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A study of the Social Christian movement within French Protestantism and its role in resisting the persecution of the Jews in World War Two.
Trade Information: LPOD
Available as: Paperback, PDF
Specifications: 229x153mm (9x6in), 232pp
Published: September 2017
Specifications: 235pp
Published: September 2017
How does one become 'righteous among the Nations'? In the case of Henri Nick (1868–1954) and André Trocmé (1901–1971), two French Protestant pastors who received the title for their acts of solidarity toward persecuted Jews, it was because they had been immersed, from an early age, in the discourses and practices of social Christianity. Focussing on the lives of these two remarkable figures of twentieth-century Christianity, Revivalism and Social Christianity is the first study in English on the Social Gospel in French Protestantism.
Chalamet presents a genealogy of the movement, from its emergence in the last decades of the nineteenth century to its high point during World War II, in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, where Trocmé and many local people rescued hundreds of Jewish refugees. As social Christians who prayed and worked for the coming of God's kingdom on earth in the midst of a society ravaged by two world wars, Henri Nick and André Trocmé combined a deep revivalist faith with a concern for the concrete conditions in which people live.
List of Images and Map
Part 1. The Meanings of Conversion – Henri Nick
Part 2. André Trocmé's First Steps in Spiritual and Social Christianity
Part 3. The "Conspiracy of Good" in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon
Part 4. After the War
Appendix: Declaration Read by Pastors André Trocmé and Édouard Theis in the Church of Le Chambon on Sunday, June 23, 1940
Index Nominum
Christophe Chalamet is Associate Professor of Theology at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. He is the author of Dialectical Theologians: Wilhelm Herrmann, Karl Barth and Rudolf Bultmann (2005).
People marvel that the folk at Le Chambon took in the Jews. But what Chalamet helps us see is this did not come out of the blue. Rather, this was made possible by people such as Henri Nick and Jacques Kaltenbach, whose discovery of the social dimensions of the Gospel made the actions of Trocmé possible. The implications are clear: heroism is the outworking of lives that never appear heroic. Stanley Hauerwas, Professor of Theological Ethics, Duke Divinity School
Based on original archival research, Chalamet richly fills in the background of the famous events at Le Chambon, where the Christian community, led by André Trocmé, saved the lives of thousands of Jewish children during the Nazi occupation of France. Nonviolent social action and spirituality were forged in a crucible of courage and suffering to produce a new and compelling version of the Social Gospel. George Hunsinger, Professor of Systematic Theology, Princeton Theological Seminar


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Lisa Alexander - Merry Christmas, everybody! Or Christmas Eve, anyway, which is close enough. Lisa the Intern here to celebrate the utterly adorable present we got from the Muppets and Jimmy Fallon last night: Kermit, Robin, and Jimmy singing "When the River Meets the Sea."
If you haven't seen it, you need to. But maybe don't watch it until you've finished reading, because otherwise you'll be melted into a puddle of goop and won't be able to read. (Yes, I'm biased. Robin has always been my favorite. But that's beside the point.)
Now, the first thing you may notice about this appearance is that Robin's voice is a only slightly off. That's to be expected, what with Matt Vogel trying to do a VERY Jerry Nelson voice, and I really don't mind it at all. Matt's doing his best (and it's pretty darn good), and the characterization is SPOT ON, which is what really matters. And Robin hasn't spoken in a very long time, and I'm really too happy to have him back to really be overly nit-picky. (But mostly, the perfect characterization makes up for anything.)
The second thing you may notice about this appearance is that IT EXISTS! Kermit the Frog and ROBIN--note, one of the more MINOR characters--is singing a song with Jimmy Fallon on a late night talk show in 2011. I had such a hard time believing it that I keep making the same typo and trying to say that this is happening in 2001. There is no doubt in my mind that Jimmy Fallon himself had a huge hand in making this happen, and not just because it's his own show. He could have easily said, "Hey, let's get some Muppets here and sing something!" because we all know he loves the Muppets. But I suspect he specifically requested to sing "When the River Meets the Sea" with Kermit and Robin. Or, also likely, he requested to sing with Robin, and Disney said, "Well... nobody knows who Robin is. Mind if we send Kermit, too?"
My reason for suspecting he specifically requested Robin? Well, as he explained last night, he's always loved the album the Muppets did with John Denver. (Remember when he sang "Twelve Days of Christmas" with them, based entirely on the rendition they did with John Denver?) And when The Roots started to play "When the River Meets the Sea," he immediately told Kermit it's his favorite. Add those to the obvious fact that Jimmy Fallon knows who Robin is: when they sang "Twelve Days of Christmas," Robin sat on Jimmy's shoulder. (Have I mentioned I'm incredibly jealous of Jimmy?) Earlier in the week, when telling the audience who would be appearing on upcoming episodes of his show, Jimmy was trying to explain who Robin is. "Robin, you know--the little guy?" he said, holding his hands out to indicate Robin's approximate size, clearly excited that he would be performing with "the little guy." (Like I said... I'm SO jealous.)
As I mentioned, Robin's characterization was perfect. Matt may not have the voice quite down yet, but he clearly knows Robin's personality perfectly. He's five years old and RIDICULOUSLY excited for Christmas, imitating his uncle's signature "YAY" in celebration of the fact. Twice. And his scarf is adorable. He's also incredibly excited to perform and sing, and trying his best to be just as professional about it as his uncle: note his "Thank you" when Kermit compliments him on the first line.
And that reminds me--Kermit was great last night, too, clearly bursting with pride for his little nephew. And, y'know, his voice and characterization were great and all that other stuff we all know Steve Whitmire is perfectly capable of doing again and again. We all love Kermit. And Kermit loves Robin. And Lisa the Intern is very, very happy, to put it mildly. I lost track of how many times I watched this clip last night.
And speaking of the clip... now it's your turn! YAAAAAAAAAY!
The Muppet Mindset by Ryan Dosier, email@example.com
Dec 24, 2011
Robin and Kermit on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
5 comments:
Love this more than words can say!!!ReplyDelete
I want Jimmy's job!ReplyDelete
Pitch perfect. What a wonderful Christmas gift! Thanks to the Muppet crew and Jimmy Fallon, the luckiest man on Earth!ReplyDelete
I have a crush on RObin actually.ReplyDelete
This is the best!!!!!!! Please show this every Christmas.ReplyDelete
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subset: commoncrawl


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Judge rules evidence sufficient for James Holmes to stand trial
CENTENNIAL -- A judge has ruled there is enough evidence for Aurora movie theater shooting suspect James Holmes to face trial.
Holmes will be formally arraigned on the 166 counts of murder, attempted murder and other crimes he faces at a hearing at 9 a.m. Friday. He will have to enter a plea at that time, although his attorneys filed a motion Thursday seeking a delay.
In his ruling, the judge acknowleged that the defense was likely to request a continuance.
After the arraignment, prosecutors will have 63 days to announce whether they intend to seek the death penalty against Holmes.
The decision to bind Holmes over for trial, made by 18th Judicial District Chief Judge William Sylvester, is not unexpected. It comes after a three-day preliminary hearing in which prosecutors tied Holmes to weapons found at the theater after the shooting, displayed pictures of Holmes posing with guns and body armor and detailed the intricacy of explosives found in his apartment.
Earlier Thursday, defense attorneys asked for his arraignment to be postponed regardless of what the judge decided.
In a motion trying to bar cameras from the courtroom, Holmes' defense team objected to the timing.
"The defense ... is not prepared to proceed to arraignment in this case by Friday, and therefore requests that the hearing on Friday serve only as a status hearing and not arraignment," the attorneys wrote.
Holmes' preliminary hearing wrapped on Wednesday.
Twelve people were killed in the July 20 attack, and 70 others were wounded either by gunfire or from fleeing the theater in panic.
Jessica Fender: 303-954-1244, firstname.lastname@example.com or twitter.com/Oh_Fender


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"Only one word: excellent! We will use it again if we go back there and advice it to all our friends. Best regards, LUISA LORENA "
Astarita Car Service: "Wow!!! Many many thanks. This is really important for us and Astarita Car Service cannot thank you enough! Hope to see you soon!"


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http://mmajunkie.com A middleweight bout between Nick Ring (12-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) and Tim Boetsch (13-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC) has been added to September's UFC 135 event.
UFC officials today announced the fight.
UFC 135 takes place Sept. 24 at Denver's Pepsi Center. A title fight between light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson headlines the pay-per-view main card.
It's not clear if Ring vs. Boetsch will be part of the broadcast. However, as MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) recently reported, UFC 135 also gets a "UFC Prelims" special on Spike TV, and the fight could be part of that two-fight special.
Ring looks to continue his undefeated streak and pick up his 13th straight victory. The Canadian-based fighter recently scored a submission victory over James Head at UFC 131 for his eighth stoppage victory in 13 career wins. Ring, who competed on "The Ultimate Fighter 11" (but was forced out of the tournament early due to a knee injury), is 2-0 since the subsequent 15-month layoff. In addition to the Head victory, the onetime Bellator fighter scored a controversial unanimous-decision victory over Riki Fukuda at UFC 127.
Boetsch, meanwhile, looks to continue some recent success since a return to the UFC (following a 2-2 run in his first stint) and a drop from light heavyweight to middleweight. Recently, the former IFL fighter and collegiate wrestler has sandwiched UFC wins over Todd Brown and Kendall Grove around a loss to Phil Davis. He's now 5-1 over his past six fights.
For the latest on UFC 135, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
(Pictured: Tim Boetsch)


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Rudyard Kipling#17 on top 500 poets
» Click to list general statistics » OR, select a date :
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
read more >>
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Bombing of Aleppo University – What Happened [video]
Syrian Girl
January 16, 2013
Over 80 people have died in two bomb blasts in Aleppo university . The blast radius was huge and the type of bomb is still not known, IED or rocket. The mainstream media has been falling over itself trying to implicate the Syrian government in the strikes even the Aleppo university is a government controlled area, the following footage and discussion hopes to reveal the truth about what happened in Aleppo university.


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My brother recently had a positive sweat test (46 years old) and his genetic screen from Johns Hopkins came back with one mutation. It says " c.1210-12T[5] [Legacy: 5T]. A CFTR mutation with vairable functional effect and clinical presentation." Does anyone here have this mutation alone? What does it mean? If I have read correctly, you can be a symptomatic carrier with only one mutation. My brother had many symptoms and was very sick; he passed away before he got these genetic screen results. I am hoping to find out as much as I can for him as he tried for so long to find out what was wrong.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. thank you. Cheri


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Explore what is changing the lives of tens of thousands of people in more than 170 countries around the world.
Explore what the 3 key tools of Access are and how you can use them to start creating the change you desire.
Receive tips of what you can choose to get started. You know what will work for you!
Hear from people all over the world about how they are different after Access Consciousness.
Read news articles, watch videos, listen to pods and radio shows – you can find Access Consciousness in many media channels!
Explore some of the most frequently asked questions about Access Consciousness.
There are thousands of Access Consciousness events and classes offered weekly around the world. You can search for a class by topic, facilitator, language or location in our class calendar.
Gary Douglas travels extensively facilitating advanced Access Consciousness classes as well as a range of evening and several day workshops on specific topics from Choice and Possibilities, to Money, Benevolent Capitalism, Relationships and more.
Dr. Dain Heer offers classes on a wide array of topics through out the world and is best known for his transformation process The Energetic Synthesis of Being as well as the Being You, Changing the World events.
Simone Milasas travels extensively facilitating advanced Access Consciousness classes as well as a range of evening and several day workshops on specific topics from Choice and Possibilities, Relationship Done Different, Business Done Different, Getting Out of Debt Joyfully and more.
Brendon Watt travels extensively facilitating beginning advanced Access Consciousness classes as well as a range of evening and several day workshops on specific topics from The Foundation, Choice and Possibilities, Relationship Done Different, and more.
The Access Bars are the very core and foundation of Access Consciousness. It can be the starting point of a great adventure and it can be something you add to your life that will assist you in creating a greater ease with everything.
Dr. Dain Heer offers classes on a wide array of topics through out the world and is best known for his transformation process The Energetic Synthesis of Being (ESB).
Dr. Dain Heer offers classes on a wide array of topics through out the world and is well known for his Being You, Changing the World events, based on his bestselling Being You, Changing the World book.
The Speciality Programs are branches of Access Consciousness where you can dive deeper into particular topics with specialized facilitators. Each program offer introductory classes, advanced classes and certification facilitator training.
Access Consciousness offers classes on an infinite array of topics. There are many types of variety classes available.
Access Consciousness have many ways of engaging with the tools worldwide via expos, meet ups, radio shows, tele summits, google hangouts and more.
Each Access Facilitator is facilitated by the creators of Access Consciousness, Gary Douglas and Dr. Dain Heer. There are several license types for Access Consciousness Core Classes as well as Specialty Programs and Special Topic Classes.
Are you looking for more change? Use our search function to find a facilitator near you.
Access Consciousness has over 8,000 facilitators and practitioners in more than 170 countries. Find all their specific certifications and licenses here.
Find an article on almost any topic you could think of! Where would you like your adventure to begin?
We created a special log in help page to assist you!
Access Consciousness offers classes on every topic you can imagine. The Core Classes in Access are designed to give you the step-by-step tools to create change and possibilities in any area of your life with speed and ease. The Speciality Classes allow you to dive deeper into a particular topic that you may be more interested in exploring in depth, like business, money, body, animals etc. The Advanced Classes are more free-form and will explore areas of creation and change on a totally different level. Many of the classes have Core Classes as prerequisites, so the Core Classes are always a great place to start.
As of December 1, 2015 the Core Classes in Access Consciousness are:
A comprehensive manual is provided in each of the core classes containing detailed explanations, processes and tools discussed in class by the class facilitators. These classes are totally different every time as they are created based on your questions. You will expand your awareness of what change is possible for you by asking questions of your facilitator as things come up in your world.
Kids aged 15 and under may come for free to all the classes around the world. Ages 16-17 pay half price.
Everyone is invited and included in Access Consciousness and your presence is considered a contribution to a greater possibility.
The Core Classes listed on this site can expand your capacity for consciousness so that you have greater awareness about you, your life, this reality and beyond. With greater awareness, you can begin generating the life you always knew was possible and haven't yet created.
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We do NOT track your IP address or use analytics, pixels or cookies for retarget advertising. If you like us, just come back and visit us online again!


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Do you remember where you were on July 21, 1969 at 02:56 GMT? Neil Armstrong was becoming the first man to step on the surface of the moon. Nineteen minutes later a watch—an Omega Speedmaster—could make a similar claim, strapped to the wrist of fellow Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin. The reason the Omega wasn't part of Armstrong's "one giant leap for mankind"? The mission commander had left his watch on the lunar module as a trusty backup to the Eagle's own electronic timing system, which was malfunctioning.
Hence the legend was born of the ultrareliable, black-bezeled watch that could handle seemingly any extreme. To honor that moment, Omega has issued a special Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch Apollo 11 "40th Anniversary" Limited Edition watch in two configurations—7,969 pieces in stainless and sterling silver and 69 in platinum and yellow gold. The commemorative watches mimic the standard issue Speedmaster, but place a medallion resembling the Apollo 11's eagle-with-olive-branch mission patch behind one of the subdials.
Apollo 11 was not the first space trip for the Omega Speedmaster. Starting with Gordon Cooper's Faith 7 flight, in 1963, it had become NASA's only mission-approved watch. To join the space race, the watch had undergone a series of rigorous tests that proved it could operate in temperature extremes from 160° to 0° F, withstand shocks of 40 Gs, and endure abject decompression and high pressure as well as humidity up to 95 percent.
A distinctive feature common to both the space-bound watches and the commemorative pieces is a Hesalite crystal fashioned from a shatterproof acrylic (etched inside with a small Omega logo on the anniversary edition). At the Basel watch fair, Aldrin revealed that while the crystals didn't shatter on the moon mission, they did pop off once they entered the low-pressure atmosphere of outer space. Nevertheless, the astronaut reported, "the watches worked just fine." Updates to the original moon watch include Omega's Caliber 1861 movement. Both editions are stamped on the case back with the words the first watch worn on the moon as well the limited-edition number of the watch, and the date of the moonwalk. The time is printed on the dial.
Both watches come in presentation boxes with certificates of authenticity. The stainless edition package includes a sterling silver medal engraved with the mission patch on one side and information about the mission on the other. The platinum edition comes in a wooden box with ornamental marquetry. The limited-edition number is embossed on the lid along with the Apollo 11 mission patch.


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August 15, 2005
Dear CODEPINK activist,
"Before this all started, I used to think that one person couldn't make a difference... but now I see that one person who has the backing and support of millions of people can make a huge difference." -- Cindy Sheehan
Sitting out here in arid Camp Casey in Crawford, Texas, Cindy Sheehan shines like a Pink Rose of Texas. Out of the dust, intense heat and hostile political climate, she has brought new life to the conscience of this nation. Despite her opponents' dirty tactics to malign her character, divide her family, and undermine the purity of her message, Cindy continues to inspire mothers and their loved ones around this nation to rise up against the senseless death of our children.
CODEPINK has been by Cindy's side here in Crawford from the beginning of her vigil. It has been astounding to watch how a grieving mother, camping in a tent as close to the president's ranch as she could get, has turned this dry, flat landscape into a field of dreams. Now we want to honor her with a flood of pink roses as a physical reflection of the beauty that she has created for us all.
For $5, you can send a pink rose to beautify Cindy's arid camp and a message of support to bolster her spirit. Pink roses traditionally symbolize grace and gratitude. Let's show our gratitude for Cindy's grace in the line of fire (not to mention fire ants!). Let's surround our Pink Rose of Texas with an abundance of gorgeous pink roses.
Any further contributions will help build the next phase of Cindy's journey, when she takes her message directly to Washington DC.
So send your pink rose, your message to Cindy, please join us in Washington DC on September 24-26, and pass this message along to your friends, family and online communities so they too can send love and support to Cindy.
With love from Camp Casey and around the nation,
Alicia, Andrea, Dana, Farida, Gael, Grace, Gayle, Jodie, Medea, Rae, Tiffany and Whitney
To help sustain our work and actions, please consider making a donation to CODEPINK today.


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Sterling Silver Created Black Opal Halo Adjustable Bracelet 2.50 Carats Total SB4460
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I live in Ontario, and my spouse lives abroad, where we were married. n I file for divorce here in Ontario?
Marriages abroad may be dissolved here in nada, provided you are ordinarily resident in Ontario, or any other province, for at least one year. If you have been living continuously in Ontario for at least a year, you n apply for a divorce. The fact your spouse lives abroad does not disqualify you from applying for a divorce.
Your place of marriage has no signifint impact on where you are divorced.? At the center of the matter is whether at least one spouse actually lives in the place where the divorce... MORE »


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Augustana to Celebrate Sesquicentennial Day
Augustana will mark its 150th anniversary, and the beginning of the academic year, on Sesquicentennial Day, Wednesday, Sept. 8. The community is invited to attend Opening Convocation at 2 p.m. in the Elmen Center.
Augustana Ranked Among Best Regional Colleges
Augustana is ranked No. 5 among the Best Regional Colleges and No. 2 among "great schools with great prices" in the Midwest, according to the 2011 edition of America's Best Colleges by U.S. News Media Group.
Fall Workshops Offered
Augustana will offer a series of Continuing Education workshops from September through December. The workshops apply toward undergraduate or graduate college credit and meet teacher certification/re-certification requirements from the South Dakota State Department of Education.
Augustana Fund Reaches Record $1 Million
Despite the lingering challenges still facing our economy, the Augustana Fund raised a record $1 million for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2010, a 24 percent increase over the prior year.
Undergraduates Pave New Frontiers in Research
Fifty-nine Augustana students are participating in undergraduate research projects on- and off-campus this summer.
Student-Run Augie Garden Serves People in Need
In its second year, the student-run Augie Garden is providing fresh produce to people in need, while helping students and members of the community connect with nature.
Augustana Named 'A Best in the Midwest' by The Princeton Review
Augustana College has again been named one of the best colleges in the Midwest, according to The Princeton Review, a nationally known education services company.
Son of Augustana Alumnus Finishing Father's Memoir
Amos Odenyo came to Augustana from Kenya in 1961 as part of the Kennedy-Mboya Airlift Program. In "Staring at the Nyanza Sun, A Kenyan-American Memoir," his son chronicles his late father's inspirational life.
Augustana Summer College Enrollment on the Rise
Augustana is reporting a 30 percent increase in its Summer College enrollment since 2008. This year, 558 students are enrolled in summer classes, up from 430 students two years ago.
Family Programs for International Students Announced
The Augustana International Programs Office is seeking Sioux Falls-area families interested in learning about new cultures, languages and traditions to participate in its Host Family and Friendship Family Programs.


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DETROIT – General Motors said Wednesday that the battery-powered version of its Chevrolet Spark mini-car can travel up to 82 miles on a single charge, putting it among the leaders in mass-market electric vehicles sold in the U.S.
The Spark EV also gets the equivalent of 119 miles per gallon in testing monitored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. GM said that makes it the most efficient car available for sale to the public. The figure is for combined city and highway driving.
The tiny electric Chevrolet goes on sale in July in Oregon and California. GM hasn't released the price but has said it will be less than $32,500, excluding a $7,500 federal tax credit. The company also hasn't said when it will go on sale in other states.
The Spark enters the market at a time when gasoline prices nationwide are relatively low. The average price of a gallon of regular gas on Wednesday was $3.52, 33 cents less than the same time last year, according to AAA. Lower gas prices and a limited range have held down U.S. electric car sales.
Automakers sold almost 4,900 fully electric vehicles in the first quarter of this year, nearly three times the number from a year ago, according to the Edmunds.com automotive website. But that's only 0.13 per cent of total U.S. car sales.
Other electric cars can travel farther on a single charge. The Fiat 500e, for example, can go 87 miles on a charge according to EPA estimates, while versions of the Tesla Model S can travel up to 265 miles per charge.
GM's Chevrolet Volt can go 38 miles per charge, which is less than all-electric cars because the Volt has a smaller battery and a gas-powered generator that kicks in after the battery is depleted. The Volt gets the equivalent of 98 miles per gallon on both electricity and gasoline, according to the EPA.
The EPA calculates the gas mileage equivalent for electric cars like this: One gallon of gasoline creates the same energy as 33.7 kilowatt hours of electricity. It then determines how far an electric car can travel on that amount of battery power.
The Scion IQ EV has a higher gas mileage equivalency figure than the Spark EV at 121 mpg, but Toyota said it is offered only to partners for testing purposes.
The motor and other driveline parts for the Spark EV are made in Baltimore, but the car is assembled in South Korea along with the gasoline version.


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New blogger? Welcome! Share a link to your first post, say hello to other new faces, and find your first few readers.
Hi, guys! I started this blog a week or two ago, and I just found out about this First Friday thing! =) It's sort of a motivational blog, filled with my thoughts, all directed at making the most of this life. Would love to hear what you guys think! here's my first post:


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Peacock Hand-dyed
This polyester fleece is a Puppet Pelt exclusive. It has a single side velour (fuzzy only on one side) and is a great alternative to nylon fleece.
Fleece is sold in increments of 31" and cut in one continuous piece. If you would like to order more than 31" please change the quantity in "Quantity" box above. For example:
31" x 65" = 1
62" x 65" = 2
108" x 65" = 3
Dye Process: Hand-dyed
Collection: Hand-Dyed Polyester
Weight/Material/Width: 100% polyester, 65"


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Morton building toward Altoona rehab start
Karstens also slated to pitch on Monday; McDonald still without timetable
PITTSBURGH -- Charlie Morton was scheduled to throw 35 pitches off a mound on Monday afternoon, using all four of his pitches. If all goes well, the 29-year-old will likely make a rehab start for Double-A Altoona on Thursday, according to Pirates manager Clint Hurdle.
Morton, who underwent Tommy John surgery last June and is dealing with a shoulder issue as well, will likely throw 65 pitches in four innings for the Curve.
James McDonald, on the other hand, has no timetable for a return. Hurdle said the right-hander will not begin a throwing program until the soreness or tenderness in his shoulder is gone. The Pirates placed McDonald on the 15-day disabled list on May 7 -- retroactive to May 1 -- with discomfort in his right shoulder. The 28-year-old is 2-2 with a 5.76 ERA.
"McDonald is just still on hold," Hurdle said.
Right-hander Jeff Karstens was also set to make a rehab start for Class A Bradenton on Monday. Hurdle said Karstens will likely throw 50 pitches over three innings. Karstens began the season on the disabled list with a shoulder injury and threw 29 pitches in a two-inning rehab start in extended spring training on May 8.


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On May 26, Dane County Circuit Judge Mariann Sumi invalidated a billpassed by the legislature in March, taking away most public employees' collective bargaining rights. Judge Sumi based her decision on evidence thatlawmakers violated Wisconsin's open meetings law when it voted on the bill with less than two hours public notice.
But the Judge's decision has been criticized by political leaders including Senator Glenn Grothman who said legislators were being told what to do by an "ideologue judge" and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald questioned the separation of powers of a judge trumping "two democratically elected branches of government." (Sumi was originally appointed by Republican Governor Tommy Thompson in 1998 and has since been reelected by voters.)
"Criticisms by legislators, attorneys and others that it was wrong for Judge Sumi to invalidate a state law – some going so far as to claim that judges have no business reviewing legislative enactments – show a shocking disregard of our system of checks and balances, and are dangerous to a society built upon the rule of law," said ACLU of Wisconsin Executive Director Christopher Ahmuty.
As Judge Sumi wrote in her decision, in 1803 the U.S. Supreme Court made it clear that it is "emphatically the province and the duty of the courts to say what the law is." That bedrock principle has governed our nation for centuries.
"The checks and balances built into our constitution make sure that no one branch of government – not the executive, or the legislature, or the judiciary – usurps power," said Ahmuty. "In this system, it is the role of the courts to ensure that the actions of the legislature and the governor comport with the constitution and the laws. While there may be limited areas where separation-of-powers principles clearly prevent the courts from interfering with exclusively legislative or executive functions, this is not one of those areas.
"Judge Sumi did not ask that anyone challenge the collective bargaining bill or that the challenge end up in her court. But judges have to decide the cases brought before them. Doing so is not "judicial activism" – it is doing the job of a judge. Even those who disagree with her decision should thank Judge Sumi for fulfilling her constitutional duty, rather than fulminating about the bogeyman of so-called activist judges."


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AN ENERGY METHOD FOR EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT DESIGN OF RC STRUCTURES by Surat Terapathana A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (CIVIL ENGINEERING) May 2012 Copyright 2012 Surat Terapathana
Object Description
|An energy method for earthquake resistant design of RC structures
|Terapathana, Surat
|Author email
|Doctor of Philosophy
|Document type
|Degree program
|Civil Engineering
|Viterbi School of Engineering
|Date defended/completed
|Date submitted
|Date approved
|Restricted until
|Date published
|Advisor (committee chair)
|Anderson, James C.
|Advisor (committee member)
Wang, Chunming
Wellford, L. Carter
Wong, Hung Leung
Lee, Vincent W.
|In order to effectively design reinforced concrete moment frames to withstand earthquake ground motions, it is necessary to accurately predict the seismic demands on the building system including the effects of duration together with the usual constraints defined by building codes. In this study, the use of plastic design procedures and an energy balance equation are described. The energy balance equation becomes an additional constraint in which the energy input (energy demand) to the structure by the earthquake will be balanced by energy absorbed by the structure and by energy dissipated from the structure. Hysteretic energy is selected and employed as energy demand since it relates directly to the inelastic deformation demands of a structure subjected to earthquake ground motion. ❧ Within this thesis, the design procedure for reinforced concrete frames that includes energy demand is presented. Reinforced concrete moment frames for low-rise and mid-rise buildings are selected and designed as case studies. Nonlinear dynamic time history analyses are conducted for two sets of earthquake records, representative of far field records and near fault records, in order to estimate the hysteretic energy demand over the height of the building. Plastic design and minimum cost concepts are developed as an objective function which is minimized subject to the constraints by using linear programming. Finally, the designed frames are evaluated and verified according to present building code and FEMA 356 requirements. This procedure is repeated until the energy demand by the ground motion is less than the energy capacity of the structure.
|seismic demands; hysteretic energy; energy balance equation;energy based design
|Part of collection
|University of Southern California dissertations and theses
|Publisher (of the original version)
|University of Southern California
|Place of publication (of the original version)
|Los Angeles, California
|Publisher (of the digital version)
|University of Southern California. Libraries
|Electronically uploaded by the author
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|Contributing entity
|University of Southern California
|Terapathana, Surat
|Physical access
|The author retains rights to his/her dissertation, thesis or other graduate work according to U.S. copyright law. Electronic access is being provided by the USC Libraries in agreement with the author, as the original true and official version of the work, but does not grant the reader permission to use the work if the desired use is covered by copyright. It is the author, as rights holder, who must provide use permission if such use is covered by copyright. The original signature page accompanying the original submission of the work to the USC Libraries is retained by the USC Libraries and a copy of it may be obtained by authorized requesters contacting the repository e-mail address given.
|Repository name
|University of Southern California Digital Library
|Repository address
|USC Digital Library, University of Southern California, University Park Campus MC 7002, 106 University Village, Los Angeles, California 90089-7002, USA
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|AN ENERGY METHOD FOR EARTHQUAKE RESISTANT DESIGN OF RC STRUCTURES by Surat Terapathana A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (CIVIL ENGINEERING) May 2012 Copyright 2012 Surat Terapathana


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Be Brave Balsam Pillow
Free returns. Tracked delivery.
These decorative pillows are 100% cotton, filled with the fresh-smelling needles of a Balsam fir tree and made in the USA. Guaranteed to keep your room, drawer, bathroom, car, office, cabinet or whatever else smelling as fresh as a crisp morning walk through a forest in Maine.
Measures 7" x 4.5." Made in the USA.
With a nod to the past and an eye on the future, Izola gifts and accessories are built to last.
Izola began over a decade ago with the idea of bringing great design to everyday objects and tools. What started as a side project for New York City photographer Neil Rasmus developed into an international lifestyle brand.
We think that life is about great friends and great adventures. A weekend on the couch is a weekend wasted. Our products are designed and made to reflect that. Stylish enough for the city in the week. Rugged enough for the country at the weekend.


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Seahawks' backup QBs impressive against Chargers
Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman (25) waves to fans as he leaves the field alongside teammate defensive tackle Brandon Mebane, left, after beating the San Diego Chargers in a preseason NFL football game Thursday, Aug. 8, 2013, in San Diego. The Seahawks won, 31-10. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)


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Get Boozy With the 2013 Super Bowl Commercial For '21 and Over'
The trailer for the movie '21 & Over,' which will run during the 2013 Super Bowl, makes sure the audience knows the comedy is going to be an alcohol-drenched wild time.
The premise of the film, which comes from the writers of the 'The Hangover,' is that a straight-A student is taken out on the night of his 21st birthday. A birthday that happens to be the night before his medical school interview.
"One beer" becomes many and the trailer details what goes down on during the fateful night. Included in the festivities are bulls (live and mechanical), ritual paddlings, fire and officers of the law. The birthday boy appears to spend much of the extended evening in a state of unconsciousness and at one point is outfitted in women's underwear.
The film is not yet rated, so expect it to be pretty raunchy, even when it does meet the standards of the MPAA.
'21 & Over' is slated to hit theaters on March 1. Does the trailer have you excited for the comedy?


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Fall 2011 New York Fashion Week: Altuzarra
2011 Fall New York Fashion Week: Altuzarra
2011 Fall New York Fashion Week: Altuzarra
Last year's Ecco Domani winner Joseph Altuzarra knows what modern women want: to be cool and sophisticated at the same time. If that's your fashion mission, read on. For Fall '11, the designer managed to marry oversize fur parkas with the silkiest of frocks, tweed skirts with chunky sweaters, military-inspired pieces with preppy argyle. It was juxtaposition at its most fabulous. Deep hues like maroon and olive green kept the scene very serious, while thigh-revealing side slits and sheer fabrics added a major dose of sexy. Military meets sexy meets preppy meets cool — I can't think of a better mashup.
- Trends: Fur parkas, long, asymmetrical hemlines, argyle.
- Colours: Deep red, brown, olive green, brown.
- Key Looks: Print dress with oversize parka; chunky ivory turtleneck sweater with tweed pencil skirt.
- Accessories: Lace-up, knee-high boots, fur anklets.
- Who Would Wear It: The fashion-conscious girl who can't commit to one style but seeks an overall cool air.


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KingofGnG writes "DICE is a small emulator dedicated to recreating on a modern computer the arcade games based on discrete circuits: ancient and bizarre entertainment machines where the electronic components required for the game experience were soldered individually on the circuit board and where there was no trace of integrated circuit or CPU. It's an obscure and fascinating kind of emulation, and the offering of emulated games grows richer with each release." Released a few days ago, DICE 0.8 adds support for four new games: Atari's Crossfire and Pin Pong, and Ramtek's Clean Sweep and Wipe Out.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.


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A friend of mine asked me about the UK's mooted Cybersecurity "volunteer" force; this is approximately how I responded:
The Cyber-Force thing is simultaneously scary, tragic and amusing; Iain Lobban – Director of GCHQ – has been heard to lament that they cannot afford to pay for geeks:
…that essentially they can't compete with private sector industry for salaries and conditions.
The truth is a little more complex and a little less clear-cut than that.
From my modest experience of the demographic – dating from around 1994 to the present day – the UK defence establishment has subsisted by chewing-up public spirited geeks who were willing to trade shitty pay for unfireable job-security and an index-linked civil service pension from age ~55ish, thence to buy a cottage in Cornwall, or Provence or something.
The unfireable pension opportunity has now evaporated and DERA (the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency) which provided the hinterland of geeks for GCHQ was largely privatised as Qinetiq – significant numbers have left that – plus computing is now sexy again, so suddenly a lot of the UK's core security expertise is going into private hands.
You know my perspective on "cyber"[1] – that it is a framing of the debate to launder:
- interception/monitoring/snooping
- filtering/blocking/censorship
- public relations/propaganda, and …
- expansion of state regulation opportunity
…as a necessary new military activity in a new "domain" – the domain of "communications" – which they call "cyber" because calling it communications would be too obviously unmilitary for people to bear.
Not to mention that honesty would sound too "Orwellian".
However the good manpower is now off earning loadsamoney with either:
- "Big Data", or…
- "Silicon Roundabout Startups" – which are sacrosanct because they may save the economy and the DTI is currently behind them.
…and therefore GCHQ are calling for volunteer cyberwarrior do-gooders.
If in one scenario this is not terrifying to normal people then it bloody well ought to be, if only for the example of "LOVEINT" at the NSA:
…because if the best-funded cyberagency in the world has significant spy-on-your-ex-lover issues, what the hell will happen when you let loose a bunch of volunteers on the spook-internal databases of the UK?
There would be rather more "snoop on your mate's ex-girlfriend" than "Edward Snowden" activity, to be sure.
But let's instead imagine that GCHQ are not fools and that the volunteers are kept at a discreet arm's length from the datacentre at Cheltenham; what then? Will you have a bunch of volunteers going around to BNFL and setting up firewalls for nuclear power stations? Or trying to hack into the National Grid? I think they're already equipped.
What will they be doing, and will they actually be any good at it? And whom will they be depriving of a paid job in the interim? Answers: they won't be sure, not terribly, and possibly themselves.
I've spoken with a competition winner from the GCHQ "UK Cyber Champion" contest and it seems that even if they really like you as a person, the public sector does not have the culture to employ creative, individualistic, modern computer people.
So I think they are in trouble; and you can't justify the budgets if you can't get the staff.
If I was to suggest a way out for GCHQ and the Government it would be to stop fretting about process so much, stop throwing money at the big defence contractors and instead engage directly with smaller parties in the private sector.
But that will never happen on the scale which it needs to. Alas.
[1] my perspective on cyber: www.slideshare.net/alecmuffett/how-to-think-clearly-about-cybersecurity-v2


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In the Journibles Series
All the Journibles are sturdy and attractive hardcover volumes.
Start a collection on your bookshelf!
In Deuteronomy 17:18, future kings of Israel were commanded to not simply get a copy of the law, but to hand-write their own copy, for themselves. Centuries later, educators have discovered that students who write out their own notes by hand have a much greater retention rate than simply hearing or reading. Our God knew this long ago! With this idea in mind, the Journibles series has emerged.
Each book is organized so that you can write out your very own copy of Scripture. Yes, you are the scribe in these volumes! You'll write the Bible text on the right hand page of the book. On the left side, you are given space to write your own notes and comments.
How to Use These Books
Each book is organized so that you can write out your very own copy of Scripture. You will be writing the Bible text only on the right hand page of the book. This should make for easier writing and also allows ample space on the left page to write your own notes and comments. From time to time a question or word will be lightly printed on the left page; these questions are to aid in further study, but should not interfere with your own notes and comments.
"There is an old proverb that says 'Thoughts disentangle themselves when passing over the lips and through the finger tips.' The 17:18 Series which encourages us to actually write out the words of Scripture will be a tremendous tool in putting that proverb into action in our daily lives. I am happy to commend this project." -Jerry Bridges
"Rob Wynalda's The 17:18 Series encapsulates the biblical mandate to write Scripture on the tables of our hearts. By writing out Scripture ourselves and buttressing that with answering questions and taking notes about the texts, we will grow immensely in hiding the Word in our hearts and exemplifying it in our lives. This series of books is suitable for children and adults, for lay people and ministers, for Bible study classes and private devotions. Try a volume yourself. By the Spirit's grace, your soul will prosper, and you will want to write out the whole of Scripture." – Dr. Joel R. Beeke


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1 Total
J.R. McGraw
Founder / CEO - McGraw Software, IncTimestamp: 2015-12-24
Visionary Business / Technology Strategist, with many personally conceived and delivered mobile, multi-device, cloud-based, data-aware, scalable, web solutions with game-changing net benefit: o Game-changing Mobile. Unprecedented prescriptive ordering saves Home Depot $1 billion o Big Data Analytics. Novel trading / analytics tools, earns Goldman Sachs $60 million / year o Actionable Insight. Vision / strategy for disruptive innovation gets LexisNexis #1 in all markets o Real-time Integration. Software that solved EAI and Data Integration problems increased US Army Simulation & Test capacities by 50-fold with order-of-magnitude benefit to Test Events o Business / IT Innovation. Vision, architecture and many transformational solutions exceeding NASCAR stakeholder objectives saved $10 million in 90 days and over $400 million in 5 years. My style is total immersion into a problem; a style people with problems find intoxicating. I surface with a vision for often never-before-seen solutions and follow through with rock-solid implementation (see 1-5). 1. Immerse in all dimensions of a complex business situation to comprehend, assess and provide fresh perspective for executive management and to gain buy-in to current conditions. 2. Imagine the future by applying vision, logic, analysis, best practice and idea generation. 3. Invent extraordinary innovative solutions that optimally leverage human capital, information, process innovation and advanced technology to achieve enormous business benefit. 4. Induce executive approval / sponsorship to launch initiatives with personally developed and clearly communicated concise business cases, briefings / presentations, and findings reports. 5. Implement solutions (hands-on) that exceed desired benefit using proven methods, effective project management, sound architecture, broad technology experience, and agile delivery skills. Graduated 1st in my class at MIT. M.S., Management of Technology, Innovation and Global Leadership. B.S. / M.S., Computer Science, highest honors. At MIT, under the tutelage of John Rockart, famous Senior IT Lecturer, MIT Sloan, I studied why "systems delivery" fails, figured out what to do, and have been doing it right for over two decades - with attention-getting, measurable results. My Senior IT Leadership and Management Consulting experience includes: • CTO, Home Depot • CTO, Social 5th Media • Chief Data Scientist, LexisNexis • EVP/CIO, On Ramp • Chief EA, Mobile, Cubic • Principal, IBM Global Services • Director, E&Y LLP • Lead EA, EAI, US Army • Chief Solution Architect, CIBER Expert at transformational change. Easily comprehends any business case. Quickly conceives strategic use of technology / process change to achieve vision. Expert in Customer Experience and a Subscription Economy. Solutions raise service delivery / productivity to best practice levels. Serial Innovator with a track record of conception and delivery of novel solutions - decades ahead of their time - each with exceptional, order-of-magnitude, business benefit, including: • Information Architecture 2020 **** • Real-time, Automated EAI solution (NGENS(TM)) • Self-Optimized Cloud Storage(TM) ('09-10) with many patentable innovations ('04-09) • Real-time Data Integration / Analytics ('05-09) • Enterprise Mobile Computing (802.11 WLAN, • "Customer Experience" Architectures ('96-01) GUI, BI, Event-driven SOA) $100M ROI ('93-94) • Web-centric Business / IT Innovations ('96-13) • Prescriptive Analytics with Insight Graph(TM) ('12) • Adaptive Analytics for traditional BI / DW ('90) A Vision to Conceive and the Skill to Achieve email@example.com C-Level Advisor / Chief Data Scientist (352) […] (Primary) J.R. McGraw CTO / Innovator / Chief Strategist (561) […] (Mobile) EA / Chief Solution ArchitectSKILLS / EXPERTISE / INDUSTRIES • Enterprise Architect with extraordinary talent and hands-on experience producing Information, Application, Business, Technology, Infrastructure, Integration and Solution architectures. TOGAF, Zachman, FEAF, DoDAF Expert. Extensive C-level interaction, IT governance and vast cross- domain, cross-functional and cross-industry expertise. Established / Led EA Steering Committees. • Ubiquitous Mobile Computing pioneer, driving revenue / reducing costs in retail, social media, package delivery, local government, insurance, inventory management, tourism, and entertainment. • Data Scientist / Machine Learning expert in NLP, Ontology, Metadata, Emergence, Algebraic / Noisy Semantics, Fractals, LSA, Garbage Collection, Chaos Theory, annotated triples, Adaptation, Predicate Logic, Knowledge Representation, scikit, Scale-free Semantic Alignment, Classification, Regression, Clustering, Association, Protégé, Sesame, Elmo, RDFS, DAML+OIL, SPARQL, ECL, Spark MLlib, Mahout, Weka 3, Cloudera Oryx, H2O, PredictionIO, BLAS (Linear Algebra) o Predictive Analytics expert, revealing insight in context for unstructured or structured data by visualization, dashboard, portal, OLAP, ODS, simulation, ETL, mining, and multi-dimensional DBs with R, Matlab, MapReduce, SPSS, SAS, Tableau, Cognos 10, Informatica, RapidMiner o Big Data Architect skilled in Cassandra, Cloudera, Pentaho, Greenplum, MongoDB, Aster o EAI / EII Innovator, expert in ESB (WebMethods, SonicESB, Oracle), cloud, virtual meshes, grid, ENS, Ab Initio, SOA, n2 problems, system of systems, Semantic Information Integration • DBMS expert in Schemas, Modeling, MDA, SQL, ER diagrams (ERwin, Rose, System Architect), MDM, structure, forms, queries, object / relational, JDBC / ODBC, Oracle, Sybase, Informix • Analysis / Design / Modeling of complex systems, processes, information (OOA, OOD, UML) • EDA / Complex Event Processing (CEP) pioneer, expert in BEA WebLogic Events (now Oracle), StreamBase, Tibco, Event-Driven SOA, Business Activity Monitoring, Event Pattern Discovery • Mobile Web pioneer using AJAX, Sockets, MEAN (MongoDB, Express, Angular, Node), LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, Python / PHP), JSP, JavaScript, Ruby, mashups, RESTful, SOAP, WSDL • Virtual / Cloud expert / C-level advisor on thin-provisioned, auto-tiered self-healing storage, ZFS, data de-duplication 2.0, migration, backup / recovery, Symantec, VMWare, EMC, 3Par, IceWEB • Customer / User Experience thought leader in personalization, emotion analysis, speech / text analytics, buying personalities, surveys, segmentation, design / planning, satisfaction, agent training. • Internet of Things / MPP / Wearable / Embedded Systems experience with flight simulation, surveillance (video / audio), data collection / analysis / smart response, distributed MAS agents • CRM / SFA (Seibel, Peoplesoft, Salesforce.com, mySAP), cloud call centers, mobile CRM, search engine (precision) marketing, real-time predictive analytics, SaaS CRM, sentiment, profiling, loyalty • Software Engineer, expert in C, C++, Linux, HP-UX, BSD, SVR4. Skilled in Java, J2EE, JDK, NetBeans IDE, EJB, JFC / Swing, RMI, Servlets, Applets, Visual Café, Flex, Hibernate • SDLC Methods expert in prototyping (rapid, evolutionary, extreme), agile (scrum, TDD) • Program / Project Manager of large-scale, complex, geo-dispersed, multi-discipline teams. • Business Continuity Planning skills including impact analysis, risk assessment, contingency, disaster recovery, business resumption, testing, and implementing / maintaining plans • GIS subject matter expert in data acquisition, coding, layers, spatial mapping, ArcGIS Server • Defense / Simulation experience (Active Top Secret, Army Test / Training) with LVC-IA, CTIA, TENA, LT2, OneSAF, C4ISR, ABCS, SE Core, JMETC, DoDAF, AEA, MOUT, UOTS, Ubisense • Retail expert in inventory, POS, self-service kiosks, profiling, merchandising, supply chain, B2B / B2C e-commerce, asset management, Retail Data Warehouse, buyer behavior / analytics, call centers • Financial Services expertise with Big Data analytics / CEP for Equity and Fixed Income products. • Industry-specific Skills in Travel / Tourism, Entertainment, Publishing, State / Local, Distribution, Utilities, Insurance, Telecom, Consumer Packaged Goods, Consulting, Legal, Manufacturing A Vision to Conceive and the Skill to Achieve firstname.lastname@example.com C-Level Advisor / Chief Data Scientist (352) […] (Primary) J.R. McGraw CTO / Innovator / Chief Strategist (561) […] (Mobile) EA / Chief Solution Architect
Chief Content Architect / Chief Data ScientistStart Date: 2012-01-01End Date: 2013-01-01
Hand-picked by GTO Leadership as their Content "Rock Star" and tasked to define and establish a vision for the future of Content / Content Systems that would carry them beyond the next decade and restore LexisNexis to #1 in all markets by 2020. • Conceived, developed, socialized Vision, Strategy and Content Reference Architecture, establishing game-changing, disruptive innovations in content use and user interaction for beyond state-of-the-art Content Systems through 2020. Enabling innovations and core concepts came from prior inventions (see Gartner Cool Vendor article, NGENS(TM), and Information Architecture 2020©) and included: o Scale-free Connectedness. Next-generation relationship strategy, the Insight Graph(TM) delivers "tipping points" in real-time with Big Data MPP of petabyte-scale datasets / corpuses. o Awareness at Ingest(TM). By Semantic Priming, Data Reveals Itself and Exposes its Domain. Beyond Schema-on-Read, it eliminates manual schema development. Automated conversion of content simplifies assimilation of acquisitions from months to same-day. Content Ingestion yields Domain Awareness. (NLP, R, Weka, RapidMiner, Birst, Yellowfin, Pentaho BI, OBIEE) o Continuous, Cumulative Learning. Advanced Machine Learning techniques enable software systems to become "better learners" over time. (Random Forests, CART, SVM, RBM, KNN) o The NGENS(TM) SemKB, a special-purpose, in-memory, graph-enabled Semantic Knowledgebase storing content as fractal-based, atomic elements, composed as CELs and fused to context as Nuggets of domain-specific, actionable information yielding insight (Neo4j, Cassandra) o The Right Questions. While competitors seek "Answers", instructed LexisNexis to expect the "Death of Search" as we know it today. Developed user interactions for a rich immersive proactive Content Experience and enabled future products to act on right questions, o Latent Synergy Discovery by learning from content and user interaction with the content, o A complex, adaptive, event-based, real-time, agent-based architecture • Near-immediate Payback / ROI. An implementation plan leveraging funded projects was created to deliver most of the innovations by 2015, with 1st projects saving […] million in 2013 alone. • Self-Aware, Self-Organizing Content / Systems. Revolutionized and transformed Lexis' current approach to "Smart Content" with game-changing, disruptive innovations that replaced static, "enriched" content with Context-Aware, Adaptive, Model-driven, Agent-based, Event-based atomic units enabling real-time response to User Interaction with Content (Curators and Customers). o Contextual Awareness / State-Awareness from state transition insight, context vectors, self- modifying data structures, and exotic graph algorithms linking state to context in real-time o Achieved Massively Parallel Machine Learning with MPP architecture and data in-state o Complex Adaptive Models and Emergent Semantics, including an Emergent Ontology that allows the seeding of domain information and the expansion of knowledge over time. o Lexis Sherlock® to replace Lexis Advance® and reveal contextual insight in real-time • Data Finds Data. Using graph traversal, pattern-based, first-order predicate logic, contextual-aware scale-free content fractals with embedded real-time execution fragments use a seek, analyze, model, adapt approach to reveal insight and meaning sufficient to locate related and / or connected data. • Big Data Analytics. Identified gaps in data / content severely limiting Analytics. Introduced Big Data Insight Platform that leveraged a native Graph DB and MapReduce on HPCC to yield Insight, Foresight and Optimization from Descriptive, Diagnostic, Predictive and Prescriptive Analytics o Developed Advanced Analytics "sandbox" for prototyping scale-out Big Data appliances o Introduced hybrid, platform-neutral architecture to test "any-to-any" dynamic connectedness of disparate tools. Stood up Cassandra, Hadoop, Neo4j, MapR and MongoDB in test harness. o Supported Dashboards, Self-service, Mobile BI, In-memory, Cloud BI and Collaboration o Delivered Elastic Scale by decoupling data models from data store on Hbase, HDFS A Vision to Conceive and the Skill to Achieve firstname.lastname@example.com C-Level Advisor / Chief Data Scientist (352) […] (Primary) J.R. McGraw CTO / Innovator / Chief Strategist (561) […] (Mobile) EA / Chief Solution Architect
SKILLS, EXPERTISE, INDUSTRIES, SPARQL, , C, CTO, Application, Business, Technology, Infrastructure, Zachman, FEAF, social media, package delivery, local government, insurance, inventory management, tourism, Ontology, Metadata, Emergence, Fractals, LSA, Garbage Collection, Chaos Theory, annotated triples, Adaptation, Predicate Logic, Knowledge Representation, scikit, Classification, Regression, Clustering, Protégé, Sesame, Elmo, RDFS, DAML+OIL, ECL, Spark MLlib, Mahout, Weka 3, Cloudera Oryx, H2O, PredictionIO, dashboard, portal, OLAP, ODS, simulation, ETL, mining, Matlab, MapReduce, SPSS, SAS, Tableau, Cognos 10, Informatica, Cloudera, Pentaho, Greenplum, MongoDB, SonicESB, Oracle), virtual meshes, grid, ENS, Ab Initio, SOA, n2 problems, Modeling, MDA, SQL, Rose, System Architect), MDM, structure, forms, queries, Oracle, Sybase, processes, information (OOA, OOD, StreamBase, Tibco, Event-Driven SOA, Sockets, MEAN (MongoDB, Express, Angular, Node), LAMP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, JSP, JavaScript, Ruby, mashups, RESTful, SOAP, ZFS, migration, Symantec, VMWare, EMC, 3Par, emotion analysis, buying personalities, surveys, segmentation, satisfaction, Peoplesoft, Salesforcecom, mySAP), mobile CRM, SaaS CRM, sentiment, profiling, C++, Linux, HP-UX, BSD, J2EE, JDK, NetBeans IDE, EJB, RMI, Servlets, Applets, Visual Café, Flex, evolutionary, extreme), agile (scrum, complex, geo-dispersed, risk assessment, contingency, disaster recovery, business resumption, testing, coding, layers, spatial mapping, CTIA, TENA, LT2, OneSAF, C4ISR, ABCS, SE Core, JMETC, DoDAF, AEA, MOUT, UOTS, POS, self-service kiosks, merchandising, supply chain, asset management, Entertainment, Publishing, Distribution, Utilities, Insurance, Telecom, Consulting, Legal, ASSOCIATION, CLOUD, NGENS, HPCC, developed, socialized Vision, establishing game-changing, NGENS(TM), R, Weka, RapidMiner, Birst, Yellowfin, Pentaho BI, OBIEE) o Continuous, CART, SVM, RBM, a special-purpose, in-memory, atomic elements, adaptive, event-based, real-time, Adaptive, Model-driven, Agent-based, context vectors, pattern-based, analyze, model, Diagnostic, Hadoop, Neo4j, Self-service, Mobile BI, In-memory, NASCAR, multi-device, cloud-based, data-aware, scalable, logic, analysis, information, effective project management, sound architecture, Computer Science, MIT Sloan, LexisNexis • EVP/CIO, Mobile, EAI, order-of-magnitude, business benefit, BI


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Oracle Chief Executive Larry Ellison made his fortune with software, but he'll take the stage today to show off the first servers powered by the company's new Sparc T4 processor.
The product, called the Sparc SuperCluster T4-4, is "the first engineered system from a new generation of high-performance Oracle Sparc servers," according to an Oracle invitation to the event . Ellison will share the stage with John Fowler, the systems executive vice president who also led Sun's server group, at Oracle's Redwood Shores, Calif., headquarters.
Oracle acquired Sun Microsystems last year for its server products, including the Sparc processor family and the Solaris version of the Unix operating system. Oracle plans to marry the Sun technology with its own server software for business tasks such as running databases of information, managing finance and accounting, and handling customer relations. Clusters link multiple servers in a design geared to accommodate heavier work without the expense of a single server with a higher processor count.
When Oracle was just a software company, it relied on tight ties with hardware makers. Now, though, it's willing to irk erstwhile partners, for example by declaring Intel's Itanium processor dead, ceasing software development for it, and thereby denting HP Itanium server sales.
Oracle's Sparc processors, along with Sparc64 models from ally Fujitsu, compete in the server market with Itanium and IBM's Power family. But x86 chips from Intel and to a lesser extent AMD occupy an ever-larger swath of the server market. Those x86 processors are gradually gaining high-end features once reserved for the server processors that have higher reliability requirements.
Sun's T-series processors began with the T1 "Niagara," evolved to the T2 "Victoria Falls" and T3 "Rainbow Falls." All three of those designs emphasized the ability to perform lots of parallel tasks at once at the expense of executing an individual task as quickly as possible. Not only did the T-series processors push hard with multiple processing engines, called cores, on the same same slice of silicon, they also pushed hard by letting each core executive multiple instruction sequences, called threads.
With the T4, though, Oracle is headed in a more traditional direction: fewer processor cores running at a faster clock speed, according to details the company shared at the Hot Chips conference in August.
"The new Sparc T4 design illustrates the ongoing struggle of processor designers to balance single-thread performance versus throughput on highly threaded code," Linley Group analyst Bob Wheeler. "Reversing Sun's prior direction of increasing the number of threads per processor, Sparc T4 instead prioritizes greater single-thread performance over throughput.The result is a processor with eight CPUs operating at 3.0GHz compared with the T3's 16 CPUs operating at a lowly 1.65GHz."
Each T4 processor core, called S3, can juggle between eight threads. Thus, the overall chip can handle 64 threads.


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Department of Surgery faculty members, both physicians and scientists, are world-renown in their subspecialties. Faculty members are passionate in their clinical care and research practices, as well as being mentors for medical students and trainees. The department also invests significant funds to provide protected time and lab space for junior faculty to perform research.
Shannon Maria Zielsdorf
Biliary Internal Stents and Biliary Complications in Adult Liver Transplantation Transplant Proc. 2020 Jul 16. . View in PubMed
Hepaticojejunostomy for Benign Disease: Long-Term Stricture Rate and Management Am Surg. 2019 Dec 01; 85(12):1350-1353. . View in PubMed
Four patients with a clinically significant radial artery anomaly J Vasc Surg Cases Innov Tech. 2019 Jun; 5(2):104-106. . View in PubMed
Chronically Retained Central Venous Catheter in Deceased Donor Liver Allograft Case Rep Transplant. 2019; 2019:4359197. . View in PubMed
A NSQIP Analysis of MELD and Perioperative Outcomes in General Surgery Am Surg. 2015 Aug; 81(8):755-9. . View in PubMed
Limited hepatitis B immunoglobulin with potent nucleos(t)ide analogue is a cost-effective prophylaxis against hepatitis B virus after liver transplantation Transplant Proc. 2015 Mar; 47(2):478-84. . View in PubMed
Intra-abdominal desmoid tumor after liver transplantation: A case report World J Transplant. 2014 Jun 24; 4(2):148-52. . View in PubMed


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Riot Grrrl!!!
From ZineWiki
Riot Grrrl!!! was a zine put out by the Riot Grrrl Bradford/Leeds chapter in England in the early 1990s. Riot Grrrl!!! was a text-heavy zine that covered everything from the origins of the Riot Grrrl Bradford/Leeds chapter to the coverage their chapter received in the British music magazine N.M.E.


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The International One Design Class was conceived to build, maintain and race a fleet of "One Design Yachts, distinctive in appearance and performance, using one design racing, and especially to develop the competitive capacities of both helmsmen and crews under the fairest and most equal conditions."
The design of the International One Design was inspired by a Six Metre created by the famous Norwegian architect and builder Bjarne Aas, in 1935. Cornelius Shields, Sr., impressed by her beauty and handling qualities, initiated action for an entire Class similar in design and appearance, but with a loftier rig and a short shelter and storage cabin. Aas submitted plans and specifications in 1936 and a syndicate was formed.
In late 1936, twenty five International One Designs yachts were delivered from Norway and commenced racing on Long Island Sound. Since that time, other fleets have formed in Norway, the UK, Bermuda, Canada, Sweden and the United States.
With 12 fleets in 6 countries and over 150 yachts actively racing, the International One Design was the first class to be recognized by ISAF as a "Classic" One Design Class.
2011 marked the 75th anniversary of the International One Design Class. We celebrated with a grand regatta in Marblehead, MA where we were proud to have some of the original 25 hulls racing alongside newer fiberglass versions, all aligned as International One Designs and committed to testing the skill of the helms person and her crew.


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Criterion has revealed that it has taken control of the Need for Speed franchise, with studio vice president Alex Ward revealing the studio's future involvement to Game Informer.
"Our stamp's going to be in everything you see in Need for Speed and Burnout going forward in the future," said Ward. "It's not going to be spread anymore across different companies. Different studios have had a crack at it - it's definitely a Criterion gig now.
"Going forward now, with Most Wanted and what we'll do in the future [will have], shall we say, a strong Criterion involvement," he added. "I'm personally involved in how the cars drive, how the game will play out, how connected they are, and what the features are."
Ward's statement doesn't sound like Criterion will be developing every game in the series, but instead having some involvement. It's not clear what the future holds for the Shift series, but Ward would like to see a single title that includes all the NFS titles.
"I think it would be amazing in the future if there was one big game that had all of these in it. That would be amazing."
How Criterion is going to be able to handle this amount of work remains to be seen, with Ward adding that "something big will have to happen soon to enable us to do some of the things we want to do".
Could that "something big" be EA Gothenburg? Ward has confirmed that he is working on a secret project with the new EA studio.
What do you think EA Gothenburg is working on? Is it a new Burnout or the NFS universe game Ward alluded to?


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Netflix vs Lovefilm – Features
Netflix seems cheap at £5.99 a month, until you realise that these days Lovefilm Instant offers a streaming-only subscription for a mere £4.99 a month. Still, Netflix syncs across an unlimited number of devices, while each Lovefilm Instant account is limited to three devices.
Winner: Netflix
Netflix vs Lovefilm – Catalogue
Netflix's catalogue certainly doesn't feel as substantial as Lovefilm's. It's disappointingly out of date, too, with only a couple of titles in the 'Recently Added' section having been released in the last six months. The wide selection of both British and American TV shows is nice, though.
And while it may not have as much content as Lovefilm, Netflix's recommendation engine is great at guiding you to the things you'll want to watch, serving up mind-bogglingly precise suggestions. "BAFTA Award-Winning Cerebral Films," anyone?
However, Lovefilm's movie library is substantially larger than Netflix's, with a higher concentration of up-to-date quality content. And that's before you even consider the 70,000 extra titles that are available as discs through the post (for a higher subscription charge).
Winner: Lovefilm
Netflix vs Lovefilm – Quality
A good portion of Netflix's catalogue is available in HD as well as standard-def, plus you get 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus sound. It streams very smoothly, too, thanks to automatic scaling.
There's no denying that Lovefilm's exclusive diet of standard-def is disappointing, but its videos look surprisingly decent – similar to DVD, with nice colours and only a little bit of obvious pixelation, albeit without surround sound.
Winner: Netflix
Netflix vs Lovefilm – On the big screen
Most of Samsung's new TVs have Netflix built-in, but there are plenty of other ways to add it to your lounge setup, including Apple TV, LG Blu-ray players and systems, Roku media streamers and any of the current-gen games consoles.
Sony, LG and Samsung all build Lovefilm into the vast majority of their web-connected TVs and home cinema devices.
Both Xbox and PS3 are kitted out for Lovefilm, too, with the Xbox getting a smartly laid-out, Kinect-enabled interface. Lovefilm's PS3 app is the poor relation, proving slow and troublesome in comparison – and you can't use the PS3 Blu-ray remote control with it, unlike Netflix's offering. Wii and Apple TV owners are out of luck, too.
Winner: it's a draw
Netflix vs Lovefilm – On the small(er) screen
As well as PCs and Macs, Netflix is available on all manner of portable devices, from the iPad and iPhone to their Android and Windows-running brethren. The iPad app is a particularly nicely thought-out affair, but Android fares well, too.
Lovefilm Instant can obviously be streamed on PCs and Macs through their web browser, and the iPad app is a pleasure to use and a pleasure to watch. It is, however, a big shame that no other portables are supported, even other iOS devices, especially given how much of a head start it's had over Netflix.
Winner: Netflix
Netflix vs Lovefilm – Verdict
A glance through our results would suggest that Netflix is the overall winner – it certainly has the superior tech and UI backing up its product. Lovefilm only wins out in terms of its catalogue – but it's a vitally important category.
Bluntly, if you're choosing a video streaming service the most important thing is what's available to watch on it. For the time being, there's no contest on that score, with Lovefilm way ahead of its rival. That might change in the coming months as both providers ink new content deals, though – so keep checking back for updates.
Overall winner: Lovefilm
Just because they could – LCD mosaic displays


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Top 50 Free Agents
It's finally time for free agency! Ever think on where the top 50 free agents will go? Well, I did and I wrote them down. Here they are. Ignore the bolded paragraphs. I tryed everything and it just won't unbold. Sorry for the inconvenience.
1. Mark Teixera- Angels. This is a very close one between the Yankees and Angels. I will go with the Angels, though, because the Yankees primary target is CC Sabathia, not Mark Teixera. I think they will end up with Sabathia, leaving the Angels for a return of Tex.
2. CC Sabathia- Yankees. The Yankees are going to throw around a lot of money this offseason. Just like the Mark Teixera prediction, it is a 2 team battle between the Yankees and a different LA team: the Dodgers for Sabathia. The Yankees are very likely to sign at least one of them. I was going to put CC with the Dodgers, but I think Frank McCourt will not let GM Ned Coletti go out and waste his money on a signing that could end up looking like the Jason Schmidt one.
3. Manny Ramirez- Dodgers. Did you know that the Dodgers made an extra 7.6 million in revenue just from Manny. So, subtract 7.6 from his yearly salary and they have a bargain. There are no great fits for Manny, and the Dodgers might not bring him back because of the outfield surplus. They could look to trade an outfielder, though. Andrew Jones in unmoveable, but could be released. Jaun Pierre will be tough to move, but if they eat a lot of money it could happen. Andre Eithier and Matt Kemp would have a lot of value, but they shouldn't trade them. I think it makes more sense to trade Pierre and release Jones.
4. Pat Burrell- Mets. After missing out on the top-of-the-rotaion starting pitchers, they decide to add a big bat like Burrell. Not many teams are good fits for "Pat the Bat" so he may even come slightly cheaper than others. I know that people want to go with Daniel Murphy and Fernando Tatis, but they could trade Ryan Church for Edwin Jackson. That would fill the pitching void cheaply while adding offense. Murphy and Tatis would then move to right field. This idea could work.
5. Adam Dunn- Nationals. The Nationals have been after Adam Dunn for ever. I have a feeling that Jim Bowden is going to want to try to make a big free agent signing to save his job. Dunn would add a powerful punch to that lineup, but they still would be the worst team in the NL East.
6. Ben Sheets- Red Sox. If there is one team that can easily afford an injury to a starting pitcher, it's the Red Sox. They have 30 million to toss around this winter and seem primed to sign either Mark Teixera or a high end starter. Because of the depth in the Red Sox rotaion, they can afford an injury to Sheets while many other teams can't.
7. Milton Bradley- Rangers. Bradley likes the Rangers, and the Rangers showed confidence in resigning him by not trading him at the trade deadline. They have an open DH spot, so he wouldn't get injured as much, and he likes Texas. The Rangers have to do this to keep their offense as it was this year.
8. Francisco Rodriguez- Mets. Billy Wagner is out for the 2009 season, so the Mets need a closer. Some have said it would make more sense to add a cheaper closer like Brian Fuentes and use the rest on starting pitching. I agree, but I doubt Omar Minaya does.
9. Ryan Dempster- Cubs. There will be a massive bidding war for him, but he loves Chicago and I'm sure the Cubs would like to keep their championship, type club intact. Their going to have to raise the payroll into the 140 million range, but I think the new ownership will, because The Cubs will be should for 1 billion dollars.
10. Derek Lowe- Braves. They want to add a starting pitcher this offseason. With 45 million to spend, they should easily be able to afford him. Heck, they could fit both Jake Peavy and Lowe into the budget and still have over 20 million to spend. They make the most sense.
11. AJ Burnett- Yankees. The Yanks would like to add two starters this offseason. With CC Sabathia headed to New York, Burnett would be that second guy. Just think about how nasty a rotation of CC Sabathia-Chein-Ming Wang-AJ Burnett-Andy Pettitte-Joba Chamberlian would be. I can't see how they don't make the playoffs with that kind of talent.
12. Mike Mussina- Retirement. It seems as though he is finally ready to hang it up. Rather than playing for the next three years and reach 300 wins, he'll go out on a high note and retire. I think Mussina will delay it untill the Yankees are forced to move on. Then he'll anounce it.
13. Orlando Hudson- Cardinals. They have a lot of money to spend and will need to sign Hudson in order to truly solidify their offense. He would look really nice batting in that #2 hole and playing some great defense.
14. Orlando Cabrera- Twins. They seem like the most reasonable team. They need a shortstop, and have money to spend. Also, he fits nicely into their grind-it-out style of play. There's not a great fit here, but this one sure makes a lot of sense.
15. Joe Crede- Giants. Even though the Giants are suposed to be rebuilding, Brian Sebean won't be able to resist and will sign Crede.
16. Bobby Abreu- Cubs. Now that they need a right fielder Abreu makes a lot of sense. It will be hard to squeeze him into their payroll, but there aren't any better options. There aren't many teams that need a right fielder and have the money to go out and get one. Plus, the Cubs would've gone after him if his option was declined.
17. Oliver Perez- Dodgers. With Derek Lowe, Greg Maddux, and Brad Penny all leaving, the Dodgers need to add at least one starter this offseason. I know they seem more focused on offensive players like Manny and Furcal, but you always need pitching. Look for the Mets to be serious contenders for a Perez reunion, but I think they'll beaf up the offense instead.
18. Jon Garland- Tigers. They need reliable starting pitching. I know a lot of people think Garland will be overpayed because of a lack of strike-outs and an ERA in the 4.00 to 4.50 range. However, he's one of the most consistent starters out there and he eats up a ton of innings. To me the Tigers make a lot of sense and they've shown a willingness to spend for mediocrity. Example: The Nate Robertson and Dontrelle Willis extensions.
19. Kerry Wood- Rangers. The Cubs have moved on, so count them out. The field will be wide open, but I think he returns home to Texas to close games for the Rangers. The Red Sox could also be possible if he's willing to be a set-up man. Last year Boston made the highest offer, but Woody wanted to stay in Chicago.
20. Brian Fuentes- Brewers. They could have up to 20 million to spend if they are willing to raise payroll to 100 million. That's more than enough to lock up Fuentes with. You migth think they don't want to spend big on closers, but they were among the top bidders for Francisco Cordero last year. If the price is crazy they won't make the move, but if it's decent, he could end up a Brewer.
21. Trevor Hoffman- Indians. He won't be back with the Padres. The field is wide open on where he'll go, and I think the Indians are the best fit. They can sign him cheaply to fill their hole at closer. Plus, they almost signed him when he was last a free agent. I think they go get him.
22. Rafeal Furcal- Dodgers. He wants to be back and the Dodgers want him back. They might have a hard time craming all of his salary in because of the other holes, but I think they can sqeeze him in. There will be a very large market for him, so don't be surprised to see him bolt for more money elsewhere.
23. Greg Maddux- Retirement. The Mad Dog looks like he's finally ready to end his Hall Of Fame career. The only teams he'd play for would be the Padres, Dodgers, Braves, or Cubs. The Cubs have a ton of pitching depth; count them out. The Dodgers would probably rather go with younger pitchers. The Braves seem more likely to bring back Maddux's friends: John Smoltz and Tom Glavine. The Padres make sense if they move Jake Peavy to clear salary. If they don't, there will be no fit and he will retire.
24. Andy Pettitte- Yankees. I was going to predict him to retire, but now that I think about it, the Yankees might not want to give Phil Hughes a free spot in spring training. They could resign Pettitte and use Hughes in the minors untill someone gets hurt, which is likely with Joba Chamberlain and Chien-Ming Wang last year and Burnett has a history of injuries.
25. Randy Johnson- Angels. With Jon Garland leaving, the Angels will need a starter because of Kelvim Escobar's injury. Johnson can come in and fill the void untill Escobar gets beack; creating a surplus. This isn't a great fit, but there are none now that his D'Back career is over.
26. Jason Giambi- A's. A think Giambi will end up ending his career in the same place he started it: Oakland. The A's have a lot of money to spend, and I think they'd be very interested on a 1 or 2 year deal. This is even more likely now that they have Matt Holliday on their team.
27. Pudge Rodriguez- Mets. They need a catcher and Pudge is the best one available. There aren't many teams in need of a catcher other than them. I know they view pitching as a more urgent need than hitting, but for the expected price, you can't pass it up.
28. Casey Blake- Indians. The Indians want Blake back, and Blake would like to return to the Indians. Despite there being a rather large market for him, Blake will take a small discount to return home to the Tribe. They don't add one of their main two targets: Brian Fuentes or Orlando Hudson, but they get a solid closer and one of the best third basemen available.
29. Raul Ibanez- Braves. This team has a boatload of money to spend. They can more than afford Ibanez and probably view this smarter than overpaying for Pat Burrell, Manny Ramirez, or Adam Dunn.
30. Jamie Moyer- Phillies. He is having a great year, and said he wants to play untill he's 50. The Phils need to bring him back just to have a respectable rotation. They could use a second starter as well if they are open to trading Kyle Kendrick.
31. Braden Looper- Pirates. With the Cardinals probably moving on, Looper should be open to all teams. He is a solid back-of-the-rotaion option and should be affordable on a one year deal. Plus, the team can always switch him back to relieving if they desire to. The Pirates would like to add a veteran starter, and Looper comes cheap with tons of experience.
32. Mark Grudzielanek- White Sox. Their looking for a second basemen after losing Orlando Cabrera. The want to move Alexie Ramirez to shortstop, but want to sign a free agent that won't block Gordon Beckham. Grudzielanek is the perfect fit.
33. Ray Durham- D'Backs. They clearly need a second baseman after losing Orlando Hudson. They can't afford to bring him back, but have no one to play sencond base. Durham seems like a very good and affordable option.
34. Edgar Renteria- Cardinals. Edgar is coming off a bad year, but has high upside. If he can do 3 4ths of his 2007 performance, he'll be a great bargain. He has played for the Cardinals before, and they need a shortstop. I think they sign Edgar to fix there middle infield problems.
35. David Eckstein- Oriols. They had a interest in him at the trade-deadline and could sign him this offseason as a stopgap option. This won't stop them from looking for shortstops via trade, however.
36. Brad Penny- Blue Jays. The Jays had interest in Penny through trade in the past and they seem to make a lot of sense for Penny. He could be great starter for them if he remains helthy.
37. Russ Springer- Cardinals. They could use some bullpen help, so that means they have to at least bring back their old relievers. Springer reportably still wants to play and wants to play for the Cardinals.
38. Mark Kotsay- Reds. I was going to put him back with the Braves, but they recently traded him to the Red Sox, so I will put him with another team in need of a center fielder: the Reds.
39. Jim Edmonds- Braves. The Cubs don't want him back. The Braves are in need of a center fielder, and they would probably be very interested in Edmonds. If he can do what he did with the Cubs last year, he'll be a very useful piece.
40. Will Ohman- Cardinals. It seems as though they are willing to spend some money on a lefty reliever. Ohman is the best one available. Bringing him in will help reshape their bullpen. It will help a lot.
41. Jason Varitek- Red Sox. There is no better alternative for the Red Sox since the market for catchers is so bad. The Captian, Jason Varitek seems destined to return to the Red Sox. I don't think this would stop them from going after his predecessor, however. They coudl trade for a young catcher to start in 2010. If Boras demands Varitek for a 2 or more year deal, don't be surprised to see them decline and agressivly pursue Bengie Molina.
42. Nomar Garciaparra- Dodgers. Because the Dodgers will be out of money after making all of these singings, they will have to go back to Nomar at third base next year. This will be risky because of his injury risk, but it is their only option.
43. Darren Oliver- Angels. I have said that relief signings are very tough to predict, but I will guess that Darren Oliver resigns with the Halos. They need a lefty reliever if they plan on using Brian Fuentes at closer, and if the don't, he won't sign there. So Oliver is needed back in Anaheim. Plus, since he's a probable type A free agent, he might decide to accept arbitration. There won't be many teams wanting to give up big money plus a draft pick for Oliver.
44. Juan Cruz- Tigers. The Tigers can offer him almost no other team can: a closing job. While some big-money teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, and Mets will be in on him, I think in the end he hooks on in Detroit.
45. Brandon Lyon- Red Sox. They'd like to add a ground ball pitcher and Lyon is one. The way he ended the year will take his "closer" tag away, but he should get some reasonable money anyway.
46. Juan Rivera- Phillies. The Phillies make a lot of sense for Jaun Rivera; Rivera makes a lot of sense for the Phillies. The Phils get their cheap replacement for Pat the bat Burrell, and Rivera gets to go to a hitters haven: Citizens Bank Park. He could go there on a 1 year deal, play every day, have a career year, and then hit free agency again and sign for some big money.
47. Randy Wolf- Astros. He enjoyed his time in Houston and the 'Stros have the money to sign him. There should be a rather large market for him since he will be affordable and not that much worse than other free agent options. I think the Astros win the sweepstakes.
48. Paul Byrd- Brewers. Byrd will be a hot commodity once better free agent options leave. He'll give you league average production on a one year deal. I think the team that ends up signing him is the Brewers. They seem smart enough to go after him instead of a pitcher like Perez or Garland on a multiyear deal. The Brew-Crew have 20 million to spend, so they can afford him for one year. He will stabilize their rotaion as their fifth starter.
49. Jeremy Affeldt- Reds. The Reds want him back and with the amount of money they have, they'll get him back. If the Reds can bring back their relievers and some young players break out, they could contend.
50. Freddy Garcia- Giants. They have a lot of money to spend and have their heart set on trading Jonathan Sanchez. Garcia, if healthy, would be able to step in and eat up some innings at a cheap price. Plus, if the Giants are out of the race in July they could always flip Garcia into some nice prospects.
There we go, thats it. The top 50 free agents. I know I left out a few teams, but it is hard to predict that every team will make a splash. I try to predict what teams will do, not what they should do.


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by Jim McCarty
Frank and Susie Bakers home near Mayview and it wont take
long to discover this place is for the birds. First theres the old
piece of wire and two poles that go nowhere. Frank left this old electrical
service up so his pets have a place to roost. Then theres the battered
old elm tree that most folks would have targeted for mercy killing. It
lives for one purpose: purple martins line their nests with its leaves.
there are the two apartment complexes Frank built for the birds. One is
so big it takes four poles to hold it up. It has 128 rooms, 32 on each
side, built in removable boxes.
The other
is made from 24 pieces of 8-inch plastic pipe. It represents the latest
evolution in Franks quest for the perfect purple martin house.
been purple martin landlords for about 25 years, says Frank, a member
of West Central Electric Cooperative. When you get bit by the bug
youve had it. We are purple martin nuts for sure.
still remembers when a co-worker told him of his evenings spent watching
birds from his back porch. Frank told Susie he thought bird watching was
the dumbest hobby hed ever heard of.
One day Frank paid his friend a visit to see what the fuss was about.
When he left he went straight home and built his first purple martin house,
a pint-sized replica of the garden sheds Frank used to build.
martins, members of the swallow family, are revered for their insatiable
appetite for mosquitoes. But Frank and Susie love them for their acrobatic
antics and beautiful song.
the years Frank moved the martin houses closer to his deck so that he
could better observe them. He says they dont really like being too
close to human activity. But once you have them established you
almost cant run them off.
many people would like to get purple martins established at their homes,
Frank says few people do the job right. Most people put up a pole
and forget about it and then wonder why they dont have birds. They
dont have time to do all the work.
that in mind Frank built a series of houses with the idea of reducing
the workload. Purple martins are picky birds. They want to build new nests
each year. So in the fall, when the birds leave, landlords
like Frank must remove each nest and clean the box.
He says
commercial bird houses make this task difficult. Martins use mud for their
nests and this makes them stick to the box. Often martin houses are placed
on poles that make getting the house down impossible.
it up invites other birds, like starlings, to take over the nest. Frank
quickly discovered how much work is involved after his first season with
used a welding rod with a hook on the end to clean them, says Susie.
He was standing on a ladder pulling stuff out and got a snake.
thought the snake was a hose until it moved. Then he jumped off the ladder
and set out to design a better bird house.
His efforts
led to the huge structure with peaked roof mounted to four poles. With
the nests built in removable boxes, Frank figured he could take them down
and clean them inside. But the boxes proved time consuming to clean. There
had to be a better way.
down the interstate one day Frank passed a truck hauling pipe. Seeing
that load of pipe gave him an idea. In his workshop he set to work to
design a set of houses made from pipe. He cut the pipe into 12-inch lengths.
This size keeps the martins away from predators like owls.
On each
end he put a hinged door made from scrap plastic. This lets him push the
old nests out the other end. He fabricated a floor with angles that match
the curved walls of the pipe. Then he fitted a round door to cover the
opening so the nests could be closed when the martins migrate. He drills
holes in the pipe bottom so rain wont flood the nests.
added one final touch. She guessed the martins would be stressed from
the intense heat that would build up inside the houses during the summer.
So she suggested putting pipe fittings on the back door to serve as a
The new
system worked so well that Frank keeps adding more nests, bolting them
to the ones already in place. He plans to add nine more this year and
continue adding to it until he has room for 100 martin families.
In a
typical year his backyard will be home to hundreds of martins, so many
that they stop traffic on the service road in front of his house and even
draw attention from nearby Interstate 70.
also building a 6-unit pipe apartment for his son. Three apartments
is plenty for the first year, Frank says. Ive never
heard of anyone getting more than two pair in their first year.
He says
martins like to come back to the same nest each year. To attract them
to a new site you have to wait for birds who looked for last years
house but found it gone.
not near too late to put up a house, he says. The first year
you get martins it is usually late in the season.
He says
his first pair of martins were so desperate for housing they looked the
house over and started moving mud the same day.
year cold weather kept the food supply away and the martins are slow in
arriving. Normally purple martins arrive in March or April. Frank says
to leave houses up at least until June in the hopes of attracting a new
martins depend on humans for their nesting sites. For more information
you can call the Bakers at (660) 237-4392 or visit the Purple Martin Conservation
Society Web site at www.purplemartin.org.