text:
Tommy Joseph takes the #4 spot, Sebastion Valle added to new poll.
124 thoughts on "Reader Top 30 #5 – Maikel Franco"
BPro posted their list today:
The Top Ten
LHP Jesse Biddle
3B Maikel Franco
LHP Adam Morgan
IF Roman Quinn
C/1B Tommy Joseph
RHP Ethan Martin
3B Cody Asche
RHP Jonathan Pettibone
OF Carlos Tocci
RHP Shane Watson
Prospects on the Rise:
1. OF/IF Andrew Pullin:
2. C Gabriel Lino:
3. RHP Mitch Gueller:
Factors on the Farm (Prospects likely to contribute at the ML level in 2013
1. OF/1B Darin Ruf:
2. RHP Phillippe Aumont:
3. LHP Jake Diekman:
They listed Luiz Gohara as the 7th best prospect in the Mariners system.
Martin again, though Franco is a solid option as well.
This was a tough one for me. Any of Franco, Asche, Pettibone or Tocci could reasonably fit here in my opinion. I'm having some difficulty ranking Franco ahead of Asche. Asche is two years older and two levels ahead of Franco and while I'm still somewhat suspect of Asche, a 2013 in the vicinity of his 2012 season should volt him into Top 100 prospect lists and our Top 3.
Going Pettibone here with Asche, Tocci and Franco coming up
How does Tocci fit here? He has no power projection yet and no one here even opines that we can expect to see him in Lakewood this year.
Do you think you can scout 12 year old players at the little league World Series and pick someone who will get votes for Cooperstown some day?
Odd response
Profar did look really good in two little league world series playing for Curaco…
Went with Franco here based on what appears to be him putting it together at his age. He has the highest ceiling of the remaining prospects. Like Joseph good numbers from a guy young for his league. I have Martin next and then it is tough with the Asche/Pettibone/Ruf group.
"based on what appears to be him putting it together at his age"
What age would that be?
Did the bone scans and DNA come back with positive results? How did the investigation at the hospital and school go?
You need to see a big break out from Franco. He needs to force a promotion to Reading with his bat.
Franco. He's a top 100 prospect holding down third at Reading by the end of the season.
I love Asche and like Pettibone and Martin quite a lot too, but I went with upside and Franco.
What is Franco's "upside"?
I'll go with Franco here, although I understand those who like Pettibone here. I've gone back and forth on my order 3-8, since the end of the season, so any of Franco, Tocci, Asche or Pettibone can be argued for #5.
I went with Pettibone but generally feel the same as you about these guys.
Basically I think Pettibone can perform equal to what Kendrick did in 2012. Since I think Pettibone can do that in 2013, the present value of that performance to me is greater than the value of the other guys you mention. In a trade, I think other teams would value a cost-controlled #4 or #5 starter who is in AAA more than those other guys.
I agree with you although I love Asche's game and took him here. The others on your list are all reasonable choices.
I had a hard time with this one as well. I was between Franco, Pettibone, and Martin. Went with Franco because his combination of ceiling and results seems to be just above the other two.
What is Franco's ceiling?
I think everyone would agree that Ruf would be much much higher in people's estimation except for on thing: his age. This year he's 26, he had a breakthrough year at 25. You could compare him to Ryan Howard, who broke out at age 24.
Part of our job, estimating the value of a minor leaguer is to think about how valuable it is to control the player. The first three years in the majors are the peak contribution years, because after 3 years the player is eligible for arbitration, and you have to subtract from his value what you have to pay him. After 6 years, the player is a free agent, and most players get paid so much that having developed the player adds nothing to the team.
So with Ruf, we'll have him for ~free at ages 26, 27, and 28, and at half price at ages 29, 30 and 31. Howard was a huge value for the Phils at age 25, 26 and 27. At age 28 and 29, he was a good value. Last year, at age 32, he was a big negative due to injuries and a huge salary. Let's suppose that Ruf turns into a 1-year older Ryan Howard.
Franco is age 20 this year, probably in A+, perhaps moving to AA. Suppose he makes it to the show at age 22 because the Phils need a 3rd baseman. By age 25 he gets arbitration, and at age 28 he's a free agent. Suppose he turns out to be a 1-year older David Wright.
So which would you rather have, the first 6 years of Ryan Howard, or the first 6 years of David Wright? I think David Wright will almost certainly have a longer and more productive career than Ryan Howard, but If I get just the first 3 years plus half the second three years, Ryan Howard is the clear winner.
I'll start out with a minor piece of agreement – conceptually, you have a point, in that a team's goal should be to capture a player's peak years during their years of team control, and sometimes that means a player who is somewhat older in their rookie year will end up producing a bit more value for the team than a player brought up "prematurely."
From that grain of truth you go quite far astray. First, a side issue. In your specific Howard versus Wright comparison. I think most of the numbers guys on this site would disagree with you specifically on their relative values. The Met's absolutely caught Wright's peak years during the years of team control, and, looking at the first three years specifically, most of the numbers guys would say he was signficantly more valuable than Howard. He did drop off a bit after that, before a rebound year, but that most likely was at least somewhat related to an injury. Wright is a potential HOFer. Howard is going to have to buy a ticket to get in, just like you and I.
That comparison aside, I think you're missing a couple of things about Ruf. The first is that most of us really, really don't think he has star potential. I'm probably the most optimistic of the "stat" crowd, and I don't see him coming close to the value of a Ryan Howard in his prime years, let alone Wright who was much, much better.
The second is related, in that it is one of the reasons we don't see him as a potential star. You're mising the real age agrument. Yes, it's true some people are saying that, because of his age, he will have only a few "prime" years. But that isn't the main argument regarding his age. Not even close. If it was, you might have a point. The main argument is that, in projecting major league performance from minor league performance, the age of a minor league player is vital. The studies proving this are legion.
It's one thing to perform against AA pitchers (and fielders), quite another to performa against major leaguers. Performance in AA does not translate directly to the majors. Now, it is true that you see players dominate AApitching as a 22 year old, then essentially duplicate that performance in the majors as a, say, 24 year old. But that's not because performance translates directly, it's because a 22 year old's skills will continue to develop as he gets older. A 26 year old, OTOH, is pretty much maxed out in terms of development.
Some people seem to expect Ruf to duplicate his AA performance in the majors. If he was 22, that might be a reasonable hope, because a 22 year old has a lot of room for further growth. But at his age, he is is what he is. And, translated to the majors, that's a fine hitter, but not a star, especially given questions about his defense.
Of course part of this is people seduced by HR to the exclusion of all else. HR are valuable, no doubt. But one dimensional HR hitters (and, yes, Ruf may have some ancillary skills, but HR are very much his calling card at this point) tend to be of limited value. Limited does not mean no value, but the verbiage spilled on Ruf on this site is massively disproportionate to his potential value.
"I'll start out with"
Life is short.
Work on your ending.
David Wright age 21 2 teams AA & AAA: 341/.441/.605
But re-reading your long post and my longer one, maybe the more central point is that some of us on this site are just never going to see eye to eye. Your first sentence simply misses the point regarding most people's objection to Ruf, and your comparison of Howard and Wright shows a method of evaluating players so different than the method used by many of us to make dialogue difficult.
To illustrate this, while none of us are slaves to WAR, the WAR comparison of Wright and Howard at least illustrates how some of us value the two players:
First 3 years: Howard 12.1, Wright 13.9
Next 3 years: Howard 9.0, Wright 19.4
WAR isn't prefect, and I actually thinks that this might slightly – slightly – undervalue Howard in years 4 to 6. But not by much. Wright wins this comp easily.
I think his defense questions are more worrisome than whether his minor league performance translates to major league.
It's both … what I think some of his biggest fans are saying (well, aside from unjustified optimism about his defense) is along the lines of "we can live with his defense if he hits .313/.387/.536." I mean, no one has thrown out those specific numbers, so maybe I'm being unfair here, but that is Matt Holliday's career numbers, and people keep trotting out the Matt Holliday comp, so it seems to me that that is their expectation.
And if Ruf was 22 years old instead of 26, that might even be … well, no, it still wouldn't be reasonable, but closer to reasonable. A more likely but still quite optimistic upside is more like .260/.320/.490. Still quite nice, but, combined with likely sub par defense and base running, not a star.
I guess I agree with you here about Wright vs. Howard. I forgot how good Wright was at his peak. So the next question is what's the probability that Ruf turn out to be comp to the peak of Howard. (I'd say 0.25 to 0.5) versus the probability that Franco turns into a comp for the peak of Wright (I'd say 0.1 to 0.2). (see note by Anon)
I think that's high for Ruf versus Howard. Now, I can say with something close to certainty that Ruf won't meet Howard's raw numbers. But will he at his peak (adjusting for the current low run context) be as valuable as Howard was? I still say no, though I would say he has SOME (low, less than 5%) chance of that. I don't think he has anything like Howard's MVP year in him (even adjusting for context). Of course in retrospect I wouldn't think that HOWARD could have had that sort of season. Was it all just an illusion? 🙂
Another way to look at it: at his peak (2005-2009, excluding 2008) Howard ranged from being 32% to 62% (MVP year) better than the average major league hitter. I see Ruf's upside – his upside – as being closer to 20% better than the average major league hitter, and my fellow stat heads will likely chime in here and tell me I am being unduly optimistic.
But that just illustrates that this is not just a case of people being concerned about Ruf's age (in the sense you meant in your original comment). There's a real divide in terms of what people see as his potential. I'm the most optimistic of the numbers guys – and I don't see him as a potential star, even for a short period.
I pulled the "20% better" out of my you know what, but yeah, pretty much right on the money. Last year a pretty darn good player, 3 years younger than Ruf, in his third major league season, posted a 20% better than major league average hitting performance, .269/.335/.479 with 27 HR. I think we would all be THRILLED to see that from Ruf; I'm optimistic but not holding my breath.
And lest anyone think I am comparing Ruf overall to one of the game's best young outfielders, Heyward is also a gold glove right fielder and a great base runner. As well as likely not yet having reached his peak.
So the "stats guys" all think that when a player has a couple of down years he can never reverse the trend. Right? I think not. I think it is just you that has that silly thought.
Lefty – as you know i am not what one would call a stat guy, and personally the few times i have watched Valle I really like what i have seen. But the issue here is that the early scouting reports were that he had poor plate discipline and what we have here is the stats backing up what the scouting report told us. All of the rest of the tools are still there and they will give him ample opportunity to work on it as he is still young and his value has been diminished. To me he seems like a good candidate to be a late bloomer, or a backup that all of a sudden puts it together for a year or two.
Ethan Martin former 1st rd pick with probably #2 starter ceiling who was excellent since trade…Pettibone most project as a #4 …it doesn't matter that he is knocking on the door
Pettibone doesn't fit into that groove you just constructed.
No one sees Pettibone going to the bullpen.
No one.
The #4 projection is actually a "floor" rather than a ceiling. Everyone is getting that wrong.
He could end up a #3. He is a massive 22 year old. A "horse".
Pettibone doesn't strike out enough guys to be anything more than a #4 or #5. He could develop an out pitch, but right now that's his ceiling.
Pettibone is a ground ball pitcher with a solid K rate.
You have whiffed in your evaluation.
6.21 in AA is not "solid."
He is a groundball pitcher, yes. That's why he is a prospect. But that's the profile of a 4 or a 5 in the majors. Most likely 4 IMO, but not a 3 unless he develops another pitch or his velocity ticks up. He's young enough that either is possible – but, as previously discussed, "ceiling" is where we expect a player to be if he fully develops his current tools. The kind of leap forward that would turn him into a 3 happens, but isn't something that can or should be part of his projection.
No, Pettibone has aptitude for pitching. He is the opposite of Ethan Martin or Trevor May.
Pettibone's "stuff" is also underrated. He is a lot closer to Roy Halladay then he is to Tyler Cloyd.
No one sees Pettibone as a #5 or going to the bullpen. #4 is his floor.
Jonathan Pettibone is the stealthiest pitching prospect I've seen in the Phillies system.
I though of Blanton as a reasonable comp too. 200 innings every year with 10 – 12 wins. I'll take it from a #4.
I wish I could project Pettibone to be Joe Blanton but look at Blanton in the minors. His K/BB rates are ridiculous. He's got better control and better strikeout stuff than Pettibone. Obviously Pettibone is still pretty young but his K/9 has been holding fairly constant and his BB/9 has gotten pretty dicey here and there especially when he moved up to AAA. I wouldn't throw a Blanton tag on him until he puts up a good AAA season on par with what he did in Clearwater and Reading.
Exactly. People compare minor league numbers to current major leaguer numbers. Thats faulty logic. The comparison should be to the major leaguers' minor league numbers.
Joe Blanton, as a minor leaguer, would be the Phillies' #2 prospect today.
I 'see' a comparison with Blanton. I don't care if he comperedback in AAA.
I don't think "no one" means what you think it does. 99.9 % of people who care about this stuff project a 4 as his ceiling, not his floor. You disagree, fine. But let's not pretend that "no one" disagrees with you. Most people do.
I do think there are many reasons – including proximity – to think that he can reach his ceiling. And he likely will be better than Cloyd, a player with an upside of a 5, and less likely to reach that ceiling than Pettibone is to reach his ceiling as a 4.
Tyler Cloyd is the definition of a AAAA pitcher.
His grandma has done her last dance. You will never see Cloyd start another game for the Phillies. He is the future ace for the Camden Riversharks.
I don't disagree. My point was that no one is comparing Pettibone to Cloyd.
I see it as a posibility.
I went with Asche here, though I admit that you can't go wrong with 3-4 other names.
Though I worry about his defense and power potential, there is no escaping the fact that he compares favorably to Utley at the same age/level.
There is also no escaping he compares favorably to Jason Donald.
I know what you are saying in comparing him to Utley, but you also have to remember that Utley improved dramatically between the ages of 23 and 26. When Utley was 23 he hit .263/.352/.461 in AAA. When he was 26 he hit .291/.376/.540 in the majors and played gold glove second base. That year he had a WAR of 7.5 which was 4th in the majors. It is unfair to expect anyone to replicate that kind of improvement.
And now to troll for just a moment – Asche had a BABIP of .348 in AA. I think it will be hard for him to sustain that.
Line drives will result in a high BABIP though. I'm expecting another 320 – 330 at AAA this year so we'll see what everyone thinks then. He's a hitter whose average will only be below 300 if he starts trying to hit more homers.
Murray, we've been around this issue a bunch of times, but I've never gotten a response from you. Your expectations regarding his batting average seem to be based upon … I don't know what. Nothing that I can see. Extreme line drive hitters, who lack outstanding speed (to get infield hits) BABIP around .330. High does not mean .348 (and it was much higher in A+). Assume for the sake of argument that Asche is that kind of player – I'd say that't certainly possible, but by no means certain. With his contact rate and HR rate, a .330 BABIP gives him an expected BA of around .288.
.288 for a guy with a mediocre contact rate is pretty good. It's not a knock on him, at all. I'm just wondering what the basis is for thinking he is a .320 to .330 hitter. The fact that he has a nice line drive swing and hit that well in 2012 is not a sufficient basis for drawing that conclusion. Over a sufficient sample size, he will hit over .290 only if he manages to improve his contact rate.
Just my eyes watching him hit and watching him adjust to new situations. He's had all of one full season so I'm confident that he's going to continue to improve, especially knowing how hard he works. I'm not basing it on empirical data, just basing it on a feel for the game and a feel for this players ability. The Phils are very high on him also obviously. I love line drive hitters who hit the ball hard all over, that's Asche and he's improving. I could be wrong, I thought Michael Taylor could hit….
I guess what I'm saying is this: I respect all of that, I really do. But … what it adds up to, in my eyes, if you're right in your subjective observations (and I think you essentially are, after all, I picked him #5 myself) is: a .290 hitter. Which, considering his ancillary abilities and the fact that he is a third baseman, is enough to make him an exciting prospect.
But that said, you answered my question, I appreciate that, and I won't punish you for it by (figuratively) beating you over the head with my opinion. So enough on this topic.
I agree completely.
Franco again. I think I had Asche #5 on my personal list.
Franco. His 2nd half numbers make me giddy.
I'd go Asche here just on proximity to the ML. I think Franco has a much higher ceiling, but still has a away to go. Not sure if this has been discussed, but do others view proximity and level the same way I do?
I think about proximity similarly to you but in this case I have Franco ahead of Asche because of ceiling.
To those of you comparing Asche to Donald, I had the exact same thought yesterday. I have Asche in my top ten and don't want to put a limit on someone who apparently is a very hard worker, but I think a Donald-like performance is likely.
What is Franco's ceiling?
Not a rhetorical question.
Check out the post MattWinks put up this morning on Baseball Prospectus's top ten for the Phillies.
Boston Phan-
Oh I agree. I'm only saying that we have three former college IFs and can compare their 1st full season with the understanding that the first two ended up quite differently. I give Asche a few more points based on the fact that his work ethic has been compared to Utley (off the charts).
Just to save others the time of looking it up:
Chase Utley (22) CLW- 523 AB, 16/59, .257/.324/.422, .746 OPS, 37BB/88K
Jason Donald (22) LWD/CLW- 574 AB, 12/71, .304/.395/.473, .869 OPS, 64BB/109K
Cody Asche (22) CLW/REA- 559AB, 12/71, .324/.369/.481, .849 OPS, 34BB/93K
I admittedly haven't taken the time to look at more advanced statistics which, or course, could make this comparison far less (or perhaps more) favorable….
I view it similarly as well which is why I put Asche head of Franco. To me, Asche's season at CLW and REA is suffiently more impressive than Franco's at LWD to eclipse frano's age and potential. Very very close for me though
Matt, I think Sebastian Valle's name has a typo in it. I would also add Aumont the next time you have an open spot.
Too early to add Valle he's gonna end up in the 20s.
He's 22 years old.
He's a catcher in AAA with proven HR power with potential to add to that.
If Valle is in the 20's then this system would be #1 in MLB.
Jim Callis has the Phillies at #26.
The disconnect with Valle is his BB rate. There are still stubborn hold outs who put little or even no weight on BB rate. And if you put little or no weight on BB rate, yes he should be top 20, even top 10.
But for those of us who put an appropriate weight on BB rate, 2 years of declining, sub 4% BB rate is a huge, absolutely huge red flag.
If he had even been able to maintain his mediocre BB rate from the lower minors, we would be having a very different conversation.
Larry, I think you're putting too much emphasis on a just a 2-year trend. I believe that Valle will reverse that trend. He has been young for his league the last 2 seasons, which needs to be accounted for. I think that is a large part of the reason for his lack of plate discipline. How many 21-year-old power-hitting sound defensive catchers are there in AAA? In 2011 as a 20-year old in Clearwater, his walk-rate improved in the second half of the year. In 2012 he played about 3/4 of a season old in Reading before getting promoted to AAA. I expect that his walk rate will improve in each of the next 2 seasons at AAA back to the 6-7% range he was at in 2008-2010.
Larry M always assumes people believe him. But in reality theydon't read his long winded responces , like me.
I went with Asche here. Maybe I should have gone with Franco – ceiling is somewhat higher, verus proximity. Ultimately:
(1) Proximity means more than just being closer to the majors; it means demonstrated performance at a higher level of competition. Another way to put it is that Asche has a higher floor and probably a better chance of getting to his (admittedly somewhat lower) ceiling.
(2) The lack of athleticism on Franco gives my pause. Not a LOT of pause, but enough to push him below Asche.
If Franco can't rake, then he's a fake.
Asche, Larry?
Contrary to my reputation, I have been quite bullish on him – just not over the top bullish like some of his fans. My disagreement has been with regard to ceiling (and the main area of disagreement here seems to be BA) and whether he could/should compete for a job in 2013 (obviously the latter now a moot point). But as a guy who could be an average major league regular third baseman, and is IMO fairly likely to reach that ceiling – I'll take that over some players with higher ceilings but lower chance of reaching said ceilings.
It's not like the system is awash in potential stars. Lots of solid prospects, and a few guys who could be more but are years away, but in the Phillies' system 5 seems about right for Asche.
There was a joke there that you missed. I take it you never watched Chappelle's Show.
It's not like the system is awash in potential stars. Lots of solid prospects, and a few guys who could be more but are years away, but in the Phillies' system 5 seems about right for Asche.
This. If we had a top 10 system, Asche is an 10-12 guy. Unfortunately we don't. Asche is the top of the "solid prospect" positon guys for me. I have Joseph and Quinn higher due to their positions and ceilings….
I was just comparing Franco and Asche on Fangraphs just for kicks. I love Franco's potential based on his second half, but Asche's numbers — particularly his Reading numbers, which is surprising based on his first month there — are impressive. .873 OPS, .213 ISO. The one that blew me away, however, was this: 3 GDP, and only 11 in more than 900 professional plate appearances. That would be a welcome addition in the big club lineup …
I went Asche, though I expect I'll be voting for him for the next few rounds too. Higher floor than Franco, and as I've said before, I think it's too early to nail down a ceiling for him.
I'm not sure I see the Asche/Donald comp. Asche was 21 for about half of last year, which he split between Clearwater and Reading. Donald was 22 the entire 2007 season, which he split between Lakewood and Clearwater. So Asche is more advanced at this stage than Donald.
I voted Franco, but I've got Asche 6th on my list, and I doubt I'm alone. Pettibone and Martin are too uncertain to put ahead of him for me.
I also took Franco, and Asche is probably next for me as well.
I've been voting for Franco for a while, so I feel a bit vindicated by that Baseball Prospectus list. I love the power potential and (contra Larry) I am not all that worried about the lack of athleticism. By all account the problem is not that he is unathletic, but that he is slow, and 3B is not a position that actually demands enormous foot speed. Look at some of the best defensive performers there of the past generation: Beltre had some speed when he came up but averages less than 10 SB a year for his career. Rolen, ditto. Schmidt ran a lot early in his career–in a more steal-friendly time–but still finished with 174 over his 18 year career. And if you want to go way, way back, Brooks Robinson, the consensus best defensive 3B of all time, had all of 28 steals over the entirety of his career, a little more of one per season.
Obviously, steals are an imperfect way to measure the speed of players from different eras, since their strategic usage has ebbed and flowed so much over time, but I'm guessing Brooks Robinson was probably pretty slow. That suggests to me that Franco's slowness is not a reason to downgrade him (except as a threat on the basepaths, of course). Most accounts I've heard suggest he has a good arm and the potential to be an excellent defender.
ACA—–Don't forget the Triple Crown winner from Detroit.
Well, he's actually a bad example, as he's a total defensive liability. Of course, if Franco put up Cabrera's offensive numbers I could live with that, though.
Also, while it's hardly scientific, I'd just like to say to those who are talking about Franco as if he's comparable to Pablo Sandoval: look at the kid. He may be slow, but he is not at all rotund.
Comments are closed.


text:
What Is That Red Michigan Shirt Dan Always Wears On 'Big Brother'?
Dearborn native Dan Gheesling is currently competing on CBS's Big Brother 14.
Gheesling won $500,000 when he won Big Brother 10 in 2008. After winning the money, Dan kept his day job at Orchard Lake St. Mary's where he is both a teacher and football coach.
Dan was invited back to Big Brother this season as a coach, but was unexpectedly given the opportunity to enter the game as a player.
Dan has many ties to Michigan and proudly displays those ties on Big Brother through his t-shirts. His red shirt is just one of a handful of Michigan-based shirts.
But what does it mean?
The front of the shirt says "The U" with a big blob in the middle. The blob is the outline of a lake in Michigan, Union Lake, in Oakland County. The back shows where to find Union Lake on a map of Michigan.
Lots of questions about Dan's red shirt. The U is a lake we live near. The white "blob" is the outline of the lake. :)
Dan's red shirt even has its own Twitter account.
Why is it red? Dan has called red his "favorite color". It's color of Orchard Lake St. Mary Football and the team is very proud of their red. Orchard Lake St. Mary just finished a $500,000 renovation to their entire football field. The turf is red. Yes, red. It's one of only three red football fields in the entire country.
West Michigan high school football fans should be very familiar with Dan's football team at Orchard Lake St. Mary's. Orchard Lake St. Mary's Football is the reigning Division 3 State Champion, but in 2007, 2009, and 2010, East Grand Rapids beat Orchard Lake St. Mary's in the state finals. 2007 was an epic battle lasting 5 OTs.
Dan has other Michigan-based shirts too. You'll find Dan wearing a Michigan State University t-shirt (he went to school there) and a "Dearborn's Finest" shirt, which references the Dearborn Police Department on the back.
Dan created both the Union Lake and the "Dearborn's Finest" shirts. You can buy one if you like.
And for the real die-hard Big Brother fans, like myself, check out the video below to hear Dan talk about all the shirts he brought into the Big Brother house.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
To celebrate YOU! You all have blessed me with smiles and laughter and recipes and decorating advice and words of wisdom, all with a sprinkle of glitter. So please let me give something to you.
It's a P A R T Y. Everywhere music will be playing, and there will be dancing in the street, laughing and singing.....as long as you are there!! Now let me tell you what is in the give-away box of goodies. First, there is this sweet little pink button pin. Now, you have to wear it every Saturday for Beverly's Pink Saturday. That's a Rule! :)
And this cute little button pin will be nestled down in a jar just chock full of my found flea market and yard salen' ephemera, treasures and trinkets........ such as what you say?? well....like vintage Sunday School postcards, (my personal favorite) shiny crystals, old seam binding ribbon, pretty buttons and other sweet finds. Who could resist? :)
And now I lay me down to sleep on this vintage hand embroidered pillowcase. It has a cottage blue band and is hem stitched. Can you resist the sweet colors of the embroidery? Not me! Freshly laundered and sun dried in the Sweet Virginia Breeze. :)
And to make sure you have "sweet dreams" there will be this fabulous Spa Soy Candle, blended with Mother Nature's best creations. Brought from Americas finest farms to the warmth of your home. (do you believe that?? :) A wonderful fragrance to create a relaxing enjoyable atmosphere.
And before you rest your pretty head on that sweet old vintage pillowcase, lather up a bevy of bubbles on your beautiful self with this gorgeous hand crafted cameo bar soap. Is that pretty or what? Don't put it away or save it for the guest bath....use it on you. YOU deserve it!.
And just in case you're not asleep yet, put this sweet hand made sachet under your pillow. Sweetly scented and boasting a Cath Kidston fabric heart, pink gingham, old button, ribbons and lace.
Now you know who Mary Randolph Carter is, don't you? Well...if you don't let me tell you! She is definitely a girl after my own heart. I was lucky enough to be given four of her books, autographed with a personal note in each and I cherish each and every one of them. She writes the best books about "junk"......yep....just plain junk! The old stuff you and I just love. She writes in this fabulous hard covered book that I am giving to you, that it is dedicated to her Mother and Father. 'Two people who have always looked beyond appearances for their true worth'. Don't you love that? Because I believe that's exactly what you and I do with our love for vintage, antique and old. The book is called: American Junk and I guarantee you are going to love it!
Now, you know I could not let this give-away go by without including a reminder that this is coming from The Vintage Nest. Not old....but charming and wonderful just the same. Six chippy and worn looking golden bird magnets. Hmmmm.....the more I look at them the more I think they should be hanging out on my refrigerator. Nahhhhh....they are for YOU too!
And the piece de resistance, and crafted by yours truly, is this romantic, edgy and a little bit vintage, bird nest necklace. I think it's fabulous and I hope you do too. If you don't, please don't tell me and break my heart. :) Assembled with vintage black seam binding ribbon, white seam binding ribbon stamped with French script....ooh la la!, and bits of vintage lace. In between the old lace, are hand rolled European paper beads in the most luscious shade of blue, made from vintage sheet music, and tipped with gold. Finished with my very own silver wire bird nest full of pink eggs. Now this is going to look so fashionista worn with your jean jacket this Fall. :) Unique and special and just for YOU!
So I would truly love for you to sign up for my give-away, dedicated to YOU. I loved putting it together. I usually don't have any rules for these things but today I do ('cause that's what everyone else is doing). It's open to all of you....here and across that beautiful big ocean. Just leave a comment and if you are here as "Anonymous" just don't forget to leave an email address so I can find you if you win.
** You can get your name thrown in the hat too if you put the "give-away button" below on your blog, ( I made it all by myself)
** Another slip of paper with your name on it goes in the hat if you spread the word about Lynn's give-away on your blog.
** And I would love to have you Sign up and follow me if you don't already. Another slip of paper goes in the hat for that too.
That's four entries you could have. I will announce the winner on the day of my last summer hurrah.... a pool party.....on SEPT. 4th, 2010....also a Pink Saturday day too.
Linking up to Beverly at Pink Saturday for more pink than you can shake a stick at. Also linking up to Debbie Doo's yard salen' and garaging weekend party. Always lots of fun stuff to see here too.
So there you have it! Have a wonderful and fun junkin' weekend. I'll see you soon.


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Placeblogger.com is a fantastic local and hyper local site that lists local blogs for the express purpose of creating news and information about places that may be ignored by the local media due to their tiny size or stature. To further understand the site, you must consider their definition of a placeblog:
"Placeblogs: are sometimes called "hyperlocal sites" because some of them focus on news events and items that cover a particular neighborhood in great detail — and in particular, places that might be too physically small or sparsely populated to attract much traditional media coverage. Because of this, many people have associated them with the term "citizen journalism," or journalism done by non-journalists."
Placeblogger's Differentiating Factor
Without a doubt this site takes on a hyper hyper local flavor and one that is built on the experiences of people who have lived in the places they write posts for and about:
According to placeblogger: "They're about the lived experience of a place. That experience may be news, or it may simply be about that part of our lives that isn't news but creates the texture of our daily lives. . . "
Find a Location: This is a search engine for placeblogs
Add Places: This is a method to add your blog to the directory and gain more exposure
Founder-Editor and Advisors: A solid list of bright people in which to entrust your research with confidence
Placeblogger's Value
This site is supported and produced by the Center for Citizen Media a grassroots organization that promotes and sustains citizen journalism at every level possible. This is the type of organization that provides the help and guidance for bloggers to continue to propagate hyper local messages, prosper as self contained journalistic entities, and create community amongst the masses.
Principles of Citizen Journalists
1. Principles of Citizen Journalism
2. Accuracy
3. Throughness
4. Fairness
5. Transparency
6. Independence
7. Resources


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- Brand Tassimo Remove This Item
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TASSIMO offers a broad range of T DISCS, so you can always have your favourite cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate. T DISCS are the offical TASSIMO pods and is short for 'TASSIMO DISCS'. Whether you are looking for coffee pods, cappuccino or latte pods, TASSIMO has the right T DISCS for you. Not a big fan of coffee? Try TASSIMO hot chocolate or tea pods. With TASSIMO T DISCS, you can create high quality coffee and hot drinks, really fast & easy.
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At TASSIMO you can buy all available T DISCS. There are T DISCS from multiple brands, ranging from Costa coffee pods to Cadbury Hot Chocolate T DISCS, offering different hot drinks, coffee types and flavours. Depending on your taste preferences, buy the coffee pods of your choice. All TASSIMO pods are compatible with every TASSIMO machine. Need some advice? Have a look at our best selling pods or read our T DISCS Guide. Try all T DISCS and find your favourite TASSIMO flavour.
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Attorney General Holder and Executive Power
AG Eric Holder gave an address on Monday where he offered a legal rationale for the power of the president to kill American citizens who are outside of the United States and who are suspected of terrorist activity. George Washington University Law Professor Jonathan Turley responds:
On Monday, March 5, Northwestern University School of Law was the location of an extraordinary scene … U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder presented President Barack Obama's claim that he has the authority to kill any U.S. citizen he considers a threat. It served as a retroactive justification for the slaying of American‐born cleric Anwar al‐Awlaki last September by a drone strike in northeastern Yemen, as well as the targeted killings of at least two other Americans during Obama's term.
What's even more extraordinary is that this claim, which would be viewed by the Framers of the U.S. Constitution as the very definition of authoritarian power, was met not with outcry but muted applause. Where due process once resided, Holder offered only an assurance that the president would kill citizens with care. While that certainly relieved any concern that Obama, or his successor, would hunt citizens for sport, Holder offered no assurances on how this power would be used in the future beyond the now all‐too‐familiar "trust us" approach to civil liberties of this administration.
Read the whole thing.
Previous coverage here. And Colbert's segment, "Due or Die," is here.


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Student Employment – Employer Responsibilities
Employer/Supervisor Responsibilities
Provide the appropriate training and work space for each student employee.
- Consider student employees as being students first and as part-time employees second.
- Notify Student Employment if there is a problem with the student that cannot be resolved.
- Checking Federal Workstudy earnings for your hires in Front End after each pay period. (Click on the FWS tab)
- Notify Student Employment when a FWS funded student is terminated prior to the termination date.
- Be certain that timesheets are accurate before signing/approving and that the student does not have access to the timesheet after the supervisor has signed it.
- Make sure that students complete and submit time-sheets on time.
- NOT allow students to work until the student has completed the proper paper-work along with NESSIE New Hire and is enrolled in the required number of hours.
- Performing labor redistributions when necessary.


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"Somehow we have developed this large contingent of know-it-all baseball fans who bay like wounded coyotes at any mention of wins, losses, RBI or batting average. I never know whether I should blame myself for this or not.." (Bill James)
Thursday, June 3, 2010
The Big Three
-- LHP Drew Pomeranz, 20, a junior from Ol' Miss with a three-pitch repertoire and a rubber arm. Pomeranz, 6-5, 230, has two out pitches, a low nineties fastball that sets up his curve, said to be his best pitch, and he has a changeup.
Pomeranz had an 8-2, 2.21 ERA season and was the Southeastern Conference's Pitcher of the Year. He's considered a guy that can reach the bigs in a hurry. Pomeranz should provide good value as an inning-eating #3 starter with a shot at #2 upside.
The Pirates should have a thick file on him after drafting Ol' Miss teammates Nathan Baker and Phillip Irwin last year,and were said to be interested in him while he was in high school in Tennessee. GW considers him as the front-runner.
-- 6-7, 225 pound RHP Jameson Taillon, from The Woodlands HS, Texas, has a fastball that hits the mid-to-upper 90s, and is thought to be the best pitcher, stuff wise, in the draft with a chance to be an ace. He throws a fastball, slider and curve, and is said to have a serviceable changeup. They must be OK; he's got 96 Ks in 47 innings.
Taillon's only black mark is his command, and learning to work inside. He's 18 and made a commitment to Rice. A HS arm is always a risk, especially this high in the draft. His agents are the Hendricks brothers.
-- High school SS Manny Machado, 17, from Miami Brito HS, Florida, led Team USA in hitting last summer and batted .642 with 12 homers, 56 RBI and 17 steals in 27 games now.
He could be moved, as he has a big (6-2, 180), lean body that may outgrow short; keeping his weight down will determine his position. Machado has all five tools, and so could transition to third or a corner OF spot easily.
MM verbally committed to Florida International. Machado is represented by Scott Boras, so his signability could be an issue. A big issue.
The draft schedule:
-- Monday, June 7th (7PM) - Round 1
-- Tuesday, June 8th (noon) - Rounds 2-30
-- Wednesday, June 9th (noon) - Rounds 31-50
4 comments:
- WilliamJPellas said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- June 4, 2010 at 11:14 AM
- WilliamJPellas said...
I did a little research, Ron, and it turns out that Pomeranz' out pitch isn't a curve, it's a KNUCKLE-curve. Nothing like a rare and unusual breaking pitch to keep 'em honest, especially from a lefthander. I like him even more, especially since Machado's agent is Darth Sidious, aka Scot Boras. Haven't we had enough of his crap for the next decade or ten???
Give me Pomeranz or give me---well, you get the picture! ;-)
- June 4, 2010 at 11:15 AM
- Ron Ieraci said...
Is that what it is, Will? I read in a couple of reports that he uses a weird grip on it - one finger, I think, as opposed to the usual two - when he throws it.
Hey, if he ends up another Burt Hooton, that's plenty good enough for me.
And I do think that the suits will go with a college kid who's a fast tracker; they signed a lot of young 'uns the past couple of drafts who are jammed up in A ball.
They need some guys that can jump into the fire in a hurry.
- June 4, 2010 at 12:03 PM
- WilliamJPellas said...
The knuckle-curve info comes from former professional scout Anip Sunha over at the Bucs Prospects blog, if anyone is wondering. He has a very detailed and very positive writeup on Pomeranz and likes him a lot.
- June 4, 2010 at 2:38 PM


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David Paterson isn't exactly trying to bury the hatchet after President Obama reportedly tried to coax the unpopular New York governor out of running to keep his seat.
With Democrats worried that Paterson's flagging approval ratings could cost them the governor's mansion, aides close to Obama have reportedly urged the governor, who took office when Eliot Spitzer resigned amid a hooker scandal, to step aside and let Attorney general Andrew Cuomo be the party's standard bearer in 2010.
But Paterson, who shared an awkward moment this week when Obama introduced him and Cuomo at an upstate appearance, gushing over Cuomo, said he's not the only one having problems in office.
"If you look at it from [the Obama Administration's] perspective, they haven't exactly been able to govern in the first year of their administration in the way that other administrations have, where you would have, theoretically, a period in which the new administration is allowed to pass the needed pieces of legislation," Paterson said.
The Obama Administration has previously bristled at Paterson's penchant for comparing his problems to Obama's, including his claim earlier this month that both men face unwarranted political opposition because they are black.
U.S. & World
This time, the White House struck back, with an administration official noting that Obama's record of getting legislation he backs passed into law is unblemished.
Paterson aide Peter Kauffmann told Politico that his boss wasn't putting down Obama's record, but simply explaining why Obama would be so focused on having Democratic governors in place to help with congressional redistricting ahead of the midterm elections, when Republicans hope to cut into the Democrats' House majority.
Get more: Politico


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Track Testing - How To Go Testing
Tips for using practice and testing to improve your setups
Track testing provides an opportunity to dial in the car to a particular track for speed and consistency. Most events don't offer enough time for adequate evaluation of our chosen setups, so we need to take advantage of every chance we get to go testing.
I recently tested at several racetracks with an ASA Late Model Series South race team and recalled some of my previous experience over the years. What I learned was that the basics don't change, even with some of the new and innovative setups we now see. Suspension binding and broken shocks still throw off test results.
There is a specific order we must follow during testing to get the most out of the experience. Let's look at how we might organize and run a typical test session and discuss methods and procedures we can use for a more productive session. The process is mostly the same for dirt and asphalt, with some minor differences.
All testing and practice involves trying different combinations of setup and chassis geometry that might make the car faster. As we have stated before, we are searching for an unknown by making intelligent choices in reasonable directions. What we don't want to do is start out with a car we don't know very well and throw springs and other parts at it while hoping for a miracle. The top race car consultants would never work with a car that didn't have critical information readily available.
The overall goal of testing is to find a setup combination that is initially fast and remains fast for a long time. It should be good on the tires, comfortable for the driver, and should enable the driver to outrun the competition from start to finish.
On asphalt, the final setup is probably the one we will qualify and race with, given small changes between the two. For dirt, the changes required for each segment might be much different. That does not mean we cannot test on a track that is consistent.
Dirt testing involves trying various settings and bolt-on parts to find what makes the car do what we need it to do. Getting the car to turn better will help us throughout an event, and finding methods of adding forward bite can help us get off the corners better for the dry and slick conditions.
A primary goal might be to learn the process of making changes to meet track conditions. There is an order and logic to adapting to changing track surface grip levels. Becoming comfortable with making those changes can be a huge performance gain.
It is most important to be familiar with the car prior to going to the racetrack for practice or testing. This means that the front and rear geometry have already been evaluated, the car is aligned, and a dynamic analysis of the spring combinations has been accomplished to balance the two suspension systems. Also, the shocks have been dyno'd and tested, the springs have been rated, the steering system has been checked for Ackermann, the car has been weighed, and the motor has been prepped.
The type of racetrack should be taken into consideration if this is the first time the team has been there. If it has a different banking angle from what the team is used to, a different moment center design might be in order. High-banked tracks have little need for traction-enhancing technology, so rear steer characteristics and ride height must be planned if excess chassis travel is an issue. If the track is flatter, methods of creating bite off the corners should be included in the planning.
If the team is unaccustomed to the length of the track, a rear gear in an acceptable range should be calculated or someone on a team that has run on the track should be asked about gear ratio. If testing is taking place on dirt, the correct tires are needed for the anticipated conditions.
In the days before we leave the shop, we must prepare a plan of attack that defines the changes we will make and the areas in which they are made. This plan may be written on paper or mentally noted. It should be discussed with the entire crew so they can have input into the process and know the direction the test will go in order to be prepared in their particular areas of expertise.
Having a prepared plan is very important for getting good results. As the test proceeds, the result of each change (both positive and negative) should be noted. We probably learn more from the negative results than from the ones in which gains are made. That is because we more readily remember losses in lap times and how to avoid the things that the car does not like.
If different combinations of spring rates are to be used, we need to weigh the car with each combination of springs and note the position of the spring adjusters, which may be the coilover rings on the shocks or the jack screws used in the big spring cars. Doing this allows us to quickly make spring changes at the track and ensure that the weight distribution has not changed.
If we intend to compare different layouts of shocks when making individual corner changes, we need to mark the shocks according to where they will be placed on the car and give them set numbers. The tire sets must be marked as well so that we do not mix tires among sets. Using a tire of a different age (meaning date or laps used) from the other three can throw o the setup quite a bit. Many tests have been upset by the use of an odd tire.
Once we have arrived at the track and unloaded the car, we need to establish a pitting position for the car that is relatively level. We should have easy access to the tool cart, the trailer, and other track facilities that may be needed. The spots around the tires are marked with duct tape in order to park the car in the same position after each run.
Many teams weigh the car in that location and note the relative weight distribution if the scales cannot be leveled. The weights read will almost always vary from the shop numbers due to the scales being out of level.
It is best to level the scales and weigh the car before testing. Then, after all the testing is done, the car is reweighed to see how the weight distribution might have changed from the various adjustments.
Once we hit the track, we need to be able to measure our on-track performance. There are two components of speed: the motor/drivetrain combination that gets us down the straightaways, and the chassis setup combination that gets us through the turns. Since we work on these separately, we need to measure them separately.
A car can be the fastest one in the turns but not up to par down the straights for a number of reasons. If we have lap times that include turn segment times, we can compare our times to that of our competition. Turn segment times tell us all we need to know about chassis setup experimentation.
We should always take turn segment times in addition to total lap times and compare both with other fast cars. Remember, if we can improve the midturn speeds, we can also improve the straightaway speeds. It is generally accepted that speed gained in the turns is carried all the way around the racetrack.
If we use previously run tires, the age of the tires must be taken into consideration when making comparisons to other cars. If we start on stickers and then run 50 laps of testing, we can expect to lose time to the tires. If our lap times stay consistent, then the changes we are making are probably enhancing our performance. Eventually switching to newer tires will show the positive results of our changes.
It is not a good idea to chase a competitor who has newer tires than ours. If we struggle to make adjustments in an attempt to make up the three- or four-tenths difference, we could put our setup out in left field, never to return.
Some teams use unsupervised tests as a chance to "cheat up" the car to go fast. If an opposing team is too fast, we should not try to keep up by making wholesale changes. Once that team returns to regular competition, where the rules must be observed, the times will return to normal.
The driver should initially make several slow five-lap circuits and then five faster circuit runs to shake down the car. This establishes that the brakes work as expected, the wheels are on tight, the air will stay in the tires, and there are no water or oil leaks. The transmission and rearend lubricants will also be brought up to temperature. Two more five-lap runs must be made following the initial outing in order to get meaningful tire temperatures.
After each of these runs, we record the tire pressures and/or temperatures, tire sizes, engine water and oil temperatures, and the number of laps run in each session. Then, we make hard copy records of the data in addition to digital records (stored in the tire temperature/pressure box or on a computer). It is fine to have digital records, but we all know how easy it is to lose digital information. Doing both is the best way.
Once the driver is confident that the car is sound, longer and faster runs can be done. In the next series of runs, the driver needs to stay out at least 10 laps so that the tire temperatures will be sufficient to show how the tires are working. Unless the car has a serious handling problem, this should not be an issue. The car should be viewed from a high vantage point. We should pay attention to how the car looks, where the driver's hands are positioned, and how far the wheels are turned while in the middle of the turns.
The next step involves evaluating the tire temperatures, pressures, and overall handling balance. Quick adjustments are made to the front tire cambers and all four tire pressures if the temperatures dictate doing so. The handling cannot be properly evaluated if these issues are not resolved right away. No chassis adjustments will be made until we have taken care of the tire issues.
Excess steering input at midturn, inability to keep the car low in the turns, and a car that snaps loose off the turns are all indications of a tight setup. The driver should run the turns at a speed lower than normal and note the position of his or her hands. Once the car is up to speed, the driver should again note hand position. If the steering is significantly different, the car is either tight or loose.
We should record driver and crew comments regarding handling and engine performance. If the car is not neutral, we will make changes to improve the handling while working to maintain a balanced setup.
There is a difference between handling balance and dynamic balance. The car is neutral when it is neither tight nor loose. We can easily adjust most cars to make them neutral. This may make the car faster, but it is not our primary goal. The car needs to be neutral in handling, and the front and rear suspension must be in sync. When both ends of the car are working together, we will truly have a balanced car that is fast and consistent.
We must always evaluate and correct the midturn performance first. Balancing the car at this steady state point on the track will also help balance it on entry and exit. Steady state is defined as a condition in which the car is neither accelerating nor decelerating. So the dynamic effects of longitudinal weight transfer from braking or motoring off the corner are not affecting our evaluation at this point in the test.
We can interpret the balance of the car by evaluating the tire temperatures. The easiest way to make a car neutral is to adjust the crossweight. Crossweight is the percentage of the total weight of the car that is supported by the right-front (RR) and left-rear (LR) tires as read on the scales. Lowering the RF and LR corners while raising the LF and RR corners reduces crossweight and loosens the car. All four corners must be adjusted to cause a change in crossweight.
After we have made the car neutral in handling, we need to make a couple of hard runs and note the tire temperatures. The dynamics of the front and rear suspensions working with or against each other will show in the tire temperatures. The LF tire will be near the same temperature and working as hard as the LR tire in a balanced setup.
If the LF tire is the coolest tire on the car (by far the most common condition), then changes should be made to the setup to help heat that tire up by making it work harder. With the popular big bar and soft spring (BBSS) setups, the opposite is usually true. The LR tire might be the coolest tire on the car, and we need to make changes to cause the left-side tires to be the same.
Tire wear can tell us a similar story when racing on dirt. Dirt teams rarely take tire temperatures. They feel the tires for temperature, so it must be somewhat important. But tire wear can also tell us how hard a tire is working.
Here are a few changes that help us move toward a more balanced state.
To reduce the tendency for the rear to outroll the front:
1. Increase the RR spring rate or reduce the rear spring split if the RR is softer.2. Raise the Panhard bar.3. Soften the RF spring rate (only on lower-banked tracks).4. Stiffen the LF spring rate.5. Move the moment center to the left.
To reduce the tendency for the front to outroll the rear (as is often the case when teams try the BBSS setups):
1. Reduce the RR spring rate.2. Raise the LR spring rate.3. Lower the rear moment center or Panhard/J-bar.4. Reduce the size of the front sway bar (2.000-inch diameter might be a bit much-try a 1.750-, 1.500-, or 1.375-inch diameter bar).5. Stiffen the front spring rates.
The crossweight should be adjusted with each change in order to maintain the neutral handling. The crossweight has to increase in the first examples because the car turns better as the LF tire begins to have more grip and work harder. We need to tighten it using a higher percentage of crossweight.
In the second set of examples, where the front outrolls the rear, the crossweight needs to be reduced as the rear tires develop more grip.
If Ackermann has always been used by the team to help the car turn in conjunction with a tight and unbalanced setup (the LF tire runs cooler than the LR tire), then the Ackermann has to be reduced and/or eliminated as changes are made to load the LF tire. A tire that is not working much (less vertical load on it) gains traction by using Ackermann. If we load that tire, it will really take off in the steered direction and work against the RF tire. The end result will be a severe push as the two front tires try to go in different directions, ultimately giving up their grip on the track.
Finding the dynamic balance for the car is not the end of our goal. Rather, it is the very foundation of a good setup. It is the first and most important step in getting ready to race. Small changes to the setup can be felt by the driver as never before, and the setup can be further fine-tuned for improved entry and exit performance.
Entry problems are almost always caused by rear alignment issues or incorrect shock rates (mostly in the RF and LR corners of the car). The rear end must be aligned properly and square to the centerline of the car. Failure to do so results in a long and hard struggle to overcome a poorly aligned rear end ultimately to no avail. No setup change can effectively overcome an alignment problem.
If we decide to tune entry performance with shocks, we will work with compression rates in the RF and rebound rates in the LR. A RF shock that is too stiff on compression might cause a push on entry. If the RF shock is far too soft on compression, it may also develop a push due to sudden and excessive suspension movement. The result is excess camber change that causes the RF tire to lose grip.
Excess LR shock rebound may cause the car to be loose on entry as the weight is transferred to the front while braking. The LR shock should allow the LR tire to move in rebound to help it maintain contact with the racing surface as the car pitches forward and to the right on entry.
Spring split has an effect on entry performance, too. At flatter tracks, a stiffer LF spring over the RF spring helps entry stability in most cases. To the driver, a stiffer RR spring over the LR spring might feel like the rear end is not under the car and may prevent him or her from going into the corner deep enough on the banked tracks. Spring changes also affect the dynamic balance of the car, and we need to re-evaluate the tire temperatures and make changes to the Panhard bar to rebalance the setup after a spring change.
Problems associated with corner exit involve either a tight-off or loose-off condition. If we introduce methods to gain bite off the corner, we might end up with a car that does not turn. The changes we make to improve exit performance should not change the midturn balance. Changes to spring rates, spring split, Panhard bar height, and crossweight will affect and probably ruin midturn balance. So, how do we tune exit performance?
The tracks where we usually see exit issues are mostly the flatter tracks with associated lack of grip. The combination of lateral forces that come from turning the car and the torque associated with power application tend to overload the grip capability of the rear tires. So we need to develop ways to increase the amount of grip the rear tires have available on exit off the corners while not affecting the established midturn balance.
We can experiment with various designs of pull bars, pushrods, lift arms, and associated rear steer that happens only on acceleration. The goal is to reduce the shock to the rear tires upon initial application of power and increase the total rear grip level by introducing rear steer (to the left) to the rear geometry. The more the rear tires are steered, the more traction they will have, just as we have learned about the front tires associated with steering input.
There is a limit to how much rear steer we can use before the car becomes too tight on exit. Larger amounts are more tolerable on dirt than on asphalt. A few ten-thousandths of an inch of wheel movement fore and aft can be felt by the driver on asphalt, whereas an inch or more of wheel movement is not unheard of on dirt.
Sticker tires should be saved for the last runs of the day after the car is dialed in. If the setup is good, we can make a qualifying run on fresh tires. After that run, a 25- or 30-lap run is made using the newer tires to see if the lap times stay consistent. A truly balanced setup will provide lap times that fall off less than the competition's as more laps are run on a single set of tires.
Back at the shop, we review our notes and learn from the gains and losses. All of the results are valuable. The more we learn about the effects of changes, the better we become at making quick adjustments during a racing event. The top teams make a point of knowing how each chassis adjustment affects all of the other parameters involved with their setups.
Incorrect tire stagger, bent shocks, and suspension binding are some of the peculiarities that can ruin a test session. If radical setup changes do not seem to affect the expected result, then a mechanical problem must be sought and fixed. Stagger almost always closes; it doesn't open. Given the choice, we should use a slightly larger stagger than what we may need.
Test notes should be kept available for review. Testing should take place as often as we can afford and whenever the track is available. If goals are set, performance will improve and racing will be that much more enjoyable. Let us know how you do by sending an e-mail to firstname.lastname@example.com. We promise not to share your secrets. Good luck.


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by Kevin Kimmes
Editor's Note: This is the third installment of our 2013 review & preview series. You can read the rest here.
Review of 2012:
When Milwaukee found themselves as sellers at the trade deadline in 2012, the Brewers faithful knew they had seen the last of Zack Greinke. Greinke, who had never lost a game at Miller Park, was about to become a free agent at the end of the year, and one way or another was about to get a huge payday for his services, most likely from a major market team. So, to get something out of his departure, the Brewers traded him to the Angels in late July for some top quality farmhands in Double-A pitchers Johnny Hellweg and Ariel Pena, as well as shortstop Jean Segura.
While Helwig and Pena would see minimal playtime in 2012 with Milwaukee , Segura would get the opportunity to fill in as the teams starting shortstop thanks to a hole at the position left by an early season injury to Alex Gonzalez. The gamble would pay off for Milwaukee as Segura took to the big league level of play right away.
As mentioned on the back of his 2013 Topps Spring Fever card: "Soon after the Brewers acquired Segura in a trade with the Angels last July, he was tossed into the Major League fire for the first time. By September, the 22-year-old was thriving, batting .375 in one 20-game stretch and finishing with seven stolen bases in eight attempts. Those were credentials enough to make the shortstop job his to lose this spring."
Segura finished his 2012 season with Milwaukee with a slash line of .264/.321/.331 over 163 plate appearances in 44 games. He recorded 39 hits, 14 RBI, 7 stolen bases and walked 13 times.
Projected 2013 Stat Line (according to Baseball Info Solutions):
139/477 over 147 games, 6 HR, 50 RBI, 35 BB, 69 K, .291/.340/.388
The above numbers should come as no surprise to anyone that followed Segura's offseason. He won the Dominican Winter League batting title, hitting .325 over 35 games and ranked 2nd in stolen bases with 11. Similar numbers were shown in his 18 Spring Training appearances in which he hit 19/52 with 3 stolen bases and a slash line of .365/.377/.577.
Depth of Position:
Behind Segura at short is the man that he replaced at the position last year, Alex Gonzalez. Initially released by Milwaukee in the offseason, Gonzalez eventually re-signed with Milwaukee where he figures to start the season at 1st base filling in for the injured Corey Hart.
Behind him, there is one more shortstop, a name that sends shivers down the spines of the collective fan base. A name so polarizing, that it made those opposed to the Kyle Lohse acquisition question if Doug Melvin had finally lost his mind. That man: Yuniesky Betancourt. Luckily for all of us it sounds like the plans for Yuni is as a utility bat, not a utility infielder.
With Yuni fresh on everyone's minds, I'll leave you with the following:
Kevin Kimmes is a regular contributor to creamcitycables.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @kevinkimmes.


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Kia ora, I'm Frith Williams
I'm on a 4-month, Fulbright-funded trip across the US exploring digital and bilingual/bicultural storytelling in museums. I've created this blog to connect ground-bound Kiwis with what's going on overseas – and share and debate discoveries more generally.
Recent posts
- Highlight 3: Bilingual 'story theatre' at San Diego Natural History Museum
- Highlight 2: Noah's Ark, Skirball
- Highlight 1: Connected Worlds, NYSCI
- Highlights intro … & 6 boxes to tick in museum storytelling
- A virtually real story in 2 parts
- Down the rabbit hole at MONA & Melbourne Museum: Part 2
- Down the rabbit hole at MONA & Melbourne Museum: Part 1
Thanks to Fulbright NZ for allowing me to take a breather, fly north for the winter, and share ideas with creative thinkers and doers abroad. Thanks also to Te Papa for their support.
The opinions on this blog are mine alone – except when they're someone else's. I'll be sure to say who. Reviews are intended to help us all make better stuff (even though there's never enough time) and if I pick any holes or point any fingers, three are pointing back at me!
Tag Archives: highlights
Highlights intro … & 6 boxes to tick in museum storytelling
Intro and index for a series of highlights from my time in the US, with a list of traits I'm looking for Continue reading
Posted in Blog < 1000 words Tagged bilingualism, highlights, interpretation, museums, storytelling 3 Comments


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Dismal Jobs Report
The loss of 263,000 nonfarm jobs is another depressing economic statistic reinforcing the prospects of a jobless and joyless economic recovery. Job losses were widespread, but concentrated in construction, manufacturing, retail trade and government.
Employers want to fire, not hire. The reasons for this lie in Washington, where lawmakers are busy piling on spending, taxes, and mandates. From an employer's perspective, each new hire is a liability. The Obama administration's economic recovery plan, which was centered on job creation, is now a manifest failure. The stimulus brew it concocted has proven to be an economic depressant.
In an op‐ed in today's Wall Street Journal, Meredith Whitney highlights another serious economic drag on the economy: a continuing credit crunch. All the Obama Treasury and Fed lending programs have only served to direct credit to large companies, while small business — the engine of economic growth and job creation — has been starved of credit. The Treasury and Fed have a corporatist economic model, in which the favored few are benefited at the expense of the many. Their credit allocation policies have worked as a further drag on job creation.


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BOSTON A federal judge in Massachusetts found Thursday that a law barring the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, ruling that gay and lesbian couples deserve the same federal benefits as heterosexual couples.
Judge Joseph L. Tauro of United States District Court in Boston sided with the plaintiffs in two separate cases brought by the state attorney general and a gay rights group.
Although legal experts disagreed over how the rulings would fare on appeal, the judge's decisions were nonetheless sure to further inflame the nationwide debate over same-sex marriage and gay rights.
If the rulings find their way to the Supreme Court and are upheld there, they will put same-sex marriage within the constitutional realm of protection, just as interracial marriage has been for decades. Seeking that protection is at the heart of both the Massachusetts cases and a federal case pending in California over the legality of that state's ban on same-sex marriage.
Tracy Schmaler, a spokeswoman for the Justice Department, said federal officials were reviewing the decision and had no further comment. But lawyers for the plaintiffs said they fully expected the Obama administration to appeal. An appeal would be heard by the First Circuit, which also includes Rhode Island, Maine, New Hampshire and Puerto Rico.
In the case brought by Attorney General Martha Coakley, Judge Tauro found that the 1996 law, known as the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, compels Massachusetts to discriminate against its own citizens in order to receive federal money for certain programs.
The other case, brought by Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, focused more narrowly on equal protection as applied to a handful of federal benefits. In that case, Judge Tauro agreed that the federal law violated the equal protection clause of the Constitution by denying benefits to one class of married couples gay men and lesbians but not others.
Neither suit challenged a separate provision of the Defense of Marriage Act that says states do not have to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. But if the cases make their way to the Supreme Court and are upheld, gay and lesbian couples in states that recognize same-sex marriage will be eligible for federal benefits that are now granted only to heterosexual married couples.
"This court has determined that it is clearly within the authority of the commonwealth to recognize same-sex marriages among its residents, and to afford those individuals in same-sex marriages any benefits, rights and privileges to which they are entitled by virtue of their marital status," Judge Tauro wrote in the case brought by Ms. Coakley. "The federal government, by enacting and enforcing DOMA, plainly encroaches upon the firmly entrenched province of the state."
Proponents of gay rights embraced the rulings as legal victories.
"Today the court simply affirmed that our country won't tolerate second-class marriages," said Mary Bonauto, civil rights project director for Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders, who argued the case. "This ruling will make a real difference for countless families in Massachusetts."
Chris Gacek, a senior fellow at the Family Research Council, a leading conservative group, said he was disappointed by the decision.
"The idea that a court can say that this definition of marriage that's been around forever is irrational is mind-boggling," Mr. Gacek said. "It's a bad decision."
Massachusetts has allowed same-sex couples to marry since 2004, and while more than 15,000 have done so, they are denied federal benefits like Social Security survivors' payments, the right to file taxes jointly and guaranteed leave from work to care for a sick spouse.
In the Coakley case, the judge held that that federal restrictions on funding for states that recognize same-sex marriage violates the 10th Amendment, the part of the Constitution that declares that rights not explicitly granted to the federal government, or denied to the states, belong to the states.
The Obama administration's Justice Department was in the position of defending the Defense of Marriage Act even though Barack Obama had called during the 2008 presidential campaign for repealing it. Scott Simpson, when arguing the case on behalf of the government in May, opened by acknowledging the administration's opposition to the act, but saying he was still obliged to defend its constitutionality.
"This presidential administration disagrees with DOMA as a matter of policy," Mr. Simpson said at the time. "But that does not affect its constitutionality."
Some constitutional scholars said they were surprised by Judge Tauro's opinions in the two cases.
"What an amazing set of opinions," said Jack M. Balkin, a professor at Yale Law School. "No chance they'll be held up on appeal."
Professor Balkin, who supports the right to same-sex marriage, said the opinions ignored the federal government's longstanding involvement in marriage issues in areas like welfare, tax policy, health care, Social Security and more. The opinion in the advocacy group's case applies the Constitution to marriage rights, he said, undercutting the notion that the marriage is not a federal concern.
"These two opinions are at war with themselves," he said.
The arguments concerning the 10th Amendment and the spending clause, if upheld, would "take down a wide swath of programs you can't even list the number of programs that would be affected," he said.
By citing the 10th Amendment and making what is essentially a states' rights argument, Professor Balkin said Judge Tauro was "attempting to hoist conservatives by their own petard, by saying: 'You like the 10th Amendment? I'll give you the 10th Amendment! I'll strike down DOMA!' "
Erwin Chemerinsky, the dean of the University of California, Irvine, School of Law, was more supportive of the logic of the two opinions, and said they worked together to establish a broad right of marriage for same-sex couples.
"The key issue in this case, and in all litigation about marriage equality for gays and lesbians, is, Does the government have a rational basis for treating same-sex couples differently from heterosexual couples?" he said. "Here, the court says there is no rational basis for treating same-sex couples differently from heterosexual couples. Therefore, DOMA is unconstitutional, and conditioning federal funding on compliance with DOMA is unconstitutional."
A central issue in the fight over the constitutionality of California's same-sex marriage ban is whether laws restricting gay rights should be held to a tougher standard of review than the "rational basis" test, and so Judge Tauro's decision takes a different path that would eliminate the need for that line of argument, Professor Chemerinsky said.
"There's no need to get to higher scrutiny if it fails rational basis review," he said.


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"It doesn't feel like a pair of turbos, it feels like a pair of testes — big meaty ones." Clarkson on the 2009 BMW Z4 in last night's Top Gear comparison between it and the Nissan 370Z. Video below.
Here's Clarkson's review and, just as importantly, the power laps of both cars. We know one of our mothers will be very disappointed.


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Arena 130Details https://eu.jbl.com/ARENA+130.html?dwvar_ARENA%20130_color=Black-GLOBAL-Current
Bookshelf Loudspeakers
Bookshelf Loudspeakers
Inspired by JBL's legendary M2 Master Reference Monitor
High Definition Imaging (HDI) waveguide technology takes its cues from the legendary JBL M2 Master Reference Monitor. Computer-optimized driver positioning and network integration result in ideal performance and lifelike soundstage imaging. Proven acoustic superiority through rigorous testing and real-world evaluation.
Signature JBL loudspeaker performance
7-inch (178mm) polycellulose woofer brings room-filling JBL sound to all your music, TV shows, movies, and console gaming. 1-inch (25mm) soft dome tweeter provides clean, powerful highs. Experience standard-setting accuracy with TV shows, movies, and games.
Understated, contemporary look and feel
Contemporary cabinet shape with angled side and top panels provide a sophisticated, modern look. Soft-touch paint around the transducers and on the waveguide. Available in black and white finishes with minimalist grilles and brushed metal trims.
An audio powerhouse at an affordable price
The perfect trifecta of JBL power, precision, and affordable pricing.
Just one part of an even more powerful system
Intended for use in conjunction with the entire series of JBL Arena loudspeakers: 2 floor-standing speakers, 2 bookshelf speakers, 1 center channel speaker, and 1 subwoofer model.
There are things in life that remain both powerful and affordable. Case in point: the JBL Arena 130 bookshelf loudspeakers. Who but JBL engineers could devise a loudspeaker where high-performance sound, high-definition imaging, and high-modernist elegance go hand-in-hand at a low price? The Arena 130's 7" (178mm) polycellulose woofer and 1" (25mm) soft dome tweeter combine to deliver standard-setting performance that's both ultra-powerful and ultra-lifelike.
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Spec Sheet (EN)English 2 MB
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The latest owner's manuals, quick start guides, and documents.


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Lying fonts – good or bad?
With Unicode and OpenType, there are specifications about how certain things should be done: particularly encodings and OpenType layout features. But some things are not as well or easily supported in applications, which leads to the temptation for font developers to "lie" about the encoding or alternate glyphs, in order to get something that works more easily. What specific kinds of lies are font developers tempted by, and is this lying a Good Thing or a Bad Thing?
I've been talking about this a lot lately in discussions on the public OpenType list and in the Typophile forums, and I thought I should put all my thoughts in one place.


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Noel © Luli ( http://ioluli.blogspot.com/ )
Gestickt von / Stitched by Lieselotte
Gestickt von / Stitched by Lieselotte
If you are a stitcher who would like to be able to post photos to this blog, please email me at firstname.lastname@example.com - thanks! ***PLEASE - post one freebie per entry, use the freebie's title as the post title, and put the designer's name in the label - this will make it easier for the gallery to be used when stitchers are searching for a specific freebie - thanks!! **Not all charts are still available - this is meant to be a gallery, sometimes links are provided to get the charts.
|Winter Sampler by Cosmic Handmade
stitched by Lynn J on 32 ct naturel linen
using DMC floss
Chart can be found here


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Game Nostalgia is optimized for the latest versions of Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Google Chrome.
You'll need a Flash Player to visit the pages. Recently added pages require the latest version of a Flash Player (most pages: window size 800x600 and higher).
Visit GN's Facebook page here. To support GN please use the "like" button on Facebook or the one below.
Visit The Book of Unwriten Tales website
About GN
Game Nostalgia provides the adventure gamer with comprehensive info about some (pure) graphic adventures that he or she may have enjoyed. For each game Game Nostalgia tries to include: background info, box blurb, cast (with voice samples), credits, demo, game details, goodies, interviews, manual, music, reviews, saved games, screenshots and sample in-game clips, sites that have specific info about the game, technical specifications, and a walkthrough.
If a game comes with voice acting, Game Nostalgia's cast pages will include some voice examples of each character in the game. In the credits pages as much info as possible is given about the designers of the game. The game details pages specify all kind of features, like "does a game includes arcade episodes, diaries, mazes, maps, sudden death situations?" The music pages contain every musical theme that the particular game has. Game Nostalgia tries to link to every web review about the game and often supplies a personal comment about the game too. The site includes maps of the game world with screenshots of all locations.
Listed are (September 2011):
3 Skulls of the Toltecs, Backpacker: The Lost Florence Gold Mine, Beneath a Steel Sky, Buried in Time, The Dark Half, Dark Seed, Fascination, I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream, Indiana Jones and The Fate of Atlantis, King's Quest VI: Heir Today, Gone Tomorrow, Laura Bow: The Dagger of Amon Ra, The Legend of Kyrandia, The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Serrated Scalpel, Lost in Time, Return to Zork,The Riddle of Master Lu, Rise of the Dragon, Shadow of the Comet, Simon the Sorcerer, Touché: The Adventures of the Fifth Musketeer.
Nostalgic video clips
In 2008 Game Nostalgia added an archive with Nostalgic Video Clips. This archive, with over hundred clips, includes demos, trailers, making ofs etc. of adventure games that were published in the nineties.
Nostalgic Features (September 2012)
A Revolution with Broken Swords (Foundation of Revolution Software, The Making of Lure of the Temptress, The Making of Beneath a Steel Sky, The Making of Broken Sword: The Shadow of the Templars); Cyberdreams's catalog of luminaries and (un-)published games; Dynamix: The Rise of a Dragon in Eugene, Oregon; The King's Quest Series; Sierra: company history; Mystery House and the HI-Res Adventures; Two Riddles for Sierra Collectors.
As it takes some time to prepare the pages for each game, and because it requires considerable time to maintain the site (over 2000 pages), Game Nostalgia will update slowly. We hope you will understand this and that you will revisit Game Nostalgia after some time.
If you happen to have any omitted info about a game that is listed on Game Nostalgia, please be so kind to inform us; we enjoy every bit of information about the games some of us have enjoyed so much. If designers of the games happen to visit Game Nostalgia and have some background information, or even some digitized material that has survived the past decades (concept art, script etc.), please be as generous as you can be. Thanks to those publishers and designers who allowed GN to make use of their content and who where willing to share info about the making of the games.
Please contact us in case of typos, bad grammar, broken links, defective flash pages (etc.): all comments are most welcome.
All text content ©GN
You can email GN at:


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Rainmaker(redirected from Der Regenmacher)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus.
A valuable employee, manager or subcontracted person who brings new business to a company.
Informal; a facilitator of a deal. The term especially applies to an employee whose sole duty is to bring in new business from wealthy clients. That is, the rainmaker meets with potential clients and convinces them to come to business with the rainmaker's company. See also: Finder's Fee.
A brokerage firm employee who brings a wealthy client base to the business.


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- Process plants
- Air separation plants
- LNG and natural gas processing plants
- Hydrogen and synthesis gas plants
- Petrochemical plants
- Adsorption and membrane plants
- Cryogenic plants
- CO₂ plants
- Furnaces, fired heaters and incinerators
- Linde Hydrogen
Gas processing – refineries and petrochemical plants
Working with a number of refineries in a bid to solve their excess fuel gas problems, we have developed and subsequently patented an innovative CRYO-PLUS™ process. This process provides unparalleled ethylene, ethane, propylene, propane and heavier hydrocarbon liquid recovery efficiency. It is ideal for processing low-pressure refinery off-gas streams.
The resulting incremental recovery of the olefins such as ethylene, propylene and butene using CRYO-PLUS™ means that more feedstock is available for alkylation and polymerisation. CRYO-PLUS™ also results in an overall increase in the production of high-octane, low sulphur gasoline.
Gas processing – natural gas
Building on the proven successes of CRYO-PLUS™ in refinery applications, we discovered that CRYO-PLUS™ also offers a tremendous advantage in natural gas processing, enabling a wider range of operations with a greater level of product recovery. CRYO-PLUS™ provides this flexibility over a wide range of feed gas pressures and feed gas compositions. These advantages demonstrate great value in shale gas processing, where wide variations in pressure and composition are to be expected.
Proven performance
To date, over twenty CRYO-PLUS™ recovery systems have been installed globally. The economic pay-out schedule of CRYO-PLUS™ has been as low as one year. More than fifteen of these systems were designed for recovery of propylene, propane and heavier hydrocarbons. CRYO-PLUS C2=™ has been deployed for the recovery of ethylene, ethane, C2's and C3+ hydrocarbons in both refineries and natural gas plants.


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LDP is a network of Lighting Designers working from offices in Sydney, Auckland, Singapore and Shanghai.
LDP originated in the UK in 1984 and its experience spans across mose areas of Lighting Design. LDP is a pioneer in the field of urban lighting planning and has overseen successful implementation of several of its masterplans.
The group is founded on backgrounds and qualifications in architecture, stage lighting, interior design and illuminating engineering. Several team members hold post-graduate qualifications in light and lighting.
The principals of LDP, Andre Tammes, Dhruvajyoti Ghose and Mike Grunsell take active responsibility in servicing projects and have directed a wide range of projects with the team.
The group currently serves projects in 9 countries throughout the Middle East, India, Asia-Pacific, and China.


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KeyLimeTie brauchte ein neues Logo Design und hat einen Wettbewerb auf 99designs gestartet.
Aus 122 Designs von 47 Designern wurde eine Gewinner gewählt.
The design brief says it all. BE SURE TO READ IT!
please read entire brief
please read entire brief
Desired Color Scheme:
please read entire brief
Desired Style:
please read entire brief
Accepted File Formats:
Standard Web Formats (.jpg, .gif or .png); Layered Formats (.psd or .tiff)
Project Summary
Please provide us with a little background of the company.
We are licensed Realtors providing quality professional services in residential real estate including but not limited to working with buyers looking to buy a property; sellers who want to sell their properties for top value ; tenants looking to lease rental properties; property owners interested in leasing their properties through our company by providing a wide array of property management services; assisting buyers who are interested in new construction or custom-build homes; helping investors find distressed properties, foreclosure properties, short-sale properties and/or properties under fair market value to increase their net worth; Providing customers with up-to-date information regarding Special Communities: Active Adults, Assisted Living, Accessibility ready; and recruiting Realtors and Brokers to join Keller Williams franchises under our sponsorship.
What text should be included in the main part of the logo (if any)?
Top Notch Realty Team
What type of product or service do you offer?
Residential real estate brokerage
What do you hope to accomplish with your new identity?
Increase internet lead generation to all real estate related services that we are licensed to offer
What are your long term goals?
Significantly Increase market share in northwest suburbs, open franchise in 3 yrs, build a team producing over 600 million GCI within next 2 years. Recruit mega agents from other companies into KW to increase my profit sharing.
Are there any other comments/specific ideas we should keep in mind while designing your project?
The majority of internet lead generation is focused on buyers who constitute an 85% of internet transactions via the internet and their average age is 35. I want a website that is unique, non-traditional, urban, yet easy to read and navigate. The website should reflect the color scheme of the logo. The log should have word art plus an image.
Audience Profile
Average age 35-55 approx.
Located in rich suburb with high end homes (Barrington, IL) and mostly Caucasian homeowners.
Niche marketing to Spanish speaking customer.
Do you have any specific images or icons in mind that you would definitely like to see incorporated into your logo? Please provide files if available.
The color scheme I like can be found at http://www.iarchitect.net/topnotch.jpg
Communication Strategy
What attributes would you like your logo to reflect about your business? Innovative, technologically advance, fresh, unique from the crowd of realtors, personal, professional.
What is your tagline or slogan?
Oh, happy day! The Top Notch Realty Team did it again!
Where will your new logo be used? (print, web, signs, etc.)
all, web, printing, signs
Competitive Positioning
Who are your competitors and what do you think about their logos? (list competitive URLs)
Their logos are traditionally boring, plain, unappealing.
This is an example of a unique logo I like:
What sets you apart from your competitors?
Innovative, hard working, dedicated, thinking big, committed to first-rate excellence
Targeted Message
State a single-minded word or phrase that will appropriately describe your company.
First-rate excellence
Finden Sie heraus, wie ein Designwettbewerb funktioniert, oder lernen Sie mehr über unsere Logo-Design-Angebote.


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Oak Model Enclosed Changeable letter Board 36x36
Aarco Products' Red Oak Enclosed Changeable
Letter Boards are made of solid North American Red
Oak, milled to perfection and finished with a high
gloss clear lacquer.
Corners are crafted with hairline mitres and
sturdily fastened for a durable, long life.
Standard features include: Lockable doors, acrylic
safety glass windows, continuous hinges, concealed
mounting brackets and a felt covered grooved panel
that accepts plastic letters with tabs positioned at
1/4'' centers. Use Aarco universal single tab changeable
letters see page 37.
Units are available in natural oak finish or stained
in either walnut or cherry. All have a high gloss clear
lacquer finish.
Add your personalized inscription to any of our
perfectly manufactured cabinets. Headers are white,
opaque acrylic with black cut vinyl letters. Standard
typeface is Clear Gothic. See page 41 for optional
typefaces and customized services.


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Straddling a narrow isthmus created by 60 different volcanoes, New Zealand's former capital boasts scenic beauty, historical interest and a cosmopolitan collection of shops, restaurants, museums, galleries and gardens. Rangitoto, Auckland's largest and youngest volcano, sits in majestic splendour just offshore. Mt. Eden and One Tree Hill, once home to Maori earthworks, overlook the city. One of New Zealand's fine wine districts lies to the north of Auckland.
Auckland served as New Zealand's capital from 1841 until 1865, when the seat of government moved to Wellington. Auckland is often known as the "City of Sails" for the large number of yachts that grace the Waitemata Harbour and the Hauraki Gulf. It could also be known as the "City of Extinct Volcanoes". Much of its natural character comes from the fact that it is built on the Auckland Volcanic Field which consists of about 48 volcanoes. All of the volcanoes are individually extinct but the volcanic field as a whole is not.
What to see in Auckland:


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– Below is Backstage Fallout from last night's SmackDown, featuring CM Punk, The Usos and others:
– Today would have been the 99th birthday of Vince McMahon Sr.
– Chris Jericho tweeted about WWE's mini-tour of Japan this weekend:
"My 44th Japanese tour was a blast! Japan will always be 1 of my favorite countries & I love the people..ARIGATO! Now off to Taiwan! @wwe"
Jericho also commented on a match with Antonio Cesaro he had in Japan:
"Killer match with @AntonioCesaro two nights ago in Tokyo! PPV quality and fighting spirit worthy! #WWETokyo #gambate"
Title Feud for Chris Jericho?, Revealing Pics of Rosa Mendes' Curves, More


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CMS Cancels Medicare Part B
The Obama administration Thursday evening announced it was killing a five-year Medicare initiative that would test new ways of paying for outpatient drugs in an effort to bring those prices down. The CRA has partnered with hundreds of organizations and advocates in opposition of this proposed rule and thank our members for their assistance in participating in our calls to action to protect our ability to provide care to our patients.
To read more about this decision, click here


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Posted by Editor on 02/7/12
Privately held Marin Bikes announces that it has reached agreement for sale to Minestone Limited, a private European-based investment firm. Since its inception in Marin County, California, the birthplace of mountain biking, Marin Bikes has been a cycling innovator.
Robert Buckley, President and Founder of Marin:
"The acquisition of Marin by Minestone will allow us to strengthen our brand through increased investment in product innovation, marketing and human resources.
We will continue to operate from our Novato headquarters in Marin County California, designing and testing on the trails and back roads that have inspired us for over 25 years and serve our network of valued dealers. I greatly look forward to accompanying our talented and dedicated staff during this exciting new phase in our company's history."
Founded in 1986, Marin has pioneered the application of cutting edge materials and production processes to lightweight performance bicycle frames. Sold by specialty retailers in over 40 countries, Marin has international offices in Canada, Switzerland and Taiwan.
|Return to Canadian Cyclist homepage | Back to Top


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75 x 190cm
The pocket sprung unit features individual pocket springs which work independently to react to your body's movement and weight, offering complete support. Sareer's Pocket Memory mattress has a medium feel to it, and is perfect if you are looking for a pocket memory foam mattress with body moulding properties and a good combination of pressure relief and support.
The mattress features a soft knitted fabric. The sensitive memory foam layer provides comfort and support to your shoulders, back and hips, and works in harmony with your body to ensure that you are sleeping in the correct anatomical position, meaning you can wake feeling refreshed and free of any minor aches and pains. Memory foam also offers relief for your pressure points which encourages healthy blood circulation, as well as reducing the need to toss and turn during the night, meaning a deeper and more restful sleep.
The pocket sprung base provides a luxurious feel to your mattress, unlike interconnected coil mattresses, pocket springs work independently of each other, and the flexibility in the pocket springs allows the mattress to respond to the shape, weight, size, movement and sleeping patterns of your body. Pocket sprung mattresses are also an advantage if there is a considerable weight or size difference between you and your partner.
|Mattress Depth
|Spring Type
Pocket Springs
|Spring Count
|Filling Type
Memory Foam
|Comfort Level
Medium Firm
Bedstar offer FREE next working day delivery between the hours of 8am - 6pm to UK mainland addresses. Orders below the value of £299 will incur a charge of £15.
Some areas of the UK mainland do carry a surcharge for delivery, these charges will be clearly shown at checkout once your have submitted your delivery details.
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5) Pricing error: Outdated, discontinued prices on competitor website
6) The product is shown on an affiliate / Comparison website. (The product must be compared on a UK trading website and able to accept payment).
7) Price matches will not be made retrospectively, i.e once an order has already been placed or delivered.
8) Price matches will be made on the same delivery basis as the competitor unless agreed otherwise.
9) To receive the free gift the item must first be delivered into our warehouse.