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Dodgers Dugout: Who are the eight greatest right-handed starters in team history?
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell and it's time to continue selecting the all-time 40-man roster for the Dodgers.
The all-time team, right-handed starting pitchers
I called an audible and separated the starting pitchers into left-handed and right-handed. It makes the voting a little easier, plus you don't have to wade through a list of 30 starting pitchers. I don't want this to be a chore, it's supposed to be fun.
The ground rules for how pitchers made the selection list:
First, we are counting only what a pitcher did as a Dodger. Greg Maddux is one of the greatest pitchers of all time, but he made only 19 starts with the Dodgers, so he won't be appearing here.
Second, only games played since 1901 count. My apologies to those who played before then.
Third, the pitcher had to start at least 150 games with the Dodgers.
Finally, you can vote for eight right-handed starters. After the recaps of each pitcher, there will be a link to a site where you can make your selections. With that, let's get to it. There are 19 right-handed starters who meet the criteria for the Dodgers.
Let's look at them using three statistics: ERA+ (This compares them to the league-average pitcher each season, making it easier for us to do cross-era comparisons; a league-average pitcher will have an ERA+ of 100. Anything over that is above average. The higher the number, the better), WAR (wins above placement, which shows career value with the Dodgers) and WHIP (which tells you how many base runners they allowed per inning). Those three stats don't give a complete picture, but it should give an overall sense of the value of each player. I encourage you to do further research on each player if you are unsure.
Dazzy Vance, 129
Jeff Pfeffer, 125
Don Drysdale, 121
Orel Hershiser, 116
Don Newcombe, 116
Ismael Valdez, 115
Bob Welch, 114
Van Lingle Mungo, 114
Burt Hooton, 113
Don Sutton, 110
Chad Billingsley, 110
Ramon Martinez, 109
Chan Ho Park, 108
Ralph Branca, 107
Bill Singer, 106
Tom Candiotti, 106
Burleigh Grimes, 105
Hideo Nomo, 104
Carl Erskine, 101
Dazzy Vance, 61.9
Don Drysdale, 61.4
Don Sutton, 50.6
Orel Hershiser, 39.8
Jeff Pfeffer, 32.7
Bob Welch, 32.7
Burleigh Grimes, 28.4
Van Lingle Mungo, 27.3
Burt Hooton, 26.2
Ramon Martinez, 25.9
Don Newcombe, 22.7
Ismael Valdez, 19.1
Chan Ho Park, 18.3
Chad Billingsley, 17.3
Carl Erskine, 16.6
Ralph Branca, 16.5
Hideo Nomo, 15.2
Tom Candiotti, 14.6
Bill Singer, 12.8
Don Sutton, 1.123
Jeff Pfeffer, 1.134
Don Drysdale, 1.148
Bill Singer, 1.167
Burt Hooton, 1.181
Don Newcombe, 1.191
Bob Welch, 1.206
Orel Hershiser, 1.212
Dazzy Vance, 1.212
Ismael Valdez, 1.235
Tom Candiotti, 1.273
Hideo Nomo, 1.279
Ramon Martinez, 1.283
Chan Ho Park, 1.324
Carl Erskine, 1.328
Van Lingle Mungo, 1.331
Ralph Branca, 1.353
Burleigh Grimes, 1.357
Chad Billingsley, 1.361
A closer look at the players (statistics are with Dodgers only):
Chad Billingsley (2006-13, 81-61, 3.65 ERA): He last pitched for the Dodgers only six years ago, but it's hard to remember anything specific about Billingsley, isn't it? His last couple of seasons were ruined by injuries, but he was a serviceable pitcher before that. He went 16-10 with a 3.14 ERA in 2008, his best season. At last report, he was the baseball coach at Conrad Weiser High in Pennsylvania.
Ralph Branca (1944-53, 1956, 80-58, 3.70 ERA): It's a shame Branca is remembered for giving up the infamous homer to Bobby Thomson in 1951, because he was a good pitcher. He was a three-time all-star who went 21-12 with a 2.67 ERA in 1947 and twice received MVP votes. Branca always smiled and told the story of the home run at autograph shows and other appearances, many of them with Thomson by his side, all the while knowing the Giants had cheated and Thomson knew what pitch was coming. But Branca never complained publicly until Joshua Prager's article detailing how the Giants stole signs was published in the Wall Street Journal in 2001. Branca died in 2016 at age 90.
Tom Candiotti (1992-97, 52-64, 3.57 ERA): Candiotti was a knuckleballer who pitched better than his record. From 1992-96, his ERA was fourth best in the NL among pitchers with 900 innings, trailing only Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz. He also appeared in the Roger Maris-Mickey Mantle movie "61*" as knuckleballer Hoyt Wilhelm.
Don Drysdale (1956-69, 209-166, 2.95 ERA): I don't think there's much I can write about Don Drysdale you don't already know, and with all due respect, if you don't think he's easily one of the top eight right-handers then you probably shouldn't be voting. Instead, I am going to share a personal story. I was about 10 or 11 years old, and my older brother is a big Angels fan. At the time, Drysdale was broadcasting Angels games with Dick Enberg. Even though I was young, I knew who Drysdale was and that he was one of the greatest pitchers in Dodgers history. My brother liked to get to games when batting practice began, and we frequently were some of the few people there that early, before the stadium gates even opened. One day we were waiting near the media entrance and we see Drysdale walking our way in the distance. I was thrilled. My brother gave me paper and a pen and told me to go ask for his autograph. I was painfully shy when I was little (still am, actually) and was scared. I finally got up the courage and ran up to him. I didn't even remember what I was asking for. I may not have said anything. He took the paper and pen and signed. I was so excited, I ran off to show my brother, but forgot to say thank you. As I was running away, I heard Drysdale shout out to me, "Don't say thanks, you little punk!" And he was absolutely correct. I should have said thanks. But it sure gave me a great story.
Carl Erskine (1948-59, 122-78, 4.00 ERA): "Oisk" is what he was called, and "Oisk" was known for his big overhand curve. But what I love about Erskine is the fact he became a staunch supporter of Jackie Robinson from the day Erskine joined the team as a rookie in 1948, one year after Robinson broke the color barrier. As Erskine relates in "The Boys of Summer" by Roger Kahn: "One Negro boy grew up in my neighborhood, Johnny Wilson. We played grade school basketball together; he made all-state in high school and went on to the Harlem Globetrotters. He's a high school coach today. Jumpin' Johnny Wilson ate maybe as many meals at my home as he did at his own. With a background like that, the Robinson experience simply was no problem. It was really beautiful in a way." At one point during the 1948 season, Erskine left the clubhouse after a game to talk to Rachel Robinson and Jackie Robinson Jr. Fans filed by and stared at this white man talking to these two non-whites. Some didn't care. Some were taken aback. Some shook their head. The next day, Jackie came up to Erskine and thanked him for talking to his family in the open, which was quite a thing for a rookie to do in those days. He said, "You know, you stopped out there in front of all those fans and talked with Rachel and little Jack." Erskine replied, "Hey Jackie, you can congratulate me on a well-pitched game, but not for that." In 2005, he wrote a book titled "What I learned from Jackie Robinson." For a great bio of Erskine, read this.
Burleigh Grimes (1918-26, 158-121, 3.46 ERA): Grimes was extremely durable, leading the league in starts twice with the Dodgers and in complete games three times. In 1923, he made 38 starts and completed 33 of them. He threw a spitball. In 1920, the major leagues banned the spitball but allowed pitchers who were currently throwing it to continue to use it until they retired. Grimes retired in 1934, making him the last major-league pitcher to throw a legal spitball. He was a good pitcher for many years, with his best season coming after the Dodgers traded him in 1927. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1964 and in 1985 died of cancer at age 92.
Orel Hershiser (1983-94, 2000, 135-107, 3.12 ERA): In all the talk about the amazing 1988 season Hershiser had, people often overlook that he was just as good in 1989. Let's compare the two seasons.
Category: 1988 / 1989
The biggest difference, of course, was that 1988 was a World Series year, he had the consecutive innings streak and he went 23-8 in 1988 and 15-15 in 1989.
So, 1988 is perceived as a much greater year when both seasons were almost equally great.
Burt Hooton (1975-84, 112-84, 3.14 ERA): Nicknamed "Happy" because of his perpetually dour expression, Hooton was a revelation when the Dodgers acquired him from the Cubs for Eddie Solomon and Geoff Zahn in May 1975. Hooton was 0-2 with an 8.18 ERA at the time, but with the Dodgers, he went 18-7 with a 2.82 ERA. The Dodgers acquired him thanks to the recommendation of Tommy Lasorda. Hooton pitched in the Dominican Republic between the 1974 and 1975 MLB seasons, and Lasorda was his manager then. Realizing that Hooton was out of shape, Lasorda ran him ragged and tinkered with his delivery a bit. By the time the season was over and spring training began, Hooton was exhausted. When he got off to a poor start with the Cubs, Lasorda told Dodgers management that the pitcher was still recovering from all the extra work he put in during the offseason, and that he guaranteed Hooton would be in shape and start pitching better soon. The Dodgers listened, and Hooton became one of their best pitchers for the next several seasons, finishing second in Cy Young voting in 1978 after going 19-10 with a 2.71 ERA.
Ramon Martinez (1988-98, 123-77, 3.45 ERA): Martinez had the misfortune of being the Dodgers' ace during the 1990s, when the team failed to win a playoff game. He was never truly outstanding, but he did pitch a no-hitter and also struck out 18 batters in a game once. His younger brother, Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez, has talked often about how much he learned from Ramon, and when the Dodgers traded Pedro, Ramon said Pedro would end up being a better pitcher that he was. And he was right. Ramon seems to be almost forgotten in Dodgers history, but he deserves to be remembered.
Van Lingle Mungo (1931-41, 102-99, 3.47 ERA): Now that's a great baseball name, a name Vin Scully would mention at least a couple of times a season. Mungo pitched during a time when starters finished games and then pitched out of the bullpen when needed. In 1934, the first of four straight all-star seasons, Mungo made 38 starts, had 22 complete games, pitched 315.1 innings and went 18-16 with a 3.37 ERA. He also relieved seven times and had three saves. Of course, that takes a toll on an arm and Mungo was effectively finished as a pitcher when he was only 25. In 1985, Mungo died of a heart attack at age 73. You can read a great bio of him here.
Don Newcombe (1949-51, 1954-58, 123-66, 3.51 ERA): Don Newcombe could have been a two-way player if the Dodgers would have let him. In 1956, he went 27-7 with a 3.06 ERA in 38 games, 36 starts and 268 innings with 15 complete games. At the plate, he hit .234 with six doubles, two homers and 16 RBIs. He won the Cy Young and MVP awards after the season. He was Rookie of the Year in 1949 and was the first player to win all three major baseball awards. He went 20-5 during the Dodgers' World Series championship season in 1955. That year, he hit .259 with nine doubles, seven homers and 23 RBIs. How good a hitter was Newcombe? He pinch-hit 88 times in his career. In 1962, he signed with the Chunichi Dragons in Japan, as a hitter, not as a pitcher. In 81 games, he hit .262 with 12 home runs and 43 RBIs. Newcombe struggled with alcoholism for years but has been sober since 1967. He has worked for the Dodgers for years, helping athletes and others across the country in their struggles with sobriety. "What I have done after my baseball career and being able to help people with their lives and getting their lives back on track and they become human beings again means more to me than all the things I did in baseball," Newcombe said in 2008. Maury Wills, who Newcombe helped deal with his own substance abuse problems, once said, "Don Newcombe saved my life. He was a channel for God's love for me because he chased me all over Los Angeles trying to help me and I just couldn't understand that — but he persevered — he wouldn't give in and my life is wonderful today because of Don Newcombe." Should Don Newcombe be in the Hall of Fame? If you go strictly by the numbers, no. But if you consider he missed part of his career because of the ban against African American players, and part of his career because he served two years in Korea during the Korean War, and you consider all the baseball players he has helped since retirement, then a strong case can be made for Newcombe.
Hideo Nomo (1995-98, 2002-04, 3.74 ERA): Nomomania was brief, but memorable. With his tornado windup, Nomo captured Dodgers fans in 1995 when he went 13-6 with a 2.54, giving up only 124 hits in 191.1 innings and striking out 236 to lead the league. He won the Rookie of the Year award and finished fourth in Cy Young voting. He had a good 1996 season too, going 16-11 with a 3.19 ERA, finishing fourth in Cy Young voting again. He amazingly pitched a no-hitter in Denver. But it went downhill quickly after that. He was 2-7 with a 5.05 ERA in 1998 when the Dodgers traded him to the New York Mets for pitchers Greg McMichael and Dave Mlicki. The Dodgers brought him back in 2002 as a free agent and he had two good seasons with the team before collapsing once again.
Chan Ho Park (1994-2001, 2008, 84-58, 3.77 ERA): Park never quite lived up to his billing, but he was a solid pitcher. His best year was 2000, when he went 18-10 with a 3.27 ERA. He is probably best remembered for giving up two grand slams in the same inning to the same batter, but the less said about that the better. He had a reputation among fans for being too timid when it came to sending message pitches, but he got the job done and from 1997 to 2001 was one of the Dodgers' best pitchers.
Jeff Pfeffer (1913-1921, 113-80, 2.31 ERA): Pfeffer has the second-best career ERA among Dodgers starters, minimum 700 innings pitched. And that wasn't entirely due to the era he pitched in, as his ERA+ is second among pitchers on this ballot. He was a precursor to Drysdale in that he was a big man who liked to throw inside and didn't mind hitting a batter or two. His best season was 1916, when he went 25-11 with a 1.92 ERA. Almost every season, he held out for more money, causing Dodgers management to get frustrated with him and eventually deal him to St. Louis in 1921.
Bill Singer (1964-72, 69-76, 3.03 ERA): Don't let the W-L record fool you, "The Singer Throwing Machine" was a good pitcher. He went 20-12 with a 2.34 ERA in 1969, his best season and his only all-star season with L.A. That season he was also the first pitcher in history to be officially credited with a save. After he retired, he had an unfortunate incident when, in 2003, he mocked the Chinese heritage of then-Dodgers assistant GM Kim Ng. Singer approached Ng as baseball people gathered in a hotel bar after attending an instructional league game. Here's the verbal exchange:
Singer: "What are you doing here?"
Ng: "I'm working."
Singer: "What are you doing here?"
Ng: "I'm working. I'm the Dodger assistant general manager."
Singer: "Where are you from?"
Ng: "I was born in Indiana and grew up in New York."
Singer: "Where are you from?"
Ng: "My family's from China."
Singer (in a mock Chinese accent): "What country in China?"
Singer later apologized and blamed the incident on a low-carb diet combined with alcohol.
Don Sutton (1966-80, 1988, 233-181, 3.09 ERA): "My mother used to worry about my imaginary friends 'cause I would be out in the yard playing ball," Sutton said in his Hall of Fame induction speech in 1998. "She worried because she didn't know a Mickey, or a Whitey, or a Yogi, or a Moose, or an Elston, but I played with them every day." Sutton was an amazingly durable pitcher. You knew he was going to make 30 to 35 starts every season and win 15 to 20 games. While that's easy to dismiss, not many pitchers in history have been able to do that year after year. Sutton did.
Ismael Valdez (1994-2000, 61-57, 3.48 ERA): Valdez was a good pitcher who seemed to have trouble with his teammates at times. He once got into an argument with manager Bill Russell after he thought Russell was pulling him from a game too early, and he once got into a shoving match with Eric Karros after Karros criticized how he was pitching. What I remember about Valdez is that on days he was not starting, he would sit next to the Dodgers dugout before games and spend time talking to any kids who approached him, signing whatever they wanted and posing for pictures.
Dazzy Vance (1922-32, 1935, 3.17 ERA): Vance was the first true ace the Dodgers had and is still one of the greatest pitchers in their history. He led the league in wins twice, in ERA three times and in strikeouts seven consecutive seasons. He was the first player elected to the Hall of Fame mainly for what he did for the team. Vance's actual first name was Arthur, but he was called Dazzy because of his dazzling fastball. Before Vance came to the Dodgers, he knocked around from team to team, always spending more time dealing with a bad elbow than pitching. He did not pitch in the majors in the three years before the Dodgers acquired him in a trade. That was because while he had been playing poker, he got frustrated and slammed his hand down on the table, catching his elbow on the edge. The resulting pain was excruciating, and he went to a doctor. According to stories from that time, an operation "cleaned out a lot of debris." It is believed that knocking his elbow against the table jarred loose a bone spur, which the doctor removed. After Vance recovered, he suddenly had a blazing fastball and no pain. He pitched great for New Orleans in the minors after that. The Dodgers contacted New Orleans, interested in acquiring catcher Hank DeBerry. New Orleans, looking to clear some payroll, demanded they take a pitcher too. The scout for the Dodgers told them to take Vance. And that's how Vance returned to the majors at age 31 and became a Hall of Famer.
Bob Welch (1978-87, 115-86, 3.14 ERA): Welch first burst onto the scene as a reliever, famously striking out Reggie Jackson in a key at-bat during the 1978 World Series. But he quickly settled in as a starter. He wore his cap the way it is supposed to be worn, with the brim pulled down low. I wore my cap the same way, so I always felt like Welch when I played. He was one of the first active athletes to announce he had an addiction problem when he said he had been battling alcoholism since he was 16. He wrote a great book about it, "Five O'Clock Comes Early," which is well worth reading. He was traded to Oakland after the 1987 season in a three-team deal that brought Jay Howell, Jesse Orosco and Alfredo Griffin to the Dodgers. Welch was almost unbeatable at Dodger Stadium, but when the A's faced the Dodgers in the 1988 World Series, Oakland manager Tony LaRussa for some reason had him make his only start in Oakland. It was the only game the A's won in that Series. In 2014, Welch died at age 57 when he fell in his Seal Beach bathroom and broke his neck.
Those are the candidates. So go vote for eight of them. Click here to vote. Or email me here with your list of eight.
The 40-man roster so far:
Roy Campanella
Mike Piazza
Mike Scioscia
Adrian Beltre
Ron Cey
Steve Garvey
Jim Gilliam
Gil Hodges
Davey Lopes
Wes Parker
Pee Wee Reese
Jackie Robinson
Bill Russell
Justin Turner
Maury Wills
Dusty Baker
Tommy Davis
Willie Davis
Andre Ethier
Carl Furillo
Kirk Gibson
Pedro Guerrero
Matt Kemp
Reggie Smith
Duke Snider
Zack Wheat
Tommy John
Clayton Kershaw
Sandy Koufax
Johnny Podres
Fernando Valenzuela
Coming up
Feb. 12: Relief pitchers
Feb. 19: Who do you cut?
Feb. 26: Managers
And finally
Carl Erskine plays "Georgia on My Mind" on the harmonica. Watch it here.
Have a comment or something you'd like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me and follow me on Twitter: @latimeshouston.
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Homogeneous is a descriptive word meaning that a product is composed of one material. The prefix homo- means same or similar. The suffix -geneous means origin, stock, or kind. The terms homogeneous and heterogeneous are frequently used in the context of commercial sheet vinyl.
Vinyl composition tile, solid rubber tile, and through-body porcelain are each examples of a homogeneous flooring product. A synonymous term is through-pattern to convey that the pattern is dispersed uniformly through the product. The top and bottom possess an identical color. One of the benefits of a homogeneous flooring product is that the body of the product and the wear layer are one and the same. Regardless of cuts, chips, or wear, the color remains the same throughout the product.
See heterogeneous.

subset: commoncrawl


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NEW DELHI: Actor Imran Khan, who has returned to the silver screen after a gap of almost two years with "Katti Batti", says he has never got better reviews and feedback in his career than what he has received for this film.
"I have got better reviews and better feedback than I have ever got in my career before. Consistently everyone is telling me that this is the best work of my career. That is huge for me," Imran told IANS.
Imran, whose last three films "Gori Tere Pyaar Mein", "Once Upon A Time in Mumbai Dobaara!" and "Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola" failed to create magic at the box office, said the unprecedented response to "Katti Batti" made him believe that "it is the best film I have ever worked on".
The "Delhi Belly" actor shared that very often his films have disappointed him as eventually they did not turn out as per his expectations, but this is the first time Imran feels that he has achieved exactly what he had in mind.
"I now have greater confidence in my sensibilities, in my instinct. Because I have found in the past that whenever a film of mine has failed, it has not been much of a surprise to me," he said.
"Very often I find myself in the situation where I would feel like we are making mistakes, we are going wrong but either I would not have the guts to speak up or the director is a very big and a celebrated personality, or I would bring it up and would be told 'don't worry we will handle it, trust me'," he added.
The actor also mentioned that he needs to trust his guts and instincts more often.
"Whenever I had that feeling that it is wrong, it has indeed turned out to be wrong, which means that I have to trust my guts more and trust my instincts more. So if it is giving you the feeling its wrong, one has to speak up," the 32-year-old added.
Talking about his future film projects, Imran said he has not signed any project yet, putting a lot of faith in "Katti Batti".
"I very seriously wanted people to see "Katti Batti" and then I wanted to see what kind of work comes my way after that," he said.
"Katti Batti", which also stars Kangana Ranaut, is a romantic comedy directed by Nikhil Advani and produced by Siddharth Roy Kapur under the banner of UTV Motion Pictures.
NEW DELHI: Actor Imran Khan, who has returned to the silver screen after a gap of almost two years with "Katti Batti", says he has never got better reviews and feedback in his career than what he has received for this film.


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Finally got to designing a smart grid to manage learning labels. See this short video on how this works:
Latest Posts
Published a second version of a paper on the learning labels technology. Learn more on this patent pending system to manage and track skills. Learning Labels: A System to Manage and Track Skills Looking for usage and adoption among learning practitioners in education, higher education, and professional learning. Get a free introduction: email@example.com Looking for… Continue Reading
Number one request by learning practitioners is verifying the accuracy of a learning label. Introducing a new verification process: peer reviews . Team thought of this early in the conception of the technology and was suggested by the learning practitioners. Learn more in this less than three minute video.
Learn how to use different views with the learning labels system: labels, maps, and flashcards. Create a learning label using a smart UI – the best way to assign and represent education, higher education, and training standards. Then get all the views with no duplication of work. Once you create a label, share private links… Continue Reading
Smart new functionality for representing Skill Maps from learning labels. Use the same smart user interface to create the labels and reference education, higher education, and training standards, get Skill Maps. And they will be interactive…
In the future, learning is moving to interactive books, games, simulations, and VR experiences. There needs to be a standardized way to express the learning expectations, related standards, and measure when achievements are accomplished. This is a proposal to use the learning labels system with games and interactive media.


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wall of frames
I finally got something on the wall in the entryway of our home. The console is a cheap little thing that's a little dinged up, but it's so hard to find small consoles that will fit in my little home! I will be fixing it up a little bit and replacing the hardware, as soon as I get some time!
The chair was found at Goodwill for $20, the typewriter and most of the frames were thrifted, but if you want to know more, just visit this blog post of mine:
66,996 views
284 faves
23 comments
Taken on June 24, 2009


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WordPress 3.3 "Sonny" Officially Released!
A few hours ago, version 3.3 of WordPress, named "Sonny" (in honor of jazz saxophonist legend Sonny Stitt), was officially released! There are some cool new features in WordPress 3.3, including a drag and drop media upload box. Just drag files right from your computer into the media upload box in your dashboard and the files will automatically be uploaded. Pretty neat. Navigation through your dashboard also looks better than ever with some slick new … [ Continue reading article → ]
WordPress Version 3.1 "Reinhardt" Released
Yesterday, version 3.1 of WordPress (codenamed "Reinhardt") was officially released. Some of the new features include a redesigned linking workflow to makes it easier for you to link to existing posts and pages, a streamlined writing interface, an admin bar with some of the most used Dashboard features, a refreshed blue admin scheme available under your personal options, and much more. If you're a WordPress developer, you'll also find a bunch of new features that … [ Continue reading article → ]
Welcome to All Webmaster!
Hi, my name is Dana and here at All Webmaster I teach people how to build websites. I've been creating websites professionally for over 12 years and this is where I'll share the things I've learned so you can build your own website and get people to visit it. [More about...]


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Catherine Mills, Robert Sparrow and colleagues awarded ARC Discovery Project (2017) Grant
Congratulations to Associate Professor Catherine Mills and Professor Robert Sparrow who, along with colleagues Dr Karinne Ludlow and Dr Narelle Warren, have been awarded an Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project (round 2017) grant valued at $215,000 for research on "Legal and Ethical Issues in the Inheritable Genetic Modification of Humans".
Project summary:
"This project aims to investigate the legal and ethical implications of technologies that allow inheritable modifications of the human genome. The use of these technologies in human embryos is fast becoming an international reality, and this project aims to examine the implications for Australia. The project will clarify the legal status of inheritable genetic modification technologies in Australia, analyse the ethics of these new technologies, and, building on this, recommend regulatory reforms to guide Australia's response to international scientific and legal developments. These reforms could improve the governance of these new technologies and guide their clinical adoption."
For more information see:


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The quest to own an iconic Hermès 'Birkin' bag can literally take years to fulfill. On a popular online accessories forum, one woman recounts her journey to score a coveted 40cm 'Black Togo Leather Birkin', confessing that she frequented her local Hermès boutique for two years, where she endeavored to befriend one of the retail associates. She went in every few months and bought small accessories each time, as a way of gaining the trust of the associate and proving her devotion to the brand. In her journey to own the object of her obsession, she spent thousands of dollars above and beyond the cost of the already-expensive 'Birkin' (which starts at $8,500 and goes up as high as $432,000 for the rare Himalayan crocodile version).
Finally, one day, the associate calls her in, telling her that the bag she had been coveting is in stock. Immediately, she dropped everything and rushed to Hermès where her precious new 'Birkin' was waiting for her in all its pristine, classic glory. After hearing a real-life tale like this one, and other mythological accounts of five-year wait lists and socialite battles for the bag, it prompts the questions: What makes the Hermès 'Birkin' so special? Why are women going through such arduous and costly measures to buy them?
Let's start with the woman who inspired the most iconic bag in history: Jane Birkin. The famous style icon carved a name for herself in the 1970s as a singer and actress, with an inspiring wardrobe and the kind of gamine good looks that made her the envy of women everywhere. The story behind the bag's origin is as legendary as Jane herself, and she has been called on to recount the fateful meeting in the media dozens of times throughout the years.
The legend begins with an infamous Air France flight where Birkin's handbag spilled its contents onto the floor, and scattered around her feet. The man seated next to her advised her to invest in a bag with pockets, and she famously retorted, "The day Hermès makes one with pockets, I will have that." Bemused by her statement, her fellow passenger revealed himself to be none other than Jean-Louis Dumas, the chief executive of Hermès, who encouraged Birkin to describe her dream bag. On the spot, Birkin sketched out her ideal bag for Dumas on an air sickness bag, and he promised to make it for her. When she was invited to the atelier to see the bag that she had inspired, he requested that she lend her name to it. They say there's no such thing as coincidence, but this story proves otherwise.
Recall the episode of Sex and the City in which Samantha is trying desperately to get her hands on a 'Birkin', willing to attempt any kind of machination or stoop to any level to snag one. Upon visiting an Hermès boutique where she demands to buy the bag, she is pointedly told by the retail associate, "It's not a bag, it's a Birkin." That sentence highlights the singular level that the 'Birkin' inhabits. It is the ultimate status symbol, not only because it is difficult to secure and incredibly expensive, but also because it carries with it the perception that the wearer is somebody special.
In trying to understand what has caused the widespread popularity of the 'Birkin', a trio of qualities emerge. First, most women are introduced to the bag on the arms of glamorous celebrities – its classic good looks are an arresting sight to behold, and leave an indelible impression on the viewer. Second, it's backed by the Hermès name, which has stood for the highest quality in leather goods since 1837. And finally, there is an air of exclusivity and mythology that surrounds the bag, primarily because it is difficult to buy and luxurious beyond measure. The 'Birkin' has enjoyed exalted icon status for so long because it is timeless; it never bends to trends. These elements have secured the beloved bag's prime position in fashion history of the most iconic bag of all time.


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How To Get LSDJ
This page is intended to walk you through the steps needed to obtain a cartridge which can then be flashed/loaded with software of your choice. Click here to purchase carts. I offer free flashing of these carts with any legal software of your choosing as long as you are licensed to use said software. Should you want software other than LSDJ loaded, this can be arranged after the time of purchase.
The most commonly used program with these cartridges is Little Sound DJ. Should you wish to have this program flashed onto the cart for you, follow the instructions below!
HOW TO REGISTER/VERIFY FOR LSDJ USE (if you're already registered, skip to step 4):
- Go to littlesounddj.com
- Click the Paypal link in the "HOW TO GET IT" section.
- Make a donation! Johan, the creator of little sound DJ, has invested hundreds of hours into his software. Please show your support.
- Once you've donated, take a screenshot of your paypal window showing your donation.
- Send your screenshot to email@example.com
Your screenshot must be received before shipment in order for us to include LSDJ on your cartridge. Please either email us with proof of verification before, (or immediately after,) making your purchase.
Once you've done this + made payment for your cartridge[s], you should be all set!


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Finally plucked up the courage to visit the Sussex County Arts Club for an untutored life drawing session. Very nervous to draw in front of other people, especially as I haven't done life drawing for about 40 years!… but thoroughly enjoyed two hours of multiple poses lasting between three and ten minutes each. Here are a selection of a few sketches. I will post some every few sessions and hopefully chart some improvement in speed and accuracy. Fingers crossed.
Click on the images below to see enlarged versions.


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Although daily consumption of sports drinks decreased from 2010 to 2015 among teenagers, sugar-sweetened sports drinks still are popular, with numerous high school students drinking them at least weekly, said Kyla Cordery of the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children's Medical Center of New York, Lake Success, N.Y., and her associates.Survey and 11,113 students in the 2010 National Youth Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey. Teenagers drinking one or more sports drinks daily dropped from 16% in 2010 to 14% in 2015, a significant change (P less than .0001). Comparisons of daily sports drink consumption revealed reductions for all age groups, sexes, race, and/or ethnicity categories, and for all levels of physical activity. The greatest reductions were for non-Hispanic blacks and for overweight children.
Yet sports drink consumption in the previous week increased from 58% in 2010 to 60% in 2015 (P = .0002). And daily consumption of sports drinks also increased among teenagers watching television for more than 2 hours per day and among obese teens.
Boys were more than twice as likely as girls to drink one of more sports drinks daily (19% vs. 9%), as were more athletic/active children than those weren't very athletic/active (18% vs. 10%).
"Like many sugar-sweetened beverages, the excessive consumption of sports drinks is associated with weight gain, dental erosion, obesity, poor nutrition, and diabetes," Ms. Cordery and her associates wrote. "The America Academy of Pediatrics' Committee on Nutrition and Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness stated that the level of physical activity of the average child does not require the electrolyte replenishment offered by sports drinks." Rehydration with water should be encouraged for most sports-related activities.
SOURCE: Cordery K et al. doi: 10.1542/peds.2017-2784.


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Feb.24 (GMM) Flavio Briatore says Fernando Alonso does not remember the crash that has left him in a Barcelona hospital.
McLaren has denied wild conspiracy theories about the cause of the accident that so far has seen the Spanish driver spend two nights in hospital recovering from concussion and the effects of his post-crash sedation.
His manager, Luis Garcia Abad, eased the F1 world's gravest fears late on Monday when he published to social media a photo of the 33-year-old smiling and giving a thumbs-up whilst sitting in his hospital bed.
And Flavio Briatore, a guiding hand throughout Alonso's F1 career, also played down the wilder speculation about the cause of the crash.
"It was just an accident," he told Italian radio Rai.
"From the telemetry we see that he was trying to keep the car on the track," the former Renault boss added.
"It is the second serious accident of his career, the first being in 2004 (actually 2003) when he took a really hard impact in Sao Paulo.
"The important thing is that the (medical) tests are all negative," Briatore revealed. "He does not remember the incident, but that is normal. I think tomorrow he will be out of the hospital."
The 64-year-old denied wild rumours about the crash, including that Alonso was electrocuted by struggling Honda's new energy recovery system.
"I do not understand those stories," Briatore said. "It was a normal accident.
"Unfortunately, these things happen – even with a driver like Fernando – as the G-forces are tremendous. At other times you can have a much more spectacular crash and nothing happens to you," he added.


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April 11, 2016
What brings meaning to one's life, is subjective. Oftentimes, that may include a few, if not many, facets. However, the essence of each of us, comes with it, an imprint, regardless if we choose to honor it, of who we are. My imprint is art. It is how I make sense o...
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- September 09, 2015
- For Employers, Good Hiring practices
Cost of a bad hire
Click here for the Bad Hire Calculator
Recent studies have demonstrated that the cost of hiring the wrong person for your job could cost you anywhere between 1.5 to 3.5 times their annual salary. These numbers are just touching the surface. They are referring to the costs which you can measure and calculate objectively such as cost of posting, cost of HR time, cost of managers involved in the interview process and training. On top of this there are other much more difficult costs to identify. Those are the intangibles such as how it affects morale of the team, how your clients view the changes and so on. These extra components can inflate the 1.5 to 3.5 number exponentially. We encourage you to consider, carefully, your recruitment methods and tools used to make those final hiring decisions which are so key to your success!


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Auto, home, and business insurance from Maps Insurance Services.
Maps Investments, through our broker dealer CUSO Financial Services, L.P. (CFS), provides comprehensive financial services.
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April 1 by Jennifer Schmelling
1. Dust Off Your New Year's Resolutions
2. Sweep Out Your Monthly Budget
3. Freshen Up Your W-4
4. Pile Up Your Savings
5. Toss Your Debt
Read Entire Article
March 5 by Jennifer Schmelling
The most popular retirement plan is the IRA account.
February 4 by Jennifer Schmelling
The IRS is cautioning taxpayers to be extra careful this tax season due to a 60% increase in email phishing scams over the past year.
January 7 by Jennifer Schmelling
Rainy day funds and emergency funds serve different purposes. It's important to have both available to tap into as needed.
December 1 by Jennifer Schmelling
Let's explore your options and take a look at what might work for you.
November 8 by Jennifer Schmelling
One of the most heartless scams making the rounds is targeting the elderly who depend on Social Security benefits for basic living needs.
October 12 by Jennifer Schmelling
The largest pool of victims of fake check scams are in their 20s – a segment of the population that is far more familiar with PayPal than with paper checks. Find out what makes them easy victims for the scam.
September 18 by Jennifer Schmelling
We've outlined 6 steps for creating and keeping super-strong passwords that will keep scammers guessing.
August 21 by
The Maps Community Foundation is awarding $10,000 in Community Challenge grants to four nonprofits that have improved lives of more than 20,000 people in the Salem area.
August 6 by Jennifer Schmelling
Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and other mobile wallets are revolutionizing the checkout experience by blending two developments in payment infrastructure to save you time: near-field communication (NFC) and token encryption.
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Speedbump Modal Called Incorrectly!
Simple Modal Called Incorrectly!


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John 20:19-23 When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
Reflection How can we possibly respond to Jesus' challenging commission, "Peace I leave with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you?… Forgive the sins of any and they are forgive…" I do not know about you but I want to say, "Jesus, are you kidding me? You are sending me to bring peace and reconciliation to all people? to forgive the sins of anyone, really? Have you not been paying attention to the news? Have you any idea what is going on in our world? The very thought of me bringing peace and forgiveness makes my stomach leap into my throat. This is hard to swallow."
Then I remember. This is not about us individual persons making righteous judgments, fixing people or the world. It is about us remembering that everything that is, is already part of God. This is reality. God is reality. In the words of Philip K. Dick, "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, does not go away."* All we need to do is sit still in reality, in the middle of our storm tossed minds and emotionally fraught bodies and wait, wait for the peace that is evidence of God with us. Wait until we hear our hearts beating and the weighty, dependable peace rooted deep inside will rise to guide us to be the peace we desire for our world.
When we stop struggling against reality as it is, we find ourselves steeped in the Reality of God, claim our place in the Mystery of the Holy Trinity and proclaim with our brother Jesus, " I am in the Father, and you in me and I in you." (John 14.20) We are One, all people and all of creation. Nothing is not part of God. God is Reality. This is spiritual freedom, freedom from identification with our thoughts, feelings and desires about God or Reality. This is freedom to be the peace we are sent to make known in all the world.
For an interesting conversation about the relationship of Science, Religion and Reality please listen to Michael Dowd's Ted Talk by clicking on the top right of this page.
For an interesting conversation about the relationship of Science, Religion and Reality please listen to Michael Dowd's Ted Talk by clicking on the top right of this page.
If you found this post to be meaningful please share by clicking on icons below. Thank you.


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Kobe Bryant's tragic, unexpected passing on Sunday was felt throughout the NBA community and across the world. He was a role model to so many of the game's current stars, and he will always be remembered by those who played with and against him as a fierce competitor who had an unmatched work ethic in everything he did.
Paul Pierce's NBA career intersected with Kobe's many times over the years, including in a pair of NBA Finals as they carried on the rich traditions of the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. Paul's NBA story cannot be complete with the presence of Kobe Bryant, as is the case with so many great players across the league. So when Paul first heard the news of the tragic accident, he was shocked and saddened as if a family member had passed.
"I felt like I lost a brother. I felt like I lost a family member," Pierce said. "We had a lot of great moments together on and off the court, and he brought the very best out of me."
After Pierce defeated Kobe's Lakers in the 2008 Finals, Kobe wanted his revenge against Boston. The Lakers won the title the following season in 2009, defeating the Orlando Magic, but that wasn't enough for Kobe. In 2010, he got his rematch with Boston, and the second time, he wouldn't accept defeat.
Pierce was a key part of this series for the Celtics, and the thing he remembers most about that series wasn't Kobe's impressive shot-making ability or scoring prowess. Kobe's most impressive trait in that series, the one that earned him his fifth ring, was his determination.
"His will. He didn't have the best Game 7, but he willed his teammates," Pierce said.
Outside of basketball, Paul and Kobe crossed paths while working extensively with The Players' Tribune. It was there that Paul realized the massive amount of respect that Kobe commanded. Even among a room full of other superstar athletes, Kobe was the one who had command of the room, which is part of the reason Paul believes he had so much success after his basketball career.
"He captivated the room because we had all these meetings with all of these superstar athletes – Von Miller, Serena Williams, all in a room every summer – and every meeting would start off with Kobe talking. Not the business people who invested talking about where the company is. It was Kobe," Pierce said. "He took the lead in all of these things, and that just shows you the presence he had."


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As a companion to the Charing Cross, Cannon Street and London Bridge simulation, this continues from the North Kent East junction and includes all the North Kent lines through to Dartford, the line to Hayes and the through section to Grove Park, including the Grove Park Depot. This is a big area to control but it is possible with concentration. If you get half of these services to their right destination on time, you will be doing better than the current operator.
The timetable is taken from the May 2018 update and includes not-in-timetable services out of and to Grove Park that are needed to start/finish the Charing Cross/Cannon Street services.
Operating Notes:
For ease of operation I have taken a few liberties that may not be true to life – All depot bound trains enter the sidings and depart from the carriage sheds.
Don't be afraid of red signals, especially around the Dartford Junctions. Services due to start from Barnehurst (for example) arrive earlier than through trains and need to be held to allow the through train first. This is also true of trains using Blackheath – Charlton link.
At the North Kent East Junction Rainham Trains arrive on line 3, but Blackfriars bound trains must exit at line 3 so once again don't be afraid of the red signal needed to hold them until the line is clear. All Cannon Street bound trains must exit on line 2 or 3. All Charing Cross trains must exit Line 6.
All Grove Park Trains may exit on either the slow or fast lanes, but Orpington and Sevenoaks trains should be slow.
Most cross-overs are not used; the exception being Sidcup: There are two services that start from the Sidcup sidings between 8am and 9am after which it is not used.
There are no trains timetabled for Beckenham Junction.
No freight is timetabled so Angerstein Wharf can be ignored
Plumstead sidings and Slade Green Sidings are not used.
Dartford Platform allocations: 1 and 3 – turning platforms, 2 – Up through trains, 4 – Down through trains.
Watch the destination on trains coming from the depot – Cannon Street is specifically mentioned otherwise they are Charing Cross bound.


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This year, World Mental Health Day (WMHD) will be observed in T&T with the theme "Suicide Prevention" and will be commemorated by the Ministry of Health (MoH) with the Paint de Town Green campaign.
Someone recently asked why 'green'. Simply, lime green is the colour used for the Global Mental Health Advocacy Campaign.
Last year, the NGO CreateBetterMinds, of which I am a part, partnered with the MoH, PAHO/WHO, and numerous stakeholders to launch the inaugural Paint de Town Green in Port-of-Spain. I was honoured to be the featured speaker on the theme, "Young people and mental health in a changing world."
The vision from my first thought of this campaign has been a sea of green in every town, street, office, building façade, every year on October 10, when, with countries globally, we observe WMHD—a day of advocacy and for starting mental health conversations.
About 2011/12, in the earliest days of organising my self-advocacy into some kind of a national dialogue, I happened on the idea of painting the town green, inspired by 3Canal's powerful display of painting the town blue, more than a decade before.
My partner at CreateBetterMinds, Dr Yansie Rolston, whom I met soon after, brought the campaign to life in 2018 inspired by her international work and her intimate involvement in the UK with the Grenfell Tower debacle and the subsequent marches and demonstrations in seas of green memorialising one of the worst imaginable human tragedies.
This year, under the same banner, with the theme Suicide Prevention, the MoH will observe WMHD on October 11, at an event at the Gulf City Mall, La Romaine.
Suicide prevention is everyone's business, and be assured, it is possible to know if someone is contemplating suicide. But that requires one to be tuned in to the friendship and to know what to listen for in peoples' conversations.
This year, the news of Karlene Ali's death by suicide came to me out of left field and literally floored me. Karlene and I became friends when I moved back to Moruga in 2010. She was very special to me and though she was the age of my nieces that was no barrier for our friendship.
Having moved north for school in 2015, I saw her infrequently on visits to Moruga and the last two occasions we had missed each other. I am still working on my grief. Since her demise, I have replayed the many conversations I wanted to have with her. I feel so guilty for not asking more specific things because I did not want her to feel like I was prying.
A conversation about suicide is an uncomfortable one but very necessary if we are to help protect our loved ones.
Getting the suicide
conversation started
The website www.suicideispreventable.org is one resource I find simple and helpful. Here's some advice on how to get the conversation started:
Before starting a conversation with someone you are concerned about, be prepared. Have a list of crisis resources on hand. Practice what you will say. Plan the conversation for a time when you won't be in a hurry and can spend time with the person.
Listen to the reasons the person has for both living and dying. Validate that they are considering both options and underscore that living is an option for them.
"I can imagine how tough this must be for you. I understand when you say that you aren't sure if you want to live or die. But have you always wanted to die? Well, maybe there's a chance you won't feel this way forever. I can help."
Ask the person if they have access to any lethal means (weapons, poisons, medications, etc) and help remove them from the vicinity. (Another friend, family member or law enforcement agent may need to Provide the person with the resources with which you have come prepared. If you feel the situation is critical, take the person to a nearby emergency room or call 811 (T&T).
Don't ask in a way that indicates you want "No" for an answer. Don't "egg on" the person to do it. Shouting in frustration or anger is the most dangerous thing you can do. The person may say that they don't want you to tell anyone that they are suicidal—Don't promise secrecy.
Say this instead: "I care about you too much to keep a secret like this. You need help and I am here to help you get it."
Hashtags: #WorldSuicidePreventionDay #SuicidePrevention #WSPD2019 #WSPD
Caroline C Ravello is a strategic communications and media professional and a public health practitioner. She holds an MA with Merit in Mass Communications (University of Leicester) and is a Master of Public Health With Distinction (The UWI).
Write to: firstname.lastname@example.com


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The "best of the rest" – stories that caught MDN's eye that you may be interested in reading:
New York
Team Cuomo Set to Decide Fate of Cayuga Lake Coal Plant — Sunset or Switch?
NY Shale Gas Now!
This past Sunday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo moved decisively to score some rare points with ordinary people in Western New York, taking credit for saving the coal-fired electricity plant at Dunkirk, by greasing the bureaucratic wheels to re-power it with cleaner and cheaper natural gas. Out that way, most power consumers, skilled workers, taxpayers, and local government people really liked the plan. Media reports indicate the governor was honored in person with cheerleaders, a band, and banners of gratitude. New York environmentalists didn't like the plan. In fact, this group was faced with a seemingly once-in-a-lifetime choice between doing away with the old, proven horrors of acid rain (and many other kinds of air pollution) from coal, and coming to terms instead with the new, unproven horrors of fracking from the production of natural gas. They advocated instead for a Plan C — alternative ideas, some involving renewables, and some involving adjustments to the overhead power line grid. But they lost.
Utica shale development driving sales tax increases for Ohio counties
Columbus Business First
Development in the Utica shale play is driving up sales tax revenue for counties in eastern Ohio, helping lift local economies that have struggled for decades. That's the take I came away with after reading a new analysis by Shawn Bennett, director of Energy in Depth Ohio, an oil and gas education and advocacy group. Bennett examined data on the Ohio Department of Taxation's sales tax distribution website. What he found were some eye-popping increases for five counties in the heart of the Utica shale play. For example, Harrison County has seen its sales tax apportionment rise from just under $1 million in 2011 to $3.1 million through October of this year. The rural county, whose population stood at 15,830 in 2012, is the site for major natural gas processing projects by MarkWest Energy Partners LP and Utica East Ohio and is second in the state for drilling permits for Utica wells.
Sales Tax Revenue Continues to Climb in Ohio's Shale Country
Energy in Depth
Since Utica Shale development took off in 2011, companies have been investing a tremendous amount of capital in eastern Ohio. Billions of dollars are being spent to create much-needed infrastructure, developing well sites, and constructing regional headquarters for service companies. In addition, landowners have benefited from lease payments, businesses have seen an uptick in sales activity, and counties are having their roads improved on behalf of the companies operating in their communities. This kind of investment translates to another often-unappreciated benefit: a significant increase in sales tax revenues. Going through the Ohio Department of Taxation's sales tax distribution website, the true impact of that increased revenue is revealed: Over the past two years, counties with Utica Shale activity have all experienced remarkable increases in sales tax apportionment.
OH: Board of Engineers and Surveyors Notice
Energy & Environmental Law Blog
The Ohio State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors has a notice that your professional engineers may be interested in. It starts as follows: "With the increased engineering and surveying activity in Ohio related to oil and gas extraction the Board has received several questions concerning the registration process and the requirements for individuals and firms that want to come into Ohio and provide engineering and surveying services to the oil and gas companies. Ohio law requires individuals offering and providing engineering and surveying to be registered in Ohio. Likewise, firms offering and providing engineering and surveying services in Ohio must be registered and obtain a Certificate of Authorization BEFORE offering, contracting or performing engineering or surveying services." If your a PE working in Ohio, or employ one, read it all.
OH: Facilities Guidelines for Frack Wastewater
Energy & Environmental Law Blog
The Division of Oil and Gas Resources Management (DMRM) has published a set of guidelines and related application form for facilities that store, recycle, treat, process, or dispose of brine and other waste substances from production operations (see here). Note, according to the posting: 1. Persons desiring to operate a facility or persons that are currently operating a facility may submit an application to the Chief in order to operate on and after January 1, 2014, or in order to continue to operate on and after January 1, 2014. The application must include information listed below. The Chief will review the application and will issue temporary authorization through a Chief's Order if the Chief approves the operation. 2. Upon promulgation of the rules required by R.C. 1509.22(C), all facilities operating pursuant to a Chief's Order will be required to obtain a permit pursuant to the requirements of those rules. Details of the permitting process will be posted to the Division's website after the rules receive final approval.
First criminal case against Marcellus driller gets underway
StateImpact Pennsylvania
A preliminary hearing in Williamsport yesterday marked the beginning of the Pennsylvania's first criminal case involving a Marcellus Shale driller. In July, the federal Environmental Protection Agency fined XTO Energy, a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, for a 2010 spill which involved discharging between 6,300 and 57,373 gallons of waste water into the Susquehanna river system in Penn Township, Lycoming County. The waste water contained high levels of strontium, chloride, bromide, barium, and total dissolved solids and flowed continually for more than two months in the fall of 2010, according to the EPA. In September, state Attorney General Kathleen Kane filed criminal charges against XTO.
Witnesses Called in XTO Marcellus Spill Case
NGI's Shale Daily
State prosecutors called six witnesses to the stand on Wednesday in a preliminary hearing at the trial court-level on the unprecedented criminal charges brought against XTO Energy Inc. in September by Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane, who maintains that the company should be held liable for a 2010 wastewater spill at one of its drilling sites in the state. The case represents the first time criminal charges have been filed against an operator in Pennsylvania, and given the fact that XTO — the onshore subsidiary of the world's largest publicly traded oil and gas company, ExxonMobil Corp. — is involved, both sides have reportedly brought out the legal big guns. XTO is represented by three law firms, while the state has brought to bear its leading lawyers, including the attorney general's top environmental attorney, Glenn A. Parno.
Washington County knows the benefits of shale drilling
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Allegheny County is wise to explore a non-surface Marcellus Shale lease at Deer Lakes Park ("Park Gas Offer Includes $3.5 Million Bonus," Dec. 15). In Washington County, under the leadership of the Washington County Board of Commissioners, the same natural gas production company, Range Resources, has successfully drilled nearly 40 horizontal shale wells more than a mile beneath the surface of Cross Creek Park, with minimal impacts. To quote the Dec. 17 editorial, the moniker very much has been "drill, carefully, drill" across Washington County. At the park, highly productive natural gas wells are mostly unnoticeable — tucked away quietly and by design in hillsides, occupying only about 1 percent of the park's surface. Cross Creek is unusual, because unlike other parks across the commonwealth and the nation, it is state-of-the-art. Thanks to the revenue generated by safe, well-regulated shale development, Washington County parks are thriving with new roads, parking areas, docks and playgrounds. Additionally, the county even worked with Range Resources to enhance the park for wildlife development with new food plots and habitat improvement.
Good Financial News Abounds in the Marcellus Shale
Natural Gas Now
There is tremendous good financial news on multiple fronts in the Marcellus Shale region, at least those parts of it where the natural gas industry is allowed to thrive. Pennsylvania, like neighboring Ohio and many other states, has viewed its oil and gas industry as a valuable resource to be developed for the common good and companies doing business there, companies such as Range Resources, Cabot Oil & Gas, Chief Oil & Gas and Southwest Energy, all have much to celebrate. Unlike New York, where government, media, and special interest groups have mangled the free-market with regulation and politics, it's been a completely different story in the Commonwealth, at least that part of it outside the Delaware River basin.
Scientists to Gov. Jerry Brown: Fracking Is Safe and Will Benefit California
Energy in Depth
Yesterday, 21 leading scientists, engineers and technical experts submitted a letter* to Governor Jerry Brown endorsing the benefits of hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") in California. The AP reported: The letter…comes after California adopted regulations requiring oil companies to test groundwater and disclose chemicals used in fracking. The group said the strict new rules, which become permanent in 2015, will ensure fracking is done responsibly. The signers of the letter include Berkeley climate scientist Dr. Richard Muller – who just released a paper explaining why environmentalists should embrace shale development – and Dr. Stephen Holditch, former head of the Department of Petroleum Engineering at Texas A&M University. Holditch also served as an advisor to President Obama's Secretary of Energy as a member of the Natural Gas Subcommittee examining the technical elements of shale development. The authors touch on a number of key benefits from shale development, which include jobs, economic growth and lower energy bills for Californians.
New online database charts water quality regulations related to oil and gas development
The Oil & Gas – Water Quality database project is led by the University of Colorado Boulder's Intermountain Oil and Gas Best Management Practices (BMP) Project in partnership with Temple University's Public Health Law Research program and its LawAtlas.org website. The newly launched Oil & Gas – Water Quality dataset (//www.lawatlas.org/oilandgas) was created as a comparative tool for examining water quality laws and regulations related to oil and gas activities in Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming. The database allows policymakers, local governments, industry officials and citizens to study the scope of water quality law in their state or to make comparisons with other states. An interactive map allows for easy navigation across different jurisdictions, and downloadable PDFs are available that document each state's water quality regulations.


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The former Australian governor general Sir Ninian Stephen has died, aged 94.
Government House said in a statement Sir Ninian, who was the governor general from 1982 to 1989, died in Melbourne.
"Our nation is a better place due to his service and he will be most warmly remembered," the governor general, Peter Cosgrove, said. "Sir Ninian served in the AIF during World War II, was a most eminent and distinguished person throughout his legal career and a very fine governor general."
Sir Ninian was born in Britain and arrived in Melbourne in 1940, making him Australia's only immigrant governor general. He also served on the high court, as an international judge, and as an ambassador and a peacemaker.
In 1982, Malcolm Fraser chose him to replace Zelman Cowen as governor general in a move that was widely welcomed.
His only constitutionally delicate moment came in 1983 when Fraser, anxious to call an election before Bob Hawke replaced Bill Hayden as Labor leader, asked for a double dissolution on the grounds that the Senate had twice rejected a string of bills.
The prime minister turned up unexpectedly at Yarralumla with a weighty document and asked for an immediate decision. Sir Ninian, who had another engagement, refused, promising one in about three hours.
The deadline was stretched another hour when Sir Ninian asked for more information. By then, Hawke was the Labor leader and, five weeks later, prime minister.
Sir Ninian stepped down in 1989 to become Australia's first ambassador to the environment under Bob Hawke.
In 1992, the British and Irish governments chose Sir Ninian to head a new round of peace talks in Northern Ireland.
He went from Belfast to The Hague a year later, when he became one of the judges on the new international tribunal to try war crimes in the former Yugoslavia.
General counsel for the United Nations Hans Corell said of Sir Ninian's work on the tribunal, and a later appeal court covering Yugoslavia and Rwanda: "In his knowledge, wisdom and grace, he was one of the leading judges on the bench."
Approaching his 80s, Sir Ninian remained in demand, advising on South Africa's constitution and helping negotiate a way through a political impasse in Bangladesh. He took part in an investigation in Burma on behalf of the International Labor Organisation and worked on setting up a tribunal to hear Cambodian atrocities. He helped draft a constitution for post-Taliban Afghanistan.
At an 80th birthday dinner for him, the former high court judge Michael Kirby said: "Serving Australia was not enough for Ninian Stephen. He went beyond and served a wider world".


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The Student Experience
Our Ottawa-based, bilingual law firm specializes in union-side labour and employment law. Our practice is a dynamic blend of labour and administrative law, human rights, Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, pay equity, pension and employee benefit law, and occupational health and safety. We only represent unions, employees, progressive organizations or complainants. We regularly appear before labour boards, arbitrators, human rights tribunals, and courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada.
As a summer or articling student, you will assist lawyers in preparation for hearings before courts and administrative tribunals. For example, you will assist in interviewing clients, drafting pleadings and legal memoranda, and researching legal arguments. Articling students may have the opportunity to take on Small Claims and other court appearances, as well as Employment Insurance Commission Board of Referees matters and similar tribunal hearings. Summer students, in addition to their experience working at the firm, also have the opportunity to complete a secondment to a public interest or social justice organization.
All of our lawyers are invested in making the student experience balanced and rewarding. Besides research and advocacy training, you will learn important practice management skills that are necessary for a successful legal practice. We are committed to providing mentorship and feedback throughout the articling process.
Our articling students are represented by CUPE Local 1281. The terms and conditions of employment for articling students are determined by a collective agreement.
Applying to our Firm
If you are interested in applying to our firm, submit your cover letter, resume, undergraduate and law school transcripts, two references, and at least two writing samples.
Summer students: Our firm follows the schedule for summer student recruitment in Ottawa. Applications for summer positions are typically due mid-to-late January.
Articling students: The deadline to apply for articling positions is set by the Law Society. Applications for articling positions in Ottawa are typically due in May.
We want candidates with practical and life experience, and a philosophical commitment to workers' rights and social justice. We rely on our students to bring an active, creative problem-solving approach to clients' issues. We are looking for students with a strong academic background, skills in client relations, research, organization and advocacy.
We encourage applications from students who self-identify as being from one or more of the following designated groups, and have regard for this factor in making hiring decisions: Aboriginal peoples, members of visible minorities, persons with disabilities, trans and gender-nonconforming individuals, members of the LGBTQQIP2SA community and women.
All inquiries about summer and articling with Raven, Cameron, Ballantyne & Yazbeck should be directed to email@example.com or by telephone at (613) 567-2901. We encourage you to contact the firm if you would like to talk to our current students about their experience.


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+ Alpha / Alfakyun. (Person)
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Source: www.anisearch.com/person/50942
Source: www.anisearch.com/person/50942


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Airstrikes Take Toll on Civilians in Yemen War
September 13, 2015 | Around the World | No Comments|
HAJJA, Yemen — The airstrike slammed into Al-Sham water-bottling plant at the end of the night shift, killing 13 workers who were minutes away from heading home. Standing among the strewn bottles, smoldering boxes and pulverized machines a few days after the airstrike here, the owner, Ibrahim al-Razoom, searched in vain for any possible reason that warplanes from a Saudi-led military coalition would have attacked the place. Nothing in the ruins suggested the factory was used for making bombs, as a coalition spokesman had claimed. And it was far from any military facility that would explain the strike as a tragic mistake: For miles around, there was nothing but desert scrub. "It never occurred to me that this would be hit," Mr. Razoom said. Of the many perils Yemen's civilians have faced during the last six months of war, with starvation looming and their cities crumbling under heavy weapons, none have been as deadly as the coalition airstrikes. What began as a Saudi-led aerial campaign against the Houthis, the rebel militia movement that forced Yemen's government from power, has become so broad and vicious that critics accuse the coalition of collectively punishing people living in areas under Houthi control. Errant coalition strikes have ripped through markets, apartment buildings and refugee camps. Other bombs have fallen so far from any military target — like the one that destroyed Mr. Razoom's factory — that human rights groups say such airstrikes amount to war crimes. More than a thousand civilians are believed to have died in the strikes, the toll rising steadily with little international notice or outrage. Rather than turning more Yemenis against the Houthis, though, the strikes are crystallizing anger in parts of the country against Saudi Arabia and its partners, including the United States. The Obama administration has provided military intelligence and logistical assistance to the coalition, and American weapons have been widely used in the air campaign. Human Rights Watch has found American-manufactured cluster munitions in the fields of Yemeni farmers. Near the site of airstrikes that killed 11 people in a mosque, researchers with Amnesty International saw an unexploded, 1,000-pound American bomb. The United States is finalizing a deal to provide more weapons to Saudi Arabia, including missiles for its F-15 fighter jets. In parts of northern Yemen, which is populated largely by Shiite Muslims, residents told reporters making a rare visit to the area that the bombing campaign by the Sunni coalition often feels like a sectarian purge. Airstrikes nearest the border with Saudi Arabia have been so intense that people have taken shelter in mountain caves or been forced farther south, often on foot, where they set up flimsy camps on the side of the road. Neighborhoods in the northern city of Saada have been so heavily bombed that locals joke grimly that the coalition has run out of buildings to hit. The shrinking pool of targets has not stopped the planes that circle daily over Sana, the capital, from bombing the same security buildings over and over again, with a bewildering and terrible frequency. The Saudi-led coalition has rarely if ever acknowledged killing civilians by mistake, even after the deadliest strikes, like the bombing of a residential compound for workers in Mokha in July that killed at least 63 people. Instead, the coalition blames the Houthis, accusing them of fighting from populated areas. "Why would we acknowledge something that doesn't exist?" said Brig. Gen. Ahmed Asiri, the coalition's spokesman, when asked whether the airstrikes had killed noncombatants. He said it should fall to Yemen's exiled government or the United Nations to investigate such deaths. Col. Patrick S. Ryder, a spokesman for United States Central Command, said American officials had asked "the Saudi government to investigate all credible reports of civilian casualties resulting from coalition-led airstrikes, and if confirmed, to address the factors that led to them." A tense political standoff erupted into war in March, after the Houthi militias ousted the government of President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi, who fled abroad. Saudi Arabia launched its offensive with the stated goal of returning Mr. Hadi to power, but was motivated by far deeper anxieties, analysts said. The Saudis, already shaken by the Obama administration's nuclear deal with their regional rival, Iran, viewed the Shiite-led Houthis as an Iranian proxy gaining strength just over its border. The Houthis have denied acting on Iran's orders; Saudi allies, including the United States, said the fears were exaggerated. More than 4,500 people have been killed in the war. Hundreds have died in street battles between the Houthis and their rivals for control of Yemen's most important cities, like Taiz and Aden, where residents have accused the Houthis in particular of resorting to brutal force. The ground war and harsh Saudi restrictions on imports have deepened humanitarian suffering in Yemen, causing shortages of fuel, water and medical supplies while inflating prices of food and other goods. The majority of civilians have been killed by coalition warplanes, often dropping American munitions ranging from 250 to 2,000 pounds. There are no comprehensive tallies of the deaths. But the United Nations Human Rights Commissioner said on Friday that of 1,527 civilians who died between the start of the Saudi offensive and June 30, at least 941 people were killed by airstrikes. The airstrikes have helped the coalition advance in southern Yemen, where anti-Houthi sentiment is strong. But the mounting civilian toll has raised concerns about the tactics of the coalition of Arab armies fighting alongside the Saudis, and seeking to prove its mettle as a regional counterweight to Iran's influence. As the coalition has amassed troops and weapons in central Yemen in preparation for a possible ground invasion of Sana, fears have grown that the capital, with its meticulously preserved Old City, will suffer the same fate as other Yemeni treasures destroyed during the conflict. The United Arab Emirates said its pilots have played a central role in a recent flurry of airstrikes, in apparent retaliation for a Houthi attack Aug. 4 that killed at least 45 Emirati soldiers fighting in Yemen. Since then, Sana has come under its heaviest bombardment of the war. The day after the Emirati soldiers were killed, at least 21 civilians died in airstrikes across the capital, according to relatives of the victims. Bombings in one district killed nine people, in a pattern that characterized many of the attacks. The coalition jets focused on a university that the Houthis had used as a base, plowing craters in the dirt and bombing a warehouse on the campus that appeared to be full of office furniture. But they also struck a residential area overlooking the university, with at least three separate airstrikes, partially damaging or demolishing six houses. "They kill innocents and claim to be killing Houthis. They are targeting the whole population," said Adam Mujahid Abdulla, a 20-year-old survivor of the strikes, who was recovering in a hospital last week, bandages covering burns over 65 percent of his body. The bomb that struck his house killed seven members of his family. But his friends, visiting in the hospital, were too worried about his condition to tell him that his relatives, including his mother and four siblings, had died. Across town, another airstrike sliced through a building of shops and apartments, killing seven people. In the rubble, people dug out the remains of Mohib Mohammed, 26, the local barber. "They only found his legs," said Ayman Mahmoud, who arrived at the neighborhood soon after the airstrike. The strike's victims included Tayseer Okba, a 12-year-old girl who that morning had been visiting her 65-year-old grandmother, Amana al-Khowlani. There is little mystery about the repeated attacks on the northern Saada Province, the birthplace of the Houthi movement. Months ago, the Saudi coalition declared that the entire province was a military zone, drawing an outcry from human rights groups that did little to deter the warplanes. In border areas that the Houthis have used for attacks into Saudi Arabia, the coalition forces have struck deep into Yemeni territory, bombing hospitals, roads and towns even when no Houthi fighters are present, said Dr. Natalie Roberts, who worked with Doctors Without Borders in one of the few clinics in the province. Mothers delivered babies in caves where they found shelter. People who were ill waited weeks before traveling to hospitals. "It's no kind of life," Dr. Roberts said. "Waiting in a cave to see if you're going to get bombed." A road leading into Saada has been cratered by airstrikes that destroyed at least four bridges and obliterated trucks carrying fuel or livestock. In Saada City, so many houses were bombed in one neighborhood that all the residents simply fled. Omar Mohammed al-Ghaily, 28, sat in the center of town, near the ruins of his clothing store, destroyed in airstrikes that razed a stretch of government buildings. The strikes killed Seif Ahmed Seif, who owned an umbrella store. Mr. Ghaily kept Mr. Seif's identity card, maybe to return it one day to his daughter, who lives far away in Taiz. He kept coming to the rubble, he said, because he had "no place to go." Saada had suffered mightily over the last decade, when the Houthis fought six wars against Yemen's central government. But those conflicts paled in comparison to the damage being inflicted by the coalition, Mr. Ghaily said: "this war from the sky." Source


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Your website provides a crucial first impression to your potential clients. If someone seeking therapy is impressed by your website, it's likely they will book a session. But if your website is poorly designed, potential clients may leave your site – and never come back.
However, many therapists are intimidated by the thought of improving their website. After all, they are therapists, not web developers!
Fortunately, there are easy ways to improve a therapy website that anyone can do. I've listed my four favorite ones below. Of course, this is just scratching the surface – there are a wealth of web design tips for therapists that you can explore. But these four tips are an excellent way to get started on improving your website. Let's dive in!
Add a Photo of Yourself
Research shows that when a photo of a person is added to a website, visitors to that website become 50-100% more likely to make a purchase.
So add a photo of yourself to your website! A good photo helps clients connect with you, it draws in their attention and it makes your website look unique (because no other website will have a photo of you).
And don't bury your photo on your "about me" page. Put it in the homepage, somewhere where people can see it when they first load the website. Let your photo help make a positive first impression when someone comes to your website.
Finally, make sure that you use a quality photo. If you have the budget for it, I recommend that you hire a professional photographer.
If you can't get a professional photographer, still try to make your photo as good as possible – dress nicely, get good lighting, use a high quality camera, etc. If your photo is not very good, clients might assume that your therapy will be low-quality also.
Keep Your Paragraphs Short
People read differently on the internet. They skim instead of reading in depth, and if they get bored, they're quick to go somewhere else.
That means you need to write differently when on the internet. Specifically, you need to keep your paragraphs short. You'll notice that all of the paragraphs in this article are only a few sentences long – and you'll also notice that you haven't lost interest.
When you have short paragraphs, it's easy for people to quickly skim through your material. They won't get bored, because finishing a paragraph feels rewarding and they don't get intimidated by a big block of text. Of course, it's fine to have long paragraphs on occasion – but normally, short blocks of text are your best option.
Writing short paragraphs is pretty easy. One way is to try to add a line break every time you move on to a new idea.
Another way is to just add a line break every three or four sentences. It will take some practice to adjust your writing style (especially if you are used to dense academic writing), but your website visitors will thank you.
Keep Your Blog Updated
A blog is a great idea for many therapists. Unfortunately, if you never update your blog, it can become a liability. If your last blog post was years ago, potential clients might assume that you have gone out of business, or that you aren't very tech-savvy.
So if you have a blog, keep it updated. You don't need to be writing every day, of course. But try to put a new post out once per month. One easy way to make sure you stay updated is to write several blog posts at once, and then release one per month. That way you can set aside one day to focus on writing blog posts, and then you don't need to worry about it for several months.
Drawing a blank on what to write about? An easy option is to write a book review of a therapy-related book. Of course, you need to read the book first – but once you've read a book, it's usually fairly easy to review it and tell your website visitors if it is a helpful resource.
You can also a do a "link round-up," where you compile several useful links and put them in a blog post. For instance, you might write a blog post about 10 great articles for understanding depression or 10 YouTube videos that offer helpful tips for anxiety.
Ask For Honest Feedback
A little feedback can go a long way. Because you designed your website, it's difficult for you to accurately gauge its strengths and weaknesses (much like how parents have trouble accurately judging their children).
That's what it's crucial to get feedback from others. Having another pair of eyes to look at your site can help you notice opportunities for improvement that you missed, and can also alert you to potential problems.
So I recommend that you ask your friends and family member to use your website and offer you honest feedback. You can have them pretend to be a client or simply give their first impression. Stress to them that you're looking for honest feedback and they should give you a wealth of information.
And then use the feedback you receive! Of course, not all feedback will be good. But think critically and look for opportunities to improve your website based on what your friends and family shared with you.
Web design concept image available from Shutterstock


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Tags State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA)
All students need and deserve broadband access, education leaders say
Educators visiting Washington this week are called for policymakers to provide high-speed internet service to all students, regardless of neighborhood
SETDA names Indiana e-learning director as new executive director
Candice Dodson, who serves as director of eLearning for the Indiana Department of Education, said she will lead with renewed energy an focus.
Mobile learning 'shifting the paradigm' of K-12 education, says Apple executive
Apple Education's Jon Landis told a conference audience that educators must evolve to keep pace with the unprecedented changes seen in tech today.
DeVos: Technology enables educators to 'rethink' school
The secretary of Education reiterated at a national conference her philosophy behind empowering students to take control of their learning.
How two states are tackling the shift to digital education
Commentary: While Idaho uses a structured review process for instructional materials, Pennsylvania has evolved organically to use digital educational content.
SETDA announces new partnerships with emerging edtech startups
The 11 educational technology startups chosen as SETDA's Emerging Private Sector Partners cover all corners of the education sector.
Full benefits of edtech can't be realized until data is interoperable, report finds
States should collaborate and standardize data from educational technology to reap all potential benefits of IT transformation, SETDA says
Fresh thinking about data entry can reduce the burden for educators
Education leaders from Georgia and Nebraska outline how they've made data interoperability standards work for and with their school districts.
For two states, digital transition requires an overhaul of the process
During a recent SETDA event, edtech representatives from Nevada and Florida described their new approaches to adopting digital materials.


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SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Retail gasoline prices hit an all-time high Tuesday, boosting gas and crude-oil futures amid rising demand for the motor fuel and concern about supplies.
Market expectations for a fall in last week's gasoline inventories contributed to the rise in petroleum futures, but indications that OPEC may delay a planned cut in its production quota kept crude prices capped under $38 per barrel.
At the retail level Tuesday, the average price for regular unleaded gasoline in the U.S. rose to $1.738 a gallon, surpassing the $1.737 all-time high from August of last year, according to AAA's Daily Fuel Gauge Report. It's up 0.7 cent from Monday.
The record high for the fuel was expected to come this year, the AAA said in a statement, attributing the price to "rising consumption, high crude-oil prices, insufficient domestic gasoline refining capacity, complicated federal and state clean fuel regulations, and chronically low inventories."
Retail prices will likely "back off a bit" before May, said Geoff Sundstrom, a spokesman for AAA, formerly known as the American Automobile Association.
"But there is still a lot of uncertainty about how seamless U.S. refiners will be in switching over to the various clean fuels required in the Midwest and on the East Coast during the summer months," he said.
And AAA expects "a strong summer travel season," because of "an overall pickup in other sectors of the economy, and the fact that there is probably some pent-up demand for vacation travel left over from last year when the war with Iraq was a big concern," Sundstrom said.
Over on the New York Mercantile Exchange Tuesday, April unleaded gasoline rose by 1.77 cents to close at $1.1468 per gallon. Futures prices peaked around $1.16 earlier this month -- that's a one-year high.
The Energy Department on Monday pegged the average retail price for regular unleaded at $1.743 per gallon, as of the week ended March 22 -- up 1.9 cents from a week ago, but around 0.4 cent below the government's all-time price high.
Earlier this month, the Lundberg Survey said the average retail price for all grades of gasoline reached a record $1.77 per gallon on March 12, surpassing the May 2001 high of $1.76. See related story.
Supply data due Wednesday
Gasoline supply levels may even be headed lower.
Separate updates on weekly U.S. petroleum supplies are due from the Energy Department and the American Petroleum Institute on Wednesday morning.
Most analysts expect the reports to show a fall in gasoline inventories for the week ended March 19.
"Unless there is overwhelming evidence that stockpiles are being replenished, and economic activity is beginning to contract, the perceptions that sparked the speculation that has been driving prices will continue," said Fimat USA analyst John Kilduff.
"One or two weeks of inventory builds" won't be able to change the upward trend in the market, he said.
Fimat USA said gasoline supplies likely fell by 1 million barrels last week. IFR Energy Services expects a fall of 500,000 barrels to 1.5 million barrels.
Crude inventories, however, likely rose 1.75 million barrels, according to Fimat. IFR anticipates a 2 million- to 3 million-barrel climb.
IFR is looking for a fall of 1 million to 2 million for distillate supplies, which include heating oil and jet fuel, while Fimat targets a fall of 500,000 barrels.
"OPEC would be forced not to cut production if the inventory numbers are lower, unless they want to be accused of foul play and sincerely manipulating the market at the U.S. expense," said John Person, head financial analyst at Infinity Brokerage Services.
Last week, the Energy Department reported that motor gasoline supplies fell by 800,000 barrels during the week ended March 12 to 199.6 million barrels, or 1.2 percent below the year-ago level. Crude supplies climbed, but by less than most market expectations, and supplies of distillates fell. See full story.
OPEC wranglings
Some members of OPEC, including the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, raised the notion Monday that OPEC may delay until June 1 its plan to cut 1 million barrels per day from its current 24.5 million-barrel production quota.
The cartel had agreed in February to start the output cut on April 1. The cartel will next meet on March 31 in Vienna.
"In order to preserve credibility, OPEC must acknowledge the fact that implementing cuts, let alone improving compliance, will be extremely difficult in this high-price environment," said Joshua Sadler, an energy trader at Societe Generale's SG Corporate & Investment banking unit, in a note to clients.
Still, crude for May delivery rose to $37.45 per barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, up 40 cents. The contract lost 97 cents in the previous session. April heating oil climbed by 1.95 cents to close at 93.32 cents a gallon.
The chance that OPEC may delay the quota cut "may take some froth off prices" in the short term, said Fimat's Kilduff.
But the market needs to keep in mind that the cartel's members have "been considerably less willing in the past to provide additional flows to the market when prices are rising than they have been to eliminate production when prices are falling," he said.
Global tensions, oil demand, petroleum-reserve support
All the while, traders have had to factor in rising global demand and assess the latest Middle East turmoil.
"Geopolitical tensions have oil traders nervous for potential terrorist activity that may interrupt oil supplies from the Middle East in retaliation for the killing of the Hamas leader," Infinity's Person said.
And oil traders "do not want to be caught short on inventories just in case a saboteur or an attack occurs on the pipelines in northern Iraq where the lines are most vulnerable," he said.
The market also senses that "demand is on a torrid pace for both byproducts," he said. "Unless supplies can offset this demand pace, the trend for higher energy prices is still pointing higher."
Added to all of that, Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham said the Energy Department will continue to fill the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve as scheduled, despite calls from the Senate and House to suspend them and ease market prices, said Person.
Topping off the long list of potential supportive factors for the oil market Tuesday, a fire department official in Tulsa, Okla., told Reuters of a reported fire at Sunoco's
Natural gas weakens further
Ignoring the strength among its peers, April natural gas closed at $5.53 per million British thermal units, down 1.6 cents.
"At this time of year, demand should be declining and each successive week should record lower withdrawals," said Kilduff. "Not surprisingly then, prices are declining as well."
An update on natural-gas inventory for the week ended March 19 is due from the Energy Department on Thursday morning. Fimat said market estimates call for a fall of 20 billion to 60 billion cubic feet. Last year, supplies rose by 6 billion.
U.S. natural-gas stockpiles fell by 46 billion cubic feet for the week ended March 12 -- generally in line with many market expectations.
Meanwhile, energy equities traded mainly lower, led by weakness in the Philadelphia Oil Service Index
On the Nymex metals pits, gold futures logged a seven-session win. See Metals Stocks.
The Reuters/CRB index, a broad-based measure of commodity futures markets fell 0.2 to 284.59.