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Not sure how many of you out there reading this article would consider yourselves DMX fans, but when I think of the Orioles right now, losers of 5 of their last 6 games, I can't help but keep thinking about the song "Slippin" he had out back in the 90s. The chorus starts off with the line "I'm slippin, I'm fallin, I can't get up." As far as Baltimore in the AL East Standings, this song sure sounds fitting. A month ago, the Orioles were first place, riding a wave of optimism. Jason Hammel was 6-2 with a 3.06 ERA. Rewind a month and a half ago, and Nick Markakis still had both of his arms in tact. Don't get me wrong; the O's have plenty to feel good about heading into the All Star Break. Pending they do not lose all seven games out on the West Coast, the O's will finish with a record above .500 for the first half of the season. That's not too bad in arguably the toughest division in baseball year in and year out.
However, it's not good enough. This team has given the fans in this city a taste of success, and the last thing people want to see is management taking their foot off the gas because they do not believe that they should trade prospects to win now. And to win now, make a move now. Do not wait until the trade deadline on July 29th to make a move, by then this team could easily fall back to mediocrity and pave the way for Ravens preseason talk to dominate the airwaves before August begins. There should be no All-Star "Break" for Dan Duquette, he needs to keep this team in contention before it is too late.
Now, I am not suggesting the Orioles get crazy and give up the house for Zach Greinke, the unheralded best starting pitcher at the deadline. The Brewers will want the house for a guy who will hit the Free Agent market after the season and command top dollars. Leave that to your neighbors to the north in the Bronx to make that move. The other name mentioned as a possible back of the rotation starter is Francisco Liriano of Minnesota. Let me give you real world business guys a scenario before you consider him a good move. A kid comes out of college at 23, cannot find a job in this tough economy so he decides to sell cars. He comes in fired up out of the gate and crushes his numbers, he clearly has talent. Six years later, you can still see the talent; he cannot seem to push those cars out the door like he once did. That is what I think of with Liriano. He burst onto the scene in 2006, going 12-3 with a 2.16 ERA and 144 strikeouts. Now, the strikeouts are still there (70 strikeouts through 12 starts), but his ERA is over 5 and his record is 2-7. Plus, he reminds me too much of Daniel Cabrera. Remember that name, O's fans? Sorry I am sure you would like to forget some of his atrocious outings.
Bruce Levine of ESPN Chicago reported a couple of weeks back that the Cubs are looking to move Ryan Dempster, Matt Garza and Alfonso Soriano. Dempster is their most attractive piece, even at 35 years old. He is spotting a 2.11 ERA through 12 games started this season. The Cubs are so desperately trying to ship out Soriano, rumor has it that they would be willing to pay 90% of his salary to the team who takes him.
If I am Dan Duquette, I am calling Theo Epstein and I am trying to bring the veteran Dempster along with Soriano to Baltimore. To me, the trade makes sense on so many levels for the O's. First and foremost, the O's lack a veteran, durable presence in their rotation. Forget about the fact that Dempster is currently on the 15-day DL with Right Lat tightness, he will be back right after the Break. Since he underwent Tommy John Surgery in 2003, Dempster has been a rock in both the Cubs bullpen and starting rotation. Thus far in 2012, Dempster has spotted a 2.11 ERA in 12 starts, compared to Matt Garza who is more expensive and has a 4.01 ERA. Plus, Dempster at 35 would be the oldest pitcher on the O's rotation, and that is by no means a bad thing. Who better for the 26 year old of the rotation, Wei-Yin Chen and Jake Arietta to learn from than the described laid back Dempster? I mean come on, the guy told the Arizona media in 2007 if that if his career were to tumble, he planned on taking up ninja training. How cool is that?
As far as Soriano is concerned, even if you are a casual baseball fan, you probably know his career has been in a steady decline since the Yanks shipped him out for A-Rod back in 2004. But if the Cubs really would pay 90% of his salary, would it kill you to have him as your 4th Outfielder? He is a seven time All Star and two-time World Series Champ, it cannot hurt having a guy who has been in a winning atmosphere in your clubhouse.
For the sake of this article, I won't dive in too deep to the O's prospects they would look to ship out to acquire this package deal. I will leave it up to the Front Office to make those decisions. One thing would be evident: the O's would not have to risk trading potential significant prospects for the future to acquire 35 and 36 year old veterans. However, they need to make some sort of moves if they want to continue this phrase I have heard thrown out this year called "Orioles Magic."
I believe the next verse of the chorus of the song "Slippin" by DMX goes something like this: "Ay yo I'm slippin' I'm fallin' I gots to get up, Get me back on my feet so I can tear sh*t up!" If Dan Duquette does in fact share the same enjoyment from rap music as I do, he should listen to this song and get the O's back on their feet by calling Epstein not at the trade deadline, but right now.


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Kew's Summer Festival: Incredible Edibles
Kew's festival, which began in the summer, changes with the seasons and now ventures into its autumn phase, highlighting the extraordinary diversity of edible plants at the Royal Botanic Gardens.
There's a focus on fungi with Tom Hare's Fungi Fairy Ring – gigantic mushroom scuttles made of woven willow that tower up to 4 metres tall along the Broadwalk.
There are daily walking tours uncovering the mellow fruitfulness abundant in the gardens (staring noon from Victoria Plaza), which includes hundreds of pumpkins along the Broadwalk and a 4-metre-high pyramid of squashes in the Waterlily House. The focus on gourds continues with pumpkin carving (outside the Waterlily House at half term (Oct 26-Nov 3, 11am-3.30pm), as well as Halloween face painting for kids (in the Climbers and Creepers area on the same dates as above).
The Global Kitchen Garden, on the Great Lawn opposite Kew Palace, features more than 90 edible plants from around the globe – including grape vines and pomegranate and olive trees – along with stories about their origins and cultural heritage. Coffee connoisseurs should head for the Princess of Wales Conservatory, where there's a chance to see a coffee plantation and learn about the 100 species of coffee now known to science.
|Venue name:
|Kew Gardens
Royal Botanic Gardens
|Opening hours:
|Mar 27-Aug 29 Mon-Fri 10am-6.30pm, Sat, Sun and bank holidays 10am-7.30pm; Aug 30-Oct 29 daily 10am-6pm; Oct 30-Feb 10 2017 daily 10am-3.45pm; Feb 11-May 25 2017 daily 10am-5.30pm. Closed Dec 24 and 25. (Last entry 30 minutes before closing, some attractions close earlier, check on arrival.)
|Tube: Kew Gardens/Kew Bridge rail
|Incl with Kew admission (£16, £14 concs, under-17s free)

subset: commoncrawl


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Why is that feeling always the same? Whenever I go look at one of those Apache Graduated Whatever it's like taking a shower of MarketDroidSpeak. I didn't understand one thing and still feel all dirty. I mean -- quoth
I mean: how do they do it? What's the gist of it? At which level do they interface to the "camera" and the "accelerometer"? Do they use the underlying OS's "services" or do they just sprinkle magical fairy dust between the Javascript and the devices?
Of course, "a set of uniform interfaces for u
To become part of the HTML5 spec. We've already sort of have it with geolocation, but I seriously thought in the near future we'll see access to cameras etc. without having to use Cordova or some other abstraction library.
Cordova's API is the spec. When you target Cordova's API, you're targeting what will eventually be native browser APIs. Have a look here for more info: http://phonegap.com/2012/05/09/phonegap-beliefs-goals-and-philosophy/ [phonegap.com]
RIP WebOS
(Typed on a touchpad running android marvelously)
RIP WebOS
(Typed on a touchpad running android marvelously)
Spoken like a person that's never used a Pre 3 which I used to beat the Microsoft challenge. The only issue has been stalled development. OpenWebOS is the last hope for this work so I hope they make it a good one. Supporting existing devices is a step in the right direction. Oh, I've got 4 Pre phones in the household, plus three touchpads all hombrew patched with LunaCE and overclocked kernels. Both my and my wife's Touchpad hasn't needed a reboot in over 6 months of daily use. We tried Android and Jell
Eh, most people bought touchpads in the firesale to port android to them.
"Plastic gun. Ingenious. More coffee, please." -- The Phantom comics


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BRISTOL, Tenn. – King Tennis finished its regular season schedules against the University of Pikeville at home on Tuesday afternoon. The men's team fell by a narrow 5-4 decision while the Lady Tornado clipped Pikeville by the same count. The match concludes the regular season for both Tornado teams.
The Tornado men's team took a 2-1 advantage over the Bears after doubles play concluded, taking the top flights by counts of 8-6 and 9-8 (7-4). Pikeville took three of five singles flights to hold off King, 5-4. Lucas Oliveira (PIKE) defeated Seth Hale 6-4, 6-2 in the sixth and final singles match to capture the win for the Bears. Sophomore Pablo Vidal (Madrid, Spain) and Leo Brigato (Sao Paulo, Brazil) both took singles wins away.
The Lady Tornado earned their third win of the season over the Bears women's team, 5-4. Pikeville took two points away after doubles competition concluded, but the Lady Tornado ruled the singles matches as each of the top four singles matches went the way of the Navy and Scarlett. Karissa King (Rockwood, Tenn.) swapped 6-1 decisions with Arantxa Lopez before putting her away with a 6-4 third-set win to clinch the top flight. Sarah Anderson (Bristol, Tenn.) cruised to a 6-0, 6-0 decision over Shae Criswell. Eden Sherrod (Kingston, Tenn.) and Kayla Ketron (Bristol, Tenn.) each battled to singles victories. It was Sherrod's 6-2, 6-3 win over Hayley Kincaid that clinched the match victory for the Lady Tornado.
Despite the win, the Lady Tornado conclude their season with a 3-16 overall record. Sherrod finished with the best overall record in singles play with a 7-9 mark.
The Tornado men's team will travel to Erskine College to participate in the 2012 Conference Carolinas Tennis Tournament. King (13-5, 7-3) earned the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament and will square off against the No. 5 Coker Cobras in the opening around beginning at 12 p.m. The tournament will be held at the Sumter Tennis Center in Sumter, S.C. from April 20-22.
MENS: University of Pikeville 5, King College 4
Apr 17, 2012 at Bristol, Tenn. (KC Tennis Complex)
Singles competition
1. Dmitry Babenkov (PIKE) def. Avila, Jose (KING_M) 6-7, 1-2, retired
2. Vidal, Pablo (KING_M) def. Sergei Kraslinkov (PIKE) 6-4, 6-1
3. Sven Rodenbusch (PIKE) def. Villar, Vitor (KING_M) 4-6, 7-5, 6-4
4. Conner Smith (PIKE) def. Jones, Patrick (KING_M) 3-6, 6-0, 6-4
5. Brigato, Leo (KING_M) def. Marcos Fondelius (PIKE) 6-1, 7-6
6. Lucas Oliveira (PIKE) def. Hale, Seth (KING_M) 6-4, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Avila, Jose/Vidal, Pablo (KING_M) def. Lucas Oliveira/Dmitry Babenkov (PIKE) 8-6
2. Brigato, Leo/Villar, Vitor (KING_M) def. Sven Rodenbusch/Marcos Fondelius (PIKE) 9-8 (7-4)
3. Sergei Kraslinkov/Conner Smith (PIKE) def. Jones, Patrick/Hale, Seth (KING_M) 8-1
Match Notes: King College 13-5
WOMEN: King College 5, University of Pikeville 4
Apr 17, 2012 at Bristol, Tenn. (KC Tennis Complex)
Singles competition
1. Karissa King (KING_W) def. Arantxa Lopez (PIKE_W) 6-1, 1-6, 6-4
2. Sarah Anderson (KING_W) def. Shae Criswell (PIKE_W) 6-0, 6-0
3. Kayla Ketron (KING_W) def. Danielle Clark (PIKE_W) 6-0, 6-4
4. Eden Sherrod (KING_W) def. Hayley Kincaid (PIKE_W) 6-2, 6-3
5. Andrea Torbar (PIKE_W) def. Kelsey Copeland (KING_W), by default
6. Haley Isaac (PIKE_W) def. No player (KING_W), by default
Doubles competition
1. Arantxa Lopez/Andrea Torbar (PIKE_W) def. Karissa King/Kayla Ketron (KING_W) 8-5
2. Eden Sherrod/Sarah Anderson (KING_W) def. Danielle Clark/Shae Criswell (PIKE_W) 8-3
3. Haley Isaac/Hayley Kincaid (PIKE_W) def. No player/No player (KING_W), by default
Match Notes: King College 3-16


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Chinese folklore characterizes the horse as a symbol of prosperity and vitality - something that could bode well for the upcoming Lunar calendar year of 4,712. A fifteen-day New Year celebration begins Friday.
The Lunar New Year is China's most important cultural celebration and this year it begins today.
Tina Liao is president of the Tucson Chinese Cultural Association. She said the celebration generates the worlds largest mass-migration as people rush to their hometowns to visit relatives.
"People in China, no matter where you are, will try to travel back to where the parents are…New Year's eve dinner during the New Year...that's the most important thing; the family reunion," Laio said.
She said the Lunar New Year is like an entire country trying to have a family reunion…all at the same time. She has been able to go to China twice during the 25 years she's lived in Tucson.
Because it's not always possible to travel, it's become important for her and other members of the Chinese-American community in the Tucson to preserve the cultural traditions of this important holiday –many of which involve food.
"Two things are a must… one's the fish… the whole fish," she said. "Usually, the Chinese like to eat the whole fish, the whole duck, the whole chicken… suppose you have a whole fish and you have some left over…that's the sign of prosperity. The other thing is the dumpling…the whole family gets together to make the dumplings."
Liao is a relative newcomer in a community of Chinese immigrants in Tucson made up of students, working professionals, and many long-time residents that have multi-generational roots in the Southwest. She came to Tucson 25 years ago to study at the University of Arizona, and she stayed to make a living and raise a family.
The Lunar New Year celebration lasts 15 days and concludes this year on Feb. 14.


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Merlin's weekly podcast with Dan Benjamin. We talk about creativity, independence, and making things you love.
Merlin's weekly podcast with Dan Benjamin. We talk about creativity, independence, and making things you love.
"What's 43 Folders?"
43Folders.com is Merlin Mann's website about finding the time and attention to do your best creative work.
Open Thread: Leopard Preview
Merlin Mann | Aug 7 2006
Apple - Apple - Mac OS X - Leopard Sneak Peek
Like most of you, I'm keeping an eye on today's previewed features of the upcoming "Leopard" (OS X 10.5) release.
Looks like some interesting ideas -- many of which, as usual, seem inspired by existing third-party products.
I think I'm most intrigued so far by the idea of "to-do" functionality from within Mail.app (thanks for the tip, Matt); let's hope that also means I can deep link to a given email from my iCal task list. I also welcome the concept of built-in email templates -- although I'm kind of bummed that they seem more focused on execrable 1999-style HTML emails than on the kind of functional time-savers found in the peerless MailTemplate.
To be honest, on first blush -- and I'm sure there's much more to come by the time of release -- this feels a bit cute and a little light on really revolutionary stuff (the long overdue promise of something like Time Machine notwithstanding). Stuff like (yet. more.) iLife integration is handy enough for the notional Swithcher and Grandpa Joe, but in general I guess I'm hoping for some serious power-user improvements to the core functionality. Maybe that's just me.
What do you think? What's "Yeah!" and what's "Meh?" Anybody else holding out hope for some really deep Finder rewriting and more functional iCal updates?
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About Merlin
Merlin Mann is an independent writer, speaker, and broadcaster. He's best known for being the guy who created the website you're reading right now. He lives in San Francisco, does lots of public speaking, and helps make cool things like You Look Nice Today, Back to Work, and Kung Fu Grippe. Also? He's writing this book, he lives with this face, he suffers from this hair, he answers these questions, and he's had this life. So far.
Merlin's favorite thing he's written in the past few years is an essay entitled, "Cranking."
|EXPLORE 43Folders


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Leading the Coker attack were Margaret Madison and Allie Bragg who each had 10 kills, while Bragg added four blocks. Tara Nelson gave Coker 30 assists and three aces, while Kelsey Carlson had six aces and seven digs. Megan Haupt had 10 digs and Lauren Larsen had five blocks in the win.
The Coker Volleyball Team will hit the road for their next couple games, starting with traveling to


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Ask Marilyn: Odd and Even-Numbered Date Gas Rationing
Michael Marcus of Fort Lee, New Jersey, writes:
Marilyn: Does designating odd and even dates for purchasing gasoline based on license plate numbers make any difference? Some people say it does, and some say it doesn't.
Marilyn responds:
The practice isn't really rationing. Instead, it simply reduces lines, but it does a good job of that, helping save both a little gas and many freakouts while waiting. Yet half the people will be really unhappy if the practice is begun near the end of a month with 31 days!


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Now to another big story out of Miami this week: the football saga of Dolphins lineman Jonathan Martin. He met today with the NFL lawyer who's looking into charges of locker-room hazing, and worse. Meanwhile, Richie Incognito, the teammate accused of being Martin's tormentor, filed a grievance against the Dolphins. He's been suspended from play, and claims that that suspension is unfair.
Incognito, along with players past and present, insist that hazing is common in the NFL because it toughens young players, and it helps the team. For more on those claims, here's NPR's Mike Pesca.
MIKE PESCA, BYLINE: An NFL locker room is a workplace like no other, we've been consistently told during the Martin-Incognito story. Physicality, mercilessness, and an indifference to pain are prized. Weakness is seen as a contagion. Rookies are made to perform menial tasks and show subservience, to prove they belong.
Roman Oben, who played 12 years in the NFL, has a master's degree in public administration and has interned with congressmen. He's a thoughtful guy, but he says that if fans love this physical game, they need to accept some of these rites of passage.
ROMAN OBEN: I'm critical on the viewers to say, we accept the other parts of the game but now, we have this discussion if carrying pads helps the team cohesion? Yes, it does - 100 percent - because you - if you're a rookie, if you start from the bottom, you indoctrinate yourself into the culture. And then you go from there.
PESCA: And Oben says members of the offensive line - as Martin and Incognito were - see themselves as the grittiest, the strongest and most resilient of all the player groups.
OBEN: The position itself is really a team within a team. It's like soldiers. Like, what they have to go through to be a good offensive lineman, it's a lot different than just throwing a guy out there and throwing him the ball.
PESCA: Soldiering, talk of warriors and military analogies are pretty common in this discussion, but they're not exactly precise. Army Col. Irving Smith directs the sociology department at West Point; meaning he thinks about leadership, and trains cadets to think about leadership. Smith says the West Point of today is not marked by older students haranguing or threatening the younger ones.
IRVING SMITH: The most competent leaders that they had - the people who clearly, are influencing people by providing purpose, motivation and direction - are not people that are in their faces yelling at them. There are people who are more transformational in their approach to leading people.
PESCA: So it may seem that Smith is disagreeing with Colgate professor Caroline Keating, whose experiments show that hazing, in some senses, works. Keating asked athletes and fraternity members to self-report their hazing; and she also conducted an experiment where students were made to perform increasingly degrading charades, like pretending to be a dog greeting another dog. Not so different than asking an NFL player to wear ridiculous outfits, or to endure a prank.
CAROLINE KEATING: And we found that the harsher the treatment, the stronger the group identity.
PESCA: However - and this is why Keating and Col. Smith are really on the same page - the studies show that while hazing makes individuals want to take a bullet or play through pain by heightening the importance of the group, hazing simultaneously makes the hazed feel insignificant, and without agency. Keating also found - and this surprised her - that there were some individuals who were hard to haze. The hazing just didn't take. The hard to haze internalized the torment instead of seeing it as a sacrifice towards a goal.
KEATING: They attributed their behavior to, oh my gosh, you know, here I am being a jerk again. The other students who were more self-confident, in a way, actually read their behavior as, oh my gosh, if I'm doing these embarrassing behaviors, this group must really mean a lot to me.
PESCA: It's worth noting that Jonathan Martin - the Stanford classics major - came from a privileged, which is to say, unusual, background for NFL players; and was called Jonathan Weirdo by Richie Incognito. Soon, the NFL will have to decide whether to punish Incognito, the Dolphins; or put in place rules or guidelines, in an attempt to change the entire culture of the locker room.
Mike Pesca, NPR News. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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The top five games in former Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer's 100-game reign:
1) Oct. 11, 2009 at Baltimore - Bengals 17, Ravens 14: On Thursday night after practice, Zimmer discovers his wife of 27 years had died suddenly. Less than 72 hours after Vikki's death, he pulls himself together for one of the most gut-wrenching and emotional Cincinnati victories of all-time. After his father, son and daughter accompany Zimmer on the Bengals flight, his players rally to hold the Ravens to 82 yards rushing, pick off quarterback Joe Flacco twice, and hold the fort long enough for quarterback Carson Palmer's 20-yard pass to wide receiver Andre Caldwell with 22 seconds left that puts the Bengals into sole possession of first place in the AFC North to stay at 4-1 on the way to a division sweep.
3) Oct. 6, 2013 at Paul Brown Stadium - Bengals 13, Patriots 6: Zimmer solves the Belichick-Brady Hall of Fame mastery with the help of a Zimsoon in a sudden, swirling downpour that hit PBS as the Pats failed to rally for the tying touchdown in the final two minutes. But the defense also dominates the Pats in good weather, snapping Brady's bid for history when the Bengals stop his streak of games with a TD pass at 52 while holding the unbeaten Pats without a TD for the first time in 67 games. Zim's men muss Brady's hair long enough to stifle New England on all but one of the Pats' 12 third-down attempts in an effort punctuated by cornerback
4) Sept. 22, 2013 at Paul Brown Stadium - Bengals 34, Packers 30: The Bengals survive four turnovers against one of the game's best quarterbacks when they hold Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers to a 65.5 passer rating, stymying a slingshot artist that had racked up 10 games on the road of 100-plus passer ratings in the last three seasons. Setting the table for a year the defense often bailed the offense out of its turnover problems on the way to another AFC North title, the defense forces a huge one here when right end
5) Nov. 15, 2009 at Pittsburgh - Bengals 18, Steelers 12:In the War of 18-12 the 6-2 Bengals are basically playing the AFC North championship game after beating the 6-2 Steelers back in September with the help of cornerback Johnathan Joseph's pick-six. The defense keeps Roethlisberger out of the end zone by holding him to a miserly 174 yards on brutal 20-of-40 passing and limiting the defending Super Bowl champs to just 224 total yards. With the game tied at 12 with 11:20 left, the Steelers don't get a first down while the Bengals manage two field goals. The Bengals go on to finish 10-6 with a division sweep while the Steelers win just three more the rest of the season.


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Things to Look for in the Final Two Months
The Phillies have sold off Hunter Pence, Shane Victorino, and Joe Blanton. Their playoff chances are down to 0.1 percent. Carlos Ruiz is on the disabled list. Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee aren't their former selves. "What could possibly make the final two months interesting?" a downtrodden Phillies fan might ask. Although there will not be any post-season baseball, there are a few things that will make it worth sticking around through August and September.
The Development of Domonic Brown
Once the Phillies' #1 prospect and among the top prospects in all of Major League Baseball, Brown has had a tough time over the last three years. Between shoddy defense in the outfield corners, injuries, and a lack of playing time, Brown has never been able to get anything going and force the Phillies to keep him in the lineup. Instead, Brown logged 70 plate appearances in 2010, 210 last year, and 16 so far this season. He's been scorching hot at times and ice cold at other times, drawing criticism from all possible angles. With the outfield now in shambles, the Phillies have indicated that they would like to play Brown out there on an everyday basis, even if it means moving him around at all three spots.
Presumably, left field will end up being Brown's home as the Phillies will likely heavily pursue one of a number of free agent center fielders in the off-season, and fill right field with Nate Schierholtz and John Mayberry, perhaps in a platoon. So, the final two months will be Brown's audition for an every day job as a left fielder. While an aesthetically-pleasing triple-slash line (AVG/OBP/SLG) would be nice, we are simply looking for performance rather than results, as Paul Boye indicated in the latest podcast. That means defensive improvement and solid at-bats, particularly against left-handed pitchers.
If Brown can prove he's worthy of the everyday job in left field going forward, that would lift a heavy burden from the Phillies' shoulders as they are carrying a bloated payroll into 2013 and would like to use their limited flexibility to address other areas of need. If Brown doesn't convince the Phillies he is MLB-ready, then they may go after two outfielders in the off-season rather than just one.
Backing Up Chooch
Carlos Ruiz hit the disabled list recently with plantar fasciitis in his left foot, allowing Erik Kratz to stay on the roster even when Brian Schneider was re-activated from the DL. Kratz, in 28 PA, has four home runs and nine hits overall, drawing some excitement from fans. It is somewhat reminiscent of Chris Coste in that Kratz is a Minor League journeyman finally getting a shot at some regular at-bats in the Majors. Coste, in 2006 with the Phillies, posted a .881 OPS in 213 PA, earning the back-up role behind Ruiz the next season. Although Coste wasn't as good in future years, he was good enough for a cheap back-up catcher, a position that teams try to skimp on as much as possible. Schneider is a free agent after the season, which will open up the spot to Kratz if he can keep up the production over his next 100-plus trips to the dish. An added bonus for Kratz is that he has some time to get familiar with the Phillies' pitching staff, which will make things a lot easier for him going into spring training next year.
The Polly Option
Placido Polanco has been on the DL with lower back inflammation since July 25, the fourth injury he has suffered this year alone. Earlier in the season, he missed time with a knee contusion (two days), a left ankle sprain (one day), and left wrist inflammation (seven days). The 36-year-old can become a free agent after the season if either he or the Phillies choose against picking up his $5.5 mutual option. The free agent crop for third basemen is slim and it will be costly to acquire good third basemen, such as the San Diego Padres' Chase Headley or prospect Mike Olt of the Texas Rangers. There is a distinct possibility that the Phillies hedge their bets and bring Polanco back for another year and hope he can stay healthy.
Contrary to popular belief, Polanco has more than paid off the three-year, $18 million contract he signed with the Phillies as a free agent after the 2009 season. He has posted a .306 wOBA since the start of 2010, slightly below the league average, but his defense has ranked among the best in baseball at the hot corner. According to UZR (sample size: 2,767 innings), Polanco made 12 plays more than the average third basemen per 150 defensive games. As a result, Polancos fWAR with the Phillies was 3.9 in 2010, 2.8 last year, and 0.5 this season. That's right: Polanco has been better than a replacement-level third basemen this season, which will likely shock a lot of fans.
It wouldn't be the worst idea in the world to pick up Polanco's option, but it comes with the risk that he will spend even less time on the field than he did in 2012. There is also the possibility that the Phillies pick up Ty Wigginton's $4 million option to keep him around as a utility player and the number-two guy behind Polanco. Yes, that is an unsavory way to go about addressing the third base situation, but it is possible and better than many of the other options out there.
The Preservation of the Right Side of the Infield
Chase Utley, 33, and Ryan Howard, 32, both made mid-season returns to the Phillies after spending significant time on the sidelines with injuries. Utley returned on June 27 after battling his way back from a knee injury while Howard returned on July 6 despite being less than 100 percent recovered from his Achillies injury. Although the Phillies intended to give the two plenty of time off, Utley has taken four of 29 games off (two of the four included pinch-hit appearances) while Howard has taken four of 22 games off (three pinch-hit appearances).
Utley has looked good both at the plate and in the field, posting an .839 OPS with six home runs and plenty of acrobatic plays in the infield. On the other hand, Howard has struggled with a .716 OPS and below-average defense. Worse, it is painful to watch Howard run the bases, clearly unable to capture the limited agility he had in seasons past. Since the season is pretty much lost for the Phillies, they should consider giving Utley more rest and consider shutting Howard down for the season at some point in late August or early September if no improvements are made. Although it would be nice to draw a few extra tickets in the waning days of the season, it is much more important for the Phillies to give their 2013 squad the best first step towards recapturing their NL East dominance. It is not worth risking further aggravating nagging injuries by overusing the two in meaningless August and September games.
The Youth Movement in the Bullpen
Despite spending $50 million on a 31-year-old closer last off-season, the Phillies' bullpen is otherwise young and cheap and will continue to be that way over the next few years. 26-year-old Antonio Bastardo has appeared in many high-leverage spots already and he will be around through at least 2015. Likewise, 25-year-old Josh Lindblom ate up a lot of the late innings for the Dodgers before coming over to the Phillies in the Victorino deal. Both pitchers are candidates to set up for Papelbon next year and will be auditioning for the role in the final two months.
It doesn't stop there, however. Behind Bastardo and Lindblom are 26-year-old Michael Schwimer, the recently-demoted 25-year-old Jake Diekman, and 26-year-old Jeremy Horst. Don't forget that 26-year-old David Herndon, 25-year-old Michael Stutes, and 24-year-old Justin De Fratus spent significant time on the disabled this season but are expected to return and compete for roster spots in spring training next year. The Phillies have invested money poorly in just about every possible way, but they are going about the bullpen well. The best bullpens are cheap and lucky. All the 2013 bullpen has to do is get a fortunate roll of the dice.


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Vic Ortiz first held a basketball while shooting at a hoop attached to a neighbor's garage in East Chicago, Ind.
"I was 6 years old and I couldn't hit the rim; it was quite a challenge for me,'' Ortiz recalled. "In the winter, rather than sand, the city dropped ashes on the street for traction. The ball and my hands got pretty dirty.''
The varsity boys' basketball coach at Brockton High from 1983-2007, where he guided the Boxers to 386 wins, five sectional titles, and a state title in 1985, Ortiz has overcome far greater challenges.
His presence at Holy Cross next Sunday for induction into the Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame will be testament to Ortiz's fighting spirit, the love and support of his wife, JoAnn, and their many friends, and his desire to make every day a gift to be cherished.
Four years ago, Ortiz, 64, received kidney and liver transplants that saved his life. He had previously dealt with heart issues, major back surgery, and a serious blood infection. He has subsequently endured heart valve and hip replacements and a stroke.
"The doctors told me I was day-to-day. I couldn't eat. I was visited by a priest and I knew why he was there. My memories were in fast forward.
"But a donor was found in time. I'm a lucky man,'' said Ortiz, a 1975 Stonehill College graduate whose family lived for many years in Puerto Rico, where he played high school basketball and then in a semi-pro league.
Stonehill baseball coach Pat Boen, who captained Brockton's state title squad in 1985, said Ortiz "was like a father figure to many of his players. He built character by giving tough love.
"He demanded your best effort, he was emotional, and he was always there to give you a hug," added Boen. "He's gone through so much, but he's more concerned about you than about himself.''
Ortiz is proud that he never coached a 1,000-point career scorer, because team always came first. He is also proud that his travels teaching the game have included jaunts to Bolivia, Guyana, and Colombia.
"I told my players that they represented their school, their family, and their city every time they put on the uniform, and I set that tone early on,'' he said. "What they've accomplished in their lives has meant more to me than winning basketball games.''
Boen's brother Bob, who served as an assistant on Ortiz's staff from 1983 until 2007, is now the Boxers' head coach.
"I told Vic that as soon as he retired he'd become a legend,'' said his brother. "Last year, even though he was ill, he called me before we played for the state championship to give me a rundown of the opposing team [Springfield Central]. All of my assistants played for him. Most of our plays are ones we ran together. So he's still a big part of Brockton High basketball and always will be.''
Ortiz, an adjustment counselor and teacher for 31 years in the Brockton system, works out with a personal trainer and hopes to play golf next spring. He also volunteers at the Manthala George Jr. Elementary School in Brockton in an English/Spanish bilingual class.
He 'was like a father figure to many of his players. He built character by giving tough love.'
"Mr. George was the man who hired me in 1976 when he was human resources director," said Ortiz. "He later became superintendent. I must have impressed him with the bright maroon polyester suit and maroon shoes I wore that day.
"I can tell you the three most important things that have happened to me,'' said Ortiz, who was enshrined in the Brockton High Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008 and the New England Basketball Hall of Fame the following year.
"Marrying JoAnn, who I met when she taught at the Armone Elementary School, receiving the transplants, and my other love affair — with Brockton High basketball.''
His arrival in Brockton, where he still resides, was purely by chance.
"I was in the Navy for four years and played service basketball and at one time was stationed on the USS Constitution in Boston. I used to play basketball at the Fargo Building with a Navy buddy from Brockton, Bobby Burke.''
Burke introduced Ortiz to his brother-in-law, Fred Petty, a professor and later vice president at Stonehill. After his discharge, Ortiz was a 23-year-old college freshman. He earned a master's degree at Boston College and was assistant coach to Jack Lehane and John Boutin on the Boxers' bench.
"One of the greatest honors a coach can receive is following in the footsteps of people you respect, and that's why going into the Hall of Fame this week means so much to me,'' said Ortiz.
"As a school counselor, I met a lot of people who had to deal with sadness, so I try to help others and follow the saying, 'Make every day your masterpiece.'
"That's why I wake up every day with a smile.''Marvin Pave can be reached at marvin.pave@ rcn.com.
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect the correct date for Ortiz's state title in 1985. The story originally said it occurred in 1995.


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You can play for free, but you can NEVER finish it.You have to buy from the cash shop in order to have end game gear.Nobody will have you in their party if you do not have it. They don't want to see you dying all the time.
Not only that but this company violates it's own TOS and allows players to harass other players. I got banned for reporting a player harassing me. Read more here, if you like.
The moderators should remove this entire thread from the forums, this game has not been free for a long time now.


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Remove the wheel and tire assembly.
NOTE: The lug nuts must be installed and tightened in sequence to specification as shown to ensure that the wheel is matched to the wheel hub properly.
NOTE: Make sure the 3mm spacers are correctly installed on the rear wheels of the S/R series.
To install, reverse the removal procedure.


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Posted 02 April 2012 - 12:13 PM
It also stars Jane Lynch, Larry David, Sofia Vergara, Stephen Collins, & Craig Bierko.
Here are Official Trailers #1 & #2:
This movie has been on my must-see list for quite some time. I can't wait to see it!
Coming Soon -- April 13th Nyuck, Nyuck, Nyuck!
Posted 02 April 2012 - 03:12 PM
Posted 02 April 2012 - 05:21 PM
Posted 04 April 2012 - 12:00 PM
My one brother was so excited about this. It comes out on his b-day and thats what he told my sister-in-law he wants to go see. Of course my sister-in-law rolled her eyes at him. My brother is a real fan of them. I think I might go see it to.
Well, that's going to be a great gift for your brother. You should definitely go see it, too. Everyone should. C'mon, people! Let The Stooges break The Hunger Games' records (in a perfect world, it'd happen)!
A lot of people are criticizing The Three Stooges movie. Before they've seen it.
Check Out Behind the Scenes Footage:
Posted 04 April 2012 - 05:06 PM
And didn't Chris Diamantopoulos play Robin Williams in a TV movie? I couldn't find the title in his imdb-ography.
Posted 04 April 2012 - 05:25 PM
Posted 05 April 2012 - 09:38 AM
Posted 05 April 2012 - 07:19 PM
Posted 06 April 2012 - 04:08 AM
Those with loaded guns, and those who dig.
Posted 06 April 2012 - 11:47 AM
Why is it that I feel like I heard about this movie a LOOONG time ago? Was the release delayed or am I being confused by a TV version?
And didn't Chris Diamantopoulos play Robin Williams in a TV movie? I couldn't find the title in his imdb-ography.
Yes, Chris Diamantopoulos portrayed Robin Williams in the TV movie Behind The Camera: The Unauthorized Story of 'Mork & Mindy.' He's done a lot of TV, including playing a role on the final season of 24. More recently he's appeared on Up All Night. I don't know if anyone has watched this show, but his character Julian is the most original character on TV today. Oh, and he's also the one in those commercials for Charles Schwab. He's such a talented actor and a really kind man; he truly appreciates his fans.
It certainly has been a long road to seeing this movie finally happen. While I might have still wanted to see it had Jim Carrey, Sean Penn, & Benicio del Torro starred as The Stooges, I can promise you I wouldn't be nearly this excited. For a Stooge movie, I don't want a bunch of guys claiming to be Larry, Curly, & Moe without acting like them. It'd be like, "Why not call it something else?". I want to see the closest interpretation as possible, which Hayes, Sasso, & Diamantopoulos have succeeding in doing. It's going to be fun seeing it.
Here's a funny interview w/ THE THREE STOOGES:
Posted 13 April 2012 - 01:41 PM
Posted 13 April 2012 - 01:43 PM
Posted 13 April 2012 - 08:32 PM
Posted 20 April 2012 - 12:17 PM
In The Three Stooges Sean Hayes, Will Sasso, & Chris Diamantopoulos perfectly portray Larry, Curly, & Moe. These talented actors revived the spirit of slapstick comedy for every generation to enjoy. Bravo, gentleman!
My Review including SPOILERS!:
Hilarity ensues from beginning to middle to end; I laughed so hard & hearty during every Stooge scene. We see the Stooges as babies, then as kids, maintaining the same appearances throughout their lives. It's nice to get to see how their friendship started and blossomed into a strong bond like no other. You can tell they care about each other. It's heartbreaking, yet understandable, to see Moe get adopted only to return back to the orphanage, because he doesn't want to leave his buddies behind. They truly are his real family.
When we get to see the Stooges grown up, though kids at heart, and still living at the orphanage (too funny), there rarely is a moment from this point on that I don't have tears in my eyes from laughing incessantly. I love their sleeping arrangements & snoring patterns, their farming styles, hospital disguises (Curly & Moe look pretty in long hair and lipstick), uses of babies as weapons, forms of transportation (three seater bike, leashed poodles) & countless other oddities of Stooge essence. :-)
When the orphanage needs money, the Stooges are willing to step in & help get the money by doing anything. Anything. They only need $830,000 in a month (ha ha). The Stooges have always wanted to work, even if their efforts don't go according to plan. Bobby & Peter Farrelly keep this tradition alive, as well as, many other comical delights.
Looking from Larry to Curly to Moe, I had an enormous amount of fun watching these guys act & react to slaps, eye pokes, hair tugs, nudges, etc. One of the best scenes that wonderfully showcases the Stooge behavior is when all three are unknowingly standing on a stage. The complete interaction by hitting each other, avoiding getting hit, then getting struck by someone or something else is choreographed humorously and professionally.
When the Stooges aren't onscreen , I'd find myself laughing at everyone else. Larry David as a nun is outrageously funny; he never liked Larry, Curly, and Moe; he only sees them as morons who end up causing more trouble and hurting those they encounter, especially him. Ouch! Jane Lynch is funny as always; her love for each of the children, including the Stooges, is beautiful. She doesn't want them to feel worse about themselves, so she protects them from the truth, which is so sweet of her.
Stephen Collins is amazing. I believe his Mr. Harter is a good man, even when he leaves Moe behind at the orphanage. I laughed the second he popped on the screen as a young man; I've never seen him have that look. He looks much better when we later see him older. He's a lawyer who wants to sue, sue, & sue; I still don't think he's a bad guy. Boy was I wrong!
Craig Bierko. Oh. My. Goodness! This man is a comedy God! Bierko's good at playing the mischievous lover. & he sure takes a beating. While the Stooges escape dangerous accidents without any scrapes or scratches, Bierko's Mac gets hurt. A lot. It's hysterical. He gets hit by a bus & goes flying; he survives. He ends up in a body cast. "He's turtlin'." We can't forget his run in with a lion. "Penguins?" Nope. A lion. When he shows up with a huge scratch on his face at the anniversary party, I can't help but want him to utter, "You should see the other guy." Bierko proves he doesn't care about his looks. Those teeth! I couldn't take my eyes off of him, especially when his eyes bulge out of his head.
Larry: Sean Hayes does a terrific job playing Larry. Not only does he have the famous hair and memorable voice, he has the personality, too. The orphanage needs more...boogers? No problem. Larry can help with that. He's educational; I didn't know that Dolphins love peanuts. & when the Dolphin can't breathe, Larry's up for doing the Heineken maneuver. Donuts stuck in your ears? Leave it to Larry to find you a "Donut Remover." He can't drive a Standard Poodle, but he's willing to wirk for the money. He'll even help water the salmon on the golf course. Man, I love him. He's a great character, and Sean Hayes brilliantly brings dimwitted Larry to life.
Curly: Will Sasso is the Curly package. He looks, sounds, acts, & thinks just like the original. That high, baby voice makes you wanna hug him. He'd let ya, too; he's polite. Just don't get too close to upset him; he may start growling and snarling at you. Tweet does sound like treat and an iPhone sounds like a device for your eye. A fancy party won't stop Curly from being Curly; he drinks the punch by drinking from the punch bowl. Where's his manners? Pinkies up. Better. He breaks the tension under water by breaking wind. When I first found out that Sasso would be playing Curly, he was the one I could easily picture as this famous Stooge. He wore a Bowler Derby hat - Yes! Is Will Sasso a superb Curly? Soitenly! Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.
Moe: Chris Diamantopoulos is Moe. It's uncanny. All of his Stooge homework has paid off. He masters the voice, facial expressions, stance, and walk as the leader of the group. Plus, he makes that bowl haircut look stylish. With every jab, both physically and verbally, Diamantopoulos' inner Moe surfaces. It's been awhile, since I've seen an actor not only play a part but become a role so exceptionally. Moe's most important job, and longest one he's had, is keeping his fellow Stooges in line. To him, Larry and Curly are a couple of imbeciles and knuckleheads, but he cares about them deeply. When he's finally fed up with everyone's antics, he joins the reality series "Jersey Shore." Of course. I love that Moe remains being himself, even as Dyna-Moe. He pokes & slaps every cast member. Assault? "Here's your pepper." He'll dot your eyes, stuff your ears with donuts, and put a lobster down your pants. Spread out! Chris Diamantopoulos, the most talented man in show business, has lived his dream of playing Moe Howard, the man he was born to play.
It's a shame skeptics will miss out on seeing this gem. Not only does Three Stooges provide plenty of laughs, but it also features pleasant twists and jaw-dropping surprises (the shocking ending, for one). My family & I were the only ones in the audience who got the memo on staying til the very end of the closing credits; singing Stooges is always going to be worth staying an extra few minutes.
A huge thank you to the Farrelly Brothers for making a Three Stooges movie with the same comedic quality of the original Stooge shorts and shows. Dividing the film episodically is a nice touch. The Three Stooges movie is a hilarious film and a perfect love letter honoring the original trio. Sean Hayes, Will Sasso, and Chris Diamantopoulos do the Stooges justice; they're the most deserving actors to play the kings of slapstick.
I highly recommend watching The Three Stooges. It's a must-see action-comedy for the whole family & the most fun you're guaranteed to have at the theaters.
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Latest Features
Lynx Name John Marks Head Coach
The Augusta Lynx announced Thursday the hiring of John Marks as the team's new head coach. The 60 year old Marks is the all-time ECHL wins leader as a head coach with a 485-412-63-32 record in 990 career-regular season games over 13 seasons with Charlotte, Greenville and Pensacola.
"[We] are ecstatic to be able to bring in a coach of John Marks' caliber. He certainly knows what it takes to win at this level,†co-owner Robert Burch said. "We feel he's going to be a perfect fit with our organization and our new affiliation with the Tampa Bay Lightning.â€
Marks was set to continue coaching in Pensacola this fall until the team folded earlier this off-season. He contacted the Lynx about the job on the same day former coach Bob Ferguson announced he was leaving. Ferguson, who was the coach of the Lynx for the past three seasons, left to take an assistant GM position with the American Hockey League's Iowa Chops.
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BLACK Design Associates, LLC
El Segundo, CA
BLACK Design Associates, is a fast growing Product Development and Venture Strategy Partnership located in the Los Angeles area. We offer full-service capability to a range of privately backed Incubators and Companies including but not limited to: Disney, Hasbro, Mattel, Plantronics, and P&G.
We are looking for team members and potential partners who are creative, enjoy strategy, enjoy business development, who have a strong team mentality, and who have the ability to thrive in an entrepreneurial culture.


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Wildcats to Open BIG EAST Action Saturday Against No. 13 USF
'Cats hope to carry momentum of 7-2 start into conference play
Wildcats to Host Stony Brook in Home Opener
Both squads displayed firepower in opening night wins
An Experienced Cast Eyes the Next Step
Wildcats return 10 of 11 starters for 2012
A rugged left side defender who competes at a high level ... Brings great determination each time out.
Started all 18 games for the Wildcats as an outside back ... Produced four shots.
Established himself as a starter on defense in the pre-season and started each of the first three games ... Suffered a season-ending injury at Colgate on Sept. 1.
Played his club soccer for Empire United U18 Development Academy ... Ranked as the No. 16 player in New York State by TopDrawerSoccer.com as a senior in high school ... Named USSF Development Academy Player of the Week on April 26, 2011 and was a part of the 2010 USSF Development Academy Spring Showcase Select Team.
The son of Timmy and Ginny Callahan ... Siblings are Jared (27) and Aidan (15) ... Jared Callahan played on season of college soccer for St. Bonaventure ... Established school records at Sweet Home High School of 41 assists and 34 goals playing for coach Scott Martin ... Named first team all-state as a junior and senior and became the first All-American at Sweet Home H.S. ... Also was named to the Honor Roll in each of his four years of high school.


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Monthly Archives: August 2011
Summer Special: Support KLRU for just $5 today!
As a KLRU Green Member, you join a caring group of viewers who provide us with dependable financial support on a continuing monthly basis. On special for only $5/month, the KLRU Green Membership is convenient, easy on your budget, and helps provide considerable savings to the station. Being a KLRU Green Member means never receiving paper mailings from us and never having to renew your membership – it's the easiest way to show your commitment to KLRU in your life and your community.
- Enjoy the convenience of automatic payment of your Green Member gifts. Convenient and secure automatic withdrawals from your credit card of checking account save you time and money since you never have to write another check or find a stamp.
- Enjoy the satisfaction of knowing your support is helping to reduce KLRU's administrative costs – which makes your contribution a full investment in the unique and outstanding television programs, educational workshops, community engagement projects and public events you expect from KLRU.
- You're in control. You can change or stop your payments at any time. Just give us the word.
- You're in the know. As a Green Member, you'll receive only the most important e-communication from KLRU, keeping you informed about upcoming programs and events with the KLRU Green Member eNewsletter.
- Your membership is always active. You'll never have to look back and see when you last gave to KLRU – and you'll never have to renew or receive any renewal notices by email or mail.
- Spreading your support out over the year makes generosity easier on your budget and gives KLRU the security of a steady, reliable stream of income.
Please consider all the advantages of becoming a KLRU Green Member – the convenience to you, the savings to us and, most of all, the expression of your enduring commitment to all that public broadcasting stands for – and join during this end-of-summer special for only $5/month.
As a KLRU GREEN MEMBER, you not only support your local PBS station, but as a thank you gift you will receive a KLRU branded GO LOCAL card, valid until August 2012, good for discounts and deals at over 600 businesses in Central Texas.
KLRU Programming for Hispanic Heritage Month
KLRU broadcasts programming created by and about people from all cultures year-round, from public affairs to history to independent film to kids programming. In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, KLRU will broadcast a lineup of new and encore presentations honoring and exploring Latin American culture.
Monday, September 19th from 9:00-10:00 pm
The Mexican Revolution, the first major political and social revolution of the 20th century, not only
changed the course of Mexican history, but also profoundly impacted its relationships with the rest of
the world. This program looks at the complex historical, social, political, economic and cultural forces
that shaped the Mexican Revolution, influenced its course, and determined its consequences and legacy.
POV "The Learning"
Tuesday, September 20th from 9:00-10:30 pm
One hundred years ago, American teachers established the English-speaking public school system of
the Philippines. Now, in a striking turnabout, American schools are recruiting Filipino teachers."The
Learning" is the story of four Filipino women who reluctantly leave their families and schools to teach
in Baltimore. With their increased salaries, they hope to transform their families' lives back in their
impoverished country. But the women also bring idealistic visions of the teacher's craft and of life in
America, which soon collide with Baltimore's tough realities.
Wednesday, September 21st at 9:00 pm
In 2008 in Patchogue, NY, a series of attacks against Latino residents ended with the killing of 37- year-old Marcelo Lucero, an Ecuadorian immigrant who had lived there for 13 years. Seven local high school students arrested for the crime admitted they were "looking for a Mexican" to beat up. Over a two-year period, the film followed Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri as he led a diverse group of residents to confront the anti-immigrant bias in their town and repair the fabric of their community life. The victim's brother, Joselo Lucero, and other Latino residents became leading voices for immigrants while working within the community to address local divisions. Faith leaders mobilized their congregations, and educators and school administrators developed anti-bias programs.
GREAT PERFORMANCES "Placido Domingo: My Favorite Roles"
Friday, September 23, 2011, 8 p.m.
Placido Domingo, one of the most popular and celebrated tenors of his generation, looks back and reflects on his favorite roles in opera houses around the world.
Thursday, September 29th at 7:30 pm
This KLRU production discovers the personal history and unique art of Dia de los Muertos through
the stories of San Antonio artists who capture this rich cultural heritage. To understand our present,
Arts In Context explores the fabric of our past. Although the philosophy behind Dia de los Muertos
(Day of the Dead) began in the Mexican culture, now it crosses all cultures as a ceremony to remember
and value the ones who led us to where we are today.
In the Studio: Overheard taping with John Heilemann 9/21
Please join KLRU's Overheard with Evan Smith for an interview with John Heilemann on September 21 at 9:00 a.m. in KLRU's Studio 6A (map). Doors open at 8:30 a.m. The event is free but an RSVP is required. RSVP here
Heilemann writes about politics and business for New York Magazine, and his work also appears in other major publications nationwide. A sharp observer of US politics, Heilemann always seems to have a piece of inside knowledge and a surprising new scoop. His book Game Change, coauthored with Mark Halperin, documented the 2008 presidential campaign and became a bestseller. We'll hear the latest political news and we'll catch Heilemann's take on the Republican primary race.
Join us as Overheard with Evan Smith launches a second season of great conversation with fascinating people, always on the news and always with a sense of humor. The show features in-depth interviews with a mix of guests from politics, the arts, literature, journalism, business, sports and more, and reaches PBS stations from California to Florida. We hope you'll be there for the second season of this exciting program.
In the Studio: Overheard taping with Joe Klein 9/14
Please join KLRU's Overheard with Evan Smith for an interview with Joe Klein on September 14 at 2:00 p.m. in KLRU's Studio 6A (map). Doors open at 1:30. The event is free but an RSVP is required. RSVP here
Joe Klein covers national and international politics in his award-winning column for TIME, called "In the Arena." He's also the author of six books. The most recent of those books is Politics Lost, which makes the argument that American politics has become more about keeping power than about serving the best interest of the country. Klein's most famous book is Primary Colors, a novel that took heavy inspiration from the Clinton administration – written by Klein under the pen name Anonymous.
Join us as Overheard with Evan Smith launches a second season of great conversation with fascinating people, always on the news and always with a sense of humor. The show features in-depth interviews with a mix of guests from politics, the arts, literature, journalism, business, sports and more, and reaches PBS stations from California to Florida. We hope you'll be there for the second season of this exciting program.
In the Studio: Overheard taping with Margaret Hoover 9/2
Please join KLRU's Overheard with Evan Smith for an interview with Margaret Hoover.
Date: Friday, September 2
Time: Taping starts at 10:30 am. Doors open at 10 am.
Location: KLRU's Studio 6A (map).
RSVP: The event is free but an RSVP is required. Please complete the form to the left to RSVP.
Margaret Hoover works as a political commentator for Fox News, and proudly wears the label of a champion of conservative causes. But she also expresses deep concern for the future of the Republican Party. Her new book, American Individualism, invites young Americans to embrace the Republicans, and offers a guide for the party to win the support of young voters. The key, she says, lies in politics that focus on individual freedoms and that end the outsize influence of social and religious conservatives in Republican politics and policy.
With this taping, Overheard with Evan Smith launches a second season of great conversation with fascinating people, always on the news and always with a sense of humor. The show features in-depth interviews with a mix of guests from politics, the arts, literature, journalism, business, sports and more, and reaches PBS stations from California to Florida. We hope you'll be there for the second season of this exciting program. Overheard airs on KLRU at 7 p.m. Thursdays, 8:30 p.m. Fridays and 12:30 p.m. Sundays. Episodes are also available online at klru.org/overheard
End the Summer with KLRU Create marathons
Starting at 10 am each Saturday, KLRU Create offers viewers themed programming to get you started on various projects. KLRU Create is on channel 18.2 over the air.
September 3
Last of the Summer Fun
The unofficial end to summer is upon us, and grillmaster Steven Raichlen has fantastic tips for the grill just in time for your Labor Day barbecue. Fire up your BBQ with succulent seafood, racks of ribs and pork that's just waiting to be pulled! Invite your friends and family over for the last of the summer fun!
September 10
Shopping Spree
Get ready…get set…SHOP! This Saturday's shopping spree won't take place at your local mall — we're going worldwide! William Stubbs of "Moment of Luxury" takes us to the famed Sotheby's in New York for some high-end bidding at an auction. Then, we are off to India with the Pat Johnson and Regina Fraser, the "Grannies on Safari," to purchase craft fair goodies. No shopping spree is complete without some clothing and accessories, and Burt Wolf has you covered. He brings us to Rome to visit the finest fashion houses and tailors. Make sure you put away some extra spending cash
because we are ready to shop 'til we drop!
September 17
Paella, Please
The Spanish dish paella is enjoyed by millions around the world. Celebrate this flavorful and versatile meal with Create's experts this Saturday. Steven Raichlen prepares paella on the grill and whips up a fantastic vegetable version of the dish, Andreas Viestad gives us his Norwegian-style paella and Hubert Keller gets in on the act with mounds of seafood to make his paella pop. After you've had your first bite of paella, you'll be asking for more and more!
September 24
And the Winner is …
Three cheers and congratulations to Create's 2011 Daytime Emmy-award winning programs, Eric Ripert's "Avec Eric" and Joseph Rosendo's "Travelscope." This marathon is dedicated to the flavorful dishes and unbelievable excursions of these popular hosts. There's no telling where in the world Eric and Joseph's exploits will take you, so sit back and enjoy!
KLRU Saturday cooking lineup changes in September
Starting in September, some new cooking shows and episodes will join the Saturday line-up!
On Sept. 3, new episodes of Cook's Country at 3:00 pm
On Sept. 10, Cuisine Culture replaces Primal Grill at 1:30 pm.
On Sept. 17, Lidia's Italy in America replaces Lidia's Italy at 2:30 pm.
On Sept. 24, Mexico: One Plate at a Time with Rick Bayless replaces Pati's Mexican Table at 2:00 pm.
Highlights 8/28 to 9/3
Fearless researchers and cameramen track skunks day and night to uncover how they hunt, forage, mate and raise amazingly cute baby skunks on NATURE: Is That Skunk? 7 p.m. Sunday.
The saga continues at 165 Eaton Place with new characters upstairs and down in a three-part sequel to the much-loved Masterpiece series from the 1970s on part two and three of "Upstairs/Downstairs" airing back-to-back starting at 8 p.m. Sunday.
Michael Feinstein's American Songbook: Best Band in the Land examines how popular songs provided emotional solace and patriotic inspiration during World War II 9 p.m. Monday.
What material things mean the most to us? How do otherwise ordinary items come to symbolize experiences, aspirations, and identity? Find out on Objects and Memory 10 p.m. Monday.
On this episode of History Detectives at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Cowan and friends explore a 15th century map for hints about how Europe colonized Florida. Then, the detectives investigate whether families of the Confederate South used children's dolls to smuggle medicine past the Northern blockade.
Before Al Qaeda launched a devastating attack on America, FBI Special Agent John O'Neill came to believe the United States should kill Osama bin Laden. But O'Neill was muted by the headquarters bureaucracy, so he took a new position as head of security at the World Trade Center, where he was killed on September 11. FRONTLINE: The Man Who Knew at 8 p.m. Tuesday provides a rare glimpse inside the FBI.
POV presents Armadillo at 9 p.m. Tuesday, winner of the Critics' Week Grand Prix at Cannes, which takes a candid and poignant look at combat operations in Afghanistan.
PBS Previews: Prohibition 10:30 p.m. Tuesday goes behind the scenes with filmmakers Ken Burns and Lynn Novick in this sneak preview of their new film Prohibition, premiering in the Fall.
Science Night features all three episodes of Nova Becoming Human back-to-back. At 7 p.m. Wednesday, First Steps explores fresh clues about our earliest ancestors in Africa, including the stunningly complete fossil nicknamed "Lucy's Child". At 8 p.m. Wednesday, Birth of Humanity tackles the mysteries of how our ancestors managed to survive in a savannah teeming with vicious predators. At 9 p.m. Wednesday, Last Human Standing probes a wave of dramatic new evidence, based partly on cutting-edge DNA analysis, that reveals new insights into how we became today's creative and "behaviorally modern" humans.
Austin City Limits welcomes rock icon Cheap Trick 10 p.m. Wednesday and 9 p.m. Friday. The band performs material from its acclaimed album The Latest and selections from their classic catalog.
Evan Smith chats with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. about using his skills as a lawyer to work as a high-powered and high-profile environmentalist on Overheard with Evan Smith at 7 p.m. Thursday and 8:30 p.m. Friday.
In Context Presents: Art On Six Strings at 7:30 p.m. Thursday features participants and performers at the 2010 Guitar Foundation of America Convention held in Austin.
Chet travels to Waco, Texas; home of Baylor University, Dr. Pepper, and exceptional mountain biking right in the middle of the city on The Daytripper at 8:30 p.m. Thursday.
Find out why the wildlife depends on summer's garden on this episode of Central Texas Gardener at noon Saturday. On tour, get photography tips to catch them in action.
Roy Orbison's appearance on Austin City Limits in 1982 was a big milestone for the show, attracting a much larger audience and much more national buzz. Watch a digitally remastered telecast of Roy Orbison's performance 7 p.m. Saturday.
Screening: Flower Mound Library shows Wildflowers 8/29
A free screening of the KLRU documentary Wildflowers: Seeds of History will take place on Monday, August 29, at 6:45 pm at the Flower Mound Public Library, 3030 Broadmoor Lane, Flower Mound, TX 75022. Space is limited so please RSVP by visiting the Library's Information Desk or by calling 972.874.6165
Wildflowers: Seeds of History
A trip through the legends, facts, and ecological impact behind Texas Wildflowers. Discover what wildflowers are really doing, their historical use for food and medicine, and how they grow. Produced definition video in the stellar wildflower season of spring 2010. DVDs of this documentary are available for sale at klru.org/wildflowers
Hosted by volunteers representing:
The Mound Foundation
Keep Flower Mound Beautiful
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
KLRU-TV, Austin PBS


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Arsenal goalkeeper target Maarten Stekelenburg is braced for a stay in Serie 'A', according to the player's agent.
The 30-year-old Dutch stopper has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League in recent weeks, with the Gunners and Fulham thought to be in the race for the player.
However, agent Rob Jansen insists that there is nothing more than 'rumour and speculation' at this stage, and that a firm offer has not been made to Roma.
"At the moment there are just rumours and speculation. We have yet to receive a concrete offer, so it is therefore probable that he will stay at Roma in January rather than leave," he told calciomercato.it.
"We know what is moving in the goalkeeping market, but nothing has been decided."
The Daily Express reported earlier in the week that doubts still linger over Wojciech Szczesny at the Emirates Stadium, and that Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is weighing up a number of potential replacements.
Stekelenburg, a 54-cap international, is amongst the candidates, with Barcelona stopper Victor Valdes and Liverpool No.1 Pepe Reina also on the shortlist, according to the paper.
However, it appears the former Ajax star has given up hope of moving away from Italy in January, and if Arsenal do want to sign the player, they will have to move fast with only a week left in the current transfer window.
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Roland S. Pauley, 84, of Grandview died on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2013 in Yakima.
He was born in Marysville, Kansas, the son of Wayne R. and Nellie (Scoville) Pauley.
Graveside service will be held Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2013, at 11 a.m. at Lower Valley Memorial Gardens in Sunnyside.
Smith Funeral Homes Ltd. and Crematory in Grandview is in charge of arrangements.
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Greinke headlines starting pitchers on open market
Free-agent right-hander figures to command big deal despite limited number of suitors
By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com | 10/29/12 10:00 AM ET
Greinke's 200th strikeout00:00:17
9/30/12: Zack Greinke gets Geovany Soto swinging in the seventh inning to record his 200th strikeout of the 2012 season
If it's a capable middle- or back-end starter you seek, free agency presents several intriguing options this year.
But if it's a sure-shot ace you're looking for, there is only one: Zack Greinke.
This year's free-agent crop of starters can be summed up very simply as Greinke and everyone else. He's head and shoulders above the others, with a Cy Young Award in his back pocket, health on his track record, explosive stuff in his arsenal and age 29 on his bio page.
As such, Greinke will command a nine-figure deal, with five years and roughly $120 million seemingly being a popular notion.
The question is: Who will offer it to him?
Things can change frequently in the fluid world of free agency, and there is always a surprise or two, but right now the market for Greinke seems rather thin, perhaps partly because his social-anxiety disorder may take the big markets of New York and Boston out of the picture.
The Angels, who acquired him from Milwaukee in late July with the hope that he'd warm up to Southern California, will be one of his prime suitors. So will the Rangers, who missed out on Greinke at the non-waiver Trade Deadline in July and are expected to make him a priority once the Angels' exclusive negotiating window ends Friday at midnight ET.
But who else?
The Dodgers certainly could, but they took on a lot of money by acquiring Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Josh Beckett from the Red Sox in August.
The Nationals might, but their rotation is already stacked.
The Braves, long seen as an ideal suitor given that they reside in the National League and are close to his central Florida home? Don't count on it. Kris Medlen's second-half dominance and Mike Minor's second-half turnaround negated the need to spend big on Greinke.
His two former teams, the Brewers and Royals? Unlikely.
No other candidates seem to be evident.
Still, though, surprise suitors will spring up. Greinke is just too good for that not to happen.
Over the past five years, the right-hander has compiled 70 wins while posting a 3.39 ERA, striking out almost nine batters per nine innings and averaging 207 innings per season. In 2012, Greinke went 15-5 with a 3.48 ERA in 34 starts with the Brewers and Angels, topping 210 innings and 200 strikeouts for the third time in four years. He had a 2.04 ERA in his last eight starts.
Greinke's recently hired agent, Casey Close, didn't return calls seeking comment about his star client and Greinke didn't want to address pending free agency all year, saying: "I just don't think there's a winning situation in talking about it."
Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto holds the same opinion, but he did acknowledge that the Greinke sweepstakes will probably last well into the winter. And as an industry source put it, "If [the Angels] think he's going to give them a team-friendly deal, they're wrong."
Greinke is a big-time pitcher, and he'll cost big-time money.
If that's too rich for your blood, here's the rest of what free agency could offer ...
The second tier: These may not be guys to build a staff around, but they definitely provide quality for the middle of a rotation. There are plenty of them in this free-agent class. The best one, perhaps, is 34-year-old Kyle Lohse, who went 16-3 with a 2.86 ERA and isn't expected to return to St. Louis.
There's also Ryan Dempster, Edwin Jackson, Anibal Sanchez, Hiroki Kuroda, Brandon McCarthy, Hisashi Iwakuma and Shaun Marcum. The White Sox's Jake Peavy ($22 million) and Gavin Floyd ($9.5 million), and the Angels' Dan Haren ($15.5 million) and Ervin Santana ($13 million) could join them if their teams decline their 2013 options.
The third tier: This is a rather eclectic mix. There are pitchers like Joe Blanton and Daisuke Matsuzaka coming off bloated contracts. There are veterans such as Roy Oswalt and Joe Saunders who may have something left in the tank. There are former stars such as Francisco Liriano and Carlos Zambrano and perennial fringe guys like Erik Bedard, Carl Pavano, Chris Young and Kevin Correia. The Braves' Paul Maholm ($6.5 million) and the Indians' Roberto Hernandez ($6 million) could join them if their options are declined.
The scrap heap: This is the bottom of the barrel, consisting of pitchers who will probably sign late and may get no better than a Minor League contract. Looking to create competition in camp, increase organizational depth, add a swing guy or perhaps just take a chance at a bargain rate? Look here. This is home to the likes of Aaron Cook, Bartolo Colon, Jeff Francis, Freddy Garcia, Jeremy Guthrie, Derek Lowe, Jason Marquis and Chien-Ming Wang.
They're a far cry from Greinke. But that can probably be said about the entire free-agent class.


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County given clean financial health
More than $1 million in budgetary cuts this year gave Catawba County a clean bill of financial health during tough economic times, according to the county's annual financial report.
Certified public accountants Martin Starnes & Associates conducted the annual audit of the county's 2009-10 financial position and presented the findings Monday to the Board of Commissioners at its scheduled meeting.
The audit considers the county's overall financial health, as well as its use of federal and state dollars.
"There were no questioned costs as a result of the audit of the county's federal and state programs," said Bryan Starnes, Martin Starnes & Associates partner, who presented the audit's findings Monday. "The Catawba County Board of Commissioners, management and staff should be commended for their proactive response to adverse economic conditions."
Starnes said the county maintained its financial position, despite a difficult economy, through conservative budgeting and proactive responses to decreasing county revenue.
The county's clean audit opinion, however, didn't come without a multi-million dollar revenue loss and financial cutbacks.
Overall county revenues decreased $5.9 million in FY 2009-10, including a 0.21 percent decrease in property tax revenues.
"Sales tax revenues continued to decline at year-end as the local effects of the economy continued to translate into reduced retail sales in the county," said Rodney Miller, Catawba County finance director. "Fortunately, the decline was less than the previous year, when it was down by 10.9 percent, giving hope that the bottom has been reached in the economic decline."
Property tax collection rates, however, increased by 0.03 percent for FY 2009-10. During the fiscal year, the county collected about $84.7 million in property tax revenue.
About 47 percent of tax dollars are spent on county services, such as public safety, social services, public heath and recreation. The remaining 53 percent is spent on education, according to the county's annual financial report.
County spending decreased in FY 2009-10 overall as departments spent less than budgeted, Miller said. The decrease also includes a 2 percent reduction in operating costs for all departments and school systems in spring 2010. The cuts totaled about $1.5 million to make up for revenue losses.
The spring 2010 cuts were made in addition to cuts in March 2009, in which county departments, with the exception of schools and outside agencies, were asked to reduce their budgets by 2 percent.
Additional budget cuts from July to November 2009 removed about $5.5 million more.
The budget crunch also impacted county jobs, with about 39 full-time equivalent positions cut in the last fiscal year through a reduction in hours or the position being frozen, Miller said.
Other measures to offset costs included reduction of training and travel costs, delay or cancellation of capital projects and utilizing the fund balance.
The county also has about $117 million in outstanding debt, which includes bonds, installment purchases, certificates of participation and capitalized leases. About 82 percent of that debt comes from education; 11 percent from public safety jail expansion; 6 percent from water and sewer projects; and 1 percent from technology.
The Board of Commissioners voted Monday to accept the FY 2009-10 audit, and chairwoman Kitty Barnes noted the importance of an audit in the county's financial health.
"Many counties in the state have been in a real pinch because they didn't pay attention to the audit," she said.
Miller said transparency to the public is important to the county, and the finance department created its annual financial highlights for FY 2009-10 for the public to ensure they understand where and how their money is being spent.


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This comment has not been tested on animals. However, we cannot guarantee that it is not cruelty-free.
colbert's opening line (from years ago) fits well here:
"no animals were harmed during the making of this work. we tried, but that monkey was just too damned fast!"
they just got fired, who is going to feed and care for them now?
Not to worry, they'l soon find new jobs writing pilot scripts for Amazon Prime shows.
Or legislation for Congress!
Or become programmers.
Put to work on the ongoing project for the recreation of the works of Shakespeare.
Won't it be more like Oracle's next lead security guys for Java?
I can't tell you where exactly they're going, but a number of them are already well taken care off by other primate labs. Also, the equipment is being sent to other primate labs.
Obvious. They can work for ThinkGeek [thinkgeek.com].
Federal funding has all but dried up for Primate research. Researchers have found that Chimps are indeed very similar to humans, and testing on them is inhumane. Animal/primates rights activists have won, and the few chimps in federal care are the only ones left, they won't be replaced. There's quite a backstory here that isn't being told.
As great of research Harvard provided, they had effectively built a Guantanamo for apes.
Sounds like an improvement.
from what i hear, the monkeys were treated better than at gitmo
Really? Where do you source your information you right-wing hippie? The primates are and some have already been shipped to other primate labs. Acquiring and taking care of primates (or any animal) in a public institution is under a very strict oversight from several government agencies as well as institutional committee's. These animals have care and space very similar to a regular zoo. If any of the government agencies would have as strict oversight as these do, we wouldn't have disasters like the Keystone
And volunteer to be tested on instead of animals. Someone has to cure AIDS and Cancer and its not going to happen through computer simulations and best wishes.
This isn't spraying some perfume into rabbits eyes to make sure it doesn't give people a rash, this is doing research to treat and prevent diseases that are killing and disabling an astounding number of people.
I think most people that have come to the ethical conclusion that the thousands of animals that they tested HIV and AIDS treatments on at this facility, are more important than the tens or hundreds of thousands of people that are not dead, and living their lives relatively normally because of that res
So the question is, are they going to auction off all the monkeys?
That is almost universally prohibited under NIH funding regulations.
Because that would be freakin awesome!
I'm not sure what would be awesome about owning a monkey with AIDS.
I don't disagree with you (Harvard grad here), but a couple things I need to point out. First, as a professor, I can tell you that cheating happens everywhere. Second, I saw the spreadsheet thing on the Colbert Report, which is, of course, not a reliable news source. While it's certainly possible that there is an issue with corruption, Harvard is also composed of about a dozen different schools with totally different sources of funding, faculties, etc. One school having corrupt professors would not indicate
I am surprised you got the spreadsheet scandal via Colbert. It has been making news for quite some time. There was an NPR report, one BBC report etc. So please do not assume I am getting all my news from Colbert.
Further, very surprisingly, Stewart and Colbert seem to care for accuracy, despite being a comedy show. Being comedians they are able to laugh off their mistakes on air and apologize by making fun of themselves. But still, they do that when they make a mistake. The one I remember recently i
"Yeah, but you're taking the universe out of context."


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It looks like Pittsburgh's finest loop digger is back again.
After making a smash two summers back with his first album *Night Ripper*, Girl Talk has released another semi-legal collection of pasted-together hooks and old school beats. And for this one, titled *Feed the Animals*, he's decided to pull a Radiohead, making it available online for whatever his fans want to pay.
More on *Feed the Animals*»


text: The Knoxville Boys Soccer Squad wanted to get some much needed momentum in the Hudson Invitational on Saturday and improve on the defensive side, and for the most part mission accomplished. The Panthers finished runner up after rolling through their pool by a combined 7-0. The Panthers beat Independence 4-0, Gladbrook-Reinbeck 1-0, and Marshalltown 2-0. However the Panthers were stopped by host Hudson in the finals five-to-nothing. Freshman Alex Dyke had the hot foot as he nailed four goals, Erik Ryan had two and Austin Legvold tallied one goal. Knoxville is now 3-4 on the season.


text: My sweet little Amy crossed to the bridge this morning. Her health started to decline during the summer and it had been so hard for her to even walk across the floor. As time passed, she continued to decline. I am not sure if it was her CH that brought her down but I feel like it was.. I knew this winter would be extreemly hard on her and it was harder than I expected. It knocked her down and she couldn't get up. She was in pain and every breath was a struggle for her. I cried many nights, begging her to fight and get better but I realized it wasn't going to happen. About 3 days ago, she just stopped eating and drinking. Last night, I promised her if she didn't go on her own last night, I would end her suffering today. I called the vets office and they took her right in.


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Filed under: Democrat Corruption, Energy, Environment, Global Warming, Junk Science, Politics, Progressivism, Science/Technology | Tags: "Beyond Coal", Climbing Cost of Energy, Obama's War on Coal
Coal is the cheapest source of fossil fuel for electricity generators, usually about half as much per Btu as the next cheapest fuel, natural gas, and according to the latest energy forecast from ExxonMobil, the cheapest form of electricity will remain goal-fired generation units, with a total cost of about 6¢ per kilowatt-hour. So, naturally, the EPA always on the lookout for nice things to do for the American people, is trying to shut down all coal-fired electricity generation.
It is astonishing to consider the amount of damage done by putting ideology before science, ideology before inflationary costs on the American people, and ideology before common sense.
The EPA , policymakers and the media are focused on the amount of carbon dioxide that coal-fired plants emit. Discredited Climate Scientist James Hansen back in a 2009 opinion piece for The Guardian declared coal "the single greatest threat to civilization and all life on our planet," adding for good measure that "the trains carrying coal to power plants are death trains. Coal-fired power plants are factories of death." Dr. Hansen is always up for modest exaggeration.
The Sierra Club, once a conservation-minded group intent on protecting the Sierra Nevada mountains, is now a radical environmental group, intent on preventing nasty things like energy, pipelines, and currently — coal, with their "Beyond Coal" campaign. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, always ready to ban anything useful, has donated $50 million to the campaign.
The EPA's proposed new rule bans new coal-fired electricity generation. It results directly from a fear of climate change. They claim that greenhouse gases "endanger both the public health and the public welfare of current and future generations." The rule would cap the amount of CO2 that new fossil-fueled electricity generation units can emit, at 1,000 pounds per megawatt-hour. That would rule out coal-fired units, which emit about 1,800 pounds of CO2 per megawatt-hour. (Natural gas-fired units emit about 800 pounds per megawatt-hour.) The EPA claims that it has the authority to regulate CO2 under the Clean Air Act and therefore doesn't need congressional approval to impose the ban. The EPA claims that it has the authority to pretty much do whatever it wants to do under the Clean Air Act.
The climate, of course, is always changing. The earth has been cooling for the last decade. And last Thursday, the Energy and Commerce Committee of the US House of Representatives held a public hearing on a bill to prohibit the EPA from issuing final rules imposing emission standards for CO2 on public utilities unless and until Carbon Capture and Storage is proven to be technologically and economically feasible. The most significant testimony came from Doctor John Christy of the University of Alabama, Huntsville. In his written testimony he summarized the significant scientific issues involved. The five point summary can be paraphrased:
- There is nothing unusual about current extreme weather events.
- The climate models are not supported by observations, and Arctic ice conditions are not meaningful unless discussed in light of Antarctic ice conditions.
- Recent research showing biases in surface data make the surface data sets of limited value.
- The claimed consensus reports are murky and climate science funding is highly biased.
- CO2 is plant food and increased CO2 benefits humanity.
Even if the EPA succeeds in banning new coal-fired generation of electricity in the US, it will leave global coal demand and CO2 emissions almost unchanged. Coal fuels about 40 percent of global electricity production.
Within the next three to five years, more than 200 coal-fired electric generating units will be shut down in 25 states due to EPA rules. The EPA is clearly waging a war on coal and on affordable electricity prices and on jobs. The EPA continues to ignore the damage caused to the economy by their regulations. They claim that they have no requirement to consider the effect of regulation on employment or inflation. The most affected states include Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina. Only last week, Alpha Natural Resources, a coal company announced layoffs of 1,200 workers and eight coal mines to be closed.
These are not random events, but the direct result of the Obama Administration's regulatory war on coal. Obama lies about job creation, claiming that his policies have created 4.5 million jobs, which is false — because he knows that jobs are a major concern of the American people. He claims that he has a jobs program that the nasty Republicans won't pass, but it isn't a jobs program and it won't create jobs. What is even worse is that he seems either unconcerned or unaware of the massive job-destroying effects of the actions of his administration.
But that's not important, he is offering food stamps for all.
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Measure 11 Sentencing Reform in Oregon: Implementation and System Impact, 1990-1999 (ICPSR 4087)
Published: Jan 18, 2006
Principal Investigator(s):
Nancy Merritt, Rutgers University; Terry Fain, RAND Corporation; Susan Turner, RAND Corporation
Version V1
This study explored the implementation and impact of Measure 11 (passed by Oregon voters in 1994), which imposed long mandatory prison terms for 16 designated violent and sex-related offenses, prohibited "earned time," and provided for mandatory waiver of youthful offenders to adult court. Measure 11 penalties were longer than those imposed under sentencing guidelines. Juveniles aged 15 years or older were also subject to the measure. The researchers addressed the implementation and impact of the measure on prosecution, sentencing, and convictions, both statewide and in three separate counties based on the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission (OCJC) data and the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) data. Variables include offender characteristics, plea trial information, number of convictions, prison term for convictions, severity of offense, M11-eligible and alternate offense, and description of most severe offense.
Export Citation:
United States Department of Justice. Office of Justice Programs. National Institute of Justice (98-CE-VX-0030)
Subject Terms
Geographic Coverage
Smallest Geographic Unit
Study Purpose
This study explored the implementation and impact of Measure 11 (passed by Oregon voters in 1994), which imposed long mandatory prison terms for 16 designated violent and sex-related offenses, prohibited "earned time," and provided for mandatory waiver of youthful offenders to adult court. Measure 11 sentences superseded any lesser existing guideline sentences for 21 violent and sex offenses -- the original 16, plus five more added in 1995 and 1997 -- and ranged from 70 months for second degree assault, kidnapping, robbery, and certain sex offenses, to 300 months for murder. In general, Measure 11 penalties were longer than those imposed under sentencing guidelines. Juveniles aged 15 years or older were also subject to the measure. The researchers addressed the implementation and impact of the measure on prosecution, sentencing, and convictions, both statewide and in three separate counties, and sought to address the following research questions: What was the sentencing context into which Measure 11 was implemented? What other sentencing reforms and major changes had occurred in the state prior to 1994 when the measure was approved by Oregon voters? How was Measure 11 implemented? Were all Measure 11 eligible offenses sentenced according to the new measure? Did the researchers see changes in the manner in which offenses were prosecuted by the district attorney? What impact did Measure 11 have on trial rates? Did the measure inundate the courts with requests for trials as critics feared? What are the characteristics of offenders sentenced under Measure 11? Did the measure appear to differentially affect minorities and youths? What impact did the measure have on prison admissions and sentence lengths?
Study Design
In order to assess the impact of Measure 11 and other Oregon mandatory sentencing laws, trends in case processing, sentencing, and prison admissions in Oregon during the 1990s were examined. Data sources were analyzed at both the state level and for the three most populous counties for which complete data were available: Lane (Eugene), Marion (Salem), and Multnomah (Portland). Data available in this collection were obtained from (1) the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission's (OCJC) database and (2) the Oregon Department of Corrections' (DOC) database. The OCJC maintained data on all sentences for felony offenses in Oregon. These data, available for 1993 through 1999, were extracted from forms filled out at the county level upon completion of sentencing. In addition to indicating trends in sentence type and length before and after Measure 11, OCJC data allowed the researchers to gauge the impact of prior criminal history on sentencing and to determine method of disposition (plea vs. trial) before and after passage of Measure 11. OCJC data were also used to examine the possible effects of Measure 11 on the number of youths sentenced as adults and to track changes in disposition patterns. The Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) maintained data for each felony case under the department's supervision, available from 1990 through 1999, including all cases sentenced to jail, probation, prison, and local control. These data were used to examine trends in the number of prison admissions for M11-eligible and M11-alternate cases before and after the passage of Measure 11, as well as trends in sentence length. At the state level, patterns of charges, sentencing, prison admissions, type of sentence, and sentence length were examined. Whenever it was appropriate, separate analyses were performed on youthful offenders who had been sentenced as adults.
Data include all the entries of the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission's (OCJC) database (1993-1999) and all the entries from the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) database (1990-1999). Neither database allowed individuals to be tracked.
All sentenced felony cases in Oregon from 1993 to 1999 and all felony cases under DOC supervision from 1990 to 1999.
Unit(s) of Observation
felony cases
Data Source
Data available in this collection were obtained from the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission's (OCJC) database and the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) database.
administrative records data
Description of Variables
Variables in Part 1 (Oregon Criminal Justice Commission Data) include data year, offender gender, race, and age at sentencing, county of sentencing, plea trial information, first, second, and third most serious conviction offenses, inchoate offense information, total number of convictions, criminal history score, sentence type, prison term for current convictions, severity and severity codes for offense, and whether the case included an M11-eligible or M11-alternate offense. Variables in Part 2 (Oregon Department of Corrections Data) include custody number, county of jurisdiction, sex, race, and age at the beginning of sentence, age at admission, whether the case included at least one M11-eligible offense, number of prison sentences of the case, year sentence began, type of new admission, severity rank of most severe offense, Oregon offense codes, whether the case included felony offense, description of most severe offense, total prison sentence in months, year of prison admission, and year sentence began.
Response Rates
Not applicable
Presence of Common Scales
Original Release Date
Version Date
Version History
2006-01-18 File UG4087.ALL.PDF was removed from any previous datasets and flagged as a study-level file, so that it will accompany all downloads.
2006-01-18 File CB4087.ALL.PDF was removed from any previous datasets and flagged as a study-level file, so that it will accompany all downloads.
2005-03-04 ICPSR data undergo a confidentiality review and are altered when necessary to limit the risk of disclosure. ICPSR also routinely creates ready-to-go data files along with setups in the major statistical software formats as well as standard codebooks to accompany the data. In addition to these procedures, ICPSR performed the following processing steps for this data collection:
- Checked for undocumented or out-of-range codes.
These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.
The public-use data files in this collection are available for access by the general public. Access does not require affiliation with an ICPSR member institution.
- The citation of this study may have changed due to the new version control system that has been implemented.
This dataset is maintained and distributed by the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data (NACJD), the criminal justice archive within ICPSR. NACJD is primarily sponsored by three agencies within the U.S. Department of Justice: the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.