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Washington, D.C. – -Today the House of Representatives approved a financial services package bill that contained a setback for open data reporting at the Securities and Exchange Commission. Rep. Robert Hurt's Small Company Disclosure Simplification Act, included within the Encouraging Employee Ownership Act of 2015 (H.R. 1675), would require the SEC to exempt most public companies from reporting their financial statements in the eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) format.
"If H.R 1675, with the Small Company Disclosure Simplification Act within it, becomes law, the SEC will be forced to collect most companies' financial statements as outdated documents," said Hudson Hollister, executive director of the Data Coalition. "Rep. Hurt and other supporters are quite correct that the SEC has not managed the open data reporting requirement effectively – but the proper response is to fix the quality of the data, not go back to documents."
For the first time, the House allowed supporters of open data reporting to offer amendments. An amendment offered by Rep. Darrell Issa to reduce the scope of the Small Company Disclosure Simplification Act to exempt only newly-public companies failed by a narrow 221-194 margin, with scores of Democrats and 21 Republicans breaking ranks with Rep. Hurt to join the Issa amendment and support open data reporting. An amendment offered by Reps. Keith Ellison, Carolyn Maloney, Jared Polis, and Michael Quigley to entirely remove the Small Company Disclosure Simplification Act from the package bill failed by a wider 247-173 tally.
"We commend Reps. Darrell Issa and Keith Ellison for offering amendments to preserve open data reporting at the SEC," said Hollister. "In January 2015, last time the Small Company Disclosure Simplification Act came before the House of Representatives, we had only one Republican vote in favor of open data reporting. This time we had 21. Next time we'll win."
As the amendments were under debate, the White House announced that President Obama would veto the bill if passed by the Senate: "Open data disclosure systems benefit investors, issuers, and the public, increasing transparency of publicly traded companies by making their filings more easily accessible. Impeding regulators' ability to use 21st century technological tools to regulate markets and protect investors is contrary to the SEC's mission."
About the Data Coalition
The Data Coalition advocates on behalf of the private sector and the public interest for the publication of government information as standardized, open data. Open data enhances accountability, improves government management, reduces compliance costs, and stimulates innovation. Representing a cross-section of the technology industry, the Coalition's membership includes market leaders such as Workiva, RR Donnelley, Booz Allen Hamilton, and CGI Federal and growing start-ups such as idaciti and CBeyonData. For more information, visit datacoalition.org.


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Sarykamys invites very few tourists to its land. This city is connected to many popular cities of Kazakhstan. Sarykamys has a limited number of tourist attractions which one can visit. Below is the list of tourist cities which one can visit from Sarykamys, the distance between cities and time taken to travel from Sarykamys to other cities. Total population of Sarykamys is 4038. Add Sarykamys to your travel plan and view the virtual travel map being create on the right. Read some authentic reviews of Sarykamys and also share you experience of your stay.
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Many cities are accessible from Sarykamys. We have selected the most popular tourist cities that you can visit after Sarykamys. Based on number of days in hand for vacation these cities have been listed and can be added to your travel itinerary by selecting "Add to Trip" displayed on the right of each city name.

subset: commoncrawl


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Classes for ages 3 to adult
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Classes for ages 3 to adult
Karate, MMA and Capoeira Classes for Kids and Adults
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this place is awesome. Great staff and location. Best martial arts place in town. Won 3 best of awards in a row. They also have an awesome summer camp. Prices are not cheap though
Personal Training & Group Fitness
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Family Karate & MMA Training
Family Karate & Kickboxing
Resolute Martial Arts and Family Fitness is the largest facility of its kind on the Emerald Coast. We offer character building Karate classes for the whole family, and Fitness Kickboxing for teens and adults. We are also a great alternative to the "tradtional gym" in that we offer Boot Camps and Personal Training in a fun, positive, and motivating atmosphere! Resolute is the home of Ultimate...
Family Karate, MMA, Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai
Offers Karate, MMA and Capoeira for kids and adults.


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The year after we graduated Junie went to Paris and I became a boy. These were the things we dreamed about during long summer days spent lying in the grass beneath her dorm window and we were proud of ourselves, then, for seeing them to fruition.
But then tonight she says that I was always a boy. She says that's why she fell in love with me.
I say: you never fell in love with me, and she just stares. Her apartment is small, and less colorful than I think it should be. She's placed a plain blue scarf over the coffee table, a few photos to hold it in place. There isn't a bookcase; her books all live on one small shelf in the corner and I squint across the room, hoping to recognize any of them. An oversized clock hangs in one corner: an heirloom, an afterthought. A wineglass sits half-empty on a stool by her chair.
Remember your old place? I ask, and still, she just stares. Remember the night you said that this is where we'd be, ten years from now? That night in the basement at Andy's, who was it that asked?
And I looked at you and said I'd be living in a little apartment in a big city, and you'd be sleeping on my couch.
That night.
You laughed, she says.
I hoped to be somewhere other than the couch.
You were a poet.
You were the poet.
I was the fortune-teller.
She holds up her palms and looks into their secrets. I know most of the men she's been with, or know of them; we've kept in touch over the years. We used to imagine that our correspondence would be worth something and wrote old-fashioned letters on borrowed credit that we hoped to cash in on someday, in leaner times that we couldn't actually imagine. She sent me a postcard once. It came wrapped in cellophane from the Louvre and I wanted to frame it. I was reading Hemingway and stuck it in three-quarters of the way through. It may still be there.
So you wanna get out of here?
Where to?
There's a little place a few blocks down. More than just Sam Adams on tap.
Sounds like a winner.
It's not even that the night is too cold, but it hits my wrists and everything goes red for a moment. I should have dressed better.
Want to borrow a coat?
No thanks.
I'm sure I've got one that would fit, in the closet somewhere.
No thanks. I like it. Really.
The air deadens everything. Our words just hit it, and then they fall. We could be underwater. I wonder what she'd do if I pushed her into that snowbank, there. It could be a car, hidden underneath. It could be anything. I reach out to feel, but can't bring myself to plunge in my hand. Later, when I think about tonight, I'll regret that.
She takes her hands out of her pockets. She isn't wearing gloves. I wonder if I should take them in my own, but they look so warm. She'll always be taller than me, in her heels. I stretch my shoulders and wish I were wearing something less. I can't imagine that people bother to work out, here, but I've only visited during the winter. Just add another layer: instant gym time. We pass a group of teenagers and I search their clothes for some sign of place, some sense of grounding, but they're all dressed identically in puffy coats and jeans. They look loud, still, and I envy them that.
So what do you wanna do?
The bar?
She shakes her head and speeds up. She puts her hands back into her pockets. No, I mean, while you're here. What do you want to see?
I've seen Boston.
She bumps me with her hip. Not with me, you haven't.
True enough. I'm still looking straight ahead. I can see our words there, and I reach out to catch those.
It's pretty, isn't it?
It is.
Suddenly I can see our whole lives playing out before us: ice crystals like tea leaves falling into the muddy slush at our feet. Later she'll put me to bed on the couch – how many times did she do that – no, we'll stumble into her bed. We'll grow warm there in the dark, and she'll reach out to touch my chest. I did love you, she'll say.
Do you remember reading…
Calvino? Cosmicomics? In bed that night? You were so gone.
If this were a movie, I think, I'd pull the book out now. I'd have it in my back pocket – folded and worn – the ghost of a flower marking the place where we'd fallen asleep that night, still warm from that Texas day when we bought it. Warm from my own life.
That's the one, I say.
"I had fallen in love. What I mean is: I had begun to recognize, to isolate the signs of one of those from the others, in fact I waited for these signs I had begun to recognize, I sought them, responded to those signs I awaited with other signs I made myself, or rather it was I who aroused them, these signs from her, which I answered with other signs of my own . . ."
She doesn't really quote Calvino. We walk. Both wishing we could, I hope.
Yes, later she'll reach out and touch my cyborg chest. She'll ask if it hurt. Next week she'll want to watch while I inject myself with testosterone. These things, I expect. This girl, I know. But what about after, when she wakes at noon and wants a lobster-tail from Mike's Pastry? Tomorrow we'll go to Cheers; a joke, a cliché. We'll laugh and drink, but what happens when we've eaten our fill and all of our stories begin with remember when? Who is she when those stories are done?
I bought a puppy once.
Oh, two-three years ago.
No name.
You should have named him.
What what?
What should I have named him?
William Barkner.
Okay. I had a puppy a few years back. William Barkner.
Not Sir William Barkner?
I shake my head. William Barkner. He loved sleigh bells. And strawberries.
Sleigh Bells, the band?
Nope. Just sleigh bells. Stayed up all night one Christmas.
Weird. The bar is just ahead.
I'm good.
Still up ahead, either way. Are dogs even supposed to eat strawberries?
He did. He was afraid of my bathroom.
Who'd you kill in the bathroom?
I stop and wrinkle my nose, remembering.
You remember that guy from physics?
Who always talked over the professor?
Good. He deserved it.
Johnny Allsup.
She stops to pose, and for a moment she's him, Johnny Allsup, and I'm sitting in the back of a classroom, next to her, in the little junior college just outside of the town we grew up in, trying to stifle a giggle. "No relation to the small-town Texas Allsup's gas station franchise," he'd say, she says. She laughs then, tilts her head in my direction. God, that guy was a douche.
That's right. No relation. Still carry his ID around, I say.
I reach for my back pocket.
Got it right here. Good old Johnny Allsup. Sir William couldn't stand him.
I pull my wallet out and she walks in front of me; she puts her left hand on my right wrist. Her coat is orange, a summer color. She'd know what to call it. I remember when she was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. I would have said anything to make her love me. She was wearing these little shoes. They were turquoise. Not little, she'd say. Big feet. She smiled every time I spoke. I didn't deserve that. I look down now, at the color of her shoes, but it's too dark to see.
I just wanted to keep it, I say, to remind myself that no matter how old we all got, good old Johnny Allsup would still be twenty-two. Whole lives ahead of him.
Stop. Just stop. Jesus Christ.
Sure you don't want to see it?
You don't. You don't have that.
Sure I do. How do you know unless you look?
I won't remember how this night ends. Tomorrow we'll be bashful, or she'll be angry and I'll be quiet. She'll sit on the corner of the couch and we'll watch old movies until she wants to talk. I'll leave my jeans on the bathroom floor so that she can go through my wallet. She'll stand there with it cupped in her hands, in that little subway-tiled room that's still muggy from our showers, and open it to find my ID. My Texas driver's license. She'll wipe the condensation from the mirror to look at her own face and then she'll look down at mine again. She'll take it out – just to feel the weight of something so slight, there against her fingers. And beneath it she'll find the old one tucked. You're supposed to get rid of them, when you get a new one. New address, new name, new gender: it doesn't matter why. I'll never ask her where it went.
"Some days it seems to me that the transgender community must face the final frontier of social justice discrimination in America: a people so misunderstood and maligned that many don't even recognize certain truths about themselves for much of their lives. I believe in fiction's power to illuminate truth, and I believe in truth's power to change our world. Not much serious literature has been done in the trans* community, and I think that's a shame; everyone deserves to look out over the literary landscape and recognize themselves in it."
Jake D. Sauls currently lives and writes in Texas. His poetry and prose has been seen recently in or is forthcoming from Bellevue Literary Review, Bloom Journal of Queer Arts, and the corner stall at the local pub. He is currently completing an MFA from The University of Arkansas at Monticello and edits gravel magazine (www.gravelmag.com).


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Hi there!
I'm afraid that the page you are looking for is out on a crafting break.
If you let us know which page it was, we promise to make sure they are back on duty ASAP.
To head back to the home page, click on the logo right at the top of the page.


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Communication plays a very significant role in changing paradigms, especially in this digital age. In this speech, which I delivered at the Silliman University College of Mass Communication, I shared how I used my background in the field of communication to advocate for people with bleeding disorders.
I am an advocate for people with bleeding disorders.
In 2007, our youngest daughter Star and I were diagnosed with von Willebrand Disease (Type 2M), a rare bleeding disorder also known as pseudo-hemophilia. It is an inherited disorder that impacts the blood's ability to clot properly. As a group, bleeding disorders like vWD and hemophilia are rare.
For a long time, it was believed that bleeding disorders only affect men. But in 1926, Finnish pediatrician Erik Adolf von Willebrand, discovered a different type of bleeding disorder that equally affects men and women.


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Manchester United look set to smash sponsorship records as negotiations with Nike over a new kit deal begin next February; and a fee for a new year ten-year contract could be worth a staggering £1billion- dwarfing the £303million, 13-year deal that expires in 2015.
United chief of staff Ed Woodward, has a sixth-month window of talks with Nike and indicated that the club are looking for a 'major increase' from the American sportswear giant.
It is the latest example of the club's commercial prowess and how they can squeeze every penny possible out of prospective sponsors, using their global appeal as a successful bargaining chip.
The club will also have new shirt sponsors from the 2014-15 season, with States car manufacturer Chevrolet agreeing to fork out £52million a year to have their logo emblazoned across the chests of Rooney and Van Persie et al; and take the place of Aon.
Sharp were the longest-running shirt sponsors of the club in a partnership spanning 17 years from 1983 to 2000; when Vodaphone took over the deal worth a comparatively measly £8million a year in today's crazy financial climate.
That figure has gradually risen from the £14.5 million that AIG paid between 2006 and 2010, before Aon's £19.6million fee.
It seems that no other club in the Premier League can compete with United's commercial success, as Chelsea have one of the next most lucrative deals with Samsung- worth a more modest £18million a year.
When investigating as to why United are so far ahead of the rest, one would have to go back to 2008, when the club reorganised its commercial department so they could target deals from all over the world.
It is based in London, with Woodward and commercial director, Richard Arnold also identifying individual media and telecom deals to further expand the Manchester United brand.
This has been demonstrated when the club saw the possibility of enormous growth in South-East Asia, as a deal was struck with Beeline; a Vietnamese telecommunications company that would distribute United content across Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. The club's fan base in Vietnam alone is estimated at 16million, while the number is a staggering 192million across the Asian continent.
But perhaps the most striking deal of them all concerns the training kit sponsorship with logistics company, DHL; a four-year deal being worth £40million, exceeding the previous shirt deal with Vodaphone.
Chief Executive, David Gill said the deal broke new ground in English football and he is not wrong. How many other teams could convince prospective sponsors to dish out that sort of money for rights over training kit?
The agreement is reportedly more expensive than all but five of the main shirt sponsors in the Premier League and illustrates how United are in a class of their own when it comes to making money.
But with United making all this all extra cash, many supporters are left fuming by the escalating ticket prices and how the money is being used to pay off the huge amount of debt from the Glazer takeover.
The Manchester United Supporters Trust recently made a statement regarding the issue of sponsorship since the Glazer takeover, claiming they would like to advise sponsors that their money is not going to be invested into the club and will instead be used to pay off the Glazer debt.
It also stated how any prospective sponsorship fees would be plundered into a failing business empire, with very little if any money being re-invested into the team.
This led to the announced boycott of all Manchester United products back in August, which many hoped would act as a wake-up call to the Glazers that without fans' buying power, the Manchester United brand will cease to exist.
However, taking the proposed Nike deal into account, it appears that this supposed boycott is having few far-reaching effects; with many brands including GM Chevrolet still seeing the club as a huge brand.
One suspects that many of United's fans from the far flung locations of Far East Asia or the Middle East will care little about the Glazer ownership and see the club in a much more superficial light.
The sponsors will see these regions of vast wealth and technology as the main money-making areas; and where their partnership with the Manchester United brand will be fully utilised.
They will also consider the fact that United have been a great success since the Glazer takeover, with four Premier League titles and a Champions League trophy flowing into the cabinet since their arrival.
Calls to boycott products by sponsors of the club are well-intentioned and admirable, but Manchester United and its partners are simply growing increasingly out of touch with the club's core supporters.
You can follow me on twitter: @JamesHilsum


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Conaglen House and Tigh Beag
Luxury Accommodation
A choice of luxury accommodation in either Conaglen House, sleeping up to 18 people, or the new modern cottage, Tigh Beag, sleeping up to 8 people.
Conaglen Estate extends to over 40,000-acres of breathtaking Scottish West Coast scenery and encapsulates the traditional images of a Highland Estate.
Traditional Highland Lodge
The Estate offers a wide range of facilities. Conaglen House provides an ideal location for a family or sporting holiday, corporate entertainment or even a remarkable wedding venue and the property enjoys all of the charm of a traditional Highland lodge, with the anticipated high standards of interior decoration, facilities and furnishings.
The Estate is located 13 miles from Fort William, 88 miles from Inverness Airport and 95 miles from Glasgow Airport.


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The most important thing in any believer's life is their own relationship with Jesus. As we seek to walk down this road together, we must be connecting with Jesus in a personal way. Reading and studying His word, praying, seeking Him in all we do, and living our lives for His glory.
Here are some resources to help you grow in your personal walk with the Lord:


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Christmas disappeared in a bit of a blur for us but at least the flood waters subsided.
Although we were left with a pile of stuff to sort out. It had all been stored in the garage and now the time has come to find new homes for all of it.
Fortunately, very little was damaged but sorting through the bags and boxes was a trip down memory lane. I found my wedding dress (yes, I crocheted it - it was the 70s) - and found it hard to believe that I was ever that slim.
I crocheted this baby shawl when I was pregnant with my first son, most of it was done during the many long weeks I spent in hospital before his birth.
And my wonderful sister, Maureen, knitted this baby jacket. Maureen's husband was very ill at this time but I think she liked having some knitting to do while she spent time with him at hospital.
7 Day Sale
1 day ago


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Saturday, February 26, 2011
Doctrinal Statements, Academic Freedom and the CAUP
Ironically, CAUT's position appears to rest on a predetermined conclusion that doctrinal statements force employees to reach predetermined conclusions. As James McGrath put it last week, signing a doctrinal statement "essentially forces you to choose between following the evidence where it leads and keeping your job" (see the comment thread for additional nuancing). What CAUT has apparently not done is inquire whether this is a necessary function of a doctrinal statement.
For my part, I don't find that a Christian confession has the effect of specifying which conclusions one is or is not allowed to reach. I view the creed, or doctrinal statement, or what have you, as a framework, a starting point, part of the preunderstanding that everyone necessarily brings with them when they encounter a text. Update: I've tried to discuss how this can work in relation to Historical study of the Bible here.
I am required to affirm a doctrinal statement every year. If I could not agree with the doctrinal statement I would not have applied for the job. If I ever stop agreeing with it, my job will be on the line. The decision was and is voluntary. Some institutions may brandish their doctrinal statements or hire an underground thought police; mine does not. I do not think that, in my day-to-day work, adherence to a statement of faith determines the outcome of careful investigation any more than other social, financial and other pressures may prejudice the work of scholars in "secular" institutions.
Update: See part 2 here.
11 comments:
- Mike Gantt said...
Professors who are hired by secular institutions must virtually sign an unwritten statement of political correctness (a statement of faith). At least the evangelical institutions are upfront about it by putting their statements of faith on paper for everyone to see.
- February 26, 2011 at 4:29 PM
OTOH...I can't disagree that doctrinal statements don't determine what can be said and in what way one can say it (note the metanarrative behind my use of negatives to make this comment, distancing myself from too direct a statement lest "they" are watching...). I recall a fairly recent post in your blog on the firings of both Bruce Waltke and Tremper Longmann III for offhand making fairly commonplace scholarly comments in contexts of Christian higher education. All to say: A university context certainly doesn't enable "neutral" scholarly work, but I'd agree that a faith-based one severely restricts simply "following the evidence"...
- February 27, 2011 at 12:00 PM
(I meant to say that I can't disagree that doctrinal statements don't NOT determine what can be said...Missed a negative!)
- February 27, 2011 at 1:42 PM
- Isaac Gross said...
What's the potential fallout from their disapproval? Funding? Partnerships with secular universities?
- February 27, 2011 at 4:57 PM
- d. miller said...
Isaac, as far as I know the schools CAUT is investigating are not members of CAUT and CAUT is a union that has no official clout. (I could be wrong.) Here's a quote from the Hamilton Spectator:
Allen suspects there are underlying interests at stake and what CAUT is trying to do is "drive a wedge between these Christian universities and any and all other public institutions."
"It's a message to provincial governments: Why are you funding them? Why are you subsidizing tuition for these places? It's very political."
- February 27, 2011 at 9:00 PM
- d. miller said...
Jeromey, Bruce Waltke was fired; Tremper wasn't. (Were you thinking of Peter Enns?)
As to your main point, I realized after I hit "post" that I was thinking in terms of overall atmosphere and academic research. Of course my context affects what I say and how I say it--but more on that in another post.
- February 27, 2011 at 9:05 PM
At least part of the problem is the underlying notion that academic freedom involves the responsibility/freedom of personal autonomy where personal autonomy is understood to mean freedom from any other authority than unaided human reason.
- March 1, 2011 at 10:48 AM
- carol said...
Is there currently government funding for religious schools or is it an argument to make sure a no funding policy continues?
- March 1, 2011 at 10:54 AM
- d. miller said...
Glenn: Thank you. Agreed. ...I try to talk around freedom from and freedom for in part 2.
Carol: I don't know enough to be able to clarify here. Does anyone have more information on the financial implications?
- March 1, 2011 at 2:30 PM
- Casper said...
I have no problems with doctrinal statements but have big problems that state funding is used to pay for this, whether directly or indirectly (grants etc) - this does happen in the UK although the number of institutions are small.
- March 8, 2011 at 4:52 PM
- d. miller said...
Do you mind explaining why, Casper? As far as I can tell, the question of funding is not explicitly an issue with CAUT, and for good reason: Religious post-secondary institutions in Canada often already receive federal funding. To take one example I am familiar with, Trinity Western University has the Canada Research Chair in the Dead Sea Scrolls.
- March 9, 2011 at 1:08 PM


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Geek Trivia
Which Rock Star's First Professional Appearance Was On A Star Wars Christmas Album?
Answer: Jon Bon Jovi
Performing artists get their starts in the most unlikely of places, but in the case of rock star Jon Bon Jovi, that unlikely place is so unlikely it's probable you'd never in a million years outright guess it.
The first professionally produced album Bon Jovi appeared on was none other than the 1980 Star Wars Christmas album, Christmas in the Stars. Bon Jovi makes an appearance, billed under his birth name John Bongiovi, as the lead vocalist in "R2-D2 We Wish You A Merry Christmas."
Despite how we might view the album from the present, it sold remarkably well–during the 1980 Christmas holiday, 150,000 copies of the album flew off the shelves.


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A Final False Start
Of course. We set out to record an awesome last podcast and the sound didn't even go out over the stream. We eventually started over once we found out, but I managed to piece back together the false start open to our big podcasting curtain call.
Thanks to everybody for all the support over the years… WE LOVE YOU.
Follow us on Twitter:


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Excellent example of this classic synth, supplied serviced, guaranteed and with choice of voltage - all voice chips replaced...
Excellent example of this classic synth, supplied serviced, guaranteed and with choice of voltage – all voice chips replaced with Analogue Renaissance parts for future reliability.
Temporary photos, full set to follow.
Comes with an original Roland hard case.
NOTE: This synth is awaiting service and will ship within 15 working days of purchase. Price includes the fitting of a new 120 or 240v transformer (synth is currently 100v).
The Juno-106 is a classic Roland analogue polysynth and was used extensively on Daft Punk's Random Access Memories album, Tame Impala's Lonerism, and many many others besides – it's an easy synth to program and can still hold its own against more modern pretenders…
For sale fully serviced with Analogue Renaissance voice chips fitted, power supply re-capped, all sliders and pots cleaned, switches replaced as needed. Factory presets restored and all functions tested.
CONDITION: Excellent condition with only very minor signs of age or wear to the face. See photos for more information on cosmetic condition.
For sales in UK/EU the price will include VAT. VAT-free sales are possible to businesses and individuals in the EU (outside the UK) with a valid VAT Number – please get in touch if you wish to buy this way.
Video from the Q&A session we did on the Grampian and Soundgas Type 636 units, plus an update on the Soundgas 636 build. Also Jane Weaver!
PUBLISHED: 29th Oct 2019
We're running live sessions on Tuesdays at around midday-1pm GMT. These are the videos of the first two on Space Echoes and Binsons.
PUBLISHED: 16th Oct 2019
We stand behind our gear with a guarantee of your satisfaction - see the FAQ section above for full details and buy with complete confidence.
When buying more than one item you only pay the shipping on the item with the highest shipping cost. Calculated automatically at checkout.
Get in touch via the contact page. We know & love our gear and we want to ensure you get something that matches your needs (that, and we just like talking gear).


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<< South Shore Dawn >>
Palms on the shore line - young, healthy palms - they just exude life like no other.
I don't know what it is about young palms that turns me on.
There is an archetype of palms along the water that I was after in this piece.
This image is available as a Collectible Miniature Print.
Matted Miniatures are open edition prints, hand signed by the artist and framed in a beautiful 8" x 10" solid Hawaiian Koa wood frame.
Giclee prices shown below are for the unframed print and include insured UPS shipping within the USA. Please call for foreign shipping prices.
South Shore Dawn is available in the following sizes:
All images are available unframed, gallery wrapped, or in a 1, 3, 5, or 6 piece furniture grade solid Hawaiian Koa wood frame with either linen or silk liner. Liners come in off-white, gray, or blue. The outside framed dimensions can be calculated from the image dimensions as follows: a 1 piece frame adds 1 inch to the overall framed dimension, a 3 piece frame adds 8 inches, a 5 piece frame adds 10 inches, and a 6 piece frame adds 12 inches. Please call or email and we will be happy to provide images to help you get the perfect frame style.
For more information about Curtis Wilson Cost's work, please call us at
808-878-6544 or toll free at 1-800-810-2678, or use our contact form.


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Pattern list here -- PATTERN LIST -- for mobile phones and others having problems with my site (I'm planning to revamp it soon, I promise).
And also... VESSEL PATTERNS! Right now they can only be found on the pattern list linked above. They will eventually appear on the revamped sites, plus stay tuned for more designs.
I'm Julia. I reside in Baltimore City where I can usually be found in my basement beading, knitting, writing, designing patterns, illustrating, building websites, woodworking or any other number of creative endeavors.
I began beading in the late 1980s and never looked back. About 15 years later I realized that it was possible to combine this passion with my training in graphic design and technical illustration to teach others, which I do through my books, patterns, and occasional workshops.
I like to spend my time with my wonderfully musical husband, our two amazing children, a dog, and two cats.


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McAllister Olivarius is representing graduate students Nefertiti Takla and Kristen Glasgow in a Title IX lawsuit against UCLA for its handling of their sexual harassment complaints against Gabriel Piterberg—an eminent history professor and graduate student adviser. The Daily Bruin, the daily newspaper at UCLA, recently wrote an editorial on the case, holding that "it's evident UCLA has failed to create a campus where students are safe from faculty members' advances."
After our clients' initial consultation with then-Title IX coordinator Pamela Thomason, Piterberg was given a punishment equivalent to "a slap on the wrist." He was suspended from the university, but only during a term he spent as a fellow at the European University Institute—an appointment that won him accolades from the University. Though he paid a fine and participated in a sexual harassment training session, Piterberg was allowed to return to the university to teach and, as the Editorial Board writes, "was allocated certain protections" as a tenured faculty member "which prevent the University from taking permanent action."
The Daily Bruin Editorial Board concludes by criticizing UCLA for exhibiting a "startlingly low standard" in handling sexual assault suspects, perpetuating a dangerous environment for students like our clients.


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Here at Willy Street Co-op, we are privileged enough to have access to quite an education on food politics. Long before terms such as "local" and "organic" came into vogue in the national discourse, our membership and staff have been giving them real meaning by transforming ideology into practice—into habit, even.
However, we can all improve upon the degree to which we put our money where our mouths are; that is, here in Wisconsin. So on to the topic of eating locally, I thought I would begin to address the biggest challenge expressed to me by our membership, which is eating locally out of season. This article is the second in a series, each of which will outline one way in which we can overcome obstacles to eating locally in Wisconsin all year long.
As someone who took the Eat Local Challenge in October of last year, I will tell you that it becomes increasingly difficult to eat inspired and varied meals once the local season is done here. (My previous article on my experience with the Eat Local Challenge is available here: http://www.willystreet.coop/article/678 ) For those of you unfamiliar with the Eat Local Challenge, it is a commitment I took for one month last year to eat foods grown and produced only in Wisconsin or within a 150-mile radius of Dane County, which includes parts of Illinois and Iowa. Let me just say that I loved the opportunity, but I grew tired of eating so much meat, cheese, and root vegetables. Luckily, I had an advantage. One critical component that made the Eat Local Challenge sustainable for me was something I did long before October's arrival. In fact, it is something I do every year throughout the summer months in anticipation of the long and inevitable Wisconsin winter—home food preservation.
Over the course of the last ten years, canning and preserving have helped me to extend the season so that I am able to eat locally even in the dead of winter! Much to my disbelief, however, many extremely kitchen-savvy customers I encounter regularly express a deep intimidation when it comes to canning and home food preservation. Many believe that you must be a gardener in order to can and preserve your food; others just think it is too complicated or dangerous.
Those beliefs are just not true. While canning and home food preservation are some work and do take a bit of education in order to get started, they are not prohibitively difficult tasks to tackle in an afternoon or evening. The best strategy as a novice is to start small, doing manageable batches one at a time rather than planning a weekend extravaganza that will leave you tired and cranky. Don't get me wrong—I would love nothing more than for all of you to become deeply impassioned about opportunities to deepen our community's commitment to both local agriculture and a local economy via extreme canning and preserving, the likes of which Barbara Kingsolver discusses in her classic book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. But I also know that not everyone is up for that kind of endeavor. My goal here is not to overwhelm, but to inspire. So let's start simple, with a project that involves very little labor given its reward—pesto! There is no hot stove involved, no education necessary about food safety and botulism. (Yet. No promises for next month, though.) All you need for now is a food processor or a blender. We are lucky enough to be located next to a thrift store, so if you don't have a food processor or blender, St. Vinnie's can definitely help you no matter your budget.
I do happen to be a gardener, but it is not necessary in order to make this wonderful treat. Every year I pre-order 12 to 24 living basil plants from the Produce department, which we source locally from organic farmers Scott Williams and April Yancer at Garden to Be in Mt. Horeb. This year they are supplying us with Genovese Sweet, which is my favorite variety of basil for pesto. Feel free to ask a Produce stocker for assistance if you'd like to do this, as well. You may plant them, which I do in order to let them get even bigger, or you can use them immediately.
Over the years I have tried many pesto recipes, however my friend Amanda's reigns superior over all I've tried previously. She has graciously allowed me to publish her secret, and you'll thank her for that mid-February. You see, unlike some pesto I've made in the past, this recipe remains as bright green and as fresh tasting as the day it was made. I promise. Enjoy it over RP's locally made pasta, or on Potter's locally made crackers. You won't be disappointed. And if I'm lucky, you'lllike it so much that it'll convince you to let me talk you into water bath canning tomatoes next time.
(Guaranteed to stay as fresh-tasting and bright green as the day you freeze it.)
- 1/2 lb. basil leaves
- 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil (you may have to add a bit more if it ends up needing more liquid to grind everything up)
- 1/4 c. nuts (I use unsalted, unroasted almonds since they are cheaper than other nuts and still tasty)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 oz. hard cheese (I use romano or parmesan in chunks and then just guess at 2 ounces and then cut it into smaller chunks and throw it in the food processor and it grinds up pretty well)
- Zest of one lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
- Juice of one lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
- 2 tsp. coarse salt (I use a coarse kosher salt, so if you are using regular salt, start with 1 teaspoon)
- 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
Directions: Grind in food processor until smooth—taste and adjust if necessary. It should be pretty salty and zingy. Yields about 2 cups of pesto. Freezes beautifully in half-pint mason jars. Leave appropriate headspace in each jar to account for expansion due to freezing. (I use my eleven-cup food processor when preparing this amount of pesto. If you have a smaller food processor, I would suggest cutting the recipe in half. If you don't have a food processor and are going to use a blender, go with grated cheese instead of chunks and you may need to add additional oil or water to get it to blend smoothly.)


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Performing Arts
Conrad Tao gives casual concert worthy of more formal venue
The venue may have been casual, but the music was anything but.
Pianist Conrad Tao performed at the Live Oak Music Hall & Lounge on Fort Worth's Near Southside on Thursday as the latest offering in the Cliburn Sessions series, a schedule of concerts presented by the folks who do the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition every four years.
The series often presents artists who blend classical and pop styles, including some who work in duos and small ensembles. But Thursday's concert fell back to the Cliburn's bread and butter — an outstanding solo pianist performing contemporary and time-honored, classical works. And the performance also included the added bonus of a world premiere piece.
The concert opened with Compassion by Julia Wolfe, which Tao noted was composed in 2001 in the wake of the 9-11 tragedy. But the eight-minute work was not elegiac. It was built on a Glass-ian loop of themes that were jolted with shots of dark dissonance in the right hand. And it grew more angry and complicated as it progressed, mirroring a common response to the fall of the World Trade Center towers.
Next up was Which Side Are You On?, a work by American composer Frederic Rzewski based on a 1930s labor protest song of that same title. Tao explained that the composer took that tune and "exploded it" in the composition. But the work also invited performers to add their own improvisations on the song as a second half of the piece.
Rzewski's part of the work was noisy and random, never staying in one place too long and never giving any hint of its source (Tao played a recording of a portion of the song to set up the piece). But Tao's response to the tune was highly accessible and engaging. It reworked and revealed the song without directly quoting it. And the crowd that filled the cozy venue did not hide its approval (one of the fun things about these Live Oak performances is that the audiences hoot and holler when they like something).
The centerpiece of the program was a set of works by three composers that opened with the evening's world premiere, This Central Valley Heat Will Kill Us All, by Australian composer Dan Thorpe. The edgy piece employed an electronic sound bed built from snippets of phone memos over which Tao dropped notes that were often bellicose and agitated. That piece bled into Isabelle Eberhardt Dreams of Pianos by Missy Mazzoli, which also used electronic support. But the work was much more somber than the Thorpe, and made its case with impassioned repetition.
Amazingly, those two modern works provided an excellent path to the closing section of the triptych, Franz Liszt's transcription of a song by Franz Schubert, Du bist die Ruh. Instead of delivering Liszt's usual keyboard bombast, the piece was sweet, gentle and lullabylike. It made a revealing finish to a clever union of works that showcased Tao's ability to handle the past as well as he does the present.
After a brief intermission, the 22-year-old Illinois native closed his concert with a gorgeous rendering of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 31. The opening moderato cantabile molto espressivo ("slightly singing and very expressive") was exactly that, with Tao playing with great delicacy in one passage and with extreme playfulness in the next. A proud and strident middle movement segued into a closing section that began dreamily, then stormed into a dazzling finish that really allowed Tao to show off.
On the whole, the performance was absolutely Bass Hall-ready. And it could be argued that the 90-minute concert would have been even better in a more traditional venue. Noise from the bar and restaurant area of the Live Oak leaked into the performance room and marred some of Tao's quieter moments.
But those minor sound problems were offset by the pluses of the intimacy and the comfortable informality of the venue. The performance made this series of concerts, which is obviously designed to attract younger listeners to classical music performances, look and sound like a great idea.


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termination clauses
Termination clauses: Not just for indefinite employees
In a recent decision, Ontario's Divisional Court reminds us of the importance of proper termination clauses in fixed term contracts. In Ferguson v. Mitsche & Aziz Inc., the Divisional Court upheld a Small Claims judgment awarding the maximum $25,0000.00 limit in damages to an employee who was dismissed five months into her one-year fixed term contract.
Three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk
The three popular articles this week on HRinfodesk deal with the interpretation and enforceability of termination clauses, changes and improvements to services, benefits and credits for Canadians for the new tax filing season and improved ways for businesses to meet their reporting obligations.
5 employment law predictions for 2018
'Tis the Season and 2017 is coming to a close. With this, I am predicting some of the trends to follow from an employment law perspective of 2018. Here are 5 trends to follow in the new year.
Case study: Why you need to periodically review your employment contract
A well-drafted employment contract is the best employment law investment an employer can make. It can enhance or expand management's rights, and it can save the employer thousands of dollars in termination costs.
Top 5 mistakes employers make in their contracts
Employment contracts are a useful tool for employers. But often, employers make mistakes when creating their contracts. Here are five of the main mistakes to watch out for.
Don't take a chance on it: The uncertainty of ESA-only termination clauses
In January 2017, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice released its decision in Cook v. Hatch upholding a less than perfect termination clause that failed to reference statutory severance pay or provide for continued health benefits during the statutory notice period. A month later, the Court of Appeal responded with its decision in Wood v. Fred Deeley Imports Ltd. where it overturned a motion judge's ruling upholding a similar termination provision. And so, the age old debate about the enforceability of ESA-only termination provisions rages on.
Generous termination clauses: Think twice before making promises #learnthelatest
Many employers include termination clauses in employment contracts to limit their liability when dismissing employees. When employers draft generous termination provisions providing for more than statutory minimums, they must follow through on that generosity when terminating employees. Failing to do so could leave employers exposed to full liability under the common law.
Uncertainty with termination clauses continues
There are few areas of employment law more in flux (and vexing to lawyers) than that surrounding the enforcement of termination clauses. Part of the frustration is when the Courts provide seemingly contradictory messages on whether termination clauses will be upheld. In January 2017 alone, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice released two decisions that appear, on their face, to be somewhat at odds.
Fresh consideration and employment contracts
When a company promotes an employee, the employer should provide the employee with a new contract to sign prior to allowing the employee to commence his or her duties. In that way, the company is providing the employee with "fresh consideration" to make the contract enforceable. Consideration is the legal word for the exchange of something of value to make contracts enforceable and in a promotion it takes the form of the increased salary that comes with the new job. If the company allows the employee to be promoted and then has the employee sign an employment contract after the promotion has already taken place, there is a chance the employee can argue the terms of the contract that were not discussed pre–promotion should not be enforced for lack of fresh consideration rendering the terms of the contract unenforceable.
Termination clauses: Importance of clear language
In recent years, there have been many decisions on the enforceability and interpretation of termination clauses in employment contracts—which employers and their legal counsel read with both interest and apprehension. The Nova Scotia Supreme Court has now weighed in on the debate.
Termination clauses – The legal debate
It appears that the saga of judicial interpretation and consideration of termination clauses will continue, with predictably unpredictable results. Courts will enforce termination clauses that limit an individual's entitlement to notice of dismissal, but the onus will be on the employer to show that the clause should be enforced.
Small claims court rules termination clause that violates ESA in future is unenforceable
This decision is another reminder to employers to ensure that termination clauses provide for all entitlements prescribed by the Employment Standards Act in order for them to be considered valid and enforceable. The company in this case should never have carved out its obligation to provide statutory Severance Pay.
Agreement to sign an agreement
The issue of whether termination clauses contained within employment agreements will be enforceable is one that routinely arises. As I have discussed on many occasions, many employers weaken their legal position by entering into a verbal agreement, or presenting an "offer letter", and then subsequently asking their new employee to sign a far more detailed employment agreement that is designed solely for the benefit of the employer.
2014 Employment law round up – Top five cases/trends/stories
With 2015 just around the corner, it is useful to reflect on the year that has just past and is coming to a close. 2014 had a number of significant employment law developments and below we have…
Contracting out of the Ontario Employment Standards Act
The Employment Standards Act in Ontario is legislation designed to protect the rights of all workers in the province. Under section 3, the Act specifies that it applied to any employee in the Province of Ontario, or any employee who is performing work outside of Ontario that is "…continuance of work performed in Ontario." The Act contains numerous protections for Ontario employees, such as limiting the maximum hours of work in a week, providing an entitlement to overtime pay, and creating entitlements such as parental leave, vacation and personal leave. The Act also provides for the employee's rights in the event of a termination of employment. Many employers have perceived these entitlements as onerous in some circumstances. In order to attempt to avoid such payments, or other obligations under the Act, employers have sought to have employees sign contracts containing provisions which purport to surrender the employee's rights under the Act. This is generally referred to as "contracting out".


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Personal profile
Ancillary activities
- Chiropractie Westland | Maasdijk | Directeur/eigenaar | 2017-08-01 - present
Ancillary activities are updated daily
Personal information
Alan Jenks (1973) is working as a researcher in the field of musculoskeletal disorders with focus on low back pain in the elderly population (55+). He is an Chiropractor and PhD student.
His expertise is spine related disorders with a focuse on the elderly sub population.
VU Amsterdam
Department of Health Sciences (room U-445)
Education/Academic qualification
1 Sep 1998 → 15 Sep 2001
Bachelor of Science, Simon Fraser University
1 Sep 1994 → 6 Jul 1997
- Q Science
- R Medicine


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From the International Bestselling Author of the Tempest Series...Set in the tough world of Elite Gymnastics...I've gotten used to the dead parents face. I've gotten used to living with my gymnastics coach. I've even adjusted to sharing a bathroom with his way-too-hot son. Dealing with boys is not something that's made it onto my list of experiences as of yet. But here I am, doing it. And something about Jordan--being around him, talking to him, thinking about him--makes me feel like I can finally breathe again. That's something I haven't been able to do lately. He knows what it feels like to be me right now. He knows what it's like to wonder--what now? I think about it constantly. I need answers. I need to know how to get through this. In the gym, if you're struggling, you train harder, you do drills and conditioning. How do I work hard at moving on? At being on my own? And what happens if I might be...maybe...probably falling for Jordan? I mean we live together now. That can't happen, can it? But kissing him...well, let's just say it's not an easy activity to forget.
About the Author: Julie Cross
Julie Cross is the International Bestselling author of the Tempest series, a young adult science fiction trilogy which includes Tempest, Vortex, and the final installment, Timestorm (St. Martin's Press). She's also the author of Letters to Nowhere (8/13), a mature young adult romance set in the world of elite gymnastics, as well as several forthcoming young adult and new adult novels with publishers like Entangled, Sourcebooks, HarperCollins, and St. Martin's Press/Thomas Dunne Books.
Julie lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three children. She's a former gymnast, longtime gymnastics fan, coach, and former Gymnastics Program Director with the YMCA. She's a lover of books, devouring several novels a week, especially in the young adult and new adult genres. Outside of her reading and writing credibility's, Julie Cross is a committed--but not talented--long distance runner, creator of imaginary beach vacations, Midwest bipolar weather survivor, expired CPR certification card holder, as well as a ponytail and gym shoe addict. You can find her online via twitter, her personal website, email, facebook, Goodreads, or co-moderating the YAwriters section of reddit.
Also to see the 2nd giveaway, click on the gray small arrows next to the image on the rafflecopter form.
Week One -
Sept. 3rd - The Book Cellar - Review & Guest Post
Sept. 3rd - Reading In Twilight - Guest Post
Sept. 4th - A Backwards Story - Review
Sept. 4th - The Irish Banana - Review
Sept. 5th - Bittersweet Enchantment - Interview
Sept. 5th - Book Breather - Review
Sept. 5th - Never Too Fond of Books - Review
Sept. 6th - Curling Up With A Good Book - Guest Post
Sept. 6th - Oops! I Read A Book Again - Review
Week Two -
Sept. 9th - Page Turners - Review & Guest Post
Sept. 9th - Gobs and Gobs of Books - Interview
Sept. 10th - Crawling Over The Pages - Guest Post
Sept. 10th - Musings From An Addicted Reader - Review
Sept. 10th - Sweet Southern Home - Guest Post
Sept. 11th - Mom With A Kindle - Interview
Sept. 11th - Reading with ABC - Review
Sept. 12th - Gone with the Words - Review & Guest Post
Sept. 12th - About to Read - Review
Sept. 12th - Blackplume - Interview
Sept. 13th - Every Free Chance Book Reviews - Guest Post
Sept. 13th - Literary Meanderings - Review


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TOKYO, Sept 14: Takeda Pharmaceutical Co Ltd , Japan's leading drug maker, is ready to spend as much as $15 billion for possible acquisitions in a bid to expand its business in the United States, the Financial Times reported.
The fund will be used either in one major deal or for several smaller purchases, the FT added, citing unidentified sources, who have been briefed about the plan by the Japanese company.
"This is not something that we have announced so we cannot comment," said a Takeda spokesman. "We are looking for opportunities, including acquisitions to grow our business, but M&A is not everything," he added. (Reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)


text: Discover our range of women's jeans, available in sizes 8-24. Whether you're looking for flattering high waisted, classic bootcut, or straight leg jeans you're sure to find your fit in our new season collection. A wardrobe staple, our ladies' jeans come in a selection of lengths, including short, regular and long. Our women's denim shop has all the latest jeans trends for 2019, including petite jeans and plus size jeans in a variety of chic washes.


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Model Claudine Keane has carved out a career as a property developer.
The 30-year-old, who was supporting her football star husband Robbie Keane at the Aviva Stadium last night, is definitely on the ball in the housing market.
Yesterday she revealed: "I buy and sell houses. I bought four houses in Portugal, turned them all over and sold them to football players."
The mum of one likes to keep busy in the US after Robbie signed for LA Galaxy two years ago.
Speaking after the ISPCC Brown Thomas luncheon which was launched by MTV's Laura Whitmore, she said: "I would not feel right being over there and not doing something."


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Why Alton Lane
Our vision for Alton Lane is to be the best place in the world for you to get the clothes that make you look and feel your best. Our brand is built on delivering exceptional fit, quality and value through a revolutionary experience. Find your perfect fit today.BOOK APPOINTMENT
You are invited to get comfortable on our big leather sofas or to pull up a stool at our custom-built design bar – we'll have the game on TV. We will help you select from the thousands of fabrics we offer from the best mills in the world and then walk you through all of our customizable design options to create exactly what you're looking for.
Quality is always our top priority. From world-class fabrics and linings to premium finishings, we are committed to using the highest quality materials available. We have enlisted the craftsmanship of master pattern makers and tailors who construct your clothing with the utmost care and precision.
We strive to deliver a precise fit based on your individual body by using our 3D technology, select hand measurements and sample garments that allow us to gain more insight into your personal preferences on fit and cut.
We are committed to providing the best fit, best quality and best experience possible. We are not satisfied until you love your garments and will do whatever it takes to ensure your complete satisfaction.
New this year
"Work harder than everyone else and never stop improving." This ethos has been at the core of Alton Lane since our inception. We aren't always perfect, but we never stop striving for perfection.
Faster Turnaround
We've developed a partnership with one of the best shirt makers in the world and have rolled out a new shipping solution to cut our delivery time in half. For shirts, we're now averaging 16 days, and under 4 weeks for suits and blazers.
Greater Selection
We've worked hard to source a wider range of fabrics at accessible price points. With the help of our newly forged relationships with mills in Italy, England, and Portugal, we've rolled out dozens of new shirts and over 100 new suits and blazers.
Improved Fit
We worked with some of the top pattern makers in Europe to refine the proportion of our garments, invested in higher quality components, and launched production at a top-tier factory in Germany — all to deliver a more precise and consistent fit.
Concierge service
With increasing requests from our busiest clients, we have launched our bespoke concierge service. When schedules allow, we will now bring new fabrics directly to your office, home, or most convenient location when you are too busy to make it to the showroom.
Find Your Perfect Fit
Book an appointment in one of our showrooms and let our team of style experts help you find your perfect fit.BOOK APPOINTMENT


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Although Walter Gropius founded the Bauhaus nearly a century ago, the movement's influence on design is ubiquitous. Its emphasis on clean lines and form/function unity is everywhere – from street signs to home furnishings, to the smartphone you may be reading this on. As the Bauhaus philosophy approaches its centenary, we believe that its less visible tenets are similarly relevant to contemporary life and, if adopted, have sweeping implications for progressive future.
In addition to advocating for beauty in everyday life, the Bauhaus believed in:
- The elimination of creative hierarchies (something we feel strongly about)
- A focus on collective benefits and widespread access
- Art as a means of problem solving in modern society
- The artist's role in society as an active participant
- That good designs should produce no waste
Digital technologies provide ideal environments in which to expand these tenets. "Good design creates great experiences" by making connections between ideas, objects and events that may not be immediately apparent. These connections create affinities between diverse individuals and disparate communities, and provide opportunities to remove barriers – physical, emotional, psychological. It's true: collective creative effort generates dynamic results.
At WÆRK, we adopt a Bauhaus philosophy and employ it in each project and within all of our operations. We bring beauty to everyday life by equally including perspectives from the arts, sciences and humanities in all of our projects. We take our clients on journeys through the grey areas that color the spectrum of life, and help them to build things, experiences and ideas that matter, through a focus on revealing understanding.
Widespread adoption, of the Bauhaus philosophy's inclusive tenets, can point us toward a future that is both connected and kind. One in which creativity is propelled by empathy and intuition, and technology isn't beholden to the cult of efficiency über alles.
Photo by Jelena_Z/iStock / Getty Images


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Tagged: White Sox
Greeting from India
I haven't watched a game in over a week now, but I manage to check the scores now and then and I have noticed that the Redbirds are 6-1 since I've been gone. If this keeps up, you guys are going to have to take up a collection for me not to come back. 🙂
I've met some local people who are into cricket, so we've been discussing that and baseball. One girl didn't know anything about baseball, so I was trying to explain the rules. It was quite amusing, because when trying to explain something I would use a baseball term, which of course she didn't know. The thing that they were most surprised about was when I said the most runs you could get out of one swing was 4….and THAT is only if the bases are loaded. Which of course I had to explain what "loaded" meant.
Well, the Cardinals are doing well, 5 1/2 games ahead of the closest competition and almost twice that to the 3rd closest team. So, that all makes me quite happy. But, we are getting ready to play a 4 game series against Chicago. As good as we are and as bad as they are, for some reason, this is a team that can give us problems. A 4 game sweep would be great, but I'm not picky….I'd settle for 3 of 4.
Also, since I've been gone, I see that Detroit has lengthened the gap even more between them and ChiSox. And, Minnesota continues to be hot, because they're not tied for 2nd place in that division. Being that I was a Minnesota resident for over 4 years and attended a lot of games at the dome, I am definitely pulling for the Twins. They're only a half game back for the Wild Card and if they can't catch the Tigers, then I would love to see them get the AL Wild Card.
And of course the Cubs are 2nd to last in terms of the run for the NL Wild Card. So basically, all is well in the world.
Weaver starts it off tonight. Maybe he's a secret Cubbie killer. 🙂
Different team, same result
It doesn't seem to matter who we play these days: White Sox, Tigers, Indians. We've lost to all 3 of these teams over the course of the last week and are in the midst of a seven game losing streak.
It is a good thing that we won enough games before this to take that 5 game lead over the Reds in the Central. Otherwise, we would be in 2nd place right now. As it is, we're barely hanging on to 1st.
I don't even have anything new to write anymore. We aren't pitching ever and occasionally not hitting. That's about it.
Tonight our favorite new, young pitcher with the flat cap is on the schedule. Can he live up to the hype surrounding him (at least temporarily) taking Mulder's spot? This will be his first game in the Majors where it's at least somewhat permanent and considered more than just a spot start.
Let's hope him and the bats come through tonight,
Houston, we know how you feel
Houston has gotten a dose of what the Cards have experienced the last few days. They were up 5-1 on the Sox behind a good pitching performance by their young rookie Taylor Bucholz. He only let 2 runners cross the plate during his 6 1/3 innings pitched. But, he was charged with 4 runs total, because Houston reliever Chad Qualls gave up a grand slam in the 7th inning. The Sox would go on to win it in the 10th inning.
Watching the Sox the last few days against the Cardinals and then against the 'Stros tonight they seem a far more competitive ball club than they have at any other point this season. I don't know why that is.
The other good news is that the Reds lost, so we can't lose another game to them in the standings. And even better, we have the chance to gain a game to push our lead back up to 4.
The opportunity for that starts shortly as the Cardinals are playing 5 minutes against the Tigers. I'm glad that Luna is in left tonight instead of J-Rod, but it's disappointing that Edmonds is still out.
Also in 5, mighty Mark Prior takes the hill again. You know, I think a good Prior bashing would put me in a rather good mood.
The kid can pitch
In his toughest test of the season, Cardinals top prospect Anthony Reyes was as good as you could hope for from ANY pitcher, let alone a rookie. He had a no-hitter going into the 7th inning. And, at the end, he threw a complete game, one-hitter on just 90 pitches, striking out 6 and walking none. Every pitcher in the world would kill for that line just about every night.
The problem? That one hit was a ball sizzled off the bat of Jim Thome for a home run. But when you consider that Thome has 24 homers to the league leading 25, can you fault Reyes?
It sure would have felt good to win this game after getting pounded the last couple of days. But instead we were swept, which of course, feels lousy. Where were our bats?? Even though we got smoked the last couple of games, at least we were hitting. Then we finally have a pitcher give us every chance in the world to win and we can't do anything except scratch out a few measly hits. The Redbirds just couldn't put any of them together to drive one across home.
It's bad enough that we've done this to Carp over and over again. I hope we don't continue to not support Reyes with the runs. We will find out though, because apparently this time he's here to stay. At least for awhile.
Pitcher Mark Mulder who his year is aka Mark "Give up everything in sight for hits and homers" Mulder was put on the DL. Is something seriously physically wrong? Or is he blaming his mental concentration on a physical ailment? No one knows apparently, but time will finally tell. Whatever it is, I hope it gets fixed and quick. I want the Mulder that we traded for back doing his thing, winning us games. Until then, I'm ready to watch Reyes show us why he deserves to stay in the Majors long term.
Edmonds was still out after leaving early with a concussion the day before. Maybe one of these days we'll have all of our guys back and in top form. Can anybody remember the last time that happened? We do have Pujols back and that's exciting. I'm nervous that he might re-injure himself, but it sounds like he's been smart and careful, so I will hope that's the case. He lost his number one spot in RBIs (trails by 1) and is tied for the lead in home runs. I'm ready for him to take back both of those leads.
Thank goodness the Reds have starting slowing down and even after getting swept we still hold a 4 game lead in the Central.
In conclusion…
The things we learned tonight at U.S. Cellular Field
- Thome is bad news. Here's his line for the last 3 years vs. the Redbirds.
vs. STL
- I cannot stand the White Sox announcers.
- Great pitching beats outstanding hitting.
- 1-0 loss feels just about as bad as 20-6 when you've just been swept.
And, last but not least,
5. Cardinal fans everywhere need to start ironing their hats because Reyes is the man.
And, of course the number one thing we learned from this series? The Cardinals need better pitching. We will need a big mid season trade in that department if we even want to think about what October ball feels like.
If we've ever needed Carp to come through, we need him now. The 1st place Tigers are tap and we despertley need to start winning ballgames. It's less than 3 hours 'till game time.
Ready for a Pujols blast,
P.S. It seems very crazy to me that Reyes is only about a month younger than me.
Hey, if he wins, I'm gonna iron my hat too!
The title of my last post was, "Well, at least it can't get worse." Technically, that was true. Yesterday, was not as bad as Tuesday's game. The Sox scored 13 compared runs compared to 20 on Tuesday. We lost by 8 runs as opposed to 14 runs. But, when it comes right down to it….we got smoked. Both games.
Normally, if we lost by 13-5, I would say, hey, no big deal, it happens. But, it's kind of hard to say that "it happens" when you just gave up 20 runs the day before. It's not like this is just one bad pitching performance, one bad game or even one bad series. Those things DO happen. This is getting killed to the point of being embarassing.
Enough talk about yesterday's game. Let's move on to tonight.
Tonight's starter has now been declared to be Anthony Reyes. Now, Reyes has a very interesting story. Reyes got a look last year as well as a couple of times this year filling in for injuries. He's pitched well every time he's been called upon. He's pitched well in the minors. Yet, he can't seem to earn more than a look here or there.
When reporters speculated that Reyes was the obvious choice for Thursday's game, especially after Ponson was sent to aid the bullpen, LaRussa tried to steer conversation away from Reyes. He had pitched one so-so game in the minors and LaRussa suddenly declared him "not ready." But, now Reyes is starting. LaRussa said he didn't want to do the "soap opera thing" with Albert and his injury, but he's sure turning Reyes into one. Do you want the guy to pitch or not? His strikeout rate at Triple A is phenomenal. Why not let him try his hand against the big boys?
This certainly will be his toughest Major League assignment though. In his past starts, he has faced the Brewers, the Royals and the Astros. None playing great at the time he faced them.
But, tonight he will face the ChiSox. And, we all know their story. 2005 World Series Champs and playing extremely hot right now. In the past two days they have tore up Mark Mulder, Jason Marquis and our bullpen.
There are two possibly outcomes.
- He will pitch poorly and give up a lot of runs.
- He will pitch great and not give up a lot of runs.
If it's option number 1, can you really fault him? After watching an already struggling pitching staff finally completely fall apart the last two days, do we expect less from a rookie? Yet, the way it's taken forever for him to seemingly get noticed, I hope that if has a bad performance, it won't be held against him too strongly.
If it's option number 2, then everyone will pretty much be blown away. To have a rookie come up and in his 4th Major League start, do what the veterans could not? That would be huge.
So, let's all hope for option number 2.
In other news, The Rocket is back. I'm happy that he's coming back because I love watching him pitch. Of course, I wish it was with someone else than our constant NL nemesis, the Houston Astros. But, can even Clemens save the 'Stros this year? They're 6 games out of first place and playing 2 games ahead of .500. It's not a terrible record, but it won't be enough to get them to the NLCS this year. Not only do they have to compete with a tougher Reds ballclub this year (although don't expect the Reds to still be playing this well come August/September), they also have to compete with the other teams around the NL making some noise this year. It's still early and the Astros certainly have a lot of time to improve and Clemens will help in that regard. But, I don't think he alone will save this club from finishing 3rd or maybe 2nd.
Hoping for some luck in the straight billed cap of Reyes,
Well, at least it can't get worse.
Remember a few posts back I talked about the momentum we had on our side after sweeping the Rockies? Well, apparently there's one surefire way to kill that kind of momentum. Give up 20 runs in your very next game.
For a White Sox fan who was at the game, they will be probably never see another more fun or exciting game in their lives. The thing is…..I'm not a White Sox fan. Therefore, it was nothing but 9 innings of cruel torture and agony. Well, not really because I knew how it was going to turn out.
Usually, when there's a late game I watch it the next morning and no matter what is happening or how bad we are losing or winning, I refuse to see what the final score is. Until last night. After a few innings, I had to look. I simply couldn't take it anymore. And, once I knew the outcome, I didn't have to go on the roller coaster ride of, "Will we come back?" I just knew we got pounded and that was the end of it.
I actually didn't have time to watch the whole game, but I might do that tomorrow. Despite the fact that we lost, I still like to watch the games to see how the team is doing in general. Good and bad.
What I can tell you about is Mulder. He's terrible lately. I said in a previous post that this was a pivotal turning point for him. And, it was. He could have buoyed himself off the other starting pitchers and got himself on the right track. Instead, he pitched the worst start of the season and probably his career. Ponson has got to be asking why he's being sent to the bullpent when Mulder doesn't even know how to pitch anymore apparently. Oh, yeah…except that he gave up 6 runs in just one inning of relief work.
It's so ridiculous because aren't a team that should be losing 20-6. It's not like we're the Royals. We're in first place in our league, playing .600 ball and have a great team. I'm interested to see how we fare the rest of the series with the other guys pitching.
It begins with Marquis tonight. Marquis, who has been red hot recently. It would be nice if he could get something going right for us tonight. The entire team has to be disappointed and discouraged after such a huge blowout. It takes guys who are professionals and dedicated to go out there, forget about it and win this one. That's not easy to do. And, if the Redbirdds can pull it off, I will be very impressed with them.
Their hitting wasn't bad at all. Every starter, save Eckstein, had a base hit. The Cards punched out 16 hits and 6 runs. Not a bad night offensively. Over half the lineup had multi-hit nights including Taguchi (2-5), Edmonds (2-3), Encarnacion (2-2), Spiezio (2-5) and Miles (2-5). Rolen hit .500 and so did two guys off the bench, Duncan and Perez.
The pitching is definitely where it broke down. But, can you give all the blame to Mulder? A bullpen's job is one of two things. If the starter carries you into the late innings, then you finish off the job and get him the win and yourself possibly a save. If the starter has to leave early, then the 'pen's job is to minimize the damage and stop the bleeding. And, that is what they failed to do. Thompson came in and let the Sox score a couple more runs before he closed out the inning and ended up giving up 4 runs overall. If the bullpen would have done their job, we would have still lost 9-6, but then you're talking a closer game and who knows what might have happened differently. But, if Mulder had done his, then we wouldn't have had to use the bullpen extensively yet again.
It's over now and that's the end of it. Time to focus on getting behind Marquis tonight for a win.
Save us Jason Marquis,
England/Sweden then Cards/Sox
I wanted to go into town last night to watch Spain play in the World Cup with the locals, but it ended up not working out. So, instead I opted to go tonight to a local hangout to watch the England-Sweden game. Having no preference for either team, I rooted for Sweden since my roommate was rooting for England. I figure it's more fun that way.
There wasn't a whole lot going on….it is soccer after all. But, I guess it was probably about as exciting as it's going to get because there were 4 goals scored in all. So, we at least had the chance to cheer for our respective teams. The one thing that bothers me most about soccer is the fact that games can end in a tie. They play all that time, work really hard and still neither team gets to walk off the team being the winner.
I came home and read Dave's liveblog of the whole event, where I learned that since they tied, both teams will advance. It was also helpful to read a soccer fan's point of view.
As you may have noticed, I still have not converted into a soccer fan, but I'm trying to at least follow along because it is so huge here in Europe.
The best part of this game is the fact that I work with a guy from England who is married to a lady from Sweden. So, tomorrow at work I'll be giving them a hard time. Maybe it's good it ended in a tie. Now, neither one will be mad. 🙂
Well, after doing the soccer thing tonight, I am very ready for some good baseball. Less than 2 hours until interleague action starts for the Redbirds. Looking forward to a great series with the ChiSox.
Going to beat last years Champs,


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Dr. Bella Ellwood-Clayton is a sexual anthropologist who makes appearances on television and radio, has written for many major newspapers and magazines, and has made a documentary with National Geographic
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The British government's deep fears that Libya would take "harsh and immediate" action against UK interests if the convicted Lockerbie bomber died in a Scottish prison are revealed in secret US embassy cables that show London's full support for the early release of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi.
Muammar Gaddafi, the Libyan leader, made explicit and "thuggish" threats to halt all trade deals with Britain and harass embassy staff if Megrahi remained in jail, the cables show. At the same time "a parade of treats" was offered by Libya to the Scottish devolved administration if it agreed to let him go, though the cable says they were turned down.
Britain at the time was "in an awkward position" and "between a rock and a hard place". The London charge d'affaires, Richard LeBaron, wrote in a cable to Washington in October 2008. "The Libyans have told HMG [Her Majesty's Government] flat out that there will be 'enormous repercussions' for the UK-Libya bilateral relationship if Megrahi's early release is not handled properly."
This intelligence, the cable said, was confided to the US embassy by two British officials: Ben Lyons, in charge of north Africa for Downing Street, and Rob Dixon, his counterpart at the Foreign Office.
But Jack Straw, the former Labour justice secretary, denied that pressure from Libya had played any part in the decision to allow Megrahi to return to his home country. "Both Alex Salmond [the Scottish first minister] and the British government have said until they're blue in the face what is true is that this was a decision which was made by the Scottish government and by nobody else and they did it on the basis of their law and their practice so far as the release of people who have serious medical conditions on compassionate grounds," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
He said he felt that the cables did not "really add anything to what was already known".
"It was a matter of record that Libya wanted al-Megrahi released," Straw said. "It is also a matter of record that I signed up to a prisoner transfer agreement in 2007 in respect of general prisoner transfers with Libya, but that the agreement was never the vehicle for al-Megrahi's release. Indeed, he was refused transfer under the PTA and he instead was released under long-standing Scots law on compassionate grounds."
Straw, justice secretary at the time, insisted he had "nothing directly to do, or I think whatever to do with the release" and only heard about it while he was on holiday in Italy. "This was a decision that was made by the Scottish government and nobody else, they did it on the basis of their law and their practice so far as the release of people with serious medical conditions on compassionate grounds," he said.
Asked why nobody in the British government said to Scotland that there was so much at stake regarding Libya that Megrahi ought to be released, Straw said: "Life isn't like that ... It's on the record that of course the Scottish executive along with everybody else in Scotland is fully aware of Britain's commercial interests in Libya. I talked about that in correspondence and in conversations with Alex Salmond and that too was all put on the record in September and October of last year."
He added: "What we had to keep saying to the Americans and to the Libyans was that this was a decision for an antonymous Scottish executive and that what was true was that the British government would have and could have absolutely nothing to with the judgment to be made by the Scottish justice minister. To the disadvantage of conspiracy theorists, that has the merit of being true."
Salmond told the BBC: "Frankly I don't believe anybody seriously believes that the Scottish government acted in anything other than the precepts of Scots justice. And incidentally this information – as opposed to what it suggests perhaps about other people – vindicates and bears out that position."
Asked if it now seemed right to have released Megrahi – who was said to have only three months to live but is still alive 16 months later – Salmond said: "I'm sorry, that's not the law. The law of Scotland is that a reasonable estimate is provided by senior medical officers and then acted upon by ministers, under the advice of the parole board, the prison service and a range of other interests. That's what was done."
Of today's Guardian revelations, Salmond said: "At the time you'll remember the UK government gave the impression that the either had no opinion on the release of Mr Megrahi or had no other factors concerned. I would have thought that the most interesting thing about this information is it shows that the UK government at the time – that's the then-Labour government – were extremely keen to have Mr Megrahi released. Now, I've said this all along."
Of his own government he said: "We weren't interested in threats. We weren't interested in blandishments. We were only interested in applying Scots justice. And that's what we did."
Last night Salmond's spokesman said that the leaks were "diplomatic tittle-tattle", but "vindicated" the Scottish government's position.
He said: "We were clearly the only ones playing with a straight bat and interested in applying the precepts of Scottish justice, which we continue to do and continue to uphold.
"The cables confirm what we always said – that our only interest was taking a justice decision based on Scots law without fear or favour, which was exactly what was done, and that our public position was identical to our private one.
"They also show that the former UK government were playing false on the issue, with a different public position from their private one – which must be deeply embarrassing for the Labour party in Scotland – and that the US government was fully aware of the pressure being applied to the UK government."
Details of the Megrahi manoeuvring come in the latest batch of leaked US dispatches, which also detail:
• Deep distrust of Gaddafi among other African leaders; Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni, for example, feared a Libyan attack on his aircraft.
• Gaddafi's many eccentricities, including phobias about flying over water and staying above ground floor level.
• Saudi calls for an Arab-led force, backed by US air and sea power, to fight Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The Megrahi cables may do much to explain why he was released in August 2009, supposedly because he was on the brink of death from prostate cancer. The decision incurred American wrath. More than a year on, Megrahi is still alive, having been feted when he was escorted back to Tripoli by Gaddafi's son.
Public congressional hearings in September were told by a US prostate specialist that the official reason for the compassionate release – that Megrahi was within three months of death – was "ridiculous".
Anger with the British persists in some American circles, and UK ministers, Labour and Tory, have attempted to distance London from the release, insisting it was purely a Scottish decision.
In January 2009, six months before Megrahi's release, the US ambassador to Libya, Gene Cretz, confirmed that "dire" reprisals had been threatened against the UK, and said the British were braced to take "dramatic" steps for self-protection.
The Libyans "convinced UK embassy officers that the consequences if Megrahi were to die in prison … would be harsh, immediate and not easily remedied … Specific threats have included the immediate cessation of all UK commercial activity in Libya, a diminishment or severing of political ties, and demonstrations against official UK facilities.
"[Libyan] officials also implied, but did not directly state, that the welfare of UK diplomats and citizens in Libya would be at risk."
The British ambassador in Tripoli, Vincent Fean, "expressed relief" when Megrahi was released, the US reported.
"He noted that a refusal of Megrahi's request could have had disastrous implications for British interests in Libya. 'They could have cut us off at the knees,' Fean bluntly said."
Cretz cabled that "the regime remains essentially thuggish in its approach". He warned the US itself should keep quiet: "If the [US government] publicly opposes al-Megrahi's release or is perceived to be complicit in a decision to keep al-Megrahi in prison, [America's Libyan diplomatic] post judges that US interests could face similar consequences."
In the light of the repeated, politically unacceptable demands for Megrahi's release from Gaddafi, the illness at first seemed providential for Britain.
The cables reveal how Salmond was edged into taking the political heat for releasing Megrahi, who had been diagnosed with cancer in September 2008. The message US diplomats received from Straw was that although Megrahi might survive up to five years, Labour's rivals in Scotland – Salmond and his Scottish National party – were nonetheless inclined to release him.
A cable said: "Megrahi could have as long as five years to live but the average life expectancy of someone of his age with his condition is 18 months to two years. Doctors are not sure where he is on the time scale. The Libyans have not yet made a formal application for compassionate release … but HMG believes that the Scottish may be inclined to grant the request, when it comes, based on conversations between … Alex Salmond and UK justice secretary Jack Straw. Although the general practice is to grant compassionate release within three months of end of life, this is not codified in the law, so the release, if granted, could occur sooner."
The American diplomats were worried "Salmond and the SNP will look for opportunities to exploit the Megrahi case for their own advantage". But when the Scottish justice minister finally announced a "compassionate release" to a storm of protest the following August, the US ambassador said the Scots had got out of their depth.
"The Scottish government severely underestimated both US government and UK public reaction to its decision … Alex Salmond has privately indicated that he was 'shocked'."
Salmond had told the US consul in Edinburgh on 21 August that "he and his government had played straight with both the US and the UK government, but implied the UK had not … He said the Libyan government had offered the Scottish government a parade of treats, 'all of which were turned down'."
Three days later Robin Naysmith, who served as the SNP's representative in Washington, said Salmond was shocked by the US outcry. "Naysmith underscored that Scotland received 'nothing' for releasing Megrahi, while the UK government has gotten everything – a chance to stick it to Salmond's SNP and good relations with Libya."
SNP "comments were designed to blame the UK government for putting the Scots in a position to have to make a decision", according to civil servant Rob Dixon, talking to the Americans.
Washington's ambassador to London, Louis Susman, observed unsympathetically: "It is clear that the Scottish government underestimated the blowback it would receive in response to Megrahi's release and is now trying to paint itself as the victim."
US officials were suspicious, going so far as privately to accuse the wealthy Gulf state of Qatar of bribing the Scots by dangling the possibility of Middle East loans.
In October 2009 the US ambassador in Doha confronted Khalid al-Attiyah, a Qatari minister who had lobbied SNP politicians at the time.
The US had "strong objections" to what had happened, he said. "The ambassador raised strong US government concerns about Qatar's role in the release … Al-Attiyah explained the Arab League had asked Qatar, in its capacity as the current chair … to seek Megrahi's release on humanitarian grounds; second, Megrahi had sent a personal letter to [the Qatar ruler] pleading for humanitarian intervention.
"On the basis of these two factors … he was dispatched to Scotland to meet the minister of justice there.
"Ambassador pressed the issue of whether Qatar had offered any financial or trade incentives to induce al-Megrahi's release. Al-Attiyah strongly dismissed such speculation, saying: 'That is ridiculous. It was not necessary to offer money. It was all done within Scottish law. We offered no money, investment, or payment of any kind.'"
The other object of US suspicion was Tony Blair's 2007 visit to Libya as British prime minister. The trip was linked to oil and gas. The US embassy in Tripoli noted on 23 August 2009: "Rumours that Blair made linkages between Megrahi's release and trade deals have been longstanding among embassy contacts … The UK ambassador in Tripoli categorically denied the claims."
In February this year UK diplomats told the US they were fretting about the prospect of an eventual hero's funeral for Megrahi. The new Foreign Office north Africa director, Philippa Saunders, "explained that fear over how Tripoli will handle Megrahi's eventual funeral remains a major concern".
She added: "The UK embassy is currently engaged in an effort to identify all possible UK 'levers of influence' with Tripoli. Unfortunately 'there aren't too many', although she mentioned Tony Blair and a private doctor who had a personal relationship with the Gaddafi family.
"There will be maybe a 48-hour window if we're lucky between Megrahi's eventual death and a funeral."