then behind them you have the group just drafted in Ian Anderson, Joey Wentz, Kyle Muller and Bryce Wilson that completely dominated hitters in the short GCL schedule. All those kids were acquired because we had top notch scouts doing their job. And the highlight is Ian Anderson, a kid that most panned as being a reach and only being drafted at #3 to save money, but ended up being the best pitcher taken in Round 1 after the Rookie Leagues all wrapped up. Yes, CL… you cannot undervalue the importance of having the best scouts. And then you have the Padres, who have drafted a ton of talent only to trade it away. The Montreal of the West… Catching up on overnights… Looks like the Braves were impressed with Bud Black and do like him, but Bowman feels that Snit is still the leading candidate in what is currently a “two horse race”. They do have an interview scheduled later this week with former TEX manager Ron Washington (whom I liked when he was there, BTW). I get the impression from the things I’ve read from both Bow and DO’B that Black or Washington would have to really blow the interview out of the water to move past Snit. I don’t think Black has done that in his opportunity. DO’B thinks the team will announce the manager by Friday. Not to mention that both Washington and Black both have their baggage. One of the biggest mistakes people make I fear is being overly impressed by a pedigree. Sure, Snit does not have the name recognition of either of these two applicants but he has a proven record of being a solid leader. Now, if the Braves had continued on their downward spiral, I would be among the loudest participants in the mob calling for a new leader but when what appears to be a groundswell of support from his players and a willingness to run through walls by said players, I think the Braves would be foolish to simply make a change for name recognition alone. Not to worry about Washington and Black, there are other jobs available. It’s why I think Terry Pendleton’s days in Atlanta are numbered. Not that TP is unhappy in the big A, just that he probably feels his time has come to move on to greener pastures. Of course that did not really work out so well for Leo Mazzone did it? 395 Vox O'Reason October 4, 2016 at 12:00 pm I think Terry Pendleton’s days in Atlanta are numbered. I agree, only in that I think he may get his shot at a head job this year… maybe in COL? I could see that happening. From what David O’Bowman reported yesterday, the Braves seem set to hire back all of their field coaches, but are waiting to settle the managerial hire before finalizing it. Plus, I would think that if a new guy did somehow get hired, he’d want some say in things. (BTW- the other 1/3rd of the three-beat-salad, Kevin McAlpin, has been absent since early last week after his father had a stroke, and then passed away a few days later. Prayers are already up to his family during this time of loss. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. – Matthew 5:4) Ken Rosensource: More on #Braves: Per sources, Ron Washington interview is tomorrow. Prez of bb ops John Hart knows him from days together with #Rangers. — Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) October 4, 2016 Don’t get me wrong Vee, I didn’t think TP would be fired, only that he would pick up a managing job somewhere. I like Ron Washington but he is a bit too much of a seat of the pants kind of guy for me. And, he does have his own baggage to deal with. I suspect if Bobby Cox had the final say in the matter, it would be Snitker, So, just what are the Braves looking for in a manager? A name? Experience? A yes man? Yeah, I got that. I was actually agreeing with you. I just didn’t do it very well. 🙂 Here’s why I think Snit has the inside track on all other candidates: he knows these players better than anyone else. He’s seen them all over the organization. He also keeps the coaching staff (with the aforementioned possible exception of TP) intact, and I think that’s of utmost importance when you’re speaking of Roger McDowell. The job he continues to do is almost as good as his predecessor, and that’s saying alot. One only needs to look at the way Aaron Blair and Josh Collmenter finished out their 2016 campaigns to see how Roger can have an immediate effect on a pitcher. And I believe he is critical to the further development of Folty, Wisler, Blair and may of the other youngsters… youngsters of which Snit is very much aware and knowledgeable. I’m not sure how any outsider can really compete with that… Just had a thought… if TP were to exit to find greener playing surfaces elsewhere, who might become the new bench coach? I wonder if AJP might be a candidate? Hmmm… So is it too early for me to have this set on my Bookmarks Bar? http://www.espn.com/mlb/team/schedule/_/name/atl/year/2017 Well, at least the Braves won’t have to play the Nationals 12 times in the first two weeks but they will face the Mets a lot. Plus the begin the season with a 9 game road trip. At least the Mets will not yet be at full strength from the get go, all those young studs will still be looking to recover from arm injuries. I guess Josie and I will go down to the camper tomorrow to bring home what we can and put things as high as we can to prevent them from being damaged by Mathew. It is always a crap shoot when it come to hurricanes but it’s the price you pay for being on the water. What is worse than the highway coming thru your house, having it come within 15 feet and you have to live with the traffic… Hurricanes are like that. All that water…. I guess I better check the scuppers.. 🙂 Gil’s new post is up!! Leave a Reply to berigan2electricboogaloo Cancel reply	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1214
__label__cc	0.711809	0.288191	« #159: Arizona Farm League Prospects: Update Part II 161:Countdown to Spring » #160: Comers and Goers Published December 11, 2016 Atlanta Braves , Baseball , Baseball Fans , baseball photos , Braves , Braves & Stuff , Braves Pitching , National League , Sports 284 Comments Gil ‘N Mechanicsville The 2016 Winter meetings have come to a close and the big trades appear to be Chris Sale to the Red Sox and Adam Eaton to the Nationals. Chapman signing with the Yankees and Andrew McCutchen staying in Pittsburg, at least for now. Other moves have taken place too but I will talk about those later, the main thrust of our interest is still the Braves. So, let’s focus on them. Bartolo Colon The Braves had previously signed two free agent pitchers to one year deals. R.A. Dickey and Bartolo Colon. Both are bonafide members of the Geritol set and with the addition of Jamie Garcia, the Bravos have exponentially increase the age and experience in their starting rotation. Dickey, late of the Toronto Blue Jays signed a one year contract with a one year option for 2018. The knuckleballer should still be able to supply innings and the hope is he won’t wear out Tyler Flowers behind the plate. I am reminded of the line attributed to our old favorite Bob Uecker. When he was asked about how he caught Phil Niekro’s knuckleball he replied, “It’s simple, I just wait for it to stop rolling and pick it up.” Robert Allen Dickey Dickey is 41 years old but it is not like he has to rely upon a 96 mph fastball to get guys out. His bread and butter has always been his ability to make a baseball do things a baseball is not want to do. Now, a knuckleball is not one which translate well to TV in it’s movement. It is however one where it is anyone’s guess where it will be when it gets to the plate. It is not as if a knuckleball is impossible to hit, it is just tough to hit well. As for a batter being able to time the pitch, he still has a decent fastball to keep opposing hitters honest. Don’t be surprise if a pitcher like Josh Collmenter doesn’t pick Dickey’s brain a tries to learn the pitch. It should be interesting when Dickey meets with Braves legend Phil Niekro this spring. The second off season signing of note is the ageless Bartolo Colon. Another graybeard, Colon, who has outlasted Turner Field in longevity, can still get batters out with a variety of pitches. His “fastball” tops out around 88 mph but it is everything but straight. Movement and location, the two holy grails of the craft have been mastered by a guy who for all appearances is having more fun than any reasonable person should be expected to have. The impression he gives is a guy who is truly comfortable in his ample skin. For sure, he is entertaining and he has a wealth of experience and knowledge he can pass along to the next generation of pitchers in the Braves stable. Jamie Garcia The final piece it the Braves’ new look rotation is Jamie Garcia. The lefty is another veteran. He was acquired from the St Louis Cardinals for rookies Chris Ellis, who I profiled in my previous lead. Also included in the trade package was prospect Luke Dykstra and right handed pitcher John Gant. Gant was acquired from the Mets, along with Rod Whalen for Juan Uribe and Kelly Johnson. While Gant had some value, the Braves felt his ceiling was well below much of the talent currently in the pipeline. Garcia had a bit of a down year in 2016 with the Red Birds but he did pitch over 171 innings last season. John Coppoletta was clearly looking for pitchers who could routinely pitch into the 7th inning as opposed to the 4 and 5 inning efforts put forth by several of the Braves young arms last season. The Braves revolving door should not have to swing quite so frequently in 2017. While fans should not expect the trio of new starters to log many 1 hit shutouts in 2017, they should be expected to deliver many solid quality starts. Perhaps with an improved offense, the Braves pitchers can focus on delivering innings and not worry about who is warming up in the pen and trying to be too fine in their pitches. For sure, many of the young prospects will have a wide choice of peers from whom to choose as a mentor. 284 Responses to “#160: Comers and Goers” 1 Carolina Lady December 11, 2016 at 10:49 pm Thanks a million, Gil! Apologies from the Graphics Dept! 2 Carolina Lady December 12, 2016 at 12:18 am Very interesting article!: http://m.mlb.com/cutfour/2016/12/10/210863300 Thanks CL. Fine work as always. 🙂 4 Vox O'Reason December 12, 2016 at 8:20 am Officer Varvaro is to be admired for sure. Tip o’ the cap to you, sir! Proof there is life after baseball Vee. These guys are still really young men when the retire. Age is just a number… I feel like number 2 most of the time myself… 🙂 Proof there is life after baseball And proof that not all professional athletes are knucklehead divas. Ronald Acuna's season to date has been so good, we've dubbed him "The Answer to Everything" pic.twitter.com/6Mwg0LRBEf — Melbourne Aces (@MelbourneAces) December 12, 2016 Chipper raved about Acuna last spring training. Keep an eye on this young #Braves prospect. https://t.co/UQeBWP7vZY — Kevin McAlpin (@KevinMcAlpin) December 12, 2016 For some reason, I find the statement “The Answer to Everything” to very “Hitchhiker’s Guide To the Galaxy” like.. Nothing like a little Aussie wit… Another factoid: The Aces are the team Peter Moylan pitches for. Which helps one to understand how a kid from La Guaira, Venezuela can end up 10,000 miles away down under… 11 Vox O'Reason December 12, 2016 at 11:08 am I think something to note with regard to Ronald Acuna is that while he’s only 18 (19 next week), his trajectory suggests he could see ATL in as few as 2 years, more like 3 on the safe side. Given that Ender Inciarte is a fixture in CF for the next 2-3 years, does this make Mallex Smith even more expendable? I think it does. Yes… I know that there is no such thing as a sure thing with prospects. I do know that. But you can sure count on a certain level from kids with so many tools, and Acuna is a “tools-y” player. The only thing missing now is raw power, but he’s still growing into his 6’0″/180 lb. frame. Most who see him believe he’ll develop more pop as he fills out. Wonder if we could pair Mallex and Adonis to CHW for Todd Frazier? They need a CF after dealing away Adam Eaton, and they will need a 3B after dealing Frazier to us. 😀 Yes… I know that’s wishful thinking. But it is Christmas. 13 Vox O'Reason December 12, 2016 at 12:09 pm Can you imagine the lineup with Frazier in it? We’d have 3 potential 30 HR bats for the first time since… what, 1998? (There were 4 in 1998: Gallaraga, Javy, Chipper & Andruw.) Am I overselling that? When was the last time the Braves had three 30 HR hitters? (Upon further review, it was 2003 with Javy, Sheff and Andruw.) I want this lineup: MattyK, LF (R) Todd Frazier, 3B (R) Kakes, RF (L) SRod/Jace, 2B (R/L) TFlow/Recker, C (R) 14 Gil in Mechanicsville December 12, 2016 at 12:19 pm Todd Frazier, just try not to put him in too many DP situations, or maybe so? Would be a defensive upgrade, power verse average? Hasn’t that always been the great conundrum? I am not worried about Acuna having the ability to hit for power, that is why his strike outs are up at this point. He is not a Bonifacio punch a judy hitter. He has some pop, he is not an all or nothing hitter either. It is always good to have options. Having a player like Acuna allows for you to trade a player like Mallex. No problem with flipping him for a piece we can use now. 15 Vox O'Reason December 12, 2016 at 2:28 pm Looks like both Kenley Jansen and Justin Turner are returning to LAD. Nice work keeping their 3 big FA’s in the fold. They’re shelling out alot of dough, though. Rich Hill -> 3yrs/$48M Justin Turner -> 4yrs/$64M Kenley Jansen -> 5 yrs/$80M I detect a common theme. The Fish and gNats both swung and missed at all the top closer options. Ouch! Now what will they do? The Braves have announced their minor league coaching staffs. Old friend Damon Berryhill joins the organization as AAA Gwinnett’s new manager. He was in the LAD system for the past 6 years. The staff’s are as follows: AAA Gwinnett Braves: Manager – Damon Berryhill Pitching Coach – Reid Cornelius Hitting Coach – John Moses Trainer – Ricky Alcantara AA Mississippi Braves: Manager – Luis Salazar Pitching Coach – Derrick Lewis Hitting Coach – Ivan Cruz Trainer – Kyle Damschroder A+ Florida Fire Frogs: Manager – Paul Runge Pitching Coach – Dennis Lewallyn Hitting Coach – Carlos Mendez Trainer – Dave Comeau A- Rome Braves: Manager – Randy Ingle Pitching Coach – Dan Meyer Hitting Coach – Bobby Moore Trainer – Nick Jensen Rookie Danville Braves: Manager – Nestor Perez Pitching Coach – Kanekoa Texeira Hitting Coach – Barbaro Garbey Trainer – Vic Scarpone Rookie Gulf Coast League Braves: Manager – Barrett Kleinknect Pitching Coach – Larry McCall Hitting Coach – Rick Albert Trainer – Drew Garner Braves sign lefty John Danks to minor league deal. Okay, another player on whom the Braves are taking a flyer. He has not returned to pre shoulder surgery form. Should be a fun spring training. 19 Vox O'Reason December 13, 2016 at 7:43 am Braves sign lefty John Danks to minor league deal. Smacks of Lucas Harrell last year… Hey, as long as they are just projects, they are welcome to sign any guy who has ever pitched. The Braves have made the reclamation of tired arm and shoulders into a bit of a cottage industry. The hook has been that these guys have not been really durable. The exception might be Jim Johnson but perhaps it is how they are being used by clubs who traded for them. True story: (as an example) When I was a teenager, I had a lot of cars, most were of the $50 variety. One was a 1950 Plymouth with a flathead 6 which I bought from an uncle. The one thing he told me was it was a solid car, and it was, but he warned me, it was a 55 mph car. like the Bill Cosby skit where he had one and if you went over 55 the car would say “cut it out”! Anyway, he was right, it was a great car but the old flathead would not stand up to being dogged. Old pitchers are like that, they can be pretty steady but if you push them too hard, well, you end up with another player only good for the scrap heap. Pitching coach (also known as The Miracle Worker). I guess we will find out if it was Roger or if it is a system wide philosophy. Kind of like buying a franchise, you are expected to follow a guideline pretty rigidly. Of course you could get carried away with it and become the New McDonalds, which to me is a lot like New Coke… a dud… Collier County in SW Fla. today considers $100M #Braves spring training stadium proposal https://t.co/lz7qVp8j0W — David O'Brien (@DOBrienAJC) December 13, 2016 Pitching coach (also known as The Miracle Worker). I guess we will find out if it was Roger or if it is a system wide philosophy. While the team is pretty positive about newcomer Chuck Hernandez, it’s the return of Dave Wallace and Dom Chiti to the organization that the suits are really excited about. Those guys are specifically tasked with fine tuning the top pitching prospects. The other guy that the organization is very high on is Dan Meyer, who is the pitching coach at A- Rome. He worked with that amazing young rotation last season that had 5 starting pitchers among the league’s top 15 prospects – Touki Toussaint, Max Fried, Mike Soroka, Kolby Allard, and Patrick Weigel. All of those were 1st round draft picks but Weigel, who end the season as the Organizational Pitcher of the Year. I won’t be surprised at all to see Meyer move up in the ranks over the next few years. #MLB bans ‘offensive’ rookie hazing, including dressing as women: https://t.co/0Nzto2Sego — FanRag Sports MLB (@FanRagMLB) December 13, 2016 I get it. It really is kinda dumb. But I will forever remember the 2016 Braves rookies dressed as the ladies’ team from A League of Their Own. (Mallex is particularly disturbing…) … and Recker looks like an East German Olympian. The East Germans and the Russians were “transgender” long before it was cool… or at least that’s what their testing showed. Roid rage? Yep, The Naples, FL muckety-mucks rejected the Braves Spring Training site proposal this morning by unanimous vote. Not only did they reject the proposal, the also voted to cease any further negotiations. The Braves continue to be in talks with a group in Sarasota about a new site. Personally, I think the Sarasota site would be far superior. A Naples location would have put them at the southern tip of the western FL teams, meaning they’d still have some relatively far travel to the Tampa/Clearwater area teams. Sarasota is right in the mid-point of the western FL teams. Seems a much better location to me. Here is an old Grapefruit League map. The Nats and Astros will be moving south to share a new complex in West Palm Bach, leaving the Braves fairly isolated in Disney. The only fairly close team will be the Tigers in Lakeland. So, My suggestion is for the Tigers and the Braves to look into a joint venture to move to a site as yet to be determined. Municipalities have become smarter in their old age. Building a stadium which has a pretty low return on investment at tax payers expense is a non starter in these times. So, I cannot find fault with the Naples decision. Too many cities, towns and counties have been burned by MLB. The draw is just not all that great. I am not sure what the annual income is to any ML team as far as spring training is concerned. I do know that the ticket prices for the Braves at Buena Vista is way out of line for the product you receive in return. Building a stadium which has a pretty low return on investment at tax payers expense is a non starter in these times. Courtesy of Naples Daily News: It could cost the county $101 million to build a stadium, buy the land and set up a parking lot, according the county’s feasibility study. To pay for it, the county would have to borrow the money and raise its tourist tax, from 4 percent to 5 percent, to help pay down that debt. The county estimated the stadium would pump about $25 million a year into the economy, through hotel stays, restaurants, sales tax and short-term rentals from fans who would travel here for spring training, County Manager Leo Ochs said. That number comes from reviewing economic impact studies in Lee County, which hosts the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins, and Palm Beach County, home to the St. Louis Cardinals, Miami Marlins and, next year, the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals. “We visited with the Lee County team, and we talked to Palm Beach County, along with our bond council and financial advisers, to look at these studies,” Ochs said. “They all seem to fall in around that $25 million per stadium in annual spending.” So that tells me that it is actually a pretty good economic investment. I suspect that the Naples officials rejected it more because Naples is a high cotton retirement community, and are not interested in bringing in alot of outsiders for 6 weeks every spring. Not to mention the new temporary citizens will clog up their golf courses. Those commissioners are likely more concerned with their well heeled constituency than their city’s coffers. Again, Sarasota is a better fit… both geographically and demographically. I guess Sarasota would have to add motel accommodations house the temporary visitors, It was pretty slim picking as it was when I was there and the Orioles were playing. I’m sure they will figure it out. I think the communist hellhole Venezuela explains it too….I imagine a lot of teams want to get the players (and their families) away from there as much as possible….keep hearing how there isn’t enough food there for people, keep hoping they will throw out Hugo Chavez’s replacement one of these days…. how up to date can that map be? I see no Vera Beach Dodgers…. . 😉 Ber, it’s pretty tough to throw a despot out when they control the military, the congress and the press. They also control the guns… They have learned at the knee of the masters, Castro, Stalin, Mao, just to name a few. It is an excellent example of what you can accomplish with class warfare. You dupe the masses into believing it will benefit them and when it’s too late, you leave them holding an empty bag. Vero Beach…good grief. Vera beach, vera nice beach, but I wouldn’t want to live there 😉 4 months from today, a new era of #Braves baseball begins at @SunTrustPark.#ChopOn pic.twitter.com/iuXmys6dJL how up to date can that map be? I see no Vera Beach Dodgers Vera… Vero… Glendale… The Dodgers have been training in Glendale, AZ since 2009. Just a little Berigan humor Vee… That said, the Aces have a lot up their sleeves. Wondering if Mark Hamburger might be on the Braves plate? #Braves sign OF Lane Adams to minor league deal. He's 27, hiit .266/.342/.388 w/ 44 SB (4 CS) for 4 AA/AAA Yanks & Cubs teams in '16. https://t.co/kJTOIWcuL8 Castillo gets 1-year deal, plus 2nd year player option with orioles. Castillo gets 6M in '17, option is for 7M Chances are Braves open 2017 with TFlow/Recker again. I’m not expecting much more to happen with the Braves besides little things such as today’s minor league signing. Maybe still deal for a 4th OF, but I think they could go with somebody like this Lane Adams dude or even Boni. He isn’t gonna get much time anyway aside from the occasional late inning defensive replacement or pinch running duty. If one of our starting OF’s go down with any kind of injury, Mallex will be on the roster the next day. I believe what we have now is pretty close to what we’ll lift the lid with. Since there is so little news to discuss right now, let’s do a little speculation, shall we? As it currently appears, our rotation for Opening Day 2017 looks to be as follows, with 2016 numbers: Julio Teheran: 7-10, 3.21 ERA, 188.0 IP, 167 K’s, 1.053 WHIP Bartolo Colon: 15-8, 3.43 ERA, 191.2 IP, 128 K’s, 1.210 WHIP Jaime Garcia: 10-13, 4.67 ERA, 171.2 IP, 150 K’s, 1.375 WHIP RA Dickey: 10-15, 4.46 ERA, 169.2 IP, 126 K’s, 1.367 WHIP Mikey Folty: 9-5, 4.31 ERA, 123.1 IP, 111 K’s, 1.297 WHIP Obviously these guys will jockey for “position” in spring, but if you line them up in ascending order by ERA, they’d look like this: What I like about this is the fact that they are also in ascending order by WHIP. Coincidence? I think not. If you don’t let ’em on base, they can’t score… right? I’ll look at our currently apparent 2017 lineup in a little while… Okay, while the Braves starting pitching is not stacked with front line talent, (on paper), they have a lot of depth. No Lucus Herrells this season I don’t think. Who knows how much difference a healthy outfield will make this year. Okay, not a huge number of perfect games forecast for the Bravos in 2017 but Folty and Julio certainly have that potential every time out. If the trio of new hires can pitch games without giving up more than 3 runs per outing, the Braves have a good shot at winning more than they lose this season. I am not at all certain the Braves can keep up the pace they set in September this year but when you have an offense routinely scoring 5 runs a game, you are pretty stout. OK… I’m back. This time I’ll look at what I expect to be the 2017 OD lineup… excluding the possibility that the “always open for business” Coppy doesn’t pull a fast one on us: Ender Inciarte, CF (L) .291/.351/.381, 3 HR, 29 RBI, 16 SB, 85 runs scored Dansby Swanson, SS (R) .302 /.361/.442, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 20 runs scored (in 38 G) Freddie Freeman, 1B (L) .302/.400/.569, 34 HR, 91 RBI Matt Kemp, LF (R) .268/.304/.499, 35 HR, 108 RBI Nick Markakis, RF (L) .269/.346/.397, 12 HR, 89 RBI Sean Rodriguez, 2B (R) .270/.349/.510, 18 HR, 56 RBI Adonis Garcia, 3B (R) .273/.311/.406, 14 HR, 65 RBI TFlow, C (R) .270/.357/.420, 8 HR, 41 RBI (in 83 G) *Recker, C (R) .278/.394/.433, 2 HR, 15 RBI (in 33 G) By the way, MattyK slashed .280/.336/.519 after coming over from LaLaLand. And if you extrapolate Dansby’s run production over a 162 game season, it would give him 13 HR and 73 RBI. MattyK slashed .280/.336/.519 after coming over from LaLaLand I was obviously living in the past with that one… kinda like training in Vera’s Beach… Of course, MattyK came to us from The Fathers. But hey… all those Left Coast teams look alike to me, so… Coppy on Ozzie: We got an update late last week that he will be able to resume baseball activities in early January — ahead of schedule. More Coppy, when asked about outside catching possibilities: Also asked about Wieters by others — we are good with what we have, but if something crazy falls into our lap we would have to consider. More Coppy, when asked “What player in the system do you believe will surprise people this year?” I would say Acuna, but cat is out of bag there — maybe Cristian Pache or Bryse Wilson. More Coppy, when asked about Kelly Johnson: I’ve stayed in touch with Kelly throughout the off-season & spoke to him earlier this week. Terrific talent, better person, can help us. … and very logical pickup for us, too. Experienced LH bench bat w/ moderate pop that has some D versatility. … and we can always use another mid-level prospect or 2 from NYM at the trade deadline. 😉 More Coppy, when asked about the rotation come Opening Day: Front four will be Teheran, Colon, Garcia, Dickey. Fifth spot will be competition between Danks, Folty, Wisler, Blair. Competition good! I believe Folty is the early leader for the #5 spot. Gotta be his job to lose. At least in my mind it is… I love this question, but Coppy’s answer more… “Would you rather have an Albies sized Freddie Freeman or a Freddie Freeman sized Albies?” Maybe the best question ever — it’s intriguing to think of what that might even look like — maybe with Snit’s mustache on both of them too Actually, it’s very encouraging when a kid of Folty’s talent is not a lock, very encouraging. I hope all of the kids come into spring training full of piss and vinegar and making it really tough on the Braves front office on who to keep. If any of the kids who don’t make it and go down and mope, well, they will know who to trade won’t they? I think Jose Altuve has proven that size does not really matter. Talent does. 🙂 But I would take either… or another of equal talent Coppy on AJ Minter: AJ Minter is somebody we speak about often & likely to be a very big part of our 2017 team. Nasty in a good way. Future closer. I am of the opinion that as it stands, the positions which stand to benefit the most from and upgrade are 2nd, 3rd and catching. Now, all three are currently being manned by competent and adequate talent but you can always use and upgrade. So, who is likely to be supplanted first. I’d say Adonis and Jace are equally at risk for losing their job. Both are decent players but when Ozzie is ready, he will be the new pivot man on the diamond. Adonis still has options, I don’t think the Braves are in any hurry to replace him with a rookie. I don’t think I would buy a house in Atlanta if I were either one of them. Best answer of the day, and the question itself doesn’t even matter: Dasnby brings more than raw statistics or counting numbers — he’s a winner who does a number of things that lead to victories. I’m starting to get really annoyed with people who cannot get past numbers alone. Numbers are a part of it, but certainly not all of it. Maybe some of these rubes need to actually watch a game now and then… 😡 Agree, Gil. But don’t discount SeanRod. I think even though he’s considered a “utility” guy, he’s an everyday bat. Once Ozzie makes the scene, SeanRod will probably supplant Adonis at 3B. It’s exactly why we haven’t heard about Coppy overtly looking for a 3B upgrade. Q: “Is Alex Jackson viewed as a catcher right now?” We are going to try it in the spring and see where it goes — if he can stay there and continue w/ power it’s a big upside play Agree, I too believe SRod is more than a utility player. I suppose Jace will actually be the utility guy and Sean will be the primary 2nd baseman, at least until the Braves decide to promote Ozzie. Manny Machado of the Orioles is a guy who has those intangible. He is not a numbers guy either but every baseball observer of the game agrees he makes everyone around him better. I will not be surprised to see Jace and/or Adonis to start the season in Gwinnett or packages in a trade for someone we have not yet been made privy to. “We are going to try it in the spring and see where it goes” AH HA! Q: “What prospect do you think has the best chance to make the opening day roster?” Albies Ahead of schedule in recovery, and the short and simple answer to a direct question. Says alot, IMO. Bartolo Colon is getting after it in the Dominican Republic. He's chasing Marichal for the most wins by a pitcher from the DR. #Braves pic.twitter.com/8yBO5Z3oQh — Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) December 15, 2016 OK… this inspires me… Yep, I think everyone is in concurrence with that. Given the severity of his elbow injury, and the fact that he missed the end of the 2016 season… and given that he was not even considered for a late season call-up, I have concluded all along that the chances of Ozzie being on the Opening Day roster were mighty slim… in fact, close to zero. So the fact that Coppy answered the question so distinctly, without hedging, and without naming other names was quite surprising to me. In most of the discussions I’ve read since last season, the prevailing opinion is that Ozzie isn’t considered until mid-June, after gaining another few months of development (officially), and when the team safely protects the additional year of control (unofficially). To project Ozzie onto the Opening Day roster really creates some serious repercussions for the roster as a whole. 72 Carolina Lady December 16, 2016 at 2:41 am http://news.heart.org/baseball-legend-rod-carew-undergoing-heart-kidney-transplant/ I have concluded all along that the chances of Ozzie being on the Opening Day roster were mighty slim… … and after a night’s sleep (not a good night’s sleep, sadly, but sleep nonetheless), I stand by my assertion. No way Ozzie makes the OD roster. He’ll arrive in June at best, barring injury to SeanRod or Jace. Why am I so convinced about that? Well… mid-June has him gaining another few months of development (officially), and safely protects the additional year of control (unofficially). Sounds familiar. Is the additional year of control important when the team is pulling out all stops to be a contender in its first year in SunTrust Park? I think it is. You don’t want Ozzie’s “clock” and Dansby’s “clock” to run concurrently. You don’t want to have to deal with their raises and/or extensions concurrently, and you sure as heck don’t want them entering their walk years concurrently. Oh… and he probably still needs a couple more month’s seasoning. There’s that. I think you are on to something Vee, as much as folks are clamoring, they can see him play 15 minutes up the road in Gwinnett. More likely he will be brought up after Kelly Johnson is traded to the Mets again. The more likely new face to break into the opening day line up will be a pitcher. Here’s an interesting tidbit from Coppy’s Twitter Q&A yesterday that I missed. In fairness, I missed it because he switched over to Spanish for about a half hour then came back to English. I had no idea what he was answering. But this morning I found this is translation, courtesy of Tomahawk Take: Q: Greetings from Mexico, John! Will there be any changes to the uniforms in the near future? A: I think we’re going to change the uniforms, but I do not know the information & will not say any more now Unless that lost something in the translation, it’s definitely news. I think we’re going to change the uniforms, but I do not know the information & will not say any more now I thought it had something to do with the deal cut with Underarmor. Just an observation… John Danks’ fastball has topped out at 88 mph since his shoulder surgery but if there was anyone who he could learn from pitching with such a reduced velocity it would be Bartolo Colon. I would think Bartolo could help Colmenter too. Latest stats on phenom hitting .375, going 27 for 72 with a .446 OPS. 13 steals in 16 attempts. 5 2B, 1 3B, 2HR 10W & 13Ks. Pretty heady stats for a kid who turned 19 today. I’d be amazed if he didn’t start in Mississippi this season. Uh.. That would be Ronald Acuna… AKA The answer to everything.. 🙂 Yes, it is Monday… Woohoo… 🙂 Yes, Sean Newcomb's 71 walks in 140 IP in '16 at Double-A were way too high, but don't overlook the 152 K and only 4 HR allowed. #Braves Fastball command is always the last thing to develop. He should pitch all of 2017 at AAA to hone his control. His stuff is there… just have to fine tune. Right on schedule. Yes Vee, people always want the phenom to be able to strike out 27 and pitch a perfect game as soon as the reach puberty. Always the problem when you have let you staff become depleted. Even the truly great have a pretty short shelf life. A lot of weight is riding on Sean’s shoulders. If he does not become a bonafide ace because people will say the trading of Andrelton Simmons was a huge mistake. I could live with him still being at short and Dansby playing second. Oh well, it’s pretty tough putting the toothpaste back into the tube. I look at the Mets as having one of the best staffs ever assembled but young pitchers have not been very durable in modern times. I think it is the combination of always trying to hit triple digits on the radar gun and not pacing themselves by dialing it back a notch or two and throwing about 85%. I guess the real key is understanding how to pitch effectively at reduced velocities. I think this will be the biggest influence that Bartolo will have on the youngsters in camp. He can always break out the old videos of him when he could smoke it to show that pitching is not the same as throwing. Do you ever wonder if the folks that write about baseball, or even post comments about baseball that are so stat reliant above everything else, are naturally Democrats? not that Dems are statheads…just the insanity of their viewpoints, that no amount of common sense can correct… on a mlbtr story that had a bit about Mallex Smith (basically saying the club would rather have him play every day in AAA than sit on the bench in the majors) Democrat … Blocking a good young player because of Matt Kemp is such a bad way to “rebuild.” Republican (of course fearing being beaten up over thinking RBI’s mean something and staying way from mentioning that stat) It would be if Kemp was just an average player. He hit 35 home runs with a .268/.304/.499 clip. I’ll take that even with the low OBP and mediocre fielding. Dem right after that comment… Matt Kemp isn’t even an average player. very rare, sensible, rational , and therefore Republican Met fan 😉 …. Tell that to Freddie Freeman. If you don’t think a guy who can drop 35 bombs hitting behind doesn’t give a good hitter in front of them better pitches to hit, well, you just haven’t watched enough baseball. Mallex certainly brings a different skill set such as speed and athleticism, but Matt Kemp brings a threat to your lineup which was seriously lacking before his arrival. Remember that year that Chipper almost hit .400 towards the end of his career? If you don’t think that having a power threat behind him in a lineup (I.e. Mark Texiera) didn’t give Chipper more fastballs to hit and more pitchers challenging Chipper instead of walking him…? Believe me, I’m a Mets fan, I watched a lot of years where David Wright was the only threat in a line-up and watched him get first pitch slider, 3-1 sliders, etc. and watch the Mets’ season end by the beginning of August. A guy that can drop a bomb on you behind a good hitter makes all the difference in the world. Just look at what the Braves did after acquiring Kemp (along with get healthier), they were a much better team. As a Mets fan, the Braves are scary this coming year. The couple of veterans they added to their rotation, coupled with their position player depth, makes them a decent threat. I don’t like their bullpen so much, but they’ll win games this year. I actually see their lineup as good as any in the NL East Repub… I have gained respect for some Mets fans out there. It just makes a world of difference when someone actually sees a team play often, even if you are from a division rival. All these people who don’t ever watch games from other teams and only look at WAR or other saber metrics for info will miss these untangibles that really make a difference. Matt Kemp may be bad in the field, but he made our entire lineup much better after his arrival on top of hitting his 35 HR’s. I love Mallex, but I wouldn’t replace Kemp with him. At least not at this stage. Dem so far left that they have #donaldtrumpnotmyprez tattooed across his face… chicks dig the long ball, and apparently so do Stan and logan, shame they ignore literally every other at bat, base running and fielding. Mallex will be on the Gwinnett to Cobb shuttle. He will play plenty but he is not yet ready for a full time gig unless the Braves upgrade their offense at third. Look for him to be a fixture when the Braves play in American league parks and Kemp is utilized as the DH. Of course we won’t know the impact of the off season on Kemp until he arrives in Orlando for ST. If he has slimmed down a bit, well, his defense may yet improve. The Braves are hoping Nick Markakis continues to improve too as his value as a trade piece will never be higher than this season. I’m not advocating his leaving, just understanding the culmination of a plan. One thing to get a feel for is how the new park plays. 😡 Just lost a really long post. Can’t replicate. Just know that I agree on Nick. Also you should look up Ray-Patrick Didder. I provided alot of reference. Too disgusted to do it again. 15 minutes of my life that I can’t get back. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C0K90w7UkAAy7MX.jpg:large The kid who will make Markakis expendable. Bowman, on newly acquired pitcher Jaime Garcia… It’s concerning how drastically Garcia faded at around the 140-inning mark this past season, but if he gets off to a good start, Atlanta can try to sell high and then fill the rotation vacancy with Wisler, Blair or any of their other rising prospects who might become big league-ready at some point in June or July. I think the same concept can be applied to Nick Markakis (Mallex Smith), Matt Kemp (Mallex) and even Jim Johnson (AJ Minter). Really, any veteran on this roster that’s on a short deal will have to be considered expendable at the deadline if the return is right for the Braves. Especially if there are youngsters knocking at the door. Short term vets are a premium for a lot of teams in it to win it at trade deadline time. They are the short sale stocks of MLB. On Didder, you just never can have too many good prospects. Above especially true of relievers. I sure hope that is the case, but he didn’t seem to get thru to the guys on the Mutts…they all throw 150 MPH it seems, and keep getting hurt…. they all throw 150 MPH it seems, and keep getting hurt… #Braves SS Dansby Swanson is switching back from No. 2 he wore in his 1st 2 months in majors to his preferred No. 7 (Beckham had it in '16) Hey… we’ll take whatever news we can get right now… 100 Vox O'Reason December 21, 2016 at 3:53 pm Right now, a lot of folks are probably checking to see if they can return those Dansby No. 2 jerseys after Christmas…. I should have re-posted this one first… it might have made somebody drop their coffee. Then again, with this crowd, it might have led to a serious medical failure. The Rangers have claimed LHP David Rollins on waivers from Philadelphia. RHP Tyrell Jenkins has been designated for assignment. — John Blake (@RangerBlake) December 21, 2016 Yowser… Tyrell should not fret, either he will be claimed off waivers or reassigned to the minors. It is simply making room on their 40 man roster. Hey, I’d take him back. He has a future in the show, just maybe not quite yet. Well, the cat is out of the bag on this one… http://m.braves.mlb.com/news/article/212009856/ronald-acuna-impressing-braves-in-australia/ 104 Vox O'Reason December 22, 2016 at 10:36 am Tyrell should not fret, either he will be claimed off waivers or reassigned to the minors. He will be claimed. I’ll be surprised if he isn’t. It isn’t that he’s not a talented pitcher, but he had a long line of “higher ceilings” in front of him in ATL. I must admit I’m a little befuddled by Texas DFA’ing him for an injury risk guy though. Anyway, there are plenty of teams that have no idea who they’ll trot out there for their 5th starter in 2017. The Angels and Padres immediately come to mind. He should get a shot on a major league roster somewhere. I’ll be really surprised if he gets through all 30 teams and has to take a minor league deal or assignment. So… not alot of news to go over… and as much as I should be working, I don’t appear to be. Well, it’s been a little while since I posted an anticipated roster (with current players, of course). So why not? Julio (R) Bartolo (R) Jamie Garcia (L) RAD (R) There will be competition, of course, But this is how I anticipate it shaking out. For the record, all of Folty, Wisler and Blair have minor league options remaining. So that should not be a consideration. Bullpen: (this is a little more complicated with options, Rule 5, etc.) JimmyJohn, Closer, n/a Viz, RH, 1 option remaining Mauricio Cabrera, RH, 1 option remaining Ian Krol, LH, 0 options remaining Jose Ramirez, RH, 0 options remaining Chaz Roe, RH, 0 options remaining Armando Rivero, RH, Rule 5 Collmenter, RH, long reliever, n/a Dan Winkler, RH, Rule 5, will probably open the season on the DL. Paco Rodriguez,LH, although he should be healthy, has a couple options remaining. That will likely land him in Gwinnett until someone goes down or gets traded. Same with Shae Simmons, RH, and Jason Hursh, RH. “Go to” lineup: SeanRod/Jace, 2B (R/L) Adonis, 3B (R) TFlow, C (R) I think SeanRod will get the majority of the playing time at 2B, so I see that as a “loose” platoon. In fact, I’ll just place Jace on the bench below. Recker, BUC (R) Jace, IF/OF (L) ???, OF The one spot on the roster that I think is yet to be filled is the 4th OF spot. The Braves could fill it internally with Mel Rojas, Jr. (S), a non-roster-invitee to spring. Considering the fact that he would be the last guy off the bench, and a defensive replacement at best, I think the Braves could go this route. But it would require a 40-man roster adjustment. And let me qualify that statement. I’m not so sure Chase is a lock to make the team. But he is valuable as a utility type. So the team could trade him straight up for a more typical 4th OF type… one with a little more pop to come off the bench. That would hurt MelRo’s chances. And my wildcard to scramble the bench picture even more is Rio Ruiz (L). A strong spring by him and he might just make the team in a pseudo-platoon role with Adonis, who historically is weaker against RH pitchers. So it makes a little sense. And in his favor is the fact that he’s already on the 40-man roster. But if Rio makes the bench, we have to have somebody who can back up CF. Currently, only Chase is that guy. Watch out for MelRo though, I think he’s got some game. I’m looking forward to seeing him in spring. This is his best last chance to make a major league roster before he starts appearing “old” and takes on the AAAA-player stigma. And of course, all this is predicated with Mallex playing everyday in AAA, which I think is in the best interest of both team and player. The Pirates sign Nova and are taking aim at trying to trade for Jose Quintana. Perhaps they will hang onto McCuthen but I doubt it. Pretty sure they will wait until spring training and see which teams suffer an injury to a front line outfielder. I think he had some issues last season which we are not being made aware. I look for him to bonce back in 2017. I hope he recognizes this too, no need for him to mope. He will be in the show before the end of summer. I agree on the situation at 2nd base. When Ozzie makes the jump, Jace will become the extra part. Ditto on Chase too, can he play center field? He has taken a turn or two there but I would expect the Braves to have Gwinnett on speed dial in the event Ender was going to miss more than a day or two. BTW- The Braves picked up MelRo from PIT in May 2016, and he’s done nothing but hit everywhere he’s been, including in the Dominican Winter League currently. He slashed .270/.349/.491, w/ 10 HR’s and 34 RBI (and 5 triples) in 64 games in Gwinnett after arriving there. I cannot find any updated DWL stats, at least not in English. 😉 MelRo’s dad was a major league pitcher, and he’s related to Felipe, Matty and Jesus Alou, who are all “granduncles”, and Moises Alou, who is a cousin of some variety. Chase is a decent CF, and is currently listed as the #2 guy there. It’s true that SeanRod can play it, but I think they’d prefer he didn’t have to. As we’ve mulled over many times, should there be along term injury to Ender, Mallex should certainly get the callup. In my mind, though, I know I’d prefer a more prototypical 4th OF that can play all 3 spots capably. It’s nice to have the versatility of guys like Chase, Jace and SeanRod, but all of those guys have positions in which they are strongest. And that makes the team stronger. And I still have a gut feeling that Chase is not on the OD roster. He’s SeanRod lite. Now that we have the full fledged SeanRod, Chase’s value is diminished IMO. And it wouldn’t surprise me if Coppy doesn’t have one more rabbit to pull out of his hat before P&CR on Valentine’s Day. That’s what… roughly 7 weeks? Sounds like a solid candidate Vee. I’m sure he will get a lot of playing time in ST. Let the best 25 make the team. I would not be surprised to see the Braves package Jace and/or Chase along with a couple of prospects for some low level/high ceiling prospects before the end of spring training. Teams are always looking for ways to clear space on their 40 man rosters. I would love to add Andrew McCruchen but for the cost. If the Braves had not already added Matt Kemp, I think he would be a target. As a baseball fan, I love parity in the game. No one really likes all the wins to be in one camp except the band wagon riders. Keep it interesting and let the team with the most heart prevail. Being cool under fire is what separates the rookies from the vets. I’m looking for the Mets to make a push for Cutch. It’s the kind of splash they crave. And he’s just the type of guy they like to obtain… glorious past, questionable future. I guess the Mets have resolved their money issues. With the questionable return to full strength by David Wright, he would fill a need. We have seen how long it takes to recover for cervical disc surgery with Nick Markakis. A couple of years for sure. Braves “extend” Ender Inciarte. Appox $30MM for 5 years. Sounds good to me. Merry Christmas to us, huh? #Braves Agree to Terms with OF Ender Inciarte (@Enderdavid18) on Five-Year Contract. Details: pic.twitter.com/pgQa8qbHGr Braves & Inciarte agree to 5-year, $30.5M extension $3.5M bonus 2017 $2M '18 $4M '22 $9M option ($1.025 buyout) — Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) December 23, 2016 Given the escalating salaries in baseball today, this is a pretty dang good deal for the Braves. I am very excited to be part of this amazing organization for years to come 🙏🏼 https://t.co/Cxz7iA7jkt — Ender Inciarte (@Enderdavid18) December 23, 2016 We’re excited too, Ender… we’re excited too. The Reds claim Tyrell Jenkins off waivers from Texas. Did not think he would drift long. Cleveland helped their cause as well as their fan base with the signing of Encarceon to a 3 year deal. MelRo’s dad was a major league pitcher, and he’s related to Felipe, Matty and Jesus Alou, who are all “granduncles I saw gran duncles , which made me chuckle…which shows the how very sophisticated my wit is 😉 Just want to take a moment to wish each of you a very special, blessed and meaningful Christmas. The coming New Year will be an exciting one for all of us, hopefully. Love to each of you! Backatcha CL, and to the rest of the gang too. Merry Christmas gang…. 🙂 Hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas! 🙂 I was busy before we left to see friends last night, and forgot to check in here…. Timing is everything. Was working on my old Gateway and poof!!!! Just gave up the ghost. Oh well, made the investment of a new lap top for Ms Josie for Christmas a win win for me, I will inherit her older ASUS, too bad for my daughter who wanted the Gateway but I think I still have a new hard drive that will fix the problem… glad everything is backed up. Now baseball, Braves sign another back up catcher. I think he will push the issue in spring training. Braves signed David Freitas in November. His lifetime numbers are pretty good. He was signed as a minor league free agent off the Orioles roster. I’ll try to fill in the blanks later. After all, he has been on the Braves minor roster for a month. A bit of information on Freitas, he is a career minor league catcher who has always hit well. Better in AAA than AA. He was a 15th round pick of the Nationals in 2010. He is now 28 years old. He has bounced for the Nats to the Athletics and the Cubs to finally the Orioles. His knock has been his inability to throw out runners. Tyler Flowers’ percentage on throwing out baserunners is down from career norms last season. At some point, folks have to understand it is not just the catcher who has to be part of the equation on caught stealing. So many young pitchers last season contributed to those declining numbers. Slow to the plate, not being able to hold runners, being too predictable in their motions. Those are all things young pitchers have to learn on their way up the ladder. There is a lot more to pitching than just throwing the ball to the catcher. It’s why so many prospects fail. They have to think so much. Anyway, the guy can hit. We shall see, unless the Braves pull a fast one and somehow snags Wieters, I think he will get a decent tryout during spring training. The tip off might just be what number he is assigned next spring. Ronald Acuna’s season has been cut short by Visa issues by his native Venezuela. I guess he has not learned the art of paying the kickbacks and bribes normally necessary when dealing with a South American socialist country. Honestly, how hard can it be? Oh, forgot, dictator in charge who see dollar signs for an valuable export. C’mon Braves, send a rep down to help him out. 132 Vox O'Reason December 27, 2016 at 9:08 am Yep… Ronald Acuna busted onto MLB’s radar, and in the process landed on the radar of the fascist Maduro regime. Let the shakedown commence. Freitas is another AAAA catcher, much like Recker. That said, I thought Recker did a pretty good job as a backup in ATL last season. I don’t think I’d want to trot him out there for 82+ games, but for what he did… 2016: .278/.394/.433 Pretty solid numbers. However… Career: .200/.284/.350 A bit less inspiring. I see the signings of Gosewisch and Freitas more as hedging the bet on Recker. Should 2016 prove to be an anomaly, and Anthony regress back to his career norm, then there are other options. At this point, I’ll be shocked if Coppy brings in Matt Weiters. I think that ship not only sailed long ago, I don’t think it ever really came close to Coppy’s harbor. That seems to be something the media matched up and has continued to try to marry. But from an ATL fan perspective, it doesn’t make much sense. All you have to do is look at Weiters’ 2016 offensive numbers to see that it wouldn’t even be much of an upgrade. TFlow 2016: .270/.357/.420, 8 HR, 41 RBI Solid even if not eye popping. Weiters 2016: .243/.302/.409, 17 HR, 66 RBI So he hit 9 more HR… This nouveau ATL team is counting on more OBP than pure power. Heck, if power were the key, the version that crushed 222 HR’s in 2006 would have run away with it. Oh wait… that team was the one that missed the playoffs for the first time in 14 years… IMO, Coppy might still work a deal for an under the radar guy before spring, but I think we’ll go into 2017 with the tandem of TFlow/Recker and the aforementioned backups waiting in the wings. And then in 2018, Jonathan Lucroy hits the FA market. But I’m getting way ahead of myself. Braves’ Mallex Smith pulled from Puerto Rico after re-injuring side https://t.co/0Md2qgJYgY pic.twitter.com/e7gYh4nJdV From the above-referenced piece: Smith, 23, wanted to continue playing in Puerto Rico, but the Braves brought him home as a precautionary measure after the side-muscle injury flared again. He played in only five games for Mayaguez, posting a .375 on-base percentage and going 5-for-20 with two doubles, three RBIs, four walks, two strikeouts and two stolen bases. All the games were in a six-day stretch Dec. 13-18. Side injury = lat… really a pesky thing. I have no idea of how you condition yourself to prevent it. I do know the only treatment is rest. Smart for the Braves to pull him to prevent him for being lost for extended periods in 2017. On Weiters, I;m okay with it either way. Unfair to put too much stock in the numbers when a player is coming back from an injury. Still, I don’t see the Braves burning a draft pick (compensation pick) and spending a ton of money when they don’t have to. Another Scott Boras client who got some bad advice. If you are going to spend that kind of money, I’d rather have McCutchen. Then trade Markakis. And while I really like Mallex, I would not be all that adverse to trading him. Their are some real gems in the pipeline. Dang auto correct… THERE…. not THEIR Still, I don’t see the Braves burning a draft pick (compensation pick) No pick involved. The O’s didn’t extend a QO since Weiters burned them in 2015 by actually accepting it. They weren’t taking any chances this year. That said, Weiters is a declining asset with a premium price tag. If he weren’t a catcher, this wouldn’t even be front page news. And you’re right in that Boras isn’t doing him any favors. It’s not hard to sell an iPhone 5, but not a iPhone 7 prices. I think Coppy is content with his Galaxy s4. Braves sing another lefty reliever to a minor league deal. Andrew Albers, a 31 year old pitcher who had experienced brief stints with the Twins and the Blue Jays. Look for him to work out of the Gwinnett pen. This is what makes baseball such a great game: You made me promise when I was a kid to give you my first MLB hit, and jersey. Merry Christmas pops! I love you. pic.twitter.com/6ucByVsuxB — Rio Ruiz (@ruiz_rio) December 25, 2016 143 Vox O'Reason December 28, 2016 at 12:35 pm Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com has posted 10 prospects ready to surge in 2017. Among them: Max Fried, LHP, Braves’ No. 11 prospect: Fried missed nearly two years of competitive baseball following Tommy John surgery, first with the Padres and then finishing the rehab process with the Braves after coming over in the Justin Upton trade. Fried topped 100 IP in 2016, missed a lot of bats and got a lot of ground-ball outs. The gloves could come off for the lefty in ’17, and he could start showing why he was a Top 10 pick back in ’12. He’s a top-of-the-rotation type pitcher that I expect to show up in ATL in 2018. He’ll take one of the spots currently occupied by Bartolo and RAD. By 2019, he’ll be in our top 3. A lot of the fanatics that dominate the boards will forget all about the bad mouthing they laid on the Johns when these kids finally make it to the show. It is tough watching the sausage being made, especially when you see them slaughter the hog. The latter is a sight that is indelibly imprinted on my memory. and Weiters plays/Played in a tiny bandbox, with everyone and their brother hitting homers in front of him, behind him…. no doubt borass is asking for a 5-6 year contract for this “elite” catcher…. Funny thing is… the new fad among scouts is the whole “pitch framing” thing. And apparently Weiters ranks in the bottom half of MLB in that category. That’s what’s killing his market. Ber, I think it all comes down to price As long as the Braves don’t overpay, I think Weiters is an upgrade. I would not put a lot od stock in last season’s numbers because he was coming off an injury. That said, he was coming off and injury. That in itself is likely why Baltimore passed on signing him to stay in the AL East. So, we shall see who blinks first, Weiters, Boras or Coppy? I would have rather signed Wellington but the Os stepped into that opening, another reason the Braves need to be mindful of Weiters’ likely contributions going forward. Pitch framing = poor recognition of the strike zone by supposedly major league umpires. I’m not talking about pitches on the black, I’m talking about pitches clearly in the opposite batter’s box. Curve balls are obviously the toughest pitch for an ump to get a clear read on. Hmmm… seems the Chris Archer rumors are rising up again. This time the names involved are Ozzie, Folty and Ian Anderson. Hefty price, but super talented and young ace in return. If we could get away with just those 3 with maybe another lesser throw-in, I’d lean toward it. Funny Vee, Ozzie and Folty are two of the names I threw out there yesterday on a twitter thread. Ozzie is a super talent but not a deal breaker with Kevin Meitia in the pipeline. I’d say the talent mentioned is on a par with what Boston gave up for Sale. Of course, every time I see Elvis Andrus I am reminded of what we gave up for Texeria. Folty is a good pitcher on the cusp of being a great pitcher but Archer is already a great pitcher, He would make the Braves instantly relavent. Of course giving up that much, you wonder what else it would take to get Quintana from the ChiSox? Not just Kevin Maitan, but Travis Demeritte as well. So here is the thing, as highly rated as Ozzie is, we don’t know how he will fare against big league pitching. If he were traded, he almost certainly would play shortstop for the Rays. http://www.talkingchop.com/2016/12/30/14108312/the-atlanta-braves-front-office-approval-poll Above is a link to an opinion poll on how we think the Braves front office is doing. To be honest, other than the Hector Olivera trade, I cannot really complain. Okay, maybe the Simmons for Sean Newcomb and friends but I think it is still too early to accurately judge that one. The same could be said of some of the John Schuerholz trades too. ie the farm for Texiera. Trading away Justice and Jermaine Dye. One was spite, not sure about Dye but Lockhart and Michael Tucker were no where near the talent level of Dye. But it is all ancient history now isn’t it? WISHING EACH OF YOU A BLESSED AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!! SIGH! Another year in the books… Okay, seriously, a couple of pretty doggone good showings by Bama and Clemson. Should be another barn burner Monday week. On Acuna’s visa troubles… upon further review, what is the snag? Lying about his age? Changing his name? Not paying off the local officials? One has to wonder why this suddenly popped up? He must have gone home for a visit during the Christmas break of the ABL. 157 Gil in Mechanicsville January 1, 2017 at 12:49 pm Cruising around the web, I spotted an opine which posed the possibility of the Braves signing free agent Luis Valbuena to play third base, while it was originally pose that he could platoon with Garcia, Valbuena is really an everyday player. With that, I thought the more likely scenario would be that SRod would move to third and Ozzie be brought up if Garcia proved to be unproductive this spring. The first two months are always the “feeling out” period for all teams anyway. Ruiz is another good possibility to make the team coming out of spring training. It’s tough balancing out a line up every day for every ML team. After all, only one will take the big trophy at the end. And everyone has to make it through the WBC in addition to ST. It’s just like a nice car though, in order for it to stay that way, you pretty much have to leave it parked in the garage. Can’t do that with players who give it their all. Interesting human interest story: http://m.braves.mlb.com/news/article/212573114/osus-urban-meyer-was-a-braves-minor-leaguer/ smh Wonder why I don’t actually THINK before I write something?? sigh Normally, I view spring training records with a jaundiced eye but I have noticed a correlation of late with the Braves horrible spring training record and their horrible record period. I still think spring training records should be taken with a grain of salt but I hope they can improve this year. 161 Vox O'Reason January 3, 2017 at 9:36 am Good morning and Happy New Year. As a friendly public service, allow me to refresh everyone’s memories on the key upcoming dates: Arb dates: 1/10 -> Deadline for eligible players to file for salary arbitration. 1/13 -> Deadline for teams and players to exchange $$ figures. 2/1-21 -> Arb hearings. [If the sources I read are correct (I sound like Ken Rosenthal), Vizzy and Krol are our only remaining arb eligible players.] Spring Training dates: 2/14 -> P&CR 2/18 -> 1st full squad workout 2/25 -> 1st ST game vs. TOR 2017 regular season: 4/3 -> Season opener @ NYM 4/14 -> Home opener vs. SDP Estimating the 2017 salaries for both Viz and Krol, as well as estimating the salaries for the 4 pre-arb guys on the expected roster, the Braves will open the 2017 season with a payroll in the neighborhood of $119M. That’s right… $119M. Can no longer accuse Liberty Media of being cheap. $119M for a team that isn’t expected to realistically contend is not cheap. Of course, there’s only about $76M committed for 2018. 😉 163 Vox O'Reason January 3, 2017 at 11:35 am Are the Braves done making moves for 2017? And of course, I mean making “big” moves… there will always be tweaks here and there. But are they content at catcher? At 3B? Are they content with the bench? Are they content with the bullpen? I think the team will go to ST with Flowers/Recker behind the plate again. I think they could still address 3B, but the conditions would have to be just right. I think they probably will still address the bench, but maybe not until closer to ST when unsigned guys are getting antsy. The bullpen is a bit of a mystery to me. I think there are alot of candidates for the 7 spots… but I also think there are alot of question marks. It wouldn’t surprise me if they were to acquire an established setup guy to get to JimmyJohn, especially since it was the setup men that proved to be key to the Cubs and Indians during their WS runs. Teams are starting to see that the 7th and 8th innings are just as important as the 9th. Currently, the Braves setup men appear to be the extremely inconsistent Arodys Vizcaino, the inexperienced Mauricio Cabrera, and the unproven Jose Ramirez. And while all 3 of them may still prove to be effective, none of them are known assets going into the season. So to me, that may be the one area in which the team still makes a move to improve. One more thing on the bullpen… I should not have so quickly dismissed Ian Krol, who was pretty good in 2016. But he’s the only LH that appears to be a lock for the ‘pen, so he’ll probably be used more situationally. The health of LHRP Paco Rodriguez will obviously impact that status though, if he’s healthy. IMO, Paco will open 2017 on the DL, and immediately begin a rehab tour through the minors to get his feet wet again… and to buy a little time for Coppy to see exactly what he has in the ‘pen. Can’t disagree on the status of the pen at this point. Spring training stats for relievers can be a bit misleading as often lesser prospects are pitted against minor league or fringe talent. Traveling squads are filled with prospects too. I guess that is why ST stats and records can be so misleading. Still, it’s baseball which is infinitely better than no baseball. Best of all, it’s not politics. Perhaps it’s best to just watch and evaluate the talent as it is presented to us. No one should take their positions for granted. Lastly, if they will play with the same intensity they played with the final month of the 2016 season, I think we will all be pleasantly surprised. 167 Vox O'Reason January 3, 2017 at 3:17 pm The #Padres have claimed RHP Tyrell Jenkins off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds. — San Diego Padres (@Padres) January 3, 2017 Dude is crisscrossing the country… Nice piece on some guys we’ve talked about at length, and a few we haven’t yet noticed: Swanson, Albies lead rich Braves system \| Atlanta stocked with strong arms, but not short on position prospects Great thing about baseball, every season allows for everyone to hit the reset button. Extremely slow news cycle for baseball… like pond water. Nothing to report. On a completely random side, I just read that Black Country Communion is reuniting for a new album this year. Hey… at least it’s news. 🙄 Yes, everything is politics, football and basketball…. not in that order. Oh well, I guess that is why journalist reporters hacks feel compelled to make up stuff. Not sure that this registers as “news”, but it is something to chew on, anyway. Paul Lebowitz over at Fan Rag Sports has made predictions for the Top 10 remaining FA hitters, and listed this at #8: 8. Luis Valbuena Valbuena is similar to [Trevor] Plouffe, but is more of a feast-or-famine player. Part of that might have been tactical with his former club, the Houston Astros, disregarding batting average and strikeouts and giving him the green light to look for a pitch in his zone and try to hit it to Mars. He’ll walk and he’ll hit home runs. Plenty of teams can use a versatile, lefty-swinging power bat, but there’s not an obvious spot for him to get semi-regular playing time. PREDICTION: Atlanta Braves, One-year, $7 million Given the dearth of a LH bench piece – Jace is the only one at the moment, and he’s supposedly a platoon player – it makes a little sense. But The Johns have shown a propensity toward more versatile bench pieces, and Valbuena is not that. But he does have pop. I’ll take this prediction with a grain of salt and give it a < 50% chance of happening. Slight correction on the above… it is for the Top 10 remaining FA’s… pitchers and hitters. Regarding Valbuena… isn’t he just a LH version of Adonis? Unless you just want to set up a strict platoon, then I don’t see the reason. It also minimizes what SeanRod can contribute, especially once Ozzie hits the scene. We just invested fairly generously into SeanRod. I kind of expect him to play. Just chumming the waters Vee, just chumming the waters to see what might float to the surface. Saw a picture of Adonis on twitter the other day, the dude looks ripped and ready to play. I would love to see Matt Kemp show up in similar condition. I think Adonis keeps reading all the post about how he is the weak link and perhaps he wants to show the brass he is serious about winning the job. While I don’t know that his loss of body fat will translate into a higher BA, it should at least improve his stamina and speed (range). Looking forward to spring training. As for ARod and his utilization. The ball is in his court if you ask me. He can play several positions and will be in the line up against lefties and depending on Jace and how soon the Braves want to bring up Ozzie (not before June I would wager) He will try to be in the line up at least 5 out of every 7 games either at 2nd or 3rd. There are 5 players (other than pitchers) who I would say are locks to start nearly every day for the Braves in 2017. 2nd and 3rd are the areas the Braves can make the most impact. 2018 is a whole ‘nother season. I strongly expect Nick Markakis to be traded mid season and depending on Kemps contributions, I will be surprised to see him in Atlanta in 2018. Let’s see if he dropped 20 or so pounds this winter. Of course, I am not worries about pounds as much as BMI. Tone it up Bro… Let’s see if he dropped 20 or so pounds this winter. Of course, I am not worries about pounds as much as BMI. Tone it up Bro… You talkin’ to me? Too cool… Color shot of Chavez Ravine being shaped to build Dodger Stadium, ca. 1960. @Dodgers pic.twitter.com/YSnoFpVCzu — MLBcathedrals (@MLBcathedrals) January 5, 2017 Pretty cool, would never get approved the EPA today but that is another saga. Well, at least Coppy tried. I guess we will see if the Braves may have dodged a bullet. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/01/brandon-phillips-blocked-november-trade-to-braves.html the Braves may have dodged a bullet. Indeed they did. His numbers have fallen way off. The story only says “in November”. I’d like to know if it was before or after the SeanRod signing. Personally, I think SeanRod makes us a stronger team than BP would have. If BP would have kept us from signing SeanRod, I am sure we dodged a bullet. And having both makes little sense aside from some additional name recognition for 2017. At issue was an extension… BP is demanding an extension from any team that acquires him, or he’ll do what he did and use his right to refuse the deal. The Braves only wanted him for the 1 remaining year, and any extension would have been completely counter to the team’s rebuild Plan. So in essence, it isn’t really a story. In fact, I love Coppy’s quote on the subject: “We explore a myriad of trade opportunities, some which make more progress than others, and some which get more media attention than others. Trades aren’t done until they are done.” (Courtesy of Bowman) And I suppose I agree with that attitude. It does kinda make me wonder what deals get close that we never hear about. I bet we’d be quite surprised to know some of them. Bowman: According to Rosenthal, the Braves moved on to sign infielder Sean Rodriguez. So there ya go. That clarifies the timeline. Thank goodness BP blocked that deal. Weird that BP and Joey Votto refuse to be traded from a team that is in full rebuild mode….I understand folks wanting to just play for 1 team, but….isn’t winning pretty cool too? If they played for the Cards, nearly always in the playoff hunt, fans that are often called the best in baseball…that’s different. But Cincy? I guess they don’t want to leave that bandbox 😉 It does kinda make me wonder what deals get close that we never hear about. Like the Barry Bonds to Atlanta trade that was nixed by Bonds at the last minute. So Maddux was signed instead. I guess it is a lot like me looking at cars, lots of trades I didn’t make… Okie dokie… looks like I won’t be going outside for a while. Snowing to beat the band. BAH! We dodged the snow bullet here in God’s country. We got a slight dusting, but that’s it. Our roads were completely driveable Saturday morning. But a mere half hour up the road the adjacent county got a couple of inches. In fact, their school system is closed today still due to driving conditions. Go figure. When I looked at the weather system tracking across Georgia, my little slice of America was literally right along the bottom edge. And while many of the folks around here complained that we didn’t get any snow, and made the obligatory jokes about the weather forecasters, I was and still am grateful that we didn’t covered by the “white death”. In my job, I work 95% of the time from home. Great setup of which I do not take for granted. And when I do have to make the occasional foray out into the real world, it’s usually not very far. Well Friday, with the impending weather system of doom closing in on the terrified South, I had to drive 2 1/2 hours south to middle GA and do about an hour’s worth of research, then turn around and head back the same 2 1/2 hours to the NEGA regional satellite office of my business, a/k/a home. What are the chances? I almost never have to do anything like that, and the one day I must it’s on Winter Storm Warning day. God surely has a sense of humor. Since everyone north of Macon (which my target office barely was) was braced for Snowmagedden 2017, I called to make sure that they would even be open. In truth, I called when I was already about an hour into my drive. Part of me wanted them to say, “Stay away”, but the more sensible part of me was well aware that I was facing a rigid deadline and needed to complete my quest. Anyway… they informed me that they were currently open, but couldn’t guarantee anything by the time I got there. I continued on my journey and reached my destination shortly after noon, just as the Winter Storm Warning officially took effect. They were still open, and I was not wasting any time in my task. And sure enough, I was ready to head back about 1:30pm. They rain had just begun there, and was expected to turn to the dreaded “wintry mix” as the temps dropped. Since the mayor of Atlanta, an obvious weather expert, called for everyone to be off the metro area roads by 4pm, the normal traffic patterns were all screwy on the interstates, so I hit the back roads to trek back to God’s country. So there I am boogying across the normally scenic state highways in what at times was a very hard rain. Bleh! I hate driving in rain! According to my calculations, I should have gotten home sometime right after the magical 4pm witching hour. Factoring in a necessary drive-thru diversion, and an even more necessary fuel stop, I finally got back to my safe haven at 4:30pm… and it was still raining, but just raining. And it continued to rain for much of the evening. I woke up about 4am and got up to look outside, expecting to see a Winter Wonderland. Instead, I saw “I Wonder where the Winter is” land. But the best part is that the family had made preparations to be bunkered in for a couple of days, so we took the whole day Saturday and watched movies in our pajamas. Well, the movies weren’t in our pajamas. Let me restate – we took the whole day, stayed in our pajamas, and watched movies. It was a pretty great day. Yes, God does have a sense of humor, but also a great Grace. Thank you Lord. Carefully transitioning from stuff to Braves… More chatter over the weekend about the Braves looking to improve at 3B. Nothing of substance of course. I think some of the noise makers just need something – anything – to talk about, so they invent scenarios. Luis Valbuena’s name continues to be mentioned in connection with ATL, but I think it’s due more to it being a “fit” on paper and less to any actual interest shown between parties. Trevor Plouffe has also been named, but he makes zero sense. He’s the equivalent of Adonis but at a higher price. I think there is a national aversion to Adonis. He’s not Longo, but he’s not Jim Pressley either. The new name on the national lips is Aaron Hill. He’s a utility IF who is about the equivalent of Chase d’Arnoud, but without the guitar. I’ll just keep Chase, thankyaverymuch. And the final mention goes to the Royals, who are reportedly listening on 3B Mike Moustakas. And while I love his nickname, Moose’s numbers aren’t really a great improvement over Adonis either. But he does swing from the LH side of the plate, and that is significant since the Braves have become kind of RH heavy. But he’d be a trade piece that would cost a prospect. Not sure the Braves would give that up when they could just sign Valbuena off the FA pile for just cash. IMHO, if the Braves make another addition, it’ll be a true 4th OF. But that’s a horse that I’ve beaten many times over and don’t wish to revisit. Best fit for need = LH bat + good speed + good defense at all 3 OF spots. Now watch Coppy make a liar out of me this week and acquire a new 3B… Here’s how I see it all playing out for 2017… The Braves begin the new season with pretty much the roster they have right now, plus 1 bench addition. The Braves start both Ozzie and Mallex at AAA Gwinnett for 2017, with Mallex getting alot of time in RF. SeanRod and Jace share 2B, with SeanRod often spelling Adonis when Jace is in the lineup. SeanRod starts 5-6 games a week at 2B, 3B and the occasional LF here and there. Ozzie gets the callup in mid-June, conveniently preserving the additional year of team contractual control and takes over at 2B full-time, batting 8th to ease his entry into the lineup and provide that bottom-of-the-order speed that transitions well to the top-of-the-order speed. Jace becomes the team’s defacto utility IF. SeanRod now makes the lion’s share of starts at 3B with Adonis going to the bench, if he’s not traded at the deadline. Kakes is traded at the deadline, with Mallex making his triumphant return to ATL as our new RF. The lineup now possesses a nice mix of OBP, speed and power: SeanRod, 3B (R) Mallex, RF (L) Ozzie, 2 (S) As for the abovedefined 4th OF, the Braves could do worse than the familiar FA Gregor Blanco. Of course the often foretold trade of Markakis only occurs if 1) The Brave are legitimately out of it by the trade deadline or 2)Someone makes the Braves an offer simply too good to pass up. As much as we have all talked about Nick’s forthcoming trade, the Braves would be giving up a very reliable RBI producer. I don’t think he has been given enough credit for that part of his game. He was clearly damaged goods when he played his first year after surgery but he appears to be fully recovered now. Yep, I really like Gregor, I won’t be surprised to see him signed to a minor league deal with an invite. That pesky 40 man roster keeps getting in the way. I think everyone in baseball views the the Braves most glaring needs (or ares of most likely improvement) are 2nd and third base. It’s a given. I view it as a great incentive for both Jace and Adonis. Still, a player can perform only to the level of the talent they possess. Adonis made a huge leap last season, maybe a bit more is in store. In the meantime, it gives us something to blog about. I also believe there may be a good 4th OF candidate already in the fold, even if not on the 40-man. Mel Rojas, Jr. might fit the bill. I think MelRo could compete. It’s the proverbial “$#!+ or get off the pot” year for him, and he does have a spring invitation. And DOB adds this today: #Braves still considering adding bench player, KJohnson a candidate, possibly Francoeur, others. Roster is at 40, but could DFA someone. — David O'Brien (@DOBrienAJC) January 9, 2017 P&CR in 36 days (Feb. 14)… not that I’m counting… I’m thinking our weather is bipolar. Going from teens to lower 70s in just a couple of days time? Littlejohn is sitting only a few inches from the infrared heater in this room. I can hardly wait for the warm up. Snow for me equals entrapment. I am hoping the combination of a warm up and rain will allow me to rejoin society. And, I think your cat is smart… I have been spending a lot of time hibernating. The main topic of conversation by the pundits appears to be if the Astros will trade a bunch of their prospects for Quintana. I know if the Braves were in a similar position of being perhaps one front line pitcher away from being a probable WS team, I would be all in. Then again, we saw how well that worked out for the Braves when they cleaned out their farm for Texieria. Sure did help the Rangers become relevant though. So, tough call. Savanna Guy is still steamed over the trading of Wainwright to the Cards a bazillion years ago. Oh to be a fly on the wall for that one, but, I digress… 🙂 198 Vox O'Reason January 10, 2017 at 7:38 am What most people overlook about the Wainright/JD Drew trade was that Drew was fantastic for the Braves in 2004. And to come in and replace Gary Sheffield (who had bolted for the big Yankee $$) in RF was a formidable task for any player. But all Drew did was slash .305/.436/.569 and pound 31 taters while driving in 93, filling the huge void in the middle of the lineup left by Shef. Oh yeah… and he was 6th in MVP voting that season, his only season in the top 10. Had Drew re-signed and stayed here more than just 1 season, that trade would have a whole different tenor to it. The miscalculation wasn’t in giving up Wainright, it was in assuming that the kid from Hahira, GA would take a hometown discount to return. John #1 had been given alot of leeway to sign and re-sign whomever he wanted for 14 years, but Time Warner was already in the process of paring down the payroll to sell the team, which they did 3 years later. The Homeboy Upstairs couldn’t match the free-spending Dodgers’ 5-year/$55M deal and Drew was gone to the other side of the continent faster than you could say “cha-ching”. The Braves payroll in 2003 was $106,243,667, 3rd in all of MLB. In 2004 it dropped to $88,507,788, 8th highest. And it dropped again in 2005 to $85,148,582… 10th. Had Time Warner just allowed JS to maintain his +/- $100M payroll, JS could have easily matched LAD’s $11M annual check and Drew would have likely remained in the south for a few more seasons. I guess my point is simply this… we hear all the time about teams giving up talented prospects for a proven star. The difference in 2017 as opposed to 2004 is that the player’s contract status plays a bigger role in trade negotiation and compensation than ever before. In fact, it was trades like Drew and Tex that woke up GM’s to the fact that they were trading more than just talent… they were trading contracts. So I don’t have any gripes about the Wainright/Drew trade. JS was doing what JS had been doing for 14 years, except that suddenly his well financed boat had sprung a leak and Time Warner refused to spring for a cork. Now the Teixeira trade is a different story. JS had already been down that road before, and Liberty had already derailed the gravy train. That one surely rests squarely on Homeboy’s shoulders. But hey… nobody bats 1.000. And if they did, the Braves couldn’t afford to keep them. 😉 Isn’t it interesting that we just casually accept the Braves as a “mid-market” team now when the fact is that Atlanta was an elite market for a long time. The difference? TV money. While all the media darling teams were and are exploiting the exploding local TV deal buffets, the Braves are stuck in their dollar menu deal that was a parting gift left by Time Warner. Ironic, ain’t it? The huge media giant crippled the Braves with a nightmare media deal that will continue to choke the team until 2027. As they were moving the last boxes out of their owners’ suite and handing the keys over to Liberty Media, they were also leaving behind an onerous 20 year TV deal that is estimated to pay the team between $10M-$20M annually. By contrast, the Dodgers receive about $240M annually from their deal. The deal was done simultaneously with the sale to Liberty Media, and was to Ted Turner’s advantage, tying the Braves to Fox long term fresh off of Fox acquiring Ted’s regional cable channel. How was it to Ted’s advantage? Well… Ted’s regional cable channel was Turner South and was owned in partnership with none other than Liberty Media between 1990-1996. Isn’t that a coincidence? Seems Ted has many connections with Liberty Media. Ted was still on Time Warner’s board of directors through 2006, just before the sale of the Braves to Liberty Media was finalized. 2006 was a big year for Ted. It was in 2006 that Time Warner, which had owned 50% of Court TV, purchased the remaining 50% from none other than Liberty Media and began running the channel as part of Turner Broadcasting. And it was in 2006 that Turner Broadcasting sold Turner South to Fox, the beneficiary of the horrific TV deal. Hmmm… isn’t that a coincidence? There are many layers to every onion. It was always assumed that Liberty Media had no interest in running a professional sports team, and that the acquisition was for some other financially related reason. In fact, it is apparent that the sale of the Braves was merely a part of a larger chess game in which the Braves were just one of the pawns. Chess games are played over time and ultimately separates the pawns from the royalty. Pawns never win, but kings and queens do. I doubt King Ted has lost a minute of sleep over the Braves crippling TV deal. Also a reality is that until the team started it’s massive rebuild, it was a money maker for Liberty Media. And somewhere along the way, Liberty realized it was to their financial advantage for the team to be competitive in the market place, and ultimately on the field. Somewhere along the way, they saw that the team was more than just an itemized asset on a ledger sheet and is a potential growth asset in need of some attention. And why not? Pro sports is huge business. Why else are those massive TV deals even struck? Having a media conglomerate as an owner may pay off after all now that Liberty has woken up to the fact that the Braves are actually something worth paying attention to. SunTrust Park is evidence of that. SunTrust Park and all that surrounds it, that is. Bad TV deal aside, they have now given the organization something to work with. It’s not going to be $240M annually, but it does add a whole new revenue stream said to be dedicated to keeping the team healthy in the professional sports marketplace. It might just add that 1 more player here and there that we need to consistently run with the pack. It might just keep us from being the farm system for the Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers. I doubt it will push us out of “mid market” status, but it will surely help us climb out of the bargain basement. Very insightful and educational Vee, now I see the rest of the story. Goes to show, you should never trust anyone who sleeps with Jane Fonda. 202 Carolina Lady January 10, 2017 at 7:37 pm Superior posts, guys! I also want to welcome the newer folks who are now following B&S! Jump on in; the water is great! And safe! We don’t argue, fight, call ugly names, etc. We just enjoy ourselves and hope you do, too! 12 days…..and he finally showed up! 8 lbs, 1 oz and 21 inches. Momma and baby doing great! Thx to everyone for all prayers & well wishes. — Chipper Jones (@RealCJ10) January 11, 2017 Congrats Chipper!! Trevor Plouffe off the table… headed to the A’s. He never really made sense for us anyway. So the items I have read over the last couple of days makes me think that Coppy is not really looking for a typical 4th OF type. Quotes I’ve read only affirm their philosophy toward versatility, and I think they are quite comfortable with the abilities of both SeanRod and Chase d”Arnaud to play CF, and the corner spots for that matter. But it also appears that what is glaringly missing to us is also glaringly missing to them, and that’s a LH bat for the bench. KJ’s name has been mentioned again for the first time since early in the offseason. He makes his home in Atlanta. Don’t be surprised if Coppy signs him to another 1 year deal. IMO, KJ would be a good mentor for Rio Ruiz. In a perfect world, Rio, a LH, would grab the last bench spot and work in a loose platoon with Adonis. I’m just not sure he’s ready. But that’s what Spring Training games are for, right? I suppose if’s he’s ready for The Show, he’ll win the job on the field. And that’s how it should be. Frenchy’s name was also mentioned, but he makes zero sense. He only plays the corner OF, and he’s a RH batter. As much as I love him on our bench, there isn’t a spot for him. Well… at least not if Ozzie starts the year in AAA. If Ozzie were to open as our starter, Chase would be the odd man out and Jace would go to the bench. Then there would be a spot for a RH. Hmmm… Always fun to speculate on comers and goers, meanwhile, the brass is working behind the scenes for either another second/third baseman or starting pitcher depending on who you are listening to. Maybe both, maybe neither. How much would Julio return given the current market? Not saying it will happen but did not see the Craig Kimbrel trade coming either. I don’t thing the Quintana possibility is off the table either, everyone is simply haggling over price right now. Archer? Another far fetched but realist possibility. Braves in the market for budding and up coming Cuban superstar Luis Robert who has left Cuba to get under the cap on money for latin players in the new MLBPA. He projects to be a Matt Kemp clone. 207 Vox O'Reason January 11, 2017 at 3:02 pm Mallex just got traded to Seattle for a couple of minor league pitchers. Well, Mallex and Shae Simmons. Details to follow. Well, didn’t see that coming… or did we? It really isn’t all that surprising. Once Ender inked that 5 year deal, it kind of predicated something like this. I actually thought it might be in one of the “ace pitcher” deals, or maybe a catcher deal. But you might as well get what you can while you can. I think once he had such a miserable showing in 2 separate winter leagues, you have to start asking some questions. As for Shae Simmons, he couldn’t stay healthy or consistent. And honestly, there wasn’t room for him in the big league pen anyway. Interesting. ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick suggests Seattle could flip Mallex to another team as they already have a crowded OF. In fact, they just dealt for CF Jarrod Dyson last week. “Atlanta acquires two lefties who posted strong debuts in Seattle’s lower ranks. Gohara, who was the Mariners’ fifth-ranked overall prospect according to MLBPipeline.com, went 7-2 with a 1.81 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 69 2/3 combined innings between short-season Everett and Class A Clinton last season. Burrows, who was Seattle’s No. 25-ranked prospect, posted a 2.55 ERA with 37 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings for Everett in ’16, while also recording six saves.” Okay, I think this deal precludes the next deal. Why? Because it clears two spots off the Braves 40 man roster. You are right about Mallex, not a bad little player but I think the Braves have players in the organization (cough, Acuna) they view has a higher ceiling than Mallex. Good luck to our former Brave alumni as they make their way to the big leagues… So what did we get? We got 2 young LHP’s Luiz Gohara and Thomas Burrows. Gohara is the centerpiece of the deal. He was ranked their #3 prospect by Baseball America, #5 by MLB.com. He’s a 20-year-old from Brazil, who pitched in their high-A level in 2016. He pitched 69.2 IP, with a 1.81 ERA and 10.5 K/9 vs. 3.0 BB/9. He is a starter that features a mid-90’s fastball, “promising” slider, and “still-developing” change. As is the case with many youngsters, command is what he needs to work on most. At just 20, I think he still has time to work that out. He’s projected as a #2 starter ceiling if he hones his command. Burrows was a college closer at Bama and was SEA’s #25 prospect. He was SEA’s 4th round pick last season who pitched in their low-A level in his pro debut. He could easily move up more quickly in his 2nd pro year. In his debut season, pitched 24.2 IP, with a 2.55 ERA and 13.5 K/9 vs. 4.0 BB/9. His fastball reaches 94, and he also tosses a “quality” slider. His scouting report says he has “good command and ample deception”. He’s considered a “high-floor, reasonable upside” guy, and his draft day pro comps were Paco Rodriguez and Jacob Lindgren, both currently in the ATL organization. Still, the Braves will go into spring training looking for someone who can play centerfield as a fourth outfielder. Either from within or from the outside. Yes it does. Keen observation, sir. The guy that benefits the most from this move is Dustin Peterson. DPetey earned his high esteem past season, and the path is now cleared for him to take over in RF when the Kakes era is over. Enders is a budding superstar but he plays with too much reckless abandon to expect him to suit up 162 times a season. The will also want someone who brings good late innings defensive credentials to sub for Kemp. Wheeeee…. Honestly, I don’t think the trade of Mallex by itself has a huge impact on the opening day roster. The Johns had already predetermined he was going to start the year and play everyday in AAA. But… I think you may be right that there is another move afoot, so let’s just let the other shoe (for that foot) drop, then see where we are. A positive presence both on and off the field with the #GBraves in 2015-16. Best of luck in Seattle, Mallex! pic.twitter.com/yAYB4PcOkb — Gwinnett Braves (@GwinnettBraves) January 11, 2017 Agree 100%! Coppy: “We felt like we were dealing from a position of strength with both players.” I have to agree with Mr. O’B on this reply to a smart@$$ Twitter troll: “You can never have too much pitching. You can, however, have too many outfielders.” It strikes me… when the Braves traded JUp to SD, we got back Max Fried, Jace Peterson, Mallex Smith, and Dustin Peterson. We all knew that Fried was the jewel of the trade. We all felt Jace would help us immediately (which he did), and we all got excited about the potential of Mallex. But Dustin Peterson seemed to be an afterthought in the whole thing. Ironic that it’s his ascension in the organization that really makes today’s deal possible. Gohara is a little intimidating… #Rays have acquired OF Mallex Smith, minor league SS Carlos Vargas & minor league LHP Ryan Yarbrough from SEA in exchange for LHP Drew Smyly — Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) January 11, 2017 And there ya go… I'll never forget the Mallex Smith era in Seattle. 45 of the most exciting minutes ever. — Larry Stone (@StoneLarry) January 11, 2017 Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha At least Mallex does not have to go far to go far…. 🙂 224 Carolina Lady January 12, 2017 at 1:06 am Really interesting article about Seth Maness who underwent a different kind of surgery instead of the Tommy John method. Greatly shortened rehab time and he’s ready to find a new team. B&S news That’s fascinating, CL. I hope a team takes a flyer on him, and I really hope that this new procedure proves to be an effective alternative to the standard Tommy John reconstruction. So if it does prove to work, will they call it “Seth Maness surgery”? Actually, he sounds like an ideal candidate for a minor league deal with the Braves. After reading a couple more articles on this new procedure, there were a couple of things that really stood out to me. First, the surgery has already been performed on lower level professional pitchers, and is referred to as Primary Repair surgery. The doc that did Maness’ surgery had already done it about 50 times. Sadly, poor Seth won’t have the procedure named for him after all. Then again, if he’s the first major league pitcher to successfully return from it, why wouldn’t it be nicknamed Maness? Also, doctors can’t know if this procedure is even feasible until the surgery has started. They have to physically see the tear and the location, then make the determination. If by observation they determine the damage too severe, or the location not optimal, they commence with the Tommy John. As for location, the tear must be on either end of the ligament near the bone. If it’s in the middle, the only alternative is full replacement. So when Maness went under anesthesia, he didn’t even know what they would do to his arm. That’s kind of weird. By the way, Maness was able to long toss just 4 weeks after surgery. That’s amazing to me. And he will throw off a mound this week, just 4 months after the surgery. There is also another pitcher to watch: Garret Richards of the Angels. He injured his elbow last May and opted against the TJ surgery. Instead, he underwent stem cell and platelet therapy. The Angels are not only expecting him back this season, they’ve got him penciled in as their #1. Guess who else had the stem cell procedure done? One Bartolo Colon had stem sell therapy on both elbow and shoulder in 2010. It appears to have worked out pretty well for him. Weird. I posted a comment, and it didn’t show up. I tried to post it again, and WordPress says it’s a duplicate. But yet, the first one still doesn’t show up. I hope it’s not gonna be one of those days… I’m gonna try again. I may have to add something to make it not a “duplicate”. Wow… it didn’t post that one either, yet it behaved as if it did. I wonder what it is about the format that doesn’t get along with WP? The only thing that I can figure is that I had some numbered lists. I’ll try again minus the numbers… Strike 3, I’m out. Well, it appears WP does not like that post at all, with or without numbers. I suppose I’ll just keep that observation/opinion to myself. Sometimes the internet can be a very frustrating thing to deal with. Maybe it doesn’t recognize the drawl… 🙂 Something real to chew on, or maybe not? This is an excerpt from Ken Rosensource, er Rosenthal this morning: A reported trade that would have sent [Luiz] Gohara and another prospect to the Reds for shortstop Zack Cozart and a minor leaguer last Aug. 1 collapsed after the Reds raised concerns about Gohara’s shoulder, according to major-league sources. Braves general manager John Coppolella, when asked about Gohara’s condition on Wednesday night, responded, “Our medical group puts a lot of time, effort and thought into evaluating every potential acquisition. We have had to walk away from two trades this offseason because of failed medicals. We feel good about the health of both players we acquired in the trade.” Rosey went on to add, though: Gohara followed his breakout 2016 season at Class A by indeed throwing extremely well in the AFL, striking out 19 in 11 2/3 innings. Some scouts project his 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame and see a young CC Sabathia. “Best pitcher in the Arizona Fall League,” a scout said, adding that he saw Gohara throw 97 to 100 mph in an outing late in the AFL season. So is this “alarm” merely click bait? It sure did work on me. I very quickly clicked the link to Rosey’s page on FoxSports.com when I saw it, which seemed alot more ominous than the story itself. If you ask me, it is much ado about nothing. Typical sensationalism found in all areas of the media, now including our scared sports reporting. And it probably signals the last time I take Rosensource seriously. He is now a media circus sideshow, and his credibility with me is gone. I must also look sideways at FoxSports, which promoted the story and the link, questioning the trade from Seattle’s standpoint and hinting that they were dumping damaged goods. Again, the story threw out the speculation, but didn’t back it up with substance. I won’t even support it by sharing the link here. I don’t want them to be able to add any “clicks” on my account. FoxSports now falls into my ESPN category. I’ll only go there out of absolute necessity as a last resort. BTW, Gohara entered the Braves Top 30 prospects list at #12 overall, ahead of highly touted pitchers Kyle Muller (13) and Lucas Sims (16). Yep, been suckered in by bogus headline a time or two myself. On Gohara… Every pitcher, can’t miss prospect, phenom is always one bad swing, one awkward pitch, one dumb decision with a power tool away from being regulated to the “what could have been” pile of history. I am encouraged by the reports of Gohara’s upside. In the long run, it will be Tampa’s willingness to take a chance on a young outfielder who has rightly or wrongly been viewed as somewhat fragile. Lat injuries, along with hammock bone fractures can be one of the most debilitating injuries for a hitter. I wish young Mallex well in his new home and look forward to the addition of another young hurler who may or may not be the next great thing. Has not young Julio taken a while to arrive? It often takes a long time to become an “overnight” success. What most people overlook about the Wainright/JD Drew trade was that Drew was fantastic for the Braves in 2004. And to come in and replace Gary Sheffield (who had bolted for the big Yankee $$) in RF was a formidable task for any player. But all Drew did was slash .305/.436/.569 and pound 31 taters while driving in 93, filling the huge void in the middle of the lineup left by Shef. Thing is the colossally overrated JD was NOT a stud when the Braves got him. 5 full seasons with the Cards, and he had never played more than 135 games in a season. His last season with the Cards, he played 100 games, hit 15 Hr’s and and drove in 42. How exciting. Could you imagine if the braves traded Folty for a guy with those numbers? With that history of being unable to play hurt, ever???? Surely there was someone the braves could have gotten someone with more than 1 year of availability, someone that wasn’t a Borass client, as his guys almost never sign extensions…. Of course, no one knew how good Wainwright would be,(well, I bet some braves folks thought it was a dumb deal) but Wainwright would have changed the braves playoff futility….he sure has changed the Cards history… 236 Vox O'Reason January 12, 2017 at 10:09 am So to reiterate the Braves current roster status, they now have only 38 on the 40-man roster, and a glaring hole on the bench. Another move is certainly afoot. The only question is “when”… or perhaps a bigger question is “how”? I put nothing past Coppy. It’s easy to sit here and speculate that he’ll simply sign a 4th OF of the Kelly Johnson, Jeff Francouer or Gregor Blanco type. (My personal endorsement goes to Blanco.) But Coppy could turn right around and make some bigger move involving a number of players. Who the heck knows? The only sure bet is that something will happen. We’ll just have to sit back and wait… That top 30 list sure can change over night can’t it? I think the proof is often in the pudding. The difference in being a bonafide major leaguer, not necessarily an all star, and a AAAA player who is not quite good enough to stick but too good to give up on. I guess that is the real beauty of the Rule 5 draft. The 6 years as a minor leaguer and then being eligible to opt for free agency might give some organizations pause to draft/sign some kids too early. On D. Peterson, I think he will be given a lot of face time this spring with the big club. There are several who will vie for the 4th outfielder spot. I think it is most likely he will remain at triple A until he can play on a semi regular basis in the show. I think it is one of the great conundrums for all teams to know when to promote a young prospect verses protecting their investment and allowing them to perfect their craft at a lower level. For every Mike Trout or Bryce Harper, there are dozens of Todd Cunninghams and Joey Terdoslavichs. Yep, the old saying is to never judge a team based on the performance displayed in either April or September. So many variables no in evidence during the meat of the season. Of course, if the Braves play with the same heart and drive they showed in the 2nd half, I’ll be pretty happy. DPetey will almost certainly open the year at AAA, and he needs to. I think his chances of opening on the big league team are somewhere right in between “slim” and “none”, and Slim just left town on the noon stage. Of course, this is barring a rash of ill-timed injuries. Rather, DPetey is in line for RF once Kakes moves on. If the Braves are well out of things at the deadline, and Kakes is moved at that time, DPetey might get an early chance. But as long as the team feels is has the slightest chance, he’ll continue to develop in AAA. I briefly thought that Mel Rojas, Jr. might get a shot at the 4th OF job, but I’m getting the sense that the Braves would prefer to keep him as AAA insurance. Still, he’ll get an opportunity in spring to compete for a job, so it’s all on him. As it should be. Current FA possibilities who can play CF and who bat L or S, are Coco Crisp, Gregor Blanco, Michael Bourn, Nick Buss, Alejandro de Aza, and Sam Fuld. There is not 1 really good candidate in the bunch, but I wouldn’t mind taking a shot with Blanco on a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training. My earlier opinion, as documented above, was that the Braves could roll with SeanRod or ChaseD in CF for the short term in the event Ender had some minor injury. And that they would call up Mallex if there were some (God forbid) longer term health issue that requires a DL stay. Now that guy would be Rojas or Emilio Bonifacio. I think I’d rather roll the dice on Gregor Blanco. Hard to attempt to get work done, and read up on baseball…something I know V knows all about! 😉 I didn’t even know about Mallex being traded til I went to MLBTR for the first time in gosh, a whole 48 hours, only see he had been traded…a 2nd time…I’m out of the loop apparently 😉 I heard the “breaking news” announcement on the radio right as I was leaving the doc’s office yesterday, a good 20-30 minutes from home/office. The first thing that went through my mind was that it would no longer be “breaking” by the time I gained access to the ol’ B&S. How’s that for priorities? That story on Seth Maness is very interesting, in spite of the horrible, horrible writing style. Perhaps they are trying out software , have robots write stories????? Michael Seth Maness is a U.S. professional baseball pitcher and he is regarded as one of the top players of the game(REALLY?????) For instance, with 169 2/3 innings pitched in 2012, he allowed only ten walks. Maness suffered a serious elbow injury on August 16, 2016. The injury effectively ended his career.(REALLY????????????? writer said earlier it flat out ended his career) . On August 18, Maness underwent novel surgery when a surgeon undertook to fix his ulnar collateral ligament in his damaged elbow I am normally not a grammer Nazi,(I couldn’t diagram a sentence to save my life) but man, that last line is all kinds of messed up…. Then there is a picture of Yu Darvish, who apparently is a leftie now… http://www.digitaljournal.com/image/328698 St. Louis Toady was one of my favorite papers to read when I lived in St. Louis Speaking with St. Louis Toady, Seth Maness, aged 28, said to be fair, that was 6 full paragraphs….. It limits the wear and tear on his newly repaired right elbow. When I read it, I wondered if English was perhaps the writer’s 3rd or 4th language…… Also, V, now you can appreciate the hair-pulling done by the B&S Graphics Dept. when trying to do their thang with a new lead. 😀 Speaking of which, maybe someone else would like to pen a new lead? There might be some new info someone would like to share. Comers and Goers part DUX… Anyway, took the boss out for a little R&R shopping today. A little reward for putting up with me. First time out of the house for me since last Wednesday. Hey, if it keeps her happy… Now other stuff… Uh, uh, uh… okay, enough with the Obama imitation…. Now other stuff… Uh, uh, uh… okay, enough with the Obama imitation You didn’t say “I” or “Me” enough for it to be a believable imitation… #Braves have only 2 arb-eligibles left unsigned, relievers Vizcaino and Krol. Will sign or swap arb figures by Friday afternoon deadline. — David O'Brien (@DOBrienAJC) January 13, 2017 Braves are a “file and trial” team. No negotiations in between. They either get it done today, or they go to arb hearings. I’m betting they both get something done today. Bowman sums up our bench options pretty well in his latest piece. You can get to it from the handy dandy link below. He’s obviously been reading the ol’ B&S again… Here is the truth as I see it. I don’t see the Braves being a contender with Jace Peterson as the everyday 2nd baseman and Chase D’Arnaud as the bench player. Sorry, I like both guys but they are not 10 ten or even top 20 material. I’m okay with Jace as a role player but being an everyday player exposes his weaknesses. #Braves Agree to Terms with @IanKrolTKB and @arovizca47. Details: pic.twitter.com/fptzCe3A0R Like me, I sorta think that y’all aren’t followers of the Sailing Competition world, but I thought this article of what a 16-yr-old local kid is accomplishing. As we’d say here, he walking in tall cotton! Anyhow if you’re interested in Olympic and world stuff: http://portcitydaily.com/2017/01/12/sports-youth-spotlight-chase-carraway-16-cape-fear-academy/ The #Braves have acquired INF Micah Johnson from the Dodgers in exchange for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Details: pic.twitter.com/UtYI0lIP1f https://twitter.com/DOBrienAJC/status/820000813263257601 So what do we make of the Braves acquiring a 2B who will likely start the season in AAA? And what do we make of this just 2 days after acquiring 2 more minor league pitchers a/k/a “currency”? Methinks something else is afoot… #Braves newcomer Micah Johnson has played almost exclusively 2B in MLB, but played 41G in OF in AAA in '16, some 3B 2B is the one position that the team seems to be stacked in… Sean Rodriguez, Jace Peterson, Ozzie Albies, Travis Demeritte, etc. make up a pretty good string of 2B’s for now and well into the future. This has to be a precursor to something else, right? … especially considering he takes up a coveted 40-man roster spot even if he’s targeted for AAA. Of course once Spring training starts, there are some players who can be put on the 60 day diabled list. Still, there will be more movement to come. stay tuned. Good Sunday morning, not a lot of new news on the Braves front. I guess that means there are folks deep in the bowels of where ever the current offices are located folks are scheming and planning to acquire a third baseman, fourth outfielder or a young catcher. We are often feed the rose colored view of the current talent in the pipeline (ahem, Christian Bethancourt) verses reality (cough, Bethancourt). How many years were we fed the notion that Wilson Betemit was the heir apparent to Chipper Jones? What the Braves have to be cautious of is getting a player who’s best years are behind them instead of ahead of them. The pundits often play up the past and not the reality of the present or the future. No one really knows how much money the Braves have available or they are willing to spend in order to put a finished product on the field. How much of the revenue generated by the new complex will be available to the Braves or will a lot be skimmed off the top by Liberty Media? I am not even sure Coppy knows. What he does know is what they tell him is his cap. Is it a soft cap or hard cap? It is the tight rope we all must walk isn’t it? Question… Do y’all think that SRod will be employed as the Braves regular third baseman when Ozzie is promoted? I believe the Braves would love to break in the rookie as the lone new comer as oppose to having a line up of rookies all at once. Teams made up of predominantly young players tend to fade badly the final two months of the season. That reminds me of the year of the ‘Baby Braves’. Wow, those ‘babies’ are about retirement age now. WHERE has the time gone??? CL. My mom use to say time speeded up as you got older. I am getting to the point where I am afraid to step of the train… It’s going pretty fast now. P&CR just 4 weeks from today!!! #Braves will move spring training to Sarasota Co. as soon as 2019, assuming final deal worked out. In exclusive negotiations w/ them now. Nope, it's West Villages/North Port. Near a lot of new stuff. https://t.co/Iia3v1umTf North Port – Google Maps https://t.co/3PMy4CqnWi — Chip Caray (@kapaya1234) January 17, 2017 @brianhoyt24 @RealMattlanta @buckbelue8 possible future home of @Braves ST pic.twitter.com/DG3uAktmqr — Price Blissit (@Dpblissit) January 17, 2017 Gregor Blanco off the market… Blanco agrees to minor league deal with the D’backs. A minor league deal. Why not a minor league deal here? Speaking of reunions on minor league deals, old friend Blaine Boyer signed a minor league deal with the hometown Bravos today, with an invitation to spring. Bowman: Boyer has compiled a 3.31 ERA over the 171.1 IP with 3 teams. From my perspective, he has a good chance of making the bullpen if he continues the same path into 2017. More perspective on the proposed new Spring Training home of Los Barves: #Braves new home will be located just north of the Rays pic.twitter.com/vLoNsn0tMl — TomahawkTake (@TomahawkTakeFS) January 17, 2017 Correction to the above map: The Astros have left Kissimmee, shooting across the state (Astros… shooting across… see what I did there?) to new facilities in West Palm Beach. That underscores the need for ATL to move. Only the Tigers remain nearby. Their proposed new location will be ideally situated right in the middle of all the teams on the Gulf Coast. Another correction to the above map: The Nationals have also left the vicinity, marching south to the same brand new West Palm Beach locale as the ‘Stros, with whom they will share facilities. Further demonstrates the suckiness of remaining in Orlando for a couple more years. DO’B: With Astros and Nats gone. Braves have one opponent within an hour. One. More DO’B: This spring they’ll take 7 bus rides of 2 1/2 or more hours each way. That’s not good. Bad use of players’ time. Also decreases the likelihood of seeing front line talent at any away game. The vets like Kemp, Markakis, Freeman etc will not be riding 2 1/2 hours anywhere unless they are in a golf cart playing 18. Same is true of teams coming into Disney. Don’t look for the visitors to bring their aces. Another reason why I think $35 for a rightfield bleacher seat is ridiculous. Richmond discovered that the money they threw at the Redskins was a fool’s errand just to have them come to Richmond for pre season camp. Redskins fan quickly discovered they were getting an inferior product and spectators stopped coming and that is with no admission fees. Anyway, I will put a visit to Sun Trust on my to do wish list but likely after they have the hotels finished. Will come and park my car and not move it until I leave. On Blaine Boyer, he looked pretty good against the Braves last season. His best claim to being back is the lack of solid contact made against him by opposing batters. Average exit speed on balls hit against him was 70 mph. Something is shaking and baking. Off speed? Movement? Something is fooling them. On Blanco. maybe he is comfortable in an are where English is a second language. He’s a west coast guy now. I think the Braves have all the AAAA players they want for the outfield already. I think the Braves have all the AAAA players they want for the outfield already. They have a few. I just don’t necessarily feel comfortable with Emilio Bonifacio and Mel Rojas, JR. as the first line of defense in the event of a (God forbid) lengthy injury to Ender. Publicly they say that the acquisition of Micah Johnson addresses their bench needs, but he has never played CF. I suppose they are banking more on Chase d’Arnaud and Sean Rodriguez to fill in the blanks. Then again, there are still 70+ days until the Braves begin the season in NY on April 3… #coppyneversleeps 279 Vox O'Reason January 18, 2017 at 12:02 pm Another view of the rendering of the proposed new Braves Spring Training site on the Gulf Coast. One question immediately comes to mind… Who’s the lazy bum that’s cutting the field on the far right? MLB Pipeline has begun releasing their Top 10 prospects by position. They just released the LHP list, and the Braves check in at #’s 4 & 9 with Kolby Allard and Sean Newcomb respectively. Neither is a surprise, but I did expect Max Fried to be on there somewhere. He’s gotta be just on the outside. Still, not too shabby to be represented twice on the list of the best 10 among all 30 teams. Fried will have a chance to reemerge if he can show he is fully healthy this season but just as well he is not on the list. No Pressure! Nothing tougher than having to live up to high expectations. A lot of these list are compiled by folks who read other people’s list and take their word for it. Far too much laziness in reporting these days. Everyone is more interested in getting clicks… Sadly, I am no longer in a position to evaluate young talent in the braves organization. I do have folks who I follow that I trust because their opines have been on the mark fairly consistently but the cheer leaders I have become very leery of. I think one of the ten commandments of baseball should be Thou shalt not covet another team’s players Of course that does not stop us from looking does it? 🙂 The ranks of baseball immortals grew by three Wednesday when Tim Raines, Jeff Bagwell and Ivan Rodriguez were voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. V, the poor guy in the bottom right field is the one stuck with the Dear John tractor to (try) to work with. NEW LEAD IS UP!! With apologies to Gil. The Graphics Dept got a little out of hand this time.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1215
__label__wiki	0.547728	0.547728	A Mini-Tour Mega-Diary (part one) by S. Glass Originally published by Chocolate Monk As many musicians, noisicians, performing artists, and hybrids of all of the above who have tried to book a tour know, the itinerancy can be heavy on pure Maybe, with a generous dose of labyrinthine ambiguity that tilts the outcome in the direction of Probably Not, concluding with an off-putting silence that has to be interpreted as Shut Up And Go Away. For this reason, I have long avoided having anything to do with setting up live shows, whether doing so would further my own interests or repay a favor to someone else. In the summer of 2017, Scarcity Of Tanks frontman Matt Wascovich asked me to perform with the group for a handful of East Coast shows that November. I’d contributed bleeps and bloops to the quiet parts of a couple Scarcity Of Tanks albums by that point, but, while I do love the sound of my own screech, in this conext it’s filigree at best, hardly an essential component of live renderings of those songs, and definitely not worth the airfare from California no matter who pays for it. So I did what I always do — attempt to transform rusty ol’ indulgence and wastefulness into bright and shiny Ambition. I conferred with my fellow mutants in the Bren’t Lewiis Ensemble about making the trip, and contacted whatever straight-shooters in witch-trial country who I knew could give a person a simple yes or no answer. It seemed like it was coming together with surprising ease, and the dread I’d been holding onto all these years suddenly seemed misplaced. Until the acceptably laid plans began to crumble. Scarcity Of Tanks wasn’t going to do the shows after all. The Bren’t Lewiis Ensemble had to postpone. I’d made arrangements to see my family and old friends, and the ticket was already bought, so I became an advance man for the Butte County Free Music Society and went anyway. Naturally, I took copious notes. Here is the ideal spot for the reader to mutter “Cool story, bro,” and move on to something else, or to continue reading and get the full load of details, many of which cannot be un-read. You must choose now, hairless ape. Phil Milstein greets me outside Gate 18 at Boston’s Logan Airport. There are no signs anywhere. If you don’t know where to go or what to do, nobody wants you here. Go back to New York. A couple of tourists wearing matching lederhosen have misinterpreted the instructions on the parking garage ticket payment machine that tells you to insert your credit card mag strip down as meaning fold the corner of the card. A lady starts screaming at us when Phil’s twenty-dollar bill gets rejected repeatedly by the machine. We can’t figure out what the problem is. It’s fresh out of the ATM. She takes off her shoes and starts hitting us with the heels. I puncture easily and could stand a bit of liposuction, but Phil’s a bruiser. I’m oozing and he’s discolored. While Herr Lederhosen tries to get his now-ruined card into the slot, Frau Lederhosen (not necessarily his spouse cuz it’s 2017) goes off on the screaming lady and swings the belt from her overcoat at her. The buckle connects a few times. Blood is drawn. The scene is officially a biohazard with two screamers; one is hysterical about getting caught in traffic because of us, and the other is braying “your mother’s a whore” with a German accent. Needing to decompress, we head to the Blue Hills Reservation to shoot guns in the woods and have some tequila with coconut and lime juice, which is vile at first — it tastes like a lifeguard’s nose looks — but pairs curiously well with the smell of chips of granite whizzing through the air and burnt gunpowder. Afterward in the car, I annoy Phil by picking at the garlic air freshener hanging from the rearview mirror, so he takes us to dinner at a blocky four-in-one airport-style café, where the choices are pizza, pasta, candy, and salad. The name is designed to be impossible to remember. It’s something like Village Food Court or Good Café Place or Eating And Drinking Mall. I am sure it’s in the witness protection program, and do not buy Phil’s alternate explanation that it is part of a Korean chain. He gets a poke bowl that is mostly tumors dusted with ground-up Advil while I have Mediterranean salad (aka nothing but a tiny fish skeleton on warm tar with blue duct tape garnish). I begin to worry that the thing on my foot is going to give me trouble on this micro-tour. The anxious reverie is short-lived, however, as the food-court TV blasts footage of a pickup truck that has become buried under an avalanche of 2x4s. One patron of the diner is in near tears about the lumber (“what a sad, sad waste of beautiful Douglas fir,” he sobs) while another gets mawkish and patriotic about the solid construction of the truck. An interloping douche (wearing backward cap, flip flops, and dirty sweatpants with an acid-wash print and cargo-shorts pockets) asks if anyone was hurt. The two crybaby guys stare at him skeptically. One of them smears his sadness snot across a cheek and asks, “What did you just say?” Just then an employees-only door opens and a miniature Pavarotti doppelganger waddles out. He glances at the three men standing there and immediately drags the sketchy douche out to the parking lot and beats him. I yell, “What the fuck is that, Phil?” Without breaking his gaze from the window he says, “Sh-sh-sh, North Korean mafia. Quickly, grab some mystery flavor Oreos and we’ll go. I have frozen yogurt at home.” As we pull into the driveway in front of Phil’s adorable ranch-style farmhouse condo in Braintree (painted the color of durian sorbet with maroon trim, a perfect match with his RAV4 parked in the alley), Phil instructs me not to engage in conversation with any of the neighbors. I promise but he doesn’t believe me and forces multiple sprigs of sun-dried prawn alimentary into my mouth. I try to spit it out but he just gives me “bup bup bup.” I drag my belongings inside. The interior is lovely. Hardwood floors. Chairs that look like huge hotdogs. I try one out but it cuts off the circulation to my feet, so he shows me how to use the recline function. I want to sleep there but it is verboten. He has purged much of his collection of printed matter, but the cream of what remains is recipe books with glorious photos on the cover that are both color-saturated and faded, making every dish depicted seem like its main ingredient is irradiated brains. We watch Jeopardy on television. One of the contestants mentions wanting to buy a miniature albino burro with her winnings. She even has a name picked out (Honky Donkey), which elicits groans from the studio audience. She places last — proof that remote prayer works! Either that or Jimmy Fallon has a really good make-up crew. Coincidentally, all of the questions are about the Bible. Phil becomes irritated with me when I start guessing “20,000 Leagues Under The Sea” for everything. “Stop answering before he finishes reading the question!” Alex Trebek’s horrible French-Canadian accent is barely intelligible, one of his hands is smeared with red liquid, which is never addressed, and every time they cut away from the contestants to Alex, his head is a slightly different size and shape. “20,000 Leagues” turns out to be the correct answer to not a single question, so I don’t do very well but at least there was no goddamn white mule riding on it. We move on to watching an inexplicable duet by James Brown and Pavarotti doing a command performance of “It’s A Man’s, Man’s World” for a crowd of 20,000 bishops and the pope on the anniversary of his Holiness’s baboon heart transplant. We can’t figure out why this exists, but someone had to have lost a bet, though it’s unclear whom. The hardest working man in showbiz is very encouraging to the opera singer, even though chunks of Pavarotti’s face are visibly sliding down the front of his skull, smearing streaks all over his table-cloth-sized scarf. He is a true pro and doesn’t let on like anything is wrong. Inspired by the fact it was filmed two years after Pavarotti’s death, Phil determines to carry a white hanky in one hand for the Suppressive Persons performances, in tribute. Just before bed I accidentally spray urine everywhere. Well, not everywhere. Mostly just inside the medicine cabinet. Deeply embarrassed, I slink back to the futon and hope it evaporates by morning. At breakfast Phil is appalled by the sight of the thing on my foot and insists I slip on a pair of his Teutonic Toastie Warmers, an obscure slipper–sock hybrid that had been standard issue to Scandinavian troops in WWII. He has multiple pairs of the post-war commercial re-design in many colors and sizes. Like me, Phil is afflicted by thwarted consumer syndrome, wherein his favorite products and services seem to constantly fall victim to discontinuation. I am forever at the mercy of corporate whimsy, but Phil takes proactive advantage and hoards. Thank the cold, indifferent void at the center of the universe for people like Phil Milstein. He scans the paper for possible morning activities. William Shatner is in town to promote a coffee table book about the history of the AM/FM clock radio. An album of early Steely Dan demos is now in stores, according to an ad, and includes a “Louie Louie” cover. My query about whether it’s a feature or a defect does not go over well. I can hear people outside having an argument about hand-chopped walnuts and cocaine. I ask Phil about the combatants, and he directs my attention to a teacup full of seashells and wolverine teeth that one of the neighbors threw all over his car in the middle of the night. He’s holding on to them for eventual retaliation, once he is one-hundred percent sure which of them did it. He puts a Johnny Paycheck album on the stereo, opens the windows and points the speakers outside. I ask if we can drive by the old Necco Wafer factory. The last time I was here in 1987 the portrait of myself standing in front of it didn’t turn out and I’ve been miserable ever since. A successful do-over would dissolve my failings, disappointments, doubts, and insecurities like so much chalky sugar under the tongue. My plans are nixed as the site now contains nothing but billboards, the biggest of which reads “Reconstructive Surgery! Learn Online!” We spend the rest of the day listening to multiple records at the same time until it is time to leave. The best combination we come up with is a demonstration LP of Ondioline simulations of other instruments and an instructional recording about canning placenta preserves. Driving to Blue Bag Records in Cambridge, Phil tells me a long and exciting story about Bolivar O’Jay. Unfortunately, I mishear it as “bottle of o.j.,” and am completely confused, though not unimpressed with the accomplishments of the popular citrus beverage. We are interrupted when we get stuck behind a Hastee Wastee garbage truck. We try to pass but can’t. We get close enough to see that the driver looks like a Vogon poet from Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy. We take a detour and wind up behind it again a couple blocks later. The foulness and decay wafting out is pungent beyond tolerance. The thing is a rolling bilge of vomited cesspool where pickled fish heads are being set on fire. We have to be the first people in history to get stalked from in front. We park at the store, and from out of nowhere some schmuck hands us brochures with “Stop Smoking, Start Vaping” in big red letters on the front. Phil tells him his shoe is untied and when he looks down, flicks him on the nose. I crumple up the brochure and stuff it down the front of my pants while pointedly making eye contact. About five years ago, Ariella Stok’s group Sloppy Heads decided to record a cover of the old Pep Lester tune “We Are They That Ache With Amorous Love,” and tracked down Phil for permission. One can hear the results on their album Useless Smile (Shrimper 2017), which Vlada Fengenev describes as “Sometimes they are to be very rocking! Other times they are not to be rocking at all! It makes Vlada feel like she has sunshine and sometimes feels sad. Other times is giving a feeling of swirling in many-colored flotation like hippie movie about the hair.” The attention awakened one of Phil’s dormant ideas: to record pop songs that use a series of drones as a rhythm section. Toward this end, he invited Ariella to collaborate on the project dubbed Oylem Haze. The name is Yiddish for “sensual pleasure” — the “today for which hedonists live,” observes Michael Wex in his book Born To Kvetch — of which there is none in traditional Jewish culture. Not much progress was made, and back on the shelf it went. A couple years later, Yo La Tengo played at a beerfest not far from Phil’s place of employ, and there was Ariella in the company of YLT bassist James McNew. So the idea was at least on life support. Six months later, I happened to contact Phil about doing something together prior to a short tour of the area with Bren’t Lewiis Ensemble (which ended up being postponed), and he described the Oylem Haze loops he’d made from field recordings of defective ventilation equipment in various restrooms and other public places. I signed on immediately (and sent him a recording of same from Café Colonial during Norcal Noisefest in October 2017). Since they were made with her in mind, Ariella was given right of first refusal, and fortunately for all concerned, she opted in. We re-christened ourselves Suppressive Persons — Scientology jargon for heretics, apostates, free-thinkers, Leah Remini, and anyone who is a general pain-in-the-ass. Phil’s loops are drones in the sense of steady repetitive signals (as opposed to restful placid hums). Most are sharp and saturated. A couple of his pieces are field recordings made by Ariella, one from a slaughterhouse in Brooklyn (which describes a solid thirty percent of the buildings in the entire borough). One sequence includes someone (possibly Piero Heliczer) screaming obscenities out the window during a recording with Angus Maclise and Tony Conrad. It was boosted from the Dreamweapon III album (Boo-Hooray, 2011). “Another batch was made from several other pieces from the MacLise / Conrad / Cale canon,” Phil tells me. “Likewise, I swiped from both Mick Jagger’s soundtrack for Kenneth Anger’s Invocation Of My Demon Brother and Jimmy Page’s rejected one for Anger’s Lucifer Rising.” One of the few relatively complex pieces Phil made is drawn entirely from the “I”s in the “I am the magnificent!” spoken intro to the Dave & Ansel Collins track “Double Barrel.” About the sources of another good half-dozen or so he has no idea. “I usually title the pieces with a word or phrase that’ll remind me of the source, or the audio itself will include clues, but a few of these I could examine for aeons and still not remember what the fuck they’re from.” My recordings are in a similar vein, most of them sourced from guitar and keyboard recordings, run through effects, cut-up, multitracked, run through more effects, and hard-panned. Each of my thirty or so files is about five minutes long. I also have with me the Koma Elektronik field kit; I plan on using the radio and the voltage-controlled oscillator to make the solenoid rattle against a metal Partridge Family lunchbox and run it through effects. In a parking spot outside Blue Bag is the first time all three Suppressive Persons are in the same place simultaneously — and, in fact, the first time two of us have even met. Nothing especially noteworthy occurs at the moment, just the usual “how ya doin’, nice to meet you,” but we’re here to sell the sizzle, are we not? We haul the Styrofoam wrecking ball labeled “millions of years” out of Phil’s trunk — he stole it from the Creation Museum in Kentucky a couple months prior — and install it on the spot with quick-drying cement supplied by James. The Start Vaping guy stares at us in disbelief. We dine at Frank’s Steakhouse, located across the street from Blue Bag Records. The place is almost a century old, and according to the historical notes printed on the menu, has never been owned by anyone named Frank. Opinion is divided on the provenance of the name. When it was located elsewhere on Massachusetts Avenue, that particular plot of land was owned at one time by a Frank; conversely, there was a Frank who could invariably be found in the same seat at the end of the bar most nights tying one on, and so the owners of the popular yet inexplicably-at-the-time unnamed establishment shrugged and said, “Sure, why not?” The foyer has a decent, tastefully contained gallery of signed headshots of celebrities. Ariella, James and I are momentarily starstruck while Phil is outside on his cellphone trying to fix a case of identity theft that seems to be occurring in real time at that very moment. Phil is the most up-to-date on whether his friend Ellie Marshall would be joining us for dinner, and we mistakenly fail to include her in the headcount when informing Rocko the maître d’ how many are in our party. Once Phil comes in and joins us at the end of his phone calls, we ask our waitress Sharon if we could move to a bigger table. Her response is “You sit where Rocko says you sit.” Rocko, who is not wearing a Halloween costume, by the way, looks like a cross between Larry Tate from Bewitched and someone who stares at magic goats — not the kind of fellow who expects his seating assignments to endure in perpetuity. Phil pooh-poohs the notion that Sharon would notice, so we hop out of the booth to the bigger roundtable when she isn’t looking, but it is obvious she can tell. She refuses to approach and take our order. My notion that the table we had chosen is situated atop a Revolutionary War burial site that Sharon can not desecrate by trodding upon it and discussing trivialities such as “mashed, riced, fried or loaded” potatoes is deemed implausible by everyone present. James wishes we could have gotten the waitress dressed as a harlequin with ruffles that look like a demonic octopus. When Ariella waves at Sharon, all she gets in response is the “who me?” look. She finally comes over but acts like she has no idea who we are or how we got here. Phil directs us to pay attention to the menu descriptions when making our selections. Drinks with a “sugar rim” option are to be shunned. Entrées with phrases like “a full pound of” likewise put him off, but for James “on a bone a foot and a half long” is dealbreaker talk. He says it reminds him of the family car flipping over at the end of The Flintstones. I order the pan-seared bars of hotel soap with a side of recycled paper. No one notices me tearing up at my first sip of the last bottle of Simi Sauvignon Turpentine from Sonoma County, an area of Northern California currently on fire. Ariella has the boneless hand parmesan with earthworms ragout. Eventually I recall where I’d heard Ellie Marshall’s name before and embarrass myself when the moment of enlightenment scurries across my consciousness like rats on the back porch, but screw it, I get to shake the hand of the voice behind the Pep Lester track of yore “Ciao Allston.” (She is the only member of our party who, having arrived after the rest of us and therefore exempt from The Wrath Of Sharon, is asked how she likes her meal. Not surprisingly, her seagull loaf is excellent. Probably mostly thigh meat.) An affable group of flirtatious bluehairs is seated at the next table, to whom we immediately lose Phil. They are out on the town to celebrate the ninety-fifth birthday of one of their party, who attributes her youthfulness to that fact that she dances every day. He takes pictures of the ladies holding up their homemade Halloween masks and tries to squeeze anecdotes about Frank Sinatra’s model train hobby out of them. We pick up one bluehair when Ariella, who studied neuroscience at Brown, mentions Walter Benjamin’s essay “The Forgotten Hepatitis.” I am sure that comedian Stephen Wright once sat in the chair I am sitting in. There’s an autographed headshot in the foyer, and a finite number of chairs in the restaurant, and I dunno, I just have a feeling. Nobody cares. The piano player does lounge versions of Creedence Clearwater Revival tunes in a foreign tongue. Table-wide debate ensues about which language, and about his name, repeated with a different pronunciation each time — it’s Helmut Zonk or Heinrich Zuke or Heinrich Zonk or Helmut Zuke. We never reach consensus, but if he turns out to be upstream in Tommy Wiseau’s bloodline, I would not be surprised. He stops now and then to preach, but it’s more like an incoherent infomercial that, as best we can discern, advocates nothing more specific than general piousness. He’s kind of terrible at it but for some reason it doesn’t seem like his fault, just a short circuit in his charisma. Chris Strunk opens the show at Blue Bag, using snare, chopsticks, cymbal, gallstones, and rams’ testicles (just purchased still-frozen from the Icelandic market down the block), off of which one can see steam wisps rising as he sloshes them around Asian singing bowls. As someone for whom seeing music performed live became a low priority many years ago, I am delighted to discover that I miss it quite a bit. Good as his solo album No Charts Could Map My Constellations is (Killing Time Between Ice Ages, 2017), being in the same room when he performs it stops me in my tracks. Objects fly away and roll out of reach as his movements become more vigorous and the density of his cacophony spreads. It’s a beautiful collision of discipline and focus — mastered via drumming in numerous Boston-area hardcore bands and improv duos — and the induced spasticity I never stop craving to witness. After Chris’s set I notice Angela Sawyer of the now-defunct Weirdo Records standing on the other side of the room. I sidle up next to her and, before she notices me, take a moment to fantasize about wearing a pee-stained powder blue tux and escorting her to my high school prom. I interrupt her conversation to discuss custom-designing a sloped stage for Chris so that everything will roll back to the center, where pneumatic tubes can suck them up and drop them back down on him, bingo tumbler style. She’s into both ideas. Bob Beerman of Pell Mell and Cut-Out is in attendance, as is Leslie Gaffney of Popwatch magazine fame. Danny Gromfin presents me with a LAFMS cap. In the first-ever anything by Suppressive Persons, several sections yield screechy grinds that elevate the spirit. Guest drummer and Blue Bag proprietor Chris Guttmacher can find a groove where none has any earthly right to exist. Ariella’s bass barks vision-blurring tones, my favorite of which reminds me of a computer in a sci-fi movie audibly counting down how much time is left before the remaining supply of oxygen is totally depleted. I’ve long wanted to be instructed to proceed toward an escape pod. While we perform, laptops run videos of a Liberace TV special recorded live in Monte Carlo in 1982, originally broadcast on PBS, as well as a loop of “What Did You Do?” by Lily McBilly of the Bren’t Lewis Ensemble. First thing in the morning, Phil requires my assistance in the basement stirring the contents of plastic tubs filled with liquids of unnatural hues, the names of which, it is made clear to me in no uncertain terms, are NOMFB. I attempt to lighten the Blair Witch mood by comparing the swirls of hair on the surface of each vat to the designs in the cappuccino foam at coffee shops (which, for reasons I prefer not to contemplate, are a beloved component of caffeine delivery). My query about an opium pipe (sitting in the dirt) with inlaid fingernails and embroidery on the stem is met with naught but a slow-brewing smile. At one of the many strip malls that gorge on the Braintree populace like seagulls on fresh roadkill, friendly assassins masquerading as working people employed by Guitar Center cheerfully sell me replacement cords. On the way back to the house we stop at Yogi’s, a frozen yogurt shop that caters to Braintree’s plentiful little people populace. We sit on the bench outside, and Phil points out a prehistoric turtle laying eggs in a nearby tree, but a crossing guard in a Day-Glo vest gets the wrong idea. He thinks we are making fun of him. A lady double-parks in front of a funeral home and Phil and I both talk over one another trying to complete a quip to the effect that she’s dashing in to pick up a to-go order. Hold for laughter. We get back to the condo, where fellow houseguests Ariella and James, stark naked and soaking wet, are “jousting with electricity,” as they call it. The technique involves plugging power cords into the wall sockets and swatting at one’s opponent with the other end of the wire, which has been stripped bare. Both of them, laughing maniacally, have bright pink welts on their faces and forearms. They will not stop until Phil blasts them repeatedly with a fire extinguisher. In the car on the highway to Lowell, the site of our next gig, while changing discs in the CD player, we catch part of a news report on the radio about the Trump administration indictments. I’m trying to decide what to play next — Coven’s first album or Georgia Peach by Peach Cobbler — when Phil spots a convoy of all-white military vehicles with huge rocket launchers mounted on top. We get each other pretty wound up sharing paranoid visions of the inevitable shitstorm to come (at one point, we both murmur “Now it begins” simultaneously), until Phil says, “Oh, wait, those are just mail trucks.” Still, I remain deeply concerned that all the drivers look exactly like malevolent scheisse-hund televangelist Jim Bakker. To get our minds off all things apocalyptic, we muse on the predominance of the word “connector” in Massachusetts highway lingo, as if turnpikes lacking such designation are stretches of disembodied asphalt that don’t try hard enough to mingle. Listening to the thirteen-minute “Satanic Mass” on Coven’s Witchcraft Destroys Minds and Reaps Souls, with its cartoonish bellowing and cliché self-aggrandizing Devil, we amuse one another by imagining his speaking voice done by characters on The Bob Newhart Show. In Lowell, we meet up with Howard Stelzer near RRRecords, but cannot locate RRRon Lessard. A sign says the store closes at three, and RRRon himself is by appointment only. Howard assumed I’d been in touch, I assumed the same about him. Which means no RRRon for us. I am embarrassed and disappointed with myself. The proprietor of the medieval armaments boutique next door offers to rent us a 16th Century battering ram that Howard is especially keen to try out, purely in the interests of physics and geometry. Lacking enough troops to lift the thing off the ground, we are forced to pass. Phil is no help at all, as he finds a stoop where the owners have stenciled “no sitting” and is harassing passersby to take his picture sitting on that very spot. Immature, yes, but he made $25 for about ten minutes of work. Juvenile like a fox. James and Ariella access the roof via the fire escape around the corner on Jackson Street, and are rappelling down the front of the building before I even notice they are gone. They are just a bounce or two away from kicking in the window to RRRon’s apartment on the third floor when the ropes break, they land on a dumpster filled with old rubber bands, off of which they ricochet and land on their feet effortlessly right next to me. Howard says we have to eat dinner at Simply Khmer and he is not wrong. Google Cambodian food in Lowell — it’s the first thing that comes up, and with good reason. In the main dining area, there’s an enormous fish tank where balls of congealed shampoo and carnivorous tumbleweeds drift around, but the décor contains nothing else of note. Howard says four dishes would be more than enough for our party of five; we order six and hoover up every morsel, even the garnishes, and Phil has to be stopped from eating one of the spoons. We have mint shoelace rolls as an appetizer, mango-fried ants with sea scorpions, pulsating fish with holy basil (it does indeed taste hella sacred, as advertised), a vat of forest fire pork delight, a banana leaf bowl heaped with mesmerizing curry ooze that changes color, and ginger organ meat that makes everyone who tastes it immediately speak in tongues for about fifteen seconds until the effect wears off. A group of Howard’s students walk by when we all happen to be doing it at the same time and laughingly refer to us as The Table Of Babel. On the way back to town, I win ten dollars in a bet with the GPS. We park the car and drag our stuff toward unchARTed, the café / gallery / live space where we’re playing. We pass by a restaurant called Athenian Fantasia Garden; it seems insanely well lit to me. Everything we can see through the window that’s not painted pure white is made of cobalt-colored glass. It looks like the aftermath of a solar eclipse on a planet where the sun is blue. We come upon a yoga studio, and Phil pauses to mock what he calls “the leg-pull circle.” A dude on a bicycle whizzes by at that very moment and screams “leg-pull circle!” The first thing one notices about unchARTed upon entering is the aroma of pizza. Easily the most intense I’ve ever encountered. Even with full guts, we all want some. Since I will not be using my gambling profits to purchase albino livestock I treat myself to another last bottle of Sonoma County paint thinner. Next are the paintings. Kishor Haulenbeek’s color palette in this series, entitled Scapegoats, is not far removed from Geiger; he displays an affinity for Bacon’s view of the human form as somewhat monstrous, and, in a painting where the central figure’s arms terminate with actual shovels attached to the canvas, he references Ted Nugent’s wretched album Scream Dream. There are other paintings with attached objects — a pregnant woman with metal washers from a fire hydrant on her belly, and a saint with the tips of javelins protruding from his piehole — but the show is dominated by straight portraiture of multi-limbed nudes, figures with trees growing out of their skulls, various mutilations and mutations that depict ergot poisoning from the point of view of the victims. As a collection of purgatorial serfs who are about as glamorous as pus-filled potato skins, most of them are incredibly fit. Appa, Howard’s enormous white Great Pyrenees, is less thrilled to make my acquaintance than I his. We have both been referred to in different contexts as a cross between a very chill Labrador Retriever and a polar bear, so you’d think we’d have a lot to talk about. But Appa is a working dog, a detail I either ignored if I was told, or forgot due to carelessness. Maybe he was put off by the thing on my foot, which is starting to smell like charred Fritos. Chris Strunk’s set — all acoustic, no amplification — is essentially the same as at Blue Bag, but inside unchARTed’s larger, mostly empty room, surrounded by cement walls and a floor-to-ceiling window, it sounds even more amazing. The reverberations are fuller, more immense, and the waves of ringing punctuated by the clack of gallstones and frozen testicles hitting the floor seem to penetrate the body from all sides. As he performs, he happens to be seated directly under a bright red light pointing straight down. He thrashes the cymbal against the snare drum as blobs of reflected crimson collide all over his face. It’s like watching a Bob Newhart character gaze into a luminous cauldron filled with cochineal extract chowder. By the time I get out my phone, the moment has passed. Having heard part of Howard’s Normal Bias album (Ballast, 2016) on the Tabs Out podcast, Nevada-based cinematographer Joe Taylor asked him to compose a soundtrack to The Crossing, a western he was making. “Joe sent me ... scenes from the film and a few short, non-narrative pieces and I was blown away,” Howard recollects. “Most of his work shows gorgeous, very detailed shots of the Nevada desert, mountains, skies, things like that. I agreed to compose the soundtrack, but ended up making about two hours of music — far more than Joe needed…. I asked him to make an ‘extended film’ based on The Crossing…, forty-minute[s] … of only the landscape shots. No plot or actors. I’d then use all the elements of my soundtrack as source sounds for a new performance piece [tonight at unchARTed] to accompany this new non-narrative movie.” The extended film based on The Crossing juxtaposes shots of subject matter of greatly contrasting scale — from vast desert landscapes and cosmos / atmosphere images with immense staging to close-ups of insects and rural houses overrun by dead trees and vines. The cumulative effect of this neo-Immobilist style is a deceleration in the viewer’s default need for stimulus. One’s senses are heightened and minuscule details become notable. As a train glides across a bridge, shadows rebound all over the oblong metal, in and among the waves of reflected heat shimmers. In a frame dominated by dramatically lit clouds shot from an oblique angle, the tip of a shrub in the dark lower corner madly twitches. After a half hour, one’s frame of mind is palpably altered, imbuing the impact of deviations from the style with otherworldy gravitas. One such moment depicts a rural traffic sign that says “funeral” with a single blinking yellow light as an old-fashioned Amish horse-and-buggy passes by. “Joe used some imagery that isn’t from The Crossing, like the Amish stuff,” explains Howard. “I’m very attracted to images that give a strong impression of a specific place, and his films capture the American southwest so wonderfully. After making the soundtrack (an album of which will come out on Flag Day Recordings in 2018), I wanted to keep it going. The expanded film idea allows me to continue to explore the sounds I made, and also present my work in a situation that I haven’t ever tried before…, to make something that could only be a live performance.” Howard’s set-up at unchARTed seems mind-boggling to me, but that is more a measure of the gulf between how much experience performing live there is between us. To hear him explain how he navigates playing forty different cassettes in a dozen different tape players, it doesn’t seem any more complicated than solving a Rubik’s Cube while it’s on fire. I wonder if there’s an improvisational aspect to it. Nope, there hasn’t been any improv in Howard’s work for a very long time. His performances are all composed pieces of music where “the tapes themselves are stages of manipulation of source material,” he says, “created in my studio and separated out onto cassette tapes before the show. The tapes are all labeled, so I know what sounds are on each one, and in which order I use the tapes in which combinations…. [F]or example…, two cassettes with somewhat high-pitched sounds are played on tape decks run through the mixer…. I pitch one of them down a bit with the speed knob ... to create something like a chord..., and at the same time, I have the same source stacked forty layers deep with all the highs chopped off coming out of a sound file on my laptop so that it’s quite clear in the P.A. A different, more textural sound is played into the air (not amplified or going through the P.A.). That combination works for a certain set of images on the film, then it transitions to a different set of sounds on different tapes, and so on.” I assume his source materials are field recordings of some sort, and I am wrong again. He says he isn’t sure what they are, exactly, but they definitely aren’t that. “I tend to re-use my sounds over and over again,” he says, “but change them drastically each time so that they’re not recognizable and different aspects of them are pulled out. I like to play tapes into different acoustic environments around the city, and record them onto new tapes. Then I’ll play those tapes out into environments that further alter the sounds. I do that again and again.” The only sounds he gathered specifically for the unchARTed show are by Jeff Barsky “playing a melodic line on guitar, based on a few bars of a Brahms piece” because Joe wanted something based on that Brahms piece for the opening titles. Both “a tape-manipulated treatment of a pro recording of the Brahms piece and a few different treatments of Jeff playing it on guitar build the main melodic element.” The second-ever Suppressive Persons show is in some ways as much a leap into the unknown as the one the previous night at Blue Bag. Gone is the understated yet propulsive drumming of Chris Guttmacher, so Ariella, Phil and I agree there is no point in trying to do a series of shorter tracks. Instead we play continuously for forty straight minutes with the Liberace special projected above our heads on a big screen. I try to use tracks that are more overtly repetitive to compensate for our Chrislessness. The acoustics definitely enhance our layered amorphous space screech. About half way through, I glance around the room and realize all the locals have cleared out; the only people there are employees and performers. Not a single outsider witnesses the staggering beauty of this once-in-a-lifetime performance. Even my recorder craps out part of the way through. At one point, Suppressive Persons remind me of a dream I posted about on Facebunk a year-and-a-half ago; in it, an old roommate, Rory Cox, was playing an amplified banjo so loudly that it was "almost ambient, but not quite. The room was filled with an odd texture, a woozy, smooth scraping dotted with squeebs and plinks. Accompanying him was Silvia Kastel processing the meows, yelps, and purrs of the café owner’s cat through vocoder. A three-man crew was raising and lowering sailboat rigging, mounted sideways at the top of the wall, which added the sounds of creaking wood and clanking hardware and rope whirring through pulleys to the mix." The first item on the day’s agenda is which method should be employed in rousting Ariella and James. I want to spritz them with gardenia water, but Phil says we should roll around on top of them doing Joe Flaherty’s Sammy Maudlin and John Candy’s Pavarotti. Seems kind of soon in the relationship for erotic massage. When asleep, by the way, Ariella resembles what depictions I’ve seen of Sitalmata, the Hindu smallpox goddess. After two shows, it is self-evident that she could conceivably be an incarnation of “the one who cools.” A re-think about acquisition of an albino donkey is in order. And if a biopic of Romanian composer Iancu Dumitrescu ever gets made, James McNew needs to be on the casting director’s radar. He would nail it. Over a breakfast of uglifruit and desiccant croutons, Phil reads selections from the autobiography of Hank Ketcham, author of Dennis The Menace comics. The level of detail in the backstories of his characters is fascinating, disturbing, and slightly depressing. We agree to perform a Wiccan ceremony at some point that will manifest Gina Gillotti. We get a late start on the road trip to our third show in Florence, as the bed I slept on has to be incinerated and we miscalculate the burn time of the futon mattress. I feel bad. Anyone who knows me knows I hate being “that guy.” We stop for lunch at a Tennessee BBQ place, where the ceiling is decorated with bottle caps that spell out Funk! Slaw! Ribs! Blues! and suchlike. We go family style on trays of barbecued cold sores, pulled snout, lips brisket, fermented dandelion greens, and miniature bales of hay. By the end our shirts are splattered with sauce, much to Phil’s distress. My attempts to calm him by comparing the design to tie-dye does not set his mind at ease. Finding a roadside bib emporium is now part of our agenda. Hoping to take the edge off the negative body imaging, James treats us all to a mani-pedi at the beauty parlor next door before we get back in the car. We head to Florence, a semi-autonomous neighborhood of Northampton, in separate vehicles. Passing through downtown Northhampton, Phil and I stop at a tea café. The décor is Tibetan ren-faire. Phil cries out excitedly that “they have a whole book of nothing but teas from Togo!” but it turns out to be of “teas to go.” Deflated, he orders Lipton, along with a pastry that is some sort of cookie-pie-Newton hybrid, the ingredients of which are a secret, although rest assured it has never been within twelve miles of gluten. I detect notes of broccoli and spores. After twenty minutes and counting, there is no sign of the Hawaiian green tea I ordered. Jesse Pinkman could have cooked a batch of crystal meth faster. We get in trouble for playing with the stammtisch on our table, which we don’t know would summon a server when tinkled. Since she’s here, we ask about our order. She is snippy and pissed off that we demand warm twig water in under an hour. Clearly we are dilettantes when it comes to the etiquette of exotic brackish sipping. “Go back to Dunkin Donuts,” her glare unmistakably insinuates. The server’s explanation for my ridiculously complicated tea, once it arrives, is to my ears little more than low-decibel howling noises. The sticks are steeping in a bowl with a lid, next to another bowl on a slatted wood platform with a tiny Sanskrit book containing prayers I am supposed to recite each time I re-infuse the sticks with water from the glass pitcher sitting atop a candle in a box. No eye contact is made when we gulp and dash. We drive through the countryside in silence. I suspect we have been dosed, as punishment for our loutish behavior. Phil hits the brakes and we screech to a halt on a country road. He is astonished by a little girl setting up to play croquet in her front yard, specifically her red velvet dress, which seems alarmingly cake-like, and the clicking of the wickets as she pushes them into the soil. So much clicking. I try to tell him about the old man I see taking an afternoon constitutional with a gray razorback on a leash, but he says I’m harshing his mellow. We arrive at the multi-story warehouse that is home to Feeding Tube Records. As we drag our stuff through the corridors, we pass a studio where archery is being taught. We hear the steady doop-fwip-thunk of arrows getting shot at targets. As soon as I wonder if indoors is the best place for such an activity, I hear a voice scream out in pain and another voice cry “Oh, shit!” I feel responsible and run toward Feeding Tube, terrified that the paramedics will want to have a word with me. Phil mistakes co-proprietor Ted Lee’s Bedouin scarf for a neckbrace and, understandably concerned, inquires about his injury. I figure he’s another Pavarotti enthusiast. Fellow co-proprietor Byron Coley arrives, sorts out the Abbot-and-Costello-style misunderstanding by knocking our heads together à la Three Stooges and gets busy cooking a delicious Charlie Chaplin-esque dinner for all attendees: agreeable toad hoof gelatin (vegetarian), generously dolloped with creamy amphibian foam. I overhear Cynthia Meadows from the nearby Mystery Train talking about a pet chupacabra and think to myself “Damn, I want to party with her.” There’s a good chance I say it out loud. At this point I can no longer be sure which of my thoughts are audible. I may have invited Bren’t Lewiis to perform at her shop in downtown Amherst. I guess we’ll find out when we show up. Zuma The Little King cannot make the show, and I try to receive the regrets he has sent stoically. I present MV and Erika with a dog bone chewtoy for him. The Feeding Tube space also hosts the Rozz Tox art gallery, which last night opened Yo La Tengo drummer Georgia Hubley’s series of paintings titled Invitation To The Trance, overseen by Rozz Tox curator Lili Dwight. No large-scale oil paintings (“too much fucking trouble,” Georgia says in the catalog). The “columns of paint daubs” remind Ariella of “chromatography experiments in which the parts of a mixture reveal their constituent[s] … by traveling from their source at different speeds.” Indeed, there is a veering toward and away from isometric repetition, a nice brouhaha where the authority of graphic design is challenged by the free-swinging hand of fate. Some of the paintings, notes Ariella, “are maplike, with shapes, lines, and paths that suggest the topographies of a subconscious terrain,” a detail that resonates with both of us equally. There is very little serenity on the surface of Hubley’s paintings, despite her pastel-leaning palette. She foregrounds the omnipresent rumble and beautifully apprehends otherwise unseen collisions and ripples and vectors. In the paintings with “rows of circles rising above a horizon line,” Ariella imagines “Hubley’s mid-bash view of the audience while seated behind the drum kit, bathed in the bright lights of a Yo La Tengo rock show.” “Working is generally a very non-committal process for me,” Georgia explains in the catalog, discussing her incorporation of collage, with its perpetual lack of closure. “Which is good because I can do whatever I want without a lot of pressure, but the pressure is good, too, because it makes me decide that something is done.” Her paintings feel like cross-sections of an agitated ether, sliced out of time and space, mounted on a glass slide and magnified as if under a microscope. Free-thinker, ascended mentor and aesthetic cicerone Conrad Capistran enters wearing the same L.L. Bean flannel as me (a tartan called Black Watch, the tribal garb of my people). Among the contributions to my consciousness he has made, the most significant are turning me on to Parmegiani’s La Création Du Monde and observing that “basically, we’re all a bunch of hairless apes running around wasting each other’s time.” He gives me a copy of the Feeding Tube album by himself and Joshua Burkett performing under the name Tarp. Two side-long tracks, “Pinna” backed with “Tympanic,” created with synth, stylophone, guitar doink, and no doubt other encoded objects, are high-Colognic inner-earth percolations that move unfussily with a considered primitive sheen. The duo’s space gurgles transmit abstractions from the executive lobes of two black yogiraji contemplating a Jesus-vs-Darwin street brawl — the same laggard woont one finds in Adderall testing facilities. But then there is the violent stripping of peels from chrome vegetables in a garden alight with the elongated purrs of hovering meatbirds and hollow bumblebees. Gravel sheers off cliff-faces and contaminates the pit where bone-meal-polished eyeballs of flickering electricity snuffle the armpits of an oatmeal toad. Machines ejaculate rubber threads into flasks of boiling dirt as erotically ambidextrous sexbots play the cello and chess in an afterhours opium den hallway where the walls pulsate with grease and impure colors. He also slips me a copy of Only Jesus Can Make Me, his 2011 solo album released by the Manhand label under the name The Sound Of Pot. In abundance here are controlled burns where the monophony of “TV OD” meets Satie’s gittin’ her done ethos. With the termini of Conrad’s spectrum anchored respectively to starkness and fertility, he automatically weeds out prolonged indulgence and sentimentality. It’s a genius process that allows for lushness without sacrificing tension. Conrad is an exquisitely sinister understater; at twenty-five tracks, the album uses synthesizer, piano, other keyboards, possibly guitars on what could easily pass for a lost collection of library music and vintage cues by an overlooked Italian. Our set at Feeding Tube is the best of the three. The Suppressive Persons sound is starting to gel, at least enough so that the idea of doing it again some time isn’t completely laughable. But there is only one unbiased opinion that matters, and it resides in the mind of James McNew, the sole audience member who was at all three shows. Ariella, Phil and I surround him. He knows we want something. I feel afraid for him, but he remains cool. “So James,” says Phil, channeling Kenickie Murdoch. “What’s our next move?” Without missing a beat, James says, “You should go to Europe. Then I won’t have to hear you again.” Byron and Lili allow Phil and me to spend the night at their house in Deerfield. We attempt to raid the fridge for a midnight snack, and all we find inside are jars of brine. Phil can’t completely discount the possibility that Byron is a DIY rocket fuel hobbyist, so we start poppin’ ’em open and taste a bunch. Standing in the cryo-fog, barely able to see because of the glare of the fridge light, sipping from a mason jar of light pink cider, there is nothing else to do but the post-game wrap-up. Phil says, “What I liked best ... was the fact that we weren’t at all times certain of who was making which sound. More than once during the shows one of us would look at another with a glance that asked ‘Is that you?’ and the other would reply with a shrug that said ‘Fuck if I know’. That’s probably not in the official list of how to know when a band is cookin’, but it should be.” I’m curious about why the Liberace footage was chosen and pass Phil a bottle of cyan alkali. He says, “The original colors are so faded that it’s all but in black-and-white now, retaining a faint tint of snot-green in areas that had most likely originally been lurid yellow. Likewise, due to the effects of multi-generation VHS copying, the picture fidelity is disintegrated, to the point where luminescent highlights — superabundant in any Liberace presentation, of course — now throb in places they’d merely undulated. These effects add a sense of disorientation to the audience’s experience, which, when coupled with the Suppressive Persons’ so-called music, enable the ultimate contextual effects I’m after. The irony is that the Persons are the only people at the shows who have no idea how effective the experiment is.” We clink glasses and finish off the Coley-Dwight’s gray-purple marinade. That night I dream of reclining on an inflatable pool raft, drifting aimlessly as I gaze up at a sky slathered in lime and burnt umber splats. I can’t really get up or even identify where I am or how far from land I am, but I don’t mind. It feels so bucolic and effortless. I have no concerns. One of my hands happens to slide off the side of the raft and I realize the body of water I’m on is frozen solid.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1217
__label__cc	0.605283	0.394717	Team Meeting Times Join one of our Action Committees! Some of our most important work is done by people like you, who decide to join an action committee and participate directly in our projects and campaigns. You can get involved just a little – or a lot. Call us, drop by the office, or drop in on a meeting. You don't need to be an expert - everyone is welcome! All meetings take place at the EAC headquarters at 2705 Fern Lane, unless otherwise specified. The Built Environment Committee meets on the second Thursday of every month at 6:30pm. Encourages ecologically sustainable, affordable and healthy building design and construction, and promotes urban planning and design in harmony with the natural and social environment. Click here to learn more. Contact: David Stonham, Committee Chair Bird Conservation Committee The Ecology Action Centre’s Bird Conservation Committee engages in research, education & policy change to reverse these declines of migratory and non-migratory bird species in Atlantic Canada. We work to educate the public about preventable causes of bird death. Learn more. The Committee meets on a semi-regular basis. Contact Patti Green if you're interested in joining a meeting. Green Burial Nova Scotia The Green Burial working group meets on the second Wednesday of each month, from 6:30-8:30pm. Green Burial Nova Scotia is working to increase green burial awareness and availability for all Nova Scotians. Our meetings are open and occur the second Wednesday of each month, 6:30-8:30 pm. For more information please contact Deborah Luscomb at deathmatters.ca@gmail.com. The Marine Action Committee meets on the last Wednesday of every month at 6:30pm The MAC works towards a future healthy, sustainable Ocean. We focus on creating opportunities for learning about important local, regional, and international marine issues, and opportunities for engagement. Right now we're working on a campaign around reducing ocean plastics. Please email our Co-Chair Meredith Bessey at marineactioncommittee@gmail.com for more info and to be added to the committee's mailing list, or click here to learn more about our meetings! The Energy Action Team meets on the first Tuesday of every month at 5:30pm. Climate change inevitably impacts all of us. The Energy Action Team inspires Nova Scotians to prosper in a future that is free of fossil fuels, where energy is used as efficiently as possible. Through education, consultation and advocacy with the public and government, we work for a just transition into this future. Contact: Tina Northrup or Catherine Kingston, Energy Action Team Co-Chairs: kostantina.northrup@gmail.com / catherine.kingston@gmail.com Energy Action Team Staff Office - (902) 442-0199 The Sustainable Transportation Action Team meets on the first Monday of every month at 5:30pm. The Sustainable Transportation Action Team aims to improve sustainable transportation options in Nova Scotia, making travel in and between our communities more safe, reliable, convenient and environmentally friendly. Contact: Meghan Doucette, Chair The Wilderness Issues Committee meets on the third Thursday of every month at 6:00pm. The Wilderness Issues Committee is focused on establishing more protected areas and improving how forests are managed. Contact: Reba McIver, Co-Chair Ecology & Action Magazine Our Ecology & Action Magazine committee meets six times per year. We produce three issues annually, in the spring, summer, and fall. We're always looking for interested writers and editors to join our team. We also accept written articles for consideration for inclusion. To find out more, please contact Cormekia Clayton at info@ecologyaction.ca or (902) 429–2202 We need people with some basic home repair and organizing skills, as well as those with a keen interest in learning about home repair and green renovations. The Home Maintenance Committee is responsible for the general maintenance of our Fern Lane home and organizes "work parties" as needed. Contact: Cormekia Clayton at info@ecologyaction.ca or (902) 429-2202 Office, Admin & Miscellaneous From time to time, we have opportunities for volunteering in our office once a week or helping out with administration of the EAC and its projects. Contact Joanna Bull at joanna@ecologyaction.ca or 902-454-5226 For all other volunteer opportunities, please visit our current opportunities page, or contact our Volunteer Coordinator Joanna Bull at joanna@ecologyaction.ca or at 902-454-5226.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1220
__label__wiki	0.859443	0.859443	The Threepenny Opera (King’s Theatre: 15-16 September) Posted in 4*, King's Theatre, Musical Theatre, Theatre by Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller “A charming production full of talent” Editorial Rating: 4 Stars The musical legacy of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s vibrantly satirical ‘play with music’ The Threepenny Opera is a curious one. Its opening anthem, “Mack the Knife,” has subsequently gained far more acclaim and recognition as a jazz standard in English since its debut in 1928 Berlin. The sultry refrain still tells of the deliciously violent antics of the notorious Macheath — every bit as much a bloodthirsty criminal as a salacious womanizer — but the original Socialist criticisms of capitalism and societal greed inherent in the original context of the character have somewhat faded. However, in their current production of Weill and Brecht’s piece, The Attic Collective yank the socialism and social Darwinism back into focus with grandiosity and verve to spare. The assembled talent has carefully chosen a threadbare aesthetic and a frantic tone, both of which are appreciated considering it’s nearly three-hour runtime. The blocking, choreographed by Dawn-Claire Irvine, is frenetic, with bodies and props being hurled around the stage with sometimes dizzying energy. The set, managed by Tony King, is almost completely empty, save the minuscule bandstand area and temporary furnishings wheeled on to create a sense of space, which is accomplished well. The band is led with both humour and talent by Simon Goldring, whose musical direction fits well into the play’s dingy background. The most remarkably funny aspect of the stagecraft is the use of projected slides to flatly assert location. Before most scenes, white typeface bluntly explains context, and briefly puts up an Edinburgh equivalent of where these London-set scenes might take place, eliciting many a laugh for their timing and matter-of-factness. Had these been paired with a more self-serious, pretentious production, they would seem tacky; had they been employed by a less dynamic, more straightforwardly silly group, they’d be out of place for their dry humour. But to their credit, The Attic Collective’s decisions like this strike exactly the right tone (more often than not), between gormless and grandiose, threadbare and thrifty, funny and frank. Max Reid is excellent as the appallingly villainous Mr. Peachum, particularly for the bombast he brings to his first scene, directly after the chorus’s “Mack the Knife” introduction. Reid successfully guides the audience from the familiar sounds of the standard to the viciously satirical tone of the rest of the production, which is no easy feat. As (occasionally) the cruelty and pitch-black comedy of Brecht’s script might come off as too much to find funny, it is particularly commendable that director Susan Worsfold has chosen to emphasise the comedy wherever possible. Toby Williams, as a hapless and clueless beggar, is hilarious with excellent timing, and Hannah Bradley as Mrs Peachum displays a genuinely impressive talent for balancing daft operatic turns of plot and phrase with an accomplished singing voice and terrific stage presence. And this is all the first scene. Charlie West’s Mack the Knife takes time to get used to, but ultimately shines as the play pushes his character farther and farther from the archetypal ladykiller/people-killer role. His singing is good, and well-suited to the choppiness of Brecht’s plotting, as some intentionally off-kilter scenes and character dynamics look and sound more grating than polished. Given the tone of the production, these are presumably meant to be that way. West also displays nice comedic timing, but the truly gifted comedic dynamic was found more frequently among his criminal posse: Lewis Gribben, Elsa Strachan, John Spilsbury, Mark O’Neill and occasionally Conor McLeod. They all display real camaraderie and genuinely funny quips whenever present: another respite given the sometimes exhausting length of the proceedings. Mack’s various women, played by Kirsty Punton, Megan Fraser and Sally Cairns, are characterised well, and each command the stage when given the opportunity. Special note goes to Cairns’ exquisitely gauche costume. In fact, the behind-the-scenes decisions are some of the most impressive aspects of the show: the use of the King’s Theatre’s actual boxes during a brothel-based interchange in particular is an inspired choice, delivering further hilarity. The political and societal implications, are however, noticeably muddled, from the greediness and homoeroticism within head of police Tiger Brown (Andrew Cameron), to the jarring humour on display while Mack languishes in a prison cell waiting to be hanged by the distinctly humourless guard (Adam Butler). The spaces crafted by mime and sparse prop work, including a very funny use of a ladder as all-things-jail-call, but frequently have their implied rules broken, from doors switching to windows, walls vanishing entirely, locks fitting into keyholes where previously there was nothing, and entire crowds miraculously appearing and disappearing: the staging too often does not make any sense. Granted, these are aspects of Brecht’s dismantled view of theatricality in general, but when the plot twists and turns so freely it would have help to define spaces a little bit more. Overall, The Threepenny Opera is a charming production full of talent and featuring some particularly inspired choices and aesthetics. There could be a little more there in the way of clarity, but hey, it’s Brecht. Most charmingly, it gives a whole lot of context for the flawless “Mack the Knife” standard itself, and for a superfan like myself that’s welcome. And if you weren’t a fan of the song beforehand, you will be once the curtains have closed. Reviewer: Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller (Seen 15 September) Visit the King’s Theatre archive. « What Shadows (Lyceum: 7 – 23 September ’17) Pleading (Traverse: 3 – 7 October ’17) »	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1223
__label__cc	0.666979	0.333021	MD, PhD, FMedSci, FRSB, FRCP, FRCPEd. « Osteopathy seems to work wonders, it even shortens hospital stay !?! The “competent homeopath”, a contradiction in terms? » Is a herbal mixture the solution to the obesity epidemic? Published Tuesday 16 July 2013 It hardly is a secret: we have a growing problem with obesity. Worldwide it is predicted to cause millions of premature deaths – unless, of course, we come up with a safe and effective treatment that patients find acceptable. Many herbal remedies are being promoted as the solution to this serious problem. My team looked at the evidence for such treatments in much detail. Sadly the results were less than impressive. But now, there seems to be new hope! Two recent studies of a specific herbal mixture report amazingly good results – or are they perhaps too good to be true? Stern JS, Peerson J, Mishra AT, Sadasiva Rao MV and Rajeswari KP from the Department of Nutrition and the Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis, have just published an RCT in 60 subjects with body mass index (BMI) between 30 and 40 kg/square meter. Participants received either 400 mg herbal capsules with extracts from Sphaeranthus indicus and Garcinia mangostana or 400 mg placebo capsules twice daily. During the study period, participants consumed a standard diet (2,000 kcal per day) and walked 30 min 5 days per week. After 8 weeks of this treatment, significant reductions in body weight (3.7 kg), BMI (1.6 kg/m2), and waist circumference (5.4 cm) were observed in the herbal group compared with placebo. Additionally, a significant increase in serum adiponectin concentration was found in the herbal group versus placebo. Adverse events were mild and were equally distributed between the two groups. The authors’ conclusion leave no doubt: Supplementation with the herbal blend resulted in a greater degree of weight loss than placebo over 8 weeks. As our own review had suggested that extracts of Garcinia cause small short-term weight reductions, the results did not come as a complete surprise to me. What did strike me as odd, however, was the fact that almost simultaneously another article was published. It was authored by Stern JS, Peerson J, Mishra AT, Mathukumalli VS and Konda PR from the Department of Nutrition, University of California-Davis, and it reported the pooled data from the above plus another, similarly designed trial. The two studies together enrolled 100 patients who were treated either with the same herbal formula or with placebo. All subjects received 2000 kcal/day throughout the study and walked 5 days a week for 30 min. The primary outcome was the reduction in body weight. Secondary outcomes were reductions in BMI and in waist and hip circumference. Serum glycaemic, lipid, and adiponectin levels were also measured. Ninety-five subjects completed the trials, and the data from these two studies were pooled and analysed. At study conclusion (8 weeks), statistically significant reductions in body weight (5.2 kg), BMI (2.2 kg/m2), as well as waist (11.9 cm) and hip circumferences (6.3 cm) were observed in the pooled herbal groups compared with placebo. A significant increase in serum adiponectin concentration was also found in the herbal groups versus placebo at study conclusion along with reductions in fasting blood glucose (12.2%), cholesterol (13.8%), and triglyceride (41.6%) concentrations. No changes were seen across organ function panels, multiple vital signs, and no major adverse events were reported. The minor adverse events were equally distributed between the two groups. And what should be odd about that? Authors are entitled to pool the data of two of their own trials! Yes, of course, but what confuses me is the fact that the data from the second study of 40 patients cannot be found anywhere. I would have liked to see how it is possible that the results from just 40 more patients (actually just 35 seemed to have been included in the analysis) raise the average weight loss from 3.7 kg in the first RCT to a remarkable 5.2 kg in the two RCTs together. As a rough estimate, this means that, in the second trial, patients who took the herbal mixture must have lost about one kilo per week more than those who were on placebo. If true, this outcome is pretty sensational! It could signal the end of the obesity epidemic. It would also mean that the manufacturer of this herbal wonder mixture stands to earn billions. Considering the potential importance of these findings, I would also like to know what precisely the Californian researchers’ involvement has been in these two studies. In the second article they state that: The two clinical trials were performed at Alluri Sitarama Raju Academy of Medical Sciences (ASRAM), Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, India from November 2009 to April 2010 (clinical trial registration number: ISRCTN45078827) and from March 2010 to July 2010 (clinical trial registration number: ISRCTN52261953). I find this puzzling. Moreover, it would be interesting to learn what happened to the following co-authors of the first study: Sadasiva, Rao MV and Rajeswari KP. As authors of the largest of the two trials, I would have thought their names would have to be included in the article reporting the pooled data of the two studies. Call me sceptical, perhaps even cynical, but I do wonder about trials which seem to beg so many intriguing questions. In case you want to know who funded these studies and who thus stands to make the above-named billions, the answer is provided in the second paper: This work was supported by an unrestricted grant from InterHealth Nutraceuticals Inc., Benicia, CA, to J.S.S. So, do I think that we have finally identified a safe and effective treatment to combat the worldwide epidemic of obesity? Well…. Posted in alternative medicine, clinical trial, commercial interests, herbal medicine, obesity \| Tagged alternative medicine, bias, herbal medicine 6 Responses to Is a herbal mixture the solution to the obesity epidemic? brianbuchbinder on Tuesday 16 July 2013 at 13:32 You don’t say what the weight/BMI changes were in the placebo arm. I’m assuming that 2000 kcal diet plus regular exercise meant some weight loss in both arms. Also, as any dieter will tell you, the first pounds (kg, sorry) are the easy ones particularly since body takes time to adjust metabolism to lower food intake/exercise increase I’d like to see whether over longer term there is any difference at all. Irene on Tuesday 16 July 2013 at 14:27 Perhaps I missed it, but you didn’t say in what journal these studies were published. Seems the authors only published in order to be able to cite “proven in studies” or some other such blurb, in their promotional materials. It’s a shame that any university would support such sloppy “research” and even worse that anyone would publish it. Isn’t there some mechanism to critique methodology BEFORE studies are approved? Edzard on Tuesday 16 July 2013 at 14:32 the links take you to the journals. criticising research BEFORE it is published is not normally possible for the public [only the ethics committee might do that]; sometimes, the authors publish the protocol, in which case one might be able to do that. Irene on Wednesday 17 July 2013 at 18:52 I didn’t mean to imply that anything should be critiqued prior to publication. I meant to say that before research proposals are even approved, shouldn’t there be some way to reject studies that are sure to fall short of valid conclusions–like not having controls, for example? I realize that some studies are preliminary, and mean to establish the need for further work. In such a case, shouldn’t that be made clear? I will follow the links, and thank you–I should have realized! 🙂 So there’s a journal called OBESITY–who knew? How does a layperson know how to evaluate a journal that would publish a study that researches an herbal formula for which the authors pretty clearly have a financial interest: “This work was supported by an unrestricted grant from InterHealth Nutraceuticals Inc., Benicia, CA, to J.S.S.” One certainly cannot trust the media–even the NY Times, as they regularly do a pretty poor job reporting on “health”. The comments from the readership that are offered on these articles demonstrate a profound lack of basic science education. Thank goodness for books like yours (Trick or Treatment) and blogs like ScienceBasedMedicine, et al., but the readership is so much smaller! Pingback: Finally, a slimming aid that actually works? If you want to be able to edit your comment for five minutes after you first submit it, you will need to tick the box: “Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.” Homeopathy? Which one? Yet another study shows the negative effects of SCAM use for cancer patients German health insurers urged to end homeopathy refunds Spinal manipulation in children amounts to abuse Homeopathy in France: a triumph of reason over profit A new example of ‘excellence in homeopathic research’ The two essential principles of homeopathy research Another ban of homeopathy (and several other SCAMs) Note that comments can be edited for up to five minutes after they are first submitted but you must tick the box: “Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.” The most recent comments from all posts can be seen here. Michael Kenny on Homeopathy? Which one? Björn Geir on A new example of ‘excellence in homeopathic research’ Dr Julian Money-Kyrle on Gerson therapy: a treatment to avoid at all cost Edzard on Gerson therapy: a treatment to avoid at all cost RG on Gerson therapy: a treatment to avoid at all cost Edzard on Fatalities in a German alternative medicine clinic caused by 3BP? Alan Henness on Spinal manipulation in children amounts to abuse Steve Tonkin on Boiron’s homeopathic visit to the vagina Frank Odds on Boiron’s homeopathic visit to the vagina nene peterson on Spinal manipulation in children amounts to abuse "energy" healing alternative therapist bogus claims caniosacral therapy case-control study commercial interests coronary heart disease cost-effectiveness diagnostic method Ernst's law gullible consumer infant colic integrated medicine Iscador lymph-oedema mountain sickness musculoskeletal problems post-operative ileus quackery reviewer bias risk/benefit Samueli Institute scientific misconduct symptom-relief test of time urin therapy acupuncture alternative medicine arthritis Ayurveda bias bogus claims Boiron cancer chiropractic DSHEA ethics evidence false positive FDA fritzsche future discoveries Heel herbal medicine holism homeopathy informed consent irrationality law libel medical ethics meta-analysis migraine misleading consumers NICE Nowicky osteopathy placebo political correctness post-modernism prince charles research methodology risk royal protection scientific misconduct stroke TCM Ukrain unreason vascular accident Walach Privacy and cookies: this site uses cookies. By continuing to browse this website you are agreeing to their use and our Privacy policy Copyright © 2012–2019 Edzard Ernst. All Rights Reserved. Please remember: if you make a claim in a comment, support it with evidence.	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1226
__label__wiki	0.864695	0.864695	Fair Casino Reviews Fair Casino Reviews Best fair live casinos Best fair online casino bonuses Best fair online casinos Best fair online slots New fair online casinos Summer casinos Sportsbetting casinos Fair Mobile Casinos Fair Mobile Casinos About Online Gaming About Online Gaming Gambling licenses Game suppliers White Label Casinos Beginners Guide Beginners Guide Casinos News Sportsbetting Blog Tabcorp agrees $51 million penalty to exit Sun Bets deal in the UK Mathias Jensen Published 26/07-2018 Australian integrated gambling and entertainment company, Tabcorp Holdings (TAH.AX), on Thursday announced that it would pay Rupert Murdoch’s News UK a penalty of 39.5 million pounds ($51.4 million) to exit their struggling gaming joint venture with Sun Bets. The parties that have operated the UK online wagering and gaming business together since 2016 after having announced their partnership the previous year. Tabcorp further communicated in the official press release that in the coming days, Sun Bets will “cease trading,” with the firm’s Chief Executive Officer, David Attenborough (pictured), stating that Sun Bets’ performance has been “below expectations” and that they don’t expect to see a “material improvement over the next 18 months.” The company that manages customer brands, including TAB, tab.com.au, Luxbet, Sky Racing, Sky Sports Radio, Tabcorp Gaming Solutions (TGS), Keno and Trackside animated racing game, formally declared last month that it intended to opt for an early exit from its joint venture and warned of the likelihood of a significant penalty for ending early its contract, which was effective through the end of December next year. Attenborough reasoned, “While we didn’t get it right, we have taken valuable learnings from the Sun Bets start-up process and operations which will inform our approach across our portfolio. I would like to acknowledge the Sun Bets team for their efforts in building the business from start-up phase. We continue to have a strong relationship with News Corporation.” The 55-year-old Attenborough joined Tabcorp in April 2010 as Managing Director – Wagering and then became Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer with the completion of the company’s demerger of its former casinos business in June 2011. According to the news release, for the year ended June 30, 2018, Tabcorp expects to record a considerable item of about $91 million, post-tax, in respect of Sun Bets in its financial statements, up from $52 million in the 1H18 financial statements. The amount includes the $51.4 million exit payment to News UK, along with asset impairments. In Fiscal Year 2019, the company is expected to incur further costs related to the closure of as much as approximately $10 million, according to the press release. Regulations and Licensing Casino top 15	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1228
__label__wiki	0.640358	0.640358	Bolat Atabayev Rafis Kashapov Ukrainian World Wilanów in Concert for Maidan Author: Editor service PL UK RU You can help! Support our campaign by donating an amount of your choice. Find out what can you do Precisely one month prior to the presidential elections in Ukraine, on a beach in Wilanów, a charity concert "Wilanów – Majdan. A Common Cause” was held on 25th April, with Polish and Ukrainian bands performing on stage. It was organised by Warsaw’s district of Wilanów, and one of the event’s partners was the Open Dialog Foundation. The organisers’ intention was to recall the Polish experience of the 1980s and support the Ukrainians in their struggle for liberty. The charity concert was organised with the families of the Maidan’s injured or wounded in mind. Indeed, the tragic developments of February do not put an end to the problems faced by Ukraine, and help is still needed. The concert featured Polish and Ukrainian artists, many of whom had supported Maidan activities before, performing in Kiev. The performers in Wilanów included Maleo Reggae Rockers, Kozak System (Ukraine), Taraka, Tomek Lipiński, Venio (Molesta), Natalia and Paulina Przybysz with their mother Anna, Daniel Gałązka with his band, Ruta, Moskwa, Skadyktator and his cosmic combo with Robert Brylewski, and Karolina Cicha. The concert was compered by Szymon Majewski. An auction was held during the concert for the families of those injured. The auctioned items, donated by the bands and the event partners, included a guitar with the autographs of the performing musicians, signed by T. Love, Enej and Jurek Owsiak. The guitar went to the Wilanów Deputy Mayor, Artur Buczyński for PLN 2,600. Amongst the auctioned items were also records which sold for a total of PLN 250. Cash was also collected during the concert from those wishing to listen, as they were asked to make a donation. All proceeds will go to the victims’ families. The total amount collected was PLN 6,866.43 which, through the Foundation, will be donated to those most in need. More on this topic: Open Dialog, Ukraine, Maidan, auction Invitation to a PACE side-event: "Post-elections scenarios in Ukraine, Moldova and Kazakhstan" PACE Members: Sanctions must be maintained and “Magnitsky laws” applied in response to human rights violations in Russian-Federation-occupied Crimea The Open Dialogue Foundation, FIDU and the Centre For Civil Liberties on a joint mission in Ukraine Parliament publishes secret report on “Kozlovska case”. What do Kazakhstani bloggers and mass information media under the control of the Democrats have to do with this? Observation mission: human rights in Ukraine – the situation with anti-corruption activists in Kryvyi Rih Ukrainian Migration Service denies asylum to victims of political persecution Zhanara Akhmetova and Ardak Ashim While the PiS are fighting the «Banderites», Putin is rubbing his hands with glee Statement of the Human Rights Agenda platform on deprivation of attorneys of the ability to cooperate with human rights organisations Appeal by the Civil Society Organizations regarding an arbitrary blockade of Ukraine’s access to the Sea of Azov by the Russian Federation and the capture of 23 Ukrainian servicemen The Open Dialogue Foundation joined the Statement of the Coalition for the Protection of Civil Society in connection with the murder of Kateryna Handziuk Grani.ru on possible return of Russian Federation to PACE: the price of rotten compromise Radio Svoboda: The Normandy Commission supported the ODF's proposal to adopt the Global Magnitsky Act ODF takes part in the 2018 edition of the OSCE HDIM in Warsaw ODF at the Italian Senate on civil liberties, political prisoners and lawyers’ rights ODF at the CoE concerned with dismantling of independence of judiciary in Poland Persecution of lawyers: ODF and FIDU organised a side-event during the 38th session of the UN HRC	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1233
__label__wiki	0.55923	0.55923	Hong Kong Mercantile Exchange Privately held company Barry Cheung, Chairman www.hkmerc.com Hong Kong Mercantile Exchange (Chinese: 香港商品交易所; abbreviated as HKMEx) was an electronic commodities exchange established in Hong Kong for the trading of commodity futures, options and other financial derivatives. The exchange was originally pitched as a platform to trade oil futures.[1] In fact, it ended up trading mainly silver and gold futures.[2] The exchange provided standardised, cleared, and exchange-traded products on a transparent pricing platform to the Asia-Pacific time zone. It was created to eliminate market liquidity risks associated with Asian market participants trading in faraway commodities exchanges such as New York and London.[3] On 18 May 2013, the exchange ceased to trade upon surrendering its authorisation to provide automated trading services.[4] The Hong Kong Police have made a series of arrests in connection with the exchange, and are investigating its chairman, Barry Cheung.[5] 2 Collapse The exchange was announced at a Hong Kong press conference on 25 June 2008 by chairman Barry Cheung Chun-yuen. In attendance was Hong Kong Financial Secretary John Tsang who said there is "a huge opportunity for Hong Kong to develop a commodities futures market" in Hong Kong.[6] In March 2009, HKMEx appointed Albert Helmig, a former vice-chairman of NYMEX, as President of the exchange to lead day-to-day operations of the bourse.[7] The exchange positioned itself as a trading forum located in Hong Kong – a jurisdiction entirely open to the free movement of capital and market participation by non-domiciled investors, while at the same time offering international market participants access to the booming mainland Chinese commodities market.[6] However, the China Securities Regulatory Commission denied authorisation to any offshore exchange to set up commodities futures delivery business.[8] It was not a full brokerage, but was licensed by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) for automated trading services.[9] In June 2009, HKMEx and LCH.Clearnet agreed initial terms for LCH.Clearnet to provide clearing for the exchange.[10] In September, HKMEx signed a contract with Hong Kong International Airport to use HKIA's Precious Metals Depository as a licensed storage venue for gold traded on the exchange.[11] In December 2009, ICBC (Asia) acquired a 10% equity stake in the company, and said it intends to participate extensively in the exchange's operations as a trading and clearing member, as well as a settlement bank.[12] This was followed by a June 2010 announcement that En+ Group, owned by Russia's Oleg Deripaska, had also purchased a 10% equity interest.[13] On 18 May 2011, HKMEx formally began trading with a US dollar gold futures contract.[14] In an interview with Reuters, Helmig said it plans to launch gold and silver futures contracts denominated in renminbi. He also said HKMEx will follow precious metals products with contracts in base metals, and then energy and agriculture.[15] On 22 July 2011, the exchange launched a second product, a US Dollar silver futures contract.[16] Its headquarters were at Cyberport, occupying over 47,000 square feet. As of 5 pm on 13 February 2012, trading on HKMEx's gold and silver futures reached 1,003,210 contracts, representing total turnover of over US$50 billion (around HK$390 billion).[17] Trading on the exchange's US-dollar gold futures for the first time surpassed the 10,000 contract mark on 4 June 2012.[18] On 2 August 2012, the exchange appointed Jane Wang and William Barkshire as co-presidents, following the retirement of Albert Helmig.[19] Collapse[edit] On 18 May 2013, the exchange surrendered its authorisation to provide automated trading services, citing insufficient revenue to support its operating expenses.[9][4] The exchange had been experiencing low trading volumes amidst competition from rivals in other countries and its financial reserves were depleted.[20] The firm had announced it intended to issue HK$780 million worth of shares in March 2013, but had postponed it until June.[9] There had also been rumours that, prior to the shut-down, Chairman Barry Cheung had obtained a loan of HK$100 million from a "major property businessman and supporter" of Chief executive Leung Chun-ying. New World Development chairman Henry Cheng denied he nor his firm had ever "had any financial and business dealing" with either the HKMEx or Cheung.[9] Mr. Cheung said that HKMEx would reapply for the licence after the business is recapitalised after its rights issue June.[20] On 21 May 2013, the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission announced it was investigating "suspected irregularities in [HKMEx] financial affairs" and that it was referring the matter to the Hong Kong Police.[21][22] As of 25 May 2013, at five people had been arrested in connection with events connected to the exchange, including the alleged possession of false financial instruments.[5] The government has said that Barry Cheung is under investigation.[2] The collapse of HKMEx has potential political implications for the Hong Kong government, as its chairman Barry Cheung, held a number of senior government positions and is closely identified with HK chief executive CY Leung.[21] Cheung took leave of absence from his official duties.[23][24] He has since resigned not only from his government posts, but also from several private company boards.[5] List of futures exchanges List of traded commodities ^ http://www.scmp.com/article/966285/hkmex-sets-launch-date-next-month HKMEx sets launch date for next month, South China Morning Post, 15 August 2012 ^ a b https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324659404578504183782791330 Hong Kong Commodities-Exchange Head Faces Probe, The Wall Street Journal, 25 May 2013 ^ Winn, Howard "Mercantile Exchange to deal first in gold futures". South China Morning Post. 12 November 2009. Missing or empty \|url= (help) ^ a b http://hkmerc.com/en/Media-Centre/Press-Releases/HKMEx-Voluntarily-Surrenders-Authorisati.xml HKMEx Voluntarily Surrenders Authorisation To Provide Automated Trading Services (Press Release 18 May 2013) ^ a b c https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-27/hong-kong-police-make-fifth-arrest-in-hkmex-investigation.html Hong Kong Police Make Fifth Arrest in HKMEx Investigation, Bloomberg, 25 May 2013 ^ a b Man-ki, Kwong "HKMEx Eyes Fuel-Oil Contracts in '09". China Daily. 26 June 2008. Retrieved 9 December 2010. ^ "Press release: Hong Kong Mercantile Exchange Appoints President". HKMEx. 27 March 2009. Retrieved 9 December 2010. ^ "Power broker" Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine. The Standard, 31 May 2013 ^ a b c d Victor Cheung (21 May 2013). "Legislator questions SFC's handling of failed exchange" Archived 22 December 2014 at the Wayback Machine. The Standard ^ "HKMEx/LCH.Clearnet joint press release: LCH.Clearnet Set to Clear Trades on HKMEx". HKMEx/LCH.Clearnet. 11 June 2009. Retrieved 9 December 2010. ^ "Joint HKIA/HKMEx press release: HKIA Precious Metals Depository Opens". HKMEx/HKIA. 2 September 2009. Retrieved 9 December 2010. ^ "Joint ICBC (Asia)/HKMEx press release: Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Asia) Limited Invests in Hong Kong Mercantile Exchange". ICBC (Asia)/HKMEx. 14 December 2009. Retrieved 9 December 2010. ^ "Joint En+/HKMEx press release: En+ Group Announces Acquisition of 10% Stake in HKMEx". En+/HKMEx. 14 June 2010. Retrieved 9 December 2010. ^ "Press Release: HKMEx Launches, Completes First Trading Day". HKMEx. 18 May 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2011. ^ Wong, Fayen "Hong Kong Mercantile Exchange eyes silver, base metals" (PDF). Reuters. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 20 July 2011. ^ "Press Release: HKMEx to Begin Trading Silver Tomorrow". HKMEx. 21 July 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011. ^ "Press Release: HKMEx Surpasses One Million Contract Mark". HKMEx. 13 February 2012. Retrieved 13 February 2012. ^ "Press Release: HKMEx Gold Trading Surpasses 10,000 Contracts". HKMEx. 4 June 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2012. ^ "Press Release: HKMEx Announces Jane Wang and William Barkshire as Co-Presidents". HKMEx. 2 August 2012. Retrieved 2 August 2012. ^ a b Vinicy Chan (19 May 2013) "Hong Kong Mercantile Exchange Forced to Shut on Lack of Revenue" ^ a b Lee, Simon; Himaras, Eleni (21 May 2013). "Hong Kong Police Investigate Failed Mercantile Exchange" Bloomberg, San Francisco Chronicle ^ SFC statement on HKMEx. Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (Press Release 21 May 2013) ^ "HK Mercantile Exchange in police and regulator probe". BBC News, 22 May 2013 ^ http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201305/21/P201305210732.htm CE accepts Barry Cheung's request to take leave from public service positions (Press Release 21 May 2013) Hong Kong Mercantile Exchange Official Website Securities and Futures Commission Official Website World Gold Council Official Website Economy of Hong Kong Seamen's strike of 1922 Black Saturday (1983) Ting Hai effect 1997 Asian financial crisis Stock disasters in Hong Kong Brand Hong Kong Positive non-interventionism Tai-pan Poverty Campaign: Speak Up Pearl River Delta Hong Kong Mint Hong Kong Note Printing Banknotes of the Hong Kong dollar Coins of the Hong Kong dollar Industry and Business List of companies of Hong Kong Agriculture and aquaculture in Hong Kong Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation Inland Revenue Department Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Employment and Tax Employment in Hong Kong Estate Duty Ordinance Goepfert case Inland Revenue Ordinance Profits tax Rates (tax) SDO s45 Transfer between associated bodies corporate Salaries tax Minimum Wage Ordinance Stamp Duty Ordinance Goods and Service Tax and Transport Port of Hong Kong Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge International rankings of Hong Kong The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Hong Kong Futures Exchange Securities and Futures Commission Linked exchange rate Red chip H share Electronic Payment Services Growth Enterprise Market Hang Seng China Enterprises Index Hang Seng China-Affiliated Corporations Index CSI Cross-Straits 500 Index Ship Registration in Hong Kong Outward Processing Arrangement List of power stations in Hong Kong Water supply in Hong Kong Individual Visit Scheme Four big families of Hong Kong See also: Economy of Macau Economy of Asia Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hong_Kong_Mercantile_Exchange&oldid=869858880" Commodity exchanges Defunct companies of Hong Kong Finance fraud Futures exchanges Financial services companies of Hong Kong Pages using web citations with no URL EngvarB from November 2018 Use dmy dates from November 2018 Articles containing traditional Chinese-language text	cc/2019-30/en_middle_0008.json.gz/line1235

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