text:
Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
TRADE RUMOR UPDATE (4:23 PM CST): Jayson Stark reports that the Mariners are asking a steep price for Ibanez:
The Cubs, meanwhile, are resisting attempts by Seattle to get Felix Pie and a second prospect for Ibanez. The Cubs almost certainly would be willing to offer a couple of prospects in the Sam Fuld stratum. But teams that have spoken with the Cubs say they've shown little sense of urgency to overpay to add a final piece or two of late.
A few notes about the Cubs/Brewers series first...
- So the Cubs win the battle of the aces last night, with Carlos Zambrano putting together the type of heroic effort that should be remembered for years. 118 laser precision-like pitches over eight innings with nine strikeouts and only five hits and the Cubs are guaranteed to be still in first place after the series ends. They're also set-up nicely for a series win or dare I say series sweep with Ryan Dempster and Rich Harden going the next two games. (Doing my best Mel Allen) How about that?
- The "struggling" Cubs offense has pounded out 26 hits over the last two games. Apparently you can just turn it on when it's needed most.
- Entering the series, Jason Kendall had morphed himself into a late-90's Ivan Rodriguez, throwing out 27 of 57 baserunners for a league-leading .474 caught stealing percentage. Lou and the Cubs baserunners didn't seem impressed. They're now a perfect five for five in the first two games. Kendall needs to take another dip into whatever fountain of youth he found.
Some trade rumors after the jump...
- Ken Rosenthal reports that the Cubs are showing interest in Raul Ibanez or any left-handed hitting outfielder. Jim Edmonds knee must be worse than they originally thought and it never hurts to have some insurance. It seems the Cubs are perfectly willing to move Kosuke Fukudome to center field on a full-time basis and find someone to play right field. Reader "Chifan" put together a list of some outfielders that might be available:
AL West AL Central: AL East: NL West: NL Central: NL East: I would probably add Coco Crisp to that list as well, although I'm not sure how Chifan neglected one name though, the player sure to lead us to the promised land ....Adam Dunn!!!!!!!!!! Hey, the Cubs will need a DH for the games in the AL Park in the World Series. All kidding aside, I'd go after David DeJesus out of that group, followed by Luke Scott and nobody else. And there haven't been a whole lot of Dejesus or Scott rumors out there, so I don't expect much. Apparently Bruce Levine is reporting that Texas and San Francisco have called Hendry about deals. I'd stay far away from Milton Bradley though. Sure, he can hit and play pretty good defense, but kind of like a hot girl who happens to be crazy...the juice ain't worth the squeeze. - The Star Tribune out of Minnesota reports:
Milton Bradley
David DeJesus
Mark Teahan
Luke Scott
Brad Wilkerson
Randy Winn
Dave Roberts
Jody Gerut
Brian Giles
Ken Griffey Jr.
Mark Kotsay
AL West
AL Central:
AL East:
NL West:
NL Central:
NL East:
I would probably add Coco Crisp to that list as well, although I'm not sure how Chifan neglected one name though, the player sure to lead us to the promised land ....Adam Dunn!!!!!!!!!! Hey, the Cubs will need a DH for the games in the AL Park in the World Series.
All kidding aside, I'd go after David DeJesus out of that group, followed by Luke Scott and nobody else. And there haven't been a whole lot of Dejesus or Scott rumors out there, so I don't expect much. Apparently Bruce Levine is reporting that Texas and San Francisco have called Hendry about deals. I'd stay far away from Milton Bradley though. Sure, he can hit and play pretty good defense, but kind of like a hot girl who happens to be crazy...the juice ain't worth the squeeze.
- The Star Tribune out of Minnesota reports:
La Velle and I have spoken to different Dodgers people who say they have no interest in Adam Everett. At least not in a trade. Team had a meeting this month to discuss shortstop options, and listed Cristian Guzman (before he signed his latest deal), Jack Wilson and Ronny Cedeno. Everett's name didn't come up.
May I suggest a Ronny Cedeno for Andre Ethier swap?
- Scott Eyre is still very much on the block as well, although I wouldn't be surprised if he's a post-July 31st trade that has to go through waivers.
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
I think it's hard telling what Texas is going to do with anybody. Bradley is the bat I would want (320/444/592) out of that group, even with the baggage. Even 282/409/443 away from the Bandbox at Arlington.
Sure, they aren't catching the Angels in the West, but they're 4th in the WC at 5.5 back. It's closer than they usually are at this time, so would they make a run at it with what they've got and let Bradley get signed away?
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
Bring on Kotsay (has he been hurt?) he hits lefties almost as well as he hits righties. only a slight dip in obs of .027.
And I don't know what his contract status is like but he could be a good stop gap while we wait for Felix.
Re: Kyler Burke update
Thanks for sharing, he was THIS close to being a Pitcher conversion meethinks. Now about Ryan Harvey....
Re: Kyler Burke update
These players are getting (unsolicited)batting mechanics advice from coaches all the time.I don't know if this was the case here but.....if it ain't broke,don't try to fix it.Burke & Rundle should've hit their way out of Boise by now.Jericho Jones has led the AZL in hitting the entire month of July and he is stuck in Mesa because of the logjam in Boise.Hopefully Burke will continue to hit his way out of that long slump and move on up.I wish him well.
Re: Manny Ramirez to Marlins rumor
Then flipped a like Mike Piazza.
Re: Manny Ramirez to Marlins rumor
it makes lots of sense considering that the Red Sox won't deal him to the AL where he's best suited. So an AL team looking for a DH could send over a couple of players.
And the Marlins ain't winning crap.
They are all smoke and mirrors.
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
I can't imagine Luke Scott or DeJesus being available, as they are under club control at least through next year (I think). More realistic targets would be cheap FA's like a Gerut or Giles, guys that would be almost free. Raul Ibanez would probably cost us real players.
Felix Pie is batting .378 in July at Iowa. I'm just saying......
Re: Felix Pie is batting .378 in July at Iowa. I'm just saying..
It's July
It's Iowa
FP still can't hit AAA LHP (0.238 0.269 0.349 0.618) and he's not going to be better against major league RHP than Edmonds (.949 OPS) or Fukudome (.800 OPS) are.
I'd like to see what he'd do with the Cubs but he's no bench player. So where and when do we play Pie?
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
What? No Barry Bonds?
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
Don't duck. Other than Manny Ramirez, Bonds is the best available bat. If Hendry really wanted to win. Sign Bonds up today.
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
terrible call. hasn't swung a bat in months (in a real game). is 43. is off the juice for yet another year. i think he'd be total crap.
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
bonds knees, age, and most importantly HUGE baggage goes against him...along with the "hasnt faced live batting in a year" thing.
he was already pretty awful in LF and walks dont do a ton of good if you need a pinch runner sub. or a really solid hit to simply move you. this isnt even a b.molina thing where someone's slow...bonds has been pretty crippled for a couple years give or take a good week or two.
hell, he's not even held a public workout yet. if he really wanted to push the issue he would work the media and drag them out to a complex to watch him smash crap over the wall and shag flies in the OF.
the negative baggage and media circus that would follow anyone signing him is a hell of a package to begin with before even considering his skills.
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
im sorry if you missed bonds play a game in 06/07.
enjoy your spreadsheet.
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
Have to agree with crunch here. Take out the IBB's and throw in the rust and the hit we would take in left or right field defensively and Bonds just isn't that good a player.
And have to disagree that Bonds would be the 2nd best offensive upgrade. Last I checked, Bradley, not Ramirez was the best hitter in the AL.
Bradley .339
Ramirez .307
2007 Bonds .345
Would doubt that Bradley would be available for anything short of Dempster, though. And he's a crazy racist. All three of those guys have some serious mental issues (and I should know).
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
Did I miss the joke or did you just imply that you have mental issues too? :)
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
Bonds in 2007
Molina in his CAREER
Were making excuses just to make excuses at this point.
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
How bout the multiple counts of perjury and obstructing justice hanging over his head? Might he be a bit distracted? Plus, do you really want Bonds in LF and Soriano in RF? Sure, you get power, but that defense is scary.
Also, would Barry Bonds completely negate all the positive press surrounding the Cubs lately, or would playing for the Cubs automatically make Bonds loveable?
Bonds 2007 stats
276/480/565 for an OPS for 1035
Who cares about any of that other crap if he brings you a title. Barry Bonds could wake up tomorrow morning. Roll out of bed, cruise on down to Milwaukee. And still be the best hitter in the Cubs lineup. If creaky knees and spotty LF defense is enough to offset a 1035 OPS. Then I don't know what to think?
Re: Bonds 2007 stats
i dont know why people assume bonds can just "do this".
this is a guy who hasnt had a public workout. there's a laundry list of people who have done similar to get back in baseball. mr. sosa pops to mind for a guy in a similar, yet uniquely different, situation.
we're talking about a semi-crippled 43 year old who hasnt seen live pitching in a year AND has no real inclination to prove he can do things.
Re: Bonds 2007 stats
I'm pretty sure possibly the greatest hitter who ever played the game and is less than a year removed from sporting a +1.000 OPS is capable of returning to form after a couple weeks.
The man obviously wants to play since his agent already said he'd be willing to sign for the minimum. What's the risk here? Sign him to a minimum contract a la Jim Edmonds and find out if he can still mash. If he can, problem solved. If not, cut ties and hope for the best with what we got (which is already pretty damn good).
Also, if he's willing to sign for the minimum, I'm guessing his attitude won't be a problem. He's been humbled by teams' lack of interest and if he wants to stay on the roster he can't be a distraction. I guess I'm willing to sell part of my soul for a World Series. 100 years (well, 27 for me) will do that to you.
Re: Bonds 2007 stats
Why doesn't Bonds pull a Jay Gibbons and offer to donate his entire salary to charity?
I'll be honest, though, I don't want Bonds on the team at all, regardless of whether he can still hit. I spent a long time not liking the guy and it will be very hard for me to turn that around. I still don't feel so great about Edmonds.
Re: Bonds 2007 stats
Re: Bonds 2007 stats
Thanks. I honestly just wondered why he wouldn't do that, and I somehow missed when he said he would.
Still don't want him, but primarily for non-baseball reasons. And because an outfield of Bonds, Fukudome/Johnson, Soriano scares me on defense.
Re: Bonds 2007 stats
Serious ethical question then Charlie.
If somehow signing Bonds would 100% guarantee a Cubs
1. Pennant
2. World Series Title
Would you get behind a Bonds signing?
Re: Bonds 2007 stats
Re: Bonds 2007 stats
So Would I
Re: Bonds 2007 stats
Re: Bonds 2007 stats
No. The memory would always be tainted.
Re: Bonds 2007 stats
Why would it be so bad? It's not like he's still juicing (or at least it's unlikely). Sports are filled with bad guys.
- Rae Carruth
- Ray Lewis (probably)
- Jerramy Stevens (99% sure)
- probably countless others
Racists, tax evaders, general assholes. The list goes on and on and on. So Bonds isn't the first guy you'd invite over for Christmas dinner. Do you know for a fact that he's a worse guy than Reed Johnson? None of us know these guys personally, so let's not act like Bonds is the second coming of Hitler. Fuck, if he goes to jail it's because he took some illegal drugs (who hasn't smoked pot?) and lied on his taxes. Big effing deal. It's not admirable, but he didn't beat up an old lady.
If he adds a 10% chance that we win the World Series, I welcome him with open arms.
Re: Bonds 2007 stats
Godwin strikes again.
Re: Bonds 2007 stats
Yeah, I really want to live in a society where people aren't held responsible for anything, where the word 'integrity' is considered as real and relevant as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, where a tax evading, lecherous cheater is held up as a paragon of virtue because he's a little better at cheating than some other players.
Yep, bring him on. What was I thinking?
Re: Bonds 2007 stats
On the list of morally reprehensible crimes, evading your taxes is WAY down the list. Right above speeding and jaywalking. We wouldn't even have a country if our forefathers didn't evade some taxes of their own. As for cheating on his wife, now you're really reaching. Show me a professional sports team, and I can pretty much guarantee at least half those guys have cheated on their wives.
And if the issue is cheating in baseball, how come no one else has been held to such a high standard? Maybe if he grew a mustache like Giambi, people would love him?
You can have your moral high ground. As for me, I'll take a World Series.
Re: Bonds 2007 stats
You forgot to mention OJ.
But he's innocent right?
Re: Bonds 2007 stats
No. I think the Cubs have a good chance now, and pitching will determine it more than one more hitter will, in reality. I'm assuming this hypothetical doesn't involve a qualification that not signing Bonds results in a 0% chance of a Pennant or World Series Title.
I can't pretend that my dislike of Bonds isn't something unrelated to how he plays baseball. I've hated hearing about him in the media all the time, I don't like how he handles the media, and the guy just grates on me. I wouldn't be able to enjoy the big hits he would get. For me as a fan, it's not just about the Cubs winning. I like to think I'm rooting for something other than a uniform and a name (though I'm not sure I can make a rational argument for it), and rooting for Bonds might shatter that illusion.
Maybe we could trade Eyre for this lefty? 2.84 ERA, 1.13 WHIP,
And he does impressions of Harry Caray too...
Will Ohman's list of tips to survive the trading deadline (if you're about to get traded). They included: (1) "Eat a lot," (2) "Practice your clichés in front of the hotel mirror," and (3) "Kill time by computing the mathematical probabilities that you'll get dealt to a contender." You need to devise a formula, he said, that determines the likelihood that "you can be the lynchpin to your old team's success -- by leaving it."
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
Bonds also hasn't put up less than a 1000 OPS in a season since 1991.
I have a feeling he would figure it out fairly quickly.
Re: Bonds
Just to put it into perspective. Bonds' 2007 season. His OPS was higher than any Cub since DLee's Magical 05 season. And only by a .035 margin. Baggage or not, the guy can REALLY hit. Consider our DH problem solved come WS time.
Re: Bonds
I know a hitter that is better than Bonds, the last time he played he had an OPS of 1.096 (with only 7 IBB's, compared to Bonds's 43 last year), and he's not under contract with anyone. Someone get Ted Williams on the phone.
You people understand that as you get older you get worse at baseball? When you have no cartilage in one of your knees, playing the outfield and running the bases can be a bit difficult. If you put him in a real lineup, where's he's not going to get all the respect walks and IBB's, in a league where the word is going to go out to call his strike zone according to the rules, you're going to have someone who resembles Adam Dunn, without the athleticism, but with 50 times the headaches.
Re: Bonds
Unless it's High Fidelity, So, I Married an Axe Murderer or Miller's Crossing, I'm unlikely to be able to quote from it.
You should learn some Rookie of the Year quotes... there must have been some good ones in there.
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
Re: Pudge trade
When you factor in that they were neither going to Re-sign or offer arbitration to Pudge. At least Farnsy can audition for the Closer spot. At the very least, now Detroit will get a comp pick when Farnsworth leaves after the season.
Re: Pudge trade
Also, Farns will absolutely make for a good photo-op if the Tigers get in a brawl.
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
Sorry to go off topic, but the Kendall CS % point raises a question:
If a team tries a double steal, and the catcher throws out the lead runner, does the catcher get hit with a SB against his stats for the trailing runner? Doesn't really seem fair, if that's the case.
Re: does the catcher get hit with a SB against his stats
I think the rule is nobody gets credit for a steal if one is thrown out.
It's a fielder's choice type of situation.
Re: does the catcher get hit with a SB against his stats
I've seen it scored both ways. Sometimes it looks like: Ramirez out at third; Jacobs steals second and sometimes it looks this way: Ramirez out at third; Jacobs to second.
Re: does the catcher get hit with a SB against his stats
Fielder's choice concept makes sense.
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
Yeah, that Pudge for Farnsy trade looks like it actually has happened...
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
New York acquired catcher Ivan Rodriguez from the Tigers on Wednesday for right-handed pitcher Kyle Farnsworth.
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
That's the biggest trade Farnsy's been a part of since he traded his game-worn jersey to 'Tai's til 4' for a year of free booze.
Re: IRod for Farnsworth
So who's going to catch for Detroit now? Ivan Rodriguez was the only catcher listed on their active roster.
This could be the most ill-timed, most out of touch article about a baseball team since Phil Rogers' last one.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Lynn Henning
Tigers a smart bet to be quiet at deadline
A gut feeling throughout July's shopping bazaar known as the non-waiver trade deadline is that the Tigers' deals would be summed up accordingly:
This was more or less confirmed Tuesday when Dave Dombrowski, the Tigers president and general manager, was asked if he anticipated Detroit dealing for short-term, or long-haul, help ahead of Thursday's deadline.
complete article here
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
For all those who think Bonds can still play, please see one of his childhood idols: Willie Mays
They guy didn't have a season with an OPS+ of under 100 until he posted and 81 in his last year.
OBP for his last 3 years:
It goes real quick.
And by no means would he be the best player on the Cubs. His stats look better because he missed 30 games. Therefore, sat in games where injury may have hurt his numbers. Things real players can't afford.
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
Umm... did Chad just refer to OPS+ and OBP in the same comment?
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
There's no way, dude. That's some other Chad.
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
My wife's family went to the game, and had a good time. It was the Peoria Chiefs vs. the Kane County Cougars, and they had over 30,000 fans in attendance. Even though severe thunderstorms came in during the 8th inning, they still waited around in the hopes of being able to run the bases (cool!). But the game was close to being called, so they left soon after.
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
Seattle is starting to act like the Orioles when it comes to dealing their players - ask for the moon, and hope that someone's desperate enough to wildly overpay.
Re: More Cedeno to Dodger talk from Will Carroll
Cedeno and Eyre + cash for Andre Eithier.
Re: More Cedeno to Dodger talk from Will Carroll
So the Cubs are going to deal Cedeno and somehow get backup shortstop?
I didn't bring up Cedeno. I was just going off what you posted.
And as far as too many outfielders, Hendry is looking for a lefty because of Edmonds bum knee.
What were we going to do with any of the outfielders mentioned?
Re: More Cedeno to Dodger talk from Will Carroll
Or are you just saying this is what it should be?
Re: More Cedeno to Dodger talk from Will Carroll
rob is correct.
for once
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
I duck because I'm S-M-R-T.
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
I didnt include Dunn because I cant see Jimbo getting a guy who cant play CF or RF. BTW, Levine is saying he is hearing Luke Scott rumors during his spot with MJH today at 5:50. Their "Postgame" show is on and they might replay it.
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
According to MLBTR, BP is reporting Manny to the Marlins is almost done.
(EDIT): This trade might be bad news for the Cubs. As the new rumor has it a 3-way with Pit, Bay going to the Bosox, Manram to the Fish and newly minted Cub killer Jeremy Hermida and a couple Marlin prospects to the Pirates, just in time to face the Cubs.
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
"The Red Sox don't deserve a player like me," Ramirez said.
Re: Trade Deadline Rumor Roundup
When making comments like this to the press, isn't it mandatory to speak of oneself in the third person?
Re: Supposed Kaplan rumor
How much is his used chewing gum selling for nowadays? Just curious...
Recent comments
good news is now 5 K's for Lester through 4 (in a quest for 200 for season). Bad news is he's already at 86 pitches.
be curious how long Maddon sticks with Lester to try and let offense get back into it and get him the win (4-2 as I type, was 4-0)
Fwiw, he needed 2.1 IP to cross 200 for season so he got that at least. He also needs 9 K's for 200K's on season and he has 4 through 3.
cubs score 2 runs thanks to predictable reds pitching and horrible CIN defense...cubs only down by 1 now. heyward even got a gift 2rbi double out of an easy popout. neat.
something named Ty Blach has outpitched Clayton Kershaw through 6 innings (1-0 Giants).
not that finishing 2nd place will matter much nor did this game, but have to think if Hendricks pitches well tomorrow, he could leapfrog Lester in Cy Young voting. Don't see anyway Scherzer doesn't win it regardless and it doesnt' look like Lester has any incentive clauses that matter. Also might give Cueto some votes.
Rather remarkable how many teams have really good 1-2 options this year.
Nats: Scherzer and Roark (and Strasburg was great before injuries)
Cubs: Lester and Hendricks (and Arrietta is still damn good just not as consistently lately)
pretty much what I'm gathering from this thread is that it doesn't matter who you play in 5-game series, but no one wants to have to deal with Cardinal fans if we end up losing.
I can respect that.
first game for lester giving up more than 2 runs since july 24th. hell of a run.
doh, yes...dunno what happened there. jake arrieta is all "bro wut?"
lester going for #20...cubs haven't had a LH (thanks jpep for the correction) 20 game winner since d.ellsworth in 1963.
fwiw, all the games are free on mlb.tv
Short rest for MadBum would be 2 days. WC game is Wed., Games 1 & 2 are Friday/Saturday.
A left-handed one...
J-Hey not finishing with an offensive onslaught.
If Geoff Blum could be a Playoff hero, there is hope still...
Giants scare me. I think you're wrong about Bumgarner, he would pitch on short rest for Game 2 and then full rest for Game 5. Cueto would go Game 1, then short rest in game 4. Add in some really tough outs in that lineup and I want nothing to do with them. With that rotation they can easily steal a series.
Cards are a tough matchup. The rivalry evens out their comparable lack of talent. And like someone said, they love HRs, which is how to beat the Cubs. The upside is that I would feel really good about Lester twice against STL.
j.buchanan with a nice start...5ip 2h 1bb 3k, 0r/er
zobrist with 2HR and a double through 8
heyward 0-4 :(
Mark Gonzales @MDGonzales
Soler likely to return Sunday, Maddon says


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Randolph County Commission President Mike Taylor has been appointed to West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin's Blue Ribbon Commission on Highways, representing the West Virginia County Commission Association.
"One of my main focuses will be the completion of Corridor H and the maintenance and upgrades of our current highway system," Taylor said this week. "The challenge is coming up with a long term plan and how the state will fund it."
Tomblin announced the commission in a news release this week, and the group will have its first meeting at 10 a.m. today in Charleston.
Article Photos
"I've called together some of the brightest minds in transportation, construction, labor and business to address the needs of our aging highway system," Tomblin said in the release. "I look forward to working with the Blue Ribbon Commission, discussing their findings and reviewing their proposed legislation, so that we can together address the future of our transportation system."
Tomblin issued an executive order on Aug. 14, forming the West Virginia Blue Ribbon Commission. The group is tasked with studying the condition and needs of the state's transportation system and developing a long-term strategic plan of action.
The plan will include funding options for the maintenance, construction and expansion of the state's roadway system.
In addition to Taylor, the West Virginia Blue Ribbon Commission on Highways members include Sens. Bob Beach, Bob Plymale and Mike Hall; Delegates Margaret Staggers, Josh Stowers and Ron Walters; West Virginia Department of Transportation Secretary Paul Mattox; West Virginia Department of Commerce Secretary Keith Burdette; West Virginia Association of Counties representative Commissioner Rick Handley, Mason County; West Virginia Municipal League representative St. Albans Mayor Richard Callaway; West Virginians for Better Transportation representative Joseph T. Deneault; Contractors Association of West Virginia member Robert O. Orders Jr.; West Virginia Chamber of Commerce representative Brenda Nichols Harper; West Virginia Business & Industry Council Jan Vineyard; Karen Price with the West Virginia Manufacturers Association; Kenny Perdue, with West Virginia AFL-CIO; Gary Tillis with Affiliated Construction Trades Foundation; Gary Facemyer, with American Council of Engineering Companies of West Virginia; Fred C. Burns Jr. with West Virginia Trucking Association; Carol Fulks with the West Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association; Professors Tom Witt and Andrew Nichols, with the academic community; and citizen members David Satterfield of Morgantown, Mark Baldwin of Martinsburg and Wally Thornhill of Chapmanville.


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MORE CONTROL: It leads your dog from the front to give you steering. Steering means control - like a horse is led from the front.
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Top Definition
The chaos emeralds are seven gems created to contain all the negative power in the worl dof Sonic The Hedgehog. Uses include the Chaos COntrol, changing heroes like Sonic into Super Sonic, looking shiny for Rouge the Bat, making Chaos into Perfect Chaos, and being at the end of a really annoying stage.
1. The Chaos Emeralds are shiny
2.This thing's got infinite power, you know
2.This thing's got infinite power, you know
от LM 21 юни 2004
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Ben Franklin weighed in on another realignment rush more than two centuries ago.
"We must, indeed, all hang together," Franklin said before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, "or most assuredly we shall all hang separately."
Uniting American states worked out (except for that Civil War thing). Not so sure about the leaps mid-major college sports programs are making faster than fans can monitor.
For instance, the College of Charleston is completing its tenure in the (suddenly crumbling) Southern Conference and preparing to join the (increasingly nebulous) Colonial Athletic Association.
You can't tell the conferences without a scorecard featuring a "refresh" button. The march out the door is the real madness this month, and it's up to school presidents and trustees to seize sanity before Maine basks in the Sun Belt and someone at the Colonial office hastily phones Trident Tech.
These mid-major teams and leagues making moves are scrambling for the same thing, a slightly larger piece of the TV pie.
Of course, it's still the same pie; only so many viewers to go around. But college athletics lacks an effective central body to distribute revenue streams, or even make suggestions.
Meanwhile, separate agendas, raiding and backstabbing is killing fan bases once linked.
Goodwill appeal
"I wish the system did not make this necessary," SoCon commissioner John Imarino said. "I wish we could push a button where (NCAA President) Mark Emmert would say, 'This is not in the best interest of our institutions. Let's put a 5-10 year moratorium on this.' The only way to do that is for the NCAA to pick a date and say, 'If you want to move, you have to do it by then. After that, we'll have years of no movement.' "
Unfortunately, NCAA leadership these days isn't that capable.
It's time to conceive a grassroots conference coalition conclave, at which league managers and member presidents gather in a bunker and remain until alignments make something resembling sense.
Bring in some geography professors, travel agents and accountants to explain the silliness of having softball teams cross time zones or take commercial flights for "rivalry" games.
Form a new Goodwill Committee, designed to broker peace (and interleague trades).
Introduce Goodwill Committee Co-Commissioners Gene Budig, Bobby Cremins and Les Robinson, all Lowcountry residents.
Budig is the brilliant former president of baseball's American League, the University of Kansas (he hired Roy Williams as head basketball coach) and West Virginia (among other lofty titles).
Cremins, the gregarious former College of Charleston and Georgia Tech head basketball coach, also has ties to South Carolina (player) and Appalachian State (coach).
Robinson was the head basketball coach at The Citadel, East Tennessee State and N.C. State and was athletic director at N.C. State and The Citadel.
These guys know their way around rooms full of Type-A personalities. They might coax conference alignments that fans, faculty and student-athletes actually like.
'Geographic footprint'
Until recently, college sports programs below the Jadeveon Clowney/Brittney Griner level did a good job of preserving old-school attributes:
Real regional rivalries.
Fan-friendly road trips.
Local players on opposing teams.
It's not fair to pick on the College of Charleston, among many schools in fluid transition.
Or the Southern Conference, which is trying to do the noble things.
"Our folks have made it quite clear that they would like to keep the geographic footprint manageable," Iamarino said. "We're willing to stretch it a little bit. But we don't want to get ridiculous about this. We don't want to have to put teams on airplanes to play regular season contests."
The Southern Conference has survived the losses of Clemson, South Carolina, Alabama and North Carolina and will survive the loss of College of Charleston, Georgia Southern and Appalachian State.
The rest of the SoCon, just like the rest of the Colonial, will heed Ben Franklin's advice and attempt to hang together. Officially. For the rest of the week, anyway.
Follow Gene Sapakoff on Twitter @sapakoff


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FDA's Import Requirements and Managing the Import of FDA Regulated Products
Larry Stevens, RAC Principal Consultant, One Way Consultants, LLC, FDA Regulatory Expert
Coming soon.. Please contact customer care for new schedule
Course Description:
During this course:
Navigating FDA's requirements in order to successfully import FDA regulated products is important for any company that relies on sales revenue from foreign made products regulated by FDA. In order to assure that the imported product does not get detained or refused entry the importer should be fully informed of FDA requirements for foods, medicines, medical devices, cosmetics, and radiation emitting devices. In addition there are requirements for general importation enforced by the Customs and Border Protection (CPB) section of the Department of Homeland Security.
What can happen if you are not familiar with FDA and/or CPB requirements? You may find that you have purchased a large amount of a foreign made FDA product, which do not meet FDA's requirements. FDA may refuse entry, or you may incur a long delay in the importation, both of which can be very costly for the importer.
Learning Objective:
Key goals of the conference will include learning:
Who will Benefit:
Custom House Brokers and their employees who must file entries of FDA regulated products. For firms that import FDA regulated products, senior executives, directors, managers and those employees who have responsibility for selecting foreign products, filing FDA entries. Also regulatory consultants who want to offer assistance to firms who import FDA regulated products. as well as those that have key collateral roles in reviewing and/or preparing FDA submission documentation for food, drug and device firms, including officials from these areas within regulated companies:
Course Outline:
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On request by email or fax (before the seminar) a credit for the amount paid minus administration fees ($200) will be transferred to any future ComplianceOnline event and a credit note will be issued.
Substitutions may be made at any time. No-shows will be charged the full amount.
We discourage onsite registrations, however if you wish to register onsite payment to happen through credit card immediately or check to be submitted onsite. Conference material will be given on the spot if it is available after distributing to other attendees. In case it is not available we will send the material after the conference is over.
In the event ComplianceOnline cancels the seminar, ComplianceOnline is not responsible for any airfare, hotel, other costs or losses incurred by registrants. Some topics and speakers may be subject to change without notice.
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I enjoyed this informational conference.
Conversation with other professionals was good and Larry had good discussion regarding real life FDA experiences.
Larry did a great job
It was good information for smaller importers.
It was my first seminar and meeting the FDA expert (instructor). It is quite expensive but pretty worth it.
Interaction with other attendees having similar issues and experiences was useful.
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San Diego Cabrillo National Monument
The first European to set foot in California was the Spanish explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who stepped on shore near this spot in in 1542. He's the guy they made this statue to look like - and named the park after. We don't know if Cabrillo climbed all the way up to the top of this promontory or not, but people who make up here nowadays get some of the best views of San Diego, looking across the Bay and back toward downtown.
Sea Creatures at Birch Aquarium
Birch Aquarium is north of San Diego in La Jolla. It's not as big as some of the other aquariums in California or as flashy as the big sea-themed park down the road, but instead just right, filled with interesting exhibits and home to leafy sea dragons like the one above, creatures so improbably they look more like something from a children's book than from the ocean.
Legoland theme park takes its inspiration from Lego toys, those cute little bricks that snap together to build all kinds of fun things. It's one of several Legolands worldwide.
San Diego Zoo Safari Park
The San Diego Zoo's sister park offers a different kind of animal experience. Its name (Safari Park) is the clue and it indeed offers a more safari-like experience. Lots of large animals live in the same big, open areas here - predators kept away from prey, but otherwise much as they would in their natural habitat.
Coronado Island
Coronado isn't really an island but a peninsula - a fact that doesn't get in the way of the name most people use for it. Whatever you call it, it's on a slender strip of land between the San Diego Bay and the Pacific Ocean, barely a few blocks wide. What it lacks in size it makes up for in fun, with a beach that's been named among the best in the country, a classic hotel and a compact, lively little downtown. Coronado's laid-back temperament makes a nice break from the busier parts of San Diego across the water.
Balboa Park
Originally built for temporary use during the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition in San Diego, Balboa Park boasts buildings beautiful enough to be considered attractions in themselves, especially if you're a photographer. They're surrounded by trees, lawns and fountains, but that's only the beginning.
La Jolla
In Spanish, La Jolla means "the jewel," an apt name for a pretty, Mediterranean-style seaside town - sitting on cliffs flanking the ocean.
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I will probably catch a lot of grief for this, but I have to say looking back on it, this has been one of my favourite seasons in the last 10 years.
We as wings fans seem to expect to make the playoffs every year, and anything less is a far cry from reality. Well so far that reality has been setting in as we fight with two other teams for the last 2 spots, something some of us haven't seen, and others not for a while. We all complain that this team has been stagnant for a few years, well this year the wings have gotten, bigger, stronger, faster, and younger. We are rebuilding on the fly with playoff hopes still at hand, and we started the season with a defense that was laughable at best. The controversy, the fight, the will, and the drive are keeping this younger team in contention. This season has been like a true underdog story out of the movies, almost like remember the titans, except the tragedy was Lidstrom retiring. It really has been very infuriating at times to watch, but from start to finish has kept me engaged and on the edge of my seat. Win or lose, I like this younger team (save for Cleary, white, quincey and others at times) and it really has been a blast, so thank you Red Wings for another great season, even if you don't beat Dallas, and we miss the playoffs, as kenny would say, i like our team


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He has been linked with Taylor Swift and Glee star Dianna Agron, but quarterback Tim Tebow says he isn't currently dating anyone.
"I'm still single," he told PEOPLE with a chuckle at the Tim Tebow Foundation Celebrity Golf Classic on Friday.
And he's not exactly looking, either. "I've got a lot going on these days. I'm busy," he said.
In addition to his recent trade to the New York Jets – which he calls "a lot of fun" – Tebow is focusing on his foundation, which supports orphans, builds playrooms in children's hospitals, and grants wishes of children with life threatening illnesses.
"My foundation is near and dear to my heart," he said. "To be able to bring people together to raise money to help kids, and make a difference in their lives, that's what it's all about. I'm super excited about it."
A committed Christian, he became known for "Tebowing" – kneeling in thankful prayer after a touchdown. Can we expect to see him Tebowing in the Jets' endzone? "I hope so," he said with a laugh. "Let's see how it goes."
Tim Tebow: I'm Still Single
Ray Stubblebine/Reuters/Landov


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Which holiday character are you?
Published On: Nov 28 2012 09:44:53 AM CST Updated On: Dec 10 2012 01:00:01 AM CSTSorry, Flash is not supported.
The views expressed are not those of this site, this station or its affiliated companies. By posting your comments you agree to accept our terms of use.blog comments powered by Disqus


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Windows Phone: building optimized websites and using the web browser control with IE9
- Date: to
- Day 4
- Normandy
- Speakers: Joe Marini
- 4 comments
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Right click "Save as…"Slides (view online)
Windows Phone 'Mango' brings the power of IE9 to the Phone, with its full performance and standards based approach. For the first time, developers will be able to leverage the power of the browser to deliver compelling interactive experiences, both inside and outside the context of a traditional application. Come to this session to get started today leveraging the power of the browser on the phone.
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Hello, I know that I could get in trouble for what I am going to say, but, if this guy really is one of the main developers (leaders) on windows phone just give him other opportunity...?
Why don't they switch from slides to the demo screen? Did they forget that in so many sessions?
I believe they have now :)
... given him other opportunity, that is ;)
Comments have been closed since this content was published more than 30 days ago, but if you'd like to continue the conversation, please create a new thread in our Forums, or Contact Us and let us know.


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The long anticipated events of the Christmas season have been sung, eaten, sledded and unwrapped. Santa did indeed visit our home and it was a grand year because we had three believers. We had three little hearts and souls that were so eager to go to bed on Christmas Eve but couldn't stop wiggling with excitement.
Christmas is such a magic time of year, I'm always sad when it is over. The lights, the mangers, the snow, the giving, wearing my grandmother's Christmas tree pin and celebrations that bring people together are what I love about the season.
But some are not so lucky this Christmas season.
I couldn't write about Sandy Hook Elementary school last week. And I'm not sure if I can even write about it now. I have a first-grader and every time I check the news I see their amazingly, bright and hopeful faces. I think about my daughter's friends and their braids, their mismatched mittens, their dreams of someday having a slumber party like their older siblings, their playground bear games and their lunchtime giggles.
On Friday morning, I was worried because my daughter was having trouble remembering how to spell 'chicken' on her spelling list. And then those gunshots landed in the heart of every mother. Many of the 20 children probably already had wrapped Christmas presents under their trees. Christmas will never be the same for the families who are suffering.
Nothing will.
I can't imagine.
And so, as I read about the 26 acts of kindness that are motivating individuals around the country to complete random acts of kindness for neighbors, friends and strangers, I am inspired. One friend was in line at the grocery store and discovered that the couple in front of her had left $10 toward her bill. When she shared the story with me, I smiled.
I've got a few ideas and I hope that you do, too. Don't let the large number 26 be intimidating. One-at-a-time is the way it should be. Do you have an elderly neighbor who would like to have lunch with you one day? Or do they need their snow shoveled? Do you have a dear friend who lives far away that you would like to reconnect with? Is there someone that you can deliver dinner to in your neighborhood?
Just one-at-a-time is the way we can extend the Christmas season into 2013 and remember the Christmas angels of Sandy Hook Elementary.
Holly Collingwood is married with three children. Read her Thursdays on Greeley Moms.
And then those gunshots landed in the heart of every mother. Many of the 20 children probably already had wrapped Christmas presents under their trees. Christmas will never be the same for the families who are suffering.


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Which are most famous TV show cars?
POSTED: 03:18 PM PST Jan 10, 2012 UPDATED: 08:03 AM PDT Oct 29, 2013
Check out which cars had the longest runs on television.
The views expressed are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms Of Service and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms.blog comments powered by Disqus


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The recently single singer, who has been talking with Dancing with the Stars pro Maksim Chmerkovskiy, addressed her love life on Twitter today.
In response to a radio station Tweet that she was already dating someone new, J.Lo replied, "No I'm not. #rumors #nottrue" before playfully plugging her new album, A.K.A., out June 17.
When a fan asked if it's not true she is dating someone new or simply that she's single, Lopez clarified further.
"No I'm not. (dating anyone new already.)"
Still, a Lopez pal says the singer and the DWTS hunk might have a chance at taking their budding friendship to the next level. "I think they could [become a couple]," says the friend. "Who know what will happen?"
The singer, 44, has repeatedly said she is "one of those people who does not like to be alone," and those in her circle say she already has an idea of what she's looking for in a new man.
The mom of two is envisioning "a relationship with a guy who is older and has an established career," a source tells PEOPLE in this week's issue.
But for now, the busy star is promoting her album and performing at the World Cup opening ceremonies today in Brazil.
For more on Lopez and her life today, pick up the latest issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday
Reporting by K.C. BAKER
@Qburgh No I'm not. #rumors #nottrue #AKAinstoresJune17 :)— Jennifer Lopez (@JLo) June 12, 2014
@MySimple_Life No I'm not. (dating anyone new already.)— Jennifer Lopez (@JLo) June 12, 2014


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Hey everyone!
This is my first time posting on LGW... but I wanted to take advantage of all the great fans here and promote a free service that myself and a few friends in the Boston area are working.
It's called "HuddleUp"... and it's a website that helps out-of-town sports fans find bars in their area who are willing to put on their home team's games, and bars will offer discounts on food and drinks for fans.
If you're interested in the idea, reply and give me your thoughts!
If you're in the Boston area and want to hear about our first Red Wings event, sign up here. I'll only email you when we've got a Wings game scheduled.
Edited by huddleUp, 13 March 2013 - 10:19 PM.


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quote: Reclaimer77 - how do you know someone used multiple accounts to vote you down? I'm sorry but to me that sounds more like you're being a bit paranoid:-)
quote: frankly you're one of the people which post comments that deserves the -1.
quote: OH please. How am I condescending and self righteous by saying 120% or whatever car tax is freaking insane?
quote: So if you're a weak minded poorly informed person, you can influence discussion and speak your opinion without actually having the brains to put them into words, or the guts.
quote: But most -1's here aren't deserved, certainly nothing from me.
quote: So if you're a weak minded poorly informed person


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Trustee: Budget is 'bad news' for smaller health departments
March 10, 2013
FAIRFIELD TOWNSHIP — Trustee Chairman Bob Hum said the governor's budget, introduced in Ohio House Bill 59, spells "bad news" for smaller health departments like Columbiana County's department....
This is ridiculous. Just like when they pushed to open up the Salem health department. These plans were no secret, it was being looked at over two years ago. It was coming forward but yet Salem forged ahead with those personal agendas running and opened up the Health Department. You think this is bad? Wait until the full impact of Obamacare kicks in especially when the Insurance exchange goes into place. Health departments will lose people in big numbers. The reality, when people have insurance they are not going to go to health departments they are going to be going to doctors and hospitals for their needs. Health department are going to be reduced to limited services. That is a fact. There is no way small health departments will be self sustainable and somebody is going to start picking up those costs and that is what Vin and Setty is hoping will happen. Vin used the fear tactic..."resulting in a reduction in access to care for many families in need."
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There is no sympathy in this. Costs have to be reduced, the deficit is in trouble and the people are taxed out. Vins your not fighting for the people you fighting for the healthy salary you make. Jobs are going to be lost and you might as well start facing the music.
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2011 NBA Playoffs, Kristin Cavallari and Kyrie Irving are just three of the biggest sports related keywords buzzing around the world wide web today.
The 2011 NBA Playoffs continues as the Oklahoma City Thunder try to even up their series against the super-hot Dirk Nowitzki and his Dallas Mavericks.
Also, Kristin Cavallari's list of wedding guests has reportedly leaked out and apparently there's plenty of former "The Hills" cast members missing from the list. Will Lauren Conrad be invited to Cavallari's wedding with Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler?
We'll find out in the updates.
Then there's Kyrie Irving. The former Duke point guard has chosen to take a pass on participating at the NBA draft combine.
So he must be thinking that playing 11 games in college is good enough for NBA teams to evaluate his talent.
Risky, risky.
Alright, we're talking sports here today and all the latest trends in our late sports buzz. The updates are on their way!


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Top Definition
The point at which a performance has become so bad that one is forced to get up from their seats and leave the auditorium or stadium.
"I was born an Ohio State fan. I live as an Ohio State fan. I will die an Ohio State fan. But the shat hit the roof in the game against Florida when they basketball'ed the touchback."
από ComradeDave 14 Απρίλιος 2007
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Beth Ferrier shows you how to sew a star quilt block that truly shines, with techniques for making your piecing faster, more precise and more fun! You'll use the included patterns to create marvelous projects: a table runner, pillow and a sampler quilt. During class, put half-square triangles and clever pressing tips to use on the Friendship Star block. Master quarter-square triangles, bias and intersections as you assemble the Ohio Star. Simplify partial seams to make a perfect Pinwheel Star. Create soaring movement in an Evening Star with Flying Geese units. Piece a 54-40 or Fight block with superb skinny points. Plus, sew a dazzling, eight-point Lemoyne Star with diamonds and inset seams.
Meet your instructor, Beth Ferrier, and learn time-saving measuring and cutting tips that you'll use throughout the class.
Learn how to work with half-square triangles as you make a Friendship Star block.
Beth walks you through her efficient assembly-line sewing technique as you learn pressing and sewing techniques for a nine-patch block.
Master the art of working with quarter-square triangles as you make a beautiful Ohio Star block.
Cast off your fear of working with odd-shaped pieces as you work with three-quarter triangles and create a lovely Pinwheel Star block.
Choose from three different methods for making Flying Geese blocks in the Evening Star block. In addition, learn math and assembly tips that can be applied to any Flying Geese project.
Create your own templates and learn how to cut, assemble and sew a historic Fifty-Four Forty or Fight block.
Using the skills you've learned so far, tackle the most challenging block in class with Beth's encouragement and help every step of the way.
Brush up on multiple techniques to prepare your finished quilt tops, including thread clipping, pressing methods and clipping ideas that will leave your quilts smooth and polished.
"I have thoroughly enjoyed this class. The course is packed full of great tricks and tips I have not come across in other quilting courses. The teaching style is very pleasant and to the point. Lessons include a great variety of stars, from simple to advanced. There is a lot of attention to details, notably a section on why it is important to also look at the wrong side of the block. I am sure that I will return to this class again and again."
- MaggieMade


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Gymnastics Team Suffers Close Loss to Bowling Green
Ball State's women's gymnastics team suffered a 194.150 to 193.025 loss at home to Bowling Green Friday despite individuals winning three events.
The Cardinals fall to 2-6 overall and 0-3 in the Mid-American Conference. Ball State will compete at Western Michigan. Feb. 9 and at Southeast Missouri State Feb. 14 before returning home to face Kent State in MAC action Feb. 21 at 7 p.m.
Ball State opened up on the vault and Denasiha Christian and Erin Patchey led the Cardinals with a tie for first with identical scores of 9.775.
Brooklyn Schumacher led Ball State on the bars with a second-place showing and a score of 9.775.
After two events, Ball State had a 144.325 team score, while the Falcons led with a 145.800.
On the beam, the Cardinals' Samantha Santos won with a 9.80, while Christian won the floor with a 9.875. The 9.875 was a season high for Christian.


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Top Definition
A word originating in the Canadian junior hockey culture, generally regarding the shitstorm that takes place after the games.
Last night sure was a gongshow.
Get ready for a gongshow after the game tonight lads.
Get ready for a gongshow after the game tonight lads.
Sergant Dangles가 작성 2006년 07월 25일 (화)
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An event marred by confusion,ineptitude,and shenanigens.
Fuck dude, we got Creepy to try to record some of our shit, it turned into a two week gong show.
The Gargler가 작성 2004년 03월 20일 (토)
A gongshow is another way of saying "crazy experience" or "crazy event" which involves crazy people. Stupid events lead to funny memories - and usually route to gongshows
That party was a gongshow!
Erin가 작성 2004년 09월 25일 (토)
the term gong show is widely used in the hockey locker rooms across canada. it has become the nickname of many out-of-control young men. while mainly used by hockey players, the common person may use it in everyday conversation. to be a gong show, one must be able to pull the chute, as well as be crazy, stupid, loud, obnoxious, annoying, out of control, confused, a frequent streaker, terribly unlucky, inept, a drunk, a lazy ass, or any combination of all of these
spence is a definite gongshow. tonight, at dinner before the game, he choked on a piece of chicken, coughed it up into his nasal cavity, blew it out his nose, and ate it again. in the game he got in a fight, broke a guys leg, and scored a goal. afterward, he put on his pink sunglasses and hopped in the shower with the team, then ran naked through the rink giggling like a little girl.
tex가 작성 2004년 07월 24일 (토)
totally out of control shit show, no organisation
Yesterday at work was a total gong show, nobody knew what was going on.
g-g-g--g-g-ggunit가 작성 2005년 06월 08일 (수)
One who does exceedingly stupid or irrational things, usually but not necessarily while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The word is believed to have originated as a spin-off of the 1976 ABC sitcom 'The Gong Show' where participants would perform until the judges deemed their performance too awful to continue. Note: gong show is commonly abbreviated to 'gong'. The act of calling somone a gong show is often accompanied by two of his buddies bashing an immaginary gong.
Wow, he's got vodka taped to his balls, what a gong show!
Tribe, your a fuckin gong show!
He just slid head 1st into a giant mud puddle 10 minutes before his philosophy exam, what a gong.
Tribe, your a fuckin gong show!
He just slid head 1st into a giant mud puddle 10 minutes before his philosophy exam, what a gong.
Matt Tribe가 작성 2003년 12월 14일 (일)
A clothing brand originated in Canada. 1) A lifestyle defined and perfected by hockey players 2) Passion for the game on the ice combined with a love off the ice 3) A unique code of ethics shared amongst hockey players; widely unknown to others 4) The biggest underground hockey fraternity in the world...
What's gongshow? It's represents the hockey culture and the lifestyle we live by day in and day out.
Macker가 작성 2007년 08월 10일 (금)


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Asked if he had anything to say to America, Hicks gave a shout-out to his most dedicated fans, yelling "Soul Patrol!"
Runner-up Katharine McPhee embraced Hicks and thanked her fans for an Idol experience she called "a dream come true." Then Hicks launched into his first single, "Do I Make You Proud?"
Announcing the results, Ryan Seacrest noted that "an astounding 63.4 million votes" were cast, "more than any President in this country has ever received."
After his win, Hicks told FOX news reporters, "It's an exhilarating feeling. I am flabbergasted. I can't believe I'm the next American Idol." He admitted that when his name was called he had to tell himself, "Don't just fall to the floor. Don't let your knees buckle."
The two-hour finale episode, which Seacrest said was being watched by 200 million people around the world, kicked off with Hicks, McPhee and the 10 booted finalists belting Barry Manilow's "I Made It Through the Rain."
Ray Mickshaw / WireImage
But the biggest show-stoppers were Clay Aiken, who debuted a jaw-dropping new hipster hairdo, and Prince, who performed two songs solo before an ecstatic audience.
Hicks's win was largely expected. At the end of Tuesday night's episode, Simon Cowell told the 29-year-old Alabama native: "Assuming that I was right and the show was tied, then you have just won American Idol."
Going into Wednesday, after Cowell's pronouncement, betting on McPhee dropped considerably, with 90 percent of all monies going toward Hicks – the odds-on favorite by 2:13, according to PinnacleSports.com.
Even McPhee had praise for her rival. In an interview late last week, the 22-year-old from Los Angeles said, "I think Taylor's main advantage is that he's really free on stage. I get nervous and clench up. That's something Taylor is really, really great at. We're both so different."
Hicks started in the music biz by fronting an eponymous blues band in Alabama. At his Idol audition in Las Vegas, Hicks told the judges, "I want my voice to be heard, because I believe that I've got one." (Still, as Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul delighted in telling Cowell on Tuesday's show, Cowell gave him a thumbs-down.)
On a May 12 trip home to Birmingham, Hicks received a hero's welcome, complete with a parade, a meeting with Gov. Bob Riley and some down-home Southern cooking. "You take grits for granted," he said.
His mother, however, never took her son's talents for granted. "I knew this would happen," Pam Dickinson told PEOPLE. "I knew he was going to become a star."
As for the future, Hicks says he'll record an album that will be "a really good representation of who I am as an artist. There are things that I want to do creatively that I've never been able to get to do before American Idol – possibly (something) a little bit cutting-edge."
Of his immediate plans, he speculates, "I'll probably live on my tour bus. My home has been the road since even before American Idol. A tour bus with some good, cold iceberg lettuce is probably where I'm going to stay."
Sorry! This poll has closed.


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Renowned lace knitwear designer Romi Hill leads you through her breathtaking "Fiori Autunnali" shawl — every bit as beautiful as it is versatile! Learn expert tips for reading charts, casting on and fixing mistakes. Knit along with her as you create beautiful scalloped edges and learn how to bind off. Practice on a small doll-sized shawl if you prefer before embarking on this innovative lace project.
Meet your instructor, Romi Hill, and get introduced to the Doll Shawl, a mini version of your project.
Learn all about lace! From yarn and beads to blocking, you'll learn the basics and build from there.
Learn how to read charts, use stitch markers and create lifelines to save your knitting. With these fundamental techniques, you'll be able to address most issues you encounter in you lace knitting!
Get started knitting lace! Learn about the bellybutton cast-on, joining your working yarn and starting stitches.
Shawl charts are your friend! Make a smaller version of a lace shawl to practice your decreases and bead placement.
Learn how to transition your lace from circular knitting to flat knitting. Bind off and add wings to create a fantastic shawl.
Finish your shawl with flair! Weave in the ends, soak, dye, and block everything. Add beads as a finishing touch.
"I love Romi's delightful personality as she shares her experience and knowledge on knitting lace.
There are a lot of tips that I am taking away from these videos as an experienced lace knitter. It is wonderful to be able to watch the new-to-me techniques over and over again to get them right!
A fantastic class with a gorgeous shawl!!!"
- Linzknits
Toronto, Canada


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Heartbreakers to perform
PITTSBURGH - Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers will headline a concert at 7:30 p.m. June 20 at CONSOL Energy Center.
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers have scored hits in five different decades with classics like "American Girl," "I Won't Back Down," "Free Fallin'," "Mary Jane's Last Dance" and "You Don't Know How It Feels." And they have sold tens of millions of records along the way. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during their first year of eligibility in 2002 and have sold more than 60 million albums.
Tickets range in price from $28.50 to $114.25. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. today at livenation.com, all Ticketmaster outlets or charge-by-phone at 800-745-3000.
Country star to play show
MUNHALL - Country singer Lyle Lovett will perform in concert with some to-be-determined special guests at 8 p.m. May 3 at the Carnegie Library Music Hall of Homestead.
A four-time Grammy winner, Lovett last released a new album in 2012. That disc, "Release Me," hit No. 1 on the Americana charts and peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard country charts. Lovett is also a successful actor who has appeared in numerous films and TV series.
Reserved seats are $57, $67 and a very limited amount of Gold Circle tickets are $87 in advance, with day of show tickets $3 additional. Tickets are on sale at the venue box office, online at LibraryMusicHall. com or by calling 412-368-5225.
PSU Altoona exhibits work
An Integrative Arts project exhibition featuring the work of three seniors will be on display in the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts in April.
An exhibition of work by Christian Miller will take place April 1 through 28 in the East Hallway, while a film created by Megan Judith Riner and works by Elizabeth A. Glunt can be seen on April 14.
A reception for all three students will be held at 2 p.m. April 14 in the Titelman Study of the Misciagna Center.
The galleries are open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday and before and during all performances.
For more information, call the Misciagna Family Center for Performing Arts at 949-5452 or visit the Penn State Altoona Web site at www.altoona.psu.edu.


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Lego could have encouraged STEM education for girls--but launched the Friends line instead | Opensource.com
Lego could have encouraged STEM education for girls--but launched the Friends line instead
There's been some outrage over the new Lego Friends line, intended to bring more girls into the addictive world of Lego building. Initially, I felt it was a fair extension of the Lego product family. Now I'm concerned about the messages Lego is sending to our future builders and innovators--both boys and girls.
Update 1/30: People who have called or emailed Lego to ask about the new magazine described below have heard changing stories since Impeus first blogged about it. Their current message is that the photos in the magazines will feature both boys and girls.
It's not the first time Lego has tried to appeal more to girls. Way back in 1959, they advertised the Lego Doll House, and in the early 60s, they began offering instructions for building dollhouse furniture. In the 1970s, it was the Homemaker series, which included human characters, pre-dating the now popular "minifigs." From 1992-1998 they offered the Paradisa System, which included pink parts and "feminine" themes. In 1995, the Freestyle basic-brick sets came in a pink suitcase. (Thinking Brickly further explores the history of gender and Lego, the good and the bad.)
The new Friends line includes Olivia's Invention Workshop, a pastel science lab with a pet robot and math on the blackboard. It's not exactly super-accurate--Olivia wears OSHA-offending flip-flops in her lab--but it's better than if the line had shown women only as toenail-painting, shopping-crazy beachgoers. And thus the sets themselves didn't concern me much. There will be boys who want to play with the sets as well, and in my opinion, Lego doesn't have a history of girl-bashing, or necessarily even girl-avoiding. Then came a blog post from the UK.
In it, "impeus" explains that her daughter, a subscriber to the Lego Club Jr. quarterly magazine, had this month automatically received Lego Club Girls instead. This new version features the Friends line, of course. What it doesn't feature is any building instructions, which the magazine usually does, including the current edition. An accompanying letter allows you to opt out of Lego Club Girls for the "regular" one instead. Impeus writes:
Ah. Well. There we go. It's not boys and girls. It's girls and 'regular'. You can be a normal child, or you could be one of those others. You know, the girls.
Further, she notes that the old version of the magazine included pictures of kids playing with their Lego bricks. She asked the company whether girls would still be shown in the "regular" magazine and was told that no, photos of girls will be in Lego Club Girls only from now on, regardless of which magazine they choose to subscribe to. Now not only are the girls told they should be separated, but the boys won't even see that they exist. And if a girl should prefer to keep the "regular" edition that includes build instructions instead of just pretty pictures? She'll never see anyone who looks like her.
(Edit 1/27: Impeus' blog now notes that people who call Lego are getting a different story--early callers were told the above. Those who call now are told a different story about photos as well as that the Girls magazine may be scrapped. No word on the other content, like whether those who get Lego Club Girls will be seeing build instructions.)
STEM education is suffering, especially in the US. Even worse is the way we approach girls in STEM education. But the kids who love playing with Lego bricks--building, creating, seeing how things fit together--are precisely the ones we should be encouraging to pursue STEM careers. By building this separation between boys and girls (or girls and "regular"!), Lego is only discouraging half the population, and precisely the half that needs more support in these fields.
It's worth noting that Friends was not cooked up in a marketing meeting in which someone shouted, "Girls like pink and purple!", giving birth to shapely minifigs and beach sets. It was the result of significant observational research with families around the world. Lego CEO Jorgen Knudstorp called it "the most significant strategic launch we've done in a decade."
Knudstorp also said that with Friends, Lego hoped to "reach the other 50 percent of the world's children."
If Lego genuinely wants to reach that 50 percent and make progress for the future of science and technology, Friends is the wrong approach. The company's research showed something significant beyond the fact that girls prefer the new, shaplier minifigs to the familiar squarish ones. It showed that although boys like to assemble kits start-to-finish, girls play more along the way. The girls are applying creativity to the toys.
Olivia and her science lab are a nice nod to the fact that girls enjoy science too. But what if they took their research observation--that girls play creatively rather than plowing through kit instructions--and applied it to the Mindstorms line of programmable robots?
Maybe in addition to their research, Lego should have looked more to the FIRST Lego League, in which 9-16 year-olds use Lego Mindstorms to solve real-world problems. The winner of last year's inaugural FLL Global Innovation Award, given to a team of innovators ages 6-14 who created an original solution to a real biomedical engineering problem, was an all-girl group from Iowa called The Flying Monkeys. They created a prosthetic hand to help those born with hand abnormalities, such as a toddler born without fingers who was able to hold a pencil for the first time. Two other teams were also honored, and one of them was all-girls as well. They developed a glucose monitoring system with a watch and implantable microchip. That seems to be evidence enough that girls can do more with Lego products than play beauty parlor.
Push the Lego girl focus to science and away from just pink, and then not only do the girls win--our future wins.
27 Comments
Great article. One quibble. You gotta put this in there at the first instance of usage:
"Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)"
Not everyone (myself included) use STEM in everyday parlance. :)
You are right on. I had to look it up too!
When I first saw this, I wondered "What does STEM cell research have to do with Open Source?"
Jim (JR)
I highly suggest calling Lego customer service and talking to them about this — what you would like to see, and how your children react. 1-800-838-9647. My friend who used to work for Lego and still has contacts there says that the company weights phone calls very highly in their gauge of customer response.
Ruth, a few things I'm not sure you know about. First, Tyco tried making a brick set "for girls". It was your basic brick set, only the bricks were white, pink, purple, and green. Oh, and instead of the thin bricks being 1/3rd height, the Tyco thin bricks were 1/2 height.
Second, Tyco *does* support STEM with their Dacta sets. You probably don't know about them because they're advertised to, and available to, schools. They're also somewhat subsidized by TLG. They're not cheap or anything, but they're cheaper than regular Legos. See http://www.legoeducation.com/
Third, we tried interesting my daughter in building with bricks. We bought her Duplo blocks, and then Lego blocks, and then the Tyco blocks. No such luck. Now, that's based on a sample size of one, of course, but my son got presented with all the same toys as my daughter (literally the same :), and he "took" to the Legos where she didn't.
There are a number of young women and AFOLs building with bricks, but not as many as men -- using the existing sets. TLG doesn't want to miss any sector of the market, hence Friends. If you think there's a better way to attract more women to building with bricks, you should do some research to find out what has succeeded and what has failed in the past. You might find a new business model!
s/Second, Tyco/Second, TLG/
I got and agree with your objection to the magazine. Didn't understand that you agreed with TLG's choice to market sets to women. Sorry!
That said, the headline does not assist in making your point about the magazine, and TLG *does* encourage STEM with Dacta.
Interesting article, but where's the tie in to Open Source? Also, IMHO your criticisms and conclusions seem based on some pretty flimsy supporting evidence - where's a response from LEGO (note the capitalization)? You're essentially presenting hearsay as fact.
Again, I thought your post was interesting but I think the writing could have been a bit more professional.
The unwritten version of the AP stylebook, strongly preserved by oral tradition, says "You want all caps? The ad desk is right over there!"
Thanks for the followup.
What I'm not seeing in your article is a clear, logical connection between "girly" toys and an emphasis on STEM education. Your article seems to presume an obvious link, but in my opinion there isn't any supporting evidence. I also don't feel that it's necessarily "obvious" that STEM is directly related to Open Source software. I know many talented programmers that were educated in other fields, for example. Mind you, I don't disagree that there's a correlation, but you didn't make a clear logical case that girly toys = women failing to get educated in science, technology, engineering, and math = impact on the open source movement.
In regards to what LEGO has or hasn't said, perhaps I'm missing something but it seems that what you're reporting is third-hand hearsay. Have you called the line yourself? Can you provide a transcript? Did you get a quote from LEGO's management or PR? What is LEGO's side of this?
I'm sure that what's been reported has some truth to it, but without followup and accurate reporting it's hard to ascribe larger motives to it - and those supposed larger motives are key to the point you're making with this article. Was it an errant customer service representative? Perhaps the call center is outsourced and wasn't given accurate information? We don't know because it doesn't appear that LEGO was given the opportunity to respond.
Again, I thought your post was thought provoking and could have been great - if you'd clarified your argument better and followed up on the incidents that are the foundation of your argument.
Sorry! The following line:
"but in my opinion there isn't any supporting evidence"
Should have read:
"but in my opinion there isn't any supporting evidence presented"
Thanks again.
Ruth I appreciate that this is a blog and that you're not a journalist. You need to understand though that just because someone posted something somewhere on the Internet it doesn't make it true. My criticisms weren't so much that what you were saying was or wasn't true, but that because I can't determine the credibility of your facts your argument is on a shaky foundation.
Again, I think your article is thought provoking but fundamentally flawed. There's a reason that there are journalism schools at most major universities and that blog posts by non-journalists are generally viewed with some skepticism by most educated people.
Please don't take this as an insult, but more of a challenge to improve your future articles. I think you have a lot of potential.
Thanks, nice followup and I appreciate the clarification of your views. As I think we've stated our opinions and I certainly respect yours, even if I disagree with some of them.
I think though that we're not communicating when it comes to my use of the term "hearsay". I'm stating it as a matter of fact - the accounts you're linking to are second or third hand and aren't able to be easily corroborated. The reason I make that distinction is that the crux of your argument relies on a lot of "ifs". "If LEGO customer representatives said those things", "if they were instructed to do so and weren't misinformed/incompetent", "if LEGO group really means to exclude girls from the regular catalog", "if girls are discouraged from playing with more technical toys they're less likely to do well in STEM", and "if girls don't excel in STEM the Open Source movement will suffer".
What made me speak up is that there's a lot of "ifs" and not a lot of facts presented. There are some giant leaps in between the individual assertions in your line of reasoning. I think your train of thought has merit and is worth discussing (and probably has truth to it), but your opinion isn't really defensible with the lack of supporting arguments. That's all.
Oh, and the linkbait-ish headline kind of irked me a bit. Anyhow, take care and thanks for taking the time to respond to my nitpicking. :)
Wow...there are so many other things in this world more worth getting upset about than this. Lego now has 2 newsletters - one for all kids (read: boys AND girls) and one specifically for girls. Maybe it's because they want girls to get involved that much more. Should I be upset about my son not having a newsletter option specifically devoted to things boys like? Philosophical BS aside, maybe they just want to double their revenue stream. Rather than scream on the Internet about silly, petty stuff like this, maybe you can find something more productive and beneficial to humanity to do with your obviously-abundant spare time.
And yet you have spare time to anonymously comment on the post.
Irony aside, the original report — based on a real, actual conversation with a Lego representative — was that Lego was completely moving all girls to the "special" one, and that the regular Lego club would not "read: boys AND girls".
Were that true, it seems totally worth getting upset about.
Alas, that's the problem - a lot of allegations and hearsay, and very little actual facts. :(
Yes, it's hearsay. If you had called yourself and posted your own transcript and better yet, also called LEGO and gotten a statement from them it'd be a much better article and it wouldn't have been hearsay. You could have also linked the other reports but cautioned the reader on their credibility (according to some accounts, allegedly, etc).
Back when I was in school, (way, WAY back), we had a figure of speech for this kind of stuff.
We called it "Majoring in the Minors" or "Trivial Pursuit"
I really hate to break the news to you, but this isn't the New York Times - or even the Daily News for that matter. It's a bleedin' BLOG for chrissakes!
What *I* got from this article, (and what I presume the author wanted to show with her inclusions), was that:
1. Lego/Tyco stuck their foot in their mouth so far it was coming out their #$@!!
2. It created a furor. [insert hyperlink to examples of the furor]
3. Lego/Tyco is now trying to do some furious back-peddling - cum - damage control to help extricate the foot they swallowed.
Q.E.D. Customer / public response can, and does, have significant impact. (Ref: Petition on the topic of SOPA, et.al. and the White House's response to that furor.)
If you think you can do a better job - and it sounds like you do - then please let me invite you to create, and post, YOUR OWN blog entry on this topic - rather than pick this one apart.
Also: You sound like an intelligent, interesting, detail oriented person. It would have been much more useful to the rest of us had you used your particularity to discuss the **SUBJECT** of the article rather than the way the blog author presented her facts and opinions.
What say ye?
Jim (JR)
Go eco instead with Earth Blocks. ;)
Our children love to build with Legos and have done so for many years. Our daughter got one of these new Friends sets for her birthday. All of our children (two boys & two girls) looked at it from the stand point of "what new building components came with this set?"
They build with all of the pieces and program the Mindstorms cpu. The children are completely color blind and gender blind. I'm pretty sure Legos can neither take credit nor blame for my childrens' desire to build. STEM is much more than building with bricks. We just try to teach them to think creatively while excelling at all of their school subjects.
Thank you for the nice article. It is somewhat disturbing to find out that girls will no longer be seen in the regular magazine -- all of our children read it when it arrives in the mail.