text:
Makes us sick
January 28 2009 10:24AM
Ever go to RX1 to see a hockey game only to see a 23-man suckfest break out instead?
Sweet Suri Cruise that was the suckiest bunch of suck that ever sucked. Hadn't we gotten past all this nonsense with the team turning the corner of late? Hadn't the Oilers gone into the All-Star Break having won 5 of 6? Those sucking Oilers couldn't even suck a something something out of a... Ah, screw it. The only thing worse than witnessing a game like that is writing about a game like that. If we didn't love the Nation so much we would be in a hole somewhere drinking to kill the pain.
We would rather have an six-hour rectal exam from an unqualified Honduran doctor with severe Parkinson's than be forced to watch another game of that quality ever again. There was no fight. There was no fire. We can't even recall any fisticuffs of any sort. Mind you we had seven RX1 beers to drown out the Sabres fans sitting happily beside us. That is now TWO games of that shitanusly™ awful quality we have been forced to witness this season, Nation.
The Oilers should be forced to skip practice today and instead go sit in a temporary call center and call each and every person who had to witness even a single moment of that "game" and apologize.
Liam Reddox: Hello Sir, my name is Liam and I'm calling from the Oilers...
Wanye: Yeah, what is it?
Liam Reddox: We are just calling as a courtesy today to apologize for last night's perfor-
Wanye (cutting of Reddox): Shut it, Carrot Top. Tell your coach he's fired.
The worst part about all of this is that the Oilers tricked us into being positive lately and then served us an all-you-can-eat shit-sandwich buffet. They (hopefully) aren't going to lose every game down the stretch by these margins but it has re-exposed the glaring fact that when a good team decides to turn it up on these Oilers -- and they are anything less than 100 per cent prepared for battle -- they have a very real chance of getting destroyed.
No. We can't be negative. We must remain positive. For the children. Let's see what was good about last night. What were we loving?
*takes a handful of Prozac and waits for them to kick in*
Things we love about a 10-2 loss
- We were loving Dustin Penner last night -- easily the best Oiler. He could easily have had four goals. We also love that had he scored those four goals it wouldn't have even moved the Oilers within striking distance on the scoreboard.
- We love sitting down with our 37 beers to witness a friggin' timeout 1:11 into the first period.
- We love hearing Great Big Sea's "Ordinary Day" played so many times after Sabres goals that we had half a mind to canoe to Winnipeg and hang ourself, as the song suggests.
- We love going with our buddy to his second game of the season. The first game we went to 42 days ago? Yeah -- that game. Our buddy has seen two games in RX1 this year and the Oil have been outscored 19-4. Think he's going to be running out to buy Oilers pyjamas any time soon?
- We love sitting next to a pair of Sabres fans and listening to them cheer less and less with every passing goal. Even Sabres fans were feeling bad for us last night. We love the compassion.
And finally
And finally we love that this game didn't happen after February 1. Had it happened then we have a sneaking suspicion there would be a bunch of people rubbing salt in our collective Oiler-shaped wounds right now. But fortunately the Oilers snuck this absolute GONG SHOW of a game before the gates to Fort OilersNation were thrown open and the citizens went out to battle. We can all suffer in peace today talking amongst ourselves.
You: "Wanye what are you talking about?" Us: "This." (turn up your speakers it's way cooler)
Four days till we get to tell them all where to go and how to get there. Sweet.
Abomination...please expand beyond the fancy clip.
Do you run that domain? Is it a place to trashtalk flames? Be little smack talk when they are in first place & we are SO consistant...
January 28 2009, 10:44AM
Oh no.... I love what happens when we start chirping other teams and their fans on this site. (see pensblog)
Welcome to last year Flamersnation...what took so long?
They have the same fist logo too? Please tell me Hudson's isn't opening up a bar on the 'Red Mile' too...
January 28 2009, 11:17AM
Sooo that's what this banner ad we've been seeing for weeks is all about.
What's the skibby? Is it a place to go a discuss how shitanusly™ bad the Flames are? Is it a place to secretly cheer for Iginla and wish he was an Oiler? Will there be fart jokes there?
January 28 2009, 11:19AM
BUCK75 wrote:
They have the same fist logo too?
Suddenly I don't like the idea that my nation t-shirt can easily be mistaken for flames apparel now. Not cool.
January 28 2009, 11:29AM
So what....It still doesn't hide the fact that Calgary Sucks!!!!!
January 28 2009, 11:31AM
@ BUCK75: Registrars are different, so hopefully there's no connection aside from the rumbles we'll have 6 times a year.
January 28 2009, 11:49AM
Hi there
If there is a flamesnation coming I would be very excited. As a Flames fan who lives in northern alberta I have been jealous of this website since it started and all you Oilers fans getting to have it. I wish there was something like this for Calgary fans and our better team !! LOL
I have my fingers crossed!
January 28 2009, 11:49AM
I wonder if Lindy Ruff was smickering at how he was able to adapt offence, which we all witnessed 2 seconds with the puck on your stick in the offenceive zone, and MacT doesn't. or how SAD the Oilers regime is, or how desperate this team is to have MacT have success, trying to steal other peoples game breakers? After a season like this one, how mant UFA's would want to come to Edm. How many really want to play a ayatem where ther isn't a system. How many times has MacT's team came out and set the pace? how many nights have the Oiler fans left after winning a game and feel they can come back and witness another great game? Now the big question. Does Hemsky want to be here? Will he request a trade? will he resign when his contract is up? Watch him Oiler fans he is here for a short time not a long time. He is like Bowmester just biding his time here till his contract is up, once he's gone, thats all folks, we will not have any form of a marquee player here as long as other player see how this organization is run, Just ask Smyth. he loves the Oilers but not the managenment, sure he'll golf with them, but won't play for them. Vinny did have breakfast one day in August with Lowe and MacT, after talking to MacT he decided thereis no way in hell I will play for this guy. There is just no system. Even Fred Flintstone called out MacT before he was stepped on by little Pee Wee Herman, and he bailed early being tired of defending MacT. when will Alley Katz realize it's time to restructure?
Cal + Gary = sheep + rubber boots + assless chaps
Wayne, I think I speak for all of us when I say "Tell you're buddy to stay the f__k home next game" Thanks.
January 28 2009, 12:17PM
You forgot one more thing about things we love about a 10-2 loss.
The fact that you hear from old friends and family that haven't spoken to you in 42 days. Calling to ask about your favorite hockey team and how they are playing.
Really? You're advertising for a Calgary Flames site on the walls of the Nation? And the same fist logo? Really?
Boys.... come on....
Oh god, Flames Nation? Really??? Sheesh what's next, Canucks Nation? Let's all hold hands and sing a love song while we are at it.
January 28 2009, 12:31PM
The Towel Boy wrote:
What's the skibby?
Gentlemen gentlemen. Let's all take a deep breath here and hear your ol' pal Wanye out. When we started this site on a dare we wanted to be able to scream and yell about the Oilers to our hearts content, read some funny articles and get secret insider stuff from real journalists.
It has worked out better than we could have dreamed and the discussion on here is miles beyond most everywhere else that we have ever seen.
But one thing is missing
While we sit around here talking merrily away - where the hell are fans of other teams? When the Oilers beat a team – say the Flames – I want to go somewhere and explain to Flames fans in gory detail how bad they suck. I want to break it down frame by frame. I want Willis to explain to their stats guru how their PK % divided by gravity and multiplied by the seats in the saddledome clearly shows that Jarome Iginla is on a downward spiral in his career.
Really what I want to do is be able to rain holy thunder upon the fans of the other 29 inferior hockey squadrons. Where can I go today to yell at the damn Sabres fans the day after that abomination?
Nowhere. That's where.
FlamesNation is it's own site with it's own writers that are ready to go. Nothing will change on here and really I can't say that I will go there all that often for most of the season.
But as my boy tricksnard put it so well "hopefully there's no connection aside from the rumbles we'll have 6 times a year." That is exactly the point. Feb 21 there will be one HELL of a JL meeting if all goes right.
@ Wanye Gretz:
That is a friggin cool dude. I always have to email my loser friends in calgary to yell at them. Yelling at thousands of Flames fans and knowing they have to read it would be .... well *starts crying*
Your swear filters better be ready to go!! LOL
January 28 2009, 12:40PM
@ Wanye Gretz:
Sure it's all good if our team doesn't suck. But uh... they kinda do.
@ Wanye Gretz:
Good - I thought you were going to chage your handle to Yanni McDonald...
January 28 2009, 12:46PM
I feel bad for the flames nation.....Why? They have to talk about the flames...
January 28 2009, 12:55PM
BUCK75 wrote:
@ Wanye Gretz: Good - I thought you were going to chage your handle to Yanni McDonald…
Oh man that's rich. I wish there was a Yanni Macdonald. Believe me there is no way that I could bring myself to say positive things about the Calgary Flames. But building something where we can chew out Flames Fans sounds like fun to me.
One thing that blew my mind when I started looking at blogs of other teams to try and find writers is how few bloggers there are compared to here in the Oilogosphere. We take it for granted that there are dozens of blogs all pumping out content. Calgary has like 5 or 6 blogs tops and half of them aren't even regularly updated. Maybe if there is a site like this one it will encourage others to come out of the wood work and start blogging.
This should be interesting.
There's a guy going by the name of fever4flames who's been banned from most of the oilogosphere. I bet he's honing his grade school grammar and getting his mom to pick him up some more protein in preparation for a comeback right about now.
January 28 2009, 12:56PM
Travis Dakin wrote:
@ Wanye Gretz: Sure it's all good if our team doesn't suck. But uh… they kinda do.
I know. It's a risky business if the number one fans in the league are backed up by the number 30 team on some nights. I suspect I will take a million burns from Flames Fans. But I say bring the Thunder.
January 28 2009, 12:58PM
David S wrote:
This should be interesting. There's a guy going by the name of fever4flames who's been banned from most of the oilogosphere. I bet he's honing his grade school grammar and getting his mom to pick him up some more protein in preparation for a comeback right about now.
That's the thing. We clearly have way looser comment controls than most of the other sites and I always want people to be able to say what they want. But as we open it up we need to have some rules of engagement or all the comments will become unintelligible gibberish. Protecting that will be job #1.
I think its a cool idea. Who cares if you can't be as crazy with the commentary as long as it doesn't get as bad as the journal, tsn, sportsnet and the team sites it will still be a big step forward. The idea of encouraging the rivalry is quite an interesting idea.
January 28 2009, 01:16PM
I have to admire Wayne for having the nuts to reveal flamesnation to the oilersnation after a 10-2 loss. that's bravery!
January 28 2009, 01:18PM
@ Wanye Gretz: Well, not to sound like a bag licker or anything but I have to say, you guys really started something special here. What with the interacting with the people close to the team (Brownlee and Greggor) and gettting some great insider info and I've learned a whole new way of looking at the game from Willis. I really think this brings a whole new level of fan involvement. I find it thoroughly enjoyable to talk about this team all the time with people all over Oil country. I feel like I am in a room with a bunch of buddies watching the games together and after, we can get to talk about it and learn great new things. I actually think it would be great for fans of every team to be able to experience things like we do. It's very progressive.
HAHA Just try not to sell out too hard as the traffic and sponsors start flowing even harder (which they will)
January 28 2009, 01:28PM
Godwin's Law, here we come! Those silly flamer fans...
January 28 2009, 01:44PM
I wonder what Charlie Simmer has to say bout this.... lolololol.
Just shot this over to Dana in Cowtown, Wayne, i think i heard him cry with joy all the way in the good ol MTL. Somewhere to post about their singular Cup Win, and all 2 Flames in the hall. whoop!
January 28 2009, 01:50PM
So, I guess they'll be having regular "Masters of Evil" meetings on game nights too?
January 28 2009, 01:57PM
... yes, and out conversations will be way gooder than yours.. 'cuz we are way, way smarter
Muahaahaaaaaaaa ...
January 28 2009, 01:59PM
As a side note, I notice that the scoreboard on the Nation hasn't been updated yet. If that's on purpose, thank you. I can wait 'til Saturday if you can.
January 28 2009, 02:16PM
Ender the Dragon wrote:
As a side note, I notice that the scoreboard on the Nation hasn't been updated yet. If that's on purpose, thank you. I can wait 'til Saturday if you can.
The boys emailed me and said "we can't bring ourselves to put up the 10-2 score. Maybe if we don't put it up it won't be real." I told them I was in no hurry to see that score up either.
@ The Towel Boy: hahaha wouldn't that be a great name. I don't know how it is going to go over down in cowtown but we are going to give it the old college try. I'm sure some things will work here and won't in CGY and vice versa. Or it could fail completely. You never know if you don't try.
@ Travis Dakin:
haha bag licker. KIDDING.
Our intention isn't to make this into some big bohemeth company where "Brenda" in "accounting" gets to make all the decisions. We don't really know what we are doing to be honest. But I love the Nation. Seriously I always really wanted a site like this and I kept waiting for someone else to make it. Message boards and sites like Oilfans.com are super sweet but I wanted to have as you said it - more interaction with other fans and with media and bloggers. I didn't know anything about anything internet related and only started writing because no one else would do it at the start. Now I loves it *kisses imaginary internet*
January 28 2009, 02:17PM
jdrevenge wrote:
I wonder what Charlie Simmer has to say bout this…. lolololol. Just shot this over to Dana in Cowtown, Wayne, i think i heard him cry with joy all the way in the good ol MTL. Somewhere to post about their singular Cup Win, and all 2 Flames in the hall. whoop!
And remind all your Flames Fans buddies that FlamesNation was started by Edmontonians. hahahah
January 28 2009, 02:20PM
Travis Dakin wrote:
HAHA Just try not to sell out too hard as the traffic and sponsors start flowing even harder (which they will)
I asked "Wanye" if he would sell out down the road too. He told me he would endorse any and all products and services offered to him. He seemed genuinely pleased that there would be an opportunity to whore out the nations all over the place. hahaha what a tool.
I love the nation. I can't believe his idea actually worked. He used to always talk about the idea of it with all of us and then one day it was up. I honestly thought it would fail but I am glad I am wrong. sorry wanye haha :)
January 28 2009, 02:22PM
...since we're talking about how awesome our site is...what are the chances our webmasters could put a Oilersnation "favicon" up on the web server? That way when I make my little bookmark tab a snazzy Oilersnation logo shows up...instead of a boring(insert your prefered internet browser)icon.
Dana? You listening? :)
Just a thought.
January 28 2009, 02:35PM
I don't do any of the graphics--I've passed along your suggestion, though.
January 28 2009, 02:41PM
@ Dana @ AgileStyle:
Cool. Thanks!
January 28 2009, 02:43PM
The Towel Boy wrote:
…since we're talking about how awesome our site is…what are the chances our webmasters could put a Oilersnation "favicon" up on the web server? That way when I make my little bookmark tab a snazzy Oilersnation logo shows up…instead of a boring(insert your prefered internet browser)icon. Dana? You listening? Just a thought.
I have never even heard of such a thing! What's next? A talking umbrella?
January 28 2009, 02:48PM
@ The Towel Boy:
Who would have seen that coming... if it indeed had come
January 28 2009, 02:55PM
I just hope the umbrellas don't become self aware. Cuz we're in trouble then.
The Towel Boy wrote:
I just hope the umbrellas don't become self aware. Cuz we're in trouble then.
We are no longer in control. The umbrellas run the matrix.
January 28 2009, 03:03PM
When did you get that give a F o meter on your site? Can you adjust the settings???
Calgary fans don't deserve a site like this. Anything that brings joy to the red people is wrong.
January 28 2009, 03:26PM
Chris wrote:
Calgary fans don't deserve a site like this. Anything that brings joy to the red people is wrong.
But what if it allows us to go to war with the red people. I am all for it. I live in Northern Ontario and I hate the Flames and haven't seen a live Flames fan in years so I can't tell them off.
@ Wanye Gretz:
LOL - the GAFM is alway low...I will email to you. Can't adjust.
January 28 2009, 03:42PM
Wanye, you sly guy you. I want in. The possibilities are endless...
In my best oriental voice, "Oh you so smart"
January 28 2009, 03:53PM
for the record dana just hacked my name and put that note in there about the flames site started by oilers fans.... sorry wayne. security was breached.


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
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text:
Danny Care and Nick Evans scored two tries apiece as Harlequins romped to a 42-26 Premiership victory over Worcester at Sixways.
Danny Care and Nick Evans scored two tries apiece as Harlequins romped to a 42-26 Premiership victory over Worcester at Sixways Stadium on Saturday.
22 points in the final 30 minutes saw Harlequins take the game away from Worcester following an even first half.
Worcester headed into the game on the back of a disappointing losing run, while Quins were on a high following their win over Bath.
But the formbook was turned on it's head when Chris Pennell opened the scoring on 13 minutes following excellent work by Josh Drauniniu.
Andy Goode added the conversion, but Harlequins quickly bounced back, and within five minutes they were in front through Nick Evans' mini-haul of ten points.
Evans then booted Quins to within a converted try from a penalty, and scored Quins' first try following some excellent build-up play from the visiting pack.
But Goode kicked Worcester back in front with two penalty goals following Quins indiscipline, and there were yet more points before half-time.
Unconverted tries from Tom Williams and Care made it 12-22, before Goode kicked a penalty on the stroke of half-time to narrow the arrears.
A frantic start to the second half then saw Worcester take the lead through a converted try from Alex Grove and a Goode penalty goal.
Again, Harlequins roared back and this time they would defend their lead for the remainder of the game. Care's try on 50 minutes made it 26-25 and, though the conversion was missed, Evans' penalty goal shortly after put Quins in front, and he collected a rebounding ball to add his second try soon after, converting the effort, to make it 26-35.
Quins then sealed the win in the final ten minutes through Mike Brown's try, converted by Evans, who finished the game with a personal tally of 22.
The scorers:
For Worcester:
Tries: Pennell, Grove
Cons: Goode 2
Pens: Goode 4
For Harlequins:
Tries: Evans 2, Williams, Care 2, Brown
Cons: Evans 3
Pens: Evans 2
Yellow card: Guest
Worcester: 15 Chris Pennell, 14 Josh Drauniniu, 13 Alex Grove, 12 Jon Clarke, 11 Ben Howard, 10 Andy Goode, 9 Jonny Arr, 8 Semisi Taulava, 7 Matt Kvesic, 6 Neil Best, 5 Chris Jones, 4 James Percival (c), 3 Euan Murray, 2 Ed Shervington, 1 Matt Mullan.
Replacements: 16 Aleki Lutui, 17 Rob O'Donnell, 18 John Andress, 19 Craig Gillies, 20 Jake Abbott, 21 Shaun Perry, 22 Danny Gray, 23 Joe Carlisle.
Harlequins: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Tom Williams, 13 George Lowe, 12 Jordan Turner-Hall, 11 Ugo Monye, 10 Nick Evans, 9 Danny Care, 8 Nick Easter, 7 Chris Robshaw, 6 Maurie Fa'asavalu, 5 George Robson, 4 Olly Kohn, 3 James Johnston, 2 Joe Gray, 1 Joe Marler.
Replacements: 16 Rob Buchanan, 17 Mark Lambert, 18 Will Collier, 19 Charlie Matthews, 20 Tom Guest,, 21 Karl Dickson, 22 Ben Botica, 23 Ross Chisholm.
Venue: Sixways Stadium
Referee: Martin Fox
Assistant referees: Paul Dix, Stuart Terheege


text:
Everybody likes a free lunch. Local government officials really like a free lunch, particularly when that lunch is paid for by federal taxpayers. Spend other people's money on projects that you don't have to tax your constituents to pay for? What a deal!
Downsizing Blog
Bailout Coming for the Postal Service?
The U.S. Postal Service is in financial trouble. Undermined by advances in electronic communication, weighed down by excessive labor costs and operationally straight-jacketed by Congress, the government's mail monopoly is running on fumes and faces large unfunded liabilities. Socialism apparently has its limits.
Are Mortgages Cheaper in the U.S.?
As Congress and the White House continue to debate the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, one of the oft heard concerns is that if we eliminate all the various mortgage subsidies in our system, then the cost of a mortgage will increase. There certainly is a basic logic to that concern. After all, why have subsidies if they don't lower the price of the subsidized good. Of course some, if not all, of said subsidy could be eaten up by the providers/producers of that good.
Federal Spending Cap: Corker vs. 3%
The American Action Forum will host a conference on Capitol Hill this afternoon to discuss budget reform (details here). Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) will discuss his "Commitment to American Prosperity Act," which would cap federal spending at a declining percentage of GDP over ten years. Spending as a percentage of GDP would eventually be reduced to 20.6 percent, which is equal to the average from 1970 to 2008.
More Federal Contracting Corruption
I recently discussed corruption in the Small Business Administration's 8(a) program, which sets aside federal contracts for minority-owned or other "disadvantaged" small businesses. A ProPublica investigation into set-asides for Alaskan Native Corporations found that subcontractors and large companies in the other 49 states have been reaping the financial benefits.
Wasting Time on Government Waste
A recent poll found that 60 percent of those surveyed believe that problems with the federal budget can be solved by simply eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. In fact, 40 percent strongly agreed with this erroneous position.
USDA's Budget Boom
Spending at the U.S. Department of Agriculture will be an estimated inflation-adjusted 43 percent higher this year compared to just a decade ago. The following chart shows the dramatic rise in USDA spending from fiscal 1970 to the president's projection for fiscal 2011:
Federal Budget Cap at 3%
The federal government is approaching its legal borrowing limit, and fiscal conservatives in Congress are wondering what spending reforms they can extract in return for supporting a debt-limit increase. Various sorts of balanced budget amendments and debt limits relative to GDP are being kicked around. I support those ideas, but I fear that they may be too complicated to gain traction right now.
Spending Growth: Nondefense Discretionary
Last week I compared "other mandatory" spending in fiscal 2007 to the president's proposal for fiscal 2012. Several readers requested that I produce a chart showing a similar breakdown for nondefense discretionary spending (or "domestic discretionary").
Video: $61 Billion in Spending Cuts
Congressional Republicans want to reduce fiscal 2011 funding by $61 billion. The Obama adminstration and Senate Democrats believe these cuts are too large. As a result, a two-week continuing resultion was passed to allow the sides to reach an agreement on funding the government for the rest of the year.


text:
By Brendan Conway
The price of natural gas is on the rise after data showing the country's stockpiles added 30 billion cubic feet of gas for the most recent period, which was slightly less than forecast.
With the spot price up by nearly 25% on the year, natural gas is the big commodity story of the year. It's been soaring at a time when copper is down 11% and gold has lost about 13%.
Here's the initial reaction to this morning's data — see the fevered trading shortly after 10:30 a.m. Gas is ahead by 1.1% to $4.21 at this writing:
The United States Natural Fund (UNG) is rising 0.9%, United States 12 Month Natural Gas Fund (UNL) is gaining 0.6%, iPath Dow Jones UBS Natural Gas Subindex Total Return ETN (GAZ) is ahead by 1.6%. First Trust ISE Revere Natural Gas Index Fund (FCG), a stock fund, is up 1.9%.
In other natural-gas news, EQT Corp.'s (EQT) stock is ahead by 7.5% this morning. As Dow Jones Newswires' Kevin Kingsbury puts it:
EQT's big 1Q beat has the Appalachian natural-gas company spiking through 2008′s record highs thanks to what SunTrust calls EQT mastering its Marcellus Shale operations. Amid the stout results, EQT boosted output expectations slightly and gave an initial 2014 forecast of production rising 29% then. That's "significant for a company of EQT's size," says SunTrust.


text:
Elder Joshua Ian Saupan has been called to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the France Paris Mission.
Elder Saupan will speak on Oct. 27 in the Orangeville 3rd Ward at 9 a.m. at the 8th North Chapel in Castle Dale.
Elder Saupan is the son of Floro and Robyn Saupan of Orangeville. He is the grandson of Dale and Bev Turnbow of Salt Lake City and the late Paulino and Ann Saupan of Honolulu, Hawaii.
All family and friends are welcome to join Elder Saupan at an open house at the Saupan residence on Oct. 26 from 5-7 p.m.
Elder Saupan will enter the Missionary Training Center on Nov. 13.
Elder Trevor Powell will return on Oct. 24 after serving mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints under the "Big Skies" of Montana. He will speak in sacrament meeting at 11 a.m. on Oct. 27 in the Cleveland 1st Ward.


text:
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The EVT is designed to bolt directly to the standard four-wheel-drive transfer case found on the gasoline-only models for true four-wheel-drive capability. The Silverado Hybrid's unique powertrain system comprises these major components:
Electrically variable transmission (EVT): The key to GM's EVT is its unique assemblage of two 60 kW electric motors, three planetary gearsets and four traditional hydraulic wet clutches. This arrangement allows continuously variable operation, and provides four fixed gear ratios (with operation comparable to that of a standard electronically controlled automatic transmission).
A sophisticated Hybrid Optimizing System constantly receives torque-based data from the powertrain and other vehicle systems, and then determines the most efficient means of propelling the vehicle — either via electric power, gasoline engine power or a combination of the two. The EVT is like having two transmissions in one — continuously variable drive for light-load conditions and fixed-ratio drive for high-load situations.
Energy storage system (ESS): A 300-volt nickel-metal hydride Energy Storage System (ESS) provides power to the EVT's two electric motors. This battery pack is located under the second-row seat.
In addition to supplying power to the EVT, the ESS also provides power to the air conditioning compressor and the Accessory Power Module (APM), which converts the high-voltage supply to 42 volts for the electric power steering system, and 12 volts for the vehicle battery and other 12-volt electrical accessories.
Battery pack durability and reliability are maintained via optimized charge and discharge cycles, as well as a dedicated cooling system that draws air from the passenger compartment. As part of the vehicle's emission control system, the ESS is warranted for eight years/100,000 miles.
Vortec 6.0L V-8 engine: Engineers chose the Vortec 6.0L V-8 gasoline engine for the Silverado Hybrid because of its favorable torque characteristics. This is especially important because GM engineers adapted the 6.0L V-8 to operate with late intake valve closing (Atkinson-cycle combustion process) for reduced pumping losses and better overall fuel economy.
Using flat-top pistons, cylinder heads borrowed from GM's 5.3L high-output V-8 and a 10.8:1 compression ratio, the Vortec 6.0L V-8 produces 332 horsepower (248 kW) at 5100 rpm and 367 lb.-ft. of torque (495 Nm) at 4100 rpm, yet requires only regular unleaded fuel.
The Vortec 6.0L also features variable valve timing to control late intake closing, as well as Active Fuel Management, which allows four of the eight cylinders to be shut off during periods of light load. With the benefit of electric boost, the engine is able to stay in V-4 mode for longer periods in the Silverado Hybrid.
Auto Stop mode and regenerative braking
A key contributor to fuel economy is the gasoline engine's Auto Stop mode. At vehicle speeds between 0 and 30 mph, the gasoline engine may be automatically shut down. By leaving the engine off and allowing the vehicle to move only under electric power up to 30 mph, such as during heavy stop-and-go traffic, fuel consumption is greatly reduced.
The regenerative braking system works in concert with the hydraulic braking system. The system uses a brake pedal emulator, which provides progressive resistance as the pedal is depressed. This consistent pedal feel is very much like that of a standard hydraulic braking system in operation.
Quiet performance
Silverado Hybrid matches its gasoline-only siblings in comfort and convenience, with special attention paid to acoustic details that makes for a very quiet driving experience. Examples include:
Hybrid interior features
A unique hybrid gauge cluster includes a special tachometer incorporating an Auto Stop position just above the 0 rpm mark that indicates when the gasoline engine is in shut-down mode. An analog economy gauge, to the left of the tachometer, helps the driver maintain the most efficient driving style.
Located midway down the center stack, the navigation system's seven-inch full-color VGA display (2HY models) doubles as a monitor that shows a graphic representation of the hybrid drivetrain's power flow. This display continuously informs the occupants how the system is sending power to the wheels from the ESS/electric motors, the gasoline engine or both. The screen also displays reverse electrical flow during regenerative braking and whether the vehicle is in two- or four-wheel-drive mode.
Silverado Hybrid exterior features
Silverado Hybrid interior standard and available features
Silverado Hybrid chassis and suspension
The Silverado Hybrid is built on GM's full-size truck platform, incorporating a fully boxed frame, coil-over-shock front suspension, leaf-spring rear suspension and rack-and-pinion steering.
Silverado safety and crash-avoidance features
OnStar details
Silverado is offered with OnStar as standard on all models. It uses GPS and cellular phone technology to automatically call for help in the event of crash. OnStar subscribers also can use the service to be Good Samaritans by sending help to other motorists, and to call for help in other non-crash emergencies.
The OnStar RemoteLink app allows Silverado Hybrid owners to control OnStar functions from a smart phone.


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- Product Details
- Fabric Estimator
- Rewards
This is a light weight, very soft, bamboo stretch knit. Great for day dresses.
Color: Burnt Brown 22
Width: 64"
Content: 93% BAMBOO, 7% LYCRA
Country: IMPORTED
Industry Weight: 11.25 oz/yd
Learn about fabric careHOW TO CARE FOR RAYON/VISCOSE:Dry cleaning is usually preferable, but some rayons or viscoses can be hand-washed or machine-washed on delicate, cool water. Line dry. Test a swatch first.Mood strongly recommends test-laundering a swatch, if you plan to wash your garment or home furnishings yourself.
PLEASE NOTE: The above numbers are estimations only. Please take into account garment size, lining and fabric width.


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How to Watch, Listen to, and Follow March Madness Online
Let the games begin! Thirty-one teams gained automatic entry into the 2013 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, also known as March Madness, by winning their respective conference tournaments. On Selection Sunday (March 17), a committee awarded an additional 37 at-large bids. The 68 teams were divided up into four regions and assigned seeds. The First Four round of games whittled the pool down to the final 64 teams and the first of those face-offs begin today.
Every game will be broadcast live in its entirety on CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV. With so many games packed into so few hours, it's inevitable that some of your must-see matchups will tip off during the workday. But if you can't slip out to a nearby bar to watch, you can still follow the action from your desk, although it might require a cable subscription. (Just be sure your boss doesn't overhear you cursing a bad call.)
On the radio, SiriusXM subscribers can listen to play-by-play of every tournament game on Sirius channels 91, 92, 93, 94, and 85, as well as XM channels 91, 190, 191, 192, and 85.
If you would rather watch every pump fake and post up, you can stream games to your computer or mobile device using the free NCAA March Madness Live app (available for iOS or Android.) You must log in with your cable or satellite service provider information, although games broadcast on CBS do not require registration. Don't have cable? A four-hour live video pass is available without logging in.
If you desire an interactive experience, all things March Madness can be found on Twitter, including stats, scores, and the opinions you didn't ask for. In the slideshow below, PCMag has assembled a star-studded line-up of analysts, organizations, coaches, and players that share bracket insights and tweet up-to-the-minute news to keep your head in the game, whether you're desk-bound or courtside.


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|5| Excellent
|4| Good
|3| Average
|2| Bad
|1| Terrible
A bridge towards peace; the will of fire still endures!
Rokudaime Hokage, Rokudaime Rikudou Sennin Uzumaki Naruto
Yup this is what I was talking about!
Off to read it...
Nice setup for the movie.
Notice the front page has their alter egos upside down.
Last edited by Arbitrary; 07-19-2012 at 06:05 PM.
Fire type
What chakra type are you?
well at least this movie is related to the cannon in some way at least, better than no relation i guess.
The Master's Legacy
If a theory can't explain the mysteries of the past, it has little chance to explain the mysteries of the present and future.
It just felt like a filler episode.
Manga/Anime I read/have read/tried to read:
Fairy Tail
Full Metal Alchemist
D.Gray Man
HunterXHunter(Didn't like)
Dragon Ball(Didn't like)
One Piece(Didn't like)
Katakayo Hitman Reborn(Didn't like)
Vampire Knight
Samurai Champloo(Didn't like)
Water type
What chakra type are you?
just verified what i think many ppl were suspecting the new movie was about, atleast it was for me.
Slutty Hinata!
Ahaha! Rock Lee is the same on both
Fuck yeah Kiba
lul@Tenten. Where's HB to check this out?
I enjoyed this one shot. It was like, a short break from all the intensity from the actual manga.
Last edited by [JUiCE]; 07-24-2012 at 12:17 AM.
I have looking forward to the movie for a long time, after reading this short story, even more exciting about it!
火影忍者 狐忍


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Home » ME » Biddeford ME » Putting
Putting Biddeford ME
Putting can make or break any golfer. Putting requires finesse and the right tool. Learn tips on how to putt and lower your score.
Golf Lessons: Breaks Biddeford ME
When reading a putt's break, it's important to keep in mind that two major factors impact how much it breaks: speed and slope. When both of those ingredients are perfectly aligned, it's a winning combination. Read more.
Golf Lessons: Drills Biddeford ME
A quiet body, a ball at rest, a short back-and-forth motion—how could something so simple cause so many headaches? It's a question that occupies the minds of touring professionals and weekend warriors alike. If you need some help getting your past your putting fears, try some drills to help get your game in good shape.
Golf Lessons: Grip Biddeford ME
there are common elements to good putting grips that enable the golfer to consistently strike the ball in the center of the putterface. One of these elements is gripping the putter with the palms, rather than the fingers.
Golf Lessons: Set Up Biddeford ME
Unlike the golf swing, there are almost no centrifugal forces at work in the putting stroke. Therefore, whatever you do at address pretty much determines what you'll do with the putter during the stroke. In studying the best players on Tour, it's easy to find common denominators in both their setup positions and strokes.
Golf Lessons: Stroke Biddeford ME
Golfers use two kinds of putting strokes: a square- to-square stroke that swings (and stays) square to the target line and an arcing stroke that travels inside the target line on the backstroke and follow through. If you need some help improving your stroke you'll find tips and information on how to do that right here.
Golf Lessons: Yips Biddeford ME
Why do people get the yips? From a lack of confidence they feel after missing short putts and from anticipating poor impact. Read more.


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Henri de
France 1864 – 1901
Woman with a black boa
[Femme au boa noir] 1892
oil on card
panel 53.0 (h) x 41.0 (w) cm
Musée d'Orsay, Paris , Gift of Countess Alphonse de Toulouse-Lautrec, the artist's mother 1902
© RMN (Musée d'Orsay) / Hervé Lewandowski
Women who have exaggerated the fashion to the extent of perverting its charm and totally destroying its aims are ostentatiously sweeping the floor with their trains and the fringe of their shawls; they come and go, pass and repass, opening an astonished eye like animals, giving an impression of total blindness, but missing nothing … She is a perfect image of the savagery that lurks in the midst of civilization. She has her own sort of beauty which comes to her from Evil always devoid of spirituality, but sometimes tinged with a weariness which imitates true melancholy.—Charles Baudelaire1
Exhibited at the Goupil Gallery in London in 1898, this work was listed as Portrait of a girl (no. 35).2 The pallid unnamed face which gazes out from the mass of feathers and tulle has a quizzical expression. Her face coated with rice-powder, her painted eyebrows arched, her hair arranged in a rough bun, the fabrics and ruches of her gown suggest the fabulous artifice of the Parisian demimonde.
In this portrait of remarkable economy, Toulouse-Lautrec describes only the essential features of his subject, with just enough detail to capture her personality. The painting is constructed of exceptionally flamboyant, virtuoso brushstrokes. By thinning his paint with turpentine and applying it as a wash, the fluid colours dried rapidly and ensured that Toulouse-Lautrec could work quickly, without having to wait for paint to dry. On a support of brown card, he has sketched the figure using blue oil paint. He has used a thicker brush, and wash-like black and green, to develop the structure of the figure. Streaks of emerald green, blue-grey and electric blue provide substance—around her neck they replicate the texture of the boa and gauzy fabrics. The mid-section of the painting is built up with rich peacock-like colours. The woman's hair is a delightfully unruly combination of olive and browns, highlighted with purple and maroon and touches of pale pink. Only around her face does the paint actually cover the card.
Toulouse-Lautrec's thin, spare colours and chalky, matt surfaces suited the darkened, interior scenes he painted. This composition is remarkably traditional: a three-quarter figure, facing front, with none of the cropping and other elements which suggest the fleeting encounters of the cabaret and dance halls, the brothels and cafes inhabited by the artist. The psychological acuity with which Toulouse-Lautrec captures facial expressions and body language—his ability to get behind the surface to expose the petty vanities, and reveal instead his models' vulnerabilities and vices—is what makes his works so powerful.3 Toulouse-Lautrec's enigmatic woman, with her knowing smile, has the features of a true femme fatale.
Lucina Ward
Text © National Gallery of Australia, Canberra 2009
From Masterpieces from Paris: Van Gogh, Cézanne, Gauguin and beyond Post-Impressionism from the Musée d'Orsay exhibition book, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra 2009
- Charles Baudelaire and Jonathan Mayne (trans. and ed.), The painter of modern life and other essays, London: Phaidon 1964, pp. 35–36. Baudelaire, XII: Women and prostitutes,The painter of modern life 1863.
- Toulouse-Lautrec, London: South Bank Centre; Paris: Réunion des musées nationaux 1991, p. 540.
- Julia Bloch Frey, 'Toulouse-Lautrec, Henri de', in Jane Turner (ed.), The dictionary of art, vol. 31, London: Macmillan, 1986, p. 213.


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Fatal Two Car Crash Near Wapato Yesterday
A two car crash outside of Wapato yesterday claims the life of one woman and injures two others.
It happened at the intersection of Lateral B Road and Progressive Road.
The Washington State Patrol says 29 year old Marciano Diazmorfin failed to yield at a stop sign, and collided with another vehicle.
The driver of the second car and one of the passengers were injured and taken to a local hospital. Another passenger, 56 year old Evelyn Broncheau, was pronounced dead at the scene. She was not wearing her seat belt.
Charges are pending. It's unknown if drugs or alcohol were involved in the wreck.


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The Connection
Little White Lies
My Piece of the Pie
Point Blank
L'Instinct de Mort
Tell No One
Love Me If You Dare
Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.
Copyright © 2017 FANDANGO MOVIES.


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Which regulatory policies and supervisory practices make banks more effective in channeling society's savings to the most deserving borrowers? While the International Financial Institutions have stressed the importance of effective regulatory and supervisory institutions for the stability and efficiency of banking systems around the world, until recently no cross-country evidence was available on the relative benefits of different institutional and organizational structures of bank regulation and supervision
In 1999, the first comprehensive cross-country survey was compiled on how banks are regulated and supervised, including requirements and regulatory powers regarding entry, ownership, capital, activities, auditing, organization, liquidity, provisioning, accounting, disclosure and bank exit. Cross-country research using these data have shown the importance of supervisory policies to foster market discipline and have shed doubts on policies that simply strengthen supervisors' ability to intervene in banks' day-to-day business.
This database, Bank Regulation and Supervision, was updated in 2011/12.
The guide lists questions condensed from the World Bank Survey of Bank Regulation and Supervision. It shows the shortened form of the questions, combines some related questions, and omits additional questions, which allowed respondents to provide more detailed answers and to attach actual laws and regulations
Working Paper
Cihak, Martin, Asli Demirguc-Kunt, Maria Soledad Martinez Peria, and Amin Mohseni-Cheraghlou, 2012. "Bank regulation and supervision around the world: A crisis update." World Bank Policy Research Working Paper 6286.
In Rethinking Bank Regulation: Till Angels Govern, James Barth, Gerard Caprio, and Ross Levine present an analytical framework for viewing bank regulation, describe in some detail the 2003 version of the database, use the database to investigate the impact of bank regulation on various dimensions of bank performance, look at what determines the decisions countries make on the orientation of the regulatory environment, and draw policy conclusions.
Available from Cambridge University Press. The CD included with the book includes both the database and the indices used by the authors.
You can also download other related documents. These include content-rich current outputs (updated document versions, miscellaneous documents and web pages).


text:
No, It's a Bad Idea
Jeff Veillette
July 27 2013 04:09PM
If you were on here yesterday, Steve wrote an article weighing the positives and negatives of a Cody Franson trade (which Darren Dreger suggests the Leafs are looking at due to a lack of cap space). His eventual conclusion was that there is the Leafs should probably give in and do it, because despite his talents, there's potential return. Plus, they don't appear to have much of a choice. On the other hand, I believe that this is a worse situation than it already appears to be, and whatever happens, it will be laced in regret. I present my argument in a shuffled version of the Five W's:
What Are You Giving Up?
Cody Franson was one of the league's better offensive defencemen this year.
- Franson finished eighth in points among defencemen. To give you an idea of how crazy that is, every other person in the Top 40 other than Brent Burns (who spent this year as a forward and does not count) played at least two more minutes per game than him, and he was scratched for three games.
- "He's a powerplay specialist!" is the response of most people when they hear that. The retort they don't expect? Bring the numbers to 5-on-5 only, and Franson is third (again, minus Burns), in even strength points. Though he also finished second behind PK Subban in 5-on-4 points per 60, so yes, he's good on the man advantage.
- He had career low in even strength shooting percentage this year, finishing last on the team out of anybody who scored a goal at 2.6%. To go with that, about half of his shots missed the net or were blocked, making a shot attempt into a goal less than 1.5% of the time. This is bad, with previous ESS%'s of 6.8, 4.4, and 6.9%, but that's a blessing in disguise. The Leafs were an incredibly lucky team when it came to shooting percentage last year, and an evening out (regression to the mean) is inevitable. Franson, on the other hand, is more likely to go up, an asset you'd like to keep in a situation like this.
- The Leafs took their second most shots for with him on the ice, were right in the middle of shots against, and had their second highest percentage of shots (highest if you don't count Jake Gardiner's iffy sample size).
- Franson was good at advancing the puck into the offensive zone, starting 45.9% of shifts in the offensive zone, and finishing 49% of them there.
- For those obsessive about the TV-loved statistics, Franson quietly managed to rank third on the Leafs in hits behind Mark Fraser and Dion Phaneuf, which is most impressive when you consider how few penalties he got in the process (just 4 minors for 8 penalty minutes the entire season). He also had nearly as many puck interactions (Giveaways+Takeaways) as Dion Phaneuf while being more likely to take it away than any Leafs defenceman (by percentage and by raw numbers, leading the team with 21).
- Franson lead all Leafs defencemen in points in the playoffs with 6, which was good for 11th in the league despite not escaping round one. His Game 7 recovery from an early mistake would be talked out fondly if it wasn't for the fact it happened during Game 7.
- Beyond all of this, we're talking about an offensive defencemen that will be entering the season at just 26 years old, that seems to be coming in his own. This is an opportunity to lock such a player into a decent length term, and it can't be used due to poor asset management.
- On a team where the coach believes that you should play the side of your handedness, Franson is easily the Leafs' best right-handed defenceman. An exception is obviously made for Carl Gunnarsson because he's the only one who can keep up with Dion Phaneuf, but Franson should for all intents and purposes be a lock for the second spot.
Why Are You Giving Him Up?
Simply put, the Leafs went from having the second most cap space in the NHL to crisis mode in three weeks. That must be some sort of record, which surely comes with a trophy that resembles Paul Holmgren. In any event, the Leafs currently have 12 forwards, 6 defencemen, and 2 goalies on the roster, with $6,170,833 in cap space and three restricted free agents to sign.
Just for arguments sake, let's send Korbinian Holzer to the Marlies (he'd have to clear waivers, though), and do the same with Trevor Smith. This frees $1,287,500 more, which gives you $7,458,333 to work with to sign Nazem Kadri, Cody Franson, and Mark Fraser. You also have to pick your most NHL ready forward out of the Marlies.
Fraser has to return to the team. Simply put, unless the Leafs sabotage their Arbitration Meeting just right and convince the powers that be that his value is $3,500,001 or higher, they're required to keep him. A situation that could've been solved for signing him before he filed (probably at under $1 million, which is less than he'll get from a system that appears to still value real time stats). Kadri's contract will likely be comparable to Matt Duchene's first non-entry level deal, which saw him earn 3.5 million per year over 3 years. So let's assume 3.5 for Kadri, 1.5 for Fraser. You're now at $2,458,333 to call up a player and sign Franson. The player will likely be Carter Ashton or Jerry D'Amigo, who both come in ata bout 1.05 million. This leaves approximately $1.4 million for Cody Franson.
Say what you want about Mikhail Grabovski's contract, but keeping that, walking away from Tyler Bozak (who had fewer points than Franson in more minutes as a #1 centre, and fewer assists on Phil Kessel goals with way more time played with #81), and buying out John-Michael Liles instead saves the Leafs 2.575 million, and now leaves you with 3.975M towards Cody. Do you need to replace Liles? Even if you have to call up Holzer again to have 7 defencemen, That's still just under 3.2 million dollars to work with.
Or, you don't bother with trying to find an usurper to James Reimer's throne in Jonathan Bernier, and save $2,912,500 by sticking with Scrivens, keeping Frattin, and not needing to call up D'Amigo or Ashton. Bernier has a lot of talent and upside, but if you want to keep the rest of the moves, this one sacrifies two young, cap efficient players and potentially knocks out talent and upside in a different, higher priority position.
Or, you don't sign David Clarkson to that massive contract. Clarke MacArthur got the same AAV from Ottawa as he did here. Argue all you want about which of the two you'd rather have (to me, the MacArthur contract is more sensible, but Clarkson is admittedly a better short-term, not seven years, but short term solution), but you save $2,000,000 to put towards Franson.
Or you could combine all three, save $7.5 million dollars, and be prepared for Kessel, Phaneuf, Reimer, and Gardiner's new contracts next year and extend Cody Franson.
But the reality is, Dave Nonis chose his path in order to get Randy Carlyle the team he wanted, and we're now stuck watching a scenario where Franson will almost assuredly hit the trade market. In a series of questionable moves, this is the exclamation point.
Where Can He Go?
Let's play Guess Who. Just like old times. Let's start with 29 teams
ROUND 1: Anaheim, Boston, Buffalo, Calgary, Carolina, Chicago, Colorado, Columbus, Dallas, Detroit, Edmonton, Florida, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Montreal, Nashville, New Jersey, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Ottawa, Philadlphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, San Jose, St. Louis, Tampa Bay, Vancouver, Washington, Winnipeg.
Cody Franson is asking for 4 million dollars from the Toronto Maple Leafs. He won't get that, but lets assume any team who signs him after aquiring him wants some wiggle room. Seeing as the Leafs are under no means to take salary back, lets remove every team that has less than 4 million in Cap Space. ("What if they have an under 1-1.5M defenceman to give up? You'll ask, but Minnesota isn't trading Jonas Brodin for Cody Franson, and he's not going to the Habs, certainly not for Rafael Diaz)
ROUND 2: Buffalo, Calgary, Carolina, Colorado, Florida, Nashville, New Jersey, New York Islanders, Ottawa, Phoenix, St. Louis, Vancouver, Washington, Winnipeg
Next up, there are a bunch of teams that are running under internal salary caps. Be it the result of near-bankrupcy, league ownership, or low revenue, there are a few of these teams in the pile. Lets take them out.
ROUND 3: Buffalo, Calgary, Carolina, Colorado, Nashville, Vancouver, Washington
One of these is the former team that gave up on him..
ROUND 4: Buffalo, Calgary, Carolina, Colorado, Vancouver, Washington
The Leafs would be looking for draft picks and prospects due to cap constraints, something that teams that are expected to be near the bottom next year are likely not going to give up.
ROUND 4: Carolina, Vancouver, Washington
Carolina has $4,885,000 in Cap Space. They realistically need to add a defenceman and at least one forward to their roster. before the season starts, with just roster players signed. Vancouver needs to sign Chris Tanev and add another defenceman with their $4,347,222 remaining, but also have four blue liners making over 4.5 million. Washington already has 7 defencemen for next year, just 11 forwards on the roster, and are rumoured to be looking at Mikhail Grabovski. Franson is unlikely to fit into the plans of the team with $5,665,705.
ROUND 5: Uhh.....
Who Can They Get Back?
Some teams may break these rules if they think a deal is really in their best interest. Maybe Carolina sheds a contract. Maybe the Islanders liked that taste of the playoffs and are okay with spending more money. Maybe Jay Feaster is somehow crazier than we thought. But the reality is, we're heading into August. You're not going to see league-wide dominoes in order to begin a Cody Franson bidding war. One or two teams will position themselves. The Leafs will be in a position of weakness at this point, and they'll have to ship him off on the cheap.
Consider that a team with a lot of cap space right now could send Franson an offer sheet. If he'll accept 4 million dollars, that puts the compensation at a first and third round pick. The Leafs would be very unlikely to match that, especially because it guarantees that somebody could swoop in with another offer sheet on Nazem Kadri. I'm sure other teams realize this, but also realize that he could be had for less if the Leafs are forced into a trade corner. Considering his play and age, less than that would be a concerning return, but the likely case.
When Was This A Good Idea?
I'm only adding this point so I can say I did the 5 W's. This was never a good idea. The circumstances that lead up to this were very short sighted. The response from those excited on July 5th was "well, if there is a cap issue, we won't have to worry about it for YEARS!".
It's been three weeks. The Leafs are going to be stuck giving away one of the league's better offensive defenceman, at a still growth-friendly age, for peanuts. Amazing.
This is Nonis paying for his awful signings. Had he kept Grabo, and let Bozak walk, he would have saved himself $2.55M altogether by buying out Liles instead. If he had done that, and then not given away Frattin + a 2nd for a minor upgrade at backup goalie, he could have also saved himself another $2M having Scrivens over Bernier. That would be $4.55M in extra savings to sign Franson, with IMO a better roster, but nope, Nonis had to make this his team. This doesn't even consider the savings he could have had by not spending a bajillion dollars on Clarkson. Dark days ahead friends.
I agree with you on many of the moves. I would rather have kept Frattin, MacArthur, Grabovski and Scrivens.
I want to keep Franson too.
However its not as bad as you point out. I think its possible
You don't need to call up a Marlie. Colborne is already in the capgeek roster calculations and could play on the 3rd line wing or 4th line center.
Do you really think Fraser gets more than $1.5 Million?
He only has 16 points in 143 NHL games and if you take out the anomaly of the past season, his plus minus isn't that great.
I think $1.25 million is more likely. $1.5 million would be number the top number I could see, but feel free argue why he is going to get more.
If Fraser gets $1.25 million that would still leave almost over 6 million for Fraser and Kadri. $3.25 million for Franson, which is more than Gunarrson got. $2.9 million for Kadri in slightly richer bridge deal than Subban.
But, if Fraser gets 1.5 million then you have to come down a bit on Franson and Kadri.
$3.25 million for Franson and $2.9 million for Kadri are lucrative deals and you have to remember that these are still RFA's. They either agree or don't play. When faced with sitting out, I think people will come to terms. Around 3 million or nothing and not playing is a compelling argument.
Another thing to consider is that $2 million of cap space from the buyouts of Tucker and Armstrong comes off the books at the end of this year. Perhaps Franson signs a one year deal at around 3 with the understanding of long term deal and raise to 4 if he has another good season.
If you took back some salary you might also be able to trade John Michael Liles during the season, especially if he bounces back. A productive Liles at $2.8 million would be a relatively good bargain for a team with with injuries to offensive defense men. The Leafs would pay 1 million per year on his 3.8 contract, but would free up 2.8 million for better purposes.
When the outcome of the Franson situation turns out to be not as bad as your imagination will you write a story about how wrong your analysis was?
July 27 2013, 04:26PM
Great piece, Jeff.
As far as potential dance partners for Franson's services are concerned, I think you may have overlooked Tampa Bay.
While they don't currently have the cap space you required to pass out of Round 1, they have some more "wiggle room" once Mattias Ohlund goes back on LTIR.
Yzerman has repeatedly stated that, if a defenseman was going to be added this offseason, it would be A) via trade B) someone to grow around the "young core" and C) preferably a righty two-way guy that can play top-4.
Franson is exactly all these things.
Tampa also has plenty of young forward prospects on the farm, including an abundance of top-6 winger talent that is banging on the NHL door. Assuming Nonis isn't ignoring deals that don't send D back, I'd expect Brett Connolly would be the most likely to be moved, and the centerpiece of a swap for Franson since the Leafs aren't looking for more NHL salary.
(All of this brings Aulie for Ashton to mind for me...)
Curious what your thoughts on this might be.
@Sats Mundin
wow I wrote that before reading the article, lol saw that you posted the very same with better numbers, my bad/shows self out
Ugh we are in quite a pickle. Great article Jeff. I have a few questions but please correct me if I'm wrong kinda thinking out loud...
Why do we need to call up a Marlie forward? Could we possibly start like this?
JVR - Bozak - Kessel
Lupul - Kadri or Unsigned Kadri replacement - Clarkson
McClement - Bolland - Kulemin
McClaren - Colborne - Orr
If push comes to shove could we send Liles down and save 900k?
If push REALLY comes to shove could we send Reimer down and bring Gibson up and save 300k? (I can't believe I just typed that!)
July 27 2013, 06:07PM
This is best article I've read on this site, great work!!
I'm legit scared now. :(
Agreed. If it is possible for Liles to be sent to the Marlies (And I think it is I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a no movement of any kind) then that will take an additional 900k off. 7.5 + .9 = 8.4.
Kadri 3.5 + Fraser 1.5 + Franson 3ish = 8ish
It's tight but it is doable.
They might be able to, but it's cutting it awfully close. And a risk come time for injury callups.
Yup. Not the ideal situation at all.
your comment about the 13th forward, they do have tervor smith on the books, currently it doenst look like a 2 way contract, but that could change.
2) i know no one is gunna want liles for 3.75 or 3.8, thye wouldnt be able to unlkoad liles for a cheese sandwich. but they could if they retained a mill, but probably not happening. I see the leafs need about 1.9-2.9 mill to even our their deficit. (that factors in a fraser 0.9-1.5 mill, kadri 3.25-3.5, and franson at 3.25-4) what does this mean? well it means theres going to be a problem. while it is true that teams are allowed to be 10% above cap before the season starts it show tremendous weakness and the wolves will be circling. again what does this mean? phaneuf is a UFA next year. do you honestly think hes going to agree to a reduced cap hit? or an extension that is at his current cap hit? no hes going to ask for more. that brings up more problems down the line no matter what happens here. kessel, kulamien, gardiner, riemer, boulland, Mcclemment, and fraser again if its a 1 year deal or even franson too if its a 1 year deal. all of which are tentative as they could be traded or walk. 2.5 mill coming off the books from buy outs and salary retention will NOT be enough to sign all of these, and thats optimistic i mean we arent going to be keeping them all, hell 2 mill alone can be given to kessel if hes kept. what does this mean? again comes back to phaneuf. in a perfect world liles would be traded to the avs for a god damn 4th round pick. in a perfect world phaneuf would be traded with something else to the islanders for strome. but that isnt going to happen. what will happen maybe is phaneuf to edmonton for stupidness. but that probably wont happen.there are a numerous senarios of what could happen. but right now all of this is just hersay rumours and speculation. currently franson is on the leafs books and they are attempting to set themselves up to sign him
Great article, I completely agree with it.
July 28 2013, 06:22AM
Great article. It helps sometimes to rehearse worst case scenarios. We can assess the opportunity costs of prior decisions, not just the immediate financial expenses, but what you CAN'T do as a result of what you choose TO do.
I am not so alarmed. There are options. Negotiations are fraught with uncertainty; this is what both sides stoke in order to get the best deal. For Nonis, the issue, I think, is how to handle Liles.
Darren Dreger is just drawing attention to himself and exploiting the uncertainty. Can make a career out of that practice.
Still, to sign Bozak, Clarkson, Bolland and trade for Bernier was costly -- without addressing the core needs at identified at the end of the season (D & 1C). There were no clear pathways to solve either of those challenges, so Nonis spent where he could. And spent a lot. I agree with your basic premise that this was all done to give Carlyle the team he wants. The good news is: Carlyle can't complain that he doesn't have the team for his game plan. Now he has to deliver. I can't think of a current manager who's indulged a coach so much. So, now the coach has to deliver. That's a plus.
I wonder where Paul Ranger figures in your calculus?
"Colborne is currently the 12th forward. They're going to probably going to want to carry 13."
They are not going to carry 13 forwards if they have cap issues and an AHL team in the same city. That would just be silly. They would call people up as needed and push them down to better manage the cap. They have done that before.
So at the start of the season that extra forward isn't there unless Franson or Kadri are holdouts. In that case they now the have the cap space.
"The issue with "play or don't play" is that they can sign offer sheets, and the Leafs are in a position where they could be forced to walk."
Offer sheets are statistically rare. Here's a list:
Out of all the contracts signed in the past five years in the NHL... only 5 offer sheets!
If Kadri or Franson get an offer sheet you deal with it at that point, because offer sheets are so rare. You wouldn't prematurely trade Franson because he might get an offer sheet.
I doubt anybody gives Kadri an offer sheet. They know the Leafs would probably match because of his potential. He was a Leafs draft pick and they see him as part of the future.
Since the 2004-05 lockout, only seven restricted free agents have signed offer sheets, and only one player has changed teams as the result of an offer sheet: Dustin Penner
You also have to consider other teams cap space. Who could do an offer sheet? Only 15 team have 4 million or more in cap space. Lots of the remaining teams still have players to sign... so who is going to give an offer sheet Kadri or Franson?
There is also the matter of compensation and UFA's. Why would a team give an offer sheet to Kadri and loose at least a 1st and third if they could sign UFA Grabovski (another talented small center) and not pay any compensating picks?
The fact that Grabovski is still unsigned tells you that cap space is tight and thus it is extremely unlikely that Kadri would get an offer sheet.
Also, if somebody was going to give an offer sheet to Franson or Kadri...why haven't they done it already?
Six of the last seven offer sheets were done in July. The only exception is Ryan O'Rielly in a lockout shortened season.
So of all the contracts signed in the NHL in the past six years there has only been one...I repeat...one offer sheet after July. I don't think it happening. The statistical probability is very low.
In short you are under-estimating the tightness of this market and vastly over-estimating the probability of an offer sheet.
As reported this morning, apparently Fraser is asking for 2 mil. Obviously when negotiating, you ask high and work your way down. Leafs are offering $855,000. I would agree that the middle ground could end up being around 1.5 mil like Jeffler said. https://twitter.com/DarrenDreger/status/361504515754700802
Although I like what the Leafs have done personnel wise this off season, putting me in the minority, I don't like the situation they put themselves into cap wise and I don't think anyone does.
I would like to add, wouldn't you be able to send down Trevor Smith to the AHL as well and be able to bury his salary, making the total cap hit saved 1.95 mil. As well if you're really pushing it, like the others said you could send Liles down and save another 900k bringing the total saved to 2.8 mil, which you can then distribute to Franson and Kadri.
At the end of the day, the Leafs are able to be 10% over the cap until the season starts, so even if they do go over, there is still some chance to possibly trade Liles and maybe Fraser depending on what sort of salary is offered to him in arbitration. I assume at some point during the season we can see some players being traded to free up cap space. I would be extremely happy if we are able to move Liles before the trade deadline (or even before the season starts) and get some return for him instead of just letting him walk.
I have to add this as well. I just found out that there is a buyout period teams are awarded after a player who has elected to go to salary arbitration has signed with the team. Be it either before the hearing or because of the hearing. So, after Fraser gets his contract (which he will get one) there's a period in which the Maple Leafs can buy out player(s?). I'm not sure if it's limited to how many players, but it's possible. And that period is one of only a few days. So they have some available options there, if they do decide to buy out Liles that way. Though this buyout will be against the salary cap, so you would have to take that into account.
Just thought I would share that. Interesting. Here's where you can learn more about the buyouts and arbitration in general: http://thehockeyguys.net/making-sense-of-the-compliance-buyouts-in-the-nhl/
Yes. Loiselle before the draft on the fan 540 talked about the using the second buyout period after arbitration to get more cap flexibility when asked how the team would manage cap.
People only see a small part of the whole puzzle.
July 28 2013, 03:25PM
Good article Jeff. I agree with most everything you've written.
One concern is that I think you cherry picked that shooting percentage stat. If you look at his overall on-ice shooting percentage it's 13.42% (13.61% 5v5), it tells a different story. So even if his goals rise, his assists are due to sharply fall. Especially since as a defenceman the rate should fall right down to league average.
Also, I've been kicking around lately that it might be possible for the Leafs to run with a 22 man roster, with the Marlies playing in town. Do you think that's feasible? Is there any precedent for that being done?
I was able to construct a 22 man roster, (with a scoring fourth line no less)with, Franson signed long term at 4 mil, Kadri on a bridge at 3.0 and Fraser at 1.2 with 300k cap room to spare. If I dropped the "redemption" players (Connolly and Larose) I picked for the scoring fourth line and inserted the refrigerators back in, there would be something like 600-700k left in cap space.
Good read Jeff
I dont like the idea of trading him as he has great potential, also dont like the 4 mil he's asking for his lack of consistency. Refusal of the 4 mil is a no brainer make a deal around 2.5 mil next 2 years if he performs consistently then award him 4 years at 6 mil.
The Cap is no longer a problem hopefully, he proved consistency, it would average out the previous 2 years to 4 mil sort of like a back pay and give him 4 mil for the next 4. I am no GM but this would make more sense, everyone gets what they want, an incentive to perform and maintain consistency.
July 28 2013, 05:00PM
I'd rather take the gamble on him and sign him up for 4 mil 5 years right now. Better that, than having him and Kadri come up for big paydays at the same time.
I forgot to add / ask, couldnt the leafs offer him a 1 year 1 mill contract, then turn around at the same time and give him an extension on top of this for a 2-4 year at 3.5-4.5 or is this not even plausable
July 28 2013, 05:17PM
Sounds like cap circumvention to me, but I don't know the specific rule that forbids it.
Sounds like cap circumvention to me, but I don't know the specific rule that forbids it.
i looked it up kinda but i mean theres probably a rule against it as well lol
Will Clubs be able to renegotiate contracts with players?
No. Player contracts will not be renegotiated (upward or downward) during their term. Extensions may be negotiated but only in the final year of the contract and only if such extension is for an amount that can be accommodated in a Club's upper limit for the current year or as computed for future years.
being signed to a one year deal franson is then automatically in his final year(again) of his contract they are then able to do a contract extension
July 28 2013, 06:26PM
"only if such extension is for an amount that can be accommodated in a Club's upper limit for the current year or as computed for future years."
I think that's the key. They can't sign him to an extension if the value of the extension would put them over the salary cap this year.
I'm still surprised there isn't a specific rule about 1 year contracts. It would take some trust and backroom deals, but for a team that had lots of cap room, they could theoretically sign a player to a 1 year 10 million dollar deal and then an extension at say 4 year 20 mil. The annual value to the player would be 6 mil per season (actually more due to the time value of money) but would only cost the team 5 mil per season against the cap in the years that theoretically mattered more.
they did that with hossa, chara, kovalechuyk exactly what your talking about, a front loaded contract, i think hossa got 10 mill in first year, its a 12 year contract, and like the final 3 years hes gettin under a mill per. whats stopping them from having a back loaded contract, same basis
July 28 2013, 07:53PM
Except this would be two different contracts, not one contract. And would clearly require some back room deal to keep the parties honest. I think these would be big red flags to the NHL that cap circumvention was underway.
They also tried to do away with those front loaded deals, with "fake" years tacked on to the end. Hell, they took draft picks away from the Devils for so blatantly exploiting the loophole.
yes i remember this, never know might be able to off load liles or trade phaneuf for something becasue i dont think hes going to resign for the leafs for less or equal pay and then having no cap space to resign like 5 other players. hes gunna want more
Hey man, I really enjoyed the article! I hate to be the guy to bring this up, and I might get razzed for saying it, but might it not be sensible to wait another week or two before assessing how much trouble we're in? Often moves in the NHL are in the works weeks, or months before the public hears anything about them (JVR/Bernier). I find it pretty hard to believe that a GM who was very cap-conscious and responsible over the duration of the regular season would just up and forget about two of his most treasured pieces in RFA's Kadri and Franson. When asked about the contracts, Nonis said he was not worried about resigning the players. From all I've gathered about Nonis, he is a very honest and genuine GM, and if he did not have a plan in place I think there would be a certain measure of accountability from his end. Do you really think he'd sign Ranger to 1M if he'd have to trade Franson because of it? Nonis, like every other executive in the league, is far too smart to simply forget about the cap, or to make a mistake that glaring. I'm near certain that Nonis has more up his sleeve, and more options, than the blogging community is willing to admit. For example, someone like Nik Kulemin could be moved for a much more affordable 3rd line piece. This is not a personal jab or anything of the sort, but I'm frustrated with our community because we need to give our management a chance to work before we start going all Chicken Little... Believe me, like every other leafs fan here I will go ballistic if we end up starting the season with a dismantled team due to cap trouble, but have a little faith that there is a bigger plan in store than just an impulsive spending spree. There is so much that we all don't know, and I wouldn't support this team if I didn't have some degree of trust and faith in the management, much the same sentiment I felt towards Burkie. Thanks!
So, okay, maybe the Leafs use another buyout during this second period.
They've already used both of their compliance buyouts, on Grabovski and Komisarek. So any additional buyout will be count towards the cap the same way Colby Armstrong's did.
Which is another little bit of cap space for this Year (and at least next year and probably years more, depending on who gets bought out) just gone into thin air. All because Dave Nonis just kept doubling down on decisions that ate away at the cap space for players that are secondary to their success.
For somebody complaining about people only looking at a small part of the puzzle, that's a big piece you yourself have overlooked.
Keep in mind, that they can still buy out liles. They used their 2 compliance buyouts, but they still have unlimited buyouts starting this thursday, and liles is expected to be bought out, freeing up cap space for both franson and kadri. :)


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- National Geographic Orion
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Summary : Join world renowned National Geographic Photographer David Doubilet on this South Pacific trip of a lifetime. Discover the wild undersea and picturesque islands along the Great Barrier Reef, famed for the vibrant sea life at its fantastic snorkeling and diving sites. Venture to Papua New Guinea to learn about cultures that continue to live close to their ancestral traditions and search for the famous birds of paradise. And explore the tiny islands in the vast marine reserve of Micronesia with its world class snorkeling, where you'll meet islanders living in the popular notion of paradise.
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Depart for Cairns, crossing the International Dateline (lose a day).
Arrive in Cairns in the far north of Queensland and transfer to National Geographic Orion for embarkation.
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest reef system. It is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland in northeast Australia. Unspoilt Lizard Island has great cultural importance for the traditional residents—the Dingaal Aboriginal people, who regarded it as a sacred place. Its pristine beaches, with perfect white sand, slope gently away from the shore. Swimmers, snorkelers and divers are rewarded with coral gardens, brightly colored tropical fish and giant clams (one meter in length with spectacular colors). Hike up to "Cook's Look," where Captain Cook plotted his route through the reefs; the rewards are 360 degree views.
The reef is composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 4,200 miles. This huge area can be seen from outer space and is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms. Sail to a remote section on the outer reef, and discover a thrilling array of marine life—from starfish and anemones to multicolored tropical fish, reef sharks and turtles.
This morning, guided by your reef pilot, you may land on Cape York at the tip of the state of Queensland, Australia. Continue on to Thursday Island, recognized as one of the last frontiers in Australia. There are at least 274 islands in the Torres Strait, of which 17 have settlements. Learn about the island's unique history and culture. Wander through the pearler's cemetery, where stories of this once dangerous occupation are revealed. Or take in the panoramic vistas from Lion's Lookout.
Head up to the Bridge to watch the quiet business of navigation, then gather in the lounge as you make our way to Papua New Guinea and hear presentations on your next adventures.
Papua New Guinea is a patchwork of mountains and jungle, home to some 700 Papuan and Melanesia tribes, each with its own language. The island of Samarai was once an important trading post and stopover between Australia and East Asia. Today trading has moved elsewhere and the sleepy island is designated as a national heritage site. Land by Zodiac to discover the island's fascinating history of colonialism, missionaries and headhunters, or land on neighboring islands for beachcombing, swimming and snorkeling.
On Kitava, experience an incredible and festive cultural exchange: hundreds of villagers gather to watch the great festivities, dancing, singing and chanting—with performers decorated in colorful flowers, feathers, woven palm fibers and even Christmas tree tinsel. Photographers will spend time photographing the many beautiful faces, and shoppers may browse some of the finest quality artisan crafts in the Pacific set against idyllic tropical island scenery. After the festivities, relax on the picturesue beach of neighboring Nuratu Island or snorkel its pristine reef.
After a morning at sea, be on deck for the spectacular approach to Rabaul dominated by its smoking volcano. In 1994 the volcano exploded, burying this "Pacific Pompeii." Observe firsthand the old city covered in ash with the steaming volcano as a backdrop. See the extensive WWII fortifications that made up the southernmost base of the Japanese advance. Another highlight comes after dark, watching the unique fire dancers of the Baining tribe.
This day is left open for exploration, perhaps stopping on New Ireland and the tiny island groups scattered off its shores.
Set your sights north and sail to Micronesia, crossing the equator along the way. With relaxing days at sea, take some time to browse the library, or crack open a copy of James Michener's book, Tales of the South Pacific, inspired by his experiences during WWII. Head up to the fitness center, have a sauna, enjoy time on deck or in the hot tub. You lecture series continues as you learn about the history and fascinating cultures of Micronesia.
The vast selection of WWII artifacts still found in the Chuuk State after five decades are testament to the unique history of the Micronesian Islands—visible propellers, torpedoes, cave networks, planes and ships abound. See the waterside monument to those who died in the massive American air attack of 1944. Snorkel or dive among Chuuk's renowned WWII shipwrecks, now blooming with corals. Spot wildlife on rain forest walks, past waterfalls and deserted beaches, and become acquainted with the everyday traditions of the islands, largely unchanged over the centuries.
A leisurely morning gives insight to the traditional island lifestyle with dances, demonstrations of house-framing and thatching, mat and loom weaving, rope and net-making, and handicrafts. Open hearth fires are still used to cook daily meals. Carvers use beautiful local woods to carve warrior masks and busts. And the Chuukese 'love stick' is part of a legendary practice of courtship unique to this island group.
"The land of stone money," intriguing Yap is notable for the largest and heaviest money in the world. Land at tiny Satawal, measuring just 1.5 miles long and accessible only by a small ship such as National Geographic Orion. Village women present a traditional welcome dance adorned in lava-lava skirts. Satawal men, some of the best traditional navigators in the Pacific, live here steering by the sun, stars, and ocean swells. And you may have the chance to ride in an outrigger sailing canoe made of breadfruit wood. Choose to snorkel on the fringing reef, or explore the thickly wooded interior with coconut and breadfruit trees.
This picture-postcard tropical island is home to a beautiful lagoon and a culture with an emphasis on maintaining traditional ways of life, with some modern tools and conveniences banned by the chief. Once granted permission, freely wander the island and admire the handicrafts, including unique pearl-shell fish hooks. People-watch under a coconut tree, photograph the unusual stone money, or enjoy water activities in the blue lagoon.
Zodiacs navigate the coral reefs as you land on the sugar-sand beach of this small, mostly uninhabited island—perfect for exploration, beachcombing and nature walks. Coconut palms grace the lagoon and you may see sooty terns and elegant white-tailed tropicbirds. Snorkel over a coral drop-off, or enjoy a dive in deeper waters.
Traditional life flourishes in the villages where fishing, sailing and weaving are still important parts of everyday life. Grass skirts for the women and thu'us, a type of loincloth, for the men are the basic garb in the small towns that sit in tranquil settings around the island. Walk ancient stone pathways, visit a community house, and view one of the wunbeys—stone sitting platforms where the elders hold meetings. Yap is world famous for its resident manta rays. In Yap, a manta dive does not mean diving with the hope of a manta encounter—it means diving to actually see the mantas. Over 100 manta rays live all year long in the waters surrounding Yap. When coupled with the abundance of larger species like sharks, and turtles, Yap is a paradise for the underwater photographer.
Last landfall is in Palau—a fitting finale with the whitest beaches you will ever see, gardens of coral just beneath the clear waters, lakes filled to the brim with "stingless" jellyfish, forests, waterfalls and caves for exploring. Take a slow hike to legendary Jellyfish Lake for an extraordinary snorkeling experience. After centuries of biological isolation, the huge jellyfish here have lost their ability to sting.
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USDA Hosts Roundtable on Jobs, Economic Growth for Georgia and South Carolina
One hundred and fifteen people from Georgia and South Carolina attended a U.S. Department of Agriculture-sponsored Presidential Roundtable Forum on job creation at Augusta State University earlier this week.
About 25 community leaders brainstormed solutions to high unemployment numbers and the impact on rural areas, while extra chairs were added as people continued to arrive.
"This forum provides an opportunity to share ideas on creating jobs and economic opportunities," said Shirley Sherrod, state director of USDA Rural Development in Georgia. "Government can help lay the groundwork for economic growth, but the best ideas for continued growth and job creation often come from local communities. We need the best ideas to share with the Obama Administration."
The roundtable included business owners, residents, state and local officials, union members, non-profit organizations, community leaders, economists, educators and others interested in job creation and economic stability. Fred Smith, District Director of the Georgia Department of Labor, provided the state's perspective, including the most current statistics on unemployment and the most promising areas of job growth – healthcare and education.
Representatives from Senators Isakson and Chambliss, and Congressmen Barrow and Broun were present. Congressman Broun sent a statement to be read by his representative, Nicole Avecedo.
"The primary purpose is to put South Carolinians back to work," said Vernita F. Dore, state director of USDA Rural Development in South Carolina. "We all know that unemployment in our state is one of the highest in the nation, and this forum brings the opportunity to change that. It gives us the chance to remind rural America about the many programs that Rural Development has to address this economy's problem."
"Moreover," Dore continued, "it gives Rural Development the opportunity to remind rural communities that Rural Development stands poised with direct and guaranteed loan and grant programs to finance and help to create jobs and stimulate the economy. We believe that this forum will truly generate ideas for job creation and economic expansion in our state."
"Our rural areas have been hit very hard in some counties," Sherrod said. "Most communities need more economic diversity to sustain tough times like this, and that usually means small businesses need more support. Rural Development does have programs to help rural areas address this issue."
Submitted by EJ Stapler and Marlous Black, USDA Rural Development
To learn more, go to the Rural Development and FSA Job Roundtables Schedule, and the News Release, "USDA to Host Roundtables on Jobs, Economic Growth"