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The HTC One Reviewby Brian Klug on April 5, 2013 8:50 PM EST
- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Android
- Mobile
- HTC One
- Snapdragon 600
Sense 5
UI skins are generally a polarizing thing for Android users. On one hand, there's a camp of enthusiasts who want nothing but the AOSP (Android Open Source Project) experience, the unadulterated version of Google's Android platform which is reserved typically only for Google Experience Devices. Then there are enthusiasts who spend time crafting their own custom ROMs with features that are essentially analogous to skins, but somewhere in-between full-on OEM skins and the AOSP version of Android. At the other side of the spectrum we have what OEMs deliver which they believe adds value for normal — dare I say naïve — users who just want a smartphone. You have to realize that UI skins and OEM customizations are the result of the back and forth optimization function which takes place between operators and OEMs. The operator is trying to reduce returns and increase attachment and satisfaction, while the OEM has to somehow keep a middle ground without their platform becoming a homogenous mess and at the same time manage their own vision for the platform.
The HTC One is launching running Android 4.1.2, and the software that I've been testing is the final build for the hardware I'm using. At some point in the future, the HTC One will get an update to Android 4.2.x, but at this point I can live with 4.1.x, and HTC says it went with 4.1 for both stability and time to market reasons, which I think is reasonable considering some of the 4.2.x issues people have complained about, though 4.2.2 fixes most of it. At this point it would be awesome to have 4.2, but for a smartphone the only features I miss are the notification shade settings and perhaps photosphere. I'm sure Google I/O will make me want whatever version of Android comes out there, but for now the HTC One running 4.1 isn't a problem.
The new Sense 5 experience is a re-imagining of what HTC's idea of an Android experience should be. Sense 5 introduces a number of new features that HTC believes address the most common user work patterns on a smartphone, and at the same time creates an entirely different visual theme.
The Sense 5 UI does away with the rounded edges and 3D looking effects that previous iterations included and instead moves to a much more modern looking flat UI style. There are still some gradients here and there, but most of the places which previously had that late 2000s bubbly appearance to them have been smoothed over or flattened entirely. Perhaps the most striking difference is the move to Roboto Condensed for the system font, which looks amazing throughout the UI. I'm surprised Google doesn't make more use of that font given how good it looks as a system font, just about the only place I've seen it in AOSP is during setup. HTC has also moved to their own flat iconography for system icons throughout, which look attractive and much different from the tacky, bubbly icons I've seen on various other Android skins I won't name.
The application launcher gets a number of striking changes. First, by default the grid is a 3x4 arrangement which leaves a lot of negative space around the application icons themselves. The list is paginated vertically by default as well. There's of course an option to return to the more dense 4x5 grid of icons, however, there's something about the 3x4 grid which seems less intimidating, and that's a lot of what HTC wants to do with Sense 5 — make Android less intimidating to normal users and the launcher less of a sea of icons.
Probably the biggest new thing in the launcher is that there's now some level of default organization. My biggest mental friction point when getting a new device is the soup of applications dumped in an ad-hoc fashion into the launcher on whatever new device I'm using. With the One, HTC is mandating order to the chaos, and there are no exceptions. Operators can preload applications, but they now will always be sorted into their own folder by default, rather than peppered all over the place. There are no exceptions to the organization mandate, their apps all live inside a folder with the operator name. The rest of the first party HTC applications are likewise sorted into some logical containers like Google, Media, Tools, and so on, not just an arbitrary mess. Of course all this can also be turned off, if you want a stock-looking 4x5 grid with an alphabetized list, it's there for you to select.
Probably the biggest new feature in Sense 5 is HTC's BlinkFeed, which is a combination of local and remote content aggregator and optional home screen replacement. BlinkFeed aggregates media from accounts that are signed in on the device like Facebook and Twitter, as well as events from the gallery, calendar entries, and news from aggregation sources. HTC uses a third party content service called MobileRepublic to aggregate and bubble interesting stories, which it then exposes as feeds users can enable for consumption via BlinkFeed. By default BlinkFeed only auto refreshes when connected via WiFi, where it has essentially minimal impact on battery life. When on mobile, getting new data requires a pull to refresh the external feeds, though I've noticed that local data on the device will still get surfaced into BlinkFeed which makes sense. HTC says it wants to provide easily glanceable information for users to consume during idle periods. I should note that BlinkFeed by default is the home page, however it is entirely possible to change the home page in Sense 5 to one of the traditional widget panels and never have to look at BlinkFeed again. There's no way to turn it completely off, but if you really want you can disable all the services and set the homepage to another widget panel. At launch there's no support for arbitrary RSS feeds in BlinkFeed, but this obvious omission will supposedly get added in with a later update. RSS is on everyone's mind right now after the loss of Google Reader, so I suspect this will come sooner rather than later.
Again the traditional widget panels don't really change much, and in Sense 5 you can have four of them in addition to the leftmost BlinkFeed homepage. HTC changed up their first party widgets as well, though the ever-familiar Sense clock and weather widget still is in there if you choose. Most of the widgets get the same nice flat themed UI and style, however.
The notification shade is now cleaned up drastically as well from previous versions of Sense, there's the shortcut into settings which we saw with 4.1, expandable notifications, and the time and date in Roboto Condensed. An always-present fixture is the power saver option, which seems like a bit of wasted space to have always present, but is a handy feature otherwise. Multitasking gets a big change with a 3x3 grid that shows the 9 last applications in the order which you used them. These can be dismissed by dragging up.
The rest of the first party applications in Sense 5 get a complete makeover too, many of which rely on a pivot bar design which is very Holo-like. It's actually surprising to me how well HTC managed to stick to the pivot bar design pattern, even in ways that I haven't seen the first party Google applications.
I spend a lot of time using messaging SMSing friends, and in Sense 5 most of the UI patterns are the same, however the opposed conversation dialog also gets a bit of a makeover and looks better. I still wish the compose box wasn't nearly as big however, so I could view more of the conversation context. I feel like the send and attach buttons should be moved from the right side so that the conversation box starts out being one line tall and grows with the message, rather than starting with such huge size.
The stock keyboard also gets a makeover in Sense 5 to a design that is much cleaner and, you guessed it, flatter than the rounded virtual domes of Sense 4 and 4+. It matches the rest of the Sense 5 UI, however there don't appear to be any major changes if you're comparing the 4+ and 5 keyboards beyond visual style. There are still some issues with a few applications like Plume (which HTC and Plume trade blame on), and I can occasionally out-type autocorrection, but I was able to last longer with the Sense 5 keyboard before feeling the urge to jump ship to SwiftKey like I inevitably always do on any Android phone.
The combination of that pivot bar UI pattern, Roboto Condensed, as well as overall flat design, really make Sense 5 feel the most like Android 4.x of the skins I've seen in this last cycle or two. I have been using Sense 5 for a while now and don't have a problem with it, in fact, it's just about the cleanest and most sensible skin I've seen on Android to date. If you don't like BlinkFeed, you can basically configure the home screen so that a widget panel is what you'll see instead, however I've found myself discovering content from BlinkFeed far more often than expected. Now if only AnandTech was included as of the feed sources…
HTC Sense TV
HTC has added TV control to the HTC One via a Consumer IR transmitter and receiver cleverly hidden in the power/standby button at the top. For whatever reason, IR went away after the Palm OS and Pocket PC days, never to really surface again. IR seems to be making a resurgence however in tablets or larger tablet-style phones, but the HTC One thankfully brings this back to the smartphone form factor.
With the One, HTC doesn't want to replace the Logitech Harmony type universal remotes of the world, but rather try to make the smartphone you're going to wind up holding while watching TV anyways a functional utility for controlling it. As such there's no state machine like workflow on the One, and the instructions sometimes bear this out by asking you to press input until the right device appears.
The TV experience is driven by a custom HTC application which uses Peel as the backend, and is pretty well done, though there are a few rough points in the UI. There's some basic setup and configuration at first, with your market and either TV cable, satellite, or OTA package, and then download of device profiles. What's great about marrying a smartphone with IR is that the device profiles are always online and easy to pull down, so now everyone can quickly hack hotel room TVs for the HDMI inputs or change channels at the sports bar or airport (though I've noticed airports are getting smarter about this lately). There's no longer any need for me to cart around a Logitech universal remote and miniUSB cable for programming it when I want to use HDMI at a hotel that thinks locking it down is a wise endeavour.
The experience is pretty good. I admittedly pretty much never watch TV anymore, even OTA programming, but I can imagine this being more than just a little bit handy if you're an avid TV watcher. There are alerts for shows you're interested in or might be interested in, reminders, and supposedly good integration with set top boxes. Again I can't really speak to any integration beyond OTA tuning on the TV itself since I haven't had TV since I entered the dorms. I do however love having an IR port on my phone again — I can relive the shenanigans which played out while having an IR-enabled device in my pocket during high school.
There's allegedly no official way to talk to IR devices in Android, for this HTC will open up an API through HTCdev and its OpenSense SDK to enable development of IR applications.
USB-OTG Support
Lately I've been getting questions about USB On The Go (USB-OTG) support on just about every handset I test. With microSD cards going away for the most part, it does make sense to explore this somewhat. I tested the HTC One using a USB-OTG adapter I bought a while back, and can report that it does work with USB mass storage devices, keyboards, mice, and even hubs. I tried the USB ethernet adapter that I've used with the Galaxy Nexus and Nexus 7, but that didn't work.
If you want to mount USB storage that's totally a possibility on the One, I had no issues playing back media or browsing a simple USB flash drive attached to the device. In addition an SDXC card reader I attached over USB-OTG works, finally I can tweet JPEGs from my DSLR on the HTC One! It's nice to see decent USB-OTG support included on the HTC One.
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Paulman - Friday, April 05, 2013 - linkNow I can finally look forward to the next episode of the Anandtech podcast :P Reply
Brian Klug - Friday, April 05, 2013 - linkHa, heck yes!
-Brian Reply
Bull Dog - Saturday, April 06, 2013 - linkYea I missed you on the last podcast. It just wasn't quite the same without (what I like to call) the "Klug rants." Reply
phillyry - Monday, April 08, 2013 - linkLookin' forward to it! Reply
leexgx - Thursday, April 11, 2013 - linki am very interested in this HTC One phone but i am also interested in the RAZR HD maxx as well but it does not seem to be much of an upgrade from the razr maxx i currently own
issue i have is will it Really last an full day on one charge of real world use, as i have seen a lot reviews of phones and the battery life part of the reviews to me seem an Lie quoting Twice the real world battery life, yours included as well i got the HTC One X (uk) and it was an Joke to use as it would not stay on for long (only one that gets close to correct battery report is the razr Maxx and the Razr HD) only one site seems to side with poor battery life or currant smartphones correctly and that is "theverge" but other sites and other users do not like the site and tend not to agree with there results
on the razr maxx that i own it can go nearly 2 days or 1 day if i go nuts on it, i really love HTC phones but with the Joke of an phone HTC one X (its like an portable gaming laptop your lucky if it lasts 2 hours on battery) that got rid off in less then an month of owning it, every phone i have had has been poor battery life, i had the G1 and HTC desire (the first one) but i could use an extended battery on them yes it made them an brick but it lasted long time
i do really like HTC phones but as all other smart phone makers are doing still is neglecting the battery size so it can Just about make it last an day if you use it lightly Reply
leexgx - Thursday, April 11, 2013 - linkbut to add this is an running battery life with any one person i have come across who has got smart phones Reply
henrybravo - Thursday, April 11, 2013 - linkIs the period key broken on your keyboard? Nothing but run-on sentences. Reply
leexgx - Saturday, April 13, 2013 - linkwas bit long my bad, just i find battery tests that sites do seem to be more then half what is reviewed as to why i norm just divide it by 2.3x ish to get real world results
there needs to be a real world tests as well (facebook, twitter, skype, youtube, browsing so on), as there is no way you can get the times you see on review sites (HTC one X international version and the iphone is good example of unrealistic battery life is when reviewed) Reply
Thud2 - Sunday, April 14, 2013 - linkInteresting that you acknowledged that you had not punctuated your post you then made another post and again you didnt use punctuation it is interesting i was going to ask you why you did it i have decided not to do that that would be redundant i am of the opinion that you are going to continue to post this way as a result of that i am going to disregard your posts in the future . Reply
sosrandom - Monday, April 15, 2013 - linkat least ieexgx has punctuation in his sentences, anybody should be able to tell when a sentence starts and ends without thinking about it Reply


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Barack Obama is a politician who doesn't seem to care much about any of the issues. He is a pure political machine, devoted to fundraising, the media spotlight, and personal ambition. Like Bill Clinton, as someone said, without the girlfriends. Only more cold-blooded.
If the early Obama–Obama 1.0–had a signature issue, it was Iraq. But those days are long gone. The McCain campaign has dug through the archives and done an admirable job of tracing Obama's unacknowledged contradictions on the issue:
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subset: commoncrawl


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The Lord Leads His Church
Elder Christofferson explains the origins of the church of Christ and the need for a restoration.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf outlines the many blessings we can show gratitude for because of the Restored Gospel.
How can the Resurrection and Atonement of Jesus Christ help me in my day to day?


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UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls
Tracy O'Connell
Graduated May 1974
Personal News: I live east of River Falls on a hobby farm and enjoy reading, gardening, travel, volunteering, and spending time with the animals and out in nature.
What's your job like? At present I teach classes in the subjects I did for more than two decades—advertising, public relations, and writing for the mass media. I do this at my alma mater, which brings back memories as I walk across campus. I enjoy the beautiful surroundings and the contact with such bright people of all ages. I have flexibility and work from home some days, grading papers, answering student queries, and managing an online class and the other 'business' that comes with the job. A lot is done electronically—email, online grading, online forms. Through the university I was able to participate in two overseas adventures in the past three years—to China and to Scotland.
Reflections: College was a very happy time for me—raised in the city, I was glad to be in the country, and took advantage of the small campus and rural atmosphere to have a horse, get involved in the agriculture and rodeo events, and spend a lot of time outdoors. I made friends that I stay in contact with today. As a journalism major, I was involved with the Student Voice and went from being so shy in high school that I'd cut class rather than walk in late in front of everyone to someone who would track down and interview politicians, business leaders, and even a pop star, John Denver, when he performed on campus. I only worked a couple years in journalism before making the switch to 'the dark side'—public relations. But my training at UWRF provided the background I needed in both careers.
Alumni: Please tell us what you're up to now, for posting here!
E-mail us at
Thank you for helping us to update our web site!


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What is the latest software revision to this thermostat? What would the serial number begin with? What four digit date code should it have at the least?
My new system is just about to be finished and I want to be sure I get the latest revision. It turns out that 2 of the 5 problems the old system had were related to software glitches with the Infinity Control.
[Edited by hogan on 06-12-2005 at 12:26 PM]


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View by: Most Popular | Alphabetical A to Z
Los Flamencos National Reserve (Reserva Nacional Los Flamencos)
The Flamencos National Reserve in San Pedro de Atacama is aptly named, as this area shelters and feeds three distinct species of flamingos: the Andean, ... Read more
Altiplanic Lagoons
To see lakes this high above sea level, you have to come to the altiplano, the very definition of which is "high plain," an area between the peaks of the ... Read more
Chaxa Lagoon
Chaxa Lagoon (Laguna Chaxa) often serves as an introduction to the salt flat for visitors. The ground here is crusted with an inedible salt, and in the ... Read more
Rainbow Valley (Valle Arcoiris)
When you see the stark, bright colors of San Pedro de Atacama and its surroundings, you may wonder how much of a standout Rainbow Valley (Valle del Arcoiris) ... Read more
Moon Valley
Not a single drop of water has fallen onto the Moon Valley in hundreds of years, thus the wind-sculpted salt statues inhabiting its eerie bowl have continued ... Read more
Atacama Salt Lake
The world's driest desert is the Atacama, caught up at extreme altitudes within an Andean basin, shielded from the life-giving rain. There is water here, ... Read more
El Tatio Geysers
Rising toward the fading stars high atop the Andes, El Tatio Geysers erupt from more than 80 vents into wraith-like plumes, which dance in the first ... Read more
Church of San Pedro de Atacama
Visitors to San Pedro de Atacama would be hard-pressed to miss the bright white church that sits on the west side of the Plaza de Armas. The Spanish ... Read more
Ojos del Salar
To understand the meaning of the words Ojos de Salar, you just need to know that a salar is a salt plain or lake and the ojo is its eye. In this case, the ... Read more
Tebenquiche Lagoon
This lagoon is often visited on a trip to see Laguna Cejar and Ojos del Salar. One might think that visiting a series of desert lakes would get repetitive, ... Read more
Atacama Desert
Seeing as it has the word "desert" in its name, the Atacama is a place you'd expect to be extremely and exceptionally dry. In this vast, arid moonscape, ... Read more
Lauca National Park
Founded in 1970, Lauca National Park in North Chile is part of a UNESCO-designated Global Biosphere Reserve. The park's breathtaking scenery — snow-capped ... Read more


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A couple of Nathan Marcus future football coaches at Vanderbilt University came to watch the all-state tight end play basketball at Stevenson on Tuesday night.
Another dandy was on display for Vandy, too.
Matt Morrissey, an all-state football player himself, and his Stevenson teammates prevailed in an appropriately physical battle. The Patriots received a game-high 21 points and 8 rebounds from sophomore point guard Jalen Brunson in a 61-47 nonconference win that stretched their winning streak to six games.
That was a tough game, said Morrissey, a junior whos been offered football scholarships by Illinois and Toledo. The scrappy, 6-foot-3 forward scored 9 points, including a 3-pointer, hustled for 3 offensive boards and came up with 3 steals. Connor Cashaw added a double-double of 11 points and 14 rebounds for Stevenson (16-4).
We came out a little slow, Morrissey added. But theyre a good team and they got us early. We just had to fight back.
Glenbard West (10-8) hit its first four shots, including 3s from Keith Hayes (team-high 13 points) and Dikiria Washington, in building a 10-2 lead. But while the Hilltoppers couldnt maintain that pace, going 4 of 16 from the floor the rest of the half, they stayed in the game the whole time thanks to a physical, man-to-man defense.
If that kind of D resembled Stevensons kind of D, dont consider it a coincidence.
Glenbard West coach Tim Hoder and Stevenson coach Pat Ambrose are tight. They were basketball teammates at Augustana College and even roommates for a couple of years. Their wives are sorority sisters.
He set some good screens for me, Ambrose, the former guard, said with a smile.
We really try to model ourselves (defensively) after what Pat does here, Hoder said. Theyre so impressive defensively. Were not always going to have the most talented offensive kids, but we think we can come out and defend, and that will at least keep us in games if we play really hard.
A pair of baskets by Cashaw helped Stevenson take a 26-21 lead into halftime, and Brunsons 5 points, including his second 3, were key in helping the Patriots extend their cushion to 43-34 after three.
Marcus aggressive play and physical presence continued to keep Glenbard West close, as he scored 6 of his 8 points in the second half.
That was one of the best defensive teams weve played this season. said Hilltoppers junior point guard Corey Davis, who along with backcourt mate Washington and center Sean Jenner scored 6 points. Theyre very physical, and we werent ready for it. Our coach told us they were going to be physical, but we didnt think that much.
Brunson couldnt get a shot to drop in the final quarter (0 of 5), but he helped keep Glenbard West from getting too close on the scoreboard by going 5 of 7 from the line.
Hes really nice, said Davis, who guarded Brunson a good portion of the night. He has some quick hands. I was just trying to give him some space, and then I would wait for him to come to me. I tried to use my length because he pulls up a lot.
I thought we did a real nice job on some of their ball screens and things they like to do, Hoder said. We just didnt play well enough offensively.
Stevensons offense didnt sizzle either. The reason? Glenbard West.
They gave us little fits, Ambrose said. We just didnt shoot as well.


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The Plainsboro office of Los Angeles-based CBRE Group Inc. announced Tuesday it has been named exclusive leasing agent for The Green at Princeton. The 720,000-square-foot class A office and research campus is located in Plainsboro, N.J.
According to the announcement, CBRE's team of Alec Monaghan, first vice president; Joe Sarno, executive vice president; Jeremy Neuer, senior vice president; Adam Englander, vice president; and Wes Moore, vice president, will oversee the leasing and marketing campaign on behalf of the owners, Scudders Land Holdings LLC, by a joint venture between LCOR, Ivy Equities and Intercontinental Real Estate Corporation.
The campus at 700 Scudders Mill Road could comprise approximately five to six buildings on more than 100 acres, including 60 acres of preserved open space ensuring tenants will have expansive, unobstructed views. Existing neighboring tenants include Bristol-Myers Squibb, Novo Nordisk, Credit Suisse, Zurich Re Insurance, Princeton Plasma Physics, Siemens, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Sandoz and NRG Energy, CBRE said in a statement.


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Apr 25, 2011 at 4:32 pm
Live the dream bro. Make it to the Dream Cruise here in Aug N you will never miss it again. Goood Times. LOL
Nov 29, 2008 at 9:10 pm
cause tht was temporary exaust and i havent got pics of it in the taurus yet it will be on here soon when my aunt gets here
Nov 21, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Cool Rides, nice to see you out abusing them as they were designed!!!
Apr 26, 2007 at 3:04 pm
You've got a fun bunch of cars there. Nice Camaro!


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Baseball Capsules
ANAHEIM, California (AP) — Mike Trout and Albert Pujols drove in two runs apiece, Jered Weaver pitched seven strong innings, and the Los Angeles Angels completed a perfect homestand with a 6-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday.
Pujols had three hits and Josh Hamilton drove in a run to help the Angels win their sixth straight and move a season-best 11 games over .500 (44-33). Trout had two doubles, including a two-run drive down the left-field line in the seventh.
The Angels have won 15 of 17 in Anaheim, where they have the majors' best home record. Los Angeles swept Texas and Minnesota to complete its first unbeaten homestand with at least six games since May 2004.
Weaver (8-6) yielded eight hits — all singles — and struck out six to improve to 7-0 in eight career starts against Minnesota. The right-hander, who threw a no-hitter against Minnesota in 2012, has given up one run in 24 innings while striking out 24 in his last three home meetings with the Twins.
Joe Mauer hit a three-run double with two outs in the ninth for Minnesota.
Ricky Nolasco (4-6) was the loser.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Rick Porcello pitched a three-hitter for his first career shutout and 10th victory this season as Detroit beat skidding Texas to win its seventh consecutive game.
Miguel Cabrera had four hits and Austin Jackson hit a two-run single for the AL Central leaders, who completed a three-game sweep.
While the Tigers have the longest winning streak in the majors, Texas has the longest losing streak at eight in a row.
Porcello (10-4) limited the Rangers to three singles and benefited from three double plays. He struck out six and walked three, throwing a season-high 115 pitches.
It was only the second complete game for Porcello in 164 major league starts — all for the Tigers since 2009. The right-hander has won at least 10 games in each of his six seasons.
Rangers rookie Nick Martinez (1-5) allowed six hits and walked five of the 18 batters he faced in 2 1-3 innings. Texas has its longest losing streak since dropping eight in a row in August 2005.
TORONTO (AP) — Adam Lind had three hits and three RBIs, and J.A. Happ pitched a season-high 7 2-3 innings in Toronto's shutout of Chicago.
Jose Reyes had four hits and scored twice as the AL East leaders handed the struggling White Sox their seventh loss in eight games. Chicago lost for the 10th time in 11 road games.
Happ (7-4) allowed four hits and won for the third time in five starts. The left-hander struck out a season-high eight.
Chicago center fielder Adam Eaton left in the first inning with cramps in his left leg.
Starting for the first time since May 19, White Sox right-hander Scott Carroll (2-4) gave up five runs and nine hits in five innings.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Pinch-hitter Justin Turner delivered an RBI single in the eighth inning off Adam Wainwright, and Los Angeles edged St. Louis in their first meeting since last year's NL championship series.
Josh Beckett pitched seven sharp innings in a tight duel with Wainwright, who held the Dodgers hitless through five. Left fielder Matt Kemp threw out a Cardinals runner at the plate in the seventh.
Juan Uribe, just off the disabled list after missing 34 games with a right hamstring strain, led off the eighth with a single and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Drew Butera before rookie Miguel Rojas' infield single put runners at the corners.
Turner, batting for reliever Brian Wilson, came through with his 20th RBI of the season.
Wilson (1-2) pitched a perfect inning and Kenley Jansen got three outs for his 24th save.
Wainwright (10-4) took a hard-luck loss. He gave up five hits while going the distance for the 19th time in 201 regular-season starts.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Brandon Phillips homered among his three hits and scored twice in his return to the lineup, leading Mike Leake and Cincinnati over San Francisco.
Leake (6-6) allowed four hits in eight innings. He had a career-high 12 strikeouts and walked one, which was intentional. Aroldis Chapman worked the ninth for his 15th save in 16 chances.
Jay Bruce and Todd Frazier each added two hits for the Reds, who have won five of six. Bruce doubled in the seventh and has an extra-base hit in each of his last seven games, the longest streak by a Reds player since Dave Parker did it in eight straight in 1986.
Adam Duvall homered in his major league debut for the Giants, who lost for the 12th time in 16 games. Ryan Vogelsong (5-4) allowed one run and five hits over six innings one day after teammate Tim Lincecum threw a no-hitter against San Diego.
Jean Machi gave up Phillips' homer leading off the seventh, ending his scoreless streak at 25 1-3 innings.
Zack Cozart and Ryan Ludwick also drove in runs for the Reds, who have won eight of their last 10 games, including playoffs, in San Francisco.
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Rickie Weeks had three hits, including a leadoff home run, and Wily Peralta won his fifth consecutive start as Milwaukee defeated Colorado.
Weeks homered on the first pitch from Christian Friedrich (0-2). Aramis Ramirez added a two-run shot later in the inning.
Peralta (9-5) allowed three straight singles in the fourth before Ryan Wheeler hit a grand slam that gave the Rockies a 4-3 lead.
In the fifth, Weeks doubled and scored on Jonathan Lucroy's single. A sacrifice fly by Khris Davis put the Brewers ahead 5-4. Pinch-hitter Scooter Gennett connected for a two-run homer in the eighth.
Peralta went six innings for his second win over the Rockies in less than a week. Francisco Rodriguez earned his major league-leading 26th save.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Chase Utley hit a two-run homer in the 14th inning to lift Philadelphia over Miami.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna homered for the Marlins, who managed only two hits from the ninth inning on.
After the Phillies squandered chances to score in the 10th, 11th and 12th, Jimmy Rollins led off the 14th with an infield single. Utley followed by driving an 0-2 pitch from Chris Hatcher (0-1) deep into the right-field seats.
The game lasted 4 hours, 41 minutes, and the teams combined to use 13 pitchers.
Justin De Fratus (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings, part of an impressive display by the Phillies bullpen.
Philadelphia tied it in the seventh on a two-out error by first baseman Jeff Baker.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Hot-hitting rookie Gregory Polanco homered and drove in four runs, and resurgent right-hander Vance Worley pitched Pittsburgh past New York.
Polanco drove in the first run with a groundout in the first inning, then hit a three-run homer off Daisuke Matsuzaka (3-2) in the fifth to put the Pirates ahead 5-1.
Worley (2-0) scattered seven hits and struck out three. He has given up four runs in 20 2-3 innings over three starts since coming up from the minors on June 15.
Mark Melancon pitched a perfect ninth for his 14th save.
Lucas Duda homered and David Wright had an RBI double for the Mets.
CHICAGO (AP) — Justin Ruggiano's two-out, two-run double broke a tie in the seventh inning and sent Chicago to a victory over Washington.
Starlin Castro had two RBIs and Anthony Rizzo went 3 for 4 with two doubles and a run. The Cubs had dropped four of five.
Denard Span went 2 for 4 with two doubles and two RBIs for the Nationals.
Cubs reliever Neil Ramirez (1-1) got the win, and Hector Rondon pitched a perfect ninth for his ninth save.
Craig Stammen (0-3) took the loss.
Chicago center fielder Junior Lake left in the second inning after crashing into a door in the Wrigley Field wall while chasing a drive by Ryan Zimmerman. The Cubs said Lake showed no signs of a concussion but had some bruises, including one on his head.
HOUSTON (AP) — Matt Dominguez broke out of a slump with a three-run homer and rookie George Springer also went deep to back seven strong innings by Jarred Cosart in Houston's victory over Atlanta.
Dominguez helped the Astros avoid a series sweep, snapping an 0-for-23 skid with his two-out shot to left-center off Mike Minor (2-5) that made it 5-1 in the fifth.
Cosart (8-5) allowed six hits and a run for his fourth straight victory.
Springer hit a solo drive off Juan Jaime in the seventh. He has 15 homers this season, the most by a rookie in franchise history before the All-Star break. Lance Berkman had the previous mark with 12 in 2000.


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World Cup notes: Uruguay's Suarez issues apology to Italy's Chiellini for bite
Uruguay striker Luis Suarez has finally apologized for biting Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during a World Cup match, and vowed there would never be a repeat of the incident.
After initially denying that he bit Chiellini, Suarez issued a carefully worded statement on Monday admitting his offence.
"The truth is that my colleague Giorgio Chiellini suffered the physical result of a bite in the collision he suffered with me," Suarez said in a statement published on his Twitter account.
His admission came days after he was expelled from the World Cup and banned for Uruguay's next nine competitive international matches and from any involvement in football for four months by FIFA.
Suarez had steadfastly denied biting Chiellini and wrote a letter to world soccer's governing body saying he had simply lost his balance and fallen on the Italian.
But FIFA ruled that he acted intentionally and promptly handed him the longest ban ever imposed on a player at the World Cup, prompting fury in his South American homeland, where he was given a hero's welcome on his return.
FIFA later explained that Suarez was given a heavy punishment partly because he had twice before been banned for biting but also because he had shown no remorse.
"After several days of being home with my family, I have had the opportunity to regain my calm and reflect on what occurred during the Italy-Uruguay match on 24 June," Suarez said in his statement.
"For this: I deeply regret what happened; I apologise to Giorgio Chiellini and the entire football family; I vow to the public that there will never again be another incident like (that)."
The Algerian Football Association has been fined 50,000 Swiss francs ($56,400) by FIFA after its fans shone lasers at players during the World Cup Group H game against Russia.
Television images showed a green light, typical of the kind generated by laser pens, being shown in the direction of Russia's goalkeeper before Algeria's equalizer in the 1-1 draw on Thursday.
FIFA's fine also included punishment for the use of flares and smoke bombs by Algerian fans during the game.
"The Algerian Football Association has been held liable for the improper conduct among its own group of spectators after incidents of crowd disturbance during the FIFA World Cup match between Russia and Algeria on 26 June 2014," a FIFA spokesperson said on Monday.
"The incidents in question included the use of lasers, Bengal light and smoke bombs. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee imposed a fine of CHF 50,000 and pronounced a reprimand against the Algerian FA," the spokesperson added.
Algeria play Germany later on Monday in the last 16.
Netherlands winger Arjen Robben has said the controversial penalty he won in stoppage time against Mexico to secure victory in Sunday's last-16 clash was legitimate but admitted he dived earlier in the game.
The Dutch FA (KNVB) issued a statement on Monday seeking to clarify the media interpretation of Robben's quotes on Dutch television after the match when he discussed the late penalty call that saw the Netherlands win 2-1 at the Castelao arena.
Several media reports had erroneously reported that Robben admitted diving for the penalty that led to the victory.
"In reality Robben apologized for trying to win a penalty in the first half when he went down too early," said the statement, reported by NOS television.
"That was a stupid action," said Robben. "I want to say sorry. It was really dumb."
In the news release, Robben is quoted as saying the decision to award a penalty at the end of the game, when he went down under a challenge from Mexico captain Rafael Marquez, was correct.
In the television interview, Robben also claimed he should have been given two other penalties before halftime.
"He tackled me on the shin and then had to go off himself with injury," Robben said of Hector Moreno, who suffered a suspected broken leg in the incident.
"I was tackled again and if that wasn't a penalty, then I don't know what is," Robben told NOS.
Russia's Minister for Sport Vitaly Mutko has defended national team coach Fabio Capello in the wake of criticism from fans and local media following their first-round World Cup exit.
"Capello helped us to reach the World Cup finals. It certainly would not have been a given that we would have reached Brazil with someone else," Mutko said on Monday in a briefing with Russian journalists.
"I can tell you that Fabio is not here just for the money. He sincerely wants to help Russia to develop a good side. Capello works a lot, travels and searches for talent.
"Some of our domestic coaches don't even know our players, but he calls them up to the national team. We need to talk to Fabio and the federation needs to do its own job," he added.
Russia returned home to Moscow on Sunday after failing to qualify from Group H, having picked up two points from three games and scored two goals. Russian fans and media are unhappy with Capello's defensive tactics and want the Italian replaced.
Switzerland coach Ottmar Hitzfeld is confident that Tuesday's round of 16 match against Argentina will not be his last in charge of the national team.
Since the 65-year-old German has already announced he will step down at the end of this World Cup, that can only mean one thing.
"I'm certainly looking forward to this huge sporting challenge, and of course with the Swiss national team we have thought together about how to go on, and (those thoughts) have included the quarter-finals," he told reporters on Monday at Corinthians arena, where the game will be played.
"So I don't think it's going to be my last match," he added.
Switzerland has not been into the last eight of a World Cup since 1954, when they were playing on home soil.
To do so 60 years on, they will have to beat one of the favourites for the tournament, including Lionel Messi who has been in blistering form for his team.


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Gasoline at $4 Coming to a Pump Near You, Unfazed by Rising Tab
Pretty alarmist, IMO, but possible.
April 23 (Bloomberg) -- Whether it's $50 to fill up your Prius or $130 for the Ford Expedition, $4-a-gallon gasoline is coming to a pump near you.
Fuel prices are rising at a pace not seen since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita knocked out a third of the U.S. oil refining industry in 2005. Gasoline consumption is climbing twice as fast as last year and will accelerate when summer travel begins late next month.
``What we're surprised by is the increased demand,'' said James Mulva, chief executive officer at ConocoPhillips, whose refineries from California to New Jersey produce 56 million gallons of gas a day, enough to meet 14 percent of the country's needs. ``Even though the price of gasoline is up, the demand is up,'' he said in an April 12 interview in Houston.
Population gains and U.S. economic growth are causing an increase in fuel purchases, according to Orlando, Florida-based AAA, the nation's largest organization for motorists. The U.S. economy will expand at a 2.4 percent annual pace in the second quarter, up from 1.8 percent in the first three months, according to the median estimate of 74 economists surveyed by Bloomberg. Gasoline use is rising almost 5 percent above the five-year average.
Americans are resigned to higher prices, says David Pursell, a principal with Pickering Energy Partners, a consulting firm in Houston.
``Last year, we had pump prices well over $3 for the summer and gasoline demand was up,'' Pursell said in an interview. ``Would $4 gasoline cause demand contraction? I think it will, but I also thought $3 gasoline would.''
Pump Prices
Gasoline inventories, measured by the days of demand they will cover, are at the lowest level in two decades for this time of year because of refinery fires, power failures and maintenance work oil companies failed to complete in 2006. No new U.S. refinery has been built in three decades, increasing the strain on existing plants.
Pump prices in the U.S. may increase to $4 a gallon from a nationwide average of $2.87 today, especially if hurricanes threaten Gulf of Mexico refineries, says Peter Beutel, an analyst at Cameron Hanover Inc. in Stamford, Connecticut, who helps industrial consumers manage energy costs.
``Hurricanes are always the huge wild card,'' said Beutel. ``We're all praying for a year like 2006 rather than 2005.''
The June-to-November Atlantic Ocean hurricane season may produce 17 tropical storms, with nine reaching hurricane force and four becoming major hurricanes whose winds exceed 111 miles per hour (179 kilometers per hour), London-based forecasters at Tropical Storm Risk said. Some of the storms will strike the Gulf Coast this year after a benign 2006, AccuWeather.com predicted.
Inflation Risk
Higher pump prices will make winners of refinery owners such as ConocoPhillips, San Antonio-based Valero Energy Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc of The Hague. Shares of Valero and Sunoco Inc., whose only business is refining, are rebounding after a decline at the end of last summer.
The increase in fuel costs threatens to quicken inflation and restrain consumer spending in the U.S. An appreciation to $4 a gallon would add more than $10 for a driver who fills the 12- gallon tank of a Toyota Motor Corp. Prius. The owner of an Expedition, a Ford Motor Co. sport-utility vehicle with a 34- gallon capacity, faces an increase of almost $40.
Many Americans have no choice but to drive more, says Christopher Knittel, an economist who studies fuel consumption at the University of California in Davis.
More Commuters
``We live farther from our jobs than we did in the 1970s, and with the rise of dual-income households, we now have two people who drive those distances every day,'' Knittel said.
Consumers also do more driving for things such as taking children to soccer practice, which they are unlikely to quit, he said. The U.S. population has increased 1 percent a year in the past decade to 301 million in 2007, adding to demand for gasoline, economists said.
Rising fuel prices make it less likely that Federal Reserve policy makers, who have cited inflation risks for the past year, will cut interest rates to spur economic growth. Before the hurricane-induced peak in 2005, U.S. gasoline topped out at $1.42 a gallon in March 1981, or $3.21 when adjusted for inflation, according to the Energy Department.
Economies in Europe and Asia are less likely to be hurt by gasoline prices because fuel already is subject to high taxes designed to encourage conservation. A gallon of unleaded costs about 3.25 pounds a gallon ($6.49) in the U.K., and in Japan it's 130.3 yen per liter ($4.16 a gallon).
$4 Barrier
U.S. consumers will get little relief on gasoline prices from Europe this year, unlike 2005, when oil companies shipped more across the Atlantic after the hurricanes. Europe's gasoline inventories in February were 114.2 million barrels, down 11 percent from two years earlier, according to the International Energy Agency in Paris. The drop in Europe was almost twice the 5.7 percent decline in U.S. supplies in that time.
``Just as we used to think $3 a gallon was an impenetrable barrier, now it's $4,'' said Peter Morici, a professor at the University of Maryland School of Business in College Park and former chief economist for the U.S. International Trade Commission. Gasoline at $3.50 is likely, Morici said, and a conflict with Iran or any event that disrupts crude supplies may push it to $4.
Pump prices rose 33 percent in the past 11 weeks, the fastest rate of gain since a six-week, 34 percent rally to the record $3.069 in September 2005, Energy Department data show.
Bodman's `Worry'
U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman in an interview last week said the national average pump price could break the record this summer. While his agency's official forecast is for gasoline to peak next month at about where it is today, hurricanes, refinery closures or crude oil supply cuts may send prices higher, he said.
Higher prices are ``a legitimate worry,'' Bodman said. ``We have trouble spots all over the world'' that could boost crude oil prices. ``We're in a very tight situation.''
Spending on fuel in the U.S. consumes half as much household income as in the early 1980s, which means gasoline would need to reach almost $6 a gallon to have the same effect on the economy as in 1981, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.
Storage tanks at U.S. refineries, terminals and ports hold enough gasoline to cover almost 22 days of domestic demand, 8.2 percent less than the five-year average and the lowest for this time of year since the 1980s, Energy Department figures show.
Valero-owned filling stations in Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado, ran dry after a Feb. 16 explosion and fire shut the company's McKee refinery in Sunray, Texas. A day earlier, a blaze at an Exxon Mobil Corp. plant in Nanticoke, Ontario, slashed output, resulting in shortages and higher prices across eastern Canada.
The McKee shutdown strained supplies so much that ConocoPhillips postponed maintenance at its Borger, Texas, refinery north of Amarillo to prevent shortages in the region.
``Refineries are becoming more complex,'' Mulva said in the Houston interview. ``What we're finding is it's more difficult keeping reliability up with more sophisticated pieces of equipment that are highly integrated.''
Tesoro Corp. of San Antonio, the second-largest refiner in the western U.S., said first-quarter refinery use dropped because oil companies delayed until this year maintenance that could have been done in 2006. The portion of U.S. refining capacity that was in operation in the first quarter declined to 87.3 percent from 88.9 percent a year earlier, according to Energy Department data.
`Refineries Blow Up'
``Prices will depend entirely on whether we have a couple of refineries blow up,'' said Philip K. Verleger, an economist who runs a consulting firm in Newport Beach, California. ``It's almost impossible we'll get to $4 a gallon if all the refineries run well this summer. But if something happens and there are problems, then anything's possible.''
The average share gain for Valero, Tesoro and six other oil-refining companies is 26 percent this year, outperforming the 4.1 percent gain for Exxon Mobil and a 4.7 percent increase for the Standard & Poor's 500 index.
The shares will continue to rally, said Paul Carlson, who helps manage $3 billion at HGK Asset Management in Jersey City, New Jersey.
``Refiners are doing very well these days,'' said Carlson, whose holdings include ConocoPhillips, the second-biggest U.S. refiner. ``There will be lots of demand for any new refining stocks.''
`Back in Favor'
As recently as August, investors were selling oil refiners on concern an economic slowdown would slash fuel demand in the U.S., the world's largest energy market. During seven weeks last August and September, Valero shares fell 29 percent, wiping out $12 billion in market value.
``Refining is very much back in favor,'' said Douglas Ober, who helps oversee $2.3 billion at Baltimore-based Adams Express Co. ``Even with higher prices, we haven't seen any substantial cutback in demand. They're cranking out as much of this stuff as they can, and we're throwing it in our tanks as fast as we can.''
The margin earned from processing crude oil into fuels rose to $24.68 a barrel on April 11, the highest since right after the hurricanes in September 2005. The margin has since retreated to $22.12 a barrel, still about double the five-year average.
``It'll be a fairly tight gasoline market all through the summer,'' said Robert Hinckley, an analyst at Rochdale Securities in New York.
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Meltdown 101: Why gas prices rise while oil drops
By JOHN PORRETTO – 18 hours ago
HOUSTON (AP) — You may do a double-take as you pass your local gas station. Chances are, the price you pay at the pump has jumped markedly in the past couple of weeks, even as crude prices have fallen.
The average national price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline rose seven-tenths of a cent overnight to $1.799 — well below the $3.05 average of a year ago but up nearly 14 cents in the past month, according to the auto club AAA, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express, a company that tracks transportation data.
At the same time, the price of crude — which accounts for about 60 percent of gasoline's cost — has been on a steep decline. Oil futures tumbled below $34 a barrel Thursday after trading as high as $50 a barrel just 10 days ago.
So what gives? When oil made its extraordinary fall in recent months from a record high above $147 a barrel in July, gasoline followed suit. Why not now?
Here are some questions and answers about the connections between oil and gasoline prices.
Q: Why aren't gas prices falling at my local service station right now?
A: While oil and gasoline prices very often move in the same direction, there's usually a lag between crude's decline (or rise) and that of gasoline. Analysts say the ongoing uptick is gasoline prices is likely tied to oil's sharp rise at the end of last year, when fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants raised concerns about supply disruptions in the oil-rich Middle East.
Q: If that's the case, now that oil has retreated to below $40, shouldn't gasoline get cheaper?
A: It should — and it might — but other factors are at play.
For one, the companies that process crude into products such as gasoline are sharply cutting production, in part because demand has fallen off so much. Less production means less supply, which tends to push prices up.
The gasoline producers are trying to make some money in the wake of a dismal 2008. When crude prices were so high in the first half of last year, refining margins — the difference between what refiners pay for crude and what they get for products they make from oil — were dismal. In the latter half of the year, margins improved as oil prices receded, but refiners continued to struggle because people were simply driving less and buying less gasoline.
Companies that refine oil are publicly traded. If they don't turn a profit, they won't be around long.
"Refiners are not going to continue to sell gasoline at a discount to crude oil," said Ben Brockwell, director of data, pricing and information services for the Oil Price Information Service. "It simply hasn't paid to produce gasoline."
Q: But doesn't that mean they're simply inflating the price of gasoline?
A: That's the opinion of the nonprofit group Consumer Watchdog, which tracks the industry closely and has consistently called for greater regulation of refineries.
Consumer Watchdog says production cuts at refineries in California, for example, have far exceeded the state's drop in consumption.
"The refinery cutbacks are for purely financial reasons," said Judy Dugan, the organization's research director. "Now is the time for government to insert sharper oversight and regulatory controls of the refining industry."
Q: How does my local station set gas prices? Does it follow orders from corporate headquarters to keep prices as high as possible?
A: One thing many people don't realize is that major oil companies own fewer than 5 percent of gas stations. Exxon Mobil Corp., for example, said last June it was getting out of the retail gasoline business, following other major oil companies who've been selling the low-margin businesses to gasoline distributors.
Most stations are owned by small retailers — and many say they took a beating last year when crude prices spiked because they were unable to raise pump prices fast enough to keep pace.
That's exactly why some stations raised prices quickly after oil futures jumped late last year: Not because the more expensive oil had made its way through the production process, but because they saw an opportunity to make some money after struggling with paltry profits for months. So the usual lag between oil and gas prices may not have occurred this time around at some stations — they wanted to raise prices, and they didn't feel like waiting.
Gas station owners face a balancing act: They must try to maintain a price that allows them to afford the next shipment of gasoline, but they're also trying not to give the competition an edge.
Quinn Cassidy, an independent gasoline retailer in Slidell, La., said his profit margin on a gallon of gasoline has improved significantly since the summer, when he and others sometimes made pennies per gallon. Now, because of crude's descent, he says he can make 25 cents to 30 cents a gallon — and he makes no apologies for trying to keep the price as high as possible while remaining competitive.
"Why isn't it OK for me to make money?" Cassidy said.
Q: Are gas prices going to go up even more this summer?
A: Probably, but how much depends on whose forecast you use. Remember that summer is driving season, and gasoline prices always climb when thousands of people begin to take sun-inspired road trips.
Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst at the Oil Price Information Service, predicts prices will move sideways over the next few weeks before they begin to climb in the spring, reaching $2 to $2.50 a gallon. He said he doubts prices can get much higher than that given how weak the economy is.
In another forecast, the U.S Energy Department has said gasoline prices will likely average $2.37 a gallon through 2009.
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Amazing. Oil closed @ 36.51 Friday. I didn't think it'd break the $40 mark
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Open your hearts and pockets .. them poor oil companies need a bailout ...
** WR or S please**
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Kinda ironic, since people are using less gas, the gas prices went down...so to compensate they refine less gas so that there is less quantities, and the price will go up. So the solution...when oil prices are low, we should all drive our asses off...or something...
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Despite sliding profits in 4th quarter, Exxon sets record for 2008
By Jad Mouawad Published: January 30, 2009
NEW YORK: Exxon Mobil, the largest publicly traded oil company in the world, said Friday that its profit fell 33 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008 as the price of oil declined.
But in a year where oil rose to a record price before having its steepest-ever collapse, Exxon still managed to set a record as the most-profitable U.S. corporation. It earned $45.2 billion in 2008, up from $40.6 billion in 2007.
After riding a tide of swelling earnings in recent years, the once highflying oil sector is beginning to scramble to adjust to a sharp downturn. Oil prices have dropped more than 70 percent since peaking at $147.27 a barrel in July. After averaging $100 a barrel in 2008, oil prices this year are set to decline for the first time since 2001.
Because of its close attention to cost reduction and efficiency, Exxon is weathering the drop in oil prices better than most of its rivals. This past week, both Royal Dutch Shell and ConocoPhillips reported large quarterly losses as asset values dropped because of the fall in oil prices. Chevron on Friday posted a small rise in profit.
In the fourth quarter, Exxon said it earned $7.8 billion, less than expected by analysts and in contrast to $11.66 billion a year earlier. That was Exxon's weakest quarterly performance since the second quarter of 2005, and the first time since 2001 that its performance in the period, typically its strongest quarter, has declined.
U.S. shares slide after GDP report
"Weaker crude oil prices, higher operating expenses, lower chemical volumes and the impact of the Gulf Coast hurricanes were partly offset by higher downstream margins," it said. Exxon said that repairs and lower production because of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike lowered earnings by $570 million.
Exxon said that it gave back $40.1 billion to its shareholders in 2008, up 12 percent from 2007, as either dividends or share buybacks. Its spending on exploration, the heart of its business, rose 25 percent, to $26.1 billion, last year.
Exxon pumped about 2.47 million barrels a day of oil in the fourth quarter and produced 9.8 billion cubic feet, or 278 million cubic meters, of natural gas a day. Over all, oil and gas production decreased 3 percent in the fourth-quarter from a year earlier. In some countries, Exxon is entitled to fewer barrels of oil when prices rise.
Chevron said Friday that its net income rose 1 percent, to $4.9 billion, in the quarter. For the year, the company's earnings rose 28 percent, to $24 billion.
Faced with the sharpest downturn in 25 years, most oil companies are trimming investments and cutting costs. In recent months, projects have been canceled or deferred in Australia, Canada and Saudi Arabia.
In some cases, companies are waiting for costs to fall. In others, they are deferring expensive projects that have become unprofitable at today's lower oil prices. The collapse of the financial sector has made it much harder, and far more expensive, for companies to finance multibillion-dollar projects. In many cases, financing has simply dried up. Energy executives have warned in recent days that oil prices have fallen too fast, and too low, to pay for new and more expensive projects.
Tony Hayward, the chief executive of BP, said Thursday at the World Economic Forum, in Davos, Switzerland, that prices of $60 to $80 a barrel were "appropriate" to sustain investments, especially for producers from the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.
Oil was trading Friday afternoon at $41.75 a barrel in New York. Many experts have warned that there could be a sharp rise in prices when consumption eventually picks up. Fatih Birol, the chief economist at the International Energy Agency, estimates that around $100 billion in projects, mostly outside of OPEC, have been delayed or canceled over the past year because of weaker oil prices.
The Exxon chief executive, Rex Tillerson, has signaled that the company may actually increase its investments by 20 percent this year. It is sitting on nearly $40 billion in cash that could provide it with a strategic war chest to make acquisitions, according to analysts.
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With Bush out of office, and oil revenues in free-fall, looks like the Jews are back in the crosshairs.
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Check out "A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash". Watched it over the weekend. Interesting and scary stuff.
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Crude closed down 6.88% at $34.93 today. The next few months are going to be fun to watch.
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This app was removed from the App Store.
Crash Dash
iOS iPhone Games
Crash Dash
Highway rampage unveils on your screen for a real dashing fun. Race your car on the obstacle filled highway, crashing and cruzing.
Avoid potholes, barricades and speedbreakers, avoid getting ticketed by the cops. You can collect coins on the way and get magnetize to collect the coins automatically.
Its a high adrenaline race, simple but really challenging.
Unlimited gaming makes this a sure try.
Race ahead now.
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I mean that in a couple of ways, not only did I just take it out of the box yesterday, but also as in the use of this takes some "out of the box" thinking. Too many people want to compare this to a >$800 laptop running Windows/Mac/etc. in a usual world environment. Here's my thoughts (right or wrong) on that:
This is designed for kids to use in a less-than-ideal environment. Collaboration is what seems to be driving force for this computer. Most folks are seeing it in a standalone mode with no or very few other XOs to mesh with. Think about this in a room/school full of kids with a screen full of icons representing other kids.
They don't need high-end multimedia (it does have sound, graphics and video now) to learn on. Nor do they need Word/Excel/Photoshop. They can write, draw, compose and send text, images and videos back forth to each other with nothing else added. They're not going to use this to make a motion picture.
I doubt the XO will be tossed into a room full of kids who are told to have at it. There's going to be some direction from others. They don't have to, but probably will, learn what Turtle is about. It's a first step into programming, it's not a be-all, end-all application.
Given that, there's going to be some kids who within a week or so, will end up teaching the other kids, having learned more about the XO than the adults in the room will have ever imagined.
Personally, I think it's a great little computer. I took it to Barnes and Noble today to try out the wireless and it worked just fine. I keep discovering little features on it that are "ooh, that's cool" kind of things that I wish my $1200 Macbook had. Sure it has limitations, it's only $188 for crying out loud. It's also a tiny, surprisingly solid feeling, real, honest computer with a video camera, music capabilities, word processing, calculator, collaboration capabilities, games and more already installed.


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"You're going to see shows reflecting the already changed face of America," ABC Entertainment Group President Paul Lee told an audience of advertisers and journalists Tuesday afternoon at Avery Fisher Hall in Manhattan.
Already a big draw for female viewers, the fourth-place network seems intent on expanding its coalition to include African Americans, Latinos and Asian Americans. Perhaps taking a cue from the success of its two signature shows, "Scandal" and "Modern Family," ABC is investing in several multiethnic series that bring, as Lee put it, "brilliant and diverse voices to network television."
In "Cristela," which will follow "Last Man Standing" on Fridays at 8:30, comedian Cristela Alonzo plays a young woman in her sixth year of law school who lands an unpaid internship at a major law firm, but faces disapproval from her traditional, working-class Mexican American family. The trailer for the series included a scene in which Alonzo's character is assumed to be either a cleaning lady or a parking-lot attendant.
A third comedy, "Fresh Off the Boat," which Lee described as "a quintessential American story," also deals with a minority experience. Premiering at midseason and based on the memoir by chef Eddie Huang, the '90s-set coming-of-age tale centers on a hip-hop-loving first-generation Taiwanese American whose family experiences acute culture shock after relocating from Washington, D.C.'s Chinatown to suburban Orlando, Fla. With its recent period setting and adolescent male protagonist, "Fresh Off the Boat" is reminiscent of the network's only returning rookie sitcom, "The Goldbergs."
In a score for behind-the-scenes diversity, the network's entire Thursday-night lineup will be overseen by show runner extraordinaire Shonda Rhimes, whom Lee praised (somewhat awkwardly) as "Charles Dickens for the 21st century, if Charles Dickens had been black and a woman." Her new legal thriller "How to Get Away With Murder" will air at 10 p.m., following her other hits "Grey's Anatomy" and "Scandal." Like the latter show, it features a strong, charismatic African American female lead, in this case a seductive law professor played by Oscar nominee Viola Davis.
But the network's "biggest swing of the year," according to Lee, is "American Crime," an ambitious drama from Oscar-winning "12 Years a Slave" screenwriter John Ridley. It looks at a violent crime and its aftermath from the perspectives of the many lives touched by the tragedy, including the parents of one of the victims and a young Hispanic man who becomes a suspect. The series, Ridley said, "examines and challenges our perceptions of race in America" and will be "very bold."
As if to signal its commitment to inclusion, ABC concluded its upfront presentation with an appearance by "Modern Family" stars Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, who were wheeled onstage inside a giant wedding cake. Their characters will wed in a two-part season finale which begins Wednesday night.
Though it's out way ahead, ABC isn't the only network diversifying its lineup in the season ahead. Fox has the Lee Daniels-produced hip-hop saga "Empire," and NBC's heavily promoted new drama "State of Affairs" stars Alfre Woodard as a black, female U.S. president.


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In this recipe Mrs Beeton recommends boiling cauliflowers 'briskly over a good fire' for between 12 and 25 minutes.
About Beeton's Book of Household Management
The first edition of The Book of Household Management appeared in 1861 when Mrs Beeton was only 25. It was a huge success, and has remained in print ever since. It not only contains over 2000 recipes, but is also a complete guide to running a household. The information provided is systematic and diverse: how to judge the character of your servants; the best way to roast a guinea pig; how to cultivate a good temper; how to make Christmas plum pudding in a mould; how to fold napkins into slipper and cactus shapes; how to revive flowers after packing; how to cure a cold. The majority of the recipes are accompanied by detailed information on natural history, traditional farming methods, and the cultural usage of key ingredients.
Beeton's instructions are easy to understand and are full of plain commonsense. Her recipes are simple, do not require intricate techniques, and do not contain complex sets of ingredients. Indeed, many of Mrs Beeton's critics believe her book to be the essence of Victorian blandness. For instance, she is notorious for advising the reader to turn vegetables into grey mulch, one recipe recommending boiling carrots for 1 ? to 2 ? hours!
In the preface to the book, Mrs Beeton spells out her fundamental objective - namely to teach housewives how to please their husbands via successful and efficient household management. 'I have always thought,' she writes, 'that there is no more fruitful source of family discontent than a housewife's badly-cooked dinners and untidy ways. Men are now so well served out of doors - at their clubs, well-ordered taverns, and dining-houses, that in order to compete with the attractions of these places, a mistress must be thoroughly acquainted with the theory of cookery, as well as be perfectly conversant with all the arts of making and keeping a comfortable home.'
The Book of Household Management was catering for the increasingly frenetic lifestyle of an expanding middle class. Many of its readers will have been entering into an unfamiliar way of life, having recently stepped up the social scale, and the book offers all sorts of essential advice: how to choose friends and acquaintances; how to dress; how to receive morning calls, or to seat guests at the dinner table. However, Mrs Beeton made it plain that the mistress of the house was not expected to dirty her hands. Instead she should delegate responsibility - the majority of Beeton's instructions are designed to be carried out by servants. The book contains meticulously detailed advice on the duties of a wide variety of staff - cooks, dairy maids, nurse maids, valets, lady's-maids, footmen and the like - all of whom would have been expected to operate under the watchful command of their employer.
Isabella Beeton (1836-65) was married to the publisher Samuel Beeton, whose most successful venture was the 'Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine'. Isobella was largely responsible for the production of the magazine, taking charge of the cookery pages, reading all the proofs, and devising the layout. Household Management first appeared in monthly parts in the magazine. She died when she was only 28 having contracted puerperal fever.


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Gaziantepin ingilizce tanıtımı, gaziantep ilinin ingilizce tanıtımı, ingilizce tanıtım gaziantep
Gaziantep (Ottoman Turkish; Ayintap), previously and as still used informally; Antep), is the capital city of Gaziantep Province in Turkey. The city has two central districts under its administration, Şahinbey and Şehitkamil, and the metropolitan area has a a total population of 1,237,874 (2007) and an area of 2,138 km².
f orumdas.net- Gaziantep Known by the ancient Greeks and the Romans as Doliche or Dolichenus (Turkish: Dülük), and by the Arabs, Seljuks, and Ottomans as ʿAintab or Aïntab, officially named Gaziantep since February 8, 1921, the city today is the sixth largest in Turkey and the largest city in Turkey's Southeastern Anatolia Region.
Gaziantep is the probable site of the Hellenistic city of Antiochia ad Taurum ("Antiochia in the Taurus Mountains"). The ruins of the Doliche (Turkish: Dülük) lie a few kilometers to the north of the city center and they are located in the natural setting of a forest arranged into a recreational area also including picnic and camping facilities.
Gaziantep is one of the most developed provinces of the region and is also one of the oldest, its history reaching as far back as the Hittites. Being the center of pistachio cultivation in Turkey and with its extensive olive groves and vineyards, Gaziantep is one of the important agricultural and industrial centres of Turkey.
In the center of the city stands the Gaziantep Fortress and the Ravanda citadel as reminders of past. The Archaeological Museum, with its important collections from Neolithic and the Hittite ages as well as the Roman and Commagene times, attracts many visitors. A recent addition to the Museum's riches is the Roman mozaics discovered in Zeugma. The surroundings of the city are also full of valuable Hittite remains. The Hasan Süzer House, which has been restored to its original state, now houses the Ethnographical Museum. Yesemek Sculpture Workshop, 30 kilometers south of the town of Islahiye, is one of the world's first of this kind. Some of the other historical remains are the Zeugma (called also Belkıs in Turkish), and Kargamış ruins by the town of Nizip and slightly more to the north, Rumkale.
Ottoman period
In the Ottoman period, Aintab was in the eyalet of Aleppo (vilayet after 1864).
According to the Ottoman census of 1543, the Aintab subdivision of the governorate-general of Aleppo contained fifteen tribes, all Turkmen. Much of the Aintab elite was also of Turkmen origin. In the same period, Aintab's demographic makeup stood out from the rest of Aleppo province or other surrounding provinces, since its non-Muslim population was relatively small and uniformly Armenian Christian, while the neighboring governorate-general of Dulkadir (Maraş) was approximately 4,5% non-Muslim and that of Diyarbakır was approximately 15 per cent. At that period Aintab appears to have had no Jewish community, although a Jewish financier, most probably based in Aleppo, figured prominently in the city's economic and administrative life.
According to the Encyclopædia Britannica of 1911, by the end of the 19th century, it had a population of about 45,000, 2/3 of which was Muslim, largely Yörük Türkmens. The presence of a Jewish community can be inferred from the frequency of the surname "Antebi" among Syrian Jews.
Of the Christians, the majority were Armenian. The Gregorian Armenians suffered from the massacres of 1895, but the Armenian Protestants thrived, drawn by the American Mission Board's Central Turkey College. There was a sizable Armenian population in the city before World War I, but after the Armenian Genocide and the Franco-Turkish War between 1919-1921, there were almost no Armenians left. The remains of old Armenian churches may still be found, but they are mostly unmarked.
Gaziantep is famous for its regional specialties: the copper-ware products and "yemeni" slippers, specific to the region, are two examples. The city is an economical center of South Eastern and Eastern Turkey. The number of large industry businesses established in Gaziantep comprise four percent of the Turkish industry in general, and small industries comprise six percent. Also Gaziantep has the largest organized industrial area in Turkey and holds first position export and import goods.
Gaziantep also has a developing tourist industry. Development around the base of the castle upgrades the beauty and accessibility to the castle and to the surrounding copper workshops. New restaurants and tourist friendly businesses are moving into the area. In comparison with some other regions of Turkey, tourists are still a novelty in Gaziantep and the locals make them very welcome. Many of the students studying English language are willing to be guides for tourists.
Gaziantep is one of the leading producers of machined carpets in the world. It exported approximately $700 million USD of machine-made carpets in 2006. There are over 100 carpet facilities in the Gaziantep Organized Industrial Zone.
Gaziantep also produced 60,000 MT of pistachios in 2007. Turkey is third in pistachio production in the world, after Iran and USA.
Gaziantep is well-known for its culinary specialties, which show Kurdish, Arabic and Assyrian in addition to Turkish, influences. The festive food yuvalama (rice and meat rolled into pea-sized balls), the delicious lahmacun (also known as Turkish pizza) and baklava are some examples.
Gaziantep Anatolian High School (founded in 1976) is a public school focusing on English language education.
Gaziantep Science High School is a public boarding high school in Gaziantep, Turkey with a curriculum concentrating on natural sciences and mathematics, and with teaching in Turkish and English.
The main campus of Gaziantep University is located 10 kilometers away from the city center. The institution acquired state university status in 1987, but had already offered higher education since 1973 as an extension campus of the Middle East Technical University.
Popular culture
Gaziantep was made famous in Greece by the Turkish TV ****** "Yabancı Damat" (literally The Foreign Groom), known in Greece as Τα σύνορα της Αγάπης (The Borders of Love), a love story between a Greek and a Turk.
Notable people from Gaziantep
Ahmet Ümit - writer, poet
Doğu Perinçek - leader of Worker's Party (Turkey)
Edip Akbayram - singer
Kenan Doğulu - singer
Onat Kutlar - writer, poet
Seza Kutlar Aksoy - children's literature writer
Tiran Nersoyan - Armenian archbishop and deposed Patriarch of Jerusalem
Ülkü Tamer - writer, poet
Yağmur Atacan - musician
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Lindsay Lohan is facing accusations she violated the terms of her probation by failing to undertake weekly visits to a psychologist.
The Mean Girls actress has been assigned a new community service programme after bosses at the Downtown Women's Center in Los Angeles terminated their arrangement with her because she only completed a fraction of her required shifts.
Now it's emerged she is also facing allegations she violated the terms of her probation by failing to comply with a court order to attend counselling sessions at least once a week, according to TMZ.com.
The website reports the actress has been working abroad so has struggled to attend regular sessions. She is due back in court in Los Angeles next week for a judge to review her progress.
Lohan was ordered to serve 360 hours community service as part of her probation following her 2011 shoplifting conviction.


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It's snowing in the east wing. And somebody left the Time Machine on, so . . . Well, perhaps you'd care to read what happens next.
From William Joyce, creator of the Emmy-winning Rolie Polie Olie as well as author and illustrator of a stack of whimsy-based entertainments for children and like-minded adults.
William Joyce lives in Shreveport, Louisiana, with his lovely wife, Elizabeth, and their children, Mary Katherine and Jack. They also have a dachshund named Rose and something else named Rex. Mr. Joyce has produced two animated television shows based on his books: Rolie Polie Olie and George Shrinks. He also produced and designed the animated feature film Robots. Every once in a while he does a cover for The New Yorker. His alarmingly optimistic picture books include Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo, Santa Calls, The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs, and Bently & Egg.He is currently futzing around on several books and stories that embrace the alleged healing power of heroically scaled silliness.


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Pegasystems Announces Acceleration of Quarterly Cash Dividend for the First Quarter of 2013
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There is no perfect way to make passwords both convenient and safe, but there are some tricks and techniques that can help.
A recent column on the relative security of complex passwords and simpler — but possibly safer — pass phrases caught the attention of a number of readers. Apparently, quite a few people struggle with the challenge of keeping their portfolio of passwords secure and manageable at the same time.
The problem with passwords is that managing secure ones becomes difficult when you have more than one or two, and most people have many more than that.
A typical complex password runs to eight characters and contains letters, numerals and special characters. A pass phrase, as the word implies, is much longer. But because the phrase can mean something to the user, it can be easier to remember, and its length can make it strong without arbitrary characters. Mushegh Hakhinian, security architect at IntraLinks, pointed out in a recent blog posting that a pass phrase that contains 16 letters — all lower case with no numerals or special characters — can provide in the neighborhood of 10 million more possible combinations than an eight-character complex password that uses upper and lower case, numerals and other characters.
One reader agreed with the math but not necessarily the conclusion.
"While there is a 26-character set in our alphabet, the fact is that most words only use a subset of those characters and follow predictable patterns (how many all-consonant words can you think of?)," he wrote. "I think longer pass phrases are useful and easier to remember, but I don't think we'll be getting rid of mixed case and special characters by making longer pass phrases."
Dave Simpson, technology director for the Frederick County, Md., Sheriff's Office, offered a pattern-based technique to keep passwords pseudo-random yet memorable — starting with a letter and then adding letters according to a pattern on the keyboard.
"Then you only need to remember one letter: the beginning letter," he wrote. "The secure part is the pattern you choose on the keyboard." If you have a QWERTY keyboard in front of you, you can refer to it to see the patterns he suggests. "You could go 'asdfghjk' (too easy). Or you could go 'qazwsxed' (harder). Or you could go 'qpwoeiru' (still harder)."
Unfortunately, I imagine that such patterns probably have been anticipated and that password-cracking programs know to search for them. Still, the resulting passwords are probably at least as secure as the average passwords most of us use and can be easily changed.
Another writer pointed out that sentences used as pass phrases can contain quotation marks, numerals and other characters, making them even more secure than the average password while remaining memorable. "I have tried to crack pass phrases such as this but gave up after a month," he wrote.
If you are of a linguistic or literary bent, you can take this technique to the extreme. "If your system, as mine does, accepts foreign characters, you can mix in a quote in Hebrew characters among the English, French, Spanish, German," he wrote. "My PGP pass phrase is an original poem of mine — never written down any place — in German. Easy for me to remember since I wrote it. I will publish it when I change pass phrases."
We'll be waiting for it.
About the Author
William Jackson is a Maryland-based freelance writer.
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12 charector acronym works great for me. For example Iwaf%rnoe translates to "I want a 40% raise now or else" Easy to remember, comples, not keyboard pattern based and longer than eight charectors. We also include some system names so each server/system has a different password - all 43 of them. PeopleSoft gets the longest most interesting ones :)
I recall the old Compuserve passwords being two words with a punctuation separator. Seems this 1980's approach may be harder to crack than most of the "modern" attempts other than those which just use a random sequence.
Try CybreScrub KeyChain program. You can download it free from cyberscrub.com and it has worked great for me. It has a rendom password generator inbuilt. You just need 1 password to remember and it fights phising too.
It really is just easier to use a password manager [smile]. They invent passwords for you, store them securely and even fill in the login form.
That's my company, and of course personal favorite. But there's plenty out there to choose from.
For the past several years I have used a variation on the pass phrase / password. I'm required to use a password. However it consists of the first letters of my easily remembered pass phrase. Then to meet security requirements I swap some letters for numbers or symbols. This has worked well for me, giving strong but easily remembered passwords.
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Stealing Style From Granny
Fashion's latest rebellion is co-opting looks from grandma's closet
IS CONSERVATIVE THE new radical? The fashion world certainly seems to think so. This season, designers filled their runways with restrained silhouettes that echo the graceful, showing-less-is-more aesthetic of generations past.
Designers are reimagining soignée staples for spring and summer—skirt suits, twin sets, below-the-knee dresses, kitten heels and frame bags—that appear anything but moth-eaten. In fact, fashion's neoconservative coup d'état feels deliciously defiant, given the excessively revealing styles pop culture...


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Marauding hordes of bluefish moved into Block Island Sound and Gardiner's Bay in recent days. The invasion quickly got a strong showing of squid heading for the marine equivalent of the hills with the blues nibbling at their heels.
As a result, early surfcasters who are finding the bluefish in all the usual spring haunts will have noticed the squids' sweet influence upon their flavor. Squid-fed bluefish are very tasty.
Trap fishermen, and fishermen who plan to use squid bait as the season progresses, loaded up on squid at the end of last week, but the glut lasted only three days. Bluefish moved into Fort Pond Bay in Montauk on Friday. Kathy Kronuch of Johnny's Tackle shop in Montauk said there could still be some die-hards left, and recommended that squid fishermen not put away their jigs and lanterns just yet.
The inky cephalopods did not show up for a few jiggers with calamari on their minds Monday night. Lights aimed at the dark surface of Fort Pond Bay to attract them instead produced a galaxy of krill, swarms of pink shrimp the size of your average garden grub.
Jiggers jigged lighted jigs, jigs stacked three high on the terminal end of their fishing lines. They jigged fast, and jigged slow. They cast magic spells on their jigs, and with a half moon half-hidden behind the clouds and the smoke from Michael Grande's fine cigar enriching a warm breeze, they talked bonanza squid hauls gone by, one in a rainstorm that caused the teller to fish on with "wet underwear," a statement met with silence.
Surfcasters report bluefish blitzing the north side of Montauk Point. On the ocean side, Steve (the Perv) Kramer reported catching 13 small stripers on Friday morning, five the next morning at Ditch Plain, a few larger than "rat" size. Bass were also being caught at the Georgica jetties in East Hampton.
Applications must be in by 7 p.m. today for surfcasters wishing to enter the Montauk SurfMaster's Spring Shootout. The tourney begins tomorrow at one minute after midnight, May 13.
Last year's contestants have already gotten their applications via fax or e-mail. First-time contestants can obtain applications by calling Fred Kalkstein, a k a the Eel, at 907-0610. The entry fee is $105 for the six-week contest. The first surfcaster to weigh in a striped bass over 25 pounds will win a $100 cash prize. There are no divisions in the shootout. It's every man and woman for him or herself.
As for fluke, the Lazy Bones party boat reported "a lot of action," plenty of smaller fluke, but with eight-pounders mixed in. The Bones has been fishing the south side of Montauk mostly in 60 feet of water, a few anglers using glo-squid lures. Kathy Vegessi, Capt. Mike Vegessi's shoreside support, predicted the fishing would soon "break wide open." On the Bones' Friday afternoon trip, an angler reeled up a 101/2-pounder, and Becky, daughter and Bones mate, caught an 81/2-pound fluke.
"On Sunday, two guys caught eight-pounders at the same time, and they were fat," Vegessi said.
Bill Becker of Becker Home Center in Montauk drove to Vermont over the weekend. While crossing on the ferry from Shelter Island to Greenport he noticed large fluke being caught from boats within spitting distance of the Greenport docks.
Light-tackle and fly fishermen should be stretching their long-dormant casting arms with small stripers and bluefish at Sammy's Beach in East Hampton, as well as just about any inlet they can find.


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During the eighth inning Tuesday in the Cubs' 6-2 loss to San Francisco, boos rained down on reliever Jeff Samardzija.
It was really no different than the booing that greeted Derrek Lee, Milton Bradley, Kevin Gregg, Neal Cotts or several other Cubs at Wrigley Field in the first month of the 2009 season, but it's obviously more than a passing trend.
"They have their sights on something bigger, so they don't have a lot of patience right now," Lee said. "I don't think it's something we worry ourselves about. They're free to do what they want to do. So we'll just play the best we can."
Giants ace Tim Lincecum snapped the Cubs' four-game winning streak, and their homestand ends with a 4-2 record. With things picking up, is it fair to boo every time a player has a bad game?
"Does it matter?" Lee said "They're allowed to boo. I don't think Samardzija is going to lose any sleep over it. I'm not going to lose any sleep over it."
The thing manager Lou Piniella is losing sleep over is the inconsistent hitting of his team. He started a patchwork lineup against Lincecum, hoping to find magic with Aramis Ramirez, Bradley, Alfonso Soriano, Geovany Soto and Ryan Theriot on the bench.
"It's not good for me [to sit] when I'm 100 percent healthy," Soriano said. "It's tough for me to watch the game."
A crowd of 39,497 could empathize because Tuesday's game was tough for everyone to watch. The Cubs scratched out a pair of runs on four hits off Lincecum, but Sean Marshall served up a three-run homer to Bengie Molina in the first inning, and the Giants added three in the eighth off Marshall and Samardzija.
"It was a tough game," Marshall said. "We fell apart in the eighth inning. But I think we'll be just fine."
Piniella's bench was much stronger than his starting lineup, but he opted to rest Soriano and Theriot for the first time, while also resting Ramirez and Bradley, who have combined to make only 25 starts between them because of injuries.
"I said I was going have to rest this team, and that's exactly what we're doing," Piniella said. "Today the bullpen just didn't hold the game in check. Samardzija, he needs to work on his second and third pitches. It's hard to pitch up here with a fastball only."
Samardzija was brought up from Triple-A Iowa to complement Aaron Heilman as the bridge to setup man Carlos Marmol, but he hasn't been able to fill the void.
"We've had difficulties [there]," Piniella said. "And I said coming out of spring training that would be a big part of our bullpen."
The Cubs relief corps ranks 13th in the National League with a 4.83 earned-run average, including 5.25 from Marmol and 4.97 from Gregg. Piniella said before the game that neither would be used Tuesday because of their heavy workload recently.
"They've pitched in five out of six games," Piniella said. "It's early in the season. There's no sense in pushing the envelope too much."


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All items > Knives > Folding Knives > LionSteel Italy (Folding) > LionSteel SR-2
- Overall Length:7.125"
- Blade Length:3.125"
- Cutting Edge:3.00"
- Blade Thickness:0.16"
- Blade Material:Sleipner
- Hardness:61 RC
- Blade Style:Drop Point
- Blade Grind:Flat
- Finish:Black
- Edge Type:Plain
- Handle Length:4.00"
- Handle Thickness:0.54"
- Handle Material:Aluminum
- Color:Red
- Weight:3.75 oz.
- User:Right Hand, Left Hand
- Pocket Clip:Tip-Up
- Knife Type:Manual
- Opener:Thumb Stud
- Lock Type:Frame Lock
- Brand:LionSteel
- Model:SR2
- Country of Origin:Italy
- Best Use:Everyday Carry
- Product Type:Knife
The SR2 aluminum folder or Mini SR1; it's everything you love about the SR-1, but in a smaller package!
This LionSteel SR2 features a red anodized monoblock aluminum frame. The single-piece machined handle has a frame lock that is outfitted with the RotoBlock system, which allows the user to turn a switch or 'lockbar stabilizer', basically converting it to a fixed knife. The drop point blade is Sleipner steel with flat grinds and a matte black finish. This Aluminum SR-2 includes a tool for pocket clip and pivot adjustments.