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EXETER - Winnacunnet Varsity Hockey player Casey Glynn is committed to making a difference in the lives of those faced with cancer.
Glynn, a 17 year old Hampton resident and Junior at Winnacunnet High School, is organizing his 9th annual Shoot for a Cure event to help raise funds for local oncology patients. This year's event, a hockey scrimmage game between the Winnacunnet and Exeter High School Varsity Hockey teams, will be held on Sat., December 7, at 6:30 p.m., at The Rinks at Exeter. Proceeds from the event will benefit The Beyond the Rainbow Fund at Exeter Hospital, which provides financial assistance and support to local Exeter Hospital cancer patients in need.
Glynn explains, "My godmother Anne-Marie Viviano founded this fund when she was going through her treatments for breast cancer. She wanted the women in her support group to be able to concentrate on getting healthy and not worry about finances. When Anne-Marie passed away, I wanted to continue to make a difference in helping our local cancer patients."
Donations to this fund provide assistance with expenses such as groceries, utilities, gas and rent/mortgage payments, as well as any other practical needs that may become unmanageable during a patient's treatment. The fund also provides additional support by offering wellness and fitness programs, as well as integrative therapy such as massage, that further assist patients in their fight against cancer.
This year's Shoot for a Cure fundraiser will include "Puck for a Buck" in which individuals have the opportunity to sponsor and personalize a "puck" in honor of a loved one who is living with cancer or who has been lost to cancer. The event will also include raffles donated by local businesses, a 50/50 raffle, and "Chuck a Puck". The cost of admission is $5.00.
With the help of the community, friends and family, Casey has donated more than $17,000 to The Beyond the Rainbow Fund and the American Cancer Society. With only one more year until he graduates, Glynn hopes his fundraiser will continue past his graduation.
Those who are unable to attend may make a donation directly to the event. Checks should be made payable to Exeter Hospital (with Beyond the Rainbow noted in the memo section), c/o Casey Glynn, PO Box 656, Hampton, NH 03843 or online at exeterhospital.com.


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What the Tsarnaev punishment poll means
As a long-standing opponent of capital punishment, I was certainly encouraged by a first glance at the front page of todayâs Globe. The top-left headline was a pleasant surprise: âMost want life term for Tsarnaev.
A new poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center had found that a healthy majority of local residents preferred a sentence of life imprisonment without parole eligibility over death for accused Marathon Bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, if convicted. Overall, 57% of the 704 respondents felt that life without parole would be the best option, while 33% insisted on the death penalty and 10% were not sure.
Was it the recent news about the millions spent on prosecuting James Bulger who reportedly was willing to make a not-so-outrageous plea deal that would still have kept him locked up for life that made respondents displeased about the prospect of another long and expensive trial? Or was it a concern for not transforming Tsarnaev into a martyr in the eyes of others who hold anti-American attitudes? Or maybe, just maybe, it was a positive sign of civility and sensibility, even in response to an incredibly heinous crime.
Unfortunately, none of these conclusions would appear to be the best explanation for the poll result. Rather, the sample wasnât drawn from the entire state, but was comprised of just Boston residents, hardly representative of the federal districtâs jury pool.
It has long been the case that urban dwellers are significantly less supportive of capital punishment than suburbanites and those living in small towns or rural areas. The figure below displays survey results based on the past two decades of the General Social Survey conducted by the National Opinion Research Center. As shown, there is a substantial drop-off in support for capital punishment among those living in cities, and the differential is especially pronounced among New Englanders (state-specific data are not available).
Whatever the meaning of the Tsarnaev punishment poll, hopefully Attorney General Holder will ultimately make his decision on whether or not to seek the death penalty against Tsarnaev by giving greater weight to rationality than emotion. There is nothing to be gained by seeking death, and much to be lost.
Author's note: You can follow me on twitter at @jamesalanfox or Facebook at Professor James Alan Fox for notifications of new blog postings. Also, you can find me on the Web at www.jamesalanfox.com or contact me by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com.
The author is solely responsible for the content.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Preempting a Progressive Split on Afghanistan
Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 12:05 pm
As the Obama administration spends the next two months reviewing strategy options for Afghanistan, a progressive organization is attempting to cobble together a liberal consensus around basic principles for the future of the seven-year-old war — thereby fending off a progressive split over Afghanistan early in the Obama administration's term.
The National Security Network, an organization that seeks to bring together policymakers, experts and Democratic activists, plans to release a document, titled "Principles for an Afghanistan Strategy," later today. Assembled in consultation with Afghanistan experts from the development, diplomatic and defense communities, the two-page document urges the Obama team to create "a comprehensive strategy that recognizes the limits of military power." It is agnostic on the question of deploying additional troops for the war, and its drafters hope to reach out to progressives who object to military escalation. On Tuesday, the Obama team announced it would deploy 17,000 additional troops to Afghanistan.
"The ultimate goal here is for the Obama administration to come out with something 50-plus days from now that most people can live with," explained National Security Network executive director Heather Hurlburt, referring to the progressive community. If a progressive consensus can be reached, Hurlburt said she planned on taking the consensus document to the Obama team's review committee, which is headed by former CIA official Bruce Reidel, Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Michele Flournoy and Richard Holbrooke, the special administration envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Mirroring the stated goals of the Obama team's policy review, the National Security Network document seeks to address Afghanistan policy from the perspective of first-order concerns. It endorses the war, contending that "Afghanistan's continuing deterioration would allow al-Qaeda central, which intelligence agencies identify as the greatest national security threat to the United States, to operate with impunity under a resurgent Taliban." But the document also echoes recent recognitions by members of the Obama team, like Defense Secretary Bob Gates, that the war's humanitarian and governance components "will be better served by a smaller-scale effort which can enable local, regional and non-governmental efforts than a massive one which cannot be sustained."
As for the strategy to achieve those goals, the National Security Network urges the U.S. to support an effort to help the Afghanistan government "satisfy baseline economic and security requirements of its citizens" in order to win and hold popular allegiance. It supports "vigorous diplomacy" with all of Afghanistan's allies "from India and Iran to Russia and the other Central Asian states"; tying Pakistan policy to Afghanistan policy; and to supplement military force by cracking down on both government corruption and the "stranglehold of the opium trade" which helps fund the insurgency.
Perhaps most controversially, the document endorses a counterinsurgency strategy against the Taliban-led coalition seeking to overthrow the U.S.-allied government in Kabul. Noting that counterinsurgencies are historically won by those who "outgovern …rather than outgun" their opponents, the National Security Network urges military leaders to make decisions "with an eye to meeting Afghan security concerns," bolstering Afghan security forces and "phasing out tactics that have increased civilian casualties with questionable payoffs." A United Nations report released this week found that civilian casualties have risen significantly in Afghanistan in 2008 , and over 60 percent of civilian casualties linked to U.S. military activities have been caused by airstrikes.
Hurlburt explained that consultations taking place over the past two weeks with experts rejected a strategy that focused narrowly on counterterrorism activities like specifically targeting Al Qaeda or Taliban leadership, out of fear that a strategy that neglected the concerns of the Afghan people wouldn't work. "The counterinsurgency and development people together make the point the you can't achieve your counterterrorism objectives without a modicum of government functionality," she said. But what she said her "friends in the development community," who urge a robust construction and humanitarian effort, "are not fully recognizing is how shallow the domestic pool of support is [for such efforts] at this point. That's what the progressive advocacy community, like Get Afghanistan Right, understands."
Get Afghanistan Right is a coalition of progressives that rejects military escalation in Afghanistan. Hurlburt said that she wanted to work out a sense from the "expert community" of what was achievable and realistic for Afghanistan before taking the document to "progressive advocacy" organizations like Get Afghanistan Right to secure buy in. She conceded that there would be disagreements that probably can't be fully resolved.
"In my wildest dreams, if we could agree to disagree on troop numbers but get the other pieces right, and ask hard questions on those troop numbers" Hurlburt said she would consider the effort at consensus-building successful. "The other thing I'd really like to see is greater familiarization, so the expert community can see advocacy community has valid concerns, and the advocacy community can see the expert community are good people with serious concerns and not, to use an overused word, 'war mongers.'"
Jason Rosenbaum, a blogger at the Seminal and a leader of Get Afghanistan Right, said he welcomed the National Security Network's efforts. "We think there's a lot of common ground among progressives on Afghanistan, especially when you get the around the question of the war-fighting part," he said. "I would love to be on board that discussion as much as possible." He said he considered "NSN an ally, and we consider VoteVets an ally in some senses," referring to a progressive veterans' organization that has pushed for an increase of troop levels in Afghanistan.
Get Afghanistan Right also released a statement of principles on Tuesday for the war, reacting to President Obama's announced troop increase. "Without a clear strategy, benchmarks for success, and a plan to bring our troops home, this escalation will only prolong the American-led occupation — increasing anti-American sentiment throughout the region — while failing to make America any safer," the organization wrote in a statement signed initially by 15 academics.
Hurlburt was optimistic that progressive consensus is possible. She said that the network's role was "to turn down temperature of rhetoric enough to see the truths that the other [progressive] side is offering them." And she called the Afghanistan strategy review a test for progressives. "This is a great experiment in asking, can the progressive community do a better job with these types of challenges than [it did] in 1993 or 1977 or whatever. We've never done this successfully as a community — shape war policy, and shape policy of own [progressive] governments when we manage to elect them."
Follow Spencer Ackerman on Twitter
29 Comments
Pingback posted February 18, 2009 @ 1:44 pm
[...] Mortgage News Daily – Mortgage And Real Estate News wrote an interesting post today on Preempting a Progressive Split on AfghanistanHere's a quick excerptAs the Obama administration spends the next two months reviewing … principles on Tuesday for the war, reacting to President Obama's announced [...]
Pingback posted February 18, 2009 @ 7:40 pm
[...] Prevention: Spencer Ackerman reports on the efforts of the National Security Network, who hope to head off a possible split in the [...]
Comment posted February 18, 2009 @ 8:30 pm
You need to to get over thinking about "experts," and also about thinking on one hand, nation building, on the other, counter-insurgency tactics. This is not a tin-soldier war with winners and losers. Obama is going to figure out how to get out without the tent falling down. It is a political solution and the Iranians, Pakistanis, Russians need to help. Help convince him to not use any more Predators. Supposedly, the Pakistanis are just going to make their peace with the tribal villagers, Muslims, etc. The Russians and Iranians know we want out, so they are very happy to provide cover, I mean, help.
Comment posted February 18, 2009 @ 9:27 pm
More troops can buy time, but that's all they can do. If we don't have an firm idea of the goal and how to get there, and if the new strategy doesn't involve helping Afghans gain security, electricity, running water, etc., then it's doomed.
Comment posted February 18, 2009 @ 11:36 pm
Obama will need to solicit input from a variety of experts in order to determine the objectives and means to achieve them. Realistically, most of the work will be diplomatic rather than military. Russia after 10 years and 160M troops pulled out without any victory. The Russian commanding general noted that the
solution needed to be primarily political and did not necessarily mean a change in the countries main
Pingback posted February 19, 2009 @ 9:24 am
[...] US troops are "stalemated" in Afghanistan in the face of a resurgent, adaptable enemy, according to Gen. David McKiernan, the top US commander there. Some 17,000 more US troops are heading for the fight there, which will bring the our troop presence to some 55,000 troops. They will remain near those levels for up to five years, McKiernan said. What should the principles for an Afghanistan strategy look like? [...]
Comment posted February 19, 2009 @ 11:11 am
We never seem to remember nor understand the lessons of Viet Nam; nor have we learned from the earlier Afganistan invasions or wars. We cannot win there. We must realize that "winning" can only be accomplished with great patience & by demonstrating to all people that we can help them, IF they want our help; sharing our skills with them; building schools; teaching & modeling democratic concepts; or just simply by not bombing their towns and killing their civilians.
A. Moore–retired history teacher
Comment posted February 19, 2009 @ 12:39 pm
We do not need a "progressive consensus" that "most people can live with." We need to face the real legal, moral, and practical truth and act accordingly.
The US military cannot win the Afghan front or reduce "terrorism" with an Afghan campaign. But, since the US's Afghan military invasion was and is ILLEGAL, Obama and Gates and their accomplices can continue to commit war crimes massively (with each additional killing or maiming or displacement the US causes).
The UN Charter says all member states must settle their international disputes by peaceful means; no state can use military force except in self-defense or when authorized by the Security Council. After the 9/11 attacks, the Council passed Resolutions 1368 & 1373, which condemned the September 11 attacks; but neither authorized use of military force in Afghanistan.
Our Afghanistan invasion was not self-defense per article 51 of the Charter. The 9/11 attacks were criminal attacks, not "armed attacks" wrought by another state — another national government or national military. Afghanistan did not attack the United States. Of the nineteen 9/11 terrorists, 15 were Saudis.
After 9/11, the US did not face an imminent threat of an armed attack of Afghanistan or any other state. Just so, Bush waited three weeks before starting to bomb Afghanistan. And the reason was just that Afghanistan's Taliban government would not turn over bin Laden, not that the Taliban government made any threat of attacking the US or any of its territories.
The UN-Charter-required self-defense NECESSITY must be "instant, overwhelming, leaving no choice of means, and no moment for deliberation." This long-standing principle of self-defense was affirmed not only by the U.N. General Assembly, but also by the Nuremberg Tribunal.
Suppose, before 9/11, Afghanistan's Taliban government asserted that a certain international terrorist organization had set up headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri and that the organization had executed a terrorist attack against Kabul. The Taliban government demanded that our government render to the Taliban government the terrorist organization's leaders. Our government refused, asserting sovereignty. The Taliban invade the US to find and apprehend the terrorist organization's leaders, and the Taliban's invading force topples our government.
Obama and the US do not have a defense in the assertion that the Afghan "government" permits the US military's (and NATO forces') presence. The Afghan government is a US installation achieved by the US's illegal invasion. With illegal invasion, the US military ousted the legitimate government of Afghanistan. Even if the current US puppet government WERE legitimate, US (and NATO) military operations are illegal, because the "government" has demanded that the US (and NATO) cede to the government the control of military operations.
Now, instead of withdrawing our illegally-present military from Afghanistan or at least yielding to the Afghan "government" control of military operations there (as that government has demanded), Obama is expanding our illegal Afghan war and invading Pakistan, which has not authorized our invasion and has not given any cause of our invading it for self defense. Pakistan has not attacked the US. No UN Resolution authorizes the US to invade Pakistan. So, each time the US military kills a Pakistani by invading Pakistan, Obama and Gates and their accomplices commit a war crime.
Comment posted February 19, 2009 @ 6:18 pm
I strongly oppose negotiations with the Taliban as a politico-religious force. The British opening to the Right (Fundamentalist Saudi and Taliban) has been unhelpful and distasteful.
I know of one progressive voice I trust on the subject of Afhaniistan: Sarah Chayes. I suggest that progressives who do not want to ally themselves with religious fanatics, school bombers, and the suppression of women study her website and her recommendations for appropriate action in Afghanistan.
Pingback posted February 20, 2009 @ 1:22 pm
[...] war (Afghanistan) in order to oppose another (Iraq) with legitimacy. Obama will likely feel some resistence from more liberal congressmen and senators about this decision. I wonder if it's a mistake to [...]
Pingback posted February 20, 2009 @ 3:58 pm
[...] recently released "Principles for an Afghanistan Strategy" attempts to build progressive consensus on the war on Afghanistan, but has failed to do so. I and many of my colleagues in the progressive [...]
Comment posted February 20, 2009 @ 4:42 pm
change we can… ah you know the rest
Pingback posted February 20, 2009 @ 7:20 pm
[...] Spencer Ackerman reported in the Washington Independent Wednesday in Preempting a Progressive Split on Afghanistan: The National Security Network, an organization that seeks to bring together policymakers, experts [...]
Pingback posted February 20, 2009 @ 7:24 pm
[...] Spencer Ackerman reported in the Washington Independent Wednesday in Preempting a Progressive Split on Afghanistan: The National Security Network, an organization that seeks to bring together policymakers, experts [...]
Pingback posted February 21, 2009 @ 12:18 pm
[...] Spencer Ackerman reported in the Washington Independent Wednesday in Preempting a Progressive Split on Afghanistan: The National Security Network, an organization that seeks to bring together policymakers, experts [...]
Pingback posted February 23, 2009 @ 8:25 am
[...] Last week, the National Security Network – which describes itself as "the progressive national security community" – released a statement on Afghanistan. Our friend Spencer Ackerman reported on it's release in the Washington Independent. [...]
Pingback posted February 23, 2009 @ 11:31 am
[...] Spencer Ackerman reported in the Washington Independent Wednesday in Preempting a Progressive Split on Afghanistan: The National Security Network, an organization that seeks to bring together policymakers, experts [...]
Pingback posted February 23, 2009 @ 3:40 pm
[...] Last week, the National Security Network – which describes itself as "the progressive national security community" – released a statement on Afghanistan. Our friend Spencer Ackerman reported on it's release in the Washington Independent. [...]
Comment posted February 24, 2009 @ 9:17 pm
Aw, come on people! The continued deployments are a sop to the Pentagon and the war profiteers, and nothing more. This isn't about winning, or nation-building, or freedom or ANY of that nonsense. It's about a very powerful group being bowed to.
Why don't we just GIVE them the God damned money and bring everyone home?
Comment posted March 5, 2009 @ 11:35 am
"iberal consensus around basic principles for the future of the seven-year-old war " inother words quit, surrender, cut and run.
Pingback posted March 14, 2009 @ 6:44 pm
[...] The New York Times and noted approvingly that Gelb, a founder of the National Security Network — which doesn't always see eye to eye with Get Afghanistan Right — wrote something he could embrace. Jason emailed me: I would agree with a lot of what Gelb [...]
Comment posted March 16, 2009 @ 4:46 pm
I say take out there poppy fields stop the flow of opiates to the world put up a death star over the boarder remove the current ineffective leaders improve hospitals schools water and power. train moderates for police national guard and regular army.
Comment posted March 16, 2009 @ 11:46 pm
I say take out there poppy fields stop the flow of opiates to the world put up a death star over the boarder remove the current ineffective leaders improve hospitals schools water and power. train moderates for police national guard and regular army.
Pingback posted April 10, 2009 @ 1:36 pm
[...] 2009 — RickB The invaders killed a teacher and her family, one an infant. Meanwhile the pro-war Democratic administration is trying to co-opt and enforce message discipline on the anti-war forces they used [...]
Comment posted March 9, 2010 @ 10:56 am
why us their mountains, deserts, let there live themselves
Comment posted June 27, 2010 @ 4:30 am
Thank you – we are glad the feds are leaning towards treating addiction as a illness and that education maybe our best offense. http://www.stopoxy.com
Comment posted August 6, 2010 @ 7:45 am
Thanks again for an excellent article.
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text:
Last updated 8-14-2014
Depth ChartAZ Phil's Roster Info
ARTICLE XX-D MINOR LEAGUE FREE-AGENT:Marcos Mateo, RHPEli Whiteside, C
SIX-YEAR FREE-AGENT:Jeffry Antigua, LHPLars Anderson, 1BAlberto Cabrera, RHPMarcelo Carreno, RHPLendy Castillo, RHPHunter Cervenka, LHP (see NOTE)Charlie Cutler, CEduardo Figueroa, RHPLuis Flores, CEdgar Gonzalez, INFMarcus Hatley, RHPRyan Kalish, OFJonathon Mota, INFStarling Peralta, RHPCarlos Pimentel, RHPDae-Eun Rhee, RHPJose Rosario, RHPNOTE: Hunter Cervenka will be eligible to be a Rule 55 minor league 6YFA post-2014 if he signed a 2008 contract when he signed his "first contract" with the Boston Red Sox on 8-15-2008. However, if he was "Signed for Future Service" (first contract was a 2009 contract), he will not be eligible to be a Rule 55 minor league 6YFA until post-2015.
SECOND CONTRACT MINOR LEAGUE FA:Jesus Arias,RHPHumberto Garcia, INFYeiker Lovera, RHPNate Maldonado, CManny Ramirez, OFBrohiglyn Rivero, RHPJulio Sanchez, RHPRoberto Vahlis, C
1. If an ARTICLE XX-B MLB FREE-AGENT signs a minor league contract at least ten days prior to MLB Opening Day, and then is either not released by 12 PM (Eastern) on the 5th day prior to MLB Opening Day or added to an MLB Active List (25-man roster) or MLB Disabled List by 3 PM (Eastern) on MLB Opening Day, the player automatically receives a $100,000 retention bonus, and the player can unilaterally opt-out of the minor league contract on June 1st if he has not been added to an MLB Active List (25-man roster) or an MLB Disabled List by that date.
2. A minor league player eligible to be an ARTICLE XX-D FREE-AGENT who accepts an Outright Assignment and defers free-agency until the end of the season is not eligible to be a free-agent if the player is added back to an MLB 40-man roster by the end of the MLB regular season. If the player is not added back to a 40-man roster by the end of the MLB regular season, the player can file for free-agency beginning on the day after the conclusion of the MLB regular season up through October 15th.
2. A minor league player eligible to be an MLB RULE 55 FREE-AGENT is not eligible to be a FA if the player is added to his club's 40-man roster by 5 PM (Eastern) on the 5th day following the conclusion of the World Series.
Updated through 8/31/14 - 25 games left for Cubs.
For failing to sign top overall pick Brady Aiken, the Houston Astros will get the 2nd pick in next year's draft on top of their regular pick.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
We do love our guest columns since we all get to take the day off from writing. Today, it's the ever cantankerous Real Neal taking on The Fielding Bible System.
The other day I bought The Hardball Times 2009 Baseball Annual. I haven't finished yet, but as of so far, I would say save your money.
In it, though, there is an article about titled "Fielding Breeds Winning" by a certain John Dewan, which goes into some detail about how the Fielding Bibles' Plus/Minus system helps determine which teams have a real shot at the title. I've argued in the comments about inherent flaws in the Plus/Minus system, but there are a lot of people, famous baseball statistical analysts who think it's the greatest thing since high socks. My main point of contention with it, is that we know that people are biased when it comes to evaluating fielding, based on some of the ridiculous Golden Glove awards handed out, yet we go from our 500 person sample size for those awards to 3 people sample sizes for the Plus/Minus system, and somehow conclude that the latter is more accurate. Really quickly, the system looks at all plays and says for each one – if any fielder in the majors missed a play you made, you get a Plus, and if you missed a play that any fielder made, you get a Minus. Add up your Pluses and your minues and you get Plus/Minus score for the season.
Well, you might be thinking, isn't this article supposed to be about a Chicago baseball team, and preferably the Cubs, since that's who I come here to read about? Well, yeah, it is about the Cubs, because according to this system, the Plus/Minus system, the 2008 Cubs were living on borrowed time.
Something you can find it in this same Annual or at various other baseball statistic sites around the net is a stat called Defensive Efficiency Rating. It's the reverse of BABIP (batting average on balls in play). How often do PA's which don't end in walks, Home Runs or strike outs get turned into an out. The 2008 Cubs, Jim Edmonds and all, lead the league and did it pretty easily with a .706 DER, that's six tenths of a percent ahead of second place Milwaukee. Which, I think we as the fans, and definitely the pitching staff would agree is a good thing. But here's the rub. The highly touted Plus/Minus system ranked the Cubs as the leagues' 13th best team, at minus 27 plays. So an 'average' defensive team would have given up 27 hits less than the Cubs. Only the Reds, Rockies and Pirates managed worse team totals.
Now, if you take the highly touted Plus/Minus system for its word, that leads to my titular problem. It is possible, in theory, that the Cubs could have turned balls into outs at a higher rate than all of their competition merely by the virtue of good luck. Yes, they had the best rate, but they were merely fortunate that of the roughly 5600 times hitters were kept in the park by the Cubs staff, many of those balls were hit softly or right to Cubs defenders. If they had such good luck in 2008, then odds are they'll regress to average luck in 2009, and have some ERA problems. 5600 is a pretty big number, but let's dig a little deeper.
Usually if you're going to give up a batted ball, the best kind is a ground ball. The second best kind is a fly ball that stays in the park, and the worst thing to do is give up line drives. During one of our many off-season debates, Rob G dug up the fact that Marmol gave up very few line drives in 2008, which accounted for some of his luck with BABIP (which remember, is essentially the same thing as DER). So maybe it wasn't the Cubs fielders, but maybe their pitchers gave up fewer line drives than other staffs (staves?) and their position players and DER were merely happy beneficiaries of this skill. That would certainly explain at least a large part of the gap between the two measures.
Line Drives - Cubs 20% League Average 20.7% the best being 19% and the worst being 22%. The Cubs were roughly middle of the pack.
Well, fly balls are not as bad, but they can be bad, how did the Cubs and their diving-for-balls-that-Carlos-Beltran-gets-to-in-a-jog pitching staff do? 39%. League average is 35.2%.
So we can see that the Cubs staff gave up a little fewer line drives, and a pretty good chunk more fly balls than the average NL team. With my amazing math skills I can now conclude, without serious number crunching that the Boys in Blue gave up fewer of the best outcome (groundballs) than the average pitching staff.
But there still is those three guys with their tapes of the games, and their computer screens and they say the Cubs fielders were no good.
Well, maybe the Cubs advance scouts and coaches were just really good at determining where the fielders should set up, you might say. And that may be true, but the Plus/Minus system goes by fielding zones, so if the right fielder is told to stand on the foul line, and a screecher is hit right to him (which he catches), he gets a +, just like some poor schmuck who had to make a diving grab and slam into the wall. So, that cannot be it. That can explain the good DER score, but it cannot explain away the bad Plus/Minus score.
At this point, I am starting to call 'bullshit'. But maybe it's true. Maybe even with a sample size of 5600 plays, the Cubs pitchers just happened to have a knack of getting the hitter to hit it at the fielders. (Totally different study, but if there are league and park factors to determine how good leagues are and how easy parks are to hit in, then why aren't there any factors to determine if different teams are better at hitting away from fielders). I've got 5600 plays, and I've got three guys with a VHS and a laptop. Call it intuition, but I am going to lean towards the 5600 plays.
But still, it's nagging me. Luck, I know it exists. Can it exist for that many plays? Or could it be that my suspicion about the dubious likelihood of the Fielding Bible reviewers being able to be objective is valid.
We know that with Golden Gloves, the voters (MLB players and coaches) have problems being objective. They're heavily influenced by an occasional flashy play, and more bizarrely, hitting prowess. Why are these guys, professional players and former professional players more likely to be biased than the three guys with the VHS machine? The answer is of course simple, they're not. The Fielding Bible Plus/Minus system tries to be objective. They make the people chart very narrowly where a ball is hit, and they enter how hard it is hit. The 'where' part bothers me a little, because different cameras can be positioned slightly different at each ballpark, and a play that looks like a zone 3Z at Wrigley, could be recorded as a 3X at Busch. The inherent objectiveness of how hard the ball is hit bothers me a lot more. Some guy may decide it takes a 75 MPH line drive to be a hard hit ball, while another guy evaluating a different team may set his 'hard' line at 90 MPH. Then take the fact that these guys know that Albert Pujols is a supreme player and that Rafael Palmeiro is a Gold Glove deserving first basemen, and that when they dive to make a play, it must have been a hard hit ball.
Let's say, just for kicks that reputation plays a part in the Plus/Minus system just like it does in the flawed Gold Glove evaluations. How can that be shown?
In statistics there is something called the 'Variance'. Essentially it gives us a number that describes the change from one set of numbers to the next. If you believe that team fielding is relatively constant from one year to the next, then it stands to reason that a fielding rating system which has a lower variance, will 'feel' more accurate than a system with a higher variance. The Hardball Times Baseball Annual, again courtesy of the guys over at The Fielding Bible, give the Plus/Minus team rankings for 2007 and 2008. The average variance between teams' rankings (1 to 30) for those seasons is about 118.
118! That's it? No, obviously something is needed to compare it to. By referring to Baseball Prospectus you can find the DER for 2007 and 2008. The Variance for those two years is about 109, or less than the Plus/Minus. The variance for 2006 to 2007 for DER is also less, at 86. Those aren't really huge differences, but they're what I have freely available.
I really wasn't comfortable with the three guys and their VCR's overcoming the 5600 data points that DER gives me. But now, to believe the Plus/Minus system, I've got to ignore some 500,000 data points (all plays from 2006 to 2008). This isn't by any means conclusive proof that Plus/Minus system is bad, but it's definitely something to think about.
Then there's the final kicker. How did the Cubs do in 2006? At DER 4th, in MLB. In 2007, they were 2nd, and they were 2nd again last year. So breathe easy Cubs fans and Carlos Zambrano. The Cubs can field noticeably better than The Fielding Bible can guestimate fielding prowess, and you can be pretty confident they'll carry that forward into 2009.
I barely saw any of the game and saw Holliday get beaned once and then the next time I happened to be taking a look he got some serious chin music. I'm glad to see pitchers push guys off the plate but I wish they'd not go quite so high. It seems more common around the league lately, although it could also be my imagination. Fangraphs probably has a chart for it somewhere.
Straily got pounded, 7K's in 5 inn but 8 hits/3BB and 7 runs (6 earned).
Still the Iowa leftovers won the game.
I hate Holliday's face.
Shave and a haircut ...
(That was painful).
Villaneuva would have been a deadline waiver deal but Jedstein wanted a secret weapon to keep a top 10 draft pick and with Edwin on the DL they could not afford to make the move.
fun fact: 47% of m.holliday's career HRs are vs the cubs.
troo story.
Holliday is going to be terrible when he leaves Colorado...
Also I'll be glad when Matt Holliday retires.
/ respec' (Ali G voice)
Grimm's gonna need a rest after this one ...
JD seems to agree...a little too suspiciously with the timing, too. /conspiracy /tinfoil
Val-bueno does it again - 15th HR on the year, Cubs up 5-0 in 3rd inning.
8 is the record I believe, Mattingly and Griffey?
(looking it up)
and Dale Long
the idea of lineup protection has been debunked so many times it's not worth finding the links. The players don't even believe it (look up Joey Votto thoughts). Or check Miguel Cabrera's numbers before and after Prince Fielder. About the only time a pitcher will attack a hitter in a different way is if a really fast runner is on first base, then you'll likely see a few more fastballs. And of course most of those guys don't get on enough, but by all means if you can get an Ellsbury or a Henderson in their prime, Cubs should go for it.
In random news: Jose Bautista has homered in 5 consecutive games - active streak including one today.
I thought Sveum put an end to that?
it's astonishing how bad the cubs are at bunting...especially the pitchers...for many seasons (spanning different leadership groups, even).
it's like putting on the uniform kills one's ability to bunt.
©The Cub Reporter 2014. The Cub Reporter is in no way affiliated with the Chicago National League Ballclub.


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Fall Application Deadline is
September 15, 2014!
How to Apply
May Intersession
- Asheville, NC: The Biltmore Estate
- Washington, DC: Civil War to Civil Rights
- Washington, DC: The Politics of Gay Rights
- Baltimore, MD/Washington D.C.: Biomedical Research
- Chicago: National Restaurant Association Show
- Alaska: Studies in the Far North: Culture and Science in Alaska
- Mississippi Delta: Social Entrepreneurship in Mississippi
- Scottsdale, AZ: College and Professional Sports Dietitian Association's Annual Conference
- Oklahoma: Geological Engineering Design Field Camp 1
Summer I
Summer II
August Intersession
- Gulf Coast: Geological Investigations of Coastal Environments
- New Mexico: Geological Engineering Design Field Camp II
Past Courses
Gulf Coast
Geologic Investigations of the Northern Gulf of Mexico Barrier Islands and Coastal Environments
Cathy A. Grace, Instructor in Geology and Geological Engineering
July 29-August 11, 2012
Course Fees: Undergraduate $1895 (resident), $1995 (non-resident)
- Visit four barrier islands in the northern Gulf of Mexico - Galveston Island, Ship Island, Santa Rosa Island, and St. George Island
- Investigate developed and undeveloped areas of each to determine the relative health of the island and evaluate natural and human impacts on the fragile coastal environments
- Survey the topographical profiles of each area, including grain size analysis and mineralogic content of the island sediments
- Learn how to make predictions of overwash or breach in the event of a major storm event
Students will participate in a pre-departure orientation and trip follow-up will be held in Oxford. During the travel portion of the course, students will visit barrier islands off the coasts of Texas, Mississippi, and Florida.
This course is appropriate geology, geological engineering, environmental studies, biology, exercise science, and civil engineering students.
Students will participate in a pre-departure orientation in Oxford, followed by field exploration along the coast from July 30-August 7. The final two days of the week will be spent in Oxford from August 8-11.
Group transportation will be provided between the University of Mississippi campus and various coastal sites.
How much?
Program cost is $1895 for resident and $1995 for non-resident undergraduate students. Included in the cost are tuition, accommodations, ground transportation, and a farewell dinner. Study USA application fee, textbooks, meals, and personal spending money are excluded from the course fee.


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Educational Philosophy
The educational philosophy of Ingenium CVC is to develop the students' ability to manage a range of tools to create a visual language able to express all human creation potential, improving their local career opportunities and hence they can succeed in the workforce. Ingenium CVC improved its instructional mechanisms to produce confident graduates and supply Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Florida and surrounding states' ever growing needs for individuals possessing competencies in Web and visual communication, and in media design in a very short time.
The vision of Ingenium CVC is to be a leading national and international educational center of excellence supporting the creation and application of new technologies in the visual communication and multimedia field – enabling human development in the region that contributes with the economic improvement, competitiveness and modernization of the country.
The mission of Ingenium CVC is to provide high quality training that supports the sector of the graphic and multimedia communication technologies. Besides the professional education, Ingenium CVC is considering to offer integral services for corporative training, oriented to the satisfaction of specific needs under demanding quality patterns, ethic and social sense.
Core Values
The core values of Ingenium CVC are:
- Student and customer oriented
- Integrity, transparency and accountability
- Teamwork and commitment
- Professionalism
- Equal opportunity
The Management, staff, and students of Ingenium CVC are required to promote the above tenets at all times. These values will eventually become our distinguishing features. The challenge faced by everyone in the Center is to ensure that all the training programs offered by the Institute are of very high quality, and that the products (graduates) of these programs are competent, and skilled professionals who will have the hunger to learn more after finishing their programs.
- To promote the specific training in knowledge fields which give growth resources to the socio-economical and cultural development of the city, region and country.
- To strengthen the knowledge production in specialized technical disciplines
- To generate educational areas articulated horizontally and vertically among the technical disciplines in order to foster specific education, application field and workforce, and to adapt itself to changes in the socio-economical context
- To generate quality knowledge in an academic environment of justice, fraternity, solidarity and citizen education
- To educate technical professionals with a high creative and innovative ability and with excellence in quality of production
- To educate professionals able to contribute to studio teams which create innovative on and off-line digital media solutions
- To extend productions, actions and services to the community for the development and integral growth in all areas of knowledge and life in general
- To offer comprehensive study programs for the permanent education and other courses
- To prepare the students to acquire knowledge and basic abilities which allow them to get competitive working positions with the ideal salary
- To contribute with the international understanding within an intercultural context
- To promote a practical and experimental learning
Our Facilities
The center has the following facilities:
- Well equipped computer training facility with internet access
- Spacious classrooms
- Electronics and Telecommunications labs
The building is designed for communications training and is equipped with Apple Macs running OS X and Windows. All computers have broadband connection. Our flexible space contains a wide range of rooms where we hold our directory courses - in fact, many companies prefer to hold their in-house courses here, rather than on their own premises. You can also hire space for meetings, events and seminars.


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Madonna's son performs DJ set as his mum strips on stage
People Post
Rocco Ritchie took to the stage with his mum during the first leg of her MDNA tour in Philadelphia in August and now it seems that Madonna's son David also wants to get in on the action. The seven-year-old, who was adopted by Madonna in 2006, certainly seems to have taken on his mother's lifestyle as he performed for the first time as part of the popstar's world tour at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles last Wednesday night. Taking to the DJ booth with DJ Martin Solvang, David seemed to have got the hang of it at such a young age. The youngster sported a red Adidas hoodie and sang all the way through his mum's concert, helping the DJ with the music. David seems to have embraced his new life and looks set to follow in his mother's footsteps, showing an enthusiasm for the music industry, which seems to run in the family. Staying true to form, Madonna delivered a raunchy and sexed-up performance, at one point stripping down to her underwear. The 54-year-old star didn't disappoint in her energetic set, incorporating a number of outfit changes into the show. The late-night show, which didn't start until after 10:00, was as controversial as ever and while some children might have been shocked by her on-stage antics, David seemed in awe of his adoptive mother.
— Daily Mail
Prince William bids farewell to childhood nanny
Prince William has said an emotional goodbye to his childhood nanny, Olga Powell, who was at his side through both childhood and the most important days in his adult life. Powell, 82, passed away at the end of last month and her funeral was held last Thursday for family and close friends in Harlow, Essex. The loving, but strict nanny is widely credited for having a massive impact on the lives of both Prince William and Prince Harry as they were growing up. Prince William cancelled four high-profile engagements in the North East of England to be at the private service. He also represented his brother, Prince Harry, who was unable to attend as he is currently serving his country in Afghanistan. Wearing a dark blue suit and black tie he was flanked by Princess Diana's two sisters, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, 55, and Lady Jane Fellowes, 53, for the 30-minute service at Parndon Wood Crematorium. The Prince had appeared calm and relaxed as he greeted fellow mourners outside the crematorium. He stood solemnly as the three-car funeral procession made its way up the road. More than 100 mourners attended the service to pay tribute to Mrs Powell, who lived in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire.
— Daily Mail
She has a film to promote, and Salma Hayek certainly looked like she meant business earlier this week. The 46-year-old dressed in a power suit with a seriously sexy twist as she prepared to appear on the Late Show With David Letterman in New York City. The Latina star flaunted her famous curves in a figure-hugging leather dress paired with an equally fitted black satin jacket. The sultry star accessorised with some racy fishnet stockings, satin stilettos, a large leather handbag and a chunky Yves Saint Laurent necklace featuring a large gold padlock. Salma wore her hair up in a coiffed updo and had an immaculately made-up complexion. As she strutted into the studio for her TV appearance, the friendly star stopped to sign autographs for fans. In her latest flick, Here Comes The Boom, Salma appears alongside stars including Kevin James and Adam Sandler.The film tells the story of a high school biology teacher who looks to become a successful fighter in an effort to raise money to prevent extra-curricular activities from being axed at his cash-strapped school.
— Daily Mail


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Writing FrameworksThrough a thematic approach
Exploring Writing
Fiction and nonfiction text
Exploring Writing uses a range of fiction and nonfiction texts with blackline master activities to help children:
Grammar Minutes
Exploring Writing uses a range of fiction and nonfiction texts with blackline master activities to help children.
A series of two books written by occupational therapists and teachers to support the development of cutting skills
Phonic Dictation
Early Finishers is a series of blackline masters containing a range of high-interest, creative and challenging activities to satisfy the demands of the early finishers.
A cross-curricular theme
This blackline master has been published for use in lower primary Years and is a bumper edition of fun activities and worksheets that can be integrated into the teaching program as a complete theme or as individual activities.
Help comprehend elements of music
Learning to play a musical instrument is a task which is achieved over a period of years; the ability to read and understand music is also a gradual process.


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Torture. Please stop.
A few weeks ago I went to Cafe Lou Lou at the Loop for lunch. It had been a while since I'd been there and I'd temporarily forgotten how much I love their four cheese calzone. That memory plus this being Passover, the time when Jews don't eat any leavened foods (no bread, no pizza, etc), leaves me compelled to write about a few of my leavening containing local favorite dishes.
Four Cheese Calzone at Cafe Lou Lou The inspiration for this post has a thick calzone dough that has the perfect chewy texture. Within the dough's warm embrace you'll find a combination of cheeses and marinara sauce that I can't imagine anyone not loving.
Seitan Parmesan Panini at Ramsi's Seitan is a friend indeed to vegetarians and this is probably my favorite way to eat it. From the Ramsi's menu: "House made Seitan in roasted garlic bread crumbs, marinara and vegan mozzarella on Cuban bread." I confess I get it with real mozzarella instead of vegan mozzarella and it's a fantastic sandwich.
Empanadas at Havana Rumba Flaky dough containing a combination of cheese and vegetables with a lovely pimento cream dipping sauce. Or for the meat eaters they have a chicken version that I've heard is outstanding.
Breadsticks at Impellizzeri's They come absolutely swimming in garlic butter and they are divine. Occasionally my father will mention these out of the blue longingly and he doesn't even live in Louisville.
Banana Chocolate Chip Rum Cake at Sweet Surrender Last week at Let Them Tweet Cake the owner of Sweet Surrender didn't even wait for me to order, she just said "your banana chocolate chip rum cake?" and I enthusiastically nodded in the affirmative.
Cinnamon Toast at Please & Thank You This may be the perfect breakfast food. Thick brioche with enough cinnamon, butter and sugar slathered on to make the bread barely visible underneath.
If you haven't had all of these wonderful dishes you should make it your mission to try each of them over the next week.


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You can now use your Visa Purchasing Card at the country's largest diy retailer isn't it great to know that there's one supplier who can provide everything you need for those essential maintenance projects.
At B&Q we see purchasing cards as a very effective and efficient means of procurement. That's why we have made a significant investment in becoming a Level 3 purchasing card merchant enabling us to offer you line item detail, including additional VAT information on all your purchases. So now you can expect:
If you're looking to improve your purchasing efficiencies and provide a one-stop-shop for your colleagues, then remember you can now use Visa Purchasing Cards at B&Q.
If you dont already have a procurement card programme speak with your bank in the first instance.
To find out more call 0141 642 9612 or email firstname.lastname@example.com
© B&Q 2014 - Terms & Conditions


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Microsoft demos health care tech for developing nations
Summary: From Microsoft's WinHEC conference in Los Angeles, Microsoft Chief Research and Strategy Officer Craig Mundie shows what could be the future of health care in developing nations using an example of a patient who is illiterate--but like a lot of people in developing nations today--has a cell phone.
Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.


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ETF News And Commentary
2013 has been a good year for the alternative energy space, pretty much across the board. Solar companies have seen their share prices surge, while firms that use 'green' technology—like Tesla Motors (TSLA - Analyst Report)—have become market darlings.
While there is a bit of debate if this trend can continue in the near term, and especially in a choppy market, there is hope for the space thanks to politics. Recently, President Obama outlined a new 'Climate Change Action Plan', which could act as a new catalyst for the industry and continue the positive momentum in the space (also see Clean Energy ETFs: The Real Bull Market?).
Obama's Plan in Focus
In the plan, Obama makes a case for facing climate change head-on, citing various temperature statistics, as well as recent bouts of extreme weather, as reasons to take action now. Seemingly, his plan to combat this is a three pronged approach; cutting carbon emissions, preparing for impacts of climate change, and leading international efforts on the subject.
While there is sure to be plenty of debate about this program and how it impacts a variety of industries, this is undoubtedly great news for the clean energy world. Billions will be put towards the in-favor sector as a result of this, suggesting that investors can certainly benefit from this trend towards clean energy as well.
In particular, there are a number of clean energy ETFs which could be beneficiaries if Obama's Climate Action Plan is enacted to any meaningful extent. Below, we highlight a few of the likely biggest winners from this plan, and the key aspects of Obama's proposal which make these funds excellent picks in this pro-clean energy environment:
Market Vectors Uranium & Nuclear Energy ETF (NLR - ETF report)
One of Obama's top priorities with this new plan is to reduce carbon pollution from power plants. There is a huge bang for your buck in this corner of the market, as power plants account for roughly one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., according to the report.
As such, Obama is now pushing for the EPA to develop new standards aimed at carbon pollution levels for both new and existing power plants. While this is obviously a big step, investors should note that he didn't outright call for a 'carbon tax', preferring instead to go this route in order to reduce emissions (see Are Nuclear Power ETFs Back on Track?).
Still, this program looks to pretty terrible news for companies in the coal sector, and the coal ETF, (KOL - ETF report), though it could be great news for nuclear power ETFs. In particular, the Market Vectors Uranium & Nuclear Energy ETF (NLR - ETF report) looks to be a huge beneficiary, as nuclear power doesn't have any greenhouse emissions.
For this reason, a look to this ETF could be ideal, as the fund not only invests in nuclear-centric utilities, but it also puts assets to work in the mining space. Companies in this sector could see a boost in demand if nuclear power becomes in greater demand in the U.S., adding onto the positive trends the sector is seeing in many emerging markets around the globe.
It is worth noting though, that volume is a little light on this product and that only 20 stocks are in its basket. This means that the fund may be a bit concentrated and have some wider bid ask spreads, though it is relatively cheap from an expense perspective. Plus, nuclear is in the top priority sector for this plan, so it stands to benefit the most from any big changes in emission caps or tracking.
Guggenheim Solar ETF (TAN - ETF report)
Another key aspect of the plan looks to double renewable electricity generation by 2020. While this looks to be done via a combination of wind, solar, and geothermal, solar is arguably the most likely candidate to pick up the slack.
That is because solar power is one of the cheapest forms to install and maintain, while it doesn't have the same high initial outlay that many wind farms or hydroelectric systems have. Plus, solar is quickly becoming more cost competitive with traditional power firms, particularly when subsides or power mix targets (which require some regions to use alternative fuels at least for part of their production) are implemented.
One way to benefit from an increased use of solar power is via TAN, a popular solar-focused ETF. The fund has just over $100 million in assets, and sees solid volume levels of just under 200,000 shares a day (read Solar ETF Investing 101).
However, investors should note that the ETF is quite spread out from a national perspective, as American stocks only make up about 44% of the total. This means that the fund might not be the best 'pure play' on the trend in the U.S., though it can definitely be argued that foreign firms will benefit from a renewed focus on solar power in the world's biggest economy too.
PowerShares Wilderhill Clean Energy ETF (PBW - ETF report)
Beyond specific programs targeting renewables or power plants, the plan also outlined a number of broad initiatives which could benefit the entire sector. For example, funding for clean energy technology is expected to increase by 30% in the fiscal year 2014 budget, while steps are also being taken to expand and modernize the electric grid.
Beyond that, the plan also looks to improve energy efficiency across the board, while also reducing a variety of other non-carbon emissions as well. Clearly, the program is intended to be wide in scope, potentially benefiting a variety of clean energy firms in the process.
Fortunately for investors, there are a number of ways to play the broad clean energy space with ETFs. While (QCLN - ETF report) is an intriguing—and outperforming—option, the most popular is from PowerShares and their PBW (read Go Green with These 3 Clean Energy ETFs).
This ETF does a solid level of volume of just under 400,000 shares a day, holding about 50 companies in its basket. The focus is on technology firms (40%), but industrials, basic materials, utilities, and consumer discretionary all receive double digits allocations as well.
The spread out nature of this fund—which uses an equal-weight methodology—is perfect for those seeking to make a broad play on the space. Plus, close to 80% of the fund is in North American firms, so it strikes at the heart of the companies who are most likely to benefit from a new Obama plan.
Bottom Line
No matter your stance on climate change, you can't deny that the clean energy space has been a big winner in 2013, and that it has a bright long term future. This could be especially true if politicians continue to throw their weight behind the sector, and develop a variety of new, pro-green programs for the space (also see The Guide to Socially Responsible ETF Investing).
A great example of this preferential treatment for clean energy is by looking at the recent Obama plan on climate change. This program looks to greatly expand the use of alternative and clean fuels, potentially acting as another catalyst for the sector in the near term.
If you believe that this might be the case, it may be time to consider taking a closer look at one of the clean energy ETFs outlined above. Any of these funds could be well positioned to take advantage of a renewed focus on clean energy, making them potentially intriguing investments in what is an otherwise very uncertain time for the market.
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text:
Join FOX 7 in the Spirit of Sharing and support the Souper Bowl of Caring.
Visit SouperBowl.org for more information.
Donations are accepted locally at all Randall's, Central Market HEB stores and directly benefit the Capital Area Food Bank.
KTBC FOX 7119 East 10th StreetAustin, TX 78701Phone: (512) 476-7777Fax: (512) 495-7001


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Key: D
Overtone toots: G#, F, B
Skill: Beginner to Advanced
Wood: Mallee eucalyptus
Length: 52.75"
Mouth: 2" Outer diameter
Bell: 11.5" Outer diameter
Backpressure: Strong
Mouthpiece: Organic beeswax
Weight: 8.6 lbs / 3.9 kg
Ease of play: Very easy
Loudness: Low IIlIIIIIl High
Sorry but this item is currently unavailable.
Please check back at a later stage.
Crafted by Derwood Yumundi
Scroll down to watch a VIDEO DEMO of this didgeridoo being played.
This darkly handsome CONCERT QUALITY didgeridoo just arrived from Australia! It's from a special purchase of didges made by Derwood Yumundi who lives deep in the scrubby country of southern Queensland, Australia. Derwood does all of the crafting by hand, from sussing out the perfect termite-hollowed trees, cutting them with an axe instead of a chainsaw, skinning the bark and finishing them up. This one features fire-tattooed artwork of a young sea turtle, honey ants, and multiple dark spots that represent rain drops on dry sand. Much of the natural root has been left on the bottom end for a bit of organic deco. The footprint of the root end measures 11.5" by 8" wide. Didgeridoos with root bells can be hard to find, so we expect that this one may find a lucky owner very quickly (so, don't ruminate over it too long if you want it.) And remember, even with this large root bell end we'll ship it for free fully insured if you're in the U.S.!
Derwood is a bit reclusive by nature, so our friend Colin drives way out bush to visit him and collect our orders. He also "test drives" the new didgeridoos for us to make sure we get the best sounding ones in the swag. We've been sourcing Australian eucalyptus didgeridoos this way for most of our 18 years in the didgeridoo community. Keeps things easy, fair, and direct.
Crafted from termite hollowed eucalyptus in Australia's S. Queensland. The interior bore is clear which increases volume, harmonics, and clarity of tone. A clear finish protects the wood and artwork from the elements. Fitted with an organic beeswax mouthpiece sanitized with Didgeri-Clean (tea tree and lavender oil). The mouthpiece can easily be adjusted to fit you perfectly. Instructions included, no worries.
Soundwise: Concert Quality
Awesome combination of sound and looks! This didgeridoo can be played fast or slow with no pull-back in the compression or wavering of the tonic. Very easy to get the best out of it straight away! The tone is warm, rich and emotive. It's rumbly and grumbly with a full spectrum drone that will allow you to suss out new sonic realms. Wordless vocals, animal calls, and light harmonic overtones blend perfectly within this instrument's vibrant acoustics. Three warm, easy to hit horn toots. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. Watch the video below to see Barry demo this didgeridoo for you. We don't rehearse these videos so this is virtually you picking it up playing it for the first time! Read our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee.
Sound quality rating for this didgeridoo: CONCERT QUALITY
CONCERT QUALITY First rate, professional grade sound with perfectly balanced acoustics.
HIGH QUALITY Great sound! Better than most found at comparable prices.
GOOD QUALITY Nice introductory didgeridoo, but may lack in tonal quality and/or volume.
FAIR QUALITY Not for serious playing. Good for mucking around on, or as a conversation piece.
This product hasn't received any reviews yet. Be the first to review this product!


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Washington - Daily physical activity may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease and cognitive decline, even in people over the age of 80, a new study has suggested.
Neurological researchers from Rush University Medical Center were behind the study.
"The results of our study indicate that all physical activities including exercise as well as other activities such as cooking, washing the dishes, and cleaning are associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease,†said Dr. Aron S. Buchman, lead author of the study and associate professor of neurological sciences at Rush.
"These results provide support for efforts to encourage all types of physical activity even in very old adults who might not be able to participate in formal exercise, but can still benefit from a more active lifestyle,â€
"This is the first study to use an objective measurement of physical activity in addition to self-reporting,†said Dr. Aron S. Buchman, lead author of the study and associate professor of neurological sciences at Rush. "This is important because people may not be able to remember the details correctly.†Dr. Buchman stated.
To measure total daily exercise and non-exercise physical activity, researchers from Rush asked 716 older individuals without dementia with an average age of 82 to wear a device called an actigraph, which monitors activity, on their non-dominant wrist continuously for 10 days.
All exercise and non-exercise physical activity was recorded. Study participants also were given annual cognitive tests during this ongoing study to measure memory and thinking abilities.
Participants also self-reported their physical and social activities.
Study participants were individuals from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, an ongoing, longitudinal community study of common chronic conditions of old age.
Over a mean of 3.5 years of follow-up, 71 participants developed Alzheimer's disease.
The research found that people in the bottom 10 percent of daily physical activity were more than twice as likely (2.3 times) to develop Alzheimer's disease as people in the top 10 percent of
daily activity.
The study also showed that those individuals in the bottom 10 percent of intensity of physical activity were almost three times (2.8 times) as likely to develop Alzheimer's disease as people in
the top percent of the intensity of physical activity.
"Since the actigraph was attached to the wrist, activities like cooking, washing the dishes, playing cards and even moving a wheelchair with a person's arms were beneficial,†said Buchman.
"These are low-cost, easily accessible and side-effect free activities people can do at any age, including very old age, to possibly prevent Alzheimer's,†he concluded.
The study has been published in the online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.


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News: Lil Wayne Says He's Far From Satisfied W/ Young Money: "It's A Whole Lot Of Unfinished Business"
Wednesday, Aug 29, 2012 3:00PM
Grammy-winning rapper Lil Wayne recently talked about the success of his Young Money family but admitted he feels the crew are far from where they need to be.
Although proud of Drake and Nicki Minaj landing a handful of Video Music Awards nominations, Weezy said there's more work ahead.
"The competitive person I am, it makes me feel great, awesome, excited and all that ... but overall, it makes me feel undone," Lil Wayne told MTV News while he was out promoting his new line of sneakers in Las Vegas on August 20. Young Money's reign continued in 2012 when Tyga put out his Careless World album and Nicki dropped her Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded long-player in April. YMCMB attacked the charts, launched successful tours and delivered eye-popping music videos, but still, Lil Wayne looks to do better. "It's a whole lot of unfinished business," he said. (MTV)
Last May, Miami's Ace Hood partnered with Young Money/Cash Money.
"It's big for me," Hood said, referring to the new joint Cash Money/We The Best partnership. "I think the fans are going to be excited about the move. They've been waiting for me to take it to the next level in my career and to get the look and the exposure, being under YMCMB, it's huge. It's something I've been waiting on for a long time. People hear the starvation in my voice, they hear the hunger -- it's a good time." ("106 & Park")
Months prior, rock group Limp Bizkit inked a deal with the YMCMB family.
"I want to get it out there soon, as soon as we can," Fred Durst, who finished an Australian tour with Limp Bizkit during the weekend, told Billboard.com. "The song is already done for the most part. I've got a couple little things I might poke around or punch in on my verse. And I want their guys to take a crack at the mix. I mixed it myself; I think it sounds very big, but I really love the way their guys are mixing stuff, so I want to see what they can do with it." (Billboard)
This week, Young Money's Torion Sellers talked to SOHH about joining Weezy's team last fall.
"I remember I flew out to Miami to audition and Lil Wayne just accepted me. From there, I auditioned for Birdman and Mack Maine after that. Mostly, they told the whole Young Money family about me and they decided to accept me as the new member of Young Money. I love this hype. It's great and loving to have someone like [Lil Wayne] around. Lil Wayne is such a great artist and I just appreciate everything that he's done for me and accepting me in the Young Money family. It's just a great environment and a great vibe. I am loving the family. I love it. I auditioned, Lil Wayne signed me and now I'm a part of the family." (SOHH Guest Star)