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Pauline Pate Norton
Published: Thursday, January 1, 2004 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, December 31, 2003 at 11:00 p.m.
NORTHPORT | Pauline Pate Norton, 88 of Forest Manor , died December 29, 2003 at DCH Regional Medical Center. Burial was Wednesday at Tuscaloosa Memorial Park. Sunset Funeral Home directed.
She is preceded in death by her Husband, Foster Norton;
Survivors include a son, Jack Appleyard (Margie) Tucson, Ariz.; grandchildren Lee Cook (Micheal), Tuscaloosa, John Appleyard, Tucson, Ariz.; niece, Audice Sutton (Cecil); nephew, Ralph Maughan (Deb); great-grandchildren, David and Foster Cook, Tuscaloosa and Caver Appleyard, USAF
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H20 ~Footprints in the Sand~ – 11
March 16, 2008 | Author: Adun | In: Anime Blogs, H20 ~Footprints in the Sand~
It was only a matter of time before Takuma would finally snap at Hayami, but damn I wouldn't have fought he would actually beat her up. It kind of pissed me off seeing him trying to act as if he was sorry and tried to get Hayami to come back to his house, but even if he did, that lingering hate would revive once again. But poor Hayami, I can see getting beat up by the sleazy looking cronies is no big issue, but to be beaten up by Takuma to the state of having a broken arm is damn awful.
So once again Takuma has become blind, but it all comes with a slight twist. Apparently has always been blind and that all the time that he could see seemed to be all a dream. It's rather strange how things have turned out as I always thought it was Otoha's influence but remembering what she said to him back in episode 1 that it's not that he can't do it, it's that he thinks he can't, that could also play a part. It's definite that the death of his mother caused such a shock for him to lose his sight, but once again, that shock of knowing Hayami's family is responsible is making him revert back to being blind. But now Takuma is saving Hayami from being killed by Hotaru;s grandfather saying he'll protect his mother…..WTF?? I can't quite see where this is going but I can't help but think Takuma has become delusional.
Hotaru was awesome this episode for that one moment when she slapped Takuma. He definitely needed a slapping since he's starting to turn all emo and stuff. Yui I find has changed quite a bit now that she doesn't hold such a grudge against Hayami. Too bad her sleazy cronies will always be sleazy. But Hotaru's grandfather is really evil, even to the point where killing Hayami is an option. I still think that there is something more to why he wants Hotaru to partner up with Takuma other than to spite Hayami. Well seems like next episode is the last episode but I can't help but think the whole ending is going to be one big rush. Either way I'm glad this series is finishing next episode.

subset: commoncrawl


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When you fake your girlfriend into saying you're going to stick it in her pussy, but stick it in her asshole instead.
Kunal's girlfriend was expecting him to stick his rod in her pussy, but he stuck it in her ass while yelling "ANAL SURPRISE!"
by djphotik May 30, 2006
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
To give a person an Analsurprise party where he or she has to bend over and all the guests stuff their gifts up his or her anus.
To surprise someone with your hand up their ass.
To surprise someone with your hand up their ass.
Bend and I'll give you an Analsurprise!!1
by Monkeylovur January 27, 2006


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Rust Consulting, Inc.625 marquette ave suite 880 minneapolis, Minnesota United States of America
Rust Consulting, Inc. I haven't received my lawnmower check yet! minneapolis , Minnesota
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For 121 years, Kneipp has made natural products based on the holistic philosophy of its founder, Sebastian Kneipp. "Our mission is to stay true to the company's heritage and ensure long-term success while meeting the demands of our time, particularly with regard to the increasing scarcity of resources," says Angela Kreipl, head of communications. "We are conscious of our responsibility to make sure that our lifestyle today is not lived at the expense of future generations and nature."
A recent step toward anchoring sustainability within the company was taken in September 2010, when Kneipp amended its mission statement to include: In keeping with the spirit of this philosophy, we are conscious of our corporate responsibility to act in a manner that promotes sustainable development (economic, ecological and social). This laid the strategic foundation for establishing sustainability within every division, and having that force inform all departmental strategies.
Kneipp strives to manufacture its own products to the extent that is economically feasible, which in turn enables the company to safeguard jobs and to expand its workforce when possible. "A maximum level of in-house production contributes decisively to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by minimizing transport distances and saving shipping costs," explains Kreipl. "When outside production is unavoidable, we select our contract partners carefully. Part of our supplier certification process includes addressing sustainability-related issues."
As a member of the local Energy Efficiency Initiative of Lower Franconia, Germany, Kneipp has been working intensively since 1996 on a variety of conservation measures to reduce its carbon footprint. A further major milestone was reached in October 2010, when all Kneipp locations converted to 100% hydroelectric energy.
At the heart of the Kneipp brand are its products, which embody the company's core values: nature, efficacy, and quality. "Upholding these values means making sure that every product meets them, starting in the R&D phase," Kreipl concludes.
Melinda Taschetta-Millane is a Chicago-based writer and editor who has specialized in the professional skincare industry for the past 18 years.
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FILE - In this March 18, 2012 file photo, cherry blossom trees are in bloom around the Tidal Basin, with the Jefferson Memorial in the background in Washington. Officials in Washington are going to be predicting this year's peak bloom dates for the city's famed cherry trees. This year's National Cherry Blossom Festival is already planned for March 20 through April 14, but the National Park Service will be more specific about the predicted bloom dates on Monday. The average peak bloom date is Apr


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- http://www.saulrobbins.com
Location:New York, NY, United States
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Schools Attended:Hunter College (CUNY)
Photo Associations & Memberships:The Camera Club of New York
Saul Robbins is interested in the ways people interact within their surroundings, and the psychological dynamics of intimacy. His photographs are motivated by observations of human behavior and personal experience, especially those related to loss and unity. He is best known for the series Initial Intake, which examines the empty chairs of Manhattan-based psychotherapy professionals from their clients' perspective, referencing viewers perceptions, associations, and responses to this particular environment and the work that takes place there. In 2012, Robbins created How Can I Help? – An Artful Dialogue, inviting passersby to speak with himself and other artists about anything they wish for free and in complete confidence, in a pop-up office / exhibition environment in Midtown Manhattan.
Exhibitions include The Bolinas Museum, Blue Sky Gallery, chashama, CurateNYC, Deutsche Haus at NYU, Griffin Museum, Massachusetts General Hospital, MICA, Museum of Fine Arts – Houston, New Orleans Photo Alliance, Ost Gallery, Moscow, Portland Art Museum, The Philoctetes Center, Rayko, The Wellin Museum of Art, and others. Publications include Art Photo Mag, Aufbau, Berlin Tagesspiegel, CPW Quarterly, D – La Repubblica, The Daily Mail, DART, Feature Shoot, FlavorWire, Love Issue, More, The New York Times, Real Simple, Slate, Wired, and others. Grants and awards include chashama Windows Award, Clarence John Laughlin Award (Honorable Mention) The Covenant Foundation, Sony World Photography Awards (Finalist), AJPA Rockower, Gunk Foundation and New York Foundation for the Arts. Curatorial projects include Projecting Freedom: Cinematic Interpretations of the Haggadah (2010), Regarding Intimacy (2007), and No Live Girls, Peep Show 28 (2002). Robbins received his MFA from Hunter College and teaches at the International Center of Photography in New York City. Since 2011 he has been leading master workshops in Europe and South America.


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(by min, single mother of teens)
It's FunMonday again and the post today is to honor Veterans Day:
Since Next Tuesday is Veterans Day, I thought it would be nice to salute our Veterans and show our appreciation. Photo requirement of something patriotic.
This topic was created by Janice at lifeaccordingtojanandjer.
The only patriotic thing that I have is this picture that I took. I think I may have even posted it once before as a Wordless Wednesday or something.
I photoshopped it a bit.
The flag in the picture is unaltered and untouched. The stuff surrounding the flag is warped and distorted. I took the picture at a time when all seemed to be in chaos, but I felt that our nation was still strong.
It somehow seems very appropriate once again.


text: Shield your eyes, chubby-chasers, feeder-scenesters, and general bear aficionados. Everyone else: Behold, the new, lean n' mean Seth Rogen! The word "schlub" will barely enter your mind as you gaze upon the Zack & Miri Make a Porno star, who's whittled his trademark softserve physique—the one Katherine Heigl once lowered her standards enough to copulate with!—down to the shredded, peak physical specimen you see above. Sure, he tells us it's just for a superhero movie, and he hates every minute of his grueling training regimen. We're not buying it, however, as the satisfied smirks above suggest the kind of guy who keeps lifting his Nike Dri-FIT tanktop to admire some newly birthed abs in the reflection of an Athlete's Foot window. [Photo credit: WireImage at the Porno premiere, and Scream Awards (center)]


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(This was written and published by someone OTHER then me, back in 1993. It is for information and entertainment purposes only. Since as of today, 12-27-12, the US first amendment is still in effect, I am posting it for entertainment purposes only. in no way do i necessarily endorse what it says nor do advocate anything that is illegal. ~H.I.A.)
Chittum's Civil War 2 Checklist
"Civil War Two: The Coming Breakup of America"
Thomas Chittum
Item 1: If the racial tattooing of ethnic classification on ID cards and other documents persists, we'll know the countdown clock is ticking. Every time you see a blank for your ethnic group on a form, think Civil War II.
Item 2: If Illegal aliens are allowed to vote, even in local elections, it will be another unmistakable signal that American citizenship, and therefore America itself, is finished. If the millions of illegal aliens in America are granted amnesty and get the vote, it will mean open immigration and a giant step toward Civil War II.
Item 3: The Abolition of the right to bear arms. This must be done to reduce the military potential of those assigned the bottom tier of the emerging multiethnic American Empire. Those in higher tiers will retain their guns � and thereby their military resources � through devices such as the Nation of Islam�s security company and street gangs. Imperial conversion cannot be completed without breaking the military potential of the white working class, the historic key to military dominance of North America.
Item 4: Watch for racially split juries. [1] If juries begin to refuse to convict their co-ethnics, then our progress towards basic social breakdown and Civil War II is accelerating. This will be one of the most significant indicators that we�re edging closer to a social earthquake and a breakup along tribal fault lines. Some prominent blacks have already encouraged black jurors to consider jury nullification. Watch for states to allow conviction by a majority of a jury.
Item 5: Watch for the military to assume police duties. Empires must of necessity use terror and brute force to suppress their lower tiers and masses of poor people.
Also, watch for police stations and military bases to be hardened to end their current vulnerability to siege as described in a previous chapter. Also watch for retired military officers to assume high government posts, especially in areas of law enforcement, especially drug law enforcement, both foreign and domestic. This will promote the militarization and brutalization of our police, and the politicians can line up behind this phony �War on Drugs.� Also watch for military-type assaults on urban gangs in the name of fighting the drug menace. The real target will be the gangs themselves and their military power.
I say that just as Columbia is a narco-state, and just as Mexico is in the final stages of conversion into a narco-state, our own United States of America is itself in the initial stages of transforming into a narco-state.
Item 6: Watch for the establishment of an elite military force outside the chain of command of the regular military to serve as an internal counterinsurgency force. The Russians have exactly such a military force called Internal Security which is under the command of the interior ministry (the MVD), not the regular military. The MVD internal security has its own tanks, helicopters and artillery and its primary mission is suppressing internal disturbances too serious for the police such as mutinies of regular military units, riots, strikes by workers, and ethnic rebellions such as the recent uprising in Chechnya. [5] One tactic of the MVD Internal Security is using troops of one ethnic group to put down civilian rebellions of other ethnic groups.
Item 7: Watch for Washington D.C. to increasingly resemble the capitol of some banana republic under siege by revolutionaries and mobs. Specifically, watch for riots in Washington D.C. to grow in scope until they menace the White House and the Congress. Ultimately, federal military units will have to be permanently stationed there to protect our government from its own citizens. In May, 1995, truck bomb barriers were installed in front of the White House, [6] yet another indication that our government is under siege form its own citizens.
Item 8: Resegregation: Watch for Africans and other minorities demanding, and often getting, separate facilities for themselves, another clear sign that they�re continuing to reject co-option.
Item 9: Watch for further replacement of individual rights for group rights, group rights based on ethnic group. Empires employ this method to enlist certain favored groups in suppressing the others, and racist affirmative action is a classic example of this replacement of our rights as individuals by a race based system of penalties and special privileges.
Item 10: Watch for non-governmental organizations acquiring military power. As we are increasingly losing our common identity as Americans, people are increasingly turning to alternate sources of psychological fulfillment and the increasingly necessary military protection that such organizations are extending.
The recent tragedy in Waco was an example of the crush, and the granting of 20 million dollars in security guard contracts by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to the Nation of Islam [7] is an example of the subsidize side of this policy. The Washington establishment knew full well that any attempt to disarm the powerful Muslim militia would provoke massive rioting and firefights in every major American city. Instead, the establishment is paying protection money to the disciplined Muslim militia to keep the lid on the ghettos in an act of appeasement that is sure to backfire in the long run. Every time you hear of a non-governmental organization acquiring military power, think Civil War II.
Item 11: Watch for political power to continue to shift from our elected officials to the courts, and thus away from the American people. Since the sixties, the real power of the judicial branch of our government has been vastly expanded at the expense of the legislative and executive branches. This is no accident. Recall that judges are almost always appointed, often for life. The people have no effective way of ridding themselves of these usurpers of our Bill of Rights. These unelected judges use euphemisms like affirmative action to promote imperial tiering while they summarily strip citizens of their traditional and constitutional rights.
All reforms interfering with the international elitist agenda have been and will continue to be struck down as �unconstitutional� by the Supreme Court. Unless the American people retake our judicial system, Civil War II is unavoidable.
Item 12: Watch for more instances of real political power flowing from American institutions to international bodies, thus again flowing away from American citizens.
Every time you hear NAFTA, the IMF, the World Court, or the UN, think New World Order and think Civil War II.
Item 13: Watch for minorities and radical whites to continue to seize control of American institutions. Our courts, schools, universities, the media, many churches, and many unions have been completely or partially taken over, and politically incorrect dissidents expelled or intimidated into silence.
Item 14: Watch for secessionist movements and other movements seeking autonomy on American soil. Some of these movements will be subsidized by corporations seeking territory free from American law and taxes where they may plunder to their hearts� content.
Item 15: Watch for race based political parties, a sure sign of racial polarization. The most telling statistic occurred when ex Ku Klux Klansman David Duke ran for governor of Louisiana and got a majority of the white vote, an estimated 55%. [11] The establishment media hailed his defeat as a rejection of race-based politics by American voters, but actually the opposite was the case. The white citizens of Louisiana are clearly fed up with being forced to ride in the back of the liberal establishments affirmative action bus deporting them to the multiethnic empire, and are inclined towards Civil War II right now, today. In time, most working-class white Americans will likewise be forced to join them. Watch for black-based and Hispanic-based political parties to emerge, or for an avowedly leftist or rightist or any third party to achieve major party status. Also watch for the Republican party to become the de facto white, populist, and rightist party; and for the Democratic party to become the radical leftist and minority party.
In 1994, Georgia had 10 representatives to the federal house of representatives � eight white Democrats, one black Democrat and one white Republican. Then Georgia was allocated another seat to reflect a population increase. Currently the Georgia delegation figures are � eight white Republicans, and three black Democrats. [12] Currently, there are no black Republicans or white Democrats in the Georgia delegation. This stunning, overnight reversal was produced by redistricting designed to maximize the number of black representatives. However, regardless of the technical manner by which it is brought about, the racial polarization of our political parties will proceed throughout the south and across the nation.
As our two major parties increasingly become radicalized, our government will oscillate from left to right with increasing violence as these two parties alternate in office. Eventually these increased oscillations will cause our country to topple into Civil War II.
Item 16: Watch for areas of �no-go� for the police in our cities, areas abandoned by the police and left to the control of street gangs. The existence of these areas will be officially denied of course, and the police will occasionally mount media oriented forays into them, but it will be pure theater.
Item 17: Watch for the so-called slave tax refund or some similar vehicle that will automatically subsidize all blacks for life. [14]
Item 18: Watch for court orders and other schemes mandating more voting districts in which blacks are intentionally a majority. This was one of the reasons for the graphic racial breakdown of the Georgia congressional delegation mentioned earlier.
Item 19: Watch other multiethnic empires for ethnic violence, a general loss of democracy, increasing poverty, waves of refugees, and their actual breakup in ethnic warfare.
Item 20: Watch for the spread of walled suburbs, euphemistically called gated communities.
These walled suburbs are manifestations of the racial, economic, psychological and geographic fragmentation of America, and will hasten their ultimate manifestation in Civil War II.
Item 21: Watch for more mind control hoaxes by the establishment media.
As Civil War II approaches, the establishment media, in conjunction with the political establishment, will increase its manipulation of mind control hoaxes to accuse politically incorrect persons of wrongdoing so that the government can intimidate them, harass them, send them to prison, and even assassinate them. Likewise, hoaxes will be used to cover up wrongdoing so that those favored by the establishment can escape public censure, and deserved legal punishment. Every time you hear slanted news from the establishment media, think Civil War II.
Item 22: Watch for an increasing percentage of minorities in our military, the use of foreigners in our military, the use of UN troops in our soil, or even the establishment of an American Foreign Legion.
Such foreign mercenaries (and that�s exactly what they would be) would have far less qualms about firing on American citizens than American soldiers would.
Also watch for minorities in our military in excess of their percentage of the population.
Item 23: Watch for more out of court settlement in cases of alleged racial discrimination. As mentioned earlier, one tool of imperial governments is hiring certain groups to oppress others. Institutions captured by radicals, like our universities, are now transferring large sums of tax money directly to radical groups without the consent of the people by out of court settlements. This bypasses our elected representatives and whatever remaining protection our courts might provide us.
Item 24: Watch for more restrictions of freedom of speech by the government and the establishment media. This will drive non-establishment people underground and radicalize them. All manner of radical underground newsletters and other media will appear, which will give the government an excuse for yet more unconstitutional means of silencing them by harassment by the FCC, and other more direct � even terminal � means, by the BATF and the FBI. Every time you hear of someone being fired, or otherwise punished for some politically incorrect utterance, think Civil War II.
Item 25: Watch for police to increasingly abandon their traditional uniforms for ones that resemble military and secret police uniforms in their dark color or camouflage, military helmets, opaque face shields, and abundance of nametags. These costumes are meant to intimidate, as are the tactics of using paid perjurers (known as informers), paid liars (known as expert witnesses), wiretaps, boots kicking in doors, agent provocateurs, attack dogs, tanks, gas, and entrapment followed by assassination by sniper.
These measures are meant to intimidate not only the people they�re taking out, but more importantly those who view these Roman circuses on TV so they�ll be fearful to speak up in defense of the victims. Also, these Robo Cop costumes have a profound impact on those who don them. Dress a man like a storm trooper and he�ll soon enough get the message.
Item 26: Watch for clandestine groups of white officers to form within our federal, state and local police � groups similar to the Resisters in the Green Berets. I predict that these white law enforcement resister groups will be clandestine because those openly holding such opinions are being harassed and/or fired by higher ups to enforce unconstitutional, racist affirmative action programs and to politicize our law enforcement agencies.
These white law enforcement Resisters will forewarn the victims of unconstitutional actions such as raids for guns or entrapments that target people like Randy Weaver solely they have antiestablishment views.
These white law enforcement Resisters will destroy evidence intended to convict white citizens accused of violating the racist and unconstitutional affirmative action laws.
Item 27: Watch for an arm of the federal government charged with promoting racist affirmative action, such as the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission, to acquire agents that carry guns and have the power to make arrests.
Item 28: Watch for the collapse of the US dollar as the world�s premier currency.
Item 29: Watch for growing geographic segregation and its increasing mention in the establishment press.
Item 30: Watch for signs that the global military equation and American dominance in it are being challenged.
In the future, unlike the recent past, any foreign power or alliance in opposition to America will have the option of assisting ethnic groups in America to the point of rebellion. Expect them to play this card.
Item 31: Watch for the breakup or Canada. If Canada does break up along ethnic and linguistic lines, it will bode ill for its neighbor which is an even worse multiethnic and multilingual mishmash.
Item 32: Watch for an increased flow of Americans immigrating to Canada.
Item 33: Watch for political and legal organizations formed along ethnic lines
Item 34: Watch for more help wanted ads stating that the job applicant must be bilingual.
Item 35: Watch for signs that the UN is assuming the role of a world government, and that the US is losing even more of its national sovereignty to the UN. Occupation of the United States by the United Nations troops is not the fantasy of militia groups that the establishment press makes it out to be.
Watch for calls for the formation of a permanent military force directly under the command of the UN. Should the UN acquire such a force, there can be no doubt but that the international establishment has decided that the UN will be convened to an actual world government dominant over its member countries.
Item 36: Watch for a certain picture. We�ve all seen this picture countless times before, a picture from Beirut, Budapest, Afghanistan, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Yugoslavia, Somalia � a burnt out tank, perhaps the charred corpse of a crewman protruding through a hatch, and jubilant rebels posing atop the tank waving assault rifles and a flag. Someday we will shall see this picture in our newspapers yet again, and this time taken on American soil. The tank, the dead crewman, and rebels will all be American except the flag, which will be a Mexican, Aztlan, New Africa, or Confederate flag. When we see this picture, it will be too late. Civil War II will be upon us. But there�s another picture we�ll see first, again one we�ve all seen before from some unfortunate land. But this time it will be taken right here in the US of A � a picture of a dirty ragged child foraging for food in a garbage dump. You shutter bugs out there, note that the first to get this picture published in a magazine or newspaper will probably get a Pulitzer Prize.
The end of America and western civilization
All the world waits to see if America will become a multiethnic, democratic nation with a nonracial social contract, or if it will devolve into an ethnically and socially tiered third-world empire, and shatter exactly as all other multiethnic, undemocratic empires have throughout world history. When America erupts in flames, all the world will rightly conclude that liberty�s torch set her ablaze, and that democracy and a multiethnic society are mutually exclusive.
Western Civilization will be transformed; tribalism will blossom into its ultimate expression. Nations will unite into super blocks of Europeans against Africans, Christians against Moslems, East against West, and rich against poor until some hideous climax predator claws its way to the top of the smoking global bone heap. And what excuse will we Americans have? That our fathers didn�t leave us a Bill of Rights to light our way? That no one cautioned us that a house divided against itself cannot stand? That no one told us that we should judge one another by character rather than color? Like all men of goodwill, I ask nothing more than to live peacefully in my own country where I enjoy the equal protection of the law without corruption of blood, exactly as set down in our Constitution. Regrettably, this simple and just concept is dead, and so is America.
By: Fine_Just_Fine
In: Conspiracy
Tags: civil war 2, end of america
Location: United States (load item map)
Views: 22608 | Comments: 9 | Votes: 1 | Favorites: 2 | Shared: 0 | Updates: 0 | Times used in channels: 1
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Failed planningAugust 11,2014
Failed planning
Marc Brown asks, in effect, What were they thinking? when New Englands state energy planners backed building 25-cent-per-kilowatt-hour wind projects while opposing reliable, existing, low-cost generators like Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant.
They were thinking New England would have endless amounts of fracked natural gas; they were wrong. Contrary to expert predictions of just a few years ago, demand has outstripped deliverable supply causing prices to climb steadily and spike drastically when the weather is at its hottest and coldest.
They were thinking New England could always buy more Canadian hydropower; they were wrong. As with natural gas, theres not enough transmission capacity. Efforts to build new power lines have yielded controversy, spending, but no new cross-border transmission.
And finally, they were thinking that closing a big, base load nuclear power plant or two would push New England utilities into the waiting arms of intermittent solar and wind power; they were wrong. You cannot replace base load power sources with intermittent ones, so electric utilities were instead forced into the waiting arms of high carbon fossil fuel.
In short, they thought their foresight and strong-arm regulatory tactics would bend the regions energy market to their will. The market is bent, but instead of the result they wanted, they got the worst case scenario: higher emissions and higher prices.
George Coppenrath
BarnetMORE IN LettersRegarding Defying the Hippocratic Oath, Aug. 19, 2016, there are so many inaccuracies in Mr. Full StoryI would like to respond to the letter by Sandra Bettis on Aug. Full StoryI attended Mondays debate between Phil Scott and Sue Minter at the Chandler Music Hall in... Full Story
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Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request
In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is publishing the following summary of proposed collections for public comment. Interested persons are invited to send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including any of the following subjects: (1) The necessity and utility of the proposed information collection for the proper performance of the agency's functions; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology to minimize the information collection burden.
1. Type of Information Collection Request: Extension without change of a currently approved collection; Title of Information Collection: Certification as a Supplier of Portable X-Ray and Portable X-Ray Survey Report Form and Supporting Regulations at 42 CFR Part 486.100-486.110; Use: CMS-1880 is utilized as an application to be completed by suppliers of portable X-ray services requesting participation in the Medicare program. This form initiates the process of obtaining a decision as to whether the conditions of coverage are met as a portable X-ray supplier. It also promotes data reduction or introduction to, and retrieval from, the Certification and Survey Provider Enhanced Reporting (CASPER) by the CMS Regional Offices (ROs).
CMS-1882 is used by the State survey agency to provide data collected during an on-site survey of a supplier of portable X-ray services to determine compliance with the applicable conditions of participation and to report this information to the Federal Government. The form is primarily a coding worksheet designed to facilitate data reduction and retrieval into the ASPEN system at the CMS ROs. The form includes basic information on compliance (i.e., met, not met, explanatory statements) and does not require any descriptive information regarding the survey activity itself. CMS has the responsibility and authority for certification decisions which are based on supplier compliance with the applicable conditions of participation. The information needed to make these decisions is available to CMS only through the use of information abstracted from the survey report form; Form Numbers: CMS-1880 (Request for Certification as a Supplier of Portable X-ray Services), CMS-1882 (Medicare/Medicaid Portable X-ray Survey Report), and OCN 0938-0027; Frequency: Occasionally; Affected Public: State, Local, or Tribal Governments; Number of Respondents: 579; Total Annual Responses: 86; Total Annual Hours: 151. (For policy questions regarding this collection contact Georgia Johnson at (410) 786-6859. For all other issues call (410) 786-1326.)
To obtain copies of the supporting statement and any related forms for the proposed paperwork collections referenced above, access CMS' Web site address at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/PaperworkReductionActof1995, or email your request, including your address, phone number, OMB number, and CMS document identifier, to firstname.lastname@example.com, or call the Reports Clearance Office on (410) 786-1326.
In commenting on the proposed information collections please reference the document identifier or OMB control number. To be assured consideration, comments and recommendations must be submitted in one of the following ways by February 21, 2012:
1. Electronically. You may submit your comments electronically to http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for "Comment or Submission" or "More Search Options" to find the information collection document(s) accepting comments.
2. By regular mail. You may mail written comments to the following address: CMS, Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs, Division of Regulations Development, Attention: Document Identifier/OMB Control Number ____, Room C4-26-05, 7500 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, Maryland 21244-1850.
Dated: December 16, 2011.
Martique Jones,
Director, Regulations Development Group, Division B, Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2011-33101 Filed 12-22-11; 8:45 am]


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Chopping at the bit
Friday, 12.28.2007 / 3:58 PM MT / Off the Ice
By Marc Ciampa - edmontonoilers.com
|Oilers captain Ethan Moreau will play his first game wearing the 'C' on Saturday night in Minnesota against the Wild. (photo: Andy Devlin/EOHC)
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Moreau has been ready to go for several days now and after several hard practices and strong results from a fitness test, head coach Craig MacTavish will not hesitate to use him in all situations.
"He's fit and ready to go. We had a VO2 test on him yesterday. He was exceptional so he'll be ready to take a lot of minutes," said MacTavish. "He looked sharp in practice the last few days so we're hopeful he can jump in as seamlessly as Fernie did with maybe a little bit more endurance out of the gate."
"It's exciting. It's going to be a fun trip," said Moreau on Friday shortly before the team departed for Minnesota – the first stop of a four-game road swing. "It's been a long time but I've had a couple good practices and I feel confident."
The man they call "Chopper" last played back on October 21, 2006 when he dislocated his shoulder in an altercation late in the game with Red Wings defenceman Danny Markov. He emerged briefly for a pair of pre-season games – one in which he scored a pair of goals – before an ankle injury suffered in Calgary put him back on the shelf.
Initially, he thought the ankle injury was simply a deep bruise and that he would be back for the season opener but after it didn't heal, a fracture was revealed. He put on a cast and had to start the rehabilitation process all over again.
"I've put all that past me. I've gone through some points where my morale was down and I was pretty frustrated with the way things were going but right now mentally I'm in a great place. I'm excited to play and don't really think about it too much. I need to focus on how I need to prepare to be at my best tomorrow."
Moreau said he doesn't expect the game to be much different after missing 113 games.
"The game hasn't changed. I'll play the same way I always have but I'll probably be a little bit more nervous than I usually am."
He noted that the biggest adjustment for him will be the physical play.
|Oilers head coach Craig MacTavish presents Ethan Moreau with his jersey adorned with the captain's "C" on the front prior to the start of the regular season. (photo: Andy Devlin/EOHC)
Particularly with Raffi Torres out of the lineup, that physical element is what will make Moreau such a valuable addition to the Oilers lineup.
"What I bring is something we lack right now which is a positive for me. I know I can make an immediate impact."
MacTavish was quick to point out the importance of having Moreau provide a physical presence to the team.
"He's going to give us a great lift. I know emotionally he will for sure. He's everything that we need right now. We need some physical pop. We've got five forwards under 5'11" in the lineup. When you come up against a defence that has the size and skill set that Anaheim has you get the result offensively that we had last night.
"We need some size and pop in our lineup – especially with Raffi being out. We've done our best to offset it but the game today is a man's game and you need some size."
Moreau brings more than just leadership, size and sandpaper to the Oilers. In 2003-04 he was named the team's most valuable player. MacTavish talked about his ability to simply take over games.
"Ethan in the past has always won us a handful of games by himself with just his sheer determination. I can think of three games singlehandedly that he's won for us in the past – one game against Nashville here, a game against Montreal here a number of years ago and a game in Philadelphia against the Flyers."
The Oilers defeated the Flyers 3-2 with Moreau contributing a pair of shorthanded goals to the effort back in 2005-06. The Oilers will need their captain to make a difference offensively.
"We're going to count on him offensively, not to put too much pressure on him early, but he's a former 20-goal scorer," MacTavish continued. "Those guys are a rare commodity in today's game."
Moreau made a point of acknowledging he will need to chip in on offence.
"I think in the Stanley Cup Final we were so deep so I'll have a bigger role offensively (now)," he remarked. "I'll still be relied on to kill penalties, play physical and block shots – the things I usually do – but I think they'll ask for a little more out of me offensively from the last time I played."
|Fernando Pisani celebrates with teammate Ethan Moreau in overtime after scoring a shorthanded game-winning goal in game five of the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals. The Oilers defeated the Hurricanes 4-3 to stave off elimination. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
"I was happy to see him on my right side. I've played with him a lot and I think he'll make a huge difference," said Moreau about Pisani. "It'll be huge for me. I know how he plays, he knows how I play. It'll be a comforting feeling having him on the bench and having him on the ice."
MacTavish feels that the trio will complement each others' abilities well.
"With Ethan back, (Cogliano) will be in a better position. We want to try and put him in the middle between Ethan and Fernando," said the head coach.
"You've got to play to each others' strengths. I can't have a line of Robert Nilsson, Sam Gagner and Cogs. It's just not going to work. You need some guys with some size and offensive ability to play to the strength of Cogs. I haven't been able to find him some linemates so far and obviously his confidence has suffered because of it.
"Hopefully this will be a line that works for us, because they can play to each others' weaknesses."
Pisani was happy to see a familiar face in Moreau skating on his opposite wing.
"He knows his role. He's been in the league long enough to know what he's capable of doing," he said. "He's going to bring some intensity that's needed to our team. When we need a big hit we rely on him to go out and make a big hit, if we need him to block a shot he just does the little things very well. It's going to be great to have him back in the lineup."
Having missed the first 25 games of the season himself, Pisani knows how difficult it can be to get up to game speed.
"When you're out for quite awhile it takes a little bit of time to get adjusted to the speed and the pace. I think after a couple games you get a grasp of how things are going to be and you kind of roll with it from there," Pisani continued. "He's been waiting for this return for a long time. He's going to add more intensity to the team and do those little things that we're lacking right now."
Saturday will also be Moreau's first game on the ice wearing the captain's 'C'. Number 18 has not forgotten that important detail.
"It'll be a huge thing for me. It's the first time I've worn it and I don't take it lightly. It will be a huge honour and it will be a special moment in my career when I put that jersey on."


text:
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Engines:D13A: 360, 400, 440, 480 hp
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More effect when brakingThe braking system includes EBS (Electronically controlled Brake System) disc brakes with ESP (Electronic Stability Program), or alternatively the tried and tested Z-cam brakes.
These alternatives can be supplemented with particularly effective auxiliary brakes, such as VEB/VEB+ (Volvo Engine Brake) and a retarder.
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Volvo Engine BrakeThe patented Volvo Engine Brake (VEB/VEB+) produces higher braking effect compared with its predecessors. There is also the EPG exhaust brake for both the D9B, D13A and D13B.


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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Teavana at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Golden dragons symbolize power, strength and good fortune. These are hand painted 24kt gold on our double-walled glass tumblers for an amazing way to enjoy tea. Includes a removable strainer, so you can steep tea on the go. Double walled for insulation.. Price: $12.98
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SEP 24, 2013 - San Francisco Chronicle
A Must Read - Share
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — President Barack Obama is praising Lebanon's generosity in welcoming refugees fleeing the crisis in Syria.
The meeting came just after Obama announced $339 million in additional humanitarian aid in response to Syria's crisis, including $74 million for Lebanon to support refugee needs.
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text: For my final stone I've decided that I'm no longer buying substitute low fat alternatives. My days are luxury but just in moderation. Before I would have the low fat alternatives just to save points but I wouldn't truly enjoy them. Or have them just so I could more. This year I'm trying to accept that little and better quality is what matters so... I thought it might be a good idea (if people agree and wanted to) post their luxury items with points so if anyone fancied something they could come and get some ideas. For me my luxury items are Kettle crisps - 30g portion is 4pp Galaxy Riple - full size is 5pp Galaxy Hot Chocolate - per serving 4pp Ben and Jerry Baked Alska - 100g is 4pp Muller corner yogurt - between 4 & 5pp Fox's Jam sandwich creams x2 are 4pp Millies Cookies - each 5pp Krispy Kreme original doughnut - each 6 There will be more no doubt ha ha... So come guys and gals tell us all x


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Celeb birthdays for the week of Nov. 17-23
"Good Morning America" co-host Robin Roberts turns 53 opn November 23 (AP Photo/ABC, Heidi Gutman). Nov. 17: Guitarist Gerry McGee of The Ventures is 76.…
"Good Morning America" co-host Robin Roberts turns 53 opn November 23 (AP Photo/ABC, Heidi Gutman). Nov. 17: Guitarist Gerry McGee of The Ventures is 76.…
EMPTY SEATS AT HEINZ FIELD – In this Nov. 10, 2013, file photo, Buffalo Bills quarterback EJ Manuel, left, is flushed out of the pocket by Pittsburgh Steelers free safety Ryan Clark (25) and Jarvis Jones (95) during an NFL football game in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File) by Will GravesAP Sports Writer PITTSBURGH (AP) – Mike Tomlin isn't much on public gratitude. Still, the perpetually focused Pittsburgh Steelers coach went out of his way to thank the fans who showed up at Heinz Field to watch his team drum the Buffalo Bills 23-10 on Sunday for its third win of the season. "It's not something we take for granted," Tomlin said. Good idea.
In a Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013 file photo, Don Cheadle arrives at the VIP Pre-Fight Party for the One: Mayweather vs. Canelo Fight at the…
This undated image from video released by PBS shows host Tavis Smiley, right, during an interview with Hillary Rodham Clinton on "Tavis Smiley Reports." PBS is renewing the late-night talk show "Tavis Smiley" for two years. (AP Photo/PBS, File) by Lynn ElberAP Television Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — Tavis Smiley says PBS is renewing his late-night talk show for two years. That will keep the "Tavis Smiley" show airing through 2015 on public TV stations nationwide, Smiley said Wednesday. The program is in its 10th season.
This undated photo provided by Sotheby's shows Andy Warhol's portrait of Elizabeth Taylor, titled "Liz #1 (Early Colored Liz)," estimated to fetch between $20 million and $30 million on Wednesday evening, Nov. 13, 2013, when it comes up for auction at Sotheby's in New York. (AP Photo/Sotheby's) by Jake Pearson and Ula IlnytzkyAssociated Press Writers NEW YORK (AP) — A prized 1963 Andy Warhol painting that captures the immediate aftermath of a car crash sold for $105 million Wednesday at a New York City auction, shattering the record for the famed pop artist amid a spending frenzy at the high end of the art world. The 8- by 13-foot painting titled "Silver Car Crash (Double Disaster)" depicts a twisted body sprawled across a car's mangled interior. It has only been seen once in public in the past 26 years. The buyer wasn't immediately identified.
Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston watches on the sidelines as his team plays Wake Forest in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Winston-Salem, N.C., Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013. Florida State won 59-3. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond) by Gary FineoutAssociated Press Writer TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston is under investigation in an alleged sexual assault reported nearly a nearly a year ago. The university and Winston's attorney confirmed Wednesday that the Tallahassee Police Department is conducting an investigation.
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Connections Hosted By Nic Harcourt Is Expanding Its Reach
January 16, 2013 at 1:47 PM (PT)
CONNECTIONS MADE BY GUITAR CENTER, a collaboration between UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA/NORTHRIDGE Triple A KCSN/LOS ANGELES and GUITAR CENTER -- with input from FILTER Magazine -- is a weekly one-hour syndicated radio program featuring fresh, new music from across the globe and musical spectrum. It is hosted by the well-known DJ NIC HARCOURT. The program also features a weekly music pick by indie music publication FILTER Magazine.
In addition to its home station, the show is now being carried on WERS/BOSTON, WTMD/BALTIMORE, WXPN/PHILADELPHIA, WFPK/LOUISVILLE and WEXT/ALBANY. Past and current shows are also streamed at gc.guitarcenter.com/connections/
Noncomm stations looking to be a Connections affiliate can secure the one-hour program by contacting SKY DANIELS at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Fired Lawrence policeman found not guilty in Fla. child rape case, NH charges remain
It was unclear yesterday when Gonzalez will return to New Hampshire for arraignment on the Salem indictment.
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An 8-year-old boy from Alleghany County is on the mend after a pit bull attacked and seriously injured him during a recent visit to his grandmother.
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text: CBS This Morning profiled Ramsay as he prepared to open three new restaurants within nine months in Las Vegas, and shockingly, Gayle King & Co. found him "charming and unfailingly polite." Ramsay, who once said Vegas is "easy money, wrong people," is now invading the city "with a bang." Just what Vegas needs, another bang! He says he was "secretly happy that the industry got a kick of the ass" during the credit crunch of 2009 (which led him to file for bankruptcy) because it "wiped the arrogance off the industry." If only.


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Recent projects from Craftsy Cake Decorating classes:
Offer some kudos...
Join the conversation...
Ask a question...
Add your comment...
|Here are some details about my project:
|Cake Decorating
|1 Tier
|Buttercream, Fondant
|Simple, Whimsical, Modern, Elegant
Share a little about the materials, processes and techniques used to create this cake: I used an Allrecipe recipe for this cake and made two 9" rounds I added some vanilla extract and baked for 1hr15mins at 140c. I sandwiched them with strawberry jam and buttercream - I wished after that I'd used double the amount I did. Then applied a crumb coat of buttercream, chilled it for 20 mins the added marzipan (stuck with some heated apricot jam) then fondant icing (ready to roll) finished off with some fondant daisies cut with a cutter, a ribbon and some feather sprays and a bling 70 finished it off.
What are you most proud of? This is my first go at this so I'm happy that it looks almost how I imagined it!


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J.J. Putz's numbers look like a fluke, as his F-Strike % and Zone % have been outstanding throughout his career. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for Francisco Rodriguez. As anecdotally frustrating as he was, Billy Wagner could come in and throw strikes. Johan Santana had a down year in both statistics, and was still terrific. Hopefully Mets fans will be more patient in 2009, though I fear they won't after 2008's finish.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Which Mets pitchers will elicit groans at Citi Field?
J.J. Putz's numbers look like a fluke, as his F-Strike % and Zone % have been outstanding throughout his career. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for Francisco Rodriguez. As anecdotally frustrating as he was, Billy Wagner could come in and throw strikes. Johan Santana had a down year in both statistics, and was still terrific. Hopefully Mets fans will be more patient in 2009, though I fear they won't after 2008's finish.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Links: Mets catchers, Heyman = clueless, Heilman, and perception vs. reality
1) Rob at Amazin' Avenue takes a look at the Mets catching situation, namely Brian Schneider and Ramon Castro:
"Basically, what I'm saying is that our catching situation is fine. It's not great, but it's not bad either. Like I said, its league average, which is more than enough to win. I have just been amazed by how many people consider it one of Omar's cardinal necessities to improve the catching situation."
I agree, and I'm glad that Met fans have dialed down the support for an upgrade at catcher. Schneider and Castro's contracts expire after 2009, so catcher will need to be addressed next offseason.
2) R.J. Anderson at Beyond the Boxscore quickly and neatly takes apart Jon Heyman's ridiculous statement that free agent OF Garret Anderson has "been among the more productive outfielders in the AL over the last several years." Heyman is pretty good at being a baseball "insider", even if there are 5 false rumors for every 1 he has right. However, he is simply embarrassing at analysis.
3) Poor Aaron Heilman. He was traded again, this time to the Cubs. He was one of my favorite Mets (less so in 2008), and I hope he finds success in his post-Mets career. The Cubs don't come to Citi Field until September - imagine Heilman starting a game against the Mets in the heat of a pennant race.
4) The blog What's A Tarrarel? picks apart the classic Hall of Fame argument that usually goes something like this:
"I don't need numbers to tell me a player is Hall worthy - I saw him play, and that is enough for me! Only math geeks and losers living with their parents think Bert Blyleven and Tim Raines should make it!"
The Hall of Fame voting process is something of a fascination for me, and I wish every voter who put Jim Rice, Jack Morris, or Andre Dawson on their ballot could read this great little piece.
Mets 2009 rotation: Could it be identical to 2008's?
The strategy for the rotation appears to be similar to the corner OF strategy. Why sign an impact player (i.e. Adam Dunn) when you can have Cory Sullivan, Rob Mackowiak, and Angel Pagan? Why acquire a front-line starting pitcher (i.e. Derek Lowe, Ben Sheets, or Javier Vazquez) when you can have Oliver Perez, Tim Redding, Freddy Garcia, and Pedro Martinez? I liked the Redding and Garcia contracts, but only if coupled with a Lowe or Sheets signing. Lowe is now a Brave, and it doesn't seem like Sheets-to-the-Mets is likely.
If the 2009 rotation is Santana-Pelfrey-Perez-Maine-Martinez/Redding/Garcia, it projects to be identical or slightly worse than 2008's:
The projections seem reasonable except Pedro's, which I think is too generous. The bullpen has been upgraded, but not by as much as one would think. The lineup also projects the same or slightly worse than 2008. I'll hold off until the team is finalized before judging Omar Minaya, but at this point it doesn't seem like 2009 Mets will be better than the 2008 Mets.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Fun with win expectancy: June 30, 2000 - Mets 11, Braves 8
Other than Ventura making 2 outs in the same frame, wow, what an inning. It's pretty simple to locate the bottom of the 8th on the win expectancy graph. The Mets went from 0.5% to 96.7% in one turn at bat. I was fortunate enough to watch this game on TV in its entirety, and it's still of my favorites ever. Piazza's laser 3-run shot off Terry Mulholland must have gone out of the park in no more than 1.5 seconds. Best of all, most of the 52,000+ remained in to see it happen because they were waiting for the postgame fireworks. I'll post more win expectancy graphs (courtesy of Fangraphs) from memorable Mets games from time to time.
Short, semi-angry post: Enough with the Manny talk
**EDIT**: An e-mailer asked why I don't think Manny is a realistic option. By my calculation, the Mets payroll is around $125-127 million right now. I'm assuming they will sign Oliver Perez or Ben Sheets (more likely Ollie). That's $135-$137 million. Manny will cost atleast $22 million, which would send the payroll into the range of $160 million. I feel secure in saying that Omar Minaya does not have $160 million to spend on the 2009 Mets.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Mets Geek column: Bracing for disappointment
Sunday, January 25, 2009
A team composed of the remaining free agents
Ben Sheets, Andy Pettitte, Randy Wolf, Oliver Perez, Jon Garland
Juan Cruz (closer), Will Ohman, Joe Beimel, Russ Springer, Jason Isringhausen, Eric Gagne, Braden Looper (long-man)
C - Jason Varitek
1B - Adam Dunn
2B - Orlando Hudson
3B - Joe Crede
SS - Orlando Cabrera
OF - Manny Ramirez
OF - Jim Edmonds
OF - Bobby Abreu
Ivan Rodriguez, Kevin Millar, Ray Durham, Ty Wigginton, Eric Hinske
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Links: Mets on SI covers, Strikeouts and the "Curious Case of Forrest Gump"
1) Eric Simon at Amazin' Avenue presents part 1 of a visual history of Mets who made the cover of Sports Illustrated. Check out the cover featuring Ron Swoboda from 1968. He bears a slight resemblance to David Wright, from the side atleast.
2) The always insightful Rich Lederer at Baseball Analysts writes about the stat "K/100", which is strikeouts per 100 pitches. Lederer says this is better than K/9 for measuring a starter's effectiveness, as it combines strikeout ability with pitch count maintenance. The average starter has lasted about 100 pitchers per start in recent years, so I think he's on to something here. In 2008, out of 142 pitchers that logged atleast 100 IP, Johan Santana was 18th with 5.73 K/100. Oliver Perez was 30th with 5.35 K/100 and Mike Pelfrey was 122nd with 3.31 K/100. Improve that strikeout rate Big Pelf.
3) At mlb.com, Matthew Leach writes about the changing perception of strikeouts for hitters. Leach writes:
"A player who strikes out 100 or more times can still be thought of as a winning player if he does the other things right: specifically, getting on base and hitting for power. For a hitter, the key question is: Did you make an out, or not? Above anything else, "statheads" rightly boil things down to that fundamental issue. Outs are bad. Any plate appearance that does not end in an out is good."
This concept is not anything new to informed baseball fans, but it's nice to see such a piece on mlb.com. Leach also discusses fielding independent pitching stats (such as FIP and tRA), which are better for predicting future performance and assessing a pitcher's value. Analysts on the MLB Network cited ERA+ recently, so maybe progress is being made on the advanced-statistics-as-mainstream front.
4) Unrelated to baseball, but check out this video from Funny or Die comparing "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" to "Forrest Gump." I haven't seen Button, but after watching the video it looks like I can save my $9.75 and just re-watch the DVD of Gump instead.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Mets sign backup OF Rob Mackowiak - Why?!
Anyways, Mackowiak can play a lot of positions decently and will likely put up a line around .250/.330/.370 if he makes the team. I just don't see where he fits in. I'd have much rather seen the money given to Sullivan and Mackowiak go towards the "Ben Sheets Fund."
Mets sign RHP Freddy Garcia - Rotation still needs help
This is a good pick-up, especially if Garcia can return to his workhorse 1999-2006 form. He has a career FIP of 4.22 in 1700+ innings, and I could see him making 10-15 starts this year. I really hope Ben Sheets is signed as well. It doesn't seem like the Mets have any interest in Andy Pettitte (unfortunately), so I'll give up on that pipe dream. I've said it over and over again, but at this point Oliver Perez at any more than $9 million a year just isn't going to cut it.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
How much were Mets pitchers worth in 2008?
A few thoughts:
1) Johan Santana is awesome. Hopefully he can keep it up for a few more years.
2) John Maine was worth more than Oliver Perez despite pitching 50+ fewer innings. Enough said. 3 years, $30 million Ollie - take it or leave it.
3) Sayanora Pedro Martinez, Aaron Heilman, and Scott Schoeneweis.
4) This stat suggests that middle relievers and closers are overrated and generally paid more than they're really worth. Interesting.
Again, this win value stuff isn't infallible but it's well researched by some smart people. Click here for an introduction to pitcher win values. Hopefully free agent signings will start to pick up soon - check out the impressive list of players still available.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Former Mets GM Steve Phillips to announce on Sunday Night Baseball
"You talked a little bit about the scouting reports and also about statistics. Where do the Cleveland Indians fall in this era where numbers have become more important than maybe the people?" - During an interview with Indians GM Mark Shapiro
"The Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox could both score 1,000 runs this season." - The Tigers scored 821 runs; the Red Sox, 845
"Bonds is just like Giambi in that he walks a lot and hits some home runs, but when he's not hitting the home runs he's a baseclogger." - Baseclogging. Nice.
Quote of the day about Oliver "Overrated" Perez
"Over the last four years, Oliver Perez has been worth a total of 2.5 wins in nearly 600 innings. And he wants $12 million a year for 5 years. Maybe he's the left-handed Gil Meche, and he's going to turn the corner immediately after signing a big contract, but there's about a 5% chance of that being true and about a 95% chance that he's the most overrated pitcher in baseball."
Anyone familiar with what I've been writing here and at Mets Geek over the last few weeks knows that I agree 100% with what Dave is saying. Perez may be the most overrated pitcher in baseball... wow. Do you think Omar Minaya reads FanGraphs? (Note: The 2.5 wins Dave mentions are not wins as in W-L record for a pitcher - it's wins above replacement. For comparison, Johan Santana has been worth 24.3 wins over the last 4 seasons spanning 900+ innings.)
Mets Geek column: Let's get Pettitte
Matt Cerrone at MetsBlog thinks Sheets is looking for a deal of about 2 years, $18 million with incentives and a 3rd year option. I'm not sure how accurate that is, but if it's true Omar Minaya should sign him ASAP. That would be a great contract, even with Sheets' injury risk.
Monday, January 19, 2009
WBC rosters announced
Australia - Grant Balfour, Ryan Rowland-Smith
Canada - Rheal Cormier, Jeff Francis, Eric Gagne, Rich Harden, Russell Martin, Justin Morneau, Joey Votto, Jason Bay
China - ????
Chinese Taipei - ????
Cuba - ????
Dominican Republic - Jose Arredondo, Ubaldo Jimenez, Ervin Santana, Adrian Beltre, Albert Pujols, Hanley Ramirez, Jose Reyes, Vladimir Guerrero
Italy - Mike Napoli, Sal Fasano, Frank Catalanotto, Robert Fick, Nick Punto,Val Pascucci
Japan - Daisuke Matsuzaka, Hideki Okajima, Kenji Johjima, Akinori Iwamura, Ichiro, Kosuke Fukudome
Korea - Byun-Hyun Kim, Jae Seo
Mexico - Oliver Perez, Matt Garza, Luis Ayala, Joakim Soria, Jorge Cantu, Adrian Gonzalez
Netherlands - Jair Jurrjens, Shairon Martis, Sidney Ponson
Panama - Bruce Chen, Manny Corpas, Carlos Ruiz, Carlos Lee
Puerto Rico - Pedro Feliciano, Ian Snell, Javier Vazquez, Geovany Soto, Carlos Delgado, Carlos Beltran, Alex Rios, Bernie Williams
South Africa - ????
United States - John Danks, Brian Fuentes, J.J. Putz, John Lackey, Brian McCann, Derek Jeter, Chipper Jones, Jimmy Rollins, Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Ryan Braun, Grady Sizemore, Curtis Granderson, Ryan Ludwick
Venezuela - Francisco Rodriguez, Johan Santana, Victor Zambrano, Carlos Zambrano, Miguel Cabrera, Carlos Guillen, Magglio Ordonez, Endy Chavez
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Mets sign LHP Casey Fossum
vs. RHB: .845 OPS against
vs. LHB: .722 OPS against
vs. RHB: .920 OPS against
vs. LHB: .674 OPS against
The Mets are paying Scott Schoeneweis $1.6 million next season to pitch for the Diamondbacks. He was a terrific lefty specialist last season (.520 OPS against), so it would be pretty foolish for the Mets to add a LOOGY (lefty one-out guy) to the 'pen after trading Schoew. Who knows, maybe the former 1st round pick Fossum can get his act together in AAA and figure out how to get righties out. Until then, he should not be on the New York Mets 25-man roster.
Batting Stance Guy impersonates the Mets
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Links: Mets free agent news, Carlos Delgado in 2009, Bert Blyleven vs. Jack Morris, and more Hall of Fame
1) Peter Botte of the Daily News (via MLBTradeRumors) had some thoughts/rumors about the Mets free agent pursuits. Here they are, with my brief thoughts as well:
- The Mets are probably not interested in Andruw Jones: Good!
- They're "not even in" on Manny Ramirez: The only way I want Manny is if they fail to land Ben Sheets or Andy Pettitte. In that scenario they would have to drastically upgrade the lineup.
- They won't have an agreement with Oliver Perez anytime soon: Hopefully the only agreement they have with Ollie is for 3 years, $15 million or less.
- They've been in contact with Randy Wolf and Jon Garland: Neither of these guys thrill me, but they aren't that big a step down from Perez.
- They've talked with Freddy Garcia: Meh. I say sign him, but only if Sheets or Pettitte is signed as well.
2) Brian Joura at FanGraphs writes about what to expect from Carlos Delgado in 2009. He thinks Delgado's poor 2007 and first couple months of 2008 were a result of his wrist injury. After some great LD% and BABIP analysis, he concludes that we should expect a similar offensive output from Delgado in 2009 as 2008. This means about 30-35 HR, and a .265/.350/.510 line. Works for me.
3) Joe DelGrippo at NY Baseball Digest wrote a hilariously awful piece yesterday about why he would vote for Jack Morris but not Bert Blyleven for the Hall of Fame. Joey D. manages to insult many readers in the process. He wrote the piece in response to a comment I made on a previous post of his, and it is just terrible. Joey D's main argument is that Morris had a higher win % than Blyleven. This, as we all know, is an awful way to evaluate a pitcher. Check out the comments section - there's 24 comments and the only one's not completely ripping Joey D. a new one are the 2 he made himself. Here is a snippet from the post:
"Too many people are so wrapped up in statistics, especially the new stats that seem to spew out of every sabermetric bloggers mouth. Those bloggers are guys who mostly never played the game at any decent level above Little League, but they know the OPS+ of every guy not in the HOF but should be based on WARP 3."
Right. So basically he's saying stats are stupid, then goes on to tell us about Morris's win % and average W-L record each season. These are, ya know, stats. For the last time, Blyleven pitched 1000 more innings than Morris, with a higher K rate, lower BB rate, lower HR allowed rate, and MUCH lower ERA. Blyleven had a 2.47 postseason ERA and Morris a 3.80 ERA. It's no contest. If Mike Silva, proprietor of the recommended NY Baseball Digest, had any sense he'd either have a little chat with Joey D. or kick him off the site altogether.
4) I'm pretty obsessed with this Hall of Fame stuff. I have an utter contempt for the sportswriters who vote on the HOF and refuse to learn about or use modern statistics to evaluate players for their ballots. King Kaufman at Salon shares my sentiments:
"It's one thing to criticize the new stats. But it's another thing to simply dismiss them without bothering to figure out what they're all about. And then to try to pass this off as wisdom. It's what's going on in the world we're covering. In what other profession do practitioners brag about their ignorance regarding current events and developments? In what other area of journalism is lack of awareness a mark of distinction? Cut it out, fellow writers. Do your job. Engage with your material. Stay current. Learn about things you don't understand. Ignorance isn't a virtue. It's not something to brag about. It's something to fix."
I couldn't agree more. These men get paid to write about sports and have the privilege (not the right) to vote on the Hall of Fame. And many of them wear their lack of statistical knowledge as a badge of honor. Get with it guys. Modern medicine no longer practices phrenology or uses leeches as a cure; modern baseball writers should not be using W-L records, batting average and RBI to evaluate players.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
How about Andy Pettitte?
Pettitte is not that big a dropoff from Derek Lowe. Forget Oliver Perez. The reason Pettitte isn't getting the respect he deserves this offseason was his inflated ERA (4.54 in 2008) due to bad luck and poor defense (see: Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano). He is a near lock for 200 IP even at age 36 and would be the #2 pitcher in the rotation. FanGraphs pegs Pettitte's 1-year contract value at $15 million and BtB said $14 million. He turned down 1-year and $10 million from the Yankees, and I would love to see the Mets offer as much as $12-13 million for 1 year of Pettitte's services.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Roundup: Mets sign Alex Cora, Johan and the WBC, Mota signs with Dodgers
2) Johan Santana says he will let the Mets decide if he plays in the World Baseball Classic for his native Venezuela in March. Remember he had knee surgery following 2008, so I hope the Mets advise Santana to pass. We'll see if Venezuela leader Hugo Chavez places a call to Omar Minaya about letting Johan play.
3) Former Met reliever Guillermo Mota signed with the Dodgers for 1 year and $2.35 million + incentives. This is an awful, awful signing. Mota posted a FIP of 4.45 and K/BB of 1.79 in 2008. According to the stat WAR, he was worth -$900,000 last year. That's right, he was worse than a replacement pitcher and therefore worth negative $$. Dodgers GM Ned Colletti continues to be one of the worst in the business. Just look at this laundry list of terrible free agent signings: Juan Pierre, Jason Schmidt, Andruw Jones. Although he did acquire Manny Ramirez at the deadline last year, and the Hiroki Kuroda signing looks to be a good one.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
The Derek Lowe fallout
1) Lowe was the best remaining starter on the market and I wanted the Mets to sign him.
2) He signed with the Braves, who now have the best rotation in the NL East: Lowe, Javier Vazquez, Jair Jurrjens, Kenshin Kawakami, Jorge Campillo and Tim Hudson (if he returns from injury)
3) This likely drives up the price for supposed "Plan B" option, Oliver Perez. As I wrote at Mets Geek today, Lowe is far superior to Ollie. I get the feeling many Met fans think they're close in value, but they simply aren't. Seriously, compare their FIP's and $$ value's based on the stat WAR over the last 2 seasons:
2007: 3.97 - $13.1 million
2008: 3.26 - $15.8 million
2007: 4.35 - $8.5 million
2008: 4.68 - $5.3 million
I'd prefer it if Omar Minaya signed Ben Sheets, as Sheets is the last dominating pitcher left on the market. This seems unlikely. Apparently Omar is a huge fan of Ollie, so I think the Mets will go after him hard. This is not a problem, as long as the Mets do not overpay for him and have $$ leftover to sign Adam Dunn or Manny Ramirez. However, if the Mets eventually sign Ollie for anything resembling 4 years, $52 million I plan to buy the URL: http://www.fiya-minaya.com/ (think "fire Minaya").
Mets Geek Column: Lowe vs. Perez
***EDIT***: Well Lowe signed with the Braves for 4 years, $60 million. This is bad news for so many reasons. More to come later.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Omar: Say NO to Michael Young
1) He is 32 years old and owed $62 million over the next 5 seasons. That's $12+ million a year for a guy guy whose OPS+ has dropped like this:
2005: 138
2006: 107
2007: 106
2008: 96
2) He won a Gold Glove in 2008, but his defense isn't all that great. He's never posted a UZR better than -3.7 since becoming a regular major leaguer, and is a cumulative -22 on the Dewan +/- scale over the last 3 seasons. So that Gold Glove is kind of a sham.
3) A man by the name of Luis Castillo is currently 1st on the Mets depth chart at 2B. He would have to be traded before Young could be acquired. The Rangers have a 26 year-old star named Ian Kinsler manning 2B, so Castillo would not be a fit there.
I don't take this rumor seriously, and highly doubt Omar Minaya is seeking a trade for Young. But just in case - say no to Michael Young.
Corner OF's Henderson and Rice voted into Hall of Fame
Congratulations to Jim Rice for being wrongfully elected to the Hall of Fame on his 15th and final year of eligibility with 76.4% of the vote. Apologies to the following OF's, who are as good or better than Rice as all around players and will never be elected:
- Dwight Evans
- Frank Howard
- Dave Parker
- Albert Belle
- Reggie Smith
- Roy White
- Brian Downing
Rice may have been the 3rd best OF on his own team during much of his career (behind Evans and Fred Lynn) and he makes the Hall. Meanwhile Bert Blyleven garners 62.7%, Tim Raines 22.6% and Alan Trammell 17.4%. Whatever. I came across a great quote from Joe Sheehan at Baseball Prospectus:
"Bill James once wrote that the further removed you got from a player's career, the more that career became about the player's numbers. In Rice's case, the exact opposite effect occurred. As we looked more and more at the numbers and realized that Rice had a short career, and a short peak, and didn't hit all that well outside of Fenway Park, and his peak was more about counting stats built in a great lineup than what he did himself, and that he didn't contribute very much outside of the batter's box…his vote totals grew."
The members of the BBWAA (who vote on the HOF, and postseason awards like MVP and Cy Young) continue to embarrass themselves with these results. A total of 28 voters left Henderson off their ballots. Let me write that again: 28 current or former professional baseball writers do not think that Rickey Henderson, the all time leader in runs scored and stolen bases, the greatest leadoff hitter in baseball history, is worthy of being enshrined in the Hall of Fame. To quote ESPN's Jayson Stark: "Stupefying. Embarrassing. Inexcusable."
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Links: Closer Music, Schneider's Defense, Hall of Fame, and a Rickey Drinking Game
1) SNY's Ted Berg makes some non-traditional suggestions for Francisco Rodriguez's entrance music. Here is part 1 and here is part 2. These are my favorites:
"1. 4'33" - John Cage: Cage's piece, for the unfamiliar, consists of four minutes and thirty three seconds of no music at all. This would require a whole lot of fan participation. If everyone -- every fan, every vender, every usher, every bathroom attendant -- could remain silent while the pitcher walked in from the bullpen and threw his warm-ups, well, that'd be about as badass an entrance as I could imagine.
1. Ride of the Valkyries - Richard Wagner: As far as I know, no closer has even considered something classical and so, while using "Ride of the Valkyries" to herald impending doom a la Apocalypse Now may be old news in some settings, on a baseball field it'd be brand new. And triumphant."
Can't argue with his #1 choice - I wrote a few months back that Ride of the Valkyries would be my entrance music.
2) Adam Rubin at the Daily News posted a reader's email which claimed that Brian Schneider was the cause of the Mets bullpen failures in 2008. The stats presented seemed cherry-picked and strange to me, but before I could take a closer look samt at Amazin' Avenue posted a rebuttal. Needless to say, I'm with samt on this one - Schneider is not Ivan Rodriguez behind the plate, but he certainly did not make Aaron Heilman and Pedro Feliciano serve up gopher balls last summer.
3) The 70 year-old Hall of Fame voter named Corky Simpson who left Rickey Henderson off of his ballot regrets doing so. He says it was just an oversight and not an attempt to make a statement. Apparently he does not regret including Matt Williams on his ballot. Additionally, Simpson has some choice words for the Internet and presumably bloggers:
"I think of the literature on the Internet in the same way that I think of the literature on the walls of public bathrooms. With the exception that the literature on the walls of public bathrooms is a little higher class."
"The Internet is like a sewer. It's very necessary, but you wouldn't want to spend a lot of time there."
Someone please tell me why people like this are determining who gets into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
4) Fantasy baseball website Razzball gives us the "Rickey Henderson Hall of Fame Speech Drinking Game." It's pretty hilarious and my favorite is:
"Tells a story using himself in the 3rd person: chug a beer"
Better get a 30-rack ready for Rickey's big speech.
Mets sign Tim Redding - Rotation still needs help
I'm fairly certain the Mets will sign either Derek Lowe or Oliver Perez, and I really hope it's Lowe. A rotation of Santana-Pelfrey-Perez-Maine-Redding would be no better than last season's, especially considering the pitchers' health issues. Adding Lowe would be a significant upgrade, so let's hope the negotiations with Scott Boras go well.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
FIP+ and the 2009 Mets rotation
To summarize:
a) I hate to say it, but Johan Santana's ERA in 2008 was somewhat lucky. His left-on-base % (LOB %) was unsustainably high. Coming off knee surgery, I think his ERA will regress in 2009. Then again, Citi Field may be a pitcher's park in the mold of Petco Park so maybe his ERA will remain sub-3.00.
b) Derek Lowe was outstanding in 2008. His FIP was 3rd in the league behind Tim Lincecum and Danny Haren. He almost certainly won't be able to repeat that performance, considering '08 was a contract year and he's 35 years old. I still think he'll be a top tier pitcher for the next couple years – his 2009 Marcel projection has him at a 3.67 FIP. Compare to Santana, who is projected at 3.60 or C.C. Sabathia at 3.16.
c) Oliver Perez was 9% worse than league average in 2008, his contract year. This worries me. Tell me again why he's worth $12 million a year? Don't get me wrong – I like Ollie. I just don't want the Mets to overpay for talent, especially in this off-season of bargains (Yankees signings excluded).
d) As I've posted previously, my ideal feasible 2009 Mets rotation would be Santana, Lowe, Pelfrey, Maine, and Redding, with Niese expected to make a few starts. Let's see how this group's FIP+ stacks up with those of the 2008 Phillies and Cubs, the top 2 teams in the NL last year:
Obviously we can't expect these pitchers to perfectly match their 2008 performance. However, coupled with an improved bullpen and one of the top offenses in the league, the 2009 Mets would look pretty strong with this rotation.
Thanks to BtB for the FIP+ numbers.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Links: Citi Field, Derek Lowe, Will Ohman and Rickey Henderson!
1) Eric Simon at Amazin' Avenue takes a look at how pitcher-friendly Citi Field will be. He interviews Greg Rybarczyk of the excellent home run tracking site Hit Tracker Online, who summed up his take on Citi Field in the Hardball Times Annual 2009 by writing:
"Citi Field, the new ballpark for the New York Mets, is poised to become MLB's new Grand Canyon." - YIKES!
2) Matt Cerrone at MetsBlog reports that today's meeting between Omar Minaya and Scott Boras (agent for Derek Lowe, Oliver Perez, and Manny Ramirez) went well. Apparently, they only discussed Lowe and it looks like it will take some kind of 4th year option to secure the tall sinkerballer.
***EDIT***: Anthony DiComo of mlb.com now says Minaya spoke with Boras about Lowe, Perez, and Ramirez. Maybe a package deal for all 3?
3) David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via MLBTradeRumors) writes that free agent lefty reliever Will Ohman prefers to stay with the Braves "if offers are equal, etc." . This is code for "I'll sign wherever the money is." Last week I wrote at Mets Geek that the Mets need to sign another lefty reliever, just in case Pedro Feliciano gets hurt or is ineffective. Ohman is my top choice, especially because he's not just a lefty specialist - he held righties to a .700 OPS against in 2008.
4) Atleast one Hall of Fame voter left Rickey Henderson off of his ballot. This is sheer lunacy - even the biggest haters have to admit that Rickey is a no-doubt first-ballot Hall of Famer. Check out Home Run Derby's compilation of the published HOF votes by sportswriters across the country. It's a quick and easy way to see which voters have a brain and which don't. Hint: anyone who votes for Jack Morris and not Bert Blyleven is brainless.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Mets Geek column: Mets-Jets parallels
"Mets: Johan Santana
Jets: Brett Favre (from Week 1 through Week 12)
Both of these superstars came to New York from midwestern teams with significant hype and expectations. Santana was brilliant from Opening Day through game 161. Despite a slight decline in his strikeout and walk rates, he was one of the top two best pitchers in the league along with Tim Lincecum. Favre was an MVP candidate through week 12, as he racked up 20 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. From that point onward, he became the Jets equivalent of Aaron Heilman, Luis Ayala and Scott Schoeneweis rolled into one.
Mets: The bullpen
Jets: Brett Favre (from Week 13 through Week 17)
The Mets bullpen wasn't the only culprit in late 2008, but it was the biggest. The same can arguably be said of Favre. Yes, the Jets coaching staff made some odd play-calls and the dominant offensive line may have lost a step late in the season, but it's tough to stay competitive when the quarterback is throwing pick after pick (nine interceptions in the final five games). Omar Minaya has blown up the Mets bullpen this offseason, but it remains to be seen whether or not Brett Favre will be back in 2009. Hopefully he'll make a quick and definite decision to retire to the quiet life in Mississippi."
Monday, January 5, 2009
Burrell and Bradley sign: How will this affect the Mets?
It looks like Burrell and Bradley were signed for less than what they're actually worth. Bradley is a perpetual injury risk (he's played more than 101 games just twice in the last 7 years) and head case, but when he plays he can dominate (163 OPS+ in 2008). The Ibanez contract is at best a fair contract. Though it looks worse and worse after the bargain signings of Burrell and Bradley.
Considering these facts, it appears the Mets are in the driver's seat should they decide to pursue a defensive challenged LF. Could Dunn be had for 2-3 years and $8-9 million per? How about Abreu for 1 year, $7 million? Ramirez already turned down a 2 year, $45 million offer from the Dodgers, so I'm pretty sure he can't be had at a discount. Another option that several other Met fans have kicked around is Rocco Baldelli. He's a right-handed hitter with some medical/injury problems, but might be worth a risk for 1 year and $3 million or so. Plus Rocco seems to have a decent understanding of statistics, which is a plus in my book. I'd love to have Dunn playing LF in 2009 and then 1B in 2010, as I've covered over and over and over again. Unfortunately it doesn't seem like Omar Minaya and the Mets have any interest.
Free agent market should pick up
Starting Pitcher
Jon Garland
Derek Lowe
Odalis Perez
Oliver Perez
Tim Redding
Ben Sheets
John Smoltz
Randy Wolf
Relief Pitcher
Joe Beimel
Juan Cruz
Eddie Guardado
Will Ohman
Dennys Reyes
Brian Shouse
Joey Cora
Mark Grudzielanek
Orlando Hudson
Ty Wigginton
Bobby Abreu
Rocco Baldelli
Pat Burrell
Adam Dunn
Manny Ramirez
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Ken Davidoff's Hall of Fame Ballot - Brilliant!
- Bert Blyleven
- Rickey Henderson
- Tim Raines
- Alan Trammell
I'd add Mark McGwire but will not shed a tear if McGwire never makes the HOF. Davidoff's ballot is noteworthy because in past years he voted for Jack Morris and Jim Rice. He correctly removed them this year because in the last 12 months Davidoff gained an understanding of higher-level stats like OPS+ and ERA+. Basically, he took the time to learn about and embrace these better stats rather than stubbornly sticking with RBI, batting average, W-L records and unproveable assertions about players being "most feared" or "most dominant". Bravo Ken Davidoff - the world of baseball journalism needs more writers like yourself.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Top 10: Worst Mets losses in 2008
The last week or so has seen an explosion of support for signing Manny Ramirez. There's even an online petition to sign him. I've already covered Manny here, so I'll just sum up my stance on him. He is still an outstanding right-handed hitter, but is a total butcher in the field. He's worth about $17-18 million but is looking for $23-25 million (he turned down 2 years, $45 million from the Dodgers). I'm all for the Mets signing him, provided they:
a) Sign Derek Lowe/Ben Sheets first
b) Can get Manny for 2-3 years, $18-19 million a year (highly unlikely)
c) Do not give him a final year option so he can pull the same crap again as he did in '08
Bottom line - Manny is a $25 million hitter but an $18 million player.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Projected Mets 2009 Roster
Rotation (5)
1 - Johan Santana
2 - Oliver Perez
3 - Mike Pelfrey
4 - John Maine
5 - Tim Redding/Freddy Garcia
Bullpen (7)
CL - Francisco Rodriguez
J.J. Putz
Pedro Feliciano
Brian Stokes
Sean Green
Duaner Sanchez
Tim Redding/Freddy Garcia
Starting Lineup (8)
Jose Reyes, SS
Carlos Beltran, CF
David Wright, 3B
Carlos Delgado, 1B
Bobby Abreu, LF
Ryan Church, RF
Brian Schneider, C
Luis Castillo, 2B
Bench (5)
Daniel Murphy, OF/2B
Jeremy Reed, OF
Ramon Castro, C
Fernando Tatis, OF/1B/3B
Alex Cora, 2B/SS
Total Payroll: $145-150 million
Keep in mind the payroll figure includes $$ owed Billy Wagner, Marlon Anderson and Scott Schoeneweis. Payroll in 2008 was around $140 million.


text:
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Benefits of Membership
- Prestige and designation of membership
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Now Playing
Former Obama Adviser Discusses Iran
Robert Siegel speaks with Dennis Ross, counselor at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Ross recently left his post as special assistant to President Obama on Iran and the Middle East at the National Security Council. Ross' involvement with Middle East diplomacy dates back to the Reagan administration. They discuss Iran's nuclear program, the possibility of a U.S. military strike against Iran, and the prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace.


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A tight-knit family
Category: Nature
Photo and caption by Andrea Sobocinski
The largest land animals in the world live in family. When I captured this beautiful herd, I had not paid attention to the acacia in the back of the scene until I opened the picture in my laptop. What a beautiful contrast, a group of elephants and a lonely tree!
Location: Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
More Nature Entries »
By Brenda Stevens
By Gian Luigi Fornari Lanzetti
By Chris Fries


text:
Definition of manteltree in English:
(also mantletree)
A beam or arch across the opening of a fireplace, supporting the masonry above.
Example sentences
- Some were hung on pegs driven into the manteltree, others simply sat on the hearth until they were needed.
For editors and proofreaders
Syllabification: man·tel·tree
Definition of manteltree in:
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- Description
DetailsNumber of Designs: 2Approximate Design Size: 24" squareDesigner: StaffOriginal Publication: Crochet With Heart magazine, October 1997 issueSkill Level: Easy+ †Description: These jumbo floor cushions are great lounging companions. Coordinating stripes border both of the pillows, which are quick to crochet using two strands of worsted weight yarn and a size N (9.00 mm) hook. Purchased pillow forms provide a fast finish! †Product Type: Digital Download ThemesHome Decor
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Rush Hour in BeijingComments
by Byron on Apr 30, 2007 at 7:25 AM
In another clip from our Blogging Beijing by Bike videos, we ride during rush hour. In a city with 13 million people, 3 million cars and millions of bikes, riding is a chaotic experience. We just rode, found a way through it, and joined the flow in Beijing.


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MONTCLAIR, Calif. (AP) -- Prince Sagala desperately searched for
her son and daughter for 15 years. She feared she had lost them
forever to the estranged husband who took them to his native
Her fears were replaced by joy when she typed her daughter's
name into Facebook on a library computer and discovered that her
children, now 16 and 17, were safe and with their father in
But in a span of days, a mother eagerly hoping for a happy
reunion realized another nightmare was just beginning: they didn't
want her.
And for her children, their father was suddenly in jail on
kidnapping and child custody charges and their life outside Orlando
was turned upside down.
Now, Sagala is racing to regain custody of her children before
they turn 18 and she loses them to adulthood.


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The 19-year-old was expected to stay with the Cumbrians until January 2 but has been recalled by Nigel Clough.
Gjokaj, who made his debut against Bournemouth in the FA Cup, returns to Pride Park after an assessment of their injuries ahead of the festive period.
United aren't without injury problems of their own with Abbott still waiting on a host of players to return.
"I know Valentin was enjoying his time up here but there's nothing we can do about a situation like this," he told the club's official website.
"He's a good, hard working lad and his club need him back so, unfortunately, we have to let him go. He goes with our thanks and best wishes."
- Sports & Recreation
- Soccer


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Photos of the Day
A roundup of today's best photos.
A roundup of today's best photos.
Daniel A.: That may be true but it is far from being all the truth. Perhaps cops just target them and not white non-street dealers... Perhaps it has to do with poverty, since most street drug dealers are poor and most poor people are not white. Of course, white drug dealers are doctors and big pharma behind the opiate epidemic today. Nevertheless, this is what matters: most Blacks and most Hispanics are not drug dealers. Therefore, statistically, it is irrelevant whether most drug dealers are Hispanic or Black. The chances that any given Hispanic is a drug dealer are still very very slim and cannot be used to stigmatize an otherwise very heterogeneous group of people. Same for Blacks or other.