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Offseason news and notes
Every couple of weeks during the offseason (or whenever it's warranted), we'll put out a news & notes press release with some updates on the team. We did that today, and it can usually be found at the bottom of the home page under the "official team releases."
It hasn't been posted yet, so I've pasted it at the bottom of this post.
Other things to check regularly throughout the winter are the website for the Arizona Fall League which has several of our top prospects participating in it and currently has a headline featuring Dodger prospect Anthony Raglani and a "Beat the Streak" Fantasy game with Matt Kemp as the ad on the front of the site (he hit in 16 games last year in the AFL).
Also, for any of you who watch The Daily Show on Comedy Central and saw Jon Stewart bounce his first pitch at Shea Stadium on last night's show, rest assured I've offered him the chance to come out to Dodger Stadium and redeem himself next year. We'll see if he's able to make it out to the left coast.
I'll keep posting new stuff as I think of it and hope you're enjoying the postseason (I'm guessing the person who posted early this season who was a big Jeff Weaver fan is happy these days and on a personal note, I am too, as he was always a good guy for me to deal with).
Also, I have to say that I was surprised to hear Tim McCarver talk about how the Dodger farm system teaches pitchers to throw at a hitter when they square around to squeeze and then point to Guillermo Mota as an example. He repeated it three times, but Mota spent a grand total of 20 games in our minor league system and 112 with the Expos' organization. Just thought I'd clear that one up. That's all for now.
SCHOOL'S IN SESSION– Dodger rookie closer Takashi Saito will visit Nishiyamato Gakuen (Nishiyamato Academy) of California in Lomita this Thursday, Oct. 19 from 11 a.m.-Noon. Saito will visit with the school's K-9 students and faculty. The student body of Nishiyamato Academy is comprised primarily of Japanese citizens who make their home in Los Angeles. The academy is located at 2458 Lomita Blvd. in Lomita. For more information, please contact the Los Angeles Dodgers' Public Relations Department at (323) 224-1301.
BREAKING IT DOWN– Dodger hurler Brett Tomko will join KTTV/ FOX 11 Sports Anchor Rick Garcia on FOX 11's "Extra Innings" pre-game show during the World Series to serve as the in-studio analyst. Tomko played an integral role in the Dodgers' success in 2006, posting an 8-7 record with a 4.73 ERA in 112.1 innings pitched. Tomko will draw on his 10 seasons of Major League experience and two postseason appearances to provide in-depth analysis of this year's Fall Classic. Fox "Extra Innings," an MLB wrap-up show, has been airing since 1999.
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON– The Mexicali Aguilas of the Mexican Pacific League opened their season on October 10 and among the talented players listed on their roster are Fernando Valenzuela and Fernando Valenzuela Jr. This marks the first time that this father-son duo has played for the same team on a professional stage. Valenzuela, the former Dodger pitcher, rejoins the Aguilas for his third season with Mexicali and 14th season in the Mexican Pacific League. The National League Cy Young Award winner and Rookie of the Year in 1981 enjoyed 17 successful seasons in the Major Leagues including 11 seasons with the Los Angles Dodgers and he currently serves as the Dodgers' color commentator for Spanish-radio broadcasts. Valenzuela compiled a 173-153 career record with a 3.54 ERA which included 113 complete games, 31 shutouts and two World Championships with Los Angeles. Fernando Jr. spent the 2006 regular season with the Mobile Bay Bears, the Double-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. He just completed his fourth season of professional baseball and is participating in his first season of winterball. Through his first five games with Mexicali, Valenzuela Jr. is hitting .333 (6-for-18) with a double and three RBI. His father will don his familiar number 34. To date, Mexicali is tied for second place with a 3-2 record.
TOP OF THE CLASS – The Dodgers had three rookies ranked among Baseball America's top 20 Rookies for the 2006 season: catcher Russell Martin (10th), closer Takashi Saito (15th) and outfielder Andre Ethier (17th). All three began the season as teammates at Triple-A Las Vegas. Other current Dodgers that were previously tabbed by Baseball America as the Top Rookie of the Year are: Nomar Garciaparra (1997) and Rafael Furcal (2000).
IN RUSS WE TRUST- Baseball America ranked the Dodgers' rookie backstop, Russell Martin, 10th among the top 20 selections for Rookie of the Year. Martin made an immediate impact following his May 5 call-up as the team went 7-1 in his first eight starts and went on to post a 71-43 record when he started behind the plate. Martin finished the season hitting .282 with 10 home runs. He ranked among rookie leaders in the National League in batting average (.282, 9th), RBI (65, 7th), runs scored (65, 7th), total bases (181, 10th), stolen bases (10, T-5th), walks ( 45,7th), on-base percentage (.355, 8th) and extra-base hits (40, 9th). In 117 games, the Canada native posted a .993 fielding percentage behind the plate, committing only six errors and allowing five passed balls while cutting down 25 of 96 (.207) runners trying to steal against him. In addition, Martin led all NL catchers with 10 stolen bases. He launched himself into history, hitting the third in a quartet of consecutive home runs hit by Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth in what turned into an 11-10 extra-inning win on Sept. 18 against San Diego. Martin was signed in the 17th round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft out of Chipola Junior College in Marianna, Florida.
SLAMMIN' SAMMY SAITO- Takashi Saito was ranked 15th by Baseball America in its 2006 top 20 Rookie rankings. The 36-year-old right-hander was invited to Spring Training as a non-roster invitee and opened the 2006 season with Triple-A Las Vegas before having his contract purchased on April 7. Saito posted a 6-2 record with a 2.07 ERA and 24 saves, which set a Dodger franchise rookie record surpassing Yhency Brazoban's 21 saves in 2005. Saito became just the 12th Major League rookie to notch 24 saves since it became an official statistic in 1969. He ranked among National League rookie hurlers in saves (24, 1st), games (72, 2nd) and strikeouts (107, 6th). He led all NL relievers in opponent batting average with a .177 mark (minimum 200 batters faced). Prior to joining the Dodgers, Saito enjoyed a 14-year career with the Yokohama Baystars of the Japanese Central League. The four-time All-Star posted an 87-80 career mark in Japan with a 3.81 ERA.
ANDRE THE GIANT- In his fourth season in professional baseball, Andre Ethier broke into the Majors and was tabbed by Baseball America as the 17th best rookie of the 2006 class. Ethier finished the season hitting .308 with 11 home runs and 55 RBI. His .308 batting average ranked third among all Major League rookies. He also ranked among NL rookie league leaders in multi-hit games (33, 10th), hits (122, 10th), total bases (189, 9th), on-base percentage (.365, 3rd), slugging percentage (.477, 7th), extra-base hits (38, 10th) and outfield assists (8, 1st). His 16-game hitting streak (July 26-Aug. 12) tied him for the second-longest hitting streak among all Major League rookies. Ethier was acquired from the Oakland Athletics on Dec. 13, 2005 for outfielder Milton Bradley and infielder Antonio Perez.
LAND OF THE RISING SUN– Dodger All-Star shortstop Rafael Furcal will be on the roster of 27 Major League Baseball All-Stars traveling to Japan this November to play in a newly-formatted, best-of-five competition against their counterparts from Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) in "All-Star Series 2006." Presented by Yomiuri, "All-Star Series 2006" will consist of five games played in Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka between November 3 and November 8. While the first to win three games in this competition will be crowned champion, all five games scheduled will be played regardless of the outcome. Preceding the All-Star Series, the Major League Baseball All-Stars will go head-to-head against the Yomiuri Giants in Tokyo on Thursday, November 2. Furcal finished the 2006 season hitting .300 with 15 homers, 63 RBI and a team-leading 37 stolen bases. He ranked among league leaders in hits (196, T-5th), multi-hit games (62, 4th), at-bats (654, 4th), games played (159, T-6th), plate appearances (736, 4th), singles (140, 2nd), stolen bases (37, 7th), runs scored (133, 10th), home batting average (.333, 9th), bunt hits (9, 6th), average with runners in scoring position (.346, 8th) and was the ninth-hardest player to double up in the NL (one GIDP per 93.4 at-bats). Furcal was voted as the "Most Inspirational Dodger" by his teammates and coaches and received the inaugural Roy Campanella award.
47 Comments
hey josh, is wilson valdez the only minor leaguer that is being promoted to the 40 men roster?
Who is this Jeff Weaver guy anyway?
Martin's throwing out 25 of 96 base-stealers comes to a .260 put-out average.
hey josh, any word on when we'll hear about the upcoming stadium renovations?
I also was thinking about Mccarver's comment about Mota being taught to throw at hitters trying to bunt, in the Dodger system. He was an Expo before he was a Dodger. Also I'm sorry Ned let Weaver go , I liked him when he was with LA. I know he has a rep that he's a head case ,but he isn't an injury prone guy who tries to throww as hard as he can to get guys out. He can be very good and he's been great in these big games.
I had to laugh when I heard Tim McCarver's comments about Dodger pitchers being taught to intentionally throw at batters trying to squeeze bunt. While this may have been true years ago, I do not necessarily believe that it is true today.
I know that I have posted this before, but McCarver's comments made me think of it again. Walter Alston once instructed Don Drysdale to intentionally walk a batter. Instead, Drysdale hit the batter with the first pitch. In the dugout, Alston asked Drysdale what that was all about and Drysdale replied "Why waste four pitches when you can accomplish the same thing with one". You had to love Big-D!
PS: I predict that the champagne will be flying in the Cardinals clubhouse tonight.
I didn't hear the McCarver comments, but I put this guy right next to Steiner as a sensationalist. At what ever the cost he wants to be heard as the expert in his field. When are these guys going to really study the true professionals in this business. Vin doesn't attack players or other teams and he sure as heck doesn't look for gain in someone else's short comings. A true baseball guy like Vin Scully has a "Love of the Game" approach. These guys just like to hear themselves speak, like diarrhea of the mouth !!!
Get rid of Steiner !!!
Go Ned !!
Go Dodgers !!!
Let's be real…I was a pitcher growing up and I was ALWAYS taught to throw at the batter when attempting to bunt. So, Tim needs to smack down all my little league coaches.
We are talking baseball's unspoken rules. This Rule says, A batter cannot bunt a ball at his head.
On Big D…He probably would get fired today for his on air comments about how excited he was about a good ole baseball beaning war that leads to a big fight. See U of Miami announcers on Comcast.
I can recall a game years ago, when Don got all excited about a little beaning war going on during a game. And a fight broke out.
Don wasn't PC.
"Tomko played an integral role in the Dodgers' success in 2006"
When Mcarver was talking about our farm like that. I was thinking the same thing. I was like does this guy even know what he is talking about? I dont know if he gave us a good or bad name?
Jon Stewart must be a lefty, right?
I too wish Weaver had stayed. He won 14 games for the '05 squad, so I wonder what he might have done this year. I don't know what happened in anaheim, but I'm glad to see him doing well now.
I sometimes wonder what game McCarver is watching, but we were taught to throw at people trying to bunt.
First I want to agree that McCarver Stinks. Always has.
I"m going out on a limb here, but I'm completely impressed with Green. Yeah, yeah I know LA fans, He's an underachiever. Or not? I'm watching the Cards/Mets game and seeing a lot of ex-Dodgers men producing.
The more we talk about what the Dodgers need and the more I watch the NLCS, is pitching. The Dodgers need a dominate pitcher first, crunch hitter second. Not as sexy, but is reality.
Go Ned, Go Dodgers!
My wish list of stuff to improve for next year:
1) For Rick Honeycutt to teach Brad Penny a cutter instead of Derek Lowe. At least then Penny would have another pitch.
2) For the Dodgers to get a power hitter. They could do this by trading, signing a free agent, or having someone on the team step it up. Jeff Kent could act like he's not rapidly approaching retirement, JD Drew could avoid a 2 month homerless slump, Wilson Betemit could improve upon his home run rate, or Andre Ethier or James Loney could become even more awesome.
3) A promise that Russell Martin will never be the Mets' catcher.
4) For Brad Penny to lose about 20 pounds. Somehow i think this would help some of his health issues. He'd still be a big guy, but at 260 (when he was 250 last year), how about a Slim Fast diet. Then he and Tommy could advertise Slim Fast's new blue cans or something.
5) For the bullpen to contain at least three of Eric Gagne, Yhency Brazoban, Jonathan Broxton, Takashi Saito. Having a really awesome bullpen always helps; look at the Tigers.
I would agree with you lohmeyet, I would love to see someone like Zito or Schmidt in a Dodger Uniform. Problem is that these guys will cost an arm and a leg to get and then there's no more money for anything else. If a pitcher is good, all the time, hitting becomes less of a requirement. But when a pitcher goes bad, like Penny did the second half, and you don't have the hitting to make up the runs needed, your out of the race. If a couple of good utility pitchers can give you a solid 7+ innings of control along with consistent solid hitting of 4+ runs per game your going to win more often then not. I would like to see a bullpen full of consistent guys we can rely on instead of a big ticket starter that only goes once every 4-5 days. We should have enough gas in the farm system to come up with at least one good starter. This way we can go after a couple of guys for the bullpen that aren't quite as expensive. And then maybe we can land that big hitter that we so desperately needed this year.
I think it's a better gamble to go with an incentive ladden contracts with Gagne and Nomar and then bid high for a proven power hitter. Then we can look for a trade for a middle of the road starter or two. This is where the Weaver deal would have been smart, he eats up innings, keeps you in the game and doesn't break down !!
Go Ned !!
Go Dodgers !!!
With all due respect to the Jeff Weaver fans out there, in his eight years in the Bigs, Jeff Weaver had a losing record five times (including this season), a .500 record twice, and a winning record exactly ONCE (2005 with the Dodgers; and that was a 14-11 record). Here are his career stats: http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/stats/mlb_individual_stats_player.jsp?playerID=213711&statType=2
The Dodgers did not re-sign him when he became a free agent after the 2005 season because they wanted to pay him what he was worth and not what HE thought he was worth (an all-too-frequent occurrence these days). If I remember correctly, the offer that the Dodgers made him was a pretty good one, and one that wasn't all that much less than what the Angels ended up signing him for. By the way, his (and his brother's) agent is Scott Boras – the man who is single-handedly destroying the game of baseball.
I have always enjoyed Weaver's flare for excitement and wish him nothing but the very best in his career. But spending a ton of money for a guy whose BEST season was 14 wins is nuts! – Although this is EXACTLY what the Dodgers did to get Tomko, whose best and ONLY two winning records were 13-12 and 13-9. Go Figure.
PS: Only 136 days until opening day!
Carrying some $10 million salaries ( Drew, Kent, Furcal, et all ) and some around there ( Lowe ) does nothing but bloat your payroll if you don't have all the pieces. That is how a $90 million payroll limps into the playoffs and gets swept out.
Moral: if you are spending, spend big. We will be another top 10 payroll team brushed away, with no shot at even reaching beyond the minimum number of games possible in the postseason, if we don't improve the pitching.
Forget about power bats. This offense reached close to the top in quite a few offensive categories. They can provide some runs in most games. The problem is that the pitching is capable of providing even more to the opposition.
We need at least one good starter, preferably two. Trade Penny if you're not going to sell him low. He's too pigheaded to ever improve as a pitcher. His fastball stuff scared nobody. Every Major League hitter can get a piece of a ramrod straight fastball. So it is merely a case of keeping to get a piece until Penny makes a mistake or he walks the hitter.
Overspend for a starter, but keep it to a three-year contract a la Furcal. The payroll is underperforming for its size in any case. Only more spending can save it.
Gather as many bullpen arms as possible, but please, NONE of them from Tampa Bay.
Try to get rid of Tomko, Sele and any other failed starters hanging around the bullpen. Hang on to Hendrickson, though. He may be straightening out.
Only get Gagne if he gets only a few millions on base salary. It is almost a given that he'll merely conk out again with something. You can't trust him to tell the truth about his health. If he really is as much of a Dodger as he says, he'll accept something like Nomar did, where about forty percent of the salary was incentives.
Get arms! More pitching! Kick self for trading away Sanchez to the Mets, and make sure to concentrate on the pitching.
That's all, folks!
53, I agree the Dodgers made a good decision not to resign him then, but I do think the Dodgers should have signed him when the Angels were cutting him loose, a lot cheaper and a known commodity !! The timing was right !!
Griffon64, I do agree with getting pitching, I just don't agree with paying superstar salaries for the top guys out there !! and I agree with the incentive ladden contracts for Gagne and Nomar !!
Go Ned !
Go Dodgers !!!
I didn't think Weaver was offered a deal? Does anyone know what he was offered and did he turn it down?
As far as I know, Weaver wasn't offered a deal. I also feel we should have offered him one after the Angels cut him loose. Surely he would have liked playing in the same city as his little brother.
garysmith – I fear that only superstar salaries will attract those guys … Ned seems to be fairly canny in his offseason dealings, though. I trust him to pull at least one out of the hat for us.
We need to become better at preventing runs.
As an aside I worry about Kent's defense at second base. His fielding is declining quite rapidly now – that body just can't move like it used to.
Gary – How right you are!
The Cardinals absolutely STOLE Jeff Weaver (and his ONE YEAR – $8.325 million contract) from the Angels. They got him for less than $2 million. (Pity the poor Angels, who must pay the remaining $6 million of his contract).
We are all seeing a resurrected and very confident Jeff Weaver right now. (I always liked that drop-down curve ball of his). And even though his combined 2006 record was a horrific 8-14, he went 5-4 with the Cards in the second half. That's A LOT better than Mark Hendrickson's 2-7 Dodger second half record (with one of those wins coming in relief).
The Dodgers probably should have at least given Weaver a look when the Angels were looking to unload him, as his 3-10 record with the Angels wasn't all that much worse than Hendrickson's 4-8 record with Tampa Bay.
Oh well, no sense crying over spilled milk. You know what they said about hind-sight.
Should the Cards decide not re-sign Weaver (but I believe that they will), he would again become available; although his price will surely increase due to his very good post season performances.
Jeff Weaver wanted more money than he was worth, that's why we didn't sign him. It's that easy. Is Jeff Weaver a good pitcher? Probably. But my wife who has much insight to this type of thing says that Jeff may be the type that cannot work well with another family member in the same "office" as he did with the Angels. Could his awful Angels career been avoided if his little brother wasn't on the same roster making him look bad? We'll never know. But it is something to ponder on. Was his latest deal with the Angels for only one year or two? Maybe Jeff Weaver will be available cheap this off-season… who knows.
As for the this years edition of the continuing stadium renovations, my guess would be that it will have something to do with the bleacher area and beyond. It's about time that the bench style seating be gone from the bleachers and I'd guess that a more permanent type structure be implemented with upgraded scoreboards and electronics. They'll probably do some type of corporate outdoor mall theme that seems to be the trend these days, along with the planned Dodgers' Museum they keep talking about. Just a guess, but I think the outfield area will be completely different in the coming years.
jeff weaver has been teasing people with his talent ever since he was at fresno state. he won 2 games!, he still hasn't proven anything.. i updated my blogg, so check it out..
Weaver signed last minute with the Angels for what he was making as a Dodger. Problem was that he wanted 3-5 years at more money from the Dodgers and they simply said they would look for someone else for that kind of money. In the end the Angels got a deal by only going one year and the Cards really got a good deal !! Which is the deal the Dodgers should have jumped on. I'm pretty sure he's a free agent this year !!
Kevin, I think your right about the bleachers. And I also think you right about the team announcing the Museum soon. They've been talking about all the old stuff they have in storage now for the last couple of years. I think the only thing holding them back is some last ditch effort to build an NFL stadium in the parking lot.
Go Ned !!
Go Dodgers !!
I am gonna sleep VERY well knowing that Shawn Green cost the Mets 2 games in the NLCS with his ineptitude in the field!!!! DOWN WITH THE METS!!!
We need to become better at preventing runs.
As an aside I worry about Kent's defense at second base. His fielding is declining quite rapidly now – that body just can't move like it used to.
Posted by: firstname.lastname@example.com
I Wholeheartedly agree and hope everone gets this point about Pitching and Defence. We do need a #1 Starter and Bullpen upgrades/rennovation However I don't think that our piting would be as bad if the fielding were better. Better fielding naturally improves a pitchers performance not only by getting outs also by increased
confidence. Without Good /Great Gloves behind Maddux he isn't much of a pitcher same goes for Lowe and Penny would trust his stuff more I think if balls didn't get thru as much.For '07 I'd like to see Loney Start at 1st Nomar to back him and split time at 2nd with Kent Furcal to Keep pace at SS with his 2nd half numbers and Improve on his errors to 12 or less for the season. 3B??? Maybe betemit steps it up or we get a Power hitter there that can field OR La Roche Sets Pre Season afire and becomes ROY. Anderson and Saenz back to Pinch and utility roles.Either gets his Head screwed back on straight Drew Keeps his Pace but drops to #5/6 slot Lofton to what he was signed for Pinch/Utility OF and Repko to Finally Make it through a year Healthy and 5 tool or We need a Power CF with Defencive ability.
Bottom line We need to Catch the ball better then in '06 then we can win some post season games.
Go Dodgers '07!!!
Detroit in 4 '06
Hopefully Ned can put together a trade for Vernon Wells. He would solve a couple of problems and give us the big bat in the middle.
Weaver's good performance down the stretch and in the playoffs will probably get him the 3 to 5 year deal he wants at way more than he is actually worth.
Hey griffon64 – This, according to en.wikipedia.org:
"Following the 2005 season, Jeff filed for free agency. The Dodgers offered Jeff salary arbitration but the two sides were unable to reach an agreement."
Here is the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Weaver
It makes for a pretty funny read – especially the "Trivia" part. Sounds like "The Weav" likes to mix it up AND smoke it up! Yo, Dude! (LOL).
PS: Hey jhall1218 – I'd be REAL good with that Vernon Wells trade!
I know we offered him salary arbitration – I was really wanting him to resign with us!
When I said we didn't make him an offer, I was referring to after he was released by the Angels – to my knowledge we didn't make him an offer then!
Sorry for any confusion 🙂
Hey 53, Weaver's agent (Boras) thought he was a golden arm and could get top money. So when he decline arbitration and gave the Dodgers a number to strive for it was so far away from what the Dodgers thought he was worth they didn't even consider making an offer. I remember another player that thought he was worth a whole lot more, remember Jody Reed 2B ?? He too lost out big time !! The Dodgers offered him a couple of years, which his agent pushed him to declined, and he ended up signing for near nothing with Mil for one year then the Pads for a year and again with the Pads for a year and then traded to Det. He never made in 4 years what the Dodgers offered him for two years ! These agents are killing the game and although it looks like Weaver is going to come out a winner after this season, he could have easily have gone to Tampa or KC and died a slow death. I would say he's one lucky SOB !!!
Go Ned !!
Go Dodgers !!
Is it true the players are grossly over paid? I tend to think so. Weaver was my favorite pitcher, but how could he be worth 8+ million?
On the other hand MLB seems to be setting all sorts of records and it is the PLAYERS we turn out to see. We seem to want to pay the inflated prices for Dodger dogs,tics, and parking, so if Boras can get that amount of money for Weaver, I guess he's worth it?
If I was him, I'd stay in St. Louis, but he looks better in blue.
knouff- I agree with what you said. They are worth whatever the market will bear; that's our capitalist system. Schmidt isn't worth 8-10 mil, but he will probably get it. Same goes for Zito 15 mil and he will get it. They are both shakey healthwise.
It's true the players agents are ruining the game, but it's up to the players to decide what's right for them. I always wondered if Boras is looking out for the player or for himself?
I love the game, and I am a die hard Dodgers fan. I know it's our own fault because we the fans are willing to pay to see our boys. But at the same time I think it is absolutely obscene that athletes and actors get paid such incredibly huge amounts.
They get more in a year than most of us could dream of making in a lifetime, while the people we really depend on, police, firefighters, teachers, soldiers etc. are paid very little by comparison. And lets not forget the rest of us working stiffs. Sorry to sound preachy. I'll get off my soapbox now. It just gets to me sometimes.
Maybe I'm totally out of line here, but what about some kind of deal involving Troy Glaus. I'm not sure that the Blue Jays are looking to deal him but, if I remember correctly, he's only got one more year on his contract. That keeps the hot corner warm for Andy LaRoche (who needs 1 more year at AAA). That would give us a little bit better defense at 3rd and a LOT more power.
glaus? r u serious?.. thats laughable..
I agree with Ray on this one. Although Troy Glaus' flair for excitement can be fun to watch at times, his career .253 batting average scares me. He has hit above that only twice in his nine-year career:
I agree with you on the batting AVG. thing, but look at his career OBP. He's pretty consistently over .350 in that category. The fact of the matter is, he can get on base. Put him behind a real leadoff and #2 batter (i.e. Furcal and Lofton/Ethier/Loney/whoever) I'd bet good money he knocks in 130 runs.
Oh, and Glaus' OBP last year was a couple points higher than that of Alfonso Soriano – the one that everybody keeps saying Ned Colletti NEEDS to sign. And Soriano's gonna draw a MUCH bigger paycheck next year than Glaus will. My budget power-hitter choice remains Glaus. If money were no issue, Soriano… and the never-ending A-Rod rumors are kind of intriguing. Personally I don't think it will ever happen unless we offer the entire farm system, bat boys, and half of our 25-man roster – but it's still intriguing.
i cant believe we are even discussing troy glaus..ned colletti would have to be a grade A m0r0n to even be interested in troy glaus… we need a diffrence maker, and troy is not one..
However, there is also Sheffield… Think he'd come back? While we're at it, we could probably lure Albert Pujols away from the Cardinals, Vernon Wells from the Blue Jays, get Manny Ramirez to roam that giant LF of ours, and all of our power troubles are over, right? I'm kidding, of course.
we should try and bring back sandy koufax as well.. lol
It's the off season and I think some of you guys are losing it !! Glaus, no way !! and all those others you ripped off dualtone, NO WAY !!! BELIEVE IN THE KIDS !!! fill a couple of holes like Nomar to 3B (absolutely the best guy for the job)(this way if Kent goes down or Loney falls apart Nomar is the proven player), Loney for 1B and maybe a deserving sole for CF. Otherwise, BELIEVE IN THE KIDS !!! Spend the money in the bullpen. Take a gamble and sign Gagne to 2 years worth of incentives and then find a solid innings eater for the starting rotation and another for long relief !!
Go Ned !!
Go Dodgers !!!
Glaus would be a capable 3rd baseman for a year until LaRoche is ready. He is a consistant HR and RBI guy that stays healthy and plays everyday. It would be sweet to get him in a deal with Vernon Wells so Toronto can unload salary and we can be serious NL contenders. Nomar money should be used to fix the bullpen. Also, an innings eater for the starting rotation would help alot. Lots to get done this winter Ned.
For the record, I have as much faith in the "kids" than just about anybody I know. That's the only reason I say Glaus. Any other power-hitting 3B is going to require a big money, longer-term contract. I bet Aramis Ramirez pulls down 3-4 years at 30-50 mil. We could have Glaus for one year and that gives LaRoche another year to prepare. Personally, I want to see Repko playing full-time CF. He's fast, he's an incredible defensive OF, but there's the obvious lack of proven offensive production over the course of a season.
The kids? My money is on Loney all the way. Anyone that says he needs another year of prep at AAA is out of their mind!!!! He batted .380 at AAA this year. How can he possibly improve on that? He became a very smart hitter with a little bit of power. I want him at #3 in our lineup. C-Bill better get a rotation spot this year. If we sign another starter, I'd like to see Penny get traded. he just didn't do it down the stretch when we needed him. If we sign Zito and get a 2-year deal on Maddux then my rotation goes Zito, Lowe, Maddux, C-Bill, Kuo. I want to see Ethier playing full time. I think that getting another OF is a waste of the talent that we already have. If Vernon Wells comes to LA, I hope that Repko goes to Toronto in the trade. He deserves to be playing full time. I'd put Eric Stults in AAA for a possible '07 callup and a shot at an '08 rotation spot. Sorry to ramble, but I do have a lot of faith in the "kids".
I agree, Loney at 1st. Nomar is too fragile and we are already nursing Kent and Drew. Don't need another overpriced, overrated, and underhealthy player. Nomar money will fix the bullpen or get Maddux. Billz should be in the rotation as well as Kuo, no doubt. If we trade Penny and Kemp for Wells, Repko will get plenty of playing time as the 4th outfielder and I like him playing all 3 outfield positions and giving Drew time off. Glaus would be a great one year bridge to LaRoche if we can get him at a reasonable price. Toronto wants to unload salary so we might be able to get him thrown in the Penny/Wells deal. Zito is going to probably going to be too expensive and I don't believe he is worth what he will get in this pitching thin free agent market.
Well, lots to ponder.


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FDA Proposes Tougher Warnings for Tanning Beds
But stops short of ban for those younger than 18, as advisory panel had recommended
MONDAY, May 6, 2013 (HealthDay News) -- Despite a prior recommendation from its own expert advisory panel, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday announced that it has no immediate plan to ban the use of indoor tanning devices by children.
Instead, the agency is proposing bumping up "sunlamp products" from a low-risk, class I device to a moderate risk, class II device, and mandating that tanning devices have labeling warning against their use by young people.
Numerous studies have supported strong links between use of UV ray-emitting indoor tanning devices and a raised risk for skin cancer.
According to a statement released by the FDA, "the proposed order does not prohibit the use of sunlamp products by those under the age of 18, but it provides a warning on the consequences. The labeling would have to include a warning that frequent users of sunlamp products should be regularly screened for skin cancer."
Moving tanning beds from a class I to class II device designation also means manufacturers will face tougher pre-market review from the FDA, something these devices are exempted from at the present time. The proposal is subject to a 90-day period of public comment.
Speaking to reporters Monday, Dr. Jeffrey Shuren, director of the Center for Devices and Radiological Health at the FDA, said a ban on tanning bed use by minors is still a possibility.
"We view [warning labels] as a first step, nothing is off the table," he said. "Right now we are seeking public comment on our proposed order and, based upon public feedback, we'll decide what we will do in the final order and if there are other steps we should be taking."
Responding to Monday's announcement, Dr. Michele Green, a dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said: "It is about time that these sunlamps were reclassified and held to a higher standard. I applaud this move, especially since the rise in skin cancer, especially in young people, has been documented. I hope that this legislation keeps more sunlamps off the shelves and away from consumers."
Dr. Jennifer Stein, assistant professor of dermatology at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York City, agreed, calling the reclassification of tanning beds "an important step in making the public aware of the dangers of tanning beds."
She said that "indoor tanning damages the skin and is associated with skin cancers, including melanoma -- a potentially fatal form of skin cancer. Fortunately many states have passed bans on tanning bed use in minors. We have seen an increase in skin cancers among young women who have used tanning beds."
The American Suntanning Association, a trade association of tanning salons, issued this statement Monday evening: "The professional sunbed community has not had any input in this preliminary proposal thus far. We remain dedicated to sunburn prevention and look forward to working with the FDA to improve consumer protection and to assure that all information regarding indoor tanning is in accordance with the science."
The FDA's reluctance to impose an outright ban on access to tanning beds for minors runs counter to a decision from an advisory panel the FDA commissioned to look at the issue in 2010. That ruling advocated barring minors from using tanning beds, or at least requiring parental consent.
In the same year, the American Academy of Pediatrics also came out in favor of a ban on tanning bed use by people under the age of 18. "Pediatricians should support and advocate for legislation to ban access to tanning parlors for children younger than 18 years," the AAP said in its policy statement.
The AAP also noted that other organizations, including the World Health Organization, the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Dermatology, already support such a ban.
Speaking at the time of the AAP recommendations, one expert said the link between indoor tanning and skin cancer is clear.
Dr. Doris Day, a dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, applauded the AAP's move to support the tanning bed ban for minors.
"A review of seven studies found a statistically significant increase in the risk of melanoma in those who had been exposed to UV radiation from indoor tanning before the age of 35," said Day. "Studies have demonstrated that exposure to UV radiation during indoor tanning damages the DNA in the skin cells."
Day also said that "on an average day in the United States, more than 1 million people tan in tanning salons. Of the customers, nearly 70 percent are girls and women, primarily 16 to 29 years old."
More information
Find out more about the indoor tanning-skin cancer link at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


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"I can't believe that I was applauded off the field of play." That was a young Hernan Crespo, in March 1997, as he was replaced by Sandro Melli with 10 minutes left of the League game between Parma and Cagliari. The Argentine had scored twice, the second an aesthetically pleasing scissor-kick following a cross from Dino Baggio.
Crespo's surprise at the reaction of the Tardini faithful was understandable. After all, sections of the crowd had spent large parts of the season prior to that performance jeering the boy who was still just 21. It was primarily thanks to the insistence of boss Carlo Ancelotti that the South American not only eventually flourished at Parma, but Italian football in general.
"The public whistled me because I wasn't scoring and they booed Ancelotti because he kept picking me," the former Argentina international, 35 goals in 64 caps, once stated. "It was hard for both of us, but we eventually convinced everyone and that was the season that we finished second behind Juventus."
Ancelotti was certain from the off that the summer signing from River Plate was something a bit special. Sure he was raw, but the comparison with 1986 World Cup winner Jorge Valdano, made by Daniel Passarella, stood up to a degree and not just because of their bushy hair or muscular frames.
The tactician not only liked the South American as a footballer, he also approved of the way he conducted himself. The professional Crespo arrived in Italy with a motto – "meglio fare che parlare" – which loosely translated that he would let his feet do the talking. The former Milan midfielder gave him the stage to do that.
Crespo scored 12 goals in 27 games during his maiden Serie A campaign, just two shy of top scorer Enrico Chiesa's tally, which came from an extra two appearances. He continued to ripple the net with some regularity for the Gialloblu, and in some style, until Lazio broke the world transfer record to sign him in 2000 for £35m. He would later move on to Inter and Chelsea, before being re-united with his Tardini teacher at Milan.
"Ancelotti allowed me to become a footballer at Parma, then he wanted me again with the Rossoneri," Crespo commented. "If there wasn't that comeback by Liverpool in Istanbul then we would have won the Champions League together. I still think about that game and it's hard to find an answer to what happened. My brace in the Final was thus forgotten…"
Milan had the opportunity to keep Crespo at the end of the 2004-05 season, but Vice-President Adriano Galliani overruled Ancelotti. He subsequently returned to Chelsea, but England wasn't Italy, the Premiership wasn't Serie A. Inter called and Crespo responded, much to the surprise of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich.
"He thought I was mad when I asked him to let me go back to Italy," Crespo stated. "He offered to renew my contract, he asked me what I wanted. He didn't know why I wanted to return."
Crespo, whose international partnership with Gabriel Batistuta never hit the heights that it promised, gave some decent service to the Nerazzurri during his second spell at the club. He became a serial Scudetto winner with the Beneamata during the post-Calciopoli days before a brief stint at Genoa and then a January 2010 return to Parma – a place he describes as home.
"My objective is to lead Parma to the left-hand side of the table," he said as the club feared relegation into Serie B. "That is where I found them when I first joined back in 1996 and that is where I want to leave them."
Crespo wasn't quite able to fulfil that target when on Thursday, with his side just two points shy of 10th place, he confirmed with tears in his eyes that he had rescinded his contract and ended his playing days at the highest level. After a career bursting at the seams with goals and commitment, it was only right that the gathered Press – just like the fans at the Tardini 15 years ago – gave him a deserved round of applause.


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World Council Joins With University To Launch Training In Kenya
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The World Council of Credit Unions, Inc. (WOCCU) said it is teaming with Strathmore University in Nairobi to develop the Strathmore WOCCU African Management Institute (SWAMI) to provide intensive, in-service training for credit union managers and board members based on the PEARLS operating system.
PEARLS is WOCCU's checklist for credit union success based on measures such as asset quality, liquidity and growth. SWAMI will help ensure that East African Savings and Credit Cooperatives (SACCOs) meet internationally accepted standards of safety and soundness, WOCCU reported.
At the official SWAMI launch, 60 Kenyan credit union professionals heard presentations by Dr. Brian Branch, chief operating officer and vice president for WOCCU; Benjamin Sogomo, permanent secretary for the Kenyan Ministry of Cooperative Development and Marketing; Anne Cochran, president of the Louisiana Credit Union League (LCUL); professor John Odhiambo, president, Strathmore University; and Ntoitha M'Mithiaru, chair of the Commission Task Force to draft SACCO Law.
Sogomo, the keynote speaker, expressed strong belief in the importance of the SWAMI training for reducing mismanagement and misdirected business decisions, adding his hope that many managers and board members could benefit from the new initiative. He pledged the support of the ministry in this effort.
Branch spoke on the specific challenges facing SACCOs and how to overcome them, stressing the need to generate savings as sufficient liquidity for loan demand. As Branch explained, WOCCU has found in its work around the world that savers look for three qualities in a banking institution. In order of importance, they are: strict discipline to protect savings, ease of access to savings and high return on savings. Based on these findings, Branch concluded that the greatest challenge to the SACCO is to create a safe institution in which to attract depositors while offering competitive lines of credit to borrowers.
Highlighting the importance SACCO education and training, Cochran shared her hope that the Nairobi-based institute will expand to become a regional institute for SACCO managers and board members.
"The Louisiana Credit Union League firmly believes in the empowerment of SACCO's managers and board of directors through education. SWAMI will give attendees an inside track to achieving success, while incorporating a commitment to the credit union philosophy as well as having access to top quality education," noted Cochran.
WOCCU noted that to achieve this aim, new legislation is in the works that will ensure safety and soundness for SACCOs across Kenya. Besides safety and soundness standards, the proposed SACCO Law includes several other provisions to benefit these financial institutions. According to M'Mithiaru, those include expansion of financial services outreach in Kenya, establishment of an independent mechanism for regulatory supervision of SACCOs and the introduction of a savings guarantee mechanism.
WOCCU said it believes the SACCO Law would greatly alleviate many problems common to an unregulated market, including limited product diversity and poor governance and management. The Ministry is also working on the creation of a SACCO Regulatory Agency. All SACCOs must declare assets, liabilities and income on an annual basis.


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Christian Healing - Information on the Order of St Luke UK
We believe God heals. OSL UK operates through chapters spread across the country which meet to study the Scriptures; offer prayer, often with the laying on of hands, for healing; to promote the Christian healing ministry; and to study aspects of the healing ministry. We also assist churches in setting up healing ministry teams and services of healing. Members receive a quarterly publication, 'Healing Ways'. There is an annual conference and ALSO an International Conference with renowned speakers and workshops, to which non-members are also welcome.
Healing in Jesus' Time and Today. There are many instances of Christ's healing ministry in the Gospels, again and again we see in our Lord's healing miracles a response to the whole person, not simply to the symptoms presented, something we are called upon to take note of in our own ministry in the twenty-first century. It is very easy to be tempted to simply focus on the obvious symptoms and not reach out to the underlying cause. Yet we are called to follow our Lord's example and treat each person holistically as body, mind and spirit. If you would like prayer then click Here.
We should acknowledge that despite all the wonderful advances in medicine we all need healing as much today as did the people who encountered Jesus 2000 years ago. This is because our relationship with God has been broken by sin and disobedience and needs to be restored through Christ. (see Rom. 3:23) Now, as then, Christ is our healer and reaches out to us, meeting us at our point of need with love and compassion regardless of our unworthiness in our own eyes or in the eyes of others.
CHAPTERS UPDATE (November 2020)
We have chapters in Birmingham (Erdington and Sutton Coldfield), Greater Manchester (Orrell) and an online chapter meeting weekly on Thursdays 11am. We also have members in various areas of the UK & Ireland. Please contact us for more information.
OSL UK AGM & Conference 2020


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So last week I did pretty good and only deviated from the plan on one night because pork loin was on sale and we hadn't had it for a while. Let's see how I can do this week. We are now back in the swing of things with school. The kids have been 3 days so far. Jon is ready for summer (2009) and Hannah is counting the minutes until she goes in tomorrow. I am also getting ready to make some Pamela's bread for Jon to take for lunch this week.
Sunday ~ P.F. Chang's. We are meeting my Mom & Step Dad for dinner. Jon spent the weekend with them in Dayton, so we are meeting them to pick up Jon. Love the lettuce wraps and Singapore Street Noodles.
Monday ~ Salmon, brown rice, steamed green beans and salad. I may make some more Broiled Parmesan tomatoes for myself, Aaron won't eat them.
Tuesday ~ Filet Mignon, baked sweet potato/yam, steamed broccoli & salad. Jon will eat this, Hannah will not. She will have Kraft Macaroni & Cheese with broccoli and salad.
Wednesday ~ Cheeseburger in Paradise for the kids and I. Hannah has ice skating.
Thursady ~ BBQ Baby Back Ribs (I use Sweet Baby Ray's Sauce ~ I will post the recipe below), baked potato, steamed peas and salad.
Friday ~ Chicken Tenders, pan-fried potatoes & corn. I will post the recipe below.
Saturday ~ Homemade pizza (Pamela's Amazing Wheat Free Bread Mix crust) with cheese & turkey pepperoni for the kids and fresh veggies for me. Maybe a margherita style. We will probably have salad along with this.
BBQ Baby Back Ribs
2 racks of pork back ribs
1 bottle Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce
Salt & Pepper
1. Do this step earlier in the day or at least 2-3 hours before you want to grill your ribs. Heat oven to 350. Cut each rack of ribs in half. S & P both sides. In a large, glass pyrex dish, pour some BBQ sauce. Coat each rack of ribs with sauce, don't be stingy. 😉 Place ribs in dish in a single layer. Cover tightly with foil.
2. Bake ribs in oven for 2 hours at 350.
3. Remove ribs and let cool down before placing in fridge or hold aside to place on the grill.
4. Heat up grill.
5. Baste ribs with some more BBQ sauce. Place ribs on grill for just a few minutes a side to finish off cooking.
Chicken Tenders
**Recipe Courtesy of my sister, Kelly. I think she got it from the Bisquick Box
3 chicken breasts (cut crosswise into ½ inch strips)
2/3 cup of Bisquick (or Pamela's baking mix)
½ cup Parmesan cheese
½ tsp salt or garlic salt (I used a seasoned salt – Nature's Seasoning)
½ tsp paprika
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 tbsp butter, melted
Heat oven to 450. Line cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Mix Bisquick, cheese, salt and paprika in ziplock bag. Dip chicken in egg and then place in bag to coat. Arrange in single layer on cookie sheet and drizzle with butter (I sprayed butter-flavored Pam on it instead). Bake 12-14 minutes, turning over half way through. Chicken strips should be golden brown when finished. Serve with honey mustard and enjoy!
I also make my own Honey Mustard with mayo, spicy brown mustard, a touch of yellow mustard and a drizzle of honey. I don't use specific measurements, I keep tasting and adding until it tastes how I like it.
Make sure to check out Fresh Ginger, she is hosting the Menu Swap this week. She has lots of great stuff on her menu incorporating eggplant, one of my favs!!
Filed under: Family, Gluten-free Eateries, Gluten-Free Recipes | Tagged: chicken tenders, dinner, eggplant, ribs, weekly menu | 7 Comments »


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The Apache Friends team is proud again to announce a new version of XAMPP for Linux and Windows. The new version of XAMPP includes fresh, green and up-to-date versions of: PHP (5.2.3) and MySQL (5.0.45). In case of Linux we also upgraded phpMyAdmin to the recent 2.10.3.
To all beta testers: Thanks so much for all your hard work!
Get XAMPP 1.6.3 here


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Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
Applications are invited from Indian Citizens for appointments to the following posts. The details of the posts are as follows :
Assistant Manager (Rajbhasha) Gr. 'A' : 07 posts (UR-4, SC-1, OBC-2), Pay Scale : Rs. 17100 - 33200/-, Age : 30 years
Application Fee : Rs.100/- (No fee is payable by SC/ST/PWD candidates) payable by Demand Draft favouring Reserve Bank of India and payable at Mumbai only. However, candidates from un-banked areas may pay fee by crossed Indian Postal Orders in favour of Reserve Bank of India payable at GPO, Mumbai. Candidates should write their Name and Address on the reverse of the Demand Draft and in the space provided for the purpose on the Postal Orders (if fee is payable).
How to Apply : Candidates can apply Online or Offline both ways. Online applications can be submitted upto 24/02/2012. Offline - Applications in the prescribed format and completed in all respect to be sent to General Manager, Reserve Bank of India Services Board, Post Box No. 4618, Mumbai Central Post Office, Mumbai-400008 by ordinary post on or before is upto 02/03/2012.
The further detail along with a link to online submission of application and offline application form is available at


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Monday, June 29, 2009
Pasta and Shrimp Primavera
11 comments:
This looks delicious!! I like both pastas actually...mix it up and make a different one all the time, that way we don't get bored!ReplyDelete
Your meal looks stunning! Yum!ReplyDelete
I am all about the whole wheat pasta!
Looks & sounds amazing!ReplyDelete
I adore primaveras - and this is beautiful and fresh - loving the whole wheat - which I never know how to use. Happy pasta summer!ReplyDelete
Whole wheat pasta is very good, took a little getting used to, but I really enjoy it now. Yumm....primavera!ReplyDelete
What a great dish so inviting!ReplyDelete
FANTASTIC use for your prize, lynda! i think whole wheat pasta is pretty spectacular, and because of those health benefits, i don't seem to mind that second serving. :)ReplyDelete
This is such a wonderful summer pasta. If it tastes just half as good as it looks you have a winner.ReplyDelete
Yay for the prize! What fun! I made something similar which I will be posting but not with whole wheat. I love primavera and this is the season. I can smell the aroma and taste the freshness.ReplyDelete
Congrats on winning the contest, Lynda. Me, I couldn't win an arguement. :-) Your pasta looks superb.ReplyDelete
i like the looks of this one too - the shavings of cheese look so good on top of the pastai'd leave out the asparagus - doenst grow here - and add a few more courgettes to get rid of our excess here at the momentReplyDelete


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Facebook Inc.'s IPO woes continued Thursday, as it stock price hit a new low. An imposed 'lockup' deadline expired, allowing early investors to sell their shares, which caused the stock to tumble to just 50% of its IPO price.
The steep drop caused founder Mark Zuckerberg and other senior executives to acknowledge the problem and attempt to pump up morale.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Zuckerberg "has long exhorted employees not to pay attention to the stock price, instead pushing them to focus on developing the social network. But in a companywide meeting earlier this month, he conceded that it may be 'painful' to watch as investors continue to retreat from Facebook's stock."
More distressing to employees is the fact that while early investors can sell, employees who own Facebook shares cannot. As the paper notes, lockup expirations in October, November and December will allow Zuckerberg and other employees to sell more than 1.4 billion shares. The biggest lockup expiration, freeing more than one billion shares, is set for Nov. 14. The last lockup expires next May.
The paper further reports that some of the mutual funds that invested in Facebook before its IPO are now underwater or showing paper losses. They include mutual-fund giant T. Rowe Price, which bought into Facebook in early 2011 for roughly $25 a share, according to regulatory filings.
Facebook shares fell 6.3% on Thursday, to $19.87 as more than 271 million shares—or nearly 13% of those outstanding—became eligible for sale.
The New York Times Deal Book blog noted Friday that due to the manner in which the company was initially valuated, its share price could eventually drop to less than $10.
"Facebook [went] public at a stock price that was 100 times its earnings per share," according to the Times. "The belief was that Facebook could entwine advertising into all interactions on its site to generate enormous revenue.
The key to successful technology IPO is "one main magical story." For Groupon, for instance, it was that the company had found a revolutionary marketing tool that was perfect for small businesses.
"But the nightmare begins when investors stop believing in that central story …They just have to contain a few clues that the dream won't be achieved. Then, the transition from extraordinary to ordinary is brutal."


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How ClickOnce performs application updates
ClickOnce uses the file version information specified in an application's deployment manifest to decide whether to update the application's files. After an update begins, ClickOnce uses a technique called file patching to avoid redundant downloading of application files.
File patching
When updating an application, ClickOnce does not download all of the files for the new version of the application unless the files have changed. Instead, it compares the hash signatures of the files specified in the application manifest for the current application against the signatures in the manifest for the new version. If a file's signatures are different, ClickOnce downloads the new version. If the signatures match, the file has not changed from one version to the next. In this case, ClickOnce copies the existing file and uses it in the new version of the application. This approach prevents ClickOnce from having to download the entire application again, even if only one or two files have changed.
File patching also works for assemblies that are downloaded on demand using the DownloadFileGroup and DownloadFileGroupAsync methods.
If you use Visual Studio to compile your application, it will generate new hash signatures for all files whenever you rebuild the entire project. In this case, all assemblies will be downloaded to the client, although only a few assemblies may have changed.
File patching does not work for files that are marked as data and stored in the data directory. These are always downloaded regardless of the file's hash signature. For more information on the data directory, see Access local and remote data in ClickOnce applications.


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Since I cleared the house of most products with wheat and gluten in it, I thought I would try to find a new replacement for breakfast that my man might enjoy as well and I came up with this granola which we both find delicious (we mixed it 50-50 with cornflakes this morning and almond milk poured over… Yum!).
I basically put in my favorite nuts and seeds, but this recipe could be made with anything, use around 50-50 oats to nuts/seeds. Just make sure you get certified gluten-free oats if you are allergic.
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
3 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp dextrose (glucose) powder
1 tsp vanilla essence


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In the last week of December, videos started appearing online. "Moose chasing skier at Sugarbush," some YouTube titles read, their low-resolution footage depicting a large, horned bull following a skier down a trail towards the top of the ski resort's Gate House Lift.
In the video, once the skier puts enough distance between him and the moose, it stops running and eventually wanders off back into the woods. But some folks worry about the moose's resurgence on the mountain since its first slope-side sighting in December and they wonder if the animal could be dangerous to humans.
"Moose live in the mountains, and we like to recreate up there too," Sugarbush public relations director Patrick Brown said, explaining that because the resort is located in the animal's natural habitat, moose sightings are not at all uncommon. "We see moose up here all of the time," he said.
Sugarbush has reported sightings of this particular moose to Vermont Fish & Wildlife, and "we've responded a couple of different times, but the moose was always gone when we arrived," David LeCours, colonel, director of law enforcement for Vermont Fish & Wildlife, said.
"From everything we've been able to tell at this point, it's just a moose being a moose," LeCours said, explaining that there is no indication that the moose is diseased or sick. "It's always a possibility," he said, "but we won't know for quite some time."
As a precaution, LeCours' officers instructed Sugarbush to shoot the moose using rubber bullets in hopes of driving it away, and he understood that an employee did so on Monday night, January 7.
"The idea is to make the slopes not a good place to hang out," LeCours said. "We're hoping that [the moose] gets the message, but we don't know if that will be successful at this point."
As for the moose venturing out onto the ski trails so frequently, the groomed area "would certainly be an easier place for it to walk as the snow is getting deeper," LeCours said.
Right now, "people just need to be aware that [the moose] is there," Le Course said, "so they can avoid it if they can…. Our recommendation would be to keep a wide berth."
"This moose may be at a point where he is finding the volume of people on the trails irritating," LeCours said. "We may have to take more permanent action. That is always a possibility. Our concern—and we won't know for a while—is whether the moose is beginning to experience the first symptoms of brain worms. They start acting bizarre, aggressive and then die a slow lingering death. In those cases, we will put the animal down to prevent it from suffering," he added.
At Sugarbush, "we've taken measures to protect our guests and our employees," Brown said, explaining that in addition to reporting the sightings, Sugarbush has temporarily stopped lifts multiple times, and closed trails, since the bull moose was first spotted and Lincoln Peak and when a cow moose was spotted at Mount Ellen.
"The safety of our guests and our employees is out biggest concern," Brown said, "followed very closely by allowing wildlife to live in its natural habitat."


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Located just minutes from Downtown St. Augustine, Cat's Paw Marina is the closest to the intracoastal dry storage facility in this nation's oldest city. Our marina offers everything for your boating needs. Just call us when you want to go boating .. no trailer hastles or crowded boat ramps !
For more information, give us a call at 904-829-8040 or send us an email at email@example.com. You can also print, fill out and fax the storage agreement to 1-866-619-1637. We'll then give you a call with more information.


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Blush all over lace shift dress with lace detailing at neck & armhole. oh summer , blush! we love shift dresses as you cant go wrong with this one, pair with sandals and enjoy the prettiness
Color :
Light pinkFabric :
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embroidered + lacySize :
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Behind the Arches
This story appears in the January 2006 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
Miomir Ivanovic, 43, likes sizing up the odds-not because he is a gambler, but because he isn't. When it became apparent that his native country, Bosnia, was collapsing into civil war, he decided to stay in America, where he was going to school. If he returned to Bosnia, he felt that odds were, his life would be in danger. When he chose a career, he picked a stable one-civil engineering. And when he decided that he wanted to own a business, he decided on a franchise with a track record of success. In 2004, he set his sights on McDonald's. Odds are, Ivanovic is going to do OK.
Of course, McDonald's likes reducing its odds of failure, too. The most successful quick-service restaurant chain in the world doesn't let just anybody buy a McDonald's restaurant and open for business. Their secret weapon to success isn't the Big Mac's secret sauce. It lies in the training that the company provides to every single franchise owner. McDonald's is McDonald's because of Hamburger University.
That said, driving onto the premises, I was at first a little disappointed. Oh, sure, Hamburger University is a stunning campus, nestled in lush oak forests and situated next to a sunlight-dappled lake full of bass and carp, where Canada geese, mallards and teal ducks make their homes.
It's just that I was half-expecting some of the students to channel their inner Ronald McDonalds or even don polyester uniforms, like in those 1970s TV commercials. I imagined that golden arches might hang over a Hamburger University football stadium.
All kidding aside, Hamburger University's grounds are more picturesque than many actual private and public universities. Acres of trees-walnut, hickory, ash-along with flowers and native shrubs are strewn throughout the 80-acre campus, and white-tailed deer wander near the nature trail and bike path, which are open to the public. Inside the university lobby is a replica of founder Ray Kroc's office, and a mini-museum with a timeline of McDonald's history and its significant role in popular culture. And there is so much artwork at the university and throughout the corporation that McDonald's has its own art curator.
The name "Hamburger University" may suggest a light touch, but the school's ambience and its intensive educational training--many classes are actually college-accredited--indicate a very serious endeavor.
It began with 14 students in the basement of a McDonald's restaurant in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, in 1961, and now the university, which has moved twice since then, educates an average of 5,000 students a year. Most of them are managers or executives at McDonald's, but since franchisees must undergo some of their training at the University, many students are like Ivanovic--dreaming of owning their own businesses.
Hamburger University is located on the grounds of the McDonald's headquarters in the affluent and peaceful suburb of Oak Brook, Illinois. Around the country, there are 22 regional training teams that are considered an extension of Hamburger University, and around the world, McDonald's has six additional Hamburger Universities, in Hong Kong; London; Munich, Germany; São Paulo, Brazil; Sydney, Australia; and Tokyo.
Class Act
It was just a few years ago that this all-American franchise received something of a drubbing in the media for its lackluster sales, diminishing reputation of quality and supersizing of the nation's collective waistline. But arguably, it remained a beloved restaurant with the public, and in the past two years, meals at McDonald's have been happier. A renaissance in management and training seems to have taken place, and sales are up, in part because of an expansion of the menu, including healthier fare like the $2.99 fruit-and-walnut salad.
Point being: McDonald's stores are more popular franchises to own than ever, and because of that, getting a franchise--and getting into Hamburger University--is something akin to being accepted to Harvard, Princeton or Yale. Like at an Ivy League college, the tuition is steep (buying a McDonald's franchise generally requires having a minimum of $200,000 nonborrowed money at your disposal), but the reputation for having studied under the masters generally means high returns on the investment. The average McDonald's brings in $1.9 million in revenue a year, and while most entrepreneurs only have one or two restaurants, it's possible to have several.
"We receive a massive number of applications," says Diana Thomas, Hamburger University's dean, referring to the people wanting and waiting to own a McDonald's franchise. Only about 1 percent are accepted, and since approximately one unit opens somewhere in the world every day, one could make a rough estimate that, annually, about 36,000 applicants worldwide vie to own their own McDonald's.
Thomas has worked for McDonald's in one capacity or another since she was a teenager, and she has seen plenty of changes at Hamburger University--many of which have come in the past few years, since she started her tenure as dean. "We used to have a lot of classrooms that looked like any classroom you'd see at a university," recalls Thomas, who took classes at Hamburger University as a manager and executive, and still participates in classes there. "We'd put a lot of people in a room and teach in a lecture format. But we've changed a lot to meet the needs of our users and to make it more interactive. It's more experiential. We divide the room into small, cubicle-like work areas with the material on flip charts, and [we] do role-playing so everyone can actually demonstrate the roles that they're learning."
Indeed, earlier in the day, I was allowed to observe two classrooms from the translation booths, which are typically used by international visitors in the classroom. If needed, McDonald's has interpreters who can translate into 28 different languages, including Korean, Malay, Portuguese and Swedish.
In a class on business leadership, I set my sights on one of three tables in the room, where four men and one woman, in their 30s to early 50s, were having a heated discussion:
"This is another objective to support the goal."
"We're going to have two months? To complete all this?"
"I think he's saying that the amount of objects we have may not be achievable in three months. I'm just saying what his point is, and I think he's saying that we're biting off more than we can chew."
On several flip charts around them are various mandates. One is titled "Goals," with "to improve commitment survey results from 72 percent to 85 percent" written underneath. Another says "Sales," with the goal being "to increase comp sales by 5 percent." Later, the group changes the number to 8 percent, and then to 13 percent. The students get increasingly animated. Hamburger University professor Mark Collins says, "We've had people get very emotional in the classes. We've seen tears. We've run the gamut."
The objective of this particular weeklong business leadership class, says Hamburger University training manager Wanda Hunter, is for students "to understand the importance of having a business plan, what the components are and their accountability in keeping the business plan alive."
In this class, only one of the students is on the verge of opening a McDonald's--and that's Miomir Ivanovic. Many business professionals besides McDonald's franchisees seek to attend the famed university to improve their business or people skills. "We've had attorneys, engineers, college professors, high-school teachers, barbers and grocery store owners come through here," says Randy Vest, a senior director for U.S. Training, Learning & Development who's in charge of formulating Hamburger University's curriculum.
Ivanovic is in his second week of training at Hamburger University, and it is his final week before he graduates and receives his diploma. Two weeks of training sounds minimal, but that's simply the training received inside the university. To get to this point, Ivanovic had to navigate his way through a matrix of time-consuming steps, including the very first, where for three days he lived on the lowest rung of the McDonald's ladder, making french fries and mopping floors. Ivanovic has been immersed in training at a McDonald's in his home city of Philadelphia as well as at a regional center, which includes working in a kitchen lab that is identical to working behind the counter of an actual McDonald's. Those doing the training are "field fresh," meaning they have been working inside an actual McDonald's on some management level within the past two years or so, says Allison Sindelir, master trainer, who oversees Hamburger University's professors.
In part because of the rigorous training people have to go through to be allowed to buy a McDonald's, this entrepreneurial experience is not for everyone. "It's only for those who are extremely dedicated," warns Thomas. "At the end of the day, these people spend an enormous amount of time preparing to own a McDonald's."
"It's a courtship, and we want to make sure you're absolutely the right fit," agrees Anna Rozenich of McDonald's. "Our franchise agreements are for 20 years, and that's a long time for a relationship. We want to make sure [you] share our passion for the customer."
Vest notes, "If you aren't willing to be hands-on and fully engaged, you're going into the wrong business. We're not looking for investors." In fact, Vest says that if there's any flexibility, it's with financing, not in accepting someone who isn't willing to learn everything they can about the business. "First and foremost, we're interested in talent. If you have talent and passion, then you're probably a pretty good fit."
Higher Education
For Ivanovic, it's a plus that McDonald's is so demanding. When he first came to the U.S. in the late 1980s, he didn't know much about the restaurant, and when he started dating his future wife, Alexandra, who was a field consultant for McDonald's, he was still largely clueless. But as he learned about her work and met McDonald's employees, he was impressed.
"You start to see why McDonald's is one of the leading worldwide corporations," Ivanovic says. "You go into one restaurant and don't see the connections or understand the mechanism behind it, but then you slowly recognize why McDonald's is so big and powerful. They employ 1.6 million people. Engineers have a tendency to think logically, and logically, you have to know there is something big behind this, that you can make the same quality of hamburger in America or in Asia."
Ivanovic had wanted to own his own business for several years. He looked into real estate or possibly opening a business in Europe, but kept coming back to his wife's place of employment. "I tend to think where you should be is where the really successful people are. If I wanted to open a food store on the corner, I wouldn't have all this support, and I know a lot of businesses fail in the first three years."
Ivanovic is certainly right that he'll have a lot of support. Vest says franchise owners needn't stop learning on the job--they can attend the McDonald's worldwide convention, held every other year, as well as local and regional training seminars and workshops. Meanwhile, every seven years, owners are invited to attend a restaurant operations leadership practice course--a weeklong visit to Hamburger University--to catch up on new technologies and evolving practices.
That's what Susan Singleton, 44, did five years ago. Along with her husband, Chris, 54, she owns four McDonald's locations in the Illinois towns of Algonquin, Hampshire, Huntley and Marengo, all of which perform slightly better than the average unit. She returned in 2000 for her third week at Hamburger University, which she says was extremely rewarding. "My advice, when you go, is to thoroughly enjoy everything," says Singleton. "While it's easy to just focus on the exam, that's only a small part of it. I'd really suggest taking in everything that happens to you there, especially with the people you meet and the relationships you make. It's going to be something you refer to and remember for the rest of your McDonald's experience."
Basic Training
Before buying a franchise, make sure it has a quality training program.
After all, if you're expected to learn the language, you'd better have capable instructors. Bob Garrow, professional speaker, leadership trainer and author of Ahoy Mates! Leadership Lessons from Successful Pirates, knows what it takes to get people started on the right foot. Based on his suggestions, we've culled five rules to live by when looking at a franchise training program:
- Do what you can to make sure the training content is relevant to what franchise owners experience in their natural environments.
- You may hate exams and testing, but you'd better make darn sure that the franchise training program requires some sort of test, because you'll hate being a clueless business owner much more than that test.
- The program should be fun.
- Two words: interactive learning.
- The agenda should contain a variety of learning methods and changes of pace so it holds your attention.


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Flash crashes, like the one that happened three years ago, could become the norm, Jim Cramer said Monday.
In 2010, high-frequency trading computers broke down and caused the Dow Jones Industrial Average to plummet nearly 1,000 points in 20 minutes.
At the time, Cramer was studying high-frequency trading—where firms try to get a millisecond edge on other buyers and sellers.
"We used to call [it] illegal front-running," he said, "but [it] has since been accepted by the geniuses at the SEC as totally legal and even positive behavior that gives the markets more depth [and] greater liquidity."


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British Bites: Potted Shrimp
Classic British dishes updated for the modern American cook.
Get the Recipe
The idea of shoving lovely, tender shrimp into a little pot may seem a bit backwards to some, but once you've tasted the gently seasoned butter and lovely tender shrimp you'll understand why this classic British dish is coming back into style. Most British versions of this recipe call for brown shrimp, which are the intensely flavorful small shrimp found in the UK, and are difficult to find in the US. Substituting larger shrimp, and then coarsely chopping them works fine as a substitution.
The concept of 'potting' is similar to confit—which is to say, preserving the product in fat. The simple difference is that potted foods are generally set in clarified butter, whereas confit is generally set in animal fat. Potted shrimp are a popular use of this technique (shrimp and butter is a great combination) but this technique is also used for many off cuts of meats such as chicken livers.
If I'm being truthful, the most arduous part of this recipe is clarifying the butter, but even that is just a waiting (and skimming) game. Once that is done the recipe comes together quickly, and then it's off to the fridge to set.
Having fresh, hot toast on hand is essential when serving potted shrimp. What you're looking for is the butter beginning to soften and melt once it hits the toast. A few big pints of lager and a green salad and you've got a lunch to be proud of.
Get the Recipe
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Just coming off of the end of his "Graffiti U World Tour," Keith Urban has already returned with new music. After teasing the song on social media, the country star has officially shared his brand new song "We Were."
"We Were" was written by Ryan Tyndell, Jeff Hyde, and Eric Church and co-produced by Dann Huff and Urban. The song is nostalgic and reflective as Keith sings in the chorus, "I am who I am/ I just miss who I was when/ We Were."
In a press release, Urban explains of the song, "I like the idea that life just happens. At some point, whether in the moment or not, you just gotta go with it." He adds, "When I first heard 'We Were,' I not only heard it, but I saw it. It made me feel something. The imagery is so strong - a stamp on the back of a hand, a Saturday night cover band, the girlfriend (or boyfriend) we ran with, and a fake ID (which of course I never had). So many of us can relate or will likely relate at some point!"
"We Were" was originally debuted during a showcase performance at the 2019 Country Radio Seminar (CRS) at Nashville's iconic Ryman Auditorium. Urban released his last album, Graffiti U, just last year, and despite a busy touring schedule, he revealed at the beginning of this year that he was already working on new music. Back in February, fans were delighted with the news when he shared a picture of a microphone and a thumbs up from the studio and captioned the image, "New music .....?!!!!!!!!!"
Then, during April's ACMs, he debuted a powerful song called "Burden" (which is a cover of a Foy Vance song). And on April 29th he tweeted another photo of himself singing into a studio microphone with the message, "Nuuuuuuuuuu music comin." And here we are on May 14th with the official release of "We Were."
Listen to Keith Urban's new song "We Were" above.


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Serves: 16
- Easy vanilla cake and syrup mix (see recipe below)
- 100g white chocolate (I used Milkybar)
- Basic vanilla buttercream mix (see Easy vanilla cake recipe below)
- 12 giant chocolate buttons, 6 cut in half
- treat-size pack chocolate buttons
- 2 chocolate sticks (I used Matchmakers)
- hundreds and thousands
- multicoloured candles
- red (or whatever colour you like) writing icing tubes (I used Asda)
- multicoloured candles
Directions to make Birthday bug cake
- Bake the Easy vanilla cake in a greased, lined deep 20cm cake tin as in the basic recipe; drench with syrup and leave to cool. Leave the oven on.
- Break the white chocolate into cubes into a microwaveable bowl, and heat on High for 1 min (or melt over a pan of simmering water). Stir, then leave any remaining lumps to melt in the warm liquid chocolate. Once just-warm, beat the chocolate into the buttercream.
- Start the butterflies. Put the whole giant buttons on a flat baking tray on non-stick baking paper, then put into the oven for 20-30 secs or until the chocolate looks shiny. Take out, scatter with hundreds and thousands, then leave to set completely before cutting in half with a large non-serrated knife. For the ladybirds, pipe dots of icing all over the already cut giant button halves, then leave aside to dry.
- Spread the buttercream over the cake, then start to arrange the butterflies. Cut each Matchmaker into 3 – these will make the bodies. Press onto the cake, then stick four giant button halves around each body to make 'wings'. For the ladybirds, place two spotty button halves together, then use a small button for the head. Scatter more hundreds and thousands all over the cake, then poke in the candles.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, June 2009
Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2009


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Woolworths recalls strawberries after man allegedly swallows needle
Woolworths are recalling strawberries across Australia after reports a customer was rushed to hospital after allegedly swallowed a sewing needle.
So far three punnets of strawberries have been found with sewing needles hidden inside – one in Queensland and two others in Victoria.
The Queensland man who reported the contamination on Sunday was the only person known to have consumed the fruit with needles inside and was being assessed by doctors.
Two more cases in Victoria reported the contamination on Tuesday night, but had not eaten the strawberries.
Victoria Police said the punnets were found in Yarram and Ballarat.
The farm where the strawberries were sourced sells to stores in Queensland, NSW and Victoria.
A Woolworths spokesperson said the 'Berry Obsessions' brand has been "temporarily withdrawn" from shelves wherever they are supplied.
''Woolworths takes food safety very seriously and we are looking into these claims with our supplier,'' the supermarket said in a statement.
Queenslader Joshua Gane posted his friend's ordeal to Facebook, along with a picture that shows a metal pin poking out of a strawberry.
He and his friend had the punnet of strawberries on Sunday afternoon from the Strathpine Centre Woolworths, about 20km north of Brisbane.
Queensland Acting Chief Superintendent Terry Lawrence from the State Crime Command said police believed the contamination was deliberate.
"[It's been done] obviously to injure somebody," he told the ABC.
"Police have spoken to the person who operates the farm and they are assisting us with our inquiries."


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Marmol accepts Minor League assignment
Newly acquired reliever throws bullpen session at Dodgers' spring complex
DENVER -- Newly acquired Dodgers reliever Carlos Marmol cleared outright waivers, accepted a Minor League assignment and already threw a bullpen session Thursday at the team's Camelback Ranch-Glendale complex to work out some mechanical flaws.
Although technically Marmol was assigned to Triple-A Albuquerque, first he will work with Minor League pitching coordinator Rafael Chaves in Arizona. He might pitch for the Isotopes, or he could just meet the Dodgers when they open a three-game series in Arizona on Monday.
Pitching coach Rick Honeycutt said he spoke with Marmol, viewed video of Thursday's bullpen session and reported the pitcher is eager to regain his form from 2010, when he saved 38 games for the Cubs.
"We think it's just small things, like his posture," Honeycutt said. "He sounded excited."
Marmol was acquired Tuesday from the Cubs along with financial considerations that included an additional $209,700 in international signing space to the team cap.
In return, the Cubs received reliever Matt Guerrier, who like Marmol had been designated for assignment last week. Marmol traveled to Arizona on Wednesday.
The Dodgers are hopeful they can salvage Marmol, whom they believe needs, in addition to the mechanical tweaks, a change of scenery after losing the Cubs' closer role and becoming a target of Wrigley Field critics.
"We're not going to totally make over the guy," said manager Don Mattingly, who also spoke to Marmol. "Maybe we can catch lightning in a bottle."
The Dodgers pick up a net $500,000 salary in the transaction, which management believes is a small risk for the potential upside of a former closer they believe is healthy and still throws in the mid-90s with a nasty slider.
Marmol was an All-Star in 2008.


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I am writing in response to the recent Fosters editorial which quoted at length from an opinion piece I wrote for the Union Leader which included statements about Rep. Tim Horrigan. While correctly quoted, the Fosters editorial contained an inaccuracy and also cherry picked the opinion piece.
The inaccuracy is the inference that I called Rep. Horrigan a "knucklehead". I did not. I used the term "knucklehead" when referring to Executive Councilor Chris Sununu. Sununu has twice engaged in activity that may have violated state law by directly contacting public officials to influence their decisions in judicial or prosecutorial matters. The first incident was directly contacting a judge with a character letter prior to the sentencing of a former state representative convicted of interfering with emergency personnel. The second was speaking with the state's Attorney General about whether he had done anything wrong after the judge harshly criticized Sununu's actions. As the state's chief law enforcement officer, Attorney General Michael Delaney would oversee an investigation into Sununu's actions (and an investigation has been requested by Salem police). Moreover, Delaney, if renominated in March, would have to be confirmed by the Executive Council, making the contact by Sununu, even if not illegal, ethically questionable. However, Foster's omitted any mention of Sununu in its editorial, instead focusing on Rep. Horrigan's retweet.
The editors at the Union Leader entitled my piece, "In New Hampshire, some politicians are acting like knuckleheads", but that was the choice of the Union Leader, not me, picking up my reference to knuckleheads in the Sununu section. I did use Sununu and Horrigan as examples of dumb things politicians have dine recently. I'm a little surprised Sununu was left out of the editorial, as his actions were dumber and more troubling than Horrigan's retweet. Also, Horrigan has apologized, while Sununu has not (to my knowledge).
In addition, Foster's left the following quote out of the section about Rep. Horrigan: " I do not know Rep. Horrigan well, but from what I do know he seems to have his heart in the right place in wanting to be of use to the people of his district. He also seems to take being a state legislator very seriously."
I appreciate the fact that Foster's thinks enough of me to quote one of my op eds. In the future, however, I would appreciate it if the paper would include the parts it may not agree with!
Kathy Sullivan
Editor's note: Kathy Sullivan is former chair of the state Democratic Party. In response to her letter, which appears above, Sullivan has indicated she will take us up on our offer to publisher future columns.


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These woven leather slides are Mohinders' original style—they're perfect for travel and every day.
Each pair is made by master shoemakers in the shoes' town of origin: Athani, India. The leather keeps getting softer, richer, and custom-formed to your foot the more you wear them.
Handcrafted, iconic designs from Northern Karnataka, India. Each pair is made by master shoemakers in the shoes' town of origin. Centuries-old technical skill plus modern updates make them distinctive, wearable shoes that only get better with time.
Slides fit true to size, take your normal shoe size.
If you are normally a half size, take one size up. For example, if you're normally a 9.5, order a 10.
Once you put a few miles on them the toe box and footbed will mold to your foot for the perfect fit.
Not sure which size is best for you? We're here to help - email@example.com
We believe in products with a sense of place. Mohinders are made by master shoemakers in Athani, India, whose designs are iconic to the surrounding region: Northern Karnataka. Follow our off-the-beaten-path journey through Karnataka's red-rock climbing walls, cave temples, and outdoor sandal markets along the way.


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Because the Chevy Aveo RS is moving upscale, cheap Americans will need new crap cars to waste their pointless lives in. Crap cars like the Tata Nano, which may end up here in 2013.
All of this is according to Tata's chairman Ratan Tata, who is running around the Delhi Auto Expo telling people they're aiming for a release within the next three years for non-developing areas like the U.S. and Europe. Hell, by 2013 the U.S. may be a developing market again.
Of course, the car will cost more than $2,500 if it actually passes safety regulations. Also expect it to come up-featured beyond the base model Indian version, which comes in a form even people who live on $10 a day find unluxurious. [Reuters via Green Car Reports]


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Chalk Circle - 'Subversive Pleasure'
Black Cat Bone - 'Cut Off Man'
Asbestos Rockpyle - 'Police State'
Art Yard - 'Something in Your Eyes'
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