text:
Jerry Blevins in Japan: Kabuki, ramen & a few innings of work
Twitter: @Nationals | Facebook: Nationals | Instagram: @Nationals
by Amanda Comak
The Major League All-Stars tour through Japan is about to hit the home stretch with five of the seven games they're slated to play already in the books. And Washington Nationals reliever Jerry Blevins has not wasted a minute of his trip.
While he's been enjoying sightseeing and soaking in the culture, Blevins has also been summoned to pitch three times in the five games. So far, he's been superb.
Blevins has thrown three innings, allowing just one run (and no earned runs), off three hits and two walks with one strikeout.
He appeared on Sunday, Nov. 16, in a 6-1 MLB victory, on Friday, Nov. 14, in an 8-4 loss, and on Tuesday, Nov. 11, in an 8-7 MLB win.
Blevins has been keeping fans in the loop on his Asian adventure via his Twitter feed (which was listed by Sports Illustrated as one of the 100 must-follows).
Last workout on American soil. Then heading to Japan!
— Jerry Blevins (@JerryBlevins_13) November 8, 2014
Locker in Osaka. pic.twitter.com/5C3wAfCNNa
— Jerry Blevins (@JerryBlevins_13) November 10, 2014
So there is a Harry Potter world here in Osaka. Been to Orlando's. Too much culture to see 1st, but would be cool to compare them.
— Jerry Blevins (@JerryBlevins_13) November 10, 2014
It's 6am Tuesday morning here. I'm not actually in the future. It just means I have to watch MNF on Tuesday morning. pic.twitter.com/YI5BWmVNSl
— Jerry Blevins (@JerryBlevins_13) November 10, 2014
Priorities… pic.twitter.com/h3VYvtrt5U
— Jerry Blevins (@JerryBlevins_13) November 12, 2014
Took bullet train from Kyoto to Tokyo. Saw Mt. Fuji. Now have a wonderful view of Tokyo. Life isn't too bad. pic.twitter.com/vhKi4p6HbQ
— Jerry Blevins (@JerryBlevins_13) November 13, 2014
Over the weekend, Blevins and Los Angeles Angels left-hander Hector Santiago visited a Kabuki Theater in Tokyo — and they got to take part in a bit of the performance.
Kabuki is a classical Japanese dance-drama performed in a highly stylized manner — from the dancing to the costumes and the makeup. It has been a significant theatrical form in Japan for almost four hundred years. And it looks like Blevins and Santiago were naturals.
The MLB All-Stars have two games left in Japan and they will return to the states following their finale on Nov. 20.
- Posted on November 17, 2014 at 3:15 pm
- Permalink
- 1 Comment
- Filed in: Author - Amanda Comak, Uncategorized
- Tags: Jerry Blevins, MLB All-Stars Japan Series
Nationals agree to terms with INF/OF Kevin Frandsen
Twitter: @Nationals | Facebook: Nationals | Instagram: @Nationals
by Amanda Comak
The Nationals agreed to terms on a Major League contract with infielder/outfielder Kevin Frandsen on Friday, avoiding arbitration and securing the affable utility man for a second season in D.C.
Frandsen, 32, hit .259 with a team-leading 11 pinch hits for the Nationals in 2014 – ranking him 10th in the National League in that category.
An exceptionally versatile player, Frandsen appeared in 105 games for the Nationals last season with time at third base, second base, left field and first base. He started 42 of those games, filling in wherever needed when the Nationals were struck by injuries while also excelling in a bench role.
Frandsen is a career .259 (320-for-1235) hitter with 57 doubles, five triples, 15 home runs and 110 RBI in 507 big league contests spanning eight seasons with the Nationals, Phillies, Angels and Giants. Against left-handed pitching, Frandsen is a career .291 hitter with a .337 on-base percentage and .415 slugging percentage.
With the signing of Frandsen, the Nationals now have 10 remaining players eligible for arbitration: LHP Jerry Blevins, RHP Tyler Clippard, LHP Ross Detwiler, INF Danny Espinosa, RHP Doug Fister, C Jose Lobaton, C Wilson Ramos, RHP Craig Stammen, RHP Drew Storen and RHP Stephen Strasburg.
- Posted on November 14, 2014 at 11:48 am
- Permalink
- No Comments
- Filed in: Author - Amanda Comak, News Releases
- Tags: Kevin Frandsen
Nationals announce return of entire coaching staff
Twitter: @Nationals | Facebook: Nationals | Instagram: @Nationals
by Amanda Comak
On the heels of Washington Nationals Manager Matt Williams taking home the 2014 BBWAA National League Manager of the Year award, the Nationals announced Wednesday morning that they will welcome back all of their coaches from the 2014 staff.
In keeping bench coach Randy Knorr, pitching coach Steve McCatty, hitting coach Rick Schu, third base coach Bobby Henley, first base coach Tony Tarasco, bullpen coach Matt LeCroy, and defensive coordinator/advance coach Mark Weidemaier in the fold for 2015, Williams will have stability and continuity on his staff as he enters his second year at the helm.
McCatty, the longest-tenured member of the Nationals' Major League staff, returns for his seventh season. Knorr returns for his fourth season as the Nationals' bench coach, and sixth year on the staff, while Tarasco and Schu will begin their third seasons on the coaching staff. Henley, LeCroy and Weidemaier will all be back for their second campaigns.
Six of the Nationals' seven coaches had experience coaching in Washington's system before earning their Major League assignments, making the Nationals' an exceptionally "homegrown" staff.
This marks the first time since 2007-2008 that the Nationals have returned their entire coaching staff in successive seasons.
- Posted on November 12, 2014 at 11:10 am
- Permalink
- No Comments
- Filed in: Author - Amanda Comak, News Releases
- Tags: Bobby Henley, Mark Weidemaier, Matt LeCroy, Matt Williams, Randy Knorr, Rick Schu, Steve McCatty, Tony Tarasco
Nationals Manager Matt Williams named 2014 BBWAA NL Manager of the Year
Twitter: @Nationals | Facebook: Nationals | Instagram: @Nationals
by Amanda Comak
After leading the Washington Nationals to their second National League East title in the last three years, Nationals manager Matt Williams was named the 2014 National League Manager of the Year Tuesday night by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
Williams received a total 109 points, including 18 first-place votes. Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle finished second in the voting, and San Francisco Giants Manager Bruce Bochy was third.
Williams, who joins Davey Johnson to become the second manager in Nationals history to earn this honor, had an exceptionally successful rookie season in the dugout as he led the Nationals to an NL-best 96 victories and the division title.
"On behalf of the Lerner Family and the entire Washington Nationals organization, I want to offer heartfelt congratulations to Matt on this well-deserved award," said Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo. "His first year in the dugout was excellent, and it was a pleasure to watch him grow throughout. He is a respected leader, and the steady hand that navigated our team through many challenges this season.
"What we accomplished this season would not have been possible without the right man at the helm. That was Matt this season, and we're all looking forward to 2015."
Since the inception of the award in 1983, Williams is just the fourth first-year manager ever to win it. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, he joins Hal Lanier (Houston Astros, 1986), Dusty Baker (San Francisco Giants, 1993), and Joe Girardi (Florida Marlins, 2006).
"I am incredibly honored and humbled by this award," Williams said. "This was a very special year for us, and I am proud of what we accomplished in my first season at the helm. For me, as a newcomer to the managerial fraternity, it is a privilege just to be considered amongst the best in our game. Clint and Bruce are certainly that.
"While this is an incredible acknowledgement by the writers, I know we have bigger goals to accomplish in Washington and I look forward to the challenge that the 2015 season will bring."
The Nationals, though besieged by injuries, won their division by the largest margin (17.0 games) of any in the Major Leagues under Williams' watch. Over the course of the season, the Nationals saw 948 total games missed due to stints on the Disabled List, with Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman, Wilson Ramos, Doug Fister, Gio Gonzalez, Adam LaRoche and Denard Span – all key players — accounting for 284 of those games.
While the Nationals withstood that barrage, Williams' guided them toward steady improvement as the season progressed.
After playing to a .500 record (27-27) through the season's first two months, the Nationals were at least four games over the .500 mark in each remaining month of the season, finishing 69-39 from June through September. That stretch included a 19-10 month of August that featured a 10-game winning streak from Aug. 12-21, the longest winning streak in the National League this season.
On Sept. 16, the Nationals clinched their second National League East Division title, and they finished the regular season with a 96-66 record.
Williams, 48, was named the fifth field manager in Nationals history on Oct. 31, 2013. The five-time All-Star third baseman was also voted by his managerial peers as the 2014 Sporting News Manager of the Year.
- Posted on November 11, 2014 at 6:20 pm
- Permalink
- 2 Comments
- Filed in: Author - Amanda Comak, News Releases
- Tags: Manager of the Year, Matt Williams
Jerry Blevins heads to Japan for MLB All-Star Series
Twitter: @Nationals | Facebook: Nationals | Instagram: @Nationals
by Amanda Comak
Jerry Blevins had been to Japan before. Back in 2012, when he was a member of the Oakland Athletics, the lefty traveled to the country as part of their season-opening series vs. the Seattle Mariners. He'd seen some of the iconic sights and had some unique experiences – like putting on a clinic for soldiers' children at an army base and getting a chance to fly around that base in a helicopter.
He soaked in as much as he could in the week or so that the A's were there.
And when the Major League Baseball Players Association put out an inquiry during the 2014 season for players interested in participating in the 2014 Japan All-Star Series, Blevins didn't hesitate to throw his name into the ring.
Then he waited, and hoped.
"I put my name in a long time ago," Blevins said last week as he packed for the trip that would take him to Los Angeles for two days, and then to Japan through Nov. 20. "As you can tell from the talent on the roster, there are a lot of guys who wanted to do this. I'm just so honored my name was picked."
The Nationals' versatile lefty spoke excitedly of what was ahead of him: a chance to play with former teammates again and an opportunity to meet new ones, to soak in another international experience and sightsee while representing MLB, and to go through it all with his fiancée, Whitney.
"For the most part, I'm just excited to be in Japan and experience that culture from a different standpoint," Blevins said. "(Whitney) has never been, and we're really excited to go. I've been almost more excited for her to go over there, and have her share that experience with me, than I am for myself, really."
The Japan All-Star Series will begin Wednesday and run through Nov. 18, but the MLB All-Stars will play an exhibition game on Tuesday (4 a.m. ET), and on Nov. 20. MLBNetwork will broadcast all seven games.
Here's a breakdown of the schedule:
Before Blevins left for Japan, we caught up with him about a host of topics. Here's some of what the affable lefty had to say:
What do you know about the Japanese style of baseball?
They're very business-like, in a good sense of the phrase. They go about batting practice and make sure they're trying to get better with every swing. They take the game very seriously, but they also have fun playing it and they play it in a positive manner. You can see that with a lot of the Japanese players who come over.
Their hitters put the ball in play. They put pressure on the defense. They're not always trying to swing for power. There's a lot of finesse in their game. Facing Ichiro Suzuki, like I have a lot in my career, that guy can put the ball in play from any different angle. He basically could, where I could throw a ball and hit a spot in the outfield right behind shortstop, he could do that with a bat. It's just something that they take pride in, being able to have that kind of control.
Do you know any Japanese?
No, not really. I know 'Hello' and 'Goodbye.' In 2011, Hideki Matsui was on my team and whenever we were on the road our lockers would be really close. His translator, Roger, had the locker right next to mine so I talked to him all the time.
I consider myself a fairly intelligent person who learns well – but the Japanese language did not come easily to me. I got frustrated and gave up early, even with him trying to help me out. It's very complex. There's a lot of pitch and tone and inflection. If there was an alphabet for me to learn off of, that would be easier but they don't have that.
What has the process been like to get ready to pitch in a competitive situation in November? Did you have to look at your shut down period after the season differently? What have you been doing to prepare your body for that and are you concerned it will affect your offseason routine?
I'm not worried at all that it's going to affect my preparation for next season, but I did have to make some adjustments because after our season ended — prematurely, in my eyes — there was a gap between when I knew I was going to be on this team or whether I was still in limbo because they were finalizing the roster. So I had to keep throwing just in case. Nothing super intense, but if I had to ramp it up, I could.
When they decided I was going to be on the team I talked to the pitching coach about what my role was going to be and what I need to be prepared for. So, because I had planned on pitching through October with the Nationals, that was easy for me. My body was in shape to do that and my arm is pretty resilient just throwing year round. Being from a cold-weather place, I throw more in the offseason than most guys do anyway, I've come to find out. So, this will not affect me for next year in my preparation, but I did have to adjust and be ready for this.
Is there anyone going who you're excited to play with again or get to play with?
I played with Evan Longoria with Team USA after the season in 2007, we went to Taiwan. I'm excited to be his teammate again. There's just a full roster of guys who I've admired in baseball who I get to play with. It should be fun.
Are you bringing the amazing CATS sweater (purchased at the Mall of America) to Japan with you?
This is the only thing I bought on a trip to mall of america. For real. Remember @DanaEveland? pic.twitter.com/o2LxrMNu4g
— Jerry Blevins (@JerryBlevins_13) November 5, 2014
I will not be bringing it to Japan… It's a purchase that I'm proud of and I break it out probably once a year. The back of it has little paw prints so it's pretty nice. I don't know if you can tell, there are yarn balls the little cats are playing it. The string that connects that is an actual string.
Was it cool for you to find yourself listed on Sports Illustrated's Twitter 100?
Yeah, so cool! Completely shocked by that because I do tweet, but I don't tweet a ton. But I admire the Twitter world,and to be mentioned by Sports Illustrated was very cool. I think there were only three ballplayers on there, so I'm pretty honored to be a part of that.
A little pressure going forward. But, no, that's what I love about Twitter. There's no pressure to perform. It's just your personality. If people don't like it they can unfollow me. That's what's great. That's what I love about it. I'm glad the people over at SI understood my sense of humor and get what I do with it.
Blevins will be sharing glimpses of his trip on that very Twitter account so be sure to give it a follow. You won't want to miss out. Here's a sampling of @JerryBlevins_13's previous tweets:
I asked for the Jayson Werth BEARD for the playoffs and got this instead. pic.twitter.com/mgPU4tEojy
— Jerry Blevins (@JerryBlevins_13) September 30, 2014
Can't believe we get to share a moment like this together. Looking forward to a few more. WE ARE UD! @cstammen35 pic.twitter.com/9dOyuO78V7
— Jerry Blevins (@JerryBlevins_13) September 17, 2014
I needed to update my avi without notice. I think it was a seamless transition. pic.twitter.com/yLXkWlh6Jn
— Jerry Blevins (@JerryBlevins_13) December 11, 2013
- Posted on November 10, 2014 at 1:05 pm
- Permalink
- 2 Comments
- Filed in: Author - Amanda Comak, Japan All-Star Series
- Tags: Japan All-Star Series, Jerry Blevins
Ian Desmond & Anthony Rendon earn NL Silver Slugger honors
Twitter: @Nationals | Facebook: Nationals | Instagram: @Nationals
by Amanda Comak
An historic season for Washington Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond and a breakout one for infielder Anthony Rendon was validated with notable hardware on Thursday night.
Desmond and Rendon were honored as Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award winners, voted as the best-hitting shortstop and third baseman, respectively, in the National League.
"Our entire organization is exceptionally proud of Ian and Anthony," said Nationals President of Baseball Operations and GM Mike Rizzo. "These awards confirm what we already knew: that they are two of the best offensive infielders in the game, and we consider them equally talented defensively. After the seasons each of these homegrown players put together, we're honored that they did it with our uniform on their backs."
This is the third such honor for Desmond, who notched his third consecutive 20-home run, 20-stolen base campaign this past season, and the first for Rendon, who established himself as one of the best young talents in the game during his sophomore season in the big leagues.
This is just the second time in the Nationals' short history that they've had multiple players earn the National League's top offensive award in the same season (also 2012).
"I'm extremely humbled and blessed to have won this award for the third straight year," Desmond said. "It's a testament to my teammates, who surround me in the lineup, the trainers – Lee Kuntz, Steve Gober and John Hsu – for keeping me on the field, and obviously the coaching staff for bringing out the best in me every day.
"As much of an honor as this is, I still feel like there are a lot of things I can improve on, and will improve on. I'm going to continue to work hard so I can be better next year."
Leading all NL shortstops with 154 games played, Desmond hit .255 with a .313 on-base percentage and a .430 slugging percentage in 2014. He also led all NL shortstops in home runs (24) and RBI (91), while finishing second in hits (151), runs (73), and placing among the top 10 in doubles (T-4th, 26), triples (10th, 3), and walks (7th, 46).
As this is the third consecutive season in which Desmond has been named a Silver Slugger Award winner at shortstop — making him the first Nationals player ever to take home three such awards – he now finds himself in elite company. Since the inception of the award in 1980, Desmond is the first National League shortstop to win back-to-back-to-back honors since Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin won five straight from 1988-1992.
Desmond also joins Edgar Renteria and Larkin as the only NL shortstops to win the award at least three times.
Adding 24 stolen bases to his 24 home runs this season, Desmond became just the fourth shortstop in Major League history to notch a 20/20 season at least three times in his career.
"It is that package," manager Matt Williams said after Desmond hit the milestone. "It's speed and power… He's got the ability to do a lot of things. When he puts it together, it's speed and power, and he's shown that this year."
Rendon, who established himself as one of the league's best infielders in a breakout season, played both second and third base for the Nationals in 2014.
"While I don't play this game for the individual accolades, I'm incredibly honored to receive this award and to be mentioned in the same breath as these great players — especially my teammate and friend, Ian Desmond," Rendon said.
"I would like to thank all of the coaches, trainers and teammates who I've been with along the way. Without them, I wouldn't be in a position to accept this."
Rendon hit .287 with a .351 on-base percentage and a .473 slugging percentage. Leading the National League in runs scored with 111, Rendon clubbed 21 home runs as part of 66 extra-base hits, while walking 58 times and stealing 17 bases.
Exclusively as a third baseman, where he played 134 of his 153 games, Rendon hit .288 with a .353 on-base percentage and a .475 slugging percentage. Nineteen of his 21 home runs came while he was playing the hot corner, as did 53 of his 66 extra-base hits, 72 of his 83 RBI and 89 of his 111 runs scored.
"He's a very, very impressive player," Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Cole Hamels told The Washington Post late in the 2014 season. "I put him up with the [Troy] Tulowitzkis and the David Wrights when they first came up, those impact players you don't normally see at such a young age. You know they're only going to get better, and you're like, 'Great.' He's that type of guy — one of those superstars that's going to be around forever."
Rendon, who earned himself the nickname 'Tony Two Bags' because of his penchant for doubles, finished the year with 16 three-hit games – tied for the third-best mark in the NL with Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman and San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey.
According to Fangraphs.com, Rendon's 6.6 Wins Above Replacement for the 2014 season was tops among all NL infielders, and second only to Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen (6.8).
2006 OF Alfonso Soriano
2009 3B Ryan Zimmerman
2010 3B Ryan Zimmerman
2012 SS Ian Desmond, 1B Adam LaRoche, P Stephen Strasburg
2013 SS Ian Desmond
2014 SS Ian Desmond, 3B Anthony Rendon
- Posted on November 6, 2014 at 6:55 pm
- Permalink
- No Comments
- Filed in: Author - Amanda Comak, News Releases
- Tags: Anthony Rendon, Ian Desmond, Louisville Slugger Silver Slugger Award
Nationals name Bob Miller Vice President & Assistant GM
Twitter: @Nationals | Facebook: Nationals | Instagram: @Nationals
by Amanda Comak
The Washington Nationals welcomed Bob Miller to their front office staff today, naming him Vice President and Assistant General Manager.
Miller, who will assist in all facets of baseball operations, comes to the Nationals after nine seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, serving most recently as Vice President and Assistant General Manager to Reds' President of Baseball Operations and GM Walt Jocketty.
In that role, Miller had a hand in all aspects of baseball operations, including arbitration cases, contract negotiations, rules, player evaluations, and departmental budgeting.
Joining the Nationals for his 33rd season in professional baseball, Miller reunites with Rizzo for the first time since the two worked together for seven years with the Arizona Diamondbacks. There they helped build the 2001 World Series championship team, and take Arizona's Minor League system from No. 29 (as ranked by Baseball America) to No. 1 in five years.
Miller, who initially joined the Reds in Feb., 2006, as Director of Baseball Administration under then-GM Wayne Krivsky, quickly moved through the ranks in Cincinnati. He was promoted to Assistant General Manager in June of 2006 and in Dec., 2006, was named Vice President and Assistant GM.
During his time with the Reds, the team improved from a sub-.500 club to win two division championships and earn three playoff appearances. In 2012, the Reds were also named Baseball America's Organization of the Year.
Prior to joining the Reds, Miller spent seven seasons with the Diamondbacks — first as Assistant Director of Scouting, then Director of Baseball Operations, and the final three as Assistant General Manager, where he oversaw the organization's Minor League player development from 2004-05. In 2005, the Diamondbacks were named TOPPS' Minor League Organization of the Year.
Miller joined the Diamondbacks with 16 years of Minor League experience on his resume, including 14 years at the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, and stops as Vice President of Baseball Operations in the independent Texas-Louisiana League office, along with serving as executive GM of that league's Amarillo Dillas club.
Miller, 50, graduated from the University of South Florida with a degree in finance.
- Posted on November 3, 2014 at 10:28 am
- Permalink
- 1 Comment
- Filed in: Author - Amanda Comak, News Releases
- Tags: Bob Miller
Nationals exercise 2015 option on Denard Span's contract
Twitter: @Nationals | Facebook: Nationals | Instagram: @Nationals
by Amanda Comak
The Washington Nationals exercised their option on Denard Span's contract on Thursday, securing the center fielder's services for the 2015 season, which will be Span's third in the District.
In exercising the option, the Nationals answered one of their first offseason questions, and ensured that the talented leadoff man will remain atop their lineup and patrolling center field for at least one more season.
"We knew when we acquired Denard from the Minnesota Twins two years ago what type of player we were getting," said Nationals President of Baseball Operations & General Manager Mike Rizzo. "And he's done nothing but bear that out the last two seasons.
"Denard was arguably our most consistent offensive player in 2014, keying so much of our offensive production, and his defense in center field is Gold Glove-caliber on a nightly basis. We're excited to keep him in the fold for the 2015 season."
Span is coming off perhaps his finest professional season, finishing the 2014 campaign batting .302 with a .355 on-base percentage, a .415 slugging percentage and a career-best 31 stolen bases. He set a Nationals (2005-present) record for hits in a season with 184, and reeled off a 36-game on-base streak from June 28 – Aug. 12 that jumpstarted both his season and the Nationals' offense.
Over the course of the streak, Span hit .396 with a .463 on-base percentage, and a .458 slugging percentage. It seemed almost every time he made contact the ball found a hole and the 30-year-old found a way to get on base. His BABIP during the stretch: a ridiculous .442.
The Nationals went 21-15 in that stretch, catapulting themselves from a tie with the Atlanta Braves atop the National League East Division to a five-game lead over them by the time the streak ended.
"I couldn't be more excited to return for another year in D.C," Span said after he was informed his option was exercised.
For the second consecutive year, Span is a finalist for the Rawlings Gold Glove Award, the winners of which will be announced on Nov. 4.
Additionally, the Nationals declined to exercise their options on first baseman Adam LaRoche and right-hander Rafael Soriano. They will become free agents. Asdrubal Cabrera, Scott Hairston and Nate Schierholtz became free agents upon the conclusion of the 2014 World Series.
- Posted on October 30, 2014 at 3:48 pm
- Permalink
- 5 Comments
- Filed in: Author - Amanda Comak, News Releases
- Tags: Denard Span
Nationals Magazine: A Numbers Game
Twitter: @Nationals | Facebook: Nationals | Instagram: @Nationals
A version of this story first appeared in the Washington Nationals' 2014 Yearbook. Visit nationals.com/publications to find out how you can subscribe to all Nationals publications.
by Amanda Comak
The Nationals' Baseball Research & Development department, utilizing the latest technology, statistics and advanced analysis, drives the organization to forge a new, smarter way forward.
Leaning on the dugout railing at Arizona's Chase Field in mid-May, Phil Rizzo gazed at the Washington Nationals as they took batting practice. He talked ball with those nearest to him, sharing some of his observations about the team his son — Nationals President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo — had built, and the first six weeks of their season.
At one point, Sam Mondry-Cohen, the Nationals' Director of Baseball Research & Development, joined the small gathering.
Phil Rizzo, a baseball lifer who's spent more of his 84 years evaluating ballplayers than he has doing pretty much anything else, lit up.
"This is the smartest guy around," Rizzo said, smiling and reaching to throw an arm around Mondry-Cohen.
Much like his father, Mike Rizzo is a scout at his core. What his eyes tell him — what his experience tells him — will often be the trump card when he makes decisions to guide the organization, now and in the future.
But there is another side of that decision-making process and it involves more than just the eyes. The Nationals have taken a proactive approach to incorporating data analysis into their evaluations, and their three-man analyst team — led by Assistant GM & Director of Baseball Operations Adam Cromie, and filled out by Mondry-Cohen and Manager of Baseball Research & Development Michael Debartolo — plays an integral role in how the organization operates.
And as the scene between the elder Rizzo and the 26-year-old Mondry-Cohen so aptly illustrated, they're also welcome additions at the table.
"Mike embraces what we do," Cromie said. "He asks good questions and he puts us in a place where we're central to a lot of the decisions (the team) makes. Other people in the organization see that and that helps lend us credibility.
"I think one of the things Mike really embraces about the way that we look at the game is that there's a definitive line of reasoning with everything we do. We're pointing to evidence, almost exclusively. I think there's something, by nature, which lends credibility to that."
Cromie studied economics at Allegheny College, while playing Division III football, before pursuing his masters in Sports Management from the University of Massachusetts. He came to the Nationals after working for Baseball Info Solutions as a video scout and analyst, spending time employed by an agent, and interning for the Washington Wild Things in the Frontier League.
When he began working for the Nationals, there wasn't much of an analytics department to speak of.
"(When I first got here) it was just Adam," said Mondry-Cohen, who joined the Nationals as an intern while studying English at the University of Pennsylvania. "He was the only one whose job was really dedicated to working with data, whereas now I think that's part of all three of our jobs, and the majority of my job and Mike (DeBartolo's)."
The son of a high school math teacher, Mondry-Cohen had two main interests as a kid: baseball and numbers. Living what he calls "a very charmed baseball life," Mondry-Cohen worked as a batboy in the visiting clubhouse in San Francisco and he'd see the teams that would come in to play the Giants up-close-and-personal.
"The way I followed the game was the numbers of the game," Mondry-Cohen explained. "That kind of coincided with the explosion of baseball blogs and baseball research published online. I was just a big fan and that was the way I followed the game."
With Mondry-Cohen aboard full-time upon his graduation, Cromie's role expanded to encompass more than data analysis. Cromie is now involved in every player personnel move the team makes.
"When I first started, I was doing analysis and research," Cromie said. "As we started to build tools and analytical systems, it started to give me time to do other things. Then I hired Sam, Sam hired Mike, and we've got a lot of consultants we work with now."
In 2012, after four years at an investment consulting firm and in the midst of completing his MBA at Columbia University, DeBartolo joined the organization as an intern.
An economics major at Tufts University, DeBartolo grew up in baseball-mad Boston following the Red Sox — and noticing as their front office personnel began to shift.
"It was around the time that some executives with non-traditional backgrounds were getting into the game," said DeBartolo, who was hired full-time by the Nationals in November of 2013. "And that was always kind of a dream of mine."
DeBartolo's addition gave the group yet another mind from which to draw, and to divide up a workload that has only continued to increase.
"I think the tasks that we do as an analytics group fall into three categories," Cromie said. "There are broad strategic issues, ad-hoc projects and general research.
"We have a lot of input on the broad strategy we adopt as a team on almost every level: how do we want to spend resources? Where do we want to spend resources? I think a lot of that falls out of how competitive we think we are, and one of our strengths is being able to analyze that."
What separates the Nationals' analytics team from, say, the fan who accesses advanced statistics in myriad places online, is the information they have to complement those numbers. In truth, it may actually be the other way around: the statistics complement the wealth of internal information the organization gathers.
"We'd call it a process-driven box score," Cromie said.
Across the organization — including Minor League affiliates — the Nationals have installed tracking systems that measure everything from the traditional PITCHf/x information (utilized by live game trackers like MLB.com's At-Bat app to plot balls and strikes) as well as a radar technology called TrackMan.
"That gives us data that's not available in a box score," Mondry-Cohen said. "Some of it a scout could pick up with a radar gun, like pitch velocity, but one thing they can't get is the exit velocity of a hit ball. We know what some of the hardest-hit balls were, and whether or not they turned into hits."
The technology goes deeper still.
At all levels of their system, including the Major Leagues, the Nationals can evaluate a pitcher's release point in three dimensions throughout the game to note changes, like how the rotation of their pitches or velocity was affected when they altered their release point.
Used in conjunction with other internal information, like medical reports from the team's training staff, the group can put together a far more accurate analysis of the data than someone operating off the numbers alone. That the Nationals have access to all of it exemplifies the organization's interest in the information.
"It costs a lot to install these technologies at these affiliates," Mondry-Cohen said. "And that's not something we had five or six years ago. That's something ownership has invested in. The only reason we have (a lot of these) measurements is because of the technology we've paid to install."
The task then falls to Cromie, Mondry-Cohen and DeBartolo to process the information and turn it into something the entire front office can understand and absorb.
On any given game night, Cromie, Mondry-Cohen and DeBartolo will watch from one of three spots: the GM's suite, the scout seats in the stands, or at their desks, which have televisions within view. How much they each watch varies.
"There was a time when I made an effort not to watch the games," Cromie said. "I've really gotten away from that, largely because I think I've come around to the idea that a lot of the things we do can really inform the way you watch a game and make it more enjoyable."
"For me, it's very difficult to just watch the game," DeBartolo said. "Every once in a while I find myself drifting into a fandom where I'm rooting for something to happen, but I think a lot of times we're thinking through and watching closely the approach of a player, fielding position, all of the decision making that can happen. I think it's less about a rooting sense and more a sense of evaluating."
In Spring Training, the group had multiple meetings with Nationals Manager Matt Williams and his staff as they got to know one another and discuss philosophies. The exchange of ideas was another step.
"They've been extremely open," Mondry-Cohen said of Williams and his staff. "They've wanted as much data as they can get and I think the things that they want are kind of allied with some of the things Mike (Rizzo) likes — predictive statistics, as opposed to history. They're asking for more decision-making tools and we're happy that they're asking for it."
"I think Matt views statistical analysis as a tool and as a new manager he wants every tool at his disposal that he can have," DeBartolo added. "I have great respect for that, for being open-minded and trying to get every advantage he can have."
The calendar dictates the more detailed work that the group does. In early May, they prepare for the MLB First-Year Player Draft. As the All-Star break approaches, they're assessing the team's strengths and weaknesses, and identifying potential trade partners in advance of the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline. As the calendar inches toward fall, their focus turns toward the postseason, then free agency and the rest of the offseason — working to hone their projections and convey them properly.
Regardless of the specifics, all of the data they're gathering and digesting on a daily basis will be utilized.
And, in the process, they're continuing to evolve an organization built on the bedrock of scouting and player development by augmenting and improving those evaluations. The Nationals are a scouting-first organization, and there is no desire to replace the boots-on-the-ground work of those trusted scouts.
The hope is the work Cromie, Mondry-Cohen and DeBartolo do will only serve to complement and support it.
"It's not (Rizzo's) forte, conducting data-based research," Mondry-Cohen said. "He's a scout — a great scout — and that's where he came up. But even if it's not his forte, I think it's something he really has interest in. He definitely wants it to be a part of his process. I think we've grown together, but he's always been interested. He's such a baseball guy. We're researching baseball."
"It's a two-way street," Cromie added. "We've learned a lot from him, too."
- Posted on October 24, 2014 at 5:04 pm
- Permalink
- 3 Comments
- Filed in: Author - Amanda Comak, Nationals Magazine, Yearbook
Adam LaRoche, Denard Span named Rawlings Gold Glove finalists
Twitter: @Nationals | Facebook: Nationals | Instagram: @Nationals
by Amanda Comak
The finalists for the Rawlings Gold Glove Awards were announced Thursday afternoon by Rawlings Sports, and for the third consecutive year the Washington Nationals have two players among the honorees.
First baseman Adam LaRoche and center fielder Denard Span were named as finalists at their respective positions, but they'll have to wait until Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. ET, to find out if either will take home the prize.
LaRoche, who won his first Gold Glove following the 2012 season, faces stiff competition in his quest for a second trophy: Adrian Gonzalez of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Colorado Rockies first baseman Justin Morneau.
While LaRoche continued to make many of the outstanding plays that have come to be expected from him over the years, where he shines perhaps even more is in making the fielders around him better. LaRoche's consistency makes it easier for the fielders he works with everyday to excel. That was evident each day he was in the lineup for the Nationals this past season.
Span, a finalist for a Gold Glove in 2013 and certainly considered by his teammates as one of the finest defensive center fielders in the Major Leagues, is also joined by elite company. He'll be up against New York Mets center fielder Juan Lagares and Cincinnati Reds center fielder Billy Hamilton for the 2014 honors.
An exceptional fielder, Span continued to make the extraordinary play seem routine this season, giving Nationals fans something to look forward to each night he patrolled center field.
Each manager and up to six coaches on each staff voted from a pool of qualified players in their league, and cannot vote for players on their own team. As in 2013, Rawlings also included a sabermetric component to the Rawlings Gold Glove Award selection process, as part of its recent collaboration with the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR).
The SABR Defensive Index accounted for approximately 25 percent of the overall selection total, with the managers and coaches' vote continuing to carry the majority.
The winners of the 2014 Rawlings Gold Glove Awards will be announced Tuesday night, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2 in a special one-hour Baseball Tonight.
- Posted on October 23, 2014 at 1:29 pm
- Permalink
- 1 Comment
- Filed in: Author - Amanda Comak, News Releases
- Tags: Adam LaRoche, Denard Span


text:
Could Lions Use Round 1 Draft Pick on Running Back to Replace Reggie Bush?
The Detroit Lions have parted ways with running back Reggie Bush, as ESPN.com reported . Who could replace Bush in Detroit? What type of running back are the Lions targeting? ...
Lions Looking for Solid Coverage Guys on Special Teams
It's the job of new special teams coordinator Joe Marciano to get the coverage units on track, but general manager Martin Mayhew can help with the process too...
Lions Sign Pass Rusher Phillip Hunt
Riddick a Breakout Candidate After Bush Release
Quarterback Dan Orlovsky made the bold prediction last year that Theo Riddick would catch 50 passes and be a Darren Sproles -like threat in the Detroit Lions ' offense...
RB Ameer Abdullah Is Sensible Replacement for Reggie Bush with Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions Take Florida State Center Cameron Erving
Kiper: Lions Shouldn't Draft RB in First Round
One day after the Detroit Lions released Reggie Bush, ESPN NFL draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said he doesn't think the team should select Bush's replacement with their first-round pick in a draft that will be deep at running back...
Big Payday for Suh May Be Big Gamble for Lions
Rick Smith can relate to what Martin Mayhew is going through with Ndamukong Suh. Three years ago, he was in a similar position...
Detroit Lions: Latest Free Agency News and Rumors
The Detroit Lions enter free agency with one of those "good" problems—the team is already competitive...
Report: Lions to Sign Former Eagles DE/OLB Hunt
ESPN's Adam Caplan reports that the Lions are signing former Eagles and Colts DE/OLB Phillip Hunt to a contract on Thursday...
Reggie Bush, a Consummate Pro, Will Be Missed
When Reggie Bush first arrived in Detroit two years ago when he signed with the Lions as a free agent, he was a good fit right away...
What's Next for Lions at RB with Reggie Bush Gone?
The Lions should have plenty of options to replace Bush in the draft, including two potentially in the first round...
Does WR Ryan Broyles Still Have a Future with the Detroit Lions?
Mayhew: Ziggy Ansah Can Be Phenomenal Player
Theo Riddick Should Receive Larger Role with Reggie Bush's Release from Lions
This seemed inevitable for months now, from the moment Reggie Bush injured his ankle during the fifth week of the season and Theo Riddick darted through the Minnesota defense on the opening drive the following week...
Lions Release RB Reggie Bush in Cost-Cutting Move
Reggie Bush spent the last few months nursing an ankle injury that limited his role in the Detroit Lions ' underachieving offense...
Should Lions Pursue Returner Jacoby Jones?
The Detroit Lions are bringing Jeremy Ross back next season since he is an exclusive rights free agent. He should, though, have some competition for his job as a returner...
Offseason Performance to Determine Van Noy's 2015 Role
Detroit Lions GM Martin Mayhew Uncertain Why TE Eric Ebron Didn't Produce
Shortly after drafting Eric Ebron with the No. 10 pick in the 2014 NFL draft, Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew made it clear he expected the rookie tight end would have an immediate impact...
Top Combine Performers at Lions' Positions of Need
Tim Twentyman takes a look at some Combine standouts at positions the Lions could be targeting during the 2015 NFL Draft...
Detroit Lions Trying to Determine Whether Reggie Bush's Contributions Validate
7 Hidden Gems the Detroit Lions Should Have Noticed at the Combine
The Detroit Lions noticed all of the same people at the NFL Scouting Combine that you did. There's a cornerback from Connecticut who can jump farther than humanly possible and a couple of Spartans who like to get to Point A from Point B quickly...
A Look into the Tracking Systems of the Detroit Lions
ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- The staffer walked around the locker room daily after practices and walkthroughs. He'd go to each player and quickly click on a sensor...
'Phenomenal' Cooter Too Valuable for Lions to Let Go
Teryl Austin spent part of January crisscrossing the country, interviewing for head coaching jobs from Buffalo to San Francisco , all with the Detroit Lions ' blessing...
Regardless of What Happens with Ndamukong Suh,
Under general manager Martin Mayhew, the Detroit Lions have been consistent with their approach to the NFL draft, selecting the highest-rated player on the team's board, regardless of position...

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Made for the dare 19, human beatbox dare. this sound is some sort of percussion, made with my mouth.
Samples of castanets, rolls, short grooves, etc. with added quality reverb
My old biscuits box makes some good sounds...
Echo trumpet-sound
kitchen drum percussion jar tap sound hit
tapping a container in the kitchen
Lo-fi tape samples at your disposal. Enjoy!
recordings of variouts trumpet extended techniques, performed by David Bithell, recorded by Ali Momeni with a Neumann mics (marked .L) ...
mono recording of a caulk/putty gun. created for use in a game project. no additional processing was performed.
For the sonokids project
This 48KHz/24bit stereo sample pack contains 70 loops (68Mb) of improvised percussion instruments at 130BPM. Sources were placed on the ...
Recorded with ipod 4th (built-in microphone).
Recording of me fiddling with my old Kodak Instamatic Camera. Recorded with Zoom H1.


text:
App Dev
Data Center
Open Source
Deep Dives
Resources/White Papers
Most Popular
Review: 7 excellent mobile app builders
7 reasons why frameworks are the new programming languages
Microsoft releases mystery Windows patch KB 3035583
The state of open source security
Dump JavaScript for faster Web loading? Let the debate begin
Review: Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge lead the Android pack
Search for
Suggestions for you
Insider email
Application Development
All Application Development
Google Go
All Applications
Collaboration Software
Mobile Apps
Office Software
Web Browsers
Big Data
All Big Data
Business Intelligence
Cloud Computing
All Cloud Computing
Cloud File Sharing
Computer Hardware
Data Center
All Data Center
Disaster Recovery
Systems Management
IT Careers
Internet of Things
Mobile Technology
All Mobile Technology
Mobile Development
Mobile Device Management (MDM)
All Networking
Network Tools
Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN)
Open Source Software
Operating Systems
All Operating Systems
Mac OS X
Microsoft Windows
See All Technologies
Tech Watch
Insider articles
Deep Dives
IT Job Search
Resources/White Papers
Computer Hardware
Computer Hardware news, analysis, research, how-to, opinion, and video.
New 3D printer claims to be 25X to 100X faster than the competition
PC sales may be worse than expected this year
IDC forecasts PC shipments will drop 4.9 percent in 2015, but expects an uptick later in the year as products roll out based on Windows 10
Google's Chromebook Pixel opens USB Type-C to Android, Chrome OS devices
Google adds horsepower to the Chromebook Pixel, and paves the way to faster charging Chrome OS and Android devices
Microsoft slashes backup power costs with lithium-ion batteries
The company designed a system that's five times cheaper than a traditional data center UPS
White Paper
Are You Ready for Mobile Capture?
Read this white paper by Kevin Craine to discover how mobile capture can improve the effectiveness of your organization's processes. Discover the top 10 questions to ask before you make your investment in mobile capture.
HP embraces open hardware designs with Cloudline servers
HP adopts specifications from Open Compute Projects for its new line of low-cost cloud servers
HP creates new server line for cloud computing
HP is joining with Foxconn to create the Cloudline cloud-optimized servers
Apple introduces thinnest and lightest MacBook yet
The new laptop features redesigned components but only two external ports
Hands-on with Cherry Trail: Screaming graphics for tablets
Intel's new Atom X5 and X7 chips don't do a lot for battery life, but graphics are a joy
White Paper
Assuring Web Performance Levels With Next Generation ADCs
Next generation application delivery controllers (ADCs) accelerate applications, monitor end-to-end performance in real time, ensure their security and dedicate system resources to them to ensure SLAs.
USB 3.1 flash drives? Don't expect them anytime soon
USB 3.1 chips may be too expensive to start with for flash drive makers to adopt the technology
Lenovo hit with lawsuit over Superfish snafu
A class-action lawsuit charged Lenovo and Superfish of fraudulent business practices, making PCs vulnerable
Intel: Moore's Law will continue through 7nm chips
Eventually, the conventional ways of manufacturing silicon chips will run out of steam. According to Intel researchers speaking at the ISSCC conference this week, however, we still have headroom.
Review: HP's Moonshot is flexible, manageable, amazing
HP's cartridge-based, hyperscale computing system brings significant server power and high efficiency to a variety of workloads
Did You Miss Us? Now On Demand: Beyond Native Packagers
Native packagers can cause delays and frustration for you and your end users when you are trying to deploy your web application. Learn how your organization can move beyond native packagers to develop and deploy secure cross-platform
Lenovo building its first prototype ARM server
Lenovo's ARM-based NextScale is an effort to build more power-efficient systems for data centers
Sony to release developer edition smart glasses for $840
The price tag is about half of what Google wanted for Glass before it shut down sales
Intel's upcoming 'Skylake' chips to allow thinner Windows tablets
New Core M chips, coming later this year, will enable lighter computers with longer battery life that might compete better against iPad Air
InfoWorld Tech Watch
Serdar Yegulalp
Windows for $0? Yes, on a $35 Raspberry Pi -- but there's a catch
Microsoft and the Raspberry Pi Foundation team up to offer Windows 10 for developers of the tinkerer-favorite board
Luxury Travel Accelerates Website More Than 200%
Luxury Travel sees 200% improvement in the delivery of the Kiwi Collection homepage on a global basis, reducing the average home page load time from 13.3 seconds to 6.4 seconds.
Intel wants to banish cables, connectors with new Broadwell chips
Intel's new Core chips with vPro will support technologies for wireless storage and displays
Flying high, Apple readies Watch to ship in April
The only bleak spot in Apple's earnings was iPad sales, which are being 'cannibalized' by other products, Tim Cook said
Enterprises can now use Dell's Kace appliance to manage Chromebooks
The Kace K1000 enterprise asset management software can also keep tabs on many other types of devices
InfoWorld's 2015 Technology of the Year Award winners
InfoWorld picks the best hardware, software, development tools, and cloud services of the year
Load More
You Might Also Like
New 3D printer claims to be 25X to 100X faster than the competition
PC sales may be worse than expected this year
Google's Chromebook Pixel opens USB Type-C to Android, Chrome OS devices
White Paper
Dell PowerEdge C4130
White Paper
Rackspace Private Cloud: Designed to Support Your Enterprise Production Workloads
Guide to Windows Server 2003 End of Life
Hands on with Cisco's TelePresence SX10 Video Conferencing System
See All
Popular on InfoWorld
Windows 7 isn't going away, but it'll cost more
InfoWorld's 2015 Technology of the Year Award winners
Surface Pro 3 firmware patch solves some glitches, but Wi-Fi problems persist
Sponsored Links
Save on electronics from Dell's deals of the week!
See the Infographic: The Critical Path to an Agile Data Center
Top 10 Reasons Enterprises Choose Veeam
Jaspersoft for AWS Cloud BI: Starting at <$1/hr – Get Your Free eBook!
11 Tips for Creating a Reporting-Friendly Database
Register now for EMC World Las Vegas 2015 – EMC Corporation
Jaspersoft for AWS Cloud BI: Starting at <$1/hr – Buy Now!
This ad will close in 20 seconds. Continue to site »


text:
Within City
Within 1 mile
Within 2 miles
Within 5 miles
Within 10 miles
Within 20 miles
Sort by
highest rated first
best match
most reviewed first
closest first
alphabetical order
Best Match!
This doctor matches your preferences for Specialty.
"Master Paul Ramos has been teaching in the area since the middle 1980's and has trained a few dozen US Kung Fu National Champs. All programs are self ..."
"At $105/month this gym turned out to be a total disappointment. On first visit and walk through you fall in love with this gym. As you begin using ..."
This doctor matches your preferences for Specialty.


text:
Narrow your search
The iPad Air 2 is a nice refinement and finesse of last year's model, with a bevy of tweaks, enhancements, a much faster processor, and the welcome addition of Touch ID. Simply put: it's still the gold standard for tablets.
For an inexpensive tablet, the Fire HD 7 satisfies with a practical, family-friendly operating system, but those interested in a 7-inch tablet can find models with better build quality in the same price range.
Meant for emerging markets, Alcatel's latest 7- and 8-inch tablets offer 3G and 4G connectivity for a low price.
Pricing not available
The Bluetooth-enabled Crystal Wash 2.0 is a curious, detergent-free way to wash your clothes.
Pricing not available
The makers of the entertaining 3Doodler are looking for $30,000 on Kickstarter to make this significantly smaller model.
Pricing not available
Very, very incremental updates from the X-A1 include a flip-up display.
XYZPrinting unveils its first high-end Stereolithography Apparatus (SLA) 3D printer at CES 2015. It costs $1,499, significantly less than others using the same 3D printing technology.
The faster, sensor-shift stabilized version of Sony's full-frame interchangeable-lens camera gets US pricing and availability.
The smooth performing and feature-filled Amazon Fire HD 6 is unrivaled in the bargain tablet category.
One of last year's best, the iPad Mini 3 is still a compelling choice despite the lack of upgrades. However, the nearly identical and significantly cheaper iPad Mini 2 is a smarter buy.


text:
Written on: 21/03/2010
It looks cute, and stylish, but really there's not much to it. Although I always have signal, even high in the Scottish Mountains, it's not a very good phone. Mine has broken, after owning it for only about 2 months, for it fell out of my pocket and the whole screen packed in, trouble is, it was a very small heigh, me being 5ft 4. And landed on carpet. I was very annoyed and would definatly make sure people avoid this phone, LG. Life's Good, not for the cookie. The battery life was okay, but once it flashed up "low battery" you had about 3 minutes before the phone packed in, and sometimes it froze. It had good graphics, but the screen itself was poor, and as I said before, is easily breakable. I give it 1/2 stars.
As rated by real users
" I got this phone more then 8 years " Read More
Written by davidsilva746
" Best phone I've ever had " Read More
Written by AliceWayte
" This Nokia 9210 mobile phone can be a real boon as it can give you ... " Read More
Written by stuart63
" Johnk777 " Read More
" I bought this nice looking phone in Nairobi-Kenya in July 2003 from... " Read More
Written by Peter Njoroge Mwangi


text:
Beadboard on porch ceiling - need construction ideas
Our porch is aprx 20 x 7, very plainly finished by the builder. At 10 yrs old, it needs a face lift, so I thought we could install beadboard.
Neither of us (wife nor I) is particulary strong. I get by with many projects and she assists when she can. Our teenage daughter also lends a shoulder when needed. But when we hefted these plywood sheets at HD, my wife said "no way"... she thinks we could incur injury if we tried to do this.
Well, she has a point, but I've got to believe there are tools/procedures whereby such things get done. I'd like to DIY to save money but also to get exactly what I want. I thought of making a 'pusher' using 2x4s bridged up top, and similar.
The ceiling is 9.5 feet high. The floor is brick. I am 5'8", she is barely over 5'.
I don't know if you've completed your porch ceiling project yet but. . .My husband and I were at HD yesterday (we're in NH) to scope out all the poss. choices for putting up a beadboard porch ceiling. They had sheets, very thin ones, that I thought looked fake (they are!) and cheap. They also had the single boards in 2 thicknesses, with a variety of width of bead, diff. types of wood, painted, unpainted, vinyl, etc. Lots of choices! I am going to use the single boards partly because it's authentic looking, and partly because I'll be doing some/most of the work myself (I'm 5'5" and have done my share of ladder diving with no ill effects except to teach me to NOT reach too far, and don't swing a prybar that's heavier than you are!). Go recheck HD, they have what you need--we figured it would cost about $150. for materials for a 12x6 porch.


text:
Slashdot videos: Now with more Slashdot!
We've improved Slashdot's video section; now you can view our video interviews, product close-ups and site visits with all the usual Slashdot options to comment, share, etc. No more walled garden! It's a work in progress -- we hope you'll check it out (Learn more about the recent updates).
Comment: "History of Abuse" (Score 1) 536
Comment: Re:So rich persons get an edge? (Score 1) 138
Comment: Re:that's all folks (Score 1) 57
Comment: Re:Was it just me? (Score 1) 160
I'll admit I read it that way too
Was I the only one who expected this to look like a racing pit-stop (screws being driven into a rack mount like lug-nuts on a new set of tires)
Comment: Re:Let's get butt-raped (Score 1) 74
Well I live in the Philly Metro area, I'll keep you in mind if it doesn't pan out.
Why anyone would pick Philadelphia as a launch city is beyond me. That's like recruiting beta testers from the Special Olympics.


text:
Jane Perlez
Jane Perlez is the chief diplomatic correspondent in the Beijing bureau of The New York Times. She covers China and its foreign policy, particularly relations between the United States and China, and their impact on the Asian region.
Before arriving in Beijing in February 2012, Ms. Perlez was the paper's bureau chief in Pakistan, where for four years she wrote about the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban, and the troubled alliance between the United States and Pakistan.
For her coverage in Pakistan, Ms. Perlez won the Pulitzer Prize for international reporting in 2009 as part of a team of Times correspondents.
Ms. Perlez has served as a foreign correspondent for The Times since 1988. Her first posting was in East Africa, and in 1993 she was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for being the first to report on the famine that ravaged Somalia in 1992.
In the mid-1990s, Ms. Perlez covered central Europe from a base in Warsaw, writing about the attacks by the Serbs on Kosovo. In 1999, she moved to Washington to become the chief diplomatic correspondent writing about American foreign policy.
After Sept. 11, 2001, Ms. Perlez became the paper's bureau chief in Jakarta, Indonesia.
She was among the first to write about the increasing influence of China in Southeast Asia, and in 2006 won the Overseas Press Club Award for environmental reporting for a series on gold mining and its impact on the environment in underdeveloped countries.
Q. and A.: Karl E. Meyer and Shareen Blair Brysac on 'The China Collectors'
The authors have written a rollicking account of the acquisition of Chinese art and antiquities by Americans who came to China in the 19th and 20th centuries.
March 26, 2015, Thursday
Myanmar's Fight With Rebels Creates Refugees and Ill Will With China
The Myanmar Army has been fighting rebels of the Kokang, a Chinese ethnic group that has lived in the mountains of northern Myanmar for more than 400 years.
March 22, 2015, Sunday
Hostility From U.S. as China Lures Allies to New Bank
The willingness of Britain to join the China bank over American objections was an especially clear sign of China's sophisticated strategy for winning friends, and Washington's failure to respond effectively.
March 20, 2015, Friday
Quirky $200 Million Art Venture Proves Just the Ticket for Tasmania
David Walsh, owner and creator of the Museum of Old and New Art, describes his showplace as a "subversive adult Disneyland."
March 17, 2015, Tuesday
With Plan to Join China-Led Bank, Britain Opens Door for Others
Britain's joining the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank over American objections will encourage allies like South Korea and Australia to follow suit, analysts say.
March 14, 2015, Saturday
British Leader Diverges From U.S. on China Policy and Military Spending
Prime Minister David Cameron has announced, over Washington's objections, that his nation will back Beijing's new development bank.
March 14, 2015, Saturday
Mutual Suspicion Mars Tech Trade With China
With China and the United States wary of the other's digital espionage, American tech companies are caught in the middle.
February 28, 2015, Saturday
Chinese Leader Is Putting His Alliances on Parade
Vladimir V. Putin is likely to be a featured guest at a military parade in Tiananmen Square marking the defeat of Japan in World War II, an event seen as underscoring the anti-Japanese theme of China's foreign poicy under Xi Jinping.
February 25, 2015, Wednesday
U.S. Expert Finds Faults in Chinese Military Command
An article by a former Army attaché at the United States Embassy in Beijing joins an earlier report by the RAND Corporation in citing shortcomings in the Chinese military.
February 23, 2015, Monday
Soft Recruits Hinder China's Military Modernization
Senior officers in the People's Liberation Army recognize that many of their volunteers and conscripts are spoiled, products of the one-child policy, and say many of them need toughening up.
February 17, 2015, Tuesday
Rss Feeds On Jane Perlez
Subscribe to an RSS feed on this topic. What is RSS?


text:
Operators Take Network Security Seriously
The major mobile operators are taking network security seriously and even see it as a business opportunity.
Newest First | Oldest First | Threaded View
Educational Resourcessponsor supplied content
Internet Security Threat Report 2014: Volume 19 Symantec Mobility Suite Video The Pillars of a Next-Generation Enterprise Mobility Solution by Heavy Reading Scoping a Security Orchestration Ecosystem for SDN/NFV - by Heavy Reading The Security Differentiator for the Next Phase of M2M Growth - by Heavy Reading State of Mobility Global Results - by Symantec Don't Lose the Data: Six Ways You May Be Losing Mobile Data and Don't Even Know It - by Symantec
Flash Poll
From The Founder
Upcoming Live Events
April 14, 2015, The Westin Times Square, New York City, NY
May 5, 2015, Hyatt McCormick Place, Chicago, IL
May 6, 2015, Georgia World Congress, Atlanta, GA
May 12, 2015, Grand Hyatt, Denver, CO
May 13-14, 2015, The Westin Peachtree, Atlanta, GA
June 8, 2015, Chicago, IL
June 9-10, 2015, Chicago, IL
June 9, 2015, Chicago, IL
June 10, 2015, Chicago, IL
All Upcoming Live Events
September 29-30, 2015, The Westin Grand Müchen, Munich, Germany
SlideshowsJuniper Pics: Ice Cream Makes Everything Better
More Slideshows
Hot Topics
AT&T Woos SMBs With Small-Scale WiFi Sarah Thomas, Editorial Operations Director, 3/26/2015
Just Don't Say IBM Is 'Relaunching' Networking Business Mitch Wagner, West Coast Bureau Chief, Light Reading, 3/26/2015
TV Everywhere Nears Mainstream Adoption Mari Silbey, Independent Technology Editor, 3/27/2015
Carriers Are Bright Spot in BlackBerry Q4 Sarah Thomas, Editorial Operations Director, 3/27/2015
Comcast Says TWC Deal Will Close Later Mari Silbey, Independent Technology Editor, 3/26/2015
Like Us on Facebook
Upcoming WebinarsWebinar Archive
BETWEEN THE CEOs - Executive Interviews
LR CEO and Founder Steve Saunders sits down with the head of Qosmos to talk about the changing state of the art in deep packet inspection technology, including its role in SDN and NFV architectures.
Cats with Phones
Naptime Click Here "This is how I feel about your conference call."
Latest Comment


text:
Dereliction of duty! Obama AWOL during Benghazi terrorist attack – never followed up with Leon Panetta or Gen. Dempsey (Video)
The seven hours of hell was apparently eight hours of hell as the Muslim terrorist attacked the Benghazi consulate building and killed four Americans on 9/11/2012, including Amb. Chris Stevens. The media have shielded Obama from any blame. But what we learned today was jaw dropping. Apparently Obama didn't care if the Americans were safe during the consulate attack. After one brief 15 minute phone call at the start of the attacks with Leon Panetta, Obama never bothered a follow up to check on how things were going. Instead, Obama simply didn't give a sh*t and the rest is history. As Hillary Clinton would say, 'What difference does it make?'
|Comment Policy: Everyone is free to comment, even progressive liberals. If you want to debate the posts, or others, do so in a respectful way. Do not turn this comment section into to leftist insult cesspool. Leftist insults and violence related keywords will trigger moderation. Also, all off site links most be verified by moderators. You can thank leftist spammers for this policy.


text:
Sign up for our Weekly Email Newsletter
All our "in stock" items are clearly indicated.
Beware, as this is often not the case with some of our competitors.
See OO, O and N Products grouped by scale, type and DCC status – a new way of listing items
30/03/2015 - Model of the Year 2014 voting closes soon!
Click here to cast your vote read more...
30/03/2015 - Easter 2015 Opening Hours
Click here to view our opening hours oover the Easter weekend read more...
27/03/2015 - Hatton's latest announcements
Here are the latest announcements from Hatton's read more...


text:
Police recruiting: Dallas' thinning blue line
TANYA EISERER, Staff Writer
Copyright 2006 THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
In nearly 22 years on the force, Lt. Tammie Hughes has arrested bad guys, investigated problem officers and helped prosecute crooked cops. But the difficulty of those jobs pales to her current job: recruiting new police officers for the Dallas Police Department.
Copyright © 2013 LexisNexis, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy
Full story: Police recruiting: Dallas' thinning blue line
Recommended Recruiting
Questionable reform: New Orleans PD axes education requirement
Join the discussion
Police recruiting: Dallas' thinning blue line
PoliceOne top 5
- 1 P1 Humor Corner: 25 signs that you're a cop
- 2 Video: Actress apologizes after dash cam refutes claim her son was racially profiled
- 3 Wis. trooper, suspect, motorist killed in shootings
- 4 Video: Ariz. cop escapes death as gunman attempts to sneak up behind him
- 5 Suspect dead, 8 cops injured in Ariz. melee


text:
Hot Springs brand Hot Tub Spa / Jacuzzi for sale $750 OBO
Runs on 110v house current outlet!
A REAL, solid Hot Tub, NOT "portable" or inflatable
Size: 9 ft x 9 ft; Seats 4 people; Used/Refurbished and in good condition.
This tub runs greats, stays hot, and the jets are ...
Mar 21 -
Las Vegas :
Las Vegas - Everything else
2pc includes: Sofa & Love
This distinct seating group has leatherette upholstery available in two-tone colors like white and black, red and black, or espresso and black. Unique angular arm rests and stylish top stitching helps to bring out a sleek, contemporary feel.
Mar 4 -
Las Vegas :
Las Vegas - Everything else
Get a free car seat canopy ($50 Off) from carseatcanopy.com with promo code "4MYBABY" I got mine last week and I love it!
Mar 4 -
Las Vegas :
North Las Vegas - Baby & kid stuff
Tan 3 piece in very good condition (looks almost new), trimmed in wood.
Feb 19 -
Inland Empire :
Riverside - Everything else
Rich brown leather couch and loveseat. Tuscan style w stud accents. Pick up only miracle mile $800 perfect condition brand is lane furniture
Love seat 63in wide 38in depth 35.5 tall
Couch 84.5in wide 38in depth 35.5 tall
Feb 3 -
Los Angeles :
Los Angeles - Everything else
We'll be sending text message alerts for your subscription to


text:
This episode: Antibiotic-degrading probiotics protect mouse gut microbes from hostile pathogen takeover after antibiotic treatment!
(7.8 MB, 8.5 minutes)
Show notes:
Robin writes:
plethora (n.)
1540s, a medical word for "excess of body fluid," from Late Latin plethora, from Greek plethore "fullness," from plethein "be full" (see pleio-). Figurative meaning "too-muchness, overfullness in any respect" i... Read More
Matt updates the TWiV team on MERS-coronavirus, and joins in a discussion of whether we should further regulate research on potentially pandemic pathogens.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Read More
This episode: Fungi living in grasses make toxic compounds to defend against herbivores, but some animals can overcome this defense with their saliva!
(5.4 MB, 5.9 minutes)
Show notes:
This episode: Multiple different fungi kill insects and give their nutrients to plant partners!
(8.3 MB, 9 minutes)
Show notes:
Vincent and Dickson discuss how malaria parasites induce odors in their rodent hosts that attract mosquitoes.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Read More
This episode: Soil bacteria could help prevent food poisoning from bacteria in raw tomatoes!
(9.6 MB, 10.5 minutes)
Show notes:
This episode: Bacteria with engineered circuits can detect and keep a record of stuff in their environment, like in the gut!
(14.6 MB, 15.9 minutes)
Show notes:
This episode: Virus helps to modify mice such that certain colors of light can cause or prevent pain!
(10 MB, 10.8 minutes)
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello, Michael Schmidt, ... Read More
Vincent and Dickson welcome new TWiP host Daniel Griffin to discuss the association of a new Mycoplasma with trichomoniasis, and to introduce a new feature to the show, a case study.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniel... Read More
This episode: Bacteria symbiotic with sea sponges make many potentially useful compounds!
(8.3 MB, 9 minutes)
Vincent and Dickson discuss the exchange of messenger RNAs between a parasitic plant and its hosts.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier Read More
Vincent, Alan, Rich and Kathy discuss the association of a virus with sea star melting disease, and the finding of a phycodnavirus in the oropharynx of humans with altered cognitive functions.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello
Guests: Laurene Mascola and Read More
Vincent, Dickson, and Daniel provide the solution to last week's case study, present a new one, and discuss how immune suppression by nematodes increases tuberculosis fatality in African buffalo.
Vincent and Dickson discuss the spread of P. knowlesi in Malaysia, and how Leishmania parasites protect the sandfly gut from bacterial infection.
Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and&nbs... Read More
This episode: Spraying cyanobacteria could turn deserts into useful land!
(9.3 MB, 10.13 minutes)


text:
Book your room at Tower 64 Motel
Standard KingMax Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child, 1 infant)
Deluxe Double RoomMax Occupancy: 4 guests (up to 3 children, 3 infants)
Standard Double RoomMax Occupancy: 4 guests (up to 3 children, 3 infants)
Single DoubleMax Occupancy: 2 guests (up to 1 child, 1 infant)
Adults-only motel in Trinidad with free parking
Situated in the historical district, this motel is within 3 mi (5 km) of Trinidad Country Club, Trinidad Community Center, and Trinidad History Museum.
Property Features
A business center, dry cleaning, and laundry facilities are available at this smoke-free motel. Free WiFi in public areas, free self parking, and free train station pick-up are also provided. Additionally, a computer station, express check-in, and express check-out are onsite.
Room Amenities
All 20 rooms provide conveniences like refrigerators and microwaves, plus free WiFi and LCD TVs. Coffee makers and free local calls are among the other amenities available to guests.Information missing or incorrect? Tell us!
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
A computer station is located on site and high-speed wired and wireless Internet access is complimentary. A business center is on site. This Trinidad motel also offers barbecue grills, a garden, and a picnic area. Limited complimentary onsite parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis. The property may provide extended parking privileges to guests after check-out (surcharge).
Tower 64 Motel is a smoke-free property.
- Total number of rooms - 20
- Number of floors - 1
- Barbecue grill(s)
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Business center
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Express check-in
- Express check-out
- Front desk (limited hours)
- Hair salon
- Computer station
- Designated smoking areas
- Grocery/convenience store
- Free WiFi
- Free wired high-speed Internet
- Laundry facilities
- RV, bus, truck parking
- Parking (limited spaces)
- Garden
- Picnic area
- Free self parking
- Free parking nearby
- Offsite parking discounted rates available
- Offsite parking reservations required
- Free train station pickup
- Year Built 1998
- Smoke-free property
- Number of buildings/towers - 2
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi , Free wired high-speed Internet
Free self parking, RV, bus, truck parking, Parking (limited spaces), Free parking nearby, Offsite parking discounted rates available, Offsite parking reservations required
Room Amenities
- Air conditioning
- Free local calls
- Microwave
- Refrigerator
- Coffee/tea maker
- Free WiFi
To make requests for specific accessibility needs, complete the "Special or Accessibility Requests" section of "Trip Preferences" when you book your hotel.
- Accessible bathroom
- Accessible parking
- In-room accessibility
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Minimum check-in age is 21
Check-in time ends at 10 PM
Special check-in instructions:
Check-out time is 11:00 AM
Payment types
Pets allowed, Only dogs are allowed, Maximum number of pets per room 2, Pet maximum weight in lb is 110.23
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on hotel policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
- The name on the credit card used at check-in to pay for incidentals must be the primary name on the guestroom reservation.
Minimum guest age is 21
Caters to adults only
No cribs (infant beds) available
No elevators
- Pet fee: USD 10 per pet, per day
- Pet deposit: USD 7.00 per day
- Rollaway bed fee: USD 10 per stay
We should mention
Guests under 21 years old are not permitted at this adults-only property. One child 3 years old or younger stays free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding. The property allows pets in specific rooms only and has other pet restrictions (surcharges apply and can be found in the Fees section). Guests can arrange to bring pets by contacting the property directly, using the contact information on the booking confirmation.


text:
Tagged: Utah Jazz
Road Reaction: Utah Jazz 104, Sacramento Kings 102
The Kings surrender a 13-point lead and lose to the Jazz in combustible fashion.
Game 12 Preview: Sacramento Kings at Utah Jazz
Previewing tonight's Kings/Jazz match-up.
Kings' Speech: Game 12 vs. Utah Jazz
Looking ahead to tonight's match-up against the Jazz with coach Keith Smart and Jason Thompson.
Cowbell Kingdom Podcast Ep 68: Thanksgiving Day reflections of the Sacramento Kings
Looking back at the week that was for the Kings.
In Utah, the Sacramento end a four-game losing streak.
Previewing tonight's Sacramento Kings game against the Utah Jazz.
The Sacramento Kings fight back from a double-digit deficit, but lose in the end to the streaking Utah Jazz.
Previewing tonight's match-up between the Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz.
With talks of relocation squashed seemingly for good, the Kings win in front of a thankful and exuberant Sacramento crowd.
CK's James Ham goes one-on-one with the Sacramento Kings rookie on his return to the beehive state and more.


text:
Latest news » Catch Up With the BBC Awards For World Music
The 2004 awards culminated in a fantastic concert at Usher Hall in Edinburgh on 9th March. Award winners including Rokia Traore, Daara j, DJ Dolores, Kazem Al Sahir, Ojos de Brujo and Real World's Sevara Nazarkhan put on an incredible performance to an enthusiastic packed house. If you weren't able to make the concert, you can watch it online at the first address link below:
You can also browse the BBC's online gallery for some great photos from the event: at the second address below;


text:
Special Issue Paper
Article first published online: 4 OCT 2012
DOI: 10.1002/sim.5644
Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Statistics in Medicine
Special Issue: Papers from the 32nd Annual Conference of the International Society for Clinical Biostatistics
Volume 31, Issue 30, pages 4456–4471, 30 December 2012
Additional Information
How to Cite
Crowther, M. J., Abrams, K. R. and Lambert, P. C. (2012), Flexible parametric joint modelling of longitudinal and survival data. Statist. Med., 31: 4456–4471. doi: 10.1002/sim.5644
Publication History
- Issue published online: 10 DEC 2012
- Article first published online: 4 OCT 2012
- Manuscript Accepted: 11 SEP 2012
- Manuscript Received: 7 SEP 2012
Funded by
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Methods Fellowship. Grant Number: RP-PG-0407-10314
- NIHR Senior Investigator. Grant Number: NI-51-0508-10061
- Abstract
- Article
- References
- Cited By
- joint modelling;
- flexible parametric survival models;
- mixed effects;
- restricted cubic splines;
- Gauss–Hermite quadrature
The joint modelling of longitudinal and survival data is a highly active area of biostatistical research. The submodel for the longitudinal biomarker usually takes the form of a linear mixed effects model. We describe a flexible parametric approach for the survival submodel that models the log baseline cumulative hazard using restricted cubic splines. This approach overcomes limitations of standard parametric choices for the survival submodel, which can lack the flexibility to effectively capture the shape of the underlying hazard function. Numerical integration techniques, such as Gauss–Hermite quadrature, are usually required to evaluate both the cumulative hazard and the overall joint likelihood; however, by using a flexible parametric model, the cumulative hazard has an analytically tractable form, providing considerable computational benefits. We conduct an extensive simulation study to assess the proposed model, comparing it with a B-spline formulation, illustrating insensitivity of parameter estimates to the baseline cumulative hazard function specification. Furthermore, we compare non-adaptive and fully adaptive quadrature, showing the superiority of adaptive quadrature in evaluating the joint likelihood. We also describe a useful technique to simulate survival times from complex baseline hazard functions and illustrate the methods using an example data set investigating the association between longitudinal prothrombin index and survival of patients with liver cirrhosis, showing greater flexibility and improved stability with fewer parameters under the proposed model compared with the B-spline approach. We provide user-friendly Stata software. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


text:
Funny or Die
loading more...
Already have an account?
Sign In!
Forgot Password?
Stay signed in
Don't have an account?
Sign Up!
Glee Club Videos, Glee Club Pictures, Glee Club Articles
Lee Grant live at the Glee Club Part 3
Lee Grant live at the Glee Club.
Lee Grant live at the Glee Club Part 2
Lee Grant live at the Glee Club
Lee Grant live at the Glee Club
Lee Grant live at the Glee Club
Glee vs Dave Rabbit – Let The Competition Begin
Unless you have been in outer space or off the grid and haven't heard, there is a television show that is challenging most established rules of thinking for ...
Glee 3D Entire Movie Leaked Online
Click to watch Glee 3D Tour Movie in its entirety.
A True Word Smith- Butta V!!
Butta Verses, a Bronx-bred rapper who now calls Fort Lauderdale, Florida home, made his debut appearance on De La Soul's 2004 release The Grind Date spitting...
The Original Leroy, Hiram and Rachel Berry
Before Leroy got a bleach Michael Jackson Tan and Hiram got Hair Implants meet the original actors that played the fathers of the beloved glee club star Rach...
Things You Should Know About OSU Song "Carmen Ohio"
http://www.joeditzel.com Joe Ditzel is a humorist, author and keynote speaker. Carmen, Ohio is one of the most beloved songs at Ohio State. It is the olde...
Who's got 2 thumbs up and needs Obamacare?
There's so much about health and care we all need to learn. We all need better mental and emotional health. Like Klimber Kyle's complaints of a groin pull an...
School Shooting - The Musical
Jon is the math teacher and guidance counselor at a high school, living his life by the motto that "every problem has one simple cause and can be solved if...
Rabbit Bites: Jane Lynch Interview
Jane looks at us like we're dinner, then plunges into some meaty subjects!
MacAwesome Trailer
Trailer for the comedy web series "MacAwesome". Available now on the Internet...everywhere.
25 items
Charles, by the Way - Jennifer
Tom News 2: "N-Word" Scandal (Feat. Dayo Okeniyi)
16 and Eggplant
Water Mouth
Worst Dinner Ever
Rejected Febreze Commercial
Couples' Dinner
What Girls Want
It's Not OK Cupid - Episode 1
Love Handles ♥ Fool Me Once
To lie or not to lie?
Kountry Krock
The Next Steps | "Girls' Night Out - Part III"
Prove You're A Human
Urban Foraging
The Drop Off
Cats Welcoming Home Soldiers
Scientist Living Among Wizards
Little Oil
Telecommuting: Working from Home
View all
25 items
in this collection


text:
From one of the most critically acclaimed and beloved storytellers of our time comes a major new collection of stories and verse "We each have our little triggers . . . things that wait for us in the dark corridors of our lives." So says Neil Gaiman in his introduction to Trigger Warning, a remarkable compendium of twenty-five stories and poems that explore the transformative power of imagination.
"Big, beautiful, ambitious... It takes narrative magic to pull off such a loopy combination, and luckily, Reif Larsen has it to spare. His prose is addictive and enchanting." --"The Los Angeles Times"
"Larsen's is an extraordinarily lush and verdant imagination, blooming wildly on the borders of the absurd and the riotous, the surreal and the ordinary...Quite unlike any novel] I've read in a long time. One doesn't consume it; one enters it, as part of a literary enactment... Brilliant...The effort is well-rewarded: It is both maddening and marvelous...I can't wait to see what he pulls off next."
"The New York Times Book Review"
For many, Kim Gordon, vocalist, bassist and founding member of Sonic Youth, has always been the epitome of cool. Sonic Youth is one of the most influential and successful bands to emerge from the post-punk New York scene, and their legacy continues to loom large over the landscape of indie rock and American pop culture. Almost as celebrated as the band's defiantly dissonant sound was the marriage between Gordon and her husband, fellow Sonic Youth founder and lead guitarist Thurston Moore. So when Matador Records released a statement in the fall of 2011 announcing that--after twenty-seven years--the two were splitting, fans were devastated. In the middle of a crazy world, they'd seemed so solid.
The incomparable Jonathan Lethem returns with nine stories that demonstrate his mastery of the short form.
Jonathan Lethem's third collection of stories uncovers a father's nervous breakdown at SeaWorld in "Pending Vegan"; a foundling child rescued from the woods during a blizzard in "Traveler Home"; a political prisoner in a hole in a Brooklyn street in "Procedure in Plain Air"; and a crumbling, haunted "blog" on a seaside cliff in "The Dreaming Jaw, The Salivating Ear." Each of these locates itself in Lethem-land, which can be discovered only by visiting. As in his celebrated novels, Lethem finds the uncanny lurking in the mundane, the irrational self-defeat seeping through our upstanding pursuits, and the tragic undertow of the absurd world(s) in which we live.
Devoted fans of Lethem will recognize familiar themes: the anxiety of influence taken to reductio ad absurdum in "The King of Sentences"; a hapless, horny outsider summoning bravado in "The Porn Critic"; characters from forgotten comics stranded on a desert island in "Their Back Pages." As always in Lethem, humor and poignancy work in harmony, humans strive desperately for connection, words find themselves misaligned to deeds, and the sentences are glorious.
Jim Harrison is one of our most renowned and popular authors, and his last novel, "The Great Leader," was one of the most successful in a decorated career: it appeared on the "New York Times" extended bestseller list, and was a national bestseller with rapturous reviews. His darkly comic follow-up, "The Big Seven," sends Detective Sunderson to confront his new neighbors, a gun-nut family who live outside the law in rural Michigan.
Detective Sunderson has fled troubles on the home front and bought himself a hunting cabin in a remote area of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. No sooner has he settled in than he realizes his new neighbors are creating even more havoc than the Great Leader did. A family of outlaws, armed to the teeth, the Ameses have local law enforcement too intimidated to take them on. Then Sunderson's cleaning lady, a comely young Ames woman, is murdered, and black sheep brother Lemuel Ames seeks Sunderson's advice on a crime novel he's writing which may not be fiction. Sunderson must struggle with the evil within himself and the far greater, more expansive evil of his neighbor.
In a story shot through with wit, bedlam, and Sunderson's attempts to enumerate and master the seven deadly sins, "The Big Seven" is a superb reminder of why Jim Harrison is one of America's most irrepressible writers.
War photographer Lynsey Addario's memoir "It's What I Do "is the story of how the relentless pursuit of truth, in virtually every major theater of war in the twenty-first century, has shaped her life. What she does, with clarity, beauty, and candor, is to document, often in their most extreme moments, the complex lives of others. It's her work, but it's much more than that: it's her singular calling.
Lynsey Addario was just finding her way as a young photographer when September 11 changed the world. One of the few photojournalists with experience in Afghanistan, she gets the call to return and cover the American invasion. She makes a decision she would often find herself making--not to stay home, not to lead a quiet or predictable life, but to set out across the world, face the chaos of crisis, and make a name for herself.
In 2002, director Richard Linklater and a crew began filming the "Untitled 12-Year Project." He cast four actors (Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Ellar Coltrane, and Lorelei Linklater) in the role of a family and filmed them each year over the next dozen years. Supported by IFC Productions, Linklater, cast, and crew began the commitment of a lifetime that became the film, Boyhood. Seen through the eyes of a young boy in Texas, Boyhood unfolds as the characters--and actors--age and evolve, the boy growing from a soft-faced child into a young man on the brink of his adult life, finding himself as an artist.
Photographer Matt Lankes captured the progression of the film and the actors through the lens of a 4x5 camera, creating a series of arresting portraits and behind-the-scenes photographs. His work documents Linklater's unprecedented narrative that used the real-life passage of years as a key element to the storytelling.
Just as Boyhood the film calls forth memories of childhood and lures one into a place of self-reflection, Boyhood: Twelve Years on Film presents an honest collection of faces, placed side-by-side, that chronicles the passage of time as the camera connects with the cast and crew on an intimate level. Revealing, personal recollections by the actors and filmmakers accompany the photographs.
The extraordinary #1 New York Times bestseller that has captivated over 1 million readers now also includes the bestselling short story The Julian Chapter.
I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.
August Pullman was born with a facial difference that, up until now, has prevented him from going to a mainstream school. Starting 5th grade at Beecher Prep, he wants nothing more than to be treated as an ordinary kid—but his new classmates can't get past Auggie's extraordinary face. WONDER, now a #1 New York Times bestseller and included on the Texas Bluebonnet Award master list, begins from Auggie's point of view, but soon switches to include his classmates, his sister, her boyfriend, and others. These perspectives converge in a portrait of one community's struggle with empathy, compassion, and acceptance.
"Wonder is the best kids' book of the year," said Emily Bazelon, senior editor at Slate.com and author of Sticks and Stones: Defeating the Culture of Bullying and Rediscovering the Power of Character and Empathy. In a world where bullying among young people is an epidemic, this is a refreshing new narrative full of heart and hope. R.J. Palacio has called her debut novel "a meditation on kindness" —indeed, every reader will come away with a greater appreciation for the simple courage of friendship. Auggie is a hero to root for, a diamond in the rough who proves that you can't blend in when you were born to stand out.
Join the conversation: #thewonderofwonder
Welcome to Trace Italian, a game of strategy and survival! You may now make your first move. Isolated by a disfiguring injury since the age of seventeen, Sean Phillips crafts imaginary worlds for strangers to play in. From his small apartment in southern California, he orchestrates fantastic adventures where possibilities, both dark and bright, open in the boundaries between the real and the imagined. As the creator of Trace Italian—a text-based, role-playing game played through the mail—Sean guides players from around the world through his intricately imagined terrain, which they navigate and explore, turn by turn, seeking sanctuary in a ravaged, savage future America.
Lance and Carrie are high school students from Florida, explorers of the Trace. But when they take their play into the real world, disaster strikes, and Sean is called to account for it. In the process, he is pulled back through time, tunneling toward the moment of his own self-inflicted departure from the world in which most people live. Brilliantly constructed, Wolf in White Van unfolds in reverse until we arrive at both the beginning and the climax: the event that has shaped so much of Sean's life. Beautifully written and unexpectedly moving, John Darnielle's audacious and gripping debut novel is a marvel of storytelling brio and genuine literary delicacy.
In the last year, the narrator of 10:04 has enjoyed unlikely literary success, has been diagnosed with a potentially fatal medical condition, and has been asked by his best friend to help her conceive a child. In a New York of increasingly frequent superstorms and social unrest, he must reckon with his own mortality and the prospect of fatherhood in a city that might soon be underwater.
A writer whose work Jonathan Franzen has called "hilarious . . . cracklingly intelligent . . . and original in every sentence," Lerner captures what it's like to be alive now, during the twilight of an empire, when the difficulty of imagining a future is changing our relationship to both the present and the past.


text:
Cut vs factory edge
Mongo, if you're there, this is a follow-up question re. dealing with factory and cut edges on tile.
I've got about 32" of wall.
3" will be a trim tile, leaving 29".
I'm using 20" x 20" tile.
I figure it'd look better to cut two 20" tiles down to 14.5" in one dimension to span the 29", though I could be wrong and a 20" with a 9" might not look bad.
If I go with two 14.5" tiles, I figure it's better to put the two cut edges together in the middle because they'll look alike, which would look better than two dissimilar edges, (cut and factory), adjacent to one another, even if I do fully fill the joint with grout. I guess I'm assuming a fully filled joint can't really be FULLY filled without looking bad or out of place, so maybe a tiny bit of edge should still be visible after grouting?
If I go with a 20" and a 9", then your previous advice to place the cut edge in the corner makes sense.
I suppose all of this discussion is moot until I have a tile, cut it and see if I can ease the edge to look like a factory edge, though I doubt I can as it's not a through body color. Marazzi Vesale Stone has a very thin veneer to mimic sand stone.
Also, an unrelated question:
Should tile layout be concerned with the placement of hardware like bars and glass door hinges and valves?


text:
Dell Linux vs. Windows Netbook Return Rate "Non-Issue"
The return rate for Linux netbooks are no higher than that for Windows, says a Dell product manager, declaring Microsoft's claims otherwise as a "non-issue."
Netbooks with Linux are in no way being returned more often than those with Windows -- at least not those from Dell. This according to Todd Finch, senior product marketing manager at the world's second largest PC provider, at OpenSource World in San Francisco. Finch described Microsoft's claim that consumers returned Linux netbooks at a rate four to five times that of Windows as "making something of nothing."
Devices might have been returned not for technical reasons, said Finch, but because consumers realized that they bought the low-priced machines without the expected Windows. Taking that into account, Finch doesn't "see a significant difference" in the return rate and is "quite pleased with the stability and technical soundness of the Linux machines."
Dell currently offers three of their systems pre-installed with versions of Ubuntu: the Mini 10v Atom netbook, the Inspiron 15n laptop and the XPS M1330n mobile workstation with Core 2 Duo processor.
Dell with UbuntuI don't know which countries you're looking for, but if you use the link provided in the article, choose your country, then search for "Ubuntu" you should get Dell's offer. I've tried it for UK and Germany, and it worked.
Dell with UbuntuHow many of those machines are available in countries outside the US and how easy is it to find them on their website?
Issue 174/2015
Buy this issue as a PDF
Microsoft Frees Code for .NET Build Engine
MSBuild is now just another GitHub project as Redmond continues its path to the light.
Researchers Demonstrate Hack by Heat
Malware could pass data and commands between disconnected computers without leaving a trace on the network.
Kernel Developers Adopt Code of Conflict
New rules emphasize collegiality in coding.
Ubuntu Switches to systemd
Upstart lands in the dust bin as a new era begins for Linux.
Old Vulnerabilities Are Kept Alive Through Bad Configuration
HP's annual Cyber Risk report offers a bleak look at the state of IT.
Linus Torvalds Announces Linux 4.0
But what do the big numbers really mean?
Microsoft Frees CoreCLR
.NET Core execution engine is the basis for cross-platform .NET implementations.
New Trojan Attacks Linux Servers
The Xnote trojan hides itself on the target system and will launch a variety of attacks on command.
Cisco Releases Annual Security Report
Spammers go low-volume, and 90% of IE browsers are unpatched.
Zero Day Exploits Target Flash
Adobe scrambles to release patches for vulnerable Flash Player.


text:
Bemidji State men's hockey: Beavers dominate Niagra to earn series split
Forget the losing streak; the Beavers can start thinking about beginning a streak of another kind.
The Bemidji State (9-13-0, 5-3-0 CHA) men's hockey team ended a six game losing streak Saturday, defeating the Niagara Purple Eagles 3-1 at the John Glas Fieldhouse. The game wasn't as close as the final score may indicate.
Get the full story
Subscribe or Log In
Are you a newspaper subscriber but you don't have a Digital Access account yet? Activate your account.
You will need your subscription account number and phone number. Not sure if you have an account? Email us or call (218) 333-9200 and we can help you.