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Ben's Biz Backlogged Blog Bonanza
When I'm on the road I always have so much to write about, both here on the blog and over at MiLB.com. This content overload is a good thing, but one negative aspect of it is that I can't devote enough of my attention to that which is taking place outside of the places I visit.
C'est la vie, as the French say (when they're giving examples of the cliched French terms that Americans actually know).
But right now? Right now I'm not on the road, nor do I have any more "On the Road" content. Therefore, today will be the first in a short series of bouillabaisse posts, in which I jump haphazardly from item to item with startling rapidity. Commence organized chaos and — warning! — some of this material is rather dated. I'm working my way through this backlog in chronological fashion.
Apropos of nothing — is R.A. Coon the best front office name in Minor League Baseball, or does Lexington's Ty Cobb retain that honor?
Dir. of Food & Beverage @itsracoon is officially certified! twitter.com/BeloitSnappers…
— Beloit Snappers (@BeloitSnappers) March 20, 2013
(Regardless, THIS is the best blog post written by a Minor League broadcaster about someone named R.A.)
You may have seen my recent MiLB.com article about the Jacksonville Suns' Casey Challenge, in which team president Peter "Pedro" Bragan challenges area school students to memorize the poem.
Well, speaking of the Bragans, did you know that the Suns gave away a "talking bobblehead" of Pete Bragan, Sr., the iconic team owner who passed away last season?
Don't miss Peter Bragan Sr. talking bobblehead giveaway on opening night! Sponsored @jiffylube @1010xl & @fcn2go! twitter.com/SunsBaseball/s…
— Jacksonville Suns (@SunsBaseball) March 20, 2013
It really talks. Listen!
(And speaking, as I was, of "Casey at the Bat" — my favorite rendition, by far, is Tug McGraw narrating the poem while backed by Peter Nero and Philadelphia Pops Orchestra. I have it on record, and if anyone would like to assist with the LP-to-computer uploading process then let me know because I need to share it with the world at large.)
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs have long had an almost maniacal propensity for pig-related puns (the Pork Illustrated game program, for example, or a conference room for "Boar"d Meetings). These days, said puns are practically avant-garde.
The team has named its frozen yogurt bar the "Soo'eyte Spot." You figure it out.
How sweet it is! The Soo'eeyte spot frozen yogurt bar is having its grand opening tonight at Coca-Cola Park! twitter.com/IronPigs/statu…
— IronPigs (@IronPigs) April 5, 2013
I have no idea how or why this happened (and it seems to have happened on multiple occasions), but the Erie SeaWolves are most likely the only team to have a Dr. Batboy.
I would like for there to be a band named "Dr. Batboy."
@bensbiz try this again. @erie_seawolvesteam doctor Brad Fox pulling double duty as batboy. #baseballdoc @drredmo twitter.com/ebrook24/statu…
— Eric Brookhouser (@ebrook24) April 12, 2013
Meanwhile, via Visalia broadcaster Donny Baarns, this photo of multi-generational intolerance:
This just in: They don't like the Dodgers much in San Jose… @milb @bensbiz @andrewmarden @guyhaberman twitter.com/DonnyBaarns/st…
— Donny Baarns (@DonnyBaarns) April 14, 2013
And, that's it for now. Much more where this came from, as soon as time allows.
On the Road: Grinnin' and Baronin' It in Birmingham
Welcome back! When the previous post had concluded, a Southern League baseball game had just broken out at brand-new Regions Field in downtown Birmingham.
With the game underway, it was time, of course, for a trip to the concession stand. You probably know the drill by now — my gluten-free diet prohibits me from enjoying most ballpark food items, so at each stadium I visit I recruit a "designated eater" who samples the cuisine instead. In Birmingham this individual was Abby Southerland, a University of Alabama graduate now in her second season as a media relations intern.
Despite the fact that Abby was a team employee and I the world's most talented, beloved and universally respected Minor League Baseball blogger, we were left to the wolves when it came to food procurement. The Barons hadn't had much time to prepare after moving in to the new ballpark, and the lines at the concession stands were long and slow moving.
Like the Davies brothers waiting to use the treadmill, there were still some Kinks to work out.
A new location of Alabama's iconic Dreamland BBQ now exists in Regions Field's outfield entertainment area, but it wasn't yet open on the night I was in attendance. So Abby and I instead braved the line at Piper's Pub and Grill, which, as a consolation prize, featured several items that incorporated Dreamland ingredients.
We ended up with this array:
Item Number One, on the far left, is the Magic City Dog (Magic City is Birmingham's nickname, but you knew this). This item is comprised of a 1/4 pound smoked sausage, cole slaw, BBQ sauce, and spicy brown mustard.
Abby gave it a go:
Abby's take: "The spiciness of the mustard gives it a kick, and the cole slaw gives it a real Southern feel. And then the sausage, that's classic, so altogether this is a good ballpark food."
Next up was the Dreamland BBQ Nachos:
"You come to Birmingham, you want good Southern food, you go to Dreamland. That's what people will tell you," said Southerland, a Birmingham native. "This is a good finger food, one of those things you just have to try."
As for me? While people are often deeply sympathetic to my gluten-free circumstances, I'm always like 'Nah, it ain't that bad" and explain that there are always options. My attempt to consume a small orb of concourse luminescence turned out to unsuccessful…
but I had no problem with this pickle. More teams should sell pickles!
It took a while for me to get the pickle out of my mouth, but once I did I looked up and realized that a dual no-hitter was going on.
The first hit of the game occurred almost immediately after I took the picture. That's how these things work.
But anyway, with the concessions portion of the evening out of the way — thanks, Abby! — I was pretty much left to my own devices. Just an ineffectual man wandering around with an ineffectual plan, of no concern to the stadium's elite and hoi polloi alike.
I took pictures, I did.
Like Dreamland BBQ, this "Power Force" batting cage wasn't yet open on the night that I was in attendance. But it's pretty unique in that it's the batting cage the players will use, and fans can then take their hacks during the game.
But who wants to be in a cage on such a beautiful night?
This outfield play area, manned by a gameday employee (on the mound) is really cool.
It was all very vague, but earlier in the evening I'd been told that I was to be a participant in some sort of between-inning tomfoolery. This allowed for a stop at my favorite area of any ballpark: the promo closet.
Turns out that I was selected as a Chicken Dance participant. I mean, sure, whatever, dude's got to make a living. I gave my camera to a promo intern to document my fowl maneuvers, and I guess she thought I wanted her to take a picture of me right there and then.
Oh, hello.
She also took a picture of her and a friend, who now achieve internet immortality by appearing on this blog.
I think this picture sums up my enthusiasm for this particular iteration of the Chicken Dance.
If you're one of those people who is obsessive about team store ceiling height, then you're going to want to contact the Barons for the specific dimensions of this imminently airy retail operation. It's vertically proficient!
Segues are for losers. Long streams of disconnected images, on the other hand? That's where it's at!
Oh, hey, look, the Barons won! I had barely noticed.
And when the Barons win, you win! And when something is free, you don't have to purchase it! Who knew?
The game may have ended, but this post (and, by extension, this seemingly never-ending stream of road trip coverage) is going to keep right on going. I spent that night in the Birmingham Sheraton, and, as you can see, I loved it there:
One last road trip hotel review. vine.co/v/bEb17HFFMzX
— Benjamin Hill (@bensbiz) May 15, 2013
That morning was an 11 a.m. Education Day game or Kid's Day game or Kidpacalypse or whatever you want to call it, so back in the rental car it was for one final stadium drive. I was a bit late in arriving, and the parking lot I had utilized the day before was full. I then circled around construction sites and detour signs and dead ends until I began to feel like I was trapped in an episode of the Twilight Zone.
I eventually found a spot about 11/32 of a mile from the ballpark, and upon entering the stadium found myself in the midst of madness. My take on Kid's Day promos can be summed up thusly:
One more observation vine.co/v/bEhMbhF1wUx
— Benjamin Hill (@bensbiz) May 15, 2013
Kids were everywhere, most of them shrieking like insects out of Hades, but looking on the bright side it was a beautiful day. Here's another barrage of photos for you, largely unencumbered by words.
A great way to spend three innings or so.
This shot of the first base concourse illustrates Regions Field's impressive (and imposing) steel warehouse motif, as well as its altogether Brobdingnagian dimensions.
For one inning there toward the end, I actually sat down and watched the game like a normal person. It didn't feel right.
But you know what does feel right? Bringing this blog post to an end. Eight MiLB.com features, 10 blog posts, and two dozen Vines later, road trip number one of the 2013 season is now officially in the books.
Thank you for reading. Next time I file an "On the Road" dispatch, it will be from the great state of Wisconsin.
On the Road: Sounds Like a Good Time in Nashville
I visited Nashville's Greer Stadium on Thursday, May 9th. The Sounds were expecting me:
Two days later I was asked by another writer, via Twitter, my thoughts on the ballpark and my 140-character summation was as follows:
"It's a bit of a dump and inadequate for the needs of such a large market…BUT…it's got a ramshackle charm that I really enjoy."
I stand by that sentiment, which isn't surprising since said sentiment is, as I type this in a Savannah hotel room, less than 24 hours old. Greer Stadium — 35 years old and showing its age — is no one's idea of an ideal facility (especially in a major market that boasts the NFL, NHL and a plethora of top-flight cultural attractions). But until that far away and as of now theoretical day when a new downtown stadium gets built, this out of the way anomaly will have to do. And I, for one, think it does just fine. If you like ramshackle charm — yes, three paragraphs in and I'm already quoting myself — then I think you'll like it too.
The area surrounding the stadium is rather hilly (Fort Negley, built by occupying Union forces during the Civil War, sits adjacent), and while walking in and around Greer one often has the feeling of not being totally on the level. Upon entering the stadium the concrete slopes downward quite sharply, which, on this particular occasion, led fans directly to a box of underwear.
The briefs were being given away by Gildan, a Triple-A baseball sponsor, who were asking fans to take Instagram pictures during the game tagged #gildanfavorites. What a life this gentleman in the middle of the picture has had — from serving in Korea and Vietnam to being given free underwear at a Minor League Baseball game as part of a social media initiative. I bet he was Instagramming all night long.
From the concourse to the press box, where I took the first of many photos that includes Greer's iconic guitar scoreboard. No strings attached!
Per the team: The guitar-shaped scoreboard is a fan favorite for all who come to Greer Stadium. Its total width is nearly 116 feet — 60′ (guitar body), 36′ (scoreboard/neck), 19.6′ (turning key section). The height is 53′ and depth is 24″.
The vast expanse of seats, just waiting for the throngs of "Throwback Thursday" fans ($5 admission w/coupon and $2 beer, soda and concession items, all while the team wears its throwback blue jerseys).
Some of these seats are in better shape than others. These, down the third base line, are a tad sunbleached.
I briefly ascended to the top of the stadium to check out the view from Slugger's (a bar and restaurant open to all fans).
These elevated meanderings were cut short however, as I had urgent business to attend to on the ground level. My media pass was contingent upon being a contestant in the nightly Tire Race.
As the game began, I, media relations director Alex Wassel, and my fellow tire race qualifiers were crouched in the aisle while waiting for our big racing moment. I took a few pictures from this vantage point.
The National Anthem, as sung by a burly trio known as The Kentucky Lineman (far left, their arms around one another).
With the game underway, it's time to play a game within a game called "Can you name that Fresno Grizzlie head"? There are nine heads in this picture, please list who they belong to (left to right) and leave your answer in the comments section. There is no prize, and I don't know the answer, but, please, just do it, just because.
Throwback Thursday, underway!
The fans, from the get-go, were rooting for Fresno to go down in de-feet.
With that burst of photographic artfulness out of the way, I handed my camera to Wassel so that he could document the tire race exploits.
What, me Ozzie?
How it went down:
Yes, that dude totally wiped out at second base and still won.
I checked my phone after the race and saw that I had an urgent text from one Heather Beshore: "I'm hungry!"
Heather was to be the evening's designated eater, and if you're new to the blog (the most underrated enterprise in all of sports media) then let me explain: I have recruited a "designated eater" at each ballpark that I visit, and this individual is tasked with eating the ballpark food that my gluten-free diet does not allow (I was diagnosed with celiac disease last season. Waaaah).
I was put in touch with Heather after recieving an email from her boyfriend, Chris, who is also eating gluten-free these days. She's a Florida native who came to Nashville for grad school and then decided to stay, and her job currently has something to do with 401K plans (she didn't provide many details, in favor of eating a hamburger).
"Chris is from Wisconsin and he loves the Brewers [the Sounds' parent club], so when he comes here he's really into the baseball," said Heather. "Me, I just come for the food!"
True to form, then, Chris opted to stay downstairs and watch baseball while Heather and I went up to Slugger's.
That's Heather with an "Ozzie Burger" and a Blue Moon, which we had procured at the concourse-level Bullpen Burgers. (Her favorite Greer Stadium food option, The Dog Pound, was unfortunately closed for the evening).
So, yes, the burger it was. It was falling apart from the get-go.
As for the Ozzie Burger, Heather was non-plussed.
"I'd give it a 5 or a 6," she said. "It's juicy, and a little messy, but it lacks the spice and charm of a home-made burger. It's a little too generic."
She also helpfully explained that, even though the burger is named after Ozzie the mascot, "it does not taste like cat."
BUT! She then raved about a prior experience with Slugger's BBQ Pork Nachos, so I grabbed an order of those as well.
Heather, as you can see, was hesitant to be documented in mid-bite. That's fine! This whole "designated eater" thing is an experiment, and for now I don't really have any rules with it. I'm just glad people are willing to do it, and it's been a fun way to meet a new person at every ballpark. Heather was relaxed and engaging and had a great sense of humor about the whole thing.
She also had a lot of nachos (okay, I may have had some as well, trying to avoid the gluten-ous processed cheese).
"I'm still very happy even though I'm full," said Heather. "I'm happy I had food, and I'm happy I ate it."
Well said!
Okay, back to the game action.
The usual shenanigans:
Scooter vs. the Scoreboard (long-time readers and/or Appletonians might get that reference).
I may have totally misheard, but I'm pretty sure these bullpen denizens were debating the merits of various Norman Lear-produced sitcoms.
Following Ozzie's pawprints, I took a walk through the concourse. Although I missed the chance to take a picture of them, I soon was greeted by two goofy white kids about 12 years of age.
"Hello, sir, I am Chief Keef," said one.
"I am Waka Flaka," said the other. "Please buy my album."
But anyway. Pictures of the ramshackle charm in full effect.
Let it be known that, on this particular evening, the Pacific Coast League's Pacific Southern Division was as close as it could possibly be. Almost.
Those teams, like these people, are back-to-back-back-to-back.
My wanderings led me to the other side of the ballpark, shockingly enough, and, even more shockingly, a game was still going on.
The Greer Garden has seen better days, it appears.
Despite being a decent crowd overall, it was totally deserted in this beyond-the-outfield area. I made a Vine video expressing my profound feeling of isolation, and hope that you may devote six seconds to it. (Follow me on Twitter — @bensbiz — to see all Vine videos as soon as they are posted).
Back in civilization! I love the enthusiasm of these women, who were playing a "Choose the Box" game that netted Becky (in the Pirates jersey) Sounds tickets and a Burger King gift card. So much emotion!
(Later in the evening I saw a member of Rat Patrol in the restroom, so I lingered by the sink so that I could ask a few questions about the organization. But, of course, the dude opted not to wash his hands and, looking back, it was very naive of me to have assumed otherwise.)
On a similarly rock n roll note: the day before, Jack White had been in attendance along with employees of his Nashville-based Third Man record label. (Also, a record-pressing plant is located across the street from the stadium!) This picture later surfaced on Third Man's Instagram page, although it was free from any underwear-related taggings:
I spent the last two innings with Adam Hayes, a video intern for the Milwaukee Brewers who, using a thing called technology, extensively documents every Sounds home game.
For more on Hayes and how he operates, read my MiLB.com story! That is not a request, but a demand.
The game concluded with an 11-7 Sounds victory, and as the stadium was emptying out I ran into Dave Clark and Doug Cornfield, from the Dave Clark Foundation. You may remember them from my Fort Myers visit from last season, and/or my story on the "Special Needs Baseball Camp" for disabled youth. They were in town to run a disability camp at Greer Stadium over the weekend –a worthwhile cause, and more will be held at Minor League parks throughout the season. Always worth supporting!
So, anyway, to sum it up: If ramshackle charm is your thing then get thee to Greer!
Jack of All Trades, Master of One
Last week I wrote a piece on Aaron Goldsmith, who, at the age of 29, has landed a job as the Mariners #2 radio announcer after just six seasons in the Minor and independent leagues. Here's the "cover" art:
Of course I'd encourage you to read the story, but the reason I'm bringing it up here in this blog forum is because I'd like to share a notable "outtake" from my conversation with Goldsmith. When I asked him his thoughts on why the Mariners hired him (out of 160 applicants), he replied that "first and foremost I hope they liked the way I call a game."
While this should go without saying, he then remarked about an aspect of his hiring that was perhaps more unexpected.
"I have experience doing things outside of the broadcast booth, social media, creating web content, podcasts and video interviews," said Goldsmith. "[The Mariners] were very interested in my ideas and thoughts regarding what worked and what hadn't worked within that realm."
Major League organizations are far more fragmented and specific in their employee responsibilities than their Minor League counterparts, and Goldsmith won't be expected to be a technological jack-of-all-trades like he was during his stints with the Frisco RoughRiders (2010-11) and Pawtucket Red Sox (2012). Nonetheless, these skills appeared to have played at least some role in his acquisition of a much-coveted big league job and as such I believe his example in this realm can and should be one to follow.
On a personal level — over the years I have become acquainted with dozens (hundreds?) of Minor League broadcasters and, certainly, Goldsmith was among those who stood out due to his proactive approach to online communication. He started Frisco's "Riders Insider" blog in November 2010, which almost immediately established itself as one of the most informative and oft-updated blogs in Minor League Baseball. Upon getting hired with Pawtucket Goldsmith began "45 Miles From Fenway," which in January 2013 was the highest-ranked MiLB team blog (coming in at #23 overall on MLBlogs monthly "Latest Leaders" list).
Success in such endeavors means nothing if you can't call a baseball game, of course. But, nonetheless I believe that maintaining a strong presence in these supplementary areas (blogs, podcasts, Twitter, Facebook, etc) is a crucial way to increase your visibility and, therefore, your reputation within what is quite possibly the most cutthroat occupation in all of Minor League Baseball.
I'm getting a little uncomfortable up here on this soapbox, so now seems as good a time as any to beat a hasty retreat. But, before I do so, let me reiterate that I am course interested in your opinion on this and all MiLB-related matters.
Especially broadcasters: do you believe that the development of these secondary skills is now a prerequisite of your success? Or can one still rise to the top on game-calling prowess alone?
Bud, Butch, Moses and Moe: A Brief Guide to MiLB.com's Black History Month Coverage
February, as you know, is Black History Month. And each February from 2006-11, MiLB.com ran a series of articles spotlighting the trials, tribulations and triumphs of black players within and around the world of Minor League Baseball.
All told nearly 40 Black History articles ran on the site during these six seasons, and a full list can be found as a sidebar in the 2011 articles. (Click HERE for an example.) The "Black History Month in the Minor Leagues" series was "retired" after that season because it was becoming too difficult to find article topics that hadn't been done before, but the content lives on.
This February MiLB.com is running a Black History Month story each and every day — today's features pioneering umpire Emmett Ashford — and this represents as good a chance as any to re-visit what I believe is a fascinating and easy-to-overlook aspect of baseball (and American) history. Everyone knows the story of Jackie Robinson, and deservedly so, but racial integration was happening throughout the Minor Leagues from 1946 onward and often in far more obscure circumstances. Did you know, for example, that Jackie was one of five players to integrate the Minors in 1946? He was joined on the Montreal Royals that season by Roy Partlow and John Wright, while future MLB stars Don Newcombe and Roy Campanella were suiting up for Class B Nashua.
I was fortunate enough to research and write a dozen Black History Month articles, on some of the aforementioned topics as well as 1949′s wave of black standouts at the Triple-A level, the "minor" Negro Leagues, the bizarre saga of perennially-unpromoted Midwest League superstar Moe Hill, the overlooked career of 39-year-old "rookie" Quincy Trouppe, Nashville legend Butch McCord (who I interviewed in 2006, approximately five years before he died in 2011 at the age of 85), and the accidental legacy of Jimmy Claxton (first black player to appear on a baseball card).
But for whatever reason, the aspect black baseball history that I find most fascinating involves those from the late 19th and early 20th century who played in "white" leagues. While racism was of course prevalent during this time, formal color barriers did not exist and at least 30 black players suited up within the Minors. One of these players was Moses Fleetwood Walker, who played for the American Association's Toledo Blue Stockings in 1884 and, as such, has long been identified as the first black player in Major League history. But there's far more to that story! Walker was also a lecturer, entrepreneur, newspaper publisher, racial theorist and inventor who, in 1891, was acquitted by an all-white jury on a second-degree murder charge.
Finally, there is Bud Fowler, the subject of the first Black History Month article that I ever wrote. This was in February of 2006, when MiLB.com was in its first offseason and I was a part-time employee with, quite frankly, very little to do.
I spent my time that month by getting absolutely obsessed with Fowler's sprawling career (1879-1904), which he spent entirely within the world of "white" baseball. The Cooperstown native (!) played within 13 different leagues — in 22 states as well as Canada — and was rarely in the same locale for more than a year at a time. After scouring the internet for every last scrap of info I could find and then making several trips to the main branch of the New York Public Library, I wrote a 5000+ word piece on Fowler that remains the longest thing I've ever written (or probably will write) during my time producing content for MiLB.com. Read it HERE.
Sometimes I dream of writing a book called "Bud Fowler's America," a biography/travelogue that would intertwine his career with the histories (baseball and otherwise) of the various cities and towns that he played in. (Please don't steal my idea, as it is something that I like to think about while not compulsively checking my Twitter feed.)
AND STOP THE PRESSES! Not even an hour after writing this, as I was compulsively checking my Twitter feed, I came across the news that the village of Cooperstown will be honoring Bud Fowler on April 20th (the 100th anniversary of his death). This will be occurring in conjunction with SABR's (Society for American Baseball Research) annual 19th Century Base Ball Conference, which is being held in Cooperstown from April 19-21. Mayor Jeff Katz reports:
Cooperstown, New York, honors its own forgotten pioneer, Bud Fowler, on April 20, 2013, with the naming of the entrance into legendary Doubleday Field "Fowler Way" and the installation of a permanent plaque in the brick wall of the first base bleachers. Fowler (born John W. Jackson) is recognized as the first African-American player in organized professional baseball, playing for over two decades in the nineteenth century despite facing constant racial discrimination.
I may have to be in attendance for this. I really think that I oughta be.
Looking for a Pizza the Action
This past September, I wrote an article on the Lake Elsinore Storm's sizable fleet of surreal costumed characters and what they add to the ballpark experience. Here are the first two paragraphs of that article, in the hope that it may jog your memory regarding what it is I'm talking about:
A gorilla being pummeled with foam noodles before escaping over a 12-foot fence. … A 6-foot chicken racing across a vast expanse of grass alongside an equally oversized squirrel. … A pink rabbit emerging from a secret door, gyrating furiously before disappearing from whence he came. … A cup of ice cream dancing joyously alongside a banana, whose presence greatly excites the aforementioned gorilla.
The above may sound like the disconnected fragments of a particularly surreal fever dream — and they very well could be. But "particularly surreal fever dream" also might be the best way to describe the between-innings entertainment at a Lake Elsinore Storm game, which includes all of the eccentric characters mentioned above and many, many more.
If YOU want in on that action, NOW is the time to act. Last week, the Storm announced that they're "looking for local talent to join our crazy cast of on-field characters this season."
Per the team:
Do you have what it takes to join the likes of the Fastest Squirrel in the World and Grounds Crew Gorilla? Create a 30-second video of you as a character of your choice. Upload it to YouTube and send the link to firstname.lastname@example.com. We're looking to be wowed, so aim for our faces.
That "aim for our faces" remark is a reference to the team's Rally Cop character, who was known for throwing his "softee balls to your face." (Those are the team's words, not mine). The team's plea for performers is motivated at least in part by the sad fact that the Rally Cop is no longer. Storm staffer Robbie Gillett, the Rally Cop's alter-ego, is no longer with the team.
So long, Rally Cop — we hardly knew ye!
The Storm aren't the only team searching for new blood these days. The Lexington Legends currently have an opening in their front office, and one of the candidates has found a creative way to plead his case.
This bit of pizza-based advocacy made a strong impression with the Legends staff, with broadcaster Keith Elkins marveling that it's "the first edible application that we've received." Ty Cobb, the Legends' director of creative services, wrote that Dan "will certainly receive full consideration" when it comes to which candidates the team decides to interview. My guess is that Dan has made himself the front-runner in the team's employment sweepstakes, but who knows? Maybe another candidate will soon utilize a dessert-based medium as a means of self-promotion — that would really be the icing on the cake!
Going out on a high note since 2007,
Something Fur Everyone
I have already thoroughly documented my own Winter Meetings experience, and played a role in documenting the experiences of quite a few others. But as our old friend Ron Popeil was so fond of saying: "But wait — there's more!"
On both December 2 and December 3 the touring performance crew known as Fur Circus made goodwill appearances at the Nashville Ronald McDonald House and Vanderbilt Children's Hospital (prior to setting up shop as Trade Show exhibitors). This was a win-win mix of altruism and self-promotion — Fur Circus, relative newcomers on the MiLB touring circuit, were able to spread some good cheer while also spreading the word about themselves.
Fur Circus put out a press release prior to their visit, and later wrapped it up with this:
But, of course, all of that happened in the long-ago year of 2012. Here in 2013, we have new things to occupy our time — like New Year's-themed ticket packs! The Miracle have been doing this for a couple of years now, and I'm always surprised that it hasn't inspired other teams to do something similar.
Speaking of ticket packs, you may remember that the Durham Bulls are offering the creatively conceived and executed "Wil He or Won't He" package. Per the squadron:
The Durham Bulls have unveiled a new ticket package in response to the blockbuster trade which sent Minor League Player of the Year Wil Myers and other Kansas City Royals prospects to the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for former Bulls pitchers James Shields and Wade Davis. The "Wil He, Won't He?" Pack consists of three big Bulls games, including Opening Day on April 8th and July 4th, and an added incentive for fans should Myers skip Durham and make the Major League roster out of Spring Training. If he does not start the season with the Bulls, ticket package buyers will receive an additional game for free.
Well, now said package has been endorsed by Mr. Myers himself!
Finally, in the all-important category of "Minor League team page staff bios," both the State College Spikes and Lake County Captains have modeled theirs after retro baseball card designs. An example of each:
Oh, and speaking of retro baseball cards — last year around this time I put together a series of "then and now" blog posts detailing those featured in the classic 1987 Topps set who are currently coaching in the Minor Leagues. Why don't you give it another look? It was a lot of fun to put together and got a great response, but Lord knows it's too much work for me to re-do each year. I'm only one man.
(Yet Another) Job Seeker Journal: Clint Changes His Destination
Throughout this year's Baseball Winter Meetings in Nashville, four attendees of the PBEO Job Fair kept a journal chronicling their employment seeking experiences. (Meet them all HERE).
While it seemed that this serialized blogging saga had concluded, this turned out to emphatically NOT be the case. Clint Belau, the self-described "favorite" of the four job seekers, is no longer Birmingham-bound and in this post he explains why his 2013 plans now involve a certain PCL juggernaut.
Read Clint's other entries HERE.
A Change of Plans
Remember me? It's your favorite (ok, that seems a bit vain, but let's just proceed as if it were true) PBEO Job Fair attendee Clint Belau! After a Christmas vacation back to Wisconsin — where I witnessed over two feet of snow falling and ate enough food to last me through spring — I'm back with an update.
When I last checked in, I hadn't heard back from either of the teams that interviewed me in Nashville. That surprised me, considering I felt both interviews had gone extremely well. However, it turned out that my Nashville trip was all gravy on the proverbial mashed potatoes as I had already received an offer from the Birmingham Barons the day before I left for the Winter Meetings. Well, during my vacation, the gravy got whole lot thicker (I'm 93.8% sure that reference doesn't make sense, but at the moment, I've managed to confuse myself, and don't remember where I was going with the whole mashed potatoes thing).
Nearly two weeks after the Winter Meetings, I received an email from one team that had interviewed me and a phone call from the other…on the same day! The purpose of both was to say that they really liked me, and wanted to offer me a position! So it turns out I'm not crazy, and those interviews in Nashville actually did go as well as I had thought! Here I was, on what was going to be simply a celebratory trip home, mentally preparing for the drive to Alabama, and I now had two more job offers to ponder! After a couple drinks to settle the nerves and some weighing of pros/cons, I had a decision to make.
Was I suspicious that each of these teams had run through their list of first picks, been turned down, and were now perusing their list of backup candidates? Absolutely. If they liked me so much, how come I didn't get a call back for two weeks? Surprisingly, I gathered up enough courage to pose that question when I spoke with both teams. In each case, the answer I received left me feeling quite sure that I was indeed atop both of their respective lists.
After considering my options (and a phone call to a world famous blogger who shall remain nameless), I have decided that the best fit for me would be in stadium operations with the Albuquerque Isotopes.
The Isotopes are the Triple-A affiliate of the Dodgers. Being that I'm currently living in Phoenix, proximity, as well as level of baseball, comfortability with the team's representatives, and a personal reason or two, all played a part in my decision. (And for those of you who are wondering, no, the fact that their team name is an homage to The Simpsons was not one of those personal reasons.) So in a few weeks, it's off to Albuquerque I go, to continue this journey toward a career in baseball. Feel free to follow my escapades on Twitter (@clintbelau), where I'll be rambling about the most attractive features Albuquerque has to offer, as well as offering my 140 character opinion on the latest Taco Bell commercial, which angers me by insinuating that somehow, bringing a 10 pack of crunchy tacos to a party (and consequently spilling lettuce and cheese all over your friend's apartment) is somehow cooler than bringing a cheese and cracker platter.
Notes from Nashville
I've spent a lot of time over the past couple of weeks documenting the Winter Meetings perspectives and experiences of others, but today I thought I'd close out the 2012 blogging campaign by documenting my own time in Nashville. Or, more specifically, the time I spent wandering the labyrinthian corridors, archways and staircases of the absurdly large (and, I must point out, impeccably maintained) Gaylord Opryland Hotel.
2012 marked a Winter Meetings return to the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, which last hosted the event in 2007 and will, yet again, in 2015. 2007 was my first Winter Meetings, and my memories of that experience are tinged with angst (as most of my memories are, but to a greater degree). At that point I was still finding my way with this job, and was not asked to go in any official capacity. But I went anyway, paying for my transportation and crashing in the hotel room of a benevolent co-worker. I had no idea what I was doing — Minor League Baseball was kind enough to give me a badge that provided entry to the daily events (such as the Trade Show and Gala), but I had no official media credentials, very few contacts, and virtually no money. I didn't even have a camera. The blog posts from that trip, written less than two months after the blog itself was founded, reflect the ramshackle nature of that journey. (One post is simply a document of a conversation I had with a guy at a nearby Waffle House.) In looking back at the coverage of that trip, I am struck by how much I don't like my writing and its snarky and dismissive yet trying-too-hard tone. (I am sure that, in five years, I will be disgusted by what I am writing right now. It is the way of things.)
All of this is to say that when I arrived back in Nashville for the 2012 Meetings, once of my first realizations was just how much my situation had changed in the last five years. Day to day it's easy to feel like I've made no progress whatsoever, but here I was back at the Opryland and this time I was there in a far more legitimate capacity. Throughout the next three+ days I had many things to do, people to see, and stories to write. People would know who I am and I, in turn, would know them. I felt strangely at peace, and to the extent that I did anything on Sunday night it was this: some casual Opryland wandering, in order to re-acquaint myself with its gargantuan layout. (I also got some sushi, which was comically overpriced but competently prepared.)
Monday, the first official day of the Winter Meetings, kicked off with the Bob Freitas Business Seminar. If you're a fan of large crowds of people – mostly men, mostly white — in bland business casual attire then this is the event for you! (Feel free to use that as a pull quote when advertising next year's seminar). The morning portion of the seminar is comprised of a series of lectures, and I attended those within the "Licensing and Merchandising" track (just because). Here's a riveting photo:
Despite my snarky and dismissive tone thus far (I guess some things never change), I do find value in the Freitas Seminar and wrote about my experiences HERE in as freewheeling and irreverent (yet hopefully still informative) a style as I could muster at the time. Between lectures, attendees mill about in the hallways outside and as one would expect the scene is heavy on back-slapping and flesh-pressing — for many in the industry, the Winter Meetings is the only opportunity of the year to renew acquaintances with distant league peers and former co-workers. Much has been made of the myriad networking opportunities to be found at an event such as this, but it really is invaluable.
At 11 a.m. there was a break in the Bob Freitas Seminar action as attendees made their way over to the Brobdingnagian Presidential Ballroom for the "Opening Session." Get ready for another riveting picture, because here it comes!
The Opening Session has followed the same format in each year that I've attended — Randy Wehofer (of Iowa Cubs fame and fortune), serving as emcee, announces the full slate of league executive of the year awards and this then transitions to the main event: Minor League Baseball president Pat O'Conner's speech. This always serves as a Minor League "state of the union" of sorts, during which O'Conner touches upon the past year's triumphs and trials before looking toward the future.
This year I was VERY intrigued by what O'Conner had to say, as he introduced an ambitious new industry-wide initiative entitled "Project Brand."
I ended up writing a feature about Project Brand the following week, so please check that out if you're desirous of more info. But, in a nutshell, this initiative is an attempt to market Minor League Baseball in a top-down, all-inclusive way. Essentially, it involves telling the story of Minor League Baseball in a manner that will be attractive to national sponsors and fans alike.
This resonated with me because, on a micro level, this is the story that I've been trying to tell through my work on MiLB.com and this blog. My content adheres to this emerging industry-wide vision and should complement it nicely. (To paraphrase a set of Coolio lyrics that have always been very important to me: There ain't no interest like self-interest, because self interest don't stop!)
After skipping the Awards Luncheon (for, among other reasons, my lack of anyone to sit with. I'm a lone wolf at these events, and somewhat envious of the the fact that many of the other people there roll deep with their team and league colleagues) I reconvened with all of the industry heads for the "roundtable" portion of the Freitas Seminar. There are 15 round tables and they all take place concurrently, with each presenter doing three half hour presentations.
Meanwhile, most of the media hordes were camped out in their private ballroom. Oversaturation!
But you can't blame the media for showing up in droves. Who wouldn't want to spend their time amidst such an idyllic environment? And I've got to give a quick tip of the hat to the Opryland here — the customer service within that place is impeccable. It's easy to get lost, but employees (no matter what their specific job) always went out of there way to provide any assistance that they could. I imagine that Minor League Baseball employees, themselves in an industry so focused on customer service, were particularly cognizant of this as well.
Of course, a big part of the Winter Meetings experience is the nighttime socializing. On Monday I fell prey to a problem that has been exacerbated by my new(ish) gluten-free reality — I can't drink beer (and seemingly EVERYONE is drinking beer) so instead I went with whisky. But, of course, one beer does not equal one whisky and I lended up paying the price for my cavalier attitude in this regard.
But what can you do? Tuesday morning was a bit rough, but I had my first round of Job Seeker Journals to post. (Doing that sort of thing is a bit more work than people may assume. Adding titles, tags, links, photos and doing some basic editing takes time!) Next on the agenda was that a stop at the mecca of baseball-themed consumer goods and services that is the Trade Show.
On display: one of the many new looks of the Reading Fightin' Phils.
And speaking of new uniforms, here's a peak at what the Eugene Emeralds will be sporting.
This sign, it was inaccurate!
And — hey! It's my old friends at Lynn University. Each year, students in professor Ted Curtis' sports management program set up a booth at the Trade Show. In addition to spreading the word about the learning experiences on offer within their idyllic Sunshine State environs, they listen to impromptu lectures from various individuals within the baseball biz whom Curtis had asked to stop by.
One such individual was me. Contrary to the picture, my audience was slightly larger than one.
Toward the end of my spiel, I thanked Professor Curtis for continually asking me to take part in this. His invite back in 2007 was one of the reasons I first decided to attend the Winter Meetings. My thinking at the time was "If someone I've never met before wants me to speak, then I've got to go!" It served as a validation of sorts, a reminder that what I was doing was slowly starting to build an audience. (Put the emphasis on "slowly" in that previous sentence.)
But anyway — I ended up doing a story for MiLB.com on Trade Show first-timer Ben "The Utility Man" Youngerman, who's gotten several mentions on this blog in the past. What can I say? I like his scrappy spirit and willingness to do whatever it takes to become a touring ballpark performer. This is not an easy industry to break into.
All in all it was an enjoyable time at the Trade Show, even if I didn't walk out of there $500 richer like Wisconsin Timber Rattlers graphic designer Ann Mollica.
Mollica, who disavowed the legacy of fellow Wisconsinite Joe McCarthy by dividing this bounty equally amongst her co-workers, had won a raffle sponsored by the Skillville Group (home of the Zooperstars!, Myron Noodleman and Breakin' B-Boy McCoy amongst others). Skillville are definitely the cool kids of the Trade Show — their advertising was featured on the back of the Winter Meetings badges, and their jumbo-sized booth manned by a squadron of employees in bright orange shirts had a prominent location close to the Trade Show entrance. They are very good at what they do, and well-known for it. The New York Yankees of Minor League Baseball touring performers?
On Tuesday evening I interviewed Winter Meetings logo designer Dan Simon (of Studio Simon) on the top floor of the Opryland, the two of us sitting just outside of a party held by the Chicago Cubs for their Minor League affiliates (every Major League club stages such an event during the Winter Meetings). That interview ran on the blog earlier this week, as did one I conducted the following morning with Sean Kane of Painted Glove Collectibles. Another interview that took place on Wednesday was with Ryan Kiel, a 25-year-old former Minor League pitcher now trying to break into the game on the business side. I later wrote an MiLB.com feature on Kiel, who, as it turns out, was hired as the general manager of the Appy League Pulaski Mariners (the same team for whom he began his pitching career, in 2010). This is a very interesting career arc!
Early in the afternoon I went back to the Trade Show to tie up a couple of loose ends — including a visit to the Australian Airbrushed Tattoos booth in order to get a temporary tattoo of a Minor League team (this is something that, two days before, I had promised I would do). The guys manning the booth had dozens of logos to choose from, and after some vacillating I went with the Timber Rattlers. I've always liked their logo, and figured I'd represent Wisconsin since I keep meaning to visit there in a professional context and thus far have been unable to do so. Also, I thought one their staff members might slip me a bit of the raffle winnings in exchange for the free promo I was giving them. (It was not to be, but please remember that I am always open to bribery.)
So there you go — I got a temporary tattoo. It lasted for the better part of a week, and I grew to like it because it made me feel tough.
With things winding down, I strolled through the PBEO Job Fair area. These photos, like most that I took, aren't very exciting. But perhaps they will help contextualize the series of Job Seeker Journals that have run on this blog.
The final order of business for me was simply to attend the Gala, a three hour party (food and drinks included) attended by virtually every Minor League Baseball employee at the Winter Meetings. As such, it marks my last chance to network, and by "network" I mean slowly walk around the premises in a circle and see who talks to me.
I have no pictures from the Gala, which this year was held at a nearby Dave and Busters, but I do have an anecdote: I've been following a gluten-free diet since June, and the Gala marked the first time I had ever been in a situation with literally NO options. Every single item on offer was breaded and fried, and I felt like a real chump standing there with an empty plate and not knowing what to do. Eventually an MLBAM colleague of mine who is also gluten-free asked to talk to a manager about the situation, and the manager, well meaning but totally clueless, offered to go to a nearby Subway to get us dinner. That's kinda like inviting someone with a seafood allergy to Red Lobster but we let it slide, and eventually they brought us soup and salad for the kitchen. Good enough! I was more interested in the open bar anyway.
Also good enough was my Winter Meetings experience in general. I flew back to NYC the following day, and soon managed to get a severe case of food poisoning courtesy of a local taco truck that I often frequent (I still love you, taco truck.) But before all of that happened, I got in a little QT with perhaps the most reliable individual in my life. She could stand to lose a few pounds, perhaps, but I suppose that's true for most of us.
If I didn't see you this year in Nashville — well, here's to Orlando in 2013!
To all who read this particularly self-indulgent entry: Happy Holidays, and thanks so much for sticking with me.


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Chef and Wine Professional need advice on MUST do's for my first trip to Vegas
- w
- WineguyDFW Oct 30, 2011 01:55 PM
Quick background....
Both MAJOR FOODIES...
Wife...CIA grad and Pastry Chef (so desserts must be top notch)(she no longer cooks but you know once a chef always a chef)
Me...Certified Sommelier(on my way to Master someday?) and a VERY adventurous eater
Both travelling to Vegas in mid-December with my wife's sisters and spouses(6 people total).....
This is my very first time to Vegas and I have asked a few of my wine buddies but I want a few fellow ChowHound's two cents.....
1st night, Tues 13 Dec2011 will be dinner for all couples... 4.5 adventurous eaters and 1.5 not so
-Willing to travel by cab or any means necessary if the experience is worth it
-Budget upper end of moderate to expensive..again if the experience is worth it
-Open to most types of cuisines, prefer rich and decadent
IMPORTANT-----Really want a dining experience, jackets and cocktail dresses with classic fine dining ambience, exceptional quality, great presentation, outstanding service, creative menu.. prefer NOT to see fellow patrons in t-shirts and ballcaps (this really can spoil the evening for us, America has gotten WAY too casual)..<stepping down from soapbox>
Currently under consideration...
=Michael Mina's- which one has steaks cooked in Beurre Monte(butter)?
=Jaleo's - I LOVE paella!
=Aureole - Would likee to see the Wine Angels
=Olive - Friend knows the sommelier there (possibly free wine!)
=Hugo's - sounds like it could be fun and tasty in old school Vegas way
=Would consider any Daniel Boulud or Jean George suggestions as well
Okay that is night one and THANK YOU to anyone that has read on. I know this is a lengthy post.
2nd night, Weds 14Dec2011..Boy's night=BUFFET night...girls are going to a CdSoleil show and we have stretchy pants ready to go
-Same criteria as above, travel and budget are open if experience is worth it
-Quality Crab legs, prefer Alaskan King Crab but will settle for higher quality of other species shellfish, Lobster a major bonus
-Prime Rib of above average quality, would like an overall great carving station
-Comfy booth, we plan to be here for quite a while
THANK YOU AGAIN to anyone and everyone that read this long posts and offers some wisdom and insight....
Roy aka WineGuyDFW
What do you consider to be upper end of moderate to expensive? Pretty much all the restaurants are business casual. I doubt you'll find a restaurant with everyone dressed in jackets and cocktail dresses. The only buffet I know of that serve lobster are the Rio (spiny lobster and not Maine lobster and dried out) and Aria ($10 extra for a half a lobster tail.) There are no buffets that serve all you can eat Maine lobster. The buffets that were serving Alaskan King crab legs are now serving snow crab.
re: Eric
Moderate would be $75-100 average per person for 3+ courses...Expensive would enter the $150+ per person.
We were afraid of the biz casual dominance in most places, a few of you fellow chowhounds pointed out some likely hat and jeans free ideas that we are thinking about.
I have already crossed Rio off the list, too many poor marks.
Do you believe the buffets have switch from Alaska King due to cost?
Thanks for all your input
Great list..
You must dine at Lotus of Siam for either lunch or dinner...they have a buffet but I do the menu..it is so off the chain good..best Thai I have ever ever had.
I like Country Club at Wynn and so miss Alex.
City Center is really going on had drinks at Chandelier last month at the Cosmo hotel that was incredible...great hotel and had happy hour at Todd English's P.U.B.
Vegas is a tourist town and not very many restaurants require anything more than business casual. Even then, you will often see a few people in jeans or even shorts and a t-shirt.
The two most "upscale" restaurants aren't on your list:
L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon
é by josé andrés <--this will satisfy your want for fine food and a good experience, plus you can talk chef talk to the four chefs who plate table-side for you.
You should also go to Scarpetta. I've heard nothing but rave reviews for it.
For buffet, Wynn usually has Alaskan king crab, although sometimes they substitute with a large spiny snow crab if king crab is too expensive. Take a plate of crab to the grill and ask them to heat them up for you. They'll get crispy at the edges, juicy in the flesh, and have a very nice (and light) mesquite flavor. Squeeze on a bit of lemon and it's perfect.
The School of Pastry Design is in Vegas and is run by Chef Chris Hanmer, who just won Top Chef Just Desserts. He gives one-on-one or small group classes on sugar and chocolate. Since it seems you don't really need instruction on pastry, he also does a molecular gastronomy course. The school is within a small restaurant supply store which sells chemicals, additives, silicon molds, etc.
re: ah6tyfour
Thank you for your insight...I had é on my radar, but read $250 a person and knew thought that might be a bit much per person for the whole group to agree on. L'Atelier though may be spot on! We like the menu and concept and that has climbed right up to the top THANKS! With Scarpetta right behind it along side Mina.
Great tip on the crab at Wynn's. I hear it can be quite a wait, even on a week night. Is it worth it?
Given your desire for fine dining ambience, I'd go with Aureole and sit in the Swan Court.
You won't be able to see the wine angels from that part of the room though.
Swan Court is one of the least likely places to see fellow diners in t-shirts and ballcaps short of Robuchon.
Michael Mina's steak place in Mandalay Bay, Strip Steak, does a butter cooked prime rib which is then grilled. It's not bad. Ambience is okay but the front of the restaurant is big glass walls open to the passing crowds on their way to/from the food court and convention center.
Michael Mina in Bellagio is a very nice room. Much nicer than the one at MGM Grand.
I've always had excellent service at the above places.
BTW, Daniel Boulud closed a while ago.
re: zippyh
Swan Court at Aureole, just made the new list too. Wife is reviewing the menu now.
Don't really want to gaze at the herds of fellow tourists while eating, so Mina's may get bumped off.
re: WineguyDFW
BTW, the Swan Court menu is slightly different from the standard ala carte menu. It's a fixed price 3 course menu with choice of starter, main, dessert, plus a side. There's a premium for some of the course. The choices are everything that's on the standard menu. There are also the tasting menus available.
I seem to recall Swan Court patrons also get a more extensive amuse and something extra with dessert.
I consider myself a foodie as well. Forty plus years in the business. I find Las Vegas as one of the top notch dining destinations. Some of places I've visited and suggest are:
Picasso- One of my favorite. "Classic cuisine" and great quality food and service,
L'Atalier- We sit at the bar and watch the creativity.
Sage- The poached farm raised egg appetizer is one of the best apps I've had in Vegas.
Eiffel Tower Room- Some feel this is too touristy but we visit each year. Maybe not quite as upscale as Picasso but the classic French dishes are of great quality and the service attentive and professional. The view and atmosphere can not be beat. At least visit the bar for a drink and app. The fois gras is super.
Joel Rubechon "Mansion"- Have not dined here yet. Price is a little steep formy wallet but I here it is the ultimate dining experience.
Eiffel Tower Restaurant
3655 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
re: gdiego
Sage is under review by my wife(along with Swan Court) now. Your thoughts between these two?
L'Atelier is still sitting on top for me, but not sure the whole crowd likes the "bar" idea.
Have to agree that Lotus of Siam is a MUST - even though it is not a dress-up place. Sage in the Aria has great service and a wonderful menu and you would not feel out of place dressing up. You probably have time to make reservations at e by Jose Andres at $250/head all in and you could definitely dress up and have an awesome foodie experience. For old school Vegas there's always the steakhouse at Circus Circus or Andres at Monte Carlo. I think you could dress up there. Then you have the big name chefs. Aureole is obviously a possibility - I fell in love with the New York Aureole before it was well known.
Lotus of Siam
953 E Sahara Ave Ste A5, Las Vegas, NV 89104
re: kagemusha49
Just to update, e by Jose Andres is no longer $250 for meal + wine + gratuity. It's now $160 for the meal exclusive of tax and tip (comes to ~$205 after all added). Non-alcoholic tasting (6 tastings) is $65 and alcoholic tasting (9 tastings) is $110. Then add tax and tip to that.
re: kagemusha49
All great suggestions....I am all for LoS, but not sure all of my brothers-in-law are Thai fans. We may try to hit this for lunch on the last day if we didn't OD the night before.
I think the old school dining would be fun, waiters in tuxedos, tableside preparation of Caesar salad, bananas foster etc....Awaiting group verdict.
re: WineguyDFW
Namaste is right next door to LOS and serves excellent Indian cuisine.
re: BIGGUNDOCTOR
Not any more it doesn't
For your buffet: Wicked Spoon at Cosmopolitan. I've gone once for dinner and twice for lunch, and I've never gone to any other Vegas buffet multiple times. I don't remember if they have King crab legs (which are increasingly all but impossible to find at buffets), I was too busy scarfing down everything else. Carving station when I went for dinner had prime rib, chorizo-stuffed mahi mahi, roasted lamb, roasted marrow bones (!), and accoutrements including chimichurri and harissa, both of which were full-strength. Their Korean BBQ short ribs are the best I've had anywhere, there's HUGE chocolate covered strawberries, I could go on at even greater length than I already have... Just go, it's amazing. Oh, word of warning, if you want an espresso afterward, hit Va Bene out in the shopping area on the 2nd floor; Wicked Spoon overcharges for their espresso. I have heard wonderful things about the buffet at the M Resort, but have been too busy gawking at Cosmopolitan to try them. An excellent thing to note about the M Resort's buffet is that beer, wine, and espresso drinks are included with your buffet.
The only buffet that has lobster at dinner is the seafood buffet at Rio, and it's completely not worth it. You will not find comfortable booths at buffets, precisely because they want you to eat up and get out. I think I sat at a banquette while dining at the Rio Carnival World Buffet, but that trades the Cosmopolitan's outstanding quality for jaw-dropping quantity; I swear Rio's buffet is a football field long.
Carnival World Buffet
3700 W Flamingo Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89103
re: JK Grence the Cosmic Jester
Wicked Spoon is holding in second place due to the overwhelming comments re: quality. We REALLY want those crab legs.... Great insight though and very much appreciated....I am ready to push it up a notch just for the mention of MARROW!
For the best high-end dining you should go to Joel Robuchon (not L'Atelier). Beautiful room, attentive service and fantastic food! Definitely a "dress-up" place. They'll even send a gold limo to pick you up at your hotel and bring you back after dinner.
For the most creative and delicious cuisine, you should definitely go to e by Jose Andres. Intimate private room at the Jaleo restaurant at the Cosmopolitan. It is counter dining for less than a dozen (maybe 8) guests.
I've heard excellent things about Sage. Skip Picasso. If you're at the Bellagio, I recommend Le Cirque instead.
re: ellenost
Is Le Cirque still open in Vegas? We heard it was closed? Gonna check online after this reply!
Unfortunately, Robuchon may be a bit rich for the entire party. Wife and I may have to make a weekend getaway for that one. Unless I win big at a table after we arrive...hmmm hadn't even thought about gambling yet..
Le Cirque
Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
re: WineguyDFW
Le Cirque LV is definitely open (the restaurant is not open on Mondays). Their new chef, Gregory Pugin is most recently from NYC's Veritas, and a good NYC CH friend of mine, RGR, loved his food. It's definitely on my list of restaurants when I return to LV in March.
Le Cirque
Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
re: JB BANNISTER
Breaking my heart that we won't be there on a Sunday...That is EXACTLY what I am looking for a decadent buffet experience! Will have to plan a Sunday trip soon!
For the buffet, we really want our crab legs so it looks like:
-M Resort
Does anyone know if the legs are split already at any/all of these buffets or would we benefit by fedex some crab zippers to the hotel ahead of time?
Thanks again to all that are helping us with our decisions...Hope I can return the favor for anyone wanting to dine in DFW soon.
re: WineguyDFW
You will be very disappointed with the crab at Bellagio. They're tiny slivers, barely larger than small snow crab. More often than not, they are still slightly frozen when put out. Snow crab is at both sides of buffet while king crab is only on the salad side. But very very disappointing.
Wynn at least will have decent crab. And again, the fact that they grill it over mesquite is a great bonus.
Both Bellagio and Wynn serve their crab pre-split. But with the size of the crab at Bellagio, splitting actually leaves each half quite bare.
M Resort's crab is snow crab, but very decent sized snow crab. And they let you choose between hot and cold crab. The crab are not split, but have scored so it's easy to open. They have crab zippers if needed. They actually serve them still attached to a piece of the body so you receive four legs each time you grab one.
Cosmo's crab is actually quite unique (although it's always quite cold when I get it). It's pre-split snow crab with lemon pepper and salt seasoning. It's served warm straight from the carving station (which is why I can't figure out why it's always cold when I get it).
Based on crab, this would be my order:
1. Wynn
2. M Resort
3. Cosmopolitan
4. Bellagio
Overall, the order would be the same except I'd put M in first place. Sashimi salad, big pieces of crab body with your crab leg, best desserts, alcohol and coffee bar included, etc.
3600 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV
re: ah6tyfour
Wine guy,
L'Atelier is must for you and your wife. Great, great wine list w outstanding sommeliers and creative desserts. The Roticerie item each night is exceptional. So too is Jamon Iberrico (belotta) which is hard to find. But, it's not good for a group as you'll be sitting 6 in a row along the bar. Not good for conversation. Drop the friends and take the wife!
Another interesting choice is MoZen in the Mandarin Oriental which offers its take on multi ethnic Singaporean street food. Their Sunday brunch is a marvel. Buffet appetizers, including all manner of sushi and sashimi. Not sure about crab. Main courses are not buffet and include Thai, Chinese and Japanese choices. Spicy and delicious. Delicious desser buffet.. Bottomless Veuve Cliquot to accompany all this. Amazing stuff in a smaller, more intimate "zen" space in a remarkable hotel
My husband and I are locals. We live 4 miles east of the strip and have tried many of the fine dining options Vegas has to offer. You will be hard pressed to find a restaurant without some jeans and t-shirt wearing diners. My husband proposed to me at Joel Robuchon last December...12 course meal over $1000 at the Mansion and there was still a table of very casually dressed people. Anywhoo, these are our favorites --
Joel Robuchon
Guy Savoy -- EXCELLENT service
Aureole was "meh" at best
My wife and I are passionate about great food and wine. We live in SoCal but travel to LV 3 or so times a year for the cuisine and shows. Our personal wine collection is several hundred bottles, deepest in French and California Pinot Noirs. We're former long time members of the Chaine de Rotisseur, a French inspired food and wine society. We're in our early 60's. Our son is a CIA grad (40K well spent) and currently a chef. From this perspective, my thoughts on some of the places mentioned....
JOEL ROBUCHON - Best of the Best, but probably wouldn't be fully appreciated by those in your group not as schooled in fine cuisine as you and your wife. A special occasion destination. We ordered a la carte, preferring two or three larger items we really wanted to a menu of smaller dishes we weren't sure about. Worked out perfectly. Had a foie gras stuffed whole French chicken with a 1996 grand cru burgundy I brought in. Corkage was $100. Don't know if they even still allow this.
L'ATELIER - Been four times since they opened and the last was the best. Great concept with the bar and all. All conversation amongst the kitchen staff, which one can sometimes overhear, is in French. Sadly, the bar just doesn't work well IMHO for more than 2 people, due to inability to easily converse. We dined there once at a table with a group of six. Tables seemed a little high like bar tables. Not nearly the same ambiance as at bar.
SAGE - A beautiful, "only-in-Vegas" kind of room with an adventurous and well-executed menu. Rave reviews from others I've sent there. We've dined there twice, but not within the last year. Highly recommended.
SWAN COURT @AUREOLE - If you go to Aureole, Swan Court is the way to go. There are several little outside patios just steps from your table where you can go to stretch your legs between courses and watch the swans. Chilly for that in December, though. We avoided Aureole for years, thinking it just wouldn't be up to par, but have now been twice and are so impressed with the setting, the food and the service. A very quiet, serene dining experience. My only complaint was the electronic device they give you instead of a wine list was hard for us over-60's to figure out.
GUY SAVOY - Similar to Robuchon in that it's an over the top French dining experience. Unlike Robuchon, the room seemed a touch sterile and cold to us. Cuisine and service all you'd expect it to be. Overall, we much preferred Robuchon.
e by Jose Andres - reminded by this post we haven't been yet and will try it on our next trip in December.
Old school Las Vegas - we adore these places when in the mood for 60's style food, ambiance and service. You mentioned Hugo's. Others we've tried include The Golden Steer on Sahara and Pietro's for Italian. Slices of Vegas history that won't be there forever. For Lunch or breakfast someday, try the Pepppermill on the Strip, which is slightly newer, but still old school Vegas.
I didn't see Twist mentioned in the Mandarin Oriental at City Center. Adventurous French cuisine from Michelin 3 star chef Pierre Gagnaire. We liked it a lot, and the room is beautiful.
Michael Mina at Bellagio is another beautiful room that'll be approachable for everyone in your group, with the added benefit of enjoying the extensive Bellagio gardens prior to entering. Always thought it a little pricey, though, all things considered.
Michael Mina Restaurant
3600 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Golden Steer
308 West Sahra, Las Vegas, NV 89102
3600 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV
re: mcgrath
Very helpful..Thanks for the excellent reviews. We visit Las Vegas each year and relish the fine dining. I just turned 60, (a hard one to accept) my dad was a fine chef and we owned a restaurant for many years.
We visited Sage last year and had a great experience. The farm raised poached egg appetizer was one of the best things consumed in the city. L'Atalier and Picasso are two others on our best list. We also enjoy the Eiffel Tower Room for the food and gracious service from the staff there.
I see where you do not mention Le Cirque. We have read great reviews recently and thought we might give it a try when we visit during the first week of December. Comments?
re: gdiego
Interesting you'd mention Le Cirque. As with Aureole, we've avoided it all these years, and I don't know why really. Maybe the circus-like decor suggested to me they weren't all that serious. Plus, I don't remember until recently there being any commentary about it here on CH.
HOWEVER, I am flying my work staff over and back for our annual fancy, no holds barred holiday meal, and--you guessed it--I've decided on Le Cirque. We usually do this locally in SD, but this year I proposed LV and it was a major hit. These are three attractive, hard-working ladies who've already gone out and bought dresses, etc. I'm pretty sure Le Cirque will be perfect for us.
Le Cirque
Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
re: mcgrath
Hi mcgrath!
I know its not fancy but Lotus of Siam is off the chain good..have you and your wife been there yet?
It's on Sahara about a mile from the Wynn...Thai food beyond sublime..
DH and I went right at 11:30am and ordered off the menu but the buffet is very popular.
Just not a buffet chicka unless there is King Crab and Iranian caviar.. ; )
I was extremely impressed with the Cosmo Hotel and City Center.
Thanks for the Le Cirque reminder..have a great time at your Xmas party..
Just got an e-mail for the Wynn..$139 a night with $50 resort credit for the holidays.
re: Beach Chick
Yeah, Chick, those 5 star hotels are begging for business. Make sure you put all your meals on your room tab so they know how much you've spent and will keep the deals coming.
This thread has gotten a little Twilight Zone for me. Hadn't been to LOS for years, then happened to be in LV alone at dinner time last Saturday and decided great Thai food would be nice. I do love it. I always ask for the heat index to be as "spicy as you're legally allowed to serve a Caucasian"... This always produces a laugh and a very spicy dish.
re: mcgrath
We just stayed at the Trump and they upgraded us to a 1bdr suite which was nice but I still like staying at the Wynn...
LOS is sublime but I like spicy beyond what they think I can handle and I told the waiter I wanted a 9+ and he brought out about a 6...hate when that happens.
Report back on your dinner with your staff...already jonesing to go back for a long weekend.
re: mcgrath
I'll be expecting a report of your dining experience at Le Cirque. .......We hope to visit the first week in December.
Le Cirque
Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
Sage is great, had our wedding reception dinner there this June
They will customize a tasting menu for you if you call ahead and are great to work with
you can see my review if you search my name under this forum
As I read your post and the replies, I would tend to agree not to miss L'Atelier or Joel Robuchon next door. My wife and I dine at L' Atelier every 6-8 weeks as we have lived in Vegas 11+ years. I agree that Sage is wonderful as is Lotus of Siam. Another place I highly recommend is Raku but a party of 6 might be required to pre order or partake in an omakase menu (I would call ahead if this strikes you as a place to eat). Also, Raku is off the Strip. Additionally, I would recommend the $20 lunch at Estiatorio Milos at the Cosmopolitan (check availability on weekends). Likewise, I enjoy eating at Jaleo at the Cosmopolitan. I want to dine at E by Jose Andres (located within Jaleo) but have not had the opportunity.
If you are in the Cosmopolitan please have drinks at the Chandelier Bar; it is a great place to have drinks and people watch-AND you don't have to do bottle service to get a table.
Have a great trip.
Lotus of Siam
953 E Sahara Ave Ste A5, Las Vegas, NV 89104
3708 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
re: cscruz
Love Chandelier bar a the Cosmopolitan...really impressed with the whole City Center area.
Wonder how the rooms are at the Cosmo..
Can't wait to dine at Jaleo and Raku.
re: Beach Chick
@BeachChick We love the Cosmopolitan and the rooms are very nice at the Cosmo unless you are above Marquee when the club is open as you will not sleep. My family and I love Jaleo and Raku.
3708 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109
re: cscruz
Thanks cs!
re: cscruz
Best part of The Chandelier is the center of it, Floor 1.5 if you use the elevator. That's where they do all the wild experimental cocktails. I think my favorite bar at Cosmopolitan is Vesper, with outstanding vintage cocktails and modern interpretations.
re: JK Grence the Cosmic Jester
The Chandelier and Vesper are both great. I usually go to Floor 1.5. The bartenders there are really nice.
re: JK Grence the Cosmic Jester
JK..thanks again for the Chandelier bar and secret pizza rec...jonesing for a slice, cocktail and to play that vintage Galaga vid game!
re: cscruz
Raku is a good call. We went there with a hard-to-please foodie couple a year ago based on writeups here on CH. It was a major hit with everyone, and I love how it's off the Strip in an easy to miss little mall in the Asian area of the city.
I continue to be a fan of Andre's from the time we had our wedding reception there to the last time we ate there last year. It is elegant, exceptional service, a great choice of 2 tasting menus , nice wine pairing and outstanding souffle (they had a pumpkin one last year that was outrageous).
THANK YOU to everyone for your great comments and suggestions. We are in the process of making our final decision this week....BUT
We have called 4 different restaurants to make our reservations and ALL of them are closed for some reason on the 13th of Dec (many closed for the entire 3 days we are there)
Is there a reason so many of the fine restaurants are closed during this time frame?????
re: WineguyDFW
Many restaurants are closed on Mondays so that staff get a day off. My guess is that now they are closing on Tuesdays too to save costs.
re: WineguyDFW
That's the week a lot of restaurants close for their yearly "spring cleaning" if you will. I also think it's a sort of break for the staff before the holiday season. My birthday is December 13th...instead of proposing to me at Bouchon last year like my husband had planned (the location of our first date), he had to propose at Joel Robuchon (poor me I know). Anyway, Joel Robuchon should be open that week if you want to check it out.


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Empire Children is Children of Empire's (ZE:A / 제국의 아이들) First International Forum. ★


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A 17-year-old boy with a promising future in basketball is dead. He was shot, on the way to a team banquet.
Marquis Gresham was a senior at Muskegon Heights, which is north of Grand Haven. He was a huge part of the reason the Tigers beat New Buffalo this year at regionals.
Gresham had scholarships to play in college, but his life has been cut short.
A woman living nearby tried to save him, but there was nothing she could do.
"I asked if anybody knew CPR. Nobody did, so I tried to get down there, but he had a lot of blood coming out of his mouth," Yolanda Tate said to WOOD-TV. "His eyes opened up just a little bit. My husband continued to tell him, 'just hold on, help is on the way."
Police don't have any suspects in the shooting.


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November 26, 2014
November 2, 2010
Dominion Virginia Power is seeking the source of low-level radiation found in groundwater by one of its monitoring stations at its North Anna nuclear power plant in Louisa.
The utility informed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission of the increase in tritium levels in a filing last week with the agency.
Dominion said in the filing the increased radioactive reading does not pose a health hazard to plant employees or the public.
Tritium is the radioactive isotope of hydrogen and is produced in nuclear reactors.
"The Richmond Times-Dispatch" reported Monday on the radioactive groundwater.
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November 24, 2014
Stay up-to-date with KAKE News:
On September 12th, 1996, 16 year-old Cherie Fox was shot to death inside the apartment where she lived in North Wichita. She had only lived in the city for about two months. The crime happened at the Falcon Point Apartments near 21st and Meridian.
Detective Tim Relph says Fox's father discovered her body when he returned home that afternoon. She died of multiple gunshot wounds.
Relph says Fox really didn't even know very many people in the Wichita area because she was so new to town.
"She didn't have any history here because she hadn't been here very long," says Relph. "She had friends in Arizona that had colorful pasts, though."
In fact, detectives even went to Arizona to investigate. They also gave many people who lived in Fox's apartment complex lie detector tests.
"We polygraphed a tremendous number of people who had access, maintenance people. It didn't appear as though there was forced entry," explains Relph. "But that doesn't rule out the possibility that she didn't let the person in."
Detectives have always kept open the possibility that this was a random crime, but Relph admits that it certainly doesn't appear that way.
"It's a tough case, but it's also a case with a lot of inside information. Somebody knows. A single informed tip could reenergize this case."
It's been 12 years since any solid leads have come in on this case. If you have any information, call Crimestoppers at 267-2111. If your tip leads to an arrest, you could be eligible for a cash reward of up to a thousand dollars. Nobody will ever ask your name.
Crimestoppers of Wichita/Sedgwick County is a non-profit organization of citizens against crime.
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DIA millage could be cut due to breach of contract if art is sold under Detroit bankruptcy
Updated On: Aug 02 2013 07:08:02 AM EDT
There are treasures at the Detroit Institute of Arts envied around the world.
If the treasures start to get sold then the funding mechanism keeping the museum open and free to the tri-county area may vanish.
More: DIA millage passes in all 3 counties
"In our negotiations with the counties and the elected officials and others, perhaps the greatest concern was top make sure that money coming to the DIA from the counties could not find its way into the city, and I think any sort of raiding of the collection to get money to the city could reasonably be seen as a breach of the contract," said DIA Director Graham Beal.
Related: Detroit bankruptcy hearing is Friday
Beal is echoing what high-placed sources across the tri-county area have been telling Local 4.
"One of the county authorities is already drafting a resolution and I wouldn't be surprised if the other two counties followed suit," said Beal.
It's a resolution to stop giving the DIA the millage from a 2012 ballot initiative because of a breach of contract. The museum has found itself in the center of the bankruptcy storm with art aficionados world-wide weighing in on whether some of the art should be sold.
"It's one of the great collections in the country. It's something that Detroit can genuinely and without argument claim to be of world-class," said Beal.
The views expressed below are not those of Click On Detroit, WDIV, or its affiliated companies. By clicking on "Post," you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Service and your comment is in compliance with such terms. Readers, please help keep this discussion respectful and on topic by flagging comments that are offensive or inappropriate (hover over the commenter's name and you'll see the flag option appear on right side of that line). And remember, respect goes both ways: Tolerance of others' opinions is important in a free discourse. If you're easily offended by strong opinions, you might skip reading comments entirely.


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FULL RESOLUTION - 865x1280
News » Published 3 weeks ago
Is this Nicole Scherzinger the Actor?
Share your thoughts on this image?
7th November 2014 @ 02:25pm
Nicole Scherzinger is moving to London for her role in the musical Cats and she is excited that it will put her closer to Lewis Hamilton
8th October 2014 @ 08:21pm
American beauty Nicole Scherzinger is considered one of the most beautiful women on the planet but it seems that it has not always been that way
PAST NEWS X Factor US Auditions Teased
14th September 2011 @ 11:30am
It appears with the release of the new feature length promotional tape for US X Factor, that Simon Cowell has a new catchphrase, saying 'It's more than ...


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But this new study about empathy over the lifespan is less offensive to me, even though it reaches a similar conclusion, because it doesn't single out young adults as being self-centered; older adults are almost as bad. The study found that empathy actually exhibits an inverted U-shaped curve over a typical life -- it's not so great in youth, but it's not so great in old age, either. If you want to find someone who can truly feel your pain, turn to a middle-aged woman.
"Overall, late middle-aged adults were higher in both of the aspects of empathy that we measured," said Sara Konrath, PhD, an assistant research professor at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research and co-author the article, which appeared this month in Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences.


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With any larger collection of animals, comes a great crew. We are blessed with having some of the coolest crew members caring for our animals. Of course you see most of them in our show SnakeBytesTV, but here's a little closer look at them and what their jobs are here at BHB.
Since Brian was a child he's had a fascination with all animals, but reptiles soon became his passion. His dream was to work with reptiles as a career. Now 24 years into breeding snakes as his main job, he is so thankful to be able to live out his dream. Although he's thankful for his many years of doing what he loves, his hopes are to be able to continue to grow his collection of reptiles and not only supply more people with the offspring of his animals, but also to continue to change people's thinking about these sometimes misunderstood creatures.
With changing people's perception of reptiles on Brian's
mind, he started the web series "SnakeBytesTV'. Not having any idea of what the
popularity of the show would turn out to be, his vision was to introduce "new"
people into his world of reptiles while trying to entertain and educate them
along with other reptile enthusiast that would hopefully be viewing. Now over
four years into the show and close to 50 million viewers his plans are to not
only continue producing SnakeBytesTV, but to grow the medias attention on all
levels. He has some great plans in the works for the near future…. There will
be plenty of NEWS to come soon…
Other Interests: Hockey, Family and Traveling.
Favorite Movies: Jaws, Sherlock Holmes, Zombieland, Shawn of the dead, and many many more….
Favorite TV shows: Decoded, Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures, Walking Dead
Music: Staind, Deftones, Korn, Slayer, most things heavy…
Facebook | @snakebytestv
Lori and Brian have been together since 1989, and started BHB Enterprises together shortly after. While reptiles have never been Lori's passion she has always stood behind Brian and worked with him to turn BHB Enterprises into the great business it is today.
Lori's job description is hard to explain as she has her
hand involved in almost every part of the business, from working in the office,
to feeding, breeding and all around caring for a lot of the collection as well.
Other Interests: Quilting, Crocheting, gardening, softball, reading, spending time with my family
Favorite Movies: The Wedding Singer, Elf, Talladega Nights, Click, The Proposal, Sweet Home Alabama
Favorite TV Shows: Community, Friends, Everyone Loves Raymond, Say Yes to the Dress, King of Queens
Music: Adele, The Fray, Train, Rascal Flatts, John Mayer, Sara Evans, Trace Adkins, Kellie Pickler
Sam has been with BHB since the 2011 breeding season. She manages the colubrid snake room and over sees all operations with the breeding of colubrids. Since Sam has been with BHB she has become a large part of the growth of that department, from developing better procedures to increasing production. She has also been valuable with husbandry of the lizards and tortoises here at BHB.
Sam and Lori are the only two regular women on SnakeBytesTV, with Sam being more involved on a weekly basis. It's a tough position with the male dominated crew of the show, but she does a great job of bringing a female slant and holding her own with the cast.
Other Interests: Playing the violin, Legos, Nerf guns, biking and geckos.
Favorite Movie: Beautiful mind
Favorite TV Shows: Big Bang Theory, Arrested Development
Music: 3 Days Grace, Shine Down, and all country music
Josh has been the newest full time addition to the BHB crew, but it wasn't long before we put him in charge of the Ball Python room here at BHB. As a manager of that operation he is in charge of all the needs and production of the most expensive part of the BHB collection. His past experience and knowledge of reptiles made for an easy transition into the position. Josh has been involved with working with animals most of his life and is a big part of the future here at BHB.
Other Interests: Snakes, Jiujitsu, reading
Favorite Movies: Any zombie movie, Limitless, all the Harry Potter movies
Favorite TV shows: Dexter, The Walking Dead
Music: Apocalyptica, Incubus
For Sale
- Ball Pythons
- Boas
- Pythons
- Cornsnakes
- Ratsnakes
- Kingsnakes
- Milksnakes
- Other Snakes
- Rodents
- Gift Certificates
- BHB&SB.tv SWAG
- f-10 Products
- Books
Banana Male Ball Python 2500.00


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506 Main Street
Fort Worth, TX 76102
Jubilee Theatre Presents
- Day: Thursday July 17, 2014
- Showtime: 8:00 PM
- Doors open: 7:00 PM
- Location: Jubilee Theatre
- Address: 506 Main Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102
- Seating: MAIN FLOOR Admission
- Ticket Prices: $25.00
Written by Alan Menken and
Howard Ashman
Meek, mild mannered, out-of-luck Seymour Krelbourn has just discovered an exotic little plant with a strange and unusual appetite. This plant is growing remarkably fast – and so is Seymour's love for Audrey, his co-worker at the flower shop. But she has a boyfriend…and the plant has a bloodthirsty secret that threatens the entire planet. The feeding-frenzy begins as Seymour becomes a celebrity and the plant becomes a larger-than-life sensation.


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Situation Lyrics - Yazoo
Review The Song (1)
Blue eyed dressed for every situation
Moving through the doorway of a nation
Pick me up and shake the doubt
Baby I can't do without
Move out, don't mess around
Move out, you bring me down
Move out, how you get about
Don't make a sound just move out
I remember only for an hour
Move right through me can you feel the power
I don't know what's going on
It scares me but it won't be long
Repeat chorus
Now he's in control he is my lover
Nations stand against him he's your brother
Been a long time, been a long time now
I'll get to you somehow
Repeat chorus
Click here to submit the Corrections of Situation Lyrics
Please Click Here to Print Situation Lyrics
Right for any situation | Reviewer: Loopytunes | 6/8/2007
Originally on the B side (yes, remember the old 45s!) of Only You and released mid eighties. This little gem stands the test of time, a testament to its brazen synths and electronic mastery. Vince Clarke takes a simple hook and plays it again with vivid determination. This will always remain as a once hidden treasure that shuffles its way without apology into my ipod playlists. Bring it on and keep it going. Only you forever whatever the situation.
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The following area is only for review, if you want to submit the lyrics or the corrections of the lyrics, please click the link at the end of Situation Lyrics.


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Learn Affiliate Marketing
Welcome to Affiliatemarketinglearning.com
Yes it is a mouthful. For future reference now would be a good time to bookmark this site. You will find a ton of information on this site in the coming months.
If you are new to Internet Marketing and want to know what Affiliate Marketing is then keep reading..
What is Internet Marketing?
Quite simply Internet Marketing is the process of selling products and services through online means.
What is Affiliate Marketing?
Affiliate Marketing is synonymous with Internet Marketing. A Affiliate Marketer uses the same marketing methods available to every type of business model with the exception he or she does not own the product or service. They get a commission on a sale or lead.
Overall most in the industry introduce themselves as Internet Marketers or Marketers as to which offline practices are used as well. You can be a vendor (the owner of a product/service) and a Affiliate Marketer at the same time.
What is Service Marketing?
Service Marketing is probably the fastest way a person can make money online. In Internet Marketing there is a high demand on services such as content writing, graphic designing, web design, coding, video authoring, search engine optimization and a vast amount of others not mentioned. This in itself is a good industry and starting point for many Internet Marketers.
Can Anyone be an Internet Marketer?
Yes! No matter what walk of life you are from rich or poor. Anyone can do it. The best thing about Internet Marketing is that it is the most level playing field in the Commerce World. Big Conglomerates do not own and control it. It takes little or no money to get started.
Ready to learn Affiliate Marketing?
Special Recent Posts
How to Market on Social Networks
July 6th, 2013
How to Market on Social Networks (Google+) Imagine you are hosting a house warming party. You op
Unemployment Ends December 29th
December 23rd, 2012
Congress has fumbled the ball. While desperate people search for jobs, Congress is using the en
Do I need a Internet Marketing Coach?
December 22nd, 2012
So the question is "Do I need a Internet Marketing Coach?" To put it short Yes!, I highly, highly s


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That all being said, to get the most out of this extension you should expect to pay for support. Especially when involving complicated configurations - just common sense.
Maybe they should make it commercial so people don't get mad that they can't handle a more advanced component than they're accustomed to and give it a bad rating.
Thanks for the flowers, but I will have to correct you here - Our reviews got deleted because we DID switch to commercial.
I would further say that you don't need to expect to pay for support, but for some configurations, it won't hurt.
Let's put it this way: AEC can be complicated and if you want to prevent a headache, there is a cost for that - our support. Some of the bad reviews in here do stem from people just getting frustrated with the software and then blame us for offering support. The upcoming manual and mandatory base support for fresh AEC users will hopefully make up for most of this ;-)
Anyways - thanks!
I have yet to contact support simply because I have lacked the need to, but I have accessed the crosstec forums for tips/tricks and overall usability.
I will be using this extension for multiple sites in the future thereby outweighing the small investment.


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New research reveals that a person's attitude towards reproductive and sexual behaviors is far more predictive of how religious they are than their attitude towards things like lying, cheating or stealing.
Penn Readies For Key Ivy Battle With Yale
After two straight weeks on the road, the Penn Quakers will return to Franklin Field on Saturday afternoon as they welcome the Yale Bulldogs to town in Ivy League action.
Penn Travels To Columbia Saturday
It is all Ivy league action from here on out this season for the Penn Quakers, starting with a visit to New York on Saturday to take on Columbia.
After Thrilling 4-OT Win, Penn Heads To William & Mary
The Penn Quakers will play their final non-league game of the season on Saturday as they head down to Williamsburg, Virginia, to battle the Tribe of William and Mary.
Penn Opens Ivy Play Against Dartmouth
The Penn Quakers play the first of their seven Ivy League games on Saturday as they welcome Dartmouth to Franklin Field.
Penn Students Launch App That Connects Undergrads To College Parties
Penn students looking to party can now turn to their smartphones.
3 On Your Side: Local Cancer Patients Get Revolutionary Treatment To Treat Side Effect
It's the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Philadelphia doctors have found a way to treat an especially difficult side effect of breast cancer surgery.
Colleges Join Ed-Tech Revolution
Higher education may be at a turning point, joining the ed-tech revolution by creating in-house technology incubators.
Locally-brewed Craft Beer With Charitable Aim Available On Oct. 4
Exciting news for craft beer lovers in the Philadelphia area: Saison de Rose, a limited-edition brew that benefits a local breast cancer treatment center, will be available starting Oct. 4th.
Penn, Villanova Set For Saturday Showdown
If you are looking for a top notch local college football match-up this weekend, look no further than the Main Line on Saturday when Villanova hosts Penn.
Penn Product Van Roten Carving Niche With Packers
After a stellar career with the University of Pennsylvania, Greg Van Roten is trying to make a name for himself in the NFL.
Pets In Summer
For more on pets in summer, visit: http://www.vet.upenn.edu
Next Big Thing In Health Care May Come From Philly Business Incubator
Ten start-ups pitched their businesses to potential customers and investors Wednesday at World Cafe.
Yurkow Ready To Win With Penn Baseball
The University of Pennsylvania has a new head baseball coach and if you are a fan of the program, it's a very familiar name.
Feast On Insects At Morris Arboretum's Upcoming 'Bug Crawl'
The arboretum is hosting a bug-centric feast, which includes — ahem – delicacies like cricket fritters with coconut curry dipping sauce and bamboo worm bruschetta.


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Samsung Galaxy S Relay 4G (T-Mobile)CPU: 32-bit 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 (ARM V7 Architecture)
GPU: Qualcomm Adreno 225
RAM: 1 Gigabyte DDR2
Flash: 8 Gigabytes, ~5GB available to user under stock ROM
MicroSD slot for expansion
Display: 4" Samsung SuperAMOLED screen @ 800x480 with Multi-Touch Capacitive Touchscreen. 16,777,216 colours
Keyboard: 5 row 52-key QWERTY keyboard with inverted-T arrow keys
Rear Camera: 5 Megapixel with LED flash
Front Camera: 1.3 Megapixel
Size: 4.96" x 2.56" x 0.53"
Weight: 5.6 Ounces
Power: 1800mAH Lithium-Polymer rechargeable battery model EB-L1K6ILA with NFC antenna integrated.
So, if you owned the Galaxy S Relay better check it out now. Just make sure you device battery has appropriate charged before performing the update. Again, there are two options to get this update via OTA and or using Samsung Kies. Just head over to T-Mobile support page for instructions to update your phone - http://support.t-mobile.com/docs/DOC-4712


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These adorable soap boxes were designed especially for Bramble Berry by Jeanee Duval of Dirty Laundry. The Petit Fours soaps made in our 9 cube silicone mold, shown on Soap Queen TV, will fit perfectly in these colorful boxes. These boxes will give your soap that finished cute look.
Use our free box template file to print out and make your own cube box for soaps. Prints on an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper or cardstock. There are two files for you to choose from, one plain and one with the "to and from" text.
To download the PDF, just add it to your shopping cart and finalize your order (you must be signed into your Bramble Berry account). Then click the little download button with the green arrow. You will need to have the free software program Adobe Acrobat Reader installed in order to view and print the PDF file.
"Thank you for your prompt response. Bramble Berry has the best customer service of any company I know of. Pass the word!" -Rene
I have enjoyed seeing Josie's beautiful soap on the Bramble Berry Facebook page for some time. Right away, Josie showed immense talent and an eye for design. Josie began selling her soap on Ebay, and several weeks ago opened a brick and mortar store, Josie's Beauty Boutique, in Grants Pass, Oregon. Josie creates both melt and […]
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