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May-05-09 Commissioner Doria's Statement to Assembly Budget Committee
Commissioner Doria's Statement to Assembly Budget Committee
TRENTON - New Jersey Department of Community Affairs' (DCA) Commissioner Joseph Doria issued the following statement today to the Senate Budget Committee during their hearing on the FY2010 state budget.
"Good afternoon. Thank you for giving me the chance to discuss the Department of Community Affairs' proposed FY10 budget and for giving me the opportunity to highlight, for you, some of the extraordinary things done at DCA.
"First, I would like to state that the Governor's proposed budget is historic in nature. It marks the first time in 60 years a Governor has introduced a smaller budget in his fourth year then in his first. It also represents the single greatest reduction in state spending from one year to the next in New Jersey's history. Governor Corzine needs to be commended for taking this action. For two consecutive years he has reduced spending, an unheard of measure in our state.
"Certainly there are cuts that are unpleasant, but given our difficult economic times, the Governor has moved forward by making the hard choices and making the right choices. This budget spreads the sacrifice required of each of us, yet still makes the right decisions by protecting New Jersey families, our children, our seniors and our most vulnerable. This budget is the culmination of actions the Governor has taken to meet these difficult times head on. While other states waited and reacted to the hard times, Governor Corzine was a step ahead, taking preventative measures that have helped soften the blow of our current economic situation.
"The Governor has remained focused on creating jobs and economic opportunities and on providing educational funding for our children. As with the FY09 budget, the FY10 budget helps to reverse the effects of prior decisions which have resulted in making present-day budgeting being so painful.
"The FY10 proposed budget appropriates $1,109,903,000 billion to the DCA. This is a 3.6 percent ($41,033,000) reduction to FY09's general fund appropriation to the Department. The Department of Community Affairs, like other departments, has felt the affects of our current economy. Yet, we are as determined as ever to fulfill our responsibilities.
"The Department works to support local government; protect the environment; provide housing; advocate for women, Latinos, individuals with special needs and other minorities; and keep New Jersey families safe. DCA oversees a broad range of programs that can affect the quality of life at both an individual and community level.
"Everyday DCA's extraordinary women and men are truly doing more with less. I would like to highlight several of our programs that exemplify this.
"The New Jersey Meadowlands Commission (NJMC) continues its great work in protecting and preserving this environmentally important land. As many of you are aware, a few weeks ago, we accomplished a major victory for the Meadowlands' community when American Home Assurance Company, a subsidiary of American International Group (AIG), notified the NJMC that it would commence performance on a $148.8 million surety bond issued to EnCap as soon as practicable. These funds, which AIG had initially refused to pay, will be key in fulfilling landfill cleanup in the Meadowlands.
"Additionally, we are currently working on revamping the tax sharing formula in the Meadowlands' communities, and part of this will include examining possible means of raising revenues.
"At the local level, Governor Corzine has continued to emphasize the need to share services and create efficiencies. And we are seeing the results of the Governor's efforts, as interest in shared services is growing as municipalities seek to maximize use of available resources.
"DCA continues to assist in this area through its Sharing Available Resources Efficiently (SHARE) Grant Program. This year (FY 2009) the SHARE Program has awarded 26 grants totaling nearly $1 million, with another 18 applications under review. The awarded applications include 18 feasibility study grants (which have averaged around $30,000 each) and eight implementation grants (averaging $54,500 each).
"Since its inception in 2005, SHARE has awarded 165 grants totaling $9.9 million. This total includes COUNT Grants to 16 counties to establish county level shared service coordinator positions. These coordinators work with the local units within the county to identify and develop new interlocal efforts between municipalities or between the county and local units.
"Virtually every service area of local government is being looked at for possible shared provisions. There has been a substantial increase in interest for sharing municipal court facilities, which is due in large part to the security guidelines issued for such facilities by the State Administrative Office of the Courts. Towns are using the facilities of larger municipal courts that are compliant with the security measures.
"Cooperative purchasing programs have long been a part of local government sharing and we see them expanding the range and scope of the products and services being bought. There are over 70 active cooperative purchasing systems through which local units aggregate their supply needs and collectively seek the best terms on the basis of total need.
"SHARE has funded several current studies of possible shared police services, including three communities in Hunterdon County that are exploring a possible regional police department (Lambertville, East Amwell and West Amwell Townships).
"In Bergen County, Demarest and Haworth Boroughs held referenda last November to create Citizens' Commissions on Shared Services. These Commissions will review local services and make recommendations for new shared efforts. These were the first two communities to make use of a new statutory provision permitting citizen involvement in the discussion of shared services. The CORE legislation from the Property Tax Special Session provided this new feature, as well as streamlining the shared service process. Under the state's Uniform Shared Services and Consolidation Law, a citizens' commission must consist of members of the governing body, municipal officials and at least an equal number of residents of the municipality.
"Maywood Borough in Bergen County also had a non-binding referendum question on its November ballot seeking voter approval for the Mayor and Council to explore and, where appropriate, implement shared services with neighboring towns.
"The CORE legislation also created a new Local Option Municipal Consolidation Study Process. In Sussex County, Sussex Borough and Wantage Township are the first towns to use this alternate study commission method and they are about mid-way in their study. In South Jersey, Corbin City (Atlantic County) and Upper Township (Cape May County) are also reviewing whether they should become a single community. Chester Township and Chester Borough in Morris County have discussed studying consolidation as well. And the idea has again been raised between Princeton Township and Princeton Borough, in Mercer County.
"Additionally, the Local Unit Alignment, Reorganization and Consolidation Commission (LUARCC), established during the 2006 Special Session of the Legislature, is continuing its work regarding the appropriate allocation of service delivery responsibilities from the standpoint of efficiency. During the last year, the Commission undertook a detailed examination of municipal service delivery starting with public health, emergency communications and administration of justice.
"In addition, the Commission engaged the School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA) at Rutgers, Newark, to survey available research regarding the optimal size of municipalities and service delivery areas, what constitutes efficiency in service delivery and the costs and benefits of consolidation.
"To date, the Commission has derived the following conclusions from its inquires:
If there is a population size which holds the most promise for cost-efficient service delivery, its parameters are debatable based on current research
Consolidation has associated costs which may counter efficiency gains to be achieved (such as upward pressure on salaries because of harmonization) and therefore needs to be approached carefully
Local public health services, emergency management and courts are three areas ripe for mergers or cost sharing
The savings that evidence great promise but are most difficult to quantify are those achieved through "cost avoidance", that is, savings realized over time through more rational and cost-efficient governance achieved through consolidation or sharing
While there are great opportunities for streamlining government, solutions need to be crafted that are sensitive to local conditions.
"DCA also oversees formula, extraordinary and special municipal aid. Total formula aid was reduced by $32 million in this budget. The $32 million reduction was driven by the principle that municipalities with higher wealth and lower taxes can absorb more of an aid reduction than municipalities with low wealth and high taxes. Under this approach, "wealth" is calculated by measuring per capita income and equalized property value per capita. This "wealth calculation" is similar to the methodology used in school aid formulas. Taxes were measured by using the equalized property rate. Using that as a guide, calculations were made assigning municipalities into nine groups based on low, medium, and high equalized tax rates and wealth. Each municipality's FY 2010 allocation was reduced by a different percent, based on their designated wealth/tax burden group (i.e., the highest tax/lowest wealth group received a zero percent reduction, while the highest wealth/lowest burden group received a five percent reduction limited by capping the loss to the average residential property tax payer at $100).
"While municipal aid has decreased, it must be noted that property tax relief for New Jersey residents has increased enormously under Governor Corzine. Since the Governor came into office, more than $7 billion will have been provided in property tax relief to New Jersey residents. This figure represents a 40 percent increase compared to the previous four years (FY03-07) and it is more than double the amount provided under the Whitman/DiFrancesco administration.
"In Governor Corzine's four years, a senior with a taxable income of $50,000 will have received nearly $9,000 in rebates and senior freeze benefits. This is more than double the $4,000 benefit from these programs during the 2002-2005 period and is nearly four times the amount received during the 1998 to 2001 period. In Governor Corzine's four years, a non-senior with a taxable income of $50,000 will have received nearly $3,100 in rebates. This is 70 percent more than the $1,800 received during the 2002-2005 period and is nearly four times the amount received during the 1998 to 2001 period.
"The additional relief provided by the administration has gone a long way towards alleviating the decrease in municipal aid and Governor Corzine is to be commended again for his efforts in this area.
"Also, the Governor has made good on reigning in New Jersey's increasing property taxes. Between 2007 and 2008, the average property tax increase in the state was 3.6 percent. This represents the lowest increase, by far, in over a decade and is proof that measures the Governor has put in place are working and will continue to work.
"In accordance with this administration's effort for accountability and openness in government, two years ago the Department developed an application in an effort to better assess the needs of municipalities seeking Special Municipal Aid. As part of the application process, each municipality must submit a budget. Allocations are determined by the Local Finance Board. The Local Finance Board has established a memorandum of understanding that sets forth the terms and conditions of enhanced state oversight with each municipality receiving Special Municipal Aid.
"Additionally, the Division of Local Government Services is working with the Comptroller on audits for all municipalities in the program. Audits have been completed for Asbury Park, Bridgeton, Harrison, Jersey City, and Paterson. The remaining audits of Newark, Camden and Union City will be completed by July. Copies of the completed reports will be made available to the public.
"The audits being conducted are not financial audits. Instead, the auditors will examine areas that are not routinely part of the fiscal audit – an in-depth statutory compliance and internal control audit. Modeled after audits conducted several years ago of Abbott school districts, the audit goes beyond the review of financial statements and examines the internal control system and compliance with statutes, as well as a review of various fiscal and accounting practices.
"Bridgeton, Paterson, and Camden appeared before the Local Finance Board on April 8, 2009 and received approval (Bridgeton $1.8M, Paterson $27M, Camden $56.350M). Jersey City appeared before the Board on April 14 and received approval for $5 million in funding. Union City appeared before the Board on April 22 and received approval for $11.8 million in funding.
"It must be noted that the municipalities in the program are taking many of the cost savings measures that other municipalities have undergone, including furloughs and layoffs. The municipalities are taking the appropriate steps to lower costs and produce efficiencies, however, they still find themselves in dire need of assistance.
"In short, the Department is taking all the right steps to ensure that municipalities in the program are properly expending funds and making themselves more efficient.
"The Department is moving forward with its efforts to provide New Jersey residents with the affordable housing they need and deserve. Last year, the Council on Affordable Housing revised its third round rules and methodology. The new methodology calls for 115,000 affordable housing units to be provided over the next 10 years, an increase from 52,000 in the previous rule proposal. It maintains a growth share approach to providing affordable housing, with affordable housing required in keeping with market-rate housing and jobs that are provided in a community.
"I recognize that the new COAH rules set an ambitious affordable housing goal in a difficult economic climate, but I am confident that all the stakeholders, including municipalities, for-profit developers, non-profit developers and housing advocates, can work together to meet the affordable and workforce housing needs of our State's low and moderate income households over the next ten years.
"Under the new growth share ratios, one affordable unit must be provided among every five residential units and one affordable unit must be provided for every 16 jobs. (The old ratios, invalidated by the Courts, were one affordable unit for every nine residential units and one affordable unit for every 25 jobs.)
"In addition, municipalities are given planning targets for the 2004 to 2018 period so that they plan for growth to meet the affordable housing need. The planning targets can be adjusted based on actual data on vacant land in each municipality.
"245 municipalities have submitted plans to COAH. Additionally, over 100 municipalities are either with the Court or have received extensions under the Highlands Act. The over 350 municipalities that have signaled their intent to participate in the COAH process represents the highest participation since COAH began.
"The danger of the legislative and executive branches not working together to achieve affordable housing objectives is the judiciary appointing a special master to do the job for us.
"The Department of Community Affairs' (DCA) housing assistance and housing production programs remain integral to the State's commitment to provide affordable housing to New Jersey's citizens.
"The DCA's federally funded Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program, or Section 8 as it is commonly referred to, assists over 19,872 households monthly. We anticipate the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will announce CY09 funding in May, which will give us a better sense of how many people we can assist this year.
"This year HUD again acknowledged the DCA as a "High Performer." HUD also invited the DCA to apply for the new Veterans Support Housing Program vouchers. And we received the full allocation for New Jersey of 70 vouchers.
"The successful State Rental Assistance Program (SRAP) currently serves 3,756 clients (which is 3,203 tenant based and 553 project based units). The Department currently has 863 Project-Based units under contract (these contracts are for 10 years). 553 of these units are currently leased. This month the Department will award an additional 90 Project Based vouchers.
"As of March, DCA spent $23,930,773 in housing assistance payments. We anticipate expending $33,876,000 by June 2009.
"In SFY 2008, the Balanced Housing Program (BH) committed funds for five projects benefiting a total of 328 units. BH Program funds were also provided for Home Express. It is estimated that 649 units will be produced with BH Program funds through Home Express.
"In addition the BH program provided funding for the Camden Home Improvement Program (CHIP) which it is estimated that 94 units will be served with BH Program Funding. The BH program also provided funding for the Board Area Transit (BAT) Districts which it is estimated that 68 units will be produced with BH Program Funding. The total is 1,139 units committed to be produced from SFY 2008 BH Program Funds.
"Not only are we providing the means to create housing, but we are also providing home energy assistance in greater amounts than ever before. DCA administers the federal Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). In FY08, LIHEAP provided $93,178,536 million in financial assistance to low-income households to offset the high cost of utility bills.
"As part of a comprehensive approach to provide energy assistance to New Jersey's at-risk population, the DCA also administers the Universal Service Fund (USF) for the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. In 2008, the USF provided low-income families with an estimated $11,509,595 million in utility bill credits.
"During the current fiscal year, Governor Corzine expanded the eligibility for both LIHEAP and USF to 225 percent of the federal poverty level. This increase allowed for 50,000 more New Jersey families to be eligible. To date, we have awarded $52,598,675 million more in LIHEAP funds compared to this same time period last year. We have also provided assistance to 40,415 more families compared to this same time period last year.
"In addition to the above, 18,873 PAAD recipients received a one time benefit of $250.00 during an April 16th check run. With regard to USF, we have awarded more than $1,797,916 million in funds compared to last year.
"This year Food Stamp clients whose heat is included in the rent will be getting $1.00 added to their food stamp benefit from the LIHEAP program. This $1 LIHEAP benefit automatically triggers an increase in their Food Stamp benefit of an average of $86 a month.
"In addition to DCA's mission of providing high quality affordable housing and energy assistance, the Department is tasked with assuring that the current housing stock is safe for our youngest residents.
"New Jersey remains the only state in the nation addressing lead hazards through a comprehensive housing inspection program. The Department includes checking for lead-safe maintenance, as part of its regular inspection of multiple dwellings. Since the program began in 2005, more than 330,000 housing units built before 1978 have been inspected for lead hazards.
"In light of the nations' current economic situation and in particular the sub-prime mortgage crisis, I also want to highlight the State's efforts in this area, lead by the Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency (HMFA).
"Again, this is an area in which we in New Jersey are ahead of the game thanks to the foresight of Governor Corzine, who advocated for many of these programs.
"On December 1, 2008 the Legislature approved an appropriation of $12,500,000 for the New Jersey Judiciary's Foreclosure Mediation Program. Anyone facing foreclosure may participate in the program. The mediation program is designed to resolve foreclosure actions by proposing work-out and payment arrangements that accommodate the circumstances of distressed borrowers and the financial interests of lenders. Homeowners can receive the assistance of trained housing counselors for free and, many may also qualify for free legal assistance. Homeowners in foreclosure receive notices about the program at three separate times throughout the foreclosure process and are eligible to participate in the program right up to sheriff sale.
"The program was enacted on January 5th of this year and HMFA has contracted with 20 HUD certified housing counseling agencies to work on this program. In the first two months of the program, over 2,000 families have contacted the hotline and approximately 100 are in it.
"The Mortgage Assistance Program, 'MAP' provides up to $20,000 per homeowner to bring mortgages current or to refinance or renegotiate the terms of the mortgage. To access these funds, homeowners must work with a counseling agency who determines eligibility and makes the resources available.
"HMFA, in partnership with NeighborWorks America, has sponsored foreclosure prevention training sessions for HUD certified housing counseling agencies in NJ. The HMFA provided funding to housing/foreclosure prevention counseling agencies and these agencies who participate in the Federal HOPE NOW program and NeighborWorks. Both of these programs refer callers from the national hotline to New Jersey counselors to help homeowners with delinquencies, defaults on their loans or foreclosure. The number is: 1-888-995 HOPE.
"These counselors are trained in mortgage modifications, budget counseling, and other types of foreclosure prevention counseling. We have over 80 HUD certified counselors who have completed intensive training in foreclosure prevention and asset preservation.
"The Mortgage Stabilization Program (MSP) was designed to work with the banks and encourage them to modify their mortgages. The MSP was created pursuant to legislation that the Governor signed on January 9, 2009.
"MSP is a loan program designed to help homeowners avoid foreclosure by either refinancing into another mortgage or modifying their existing mortgage to make the future loan payments affordable to the homeowner. To participate in the program, the homeowner's lender must be willing to write down the value of the mortgage to the current value of the property. Once the lender has written down the mortgage to the current value of the property, the state and the lender will each provide a loan to write down the mortgage even further so as to make the monthly payments affordable to the homeowner. We define "affordability" as 33 percent of the gross monthly household income payable toward principal, insurance, taxes and interest. The state's loan will match the lender's loan up to $25,000 and both loans will be repaid by the homeowner upon sale of the property. This program officially began on April 1.
"The Housing Assistance and Recovery Program (HARP) is designed to provide financial support to qualified non-profit and public entities that work with lenders to purchase the mortgages of distressed homeowners. Under the HARP program, these entities purchase the mortgages of distressed homeowners and lease the properties back to the homeowners for up to three years. During that time, the non-profit or public entity works with the homeowner by providing counseling, job training, credit repair and budget guidance, with the goal of enabling the homeowner to buy back the home when he/she has achieved a firmer financial footing. The HARP Support Fund is already actively reviewing four applications for funding from Central Jersey CDC.
"The First Time Home Buyer Mortgage Program provides for a mortgage, and for eligible borrowers, down payment and closing cost assistance. HMFA does not underwrite to credit scores and is actively making loans. HMFA mortgages are now and have always been 30 year, fixed rate, zero point loans. Our interest rate was 6.5 percent, however, just this morning I announced that we have lowered our rate to 5.5 percent. HMFA also provides counseling to first time home buyers as needed, at no cost.
"Also, HMFA is making available a new program to take advantage of the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credits. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment act, a federal tax credit of up to $8000 is available for first time home buyers. Since the home must be purchased before the tax credit can be claimed - cash from the credit is not available to the homeowner until AFTER they file their tax return and receive the credit or refund. HMFA is making a zero percent interest loan available to buyers who use the Agency's home buyer program mortgage - and will make the funds available for use for down payment and closing costs. The loan will up to $5,000 and be repaid following the homeowner's receipt of their federal tax credit/refund - the following year (June 2010).
"Additionally, through HMFA it is anticipated that approximately 2,000 new single family mortgages will be issued in FY10. 1,600 of the 2,000 home owners will receive down payment and closing costs assistance. 2,000 multifamily rental units will be produced. 500 units of housing will be preserved keeping the units affordable for an additional 22 years on average. 250 single family homes will be created under the CHOICE Program. 350 units of special needs housing will be created utilizing funding from the Special Needs Housing Trust Fund.
"DCA's efforts are not just limited to housing. We also work to build the surrounding community through well planned development and partnerships.
"Committed to revitalizing urban New Jersey, the New Jersey Redevelopment Authority (NJRA) partners with community-based organizations, municipalities, developers, nonprofit and for-profit groups as well as businesses to leverage its resources for redevelopment projects in 69 eligible municipalities throughout New Jersey. While the NJRA operates in traditional urban centers such as Newark, Trenton and Camden; the NJRA also does project funding in areas such as Philipsburg, Lakewood and Pemberton.
"The NJRA provides customized project financing for urban redevelopment initiatives. These resources, critical to the redevelopment process, are offered in the form of loans, loan guarantees, bond financing, and equity investments. The NJRA's resources remain flexible and responsive to ensure successful redevelopment throughout New Jersey.
"In 2008 the NJRA:
Committed to invest more than $8 million; which leveraged more than $132 million in total project costs.
Allocated more than $1 million to cover various predevelopment activities including feasibility studies, architectural costs, environmental and engineering studies, legal and other related soft costs for development to occur.
Provided financing, which will result in over 750 projected units of market-rate, moderate and affordable housing.
Invested in more than 275,000 square feet of commercial space.
Trained more than 180 students from the tri-state area on the redevelopment process.
"Over its 12 year history the NJRA has invested more than $336 million in eligible municipalities throughout the state which has leveraged more than $3 billion in total development costs. As a result of these strategic investments, more than 6,000 units of housing and more than 2.5 million square feet of commercial space have been created in these communities.
"NJRA's creative financing programs have allowed for numerous redevelopment projects and the formation of valuable public-private partnerships that have resulted in comprehensive redevelopment efforts. These projects will have a positive effect on the community in the form of jobs, housing creation and retail services.
"In 2008, the Urban Enterprise Zone (UEZ) became an affiliate of the Department. Enacted in 1983, the UEZ Program was created to foster an economic climate that revitalizes designated urban communities and stimulates their growth by encouraging businesses to develop and create private sector jobs through public and private investment. Revenues generated from the reduced New Jersey Sales Tax offered by certified retailers in the UEZ are targeted for economic development projects including infrastructure, public safety, business attraction, expansion or retention.
"A UEZ is an area within a designated municipality that has been impacted by the loss of jobs and taxes and ratables to the extent of requiring the use of various incentives to be able to stimulate growth and interest in development and to increase economic activity.
"The UEZ Program supports over 137,000 full-time jobs and has attracted more than $27 billion in private investment with almost 6,400 businesses of all sizes and types participating and benefiting from the advantages of the UEZ Program. Since the program's inception, over 27,000 businesses have enjoyed UEZ Program benefits.
"This year will see the adoption of a revised state plan through the State Planning Commission and the Office of Smart Growth regulations. This document will help assure that New Jersey remains at the forefront of intelligent development and redevelopment that balances the needs of all our citizens, regardless of income; with our responsibility as stewards of the states natural resources.
"The Center for Hispanic Policy, Research and Development (CHPRD) continues its outstanding work as a liaison to the Hispanic Community. Soon we will be welcoming our 22nd group of students to the CHPRD's successful Hispanic Interns in Community Service Program and the Latino Leaders Fellowship Institute.
"Our Division on Women is working on the 2009 Governor's Conference Women, which is being held May 12 in Atlantic City. Thanks to their efforts, over 1,600 people have already registered. The Conference will feature guest speakers Cokie Roberts and Maya Angelou and promises to be the best one. While online registration has now been closed, people can still attend by registering at the Conference. Further information is available at: www.nj.gov/dca.
"I could not be more proud of the men and women at DCA. Our 1,085 employees are tasked with serving the needs of all of New Jersey's nine million citizens.
"Despite difficult times, they have done more…much more, with less. We have increased home energy assistance funding, provided more accountability over state funds and continued to assist those residents in need through the production of affordable housing.
"I can assure you, however, that we will not rest on our laurels. They are bigger and better things to come from the DCA in the future.
"I have briefly outlined for you only some of the many programs and initiative that DCA provide to enhance the lives of NJ's citizens; but there are many more. I would be happy to arrange a more in depth meeting or information session on what has been discussed today or any of our other programs."


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Why is Merchant Circle buying up thousands of trade name + locale domains?
Over the weekend Nick Reese contacted me to explore what appeared to him, and to me, very unusual domain activity by Merchant Circle. It appears that Merchant Circle has purchased as many as 10,700 domains. These domain purchases have been going on for a number of months and are often in the format of localbusinessnamelocale.com. MC has gone on to create a website for the business based on the unverified Merchant Circle record and appears to have done so without permission or engagement of the business.
Here is an example of an MC purchased domain that shows up on a Google OneBox result – Art & Faux, San Jose Ca:
The whois records show MC as the admin of record for all of these domains.
Many searches on these trade name domain with locale show the MC result in the One Box (due to Google assigning it to unclaimed records) and in positions one and two on the main results page.
I called several of the business owners, including Art & Faux, to determine whether any had in fact authorized MC to purchase the domain on their behalf. The three owners with whom I spoke indicated that they had not given them any authority to purchase domains in their name nor had they paid MC for a domain.
Is this MC's newest SEO strategy to gain additional footing on the first page of Google? Are they taking cybersquatting to a new level to gain Maps traffic from the new local focused Google SERPS or are they just giving away domain names to businesses that "forgot" to buy them? I am trying to understand why MC would spend $70,000 on domain purchases, many of which have include the trade name for local businesses.
Here is another interesting example of an apparently unapproved domain: www.terrydonsplumbingllc.com. It shows up as the number one organic listing on the search Leak Detecting Service in Sarasota, FL and it takes you to a link farmy type page with a PR2 that links to 20 additional MC listings. Here is the Site Explorer Link from Yahoo for the domain. Does Google still allow this stuff?

subset: commoncrawl


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Category: Web Browsers
Platform: windows
License: Free
Publisher: FlashPeak
SlimBoat is a free web browser. It is fast to start up and fast to open your favorite web sites. SlimBoat helps you surf the internet safely and securely by incorporating multiple layers of strong protection measures. SlimBoat includes flexible options so that you can reach your favorite destination on Internet in the most convenient way while avoid unnecessary distractions and annoyances. Here is a list of major features supported by SlimBoat QuickFill Form Filler SlimBoat includes full-featured form filler (QuickFill) with strong data encryption and supports multiple identities. Download Manager Facebook Support: SlimBoat offers easy access to the facebook social network. You can easily share a page, share a picture or a piece of text on any page, or simply post an update on facebook. Popup Blocker: The popup blocker in the browser automatically kills annoying popup and pop-under ads. It helps you surf the web without being disturbed.
Web Page Translation: You can select and translate any piece of text within any web page without actually leaving the page. Translation can be done between any two languages. Site Group: You can put a number of sites together and save it as a site group. Next time, you can open all the web sites inside the group with a single click. Weather Forecast Information: Display current weather condition in the status bar of the web browser so that you know what is going on outside all the time. Five-day weather forecasting information is also available. SlimBoat is based on the lightweight webkit rendering engine and available across different platforms such as Windows, Mac and Linux. Download SlimBoat now and experience for yourself the speed and convenience of surfing Internet with it.
Other events:


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Kerry goes to Ukraine to reinforce U.S. support for new government
WASHINGTON >> Secretary of State John Kerry Tuesday is reinforcing Washington's support for the new government in Kiev, as the U.S. and its top allies grapple with whether to slap Moscow with sanctions for its military takeover of Ukraine's strategic Crimea region.
Kerry left Monday for the Ukrainian capital. The European Union's foreign ministers, meantime, issued a Thursday deadline for Russia President Vladimir Putin to pull back his troops or face a rejection of visa liberalization and economic cooperation negotiations long in the works.
Western leaders point to huge hits that Russia's natural gas, uranium and coal industries would take if sanctions cut off exports to the EU, its largest customer.
Putin on Tuesday rejected the threat of sanctions, saying they will backfire against the West.
The U.S. and its allies acknowledge that few options exist beyond economic and diplomatic penalties, and critics said Obama administration efforts are too little, and too late, after years of trying to foster friendlier relations with Russia.
President Barack Obama on Monday described the Russian advance as a violation of international law. He called on Congress to approve an aid package for the new Ukrainian government and repeated earlier threats that the U.S. will take steps to hobble Russia's economy and isolate it diplomatically if Putin does not back down.
"The strong condemnation that has proceeded from countries around the world indicates the degree to which Russia is on the wrong side of history," Obama said.
The White House said Obama met for more than two hours Monday night with the National Security Council, including Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, to discuss what steps the United States can take with international partners to further isolate Russia and persuade it to de-escalate the situation.
The Pentagon announced late Monday it was suspending military-to-military engagements with Russia, including exercises, bilateral meetings, port visits and conferences.
Some Republicans in Congress were considering a possible package of "debilitating economic sanctions" to get Putin's attention. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce said the U.S. and Europe should act collectively to threaten the Russian stock market, economy and ruble if Russia doesn't withdraw from Crimea.
"We can't just keep talking," Royce said. "We need to do something."
Speaking at a U.N. session in Geneva, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov attempted to deflect blame back on the West. He defended the deployment of Russian troops in Ukraine as a necessary protection for his country's citizens living there.
"Those who are trying to interpret the situation as a sort of aggression and threatening us with sanctions and boycotts, these are the same partners who have been consistently and vigorously encouraging the political powers close to them to declare ultimatums and renounce dialogue," Lavrov said.
"This is a question of defending our citizens and compatriots, ensuring human rights, especially the right to life," he said.
Lavrov said Ukraine should return to a Feb. 21 agreement that sought to end months of unrest in Kiev by addressing an array of issues at the heart of the dispute between protesters and the government of then-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. However, the agreement did not address the grievances that caused the protests in the first place, and the pro-Russian Yanukovych fled Kiev for protective sanctuary near Moscow within days of signing it.
U.S. officials say the Feb. 21 agreement could form the "basis" for a political resolution to the crisis, but not in its present form. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said it would have to be significantly altered in order to be useful, given major changes since it was signed.


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"It makes me feel good knowing that we make the residents' lives better. We laugh with them, cry with them, sing and dance with them – we brighten their day. Working here is an unbelievable privilege and it will be something I carry with me for the rest of my life!"
- Sunrise Team Member At Sunrise, our Dining Room Care Manager is responsible for providing dining and table services to residents in the community's dining rooms and designated areas in accordance with Sunrise Senior Living standards.
Responsibilities & Qualifications
- Serving as a role model in providing dining service to our residence
- Assisting with training team members
- Maintaining proper dining room set up
- Assisting in special events
- Monitoring appropriate checklists in support of the dining area cleanliness, readiness, standards
- Assisting in table top inventories maintenance
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Great travel photos from around the world
Named European Capital of Culture in 2013, the once-gritty port has undergone a renaissance in recent years.
Nothing says summer playground quite like the Cote d'Azur, and one of its enduring hot spots is legendary Saint-Tropez.
Depending on your temperament (and how late you were up the night before), you might still be asleep, or looking out your cabin window, or sitting on ...
I figure there are two kinds of travel: the kind that gets you away from something, and the kind that takes you to something.
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Lima Time
One year ago today, we came into the office to learn of the passing of Jose Lima, one of the most interesting people you could ever encounter. He was taken way too soon and will always be remembered by baseball fans around the world.
Please continue to keep his family in your thoughts and for those interested in reading the blog post from that day, you can do so here.
255 Comments
New thread. Wow, I'm shocked. Funny, the good news on nabbing one of the thugs lasted less than 24 hours. Maybe it was the picture of Frank…
LOL…perhaps Josh got tired of reading all the negative comments about him…once again!
As for, Lima Time….wish we still had someone with his fire and prsonality. Loved his attitude. My prayers are with his family.
we were at that game too! You knew you were witnessing something special that night…
My husband and I were at that playoff game where he pitched the entire game. He was so excited!! It was wonderful to watch. Our thoughts are with his family.
Jose was such an awesome guy! I got to meet him at a LB Armada game. He stole the whole show and he didn't even play in the game! After singing the National Anthem he greeted all of my kids on my youth team and posed for pictures and visited with every one of them! I will never forget Lima Time!
Dang those old posts that I made last year and another Jose Lima.
Oops that was a Joel Lima.
Another diversionary feel good story. Josh can sure find them. In the meantime, how's Frank doing with putting together the payroll? Can you possibly put together some timely information that actually means something?
Wow last year this was about the same month but the 25th instead of the 22nd that Furcal came off the DL. That game Furcal was 0/4 with 2 k's and 2 errors vs the Cubs.
Maybe Furcal got another June/July run on him before he get hurt in August. June .362 .408 .585 .993 July .293 .386 .525 .911
Where's Jamie living now?
Which of the McCourt mansions are unoccupied?
When's the last time Jamie received a support payment from Frank and how much? From which account did that support money come from?
Since Jamie has at least some kind of ownership interest, discerning fans need to know the answers to some of these questions.
Let's get to the real Dodger business here, and let Lima rest in peace.
Great questions, Bear! Here are some more questions:
Why do the Dodgers have such a lengthy DL (Blake, Broxton, Giminez, Hawksworth, Kuo, Padilla, Thames, Uribe)?
Why are there so many marginal players (Cormier, Troncoso, Navarro, Castro, Miles, Mitchell, Gibbons) on the 25-man roster that should not be anywhere near a major league team?
Why are the Dodgers wondering how in the world are they going to beat the cellar-dwelling Astros?
Why are top level talents like Kemp, Ethier, and Kershaw wondering who will give them their next paycheck?
For answers to these and other questions, please tune in next week. Same [no]bat time, same [no]bat station.
Great stuff, STT. You're obviously concentrating on the makeup of the team and possibly the guy responsible for it.
When it comes to the guy responsible, I'd like to explore some of the finer points of Ned's contract. Are there certain circumstances under which Ned can be terminated that are not related to his performance for putting a team on the field. I ask, because undoubtedly he can put out all the crap on the field that he wants, but it doesn't matter when it comes to a contract extension, namely his own.
However, what if Ned gets caught and convicted for DUI?
What if he's forced to acknowledge fathering a child with his housekeeper?
What if he's seen visiting Jamie at one of the mansions?
What if he stayed overnight at Frank's hotel residence – (oh well, even Ned couldn't be that hard up).
Hi Everybody
Yes, Jose Lima, may he rest in peace. We'll never forget him and "Lima Time".
The Dodgers playing another struggling team like themselves tonight.
I think it's going to be another exciting series.
Let's hope we can score some runs. Enough to get a few wins.
Hi OldBrooklynFan – Nice to see you here.
Tonight's lineup:
Furcal ss
Miles 2b
Loney 1b
Kemp cf
Gibbons rf
Sands lf
Navarro c
Mitchell 3b
Kershaw p
I'm scared. Hold me.
LOL!! Just Shoot Me Now!!!!
I'm scared too! I'll bet Kersh is real excited to go out there tonight with this crap behind him!
We'll be lucky to get a run! The Astos are thinking SWEEP! While we are getting out the shovel 😕
Hard to score runs when half the lineup is below the Mendoza line and the other half includes Miles and Loweeney!
LMAO………sad, but, so true!
Don't worry. Gibbons, Navarro, and Mitchell are all great at "turning over" the lineup. Isn't that what Donnie likes?
lol he was playing in Korea in Kia few years ago.
Hey James! If you're new to ITD, welcome!
Yes, welcome Joe!
LOL…I meant James!
What's the problem? Look at the great stats of the starting lineup. Besides, when we need a little extra punch, we've got the all-stars on the bench: Castro, Gwynn, and Carroll – for when we really need that RBI!!
Furcal .161/.212/.194/.406
Miles .286/.302/.325/.628
Loney .240/.283/.292/.575
Kemp .316/.399/.537/.936
Sands .241/.330/.391/.721
Navarro .115/.207/.231/.438
Mitchell .091/.231/.227/.458
Kershaw .211/.250/.211/.461
Stunning isn't a word we associate with this team, is it? 🙂 Stunned is more like it!
"Stunning" was my sarcastic comment. "Stunned" is what I've been feeling all year. Except for when I think about the fact that more losses lead to fewer fans at DS leads to Frank's hasty exit!
I know you were…I just thought it was funny. As Jhall says: "We are pathetically funny"! We could also be Pathetically Stunning 🙂
Other than Kemp and Sands, we might as well just fill out our lineup card as follows:
Juan Pierre ss
Juan Pierre 2b
Juan Pierre 1b
Juan Pierre cf
Juan Pierre rf
Juan Pierre lf
Juan Pierre c
Juan Pierre 3b
Kershaw p
That's how depressing our lineup is tonight! 😦
You are in exceptional form today, STT 🙂
Good read. Jamies monthly expenses will make you puke!!
Is Andre on the DL…or, just a day or so off?
Just a day off so far. Haven't read or heard anything about his status. They will probably give it a couple of days to see how he is doing. They can always DL him retroactively if it is worse than expected.
I have ZERO emotional investment in this team right now…and that saddens me the most. Sure, I watch the games, but I channel surf more than I ever did, and when an opposing right fielder makes a game-saving, ninth-inning catch, I just frown a bit and move on. So that's Frank's legacy…turning a die-hard fanatic into a casual observer. And I've been to two games in two years–both ITD tours. Good grief, Frank, LEAVE ALREADY!!!!
Amen, Kahli!
I agree…AMEN, KAHLI!
Sell the team, Frank!
Kahli, I am still a big Dodger fan and will watch and listen pretty much no matter what but I do understand what you are feeling. Even without all the injuries everything had to fall into place for this current Dodger team to be successfull with no margin for error. My wife has been heard to say, "So this is what Cub fans like all the time?" Baseball is the game of optomisim; for most of the season there is another at bat, another game, another chance. This current Dodger team seems to have the cards stacked against it with so many marginal players on the roster and so little in the minor leagues ready to make a positive impact. Clearly ownership has to take responsibility for this situation. Yes, injuries do happen and they can ruin a season. The fact remains that even with no injuries this team had enough holes to cause concern. I am not upset with the players; I believe each player is doing what he can. But clearly Dodger fans deserve better.
lbirken, I watch and listen to every game as well…but I can't get crazy like I normally love to do. The roster is too marginal, the outlook too paralyzed, and any chance for optimism (as you call it, and it's a great observation) hopelessly buried under Frank's near-criminal neglect and Ned's utter incompetence as a GM.
Hi Everybody
Man that's some lineup, I'm glad we got Miles back in there.
Is it true that the IRS considers Frank and Jamie "too big to fail"? How else can one explain pulling $108 million out of your business for personal use and have no tax consequences? I know that the tax code is too complicated for someone like me to understand. Can someone from the IRS please explain to me how this is possible. Sounds to me like it's "fraud too big pursue", NO?
Way to go Matty!
Way to go Matt!! Congrats on #100!!
Dang I miss Kemp 100 career HR's now he have the same career HR's at Furcal.
hahahaha the announce just said what I said.
Another runner left at 3rd with less than 2 out!!! Damn Mitchell!!! With this dung heap lineup, you gotta get that run in.
Even thought Navarro almost miss a HR's I still wouldn't give him the 3-0 green light.
Go figure 1st and 2nd with no out and 1st and 3rd with 1 out. Like we haven't seen this all year.
So that's pretty much the plan for tonight – Kemp hits 4 HRs?
He's going to have to! Poor guy!
lol probably so.
Are Sands keep on racking doubles and him batting .348 on the road.
I actually predict Loney batting 3rd and Sands batting 5th.
Gosh damn it Miles.
That's not a double that should be an error on Gibbons.
Yep, it was a Gibbons Gift. Poor Clayton!!!
That would've had end the inning with no run score.
Barnes isn't no threat I hate 4 pitches walk.
Ouch those 2 pitches weren't ball.
Astros announcers: "Dodgers are having trouble with men in scoring position." Gal on Facebook: "Hell, I'm doing a better job with men in scoring position than the Dodgers!" LMAO!!!!!
So many jokes, so little time!
( 🙂 )
lol they telling us something we already knew.
Good evening all.
Well, looks like Navarro's average has plunged below the U.S. Army Ranger in the field ass wipe (The three finger 111).
LOL!!! Outstanding VL!!!
Piss poor tag attempt by Miles. He should have got him on the over slide when he came off the bag. 😦
Why the hell is he even playing?! Jamey should be in there.
Actually he look like he was out and Miles thought he had him that why he didn't even bother but glad it didn't cost us.
With this awesome defense on the field, I feel so sorry for Kersh!
The defense is offensive, but the offense is non-existent.
Love the new look Trumom!!!
I'm getting ready for Beav ;-?
😕 😕
Attendance looks pretty thin there tonight.
Understandable with the home team sucking hind tit in their division facing a team headed for the same fate.
Nice catch Sands!
Who would have thought when Jamie Carroll was signed that he would be the most dependable player for most of last season and much of the current one? We keep being told he is not an everyday player but he has been one so far. He deserves a day off!
Wheras everyone else just has off days.
What I miss??!!
Oh nothing. Sorry, had a flashback to 2009 there.
Dang Kershaw you own Barnes I hate that 4 pitches walk and that lead off single.
Thanks Pence.
Holy Shit! Navarro?
The blind squirrell found a nut to crunch!
Well he almost hit a 3 runs HR's.
Dang now Navarro get a worthless 2 out hit with the bases loaded.
I mean with the bases empty
Well, here we go again. Pulling Kersh for a pinch hitter. He's only thrown 84 pitches. C'mon Andre!!!
I sure had my doubts too the way Kersh was pitching. I'm just glad it worked.
Woo-Hoo Andre!!! WTG!!
Wow, Andre came through. The way Psycho and Collins were describing him, it sounded like the second coming of Kirk Gibson.
Now, we need the damn BP to do a good job for a change!
Andre delivers off the bench! Had my doubts after seeing his first two swings there. . .
lol don't worry d4 he has mine to.
Alright Andre!!!!
Yeah nice call Donny 2 runs PH single by Ethier.
Damn….McDooDoo! Ugh!
Those 2 think Sands was coming out but he was move to RF and Gwynn playing LF.
Even thought McDougal career k/bb ratio suck he still our best reliever. I really hate that Kershaw was pulled with that low PC but at least it work out for us and it just mean Kershaw would be totally fresh next start but with this bullpen minus Broxton I still don't trust them but I still fell confident and Donny don't used Cormier and this guy still need to be DFA and he could easy clear waiver or go to the Pirates.
Lee look weird playing 1st base.
Yep. I got used to seeing him in left field.
Their old first baseman Berkman sure is paying big dividends in St. Louis these days.
Sigh these risp just can't seem to get worst I wish Kemp didn't steal that bases.
I freaking hate that shit.
Damn GrrrRear! Get it togther..Kersh deserves this win!!!!
We have this guy for 3 f*king years!
I knew all those runs the White Sox scored thepast 2 games they were going to get shutout.
Navarro really sucks! Why don't they call up A.J. ?
Because Ned is an idiot.
No shit! lol
Down the hatch! 🙂
Come on Guerrier one more.
Oh come on I hate a breaking ball and a beauty.
I think I'm getting an ulcer!
Never a dull moment with GrrRear on the mound huh?
Breathing may resume between innings . . . .
Thank God!
Would it be asking too much for a few insurance runs here? Yeahhhhh, maybe so.
Two would be nice…that way a grand slam could only tie us.
Wow that's kind of impressive the Cardinals have 3 guys in the top 5.
Sands OBP sure has gone up these last couple of games.
He's the one bright spot of this offense.
Damn Tru, you're getting better looking everytime I see you!!!
I'm doing this just for you! 😉
Ouch nice Wallace.
Is NL pitching dominated the NL this year?Last year there were 4 teams hitting under .250 but this year they are 11 teams that doing it.
Okay…here goes…bottom of the ninth….a 1-2-3 inning wold such a relief!
Ok Jansen let's keep the streak of ER's down.
Go get 'em Kenley. Show 'em how it's done.
Come on BIG 74….GET THEM OUT!!!!
Wow way to bounce back Jansen I would've been mad if that was a 4 pitch walk.
Hall has just been a pest tonight!
Gosh damn another hit from Hall. We need a dp now.
Even worst that was an 0-2 count.
Damn that was an impressive AB's by Sanchez.
The torture never stops!
lol don't think I ever seen that before. A defensive indifferent and than a double steal.
Double F*ck!!!!!!
Thar she blows! I think Sanchez' AB took the wind out of Jansen's sails. . .
Poof is right! I can't take much more of this shit!
Ok, do we REALLY want to win this game or what?
What a ballbuster of a loss!
Un-F*cking-Believably Pathetic!!!!!!!!!!
Figures!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep it up and Dodgereric & Bear will get their wish when you guys arrive home!
Kershaw gets screwed again. . .:(
We are freaking curse.
That would have been a sweet win, but it's even more sweet for the Astros. Well, I'm off to watch Dancing With The Stars.
I think we should be able to catch the Padres soon.
Well another HR's by Bautista he just helping my fantasy team too much.
What the hell. Isn't like this team is going anywhere this year. I'd just a soon they lose a ton of games so that Ned doesn't trade away what's left of the farm at the trade deadline. Even with a new owner its going to take years for this team to amount to anything. Ned's incompetence has seen to that.
That is the bright side along with a continued decrease in attendance!!!
WOW, Baseball's like playing cards when the closer's in there looking for a save. Jansen just turned over the wrong card.
And no matter how far you're from 1st Place you still want to win.
Not that ANY of this makes any difference, but IF this was a pennant race, I'd question Joe Jr. leaving Jansen in so long when he obviously was clueless in the strike zone. ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
It does make a difference….shows what a freaking inept organization we have!
Welke squeeze him nothing you can really do about it.
We are just freaking curse from that flyball DP that Pence had to doubled off Furcal at 1st, to that horrible defense by Gibbons that should've been caught, Navarro having the green light on a 3-0 count missing a 3 runs HR's, Hall over slide at 2nd bases when Miles should've had gotten him out and I'm not shock about this lost at all. I swear some of those pitches by Jansen he was squeeze and Welke was squeezing both pitchers tonight.
Oh yeah Wallace making a lines drive catch to prevent Navarro of extra bases and Sands probably could've score on that play.
Oh yeah and are impressive 17-1 after the 8th innings lucky for those Kcal announces they didn't have to jinx it.
I guess Kershaw should've had stay in the 1st place. Maybe we should've had scored those 2 runs in the 7th.
After games like these, I'm reminded of the words of a great man – a wise man – a caring man… words gifted with wisdom and so so true, perhaps now moreso than at any time:
"This is a very, very good team."
My eyes tear up everytime I think of that line (though it could be the results of yet another adage that this team gives me pause to recall – "its not so much the smell as it is the burning in the eyes" followed by, "Someone light a match.")
I'm truely moved also by knowing that having money would not change this team one bit. That gets me right here. Oh, I know you can't see me right now, but I'm pointing to a part of my body (you know which part if you feel as I do.)
And no matter what happens the day before, remember the score is always 0-0 the next day… at least until we take the field.
This is sad that our best shot is to hope are starting to pitch a CG or at least go 8th so we have plenty of relievers to burn in the 9th lol. I think I mention this last month and is it a crime to start a RP's to pitch 2 innings and let the starters pitch the next 5 to 6 innings and that seem like a win situation if the RP's can actually do that lol.
Dodgers are now on a pace to finish the year with a 69-93 record. Too bad that the Padres lost tonight. We are still 1 1/2 games out of last place. Once we get to last place, the empty seats at Dodger Stadium will proliferate.
22,579 (55.1% full) – % is based on regular season capacity
To bad this wasn't at DS.
I wonder if it possible to get a top 5 draft pick next season or would that pick be another waste.
I bet Wally would love this.
1B James Loney – .255 wOBA, +1.6 UZR, -0.4 WAR
Top alternatives: Russ Mitchell, Jerry Sands, John Lindsay
I'm still not sure why the Dodgers thought that their first base situation was alright going into this season. Loney has done nothing but accumulate solid RBI numbers over the past few seasons, and at 26-years-old it's silly to believe that he's finally going to take some major strides after nearly 2500 plate appearances in the majors. He is what he is, and that's a first baseman without the power or on-base skills to deserve significant playing time. I think that it's time for the Dodgers to bench Loney, shift Sands to first base, and use some combination of Jay Gibbons, Tony Gwynn Jr. and Jamie Hoffmann in left field.
I really didn't think that was a possible except for Lindsey. I bet if Mitch Jones was still in our organization that would've been another option.
LOL! Thanks for the link Shad!! Hell, we've known it for at least a month now. Looks like everybody in baseball knows it except DonDo the clown and Ned the village idiot.
lol wow Fuentas lost 2 games vs the Giants and now he lost another game vs the Angels.
NOTES: Dodgers 1B James Loney extended his hitting streak to a season-high nine games. … Jose Lima, Jr., the son of former Astros and Dodgers pitcher Jose Lima, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to mark the one-year anniversary of his father's death. Lima, who won 21 games for the Astros in 1999 and spent 13 years in the majors, was 37.
Goodness!!! It's getting old finding out the Dodgers can't hang onto a lead.
Yep and it time to take the Giants last year theme touture but are touture is McCourt.
Just don't get your hopes up too high if/when we get a new owner . We might see a little boost like we did when Selig first took over, but the truth of the matter is, this team/franchise is SO broken thanks to Ned's total inadequacies and Frank's excesses, that it's going to take several seasons to build back to anything.
Ladies and Gentlemen, announcing the FINAL FOUR for worst record in MLB: Twins, Astros, Padres, Dodgers. Very, very good teams, indeed.
…and to think I get to go see two of those clubs this summer in Minnesota 🙂 Thank goodness the trip is not all about baseball. Mall of America and the other sites and sounds of Minnesota awaits us as well.
Nelly, Twins are probably better than their record. Dodgers are probably worse. Knowing that injuries happen, Ned's "back-up" PVL crew is AAA at best and Frank's complete neglect of the farm is reason enough to tar, feather, and light the match.
I agree!! The Twins have had their share of injuries too, and I think once their MVP is back behind the plate and the Mauer/Morneau duo can get back into a groove, they will be just fine. I have been watching them just so I know the lineup well enough when I go, and they are definitely a more fun team to watch right now, win or lose.
Nelly…June 10 is my date with nirvana…what about you? After we banish Frank, I will banish ALL teenagers from my life for 2 1/2 months…
I have 7 days (wakeups we like to call them here)…..next Friday!!! I spent 15 minutes in the Student Body Office at my son's school last Thursday (paying for gradutation stuff) thinking "How do you do this day in and day out?", but then I know people think the same when I say I work with 6/7 year olds all day. I love my current class, but it's always nice to have the break and start all over again August.
Yep, once we lose Andre and Matt, there will be a continuing draught of 5 years at least before we're really back in contention even with the best new owners available.
Thinking of prospects, does anyone know why Lee all of a sudden has dropped out of sight at Great Lakes or anywhere else. Has his arm already been messed up?
Bear – I read that they shut him down because he was racking up too many innings. Don't know the truth behind it though. It looks like he is now on the roster of the Ogden Raptors.
Thanks, STT; that would make sense because he seemed to be going deep into the games he was starting.
Update – Lee had some elbow stiffness, but the MRI test came out clean.
Remember I picked between 60 and 70 wins and I built this team. Besides it doesn't matter if they win or not, it only matters that boss is able to make enough money to be able to maintain his extremely reasonable life style, that and to be able to pay off Mrs boss and give money to the little bosses.
Ned, I understand your loyalty to the boss. I mean, really…who on God's green Earth would have hired you to run ANY major league ball club, let alone an iconic one, but that shrewd gentleman we've come to love and cherish here in L.A.? And even in the face of "temporary" financial strain over the years, to have come up with the likes of Mark Hendrickson, Jae Seo, Danys Baez, Toby Hall, Julio Lugo, Elmer Dessens, Scott Proctor, Mark Sweeney, Chad Moeller, just to name a few of the real keepers (and that's not even counting your incredible collection of free agents), well enough said, good buddy. Genius doesn't even come close.
Just heard the Bryan Stow family is going to sue the Dodgers. Isn't that wonderful news for you mccourt! Just get the hell out of L.A…..thr sooner, the better!
Here's a link to the story on ESPN.
Sell the Team!
Thanks, STT.
Yeah, take the fucker to the cleaners!
Can't wait for the next thread when Rawitch will have Frank's statement to the fans about the unjustified lawsuit.
Break the bank.
Leave town, you worthless bastard.
One more nail in the coffin.
Another thing, whatever happened to that SOBoroff guy. As dismal as the makeup of the team was at the beginning of the season, has anybody figured what our record is since that guy was brought on board? Talk about a jinx! Clearly the worst staff addition since Ned Colletti.
The ownership can't bolster 25 man roster, especially the bullpen, can't bolster security, Its easy to see why there are melt downs. It was much more pleasant to have a cutie in straw hat ask a fan to please consider your behavior, compliance was almost always met. Owenership thinks having more Black and blue in the stadium will help, thats the same logic they use for the bullpen, bring more AAA kids up, so they get blown away and lose their confidence.
Soon the fans should sue the ownership for not protecting a viable franchise. Geez, 3 years of Uribe and Lilly, while DRE goes to the Yankees and Matt goes anywhere that colletti isn't. How long is NED going to stay, his points as a GM are going down, no team would want him. Bring schmitt, jones and dotel and get nothing because they did nothing, sells off santana, Dewitt, jackson, who would certainly be on the 25 man roster now if sanity prevailed. Yes Idiots are in control of the Dodgers. The juan pierre fiasco seems sensible in retrospect, in fact he may be a better LF choice than anything else we put out there.SELL the GD TEAM
while DRE goes to the Yankees
By koufax1963 on May 24, 2011 12:44 pm – Reply
I agree with you on everything except……. Dre's going to the Red Sox – LOL!!!
Got this from an ESPN article:
It was that double steal — Bill Hall, who had singled earlier in the inning, was on the front end of it — that galled manager Don Mattingly especially after pitching coach Rick Honeycutt had emphasized the importance of preventing it to rookie reliever Kenley Jansen during a mound visit following that two-out walk to Angel Sanchez.
"If he did [check the runners], he didn't check them enough," Mattingly said. "We just have to pay better attention to that and not let them have that base. … We talked about that when Rick went out, that you have to watch [Sanchez]. Obviously, that didn't happen."
So what I'm seeing is that maybe some guys have tuned out Bunnynutts just like they did Old Joe.
At this point if and when they get a new owner, if I were them I'd have to seriously re-examine every single player and coach in the organization above AA and think long and hard about getting rid of every single one of them and starting over with a totally clean slate. No telling how far the disease has spread.
See the De La Rosa story. Ned is now screwing up even our best talents in AA.
Dodgers expected to bring up De La Rosa
Club hopes top pitching prospect can help beleaguered bullpen
Check out the last two paragraphs:
"The move of De La Rosa to the bullpen is reminiscent of 1993, when the Dodgers took a 21-year-old right-handed rookie from the Dominican Republic who had been a starter and put him in the bullpen.
Pedro Martinez went 10-5 with a 2.61 ERA in 65 games as a long reliever, pitching 107 innings that year as a springboard to what will ultimately be a Hall of Fame career, albeit one spent elsewhere after his trade to Montreal for Delino DeShields months later."
I'm guessing that if we don't jettison Frank and Ned soon (as in next week), Rubby De La Rosa will also likely be traded away for the likes of DeShields.
Not "the likes of DeShields," proabably Delino himself!??!?!?!?!
Yeah, he's the age that Ned likes.
We are so, so , soooo screwed. Unbelieveable how bad it has gotten in such a short period of time.
Hi'Ya Nelly!! It really hasn't been a short time. We all saw this coming 5-6 years ago if you recall. We all knew Ned was a nincompoop from the beginning. Think Schidt, Phew, and the Curacao Cow!!! I hate to see them screw with Rubby now as this team is hopeless and it makes no sense to mess with him chasing a fix for a lost cause.
You are right Jhall!!! I was just kind of referring to the fact that since Bud finally called Frank under the carpet, the tail spin has been phenomenal, which I guess in the grand scheme of things……… it should be to our benefit to finally get rid of this guy and many others I hope.
Yep, since finding out about the McCrooks' financial raping of the franchise, the downward spiral has definately gone quickly.
To me it's unconscionable to take a promising starting pitcher as De LaRosa seems to be and to try and make him over into a relief guy. If he can really perform at the major league level, why not trade Garland, or Kuroda, or Lilly and get someone capable for the bullpen. None of those three can be expected to be with us and be effective for much more than the year, and really good starters are hard to find, as we know. So, stop messing around with De LaRosa.
I have to agree Bear. Don't mess with Rubby now. Trade Garland, Lilly, and/or Kuroda in July and bring him up to start. Realistically we should be selling in late June and July. However, letting Ned be in charge of any dealing is a huge mistake. We will just get hosed again.
You're right, Nells. Dre will go to the Red Sox and Matt to the Yankees.
In the meantime, I hope Frank goes to Hell.
And if Ned is pulling the strings, we won't get shit in return!!!
That's exactly what we will get….SHIT!
Hi'Ya Trumom!! Good point!!! LOL!!
lol…Your avatar says it all 😕
Heh, heh, I think the way things are going, I'm going to need to find a bigger pile!!!
Well, only 7 days till payroll is due. I'm thinking we should be hearing about McBroke filing for bankruptcy any day now.
Today's Losing LIneup
Furcal SS
Carroll 2B
Loney 1B
Kemp CF
Sands RF
Navarro C
Gibbons LF
Miles 3B
Billingsley P
Thanks STT, I think. LOL!!
Yeah, no one is thankful for this lineup.
The desperation of the ownership is becoming apparent. "oh if I win the WS (perhaps division) then the fans won't hate on me, the selig moderators will get out of my office and I can complete that cable deal and get jaime off my arse"
No wonder Ned must make immediate changes, let ruin de la rosa now for the short term gain, oh what gain? Nelly OK Dre to Bosox, he might even prefer AZ, but there is no player that is thrilled to be Dodger, years ago we could attract the best, and the dodgers picked the best.
I agree that calling up De La Rosa, while understandable, is a sign of desperation. While short term it might work for a few games, all we have to do is look at Edwin Jackson, John Ely and James McDonald as examples of pitchers who had a lot of promise but just were not ready. I would argue that Kershaw was rushed (and I think management at the time would agree) but fortunately, Clayton has managed to stick around and has a bright future ahead of him. Can De La Rosa do the job? The real question is will he even make much of a difference?
As far as the lineup goes:
I can appreciate Carroll, because he seems like he's playing all out with the unexpected chance he's getting; good for him.
I like to see Matt getting the kind of productivity we've been waiting for; build up your credentials so you can really make some money someplace else.
I think that Sands is exciting to watch and might very well be one of our future Dodgers.
I hope Bills has a good season and fulfills his promise.
Everybody else – who cares.
There is a silver lining to the call-up of Rubby De La Rosa: Lance Cormier has finally been DFA'd.
Another 1.2M wasted by Ned.
Hey Ned, a little tip. If you spend your time and money trolling around in the baseball dung heap, you are gonna come out smelling like shit!!!!
( ( 🙂 ) )
You know who you can add to the list of screw-ups is Lindblom. 2-3 springs ago the kid was lights out. Spent his whole life as a reliever, then they got the bright idea of making him a starter. Haven't heard from him since.
That's why, except for Lopes, our entire coaching staff blows! Isn't it a reality when our former pitchers go to other teams and do a pretty good job?
I haven't posted in a while, but what else can be said? The quicker McCourt is out of town, the better. It can't happen fast enough. And only God knows how this bunch wound up in Dodger uniforms. We can only hope we can get some people back and put together a few wins before this goes down the dumper. Like other down years, all you can do is hang on and wait/hope for better times. But I do not recall anything stinking this badly in the last 53 years.
Wow..it has been a long time Grizzly! Welcome back.
Another night like last nights blown ballgame and I'll find another nite time hobby. Sick of this team not doing anything. Three good things with this team. 1. Kemp's power 2.Kemp's fielding and 3.Kemps ability to steal bases and drive in runs.
Since this thread's starting to take some time loading, here's another we can use:
I'll follow your guys lead when you want to use it.
For entertainment during the game, it's also fun to play: "Which Bozo in the bullpen is going to blow the game open tonight?"
Thanx, tru. I agree about De La Rosa. He should stay at AA for a while. We need someone, but where will they come from? We're already rushing the Sands kid. No good choices.
MENTALLY WEAK. Chad needs a nickname to turn him around. Bulldog? Oh, that's right, it's been used.
OMG!!! It is so good to see you Grizzy!!!!
Wow!!! How about that? The Dodgers won tonight!! My phone let me know Mr. Sands hit a grand slam. That was awesome to read when it happened.
In case something bad happens to me in the next two weeks, just make sure you blame the fact that I currently have my nails with orange and black on them. I did it in support of my son and his team who are still alive in the section playoffs. The seniors are missing their Grad Night at Disneyland to continue their quest for a section title. So, the least I could do is try to overlook the fact they wear gnat colors and wear them for the games until their season is over.
Angelinos, take up arms.
The Vogue Theatre at 66775 Hollywood Blvd has besmirched the good name of Vin Scully.
They've taped a old, worn out red carpet over his star, you can only see his name and less than half the star. Roberto over at Vin Scully is my Homeboy has the scoop here: http://www.vinscullyismyhomeboy.com/2011/05/i-got-upset-when-i-saw-hollywood-star.html
And the phone number, if you're curious: (323) 466-1900.
CRY HAVOC!!!! And let loose the dogs of war…
Actually, here's the better option, the contact page for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce's Walk of Fame site: http://www.walkoffame.com/contact
northstates, how dare you enter the current blog! Blasphemy! Anyway, had never seen that. Pretty schlocky. Low Rent. Save Vinny, indeed. I love this season in a sick sort of way. The battle cry used to be "play the kids." Well, here we are again. De La Rosa, Guerra, Sands.
Heheh, I remember that, Kpookie. We might have less to lose now than when those battle cries first graced this blog.
I also share the morbid curiosity with this year's team. Visions run through my head of the owner in "Major League" saying "I don't just want them to lose, I want them to finish dead last". We're getting there, and I'm still rooting for the team on the field. I just have a running pool in my head: "How might they blow it tonight?".
Hello all…Just wanted to wish all a safe and fun Memorial Weekend. I want to thank all who have given their lives for this country.
I love my Dodgers and I will always root for my boys in blue……but the truth I hoping that the fact that we are in last place (or heading there) is because the players are boycotting the fact that the team continues to be under the ownership of Frank…..I'm kinda understanding the Cuban in this country. They love Cuba but they wish NOT to be there while under Castro's control.
Let's go Dodgers!
Hi Everybody
Good to see Loney hit one out.
Well…signs of life. Maybe with a few more healthy bodies we can get back to .500.
Hi Everybody
Nice looking lineup with some big numbers in HRs and RBI (for this offense anyway).
I've been wondering why anyone would ever pitch to Kemp, but then again, why not? Those other duds are not going to do anything. Kemp isn't going to be hitting any five run homers. If I were an opposing pitcher, I'd take the challenge and go after him with my best stuff and figure my team could out score one guy.
Well hush my mouth. That worked so good, I'll say something bad again tomorrow.
Josh, this really is getting kind of old. One thread per week? You're losing your bloggers. Just one more thing with the Dodgers that seems to be "broken." If you're too busy, find someone who isn't. Thank you.
Hello in there – is anybody home?
Hey guys – you can always find us by looking over at the recent posts. Since we're not getting any new threads, we're using some back from 2006 that only had a couple of posts on them.


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For those who don't need the indestructibility or built-in vertical grip of a traditional pro dSLR like the Nikon D3 or the Canon EOS-1D Mark III--and that's quite a chunk of the pro market--smaller, lighter, and cheaper full-frame models like the Nikon D700 and the Canon EOS 5D and the 5D Mark II are the real workhorses. Plus, their (relatively) lower prices put full-frame shooting in the hands of deep-pocketed amateur photographers.
The D700 comes in two configurations: body only and a kit with the veteran AF-S VR 24-120mm f3.5-5.6G IF-ED lens. With the kit version you end up paying about $300 to $400 for the lens, which sells independently for about $500, but if you're paying more than $2,500 for a camera body, opting for the somewhat middling lens seems a bit penny-wise and pound foolish. On the other hand, it's relatively compact, and replacing it with something superior would probably require multiple, larger, and more expensive lenses.
Though one normally doesn't consider a weight of 2.4 pounds just for the body an asset, it comes up a lightweight compared with 3-pound-plus models like the D3 or Canon EOS-1D line. However, it's still a tad heavier than full-frame competitors like the Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 (2.1 pounds) and the Canon EOS 5D series (about 1.8 pounds). The magnesium-alloy body feels like a Hummer and it's better sealed than the D300, but it's not up to the dust and weatherproofing standards of the D3.
The body design clearly has more in common with the D300 than the D3, and is pretty Nikon-conventional. Almost all settings are adjusted via combinations of buttons and the front or rear dials. On the top left you've got the quality, white balance, and ISO buttons, plus a locked wheel that selects among drive modes (single shot, continuous low, and continuous high), Live View, self timer, and mirror lock-up. This does make Live View operation a bit clunkier than it needs to be; newer models have a dedicated button for popping into the mode, which makes it faster and a bit easier to use. On the top right, the power switch surrounds the shutter release, plus there are buttons for exposure compensation and exposure mode selection (PASM). Nikon provides a traditional status LCD, which displays slightly different information than the viewfinder: it doesn't show metering mode or ISO speed.
On the front left side of the body sits a switch for focus mode (single, continuous, and manual), flash pop-up and compensation buttons, and ports for a wired remote and flash sync cable. There's a programmable function button between the grip and the lens that you press with your right-hand ring finger; you can assign it from a variety of options, but my favorite is probably the virtual horizon, which uses the exposure compensation readout to display off-horizontal tilt. You can also reassign the depth-of-field preview button, which sits higher between the grip and the lens.
One of my favorite aspects of the D700's design--common to all Nikon's midrange and above dSLRs--is the use of switches for directly selecting metering mode (1.5 percent spot, centerweighted, evaluative) and AF area mode (single point, dynamic area, and auto area). You then use the eight-way multiselector to pick your focus point in the viewfinder. It's the same navigation control as on the D3, and while it's quite convenient, I find the switch itself--which you also use to scroll through photos and information displays during playback--just a little too jumpy when I'm moving fast. Still, it beats the alternatives.
Other controls on the back include separate AF activation and AF/AE lock buttons, as well as the usual assortment of playback, delete, info, menu, and so on. As is typical of Nikons dSLRs, the D700 has a two-button format (delete plus mode) and reset (quality plus exposure compensation).
Like the D3 and D300, the D700 provides lots of customization capabilities, including two banks of savable settings with four slots each and a user-definable menu page. As with the D300, your dynamic area options are 9-, 21-, or 51-point AF areas plus 51-point 3D tracking; also like the D300, they're unfortunately buried in the menus. I also like the ability to choose the size of the center for center-weighted average metering. (There are too many options to cover here: download the PDF manual for the details.)


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West Village
This is My New York
"The West Village is filled with quaint shops, restaurants, 19th-century townhouses and tree-lined streets. You may even forget that you are in a big city here, as village life has an easy, more relaxed pace."
1. THE TEA SET | 235 West 12th St
I start my day at the Tea Set, a fantastic brunch spot with a wide selection of sangria and organic Bloody Mary varieties.
2. JEFFERSON MARKET LIBRARY | West 10th St & 6th Ave
Originally a courthouse, then a women's prison and now a library! Mae West spent time behind bars here for "lewd behaviour" on stage after one of her shows. Today's Jefferson Market Library, complete with Victorian Gothic details, was once voted one of the nation's most beautiful buildings.
3. MAGNOLIA BAKERY | 401 Bleecker St
This bakery, well known for their cupcakes, is a popular spot any day of the week. The red velvet cupcake became world famous after appearing on an episode of Sex and the City. If you have tried the cupcakes, stop in for their famous banana pudding.
4. WHITEHORSE TAVERN | 567 Hudson St
Whitehorse tavern was a favourite watering hole of Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison, Norman Mailer and many other celebrities known for their Bohemian-esque lifestyles.
5. WESTBETH | 55 Bethune St
Art lover? Well you won't want to miss Westbeth. It is the world's largest artist commune and occupies an entire city block. I enjoy the gallery, or an occasional poetry reading showcasing the talents of people who live there.
6. MARY'S FISH CAMP | 64 Charles St
Mary's is a very small and casual restaurant that specializes in seafood. If they have a line, the staff will take your cell phone number and call you when your table is ready, or you can enjoy a glass of wine on the street in front of the restaurant – a practice that is illegal in the city but completely acceptable in the Village.
7. THE STONEWALL INN | 53 Christopher St
Located on the street "where pride began," the Stonewall Inn has had quite a history with the gay rights movement. After a police raid here in the early hours of June 28, 1969, a riot broke out in protest of the routine police harassment of gay patrons. The next day, riots broke out all over the city, sparking the movement and gay pride worldwide.
8. ANTIQUE SHOPPING | West 10th St
See the greatest antique shops the West Village has to offer while strolling down West 10th Street.
9. SMALL'S | 183 West 10th St
Start your night with some of the best jazz music in the city at Small's. Head here as early as 7:00 pm or as late as 2:00 am, as musicians from other clubs like to jam here when they finish their gigs.
10. THE OTHER ROOM | 143 Perry St
If you prefer wine bars, you're in luck! The West Village has the most charming after-hours bars in the city. My favourite is the Other Room, a romantic space for drinks and conversation both indoors and out.


text:
The following recipes are from The Vegetarian Shabbat Cookbook—
Micah Publications is the Source for Jewish Animal Rights and Vegetarian Books
Broccoli is so healthy, that any way you eat it is good. Prepare this loaf for a winter
Shabbat and bake potatoes and squash with it, but make enough for the next day because
broccoli loaf at room temperature might be just the thing for a Shabbat afternoon lunch.
And serve it with the curried roasted potato salad, followed with spice cake.
Heat oven 375º
- 3 cups of broccoli florets, steamed and pureed in food processor
- 1/2 cup wheat germ
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 cup chopped onions or scallion
- 1/4 cup parsley
- 1/2 cup vegan cheddar cheese
- pinch of salt
- 1 Tablespoon of seasoning
- sprinkle top with paprika
- Optional: pinch of nutmeg on top.
Oil small loaf pan. Mix all ingredients together. Bake 40 minutes or until top browns, and there you are. Could anything be easier?
Serves 4-5
Note: Nutritional yeast is light and flaky, rich in Vitamin B12, and adds a cheese flavor—
can be used in place of Parmesan cheese.
Related articles
- Easy Napolean-This Week's Shabbat Dessert (thejewishhostess.com)
- Healthy Shabbat Blueberry Crumble (thejewishhostess.com)


text: As a faith community in the Ignatian Jesuit tradition, we are especially mindful of our neighbors in need. We both practice hands-on charity and care for the sick and needy and advocacy against unjust structures in our society which oppress the poor and militate for war. In all of our outreach activities we collaborate with other Christian Churches and non-Christian Religious Congregations on the upper East Side of Manhattan and beyond.