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Since the elimination of the complicated Government application, Federal resumes have become the document of choice to land a Government position opening. Usually accompanied by KSA statements, Federal resumes are becoming so determinant in the Government hiring process that they sometime have more weight than interviews in the eyes of hiring managers.
It could be however a grave mistake to believe that you can utilize your regular resume to apply for Government positions. Not only is the format different when it comes to structure, length and content, but a Federal government resume must include all the details required by the vacancy announcement not following these guidelines will irremediably get you eliminated.
You should also include certain keywords, as Federal hiring managers utilize Resumix, a software that selects the resumes that will in fact be read. Once selected, your resume will then be scored according to Government Qualification Standards. It is as a result crucial to customize your resume to the announcement because the government is very strict when it comes to candidates closely matching the qualifications they need.
Also known as Knowledge, Skills and Abilities, a KSA or KSAO is a series of narrative statements that must accompany Federal resumes when applying to Government job openings. A determing factor in the hiring process, a KSA is usually rated using a point system, from 1 to 10.
Written in the first person, KSA's feature a series of 3 to 10 questions that aim at showcasing in details how your profile fits the requirements of the job opening.
Knowledge refers to an organized body of information usually of a factual or procedural nature which, if applied, makes adequate performance on the job possible.
Skills refer to the mental, manual or verbal manipulation of data, things or people.
Abilities refer to the ability to perform a mental or physical activity at the present time.
Because Federal resumes & KSA's are so specific, preparing them yourself will require several hours of fastidious homework, with the risk of not delivering a satisfactory document being high, which would disqualify you.
With years of experience, familiarity with the latest Government guidelines and the right certification in Federal resume & KSA writing, a professional writer will make this task easy. He will customize your resume to the job announcement and prepare the accompanying KSA's, which will assure that both documents are perfectly matching the job announcements.
Our Professional Government Resume Writers are specialized in Federal Resumes, KSA's and Government applications: Not only have our professional writers followed a specialized training on how to prepare Federal resumes and KSA's but they are fully familiar with the government hiring process so that your documents will comply with the vacancy announcement's requirements.
Our Professional Federal Resume Writers have more than 30 years of experience
Our Professional Resume Writers are certified through PARW, CPRW or NARW
Our Professional Resume service has a 93% success rate
Our Professional Resume service has a track record of helping more than 11,000 applicants get new jobs
See for yourself what our customers have to say: check out our success stories
In addition, your writer will assure that your resume document is grammatically correct and will include all the Federal buzzwords that hiring managers are looking for.
Here are a couple of the latest Federal resume and KSA testimonials we received (click here for more testimonials):
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"I did receive notification last week that I was chosen for the job...I thank you all for your hard work on my resume and KSA's."
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You will be assigned your own professional Federal resume writer with whom you will be in constant communication through a resume desktop that we specifically set up for you. Our customer service will also be available to help you, over the phone, by e-mail or through the desktop.
Your writer can tailor your resume to a specific job ad according to Federal qualification standards.
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Turn over time is 3 to 5 business days but a 12-business-hour rush order is available for an additional $69.95, if you need your resume sooner: Federal resumes and KSA's being such complex documents, you should make sure that you have at least 5 business days left to get your resume ready before the deadline (business days are Monday to Friday). However, if you need your documents very fast, ordering a rush is easy: just place the order for your resume & KSA's online. You will then get access to our online resume desktop through which you can contact customer service to get your 12-hour rush.
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Once your resume package is ready, we will email it to you for approval. Your writer might contact you for additional information if needed and will be happy to make any changes at your request.
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Have you or a loved one endured really serious personal injuries in an collision that took place through no fault of your very own? You can turn to the Law Offices of Casey D if so. Shomo, P.A. for assistance from the qualified Wellington accidental injury legal representative. Serious crashes are no laughing topic. They can also cost thousands-if not tens of thousands-of dollars in medical bills and lost income over the years, although they not only cause needless pain and suffering. Not only that, but the victims themselves aren't the only ones who suffer. Critical accidents could have a devastating effect on many members of the victim's loved ones, probably transforming their everyday life permanently. Lake Worth personal injury attorney
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Kenina - Arbore Tribe
Open Edition Prints: (£150.00)
483 x 329 mm
These prints aren't limited or signed.
Custom sizes available (see below).
Price excludes framing & shipping.
Signed Edition Prints: (£550.00)
594 x 420mm
These prints are signed but not limited.
Archival grade prints, done on 100% cotton 315 g/m² fine art Paper.
Custom sizes available (see below).
Price excludes framing & shipping.
Exhibition Edition Prints: (£3,500.00)
841 x 594mm
These prints are stamped, signed and limited.
Included is a certificate of authenticity made out to the buyer.
Archival grade prints, done on 100% cotton 315 g/m² fine art paper.
The print is mounted on an acid-free substrate to ensure the photograph remains flat regardless of humidity.
Double mounted.
Set in a box frame behind optically clear UV protective glass. The result is an image of exceptional quality, offering brighter colours, crisper details and no colour fade (storage and handling dependent).
Click to see an example.
Custom sizes not available.
Price excludes shipping.
Custom Sizes:
Photographs can be made up to 1.5 x 12 meters and come in the two variants; Open and Signed Edition Prints.
Open Edition - This option is available for alternative methods of framing where the image is permanently bonded to the substrate (e.g. Diasec, Plexi, Aluminium etc.). These are not signed.
Signed Edition - These are traditional photographic prints made using the finest archival grade papers. They are signed and intended for framing behind glass.
The prices are scaled up from £150 and £550 respectively, to the dimensions of your custom request, and exclude framing and shipping.
Feel free to contact me for a quote.
Additional Info:
All prints are made to order.
Your order will be shipped from Cape Town, South Africa. Tracking information will be issued as soon as the print leaves our studio.
If your order is damaged or missing, please contact us and we will do our best to rectify the issue.
If Freddie is travelling, your order will be fulfilled upon his return.
Sizes may vary slightly.


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Healthier Foodservice Options Available On Campus And At Work
Camden, N.J.-based Campbell Soup Co.'s North America Foodservice division brings its Campbell's Select Harvest 100% natural soups, its fastest growing soup line in 2009, to the foodservice market to address increasing demand in universities, offices and other non-commercial locations for more nutritious options.
Select Harvest soups include 100% all-natural chicken stock, tangerine tomatoes and sweet basil. Additionally, Campbell has added a lower sodium natural sea salt, which enables each Select Harvest soup to meet a healthy sodium level of 480mg per 8-oz serving.
People are trying to eat healthier, even when they are away from home," says Taly Salamon, manager of innovation and business development at Campbell. "Bringing our Select Harvest soups into foodservice allows us to offer more great tasting, 100% all-natural options to people eating meals away from home."
Suggested price for a case (each includes three 4-lb 100% recyclable plastic trays of soup) is $31 to $33.


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A total of 25 arrests were made amid scenes of violence before and after Leeds United's friendly against Eintracht Frankfurt, Salzburg police said today.
Three Leeds supporters, two police officers and two security staff needed hospital treatment as last night's match in the Austrian town of Eugendorf descended into chaos.
The local constabulary were forced to deploy riot police during trouble in Salzburg and Eugendorf prior to kick-off and fighting between rival fans at full-time.
Eintracht Frankfurt 2 Leeds United 1 - Whites given tough workout in the sun: Click on the link for Phil Hay's match report
A group of around 100 Eintracht supporters confronted United fans after the crowd spilled onto the pitch at the end of Frankfurt's 2-1 win.
Supporters from both clubs were arrested, including 17 from Frankfurt during those clashes.
Salzburg police said pepper spray was needed to control Eintracht's following in Eugendorf town centre after the game.
A police statement read: "At the square in front of the stadium, runaway Leeds fans were again attacked by the Frankfurt fans.
"Eventually the situation moved to the centre of Eugendorf where action was taken to stop the attacks, among other things a pepper-spray operation by the police."
Earlier in the day, police said "substantial problems" had developed when a bus carrying Frankfurt fans from Salzburg to Eugendorf was blocked after they refused to pay the fare.
Around 50 Eintracht supporters then "arrived on foot at the stadium and stormed the entrance", leaving two security staff hurt. Two police officers were also injured and a Leeds fan was attended to by paramedics in the car park after full-time, suffering from facial wounds.
Salzburg police have not said how serious any of the injuries are.
Supporter Neil Slinn, 53, was caught up in the violence and suffered minor injuries.
He told the YEP: "A few of us went over to applaud the Frankfurt fans. I was going to shake their hands. Then their ultras jumped over the (advertising) boards and started attacking us. Some were wearing balaclavas and we were outnumbered."
The police investigation is continuing and details of the offences have been passed to the prosecutor in Salzburg.
Have you downloaded our free YEP football app available on Android and iphone?
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE iPHONE VERSION OF THE YEP'S FREE FOOTBALL APP


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European-Beech-Forest-Network-Vilm-2017-0102.jpg – European Wilderness Society – CC NonCommercial-NoDerivates 4.0 International
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Sign the Petition for resilient forests
90 signatures
Open Letter to the German Ministry of Food and Agriculture
Federal Ministry of
Food and Agriculture
Minister Julia Klöckner
11055 Berlin
Dear Minister Klöckner,
The current situation of the forest in Germany is worrying. It is a forest crisis not only driven by climate change. The current crisis management of the forestry industry is backward-looking and harmful to the forest. The declaration announced at the meeting of ministers in Moritzburg can be described as a `Moritzburg declaration of bankruptcy´. We call on the state forestry industry to, instead of expensive rushed actions, finally carry out an expert analysis of its own work and to involve all stakeholders in this process. What is called for is a consistent departure from plantation forestry and a radical shift towards a management that treats the forest as an ecosystem and no longer as a wood factory.
On 1stAugust 2019, five forestry ministers of CDU and CSU-led states adopted a so-called "master plan" for the forest in Germany, which was affected by heat, bark beetles, fire and drought. As of 2020, the federal government is to make 800 million euros available as a reaction to climate change. This money is to be used to repair the damage caused, reforest the damaged areas and carry out `climate-adapted´ forest conversion – including the use of non-native tree species that have not yet been cultivated in the forest. Research should therefore focus on on tree species suitability and forest plant breeding in the future – keyword: `Climate-adapted forest of the future 2100´.
Remarkably, the damage caused primarily by the extreme drought of 2018 is attributed solely to climate change. Climate change is meeting a forest that is systemically ill due to the planting of non-native tree species, species poverty, monocultures, uniform structure, average low age, mechanical soil compaction, drainage etc. A healthy, resistant forest would look differently! The master plan emphasizes: sustainable, multifunctional and `active´ forest management remains indispensable – and thereby means that its unnatural state cannot be changed. Reference is made to the `carbon storage and substitution effects´ of wood products. The use of wood, e.g. in the construction industry, should be increased and thus the demand for wood should be further fueled – while knowing that the forest in Germany already cannot meet this demand. In fact, forest owners are suffering from poor timber prices due to an oversupply of trunk wood on the world market.
All these demands make clear: the current forestry strategy, which has been practiced for decades, should not change in principle. The concept is simple: cut down trees – plant trees. At best, the `design´ of the future artificial forests consisting of perfectly calculated tree species mixtures, that are believed to survive climate change without damages, can be changed. In all seriousness, the intention is to continue selling the public a so-called `future strategy´ to save the forest. This strategy seamlessly follows the model of a wood factory, that is met with general rejection and must be regarded as a failure in view of the coniferous plantations that are currently collapsing on a large scale. An essential part of the forests that have currently died is exactly the part that was reestablished in 1947 as coniferous monocultures on a much larger area than today. There is only one difference to the situation at the time: considerable amounts of money are to be made available from taxes for forest owners this time.
Climate change is progressing, and this, without a doubt, has massive impacts on all terrestrial ecosystems, including forests. To pretend that the last two years of drought alone caused the disaster is too cheap. On closer inspection, the disaster is also the result of decades of a forestry focused on conifers – in a country that was once naturally dominated by mixed deciduous forests. People do not like to admit that for more than 200 years they have relied on the wrong species of commercial tree (spruce) and have also created artificial, ecologically highly unstable and thus high-risk forest ecosystems. A whole branch of business has become dependent on coniferous wood. And now the German coniferous timber industry is on the verge of bankruptcy.
It would only have been honest and also a sign of political greatness if you and the forestry ministers in Moritzburg had declared: Yes, our forestry industry has made mistakes in the past, and yes, we are ready for a relentless analysis that takes into account not only purely silvicultural, but also forest-ecological aspects. Instead, you have confined yourselves to pre-stamped excuses that are already familiar to everyone and that lack any self-critical reflection.
Clear is: We finally need resting periods for the forest in Germany, which has been exploited for centuries. We need a new, ecologically oriented concept for future forest – not a hectic `forest conversion´, but simply forest development closer towards nature. This gives the forest as an ecosystem the necessary leeway to self-regulate and react to the emerging environmental changes. We need a systemic forest management that is no less profitable than the present one, but must be substantially more stable and resistant to foreseeable environmental changes. The aid for forest owners that all citizens are now required to pay through their taxes is only politically justified in the interest of common good, if the forests of the future that are being promoted by it, do not end up in the next disaster, some of which is produced by the forest management itself.
That is why the signatories request from the the Federal Government, and in particular you, Mrs Klöckner, a master plan worthy of the name:
On disaster areas (mainly in public forests!) reestablishment through natural forest development (ecological succession), among other things with pioneer tree species, is to be brought about. In private forests, ecological succession for reestablishment must be purposefully promoted. Larger bare areas should be planted with a maximum of 400 to 600 large plants of native species per hectare in order to permit ecological succession parallelly.
To promote ecological succession, the areas should no longer be completely and mechanically cleared; as much wood as possible should be left in the stand (to promote optimum soil and germ bed formation, soil moisture storage and natural protection against browsing). In private forests, the abandonment of use in disaster areas should be specifically promoted for ecological reasons and in order to relieve the burden on the timber market.
Regarding the promotion of reestablishment plantings in private forests: priority for native tree species (of regional origin); choose wide planting distances in order to leave enough space for the development of pioneer species. For the forests of the future: Minimize thinning (low-input principle), build up stocks through targeted development towards old thick trees, protect the inner forest climate / promote self-cooling function (should have highest priority due to rapidly progressing climate change!), prohibit heavy machinery, refrain from further road construction and expansion, permit and promote natural self-regulatory development processes in the cultivated forest and on (larger) separate areas in the sense of an compound system; drastically reduce the density of ungulate game (reform of hunting laws).
Like in the field of organic agriculture, which has been established since the 1980s, the crisis of our forests should be the reason today to transform at least two existing forestry-related universities. They should be turned into universities for interdisciplinary forest ecosystem management. This is a contribution not only to the further development of forestry science and silviculture in Germany, but also of global importance! The goal must be to produce wood through largely natural forest production and to start with it here in Germany, the birthplace of forestry.
Motto: SYSTEMIC FOREST ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT INSTEAD OF WOOD FACTORY
**your signature**


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ENERGY STAR certified dishwashers get your dishes clean while:
- Trimming your utility bills — A standard-sized ENERGY STAR certified dishwasher costs about $35 per year, to run.
- Saving gallons of water — A new ENERGY STAR certified dishwasher will save, on average, 3,870 gallons of water over its lifetime.
- Protecting the environment — More than 60 percent of U.S. electricity is generated by burning coal and natural gas, which releases greenhouse gases and other air pollutants into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change and air quality problems. ENERGY STAR certified dishwashers use less energy than conventional models, helping reduce air pollution and protecting the climate. By reducing water consumption, ENERGY STAR certified dishwashers also help protect our lakes, streams, and oceans. Find out more ways to save water and help protect our nation's water supply, below.
Advanced Technology
Dishwasher technology has improved dramatically over the last decade. New ENERGY STAR certified models include several innovations that reduce energy and water consumption and improve performance.
- Soil sensors test how dirty dishes are throughout the wash and adjust the cycle to achieve optimum cleaning with minimum water and energy use.
- Improved water filtration removes food soils from the wash water allowing efficient use of detergent and water throughout the cycle. The final clean-water rinse assures your dishes come out sparkling.
- More efficient jets use less energy to spray detergent and water over the dishes when cleaning.
- Innovative dish rack designs maximize cleaning by strategically situating the dishes.
Saving Water Helps Protect Our Nation's Water Supplies
Using water-saving techniques can save you money, and diverts less water from our rivers, bays, and estuaries which helps keep the environment healthy. It can also reduce water and wastewater treatment costs and the amount of energy used to treat, pump, and heat water. This lowers energy demand, which helps prevent air pollution.
It's not just the dry western areas of the country which need to be concerned with water efficiency. As our population continues to grow, demands on precious water resources increase. There are many opportunities to use household water more efficiently without reducing services. Homes with high-efficiency plumbing fixtures and appliances save about 30 percent of indoor water use and yield substantial savings on water, sewer, and energy bills. Start saving today.
Top Five Ways to Save
- Stop leaks. Check all water-using appliances, equipment, and other devices for leaks. Running toilets, steady faucet drips, home water treatment units, and outdoor sprinkler systems are common sources of leaks.
- Replace old toilets. The major water use inside the home is toilet flushing. If your home was built before 1992 and you haven't replaced your toilets recently, you probably could benefit from installing high efficiency toilets that use 1.6 gallons or less per flush. A family of four can save 16,000 to 27,000 gallons of water per year by making this change.
- Replace old clothes washers. Washers are the second largest water user in your home. If your clothes washer is old, you should consider replacing it with an ENERGY STAR certified clothes washer. Most ENERGY STAR clothes washers use four times less energy than those manufactured before 1999. To save more water, look for a clothes washer with a low water factor. The lower the water factor, the less water the machine uses. Water factor is listed on the Product Finder.
- Plant the right plants. Whether you're installing a new landscape or changing the existing one, select plants that are appropriate for your climate and use a suitable landscape and irrigation design. Consider landscaping techniques designed to create a visually attractive landscape by using low-water and drought-resistant grass, plants, shrubs, and trees. If maintained properly, climate appropriate landscaping can use less than one-half the water of a traditional landscape.
- Provide only the water plants need. Automatic landscape irrigation systems are a home's biggest water user. To make sure you're not over-watering, adjust your irrigation controller at least once a month to account for changes in the weather and install a rain shutoff device, soil moisture sensor, or humidity sensor to better control irrigation.
For more information on how you can save water, visit EPA's Using Water Efficiently: Ideas for Residences.
Current Specification Effective Date: January 29, 2016
Dishwashers originally earned the ENERGY STAR label in June, 1996. ENERGY STAR certified dishwashers are 12% more efficient than non-certified models and are more efficient than models that simply meet the federal minimum standard for energy efficiency.
Dishwashers Key Product Criteria: ENERGY STAR
What else should I look for when buying a dishwasher?
Check the yellow EnergyGuide label.
The EnergyGuide label tells you how much energy it takes to operate a dishwasher. Use it to compare the energy use of similar models and estimate annual operating costs. Learn How to Use the EnergyGuide Label.
Choose the right size for your home.
Standard-capacity models hold more than eight place settings and six serving pieces, while compact-capacity models hold up to that amount. If you have to operate a compact model more frequently, over time you may use more energy than you would with a standard model.
Choose a dishwasher with several wash cycle options.
If your dishes are only slightly soiled, you can use a light or energy-saving wash cycle, which uses less water and operates for a shorter period of time.
More Information:
Dishwasher vs. Hand Washing Dishes
If you still wash your dishes by hand, you're wasting more than just time.
Save money.
Washing dishes in a new ENERGY STAR certified dishwasher rather than hand washing can cut your utility bills by about $111 per year.
Save time.
Instead of scrubbing, rinsing, and drying each dish, just load them all in an ENERGY STAR dishwasher and press start. Using an ENERGY STAR certified dishwasher can save you over 230 hours of personal time over the course of a year. That's almost 10 days!
Get better cleaning.
ENERGY STAR certified dishwashers have features which result in better cleaning. For example, they boost water temperatures to 140 degrees, which allows for improved disinfection compared to hand washing.
Save energy and water.
Thought you were efficient? A new ENERGY STAR certified dishwasher uses about a quarter of the energy used when washing dishes by hand and saves more than 7,000 gallons of water each year!
Save the environment.
Because they use less energy, ENERGY STAR certified products reduce air pollution and greenhouse gases caused by burning fossil fuels. By reducing water consumption, they also help protect our lakes, streams and oceans.
Best Practices
Take advantage of these best practices to save more money on your utility bills.
Scrape don't rinse.
Rinsing dishes can use up to 20 gallons of water before the dishes are even loaded. Save yourself the rinsing - just scrape food off dishes. ENERGY STAR certified dishwashers and today's detergents are designed to do the cleaning so you don't have to. If your dirty dishes sit overnight, use your dishwasher's rinse feature. It uses a fraction of the water needed to hand rinse.
Load it up.
Dishwashers use about the same amount of energy and water regardless of the number of dishes inside, so run full loads whenever possible.


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Winery weddings are very romantic and can lend themselves to some beautiful photography (and an ample amount of wine!). The usual rolling hills and lush greenery of wine country provides the perfect backdrop for a dream wedding ceremony. You can take the reception inside and celebrate among the many barrels of wine where you can practice the adage to "eat, drink and be merry". Be sure to visit our planning article on wine country weddings!
Dianne and Chris had a romantic wedding at a winery in California Wine Country. They took advantage of the California sun with their outdoor ceremony and reception at Trentadue Winery. The couple took some romantic photos walking among the grapes as well as some fun shots with the bridesmaids and groomsmen! Check out our planning section to learn more about Wine Country Weddings!
One of our very own, Elizabeth, got married this past Fall in California Wine Country joined by friends and family (including her Bella Pictures family!). We thought we'd share some of the beautiful photos from her big day! Congratulations Elizabeth and Chris!
How they met: "Chris and I met for the first time at my sister's engagement party in 1998. Chris and my brother-in-law met in junior high school, and eventually ended up living together in college at Chico State where they became great friends with my sister. Nine years after our first meeting, we reconnected at a party that my sister and brother-in-law threw, and the rest was history."
The proposal: "With the help of some of my dear friends at Bella, Chris coordinated a scavenger hunt that sent me to a few stops in San Francisco, before boarding a ferry to Tiburon. He was waiting for me on the deck at our favorite restaurant, and first date spot, Sam's Anchor Caf' on bended knee!"
The Wedding: Elizabeth and Chris celebrated with 130 of their closest friends and family at the DeLorimer Winery in Geyserville, CA. "Both Chris and my parents live in Santa Rosa, so it seemed natural to get married in the North Bay and use Santa Rosa as a home base for our wedding weekend. Shortly after we were engaged, we started making weekend trips to the area to look for venues. One day while driving around the Alexander Valley visiting potential venues, we decided to take a break from our search to stop off at the next winery to have a glass of wine and talk about our possibilities. While standing at the bar in the DeLorimier Winery tasting room, we thought, this place feels good! The laid-back atmosphere (and the glass of wine!) were just what we needed, and our decision was made."
On Bella Pictures: " Since I had been working at Bella Pictures for several years, it was obvious that I would use them for my wedding photography. I was actually quite excited to move through our process as a bride instead of viewing it as an employee. I am proud to say I was the first person to check out on our eCommerce website! The whole process was so simple, which was very important considering all of the other tasks involved in planning a wedding! All of the pre-wedding planning from customizing my own package online, setting up a payment plan, rating my photos for the matching process and filling out my wedding planner were so intuitive. And the end result is by far the best part. Looking back, I can truly say that my photography and video were the most treasured items from my wedding. "
World Class Photography at
surprisingly Affordable Prices
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Comcast presented its case for its $45 billion takeover of Time Warner Cable, saying the deal benefits consumers and doesn't limit competition.
It filed hundreds of pages of documents with the Federal Communications Commission yesterday after filing a notice Monday with the Justice Department.
Today, Comcast Corporation executive vice president David Cohen testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee.
Comcast says the $45 billion takeover will allow it to boost Internet speeds for Time Warner Cable Inc. customers, provide better video on demand service and broaden its commitment to "Net neutrality" -- the idea that Internet providers should not discriminate against Web traffic.
Comcast says online alternatives have created competition in video, while there is at least one broadband competitor in almost all of its markets.
Comcast is the parent company of NBC10.


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Feel-Good Fashion: The New Black
Farm-to-table has begotten factory-to-closet. Companies are laying bare everything you could ever want to know about the making of your T-shirts and tote bags.
A FEW WEEKS AGO, Michael Preysman, the founder of fashion label Everlane, and his head of creative, Alexandra Spunt, went on a seven-day road trip through China to visit the factories where their silk blouses and cashmere sweaters are made. The purpose of the sojourn: to check in with their factories, and share their findings with customers via videos and photos to be posted on the Everlane website.
An earlier video series showing their T-shirt factory in Los Angeles had been quite popular with online visitors, said Mr....


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Recent News
April 16, 2013
Sterile Products Compounded, Repackaged, and Distributed by ApothéCure, Inc. Recalled
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services received information regarding a recall of all lots of sterile products compounded by ApothéCure, Inc. that are not expired to the user level. The recall is being initiated due to the lack of sterility assurance and concerns associated with the quality control processes.
These products were supplied to the offices of licensed medical professionals. ApothéCure's sterile products covered under this recall were distributed nationwide. The sterile products include all injectables with the clear message, "Independently tested for sterility," noted on the vials as well as the ApothéCure name.
The full recall can be found at www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm348094.htm?source=govdelivery.


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Many believe that one of the great things about sailing a Laser is how simple it is. There"s very little you can change or tweak about the boat – you just get in and go racing. One of the few things you can add to aid your performance is a Laser Wind Indicator.
Sure, adding a wind indicator won"t turn heads like a new Laser Sail, new Line, new blocks, or like Chris does when he goes out for a night on the town dressed up as "Christine". But, a wind indicator will alert you to deviations in the wind when they"re not always apparent and that can mean valuable points across the finish line.
With that in mind, I took a look at, and tested, the four most popular mast mounted wind indicators for the Laser to see how they stack up against each other. I also spoke with some local Laser gurus to get their tips on getting the most out of your wind indicator. I also spoke with Ryan Minth, creator of the C-Vane, about what sets his wind indicator apart from the others and how he uses it.
The wind indicators I looked at were, from the top of the picture to the bottom, the Davis Black Max, the C-Vane, the Kingfisher & the Little Hawk Mark II.
At first glance, all four of the wind indicators share some similarities. They all mount to the mast with a wrap around bracket and share a similar shape in terms of how the wind vane sticks out from the mast. The C-Vane does offer something new in terms of design with its dual arms – the other three have the same single L shaped arm.
For testing purposes I mounted them all to Aaron"s lower mast section and evaluated them in terms of responsiveness, weight, cost, mounting bracket construction and durability. Admittedly the last two were fairly subjective but I"ve tried to provide a lot of pictures so you can draw your own conclusions as well. As usual a disclaimer about the non-scientificness of our testing procedure applies here – I"ve done my best to evaluate these fairly but I"m only human so errors are possible and even likely. And so with that, on with the results….
|Rightside Up
|Upside Down
|Kingfisher (no longer available)
|Little Hawk MkII
|1.0 oz
|2nd (8)
|3rd (12)
|3.8 oz
|3rd (12)
|1st (4)
|Davis Black Max
|1.4 oz
|4th (14)
|4th (13)
As you see from our comparison, the Little Hawk MKII comes in as the lightest and the Black Max is the cheapest. Responsiveness was measured in two ways: with the wind indicator mounted right-side up (arm on the bottom) and right-side down (with the arm on top to protect the indicator from being flicked into the water by a passing mainsheet). Right-side up the Kingfisher and Little Hawk MKII faired well, but when they were upside down the C-Vane was clearly the favorite. The C-Vane was still right-side up though, as its design naturally sheds sheets, adding a little wrinkle to the results.
How We Tested (Warning Science "ish" Content)
To determine responsiveness I mounted all the wind indicators to the mast and tied it up inside the shop. Unfortunately, the purchase request I submitted for a wind tunnel with our Accounting Department was still "pending", so we had to make do with a fan.
I turned on the fan and slowly walked towards the mast, noting which indicators began to respond first. I rotated their positions on the mast and performed the test over a total of 4 times. I then repeated the tests with the wind indicators mounted upside down – except for the C-Vane which I left right side up because, once again, it naturally protects the vane from outside sheets.
After performing all the tests, I added up the scores for each wind indicator and determined rankings with the lowest total being ranked 1st. In parentheses next to the rankings on the chart above you can see the total score which gives you an idea how where they all compare to each. The C-Vane was clearly dominant in the upside down test with the rest sharing fairly similar results. Right side up both the C-Vane and the Black Max were a step behind the Hawk and Kingfisher.
The wind indicators started to move at around 0.5 knots of wind and all of them had responded by the time the wind speed was just 1.4 knots, so this wasn't exactly a high wind velocity test. I expect that responsiveness becomes less relevant the windier it gets so if you often sail where it's windy it may not be much of a consideration for you.
Right Side Up or Upside Down?
The argument about which way to mount your wind indicator is older than time itself (aka, Steve in Customer Service). Much like putting jam or butter on your toast, this is a matter of personal preference.
As evidenced by our tests, right side up gives you increased responsiveness – this makes a lot of sense because that's how these wind indicators were built to operate. The loss of responsiveness when the indicator is upside down seems to directly correlate to the construction of the vane itself (discussed in greated detail with each indicator below) and you"ll need to decide whether decreased performance in light air is worth the decreased possession of the indicator itself. If you really are worried about losing your indicator, mounting it upside down is probably going to be a better, more cost effective option for you than just avoiding other boats and starting in the 3rd row. Then again, Chris likes to start 3rd row all the time, and he doesn"t sail with a wind indicator at all.
Anyways, here"s a closer look at each of the four wind indicators with some brief conclusions about each.
Little Hawk MKII for Laser
Vane: The Little Hawk MKII vane mounts on a pin shaped bearing and is held on with a small black plastic bracket that snaps into the base of the vane. One downside of this system is that I expect it"s difficult to make these plastic pieces exact enough that the weight rests on the bearing and not the plastic bracket. Since I don't have x-ray vision I can't tell if it's really resting on the pin bearing inside the vane or not so your guess is as good as mine.
Mounting Bracket: The Hawk mount has a plastic bracket with a loop of shock cord that wraps around the back of the mast and hooks onto the other side of the bracket. You can see in the pictures above the small orange plastic tab that hooks it together(the middle picture is the "locked" position). The two black tabs are there to prevent the tab from flipping off through accidental contact.
The Good: The Little Hawk MKII is the lightest wind indicator of the four at only 1.0 oz and it"s also fairly inexpensive. It"s also pretty responsive, finishing a close 2nd in our right side up test.
The Bad: I think the Hawk has the worst mounting bracket of the group – the elastic attachment is the least secure of all the brackets and the material of the bracket itself is made of a fairly lightweight plastic. Overall it does not feel as secure or as durable as the other indicators. It also has a lot of wobble on the mast because the bracket is fairly narrow – if you tap on the wind vane it will bounce up and down more than the others.
The Conclusions: The Little Hawk MKII is a very lightweight, low cost wind indicator that is pretty responsive. You pay a price for the weight savings (which honestly are negligible) in terms of durability though. Overall I think this is probably my least favorite of the group.
Black Max Wind Indicator
Vane: The Davis Black Max vane spins on plastic bearings both above and below the vane. When right side up it sides on three small points for lower friction. This vane is the only one that comes already assembled and the top cap that holds it on feels very secure.
Mounting Bracket: The bracket on the Black Max is fairly sturdy plastic with some extra vertical tabs to keep it more secure on the mast. The shock cord clip hooks into a J-shaped loop in the bracket and the shock cord itself has an adjustable toggle. It allows you to tighten the shock cord to compensate for elongation with age or if you just want the bracket to be tighter.
The Good: The Black Max, the least expensive of the lot, has a solid, secure bracket that can be tightened down. The wind vane has a bearing on both the top and bottom making it nearly as effective upside down as it is right side up. The Black Max also comes assembled in a plastic tube that you can store the vane in to prevent damage from sitting in the pocket of a blade bag. According to Davis the tube is "unbreakable" – honestly, it says that on the package. While I think that's perhaps an overstatement it is really useful.
The Bad: The Black Max is not the most responsive wind vane we tested. It was the least responsive of the group in the right side up position and while it's fairly comparable to the others upside down it still finished last in that test as well.
The Conclusions: The Black Max is a great value – it is pretty durable and it while it's not very responsive it is about par with everything but the C-Vane if you mount it upside down. The storage tube is actually a very useful accessory since the indicators can be damaged in your blade bag if you're not careful. All in all I think it's a solid vane for a great price especially if you live in a windy area where the lack of responsiveness won"t matter as much.
C-Vane Wind Indicator
Vane: The C-Vane is obviously unique in many respects. The vane itself rests between the two ends of the metal support. There is a black plastic clip that connects the top and bottom supports and keeps them at the right width. I spoke with C-Vane creator Ryan Minth and he said the proper position for the clip is just aft of the vane – that way it keeps the distance at the tip at the proper 2.36 mm. The vane then sits in the gap between the metal rods and it actually spins on a point that"s molded inside the plastic vane. Ryan says this creates a very low friction vane because there"s no need for a plastic clip or retaining device that adds friction. The vane itself is also individually replaceable.
The C-Vane bracket is noticeably more substantial than the other indicators in our group. The bracket is about twice as tall as the others and is held on with a Velcro strap. The bracket itself is made of a flexible rubber material that is an upgrade from the original C-Vane bracket material. I"ve spoken with several people who had the bracket break on the original design (it used to be made of stiffer plastic that was somewhat brittle) but the more flexible design now offered is much more durable. The Velcro strap is available as a replacement part.
The Good: The C-Vane is extremely durable – the bracket is very strong and the Velcro should hold up better than the shock cord on the other designs. The availability of replacement parts is also nice. The upside down responsiveness test shows that if you"re worried about mainsheets hooking your indicator the C-Vane is the clear choice. Ryan told me that in the next model they are looking to refine the balance of the vane and use a more durable vane material developed by golf tee manufacturers – I can"t hit a driver to save my life so I don"t see a lot of tees but it sounds like a promising improvement.
The Bad: The C-Vane is the most expensive wind indicator as well as the heaviest. The extra ounce or two is hardly worth crying over though since that"s probably worth a couple spoonfuls of water in the cockpit. This vane wasn"t the most responsive compared to the other wind indicators in the right side up test.
The Conclusions: The C-Vane is my recommendation for the best all around wind indicator. It"s only real downsides are being slightly less responsive and more expensive. The expense is mitigated by the availability of replacement parts and I think once there"s any real amount of wind the responsiveness isn"t as much of a factor. The real stand out quality of the C-Vane is it"s durability – the mounting bracket is far superior to the rest. Particularly if you sail in an area where it"s generally blowing more than 10 knots the C-Vane is definitely going to be the way to go. If you"re tired of buying new indicators because you keep losing them off the boat this is also probably a good way to go.
Ok, so once I get a wind indicator how do I use it?
I talked with local Laser sailor Luke who works for Farr Yacht Design so I figure he knows a thing or two about wind and making boats go fast (he also happens to be very fast in the Laser). I asked Luke about how he uses his wind indicator and he offered a couple useful suggestions.
Both Ryan Minth and Luke mount their wind indicators so that they"re right in the line of sight between you and the waves in front of the boat. This can enable you to trim your sail without having to look up so you can stay focused on working the waves.
Luke also suggested that one of the best uses of the wind indicator is downwind both to determine whether you are by the lee or not as well as keep track of small shifts. I find that it"s easy to miss out on a shift and be sailing 5-10 degrees to high or low of by the lee because the feel of the boat remains similar. Having a wind indicator can help you catch those shifts and react faster to them. It"s also useful in light conditions upwind when Luke says the tell tales don"t respond as quickly as the wind indicator does to small shifts.
What does this all mean?
I think having a wind indicator on the Laser is definitely a benefit and will help you improve your sailing if you don"t already have one. If you do have one inevitably it will need replacement and I think the C-Vane is a great choice particularly because of it"s durability. The Kingfisher is a solid choice as well if responsiveness is paramount to you, but really only if you mount it right side up.
As always if you have any comments, questions or suggestions leave us a comment or send us an email.


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Love Doctor: Lenny Green
I'm not a star yet. I will say 'To who much is given, much is required.' I Take full responsibility in fulfilling my level of success. I am fortunate enough to be blessed with opportunities and I believe in sharing my blessings.
Ladies and Gentlemen I had the opportunity to ride the love train with Mr. Lenny Green from 98.7 kiss for The Black Star News. Trust me we were smooching –figuratively speaking—all night.
BSN: Join me as I get an exclusive with the love doctor himself.
LG: Listen I got what you need.
BSN: So Lenny how did you become a radio personality?
LG: When I went to college I was introduced to college radio station. I was overwhelmed by how it came together. Radio became my second love I hosted a Jazz show and the more I was on the air the more I became in love with the world of radio.
BSN: How has your life changed since you became a radio star?
LG: I'm not a star yet. I will say 'To who much is given, much is required.' I Take full responsibility in fulfilling my level of success. I am fortunate enough to be blessed with opportunities and I believe in sharing my blessings.
BSN: Well amen to that. What do you love the most about radio?
LG: The unpredictable because everyday is different
BSN: What are you doing that keeps your listeners glued to the radio?
LG: I believe in the art of romance and stimulation starts with the mind and radio is theatre of the mind.
BSN: Okay it's getting steamy. How do you unwind? Where does Lenny go what does Lenny do?
LG: The best way Lenny unwinds is if he can escape to an exotic place filled with tranquility and sensuality.
BSN: Mhmm. What plans do you have for this year and what should people look out for?
LG: Our Second Annual Lenny Green family Picnic in the summer in Brooklyn –it's about going home giving back and bringing family's together, communities together. After the family picnic we will be doing the Kissing After Dark cruise to different islands in the Caribbean—that's in August, and a yacht party in September. Also little other grown-and-sexy events will be coming up [on my website]. The site gives relationship advice and lifestyle tips. Also I am looking for writers for the site. Anyone interested can go to my site LennyGreen.com
BSN: What would you do if you were not on radio?
LG: I would be performing because my first love is singing I would probably do what I love the most about radio.
BSN: Will you sing something for me [laughing]
LG: [He sang a tune]
BSN: Okay, that's too much for my ears. Wow I would love to see you in a broadways show—you give me that feeling, have you ever performed on stage?
LG: You know I did off-Broadway. I had a part in "Mama I want to Sing� which was the longest running off-Broadway show and I have passion for acting. I've done a few independent films and I'm taking some acting classes so look for me on the silver screen.
BSN: What's the ugly side of radio and what should people interested in this look out for?
LG: Don't be fooled by the smoke screens—don't be fooled by the false image that the bossiness portrays. It's a business and should be dealt with as such. Don't be mislead by the glitz and glamour of the business.
To subscribe to the world's favorite Pan African weekly newspaper or to advertise please call (212) 481-7745. Send response to articles via firstname.lastname@example.com
Latest comments
- Ann GarrisonFebruary 22,2018 @ 08:03 PM
I think you have "Filtered HTML" turned on here. If you switch to "Full HTML," it will probably...
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BP Comment Quick Links
February 8, 2013
The BP Wayback Machine
2003 PECOTA Preview: The American League
While looking toward the future with our comprehensive slate of current content, we'd also like to recognize our rich past by drawing upon our extensive (and mostly free) online archive of work dating back to 1997. In an effort to highlight the best of what's gone before, we'll be bringing you a weekly blast from BP's past, introducing or re-introducing you to some of the most informative and entertaining authors who have passed through our virtual halls. If you have fond recollections of a BP piece that you'd like to nominate for re-exposure to a wider audience, send us your suggestion.
It's been a decade since the first time PECOTA projected team performance at BP in the piece reprinted below, which was originally published on March 19, 2003.
The PECOTA system acknowledges that there is a wide range of variance intrinsic to any set of forecasts. What's more, there's no reason to expect that this variance will be unrelated to the team that a player toils for. On the contrary, there are myriad anecdotal examples of entire teams who routinely fall toward the top or the bottom of their forecast range. Under Dusty Baker, the Giants have consistently gotten more production than would reasonably be expected from a set of thirtysomethings. Under Leo Mazzone, the Braves have consistently turned waiver wire fodder into good or even great bullpen arms.
Indeed, it's possible to conjure up an argument like that for just about every team, and some of the time, you won't even be BSing. Translating player projections into team forecasts is an exercise that caters mostly to the left side of the brain; you're sure to see some more creative solutions in the coming days as we publish the BP author forecasts, crazed opium dreams like the Cubs taking the pennant. I have myself deviated from the HAL 9000 version in quite a number of cases. Nevertheless, we've never had anything quite like PECOTA before, and it's worth seeing what it has to say.
A quick outline of the methodology used here:
OK, that was about as quick as an Arvydas Sabonis crossover dribble. But never mind; it's time for the fun stuff.
AL East
Team W L BA OBP SLG RS ERA RA ------------------------------------------------------------------- Yankees 109 53 .272 .364 .478 986 3.91 688 Red Sox 104 58 .275 .351 .457 914 3.83 673 Blue Jays 80 82 .264 .337 .442 838 4.84 846 Orioles 69 93 .245 .311 .396 674 4.51 788 Devil Rays 57 105 .250 .314 .391 674 5.29 923
New York Yankees
One-hundred and nine wins is the sort of gaudy number that will cause Bud Selig to wake up drenched in his own sweat. The Yankees get on base so darn well that they'll produce plenty of long rallies, and very possibly approach 1000 runs. Sure, our projection for Hideki Matsui is optimistic (.285 BA/.423 OBP/.572 SLG), but we know a thing or two about how to interpret Japanese stats, and he's filling a slot in the batting order that was a black hole last year (or more precisely, a Rondell White Hole). Moreover, the Yankees lineup was inefficient last year, scoring about 30 fewer runs than you'd expect from the MLV formula. Some of that was due to Joe Torre's stubborn insistence that Alfonso Soriano (.291/.325/.520) is a leadoff hitter--a mistake that he might well replicate this year--but even so the Yankees are likely to get more bang for their buck.
PECOTA expects the Yankees' pitching to be about where it was last year. There's plenty of depth to go around, and Mike Mussina (200 IP, 3.51 ERA) and Roger Clemens (170, 3.54) have the peripheral numbers to suggest that they'll be better than a year ago. Jose Contreras is the one player in the league that we don't have a reliable projection for; I've penciled him in at a 4.00 ERA in 120 innings, which looked conservative a month ago, but much less so after a shaky spring training. Truth is, the Yankees might not need him.
Boston Red Sox
The pitching projects to be the strongest in the league by a toenail. Derek Lowe (170, 3.54) isn't likely to match his production from a year ago, buoyed as it was by an absurdly low hit rate on balls in play that won't be there with Todd Walker replacing Sanchez up the middle. But Pedro Martinez (200, 1.97) is the best pitcher in the league by an astounding margin, and there's adequate depth both at the bottom of the rotation and in the bullpen. If the league plays out as PECOTA thinks it will, Theo and company will have a fascinating decision come September: rest Pedro for the post-season with the wild card firmly in hand, or go for broke and gun for a division title that would end five long years of Yankee hegemony?
Toronto Blue Jays
That said, there are some pessimistic projections in the bunch. Frankie Catalonotto (.285/.356/.413) isn't expected to get his power groove back, and the catching position doesn't have any obvious solution. Roy Halladay (190, 4.33) has about the nastiest projection for him that you're likely to see, the product of a home run rate that PECOTA expects to rise, as well as the last remains of his 2000 campaign that it really doesn't know what to do with. I'd be inclined to take the over on the wins total, but I expect that J.P. Ricciardi will have begun to unload the team's remaining veteran talent by the All-Star break, bringing in young talent for a future season in which the old guard looks a little more vulnerable.
Baltimore Orioles
Tampa Bay Devil Rays
AL Central
Team W L BA OBP SLG RS ERA RA ------------------------------------------------------------------- White Sox 86 76 .265 .335 .452 850 4.56 797 Twins 84 78 .268 .330 .429 799 4.39 768 Indians 67 95 .252 .325 .407 732 5.04 879 Royals 64 98 .262 .327 .416 762 5.47 951 Tigers 55 107 .244 .313 .381 647 5.21 913
Chicago White Sox
The Sox offense should be good for 200+ home runs again, setting off plenty of fireworks over the Dan Ryan Expressway. If there's a guy that pushes the offense from good to great, it's more likely to be Carlos Lee (.278/.353/.485), he of the great second half, than Frank Thomas (.255/.371/.481). The upside of the pitching staff is limited, as the bottom three slots in the rotation will be filled by youngish hurlers who look more like adequate organizational players than top prospects; but in the weakest division in baseball, that might be enough.
Minnesota Twins
It's the pitching staff that is the greater concern. All of the pitchers in the starting rotation carry some baggage with them--Rick Reed's (150, 4.65) age, Brad Radke's (140, 4.15) hammy, and so on. Although he didn't pitch up to his ERA last year, the acquisition of Kenny Rogers (150, 4.66) makes for a good hedge against those risks, even if it did cause Scoresheet owners everywhere to run screaming over Johan Santana's (130, 3.78) temporary removal from the rotation. The bullpen is good, but not likely to receive the same inspired 2002 performances from the likes of J.C. Romero (70, 3.92) and Tony Fiore (70, 4.36). Add it all up and PECOTA expects the Twins to give up 50 or 60 more runs this year, and the division title in the process.
Cleveland Indians
Still, one of the advantages of an exercise like this is that it provides a check against unrealistic expectations, and the Indians have more than their share of problems. PECOTA is pretty confident that Milton Bradley (.248/.320/.378) doesn't have the power to be more than a fringe player, and the pitching staff behind C.C. Sabathia (190, 4.38) is patched together with strings and duct tape. There's a lot to like here, but it would be easy to expect too much too soon from a smart organization, as a lot of us did from the Padres last year.
Kansas City Royals
Detroit Tigers
Nor is the Tiger pitching staff likely to provide much relief. These were the bottom five pitching staffs in team strikeouts last year:
Team SO ------------------- Detroit 794 Kansas City 909 Colorado 920 Pittsburgh 920 Tampa Bay 925
It wasn't even close. The Tigers struck out nearly 100 fewer batters than the next team from the bottom, which doesn't bode well for soft-tossers like Mike Maroth (150, 5.30) and Andy Van Hekken (150, 5.48). Like a 15th seed from the Sunbelt Conference, the Tigers' biggest advantage is that they have nothing much to lose, whether it means trading Maroth or Van Hekken if and when he gets hot, giving Munson his best shot at third base, or staying patient with Franklyn German (50, 4.96) as his command flutters in and out.
AL West
Team W L BA OBP SLG RS ERA RA ------------------------------------------------------------------- Mariners 90 72 .265 .341 .410 788 4.02 705 Athletics 89 73 .258 .333 .426 788 4.05 710 Rangers 83 79 .264 .335 .456 858 4.78 833 Angels 82 80 .266 .328 .421 781 4.41 772
Seattle Mariners
But the Mariners are still a good team. I'd rather have seen them add a power hitter, but the addition of Randy Winn (.273/.341/.412) should give them one of the best outfield defenses in recent history. Bret Boone (.270/.329/.460) wasn't quite as good as in 2001, but he's no fluke, and PECOTA thinks he's Jeff Kent Lite. Jamie Moyer (200, 3.48) takes advantage of his context as well as any pitcher possibly could, and many of the comparables on his list aged with surprising grace. Arthur Rhodes (60, 2.21) might be the best reliever in the league. Greg Colbrunn (.280/.344/.471) might be the most overlooked acquisition of the winter, and looks like a smart hedge against a decline in performance by Edgar. Because the starting lineup is old, there aren't many breakout candidates among the bunch, but if the A's and Angels both fall back to earth, slow and steady could win the race.
Oakland Athletics
Still, there are several reasons to think they'll finish closer to 90 wins than 100. The A's finished seven games ahead of their Pythagenport record last season. Miguel Tejada (.281/.335/.487) isn't likely to have quite as good a season, especially if he's older than his listed age. Billy Beane is counting on Chris Singleton (.262/.298/.396) to improve the outfield flycatching--something that PECOTA's simple team defense adjustment hasn't accounted for--but he's going to create a drag at the bottom of the batting order.
Most important of all are the Three Aces, each of whom is forecast for a drop in performance this season. Barry Zito (200, 3.67) is the best of the bunch, but he was hit-lucky last year. PECOTA expects Mark Mulder (190, 4.21) to be more vulnerable to the long ball. Tim Hudson's (210, 3.87) strikeout rate has declined in each of the last two seasons, and was no better than league average last year. They're fine pitchers, all of them, but counting on all three to pitch as well as they have been is risky business, even before getting into the question of injuries.
Texas Rangers
The arguably neurotic Buck Schowalter will have plenty of scabs to pick at. His biggest decisions revolve around offense vs. defense up the middle. I'm inclined to agree with Joe Sheehan that a good center fielder is a must in Arlington; with the exceptions of Ugueth Urbina (60, 2.91) and possibly Chan Ho Park (160, 4.68), the Rangers don't have many pitchers who will thrive without it. Replacing Mike Young (.251/.305/.376) with Blalock at second, on the other hand, might be worth a couple of wins, as could riding Todd Greene (.249/.286/.448) for all that he's worth.
Anaheim Angels
Each of those factors are taken into account in one way or another in the projections; both the offense and the pitching are expected to regress, and PECOTA thinks the Angels will play .500 ball.
I don't mean to dismiss the Angels' success from a year ago; in a league that has become increasingly dependant on working pitchers deep into the count, the Angels may gain a profound comparative advantage from swinging early. In a league that has become increasingly dependent on acquiring expensive free agents, the Angels have won with their own talent and cost-effective acquisitions. Their approach led to a championship last season, something that will never be taken away from them. It wouldn't surprise me if they continue to defy expectations. But the weight of statistical evidence is against them.
Nate Silver is an author of Baseball Prospectus.
3 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
This Orioles fan is glad 2013 is not 2003.
Feb 08, 2013 18:53 PM
Maybe Matsui just needed an adjustment season. He nearly met that projection in '04.
Feb 09, 2013 10:53 AM
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This demonstration shows participants how to set up an exam in the Pollock Testing Center using the Canvas Learning Management System. Participants in this demonstration learn how to apply recommended and optional quiz settings.
This Training on Demand can be delivered online via Zoom or in-person as a 1 hour demonstration session.
This session focuses on the features available in Microsoft Access 2016, a relational database program. You will learn the location of commonly used tools and be introduced to how context-specific tools aer used to manage a database. You will also explore features for creating and managing data in a table, query, form, and report.
This hands-on training session will focus on creating and modifying queries using related tables within Microsoft Access, a relational database program. Various types of queries will be introduced. This workshop will also cover advanced query functions, such as aggregate totals and calculated expressions. A professional manual will be provided in this workshop.
This hands-on training session will focus on the basic skills necessary to begin using Microsoft Access, a relational database program that allows for efficient storage and management of large collections of information. This course will cover basic features and functions, such as building a table, defining properties, and creating queries, forms, and reports within Access. It will also introduce database concepts. A professional manual will be provided in this workshop.
A brief guide to getting started with Box at Penn State (online and printable).
A brief guide to using Box for Office Online integration, online document editing, and real-time collaboration.
Discover how to leverage the features of Box to upload, organize, and manage your personal content in this interactive demonstration session. Find out how to give people different levels of access to your content with Box's sharing and collaborative features, and discuss ways others are using Box to share and collaborate at Penn State.
In addition to the main Box Web interface at http://box.psu.edu/ , Box has several other apps and access options that offer different features for accessing, sharing, and collaborating on your content. Download this table and use it to help you decide which options will meet your needs.
This hands-on workshop will help participants get started using Box for sharing and collaboration. Participants will be guided through the steps for sharing content via link, setting up collaborative folders, organizing content for effective collaboration, and using Box's communication tools within a collaborative workflow.


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Anna Netrebko
It is rare for an artist to break through the boundaries of classical music stardom and gain wide recognition as an authentic operatic diva, but Anna Netrebko has achieved that and more. In a recording career stretching little more than a decade she has not only seduced the classical world with the beauty of her voice, her superb vocal control and supreme musicality; she has also become an iconic figure. Anna Netrebko is not just a grand diva but a woman with personality and charisma whose vivacious style and dazzling stage presence receive as much attention as her musical artistry.
Netrebko first started pulses racing with a triumphant Salzburg Festival debut in 2002 as Donna Anna in Mozart's Don Giovanni, and has since performed with nearly all the world's great opera companies. Major venues have played host to some of her greatest triumphs. In New York she made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 2002 and has since returned every season to perform all her signature roles.
In 2011, she opened the Metropolitan Opera season to rave reviews as Donizetti's tragic Anna Bolena. In her second consecutive season opening in 2012 she was irresistible as Adina in Donizetti's comic gem, L'elisir d'amore. In 2013 she returned to New York as Tatyana in Eugene Onegin and was back in 2014 with Macbeth ‒ proving her unique status as "diva assoluta" of the Metropolitan Opera. Her New York performances have been seen by audiences around the world as part of the Met's "Live in HD" cinecasts.
In Vienna ‒ her home since applying for Austrian citizenship ‒ she first sang the title role of Anna Bolena at the Vienna State Opera, a performance that has been captured on DVD. In 2011 she made her company debut at La Scala in Milan singing Donna Anna in Don Giovanni. In 2012 her memorable Mimì in La bohème won praise from critics and audiences alike. Since then she has sung in Britten's War Requiem at the Mariinsky Theatre and at the Salzburg Festival, made her role debuts as Verdi's heroine Giovanna d'Arco at the Salzburg Festival and as Lady Macbeth in Verdi's masterpiece at the Bavarian State Opera.
Highlights of her current season include her portrayal of Mimì opposite Joseph Calleja's Rodolfo in La bohème at Covent Garden (her June 10 performance will be broadcast to cinemas across the UK and Europe); her return to the title role in Anna Bolena in Vienna and Zurich; and she returns to the Met in early 2015 to star in a new staging of Tchaikovsky's Iolanta, co-starring Piotr Beczala and conducted by Valery Gergiev. The production will be broadcast Live in HD on Valentine's Day.
In concert this season Netrebko sings Verdi and Verismo arias at Barcelona's Palau de la Música Catalana, performs selections from Macbeth with the Orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, gives recitals at the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Colorado, in Mexico City and Guadalajara, sings Strauss's Four Last Songs with the Orchestre National de France, revisits the role of Iolanta on tour in Lucerne, Copenhagen, Monte Carlo, and London, and sings a gala concert at Salzburg's Whitsun Festival.
To have come so far in so little time is remarkable, and Deutsche Grammophon has been with her every step of the way. On her journey Netrebko has sold more than 4 million recordings on the Yellow Label. Since the 2013 release of her first solo studio album in over five years – Verdi, featuring a superb collection of arias under renowned Verdi specialist Gianandrea Noseda – she has appeared in recordings of Eugene Onegin, Giovanna d'Arco and Il trovatore. New to the catalogue is a stunning new recording of Strauss's Four Last Songs with Daniel Barenboim conducting the Staatskapelle Berlin (including Ein Heldenleben) and in early 2015 she stars in a recording of Tchaikovsky's Iolanta, one of opera's most enigmatic figures.
Netrebko's extensive discography includes bestselling solo albums ‒ Sempre Libera, Russian Album, Souvenirs, In the Still of Night, and Anna Netrebko: Live at the Metropolitan Opera ‒ and many operas, including La traviata, Le nozze di Figaro, La bohème, and I Capuleti e i Montecchi. Highlights from her videography include DVD or Blu-ray discs of La traviata, Le nozze di Figaro, I puritani, Manon, Lucia di Lammermoor, Don Pasquale, and Anna Bolena; plus a DVD of music videos, titled Anna Netrebko: The Woman, The Voice. Her CD Duets, with tenor Rolando Villazón, set a record for the best European debut ever for a classical album, climbing to the top of the pop charts in several countries.
Among the honours and awards of Anna Netrebko's meteoric career are Grammy nominations for her recordings Violetta and Russian Album; Musical America's 2008 "Musician of the Year"; Germany's prestigious Bambi Award; the UK's Classic BRIT Awards for "Singer of the Year" and "Female Artist of the Year"; and nine German ECHO Klassik awards. In 2005, President Vladimir Putin awarded her the Russian State Prize, the country's highest award in the field of arts and literature; in 2008 he gave her the title "People's Artist of Russia". 2014 she was named "Female Singer of the Year" by ECHO Klassik.
Anna Netrebko was born in 1971 in Krasnodar, Russia, and studied vocal performance at the St Petersburg Conservatory. She auditioned for the Mariinsky Theatre, where she was spotted by Valery Gergiev, who became her vocal mentor. She made her operatic stage debut at the Mariinsky, aged 22, singing Susanna in Le nozze di Figaro. One year later she made her American debut at the San Francisco Opera.
After her Metropolitan Opera and her breakthrough performance at the Salzburg Festival in 2002, the following 12 years saw a remarkable story of successive artistic triumphs around the world. In 2008 she gave birth to a baby boy. Motherhood reinforced her strong empathy for children, which was already an integral facet of Netrebko's character, and resulted in her becoming an ambassador for SOS Childrens Villages and finally setting up a charitable foundation for children in need in 2012.
In 2014 she sang the Olympic Hymn live at the internationally televised opening ceremony of the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, further widening the reach of a classical singer whose musicality is second to none but who also has mass appeal as a truly rounded character; a woman of the world. Her variety of interests all contribute to her musical artistry and provide insight into Netrebko's ability to immerse herself so deeply in a role, whether tragic or comic. It is easy to see why Gramophone declaimed: "When I hear Anna Netrebko sing, live, I don't want her to stop . . . Remember the days of rapturous standing ovations, when the sound of a singer's voice would really drive people wild? That's the kind of voice Netrebko has . . . She is also a stage animal . . . she is fuelled by sheer talent and instinct . . . I'd take Netrebko over anyone out there, any time."
Source: Deutsche Grammophon


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The director spent years following Diane and her brood around Brooklyn, and the film's casual narrative encompasses two and a half years of the household's troubled existence. Diane has brought her five living children back under one roof - her eldest son Charles, with three years of college under his belt, committed suicide after finding his mother's habit and the chaotic home life that arose from it too much to bear - but has discovered that she hardly knows them. This is particularly the case with her 18-year-old daughter Love, who is HIV-positive and mother to a baby boy named Donyaeh, also infected with the disease. Love's years in foster and group homes have turned her into an angry, petulant child, desperate for love and comfort but quick to shut out the world when things seem too overwhelming. As a result of her baby's HIV status, Love is able to get a subsidy for public housing, allowing Diane and the kids to move into a larger apartment in Flatbush, and for a time it seems to Diane that life has finally gained some semblance of hope and normalcy. But Love's mothering skills are in short supply, and Diane's frustrations regarding her daughter's maternal negligence spill out during a therapy session. Soon, the cops have arrived to take Donyaeh into foster care custody while Love is charged with parental neglect, thus throwing not only the mother-daughter relationship into disarray, but also the family's housing situation.
Continue reading: Love And Diane Review
After nearly thirty years since his first solo record Mark Lanegan has just released one of his very best and there's not many artists who can claim...
American Thighs was released on this day in 1994.


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Wheat meat! No need to spend a ton of money or time on seitan. This method is simple and delicious.
But before we begin, let's address some of the seitan pitfalls. The biggest mistake made by young, aspiring seitan makers is boiling instead of simmering. Boiling is great if you're trying to create fake brains, but for all other purposes, a gentle simmer will create the tender chunks of seitan that are perfect for slicing and sauteeing.
Which brings us to the next rule of seitan, which is to always gently sautee the seitan in a little olive oil before adding it to recipes. Seitan that has only been boiled tastes okay, but for great texture – crisp on the outside, tender on the inside – a 5 minute saute is all you need. Using a cast iron pan to saute will score you even more points, because it gives the slices great charred flavor, too.
Oh, one last thing: I've changed the directions and ingredients a bit to make it foolproof, so if you've made this recipe before please give the directions a scan before proceeding.
1 cup vital wheat gluten flour
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 cup cold vegetable broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated on a microplane grater
For the simmering broth:
4 cups vegetable broth
4 cups water
1/4 cup soy sauce
Fill a stock pot with the water, broth and soy sauce, cover and bring to a boil.
In the mean time, in a large bowl mix together gluten and yeast. In a smaller bowl mix together broth, soy sauce, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. Pour the wet into the dry and combine with a wooden spoon until most of the moisture has absorbed and partially clumped up with the dry ingredients. Use your hands and knead for about 3 minutes, until it's an elastic dough. Divide into 3 equal pieces with a knife and then knead those pieces in your hand just to stretch them out a bit. Let rest until the broth has come to a full boil.
Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer. Add the gluten pieces and partially cover pot so that steam can escape. Let simmer for 45 minutes, turning occasionally. Turn the heat off and take the lid off, let sit for 15 minutes.
Remove from broth and place in a strainer until it is cool enough to handle. Slice and use as desired.


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League of Legends - Ahri
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BERWICK, Maine — The Sullivan School Housing Associates agree to tear down the addition of their affordable housing project on School Street, which is in violation of the Planning Board's originally-approved site plan.
The agreement, made possible by a consent decree, will ultimately dismiss any legal actions regarding the project currently pending at York County Superior Court. Overall, three lawsuits brought against the Town of Berwick by Sullivan School Associates will be dismissed as a result.
"This consent decree is a huge win for Berwick," Board of Selectmen Chair Bart Haley said Tuesday night. "The removal of the eight 3-bedroom units at 1.5 children per bedroom saves the town over $100,000 per year in SAD 60 costs ... for 75 years. We also avoid the cost of litigating these cases further which was estimated to save $50,000 to $100,000 over the next 9 to 18 months with no guarantee of yielding similar results."
The controversy surrounding the addition has typically centered around three primary areas that violated the approved site plan. First, the building addition — as constructed — exceeded the footprint previously approved by the Planning Board. Second, the inclusion of three-bedroom units in this addition was never actually approved by the Planning Board. Third, the site included an additional paved area and parking spaces in an area that includes where the playground was located and approved.
Although the project will now proceed based on the original footprint designated by the Planning Board, three relatively minor alterations to the approved plans will take effect.
One of these alterations will include the removal of two parking spaces and an additional paved area located in the parking lot's southernmost corner. These features, which were included based on additional bedrooms that will no longer be constructed, will instead allow workers to build the playground in its original location.
Second, Sullivan School Associates must carve out a five-foot opening within an island separating the exit lanes on School Street. This modification will allow pedestrian access through the island.
Third and lastly, an internal parking lot esplanade must be removed and three parking lot lights must be repositioned.
"We had no question as to where the townspeople stood regarding the desired outcomes of our negotiations with the Bateman's on your behalf," Haley stated. "We were also very careful not to step on the toes of our Planning Board, understanding and respecting their autonomy and authority in Land Use matters."
According to the consent decree, which was signed into effect by a District Court judge on Wednesday, Sullivan School Associates were to submit a building permit application — including revised architectural plans for the building's addition — to Berwick's Code Enforcement Officer no later than November 28, yesterday.
The CEO will evaluate these revised plans to determine whether they conform to applicable building codes and the terms of the consent decree. In the event the permit application is denied, the CEO shall specify what issues still need to be resolved by no later than Friday, November 30.
Following the issuance of a building permit, Sullivan Associates have 60 days to make the footprint of the building addition conform to the revised plans.
Apart from the addition, Berwick's CEO has already opined that the existing building satisfies all applicable life and safety codes and is ready for occupancy. With the issuance of the decree order, Berwick must issue certificates of occupancy for all residential units in the existing building.
Lastly, Sullivan School Associates have also been ordered to pay the town $25,000 for land use violations relating to the building's addition. "Such payment shall also be in full and final satisfaction of any claims for legal or other professional fees incurred by the town in connection with the alleged land use violations through the date of this order, as well as fees relating to the implementation of this order," the decree states.
Additionally, Sullivan Associates must pay $8,818.19 to the Town of Berwick for fees incurred during a recent Planning Board review of a proposed amendment to the original site plan.
The consent decree has resulted in a highly-favorable outcome for the town in a project that has generated great controversy since the two sides began initial talks back in 2008. "Congratulations Berwick, and thank you to the many concerned citizens who sacrificed so much time and effort to make this outcome possible," Haley said in his closing comments.
Berwick housing project must tear down addition after violations to site plan in
BERWICK, Maine — The Sullivan School Housing Associates agree to tear down the addition of their affordable housing project on School Street, which is in violation of the Planning Board's originally-approved site plan.


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A city-sanctioned report detailing demolition costs for the historic Reid & Hughes building on Main Street has mobilized a preservation group determined to see it salvaged.
A city-sanctioned report detailing demolition costs for the historic Reid & Hughes building on Main Street has mobilized a preservation group determined to see it salvaged.
On Friday, officials released an April 18 cost analysis done by Norwich-based CLA Associates. It lays out three options for partially or completely razing the 193-201 Main St. landmark, ranging in price from $797,000 to preserve and restore its façade to $574,000 to tear it down.
"We certainly are concerned that this seems to be a path some in city government seem to be regarding as a valid one," said City Historian Dale Plummer, who is also chairman of the Norwich Heritage Trust, which is meeting Monday at the Buckingham Memorial to review the CLA study. "We're pretty committed to seeing this building saved."
Plummer led a successful effort to save the Wauregan Hotel after the City Council used a similar study to target it for demolition in 1999.
Plummer was also a member of the Reid & Hughes Planning and Development Committee, which dissolved on March 18 after securing a $7.1 million bid from Fairfield-based architectural firm Becker + Becker Associates in April 2012 to renovate 132-year-old former department store.
The company wants to upgrade the site in a project that would bring 21 apartment units, plus 8,500 square feet of retail space on the ground floor.
To help pay for the work, Becker + Becker says it would need nearly $1 million from the city, including an $800,000 bond to cover costs and qualify it for state grants. The firm is also asking for $100,000 through a city code improvement grant approved in November 2010 as part of a broader $3.38 million downtown revitalization package.
Constructed in 1869 and added to in 1898, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, making a developer eligible for state and federal tax credits that could pay for up to 30 percent of any rehabilitation.
Mayor Peter Nystrom said the City Council is expected to discuss CLA's findings in executive session on Monday during its first meeting of the month. Officials spent $9,800 for the study, with the money coming out of the public works department's budget.
"As far as I'm concerned, we have to do what's best for the city. Coming to that choice is going to be very difficult," Nystrom said.
The city hasn't seen any tax revenue on the property since the 1960s, but is spending about $8,000 annually on liability insurance.
According to CLA, it would take five weeks for complete demolition of the property, at a cost of $574,000.
Alternatively, between $797,000 and $636,000 could be spent either to remove and store the building's unique cast-iron façade or restore and strengthen it.
Nystrom, who supports the preservation of Reid & Hughes, has clashed with the planning and development committee over Becker's proposal, because it would not put the building back on the city's tax rolls.
However, he said, he does not consider CLA's report as a foreshadowing of Reid & Hughes's demise.
"Our goal is to save the building, but you can't ignore the reality when you look at the numbers," Nystrom said. "If you keep taking building off the tax list, but have to subsidize those non-taxable properties with city services, that's not right."
Plummer said the destruction of Reid & Hughes will darken the prospects of long-term downtown economic development.
"It would just create an unsightly hole in the downtown," he said. "Restoring the building, getting people living there, having retail activity adds life and helps the downtown revive."


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South African Under 19s will take part in their first tour of CWLand and their first overseas tour since the Youth World Cup in Sri Lanka. A lot of pressure will be the South African, after a disappointing World Cup, where they failed to make it past the group stages.
CW on the other hand will be looking to build on successful series against England and New Zealand in past 12 months. But many supporters also felt that CW have underperformed recently considering the large number of Under 19 players playing FC cricket.
Both side will have a lot to prove in these inaugural 3-match YODI and Youth Test Series.
- 7 October in CW Oval,
- 9 October in Fardin Qayyumi CC
- 10 October at Pickford Reserve.
Youth Tests
8th Dec - Only Youth Test v Zimbabwe, Harare
11th Dec - 1st Youth Test v South Africa, Petoria
15th Dec - 2nd Youth Test v South Africa, Potchefstroom
18th Dec - 3rd Touth Test v South Africa, Benoni


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Browse the Amazon AppStore from Your Kindle Fire HD
You can buy apps for your Kindle Fire HD by using the Amazon Appstore. This store is full of apps written especially for devices that are based on the Android platform, including Kindle Fire HD.
Android devices may have slightly different operating systems, and therefore not every app will work on every device.
Follow these steps to explore the world of apps:
Tap the Apps button at the top of the Home screen to enter your Apps library.
Tap the Store button.
(Optional) At the top of the store is Today's Free App of the Day; tap this option to download a free app to your device.
You can get a different free app every day; just be sure you don't clog your Kindle Fire HD's memory with free apps you're not really going to use.
Tabs along the top of the Store include
Best Sellers: This tab displays the best-selling apps in the store, including Top Paid, Top Free, and Top Rated Overall.
Games: Tap this tab to see featured game titles. Across the top of the Games section of the store are tabs such as Action, Arcade, Casual, Puzzles, and All Games.
New Releases: Tap this tab to see recent releases across a variety of categories. This is a great way to browse what's been added since your last app shopping spree.
All Categories: If you want to see all available categories, tap the All Categories tab to access categories ranging from Photography and Real Estate to Podcasts and Travel.
For new releases related to your interests, scroll down the Appstore home page and view the Recommended for You and New for You list of apps you might enjoy based on your other app purchases.
When you display a category of apps, note that you can tap the Refine button to sort the apps by several criteria such as Release Date or Price Low to High in the Sort feature, New Releases, Average Customer Review, or Price.