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Friday 25 January
|Calidris (1)
Breeding and non-breeding adults of the red-necked stint (Calidris ruficollis) are clearly identified by a number of characteristics. The breeding adult of this species has a reddish-brown head with dark brown streaks. Its chin is white, and there is a dark brown smudge in front of each eye that interrupts the white eyebrows. Its white eyebrows are finely streaked with brown, and it has a brown stripe on either side of the head which runs through each eye. The shoulder and upper back feathers of the breeding adult red-necked stint are black in the centre but edged with chestnut brown, compared to its wing-coverts which are greyish-brown with off-white fringing (2).
The top of the head and back of the neck of the non-breeding adult red-necked stint are grey with blackish-brown streaking. Like the breeding adult, it has a brown eye stripe and streaked white eyebrow. Its throat and chin are both white, and the feathers on the wings, shoulders and upper back are greyish-brown with fine white fringing. All adult red-necked stints have white underparts with grey shading on the sides of the breast. The rump and tail are black except for the feathers on the outer tail and sides of the rump which are white. Adults of this species have brown eyes, and a black bill and legs (2).
The juvenile red-necked stint has a white face, throat and underparts, and its pale buff breast is streaked with brown. Its plumage is similar to that of the breeding adult, but with time the chestnut feather fringes on its blackish-brown upperparts fade to greyish-brown (2).
The red-necked stint's call is typically a 'chit', a 'prip' (2), or a descending chatter, 'ti-d-d-do'. During courtship display this species uses deep, repetitive rising notes, 'rrooa rrooa rrooa rrooa', sometimes alternating with a higher 'ek ek ek ek ek' (4).
The red-necked stint forages on the shore and occasionally in shallow water (6), picking rapidly at the ground as it darts between feeding spots. An omnivorous species, it feeds on insects, small invertebrates, molluscs, crustaceans and gastropods, as well as seeds and plants (3).
Relatively little study has been undertaken on the red-necked stint's breeding behaviour. However, it is known that the male's breeding display involves fluttering and gliding over its breeding territory while uttering a repeated call. Following its aerial display, the male drops to the ground with its wings held high in a sharp 'V' above its back (6).
The red-necked stint is a ground-nesting species, typically building its nests on mossy hummocks (6). Built between May and July (4), the nest is shallow and lined with willow leaves. The female red-necked stint generally lays four olive or buff-coloured eggs that are blotched with brown. Incubation is believed to be carried out by both sexes, and is thought to last approximately three weeks. The female often abandons the newly-hatched chicks, which are then looked after solely by the male red-necked stint (6).
As it is a sociable species, the red-necked stint is often found in mixed-species flocks within its non-breeding habitat. It generally occurs with other waders, such as curlew sandpipers (Calidris ferruginea) and sharp-tailed sandpipers (Calidris acuminata) (7).
The red-necked stint's breeding range includes north-eastern Siberia, and northern and western Alaska. Migrating along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, this species spends the summer months in Australia (3). The red-necked stint is considered to be a vagrant species across parts of Europe, east and southern Africa, the United Arab Emirates and Canada (5).
The red-necked stint typically breeds in the tundra, whereas its coastal and intertidal non-breeding habitat includes brackish water, coastal freshwater lakes, mud and salt flats, salt marshes and estuaries (5).
The red-necked stint is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List (1).
Current threats to the red-necked stint are not specific to this species, and include climate change, severe weather, and habitat shifts and alterations (5). The greatest threat to this species is a loss of staging areas available for use during its migration. This threat affects all migratory shorebirds using the flight path known as the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (8).
There are no specific conservation measures currently known for the red-necked stint. However, this species is protected by guidelines that are in place for all migratory shorebirds. The Australian Wildlife Conservation Plan for Migratory Shorebirds defines measures that are needed to support shorebird conservation initiatives along the flyway, focussing on the long-term survival of populations and habitats. The Partnership for the Conservation of Migratory Waterbirds and the Sustainable Use of their Habitats in the East Asian-Australasian Flyway was launched in 2006 to help deliver local capacity building for sustainable ecosystem use (9).
Find out more about the red-necked stint:
More on shorebirds:
More information on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway and its conservation:
This information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact:
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Friday 25 January
Friday 05 October
Monday 24 September


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NIIT Launched Cloud Campus
NIIT Launched Cloud Campus
NIIT Limited, Asia's largest IT trainer,announced a breakthrough initiative 'Cloud Campus', for redefining the education landscape by making available new-age skills, to students across the breadth of the country.
NIIT aims to offer over 100 courses across 300 locations by the end of 2013, thus enabling coverage of over 500,000 students by 2014. NIIT will offer training programs in IT, Banking, Global Finance, Management, Digital & Social Media Marketing, through Cloud CampusTM with innovative learning features. NIIT Cloud CampusTM will empower the youth of the country by providing new-age training programs through the cutting-edge Cloud technology, to make them first day-first hour industry ready professionals.
NIIT Cloud CampusTM harnesses the power of Cloud technology to provide unique features :
* Cloud Classroom - where students can interact and learn from not only the at-location faculty, but more importantly from expert faculty from wherever they are.
* Cloud Courseware - the digital and dynamic courseware enables students to make notes, highlight and review at their convenience.
* Anywhere Lab - providing 24x7 access for hands-on practice on their devices.
* Lesson on Demand - ensuring that students do not have to miss a lesson, even if they miss a class.
* Online Assessments - enabling students take practice tests besides taking industry-level assessments.
* Buddynet Learning - a learning feature that enables collaboration with other students as well as expert faculty, thus making learning a lot more fun.
At NIIT Cloud Campus, you can study a wide range of programmes based on your interest area and current education qualification.
For more information visit : http://www.niitcloudcampus.com/

subset: commoncrawl


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Firefighters extinguished a fire inside an East Temple Street apartment building this evening after finding heavy fire in a basement kitchen apartment.
Firefighters were called to 89 East Temple St. around 6 p.m. and found the fire in the basement apartment. The fire was put out within minutes, the Boylston Fire Department said in a news release.
The fire was contained to the basement apartment in the six-unit building. There was minor smoke damage to other unit.
The tenant of the basement apartment was unable to stay in her home and was taken in by friends. All other tenants were allowed to remain in their homes.
The cause and origin of the fire is under investigation.


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Manchester United replica shirts have become a banned item in Malaysia after local clerics took exception to the presence of a red devil on the club's crest, branding the image "dangerous and un-Islamic", Sky News reports.
Malaysian fans of the team have reacted angrily to the decision, voicing their disapproval on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Some even accused the imams of supporting Liverpool, the Old Trafford club's arch-rivals.
The clerics remain unmoved, arguing that the symbol of the devil on the crest is unacceptable. "This is very dangerous. As a Muslim we should not worship the symbols of other religions or the devils," warned one cleric.
"It will erode our belief in Islam. There is no reason why we as Muslims should wear such jerseys, either for sports or fashion reasons."
The red devil has appeared on Man Utd's crest for decades so it's something of a mystery why the religious objection has surfaced only now, instead of during one of the club's regular off-season, money-making tours of the far East. Manchester United Malaysia Fan Club, which boasts 7,000 members, declined to comment on the ban.
The religious leaders also object to football shirts featuring Christian symbols, such as the cross. The ruling means that national kit of Brazil, Portugal and Serbia is on the banned list along with the club shirt of Barcelona.
Malaysia is religiously moderate but its senior clerics have form in imposing eyebrow-raising bans. For example, one recent edict banned the ancient practice of yoga because of its links to the Hindu faith. ®


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Alex Haley
American biographer, screenwriter, and novelist
Alexander Palmer Haley (11 August 1921 – 10 February 1992) was an American writer most famous for his work Roots: The Saga of an American Family.
- The family is our refuge and our springboard; nourished on it, we can advance to new horizons. In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future.
- As quoted in Traits of a Healthy Family (1985) by Dolores Curran, p. 199.
- Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do. Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children.
- Statement in Reader's Digest (1987), as quoted in Incredibly American : Releasing the Heart of Quality (1992) by Marilyn R. Zuckerman and Lewis J. Hatala, p. 13.
- Either you deal with what is the reality, or you can be sure that the reality is going to deal with you.
- As quoted in My Soul Looks Back, 'Less I Forget : A Collection of Quotations (1993) by Dorothy Winbush Riley.
- In my writing, as much as I could, I tried to find the good, and praise it.
- As quoted in A Kwanzaa Celebration (1995) by Angela Shelf Medearis, p. 154.
- Variant: Find the good — and praise it.
- This motto appears on the emblem of the Medium Endurance Cutter USCGC Alex Haley, named after the writer, as "FIND THE GOOD AND PRAISE IT". It is declared to have been his personal motto.
- Many a young person tells me he wants to be a writer. I always encourage such people, but I also explain that there's a big difference between "being a writer" and writing. In most cases these individuals are dreaming of wealth and fame, not the long hours alone at the typewriter. "You've got to want to write," I say to them, "not want to be a writer."
The reality is that writing is a lonely, private and poor-paying affair. For every writer kissed by fortune, there are thousands more whose longing is never requited. Even those who succeed often know long periods of neglect and poverty. I did.
- "The Shadowland of Dreams"', published in Chicken Soup for the Soul at Work (1996) by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Maida Rogerson, Martin Rutte and Tim Clauss; also in Alex Haley : The Man Who Traced America's Roots (2007), a collection of stories and essays by Haley published in Reader's Digest between 1954 to 1991.
- I knew I wanted to write. I had dreamed about it for years. I wasn't going to be one of those people who die wondering, "What if?" I would keep putting my dream to the test — even though it meant living with uncertainty and fear of failure. This is the Shadowland of hope, and anyone with a dream must learn to live there. If you can't live here, get back to YOUR roots and LEARN to live here!
- "The Shadowland of Dreams".
- Anytime you see a turtle up on top of a fence post, you know he had some help.
- As quoted in A Touch of Class (2003) by Carol Vanderheyden, p. 60.
- You don't spend twenty years of your life in the service and not have a warm, nostalgic feeling left in you … It's a small service, and there's a lot of esprit de corps.
- On his career in the US Coast Guard, as quoted at the official site for the Medium Endurance Cutter USCGC Alex Haley
Roots : The Saga of an American Family (1976)Edit
- Early in the spring of 1750, in the village of Juffure, four days upriver from the coast of The Gambia, West Africa, a manchild was born to Omoro and Binta Kinte.
- Ch. 1, first lines.
- When you clench your fist, no one can put anything in your hand, nor can your hand pick up anything.
- Ch. 51.
TIME interview (1977)Edit
- If I had been taking hashish, I could not have dreamed of this.
- On the popularity of the television series Roots (1977).
- In this country … we are young, brash and technologically oriented. We are all trying to build machines so that we can push a button and get things done a millisecond faster. But as a consequence, we are drawing away from one of the most priceless things we have — where we came from and how we got to be where we are. The young are drawing away from older people.
- Just look at the scores of thousands of housing tracts in this country, where only parents and children live. Think of the impact on these children who will grow up without close proximity to grandparents. There are certain things that a grandmammy or a granddaddy can do for a child that no one else can. It's sort of like Stardust — the relationship between grandparents and children. The lack of this for many children has to have a negative impact on society. The edges of these children are a little sharper for the lack of it. … I tell young people to go to the oldest members of their family and get as much oral history as possible. Many grandparents carry three or four generations of history in their heads but don't talk about it because they have been ignored. And when the young person starts doing this, the old are warmed to the cockles of their souls and will tell a grandchild everything they can muster.
- Have family reunions. There is something magic about the common sense of a blood bond. It's not less magic for black, white, brown or polka dot. The reunion gives a sense that the family cares about itself and is proud of itself. And there is the assumption that you, the family member, are obligated to reflect this pride and, if possible, add to it.
- When you start about family, about lineage and ancestry, you are talking about every person on earth. We all have it; it's a great equalizer. White people come up to me and tell me that Roots has started them thinking about their own families and where they came from. I think the book has touched a strong, subliminal pulse.
- Roots is not just a saga of my family. It is the symbolic saga of a people.
- A plausible statement, but no published source as yet located for it prior to 2007, and though most cite Haley as the author the earliest of these cites it with an obscure attribution to "Benhur R".[citation needed]


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Hanging over the debt ceiling negotiations in Washington has been the threat that the United States could lose its triple-A credit rating, a coveted measure of the federal government's financial strength. But in corporate America, the top rating long ago became an anachronism.
Scores of big corporations have lost their triple-A status in recent years—only four non-financial companies continue to hold the rating—as it became seen in board rooms as more of a straitjacket than a path to riches. Just as many consumers relied on their credit cards to finance a higher standard of living, companies took on more debt to reap bigger returns.
The choice did not appear to hurt them. The borrowing costs of companies with triple-A ratings and those one level below are not that far apart. Investors, in other words, do not see much difference in quality.
"It's like you are going from a Rolls-Royce to a Mercedes—not from a Rolls-Royce to a Yugo," said Chris Orndorff, a senior portfolio manager for the bond giant Western Asset Management. "That's nothing to be ashamed of."
More and more, in fact, companies have found that a triple-A credit rating is not something worth aspiring to if a more conservative approach means lower profits.
Today, markets often render credit judgments before the rating agencies can take out their pens, so a downgrade has a less noticeable effect. By that time, many of the traditional benefits of being deemed triple-A, like lower borrowing costs and reputational glow, have evaporated.
Fab Four
In the early 1980s, around 60 companies had AAA credit. By 2000, the number of AAA companies was about 15. Today just four corporations—Automatic Data Processing , Exxon Mobil , Johnson & Johnson and Microsoft —can claim those once-coveted three initials. (Five big insurers and several government affiliated organizations can too.)
Analysts say corporate buyouts and acquisitions accelerated the trend. Many triple-A companies lost their ratings when they were taken over and their new owners loaded them with cheap debt to help pay for the deal. Other strategic decisions also triggered downgrades.
UPS , for example, struck a long-term agreement with its union workers in fall 2007 that raised pay and benefits but froze certain pension obligations. Soon after, the ratings agencies started knocking down the company's credit rating to double-A because of the new pension arrangement.
"Maintaining a triple-A rating is not a financial goal of this company," a UPS spokesman said at the time. Investors barely reacted. In the three months after the downgrade, yields on UPS bonds responded by increasing about 0.4 percentage point from 5.32 percent. Today, with borrowers enjoying ultra-low interest rates, the bond yields are back to their levels in late 2007.
Meanwhile, the financial crisis and deep recession laid into several of the sturdiest pillars of American capitalism. Berkshire Hathaway, General Electric and Pfizer all lost their triple-A ratings.
Still, a funny thing happened when these companies were sent down to double-A. Investors shrugged off the change; the markets had already rendered their verdict. Borrowing costs for General Electric and Berkshire actually fell in the weeks after they were downgraded in spring 2009, amid a broader market rally.
"The rating agencies were late to the party," said Mr. Orndorff, the bond investor.
Ratings for companies and countries are viewed differently, even if they are evaluated in much the same way.
Unthinkable May Be Inevitable
For most Americans, the prospect that the government could lose its triple-A credit rating is almost unthinkable—a blow to national pride and consumer confidence that could turn out to be more damaging than any increase in borrowing costs.
That is why even after President Obama signed a law on Tuesday that lifted the debt ceiling, some in Washington were worried that the plan's spending cuts were not deep enough to appease all the major rating agencies.
For now, all three major rating firms continue to give the United States a triple-A rating. But on Tuesday, Moody's said its outlook was negative after putting the government on notice last month that it could be downgraded. Fitch said on Tuesday that it planned to complete another review of the government's finances by the end of this month, and Standard & Poor's has warned that the United States might lose its rating if it did not sharply rein in the deficit.
It helps, of course, that the dollar remains the world's leading currency, ensuring that demand for United States debt is strong in spite of the nation's myriad financial challenges.
But the truth is, even as the government maintained its triple-A grade, the markets suggested long ago that the United States was no longer deserving of such a high rating.
The credit-default swap market provided one clue. During the financial crisis in early 2009, the price of insurance that would pay off if the United States government defaulted on its debt was similar to that offered for companies ranked just above junk. Even today, the price of insurance on a government default has been higher than that for Colgate Palmolive, the global toothpaste giant, which has a rating two notches below triple-A.
The economic data also suggests that the United States has higher debt levels than most AAA corporate borrowers. Today, the United States debt as a percentage of the nation's economic output is 75 percent and could top 84 percent by 2013, according to Standard & Poor's research. The typical triple-A-rated country has a ratio of about 11.4 percent.
By contrast, Exxon Mobil and Microsoft each had debt-to-income ratios exceeding 20 percent, while Automatic Data Processing had a ratio of 1.8 percent, according to Capital IQ, a business owned by Standard & Poor's. Johnson & Johnson had a ratio of 92 percent.
But unlike Washington, there is no threat to the triple-A credit rating of Johnson & Johnson. That Johnson, the 125-year-old maker of Tylenol and Listerine, could have a better rating than the country in which it resides would be unusual but not a first
Toyota retained its triple-A rating for several years after a sluggish economy led the rating agencies to start downgrading Japanese government debt in 1998.
Today, a handful of European corporations, like Portugal Telecom or Helecom of Greece, have received higher ratings than their fiscally troubled homelands. That is because a big portion of their revenue comes from foreign customers. In the last few weeks, the ratings agencies have made it clear that lowering the triple-A rating of the United States government was unlikely to cause any triple-A-rated American company to lose its rating—at least in the coming months.
But longer-term, top-flight ratings for American companies could be jeopardized if the government's effort to get its own finances under control caused a slowdown in economic growth.
"What agreement there is on the deficit, and what spending is going to be or not be, will have an impact," said John J. Bilardello, the head of corporate ratings at Standard & Poor's.
A downgrade of a country rating can ripple through other entities that rely on the government for support, potentially raising borrowing costs across the economy. These include mortgage bonds issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as debt sold by dozens of states and counties whose local economies have strong ties to Washington. It also could affect about a dozen insurance companies and too-big-to-fail banks, whose ratings benefit from the perception that the government would bail them out if they ran into trouble again.
But could an American company's credit really be more solid than the full faith and credit of the United States? The ratings agencies may say so one day, but lawmakers and citizens might have a reaction like that of Warren E. Buffett, after his Berkshire Hathaway lost its prized triple-A status in 2009.
"We're still triple-A in my mind," he said.


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HOTTS SPOTTS: Top 7 entertainment stories in Macomb County for 2012
Wow -- 2012 went by fast.
Or maybe it just seems that way because the year was filled with interesting twists and turns -- and plenty of good music -- in the local entertainment scene on the east side in Macomb County.
Here are the Top 7 stories that stood out during the past 12 months:
-- Freedom Hill revival: Andiamo restaurateur Joe Vicari teamed up with casino investor Tom Celani and worldwide concert promoters AEG to rejuvenate Freedom Hill amphitheater, the 7,200-seat outdoor venue in Sterling Heights that had been closed for three years. In addition to pumping $2 million into renovations, the new management team signed up superstar country trio Lady Antebellum as a premiere act for June, along with Harleyfest, and the debut of Stars & Stripes Festival next summer.
-- Stars & Stripes leaves Mount Clemens: Promoters of the Stars & Stripes Festival said the Clem was becoming too expensive to deal with after six years of celebrating summer in city streets so they headed over to join Freedom Hill beginning in 2013. The move allows Funfest Productions to keep the event fee-free and provides more room for attractions, stages and a carnival. Not to be totally left out, Mount Clemens is planning a new but smaller festival to wrap around the pre-Fourth of July fireworks weekend.
-- Emerald Theatre closes: After an 11-year run showcasing everyone from Kid Rock to Alice in Chains, financial woes forced the foreclosure of the historic one-time vaudeville theater that had helped revive downtown Mount Clemens in the 2000s. The building has a new owner who is working on a long-overdue face lift for the place and should be hosting live music in the next few months. The new Emerald will have some company as Three Blind Mice and other new venues are expected to also open in early 2013.
-- Emagine Theater comes to Macomb (maybe): Emagine Entertainment sent local movie lovers' hearts aflutter when word came the company was going to build its first Macomb County location in St. Clair Shores, a 12-screen multimillion facility that had failed to find a home in Grosse Pointe. But before the curtain could open, Emagine announced it didn't like the tentative location and is now eyeballing various properties in neighboring Roseville for a site.
-- Beach Grill closes: After 15 years as one of Macomb County's best-known summer nightlife hangouts, the Beach Grill in St. Clair Shores closed after its big summer-ending bash and has been sold to neighboring Jefferson Beach Marina. Known for its 5,000-square-foot waterfront deck on Lake St. Clair and interior 700-square-foot dance floor, the Grill was a great attraction. Word is the new owners plan to come up with a new restaurant for next summer.
-- "Red Dawn" makes it to the big screen: Three years after it was shot in Royal Oak, Mount Clemens, Harper Woods and other metro Detroit locations, the "Red Dawn" remake finally made it to theaters. Financial woes and other issues were the cause of the delay, during which time "Dawn" actors Josh Peck and Chris Hemsworth became stars in other movies, adding some gravatas to "Red Dawn." Regardless of the story and its politics, it was cool to see so many local locations on the big screen. Maybe the DVD will have more behind-the-scenes footage.
-- Kid Rock plays Santa: Always known as a congenial host, Romeo native Kid Rock took his generosity to new levels this year. Not only did he put on a unique concert to help raise $1 million for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in May, he donated $250,000 to the Detroit Historical Museum for an interactive music display and worked with Pulte Homes to provide a new mortgage-free home in Macomb Township to a local soldier who was wounded in combat. And those are only the things we know about because chances are very good KR has done other good deeds that receive no PR.
As you can see, several of the tops stories will play into next year, which means even more great entertainment for 2013. Happy New Year!


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To overcome Pirates' past, Hurdle focused on present
Manager trying to end team's drought of 20 consecutive losing seasons
Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle emphasizes today.
During his time as a big league manager, first in Colorado and now in Pittsburgh, Hurdle has always shunned talk about yesterday or tomorrow.
"You don't want to be distracted about what has happened or what could happen," he has said in the past.
The past two decades have certainly been a distraction for the Pirates, particularly the last two years. The Pirates have endured 20 consecutive losing seasons, and what made the last two so painful is that what appeared to be an end to the drought disappeared in a second-half fade.
To the credit of Hurdle and the Pirates players, there has been no sign of a hangover this year.
The Pirates went into Saturday with a 55-36 record, one win shy of the most the franchise has ever had at the All-Star break. The Pirates were 56-31 at the break in 1971 on the way to a World Series championship.
The three previous times the Pirates have had at least 55 wins at the All-Star break they have won a division title -- 1971, 1972 and 1975.
Not only have the Pirates set a pro sports team record for consecutive losing seasons, but their drought is more than twice as long as any other current losing streak in baseball. Kansas City has endured nine consecutive losing seasons. Next? Cleveland, Houston and the New York Mets have had four in a row.
Since the Pirates' last winning season (1992), Major League Baseball has added four teams -- Colorado, Arizona, Tampa Bay and Miami. Not only have each of them had winning seasons, but they have each gone to the World Series during the Pirates' drought, and Miami (1997 and 2003) and Arizona (2001) have won titles.
The Pirates haven't won a World Series since 1979. During that 35-year drought, 19 other teams have claimed World Series titles, including six for the Yankees and three for St. Louis.
Washington/Montreal, the Chicago Cubs and Seattle are the only other franchises to have not advanced to a World Series since that last Pirates championship. The Nationals did get to the postseason in 1981 as the Montreal Expos and last year. Seattle was in the postseason in 1995, 1997, 2000 and 2001. The Cubs were postseason participants in 1984, 1989, 1998, 2003, 2007 and 2008.
Miami mystery
Washington right-hander Stephen Strasburg was gone after two innings at Miami on Friday in what was the least effective start of his career. For the second time, Strasburg worked only two innings. He was removed after two innings against Atlanta on May 31, but that was because of a strained oblique.
On Friday he was lifted after a 66-pitch, two-inning struggle in which he threw only 33 strikes and gave up seven runs on five hits and four walks. It was only the 10th time in his career that Strasburg worked fewer than five innings.
The seven runs equaled his career high. He also gave up seven runs against the Marlins on Sept. 28, 2012.
The Marlins are a mystery for Strasburg. He has allowed five or more runs only six times in his career, and three of those have been against Miami. He gave up five runs against the Marlins on Sept. 7, 2012. He is 0-3 in those three games, charged with 19 earned runs in 10 innings. Strasburg, however, is 5-0 in his eight other career starts against the Marlins and has allowed only five runs total in 47 1/3 innings. Don't overreact to Strasburg's 5-7 record this year. He does have a 2.99 ERA, and in his six no-decisions he has allowed only 10 runs in 36 innings.
Powerful statement
Baltimore first baseman Chris Davis hit his Major League-leading 36th homer on Saturday to become the fourth player in history with at least that many by the All-Star break. Davis, however, has appeared in more games (94) prior to the break than any of the others.
Barry Bonds, who has the pre-All-Star record of 39 home runs in 2001, played in 81 games prior to the break that year. Mark McGwire played in 80 games and hit 37 home runs prior to the break in 1998, and Reggie Jackson was in 91 games and hit 37 home runs before the break in 1969. The two others with 35 home runs at the break were Luis Gonzalez, who appeared in 87 pre-break games in 2001, and Ken Griffey Jr., who appeared in 88 games in 1998.
None of the five who previously had 35 home runs at the break hit as many post-break home runs.
Bonds, who hit 34 after the break in 2001 en route to a record 73 home runs, and McGwire, who hit 33 after the break in 1998, are the only two of the five who wound up leading the Major Leagues in home runs.
Jackson hit 10 post-break home runs in 1969, finishing behind Harmon Killebrew (49) and Frank Howard (48) for the Major League home run lead. Gonzalez, who hit 22 home runs after the break in 2001, and Griffey, who hit 21 in 1998, also finished third in the Majors in home runs those seasons.
Unfinished work
Two of the longest streaks in baseball without a complete game ended this week. On Tuesday, Wily Peralta went distance for Milwaukee against Cincinnati, ending the Brewers' streak of 407 games without a complete game.
On Saturday, Tyler Chatwood was credited with complete game in 1-0 loss against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, the Rockies' first in 300 games. The Rockies' last two complete games have been eight-inning efforts in losses. Chatwood's was the first since Jhoulys Chacin's 2-1, eight-inning effort at Cincinnati on Aug. 11, 2011.
The Rockies have gone 364 games without a complete-game victory, dating to Ubaldo Jimenez's four-hit, 3-0 win at Los Angeles on June 1, 2011. That was Jimenez's first win in his 10th start of the 2011 season.
The longest streak without a complete game now belongs to Baltimore, which goes into Sunday having gone 192 games since Jason Hammel went the distance in 5-0 win at Atlanta on June 16, 2012.
Out of left field
Sports historian Maury Brown reports that Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips of the Reds joined Steve Garvey and Davey Lopes (1979-80 Dodgers), Pete Rose and Manny Trillo (1982 Phillies), Jeff Bagwell and Craig Biggio (1997 Astros) and Prince Fielder and Rickie Weeks (2011 Brewers) as teammates elected to start at first and second on the same National League All-Star squads.


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As a part of Concordia University's commitment to academic excellence, Concordia holds an annual President's Academic Showcase of Undergraduate Research. The competition is a chance for top students to work one-on-one with a faculty mentor on an undergraduate research project that the student chooses.
The competition is inter-disciplinary, drawing entries from biology, English, theology, behavioral sciences, music, theater, education, business, communications, psychology, art, chemistry, history, anthropology, linguistics and mathematics. A panel of faculty, selected from across the disciplines, serves as judges for the showcase.
There are two levels of competition: Tier One for upperclassman and Tier Two for freshmen and sophomores. Over $5000 in prizes are awarded, with a Tier One first place prize of $1500.
There are three components to the competition: a research paper, an academic poster and an oral presentation.
Students prepare a research paper up to 25 pages in length, designed to be sufficiently scholarly in use of literature, choice of methodology, and discussion of results and implications.
Students also prepare an academic poster to display their results which should be sufficiently accessible in language, style, and presentation.
Five finalists for the competition are invited to give twenty-minute oral presentations of their work. Winners are invited to represent Concordia by presenting their research at an inter-collegiate undergraduate research conference the following fall.
Congratulations to all of the 2020 Showcase participants!
View Finalists
Read more: "Contest Showcases Undergraduate Academic Work."
Dr. Erin Nelson, Academic Showcase Coordinator


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As the poet Robert Burns once reminded us, the best laid plans are simply those: plans. In politics, plans are always changing to accommodate a political reality that in the information age can shift directions faster than a wildfire. This was certainly true on Sept. 26 during the first presidential debate of the 2008 general election. The forum was supposed to have been focused on foreign policy, but the first third or more of the meeting necessarily focused on the worsening news from America's financial sector and what Washington should or could do to fix its problems.
The red-hot news cycle means that there is even more reason to make sure that in the remaining debates voters have some opportunity to see not only the candidates' responses to the press of events, but also their personal philosophies, the underlying political principles that will guide their decisions as president. To that end, America's editors recently presented ten sets of questions on foreign policy for the consideration of the moderators and candidates. Below are ten similar sets of questions focused on domestic concerns. The next meeting between the candidates on October 7 will be conducted in a "town hall" format, the topics chosen at random by the citizen-questioners. The final debate on October 15 will be a moderated forum with questions from journalists on domestic policy. At least, that is the current plan.
1. Both of you have spoken of greed as one cause of the current financial crisis. In your judgment what is the difference between greed and a morally legitimate pursuit of profits in a capitalist system?
2. Do you believe that the current financial crisis is an inevitable consequence of an inherent boom/bust tension within capitalism, or could it have been avoided? If it could have been avoided, how? What steps might you take as president to ensure the American people that it will not happen again?
3. Since the days of the Carter administration, deregulation has been a bipartisan policy. Yet if government regulations for financial institutions had required more transparency and clearer disclosure to borrowers as well as investors, many argue that the present crisis may have been averted. Do you support re-regulating the financial sector to require more transparency by banks and marketers of securities?
4. The cost of the projected buyout of the financial markets is an astonishing $700 billion. The federal treasury may recover the majority of that money through the future re-sale of the securities it will purchase. Yet is likely that $100 billion or more of the taxpayers' money is gone forever. Can you explain to the American people why the federal government appears to have $100 billion or more to spend on this bailout while voters are also told that the government does not have the $50-60 billion required to extend universal health coverage to every American? Can you explain how the federal government can morally justify this bailout while simultaneously seeking to reduce Medicaid spending by $15 billion over the next five years?
5. There has been much fear in recent weeks that the current financial crisis may cause a recession that would rival the Great Depression in its severity. Yet for many Americans that is a merely academic question. Thirty-six million Americans already live in poverty, 15 million in extreme poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Thirty-five million Americans are classified as food insecure, meaning they cannot afford groceries. According to government figures, 16 million American households either paid more for rent than the federal government considers affordable or live in crowded or substandard housing. In your judgment, do these statistics also represent a failure of America's economic system? Do you believe that they present the world's wealthiest nation with a moral challenge? If so, why are these concerns seemingly absent from our national political debate?
6. There are currently 12 million undocumented workers in the United States. Raids of workplaces by federal officials as well as the rate of deportations have increased dramatically, frequently resulting in the separation of children from their parents. One U.S. Catholic bishop has said, "The humanitarian costs of these raids are immeasurable and unacceptable in a civilized society." Do you agree with this statement? If so, what steps would you take to address this concern?
7. Both of you have spoken of the importance of faith in your lives and about how faith affects your worldviews and your judgments. Both of you have also said that it is not appropriate for a political leader to "impose" his or her moral or religious views on others. What do you believe constitutes such an imposition? Is it consistent, for instance, for a political leader to denounce the immorality of torture but reserve his or her moral judgment on abortion?
8. Currently, over 100 new coal-burning power plants are in the planning stages in the United States, yet the burning of coal is a major contributor to global warming. You have both spoken of the need for a new national effort, similar in kind to the space program of the 1960s, to develop cleaner, greener technologies. Do you believe that such a major national effort will require an economic or political sacrifice on the part of America's energy industries? Will it require a personal sacrifice on the part of individual Americans? If so, what?
9. Only 25 countries in the world carried out state-sponsored executions last year. Of these, the most state-sponsored executions took place in China, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sudan and the United States. Are you comfortable with the United States keeping this company? Does the fact that capital punishment is a practice we share only with some of the world's most oppressive regimes give you pause?
10. Do you believe that it is ever morally permissible to create a human life, for any purpose, with the certain knowledge that such a life will be deliberately destroyed? In your judgment, what are the moral criteria that must be met to justify the deliberate taking of a human life?


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Blaze Pizza is such a perfect place to have a fundraiser that even if you weren't thinking of having a fundraiser, you might want to start an organization just to raise some funds here. It's a great place for your group to connect, and the pizzas pretty much just sell themselves. And with every purchase made, a percentage is donated back to your organization. Sold? Good. See you and your fantastic supporters at your fundraiser soon.
Here's how it works.
We provide customized flyers inviting supporters to the event, you distribute them.
During the event, your guests present the flyers (printed out or on their cell phones) when they order their fast-fire'd creation.
After the event, Blaze Pizza will put a check in the mail for 20% of net sales that your event brings in (excluding alcohol sales). All you have to do is open the mailbox. And open the letter. And then sign the check. And then put it in the bank. We're making it sound complicated. It's not.


text: Our Politics Magazines is an excellent source for news about politics. Magazine Land has magazines which covers topics about politics and current events, providing readers with info on national and international affairs. We also have magazines which deals with foreign policy and international affairs, has provided government and business leaders, students, and the general public with insightful, thought-provoking analysis on world events.


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New Hampshire leads a multistate effort to address state technology challenges.
Tech czars from all six New England states have joined forces to address mutual technology challenges and ways to cut computing expenses.
The conglomerate — dubbed the New England State CIO Collaboration — has had two meetings to talk about technology organization, strategy and what common ground exists between them. Specific topics discussed included cloud computing, enterprise architecture, cybersecurity, mobile strategy and procurement.
According to Rebecca Bolton, IT manager of the agency software division within the New Hampshire Department of Information Technology, one of the group's main objectives is to establish a regional approach for negotiating with vendors that achieves lower costs for software and maintenance contracts.
"Many of us are facing the same budgetary constraints, the need to be much more aggressive with allowing employees to use newer technologies — tablets, iPhones, iPads — how we are all handling that implementation and research," Bolton said. "Essentially we're trying to learn from each other and leverage procurements better, because we'd be a larger buyer as a region than an individual state."
Started in November and spearheaded by New Hampshire CIO Stanley "Bill" Rogers, the collaboration is still in its infancy. Meeting attendees consist of each state's CIO, along with one or two additional state technology representatives, plus guests.
Bolton called the first meeting's structure "fairly chaotic," with CIOs dumping out ideas and issues as they surfaced. But she said the second meeting was more productive, with each state's representatives providing an overview of their individual technology issues and a road map for work on cloud platforms, data center consolidation and mobile computing. In addition, three subcommittees were formed during that second meeting to look at server virtualization, multistate procurements and Oracle licensing agreements.
A third meeting is tentatively scheduled for July or August. Potential topics of discussion include consolidation of credit card processing, state versus municipal collaboration, performance management and transparency. Reports from the recently formed subcommittees are also expected this summer.
Bolton said the group is fairly informal, so other goals are being formulated as the process continues. There is no established charter and nothing discussed at the meetings is binding for any state, she added.
But by getting all the states' technology issues on the table, Bolton feels the group potentially could find more opportunities for collaboration and discover existing areas where they can work together.
"To some extent there is already some of this collaboration happening, it's just not very formal and we don't even all know about it," she said. "Some states don't realize they can utilize another state's purchasing agreement with [a vendor]. So we're trying to educate ourselves and stay in sync with the opportunities out there."
Looking for the latest gov tech news as it happens? Subscribe to GT newsletters.


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New products introduced over the last week include a dividend income fund from RiverNorth and retail access to an equity hedge ETF from AdvisorShares.
In addition, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) will sell SEC-registered covered bonds at the end of August.
Here are the latest developments of interest to advisors:
1) RiverNorth Launches Dividend Income Fund With Manning & Napier
RiverNorth Capital Management announced Tuesday the launch of a new mutual fund, the RiverNorth/Manning & Napier Dividend Income Fund (RNDIX, I shares; RNMNX, R shares). The fund will be subadvised by Manning & Napier Advisors.
The fund's investment objective will be total return consisting of long-term capital appreciation and income, with assets allocated between a tactical closed-end fund equity strategy, which will primarily invest in equity closed-end funds, and a dividend focus strategy, which will primarily invest in dividend-paying common stocks of mid- to large-cap companies. RiverNorth will manage the tactical closed-end fund equity strategy, while Manning & Napier will manage the dividend focus strategy.
2) AdvisorShares Offers Retail Access to Equity Hedge ETF
In a bid to attract retail investors who want access to the institutional hedge fund universe, AdvisorShares announced that the QAM Equity Hedge ETF (QEH) opened for trading Wednesday on the New York Stock Exchange.
The exchange-traded fund, which is subadvised by Memphis-based Commerce Asset Management (CAM), employs an actively managed long/short strategy that uses the HFRI Equity Hedge (Total) Index as its benchmark. The net expense ratio for QEH is 1.64%.
Click here for the rest of the story on AdvisorOne.
3) RBC Prepares to Sell Its First SEC-Registered Covered Bonds to U.S. Market
Royal Bank of Canada will offer SEC-registered covered bonds at the end of August in the U.S. market, becoming the first foreign bank to issue covered bonds in the country that are publicly registered with the agency. The process of registering with the SEC is complex, so it is unlikely that other Canadian banks will follow suit. However, banks in the U.K. and Europe that already hold SEC registration are said to be following the process.
During the first week of the month, RBC received a nonobjection letter from the SEC, making it possible to move forward with the bonds as early as the end of the month. While the bank already offers covered bonds, these will be the first to be eligible for inclusion in major bond indices rather than being governed by Rule 144a. That rule restricts the $92 billion so far issued in covered bonds to institutional investors and does not allow them in the TRACE trading system or in most bond indices.
Read the Aug. 3 Portfolio Products Roundup at AdvisorOne.


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Jennifer Aniston Interview March 2014 (Video)
Jennifer Aniston Opens Up About Her Inner Circle and Beauty Missteps
Jennifer Aniston is teaming up with Aveeno Active Naturals on the brand's new line of products, and when we sat down with the actress in Beverly Hills, she insisted her famously flawless skin is the product of keeping things surprisingly simple. Of course, it's clear there's much more to the brand of calm joy Jennifer radiates than just her outward appearance; the actress is a longtime devotee of meditation and yoga, has an inner circle of inspiring female friends, and has found an equally creative partner in fiancé Justin Theroux, who she says is a "great advice-giver" and her "sounding board." Watch our conversation with Jennifer to hear more about what she's learned from her closest relationships, the beauty myth she'll never buy into again, and her plans to direct.


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Rider's Inn B&B
Warmth and friendliness are hallmarks of the hospitality you receive at the Rider Inn, who have been welcoming friends since 1812.
Stay at a Willoughby, Ohio Bed and Breakfasts and Inns for the personal attention you desire. A Willoughby B&B is a great alternative to hotels or motels while visiting the state of Ohio!
Visit our Willoughby, Ohio bed and breakfast directory of historic, romantic, and adventure B&B's. You can browse through our detailed listings of Willoughby, Ohio bed and breakfasts and inns with nearby city listings that include pictures, room rates, booking information and area activities. Every Willoughby, Ohio b&b inns has complete contact information and a direct link to the innkeepers.


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Anemia Drugs for Cancer Patients Increase Death Risk
TUESDAY, Feb. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Drugs designed to fight fatigue and other symptoms associated with cancer treatment-related anemia may do more harm than good, especially if given in the wrong doses.
The drugs -- erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) -- increase the risk of death by 10 percent and the risk of blood clots known as venous thromboembolisms (VTE) by 57 percent, according to a review published in the Feb. 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
"What we've done here is put together the totality of the evidence and found two things that are concerning: The increased risk of VTE and the increased risk of mortality," said the review's lead author, Dr. Charles Bennett, the A.C. Beuhler professor of geriatric medicine at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.
ESAs -- erythropoietin (Epogen, Procrit) and darbepoetin (Aranesp) -- work by stimulating the bone marrow to produce new red blood cells, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. They are used to treat anemia caused by chemotherapy and to treat anemia in people with chronic kidney disease who are on dialysis.
This isn't the first time health experts have raised concerns about these medications. In kidney patients, past research has found that if these drugs are used to raise hemoglobin levels above 12 grams per deciliter of blood, the risk of death increases. And past cancer research has suggested that the drugs may be associated with more rapid tumor growth and an increased risk of death.
Due to these concerns, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last year had the drugs' manufacturers add a "black box" warning to the medications. The warning indicates that the medications should be used at the lowest possible doses to avoid risks such as blood clots, heart attacks, stroke, congestive heart failure, increased tumor growth and an increased risk of death. The FDA also recommended that the medications be prescribed at the lowest doses possible because trials generally indicated an increased risk when blood levels were raised above 12 grams per deciliter.
However, not everyone is convinced that these drugs do more harm than good.
"If you use ESAs the way they're supposed to be used, I really don't see clinically what they're talking about in the trials," said Dr. Jay Brooks, chairman of hematology/oncology at Ochsner Health System in Baton Rouge, La. "Many of the trials that changed the FDA prescribing guidelines were done in Europe and outside the guidelines of the U.S."
"I still think ESAs are extraordinarily useful and safe medications when used in an efficacious manner. I would be treated with these agents if I had cancer," Brooks said.
The new study included 51 phase 3 clinical trials completed between 1985 and 2005. Survival was evaluated in 13,613 people with cancer, and the risk of VTE was evaluated in 8,172 people with cancer. The type of cancer varied widely from study to study.
Overall, Bennett and his colleagues found the risk of VTE increased 57 percent in people taking ESAs, and the risk of mortality increased 10 percent in people on these medications.
"At the end of the day, these data are very provocative and it's important for people that make clinical guidelines to review the data," said Bennett, who's also a hematologist/oncologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago.
"Patients should be informed of the risks and benefits of these drugs," he added.
More information
Here's what the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has to say about ESAs.


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I want to know where I should offer my tithe. My pastor (who is not in the OPC), told me that I must give my tithe offering to the church I'm attending (the "local church" he termed it). When I search through the Bible, however, it seems that God only says that I should give my tithe to the Church, but not as strict as to the "local church."
I really want to know what God says through the Bible (I have my opinion, but, am not sure since my pastor has a different argument). Right now I send my tithe to another church (different from my local church), and that church uses my tithe to support some missionaries for unreached people. Please advise.
Your question is difficult to answer because I don't know the particular circumstances out of which you're speaking. I will try to suggest some important principles that will guide you.
The only specific Scripture ordinarily cited here is Malachi 3:8-12, particularly verse 10, but to immediately transfer the "storehouse" to the local church is problematic. Malachi wrote after the return of the Jews from the captivity. The temple was rebuilt, and their tithes were possibly brought in kind, i.e. wheat, barley, and wine. And, more importantly, there was but one "church." Even under the law of Moses tithes were brought to the place where the tabernacle residedShiloh in Ephraim, then in the City of David in Jerusalem, and finally in Solomon's Temple. It was the place where God's "Name" (the Ark of the Covenant) was found. Since Pentecost, however, there is no one place where His Name is; rather, His Name is in the hearts of His people wherever they assemble to worship.
And to confound the matter, there are thousands of places for worshipindependent churches and denominations, all the way from those who have become "synagogues of Satan" (Rev. 2:9), having abandoned the Word of God and the gospel, to churches of impurity, to those who stand on the Word of God alone as the only infallible rule of faith and practice. Only in the day of Judgment will the mixture be sorted out.
The OPC is not a collection of independent churches, but a unified denomination with creeds that we believe summarize all essential biblical truth. We do not, however, consider ourselves to be the only true church. There are many denominations varying in the way they understand the same Bible and of these denominations we recognize as true churches those who hold to basic Christian teaching centered in the one Christ and His cross.
Now where should our tithes go? First of all, every church or denomination is a voluntary association of professing Christians, and almost all have budgets and seek to collect money for the purpose of supporting God's work. Using the OPC as an example, we have programs for missions at home and abroad. We adopt budgets, including diaconal budgets for the poor and unfortunate at home and abroad. In other words, we aim to fulfill the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19 & 20 and other forms of the same imperative) and its implications.
The local church in which I serve budgets to support these various programs of missions and ministries of mercy. So it is logical and proper that our tithes should, to a large degree, go to the programs with which our church or denomination are involved. The OPC, however, does not "tax" its people, because all giving is voluntary (see 2 Cor. 8:9 and 9:6-15). Supporting our own church or denomination doesn't mean that we cannot support churches or ministries that are not under our church's supervision, but it seems to me that it is reasonably Scriptural that we primarily support the programs of the church or denomination to which we belong.
There, however, are exceptions: The OPC came into existence over the practice of our "mother denomination" to send out foreign missionaries who were not true to the Word of God. They preached good farming and other things helpful to poorer nations, but they didn't preach Christ or the biblical gospel. So a group of ministers and elders within the church formed an "Independent Board for Presbyterian Foreign Missions." They sent out Presbyterian missionaries and paid for their support. These ministers and elders were charged with the sin of not supporting the boards and agencies of their own church, were tried, and, with one exception, were divested of their ministerial or elder credentials. Out of that situation the OPC (though with a different name at first) came into being.
We don't assign quotas. We don't "tax" our people. But through all the years of our existence we've used the resources of voluntary giving to send missionaries around the world and to fund small groups of worshipers who cannot afford a pastor till they can become self-supporting. And God has blessed our efforts.
May I suggest that your unhappiness with the church you are in may stem from the fact (if it is a fact) that you are unhappy with the way it uses your tithes. Your problem may be that you are in the wrong church. Perhaps I'm wrong. If so, forgive me for the "shot in the dark."
Or it may be that your church is an independent church. That is, it is not aligned with any denomination. There are thousands of such. These churches may also have a zeal for missions. Being independent, they tend to support independent missionary agencies. The problem with independency in local churches and missionary agencies is the problem of accountability. They may choose their own favorite doctrines and downplay those they don't accept. (I speak of true, biblical doctrines.)
And with the use of radio and television, popular religionists drag money from their hearers without an ounce of accountability. In recent years there has been a lot of scandal from such sources.
I don't say that these independent churches and missions agencies don't preach the Gospel of Christ. What I do say is that the possibility of becoming rich through the modern media can corrupt certain persuasive preachers to rake in millions for which they are accountable to no one. A God-fearing denomination at least must be accountable for what it does with your tithes! And I think it's biblical not to enrich such preachers. We are just stewards of the wealth of God's world.
So, to bring this to a close: No, you are not required to give all your tithes to the church to which you belong, but, if that church doesn't properly use the tithes you bring, you may be in the wrong church, and there are choices out there.
First, however, if that is the problem, use persuasion before leaving. Unless yours is a bad church, you should not leave it without giving your reasons to the spiritual rulers of the church. I presume you took vows to join it. Don't just walk away without first giving them a chance to persuade you otherwise. I was an active pastor for fifty-five years. And that was commonly the practice of some who took solemn vows and then "voted (otherwise) with their feet." That's a terrible thing because of how God regards the sacredness of vows.
"Questions and Answers" is a weekly feature of the OPC website. The answers come from individual ministers in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church expressing their own convictions and do not necessarily represent an "official" position of the Church, especially in areas where the Standards of the Church (the Scriptures and the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms) are silent.
The questions come from individuals like yourself. If you have questions about biblical and theological matters, you are invited to send them by e-mail by using the "Pose a Question" link on the OPC home page or by clicking here.
At least one new question is posted each week, so there should always be something new here for you to read. (For those people who would like to look at previous questions and answers, they will continue to be available as well.)
The purpose of the OPC website's "Questions and Answers" is to respond to biblical and theological questions. Matters of church discipline, disputes, or debates go beyond the scope of our work. We recommend that you present your concerns in these areas to the appropriate judicatory. In most cases this will be to a local pastor, elder, or session. We do not want the website to replace personal involvement in, or commitment to, the local, visible church.
While we will respond to every serious questioner, we are not bound to give a substantive answer to every question, should we deem the question to be beyond the scope of our purpose or our own ability to answer.
You will receive an answer by e-mail. Please be patient as many of our respondents are busy pastors. The response to your question may take up to two (2) weeks. Some of the questions submitted will be chosen to be posted here, along with the corresponding answers.
Note that the "Questions and Answers" posted on the site have been editedall personal references are removed, Scripture references or from some source may be added, and sometimes portions are expandedto make the questions and answers more useful to a larger audience.
|© 2020 The Orthodox Presbyterian Church
Chaplains and Military Personnel


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Welcome to Northwest Winds Kites and Toys On-Line
We offer factory direct prices and selection on top quality kites, tails, toys, wind décor, and banners. Come see us at the Turnaround in Seaside or at the D River Wayside in Lincoln City, Oregon.
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Kite flying is fun. We take our business seriously, but always remember that what we are selling is the joy and awe of flying. If you don't have a smile on your face, we aren't doing our jobs!
Copyright © 2020 Gomberg Kite Productions International Inc. All rights reserved.


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Well, those ever-expanding genre polls over at Wonders in the Dark continue…and next on their docket is the Top Sci-fi films. Below is the list I submitted, and in the coming weeks and months they will be unveiling their list after all the votes are tabulated. I went with a fairly liberal definition for sci-fi, hence some genre-bending monster and horror films made the cut (but alas, no Leprechaun in Space!). Also making the cut are films like Being John Malkovich, as I saw in the film a "scientific" explanation for how people were able to enter the head of John Malkovich…an unnerving "fiction" for sure!
Sci-fi films from the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's (along with Universal Monster movies from the 30's) ruled my childhood as they were shown in endless loops on local television on the weekends…so there are many sentimental favorites here. The list topper, from one Stanley Kubrick, should come as no surprise for my readers, as it is also a film I routinely name in my revolving Top Five Films of All Time. Coming in at number 2, might surprise some, as it's also a Universal Monster classic…James Whale's Frankenstein, a great film based on Mary Shelley's trailblazing sci-fi-by-way-of-parental-wish-fulfillment-nightmare gothic novel.
The best science fiction films typically tap into some disturbed psychology and common fears…hence its natural and seamless blend with horror (see Alien). Satire, both gentle and militant, mixed with science fiction can also be potent (see the works of Jonze and Verhoeven and Miller). At its most noble, science fiction allows us to dream bigger dreams (see the best of Spielberg and Nolan).
I'll let the rest of the list below speak for itself – links provided to more detailed write-ups and reviews of applicable films provided by clicking the title. Continue reading


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Home > IWAI Waterways Discussion Forum > Topic > Page 5
New Maps - Ireland Shannon G2
Posted by N Griffin
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[quote Philip Conaty]Thanks for that , Noel. Looks like I'll have to raid the piggy bank
unless the christmas list hints produce a result. What would you
recommend as the best option to show track and routes, without
breaking the bank?
For a fixed unit the GpsMap 451 which also includes preloaded coastal charts of Ireland and UK, or slightly more expensive, but portable and has it's own battery is the GpsMap 620 which does not come with any charts. These are both proper waterproof marine units that support waypoints, routes and tracklogs unlike the Nuvi's which can only display the charts. Some Nuvi's cannot display spot depths.
Thanks Richard and Ralf for kind comments (embarressed)!
We'll stick to Garmin, cause plotters that run Navionics like Raymarine can be pricey. I also prefer the way Garmin plotters work, they are just so easy to use compared to competition and imho render marine charts better.
We may release an iPhone app next year with the charts (ie sort of Nuvi mode to display the charts but no navigation functions). Smart phones are not water nor shock proof, and eat batteries, but a nice to have in yer pocket if it's cheap enough. If we do iPhone we will probably also cover Android as those two OS's are dividing the entire smart phone market between them. RIM and Nokia are taking a severe battering as the other two conquer all before them.
[u]OF's recommendation for shannon charts for folks who don't already have a Garmin plotter:[/u]
Gpsmap 451, 451s, 551, 551s, 556, 556s
Gpsmap 620 (portable touch screen with battery - the replacement for the excellent 276C)
Gpsmap 750, 750s (mid sized 7" screen for folks wanting a bigger display)
[u]Charts work really well on older Garmin plotters such as:[/u]
Gpsmap 276C (portable with battery)
Gpsmap 2010, 2006, 2106, 2110 (large fixed plotters)
Gpsmap 172, 178, 182, 188, 192, 292 (small fixed plotters)
The GpsMap 276C has proven inland and if you have one of these I wouldn't change it, it's probably the best small plotter Garmin ever produced.
Gpsmap 76C and 76Cx will be supported in the future via file downloads as they do not take SD data cards
Nuvi's work with varying degrees of success (ie some won't display spot depths at any zoom level), but will display map including colour depth shades and give situational awareness.
My personal picks for most inland boaters is the 451 or 620, but if you have a 276C don't change.
Have fun.
Hi Ocean Froggie, Les, and Kevin and others,
I do not own any Garmin stuff at all.I use a lappy in xp or a mac with OSX .
Will Open CPN
(www.bigdumboat.com) run these fine Shannon creations?
Presently I can run CM93 vector and French SHOM charts plus all the free American, Brazilian, Dutch etc stuff on openCPN.
Also gpsNavX is an app I use on the iTouch.I get position after a struggle!
It's necessary to create a relayed GPS signal over Wi-Fi by using an ad-hoc wireless setup with Franson GPS gate to relay.
Nice to hear you guys are getting along well?
Hi Noel
Great work with the charts. I have my Nuvi ID ready and an SD card. How can I get them to you and how much do I send. (I can do Paypal or cheque whichever you prefer)
My boat is currently on the Barrow line but I am heading over towards the Derg next week (depending on weed I could be there next weekend or it could take a fortnight)
Ashford Star
They even work on the new Nuvi specially designed for the ever so special U boat`s............sure even PJ admitted he liked them!!.
[quote ralf]They even work on the new Nuvi specially designed for the ever so special U boat`s............sure even PJ admitted he liked them!!.
BTW,This photo was taken on the Derg famous "les" family barge..............i dont think i met a nicer guy this week,HBA personified!!
A most wonderful bunch of people
[attachment 846 DSCF1463.JPG][/quote]
[quote Dermot { LECARROW LASS }]no depths on new nuvi.[/quote]
Correction, no spot depths but there is depth information in the form of colour shaded depth areas and contours at 2m and 5m. Some newer nuvis won't display spot depths in digits.
On 1 August 2010 20:28, IWAI forum OceanFroggie
> Posted at: http://www.iwai.ie/forum/read.php?1,20636,23156#msg-23156
> OceanFroggie wrote:
> no depths on new nuvi.
> Correction, no spot depths but there is depth information in the form of
> colour shaded depth areas and contours at 2m and 5m. Some newer nuvis won't
> display spot depths in digits.
Size doesn't matter on board a U-Boat, or even an M-Boat?
Les has the biggest .......... "gps" on the shannon.
Suppose it's important to keep the size of the chart plotter in proportion to such a large and wonderful vessel.
Folks apologies but we have had slight delay of a few days before the web site is ready.
Charts will be available on SD cards when the web site is up, and also old garmin cards on an SAE return basis (ie user sends us their old style blank data card and return SAE and we will copy the new charts onto it). MapSource file downloads will not be supported, only locked memory cards for the forseable future. Nearly there.
Hi Dave & Noel,
I'm sure you are aware of the great work being done with the Open Street Map project: http://www.openstreetmap.org/ where they are providing free mapping data, gathered via the community. They have good collaborative editing tools etc. The map data is provided via a Creative Commons Licence - http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OpenStreetMap_License
A more recent project based on the Open Street Map setup was started in 2009 - The Open Sea Map project: http://www.openseamap.org/index.php?id=imprint&L=1
Perhaps there might be room for collaboration? This might allow for a wider audience to add even more detail to your excellent existing charts?
All the best,
Thanks Mark. Yes the future of initiatives such as open sea map and especially google could be very interesting and change the whole game. For now though the need is for charts that run on existing low cost marine plotter hardware, and in that space Garmin are the clear leaders, especially since Raymarine's recent financial difficulties and recent aquisition. Most current www mapping solutions require high speed internet access, which means hardware that is not happy in a marine environment. Laptops, moisture and salt air aren't happy bedfellows for long, and smartphones are neither waterproof, nor shock proof. But looking far down the road, it would be a nice idea if the next generation of plotters had free mapping, charting and satelite imagery downloaded by global high speed internet and sat network, with real time updates, binding google earth style information with iPhone useability. What business model would support same is not clear. I wouldn't like to have to read distracting adverts on a chartplotter screen, or get popups inviting us to try a local indian restaurant! The revenue to fund and support such a system has to come from somewhere, either a subscription service, or advertising revenue. There's no such thing as a free lunch! Will bear it in mind and watch with interests how such initiatives evolve and progress. Cheers. Noel
Hi Noel,
in case you are not aware, Open Street Map has a community driven web editor / viewer of maps. However, you can also download the maps to most devices:
Garmin: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_Map_On_Garmin
Magellan: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Magellan
TomTom: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/TomTom
Other GPS: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/OSM_on_GPS
Mobiles: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Software/Mobilephones
[I'm not sure if OpenSeaMaps is quite ready yet - they have issues with depth - however it does look like they will win out in the long run!]
There were limited maps available for Haiti after the recent earthquake. This video shows the fabulous power of community built maps - the flashes are new roads being entered within 12 hours of the first reports...
Hi Folks
At last - the new charts are available for pre-ordering on this web site: http://www.boating.ie
We will ship charts out as quickly as we can, but please have patience as we are doing this in our spare time, and have a limited supply of SD cards in stock. We will do our best. We should have a more automated online payments system shortly which will speed things up. For now please use the "Pre-Order" section of the site once you have read the FAQ, and Coverage pages. There is a small charge/donation for the charts as we have incurred significant software license costs, surveying, fuel and 3rd party costs.
We hope you enjoy the charts and thank you for your patience, it's been a long hard slog in our spare time.
Noel & Dave
PS: Please avoid posting requests on the iwai forum as we will not have time to answer all the queries. The web site should be able to answer any questions you might have, especially the FAQ page.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 17/08/2010 18:17 by OceanFroggie.
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Fall Garden Checklist
By Family Features
Sponsored Content
The leaves may be starting to put on their autumn show, but it's not time to hang up the gardening tools just yet.
Take advantage of the cooler weather to clean up your garden and get it ready for a good growing season next year.
Give your garden a once-over.
- Which ones have outgrown their space and need to be divided?
- Look for signs of disease or damage.
- Note which areas could use soil amendment and new plants.
- Do any plants need to be moved to a more suitable location?
- Does the shape of the garden bed need to be adjusted?
- Look for hardscape elements that might need repairing - edging, walkways, trellises, etc.
Get your garden ready for winter.
- Dig up tender bulb or tuber plants that won't withstand the winter.
- Bring houseplants indoors, but check for insects first.
- Weed garden beds and remove spent annuals.
- Deadhead and prune one last time. Disinfect pruners in between plants to reduce the risk of spreading disease.
- Do not prune roses. This stimulates new growth that may not be able to survive cold weather.
- Divide overgrown perennials.
- Amend soil.
- Add mulch after the first frost, where necessary.
- Remove summer annuals from window boxes and planters, and replace with cool-weather bloomers like pansies or ornamental kale.
Get your garden ready for spring.
- Plant spring bulbs.
- Plant shrubs, trees, roses, or climbing plants.
- Apply fall fertilizer to established lawns; turf or sow bare areas.
- Dig new garden beds and amend the soil.
When your fall gardening chores are all done, be sure to clean all your tools and store them properly so they'll be ready to go in the spring.


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Rust and Bone
Like a few other people, I was introduced to the work of Jacques Audiard with his compelling recent film A Prophet, and in hearing he was directing whom I think are two very good lead performers in a story that would seem to be the polar opposite of the crime drama nature of A Prophet, it was intriguing to see what would come of it. And as it turned out, the end result is something that is moving and breathtaking in Rust and Bone.
Audiard (along with Thomas Bidegain) adapted the Craig Davidson story into a screenplay for Audiard's direction. Set in the South of France, Stephanie (Marion Cotillard, La Vie en Rose), works at a Marineland (think a Euro equivalent of SeaWorld) where she works with killer whales to daily audiences and the pop music of the day. At night she goes to nightclubs and gets into fights both there and at home with her boyfriend. On the other side of things, Ali (Matthias Schoenaerts, Bullhead) has been given custody of his 5-year old son Sam and takes him from Belgium to France so that they can live with Ali's sister and husband while Alain tries to find work, which he does as a bouncer in a nightclub when one night he takes a drunken Stephanie home in an innocuous visit. They reconnect some time later after an accident at Marineland, Stephanie and Alain reconnect, and while both attempt to gain some form of normalcy in their lives in the process, develop a relationship beyond the platonic.
Audiard has a knack for managing to involve his viewer quickly into the lives of his characters without extensively introducing them into the horizon and the story. This is true in Rust And Bone, as we see Ali steal from a store, pick leftover food out of passenger seats on a train and hitchhike, all part of getting his son to where they need to. And as we see more and more, the decision to give Ali custody of Sam would appear to be a recent one, as his treatment of Sam, while being one of care, still seems to require a bit of refining. He loves him, but there is a tough love aspect that one would assume Alain got as a kid and is passing on accordingly. Stephanie's life appears to be comfortable but a tad uneventful, as her nightlife would indicate. When the accident occurs, as the events unfold afterwards for Stephanie, Audiard handles them adeptly. Stephanie is bedridden during a time where a montage of out of focus friends and family members fade in and out behind her. The time she spends recovering from the accident is shown, also briefly, yet significant milestones are covered in a brief period of time, primarily because Stephanie's mindset needs recovery, and this is what Alain tends to at first, before things strike a physical chord. Cotillard has been getting rave reviews for this performance and rightfully so, as she manages to convey the emotion of her condition and how it devastates her, and how it is completely different than what her life used to be. Cotillard has been amazing in everything I have seen her in before, and the work she does here is worthy of the praise, she is mesmerizing on screen.
Not to be overlooked, but Schoenaerts also goes stride for stride (so to speak) in his scenes with Cotillard, to say nothing about the ones she does not appear in. I really liked his work in Bullhead and to see him "put on some weight again" in his words was slightly disconcerting, considering just how much he had to do for Bullhead. But despite the change he manages to show much more humanity than he did in that role, while maintaining a charisma and presence on screen which remains compelling to watch. Even as he goes from being a nightclub bouncer to bare knuckle fighter, the force goes from being restrained and calm to flipping a switch almost immediately. To see him open up and show vulnerability to Stephanie and how effectively he does it is another tool in Schoenaerts' rapidly growing arsenal.
I cannot put a finger on why Rust and Bone did not click as well as I would have presumed, or as similar films may have done in the past. Maybe it was the film's trailer, which our own Jamie Rich described as "terrible," and I think tamps down on one of the film's more memorable sequences. Maybe the film's last scene, which while admittedly feeling a little convenient, certainly can be overlooked due to what had happened minutes before (culminated in a nice piece of acting by Schoenaerts, by the way). Maybe other films that were released closer to the end of the year stood out more than this one, which was in last year's Cannes Film Festival.
Whatever the reason, Rust And Bone ultimately seemed to have been placed in the unfortunate situation of being overlooked during awards season, but on its own merits deserves more attention that it got. The performances of Cotillard and Schoenaerts are solid to superb, and Audiard takes the material and elevates it into an emotional experience that many may not expect, but all should witness. I think Audiard continues to force himself into a discussion of directors whose work is something that one should look forward to seeing, as I believe this film helps to illustrate.
The Blu-ray:
Using an AVC codec and presented in 2.40:1 widescreen and in high-definition, Rust and Bone was shot digitally using the Epic cameras and combined with Audiard's knack for visuals, it looks fantastic. The biggest challenge, which was making 30% of Cotillard's legs be nonexistent for most of the movie, comes off well, and while the detail in tight shots tends to lack a little bit, the film does have a fairly vibrant color palette that is reproduced naturally and rather nicely. Black levels are consistent throughout, and Audiard's visuals are done justice by the disc in general.
DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround for the feature, and it is a good one. For starters, the film's soundtrack and score are superb. Alexandre Desplat handles the latter, and the former includes Bon Iver and a really good, slightly modernized version of Bruce Springsteen's "State Trooper" among other songs, and the music sounds clear and occupies the space nicely. The non-musical sequences are just as good too; dialogue is consistent throughout, the subwoofer is fairly active for a movie of this nature and it fills out the low end nicely. Channel panning is present and directional effects are perhaps a tad underrepresented, but it is excellent to listen to.
There were a few more extras in here than I was expecting, starting with a commentary with Audiard and Birdegan. Interviewed by journalist Arnaud Calistri, and recorded in French with subtitling, the track covers many aspects of the production, from how some scenes in it coming about, to thoughts on the cast, to tackling things like editing the film and how the shooting schedule was tough to work with. Adapting the North American material into their sensibilities is recalled and things like Audiard's style choices are discussed. All in all it was a better track than expected.
"Making Rust And Bone" (59:57) is a short film by Antonin Peretjatko which looks a little more in-depth to Audiard's influences and style choices. These interviews are mixed with loads of on-set footage of Audiard working with Cotillard in hospital sequences, and look more in-depth towards the shoot. Things like the practical and the visual effects of "removing" Cotillard's legs are covered here too, and Audiard's thoughts on digital vs. film are given time here also. Fight and stunt sequence rehearsals are also given their time to shine. The feature seems to spend a good portion of time in the hospital and the last several minutes checking off a list of other things that folks may want to see, but it's a good piece. Six deleted scenes (6:45) include optional commentary and include some cute moments, but ultimately redundant to the final cut. There is a visual effects breakdown by the French studio Mikros Image (2:25) which shows the befores and afters of Cotillard's legs, among other things, while "On the Red Carpet" (2:53) gives us interviews with the leads and director at the Toronto Film Festival in a mix of French and English. The previously mentioned "terrible" trailer (1:59) completes things.
Final Thoughts:
Rust and Bone is a love story, but instead of seeing two lead actors fall in love like traditional movies would do, this film shows us how each individual character is transformed by the person they encounter to the point where they love one another. This change of pace, combined with the stellar work of the leads in this film helps lift it past normal films in the genre into something truly special. Technically the disc hypnotizes and supplementally things are very good, definitely one to rent at the very least with an eye towards buying.
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Sandra Bullock ("The Proposal"), Tim McGraw ("Friday Night Lights") and Oscar® winner Kathy Bates ("Misery") star in Alcon Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures' "The Blind Side," which depicts the remarkable true story of All-American football star Michael Oher.
Teenager Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) is surviving on his own, virtually homeless, when he is spotted on the street by Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock). Learning that the young man is one of her daughter's classmates, Leigh Anne insists that Michael—wearing shorts and a t-shirt in the dead of winter—come out of the cold. Without a moment's hesitation, she invites him to stay at the Tuohy home for the night. What starts out as a gesture of kindness becomes much more as Michael becomes part of the Tuohy family despite the differences in their backgrounds.
Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. And as the family helps Michael fulfill his potential, both on and off the football field, Michael's presence in the Tuohys' lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own.
"The Blind Side" is directed by John Lee Hancock ("The Rookie"), who also wrote the screenplay based on the book The Blind Side: Evolution of a Game, by Michael Lewis. Gil Netter, Broderick Johnson and Andrew Kosove are producing the film with Molly Smith, Erwin Stoff and Tim Bourne serving as executive producers.
Sandra Bullock and Tim McGraw star as Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, and Kathy Bates stars as one of Michael Oher's dedicated tutors, Miss Sue. Quinton Aaron is introduced in the central role of Michael Oher. The film also stars newcomer Lily Collins and Jae Head ("Hancock") as the Tuohy children, Collins and S.J., respectively.
The behind-the-scenes creative team is led by director of photography Alar Kivilo ("Year One," "The Lake House"), two-time Oscar®-nominated production designer Michael Corenblith ("Apollo 13," "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," "Frost/Nixon"), editor Mark Livolsi ("Marley & Me," "The Devil Wears Prada") and costume designer Daniel Orlandi ("Angels & Demons," "Frost/Nixon").
Opening nationwide on November 20, "The Blind Side" is a presentation of Alcon Entertainment and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.


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7/27 Dealing with trade rumors
You don't pay much attention to rumors, even if something pops up on the TV's on the bottom line, although then it becomes a little more serious. But at the same time, when you're a veteran guy, you've played for 10 years, you've seen plenty of rumors that have gotten shot down. You learn not to take things too seriously until you're packing up your stuff and heading off to another team. You hear so many things that are supposed to come true, guys are supposed to be traded five or six times and are never traded once. You start to doubt all the rumors, I guess, even when you hear them floating around, unless you just talk to the player directly.
Demp's in a different situation because they're always going to have to be in contact with him to make sure they're not wasting their time if he doesn't want to go to a certain spot. For most guys, you don't even hear anything until the general manager comes down and tells you you're out of here. Demp's in kind of a unique situation because he can control where he wants to go.
If I get a call from Theo or Jed, I'd be like oh, darn, there's four, five days before the Trade Deadline, this is probably not about what gardener do you use in the Chicago area. If you get a phone call from them, you want to pick it up, especially at this time of year.
— Reed
6/17 In defense of Sori
I wouldn't say 99 percent, I'd say pretty much everybody in this clubhouse would approach that play the same way Sori did. The ball hits in the guy's glove and rattles around, and right as you hit that line drive, you're almost expecting it to get caught. It reminds me of that blooper of Sean Casey hitting the line drive over the third baseman's head and hits off his glove and Sean thinks it's caught. He throws his helmet down and then realizes the guy didn't catch it, so he puts his helmet back on for whatever reason, and runs down to first and gets bang-bang thrown out and throws his helmet again.
It was one of those things — I think maybe it was more the frustration of the year in general that we're having, so when something happens like that, the fans reacted. That's one thing we've prided ourselves on this year. We're not winning as many games as we thought we'd win this year but every single meeting we have, Dale commends us on how we play the game the right way and play hard, and Sori is one of those guys. I think the fans notice his defense and how things have gotten better working with Dave McKay. We don't have any guys not run out balls. Obviously, that play yesterday, every single guy in this clubhouse would've reacted the same way and assumed you lined out.
It was hard for me to hear that from the fans. I know how much Sori means to me as a teammate. He plays hurt. I wish the fans could be inside this clubhouse and see what we see as players. Dave McKay didn't know what Soriano is all about until he came over here and he said, "Man, I absolutely love that guy." He said, "When I was on the other side, I wasn't too sure. He hits home runs and watches them a little bit and enjoys it and enjoys the game." Once you play on that guy's team, you see. I was telling Sori that he and Rafael Furcal are my two favorite teammates. They come to the park with so much energy and they're always happy. You wish the fans could get an inside look at a guy rather than just judging a guy from what they've read or heard.
— Reed
Bouncing Back
The weekend series with the Yankees obviously was a tough one. There was a lot happening — extra media in the clubhouse, an entirely different atmosphere that comes with the Yankees. To lose a game like Sunday night's, with a four-run lead in the ninth with your closer coming in and you think it's locked up, it was going to be really interesting to see how we responded. You can respond two ways — you can have a hangover from the loss or go back out and continue to fight. I liked what I saw in our first game against the Giants. Now we're playing teams back in our division where we've had a lot of success. We can gain serious ground going head to head with the teams we need to beat. The guys are excited for Interleague Play to be over. We obviously didn't play well, but that's over and it's good to get back in the National League and games in our division. — Reed
Comfortable in Fenway
My Wrigley Return
Knowing My Role
Now that Manny is back in the lineup, I know I'll be seeing less playing time. But I knew the role when I signed, I knew this outfield had Manny and Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp and if they're all healthy, they are going to play. They are game changers. That said, I've been in all but about five games so far, so I'm pretty happy as far as how much I've gotten into games. You can ask just about any of us on the bench, we're all guys that know we can be called on at any time and you have to be prepared and ready. Look at Jamey Carroll, with Rafael Furcal going down, Jamey was prepared to step in and he's done really well, offensively and defensively. This bench has a lot of veterans who know what the deal is. — Reed
Ready for the Road
We got through our first homestand in pretty good shape at 4-2 and there were definitely some positives we can take, not only from the homestand, but from the first two weeks of the season. Our offense is definitely putting up some runs, and once our pitching gets settled in and gets more defined roles, we'll be playing better all around, we'll be pretty dangerous in this division like the club was the past two years. There are a lot of good signs and we're excited as we get this long trip started. — Reed
I'm Back, and So is Baseball
From the get-go this spring, our team didn't have a lot of open spots. The roster was pretty much set, and when you have a veteran club like this or a club that's been to the playoffs and won a division two years in row, Spring Training is more of an opportunity for guys to get ready and keep themselves healthy. If you do that, you consider it a successful Spring Training. I know the fans enjoy the Freeway Series before the season starts, but for the players it's still a Spring Training atmosphere. The players, in the back of your mind, it's more a game to get ready.
I think when Opening Day comes and the bell rings, it definitely has a different feel. There's a little more adrenaline and more focus. It's not that you just flip the switch and go from off to on, but there is definitely a different intensity. And it's not really different when you open on the road. Opening Day is Opening Day. It doesn't matter, the stadium will be full. Their fans will come out and get behind those guys early in a season. And this is a good, young Pirates team and these guys play hard and well. This will be a good challenge for us. — Reed
10/20 Thanks
Thanks to everyone who checked out my blog. Hope to be back next year.
— Reed
10/3 Good fans & growth spurts
Sunday could be my last game with the Cubs, but that's how you have to approach every day, even if it's not the last day of the season. You never know — you might go out on the field and run into a wall or have a bad injury and never play the game again. That's the approach you should take every time you go on the field — that it's your last game. Sometimes you forget that.
When you have injuries like I had this year, it reminds you of how much you enjoy playing the game and especially how much you enjoy being in a city like this. Hopefully, there's something they can do to get me back here.
I know there's some priorities on the team above me, and I understand that. They're going to try to make this team better, whichever way they can. If it's me they talk to first or I'm one of the last free agent acquisitions in the offseason, we'll just wait and see. This has been the best two years of my career. After coming from Toronto and coming to an organization that has so much tradition and so much fan support, it's been a relief. Like the other guys who have played here before, if you're a free agent looking in, this is a great place to play. There have been multiple players who have made the same comment that if you play a 15-year career, you should play at least one year at Wrigley. Fortunately, I've been able to get two under my belt so far.
It's a tough goodbye but at the same time, hopefully there's more memories for myself and the fans. Hopefully, I can be a part of something special, which would, I'm sure, please the whole city for a long, long time.
As for Font, they should look for some type of medicine in the offseason to help him grow. It's going to be tough for him. I don't know if they have machines to hook him up to and stretch him out or whatever. Maybe he's only 12. Maybe he has a fake birth certificate. Maybe he could hit a growth spurt in the offseason. We'll see.
— Reed