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Has your planning for the "big food" holidays started yet? Do you have the menu, the guest list or even seating chart planned out? At our house we are eyeing the turkey which we have nurtured for many months in anticipation of the day of harvest. Maybe as you read this you are getting hungry thinking about a special feast that awaits you. While physical food has definite value, Jesus shares about a greater spiritual feast.
The Gospel of John highlights Jesus' personal interactions with people. Throughout this book are accounts of lives changed as a result of Jesus' miracles and teaching about how to be in relationship with God.
In John chapter 4 Jesus spoke words of truth and grace to a Samaritan woman at the well and he had just rejoined his disciples. They knew he was tired and thirsty and they urged him to eat some food. Seizing a teaching moment Jesus replied to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about." The disciples probably thought he was going to share with them a scrumptious menu, but Jesus wanted them to understand the purpose of why he came to earth. John 4:34 says, "My food," said Jesus, "is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work."
Jesus is declaring his mission on earth was to obey his Father in heaven by preaching the good news of God and providing a way for humanity to be back in relationship with God. The disciples hung on these words as Jesus gives them a quick lesson on sowing and reaping. I see this scene unfold as Jesus and his disciples could have been walking by a fertile field ready to be harvested. Jesus says in verse 35: "I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." Jesus tells his disciples they have a part to play in sharing the good news and the crop of harvest is eternal life for all who surrender to Jesus. What an amazing meal!
Jesus came to earth to live, die, and resurrect so humanity can feast on the presence of God for eternity. This was the food Jesus offered and he invites all to the feast. Furthermore, Jesus commissions his people to share this good news with others. God initiates a relationship with humanity and offers a meal that will fill you for eternity.
Let's not forget this meal can fill you in this life so that you can overflow and bless others! Come to the feast – you are invited to be blessed by God and to bless others!
Frank Alioto is the pastor of The River Covenant Church, which meets Sundays at 10 a.m. at The Challenger Learning Center in Kenai. Frank also serves as a chaplain with Central Emergency Services and can be reached at 252-2828 or www.therivercovenantchurch.org.


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Say this for the Rockies: They don't go quietly into the night.
But no amount of LoDo magic could rescue them from bad pitching, a mess of walks and a rash of double plays Saturday night in an 8-5 loss to the San Diego Padres at Coors Field.
A terrible start by heretofore reliable starter Jordan Lyles put the Rockies in a 6-1 hole after three innings.
"I'm not sure if I want to watch the film, it's going to hurt," Lyles said. "I mean, I walked 10 or 11 guys, I think. That's not me. I guess it's one of those things where you just turn the page and look forward to your next outing. Our guys kept battling ... and they almost came back and picked me up."
For the record, Lyles walked only six — still a career high — but it sure seemed like more. He needed 92 pitches (46 strikes) to get through 3 innings. It marked just the third time in his career he failed to make it to the fourth inning.
But led by National League batting leader Troy Tulowitzki, the Rockies rallied to make things promising. That is, until San Diego pinch-hitter Carlos Quentin rocked reliever Chris Martin with a two-run homer in the seventh inning to extend the Padres' lead to 8-5.
PHOTOS: Colorado Rockies 5, San Diego Padres 8, May 17, 2014
Lyles was touted as the groundball specialist, but it was Padres starter Robbie Erlin who wriggled out of major trouble by inducing four double-play grounders in his 5 innings. All told, the Rockies grounded into five double plays, matching the club record set vs. Atlanta on April 18, 1997, and at San Francisco on Sept. 4, 2002.
"We got down early, made a move and got in a position to win that game," manager Walt Weiss said. "It was a tough game, but we fought back."
Lyles' stock was sky high coming into the night: a 5-0 record, 2.66 ERA and impeccable control. Even the San Diego TV crew interviewed Weiss about Lyles before the game. Lyles then crashed like it was October 1929.
Lyles' control was absent from the first inning on and he ended up getting pounded for six runs on five hits. His three walks in San Diego's first inning were punctuated by Yonder Alonso's two-run double.
Was it simply a matter of Lyles not having command of his pitches?
"Nothing more than he just struggled to throw strikes," Weiss said. "He has been really good, but he just struggled tonight. He's been pretty much lights out. He's been very good, but he didn't have it tonight."
As a staff, Rockies pitchers issued a season-high nine walks.
"I just threw too many balls, and gave up too many walks," Lyles said. "I'm not going to be successful doing that here, or anywhere."
Lyles served up a loud two-run homer to center to former Rockies outfielder Seth Smith in the second inning. His wild pitch to Chris Denorfia in the third inning was so wild, it nearly hit the backstop on the fly.
The Rockies have now lost six of their past eight games, but Tulo just keeps raking. He went 3-for-4 and raised his batting average to .400. He's hit safely in 16 of his 17 games at Coors Field this season, a place where he's hitting .603 with seven homers, seven doubles and 23 RBIs.
Tulowitzki hit a solo shot to deep left field in the first inning, his 12th homer of the season. He singled in the fourth to advance Drew Stubbs to third base. Stubbs then scored on Carlos Gonzalez's sacrifice fly.
In the sixth, Stubbs and Tulo singled in front of CarGo, setting the table for CarGo's two-run double that soared over center fielder Will Venable. That cut the Padres' lead to 6-5.
Tulo came close to hero time in the seventh. With two on, he screeched a two-out line drive — only to see it find the glove of diving third baseman Chase Headley. Tulo tossed his bat and helmet, a symbol of the Rockies' frustration Saturday.
"It feels good for me, but it's tough to lose," said CarGo, who went 2-for-3 and showed signs of breaking out of his lingering slump. "Lyles didn't have his best stuff tonight, so it was tough. We weren't ready for that. I think about the way he's been piching the whole year, so everytime he's on the mound, we kind of expect better than that.
"But you can't blame him, bad games happen. He's been really good since he got the call. It's a tough loss, but we just have to show up tomorrow and win the game."

subset: commoncrawl


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Hi guys
I just hit 90 and want to work on as man trial daggers as possible.
Problem is I hear so much mixed opinion when hearing about which ones to pick.
So far I have come to the conclusion that 2x EVA+20 kila+2 is the best weapon setup for solo.
But what about the rest?
Should I be working on any other particular trial daggers?


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Incumbents Gary Skaggs and Jeff Taylor won re-election to retain their Pratt City Commission seats in Tuesday's election.
Election results are unofficial until the Pratt County Commissioners canvass the votes at 9 a.m. on Monday, April 8.
Vote totals for the city commission election were: Gary Skaggs-786; Jeff Taylor-717; Vic Graf-483; Nelson Burrell-402.
Skaggs said he was real pleased with the results and was looking forward to another three years and helping steer the city to a future of growth and prosperity.
He said he had teamed up with Taylor because they had similar aspirations for the town.
The pair were surprised with their opponents late mailing Saturday and they had to scramble to come up with a response. Some hardworking volunteers delivered handouts from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and that was a key to election success.
"I'd like to think their hard work is what helped us win the election," Skaggs said.
During the next three years he wants to continue reducing the debt. Its under control and will be paid off in the future, Skaggs said.
Among other goals were improving the downtown area, improving the Municipal Building and reducing the mil levy and tax burden. Those goals were part of why he and Taylor were elected.
"I think our opponents put up a hard fight but I think we had a better message than they did" Skaggs said.
Maintaining a balance between what the city needs and keeping the taxes down will be an ongoing issue. He is glad to have the chance to help with Pratt's future.
"I'm honored that the community would ask me to continue on," Skaggs said.
Taylor was glad to get all the support especially the 30 some volunteers that went out Monday night with the informational brochure in answer to the "Pratt Tattler" that was handed out Saturday. He said the volunteer's effort and the negative publicity of the "Tattler" stirred people to action.
"I think the negative publicity got a lot of people out to vote," Taylor said.
He was also impressed with the number of voters who chose to get out and vote on a cold, wet, rainy day with only one contested campaign in the city.
Taylor said he had waged a positive campaign and has always tried to do so because candidates have to live with those people in town so it's not a good idea to burn bridges.
"Everyone is important no matter what their point on the issues," Taylor said.
Taylor said he wants to help the city continue with the sustained economy. In the first quarter of this year, the city is $57,000 above in revenue over the same time last year and 2012 was a record year.
Among his ambitions for the next three years is to get another comprehensive 10-year plan for the city. The commissioners will need a lot of input from a big cross section to put the plan in place.
He also wants get moving on the Sandy Creek addition by the Maple Street extension. Taylor wants to get the plat finished, get the zoning done and get infrastructure started because the city needs a new housing area within the city to get more homes on the tax roles, expand the tax base to help ease the tax burden.
Candidate Vic Graf said he appreciated everyone who got out and supported. He said he was honored that people had called him to run. Graf said he had not thought about running again in the next election.
Candidate Nelson Burrell said since he is interested in making the community better and not destroy it, he would run for commissioner again.
He appreciated all the support he got and thought the campaign went well. He said he didn't know who put out the "Pratt Tattler" but it woke people up and enlightened them about the outrageous way commissioners are spending the taxpayer's money.
"If they (citizens) want an economical place to live in, they have to vote out the people who are spending their money like it's going out of style," Burrell said.
Burrell said he went door to door and saw a lot of homes that needed repair but couldn't afford to pay for it. He said he had read statistics that one third of the families in Pratt are impoverished. Those residents can't enjoy they way they have to live in the city, Burrell said.
As for the future, Burrell said he hopes the people in the community can last the next couple of years.
"With the way things are going down the tubes nationally and in the state, I just hope we can survive and not put too much burden on our tax payers," Burrell said.
The commissioners need to wake up and talk to all the people not just a select few. That will make things better for the citizens, Burrell said.
Other election results
In other elections, candidates for USD 382 Board of Education, USD 438 Board of Education and Pratt Community College Board of trustees were all running unopposed so all were elected.
Besides the City Commission race, the only other contested positions in the county were the mayor of Cullison, the Cullison City Counsel and the Iuka City Council.
In the Cullison mayor race, incumbent Don Rose won the election with 15 votes to challenger Dee Hutchins 8 votes.
In the Cullison City Council race the five winners and vote totals were: Mike Slief-22, Bobbie Booi-21, Ted Stahl-21, Gloria Patrick-18 and Donna Rose-17. James Niblett got 6 votes and was not elected.
In the Iuka City Council race, Gerald Tucker-20, Brad George-19, Warren Briggemen-19, Tom Helsel-18 and Keith Backman-18. Lee Van Slyke received 2 votes and was not elected. Marsh Giggy was the only candidate for Iuka mayor.
In the other third class city races: Kyle Waters took the Byers mayor position with 2 votes while Ginny Poschen and Amelia Ballantine had 2 votes apiece for Byers city council.
Eric Bronson won the Coats mayor position with 8 votes while the coats city council candidates results were: Mildred Eubank, Tiffany Ailstock and Josh Rathgeber all had 8 votes, Randy Cole had 7 and Patsy Fittro-Knowles had 6 votes.
In the Preston mayor race, Les Ferguson had 19 votes with 6 write-ins. The Preston city council members are Jesse Mercer with 20 votes and David Tritt and Jacqualyn Metcalfe each gathered 19 votes.
The Sawyer Mayor election went to Louis Green while the city council vote getters were Dee Weber, Eric Mason and Lothair Dauner each with 8 votes, Randy Kumberg with 7 votes and Lisa Clifton with 6 votes.


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Community Forum
Fifi's Problem
September/October 2004
A wealthy, young man received a party invitation from an elderly socialite at his country club. When he arrived at the party he did not recognize any of the guests. He tried to introduce himself to several people and join in their conversations, but most of the guests were rather snobbish and ignored him; so, he sat by himself on a couch at the far end of the hostess's living room. The hostess's perfectly groomed white poodle, wearing a diamond-encrusted collar, hopped up on the couch and sat beside him.
Suddenly, the man felt a tightening in his stomach; and, before he could do anything about it, he let out a loud fart. Everyone in the room turned and looked at him. The man was completely embarrassed and did not know how to respond to his social faux pas.
The prim and proper hostess was aghast, and she blurted out at the dog, "Fifi!"
The young man suddenly felt relieved, since the hostess thought it was the poodle that had farted. Conversations among the other guests resumed, but the man farted again. Again, everyone turned his direction; and, in a loud whisper the hostess said, "Fifi!"
Relieved that the dog seemed to have assumed the blame for his gas, the man continued to sit on the couch. But, for the third time, he felt a sudden tightening in his stomach and let out another loud fart.
With shear exasperation in her voice, the little old lady turned sharply and shouted, "Fifi! Get away from that horrible man!"
Everyone has had an embarrassing experience with flatulence (intestinal gas); and, people with HIV tend to complain about it -- or, at least, talk about it -- more than others. Two things directly related to HIV may contribute to this problem.
First, HIV itself can contribute to intestinal gas. HIV naturally gravitates towards the gut, which provides a hospitable environment for the virus. A high viral load in the gut will disrupt normal functions and can result in gastrointestinal distress -- a polite way of referring to diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and gas.
Second, HIV medications as well as opportunistic infection and prophylactic medications can disrupt normal gastrointestinal functions. HIV medications -- particularly Norvir and Kaletra -- can cause gas. They can alter the acidity level in the stomach, which normally regulates the absorption of food and medications. Altered acidity causes malabsorption of food and medications and may result in gas.
Pancreatic enzymes, or digestive enzymes, will help with malabsorption problems. Activated charcoal "captures" or "binds" gas in its small cavities, or chambers, and carries it safely through the digestive system, thus reducing gas.
Antibiotics and other medications can also alter the bacterial fermentation of food in the intestines, which will increase intestinal gas. Taking probiotics such as acidophilus will replenish good bacterial flora destroyed by antibiotics and will restore the balance of healthy bacteria in the gut. This should reduce gas. Saccharomyces Boulardii, Bifidus, and FructoOligoSaccharides (FOS) are also helpful probiotics for combating gas.
Medications that must be taken on an empty stomach (without food) can also "burn" or damage the intestinal lining, resulting in stomach ulcers and gas. L-Glutamine, an amino acid, can be taken to repair and maintain the intestinal lining and, therefore, decrease intestinal gas.
Simethicone is the active ingredient in several over-the-counter antigas medications (Phazyme, Flatulex, Mylicon, Gas-X). Simethicone chewable tablets will help reduce gas; but, keep in mind that they address the symptom (gas) and not the underlying problem or cause. They should not be taken for an extended period of time unless as directed by a physician.
While flatulence may be a fact of life, that does not mean it is something you "just have to live with." In most cases, gas is manageable. You may not be able to completely eradicate it; but you can, at least, reduce it. And when it does happen, try blaming it on the dog!
Guy Pujol, D.Min., is with AIDS Treatment Initiatives, HIV/AIDS Buyers Club, 139 Ralph McGill Boulevard NE, Suite 305, Atlanta, Georgia 30308-3311, Phone: (404) 659-AIDS; Toll-Free: (888) 874-4845.
This article was provided by AIDS Survival Project. It is a part of the publication Survival News.


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PITTSBURGH -- Dimitri Patterson is active today. Daniel Thomas is active today.
The Dolphins are in the snow.
Nolan Carroll still starts at CB. Lamar Miller still starts at RB. (Obviously, Patterson and Thomas are available).
The flurries are falling steadily.
The media that reported Daniel Thomas was out for the year (The Sun-Sentinel and Palm Beach Post) were wrong.
The inactives: Pat Devlin, Jamar Taylor, Will Davis, D.J. Campbell, Danny Watkins, David Arkin, and A.J. Francis.
There is a live blog today. Join me on twitter @ArmandoSalguero:


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13. Chicago White Sox: Same story here as well, as I've heard nothing but a slew of college arms. McGuire would be a bit of a surprise, as Chicago might opt for something cheaper like Asher Wojciechowski, Brandon Workman or Barrett Loux.
Pick: Deck McGuire, RHP, Georgia Tech
UPDATE: McGuire is MLBBB's pick too:
13. White Sox – Deck McGuire, RHP, Georgia Tech (Asher Wojciechowski)


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Even tho Man is feeling icky, we have been wandering away from Tana for a few hours each day, the abundant sunshine drags us out and about. One of our little jaunts was to take in the Living Desert State Park here in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The park is a showcase of the Chichuahuan Desert flora and fauna. You know who took a lot of photos, of course, 117 give or take. Since they are primarily of flora and fauna they will start appearing over at Reflection's Flora and Fauna, in fact the first photo, The Prickley Pear, has already appeared. In the next few days you might find Elk, Mexican Gray Wolf, and more.
The park sits atop a hill top, maybe they consider it a mountain top, not quite sure, but, it is up there, and being so, gives great views of Carlsbad and the surrounding desert lands. The day we visited was W-I-N-D-Y-Y-Y-Y, nearly blew me off the hill top. You could see the dust blowing around down in town. Between the dust and the bright bright bright (did I say bright?) sun, taking photos was a challenge. This one is tweaked in the brightness and contrast.
|Down there, those buildings in the sun and dust,
Carlsbad New Mexico
The park has a very nice visitors center with display cases and even a "please touch me" display, full of bugs, and horns of Elk and other fun stuff. (If you consider bugs 'fun'.) They also have a fine collection of rocks and minerals from around the US and Mexico, beautiful stuff. And, I spied this enchanting sculpture by Wren Prather, titled, "Gathering the Mescal". The piece is not large, but the detail is delightful.
We spent a couple of nice hours strolling around the park, enjoying the flora and fauna, and even though many of the photos will appear, like I said, over at Reflection's Flora and Fauna, I just have to share this one, yes, a prairie dog, they are a Reflection's favorite.


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Summer Hours Begin: Central Library will close at 6 pm on Thursdays and will be closed Sundays until September. Enjoy your summer!
Log in
We were privileged to host the Pacifica Quartet on July 8, in a concert and lecture made possible by Fontana Chamber Arts. The quartet's virtuosity and exuberant style thrilled the audience, which ranged in age from infants to elders. One patron remarked after: "Nothing beats a live performance." How true, and particularly so for chamber music which has been called the ultimate democracy. There's no conductor in a chamber ensemble, so all members must cooperate and collaborate. Each musician's contribution is unique. Each musician and his complete focus are needed throughout the piece. A live performance lets you appreciate this special relationship and the lively musical conversations that take place among the members.
Our next concert at KPL will be August 12 when we welcome singer songwriter Rachael Davis. Rachael's been singing on stage since the age of two. Among her accomplishments is taking grand prize in the Telluride Bluegrass Festival's Troubadour Contest.
Music for: Kids, Teens & Tweens


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Most slashdotters won't have anything to worry about either way. Playing warcraft and evercrack while stuffing your cheese hole with doritos, cheetos, and coke all night every night is a great preventative measure against major HIV risk factors.
I take it you haven't seen this ad.
http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/lax/878989144.html [craigslist.org]
I suppose when exactly that happens depends on your karma... get it? like, not in this life? funny, right?!
You must be an american script writer.
Cool! Hopefully by the time I become sexually active it will have improved much more!
How I pity you young folks that never lived through the '70s. It was a GREAT time to be a nerd. Nerds were still paraihs, but hippies were "cool", and all a nerd had to do to become a hippie was to stop getting haircuts, buy a new pair of glasses, and throw away the pocket protectors. Birth control was cheap and effective, abortions had been legalized by the SCOTUS, and there were no STDs that couldn't be cured with a shot of pennicillin.
It was the only decade in my life (maybe in history) where strange women would walk up and say "wanna fuck?" without wanting you to buy her twenty dollars worth of crack. [slashdot.org]
Aids killed all that. God but I miss the seventies!
... and there were no STDs that couldn't be cured with a shot of pennicillin.
Right, because herpes and HPV didn't exist until 1980
You mean, as in all the air in your room jumps to one side and you do a total recall impersonation before it jumps back = 'fairly unlucky'.
Their results could mean that the group recieving the test vaccine came into contact with the virus 31.2% less.
And how the fuck would that work? They're random groups, no one knows who got what. That means anyone is still as likely to get in contact with HIV. If you took two groups and gave them both placebo then you might have something like 75 in on and 70 in the other, cause that's the kind of margin the randomness allows for. 74 and 51 clearly means that it's something the vaccine does.
here is how:
1)get the infection rate of the population
2)take a random sample from the population
3)do a double blind study of the vaccine
4)at the end of x years, compare the rate of infection of both your experimental group and your control group. If the control group is with in the statistical bounds of the population infection rate and the experimental group's infection rate is below that rate at a statisticaly significant level, then you can conclude the vaccine has a positive impact on infection rates.
How is that news for nerds ?
None of us will ever get laid, so that's not stuff that matters...
And drunk women.
False dichotomy. You are simply wrong when you say anything but herd immunity is useless. The people who don't die of AIDS thanks to this vaccine would very much disagree with you.
Ye, gods, if ever there was a comment that needs an RTFA, it's yours.
There are two direct quotes in the article that make it clear this is not a vaccine that will ever be made available to the public because it's not effective enough. The story here is that a vaccine with statistically interesting effectiveness is *possible*. We weren't even sure that one was up till now.
I think the big deal here is that they were able to create something that has an effectiveness greater than 0.
I'm not an expert on the subject, but I guess it's easier to go up from 30% effective than from 0% effective.
But I thought AIDS was sent by God as a scourge of teh gheys. So God must hate the 68.8% it doesn't work for, then.
Have you ever considered that maybe God loves the unborn AIDS viruses more?
I have developed my own vaccine to HIV!
Simply subscribing to Slashdot makes you statistically 50% less susceptible to HIV!
I will take my 1 million dollar award in ten 100,000 dollar bills.
Seriously the study needs to be repeated and verified before anyone gets too excited.
It is not surprising that this was developed in Thailand due to the large sex trade there. Which makes me wonder about the demographic of the test subjects. Because of the large number of sex trade workers, any significant number in one group or the other will taint the results. If they were ALL sex trade workers that would be something different, however the article does not examine that detail. It could be that one group just happened to get 30% more sex trade workers than the other.
Also Slashdot I hate you and your stupid editor (not the person, the thing I am trying to type in).
"This is lemma 1.1. We start a new chapter so the numbers all go back to one." -- Prof. Seager, C&O 351


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Everyone In This Room Is Now Dumber
There are no numbers that exist the breadth of stupidity contained within this Bill Conlin article. I haven't FJM'ed an article in a while, a great sign actually. But this deserves a fisking.
The bulk of Conlin's article quotes a friend of Comcast SportsNet's Michael Barkann who proposes a trade with the Seattle Mariners that swaps Cole Hamels and Jonathan Singleton for Cliff Lee. I'll give you a second to facepalm. And let's begin…
WHEN I'M King of the World . . .
Ruben and his Merry Men will do some out-of-the-box thinking to help dig the Phillies' M*A*S*H Unit out of what could become a midseason grave . . .
The Phillies are five games out of first place behind the Atlanta Braves and two games out of the Wild Card behind the New York Mets. Sure, there have been a lot of injuries and inconsistencies but they can hardly be defined as "a midseason grave". But leave it to the mainstream media to exaggerate for article fodder.
Overreacting to first-half struggles is also not a great decision.
"Daily News Live" host Michael Barkann passed on the spin of a friend, name withheld, who definitely was thinking outside the box.
Case of writer's block for Conlin, you think?
"Why does no one talk about trading Cole Hamels in a Cliff Lee deal?"
1. Cliff Lee would be a two-month rental. Although you bolster a lackluster starting rotation, the effect is only felt for one year and it is unlikely that the Phillies would be able to lock up Lee to a long-term contract. Consider that they are uncertain that they can retain Jayson Werth, who will come at a cheaper price than Lee.
2. Cole Hamels is signed to a contract through 2011 and has one more year of arbitration in '12. As much as the mainstream media and most Phillies fans like to think Hamels is a terrible pitcher, having a player with that kind of cost certainty — especially compared to Lee — is valuable. Hamels is earning $6.65 million this year (essentially paying him as a 1.7 WAR pitcher) and $9.5 million in '11 (2.4 WAR).
3. When the original Lee rumors were surfacing when he was in Cleveland, they were a team attempting a more drastic rebuilding effort. Their goal was to acquire younger players with high upside. However, a team like the Mariners would be more likely to consider accepting Cole Hamels in a trade as they don't expect to go into full rebuilding mode.
4. If Cole is apparently so bad as Conlin and others assert, why would the Mariners take him in a trade?
The Roy Halladay–Cole Hamels duo was supposed to give Charlie Manuel a No. 1 and 1A at the top of his rotation.
Steve Slowinski of DRays Bay posted an excellent article yesterday about B.J. Upton and "The Power of Expectations". Upton, the second overall pick in the first round of the 2002 draft, had one really great season in 2007 and hasn't measured up since. As a result, he has been viewed as a disappointment despite posting a higher WAR in '08 (4.6 to 4.2 in '07), 2.1 WAR last year, and 1.2 WAR already this year.
Slowinski wrote:
In many ways, BJ Upton's 2007 season was one of the worst things that could happen to him. His .300 average, 24 home run season was fueled by two unsustainable rates – a .393 BABIP (Batting Average on Balls In Play) and a 19.8% HR/FB rate. Upton strikes out too much for him to be a .300 hitter; his true-talent level is more in the .240-.260 range. He also isn't a 20+ home run guy, but more like a 15 home run hitter that will also hit 35 doubles and a handful of triples. He walks a lot, steals lots of bases at a high success rate, and plays above-average defense in center field. He's not the 5-6 WAR (Wins Above Replacement) monster we were expecting, but instead a 3 WAR player. Is that valuable? That sure as heck is, but it's tough to see that sometimes when our expectations have blinded us.
Similarly, Hamels' success in '08 may have had a negative effect. His success that year, helping the Phillies win their first World Series since 1980, confirmed what many of us believed having watched him progress quickly through the Minors — that he can be a legitimate ace pitcher in the Majors on a consistent basis. What most people didn't see was how unsustainable that level of success was as it was based on a .270 BABIP. Realistically, the expectations for Hamels should have been centered around an ERA in the 3.50 to 4.00 range which is still pretty good. Instead, Hamels was expected to have an ERA in the high 2's to low 3's and those expectations simply are not going to be met.
That Hamels hasn't lived up to his billing is not his fault but the mainstream media's (and the general fan base). They built him up and now they are tearing him down.
There is a reason for the ongoing wave of fan outrage at the Cliff Lee deal, which looks more and more pointless and arbitrary with each passing day.
I realize that it's frustrating given the many ways this team has appeared to come up short this season while Cliff Lee has been making short work of American League hitters, but the Lee deal cannot be properly analyzed for at least a couple more years. People tend to look at trades in a vacuum in terms of "Who did we get?" and "Who did we give up?" But it's not that simple.
The primary reason Lee was traded was to restock a barren farm system after trading for Roy Halladay. Don't forget that the Phillies gave up Jason Donald, Lou Marson, Carlos Carrasco, and Jason Knapp to acquire Lee. While they haven't amounted to much so far, they were still a bulk of the Phillies' top prospects. Then add in that Kyle Drabek, Michael Taylor, and Travis d'Arnaud were relinquished for Halladay. They were all in the Phillies' top-10 prospect list according to Baseball America.
While Phillippe Aumont hasn't had a great season so far, he still has promise as does Tyson Gillies and J.C. Ramirez. Give them more than a half-season to prove themselves before jumping ship.
Additionally, Lee was traded because the Phillies felt they could get more out of him in a trade than they could in recouping two compensatory picks following a rejected arbitration offer after the 2010 season. The players acquired are more Major League-ready, obviously, than comp draft picks.
If the Lee trade is "pointless and arbitrary" you're not looking at the details hard enough.
If the suits calling the shots had even rented Lee for 2010, Manuel would have had two No. 1s and a No. 1A. Nobody in baseball has that.
But what of 2011 and beyond? Focusing on one year is completely understandable if you're a fan but at least be realistic. I, too, would have enjoyed a rotation of Roy Halladay and Cliff Lee and they would likely have been World Series favorites from the start, but you can't put all your eggs in one basket, especially if you're the GM of the team.
I don't defend Ruben Amaro too much but I will defend him for the Lee trade.
So, what about Halladay and Lee without Hamels (6-7, 4.05), who is having another pedestrian season and falling short of being a No. 2, let alone a 1A.
Again, not his fault. And he has actually pitched quite well as his 3.48 SIERA indicates (15th-best in baseball, 8th best in the National League). He's averaging nearly a strikeout per inning and he's a hair over three walks per nine. A 3-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio isn't quite at Halladay or Lee levels, but it's quite good nonetheless.
Once again this year, Hamels has been victimized by bad luck. He has a slightly higher-than-normal BABIP at .309 but he has been really unlucky on fly balls turning into home runs (16.1%).
However, he does deserve some blame for his struggles. I can't understand why he has been using his change-up so infrequently. It has accounted for fewer than one out of every four of his pitches compared to nearly one out of every three in previous years. Over the course of a game in which he throws 100 pitches, that's a difference of 8 change-ups. Essentially, he has swapped out eight uses of his best pitches for inferior pitches, never a good sign.
Barkann's friend explains:
"Hamels would be perfect in Seattle. They would have 1 1/2 years to sign him long-term. He would be back on the West Coast with zero pressure . . . and he can go 17-12 every year for Seattle making $12 million a season."
There's no way Hamels makes $12 million in 2013 and beyond. He'll earn nearly $10 million next year and he will get a raise in his final year of arbitration in '12. He obviously wouldn't be giving any hometown discounts, so it is more likely that Hamels makes $15-16 million annually when he signs his next multi-year contract.
At that point, Barkann's friend flies into a Fantasy League froth of moves that brings back Cliff Lee and his off-the-charts numbers for Hamels and Low Class A teenage first-base phenom Jonathan Singleton.
There may be some general managers in baseball who will overvalue one really good half-season at Single-A but not too many and I certainly doubt that Jack Zduriencik will. The Phillies haven't been loud about the value of their prospects (despite trading them for significant value). The New York Mets and New York Yankees (notice any similarities?) have done well in recent years in generating hype for otherwise mediocre prospects.
It would take more than Hamels and Singleton to outbid several other teams for Lee's services. And, frankly, if I'm the Mariners, I don't trade Lee for anything less than Domonic Brown.
Then Ruben wraps up Jayson Werth "for 4 or 5 years at $13 million per season."
Fans love to throw other people's money around, don't they? Here's the Phillies' payroll for the next few years. Notice at the bottom of 2011 it says $134.7 million. And notice how many players have salaries filled in that column (17). They have five arbitration-eligible players (Dobbs will likely be the only player not given an offer). How do you add $13 million and still round out the roster? Factor in that the Major League minimum salary is $400,000 and the young players used this year will be given slight pay raises. Factor in that more than 25 players will be utilized throughout the season. Factor in that the Phillies may want flexibility to make an in-season trade.
For the Phillies to re-sign Werth, one of two things needs to happen: Werth would need to accept a heavily back-loaded extension, or the Phillies would need to unload a lot of salary. Raul Ibanez is the obvious target, but the market is not exactly ripe for 38-year-olds owed $12 million after slugging under .400 (his SLG currently sits at .393).
Shane Victorino is traded in the winter and there is a flurry of moves and contracts aimed at tightening up the bullpen.
If you're going to play GM, be specific. What is Victorino's market? What does this market have to offer?
Which relievers will be available to aim these contracts at?
It's fine to make these vague statements in a bar conversation or an IM chat, but to put this to press for mass public consumption? This is totally irresponsible.
And what about Lee's deal? "Lee will cost $18-20 million for 4 or 5 years." OK, stop the movie right there. Ruben Amaro was instructed to draw a line in the sand. No deals for a starting pitcher longer than 3 years. Lee was offered the same length and terms as those accepted by Halladay. Before Lee could make a counteroffer, he was a Seattle Mariner. And in shock.
So… is Conlin refuting Barkann's friend's contract assumption? It's not clear. At any rate, Barkann's friend wants the Phillies to add $13 million annually and Lee at $20 million annually, so the Phillies are adding $33 million in payroll for just two players. That would balloon their 2011 total to nearly $170 million. Apparently, the Phillies are playing with Monopoly money.
There was an interesting observation at the end of all the proposed wheeling and dealing.
"I am still convinced that the Phillies 'parked' Lee in Seattle and with [Pat] Gillick's relationship to the Mariners, Amaro will get a right-of-first refusal on trade offers thrown at Seattle." Pat does have a history of maintaining cordial relations with the first three ballclubs he successfully served as general manager. That said, I don't see Cliff Lee ever wearing a Phillies uniform again.
Because nothing says "facts" like "I am still convinced". There is absolutely no evidence given for this claim besides the circumstances of Gillick's ties to Seattle. Apparently, this guy is saying that Gillick intentionally took an inferior package from Seattle just to put him there, where he and his suave ways could talk the Mariners into taking an inferior package from the Phillies in another trade. The Mariners' front office is made up of masochists, didn't you get that memo?
Finally, at the end, Barkann's friend lets us know that the whole exercise was a waste of time. More importantly, though, it shows us exactly why 99.99% of fans would make absolutely awful general managers. And it shows us that Bill Conlin is mailing it in a weekly basis (or however often he musters up the energy to pen a column).


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Sparkbooth provides an instant photo booth for special events. With just a computer and webcam, Sparkbooth makes it easy to create a photo booth kiosk for you and your guests to take photos. It includes additional options to automatically send photos to a printer and share photos online.
A Java framework for building data integration and ETL applications.
An effective directory synchronization tool.


text:
Current position:Homepage - Product center - Export trade bottle
R-025 750ml
Time:2014.03.25 Source products:Shandong Yuncheng Ruisheng Glass Co., Ltd—International trade official website View:
Products in detail
Medium glass bottles for wine from China
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The Company has independent rights of import and export, most of the glass bottles for wine sold to the medium and large liquor-making enterprises in China ,and part exported to American, Russia, the Middle East and Southeast Asia . The medium glass bottles for wine are popular with the customers at home and abroad.
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Difference between revisions of "Vladivostok"
Revision as of 02:35, 31 March 2014
Vladivostok (Russian: Владивосто́к, vlah-dee-vah-STOHK) [33] is a city in Russia. It serves as the eastern terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Some travellers arrive here at the end or the beginning of a trip on the Trans-Siberian. But it has enough attractions and atmosphere to support a couple of days. The city held the APEC summit in September, 2012 and is under huge renovations and construction now.
The beautiful oak woods are surrounding the city which along with Nakhodka could be a starting point for weekend bus-tours to the winter ski-slopes or water-falls in summer. A few lotus lakes are attraction for campers and forest lodgers when the flowers are blossoming in August.
Vladivostok is located at the same latitude with Russian subtropical sea resort of Sochi, but its average annual temperature is nearly 10 degrees lower due to the Siberian High that brings cold winds from Yakutia for much of the winter. Thus the winter is typical for Manchuria: cold, clear and very windy. The snow is scarce and in some years may not fall at all.
January is cold at -14°C (7°F), and August is fairly warm at 24°C (75°F), though these are average temperatures, and hot/cold spells can bring much more extreme conditions. It is not unheard of of the below -30°C frosts in February, and similarly August can be >30°, but in general August and September bring the most sunny and pleasant temperatures. The end of summer, however, could bring Pacific monsoons that last for a few days in a row.
Get in
By train
Wikitravel has a guide to Trans-Siberian Railway.
Vladivostok is the eastern terminus for the world's longest passenger route, the Trans-Siberian Railway. An epic train journey from Moscow takes six nights and there are departures every two days. Several major Russian cities like Irkutsk, Novosibirsk, Khabarovsk and Ekaterinburg are along the route and all trains make stops there. A single journey costs from RUB22,000 in second class.
There are also trains from Harbin, China, taking 20 hours and costing from RUB1,400.
By boat
Mixed-use ferries run the route between Japan and Vladivostok, carrying passengers and major commercial goods. The Far Eastern Shipping Company (FESCO) ferries connect with the Fushiki port in Takaoka. Fares are from ¥48,400 one-way and the trip takes two nights, meals included and alcohol on sale to pass the time. Don't count on many amenities, though; a ship might show a swimming pool on the deck plan, for example, but you'll find it drained to store motorcycles once you're aboard. Ferries both ways leave on Friday evening and arrive two days later on Sunday morning. You'll need to arrive at the port a few hours early for immigration procedures, as these are done en masse with loads of Russian tourists. Schedules, prices, and tickets are available from FESCO's official agent in Japan, Business Intour Service [34], who have offices in Tokyo and Vladivostok.
There is also a service connecting Vladivostok and Sokcho, South Korea. It costs about US$200 and takes two days. One ship leaves Sokcho each week, on Thursday, although they become more frequent in the summer months (June-August).
Another line connects Vladivostok with the Korean city of Donghae and Japanese fishing port of Sakaiminato, with the cheapest one way fare of US$180 from Donghae and US$220 from Sakaiminato. From March to November the ferry Eastern Dream leave Sakaiminato on Saturdays, briefly stops in Donghae on Sundays and arrives in Vladivostok on Mondays. In the winter, the ferry lays over in Donghae until Monday and doesn't arrive in Vladivostok till Tuesday. Please note that Sakaiminato is a small and remote town, and access to major Japanese cities is limited (closest one is Kyoto, which is about three hours by local train, there are also planes to Tokyo and Nagoya, but they are rather expensive)[35].
Due to the recent new law, anyone entering Russia on cruise ferries can do it without visa if the stay is no longer than 72 hours, and there are discussion to extend this practice to Russian nationals visiting Korea and Japan.
It is also possible to go anywhere in the world (and come from anywhere as well) by booking a berth on a cargo boat. Usual caveats of freighter travel apply, though (it's definitely NOT for a casual tourist), and one need to keep in mind that Russian border and customs officials aren't used to people traveling this way. The ferry port is right next to the train station, so the two are interchangeable for purposes of orientation.
By plane
Vladivostok International Airport (IATA: VVO, ICAO: UHWW) [36] is located near Artyom, some 50 km (31 mi) off the city center, has two airfields with four paved runways, and is able to receive most major types of aircraft, except the very large ones such as Airbus 380. The main terminal (domestic) recently underwent a major renovation, making it the most modern airport building in the Russian Far East. The international terminal, which is located just next door to the domestic one (in fact, they share the same parking), is very small and usually crowded, but as Vladivostok held the APEC summit in 2012, the new terminal has been getting flights.
Currently, the main connection from the airport to the city is via local and shuttle buses (running to the Vladivostok bus station) but don't count on them if your flight arrives late in the day. If your flight arrives late, you could take your chance with a metered taxi, or negotiate with an informal "taxi" - starting price is a ridiculous 2500 Rubles - pay no more than 1000. The train station, finally connecting the airport to the rail network, is finally completed in the new terminal, and the link is operated under the Aeroexpress brand. One-way ticket to-and-from the airport costs 200 Rubles, and those wanting to splurge may dish out 700 R for a "business class" ride. Note that this train also doubles as a limited local train and thus includes several commuter cars (with a typical commuter amenities and sharply reduced fare around 70 R), and makes a couple of additional stops along the way.
The airport's anchor airline is Vladivostok Air, recently merged into Aeroflot, that serves a majority of its available domestic and international routes. It's the largest airline in the Russian Far East; it operates relatively modern fleet which primarily includes Airbus A320 and Tupolev Tu 204-300 types of aircraft and offers something like European short-haul type of service on all flights. Due to merger its route map and schedule is subject to change, and while it keeps its brand for the time being, some shakeups to closer integrate it with the Russia's flagship carrier are expected.
The busiest destination is Moscow. On average, there are 3-5 flights per day. Flights are much more frequent in summertime (June - September) due to heavy passenger traffic. It is recommended to book an itinerary at least one month in advance during that season in order to get a reasonable fare. Principal carriers to operate this route are Aeroflot Russian Airlines, Transaero, and S7 Airlines.
Other destinations are mostly served daily, and often the service is even less frequent. Besides Moscow, domestic destinations include Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Irkutsk, Khabarovsk and many others. International flights connect Vladivostok with Beijing and Harbin in China; Tokyo and Osaka in Japan (previously popular Niigata and Toyama destinations are canceled until further notice); Busan and Incheon in South Korea; Bangkok in Thailand; Hanoi in Vietnam; and Air Koryo also offers a weekly flight to Pyongyang. Korean Air operates Incheon route 5 times a week (in 2009) and offers flights from the continental U.S. via a connection in Seoul-Incheon. Completion of the new international terminal in Haneda airport and subsequent increase in its capacity may lead to the opening of a direct scheduled flight by ANA to Tokyo (previously only served by Vladivostok Air charters and then scheduled flights to Narita). From 2 Nov, 2012, S7 Airlines opened direct flights to Hong Kong and Tokyo.
Unfortunately, due to scarcity of the airlines operating from the airport a lot of destinations are monopolized and tickets are offered at exorbitant fares. For example, realizing its almost monopolistic position to offer connections, Korean Air bargains a fare starting from US$800 for 1.5 hours plane ride to Seoul. Vladivostok Air asks similarly extortionate prices for tickets to its Japanese destinations for the same 1.5 hours ride. The only real competitive destination is Moscow where a lot of airlines compete with each other, and sometimes really hot deals can be found. There are some hopes that aforementioned openings of a ferry line and additional flights may lead to increased competition and falling prices, and indeed there is some progress, but it is rather slow and leaves much to see in the future.
As of July 2011, most of the 50+ kilometre road to the city has been disrupted by roadwork - rather than repairing in sections, they have chosen to dig it all up at once. Expect delays - buses take 90-120 minutes, taxis at least 1 hour. By August 2012, though, all major roadwork should be finished, and the new, additional road with the scenic bridge over the Amur bay will be finally completed, so the problem will have largely disappeared.
By bus
There are a number of local bus routes from most suburban locations and nearby towns as well. Most places around the region are linked to Vladivostok by bus. There are also several international routes, linking Vladivostok to cities in northeastern China such as Harbin, Mudanjiang and Suifenhe. The easiest way from north eastern China is to take the direct bus from Harbin, to where there are good train connections to/from Beijing.
It takes about five hours to get to the city from the Chinese border, and the road goes through one of the most picturesque areas of the Russian Far East.
Get around
By public transport
Vladivostok has a wide range of transportation, from streetcars to funicular railway. The trams and trolleybuses have, unfortunately, mostly gone in an effort to improve traffic — it hasn't worked, though, mainly because at least two lanes on most downtown streets are still taken for unregulated parking. However there are talks of reinstating at least some trolleybus routes, and lengthening the network to include some suburban destinations. For tram, on the other hand, while the mayor pays some lip service to it, his actions prove otherwise.
By far the most common is the bus, both large route buses (mainly used Korean ones, some could be seen still carrying Seoul or Busan route plaques) and marshrutka shared taxis (which generally follow bus routes). Buses are extremely crowded but frequent; the fares are flat 15 r. ($0.50) for the downtown routes, but go up to 120 r. ($4.00) for suburban ones. Hop on bus in the back and then pay the driver as you exit from the front. Many buses leave from outside the "Clever House" (Cløver House) Department store.
About half of the buses are equipped to receive payments by a refillable Dolphin smart card that can be bought and refilled in the automated kiosks at most major stops. Push the card to the terminal near the driver for a couple of seconds, until it gives two beeps, and you are set. Because the cards and kiosks are issued by a major local bank, the card also could be used as a normal debit card in some selected shops, and in the kiosks you could pay your mobile phone, etc.
On the down note, the bus companies are constantly criticized for neglecting the state of their fleets, running the buses well past their service lives, unduly economizing on cleaning and personnel (they tend to hire recent immigrants, who can be paid as little as possible), and creating the competition for the passengers' fare among the drivers, which leads to long delays on stops and reckless driving.
The city has recently stepped in by reinstating the municipal bus company with newer buses and better controlled drivers. All municipal buses are equipped with electronic payment system and trackers, as the city also pushes to equip all the buses with the tracking hardware. The positions and waiting time for the equipped buses could be seen at the Bus 125 website, and major stops are gradually being equipped with electronic timetables.
Access to the outlying areas is generally best done by bus or suburban commuter train elektrichka. The train station is accessible and a great way to see neighboring cities like Khabarovsk.
By taxi
There are a number of taxi companies, and hailing one is easy. There is no meter because most companies and freelance drivers charge a flat rate of RUB300 for one hour. The rate is usually negotiable but not below RUB150 per hour. Expect to pay at least this much for a single journey over a short distance.
By car
Although it is the main port of used Japanese car imports in Russia, the century-old streets of Vladivostok are ill suited to heavy traffic. They are usually filled to capacity and traffic jams are common, especially in rush hours. The local driving style is also rather aggressive; and speeding, cutting off, tailgating and ignoring recently-changed traffic lights are widespread. Despite this, car horns are rarely heard.
By foot
The city centre is only a short walk from the train station, and most of the sights can be reached easily on foot. Aleutskaya St runs north/south, passing the train station; head north to Svetlanskaya St, which is the main east/west road for the city.
As much of Vladivostok is situated on steep hills, walking can be physically demanding. The ice and wind in winter and the conditions of the pavements mostly preclude bicycle use.
However, MTB and weekend bike tours are very popular among the people for there is quite a lot of scenic places hard-to-reach by vehicles but still worth the effort. The most attractive destinations range the closest islands and the coastline even when the ice covers the bays.
If you've arrived in Vladivostok on the Trans-Siberian, at the end of a trip that began in Moscow, head straight for Sportivnaya Harbor. The still waters of the sea will likely provide sweet relief after several days on the train. However, if you're fresh off a ferry from Japan or Korea, head up to Svetlanskaya and Ploschad Bortsov Revolutsy for a stroll to get your sea legs back. (Both destinations usually have food and drink vendors.)
Civil engineering buffs can gawk at the numerous construction projects peppering the city streets in preparation to 2012 APEC Summit, including the two enormous bridges across the Golden Horn Bay and Eastern Bosporus strait (the Rissian Navy officers first exploring the area were big fans of Istanbul harbour), the latter of which would be a largest cable-stayed bridge upon its completion. Locals are more ambivalent about all that construction, but the bridges and hotels nevertheless already have become a frequent visitor attractions.
Public spaces
Russia's Pacific Fleet (not all of it, mind you, just its destroyer squadron) is parked right in the downtown, in Golden Horn Bay. A walk along the waterfront on Korabelnaya Embankment offers the closest views; to get any closer, you will have to enlist. Photographs with an average-sized camera shouldn't attract any problems, but be mindful of your surroundings or an enterprising police officer might invent a fine for you to pay.
Museums and memorials
If you're a connoisseur of Lenin statues, don't miss the one overlooking the train station from the west, next to the post office (the popular joke goes that the World Proletariat Leader says "You're going the right way, comrades", while pointing at Japan). There are also some interesting statues heading east on Svetlanskaya, both Soviet-era and abstract.
Other attractions
If you'd like to swim, the beach at Sportivnaya Harbor is the place to do it (not Golden Horn Bay, where the Pacific Fleet is parked). Be sure to salute the half-submerged mermaid statue out in the water. Alternately, in the winter, locals aren't shy about strolling out on ice.
There are also Japanese, Korean, German, Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian centers in the university.
There's a GUM (former Kunst&Albers) department store on Svetlanskaya, across from Ploschad Bortsov Revolutsii, and electronic stores further east that can help with power converters and the like.
Local markets are spread throughout Vladivostok and provide the basic groceries for a neighborhood. Some even have a butcher but most all provide sausages and frozen meat. Larger markets sell clothing, shoes, and everything else imaginable in addition to food.
Sportivnaya Market is the largest market in Vladivostok. Its maze-like warrens are full of people selling most everything. There is a large Chinese presence here, and knockoffs and Chinese imports abound. The range of food sold at this market is fabulous but is probably a bit unusual for everyday fare.
Sunday morning brunch at the Vlad Inn (below) is a tradition for the handful of ex-pats living in the city.
Fast food
Magic Burger, Subway, Cinnabon, Royal Burger, RestoGrad (РестоГрад), Baskin Robbins, Country Fried Chicken, Magic Bell, beer restaurant network Republic (Республика) could be easily hit in the center.
Russian dorm rooms in Vladivostok range from awful to OK. Generally, foreigners are dormed in reasonable accommodations, but you should know exactly what you are getting into before arriving. Important things you might take for granted include: private or communal kitchen and bathrooms, number of roommates, number of clothing washers and dryers.
The Far Eastern National University (above) offers reasonable dorm rooms but foreigners are separated from Russian students, so if you are looking for more Russian immersion, ask them about arranging a home stay.
The hotels in the city center are targets for huge tour groups, who block out availability for weeks on end, so reserve in advance if possible.
Stay safe
A few roads can only be crossed by poorly-lit underground passageways, which can be a bit nerve-racking at night. Beggars tend to congregate near the doors, including children with very quick hands, so cover your pockets as you pass.
Although you'll see plenty of locals stripping down for a swim on the boardwalks off Naberezhnaya, take care; there is plenty of rusted metal about. Stick to the beach unless you're very confident in your tetanus shots.
The main post office is on the other side of Aleutskaya from the train station. Internet access is available on the first floor of the post office. There are a few Internet cafes in the town center.
ATMs are easy to find, and most are connected to international bank networks. Otherwise, many hotels have exchange desks, although some have exchange rates decidedly skewed in their favor. Banks are the most obvious choice for currency exchange. There will also be dodgy money-changers near Sportivnyaya Harbor.
The Vladivostok News [47] and Vladivostok Times [48] provide online English-language news.
Mobile operators are the same as anywhere in Russia: MTS (МТС) and Megaphon (Мегафон). Local NTK (НТК) will automatically switch your Beeline (Билайн) phone to roaming service. Buying a SIM card needs a passport in Russia. Refilling locations are QIWI terminals or salons of mobiles: Evroset (Евросеть), Svyaznoy (Связной) and Sotoviy mir (Сотовый мир).
Free wi-fi locations in the city center:
The number of wi-fi spots is over 130 which are availiable in most of cafes in the downtown.
Tour Agencies
Get out


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Brief history of the unit. Couple of months back at a local university an Ice machine was installed. Electrical storm popped up and fried the board on this unit. 0 ohms between L1 and L2. Tech support said change out the board under warranty. Head honco onsite told his maintenance guys to install some sort of surge protection to prevent this from happening again.
Two weeks later, another storm and another board fried. This time they ate the cost of the board and replacement and installed a supco scm150 surge arrester on the panel box. New board comes in and installed and everybody is happy.
Last Thursday another storm came by poof! Another board. I went out there today already having an idea what it was. Isolated the board, replaced the fuse, restored power and same thing, the board is gone. I spoke with Bert at mani tech support, great guy btw, and he said that only a high voltage spike can fry a board. If a component fails, dump valve, inlet valve, hgv solonoid valve shorts out that the fuse will blow and thats it, The board should not be damaged in anyway. He did warranty that board too.
I checked the wiring of the supco scm150 and it is wired in parallel on the outlet of the 20 amp breaker going to the unit. The ground it wired to the bus bar. Voltage at the outlet is 242 volts with each leg within a tenth of a volt to each other. From what I read on supco's pdf file is that this surge arrester works by shunting power to ground in the event of a power surge.
I spoke to the head maintenance guy to have his electrician look at the panel box again and to recheck the wiring of the surge arrester to verify that it is wired correctly and to verify that the ground was hooked up properly. I was offsite at the time and unable to check myself.
Has anyone come across this problem and how were you able to correctly address the situation so it would not happen again.
Thanks again for any input.


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Heading to New Orleans at 4pm. Ellis Marsalles plays with his band in Cyril Neville's club.
I'm a big fan of Joe Pass as well.
Tal's playing has been transcribed in TAB and notation. THere is some great playing laid out in Jack Grassels great gift to humanity; the Jazz Guitar Classic transcriptions. THere is a clear chart of Tal playing "Stella By Starlight"; this guy Grassel did us all a huge favor. It took him 6 months to transcribe the solos and then re-record them with a modern piano-based rhythm section. I felt I owed this guy, I called him in Wisconsin to thank him. I asked about the Tal piece and he said (pro teacher; published author) he had no idea what Tal was doing. I CERTAINLY didn't know either; so I laughed along nervously. That was 15 years ago.
You guys have great ears and taste; thank you for all the contributions.


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Europe Recast
A History of European Union
Editor(s):Nugent, Neill
Editor(s):Paterson, William E.
Editor(s):Wright, Vincent
Date published:February 2004
Europe Recast tells the story of European integration from its modern origins in the 1940s to the challenges of the new century. Organised chronologically within each chapter broadly covering a decade, a thematic introductory and concluding chapter draw out key issues and themes and provide the author's own distinctive interpretation. Written by a leading authority, and highly successful textbook author, in a clear, entertaining and accessible style, the book is sure to become the leading text for all students of the history and evolution of the European Union.


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...and this one belongs to the Reds.
If UK makes a little run in the tourney this year it will be one of Cal's best coaching performances. And yesterday proved they easily could, I wouldn't want them in my side of the bracket. Not to say he didn't coach well last year but when you have that kind of talent you widen your margin for error by a wide...
GOB Bluth: You were going to say margin again weren't you?
I was in trouble like 3 words into that.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
"I know a lot about the law and various other lawyerings."
Hitters who avoid outs are the funnest.
At this point, Kentucky could be a Sweet 16 participant and no one should be surprised.
They could also bow out in the first round.
Reminds me a bit of last season's UConn team.
"You can learn little from victory. You can learn everything from defeat."
-- Christy Matthewson
"Show me a good loser and I'll show you an idiot."
-- Leo Durocher
Cousins' problems continue on what seems like almost a nightly basis:
I really hope UK gets in........it should be a fun ride.
...and this one belongs to the Reds.
Amusing thread detailing the latest shot taken by Pitino and the responding pimp slap delivered by Cal in return... Also documents Pitino's complete hypocrisy on the subject of one and done level talent ( He wants them and can't get them or holds them back sufficiently to kill their one and done aspirations once they get on campus. )
Good ole Pitino, still spewing BS after all these years...
UK vs Stallings again !
His philosophy every year has been to get the best PG with size in the class. He did not feel that that player existed in the 2012 recruiting class which is why he targeted Harrow as a transfer.
Next year Andrew Harrison will be back to the type of PG Cal prefers.
Putting this question the UK thread since it has UK connections. Anyone think Tubby will have a little heat on him as Minnesota may be on outside looking in ?
Vitale said the other day, the Gophers were one of 2 teams with the chance to use the tourney as redeption to an otherwise dissappointing season. Then they lose first game.
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.


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Navajo lawmakers have re-elected Johnny Naize as head of the tribe's legislative branch.
The fourth-term lawmaker will preside over Tribal Council meetings for another two years.
Monday's vote during the first day of the council's winter session in Window Rock was reminiscent of the election two years ago. Naize again beat out LoRenzo Bates, the chairman of the council's Budget and Finance Committee, in a runoff.
Five lawmakers were nominated for the post, with the top-two vote getters participating in the runoff.
Naize represents five communities on the Arizona portion of the reservation. As speaker, he has overseen the transition of the council from 88 members to 24 members.
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Owner: Paul M. Giacopelli and Donnie Kelly
Donnie's mother was mucking stalls when she went into labor with Kelly. His family was involved with Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds, as his father was a trainer. Kelly grew up in Sallisaw, Ok. where his family owned and operated a training facility; he went to school in Sallisaw, but spent the summers at various tracks in Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. Kelly worked as an exercise rider and assistant for trainer Ronnie Werner for several years, before joining the stable of Hall of Fame trainer Nick Zito as an assistant. He already was acquainted with Jamie Sanders at the time, so they both worked for a while for Zito until he and Saders decide to launch their own racing stable in 2005. Kelly typically accompanies the stables' runners to the track aboard a lead pony
Owner: Thomas McCarthy
Thomas McCarthy is a native of Louisville, KY and has been involved in the Thoroughbred industry since he was in his 20s. McCarthy currently owns only two horses, and considers General Quarters to be his "last hurrah" on the racetrack. McCarthy has worked as a teacher before his retirement and still resides in Louisville with his wife.
Trainer: Mark L. Miller
Mark Miller grew up in Louisville, KY and gained an interest in horses through his father, also a trainer. By that age of nine, Miller was walking hots on the backside of Miles Park in Kentucky. Miller took out his training license in 1977 at Calder Race Course, and has stayed an active member of the equine community since. Throughout the 1990s, Miller worked on a farm in Ocala, FL before resuming his training operation at Churchill Downs and Calder Race Course. This year makes Miller's first at Tampa Bay Downs, where General Quarters has twice finished second in the preparatory races leading up to the Sam F. Davis Stakes.
Jockey: James Lopez
James comes from a family of horsemen. His father J.R. "Joe" Lopez was the leading rider at Hawthorne in 1966 and at Sportsman's Park in 1967 and 1968, before he retired in 1979. His brother Jeffery gallops horses, and his half-brother, Joe Lopez Jr. is a trainer in Texas. James' wife Kelli also gallops horses and is attending nursing school in Louisville. James began riding in 1996 at Retama Park in Texas and later that year moved his tack to Kentucky. Two years later he began riding first call for Cole Norman and then Joe Petalino at Oaklawn Park and finished as the meet's third-leading rider. That summer he was the leading rider at Louisiana Downs where he won six stakes races. In 1999, he won four added-money events at Oaklawn, but perhaps the biggest victory of his career came at Ellis Park in 2000 when he won the Grade III, $200,000-guaranteed Gardenia Handicap aboard Silent Eskimo.
Player's List
Owner: Wayne W. Rice
Trainer: Wayne W. Rice
Jockey: Arienne Cox
Arienne Cox describes herself as driven. She earned college degrees in management and nursing; she has pinhooked and broken horses for the past 11 years in Ocala; she has ridden hunters and jumpers since she was a kid, and she has done it all with determination. "When I go after something, I go totally headstrong," Cox said. So when Cox, who already trains and owns horses at Calder Race Course, decided to add being a jockey to her resume, it did not surprise many people. On June 10, 2006 the then-29-year-old Miami native took out her jockey's license and five hours later finished third aboard Blue Mon--a six-year-old gelding she owns and trains--in the 1 1/2-mile New York New York Stakes. "I do things for fun," Cox said.
Mitchell Park
Owner: Lambholm South (Roy S. Lerman)
Roy S. Lerman, owner of Lambholm South, has been involved in the Thoroughbred business as an owner, breeder and trainer for 30 years. He purchased the late Allen Paulson's Ocala-based Brookside Farms South in the spring of 2000 and renamed the operation Lambholm South. In early 2005, Lerman purchased Jack Dreyfus's historic 1,800-acre Hobeau Farm to expand Lambholm South's holdings. Lerman and the Lambholm South staff are dedicated to providing its clients with the best and most comprehensive services of any Thoroughbred operation.
Trainer: Roy S. Lerman
Jockey: Luis Gonzalez
Gonzalez came to the United States in 1984 from Panama. In 2004, Gonzalez received the inaugural Michael F. Rowland award at Turfway Park, which honors the jockey who best exemplifies Rowland's work ethic, professionalism, and perseverance. In 1999, Gonzalez was the second leading stakes rider at Tampa Bay Downs for that racing season. Gonzalez spends the summer months at Thistledown Race Course in Cleveland, Ohio, where he has earned seven jockey titles, including the 2008 Thistledown season, which he again finished as the leading rider. Gonzalez began riding at the age of seventeen in his native Panama, attracting the notice of Hall of Fame jockey Laffit Pincay, Jr., who got him a job galloping horses. Gonzalez has other interests outside of race riding: he studied art at the Thomas Edison School in Panama for five and a half years, and still draws and paints recreationally. In the 2007-2008 meet, Gonzalez finished fifth in the jockey standings; his 57 wins included a victory in the Challenger Stakes. Gonzalez ended last year's Tampa season as the fifth leading rider with $822,497 in purse money earned.
Atomic Rain
Owner: Lori and George Hall
George Hall is president, founder and majority shareholder of Clinton Group, Inc., an investment company that manages approximately $6.6 billion in capital. Hall is also heavily involved in charitable work; he is a board member of the New York University School of Medicine Foundation and helped to create its Head and Neck Cancer Research Laboratory ... He has been awarded the university's prestigious Sir Harold Acton Medal in recognition of his philanthropic efforts ... He has been an active supporter of the Monmouth County Unit of the American Cancer Society, hosting an annual summer event for cancer patients in Monmouth County and their families. He also established the Hall Institute of Public Policy, a forum for academic research and debate in his home state of New Jersey.
Trainer: Kelly J. Breen
Kelly Breen captured his first career race in 1993 at the Meadowlands. He went on to be an assistant to Raines Award winner Ben Perkins Sr., before going back out on his own in 2000 when Perkins retired. New Jersey born and raised, Breen has enjoyed tremendous success over the past several years including a win in the 2005 Sorority with Keeneland Kat and a victory in last year's Long Branch Breeders' Cup Stakes with Praying for Cash, who would go on to finish second in the Haskell.
Jockey: John Velazquez
John Velazquez has had six Breeders' Cup victories, including a double in 2004 with Ashado in the Distaff and Speightstown in the Sprint. He also scored a double in 2002 with Starine in the Filly & Mare Turf and with Storm Flag Flying in the Juvenile Fillies. He began his career when he entered Puerto Rican jockey school in June 1988, and he began riding in his native country a year and a half later. Velazquez moved to New York in March 1990 under the guidance of his agent, the retired Hall of Fame jockey Angel Cordero Jr., whom he calls the person most influential in his successful career.
Cliffy's Future
Owner: Silverton Hill, LLC
Silverton Hill Farm is the nom de course for Bonnie and Tommy Hamilton; the farm is located in Springfield, KY and the couple have been married for 10 years. Tommy founded Nally & Hamilton Enterprises, Inc., a coal surface mining company in Eastern Kentucky and Virginia. He has mined coal for nearly 30 years and is the President of the company. His wife Bonnie worked for 25 years as a surgical scrub nurse for a group of neurosurgeons in Owensboro, Ky. She now works on the farm full-time, while Tommy splits his time between the coal company and the farm as both husband and wife are hands-on farmers. The Hamiltons have raised Saddlebred show horses for many years and raised and showed CH Yes It's True, who won the World Championship in the Three Gaited Division in 1998. They later sold CH Yes It's True to help get them started in the Thoroughbred business, and their first runner, Neon Shadow, is nine years old and still running.
Trainer: Darrin Miller
Darrin Miller is a 36-year-old native of Verona, MO, where he grew up on a cattle rance and showed Quarter Horses. He counts in his family his wife Janelle and children Katie and Chase. Miller attended Southwest Missouri State for a year and then was a Quarter Horse jockey until 1991 . He has worked with Nick and Jackie de Meric in their pinhooking business in Florida, and started training in 1995 at Canterbury Park in Minnesota. He is the private trainer for Tommy and Bonnie Hamilton's Silverton Hill Farm. Great Notion was his first stakes winner in March of 2008, when he won the Southwest Stakes at Oaklawn Park.
Jockey: Paco Lopez
Pascacio "Paco" Lopez burst onto the South Florida riding scene in 2008, causing as much of a stir with his controversial style as he did with his superior skills. The 23-year-old earned the Eclipse Award while guiding 171 winners, more than any other apprentice jockey in the nation. Lopez earned $2,629,253 as a "bug boy." Most of Lopez' victories came at Calder Race Course, where he captured the summer meet jockeys' title with 161 wins (141 as an apprentice) despite missing 13 days on suspension. Of those wins, 14 came in stakes races, including mounts on 2009 Triple Crown contender Big Drama, who swept the Florida Stallion Stakes Series. Early this season, Lopez guided 30 winners at Gulfstream Park, tying him for 11th place while debuting as a journeyman rider.
Free Country
Owner: Silver Wing Stable, et al.
John Gerbas Jr. is a retired airline pilot and was formerly the head of One By Air, his own airline which was a travel tour company for the University of Miami Hurricanes; Gerbas was additionally the chief pilot for Knight-Ridder newspapers for sixteen years. Gerbas gained an interest in the sport of horseracing when he began selling tip sheets in Chicago as a teenager. He and his brother Mike founded the Furlong Feed Company in Chicago, and throughout his adult life Gerbas has owned racehorses; among those horses was Holding Pattern, who won the 1974 Travers Stakes. After a short hiatus from the Thoroughbred industry, during which he devoted time to his family, Gerbas now owns a small farm in Kentucky. In January, Nathan Fox's Richland Hills, Lee Einsidler's LRE Racing, and Al Ferri's Triple F Stable have purchased an interest in Free Country from Silver Wing Stable.
Trainer: Kenneth McPeek
Kenneth McPeek grew up in Lexington and played football at Tates Creek High School. After graduating from the University of Kentucky, his roommate asked him what he loved. "It was easy," he said. "The answer was horse racing." His first big horse was Tejano Run, who ran third in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile in 1994 and was second in the 1995 Kentucky Derby. Purchased for just $20,000 for Monroe, Tejano Run earned in excess of $1.1 million on the racetrack. "The most rewarding aspect of being a trainer is the challenge of working with an owner to discover a diamond in the rough," said McPeek. The trainer has won over 80 stakes in his career, over 30 of them graded. McPeek also specializes in the purchase of many South American older horses with which he has had success in North America.
Jockey: Kent Desormeaux
From a Cajun family, Desormeaux grew up on a farm where he was first introduced to horses through 4-H. He first raced American Quarter Horses and was only sixteen years old when he began working as an apprentice jockey at the Evangeline Downs racetrack in Lafayette, Louisiana. He won his first career stakes race on December 13, 1986, riding Godbey in the Maryland City Handicap at Laurel Park Racecourse. His immediate success led to him moving north to compete on the Maryland racing circuit in 1987 where his performance earned him the Eclipse Award for Outstanding Apprentice Jockey. He is one of only four jockeys to have won three national titles in a row. As a fully credentialed jockey, Desormeaux won the 1989 Eclipse Award for Outstanding Jockey and another in 1992. Desormeaux, along with Chris McCarron and Steve Cauthen, are the only jockeys to win the Eclipse Award in both the apprentice and overall categories. Desormeaux became the first foreign jockey to win a Classic race in Japan. He scored his 5,000th career victory on July 27, 2008 by guiding Bella Attrice to victory in the 7th race at Saratoga Race Course, and piloted Big Brow throughout the colt's 2008 campaign, including wins in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Haskell Stakes.
A P Cardinal
Owner: Ol Memorial Stable
Ol Memorial Stables is comprised of Kentucky Wildcats ex-coach Rick Pitino and Outback Steakhouse founder Chris Sullivan of Tampa. "This is all fun for me," said Pitino of horse ownership. "Nothing like coaching basketball. Here, it's the job of (trainer) Nick Zito to lose sleep, get nauseous and take the rap if things don't go well." He, Sullivan and several partners own Ol Memorial Stable. Until a few weeks ago, it was Celtic Pride Stable. The new stable name honors Old Memorial Golf Club, a prodigious Hillsborough County course where Rick and Outback originators Sullivan and Bob Basham are founding members. "We had to shorten the "Old' to "Ol' because the Jockey Club has a limit on letters," explains Pitino.
Trainer: Kiarian P. McLaughlin
Kiaran McLaughlin may be a world traveler but he was raised in the heart of horse country. A native of Lexington, he attended the University of Kentucky for a year before replacing the classroom for the shedrow. He worked under trainers James Burchell, John Hennig (later to become his father-in-law), David Kassen and Tim Muckler before joining D. Wayne Lukas' high-profile operation. There he worked with champion Open Mind as well as top-class horses Dynaformer, Carson City and Salt Lake. After a stint as a jock's agent (for Chris Antley), he returned to training, most notably in the United Arab Emirates, where he led all trainers in Dubai three times. It's no surprise that McLaughlin's horses have won races in the U.S, Canada, Japan and Dubai. McLaughlin has campaigned stakes winners Allied Forces, Atraf, Bending Strings, Binya, Dumaani, Elhayq, Henny Hughes, Ibn Al Haitham, Intidab, Invasor, Jazil, Kayrawan, Lunar Sovereign, Mustanfar, Randaroo, Roar Emotion, Sahm, Seattle Fitz, Spindrift, Soviet Line, Thunder Touch, Trademark and Volga.
Jockey: Joe Bravo
Aptly nicknamed "Jersey Joe," Bravo is Monmouth County born and raised. At age 13 he rode quarter horses in Texas, sharpening his skills in breaking a horse quickly from the gate. In 1987 he took out his professional rider's license and captured his first race the following year at Calder aboard Daffy Doc. Bravo is a third generation
rider, following his father, George, into the jockey business. In 1991 Bravo became the first rider in New Jersey history to win jockey titles at Garden State, Monmouth and the Meadowlands in a single year. In 1997 he registered his first Grade 1 win atop Formal Gold in the Donn Handicap. In 2004 Bravo won the biggest race of his career, piloting Lion Heart to victory in the $1 million Haskell Invitational. Last season he captured a record 12th riding title at Monmouth Park, piloting 18 stakes winners including Henny Hughes and Xchanger.
Musket Man
Owner: Eric Fein
Eric Fein has been involved in Thoroughbred racing for several years and has enjoyed on-track success in New York with multiple Grade 3-placed winner Rogue Agent. Fein grew up five minuets from Belmont Park in New York, and said that that was where his love of Thoroughbreds began. He said that he began wagering on races, "And I hoped one day to have enough money to own them!" Fein exclaimed. Fein says that he enjoys going to the track in the morning to watch his horses work, and has been especially pleased with the success of his homebreds. "There's no feeling like watching a horse you bred compete well," he says of the breeding game. Fein is the owner of last year's Tampa Bay Derby winner and Sam F. Davis runner-up Big Truck.
Trainer: Derek Ryan
Ryan runs successfully in Florida, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In 2002, he captured his biggest race when Emergency Status took the Grade III Jersey Derby in front running fashion at odds of 55-1. Ryan has been stabled on the Tampa Bay Downs backside for the last three years, and has already conditioned Musket Man to victory in January's $75,000 Pasco Stakes at the Oldsmar oval.
Jockey: Jose Lezcano
Lezcano began riding at the age of 16 in his native Panama, enrolling at the Laffit Pincay Jr. School. He rode for two years before coming to the United States. In March 2004, he began riding as a five-pound apprentice at Gulfstream Park, where he won on his very first mount, aboard 30-1 longshot Cloudy Gray. Jose Lezcano was leading rider at Tampa Bay Downs for the 2005-2006 race meeting, and was the winning rider of Prince Khaled's Maram in the 2008 running of Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
Owner: Arthur B. Hancock, III
Arthur Hancock III had honed his own knowledge of racing by working at Claiborne as well as spending more than a year at the racetrack. He worked for the great trainer Eddie Neloy, who trained for the Phipps family--mainstays among the Hancock clients for several generations. In 1970, Bull Hancock sent young Arthur III to run a 100-acre tract known as Stone Farm. It was a farm in microcosm, involving all details of administration and business as well as horsemanship. Like his father, Arthur succeeded. Stone Farm later became the property of Arthur III, who added parcels until the rambling, rolling property embraced 2,000 acres. The partnership of Hancock and Leone Peters bred and raised Stone Farm's first Kentucky Derby winner, Gato Del Sol, who won the Run for the Roses in 1982. In 1989, Hancock won a second Kentucky Derby with Sunday Silence, whom he had foaled and raised for Tatham and later purchased to race for a separate partnership in the Hancock yellow and gray colors.
Trainer: H. Graham Motion
Motion's father, Michael, was internationally recognized as the representative for Tattersalls, the British sales company. He is now a semi-retired bloodstock agent. His mother, Jo, rode as an Amateur Jockey in England and worked as an assistant trainer in England and America. She now owns a successful tack shop in Middleburg, Va. Motion worked for Jonathan Sheppard from 1985-90 (particularly with three-time Eclipse Award-winning jumper Flatterer), briefly for Jonathan Pease in France and Bernie Bond after his return to the United States in 1991. He took over Bond's stable upon Bond's retirement. He calls Sheppard and Bond the two biggest influences on his career. "With Bernie, I took over his horses. Without him I wouldn't have anything. With Jonathan, I worked for him during the formative years." Motion met his wife Anita while working for Pease and she was working for Alain de Royer-Dupre.
Jockey: Rene Douglass
Rene R. Douglas was born March 6, 1967 in Panama City, Panama. Born into a Thoroughbred racing family, after attending jockey school Douglas rode in his native Panama for a year and a half before moving to the United States in 1983. His first major win came in 1989 in the prestigious Washington, D.C. International. In 1996, he rode Editor's Note to victory in the Belmont Stakes. Rene Douglas has won three riding titles at Calder Race Course and Hialeah Park Race Track and a record four in a row from 2001 through 2004 at Arlington Park. He won seven races on a single card at Arlington Park on July 24, 2003 and has twice won six on a single card at Calder Race Course.
In the richest win of his career, Rene Douglas captured the 2006 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies aboard Dreaming of Anna.
Top Seed
Owner: Harry C. and Tom O. Meyerhoff
Harry C. and Tom O. Meyerhoff are a father-son team of owners who have experienced great success in the Thoroughbred industry. Along with their undefeated colt Top Seed, the duo has counted among their stable Vegas Play, who was named the 2005 Champion 2-year-old Maryland-bred.
Trainer: Michael J. Trombetta
Trombetta has worked with horses his whole life; after working for his brother's White Marsh contracting company for about 15 years as a means to sustain a small string of horses he trained, Trombetta began to expand his stable. When his barn got to 30 horses in 2005, he went to training on a full-time basis He saddled his first winner, Amant De Cour at Atlantic City in 1986. After training for 20 years, he arrived on the national scene during the 2006 Triple Crown with Sweetnorthernsaint, the betting favorite in the Kentucky Derby (he finished 7th) and runner-up in the Preakness Stakes.
Jockey: Ronnie Allen, Jr.
In the 1980s, Ronnie Allen, Jr. was a major force in the Tampa Bay Downs jockey colony. After falling in with the wrong crowd at the end of the race day, Allen found himself with fewer mounts and he finally left the race scene and went to work on a farm for Jerry Campbell, who is one of his father's (trainer Ron Allen, Sr.) major clients. Ronnie Allen said of his experiences on the farm, "Even though I wasn't riding, I was working with horses every day, thank God, because that's all I've done all my life is be around horses." He continued, "I actually learned quite a bit working on the farm. I learned things most riders never pick up." Ronnie Allen, Jr. will celebrate the one year anniversary of his return to rising on Festival Preview Day Presented by Lambholm South.
The Sam F. Davis Stakes
Value: $225,000 (Includes $25,000 FTBOA) Grade III Winner: $120,000
Distance: 1 1/16 miles 29th Running Second: $ 40,000
Conditions: Three year olds, allowance conditions Third: $ 20,000
Stakes Record: 2008 – Fierce Wind (122) 1:44.13 Fourth: $ 10,000
2008 Winner: Fierce Wind (122) 1:44.13 Fifth: $ 4,000
Post Time: 4:48 p.m. EST 10th Race Sixth: $ 2,000


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Click here to order tickets online
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- PGA Tour professional and Tennessee Tech alumnus Scott Stallings is coming home to Cookeville for an evening in mid-October.
The Golden Eagle golf program will host "A Night with Scott Stallings" on Friday, Oct. 14, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Leslie Towne Center. The event will give fans and supporters a chance to catch up with the Greenbrier Classic champion and rising professional star.
"This is an exciting opportunity to be able to bring Scott back to Cookeville," said Polk Brown, men's and women's golf head coach. "His success on the Tour has brought increased notoriety to our program and he is looking forward to being able to give back to Tennessee Tech golf."
Tickets for the dinner are $50 per seat or $400 to sponsor a table (eight seats). Attendees must purchase their seats by Monday, Oct. 3.
Stallings played at Tech from 2003-07 and was a two-time Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year as well as a Division I All-American. He turned pro in June 2007 and spent 2009 on the Nationwide Tour, where he earned three Top 10 finishes.
The Oak Ridge, Tenn., native earned his PGA Tour card in 2011 and won his first tournament on July 31 in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. Stallings made a birdie on the final hole at the Greenbrier Classic to qualify for a three-way playoff, where he birdied the first extra hole to secure the victory.
To order tickets, either visit or call the Athletics Ticket Office in Eblen Center, or reserve seats online at TTUsports.com/fanzone/ticket_information (click here). For additional information, please call (931) 372-3940.
Tech golf to host "An Evening with PGA Champion Scott Stallings"
Click here to order tickets online


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UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls
The University of Wisconsin-River Falls Brass Ensemble is an auditioned ensemble of 16 of the finest brass performers on campus. It is conducted by Rick Gaynor, adjunct faculty of Low Brass at UWRF. This group performs at least four concerts a year.
The River Falls Brass consists of brass faculty Thomas Barnett and Craig Hara, trumpet; Matt Wilson, horn; Rick Gaynor, trombone; and Charles Wazanowski, tuba. The River Falls Brass performs regularly on campus, and presents clinics and recitals at area schools.
There are also Student Brass Quintets, a Horn Choir, Tuba-Euphonium Quartet, and a Trumpet Ensemble at UWRF. The main purpose of these groups is to explore the vast brass literature of the past 500 years and to perform in concert, on and off campus.
The Brass Ensembles listed above perform several concerts annually and have performed at area schools and churches. Please see Upcoming Events below for further information on performances.
The River Falls Brass Chamber Music Camp
Trumpet, Trombone, Horn, Baritone/Euphonium, Tuba. For Students Completing Grades 7-12
Trombone Choir, Fall 2009
Front row: Michelle Sailor, Laura Rogers, Director Rick Gaynor, Ben Allen
Second Row: Tristan Brodie, Asher Heere, Paul Nelson, Kyle Lewis, Tim Mills
Third Row: Joe Baumann, Bjorn Carlson
Trombone Day at UW-River Falls
Minnesota Orchestra Trombone Section with UWRF students after a performance at Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis.
UWRF Jazz Ensemble Performance Ellington's Nutcracker at Orchestra Hall.
UWRF Trombone Quartet in Concert. Listen.


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Originally published on May 10, 2012 5:08 am
States are moving to set up health insurance exchanges — a pillar of Obama's health care law. But many GOP governors find themselves in an awkward position. David Wessel, economics editor of The Wall Street Journal, talks to Steve Inskeep about why the governors' positions on exchanges are complicated.


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TopCare day time severe cold and cough berry infused with menthol and green tea flavors
Dosage form: granule, for solution
Ingredients: Acetaminophen 650mg, Dextromethorphan Hydrobromide 20mg, Phenylephrine Hydrochloride 10mg
Labeler: Quality Home Products
NDC Code: 64525-0553
Disclaimer: Most OTC drugs are not reviewed and approved by FDA, however they may be marketed if they comply with applicable regulations and policies. FDA has not evaluated whether this product complies.
Active ingredients (in each packet) Purpose
Acetaminophen 650 mg .........................Pain reliever-Fever reducer
Dextromethorphan hydrobromide 20 mg ..............Cough suppresant
Phenylephrine hydrochloride 10 mg...................Nasal decongestant
-Temporarily relieves:
-minor aches and pains -headache -minor sore throat pain
-nasal and sinus congestion -cough due to minor throat and bronchial irritation
-Temporarily reduces fever
Liver warning: This product contains acetaminophen. Severe liver damage may occur if you take
-more than 6 packets in 24 hours
-with other drugs containing acetaminophen
-3 or more alcoholic drinks every day while using this product
Sore throat warning: if sore throat is severe, persists for more than 2 days, is accompanied or followed
by fever, headache, rash, nausea, or vomiting, consult a doctor promptly.
Ask a doctor before us if you have
-liver disease -heart disease -high blood pressure
-thyroid disease -diabetes -trouble urinating due to an enlarged prostate gland
-cough that occurs with too much phlegm (mucus)
-cough that lasts or is chronic such as occurs with smoking, asthma or emphysema.
As a doctor or pharmacist before use if you are taking the blood thinning drug warfarin.
When using this product
-do not exceed recommended dosage
Stop use and ask a doctor if
-nervousness, dizziness, or sleeplessness occurs -fever gets worse or lasts more than 3 days
-redness or swelling is present
-new symptoms occur
-symptoms do not get better or worsen
-pain, cough or nasal congestion gets worse or lasts more than 7 days
-cough comes back or occurs with fever, rash or headache that lasts.
These could be signs of a serious condition
If pregnant or breast-feeding, ask a health care professional before use.
Keep out of reach of children
In care of overdose, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away. Prompt medical attention is critical for adults as well as for children even if you do not notice any signs or symptoms.
-do not use more than directed
-take every 4 hours; not to exceed 6 packets in 24 hours or as directed by a doctor
-adults and children 12 years of age and over; dissolve contents of one packet into 8 oz. hot water; sip while hot. Consume entire drink within 10-15 minutes.
-children under 12 years of age: consult a doctor
-if using a microwave, add contents of one packet to 8 oz. of cool water; stir briskly before and after heating. Do not overheat.
Other information
-each packet contains:potassium 8 mg, sodium 20 mg
-phenylketonurics: contains phenylalanine 14 mg per packet
-store at controlled room temperature 20-25C (68-77F). Protect from excessive heat and moisture.
acetaminophen, dextromethorphan hbr, and phenylephrine hcl. granule, for solution
|Labeler - Quality Home Products (205554157)
Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided here is accurate, up-to-date and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. Drug information contained herein may be time sensitive. This information has been compiled for use by healthcare practitioners and consumers in the United States. The absence of a warning for a given drug or combination thereof in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective or appropriate for any given patient. If you have questions about the substances you are taking, check with your doctor, nurse or pharmacist.