text:
Wordsmith Talk
|About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us
You are not logged in. [Log In] Wordsmith.org » Forums » General Topics » Information and announcements » Mobile Wordsmith Talk Register User Forum List Calendar Active Topics Search FAQ
Topic Options
#208444 - 12/22/12 07:11 PM Mobile Wordsmith Talk
Registered: 12/22/12
Posts: 1
Hello Wordsmithers,
I am a long time receiver of Anu's emails and books, however today I am considered a Stranger to this forum. Thank you for teaching and entertaining me through the years.
I am hooked on mobile the iOS platform, I use the Tapatalk app [http://support.tapatalk.com/#tapatalk-plugin-discussion.11] to receive and transmit to the forums in which I am a member. I would very interested in encouraging Wordsmith to enable Wordsmith Talk to this system so we could keep informed without being stuck to a stationary location.
Thanks for reading.
Edited by ckilly (12/22/12 07:15 PM)
#208445 - 12/22/12 07:47 PM Re: Mobile Wordsmith Talk [Re: ckilly]
old hand
Registered: 11/13/11
Posts: 1075
Loc: Lancaster, UK
Welcome, ckilly - I look forward to seeing your contributions to our discussions._________________________
I'm immortal until proven otherwise
#208446 - 12/23/12 06:19 AM Re: Mobile Wordsmith Talk [Re: ckilly]
old hand
Registered: 05/10/10
Posts: 954
Loc: Alaska
Hi, ckilly,
I frequently participate in discussions on this forum by means of iPhone, using the Safari browser that comes with the OS. It may not be quite as convenient for users of Tapatalk (this is the first I've heard of it), but it's relatively painless, and it's mobile.
#208451 - 12/23/12 01:01 PM Re: Mobile Wordsmith Talk [Re: Tromboniator]
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 06/23/08
Posts: 8541
Loc: Land of the Flat Water
Welcome ckilly
I am no computer expert, I can barely use one and rely
on the folks here to teach me, in fact at least 1/2 of what
I know I've leaned from folks on line, who in their kindness,
are will to share what they know. So if whatever you are
talking about helps I am willing to learn. In fact my beautiful
avatar was created and drawn by Peter, above, and my thanks to
him again.
Again welcome,
Edited by LukeJavan8 (12/23/12 01:02 PM)_________________________
----please, draw me a sheep----
#208561 - 12/31/12 12:19 PM Re: Mobile Wordsmith Talk [Re: ckilly]
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 06/24/02
Posts: 7210
Loc: Vermont
Tapatalk is great! Though I'm not seeing a native UBB Threads plugin. hmm.
Edited by Buffalo Shrdlu (12/31/12 12:19 PM)
Edit Reason: added link_________________________
formerly known as etaoin...
#208567 - 12/31/12 01:54 PM Re: Mobile Wordsmith Talk [Re: Buffalo Shrdlu]
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 06/23/08
Posts: 8541
Loc: Land of the Flat Water
Buff...good to see you back again as well. Happy New Year._________________________
----please, draw me a sheep----
#208572 - 12/31/12 02:19 PM Re: Mobile Wordsmith Talk [Re: ckilly]
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 06/24/02
Posts: 7210
Loc: Vermont
Thanks, Luke!_________________________
formerly known as etaoin...
#208579 - 12/31/12 02:48 PM Re: Mobile Wordsmith Talk [Re: Buffalo Shrdlu]
Registered: 06/18/05
Posts: 124
Wot - couldn't get back on as your old self eta?
Its fun to be back to Rainmaker!
#208603 - 12/31/12 08:40 PM Re: Mobile Wordsmith Talk [Re: ckilly]
Carpal Tunnel
Registered: 06/24/02
Posts: 7210
Loc: Vermont
OH no, this is still me, but once upon a time, we could change our monikers, so I did, playing off something that I think jheem had written. And then, when I went to change it back, found that we no longer had that capability! so here I am, the Old Buffalo!_________________________
formerly known as etaoin...
#208613 - 01/01/13 10:12 AM Re: Mobile Wordsmith Talk [Re: Buffalo Shrdlu]
old hand
Registered: 05/10/10
Posts: 954
Loc: Alaska
Welcome back, Buff!
Moderator: Jackie
Forum Stats 8968 Members
16 Forums
13870 Topics
222532 Posts
Max Online: 3341 @ 12/09/11 02:15 PM
Newest Members Tatanka17, Marci, dorrick, thedesertsimmom, LostAuthor
8968 Registered Users
Who's Online 0 registered (), 42 Guests and 2 Spiders online. Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters (30 Days)
wofahulicodoc 57 LukeJavan8 41 may2point0 37 delirium 4 DavidLaurence 1 Curtis 1 A C Bowden 1
Top Posters
wwh 13858 Faldage 13803 Jackie 11613 tsuwm 10538 LukeJavan8 8541 Buffalo Shrdlu 7210 wofahulicodoc 6943 AnnaStrophic 6511 Wordwind 6296 of troy 5400
Board Rules · Mark all read Contact Us · Wordsmith.org · Top
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.
Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat
© 1994-2016 Wordsmith


text:
Please give me Http status code and its description.
Please help me.
Thanks & Regards
by adams369 » Thu Jan 17, 2013 9:20 pm
by tutorialspoint » Mon Jan 21, 2013 4:22 am
Address: 388-A , Road no 22, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad AP, INDIA-500033
Email: email@example.com
Website: www.tutorialspoint.com
Keep up on our always latest technology tutorials, articles and news. Enter your e-mail and subscribe to our newsletter.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Department of Public Safety Director Ted Sakai has expanded the random drug testing of inmates after a second adult corrections officer at the Halawa Correctional Facility was arrested Sunday for allegedly smuggling crystal methamphetamine into the prison.
Click here to watch Andrew Pereira's story.
Mark Damas, 45, was taken into custody by the Federal Bureau of Investigation after agents found five grams of "ice" inside his vehicle last Nov. 1. Investigators believe Damas was bringing narcotics into the prison from Sept. 4 of last year through Nov. 2.
"We're supposed to be drug-free, we don't pretend we're not, but we're going to do everything we can to keep our prisons drug-fee," Sakai told reporters during a news conference.
On Monday, Damas was released on a $50,000 signature bond following a hearing before federal magistrate Barry Kurren.
Damas' arrest on drug and conspiracy charges follows the arrest of another Halawa prison guard exactly two weeks earlier. James "Kimo" Sanders, 31, was arrested Jan. 12 for allegedly distributing methamphetamine and conspiring to distribute and possess the drug while also accepting bribes. The FBI says the two cases are not related, and both guards were operating independent of one another.
Sakai says expanding the random drug testing of inmates will cost his department additional funds, but he says it's a necessary step.
"I said, 'This is something we got to do,' so we're doing more random drug testing and for cause drug testing of the inmates," said Sakai. Any inmate who tests positive for drugs could be reclassified, have their parole date changed or face prosecution if narcotics can be directly linked to them.
Sakai said visitors and corrections officers are screened before entering a prison, but that he couldn't be 100 percent sure all procedures are being followed. He said there will be a renewed focus on pat downs and other measures in light of the recent arrests of two ACOs.
"We're looking really hard at the tightening of security with the visitors," said Sakai. "We also will need to work with the union in terms of different security procedures as it regards the searches of staff coming in."
The current contract with the state's nearly 1,300 adult corrections officers (UPW Unit 10) began in July of last year and runs through June 30, 2017. According to DPS spokeswoman Toni Schwartz, the starting salary for an ACO recruit is $3,602 per month. Any new screening procedure for prison guards would have to be negotiated with the union, or wait until the current contract has expired.
"I believe we should be able to set up some type of procedures where there is accountability and we can go back to see whether supervisors or others are doing their job in terms of searching these employees," Sen. Will Espero, Public Safety chairman, told KITV4.
Espero's counterpart in the state House, Rep. Henry Aquino, said he would be monitoring Sakai's department, but that he still has confidence in the director.
"I think we're going to work and look at this very closely…to see how we can do on our part legislatively, (and) what we can do to make sure that Public Safety follows their policies and procedures," he said.
A pre-trial hearing for Damas has been scheduled for 2 p.m. Feb. 17. Kurren said the hearing will be waived should a federal grand jury indict Damas.
Sakai said he wasn't surprised by the arrest of two prison guards in as many weeks, since his department has been working with law enforcement to weed out corrupt individuals.
"This kind of trafficking makes it dangerous for our good employees, and most of our employees are good, professional public servants," he said.


text:
The BSC Alumni Association offers a scholarship every year to encourage and help support BSC students. This scholarship is designed to help all students of BSC. The BSC Alumni Association supports the mission of the institution by providing students who demonstrate scholastic achievement and evidence of need of financial assistance, an affordable education in a caring environment.
The amount and number of scholarships is determined by the interest earned on the principal of the fund. Awards can be renewed if the student still meets the criteria and is making appropriate progress. Recipients must reapply each year.
The scholarship is awarded for the academic year and begins the fall semester. Application must be received in April before the academic year when the award will be used.
Recipients shall be selected on a competitive basis, with consideration given to academic record, student essay, and faculty recommendation. Students will be selected by a committee made up of the members of the BSC Alumni Association. Scholarship recipients will be announced at the annual spring meeting.
Alumni Scholars will be required to maintain an overall (to include all grades) grade point average of 2.50. Alumni Scholars must be enrolled as full-time students carrying a minimum of 16 semester hours per semester. The progress of the alumni scholar will be reviewed at the end of each semester by the Alumni Association's Scholarship Committee. These scholarships may be renewed annually for up to four years.
The deadline for submitting all application materials is April 1st. Notices of initial awards will be made in May of each year.
Selection Criteria
Full-time student Cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above Demonstrates leadership qualities and the intent of earning a degree.
To apply as a returning applicant for the BSC Alumni Assocation Scholarship program, please download and follow the steps in the Returning Applicant Form.
For more information, please contact the Office of Alumni Affairs using either the online Contact form or sending a letter to:
Office of Alumni Affairs
Bluefield State College
219 Rock Street
Bluefield, WV 24701
Phone Number: 304.327.4569


text:
It is a long story, but my milk dried up 3 months after I found out I was pregnant, Celeste was 10 months when we gave up. Celeste never had great milk since I retained a piece of Placenta for 12 weeks after she was born (even longer story:mad: ). She would hit, scream and bite when I dried up, it was devastating. The new baby turned 3 months Friday the 20th. I have tried everything to get Celeste to nurse again: watching me nurse, tried to nurse her when she was tired, sleeping, a friend who is nursing her 3 year old came over and they showed her, lay with my shirt off,get it out whenever she asks and I am sure a few things I cannot think of right now. Sometimes she licks me and runs off, and today she got a full latch... too bad I had a sweater on and we were sitting in the dentist chair:eek: . Does anyone out there have any new and potentially brilliant ideas???:confused:
Thanks ahead of time


text:
After being targeted by the Taliban for speaking out about women's rights, Malala Yousafzai remains in the hospital, recovering from surgery to remove a bullet from her neck. NBC's Amna Nawaz reports.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari ordered Tuesday that the young Pakistani activist who was seriously injured in a shooting by the Pakistani Taliban be sent abroad for medical treatment, the website for Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported.
Malala Yousafzai, a 14-year-old Pakistani activist who won international acclaim for her work promoting peace, and two other young girls were shot and seriously injured Tuesday, police and hospital officials said.
Local police and hospital officials told NBC News that Malala was shot after leaving her school in the Swat region.
Official sources told Dawn that the single bullet, which hit Malala's head, had pierced down to her backbone.
"We have thoroughly examined her, she is in critical condition. The bullet traveled from her head and then lodged in the back shoulder, near the neck," a doctor told the AFP agency, according to Dawn, requesting anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to media.
Gunmen hunted down young Malala Yousafzai at her school, shooting her in the head after she dared to criticize the extremists who are ravaging her country. NBC's Amna Nawaz reports.
"Next three to four days are important for her life. She is in the intensive care unit and semi-conscious, although not on the ventilator," he added, according to Dawn.
"In such a condition, she immediately needs a sophisticated surgical procedure, which is not possible in the country," sources told Dawn.
Malala was nominated for the International Children's Peace Prize in 2011 for a blog she wrote under a pseudonym for the BBC. She also won the National Peace Prize in Pakistan, was honored with a school named after her, and quickly became an outspoken critic of the Taliban in Pakistan and a public advocate for peace.
In the blog, she chronicled life in the Swat Valley under the brutal and oppressive rule of the local faction of the Pakistani Taliban, who carried out public floggings, hung dead bodies in the streets, and banned education for girls.
Soldiers take Malala Yousafzai, 14, to an army hospital after a gunman attacked her and two other girls in Peshawar, Pakistan, on Tuesday.
Obama her 'ideal' leader
In early 2011, the militants had added Malala to their hit list.
"We wanted to kill her as she was pro-West, she was speaking against Taliban and more important she was calling President Obama as her ideal. She was young but was promoting a Western culture in the Pakhtun populated areas," Ihsanullah Ihsan, the spokesman of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP said Tuesday.
Veronique De Viguerie / Getty Images, file
Malala Yousafzai, pictured here at the age of 12 in March 2009, was undergoing surgery after she was shot twice Tuesday.
The Taliban had made a plan for killing her a year ago but were waiting for an opportunity, he told NBC News.
Malala was initially treated at the Saidu Sharif Teaching Hospital, in Mingora, the main city of Swat, but was airlifted to a hospital in the larger city of Peshawar.
'New radicals': Pakistan's Generation Y battles to shape country's future
A police official, quoting other students who witnessed the shooting, said some people came in a car and stopped in front of the school and then asked them to identify Malala.
"Since the students already knew about threats to Malala Yousufzai's life, therefore they said they didn't know her," the police officer said.
Arshad Arbab / EPA
Images of daily life, political pursuits, religious rites and deadly violence.
But he said Malala was shot when she came out of the school and got in a school van.
Americans ignore 'great risks,' travel to Pakistan to protest US drone strikes
The young girl's stark depictions of daily life in Swat -- as Pakistan's army carried out a massive military operation against the Taliban in the area -- led her to become the first Pakistani girl nominated for the children's peace prize.
She began writing the diary for the BBC when she was just 11.
In one posting on her BBC blog, she wrote: "My younger brother does not like going to school. He cries while going to school and is jubilant coming back home ... He said that whenever he saw someone he got scared that he might be kidnapped. My brother often prays 'O God bring peace to Swat and if not then bring either the U.S. or China here.'"
A short documentary profiling an 11-year-old Pakistani girl on the last day before the Taliban closed down her school. (By Adam B. Ellick)
More world stories from NBC News:
- More weapons in Syria could trigger 'all-out war'
- Hong Kong residents unhappy after US allows visa-free travel for Taiwanese
- Romney: Risk of conflict higher in Mideast after Obama policies
- NBC's Kerry Sanders answers questions about Chavez's re-election
- Thai princess clears shelves during 8-hour, $40,000 UK antique shopping spree
- 'It was an artistic statement': Vandal tags Mark Rothko painting at London museum
- Snipers, commandos to welcome Germany's tough-talking Merkel in Greece
- Stay informed: Sign up for our newsletter
Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook


text: DS is having a barium swallow (an x-ray to see the extent of his reflux) and he will need to nurse (or drink from a bottle) and eat cereal during the x-rays so they can watch. They advise pregnant women not to be the one feeding DB for this procedure. As a bf-ing mother should I either have DH feed DS, or should I pump & dump after exposure if I'm the one in the room? If I do need to pump & dump, do you know how long after the x-rays I need to do that? Thanks!


text:
ECS | CeRTS | IWAS | Teachers
| Students | Administrators
| Student Assessment
| IL Learning Standards
| Programs | Forms
| Glossary Skip
over navigation
For Immediate Release
June 16, 2005
Springfield, Ill. The Illinois State Board of Education
(ISBE) has announced the launch of the Illinois School
Purchasing Network. The network offers all school districts
in Illinois access to high-quality products at some of
the best available government prices. The network was
developed in response to Governor Blagojevichs call
for the State Board to create savings opportunities that
help Illinois school districts.
We are grateful for the work that Governor Blagojevich
has done to provide historic education funding increases
over the last three years. But, even with those increases
we know that schools continue to feel pressure to find
additional efficiencies, said Randy Dunn, Interim
State Superintendent of Education. At the Illinois
State Board of Education we need to do our part to help
local school districts save money in their day to day
operations. By launching the Illinois School Purchasing
Network we will help local districts leverage group buying
power. This initiative gives school districts one more
option in their purchasing decisions.
Through the Illinois School Purchasing Network shared
services initiative, ISBE will partner with U.S. Communities,
a national, not-for-profit, governmental purchasing cooperative.
U.S. Communities has a proven track record of saving money
for school districts, which represent 34 percent of its
client base.
School district contracts through
the Illinois School Purchasing Network are free, voluntary
and non-exclusive, with no spending minimums. Because
all of the contracts in the network have been bid by another
governmental entity, school districts will avoid the administrative
burdens associated with the bidding process while accessing
some of the best governmental pricing options available.
At Plainfield, weve been working with Office
Depot through U.S. Communities, and the savings weve
realized have been a big help to our district, said
Eric Trimberger, Director of Finance, Plainfield District
202. To put it in the simplest terms, by working
with U.S. Communities weve saved enough money to
fund a classroom teachers salary and benefits for
a full school year.
U.S. Communities charges no user fees, and combines more
than $500 million in annual purchasing power through partnerships
with 8,000 public agencies representing 87,000 local entities.
Products available include school and office supplies
and furniture; technology products; physical education
and playground equipment; electrical, communications and
data supplies; janitorial materials; carpeting and flooring;
and office machines.
We are very happy to join with ISBE in bringing
another procurement option to Illinois schools,
stated Steve Hamill, Co-General Manager of U.S. Communities.
Schools have become the largest users of U.S. Communities
over the past three years, which we believe is an indicator
of the value and savings that the program brings to the
K-12 arena.
ISBE has developed online access to the Illinois School
Purchasing Network at http://www.isbe.net/savings.
The website offers an overview of the program, contact
information and instructions on registering with US Communities;
the network is active effective today and districts may
sign up immediately. In the first two weeks following
the programs launch, over 50 Illinois school districts
enrolled in the program.
Illinois State Board of Education
100 North First Street
Springfield, IL 62777


text:
"I wanted to thank Catholic Answers for doing such a great job in defending the Catholic Faith. I find your tracts have helped me to more easily explain Catholicism at work and in online discussions."
~ David, Detroit, Michigan
0 results sorted by popularity
"Where the bishop is, there is the community, even as where Christ is, there is the Catholic Church."
~ Ignatius of Antioch (Smyrn., viii, 2) circa A.D. 110, laid down this principle on true union with the Church, versus schism; all the more impressive because his casual use of the word "Catholic" demonstrates the widespread acceptance of the term at a very early date.


text:
Burn Notice: The Complete Series Giftset DVD
Featuring the complete seven season series, the Burn Notice box set combines thrilling espionage action and wry humor with intricate plot twists and gripping suspense, showcasing one of the smartest, sexiest shows on television! After being mysteriously blacklisted from the intelligence community, former CIA operative Michael Westen must rely on his extraordinary skills to uncover the secrets behind his burn notice. As he gets closer to the truth, Michael and his hard-hitting team take on a deadly onslaught of crime lords, drug cartels, and international terrorist threats. Now, for the first time, own the complete collection and experience the full rush of Burn Notice!
Read MoreLess
More Details
- Format: DVD
- Number of Discs: 29
- Region: 1
- Studio: 20th Century Fox
- DVD Release Date: December 17, 2013
- Cast: Jeffrey Donovan , Gabrielle Anwar , Coby Bell , Sharon Gless , Philip Anthony-Rodriguez , Stephen Martines , Bruce Campbell
- Genre: Drama
- Color: Color
- Release Date: 2007
Availability: In Stock
Ready to ship in 5-7 Business Days


text:
Superautomatic Espresso Machines and Coffee Makers
Too bleary-eyed to grind, tamp and steam your own espresso shot in the morning? Let a superautomatic espresso machine do it for you, saving you time, effort and clean up! At the push of a button, these espresso machines create consistent coffee and espresso drinks like lattes and cappuccinos.
While the taste of the coffee from these superautomatic espresso machines is similar, the biggest difference is in functionality and programming options. Some are capable of automatic milk frothing and others use a standard steam wand. Some have one-touch profiles for pre-set espresso drinks and others require you to manually enter in your drink selection. Try one, and you too will say, 'Domo Arigato Mister Roboto!'
Learn More about Superautomatic Espresso Machines
Saeco Intuita HD8750/47 Superautomatic Espresso MachineBetween laptops, tablets, smartphones and TVs, are there too many screens in your life vying for attention? Recognizing the need for simplicity and convenience in your coffee ritual, Saeco designed the Intuita Superautomatic Espresso Machine. With a sleek satin finish and simple push button interface, the Intuita takes it back to brewing basics. Learn More$599.99
Saeco Pure HD8765/47 Superautomatic Espresso MachineExperience a truly simple way of brewing espresso with the Saeco Pure automatic espresso machine. Convenience at its finest, start your day off right by choosing a satisfying espresso or powerful lungo. As a midday treat, take advantage of the integrated panarello and indulge with a smooth and creamy latte or frothy cappuccino. Learn More$599.00


text:
There are only 137 days until opening day, but there is still plenty of Phillies news during the off season.
- The Phillies added Quintin Berry (OF), Yohan Flande (LHP) and Jesus Sanchez (RHP) to the 40-man roster.
- Charlie Manuel finished sixth in the National League Manager of the Year voting.
Manuel finished in second place in 2007 and 2008. Colorado manager Jim Tracy won this year's award. Tracy took over for Clint Hurdle in May.
- Chan Ho Park wants to start in 2010.
Chan Ho Park had his eyes on starting entering 2009. It didn't work out for him, as he lost his starting job to J.A Happ. Park, a free agent, posted a 2.52 ERA out of the bullpen in 2009. The Phillies could use him back — as a reliever.
- The Phillies are the favorites to land Mark DeRosa.
Don't buy into this too much. Weren't the Phillies the "favorites" to land Roy Halladay? There are still other options: Chone Figgins, Placido Polanco, Adrian Betlre, etc. Pedro Feliz isn't out of the picture either.
- Pedro Martinez intends to pitch in 2010, but this time for the entire season.
Pedro spent half of the season in the Dominican Republic, and he wasn't happy about that. As of now, the Phillies fifth starter is Jamie Moyer (by the way, happy 47th birthday, Jamie!), but the Phillies could bring him back for 2010.
87 Comments
Can't believe Bobby Cox and his 3rd place Braves got more votes than Charlie!!!
Anybody other than me feel that Pedro would not be a full season pitcher. If they sign him I think you would end up with a 6 man rotation, with Pedro and someone else Moyer? going on long rest all year. I really do not think his body will hold up for 30-35 starts a year
Damn shame that Charlie doesn't get this Manager of the Year Award. After all, Larry Bowa won one and didn't win anything. Charlie deserves some recognition as a champion.
I didn't see all the names of the 5 managers in the NL who finished ahead of Charlie in the voting, but no way there were 5 who did a better job than he did. He was the only one who got to the World Series, last time I checked.
manuel has recoginition… 3 division titles, 2 pennants and 1 world series. Not to mention 2 MVPs during his time… i'd be quite proud if i were charlie.
That's because voting is done on the last day of the season.
If DeRosa is seriously the best we're going to be able to get as a starting third baseman, we should have just stuck with Feliz. I want DeRosa, but not as a starter. He would be great as a replacement for Bruntlett as utility guy. I will be VERY disapointed if he's our third baseman.
I think they may very well sign DeRosa AND resign Feliz. I would be pretty happy with this as it gives us some depth on the bench as well as allows us to keep Pete Happy's glove over there on the hot corner for us.
Both DeRosa and Feliz are doable money-wise. If we can do it that's a pretty good option…..with lots of room for flexibility with line-ups, etc.
Charlie in 6th??….c'mon….
Not a bad idea GWFightinsFan. I think i'd prefer Beltre for the potential offensive upgrade. I said in another post that having a guy like Derosa could really help keep the team fresh since you could spread the offdays around, keeping our players better rested and our bench guys getting enough playing time to be consistent.
Park is about to make a huge mistake by trying to be a starter again.
I believe our President should call a day in mid-November a national holiday and name it Charlie Manuel Day. Everyone would have the day off and wear Phillies colors.
This is one of the rare down sides of long term success my friends. No complaints here. I just wish the Phillies would've won Game 2 vs the Yanks. Win that game and we would've won the series. And Charlie would've called a genius. Ruben needs to really sure up our pitching situation. BP/SR as we know managing a Pitching Staff isn't one of Charlie's strong points.
I don't know if has been discussed on here already or not. But the Card's Pinero's a free agent. The Mets reportedly are going to go hard after him. I don't want any part of Pedro/Moyer in 2010. Pinero lead MLB is fewest walks per 9inn for starters last season. Roy Hallady finshed 2nd.
Ruben should swoop in and snatch him from Mets like he did with Raul.
Havoc, If Beltre isn't too expensive and they feel like he will be able to stay relatively healthy, then yes, sign Beltre instead of resigning Feliz.
GW… Your idea is awesome!
I like the idea of Atkins + DeRosa or Beltre…please say no to just DeRose.
I know he wants to be a SP because his country wants him to reportedly, but why throw away such a good thing he has right now in Philly. His stuff as a rp is amazing and he can pitch mult. inns. This decision makes no sense at all from strictly a baseball view point. I really hope Ruben gets him to change his mind some how. We really need him to stay in our BP. No more Chad Durbin for me.
Looking at the stats(not that I really needed to) Pedro has been horrible in the post. He can't ajust to the breaking balls opp teams kept throwing him. But if Pedro/DeRosa allows us to get another quality SP I'm game. After Lee, Blanton, Happ who knows really what would the others guys will do next leason. That includes Cole Hamels.
Cole will be fine. If they can get a strong righty (even Pineiro) to eat up some innings that would be great.
I'm all for taking a chance on Ben Sheets. He put up good numbers in 07 and 08…and he hasn't had an ERA over 3.82 since 2003. Plus, he's only 31. Pull the trigger Rube. Beltre and Sheets (both 31) for 2-3 year deals. Get it done. And sign Lee to an extension.
Cole should rebound. Either way we still need another quailty SP. I'd have no problem with a Beltre signing of course. If Sheets rebounds that would be a "Jesse James" like steal for the Phillies. I'm cool with it so long as the Phils learn from their mistake with Garcia. They never even properly researched his health status. Suring up our rotation before Spring Training would feel good, but we don't need another Eaton situation.
Agree, Sheets would have to be incentive based. And, I think we could get a 1-2 year contract to be safe. With a team option for another.
Now that we got that all squared away it's time to move on. Let's work the economy next…lol
Brewers have some FAs coming that I think the Phils should look at. Frank Catalanatto has an OBP against righties of about .380. Left handed bat as the 5th OF. Not bad. Not sure of his fielding. Claudio Vargas, 30 innings only 18 hits and a 1.74 era. A little wild though with 11 bbs.
@ PSUJOE: I think the Phils should go after Felipe Lopez. He can play anywhere and is only 29. Add in that he hits for a .300 avg and he is an upgrade.
Am I the only one who sees beltre as a downgrade to feliz?!? The guy hit 8 homers and is always injured, he pulled a Richard hidalgo and had a good year in 04 which is almost as apparent as McGwire using roids, he's good defensively, but feliz isn't? I mean personally i'd go sign derosa and polanco, versatility and polanco gives you someone that doesn't strike out 200 times.
Beltre was injured last year, that's why his numbers were down. He had 20+ HRs in 7 of the last 8 years (excluding 2009). And 3 of those 7 were in Seattle, which is a very pitcher friendly park. Beltre gives another 30 HR threat in this line-up….very potent would become even more potent. Plus, he would have some protection and wouldn't be the only slugger on the team.
Lopez has some nice stats. His OBP is over 400. Might cause some difficulty with the lineup because he'd be a much better leadoff hitter than Rollins. IMO of course. Interesting, he's played over 500 games at SS and 300 games at 3b. Interesting.
I think the Pedro & DeRosa "combo meal" may give the Phils the best chance to be an all around more complete team next season.. We'd get an exp starter back in Feliz and one hellva RH bench bat/key reserve in DeRosa. The key for this move to work will be Dobbs. If Dobbs comes back strong our bench will go back to being a strength again. And if Mayberry Jr plays winter ball or something to work on hitting off-spead pitches our bench will be looking real good in 2010. Add in Ben Fran and our bench could very easily be one of the best in the N.L. This move/s could make it more realistic for the Phils to get another quality SP.
Juan Uribe — outstanding career utilityman along with DeRosa or Beltre. That's my choice. Of course, because of age, I would like to see Beltre at third. Uribe is capable of playing shortstop, second and third, and is only 31 with a lot of experience and some POP in his bat. DeRosa, at age 35, can play multiple positions as opposed to Beltre being a third base specialist and gold glover.
Guys (and girls).. Mark DeRosa is probably THE most sought-after Free Agent this offseason
I read that as many as 12 teams have inquired on him
I highly doubt that he will be cheaper than Feliz, and the chances that we sign DeRosa AND some other guy to play thirdbase seem almost too low to mention
DeRosa is a very good utility man.. but he's not a full-time starter at 3b, and that needs to be the priority. Field your everyday lineup…and then worry about your bench guys
A lot of people on here mentioning Uribe .. but since the Giants really lack offense, wouldn't they try to bring him back next season?
Are they not interested in him anymore?
He would be a great bench/utility option for any contending team in the NL
DeRosa will probably have lots of AL teams on him too for his ability to play just about anywhere… and that lovely option called the DH
Don M, really like your input, but the Phils need solutions, not anti-solutions. Your solution(s) is(are)…?
Honestly I'd rather they just signed Figgins and Omar Vizquel than Derosa and Feliz. Derosa is gonna cost around 5 million and his glove is subpar as an infielder, Feliz is gonna cost around 4 million and his bat is subpar. Figgins is gonna cost around 11 million and Vizquel around 1 million, but Figgins is younger than Feliz or Derosa, and he has a much better glove than Feliz or Derosa, and he has a better bat than Feliz or Derosa. He'd lead off and Rollins goes to the 7.
I would kind of consider 11 million to be overpaying, but I'd still rather get Beltre and Vizquel. Beltre would probably be cheap to after a down year with the bat, but his glove is still elite. I think he'd be a potential 30 HR guy at the bank.
I just don't understand why Atkins is not given serious consideration. Sure, he had an off year last year but his previous 4 seasons he was healthy, hit more than 22 hrs each year, had over 100 rbi in 2 of the 4 seasons and hit over .300 in 2 of these 4 seasons (close to it in the other 2).
He is an rbi guy, younger, lots of upside. Atkins is my #1 choice for 3rd, no utility guy here.
Beltre? He is coming off a very disappointing 5 year, 64 million dollar contract. Would he sign for much less? Doubtful..
This is crazy. Chahlie wins his second straight NL title, his 3rd straight division title and winds up 6th in the NL Manager of the Year voting? Someone please tell me where did Bobby Cox and the Braves wind up?
What place did the Giants and Bruce Bochy wind up in?
How stupid!
Yeah it is really kind of stupid that he hasnt at least been given a token M.O.Y. award. They base it on the REGULAR season though. Still, hes spearded the team to three straight division championships, that should amount to ONE freaking managerial award at least.
Well if the criteria for the utility man is that hes better at shortstop than he is at other positions that he can play (that seems like the gist of what Amaro said), then Uribe is the best choice. Carroll, Belliard are more 2B, 3B guys and are not great at SS.
I wouldnt mind seeing the Phillies try up upgrade one of their rotation slots, but I have this sneaking suspicion they will actually try to get away with Moyer in that 5th role which will be a disaster. They should just pay him to go away. Kyle Drabek may or may not be ready to come up. I need to see some dominance at LHV first.
Beltre will have to sign for much less than his previous 5 year, $64 Million contract… because nobody in their right mind would pay him anything close to that
Figgins is the most desirable 3b .. so he should, and probably will get the biggest contract (which more than likely wont be from us)
I wouldn't mind seeing Miguel Tejada on maybe a 2 year deal, with a 3rd year option.. His bat is way less risky than Beltre's ..though Beltre would play better defense
There are names floating around in terms of trade candidates.. Brandon Inge, Garret Atkins
Atkins would be alright if you didn't have to give up a lot to get him.. but I have a feeling they would try to get JA HAPP .. and that to me isn't worth it
If Kevin Kouzmanoff was made available from the Padres, I would definitely inquire on him too.. he's got power, and he would be able to hit 7th in the lineup, with very little pressure on him to help carry the team, but he would have lots of chances to hit with runners on base
I'm not a fan of Polanco playing 3b, unless he's willing to sign for so cheap that you can't pass him up
I don't think DeRosa is better than Feliz, and he would cost more…and can he play everyday?
Figgins would be overpaid AND cost a draft pick. Not a good way to run a team. Feliz or Beltre plus DeRosa would probably also cost too much. If you want a platoon, you'd have to get near-superstar production from the pair to warrant their combined salaries. And there's just no way Manuel could keep both of them in the lineup on a regular basis, unless there's an injury at SS or 2B.
While DeRosa might be able to spell Utley and Rollins, so could others who would come cheaper. It's an either/or situation with third, not a "let's sign everybody" thing.
If the Phils had a real prospect in AA or AAA, third base wouldn't even be an issue. They'd just keep Feliz for another year. But he's slowing down now, and you can't keep him around for the time it would take for someone else to be ready.
My own feeling is that the free agents available are pretty questionable, and filling third will still be an issue next year. I only hope the team doesn't sign anyone for three years at a small fortune, because they might end up eating the contract. Beltre hasn't been durable lately, and the aging DeRosa is coming off wrist surgery. Reading of these options I can only think of re-signing Feliz, unless Polanco isn't offered arbitration.
tejada would be a huge upgrae offensively. We might have lineup problems because he's too good to bat 7th. A 2 year deal with a club option sounds good.
Pass on Inge and Atkins(unless he comes cheap which he won't).
Kouzmanoff is the sleeper out there. Nothing wrong with a #7 hitter that hits 25 Hrs.
They MUST get a real 3B prospect in this draft. Its ridiculous at this point. The first pick should be a BLATANT 3B. Not some project, not some tweener that you convert from something else. Find the best COLLEGE 3B available and pick him and sign him and make sure that he blows through the lower tiers THIS season. So taht he can start 2011 in Reading. Im talking about a LEGIT Blue Chip prospect.
Geoff.. easier said than done
They thought Costanzo was going to be that guy.. and so did LOTS of baseball people
Then they thought Jason Donald was maybe going to play 3b.. but had to trade him to get Lee
I agree that 3b needs to be a priority.. BUT.. they've been taking the best all around player available .. and because of that, we actually got some talent in our farm system the past few years, which allowed us to make some trades for guys like Joe Blanton and Cliff Lee
so I can't fault their draft plans really, because it has given us our most succeussful run in franchise history
They also thought Anthony Hewitt would be that guy, until they moved him to the OF at the end of the season.
I think every other team and scout projected Hewitt as an OF … Phillies wanted to take a chance with him at 3b?
He played SS in high school I think
Yeah, tahts more evidence that Hewitt was a bad choice there. I dont even want to look at who they passed on tahts already a top prospect….
Well, they need a 3B of the future. THey havent done that as we all know. Total blind spot – like the Flyers with goalies and the Eagles with running the ball. They just dont see it.
They need to sign or get a guy for the present for liek 3 or 4 years to be honest with you. 2 years isnt enough, even if they drafted a 3B of the future this June coming up. You need 3 years at least.
In that draft, they got Anthony Hewitt, Anthony Gose, Jason Knapp, Vance Worley, and Trevor May with their first 5 picks
I don't know any of the names after Hewitt (except Cutter Dykstra)..
I would rather them take the best player… then take a 3b prospect a few rounds too soon, just to get him in their system (I kinda think that is what they did with Mike Costanzo??)
Ray Emery is a breath of fresh air! Flyers just might go some where this year.
Baseball is odd though. You can pick a better player later (Colvin) just because other teams dont think they can sign them. So its different than usual.
2007 we took Joe Savery 10 picks before the Tigers selected Rick Porcello
What do you all think of the fact that Detroit has made Edwin Jackson available? Do you think hes worth bringing in to bolster the rotation from the right hand side?
I also think Porcello got a record setting bonus at that time though for that position….
The idea of Tejada is interesting…..however, two points…
1) Will he be agreeable to playing third?
2) Will he agree to bat 7th??
My gut feeling about him is that he may get noisy about eother one or both of those scenarios…..he wasn't the happiest of campers in Baltimore….of course, maybe there's good reason with that as bad as they were when he was there (and still are).
I don't know….he COULD be a bit of a problem in the clubhouse….do we really need that??
Kouzmanoff is a VERY interesting option….
Tajada is a bit of a horses rear end…
Tejada was said to be open to playing 3b (Im sure that if he was playing for a WS team instead of Baltimore or Houston.. it would help)
I would imagine he would hit #2, or #6 more often than he would hit #7…
Tejada has the tools, but I agree that it could mess up the chemistry. Chalk up his attitude in Baltimore to roid rage, LOL. Just kidding.
I keep coming back to Kouzmanoff if the other options fail. I like the fact he hits .290 against lefties with good power. Not bad for a 7 hole hitter. The question is what would it take. He could defeinately fill the position for 3 years or so. The $$$ could go to the bull pen were the Phils need more help.
I was saying Taylor for Kouzmanoff the other day.. and people that was giving them WAY TOO MUCH
In reality.. I think we would probably have to give them another player
Teams are much higher on Anthony Gose and Domonic Brown than they are on Michael Taylor
There is talk that Dertroit would be willing to listen to offers on Miguel Cabrera.. BUT.. I don't think he can play an effective 3b .. and he makes like $25 M for the next 5 years
Imagine that lineup though!!!
Jason Bay turned down 4/60 from the Sox. Werth is gonzo after this year because no way the Phils can afford him with the other stars. I hope Taylor and Brown are ready.
people said* that was giving them WAY TOO MUCH ***
unless salaries really start to come back down to Earth
I said the other day that if Werth was a Free Agent right now, he would probably be rated behind Matt Holliday, but ahead of Jason Bay ??
Werth will be in line for $12-15 per season for 5 years or so … possibly to expensive for the Phillies, but they definitely NEED him in the lineup to protect Howard
Cabrera would make this lineup sick. At first I thought $25 mill over 5 then realized you meant 25 mil per. It's actually around 20 million per. Ouch.
He'll be a DH in a few years (if he doesn't do that already?)
Happy Birthday Ryan Howard… he turns 30 today …my that went fast
and Baltimore Sun columnist, Dan Conolly, expects the Orioles to sign Pedro Feliz (not today.. but at some point)
These according to MLBtraderumors.com
CARBrera is a slug out there. He cant play even first base anymore.
I feel bad for Feliz….guys go to Baltimore to die these days….what a turn of events over the past 10 years for a once very proud franchise.
The more I think about it I DON'T want Tejada….I don't really care about his offensive ability….the guy can get squirelly at times and this team doesn't need that attitude in the clubhouse…..then again, maybe Cholly could handle him….
Howard's 30???….Sh!t…..That DID fly by.
Tejada is actually said to be a great "Clubhouse guy" …
We just think he would be a d-bag because he was on a chippy-Oakland A's team before.. and he used steriods before
Neither one of them have anything to do with the fact that he would make our lineup a whole lot better than it has ever been
Am I being BAD…I switched to Dish Network which I now love. I live in South Jersey. Getting rid of Comcast was hard because of CSN Philly. No more Flyers or Phillies. I kept the internet through comcast. I had a tech come over to get my speed up which is great now. He said you miss your channel. I said of course. He said I will show you something and its really not stealing. He split my internet into the tv in that room. I get 45 stations of comcast, including CSN Philly. I said isnt that stealing. He said not really. If I was not paying for a service or using a black box. I just want it for the games. Is this a really bad thing???
Yeah, he's a great "Clubhouse Guy" until he doesn't get his way or, in the case of the O's, they don't make the committment to winning (different scene here, though)….
He WOULD indeed make the line-up better…
Listen…I'm not totally against the idea…..if he agreed to be a "team player" and maybe sacrifice line-up spots of defensive positions or whatever…I'm just wary, that's all..
But if you can get a guy like Kouzmanoff…wouldn't that be a better option??
sign allen iverson…….
Tejada would cost a lot more in salary than Kouzmanoff, but it boils down to what the Phils woud need to give up and how the market looks.
I should've added to forget about F. Lopez. He's a Scott Boras client.
I really hope the Braves get stuck with Lowe and his 45 million he's owed. They keep looking and nobody wants that contract after the year he had. Serves them right.
SO the latest news it that the Phillies have 20M to spend basically. That should get you Bench Help (it appears they like Juan Uribe), a 3B (they list deRosa, but I expect Beltre or Polanco), bullpen arms (they list Rodney, they will need another guy too who will have to be off the cheap heap), and then starting pitching depth (they may have to trade for that, or sign a 4th or 5th type starter – which is ok as long as they think Drabek will help THIS year).
I wonder how much a guy like Pinero will get realistically. I cant see him getting overpaid that badly.
Beltre will get like 7M I think. Rodney, eh I dunno 5? Depth (4th) starter? like 6 Id say. 2M for bench player.
Tough to tell what the market will bear this year, but Piniero will probably cost too much. Rodney, yuck. He's way too wild for my liking. I'd rather spend 4 or 5 on a guy like Betancourt if possible. We need a true backup closer if Lidge doesn't come back strong.
Does the 20 million count Eyre and Park as not resigning or assuming they resign?
I like betancourt. i hope it doesnt count them. because good relievers cost a few mil a piece, and good late inning guys cost like 4 or 5. Id like Soriano is they dont offer him arbitration. Betancourt will be great but I think Colorado will re-sign him. They need a quality setup man for Street.
Tony Pena is available. If Eyre walks Ill take Beimel out of that group. Id also look at Joaquin Benoit perhaps.
3 hours 15 minutes until FA starts.
Phils may have to get creative and look for deals. Some real good high end relief, but not a lot of middle of the road relief.
Brandon Lyon is a guy I'd look at, but he's in the 5 mil range like Betancourt. Vargas has been a solid reliever after being a terrible starter. He should be in-expensive.
Yikes. I added up the contracts on Cots baseball giveing Blanton and Victorino about 4-5 million in raises total and it looks like the $120 mil doesn't include Park, Durbin and Condrey which means that 20 million needs to land a 3b, utility infielder, 5th OF, back-up catcher and 3 relievers unless they count on the minors. This is why I'd love to look at Kouzmanoff because you'll have an extra 3 or 4 million for bull pen
5 for 3b
5 for top end reliever
2 for backup OF
2 for utility infielder
2 for backup catcher
2 for reliever
2 for reliever
Well with baseball free agency it takes a while for it to fall into place. The top guys usually have to sign first at each position. never always, youll have small names sign first. But the rest of the guys depend on it. who knows though, with this economy things get wierder in sports every year.
our 5th OF and the backup catcher will make less than 2 each. they will likely be bottom of the barrel guys, as will one of those relievers. just off the scrap heap basically.
Geoff, In other words we have to wait untilt the Yankees and RedSox are done shopping, LOL.
not always. this year we will likely have the 3rd or 4th highest payroll.
How about: Piniero, Lyon, Beltre, Torrealba, Uribe. Maybe take a chance n Joaquin Benoit if hes cheap. If Rodney will take less money thats great.
They need a 4th starter type like Piniero, as I think Wolf wont come here Marquis is too costly. Its not even worth looking at Looper of Garland, thats making the team worse. For that 4th starter they may have to make a trade because of the cost.
When are they expecting that draybek will be able to start? Mid season? 2011?
Piniero, Lyon, Beltre, Torrealba, Uribe and a 5th OF would be excellent. Happ is our 4th starter?
I think Kendrick should be the long man in our bullpen. He showed enough at the end of the season to warrant that role I think. Less pressure. Moyer, just, I dunno. Im sure hell be at ST, but they really oughtta pay him to retire early and try to hire him to some kind of coaching role in the organization.
Happ is a 4th starter kind of, yeah. He slowed down a bit in the postseason, but that couldve just been because his arm was tired. He will probably struggle a bit this season as well. Hed go 5th but that would just mean simply that we have a deeper rotation this year if they go ahead and sign a 4th starter like Piniero or Marquis (but I think they may not be able to afford them, because the Starters will be waiting to see what Lackey gets – and we could always trade).
Ruben DID say he was looking for Bench Help, Bullpen Help, 3B, and Starting Pitching depth primarily right now. SP depth to me means signing or trading for a 4th starter. It sounds like they will NOT rush Drabek, which is the correct move. They will give him at least half a season at AAA I think.


text:
BSC Alerts
News & Events
Classified Staff Council of Bluefield State College Minutes
Classified Staff Council of Bluefield State College Minutes
August 11, 2005
Chair, Carol Baldwin called the meeting to order at 2:00 in Conference Room on the ground floor of Basic Science.
Present: Rick Akers, Carol Baldwin, Joan Buchanan, Kim Daniels, Tracie Goss, Fred Hardee, Lisa Neel, Jeff Noe, Michele Noe, and Berreda Ratliff.
Staff Visitors: Heather Simmons and Bettie Wallace
A motion to accept the meeting minutes from the July 6, 2005 meeting was made and seconded by Noe/Hardee, all were in favor.
Carol, Chair, then asked for reports.
A. Board of Governors-Frosty was not in attendance but sent the following message: He would like everyone to join in sending recommendations of Anita Skeens-Caldwell and Ann Crowe for the BSC BOG to the Governor.
B. Personnel Development-Had no meeting to report on.
C. ACCE-Fred told the council that there was going to be a special meeting on Monday August 22 at Fairmont State College with the governor. If any staff member has any questions, they can forward them on to Fred who will make every attempt to raise them at this meeting. One item on the agenda for this meeting was a request of the governor for pay raises. The council agreed that we would support requesting a flat $2,000 across the board raise for all public employees. A representative of the Labor Union AFT was on campus this week asking everyone to sign a petition that they would be presenting to the Legislative committee asking for full funding of the Mercer pay scale.
D. Flower Fund-Anita was not able to attend this meeting but sent a message that the balance in the fund is $528.77.
E. Social Activities Committee-Carol spoke with Dr. Walker about reviving the staff picnic. He was very open to the possibility and would like some feedback about logistics. Carol will be sending out an informational sheet to all classified staff listing new members and contact info. Along with this sheet, she will send a survey about when and where staff would most like to see the picnic held. She was also told by Dr. Walker that he would be willing to give all staff BSC shirts. She will be presenting a proposal to that effect shortly, and may see if they can be given out at the picnic (another incentive to attend).
F. Holiday of Lights Committee-Michele stated that she is forming the committee and will be contacting the city next week to set up a date for the event.
G. Wellness Committee-Lisa has been working with Roy and the nursing department to set up Blood Sugar and Blood Pressure screenings in different buildings throughout the semester. The committee is also trying to get aerobics and water aerobics classes offered to staff.
Old Business:
A. Carol said that Sheila Johnson was in the process of reviewing the proposal concerning pay raises that the staff council previously submitted in response to a request by Dr. Walker. She wants to meet with the council to discuss issues concerning the raises. She was unable to compile this information for today's meeting, but will work on trying to get this together for the next meeting.
New Business:
A. Carol said Raphael Heaggans had asked before he left for Staff Council to review the Sexual Harassment Policy. Carol handed copies to all present and asked them to review it for discussion at the next meeting.
B. Carol said Raphael Heaggans had asked before he left for Staff Council to review the Hiring Policy. Carol handed copies to all present and asked them to review it for discussion at the next meeting.
Other Business:
A. Carol said that David Lord, the new Human Resources Director, will be holding a workshop in September on writing a PIQ. She would like to invite him to our October meeting to get to know the members.
The next meeting will be Thursday September 8, 2005 at 2:00, location to be announced.
With no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned by Carol.
Minutes submitted by Michele Noe


text:
Sometime between college graduation and now, I realized that I could recreate the same tasty drinks I'd sip at swanky Boston bars for a fraction of the price. Case in point: jalapeño margaritas. Needless to say, my friends were impressed when I served those up last week – salt rim and all.
This week? I went on the hunt for a tart concoction that didn't scream summer. The answer: rum. Even when packed with grapefruit and oranges, rum – the way it warms from the inside – is ideal for cold weather. "The ruby color, however, is what keeps me coming back," writes Pastry Affair blogger Kristin Rosenau. "A pink grapefruit is juiced, which is mixed with ginger ale for sweetness, rum for boldness, and triple sec to round out the citrus flavor." Consider me convinced.
Click the recipe card to download and print.
A couple of quick tips: Mason jars give this mixture a rustic feel, but it can just as easily be served in a martini glass. And, if you find it too sweet – or you're looking to cut a couple calories – swap in club soda for the ginger ale.
Our Cocktail Hour: A Splash of Citrus Boutique opens Saturday, March 1, at 11AM ET.
By Julia Ivins, Staff Writer
Not a Member and like The (Style) Guide? You'll love Rue La La. Join now.


text:
Another consideration is one-shot vs. campaign.
I absolutely loved Maure Castle as a (lengthy) one-shot. If the players know going in that it isn't going to be a long-term campaign, the dirty DM tricks and lethality can be entertaining. On the other hand, I'd NEVER inflict this adventure on players in a long-running campaign, and I think we'd have a lot more frustration and frowns than fun.
Since Dungeon provides such a large number of adventures per year, I think there are room for these types of adventures (even if it eats up an entire issue once per year or two).
"Red Hand of Doom" and "Into the Wormcrawl Fissure" more or less show how I think the dungeon crawl needs to be handled in this crazy modern day and age; smaller dungeons with neat areas and no "empty rooms." Want a LOT of dungeon encounters? Make sure they're split up between several different locations, or at the very least, differently themed levels of dungeon. And for the love of Obox-ob put stuff in that isn't straight-up melee fights! Not everyone plays fighters with swords and shields.
Exactly! This is music to my ears James.
Many groups have limited time to meet and removing many empty rooms leaves more time for memorable adventuring. Likewise, splitting up areas between locations breaks up things a bit and helps a DM divide the dungeon into manageable sections when session-planning.
I've read many online reviews of Monte's "Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil" (haven't played it yet myself) and the one criticism that keeps coming up is that the mines are too bloody long. Too much of a good thing, and all that. I love the original Temple, but that too suffers from the same ... DMing it recently I trimmed off a few extra humanoid/bandit rooms and redesigned a few others so my players wouldn't get bored by the endless "stacked" rooms.
I think AoW offers a good variety of interesting locales and themes; I can't wait to begin it with my players when we create PCs anew.
|Jonathan Drain
The game wouldn't live up to its name without at least some dungeons and some dragons. I think the very point of the game is that the player characters step into an enclosed realm of monsters in an event that becomes progressively less like the safe world they know, culminating in the greatest challenge they've ever faced together, and all in the name of wealth, fame or justice. It's exciting, interesting and it lets you be a hero, a hero whose heroic potential increases each time he performs an act of heroism. The dungeon is the basis of "where the adventure is" and is a place that is heroic to enter at all, while the dragon is the epitome of a final boss fight, providing a massive challenge and massive reward.
I think that once players get used to the game, which is perhaps a lot of Dungeon's readership, they begin to want some reason to their dungeon - if it has no reason, then the players will find the underlying reason, "It was made up and placed here to give us something to do." If that happens, the dungeon goes from a heroic adventure to a simulacrum of one, a series of randomly generated straw dummies held together by excuses. That's not heroic - it's dull and predetermined.
|James Jacobs Creative Director
My whole response to issue 112 was "Wwwwwhhhyyyyyyyyy????????????".
The "why" is partially because Erik and I wanted to see if we could get away with doing an entire issue as one adventrue, a retooling and expansion of one of the original D&D adventrues, and mostly because we thought the readership would react positively to it.
"Mordenkainen's Fantastic Adventure" (the adventure this issue's "Maure Castle" was based on) was one of my all-time favorite adventures, and it really gave us a chance to do an old-school 1st-edition feel dungeon adventure, but with 3rd edition sensibilities and rules. I'm really proud of how it turned out.
Also as it turned out, issue #112 was one of Dungeon's most popular issues ever, and went on to win the Ennie for best adventure of the year. Reader response to the issue was extreemely positive, and even today it remains a very popular issue. (It's sold out, and still selling PDF copies.) I count issue #112 as one of the great successes of the magazine's run.
It certainly had a great cover, and putting Gygax's name on the cover helped sell some issues I'm sure. But when you get down to it, "Maure Castle" represents a type of adventure that is still quite popular among our readers today. You can certainly expect more adventrues like it now and then as we roll on; old-school dungeon crawls like these are money-makers.
After rereading the thread I found out what really bugs my players (and me as DM) in Dungeoncrawls. I have more then a yard of 3.5 Rulebooks with dozens of characterclasses and there are thousands of prestigeclasses, but if I go on a dungeoncrawl there is just the fighter, the trap detecter, the healer and the use-magic-to-kill-things-quickly characters. It is like showing all the possibilities and then tell to go back to the standard. Frustrating is right word.
I understand that a lot of people like it that way and the majority pays the bill. But maybe like we got in any dungeon 3 adventures for the low, middle and high levels, we may get one of the adventures with a special interest theme, like Challenge of the Champions, Ill made Graves, Honor & Eta etc.
ok, for me, the endless dungeon crawl *with no logical places to stop and rest* is the most annoying thing in existance. take RTTOEE, for example - the crater ridge mines are psychotic, and if your DM is into dynamic adventuring, then the party will be dead REALLY REALLY quickly.
The whispering cairn bypasses this kind of idiocy by allowing the characters to set their own schedule, and doesn't overload the party with too many encounters in a row. the three faces of evil, on the other hand, would play as a party-killer If I had run it right out of the box.
my favorite Adventure i've seen in dungeon, The Styes, is a great compromise between pure dungeon crawl and investigation. both the warehouse/ship encounter and the cultist's temple had just enough in the way of encounters to push the party to just under their limits, and time to rest before taking on the next challenge. plenty of nasty combat, but lots of good roleplay possibilities too. I'd love to see more adventures like the Styes (and considering the reaction i've seen to that particular adventure, it would go over really well) in the next AP.
I think that, in the current AP, there's some really strong adventures: Whispering Cairn, Hall of Harsh Reflections, Gathering of Winds, and Prince of Redhand all stand out as being adventures that will stand out for my players - notice that three out of four are dungeon crawls, but they are broken up in interesting ways. I'm not really sure about Into the Wormcrawl fisure yet, i'm still digesting the content from it, but it's also got some real possibility.
My suggestions, specifically for the next AP, are to try and break up the dungeon encounters early in the game, so that the characters can take them at their own pace. as they gain levels, time cruches and the inability to safely rest are just another part of the challenge, but at low levels they are really difficult to overcome right.
...wow, that was longer-winded that I had intended.
|Lord Silky
My answer to this question is: When there is no rhyme or reason. When D&D first came into being it was acceptable and exciting to just go through a dungeon and have encounters. New players gobbled it up. Role-playing was nice but not so necessary. Professionally developed adventures of the time gave a nod to plot or story sometimes but it wasn't common.
So, 30+ years later..gamers can find 'kill the foozle' games anywhere and they are automated. The basic attitude is: If I want that, I play Diablo II.
What does this Magazine provide? Story, plot, adventure, drama, an interactive adventure that responds to my characters actions. Any adventures that have that video game feel kills the best things about role-playing games. You look back through old issues of Dungeon..and you'll see a few that fit that bill.
So, provide living, breathing, purposeful dungeons (no matter what form they take) and don't succumb to computer game strategies. The computer RPG mantra is to make it as much like gaming at the table as possible. So, Dungeon needs to ensure they never succeed at it. :-)
|Jonathan Drain
There's a progression for many players that goes something like this:
Now, many of these interested "non-players" never make it to being D&D players - the high initial cost of rulebooks, the initial rules complexity and the difficulty of finding players are prohibitive. Every place which sells D&D books should provide methods for prospective players to join groups - in my opinion. Wizards of the Coast ought to see to this.
Rather, D&D is losing a lot of its potential players - young people who are interested in the fantasy genre and hack-and-slash gamesiness of it - to fantasy MMOs which cost less initially, have an easy learning curve and don't require players to know established gaming groups already. These MMOs provide a lot of the co-operative hack-and-slash of entry-level D&D.
That's basically what a dungeon crawl is - entry-level D&D. New players enjoy the game enough for what it is and don't care for story or roleplaying - in fact, some players may be too embarrassed to roleplay seriously unless with a regular group. This means that the entry-level, default D&D experience is simple, straightforward dungeoneering. Some regular players don't grow out of phase and will happily crawl dungeons as long as there's always something new and interesting, which is why we still have people playing dungeon crawls after twenty years.
A downside to online MMOs, of course, is that you don't get to be "the heroes" - when everyone's a hero, you're just a regular citizen in a land where magic is boringly common. People who take up MMOs could be enjoying D&D instead, or as well as. People who leave MMOs after getting bored with the lack of creativity, freedom and heroism involved, could be taking up D&D. Again, this is an area that Wizards really isn't marketing to properly, instead it's trying to compete with WoW with an MMO - a dungeon crawl set in Eberron, of all things!
In my estimation, the main groups of demand go something like this:
|Zherog Contributor
I currently have 5 players with a WIDE range of ages - 37, 21, 18, 12, and 5. The younger they get, the more interested they are in "killing the monsters and looting the bodies" as the sole reason for gaming. When the group had more older/experienced gamers, that dynamic was a good deal different.
Let me just throw in my own humble request for stats to all be gathered into one place like in Red Hand and RttToEE. That makes it SO MUCH EASIER on me as a DM to prepare an adventure!
My lead player agrees with the idea that "a dungeon-crawl is a dungeon-crawl when it isn't interesting anymore." She *loved* Jzadirune! In fact, even tho I only ran the first adventure for our group, one of my players has bought the HC and is running it for his own group. Two years after we played, and he told me "I could almost run that adventure from memory!"
("never laugh at short guys with daggers!")
I guess to boil it all down, to prevent the "negative dungeon-crawl," make the adventure & encounters logical, make the settings interesting - the more fantastical the better, use several locations (or one *really awesome* one!), and make set-up/prep easy on us DMs!
|Zherog Contributor
Let me just throw in my own humble request for stats to all be gathered into one place like in Red Hand and RttToEE. That makes it SO MUCH EASIER on me as a DM to prepare an adventure!
That's interesting. I guess this is another thing I'm in a minority group for. When I ran RttToEE, I found it a big pain in the ass to have the stat blocks in the back of the book. Now, I will say that was the old format, which I loathe. I could never find information I needed in the old stat block. It was so bad with RttToEE that I put all the NPCs into PCGen and printed out character sheets for them.
|Clark Peterson Legendary Games, Necromancer Games
This thread is so interesting, I called James up on the phone and he and I talked about it for about an hour and a half!!!
Seriously, I love the idea of adventure design. And that is what James is asking about, I think. "When designing an adventure, how much should the dungeon be involved? How much is too much?"
I'm not going to weigh in on this and take a side. But I will say this (and it may shock some people), I think the more limited dungeons in AoW (and the "encounter areas" design idea) were better for an evolving story driven, tight campaign arc like SCAP and AoW. Yes, that is right, I just said "less dungeon crawling." :) Dont quote me, I'll deny it!
But that begs James' question: when does a dungeon as a setting for adventure become a "dungeon crawl" with the negative connotations that brings? A great question!
PS: What an amazing thing it is to see design studs like James (I firmly believe the guys at Dungeon right now are in the stratosphere in terms of experience with adventure design) in here in the forums asking all of us for our input! That is awesome! And he listens too!
That's basically what a dungeon crawl is - entry-level D&D. New players enjoy the game enough for what it is and don't care for story or roleplaying - in fact, some players may be too embarrassed to roleplay seriously unless with a regular group.
My experience is that especially young players enjoy role-playing. But I got more girls then boys at the table, so maybe it is a gender thing.
|Zherog Contributor
PS: What an amazing thing it is to see design studs like James (I firmly believe the guys at Dungeon right now are in the stratosphere in terms of experience with adventure design) in here in the forums asking all of us for our input! That is awesome! And he listens too!
I agree Clark. I think it's really awesome the way the staff (of both magzines!) interacts with the readership on these message boards.
So I guess I'll actually attempt to make a useful post on this thread now. Amazing, I know. ;)
It's probably easier to list the things I don't like. A lot of this stuff assumes a campaign rather than a "one off" adventure.
I don't like a static environment. When the adventurers kick in the front door, the inhabitants should all react accordingly; instead, lots of "dungeon crawls" have the denizens just hang out in their room, waiting for the PCs to come kick their ass. Intelligent foes are going to either prepare (cast spells, use potions, etc) or flee. Animal-intelligent type foes are going to defend their home. If you don't believe me, wander into the woods and go into a bear's den. :D They're not going to lounge around waiting for the PCs to get there.
I don't like unused useful treasure. Some things in treasure piles of intelligent creatures always bug me. Why does that necromancer have a ring of protection +4 in his chest instead of on his finger? Sure, if he's wearing two other really cool rings it might make sense - but that's not always the case.
I don't like nonsensical ecologies. A dungeon is somebody's (or something's) home. It needs to take into account movement, eating, sleeping, going to the bathroom, oxygen circulation, and so on. In addition, somebody mentioned earlier the example of a rust monster in one room with an iron golem in the next. That's something else in this category.
I don't like traps that serve no purpose. A trap is going to be there for one of two reasons. Either it's in place to keep something out, or it's in place to keep something in. If the trap is there to keep the adventurers out, the denizens need a way to bypass it. That might mean another (more hidden) way in; that might mean a "key" to get around the trap. Whatever. If the trap exists to keep something in, it should be designed that way. If the purpose of your trap is to keep the mummy from escaping the tomb, don't use a death effect.
I don't like adventures without a goal. A half-baked goal is better than no goal. If the best hook my character has for going into the Dungeon of Doom is a chance to get some loot, then I'm not sure he's going in. This one, though, isn't always the dungeon writer's fault; the DM really needs to figure this one out. I'm generally OK with, "My friend Bob the Wizard needs something in that dungeon; I'm a big strong fighter and Bob needs protection. And he's always helped me in the past, so I guess I'll help him with this." That's an OK "hook" for my PC - as long as Bob really does have a good reason to want to go in.
I don't (generally) like dungeons that are of the "kill, loot, repeat" design. It goes back to the first point, I suppose. But it's more than that. I want interaction. Have a monster/NPC surender; or have somebody attempt to get away. Have somebody bargain with the PCs - "If I give you X, will you leave?" Give my PC something to do other than bringing stabbity death upon some monsters.
So there's things I don't like. Most adventures seem to have one of those - and that's OK. It's really only a problem when an adventure has all those elements. That's when it's seems to go from "cool adventure" to "dungeon crawl" (in the negative context) for me.
Er... that's a long post. I hope it made sense...
As others have said, logical behavior of the inhabitants, logical layout of the dungeon (including the purposes of its rooms), and a slid reason for the party to be working its way through said dungeon are the key. In my mind, as long as you continue to have all three of these elements, even a 200+ room dungeon can work, it just needs to keep evolving.
That being said, I do prefer the smaller dungeons because they are easier to manipulate and "evolve"- If a githyanki outpost suffers two hit and run attacks from the party, losing two or three patrols or guardrooms, they would rightfully pull back, reinforce their defenses, and group up for greater security.
Such a scenario isn't impossible with a band of 20 giths in a ~10 room outpost, but what if it was one of the outer fortresses of a monolithic city, filled with over 300 highly trained giths, including powerful arcanists and draconic allies? At some point, the human brain is unable to track the almost limitless possiblities and tactics available to such a large organization, at least on the fly, which means more time spent in the pre-game developing all the possible scenarios and countertactics available to the GM.
I am currently heavily involved with updating RttToEE for 3.5 and in an Eberron setting, and have found that the GM must insert subplots and focused missions (i.e. liberate captive from X garrison, assist a cult dissdent in escaping from his suspicious comrades, recover X key from X Temple) to truly enable the non-hack and slash party to work their way through the majority of the mines. After all, the "find a temple/garrison, kill the inhabitants, move on" gets old pretty quick.
I will credit Monte Cook's concepts, including separating each major outpost (i.e. Temple or Bridge garrison) with non-aligned beasties, in order to keep the enemies somewhat separate, but I will agree with the earlier poster that the number of forces at each base, when run dynamically, can transform into a true "fire ant's nest" if the party just kicks in the door and charges in "swords blazing."
To conclude, I think, James, that you guys at Dungeon could make AP3 work with ~20 room dungeons or ~50 room dungeons, because I know your plotlines and penchant for well-designed mid-session events (ala the brilliant Red Hand of Doom) would let you pull the whole enterprise off- it's all about variety.
My .02cp in quick easy to read powerpoint style
1) I perfer more realistic conflicts. I would much rather run a fantasy setting "Saving Private Ryan" or "A Midnight Clear" then home invade goblins and take their coppers.
2)A non-dungeoneer PC would usually have a wildly different series of feats then a dungeoneer, as a person who usually gears his character to city or rural settings my character is usually regulated to "door opener".
3) with the wealth of places to adventure over the various settings, why are all the heavy hitters underground? agoraphobia? Evil needs kingdoms too, with their own agenda and adventurers. I'm also a fan of "reverse dungeons" where evil is trying to sack a stronghold of good, and the heroes are part of the defending force.
|Jebadiah U.
James, I own the "Red Hand of Doom," and while I think it well-executed and intelligently presented, it feels too much like a retread of Dragonlance. I also think the dungeons are too small. By "small," I don't mean that they have two few rooms, but lack the scope and grandeur I want in my heroic adventuring. They just felt a bit mundane to me. (The lich's lair being an exception. And the temple at the climax. Well, okay, maybe it's a beter adventure than I give it credit for...)
The Tabernacle of Worms, the cave complex from "The Hateful Legacy," and the Tomb of Everflowing Blood from "The Mad God's Key" are recent examples of dungeons that feel expansize and even cinematic to me despite their relatively modest size. (The best example I can think of in utilizing a small room count to maximum effect is the the Moria sequence in "Fellowship of the Ring"--one room, a big hall,and a bridge.) I think "Kings of the Rift" neatly sidestepped this issue by placing the "dungeons" in a city under assault by dozens of dragons--with such a backdrop, you don't need a massive room count to convey an epic sense of scope.
So, as you can see, I like adventures that no matter how small they might be, still feel big.
I'm the guy who hates dungeon crawls. Most of the people who have posted either love dungeon crawling or would, but for one reason or another get frustrated with how they play, how long they are, or what kinds of traps or adversaries they're up against in them.
Not me.
I just hate 'em.
So what is a dungeon crawl to me? The number one thing is the expectation that I arrive on the scene and am to open every door and search every room and kill every monster. If I have a goal, like sneaking into a manor house to steal a specific thing, or if I'm on a hijacked pirate ship and am looking to take out pirates one at a time real quiet...that's just good old fashioned roleplaying. Now if I'm on a boat and there's a secret hold under a rug in the aft cannonball storeroom that contains a magically trapped safe which contains a +2 scimitar that I'm supposed to get because I'm a greedy adventurer out for riches--and every room is like that, that's a dungeon crawl. Yuck.
The second characteristic of a dungeon crawl is that the place doesn't make any logical sense. It's some forlorn ruin out in the middle of nowhere, but unlike real forlorn ruins it has got riches and dangers galore and secret doors to bridges over acid pits and whole scads of monsters who have decided to live there just to watch over all the treasure and to eat passing adventurers. This as opposed to the real ruin which probably has some water damaged furnature, maybe a tattered drapery or two, some putrified dead guys who probably died defending the place. You see where I'm going?
So yeah, basically to make me happy just 1) give me places I can interact with without having to drop into Diablo style metagaming--places my character would actually want to be and 2) make those places make rational sense so I don't end up having to quelsh my own rising sense of frustration and ire every time I run into another pristine (and trapped) treasure chest in a place so old that all the rest of the furnishings have decayed to termite eaten driftwood guarded by a throng of trolls with +2 greatswords with apparently nothing better to do.


text:
Hypatia of Alexandria, Hildegard von Bingen, Simone de Beauvoir, and Ayn Rand all enjoy comparative rock star status when it comes to women in the traditionally male-dominated philosophy sphere. But they definitely aren't the only names when it comes to eking out a place for ladyfolk amongst practitioners. While the following female philosophers boast varying levels of popularity in the classroom, they still offer some amazing ideologies to contemplate, either for class or during personal inquiry. Use them as a starter kit to exploring even more women philosophers who deserve recognition.
One of Delphi's priestesses earned historical cred as the alleged mentor of no less than Pythagoras himself! The Suda even claims she may have been his sister as well, though no evidence exists either supporting or disproving the statement. Little is known about Themistoclea, though the first mention as the seminal mathematician and philosopher's educator comes from Diogenes Laertius' Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers. He talks of her as the one responsible for inspiring Pythagoras' "moral doctrines," though he doesn't comment further on the priestess' life. In this instance, students would peer more into Themistoclea's overarching influence through time rather than the woman herself.
Arete of Cyrene:
Historians and philosophers debate over whether Arete of Cyrene's father or son established the Cyrenaic school, though it's entirely possible she herself may have done so and cultural mores pushed for a more patriarchal tale. This philosophy espoused hedonistic pleasures and the pursuit of the positive and avoidance of the negative. Legend has it the influential Arete of Cyrene spent 35 years as an educator and wrote more than 40 books, focusing largely on morals and earning the acclaim of her contemporaries.read more »


text:
Yesterday we spent a few hours at the Georgia Aquarium. This fantastic aquarium is the largest in the world and is a leader of aquatic animal conservation.
The place is awe inducing— truly. It is easy to forget how much life is actually housed in waters- both salt and fresh water. I took about 200 photos and could have easily taken 200 more.
Here are a few:
If you are ever in Atlanta I urge you to visit the Georgia Aquarium.
Are you a fan of aquariums? Do you have a favorite sea creature?


text:
I had my baby about 3 weeks premature. I had an emergency c-section since she was in the 1st percentile of weight for gestational age on my 36.5 week ultrasound.
From the beginning, she was put on a bottle due to hypoglycemia when she was first born. She spent 4 hours in the special care nursery and then was brought to me. I was allowed to breastfeed the first day, and she latched ok but was extremely sleepy at the breast. I had to use SNS with formula because, at 4#11oz, my baby couldn't afford to lose the usual 5-10% of her weight during her first couple of days. Then, she needed to go under the lights for jaundice. I had to bottle feed for that 24hrs since she wasn't allowed to be taken out from under the lights for breastfeeding. Once that was resolved, my baby no longer latched. I could get her on with a nipple shield only, and she remained very sleepy at the breast. We were prescribed a feeding schedule of 1.5oz formula or breastmilk 10 times per day, with breastfeeding allowed only 2-3 times per day (pediatrician didn't want her to expend energy at the breast). I rented a hospital grade pump, but was only able to get 10-15 mL per 15 minute pump (every 2-3hrs).
I have had supply problems ever since. My baby is 4 weeks old now, and up to 6#. I am allowed to breastfeed on demand now. My baby is starting to latch directly onto my nipple (however this is inconsistent). She eats ok sometimes, and not so well at others (weigh/feed/weigh results vary from 8 mL to 1.5oz). She is still very sleepy at the breast. When I pump, I get about 20 mL now. I need to supplement her with formula or pumped milk after almost every breastfeeding session (when she cries and roots after breastfeeding for 40+ minutes; she is usually satiated after taking 1-1.5oz from a bottle).
What's wrong with my supply? Shouldn't my milk be adequate by now? I am taking fenugreek, mother's milk tea, and reglan. I spend 10 hrs per day feeding and pumping, so it's not a supply/demand problem. My pediatrician told me some women just can't do it (have inadequate milk ducts or something). Has anyone heard of this? Any ideas on what else I can do?


text:
It wouldn't be wrong to count truck accidents among the most dangerous things taking place on the road. Trucks, whether they are 18-wheelers or pickup trucks, are many times heavier than the regular vehicles that families use for transportation. The momentum of these trucks on the roads is huge and when they hit another vehicle or a person on the road or sidewalk, the results are dreadful. Most law experts would agree that the law pertaining to truck accidents is lax in California and due to the involvement of many other factors to prove a party's wrongful act, it becomes inescapable to contact an attorney for help.
The Ehline Law Firm PC stands ready to assist those that need legal representation and has won thousands of cases for our clients, recovering millions. Call us for a free consultation at 888.400.9721.
Ehline Law Firm PC - Truck Accidents Law Firm in Los Angeles County and Beyond
Based in LA County, our firm has litigated many complicated cases, including truck caused personal injuries. Our professionals are second to none and have the experience to win the maximum compensation under the law. We will assist across the state.
Understanding Semi Truck Regulations
Semi truck laws and regulations are often based upon California and US codes and statutory laws specifically relating to trucks, including 18 wheelers. Many of these truck are enforced by the Department of Transportation, the Public Utilities Commission, and the Department of Homeland Security, and in some cases by the the LA City Council.
These regulations decide how much a fully laden commercial truck may weigh, who may drive big rig trucks, how many hours an operator can operate a truck before pulling over for a nap, and the type of training. When these are violated, injured victims often seek advice of experts in negligence law. The violations of these man made laws often are the legal cause of the accidents.
How Common Truck Accidents Take Place
No matter how heavy and big, trucks are also vehicles on the roads and can have accidents like other vehicles too. However, the reasons for accidents of different vehicles can be different. A truck driver might be driving under the influence, might not be fully trained to drive a truck or could have lost control on the truck for some reason. Slippery roads, over-speeding, reduced visibility are other common causes of truck accidents. On many occasions the truck drivers might put the lives of other drivers at risk for meeting their deadlines of reaching a particular destination.
Then there are other reasons that are more natural and a driver is unaware of them. For example, it might not be always the fault of the truck driver if the brakes fail on the way. It could be maintenance problem and many times the maintenance is in the hands of the company that privately owns the truck or another third party company.
The Many Different Types Of Truck Accidents
Regardless of the reason for a truck accident, they are extremely dangerous and on many occasions, fatal.
Here are the common truck accident types:
- Under-Ride (when vehicles coming from behind travel under the truck from the back)
- Jackknife (brakes are applied and the trailer of the truck lashes out just like jackknife)
- T-Bone
- Unchecked Load (drivers must check the load on the truck at regular intervals)
- Blowout of tires (when a tire bursts it is nearly impossible to control the speeding truck)
- Failure of brakes
- Rollovers (trucks must have tires with strong grip on the road because without it they can roll over even if traveling at just 5MPH)
- Blind spots (areas that truck drivers aren't able to see while driving)
These are the most common types of accidents with trucks and their results are always appalling since trucks are mostly found on bigger roads and highways where speeds are usually higher.
Some Steps a Greenhorn Should Take After a Truck Accident
If faced with injuries after an accident with an 18 wheeler, it is important to take the following steps:
- Collect Evidence – Evidence that supports your version of events is vital in the courts. You or a party on your behalf must obtain names, addresses and phone numbers of witnesses, and get ID and insurance info of the defendant and trucking company he or she works for. It is important to get official proof of road conditions, the weather, time of day and pictures of the roadway itself. Photograph faulty road repairs, damaged asphalt, broken or missing traffic signals. It is always handy to keep a disposable camera around, but you could also use the iPhone or personal camera.
- Obtain Copies of the Traffic Collision Investigation Report – Get the official copy from the police. If you find that it is a dunning type report, with factually false info, track down the officer and demand they correct the inconsistencies.
- Never Admit Liability to Anyone – Abe Lincoln said it best: "Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt." Don't be a dupe. Keep your mouth shut. Your not an expert. Don't hurt your case by making assumptions that you are not sure about.
Some Injuries Are Not So Obvious
Anyone that has been involved in a crash knows the adrenaline levels spike and block immediate sensation of pain. You can see stars and not realize that you have a severe head injury, ruptured spine, or hairline fractures. These are parts of the fight or flight response. When running around after an accident, police or onlookers could believe that the victim sustained no major injuries.
It would be better to wait to move around until seeing a medical professional. A victim can hurt their own case even when injured. Defendants always argue it was a latent injury and that you are faking it. Making sure that an attorney helps you build your case is a vital part of recovery. Let them do the worrying– you have enough on your plate already.
Parties That Can Be Held Responsible For Truck Accidents
In truck accidents it is extremely important to investigate the matters first. It must be found out what the actual and main cause of the accident was. Once the major cause of the accident has been found out, a certain party can be held responsible for the accident.
- Truck Driver: In most cases, the truck driver is held responsible for the accident because he has the control of the vehicle in his hand. This irresponsible behavior, or "negligence," is mostly the cause of truck accidents in this country.
- The Company: The company that has hired the driver is also held responsible for these accidents when the past record of the driver shows that he's been negligent at driving in the past too. The company is brought sued because the driver must not have been hired in the first place.
- The Repairing Company: If the accident was caused due to failure of brakes or other components on the truck, the repairing and maintenance contractors are held responsible.
- Governments: Governments and local ruling bodies can also be sued when they haven't done their job properly i.e. missed out on putting the right signs on the road or not repairing bad road conditions.
- Manufacturers of Vehicles: Manufacturers are held responsible when the construction of the vehicle or any of its components is found to be faulty.
- Others: People driving recklessly on the road and becoming the first cause of accidents can also be sued.
These things are investigated and scrutinized by your attorneys and their teams. Your job is only to contact a reliable law firm like Ehline Law for help on time.
What Can You Be Compensated For?
Every damage done to you, small or big, can be compensated. The obvious injuries need obvious compensations but there are other injuries and impacts of such accidents on your life that you might not see at the spot. It is the job of your attorney to take everything into account and build a case strong enough to get compensation for every loss and damage done to you as a result of the truck accident.
It is highly recommended that you let your attorney do the assessment work and find out what damages have been incurred due to the accident rather than making your own assumptions. A statement that sounds completely harmless to you could damage your case entirely and put your compensation at risk.
Here are the damages and losses that you can get the compensation for:
- Loss of wages and earnings, at present and in future
- Mental anguish, suffering and pain due to the accident and injuries
- Reduction in income resulting from effects on your working capacities due to injuries
- Expenses on your medical treatment at the hospital and that you might need permanently
Whether you are able to get any of these compensations or not depends on your choice of your legal representative – your personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles.
"Contingency Fee" Means No Recovery No Fee
When faced with such a severe injury, our jurists aim to get you the maximum recovery possible, including for both general and special claims. We work with our specialized professionalism and cover all fees and costs up front. We don't charge you a cent unless we win as per our contingency fee.
Ehline Law Will Represent Your Los Angeles Truck Accident Case
It's not easy to know who to hold responsible for the accident and how to prove the fault of the negligent party unless the right attorneys are standing on your side. With more than 30 years of experience, Ehline Law attorneys have known the ins and outs of truck and other vehicle accident cases. They have been serving Los Angeles and entire California for decades to know just about enough to fight these cases successfully. If you or someone you love has lost a lot due to a truck accident, let Ehline Law professionals obtain your fully deserved right and compensation. Call us today at 1-888-400-9721.