text:
BMS-Reyataz Study in Treatment in Naive Subjects to Compare the Efficacy and Safety Between Boosted Reyataz and Kaletra When in Combination With Fixed Dose Truvada
This study has been completed.
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Information provided by:
Bristol-Myers Squibb
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: January 5, 2006
Last updated: April 7, 2011
Last verified: April 2011
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- Study Results
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Tracking Information
|First Received Date ICMJE
|January 5, 2006
|Last Updated Date
|April 7, 2011
|Start Date ICMJE
|November 2005
|Primary Completion Date
|June 2007 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Current Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Original Primary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|The proportion of subjects with HIV RNA<50 c/ml at week 48.
|Change History
|Complete list of historical versions of study NCT00272779 on ClinicalTrials.gov Archive Site
|Current Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Original Secondary Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Current Other Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Original Other Outcome Measures ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Descriptive Information
|Brief Title ICMJE
|BMS-Reyataz Study in Treatment in Naive Subjects to Compare the Efficacy and Safety Between Boosted Reyataz and Kaletra When in Combination With Fixed Dose Truvada
|Official Title ICMJE
|A 96 Week Study Comparing the Antiviral Efficacy and Safety of Atazanavir/Ritonavir With Lopinavir/Ritonavir, Each in Combination With Fixed Dose Tenofovir-Emtricitabine in HIV-1 Infected Treatment in Naive Subjects
|Brief Summary
|The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety, tolerability and antiviral effects of atazanavir (ATV) plus ritonavir (RTV) versus a combination drug of lopinavir (LPV) plus RTV. A combination drug containing tenofovir (TDF) and emtricitabine (FTC) will also be taken by participants in both arms.
|Detailed Description
|Not Provided
|Study Type ICMJE
|Study Phase
|Phase 3
|Study Design ICMJE
|Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary Purpose: Treatment
|Condition ICMJE
|HIV Infections
|Intervention ICMJE
|Study Arms
|Publications *
* Includes publications given by the data provider as well as publications identified by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number) in Medline.
|Recruitment Information
|Recruitment Status ICMJE
|Enrollment ICMJE
|Completion Date
|October 2008
|Primary Completion Date
|June 2007 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Eligibility Criteria ICMJE
Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers
|Contacts ICMJE
|Contact information is only displayed when the study is recruiting subjects
|Listed Location Countries ICMJE
|Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Peru, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States
|Removed Location Countries
|Administrative Information
|NCT Number ICMJE
|Other Study ID Numbers ICMJE
|Has Data Monitoring Committee
|U.S. FDA-regulated Product
|Not Provided
|IPD Sharing Statement
|Not Provided
|Responsible Party
|Study Director, Bristol-Myers Squibb
|Study Sponsor ICMJE
|Bristol-Myers Squibb
|Collaborators ICMJE
|Not Provided
|Investigators ICMJE
|PRS Account
|Bristol-Myers Squibb
|Verification Date
|April 2011
ICMJE Data element required by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and the World Health Organization ICTRP


text:
Caretaker coach names new-look Hungaria squad
BUDAPEST, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Hungarian caretaker manager Peter Varhidi included 11 uncapped players in his 24-man squad for next week's friendly international against Canada.
Varhidi, the coach of Hungary's Under-19 squad, takes charge of the national team for one game before the Hungarian Football Association appoints a new national coach following Peter Bozsik's resignation last month following Hungary's astonishing 2-1 defeat to Malta in a Euro 2008 qualifier.
Goalkeepers: Zoltan Vegh (MTK Budapest), Marton Fulop (Tottenham Hotspur)
Defenders: Laszlo Bodnar (Red Bull Salzburg), Roland Juhasz (Anderlecht), Vilmos Vanczak (Sint-Truiden), Bela Balogh (MTK Budapest), Istvan Rodenbucher (MTK Budapest), Boldizsar Bodor (Roda JC)
Midfielders: Gyorgy Sandor (Ujpest), Balazs Toth (Kayseri Erciyesspor), Adam Vass (Stoke City), Daniel Tozser (AEK Athens), Szabolcs Huszti (Hanover 96), Gabor Bori (MTK Budapest), Andras Horvath (Sopron), Attila Filkor (Inter Milan), Tamas Hajnal (Kaiserslautern)
Strikers: Adam Hrepka (MTK Budapest), Jozsef Kanta (MTK Budapest), Zoltan Gera (West Bromwich Albion), Sandor Torghelle (PAOK), Tamas Priskin (Watford), Krisztian Nemeth (MTK Budapest), Balazs Farkas (Dynamo Kiev)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
"It's the night of the gold." — Salma Hayek to Barbra Streisand, who both wore black-and-gold Oscar gowns.
— Sandy Cohen — http://www.twitter.com/apsandy.
EDITOR'S NOTE — Show Bits brings you the 85th annual Academy Awards in Los Angeles through the eyes of Associated Press journalists. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.


text:
Banking customers who want to save money on fees can take a few tips from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., or FDIC, which recently published some tips to help consumers avoid unnecessary fees on their bank savings and checking accounts.
The tips are relatively basic, but worthy of a reminder and a monthly checkup, especially now that banks are expected to increase fees to make up the income they may no longer earn on excessive overdraft charges.
Here's what the FDIC recommends:
1. Shop around for bank account services. Compare your bank's fees to those of other banks, especially if your bank adds new fees for services you use or increases existing fees that you've paid in the past.
2. Read the information you receive from your bank. Check your monthly account statements for errors or new fees that you didn't know about and were charged.
3. Know your options on overdraft fees. Keep good records of your transactions, and make sure you have enough money in your account to cover checks you've written and other withdrawals. If you don't have enough money in your account, try to use a cheaper alternative to overdraft protection such as a checking account that's linked to a savings account, an overdraft line of credit or a small-dollar loan, the FDIC suggests.
4. Watch out for ATM fees. Whenever possible, withdraw cash only from your own bank's machines. If you have to use another bank's ATM in an emergency situation, be aware of the fees you'll be charged.
So what's your take on these tips? Are they unrealistic, pointless, useful, practical, helpful or what?


text:
Hello there.
Get strange comments data attached to comments metadata, look at screenshot.
And after adding comment - page redirects to new one, with comment id in URL,
and this redirection cuts whole page, until this comment, why so?
You may try how this happens by yourself here -> http://kunstforum.as/psykedelisk-opplevelse-i-fargesprakende-labyrint/
try to post comments and look how redirection happens.
Need advice. Thank you.


text:
Raisen: A woman and her daughter were killed on Thursday inside their house in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh, police said.
Superintendent of Police Deepak Verma said four unidentified criminals barged into the house of panchayat official Bhupendra Singh in Obaidullahganj nagar panchayat on Thursday afternoon and killed Singh's wife Mridula and daughter Prateeksha with a sharp-edged weapon.
The police officer said the motive behind the crime was not known as yet and police have launched a manhunt for the absconding suspects after registering a case.


text:
Radio Script
Polar Bears Change Diet
But over the last decade, the bay has been freezing later and melting earlier. Polar bear biologist Dr. Ian Stirling, with the Canadian Wildlife Service, says climate warming is making for shorter wintersand that means polar bears aren't finding enough seals to eat.
STIRLING: "The climate has been warming quite a bit in western Hudson Bay, and it's causing the ice to break up a little bit earlier. So it shortens the time that the bears have to feed on ringed seals, at the very best time of the year, which is late June and early July. So the bears, over the last 20 years, have lost approximately 15 percent of their condition (body weight). And so one of the things we forecasted a number of years ago was that if the climate warmed and we had more open waterespecially in the winterthat we might expect to see changes in the number of bearded seals and of harbor seals. We think we're seeing some of that and we thought that one way to try and measure it would be to look at the long-chain fatty acids in bear fat. It's the kind of work that Sara Iverson does, in which she can look at the fat of a predator and determine what species of prey it's eating."
Dr. Sara Iverson, a physiologist at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada, has been working with Stirling to understand how polar bears are responding to a warmer Arctic. She says fatty acids found in seals accumulate in the tissues of polar bears. By identifying these fatty acids, she can tell what species of seals the bears have been eating.
IVERSON: "I've found that fatty acids, which are the building blocks of fat, can reveal a great deal of information about an animal's diet. In any marine sample there are probably about 70 fatty acids that can be identified. They differ according to ecosystem, according to species' feeding habits. Because fatty acids travel up the food chain intact, the fat that is stored in the predator begins to reflect and look like a mixture of what it's consuming in the diet."
Early in her work, Iverson found that polar bears were, as expected, eating mostly ringed seals. More recently, however, Iverson says polar bears have begun eating other seals, especially harbor seals and bearded seals.
IIVERSON: "It's been presumed for a long time that they concentrate on one or a few seal species. And what we're finding is that, depending on the location and changes in the ecosystem, their diets are changing dramatically. We're seeing bears having to shift to things like bearded seals and harbor seals, because the ringed seals, which are ice-dependent, aren't quite as available. That's because when the ice cover isn't there, the bears can't get to them."
Ian Stirling says the change in the polar bear diet is due to warmer Arctic winters, which has reduced the bay's ice cover, something that has made for better habitat for bearded seals and harbor seals. But he says the benefits are likely to be short-term, and that polar bears may one day be a rare sight around the bay.
STIRLING: "In Hudson bay, all the ice melts completely in the summertime, so every bear in the population has to come ashore and live on its stored fat reserves for four months, and the pregnant females for eight months. So being able to prey on harbor seals and bearded seals will help them out in the short term. But ultimately if the climate warms sufficiently for Hudson Bay to be ice-free most of the year, then it's likely that polar bears will disappear from that part of the world."
OUTRO: This is Arctic Science Journeys Radio, a production of the Alaska Sea Grant Program and the University of Alaska Fairbanks. I'm Doug Schneider.
Audio version and related Web sites
Thanks to the following individuals for help preparing this script:
Sara Iverson
Dr. Ian Stirling
Arctic Science Journeys is a radio service highlighting science, culture, and the environment of the circumpolar north. Produced by the Alaska Sea Grant College Program and the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Alaska Sea Grant In the News
The URL for
this page is http://seagrant.uaf.edu/news/
Listen to story on RealAudio
Related Web sites
United States Fish and Wildlife Service


text:
(Demo Account - not for public use)
80 Cambrian Ave, PIEDMONT, CA 94611
$2,150,000 (Pending)
Bedrooms: 4
Bathrooms: 3
Sq. Ft.: 3,138
Type: Single Family Home
Listing #40788327
Request Information
Spanish Revival designed by Miller Warnecke. Wide beam Oak flooring, wrought iron work throughout, and Honduran Mahogany doors. Incredible "Casablanca" style library and bar, which opens to a magical, private garden.
Property Features
Location Information
County: Alameda
Neighborhood: UPPER PIEDMONT
Area: Piedmont Zip Code 94611
Cross Street: SANDRINGHAM
Interior Features
Rooms: Basement Finished, Bonus/Plus Room, Formal Dining Room, Library, Unfinished Room, Utility Room
Master Bathroom Description: Solid Surface, Stall Shower, Tub, Updated Baths
Other Bathrooms Description: Solid Surface, Stall Shower, Tile, Updated Baths
Kitchen Description: Counter - Stone, Dishwasher, Eat In Kitchen, Garbage Disposal, Gas Range/Cooktop, Microwave, Pantry, Range/Oven Built-in, Refrigerator, Self-Cleaning Oven, Updated Kitchen
Has Fireplace: yes
Number of Fireplaces: 2
Fireplace Description: Brick, Den, Living Room, Woodburning
Heating: Forced Air 1 Zone, Gas
Cooling: Central 1 Zone A/C
Floors: Hardwood Floors, Stone (Marble, Slate etc., Tile
Laundry: 220 Volt Outlet, Dryer, In Basement, In Laundry Room, Washer
Additional Equipment: Dryer, Fire Alarm System, Garage Door Opener, Security Alarm - Owned, Washer, Water Heater Gas, Window Coverings
Exterior Features
Style: Mediterranean
Stories: Three or More Stories
Exterior: Stucco
Foundation: Crawl Space, Full Basement
Roof: Tile
Possession: Negotiable
Water / Sewer: Sewer System - Public, Water - Public
Parking Description: Attached Garage, Int Access From Garage, Side Yard Access
Has Garage: yes
Garage Spaces: 2
Yard: Back Yard, Front Yard, Patio, Sprinklers Automatic, Sprinklers Back, Sprinklers Front
Has a Pool: No
Pool Description: None
Lot Description: Premium Lot
Lot Size in Acres: 0.16
Lot Size in Sq. Ft.: 7, 020
Has View: yes
View Description: Bay
School District: Piedmont (510) 594-2600
Additional Information
Property Type: SFR
Property SubType: Detached
Year Built: 1936
Status: Pending
Home Owners Association: N
On The Market Since: 07/07/2017
$ per month
Year Fixed. % Interest Rate.
|Principal + Interest:
|Monthly Tax:
|Monthly Insurance:
Based on a fully amortized fixed rate loan. Ask your agent for the tax rates in your area. Insurance estimate is based on an average cost, your final premium cost will be determined by the type of coverage you select. This program only provides an estimate.
Listing Agent: ANIAN TUNNEY
Bay East ©2017. CCAR ©2017. BridgeMLS ©2017. Information Deemed Reliable But Not Guaranteed. This information is being provided by the Bay East MLS, or CCAR MLS, or BridgeMLS. The listings presented here may or may not be listed by the Broker/Agent operating this website. This information is intended for the personal use of consumers, and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing.
Bridge-CCAR-Bay East data last updated at September 26, 2017 10:49 AM PT
Real Estate IDX Powered by iHomefinder


text:
Although North American movie-goers were able to catch director Gary Ross' adaptation of "The Hunger Games" in theaters last March, Chinese fans of Suzanne Collins' insanely popular trilogy have yet to experience the box-office hit on the big screen. That's all going to change this June, when the flick finally hits cineplexes and IMAX in China.If you're a "Hunger Games" completist, you probably need to give them a once-over.
The film is scheduled to arrive in China on June 14th, 2012.
Via : Chinese Films


text: If we cut Kris Brown, start and actually use Slaton, and cut out the ridiculous personal fouls, this team still has a shot. Here is our remaining schedule:Indy, at home - We need this game. We were close in Indy. This is a winnable game if we play well. Jacksonville in Jax - This is the most important game we have left. Jacksonville is ahead of us in the WC standings. We need this one if we want any shot at the playoffs Seattle at home - This is a team on the ropes, should be a win for us St Louis in STL - With Bulger gone, and our team able to contain runners like SJack, I think this should be a win Miami in Fl - This game is significantly less scary with Ronnie Brown out for the year. We should be able to win here. New England at home - NE is a tough team for us to face. Its like the Colts. They pass a lot, and dont rely on the run game. Could go either way. We could finish anywhere from 11-5 to 8-8. I think that 9-7 or 10-6 are reasonable records for us to achieve. At some point, this team has got to get a break from the football gods. The teams we are still competing against for a wild card are: Jacksonville @ 6-4 Denver @ 6-4 Pittsburgh @ 6-4 Baltimore @ 5-5 Jacksonville @SF - This could go either way, but Jax could win this game Hou - Lets assume they lose this game Mia - Could go either way, but Jax probably wins Indy - They were close in Indy, so could go either way. @NE - Warm weather team in NE when they are locking up a spot, looks like a loss @Cle - Jackonsville should win this easily Jacksonville could be anywhere from 10-6 to 8-8. They realistically appear to be headed for a 9-7 or 10-6 record. If we beat them and we beat Indy, we will be tied for division record if they also beat Indy, so the tie breaker will go down to common opponents: Two games against Indy (both are 0-1 at this point) Two games against Tenn (both are 1-1) Cardinals (both are 0-1) Seattle (Jax is 0-1, we havent played) STL (Jax is 1-0, we havent played) NYJ (Jax is 1-0, we are 0-1) Buffalo (both are 1-0) SF (Jax hasnt played, we are 1-0) Miami (neither has played) So if we both beat Indy, and we both beat Miami, and Jax wins at SF while we win in Sea, then we'll be tied again for common opponents and it goes down to conference wins. Jax is 5-2 in the conference and we are 4-4. At this point, we really need Jax to lose to SF, Miami, or both. Denver The broncos are currently at 6-4 and on a free fall. Remaining opponents: NYG - Giants should take care of this game @KC - Division game, could go either way @Indy - Indy should win this game Oak - Denver will probably win this game, although its a division game @Philly - In Philly is always difficult, could go either way KC - At home to close the season against KC, Denver should win So Denver looks to be somewhere between 8-8 and 10-6. They are 2-1 in the division, with 3 winnable division games left, giving them the tie breaker over us. We need them to fall to 8-8 or 9-7 in order to jump them in the rankings Pittsburgh The Steelers are at 6-4 and coming off an embarassing loss at KC. Big Ben also got hurt, although he plans to play Sunday. @Baltimore - tough game, could go either way Oakland - Should be a win @Cleveland - Should be a win Green Bay - Either way Baltimore - Tough division game, but at home, goes either way @Miami - Finish up the season between 2 teams in the hunt, could go either way They have to play Baltimore twice, meaning that both of these teams are not going to be in the wc race by seasons end. Realistically they appear to be headed for 8-8 to 11-5. I dont think they can sweep Baltimore, but we'll have to see. That loss to KC really helped us. If they split with Baltimore, that puts them at 7-5. They would then have 2 gimmes to put them at 9-5. Games against GB and Miami leaves them at 11-5 or 10-6. A split with Baltimore and a victory at Cleveland gives them a division record of 3-3, which would tie us if we beat Indy and Jax. Common opponents: Tenn (Steelers 1-0, Texans 1-1) Bengals (Steelers 0-2, Texans 1-0) Oakland (Steelers yet to play, Texans 1-0) Miami (both yet to play) Baltimore Currently sits at 5-5 Remaining games: Pitt - division, will probably split @GB - tough game in cold Lambeau Detroit - should be a gimme Chicago - This team is a mess, and can go either way @Pitt - See above @Oakland - should be a gimme That leaves them at 7-9 to 10-6. I dont see them sweeping Pitt Division record with a split at Pitt is 3-3, also tied with us if we beat Indy and Jax Common opponents: NE - Baltimore lost, weve yet to play Bengals - Baltimore 0-2, Texans 1-0 Indy - Both lost Oakland - Texans 1-0, Baltimore yet to play So again, another toss up I didn't include Miami because we have a head to head game with them Summary: The Texans are at 5-5 with 2 gimme games (7-5) and 4 that could go either way. Division record is the tie breaker after head to heads, and so we desperately need to win both our division games to have any shot at the playoffs. The Jaguars are 6-4 with 1 gimme (7-4) and 5 that could go either way. If we want to jump them for a chance at the WC, we need them to lose both division games (to us and to Indy) The Broncos are 6-4 with 2-3 gimmees (8-4) and 3-4 that could go either way. This team is two faced, so I can't tell how competitive they are right now. If they continue to freefall, they may be a nonfactor The Steelers are 6-4 with 2 gimmees (8-4) and 4 games that could go either way. The Ravens are 5-5 with 2 gimmees (7-5) and 4 that could go either way. These last two play each other twice before the season is over, and that result will go a long way in determining who gets in. All of these teams have legimate chances to make the postseason, but we'll have to wait and see what happens. It looks like there could be as many 5 teams tied at 10-6 with similar division records, so at this point SOS is important, as is record in teh conference, against common opponents, and in the DIVISION. Last night was a tough, tough loss for su


text:
Tomato Block
Designed by ELLIE BROWN
Skill Level BEGINNER
Finished Block Size
8″ x 8″
Free Quilt Block Download
Click here to download the FREE Tomato Quilt Block pattern and template. (Problems downloading our PDF? Check out our troubleshooting tips.)
Click here to see this Tomato Block in Ellie Brown's Sweet Heirlooms lap quilt pattern.
Cutting Instructions
Note: Cutting instructions for appliqué shape are on template
Lime print
4 squares 2¾˝ x 2¾˝
Red print
1 square 8½˝ x 8½˝
Green solid
scrap for stem appliqué
Making the Block
The Sweet Heirlooms lap quilt (53˝ x 69˝) is patterned in the July/August 2013 issue of McCall's Quilting. Digital downloads of back issues always available at QuiltandSewShop.com.
Click links below for…
More FREE Quilt Block Patterns
Sponsored Links
Get 10 FREE Vintage Scrappy Quilt Patterns when you subscribe today!
The most trusted source for quilting news and inspiration. Subscribe today and get 11 FREE GIFTS!
Subscribe to Quiltmaker Magazine and get 21 original quilting motifs!


text:
Try Microsoft Edge
A fast and secure browser that's designed for Windows 10
No thanks
Get started
Have Vista RC 2. I have a system with the main administrator account that was created during setup, which is the admin account with my name e.g., "Mary".
I installed Roboform for use by IE 7, and installed the Mozilla plug-in as well to test. Mozilla and Roboform work fine together. I.E.7 does not have Roboform listed in the Manage Add-ons section, where it is supposed to be, so it can be enabled or disable from there. It just does not show up, as I discovered many other add-ons also do not shop up in this account!
I created another admininstrator account from my "Mary" account, and called this "Admin". When I log into the "Admin" account, IE7 uses Roboform just fine! ... and the Manage Add-ons lists the Roboform files in there, as well as many other add-ons that were/are not present in the "Mary" account.
I do not understand why my "Mary" account, which is an administrator account, is not working/showing with Roboform, and other add-ons, and IE7.
Microsoft is conducting an online survey to understand your opinion of the Msdn Web site. If you choose to participate, the online survey will be presented to you when you leave the Msdn Web site.
Would you like to participate?


text:
Rangers to activate Ogando for Wednesday start
BOSTON -- The Rangers will activate Alexi Ogando off the disabled list on Wednesday so he can pitch against the Red Sox. It will be his first start since May 15 against the Athletics. He has been sidelined with inflammation in his right triceps muscle.
Ogando's return allows the Rangers to give three of their pitchers some extra rest. Derek Holland has been moved back to Thursday, Nick Tepesch on Friday and Yu Darvish on Saturday. All three will be pitching on five days rest rather than their normal four.
"Whenever we can arrange those type of situations and give them extra rest, we want to do it," manager Ron Washington said.
The Rangers will have to make a roster move before Wednesday's game and will likely send either left-hander Joseph Ortiz or right-hander Ross Wolf to Triple-A Round Rock. Ortiz has been with the Rangers since Opening Day, but Neal Cotts, who was called up on May 21, has emerged as the second left-handed setup reliever in the bullpen. Cotts has pitched in seven of the Rangers last 11 games while Ortiz has appeared in just two games since May 21.
Wolf has also pitched just twice since being called up on May 22 but could give the Rangers a true long reliever. They haven't had that since Derek Lowe was released.
T.R. Sullivan is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Postcards from Elysian Fields, and follow him on Twitter @Sullivan_Ranger. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Autumn Statement: Ed Balls reacts to Osborne's speech
Shadow chancellor Ed Balls has accused the government of standing up for energy companies, hedge funds and high-wage earners, but not working people.
Mr Balls had to shout above MPs to respond to Chancellor George Osborne's Autumn Statement in the House of Commons.
The shadow chancellor said: "The Chancellor is in complete denial... for most people in our country living standards aren't rising... they are falling year on year on year."
05 Dec 2013
- From the section UK Politics


text:
Discord Amid the Rubble of the Transatlantic BargainRoundup: Media's Take
Philip Stephens
A year ago we were present at the destruction. The march of US and British troops into Iraq did more than divide old allies over how best to confront Saddam Hussein. It marked the final collapse of the geopolitical architecture that had safeguarded the peace for 50 years. Amid the rubble of the postwar order, we now have incoherence and argument. The consequent risks to the west's security far outweigh the immediate threat of another al-Qaeda atrocity.
The old system, of course, was crumbling before George W. Bush decided to go to war with Iraq. The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1989 removed the existential threat that had bound the US and Europe into the transatlantic alliance. The terrorist attacks of September 11 2001 awakened America to both its unique power and its new vulnerability.
We have heard half a dozen other reasons during the past year or two why the old transatlantic relationship was no longer sustainable. For some, it is simply a question of relative power. America is militarily strong, Europe weak. Once attacked, the US was always bound to discard the old constraints on its freedom of action. After all, the multilateralist impulse that had seen America create the common institutions of the postwar order had been as much an act of realpolitik as of Wilsonian idealism.
The Bush administration, the argument continues, never accepted the bargain under which Europe embraced US leadership in return for a say in the way it was exercised. Primacy meant America could make its own choices and opt for the flexibility of ad hoc coalitions over the obligations of fixed alliances.
There were changes too on the European side of the Atlantic. Just as the fall of the Berlin Wall meant that Europe ceased to be the centre of Washington's geopolitical universe, so too Europe felt less dependent on the US defence guarantee. Germany's implacable opposition to the invasion of Iraq would have been unimaginable during the cold war.
These are all part of the explanation. Behind them lies a deeper divide, rooted in history, culture and geography. Europe's central historical experience has been that military victories produce only temporary peace. The European Union encapsulates a visceral conviction that shared sovereignty, multilateral organisations and the rule of law are the essential explanation for the absence of war. As Jean Monnet once put it:"Institutions govern relationships between people. They are the real pillars of civilisation."
Europeans, though, failed from the outset to understand how profound was the psychological shock delivered to the US by September 11 2001. Flanked by two great oceans, America had considered itself immune from significant attack. The demonstration of vulnerability transformed a status quo power into a revolutionary one.
What we are left with is incoherence. The best that can be said of relationships between Washington and some of its erstwhile allies is that a certain public civility has returned to the conduct of diplomacy. Gerhard Schroder has visited the White House, the president has shaken the hand of France's Jacques Chirac.
A more optimistic view would say that circumstance has also obliged the antagonists to modify their views. I was rereading the other day a speech given by Richard Cheney, the US vice-president, in late August 2002. Historians will see Mr Cheney's text, which seethes with contempt for the United Nations, as a vital moment in the transatlantic rupture.
Yet the grim experience of its forces in Iraq has taught the US something of the UN's value. Only after Kofi Annan, the UN secretary-general, conferred his legitimacy on the process could Washington press ahead with plans to return sovereignty to the Iraqis. Mr Bush, if not Mr Cheney, has learned something of the importance of combining military might with legitimacy.
Europe, of course, has its own confusions and divisions. Tony Blair rested his hopes of keeping the US in the international system on getting up close to the president. Mr Chirac preferred traditional balance-of-power resistance. Both failed. Now the terrorist bombing of Madrid and the outcome of the subsequent Spanish election have added to the fog.
We can dismiss the charge by Mr Bush's Republican allies that the decision of the Spanish electorate to overturn the government of Jose Maria Aznar was an act of terrorist appeasement. You can be resolute against al-Qaeda and yet believe that invading Iraq was a terrible mistake. Those in Washington who now attack Spain's exercise of democracy would presumably argue that a victory for John Kerry in November's presidential election would also mark the triumph of Islamist fundamentalism.
Europe, though, does not have a single or convincing narrative as to how the Pax Americana might work. It is one thing to laud multinational institutions, another to say how they can be remade to meet the new strategic realities and threats. To tell America that it must work through alliances is not enough.
There are, of course, plenty of specific ideas around as to how to reinvigorate the transatlantic partnership. Among those under discussion in coming months will be a new mission statement for Nato and a joint commitment to encourage liberal democracy in what is now called the Greater Middle East.
These are worthy endeavours. But to have meaning they require a change of mindset on both sides of the Atlantic to fit them into a wider framework. There is no need to pretend that the postwar order was perfect. Nor should we think that it can, or should, be rebuilt precisely as it was. But the transatlantic relationship will be fixed only when America and Europe begin to talk seriously about the shape of a new bargain that can accommodate both America's power and Europe's fears. Pace Donald Rumsfeld, the sheriff and his posse will not do it.
I have heard it said that we should be patient. The system that emerged after 1945 was not a single, neat construction. It took many years to create. There was improvisation alongside vision, pragmatism stirred in with principle. That is true, in as far as it goes. But Islamist extremism has not shown itself indulgent of delay. Al-Qaeda will exploit the west's disunity at every turn. And where are today's Trumans and Adenauers, Marshalls and Schumans?
comments powered by Disqus
- In Trump's America, is the Supreme Court still seen as legitimate?
- The Republican Plan to Repeal Obamacare for Everybody But Alaska Might Be Unconstitutional
- Parliament Square in London Is Closer to Having First Female Statue
- Battle Over Confederate Monuments Moves to the Cemeteries
- German WW1 U-boat found off Belgian coast
- Yale history department now emphasizing global history in undergraduate courses
- University of Utah appoints first Mormon Studies professor
- Eric Foner discusses the manipulation of history
- Male historian tapped to lead Department of Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies at the University of Kansas
- Decline in History Majors Continues, Departments Respond


text:
- Admissions
- Academics
- Research
- University Life
- Alumni
- About
To view course descriptions for all courses in a single subject:
Searching course descriptions by keyword is currently unavailable.
Course Level: Graduate
Seminar in Doctoral Research (3) Planning, research, and drafting of doctoral dissertation proposal. Comparative criteria for dissertation standards and evaluation. Usually offered every fall. Usually Offered: fall. Grading: A-F only. Restriction: second-year PhD student.


text:
Park Hotel Olimpia, Brallo di Pregola
- Free buffet breakfast, free WiFi, and free parking
Main amenities
- 34 guestrooms
- Restaurant and bar/lounge
- Full-service spa
- Outdoor pool
- Rooftop terrace
- Fitness center
- Business center
- 24-hour front desk
- Air conditioning
- Garden
- Library
- Laundry service
- Free buffet breakfast, free WiFi, and free parking
What's around
- Temple of the Fraternity (13.6 mi / 21.9 km)
- Cowboyland (27.1 mi / 43.7 km)
- La Stoppa (29 mi / 46.7 km)
- Grazzano Visconti Castle (30.8 mi / 49.5 km)
- Tenuta Ca'Boffenisio (31.3 mi / 50.4 km)
Park Hotel Olimpia, Brallo di Pregola
Hotel Info: 866-539-8117from $96
- Superior Double or Twin Room
- Deluxe Double or Twin Room
More great choices
At a glance
Key facts
Hotel size
- This hotel has 34 rooms
- This hotel is arranged over 3 floors
- Check-in time 8 AM-11 PM
- Check-out time is 4 PM
- Express check-in
Required at check in
- Credit card or cash deposit required
- Government-issued photo ID required
Travelling with others
- Pets allowed
- Free WiFi in public areas
- Free WiFi in rooms
- Free self parking
In the hotel
- Free buffet breakfast daily
- Restaurant
- Bar/lounge
- Room service (during limited hours)
- Barbecue grills
- Outdoor seasonal pool
- Outdoor pool
- Fitness facilities
- Tennis on site
- Full-service spa
- Spa treatment room(s)
- Bicycle rentals nearby
- Hiking/biking trails nearby
- Mountain biking nearby
- Children's pool
- Spa tub
- Free pool cabanas
- Sauna
- Pool umbrellas
- Business center
- Number of meeting rooms - 2
- Meeting rooms
- 24-hour front desk
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Laundry facilities
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Elevator/lift
- Rooftop terrace
- Garden
- Library
In the room
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Air conditioning
- Minibar
- Soundproofed rooms
- Hair dryer
- Flat-screen TV
- Desk
- Free newspaper
- Free WiFi
- In-room safe
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
Also popular with travelers from the USA
Special features
The onsite spa has massage/treatment rooms. Services include massages, facials, and body wraps. The spa is equipped with a sauna and Turkish bath/hammam.
Park Hotel Olimpia, Brallo di Pregola's small print
Also known as
- Park Hotel Olimpia
- Park Hotel Olimpia Brallo Di Pregola
- Park Olimpia Brallo Di Pregola
All guests, including children, must be present at check-in and show their government-issued photo ID card or passport.
Cash transactions at this property cannot exceed EUR 2999.99, due to national regulations. For further details, please contact the property using information in the booking confirmation.
The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.
Optional extras
Cribs/Infant beds are available for EUR 15 per night
We have included all charges provided to us by this hotel. However, charges can vary, for example, based on length of stay or the room you book.
Is the description of this hotel not correct? Tell us


text:
A Two-part Study of the Effects of MK-1029 in Allergen-challenged Asthmatics (MK-1029-003 AM1)
This study has been completed.
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp.
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: April 26, 2011
Last updated: February 24, 2016
Last verified: February 2016
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
No Study Results Posted on ClinicalTrials.gov for this Study
|Study Status:
|This study has been completed.
|Study Completion Date:
|January 2012
|Primary Completion Date:
|January 2012 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)


text:
Four Seasons To Launch Texas Music Themed "Outlaw Taproom" In FebruaryThe Four Seasons Resort in Las Colinas has undergone another renovation.
Take A Peek Inside Tony Romo's Home! (Photos)It boasts a 2-story entry, gourmet kitchen, private study and backyard spa and pool.
What's Hot: Irving Laughs by the Lake
Get Your Geek On At Dallas Comic Con This WeekendDallas Comic Con is this weekend! With celebrity guests like William Shatner and Nathan Fillion, you don't want to miss out on this awesome weekend of geekery!
Why You Should Check Out IrvingIrving was just honored with the Malcom Baldridge Award for National Quality. Check out why Irving is so amazing!
Get Your Geek On At Fan Days In Las Colinas This WeekendGrab your geeky friends and head to Las Colinas for Dallas Comic Con's Fan Days! You can meet celebrity guests like Stan Lee, Bruce Campbell, and Sean Astin!
What To Do In This Weekend If You Don't Have Plans
Dragon Boats And High Flying Kites Will Sail And Soar In Las Colinas On Sunday
HP Byron Nelson Championship Kicks Off Today
Savor The Flavor Of Savor Dallas This Weekend


text:
This job listing has expired! Click here to view the latest NGO jobs in Nigeria
Action Against Hunger (AAH) has been operational in Nigeria since 2010 and has been a leading organization in strengthening nutrition security in Northern Nigeria. Employing a multi-sectoral approach to address significant nutrition security needs, AAH implements programs in nutrition, food security and livelihoods (FSL) and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in Jigawa, Yobe and Borno states. In response to the humanitarian crisis in Northeastern Nigeria, AAH expanded its operations in 2014 to emergency programs. AAH currently implements 12 projects in three states, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno, with a staff of over 220 operating in 4 offices in Abuja, Dutse, Damaturu and Maiduguri.
Main Responsibilities
This position require humanitarian experience


text:
Louise Hammond Atkinson, 97, died Sunday, Nov. 14, 1999.
A native of Elbert County, Mrs. Atkinson was a daughter of the late Jep B. and Willie P. Dye Hammond and was the widow of P.H. ''Hop'' Atkinson. She was preceded in death by a daughter, Doris Webb. She was a homemaker and was a member of Elberton First Baptist Church.
Services will be at 11 a.m. today in Forest Hills Memorial Park with Dr. C.E. Jackson III officiating.
Survivors include two sons, K. Lee Atkinson and Vernon Atkinson, both of Elberton; three grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.
Pallbearers will be Kenneth Atkinson, Terry Owen, Steve Owen, Tony McCall and Roderick Dye.
Memorials may be made to a charity of the donor's choice.
The family is at their respective residences.
Athens Daily News, Tuesday, Nov. 16, 1999
© 2017. All Rights Reserved. | Contact Us


text:
This property has been removed by the agent. It may be let or temporarily removed from the market
Property Description
Letting information:
|Added on Rightmove:
|28 November 2011 (2124 days ago)
Key features
- 1 Bed
- 1 Reception
- 1 Bathroom
- Unfurnished
- Gas Central Heating
- Apartment
- Available Now
Full description
Perfectly situated within walking distance of Didcot town centre and Didciot Parkway Train Station, a well equipped one double bedroomed apartment available for long or shortlets.
First floor into sitting room/kitchen/dining room. Separate double bedroom and shower room. Fully furnished to high standard. Parking.
Map & Street View
View in fullscreenView in fullscreen
Street View is unavailable in this location
Disclaimer - Administration fees may apply when renting a property in England, Wales or Northern Ireland. For more details, please contact the agent.
Property reference 388. The information displayed about this property comprises a property advertisement. Rightmove.co.uk makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the advertisement or any linked or associated information, and Rightmove has no control over the content. This property advertisement does not constitute property particulars. The information is provided and maintained by Penny & Sinclair, Summertown - Lettings.
Please refer to our Renting Guides for further information on how to safely rent a property.
Map data ©OpenStreetMap contributors.


text:
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Florida Gators showed they don't have to hit home runs to generate offense at the women's College World Series.
Cheyenne Coyle, Aja Paculba, Tiffany DeFelice and Michelle Moultrie all had RBI singles as the nation's top home run team moved into the semifinals, beating California 5-2 Saturday. The Gators (54-11) face second seed Alabama today, needing to beat their SEC rival twice to reach the best-of-three final series.
Florida had homered twice in each of its first two World Series games to push its NCAA-best total to 114. This time UF got timely hits and capitalized on a series of fielding mistakes by Cal shortstop Britt Vonk.
"That's the difference in this game compared to the game that I started building this program on, with more power than power and speed," said Tim Walton, Florida's sixth-year coach.
Vonk's errant flip to third on Coyle's third-inning infield single allowed the Gators to tie it at 2. Paculba followed with a clean single to put Florida ahead to stay. The Gators tacked on runs in the fourth and fifth on two more infield singles hit to Vonk.
Cal (45-13) reached the game by eliminating Oklahoma State, the only unseeded team in the World Series, 6-2.
Missouri survived by ousting Big 12 rival Oklahoma 4-1. The Tigers (53-9) faced another league rival, Baylor, in an elimination game late Saturday.
Late Friday, the Gators took their first loss of the World Series, 6-5 against top seed Arizona State (57-6).
MEN'S GOLF: Carter Newman birdied the first playoff hole, No. 14, to beat host Oklahoma State's Sean Einhaus and lift defending champion Augusta State to a 3-2 win and into an all-Georgia final today at the NCAA Championship. The Jaguars face Georgia, which defeated Duke 3-2.
FOOTBALL: Terrelle Pryor's godfather disputed an Associated Press report in which he was quoted as saying that the embattled quarterback would return to Ohio State this season. Speaking to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Willie Burns said he was not sure what Pryor would do and said, "He's his own man. If he quits and goes pro, it's on him. If he stays, it's on him." … Nate Montana, 21, son of Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Montana, pleaded not guilty to DUI and speeding charges after he was stopped in Missoula, Mont. The younger Montana is a quarterback at the University of Montana.
MONEY: The Big 12, down to 10 teams in the fall, will change its distribution formula for college football TV revenue. The remaining teams will evenly share 76 percent of all TV income, up from 57 percent.


text:
New photography of individual figures, 2-packs and vehicle weapon sets...
For a great selection of video game action figures and collectibles, check out BigBadToyStore.com, ToyWiz.com, PastGenerationToys.com, Urban-Collector.com, ToyDorks.com, HobbyLinkJapan.com, and Sekaido.com.
To insure your action figure collection, get in touch with our sponsor Collectibles Insurance.
McFarlane provides new photography of their latest assortment of Halo: Reach action figures. Slated for release this April, this wave stars new solo packed figures, 2-packs and vehicle weapon sets, including:
Covenant Airborne - Elite Officer + Elite Ultra
Spartan Loadouts: Grenadier + Expert Marksman
UNSC Trooper Support Staff - Medic Trooper + Radio Trooper
Elite Special Ops
Grunt Heavy
Spartan JFO (Male - Rust)
Noble Team - Jun
ODST with Jetpack
Spartan Military Police Custom (Male - Team Blue)
Spartan Military Police Custom (Male - Green/Brown)
Spartan Operator (Male - Steel)
Spartan Air Assault (Female - Rose)
Gauss Cannon w/ Spartan Operator Custom
Rocket Launcher w/ Spartan JFO Custom


text:
In the interest of full disclosure, I am a technology early adopter. If I don't buy the newest Treo or TiVo, my friends are genuinely surprised. So I pose the following questions not as a Luddite-like rebellion against technological advancement, but rather as an interested observer of how technology can help or hurt the legal industry.
Do blogs, or blawgs (law-focused blogs), matter to the legal industry? What about podcasts?
Podcasts are an efficient way to get radio or video content on demand in a digital format. I download my morning NPR stories of the day and news updates to my iPod and listen to them when my schedule permits. Most in-house lawyers, though, aren't keyed into the convenience of podcasts. In a recent online poll we conducted, 57 percent of the visitors to our site had never listened to a podcast, and 30 percent didn't know what a podcast was. That may change as law firms get into the business of publishing podcasts. You can now download client briefings onto your iPod. You also can send them as e-mail files to your co-workers.
In contrast, blogs give me cause for concern. Because blogs are self-published missives on every subject from celebrity gossip to corporate law department management, they vary widely in quality and accuracy. And they aren't journalism. Some state opinions as facts and make assertions with little to no research or support.
The other reason I don't like them is that there are few filters to help you as in-house counsel figure out which blogs actually give you access to good ideas and trends. Sorting through the vast number of legal blogs to identify the useful and accurate ones can be incredibly time consuming.
Certain law firms are creating useful blogs, but because firms are already feeding you information through e-newsletters, client briefings and other conduits, law firm blogs become just one more source to evaluate and cull through.
You are already inundated with information about all things related to your job as well as your personal interests. Sorting through the data is an immense challenge. When we update the InsideCounsel Web site this month, we hope to help you tackle that challenge by filtering some of that information for you. We plan to add a blog directory to our site in the near future, and we hope that filter will turn the vast wasteland of blogs into an organized, streamlined and valuable resource.
Let me know what your favorite blogs or podcasts are by e-mailing me at firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Former Foreign Minister David Levy completed his split from the Likud Party by announcing that he will form a new political party in December and will run for prime minister in Israel's 1996 elections.
Levy's announcement, made on Israel Television over the weekend, comes after years of feuding with Likud Chairman Benjamin Netanyahu.
The conflict reached a climax earlier this year, when Levy bolted from Likud, charging that its mechanism for holding internal party elections deprived his followers of their fair share of representation within the party.
Many who support Levy, a Moroccan-born immigrant, are from Israel's Sephardi population.
Levy said his new, as-yet-unnamed party would be centrist, drawing support from members of the Likud, Labor and Meretz parties.
Sources close to Levy said the new party would support the evolving peace agreement with the Palestinians, with the condition that no Israeli settlements are dismantled and that the security of Jewish settlers is ensured.
Senior Likud sources said the driving force behind Levy's decision to form a new party was to thwart Netanyahu's bid for the premiership.


text:
The Weekly Health Quiz: Migraines, Drinking and Belly Fat
September 22, 2017,
American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases. Recommended childhood and adolescent immunization schedule: United States, 2005. Pediatrics. 2005 Jan;115(1):182.
Caruso TJ, Prober CG, Gwaltney JM Jr. Treatment of naturally acquired common colds with zinc: a structured review. Clin Infect Dis. 2007;45(5):569-74.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Key Facts About Seasonal Influenza (Flu). Available online.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2007-08 Influenza Prevention & Control Recommendations: Vaccination of Specific Populations. Available online.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Acute Respiratory Disease Associated with Adenovirus Serotype 14 -- Four States, 2006-2007. MMWR. 2007;56(45):1181-84.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. FDA Approves New Laboratory Test To Detect Human Infections With Avian Influenza A/H5 Viruses. February 3, 2006.
Harper SA, Fukuda K, Uyeki TM, Cox NJ, Bridges CB. Prevention and Control of Influenza: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Recomm Rep. 2005 Jul 29;54(RR-8):1-40.
Hayden GF, Turner RB. Acute Pharyngitis. In: Behrman RE, Kliegman RM, Jenson HB, eds. Behrman: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 17th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders; 2004.
Interagency Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance. Executive Summary: 2006 Annual Report on Progress on "A Public Health Action Plan to Combat Antimicrobial Resistance." Draft release, June 2007. Available online.
Jefferson T, Demichelli V, Rivetti D, Jones M, Di Pietrantonj C, Rivetti A. Antivirals for influenza in healthy adults: systematic review. Lancet 2006 Jan 28;367(9507):303-13.
Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 2008. MMWR. July 17, 2008/57(Early Release);1-60.
Reveiz L, Cardona AF, Ospina EG. Antibiotics for acute laryngitis in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Apr 18;(2):CD004783.
Sasazuki S, Sasaki S, Tsubono Y, Okubo S, Hayashi M, Tsugane S. Effect of vitamin C on common cold: randomized controlled trial. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2006;60(1):9 - 17.
Shah SA, Sander S, White CM, Rinaldi M, Coleman CI. Evaluation of echinacea for the prevention and treatment of the common cold: a meta-analysis. Lancet Infect Dis. 2007;7(7):473-80.
Simasek M, Blandino DA. Treatment of the common cold. Am Fam Physician. 2007;75(4):515-20.
Taverner D, Latte J. Nasal decongestants for the common cold. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007 Jan 24;(1):CD001953.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Nonprescription Drugs and Pediatric Advisory Committee Meeting. Joint Meeting of the Nonprescription Drugs Advisory Committee and the Pediatric Advisory Committee October 18-19, 2007. Available online.
World Health Organization: Neuraminidase Inhibitor Susceptibility Network. Monitoring of neuraminidase inhibitor resistance among clinical influenza virus isolates in Japan during the 2003-2006 influenza seasons. Weekly epidemiological record. 2007;82(17):149-50.
World Health Organization. Cumulative Number of Confirmed Human Cases of Avian Influenza A/(H5N1) Reported to WHO. December 16, 2008. Available online.


text:
We could not find Fabulous One More Time A Sylvester Concert Starring Anthony Wayne
We're sorry but the event you were looking for could not be found. It could be the event you are looking for has already taken place.
We have tickets to literally thousands of events available. Trying using our search at the top of the page to find your event.
Need help? Give us a call at 1-877-467-2827


text:
Soho Radio
Soho Radio is furiously independent, championing brand new talent and Soho legends daily. New and innovative radio is our specialty, drawing on our Soho's amazing community to steer clear of the usual and bring our neighbourhood to the world.
Based on Great Windmill street, they've welcomed guests like Public Enemy, Stephen Fry, Mark Ronson, Steve Cropper and Harry Shearer through our doors, with a new face stopping by every day.
Tune into something different
Inspired by Soho's vibrant and diverse culture, Soho Radio brings together musicians, artists, film makers, chefs, poets and the generally curious. From world class talent such as Boy George, Howard Marks and The Cuban Brothers to local piano tuners – a hip hop loving father and son duo.
Fostering independent voices, breaking underground acts and a must visit for big-label stars, Soho Radio is true voice of the Soho community.
Street-side radio
Soho Radio is true street-side radio, broadcast from the heart of Soho in Great Windmill Street. Located next to Paul Raymond's famous Windmill Club and opposite the new Firmdale Hotel, Soho Radio also houses its very own coffee shop with an ace barista.
Grab a flat white and watch the presenters as they deliver independent, community content live from the shop floor.
Community, not commercial
They're driven by a passion for radio, not ad breaks. That's why you won't hear any on Soho Radio, and you won't get copy/pasted set lists that commercial radio stations offer, either.


text:
[20 July 2009]
McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)
HELL'S KITCHEN 8 p.m. EDT Tuesday Fox
The rants and raves of chef Gordon Ramsay return at 8 p.m. Tuesday night as a new season of "Hell's Kitchen" launches on Fox. For the first time, the show feels more like a processed entertainment meal rather than a TV delicacy.
The format's the same: Sixteen contestants will try to slice, dice and cook their way to the finals of this season's competition. They just have to survive weekly challenges and verbal beratings by Ramsay.
Past seasons were fun because while the level of abilities of the contestants were different, all had some culinary knowledge. This new season comes across as being more scripted to get the most dramatic characters behind the stoves. Their cooking skills are secondary to the drama they can create.
Take the initial challenge. Ramsay always has contestants prepare their signature dish. The dishes have not always been good — Ramsay vomited after eating one — but they all showed some signs of culinary skills.
One contestant this year prepares biscuits and gravy while another cooks French toast. Those are the kind of dishes a person learns to make in the first day of home economics class. It would take a complete idiot to think Ramsay would accept these offerings as examples of serious cooking skills.
This season starts with a twist regarding the contestants. The surprise won't be ruined, but the way the twist is pulled off looks pre-planned and contrived.
Ramsay's verbal assaults are a trademark. This year the contestants look like they have been coached to launch their own verbal assaults. Big showdowns between maitre'd Jean-Philippe Susilovic and a contestant and Ramsay and a different contestant are so staged they are painful to watch.
They may have been real, but that they look so fake is makes this season appear less than promising.
Published at: http://www.popmatters.com/pm/article/108546-season-premiere-of-hells-kitchen-tuesday-on-fox/


text:
Sears Holdings, the retailer controlled by hedge-fund manager Edward Lampert, posted a fourth-quarter loss that was larger than it had forecast in January, as sales fell for the sixth consecutive year.
The loss narrowed to $489 million from $2.4 billion a year earlier, the Illinois-based company said yesterday in a statement. Sears had predicted a loss of $280 million to $360 million, excluding potential impact from store closings and other items. Revenue fell 1.8 percent to $12.3 billion, topping analysts' estimates, as domestic same-store Sears sales improved.
Lampert took over as CEO in February as the department-store chain works to snap a streak of quarterly sales declines stretching back to May 2007. His predecessor, Lou D'Ambrosio, worked to cut inventory and debt.
Sears fell 5.2 percent to $45 at the close.


text:
Mr. Annie A. OTTE, aged 69, widow of George F. Otte, died Sunday in the home of her daughter, Mrs. E.L. McGrath, 1508 Orchlee St. She was born in Pittsburgh. Besides her daughter, two brothers, Frank J. and Harry Schellman, and a sister, Mrs. John Thierauf, survive.
------ ( dd 13 Nov 1918, Anna Amelia Schellman Otte)
Source: local Pittsburgh/ Allegheny City newspapers at the PA Room, Carnegie Library, Pittsburgh PA
Submitted by Janice Cooper, firstname.lastname@example.com
Census Records | Vital Records | Family Trees & Communities | Immigration Records | Military Records Directories & Member Lists | Family & Local Histories | Newspapers & Periodicals | Court, Land & Probate | Finding Aids


text:
BP Comment Quick Links
|Strength of Schedule Report
March 23, 2012
Extra Innings Excerpt
Are Relievers Being Used Properly?
Extra Innings: More Baseball Between the Numbers, edited by Steven Goldman, is the sequel to Baseball Prospectus's 2006 landmark Baseball Between the Numbers, a book that gave many their first taste of state of the art sabermetric thinking in the years after Bill James and Moneyball. BP now returns with a sequel that delves into new areas of the game, such as how to evaluate managers and general managers, the true effects of performance-enhancing drugs, how prospects are recruited and developed in Latin America, and more. The book is now available for ordering and immediate shipping from Amazon and Barnes & Noble ahead of its official release date of April 3, 2012. Today, we present the second of two excerpts from the book.
"Alcohol is like love," he said. "The first kiss is magic, the second is intimate, the third is routine. After that you take the girl's clothes off." —Raymond Chandler, The Long Goodbye
At first, it truly was magical. Our first kiss was Dennis Eckersley back in 1987. Eckersley, viewed as a washed-up starter in the twilight of his career, ended up with the one manager creative enough to bring his career back to life, Tony La Russa. La Russa, no doubt with an assist from pitching coach Dave Duncan, tailored a role just for Eckersley, one that we now recognize as that of the modern closer: the pitcher would appear only at the end of the game, only to protect a lead, and almost never for more than an inning at a time. Eckersley credited the move with revitalizing his career:
The results were bewitching. Eckersley ended up with a Cy Young and MVP award in the same season, and every team in baseball decided they had to have a pitcher just like him. Like a virus, the fever spread, the limited role designed for Eckersley evolving to include other pitchers.
Now it's routine. La Russa, not content to simply have a designated ninth-inning guy, added pitchers devoted solely to retiring left-handed hitters late in the game. Most managers have followed La Russa in form if not in creativity; managers enter a game with a set plan for how they want to use their bullpen, and some are unwilling to deviate from it. Yankees manager Joe Girardi is notable for his inflexibility. After an eighth-inning meltdown by Rafael Soriano, Girardi told the press why he was allowed to pitch long enough to squander a four-run lead: "Soriano's our eighth-inning guy," Girardi said. "And by no means is four runs a game in the bag, as we just saw." Baseball Prospectus's Steven Goldman responded:
The closer, once an invention based upon creativity, is now either an excuse or a mandate to avoid creativity in how a manager applies his relief pitchers in the search for team wins. How did we end up where we are now? And is it truly benefiting the game of baseball?
Relief pitchers were so rare in the early days of baseball that it didn't occur to those keeping the records to track pitchers' performance both as starters and relievers. We can, however, estimate the split of a pitcher's playing time in each role, which gives us a useful starting point for analysis. While the historical record is unclear for individual pitchers, it is relatively simple to estimate the number of innings pitched by all starters for a season, as well as the number of relief appearances per game. Using these league-wide estimates, as well as a pitcher's games and games started, lets us estimate how much of a pitcher's work came from starting versus relief pitching.
For the modern era we have play-by-play data and can calculate these things precisely, but I have chosen to continue presenting the estimates so as to make it easier to identify trends without worrying if a shift is caused by changes in what happened versus changes in how the numbers are tabulated. See Figure 3-2.1 for the percentage of innings thrown by starting pitchers.
It is not until about 1908 that we see a decline, settling at 90 percent for a few years and then drifting almost inexorably downward, so that in the modern game less than 70 percent of all innings are thrown by starting pitchers.
What is fascinating about the downward slope is that it is unimpeded by almost anything that would affect pitcher usage. The second deadball era doesn't seem to arrest the decline at all; the 1960s actually saw a slight drop in starter innings, while shaving nearly a full run per game in comparison to the 1950s. As a whole, the correlation between the percentage of innings thrown by starting pitchers and the runs scored per game is only 0.4. If we eliminate the evolving game of the late 1800s and early 1900s and start with 1920 (the first year starters threw less than 90 percent of all innings) we get a correlation of only 0.16.
The arrow of correlation is counterintuitive in that it suggests the more runs scored per game, the more innings thrown by starting pitchers. At the very least this causes us to reconsider the commonly held belief that pitchers don't throw as deep into games because they have to face tougher lineups than pitchers of old used to. It has often been said that replacing slap-hitting shortstops with Cal Ripken types means fewer spots in the lineup to pitch around, but even replacing the pitcher with the designated hitter—in essence a second first baseman— doesn't seem to affect the magnitude of the downward slope.
What accounts for the change in pitcher usage? We can neatly divide the outcomes of a plate appearance into two groups—balls in play, which require action by the defense, and the so-called three true outcomes of walks, strikeouts, and home runs. Figure 3-2.2 gives us a look at the rate of balls in play as a percentage of plate appearances over time.
The two graphs are strikingly similar. The BIP rate and starter IP rate have a correlation of .88. What this suggests is that pitching has gotten harder over the years because more and more of the burden has shifted to the pitcher alone, with less and less reliance on the defense. This has created an increased need for relief pitchers. It took some time, however, for this to lead to the rise of dedicated relief specialists. Figure 3-2.3 shows the percentage of relief innings thrown by pitchers who never started a game over time.
We actually see that baseball started with "dedicated" relievers, but that can be misleading—there weren't many relief innings to go around, and so teams pressed position players into pitching on the rare occasions where a starter couldn't finish a game. Using pitchers as relief pitchers seems to start in the 1890s, and by 1910 or so teams relied on pitchers nearly exclusively for relief pitching appearances. Teams still hadn't moved to using pitchers whose primary job was to pitch in relief, however; the majority of relief appearances went to starting pitchers, or at the very least, swingmen who could be counted upon to work both roles. This began to change around 1936, when teams began a gradual transition toward pitchers who specialize in relief.
Once you have dedicated relief pitchers, you're going to notice that some of them are better than others. And you're going to try and use your better pitchers in tight games at the expense of your lesser pitchers. This is where we see the first manifestations of what we'd now call a "closer," but which at the time were often called "firemen," relief pitchers who are supposed to come in with the game on the line and finish it off. By the end of the 1960s, we see most (if not all) teams having a relief ace. If we define a team's closer as the pitcher with the most saves for his team that year, we can look for historical trends in closer usage. We'll look at two measures: how many IP a closer pitches per appearance, and how many appearances a closer makes per team game (see Figure 3-2.4).
From 1920 through to 1960, the percentage of games where a closer makes an appearance rises dramatically from 8 percent to 33 percent. After, we see a much subtler rise up to an average of 38 percent for the past decade. The frequency with which teams used their relief ace has been relatively stable since 1960 or so. But right around 1988 we see a dramatic change in how many innings a team's relief ace pitches each appearance. Up to that point you have a pretty stable equilibrium around 1 and 1.2 innings per outing. After a five-year decline, though, you hit a new equilibrium at just over an inning pitched per game, one that's even more stable than the old equilibrium.
We don't just see this change among relief aces. Looking at the percentage of innings thrown by relievers with at least one, one and a half (half-innings are the result of averaging, whereas in actuality pitchers only throw in multiples of one-third), and two innings per outing over time shows us how drastically total bullpen usage has changed (see Figure 3-2.5).
We see the same late 1980s, early '90s inflection point for the dramatic change in closer utilization. Before that point, nearly every relief pitcher threw at least an inning per outing; as of 2010 only half of all relief innings were thrown by pitchers who averaged an inning or more per outing. Pitchers who average at least an inning and a half of work per outing have gone from representing between 40 and 60 percent of innings pitched to representing less than 10 percent. True long relievers— pitchers who threw two or more innings per outing—experienced an extinction-level event akin to that which met the dinosaurs.
We can quibble a bit about the exact moment that comet struck— maybe it was 1988, maybe 1989—but it came soon after Eckersley's first season in Oakland. In terms of impact on the game, the creation of the modern closer by La Russa seems as influential as Babe Ruth's home run prowess ending the primacy of the bunt and stolen base.
Having identified where the change began, it falls to us to assess if the change itself has been a positive development. We can't answer that question directly, unfortunately; baseball is a zero sum game, and if all teams change strategies, then in the end the average team doesn't benefit at all from the shift. Still, a change in strategy of this magnitude should have one noticeable impact: by putting a team's best pitchers in late to finish close games, we should expect all teams to be better at holding leads in such situations. After all, there is no strategy out there that has allowed managers to get their best hitters to face the other team's closer a disproportionate amount of the time.
To find this evidence, let's focus on situations resembling the archetypal save, with one team leading by one to three runs at the start of the ninth inning or later. (These won't all be save situations; sometimes a pitcher other than the closer will be called upon to start the inning, but most of them will be.)
In the 1950s, a team in such a situation would win its game 90 percent of the time; in the 2000s, a team would win such a game 91 percent of the time. Assuming 44 such chances a season (the average for the past decade), that means modern teams will win an additional game every two to three seasons due to changes in relief pitcher usage. There is a slight countervailing impact from increased run scoring, but with a correlation of just –0.28 between runs per game and these win rates, such an effect shouldn't be expected to significantly alter these conclusions. In short, baseball has contorted its roster and raised a small class of pitchers up to be multi-millionaires for a very small benefit.
In an additional bit of irony, the rise of pitchers designed to pitch in these sorts of situations has coincided with a decline in these sorts of chances. The primary driver seems to be the rise in offense, not the change in pitcher usage. There is a .81 correlation between the rate of potential ninth-inning saves and the seasonal average for runs per game. From 1950 through 2011, 29.1 percent of games resulted in a potential ninth-inning save chance, while from 1988 through 2011, only 27.9 percent did. That decline in possible save chances, at the least, provides a countervailing effect to the ability of ace relievers to come in and close a game.
The paucity of ninth-inning save chances points out another flaw in saving your best reliever for that inning. If you only have 44 ninth inning save chances a season, but your best reliever can pitch 60 or 70 innings in one-inning stints, you end up having more than a few wasted innings from your closer. For the moment, let's define a close game as one where the fielding team leads by two or less, is tied, or trails by one run. From 1988 through 2011, at the point when the closer first enters the game, he finds himself in a close game only 59 percent of the time. Twenty-one percent of all games pitched by a team's closer happen when the run differential is four runs or greater. This is because managers have to "find work" for their team's supposedly most valuable reliever, and thus must resort to putting him into a game that's essentially already decided just so he can get his innings in. (In fairness, earlier managers were little better, with 60 percent of appearances in close games and 17 percent in blowouts of four or more runs.)
Fans in the stands would be surprised to hear this, of course; if the closer wasn't achieving something special, would he need a special entrance song? Would he send chills up our spine when he delivered his first pitch? The cold, raw numbers feel inadequate to explain how it feels to watch a dominant closer. You can hear the familiar refrain already: "Get your head out of your spreadsheets and watch a ballgame sometime." Yet, as it turns out, spreadsheets are in fact capable of recognizing the heightened excitement that occurs when a closer enters the game. In order to capture this feeling, sabermetricians have often turned to what Dave Studeman has called "the story stat," win probability added (WPA). I'll let him explain:
Related to win expectancy is the concept of "leverage," which is simply a measure of the possible change in win expectancy given the context. For our purposes, we will fix the leverage index of each event at one, so that a situation with a leverage index of two would have twice the average change in win expectancy compared to the average plate appearance.
Examining all events from 1950 through 2011, we find the average plate appearance in the ninth inning and later has a leverage index of 1.33, compared to .96 for the first eight innings. In a model based upon win expectancy and leverage index, those late-game situations are worth 37 percent more than events earlier in the game.
Contrast this to a more traditional model of how events contribute to team wins and losses—the Pythagorean theorem, which has been revised countless times but takes the basic form of
where RS is runs scored and RA is runs allowed, and the result is an estimated win percentage. The Pythagorean model doesn't care about the order of events. It doesn't matter if a run is allowed in the first inning or the ninth; the formula treats them exactly the same.
How can we tell if the leverage model of pitcher evaluation is better than our Pythagorean model? What we can do is come up with a prediction based upon the ideas behind the leverage model, and test them at the team level. One thing we find, if we do a little digging, is that relief pitchers tend to pitch in slightly higher leverage spots than starting pitchers. The greatest concentration of leverage occurs in the ninth inning or later, with the average ninth-inning leverage from 1988 to 2011 at 1.33. Extra innings have even more leverage. (We'll look at the reasons for this in a little bit.) In the language of leverage, what this means is that each batter faced by a pitcher in the ninth inning is more important in deciding the outcome of a ballgame than each batter faced by a starting pitcher.
If true, this suggests that we could beat the Pythagorean theorem at estimating team wins by putting a greater emphasis on a team's pitching performance in the ninth inning. To see if this is true, we can break Pythagorean wins down into two components: a team's expected win percentage given only the performance of its pitchers through the first eight innings, compared to its record after. We can use these two variables to predict both a team's Pythagorean and actual win percentages. We can then compare them to see how close the two models are, and if the Pythagorean method is underweighting a team's pitching performance in the ninth inning.
What we see instead is incredible consistency between the two models; the difference between the weight for relief pitching in the Pythagorean model and the observed wins model is only .03. In other words, there is little practical difference in the amount of emphasis on relief pitcher performance when predicting actual wins versus Pythagorean wins—the Pythagorean model is a much more realistic model of the impacts of pitching performance than the leveraged model. A .03 change means that for a team with a ninth-inning-and-later performance of half the league run average, you would expect it to win roughly one more game than predicted by the Pythagorean model per season. (Teams pitching that well occur less than one percent of the time.) In a more realistic scenario, a team that has an RA in the ninth and later that's 75 percent of league average (teams pitching that well or better occur about 16 percent of the time) wins one more game than predicted by the Pythagorean model every two seasons.
What the win expectancy model is truly capturing is not how much a play contributes to team wins, but how well an event predicts the outcome of the game itself. There is, of course, going to be some substantial overlap between the two, as things that lead to wins also tend to be good predictors of wins. What complicates things is that at the end of the game, the music stops and everyone has to find a chair—the winning team is at one and the losing team at zero. This is what's known as an "assuming state"; once you enter it, it's impossible to leave. Late-game events are more predictive in terms of win expectancy due to their proximity to the end of the game.
To this end, WPA is truly the story stat. It captures very well how exciting a game is close-and-late. A blown save is tremendously upsetting emotionally, because it takes what was very nearly a sure win and turns it into a sure loss. WPA captures this change very well. But what it does not capture nearly as well is the fact that, indeed, the closer enters the game when it is already very nearly a sure win.
Consider the toughest save spot a closer would see to start the ninth inning—the pitcher comes in with three outs left in the game and a one-run lead. In order for his team to win, all he has to do is pitch one scoreless inning. The reality is most innings in MLB are scoreless; from 1988 through 2011, 72 percent of all innings had zero runs scored. Because we're already dealing with a high probability of success, it's difficult to improve on this rate; the average pitcher coming into a ninth-inning save chance allowed no runs only 75 percent of the time.
Emotionally, the final inning is an assuming state as well; the pitcher on the mound when a team wins or loses the game tends to bask in the reflected glory of the triumph or wallow in the agony of the defeat. However, in reality all that matters is the final score. If the starter pitches a scoreless fifth, that's just as meaningful to deciding the outcome of a one-run game as it is if the closer pitches a scoreless ninth. Win expectancy may tell a better story than the Pythagorean analysis, but it tells us less about the relative contributions of closers versus starting pitchers to team wins and losses.
If the change in reliever usage hasn't altered how effective teams are pitching late in games, it has changed how managers handle their tactical choices, and by doing so has affected the way we watch the game. The shift to relievers pitching fewer innings per appearance did nothing to arrest the decline of innings pitched by starting pitchers. The result of this change has been more pitching changes per game; in the 1980s there were 3.4 relief appearances per game, while in the 2000s there were 5.6 relief appearances per game. This has meant less space on the roster for position players (see Figure 3-2.6).
After a sharp jump up to the levels of the late 1890s, we see a gradual rise until the late 1980s, where again we see a dramatic increase. Teams are increasingly using more pitchers to fill their roster spots.
A manager's chief strategic weapon is no longer the position player, but the relief pitcher. While specialization came naturally to position players, it had to be created for relievers. A manager can probably tell which player is his pinch-hitter and which is his pinch-runner just by looking at the him, but can't tell which pitcher is which without some sort of guidance. Thus, managers have created increasingly narrow pitching roles to help them make those decisions: one pitcher is your closer, one your setup man, one your seventh-inning guy, one guy goes after tough lefties.
This increasing parade of relievers may not make it any easier to hold leads late in games, but they do in fact make the "late" in games more accurate. Looking at all seasons from 1950 through 2011, each reliever used per game adds an additional 10 minutes to the length of the game. This holds even after you control for increased run scoring (which is not a significant predictor of game length once you control for the number of relievers used). And changes in reliever usage account for over 70 percent of the variance in game length over that time period.
What this means is that, from 1950 through the present, we've added more than half an hour to the length of a ballgame. If this addition meant more play, it might be worth it. But for the most part, it's an addition of seeing managers coming out of the dugout with an arm in the air, warm-up pitches from the mound, and catchers jawing with their starters to give the fresh arm in the pen a little more time to loosen up. Seeking ephemeral advantages, managers have instead colluded to add 30 minutes of tedium to our national pastime.
If history teaches us anything, it's that nothing lasts forever. Someday, some enterprising manager will decide to eschew the staid traditions of the closer for something new—after all, this is how the notion of the closer got its start, and so it's how it will meet its inevitable end. Just don't expect it to happen anytime soon.
Colin Wyers is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @cwyers
30 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
Good story Colin. I for one have hated the march of relief "specialists." When I first started watching baseball in the late '60s and understanding it in '70s,
Mar 23, 2012 08:35 AM
Hey Colin, this is nicely put:
Mar 23, 2012 09:35 AM
Thanks! That means a lot to me, coming from you.
Mar 23, 2012 11:24 AM
You're welcome. I appreciate the lengthy quote, particularly coming from you. :)
Mar 23, 2012 11:35 AM
I am having a real hard time trying to find some old Book Blog threads about WPA/LI that I want to reread before trying to formulate a response to this. I remember Guy (I think) saying some rather insightful things but I'm fuzzy on the details.
Mar 23, 2012 11:52 AM
My recollection is that Guy doesn't buy the fundamental premise of WPA--assessing impact in linear "real time." I'm pretty sure you and he see eye-to-eye in that regard.
Mar 23, 2012 12:18 PM
Great article.
Mar 23, 2012 09:46 AM
"This has meant less space on the roster for position players." Yeah, but so what?
Mar 23, 2012 14:11 PM
I bet if you looked at pitching staffs, you'd see much the same thing - the majority of value comes from six or seven pitchers per team, maybe even fewer (depending on where you set the bar). A dedicated pinch runner, for instance, may seem like a rather limited use of a roster spot. But I don't know that a pitcher who can only face left-handed batters in the last three innings of a ballgame is any more useful.
Mar 23, 2012 18:00 PM
"A dedicated pinch runner, for instance, may seem like a rather limited use of a roster spot. But I don't know that a pitcher who can only face left-handed batters in the last three innings of a ballgame is any more useful." One would think not. However, one would be wrong.
Mar 24, 2012 09:11 AM
As I said: a LOOGY is "defined for these purposes as a left-handed reliever averaging less than one inning per appearance." The "second LOOGY" is then the LOOGY on a staff who accumulates the second most value as measured by RAR. I will be the first to agree that that isn't the best possible definition (for one thing, it discounts the ill effects of a really bad LOOGY who stays in the pen all year, pitching badly, so that a late-season call-up gets more value without being there for most of the season), but it's simple, easy to use, and not all that misleading. Literal LOOGYs, left-handed pitchers who get exactly one out per appearance, are rare. Second left-handers who sit at the end of the pen and cause short-pen advocates to grumble about them aren't. More nuanced definitions also run into a problem that I'll come back to.
Mar 24, 2012 18:01 PM
I believe Bill James (maybe Tom Tango, too) has concluded that the extra pitchers do help. Some. There's just plenty of guys who, matched up with the platoon advantage and putting everything they got into a dozen or two pitches, can get hitters out with reasonable effectiveness. Whereas there are just not that many Matt Stairs. Once the knees go, you can't hit well anymore either. So hitting wise, you either hit well enough to play, or you can't hit. No corresponding way to squeeze some type of use out of marginal hitters.
Mar 23, 2012 20:42 PM
Very interesting. Lots to think about - and some changes in MLB to look forward to, I expect fairly soon.
Mar 23, 2012 22:03 PM
Colin - great stuff.
Mar 24, 2012 07:32 AM
Heck, I just feel like dinging the name 'Hoot Stromboli'.
Mar 24, 2012 16:04 PM
Sorry, I tried to pick a name that is fun. Hoot Evers was a player on my favorite team (Detroit Tigers) and Stromboli is a romantic island in Italy - and my wife is Italian - and I like the sound of "strom-bow-lee". I can't change my name for another 8 months (aprox.) Why do you ding my name? I try my best to write only worthwhile comments.
Mar 24, 2012 21:32 PM
I wonder, too, if a deeper bullpen better serves an organization in terms of player development and money saved. Most teams want their young hitters with potential to play every day in the minors, rather than stagnate on the big league bench while accruing service time. This likely means a team would use its older "Quad-A" players for its bench, or spend money on someone like Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui. But assuming those latter players would even accept such a role, would they remain effective getting only occasional ABs? Meanwhile, it seems far easier to identify pitchers that have only so much upside to them, hence, you don't mind sitting them in your bullpen as the sixth, seventh, or even eighth option. They're often young, cheap, and their skills are less likely to erode from lack of consistent use. Finally, if a regular is injured during the season, and there's no Trout/Harper waiting in the wings, would you rather replace them with a Quad-A player that has been playing every day or one that has been stagnating on your bench?
Mar 25, 2012 08:14 AM
Wasn't me who dinged it. But looking at your comment, that had to be it.
Mar 25, 2012 14:09 PM
I have one quibble; a blown save does not turn a game into a sure loss.
Mar 26, 2012 08:59 AM
"The BIP rate and starter IP rate have a correlation of .88. What this suggests is that pitching has gotten harder over the years because more and more of the burden has shifted to the pitcher alone, with less and less reliance on the defense."
Mar 26, 2012 15:04 PM
I'm not sure you've really captured the effect of modern reliever usage by simply comparing the overall rate of 9th inning leads saved by era. James once said (something like)baseball innovations are consistently mocked then universally adopted within a few years. When you compare rates holding 9th inning leads between the 50s and the 90s you're largely comparing groups of teams all using the same strategy. For most of the 50s everyone used similar strategies, and for most of the 90s everyone had adopted something like the LaRussa construct. It seems likely that teams using similar strategies are going to have similar success rates.
Mar 27, 2012 05:32 AM
Not a subscriber? Sign up today!


text:
expert advice.unbiased reviews.
browse by
Exclusively from the editors at Total Beauty
Get the Buying Guide to see these top-rated products!
Best Makeup products
As low as
Include reviews in search results
Check out our latest pins
Check us out on facebook
Backto top
Best of Total Beauty: All Our Best Beauty Product Stories in One Place
Beauty-Obsessed Millennials, Meet Your New Favorite Shopping Destination
The Hair Dryer That Will Give You the Best DIY Blowout Ever
Makeup Artists Swear by These 17 M.A.C. Products
11 Doctors Reveal the Foods They'd Never Touch
The 11 Healthy Meal Delivery Services Actually Worth Your Money
16 Vegan Recipes That Will Make You Forget Meat and Cheese


text:
I live in Buffalo, which means that for about four months of the year, it's cold as fuck, I can't leave my house without five layers of clothing, and at a minute's notice, I may be forced to remove a goddamn avalanche of snow from my driveway. Naturally, I spend the entire Long Cold Winter desperately hoping for the spring to arrive so that I can leave my house without 20 minutes of clothing preparation, and re-enter without having to brush snow off my pants with a broom in my hallway. Well, spring is finally here, and you know what, spring fucking sucks, too! In fact, it might even suck worse.
How spring has such a good reputation is beyond me. I think we romanticize the positive aspects of it all while conveniently ignoring all the negative ones. First off, for every pretty spring day where you can walk to the store just a t-shirt, there's 10 more where it rains all fucking day and it looks absolutely miserable outside. And it's always that really shitty eff you kind of persistent rain. You know, where it's too much to be sprinkling, not quite enough to be pouring, and just enough to force you to carry around a fucking umbrella. I hate that shit.
Also, the temperature fluctuates by like 40 fucking degrees over the course of the week. In any given spring week, there will be at least 3-4 times where I'm either over-dressed or under-dressed. I've gone outside in my big coat only to find out it's randomly 65 degrees that day, and the next day, I think this is the new norm, so I leave in just a t-shirt, but it's 29 degrees now, so I nearly fucking freeze to death. At least in the winter, I KNOW it's cold as fuck, but spring toys with me for about two months, during which I put away my winter coat only to take it back out about 27 times.
Yes, the flowers are blooming, and we get a few pretty days along with the far greater number of butt-ugly ones, but for the most part, spring is a giant pain-in-the-ass, where the appropriate dress code can change two or three times in a week, maybe even a day. So, let's stop romanticizing spring as a time of growth and beauty, and admit that's it's just as fucking annoying as winter or any other time of year, and that the only truly good thing it ever did was an inspire "Springtime For Hitler."


text:
Taco Bell tennis tourney begins on Monday
Entries are in and the brackets are complete for the Taco Bell Western Slope Open.
The annual tennis tournament begins at 9 a.m. Monday with boys and girls singles. Family events begin Wednesday and adults begin play in the tournament Thursday.
More than 300 people are registered to participate in the annual Taco Bell Western Slope Open. There are more than 500 entries this year.
"I'm excited about the number of players in our age 10 and 12 draws," Tournament Director Lena Elliott said. "That's good for the future of tennis."
Matches take place at the Elliott Tennis Center at Colorado Mesa University and Canyon View Park.
Players are expected to report to the Elliott Tennis Center at Colorado Mesa University at least 15 minutes before their scheduled match for court assignments.
Players can check their draws and match times between 1 and 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the wrestling room in the Maverick Center. The wrestling room is on the west side of Brownson Arena.
A barbecue for the players and their families is scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday, July 26 in the Maverick Center. It is hosted by Taco Bell.


text:
White HotJune 30, 2012
So I managed to find the time to watch all the David Bowie Ziggy Is 40-related stuff that was shown last weekend on BBC4. It's almost taken for granted nowadays, but it does need re-stating: Bowie is terrific. Not was terrific. Is terrific. He's slowed down a bit in the past few years (illness, so they say) but how I'd love to have been old enough to have been there at the start and grown with him throughout the years. New album. New direction. New image. Every year. Bands nowadays just wouldn't (couldn't?) get away with that. Every last drop of product is marketed to hell and presented as the greatest thing since last week's next big thing. Bowie ploughs his own furrow, effortlessly going from mime artist to glam star to Euro-influenced electro pioneer to plastic soulboy to art rocker and whatever else takes his fancy along the way. But you knew all that already. Is terrific. Let's get that clear.
Anyway, Mrs Pan began to get a bit fed up of the non-stop Bowie fest taking place in our living room (and she had a point – if I wasn't watching the Euros and England being humiliated by the Azzurri or taking in the tennis at Wimbledon, I'd somewhat commandered the big telly for a few good nights), so for light relief she had me watch an old Top Of The Pops 2. The Shamen were on and she asks, "Who does that remind you of?" We both laughed. "Sweenie!" Her pal went out with this guy who, on the first night we met him, was wearing a baggy Shamen t-shirt and one of those daft wee ethnic beaded hats atop his head. He looked a bit like Student Grant from the Viz comic (above.) Despite this, they're now happily married, kids, etc blah blah blah. "I'm gonnae text him and ask if he's still got that hat!" and what followed was a good-humoured to-ing and fro-ing slagging match relating to how we dressed and acted 20-odd years ago. Bemoaning the fact that Saturday nights had changed forever for both of us, he mentioned that he was currently watching Jack White Live via the red button. "You'll like it," he said. "Stick it on," demanded the boss. "I'm fed up watching all this music stuff."
I smiled smugly to myself as the programme kicked in and she realised that the demented whoopin' and hollerin' blooos guitar player Jack White that filled the screen was not in fact Jack Whitehall, the big-haired, well-groomed skinny posh boy in shiny suit that tells sweary jokes, so she retired to bed. I watched ol' Jack for a wee while, amazed at his intensity and ability to re-invent his back catalogue in any old style. A bit like Bowie, if you stop to think about it. The next morning I dug out an old Raconteurs BBC session and listened again, not in the least surprised it had lost none of it's potency and power. The White Stripes were pretty special, but when Jack is backed with musicians as talented as himself, the results are pretty spectacular. See the new album, Blunderbuss, for details. Or The Dead Weather stuff. Or, going a wee bit further back, The Raconteurs. Taken from a BBC session in 2006 (25th March, if you're a trainspotter), there's a fantastic take on The Raconteurs' first single, Steady, As She Goes, re-imagined as a Kinksy shuffle, all beat group harmonies and garage band looseness. If Lee Mavers could get his finger out, The La's might begin to sound a bit like this. Though Bowie's more likely to turn up unannounced in my living room and play all of Hunky Dory track-by-track than that happening. Which reminds me. Also on this BBC session there's a faithful take of It Ain't Easy, made famous by David Bowie on the Ziggy Stardust LP. I wrote about it many moons ago, but it's more than worth drawing your attention to once more.
*Extra Track!
Gazillion-selling trend-bucker Adele duetted with Jack on a version of Many Shades Of Black, from the Raconteurs 2nd LP. Like some long-forgotten southern soul Stax belter, it's a cracker.


text:
Los Angeles, CA, US
"Waste not Want not"
The Mar vista Gardens is a low-income housing project that suffers from excessive water-intensive design. Large grass lawns and a baseball field are contributing factors.
The proposal for this site is the sole reliance on the capturing and filtering of rainfall and runoff for the sustenance of the community fields and gardens, as well as the integration of artificial wetland for the processing and re-circulation of black water into gray water.
Moving accountability from a centralized system to the individual, the proposed system will foster water conservation awareness and inspire activism amongst residents. Ideally, Mar Vista Gardens will become an inspiring example of responsible water usage for other low-income communities.
The Mar Vista Hydro-cycle will benefit wildlife, create jobs and generate a new identity for the community as an ecologically-conscious entity committed to responsible water usage.
Through a complete redesign of landscape and irrigation systems, water usage will be reduced by 80%, with the remaining 20% supplied solely by runoff. The creation of this self-sustaining system means a 100% reduction of municipal water usage.
The integration of an artificial wetland employs a natural filtering system to capture black water from laundry and toilets and convert it to gray water for future use in these applications, which account for 49% of indoor water usage.
Status: School Project
Location: Mar Vista, CA, US


text:
The crew of the Colgan Air Q400 that crashed outside Buffalo on February 12 observed "significant" ice accretion on the aircraft's windows and wings before the eventual upset that killed all 49 on board and one person on the ground, according to the NTSB's lead investigator for the accident, Steven Chealander.
The flight data recorder indicates that the airplane's autopilot did not disengage until the stick shaker activated, and airmets for the Buffalo area indicated no worse than moderate icing. In fact, according to Chealander, only 27 minutes after the accident another Colgan Q400 flew to Buffalo from Newark on virtually the same flight path.
Operating as Continental Connection Flight 3407 from Newark, N.J., to Buffalo Niagara International Airport, the 74-seat turbo- prop carried 45 passengers and four on-duty crewmembers when, around 10:20 p.m., after the airplane descended to about 2,300 feet, ATC lost contact with the pilots. FDR data shows that the Q400 pitched up at an angle of 31 degrees, then down to 45 degrees, followed by a 46-degree roll to the left, then a 105-degree roll to the right. The airplane fell the last 800 feet in five seconds before crashing virtually flat onto a single house in the suburban town of Clarence Center, N.Y., killing one of the residents. Two other residents escaped with minor injuries.
Chealander said that the National Weather Service issued a sigmet for turbulence that night in the Buffalo area and that a pirep indicated severe icing over Dunkirk, N.Y., some 50 miles southwest of Buffalo.
Along with a recommendation that pilots activate leading-edge de-icing boots as soon as they encounter icing, a Dec. 18, 2008 safety alert issued by the NTSB said they should "turn off or limit the use of the autopilot in order to better 'feel' changes in the handling qualities of the airplane." Chealander, however, wouldn't characterize the pilots' failure to disengage the autopilot as necessarily improper. In fact, only when the airplane encounters "severe" icing must the flight crew disengage the autopilot, according to the Bombardier Q400 aircraft flight manual.
The flight's captain, Marvin Renslow, had flown more than 3,379 hours in his career, but only 110 hours on the Q400. First Officer Rebecca Shaw had accumulated 2,244 hours, 774 hours of which she flew on the Q400 for Colgan.
Chealander said the NTSB will send questionnaires to "every pilot who flew that night" to try to find conditions that could have led to such a violent upset. That, he said, would take several weeks, and the investigation, in total, could last up to a year.


text:
There's a BOGO coupon for a 2 Piece Kentucky Grilled Recipe $5 Everyday Meal in the Parade Magazine today (6/26). If you are into KFC - this is a good deal!
Published: 2011-06-26 10:58:45
Updated: 2011-06-26 10:58:45
Please sign in with your WRAL.com account to comment on this story. You also will need a Facebook account to comment.
LAX - It was poking out of the middle of Parade, stuck with a dab of glue. Hope that helps.
So just out of curiosity, was this a paper coupon on top of the KFC ad in the Parade or was it loose?
Got mine. :)
Interesting ... there was a KFC ad in my Parade, but no coupon.