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With Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Adam Lambert swinging through the Valley in the next few months, it seems as good a time as any to revisit our list of best-selling "American Idol" veterans, with numbers through the week ending July 15 provided by the folks at Nielsen SoundScan.
When last we checked in on the sales of "Idols" veterans, in May of 2011, here's how we led off the column: "Among the more cynical takes on 'American Idol' is the argument that no one will even remember who Scotty McCreery is a year from now, that 'American Idol' doesn't really launch sustainable careers the way 10 years of touring dingy hellholes in a beat-up van would do."
8/2: Kelly Clarkson talks 'American Idol,' 'Duets,' 'Stronger'
Not quite 14 months later, McCreery has already cracked the Top 10, passing Glendale's Jordin Sparks, on the strength of one album.
Jennifer Hudson also passes Sparks, who drops from ninth place to 11th, and Adam Lambert hangs tough at No. 12. David Archuleta drops off the list, while the Top 8 is the same as last year.
Another interesting development? Underwood remains the biggest-selling album artist, but Clarkson passed her in digital tracks sales in the past year, thanks in large part to the huge success of "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)."
Here's a look all 12 artists.
1. Carrie Underwood
Total sales: 13,247,000 albums; 469,000 physical singles; 22,697,000 digital tracks.
Vital 'Idol' stats: Won Season 4.
Biggest albums: Her seven-times-platinum debut, "Some Hearts," hit the charts at No. 2 in late 2005 and topped the country charts. Three subsequent releases -- 2007's triple-platinum "Carnival Ride," 2009's "Play On" and this year's "Blown Away" -- topped both charts.
Biggest songs: Her "Idol" song, "Inside Your Heaven," topped the Hot 100 in 2005. Since then, she's topped the country charts with 11 songs: "Jesus, Take the Wheel," "Before He Cheats," "Wasted," "So Small," "All-American Girl," "Last Name," "Just a Dream," "Cowboy Casanova," "Temporary Home," "Undo It" and this year's "Good Girl."
Most recent hit: Released July 9, "Blown Away" had peaked at No. 30 on the country charts as of the week ending Saturday, July 28.
2. Kelly Clarkson
Total sales: 11,684,000 albums; 653,000 physical singles; 24,304,000 digital tracks.
Vital 'Idol' stats: First American Idol ever.
Biggest albums: After topping the charts in 2003 with a double-platinum debut titled "Thankful," Clarkson peaked at No. 3 with the following year's six-times-platinum "Breakaway," debuted at No. 2 with the platinum "My December" in 2007, topped the charts with 2009's "All I Ever Wanted" and debuted at No. 2 with last year's "Stronger."
Biggest songs: She's topped the Hot 100 three times, with "Idol" coronation single "A Moment Like This" in late 2002, "My Life Would Suck Without You" in 2009 and "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" in 2012. "Since U Been Gone" hit No. 2 in 2005, while "Miss Independent," "Breakaway," "Behind These Hazel Eyes," "Because of You," "Never Again" and last year's "Mr. Know It All" all cracked the Top 10.
Most recent hit: "Dark Side" debuted at No. 57 the week ending Saturday, July 26.
3. Daughtry
Total sales: 6,725,000 albums; 4,000 physical singles; 12,457,000 digital tracks.
Vital 'Idol' stats: Chris Daughtry finished fourth on Season 5.
Biggest albums: The first two Daughtry albums -- 2006's four-times-platinum self-titled debut and 2009's platinum "Leave This Town" -- topped Billboard's album charts. Last year's "Break the Spell" peaked at a clearly disappointing No. 8.
Biggest songs: Their first single out of the gate, 2006's "It's Not Over," peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Hot 100. The following year, their second single, "Home," hit No. 5.
Most recent hit: "Outta My Head" peaked at No. 22 in a 13-week run on the Adult Pop Songs chart the week ending Saturday, June 23.
4. Clay Aiken
Total sales: 5,009,000 albums; 1,300,000 physical singles; 626,000 digital tracks.
Vital 'Idol' stats: Finished second on the second season.
Biggest albums: Released in late 2003, his double-platinum first album, "Measure of a Man," became his only No. 1 release. He has, however, cracked the Top 5 with three subsequent releases -- 2004's "Merry Christmas With Love," which was certified platinum and peaked at No. 4; 2006's gold release, "A Thousand Different Ways," which hit the charts at No. 2; and 2008's "On My Way Here," which peaked at No. 4. Released in 2010, "Tried and True" peaked at No. 9.
Biggest songs: His double-sided debut single, "This Is the Night" backed with Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," topped the Hot 100. A second double-sided single, "The Way" with "Solitaire," hit No. 4.
Most recent hit: He hasn't hit the Hot 100 since "The Way" back in 2004, but "On My Way Here" peaked at No. 26 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart in 2008.
5. Fantasia
Total sales: 2,859,000 albums; 415,000 physical singles; 1,496,000 digital tracks.
Vital 'Idol' stats: Won Season 3.
Biggest albums: Her platinum debut, "Free Yourself," hit No. 8 in late 2004. Third album, "Back to Me," released in mid-2010, became her highest-charting effort, checking in at No. 2 and topping Billboard's R&B chart.
Biggest songs: Her debut single, "I Believe," topped Billboard's Hot 100 in 2004. She's topped the R&B charts once (with "When I See U" in 2007) and peaked at No. 2 on that chart with 2004's "Truth Is," her second-highest entry on the Hot 100 (where it peaked at No. 21).
Most recent hit: Last year's "I'm Doing Me" peaked at No. 11 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart in early 2011.
Worth noting: Fantasia has sold more than twice as many digital tracks as Aiken.
6. Ruben Studdard
Total sales: 2,579,000 albums; 752,000 physical singles; 446,000 digital tracks.
Vital 'Idol' stats: Won Season 2.
Biggest albums: His platinum debut, "Soulful," hit the charts at No. 1 in late 2003. Third album, "The Return," returned him to the Top 10 with a No. 8 debut in late 2006.
Biggest songs: First single, "Flying Without Wings," hit No. 2 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 2003. Third single, "Sorry 2004," hit No. 9.
Most recent hit: He hasn't hit the Hot 100 since 2006 when "Change Me" peaked at No. 94 (although it did hit No. 1 on the Urban Contemporary chart). "June 28th (I'm Single)" peaked at No. 61 the week ending Saturday, April 7, 2012.
7. David Cook
Total sales: 1,464,000 albums; 4,444,000 digital tracks.
Vital 'Idol' stats: Won Season 7.
Biggest albums: His first post-"Idol" album, a self-titled effort, hit the charts at No. 3, going platinum. Last year's "This Loud Morning" peaked at No. 7.
Biggest songs: His first post-"Idol" single, "The Time of My Life," hit No. 3 on Billboard's Hot 100 in 2008 while topping the Adult Contemporary charts. A second single, "Light On," peaked at No. 17.
Most recent hit: "Permanent" peaked at No. 24 in 2009, but "Fade Into Me" hit No. 33 in late December on Billboard's Adult Pop Songs chart.
Worth noting: Cook has also sold more than twice as many digital tracks as Fantasia and Aiken combined.
8. Kellie Pickler
Total sales: 1,429,000 albums; 3,858,000 digital tracks.
Vital 'Idol' stats: Finished sixth on Season 5.
Biggest albums: She hit the charts at No. 9 (and topped the country charts) with "Small Town Girl" in late 2006, returning to that same position in 2008 with a self-titled effort. This year's "100 Proof" debuted at No. 7 and No. 2 country.
Biggest songs: Released in late 2008, her biggest single, "Best Days of Your Life," hit No. 9 on Billboard's country chart and No. 46 on Billboard's Hot 100. An earlier hit, "I Wonder," peaked at No. 14 on the country chart in 2007.
Most recent hit: "100 Proof" peaked at No. 50 on the country charts the week ending Saturday, May 19.
Worth noting: Pickler has sold more digital tracks than Fantasia and Aiken combined.
9. Scotty McCreery
Total sales: 1,329,000 albums;1,857,000 digital tracks.
Vital 'Idol' stats: Won Season 10.
Biggest albums: "Clear as Day" debuted at No. 1 (also topping the country charts) last year.
Biggest songs: His coronation single, 2011's "I Love You This Big," hit No. 11 on the Hot 100 and peaked at No. 15 on the country charts. His second single, "The Trouble With Girls," hit No. 17 on the country charts while petering out at No. 55 on Billboard's Hot 100.
Most recent hit: Third single "Water Tower Town" lost steam at No. 42 the week ending Saturday, July 14, on Billboard's country charts.
10. Jennifer Hudson
Total sales: 1,314,000 albums; 2,402,000 digital tracks.
Vital 'Idol' stats: Finished seventh, Season 3. Yes, seventh.
Biggest albums: Both Hudson albums, 2008's "Jennifer Hudson" and last year's "I Remember Me," debuted at No. 2 and quickly achieved gold certification.
Biggest songs: Her highest entry on the Hot 100, "Spotlight," peaked at No. 34 but topped the R&B charts in 2008. Two years earlier, "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" peaked at No. 60 on the Hot 100 while topping the dance charts.
Most recent hit: "Think Like A Man," with Ne-Yo and Rick Ross, hit No. 90 on the Hot 100 the week ending Saturday, April 28, after spending the previous week at No. 33 on the R&B charts. It only managed one week on each chart.
Worth noting: She's sold more digital tracks than McCreery, Fantasia and Aiken. Also won more Oscars (one, for "Dreamgirls").
11. Jordin Sparks
Total sales: 1,288,000 albums; 10,156,000 digital tracks.
Vital 'Idol' stats: Won Season 6.
Biggest albums: Her first post-"Idol" effort, "Jordin Sparks," hit No. 10 in late 2007, going on to be certified platinum. Released in mid-2009, the follow-up, "Battlefield," peaked at No. 7.
Biggest songs: She's had three Top 10 singles on the Hot 100 -- 2007's "Tattoo" (No. 8), 2008's Chris Brown duet, "No Air" (No. 3) and 2009's "Battlefield" (No. 10).
Most recent hit: Her latest Hot 100 entry, "I Am Woman," spent one week at No. 82 the week ending May 28, 2011.
Worth noting: Only the top three artists on this list have sold more digital tracks than Sparks.
12. Adam Lambert
Total sales: 1,173,000 albums; 21,000 physical singles; 4,903,000 digital tracks.
Vital 'Idol' stats: Season 8 runner-up.
Biggest albums: "For Your Entertainment" hit the charts in late 2009 at No. 3, going on to be certified gold. Released in May, his second album, "Trespassing," debuted at No. 1.
Biggest songs: He's gone Top 40 twice. "Whataya Want From Me" hit No. 10, while "If I Had You" peaked at No. 30.
Most recent hit: "Never Close Our Eyes" debuted at No. 23 on Billboard's dance charts the week ending Saturday, July 28.
Worth noting: Only the top three artists on this list and Sparks have sold more digital tracks.
Reach the reporter at firstname.lastname@example.com or 602-444-4495. Twitter.com/EdMasley.
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Grandparent's Role During Birth
Attending the birth of your grandchild can be a powerful experience and intense bonding opportunity for you and your daughter or daughter-in-law. But it's probably been a few years since you witnessed a delivery and the procedures, philosophies, and equipment have changed a lot. So if you plan to attend the birth of your grandchild (whether it's a hospital or home birth), prepare yourself before the big event.
Take some time to familiarize yourself with current birthing procedures at hospitals, as well as home birth procedures, if applicable. A great way to do this is to attend the hospital tour with the parents-to-be and meet the doctor before the big day. There are also classes just for grandparents and many books available to bring you up to date with birthing practices today and the equipment used. Being well prepared will help you be more relaxed and better equipped to support the parents-to-be during the big day.
It's also important to sit down and discuss your interests and expectations with the parents-to-be in advance. You might want to be much more involved than they are comfortable with, or vice versa. Knowing the role you'll play ahead of time will help avoid disagreements or hurt feelings in the emotionally-charged process that is labor and delivery. Here are a few roles that grandparents may play during birth:
Take over the role of photographer and/or videographer to give the father/partner time to focus on the laboring mom-to-be. Just be sure all your equipment is in working order, full of film or a new digital memory card, and the batteries are fully charged before the big day!

subset: commoncrawl


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By Brendan Conway
That's according to ConvergEx strategist Nicolas Colas, who has fun with numbers in his morning research note about the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average (DIA).
Barring some market calamity, we'll probably reach the fresh all-time high next week. The Dow entered today's session 0.78% below its record closing high of 14,164.53, on Oct. 9, 2007. Midday Friday, the index is a little more than 100 points beneath that level. (Calamities may not be barred after all, but that's another matter.)
The upshot: Much as we journalists need something to write about, you shouldn't take this price-weighted, 30-member stock index's performance milestones too seriously.
Here's Colas running the very hypothetical scenarios of a 2013 Dow holding non-member stocks Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG), Netflix (NFLX), LinkedIn (LNKD) and two others:
What if Google or Apple or Netflix had been added at the end of last year? Household names all, to be sure. We ran that math for these names and a few others (some rough math included in several attached tables) and here's what we found:
- Apple. The boys and girls from Cupertino have hit a rough patch, with the stock down 17.1% year to date. Since AAPL has a large stock price – over twice that of IBM – this performance would have hit the Dow quite badly: about 435 points as we figure it. This would have put the Average at a close of around 13,475 yesterday, rather than the actual 14,054.
- Google. I am absolutely not going to order those freaky glasses, but GOOG itself has done well in 2013, up 13.3%. That's good for 800 Dow points (big stock price like AAPL, but moving in the right direction) and a new record closing high yesterday of 14,330.
- Netflix. The best performing stock in the S&P 500 year to date, and a price that would make it the 2nd most influential stock in the Dow, right behind IBM. NFLX has been a double year to date, which would have been around 1,200 Dow points. And a closing high yesterday of 15,275.
- LinkedIn, Time Warner, and Salesforce.com: LNKD in the Dow from January 1 would have put the Dow on track to close around 14,533 yesterday. TWC hasn't had as good a year, so the Dow would be just below 14,000. And CRM – almost no difference to the end of February close.
The point here is that the notion of a "New High" for the Dow is a little arbitrary, by virtue of the price weighting function and stock selection process. No, I don't think Apple or Google would make it into the Dow – the price weighting would essential relabel the Average as "Apple/Google and 29 other companies." But LinkedIn – and scores of other companies – could have easily lifted the Dow to a new high. Would the Dow committee every chose such a newbie to include? Hard to tell.


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Development Camp 2013: Johnny Gaudreau
Ryan Pike
July 18 2013 08:24AM
When you're covering Calgary Flames prospect camps, the first question you get from the more casual Flames fans is "Which one is Johnny Gaudreau?" The second thing you hear is "Ohhhh, wait, nevermind..." as the person speaking to you suddenly sees the little guy do something dazzling on the ice.
The fourth round selection of the Calgary Flames in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft has been the centre of attention for the past three prospect camps; the first because people were wondering how pint-sized he really was, the rest because he's racked up a lot of accolades playing in the NCAA. Standing a generous 5-7 and weighing just under 160 pounds, the New Jersey native has won an NCAA championship, a World Junior gold medal and was named one of the best college players in the United States last season for Boston College.
At this year's development camp, the fan reactions seemed to alternate between salivating over Gaudreau's immense talent and then mini-panic attacks when confronted with the possibility that he could sign elsewhere after he finishes four years of college – or two more seasons from now. On the first full day of camp, Gaudreau held court with local media and the subject of "Schultzing" the Calgary Flames was the topic du jour.
"I really enjoy it here, all the coaches and the GM. I really enjoy my time here when I come up to Calgary, and I'm just trying to get my education right now and hopefully I'll just keep playing hockey and I'll get a chance to play for the Flames someday." said Gaudreau.
The 19-year-old (he'll be 20 in August) has completed two years of a communications degree at Boston College. While he's looking forward to pursing a second NCAA championship and the opportunity to play with his younger brother Matt this season, he cites his education as the primary reason for staying put in college. As for the opportunity to impress Flames brass at development camp, Gaudreau noted that it's part of a process.
"I'm just trying to show them that hopefully I can make their team someday. Whether it's this year or next year, I know I just want to make sure that when I come in I'm ready. I know getting my weight up is really important right now, so trying to focus on that pretty much in college," said Gaudreau.
While nothing is ever entirely certain with college players until the ink is dry on a contract, the situation with Gaudreau and the Calgary Flames is fairly cut-and-dry, at least for the time being. The Flames insist that there's nothing to worry about and have made it clear that they want Gaudreau in Calgary when the time is right (and that he'll get to decide when that is). Gaudreau is openly complimentary about the organization, the city and the fans. While he hasn't ruled out the possibility of playing elsewhere by signing, he spoke a lot about playing for Calgary "someday" in the future (and contemplated timelines with the Canadian Press' Darren Haynes).
Gaudreau is probably a year away from making a serious decision about his hockey future. There's really no forward prospect in the system – aside from maybe Sven Baertschi – with his offensive sizzle, so a Corban Knight situation where he has too many guys ahead of him on the depth chart is unlikely. He'll also have finished most of his degree – and can probably tackle the remaining classes over the summer months – and he'll have spent enough time in a tough college conference to know if he can hack it at a higher level.
And for the Flames part, they can spend the next year or so amassing assets to complement Gaudreau and make his decision easier. One could argue that this process has already begun, what with the acquisition of bigger, more physical forwards such as Knight, Sean Monahan and Emile Poirier (ahead of the more physically slight Hunter Shinkaruk) over recent months. It's as if Flames management saw the difference in Gaudreau's on-ice confidence level at the World Juniors when he was playing with bigger line-mates compared to when he played with the more diminutive forwards.
Until Gaudreau signs on the dotted line, though, both Flames fans and management will probably operate under an air of cautious optimism. There are no sure things in life and you can't really blame a tiny guy for getting his education finished before gambling on a pro hockey career. But when the player in question is as talented and successful as Gaudreau, you sure wish he'd get it over with and sign already so everyone can see what he can do as a pro.
Flames development camp profiles
- Johnny Gaudreau
- Emile Poirier
- Corban Knight
- Tim Harrison
- Sean Monahan
I know this may sound silly, but does anyone feel a little bit like we are getting our Center position set up pretty damn well?
Backlund (1b/2 potential) Monahan (1/2 potential) Knight (2nd potential) Horak (3rd potential)
Granlund (2/3rd potential) Arnold (3rd potential) Jankowski (? who knows..) Reinhart (3/4th potential) Bouma (3/4th potential) Jones (4th line)
And these being the best / closest there are many more. I think back 2 years ago and I felt dismal about our prospects.
I hope some of these can compliment our other pieces and set us up in the coming years.
no doubt we've already passed the Oil in a rebuild.
July 18 2013, 08:57AM
I made a similar point yesterday. In the last year and change Feaster has added Monahan, Jankowski and Knight to our center prospects.
From 'Nope' to 'Hope' in 13 months!
To the point of the article, we are all very excited to see what Johnny G can do in the AHL and NHL. Considering his skill level, he would easily make the squad in Calgary.
He sounds like he likes the organization and I do believe he will stick it out with us. He mentioned "Hopefully they want me next year at the end of the year and hopefully I can come in and make an impact for them.," re 2014-2015.
I think it is the right move for a 5'8 and 158lb guy to stay another year in college and bulk up and aim for 170lbs and maybe he even grows another inch. He will need the mass to help him with the physical part at the next level.
I wouldn't say that, but I think that we have awesome 2-4th line center prospect dept. Goalie depth is awesome too assuming that Ramo can be an NHL goalie that gives lots of time for the others to come along.
LW is pretty decent,
I think our biggest problem now is shallow RW pool and lack of true ELITE talent (which is why oilers are very much ahead of us).
If we could grab us a top 5 this year and really aim to steal 1st overall next I think we would be really set up.
July 18 2013, 09:10AM
The more I've learned about Johnny G reasoning for going back the more at ease and confident I am that he will wear the flaming C soon enough.
I know this isn't his game per se, but every player will face all different kinds of situations on the ice at some point. If Johnny is on the wall in his own zone and the puck is coming around the boards, is he strong enough to get it out with a big d man crashing down and he HAS to get it out? You don't have to be over 6' but you do have to be strong on your skates, strong legs.
Everyone talks about how elusive he is but some plays you just have to be able to hold your ground. He's mentioned that he doesn't want to be a liability out there.
I respect his choice so much more.
I don't think RW is as much of a problem as a lot of people think it is. Emile Poirier is proof that what a player is listed at isn't necessarily true (Rene Bourque was too, since he's always been listed at LW for no apparent reason).
Also, Gaudreau and Gordon both played RW at dev camp. Just saying.
July 18 2013, 09:26AM
The prospects looked great no doubt, but IF they make pro and how they play against pros in a pro environment (grind, pressure, cut throat business etc) is required.
25-35 yo men, who have been weight training for years, practicing and refining their craft for years are who these kids have to beat. Just look at any established NHLer in street clothes to see how strong and developed one needs to be (not even considering skills) just to step on the ice.
Realistically, only a fraction of the campers will make it all the way.
It's good to dream a little though.
Yeah you may be "right", ;) I was aware of Poirier playing there but not much else. I mean if we can make non centers play center then surely the right wing would be easier.
I watched the games on the stream (I am in Ontario) but with a view from only one end I wasn't doing well at tracking who was playing where.
If we finish bottom 5 again and manage to dump 1-2 vets for a few 2nds I wonder if we jump up the prospect pool from 10th in the league to top 5 (10 according to cory p)
Man I can't wait to see Johnny G in flames silks. The amount of Aggravation the flames have given me the last few years the rebuild (so far) has felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders.
Hmm... seems like you guys completely over-reacted to absolutely nothing...
July 18 2013, 12:09PM
Hmm... seems like you guys completely over-reacted to absolutely nothing...
Well, fan is short for fanatic, so over reacting is pretty much our job.
Thanks Ryan, how to poke that wound that was starting to heal. Brent, I'll be happy when he's inked to a 3 year ELC. Until then, I will be as nervous as a duck floating in a crocodile infested river. A lot of crap can happen when the moment of truth happens. What's he gonna say to the hording media, no I don't want to play in Calgary, I'd rather be playing in Jersey or Philly or my favorite team Boston? Yeah right, he's a College kid, he aint stupid.
July 18 2013, 01:29PM
I always read about the risk of him not signing here and leaving as a free agent. A question I have for anyone here should they know; I read somewhere earlier this year that because Johnny G went straight into the NCAA that he would actually have to wait a year after completing his four years of college before he became a free agent. Essentially he would have to sit out a year.
Can anyone confirm if that is the case? If it is, I can't see him signing anywhere but here.
July 18 2013, 03:23PM
Well, fan is short for fanatic, so over reacting is pretty much our job.
YEAH, JERK! Am I doing it right?
July 18 2013, 03:37PM
I always read about the risk of him not signing here and leaving as a free agent. A question I have for anyone here should they know; I read somewhere earlier this year that because Johnny G went straight into the NCAA that he would actually have to wait a year after completing his four years of college before he became a free agent. Essentially he would have to sit out a year.
Can anyone confirm if that is the case? If it is, I can't see him signing anywhere but here.
Just read that chunk of the CBA, and that's not quite the case. If a player is in his 4th year of college and scheduled to graduate, then he becomes an unrestricted free agent after the upcoming August 15th.
He'd have to wait a year to become a free agent if he left college after this season but chose not to sign with the Flames, though.
Flames brass didn't seem overly impressed that Gaudreau was going to play another year of college hockey with his kid brother. In the presser, Feaster wanted him to sign with this organization sooner than later.
July 18 2013, 06:43PM
I'm an Oilers fan but I'm not here to troll. I'm watching the flames rebuild with great interest. This is my take on Gaudreau: cheer like crazy for him, get excited about his achievements but until he proves he can play in the show exercise cautious optimism. College hockey is not in the upper bracket of hockey's food chain of skill. The Oilers have watched Linus Omark who has destroyed every league on the planet, We have Toni Rajala and Mark Arcobello two pint sized forwards who can light up the AHL and now just signed Andrew Miller who was a point a game player through college. But Omark failed, Arcobello and Miller are considered a long shots long shot. Only Rajala appears to have some hope but it's still viewed skeptically. That is why I will not have much fear of Gaudreau until he instils it in me.
@Citizen David
I remember being impressed with Rajala years ago, but since then he must have just run in place--or maybe even regressed. At least, until this year, because his name has started to crop up again. Killer talent, but not sure if there's a spot for him on the Oilers as they are. Maybe if Perron takes a long term injury.
Omark I was never a fan of. I remember arguing with a few Oilers fans (again, years ago) who were all super excited about his potential. I didn't think there was anything to him aside from his hands. Honestly he was a better pro than I expected him to be.
@ Citizen David
No doubt about it, smaller players do have a more difficult time making it to the NHL. Historically, in hockey, GM's, coaches and scouts are influenced by size rather than skill or speed. It is just a given the bigger the player the stronger the player. Unfortunately even you look at this years draft, the stereotype still rings true with most of players being selected. On the other hand, I'd rather like to think no matter what the size a player is I consider compete level, skill and speed to be just as important attributes.
The difference why a player like Gallagher in Montreal or Parise have had success at the NHL level is they are willingly playing in the "dirty" areas on the ice. Even players who do have size, are afraid to play in those areas most the time.
July 18 2013, 10:44PM
@Franko J
Agreed. Is Gaudreau known for that?
@ Citizen David
He definitely has the compete level, skill and speed, however in limited viewing I'm not sure about his ability to play in traffic or in the "dirty" areas. If I was to make a comparable (at Gaudreau's current development) with a player on the Oilers I would say Eberle. Both very skilled forwards and like Eberle before he made the Oilers he has to build up some bulk for the rigours of competing against men. Again you hear the term " if he was 6'2 and 195 lbs he would be definetly a top 10 pick". In this years draft a player who I liked was Taylor Cammarata. I'm curious to see how he is going to develop.
The interesting thing is that no matter how good a player is at the junior, college, European, etc. when it comes to sticking in the NHL there is a maturation process every player must go through to be successful. Like any prospect it takes time and patience.


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Australian fashion label Sass & Bide has proven they are certainly not one-hit wonders. Firmly established as a coveted denim brand, loved the world over by celebrities and stylish people, there will be plenty to go around for Spring-Summer 2011, including a taste of their Pre-Fall 2011 collection. If you're looking to spice things up in your wardrobe, then Sass & Bide's "papa-sucre" collection won't disappoint. You'll find some muted color denim, tie-dye, and graphic jeans; there are jeans for every taste. Now a worldwide brand, Sass & Bide has not lost its Australian identity, what with huge references to desert themes and Aboriginal tribal influences, every piece is urban runway worthy and stands up on its own. We were pleased with the abundance of denim in this collection. Take a look at some of our favorite picks or view the entire Sass & Bide denim collection in the gallery.
[nggallery id=166]
To view the entire papa-sucre fashion collection, go to Sass & Bide online.
—Kathy Ng Hassan
Tags: Sass & Bide, sass & bide jeans, sass and bide, sass and bide jeans, sass and bide online, tie dye


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Passion - Ti amo (Created by Philippe Vancayseele - Technical Advisor - CHOCOLATE ACADEMY™ centre Belgium)
|Figurine: 15 cm x 25 cm plastic film.
Spread the crystallised chocolate over a plastic film with relief design and allow to harden slowly. Gently press the 2 corners against each other and bring them together very carefully until the desired opening is obtained. Leave to harden a little, without placing in the refrigerator.
On 2 pieces of the same plastic film, apply a layer of chocolate and immediately stick onto the 2 sides. Leave to cool and remove the plastic film.
Crush white chocolate Callets in a cutter until a solid paste is obtained.
Roll into a long, thin cylinder shape and cut to the desired length, then shape immediately. Leave to harden and then stick to the handbag using chocolate. Finish as desired (for example, with Callets Sensation or a flat heart-shaped mould).
Ti amo
Figurine: 20 cm x 24 cm


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About Us
Magnolia Hotel is a downtown Denver hotel that is conveniently located near the Denver Museum of Art, the Colorado Convention Center, and all of the city's major corporate headquarters. This Denver hotel is also near Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies; the Pepsi Center, home of the Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche; and the Sports Authority Field, home of the legendary Denver Broncos.
The hotel's location just off 16th Street Mall makes us a short walk to over 100 restaurants, entertainment venues, restaurants and Lo Do. Take in a show at the Temple Buell Theatre, enjoy a short walk to Larimer Square, or take a five minute drive to the ever-popular Cherry Creek Mall.


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Nomad Pokie Western Boot
Sorry, this item is sold out!
Looks like you've got more shoe shopping to do - have fun!
Looks like you've got more shoe shopping to do - have fun!
Item # 221411
Saddle up with the Nomad Pokie boot. This cowboy inspired boot is both fun and fashionable, and goes great with jeans or dresses.
- Faux leather upper with western inspired stitching
- 8" shaft height, pull on with boot straps
- 12" calf circumference
- 2¼" stacked heel
- Synthetic sole
- Imported
By: Sabrinacs
Location: Columbia
December 09, 2012
"Love them"
By: BBger
Location: Ohio
September 17, 2011
Error in description...
"Beware: These boots are advertised as "Leather upper with western inspired stitching" but inside the boot is states, "All Man Made Materials". These are synthetic. As long as you are not expecting a real leather boot these are cute and functional. They just aren't going to last more than a season or two."
Click anywhere to close this.


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At Staten Island University Hospital, our physicians have earned a reputation
for excellence and innovation in education,
research and patient care. Our doctors are
renowned in their fields and lead
exceptional teams of nurses, technicians,
clinicians and support staff that deliver
advanced, compassionate care
to their patients.
Learn More
Staten Island University Hospital provides complete medical
and surgical services in inpatient and outpatient
settings at both our North and South site locations.
Read on to learn more about the full range of
services offered at SIUH, including
locations, contact information
and descriptions of programs.
At Staten Island University Hospital, we strive to provide
the best health care for our patients. We also seek
to make their stay as comfortable as possible.
That's why we provide many helpful
resources for patients and visitors
to help them navigate our
hospital with ease.
Would you like to visit someone who is a patient at Staten Island University Hospital? If so, we welcome you. Family and friends
can play a key role in the healing process
for patients. You can serve as a
companion, advocate and be a
participant in their care.
Staten Island University Hospital is part of the Staten Island community. In addition to providing state-of-the-art healthcare services, we educate our
neighbors by sponsoring
health-related community
events and support groups.
Learn More
Providing quality health care for our patients is our greatest priority.
In order to do this, our hospital family is committed
to the education of our medical caregivers.
We provide accredited training and
educational programs for physicians, nurses,
allied health professionals and technicians.
By DR. THEODORE STRANGE
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- For the last four weeks of your training, you've consistently and patiently built up your endurance. Your body has undergone gradual adaptations as you've increased your cardio base.
So where do you go from here?
If you want to try and pick up your pace in the Advance's 4-Mile Memorial Day Run, you'll need to add a speed workout this week and next week. (If you're more concerned with just finishing the race, we've got you covered with an alternate workout for Wednesday's speed session.)
Generally, runners can improve their speed by landing on the balls of their feet – as opposed to the heel or mid-foot – when they race. This type of foot strike pattern leads to less time that your foot is in contact with the ground and a faster stride.
And, equally as important as how your foot lands, is where it lands in relation to your body. Try to have your foot land directly underneath you, rather than in front of you, to keep your center of gravity moving forward. This will improve your leg turnover time, enabling you to run faster.
For runners and walkers, we'll be doing 400-meter drills at a pace based on your goal time. Note: Be realistic about the time you think you can finish the race in.
The best way to do drills is on your neighborhood school track. If the sports field isn't open to the public, use your car GPS to measure out a distance of one-quarter mile (400 meters, which for most tracks is one lap).
Your speed session will consist of running 4 to 6 laps at goal pace, jogging one lap in between each. For example, if you're aiming to run the race in 40 minutes, your goal pace would be 10 minutes per mile, so your quarter-mile pace should be 2 minutes 50 seconds. Make sure to warm up and cool down with a 5-minute walk before and after this workout.
Walkers can also do a modified version of this by just going from a steady comfortable pace to a brisk one for the speed laps. Pump your arms to increase the speed and intensity of the workout.
Monday: Walk 4 minutes (warm up), run 9 minutes followed by walking 1 minute. Repeat this run/walk sequence 2 more times. Add another 3 minutes to your last walk for a cool down.
Tuesday: Walk for 35-40 minutes at a comfortable yet brisk pace.
Wednesday: Either do the speed drill or walk 4 minutes (warm up), run 12 minutes followed by walking 2 minutes. Repeat this run/walk sequence and then run 5 minutes. Walk 4 minutes for a cool down.
Thursday: Repeat Tuesday's workout.
Friday: Repeat Tuesday's workout.
Saturday: Repeat Monday's workout.
Sunday: Rest or walk 35 to 40 minutes (your choice).
Walk 30 minutes at least 4 days and add a long walk of about 60 minutes. If you want to try the speed session, make sure to rest the following day.
Dr. Theodore Strange is the associate chair of medicine and vice president of medical operations at Staten Island University Hospital South. The hospital is a corporate sponsor and partner with the Advance for the Memorial Day Run. Both organizations encourage Islanders to get in shape and run the race on May 27.
North Site
475 Seaview Avenue,
Staten Island, NY 10305
Phone: (718) 226-9000
South Site
375 Seguine Avenue,
Staten Island, NY 10309
Phone: (718) 226-2000
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By PATSY STODDARDEditor
On Feb. 2, Emery County Clerk/Auditor Bruce Funk swore in Emery County's new Justice Court judge. Steven L. Stream, of Huntington, was sworn into the office of Precinct One Judge in the Justice Court courtroom.
Commissioner Ira Hatch, along with Commissioners Gary Kofford and Drew Sitterud, Sheriff Lamar Guymon, and many county employees watched the ceremony. Judge Betty Burns, of Green River, who has been filling in the position since the death of Judge Stan Truman, was also on hand for the swearing in.
"I appreciate the time and effort everyone has put into this process to get us to this point," said Commissioner Hatch. He also stated that Judge Stream has completed all necessary training and certification and is ready to begin the appointment.
Judge Stream said, "I have enjoyed all the years I have spent in public service and with all the support I have received from everyone around me, I anticipate doing a very successful job in this position."


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Pat Roberts
Jamie Rose for The New York Times
News about Pat Roberts, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.
Eric Fanning Confirmed as Secretary of the Army
The confirmation makes Eric K. Fanning the highest-ranking openly gay official ever at the Pentagon.
May 18, 2016, Wednesday
MORE ON PAT ROBERTS AND: Fanning, Eric K (1968- ) , United States Politics and Government , United States Defense and Military Forces , Homosexuality and Bisexuality , Guantanamo Bay Naval Base (Cuba) , Roberts, Pat , Detainees , Kansas , Appointments and Executive Changes , United States Army , Fort Leavenworth (Kan)
Army Secretary Nomination Is Blocked by a G.O.P. Senator
The nominee, Eric Fanning, waits as Senator Pat Roberts seeks assurance from the Obama administration that it will not move any detainees to Kansas from Guantánamo.
May 11, 2016, Wednesday
Kansas' Advice to Republicans: Stay to the Right
After a comfortable, across-the-board victory Tuesday, state Republican leaders proudly affirmed their conservatism and said the party should follow suit.
November 6, 2014, Thursday
MORE ON PAT ROBERTS AND: Kansas , Brownback, Sam , Roberts, Pat , Midterm Elections (2014) , Elections, Senate , Republican Party
Midterm Political Ads That Worked, and Why
Successful ads are all about connecting with voters, but there is more than one way to do that, as a look at two campaigns makes clear.
November 6, 2014, Thursday
MORE ON PAT ROBERTS AND: Midterm Elections (2014) , Political Advertising , Ernst, Joni , Roberts, Pat
Sam Brownback and Pat Roberts, Both Republicans, Undefeated in Kansas
The Democratic surge that was supposed to end Republican control of Kansas never happened. Governor Brownback and Senator Roberts survived unusually close races.
November 5, 2014, Wednesday
MORE ON PAT ROBERTS AND: Kansas , Brownback, Sam , Roberts, Pat , Midterm Elections (2014) , Elections, Senate , Democratic Party
A Broad Consensus Emerges on Senate Races
In conversations Saturday with officials in both parties a consensus emerged about the Senate landscape.
November 1, 2014, Saturday
MORE ON PAT ROBERTS AND: Begich, Mark , Biden, Joseph R Jr , Hagan, Kay R , Nunn, Michelle , Orman, Gregory J , Pryor, Mark , Roberts, Pat , Shaheen, Jeanne , Udall, Mark , Alaska , South Dakota , West Virginia , Arkansas , Colorado , Georgia , Iowa , Kansas , Louisiana , Montana , New Hampshire , North Carolina , Senate , Elections, Senate , Midterm Elections (2014) , United States Politics and Government
Today in Politics
Races in Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas and North Carolina will be the most crucial in determining which party controls the Senate.
October 28, 2014, Tuesday
MORE ON PAT ROBERTS AND: Christie, Christopher J , Clinton, Hillary Rodham , Obama, Barack , Roberts, Pat , Kansas , New Jersey , North Carolina , Wisconsin , Democratic Party , House of Representatives , Republican Party , Midterm Elections (2014) , United States Politics and Government
Pat Roberts's Latest Campaign Tactic: Guantánamo Fear-Mongering
The Republican pretends a tiny risk to national security is a Great Threat.
October 27, 2014, Monday
MORE ON PAT ROBERTS AND: Roberts, Pat , Guantanamo Bay Naval Base (Cuba) , Kansas
Pat Roberts's Punch Lines Come With a Punch
Senator Pat Roberts of Kansas is known for his cutting humor, and he is not holding back on the campaign trail.
October 23, 2014, Thursday
MORE ON PAT ROBERTS AND: Dole, Bob , Orman, Gregory J , Roberts, Pat , Kansas , Senate , Comedy and Humor , Midterm Elections (2014) , United States Politics and Government
In Raising Immigration, G.O.P. Risks Backlash After Election
Republicans' use of illegal immigration as an issue in several Senate campaigns is raising questions about what the party wants to be in the longer term.
October 21, 2014, Tuesday
MORE ON PAT ROBERTS AND: United States , Arkansas , Citizens United , United States Chamber of Commerce , Brown, Scott P , Shaheen, Jeanne , Gardner, Cory S , Roberts, Pat , Tillis, Thomas R , Bush, Jeb , Bossie, David , Illegal Immigration , Rubio, Marco , Pryor, Mark , Reed, Scott , Midterm Elections (2014) , Republican Party , Elections, Senate , Political Advertising , New Hampshire , Colorado , Kansas , North Carolina
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Mattlures U2 Bluegill
Please Note: Floating model features belly treble with a swivel (not top hook pictured).
The Mattlures U2 Bluegill is the baby brother of the famous Ultimate Bluegill. Incredibly realistic, it has been improved in just about every way. Better balanced and featuring a more durable plastic construction for a longer life and the same great action, the Mattlures U2 Bluegill boasts some of the best paint jobs ever seen in a soft plastic swimbait.
The finned Boot Tail version is perfect for swimming over the tops of weeds and past ambush points where big bass are waiting to eat a little sunfish, and it can also be fished just under the surface, creating a wake that imitates a fleeing bluegill.
The Flat Tail is arguably one of the best bed baits for big female bed fish ever made. It sits nose down with its tail up off the ground, simulating a bluegill that is feeding on bass eggs. If the bass knocks the bait over it will sit back up on its own without the fisherman having to move it. Just bounce this little gill in the bed and witness the most furious strikes you have ever seen. The sinking flat tail also makes a great jig. Because it sits upright, you can hop it, jig it, and drag it, and it will stay in the upright position the whole time.
Made with Mustad Ultra Point hooks with an eyelet on the bottom of the bait for an optional stinger hook, the Mattlures U2 Bluegills come in many different colors to match just about any bluegill, sunfish, bream or crappie that the bass in your waters are eating.
|U2 Bluegill
|U2 Bluegill
9 Colors
More From Matt Lures Swimbaits
Customer Reviews
Comments: This lure looks great out of the box but after one fish the it was completely destroyed. This swimbait looks amazing but the durability is terrible.
From: Devin: USA 7/4/16
Comments: I purchased the boot tail pumpkinseed model of this bait & just from hucking the thing out there the harness ripped through the skin of the bait and ruined it. I hadn't even caught a fish on it! If you were going to use it for bed fishing and you were only flipping it out there, I would recommend it. Don't get me wrong, this thing looks AMAZING and I know it has worked for many people, but the durability is sub par.
From: Art: NJ 9/15/15
Comments: This bait is great people say that the bait rolls on its side, I've had 3 & 0 have rolled on their side. People complain about the tail ripping as soon as you get this bait go to your nearest pond & put it through hell, skip it, backlash it gently tug on the tail, not too hard to rip the tail, but enough to put the bait through the daily demands it has. CATCH FISH & BE DURABLE. If you prepare it before you fish it its worth the money, if not go to your nearest pond & throw 20 dollar bill in the water.
From: Will: TX 7/14/15
Comments: Great looking bait. The durability is very poor. I was only able to catch 1 fish on the bait before the rubber body peeled off the weight. Total waste of money in my opinion.
From: McNeel: Allen, TX 5/8/14
Comments: Caught two fish on it, count that TWO and it was ripped beyond repair. I throw keitech swimbaits, i know whats its like to enjoy throwing a non durable bait but for 18 bucks I will not be dropping that kind of cash again.
From: Jdub: RVA 3/17/14
Comments: this bait is outstanding literally 2nd cast slow rolling a 6 1/2 nailed it but ripped it durribility could be better but good action while slow rolling would recommend to any type of angler with blueguill as a main forage in your lake
From: Austin: Atlanta, GA
Comments: I throw the boot tail in the baby gill colour and the big girls just SMASH it! I use it as a swimbait and roll it slow over weeds/logs or burn it in shallow water. GULP! The durability could be better, ive glued it back together a number of times but its still catching fish! great buy and will be ordering more!
From: LunkerNige: Ontario, CAN
Comments: The floater is sooooo sick. I use it for sight fishing (not bed fishing). During the summer at my local pond the larger bass all hang out in front of drain pipes. I sneak up on them and drop the floater in the water... twitch, deadstick..... BOOM! They kill it.
From: Cullen: Ashburn, VA
Comments: Recently fished a tournament where the fish were up on beds and i could not get this fish to bite so my pro handed me his rod with the TW baby bluegill color, BBBAAAMMMM!!!! first cast 3 lber and ended up winning the tournament. Buy these my fellow fishermen!
From: Jesse: Avondale,AZ
Comments: I have noticed that at night time talapias come up and stick their lips out of the water. I got a flat tail floater an dead stuck it by some pencil grass at night, first cast I caught a 9.4 pound largemouth! It absolutely crushed the bait and it's still my pb as of today! MUST BUY!!!
From: Austin: FL
Comments: I have never seen a more realistic looking bait. Does anyone know how well the sinking one swims? Secondly, is the floating version just a wake bait? I wish this guy posted videos, he didnt have any on his personal website either
From: skeptic mcbuyer: IL
Comments: Amazing bait!! Slowed rolled this bait over submerged trees and HAMMERED'em!! I would highly recommedn this bait to everyone.
From: Ron: Trabucco Canyon, CA
Comments: To cover up the plastic smell use a scent like Pro Cure Super Gel. It's really sticky! After a few hours throwing the bait you'll see your lure still has the gel in it! I've heard Smelly Jelly Pro Guide 3X and Megastrike Fish Attractant are very good too! They can cover up the plastic smell and the bass will hold the bait longer. Plus, the bait will slide in the bass mouth better and you'll get better hookups!
From: Marco: Portugal
Comments: WOW. this bait is absolutely mind boggling. i bought the male gill, flat tail sinking, for bed fishing and the flat tail floater in tilapia for a dead sticking bait. all i can say is that they CATCH FISH. i was using the male gill just bouncing it in some rocks and caught a lot of 2-2.5 lbers. a 4lber her at Sam Rayburn. then after we found some grass. i took the tilapia color floater (because it looks like a shad) & twitched it over some grass and HAMMERED some fish. they both barely have in rips and suprisingly the fins that stick out didnt even tear. its a great bait. just costs a little
From: Cutter: TX
Comments: Very nice action, runs straight even with high retrieves, and it stands straight went sitting on the bottom. Any suggestions on how to remove or cover up the strong plastic smell?
From: Gary: League City, TX
Comments: I've heard some people saying the bait would roll over, but then they boil the bait and after that the bait swims right! Put the swimbait in boiling water (just let the eyes out) for 15 seconds each time. Then take it out of the water, hold the pectoral fins folded in the eyes direction and submerge it in cold water while holding it. The fins will flare out really well! Also look at all fins and make sure they aren't crooked. Try to straight them while the bait its hot and hold it in cold water until the fins are right. The bait should swim right and the tail will kick at even slower speeds after boiling it.
From: Marco: Portugal
Comments: Finally got a chance to fish the boot tail today. At a price of $18 I am very disappointed. It stands straight up with nose to the bottom, but when ever I tried to swim the bait it would roll over on its side. The only way to keep the role from happening was to crawl the bait extremely slow. So slow the tail would not kick.
From: Joe: Sonora, CA
Comments: Great Bait, ripped my first one and MATT replaced it for free, then once i got it back i go out to the lake and catch me a 7 pounder! top notch product!!!
From: Omar: Pittsburg, CA
Comments: This bait is unbelievable. Easily Matt's best work in my opinion. The U2 'gill really does just make you ooze confidence. The detail is exquisite, from the amazing paint job to the life like pectoral fins. There is not another swimbait on the market that looks more realistic. Add the true swimming motion that doesn't roll and the incredible feat of making this bait stand nose up even when knocked over it's truly mind boggling. On top of all that, the bait is bite size, meaning you won't need dedicated swimbait gear to throw it. You'll get both number and size when fishing the U2. Be warned though, buying one of these will empty your wallet in a hurry. I bought one thinking I'd only throw it every so often, but now I have it in just about every color and always have one tied on.
From: Sam: Illinois
Comments: This is some of Matt's best work.Great bed bait that stands up on it's nose,that fish just crush.
From: Mark: Mishawaka, IN
Comments: This swimbait is money it looks just like a fish trying to eat bass larva and the big momma's cant stand that
From: Jacob: Bluemong, IL


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4" Horizontal Stainless Steel Z-Vent Wall Hung Water Heater Vent Kit with Back Flow Preventer
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Member Since: 11/20/08Send SLS5555 a Message Give SLS5555 a Gift Add SLS5555 as a Friend
pretty smile politically savvy brilliant very nice Beautiful hard working smart organized successful confident likes to paint artwork compassionate friendly
You can complete this milestone by accruing more than 50 reputation points in the last 7 days
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SLS5555: Profile Photos
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Susan Stephenson
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- Dexter, Life, CSI: NY
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- I love any music that doesn't scream at me or whine and I can actually understand the words, which is actually important to me. Don't have to agree with what is said if it has a good melody. Classical Music to Hard Rock, Christian Rock to French Acoustic
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about 6 years ago
23188 comments
Hi Susan,,
How are you ?
Hope all is well,??
I have not seen or heard from you for awhile, thanks for joing the groups, hope to see you online soon.. have a great day and if anything have an awesome weekend.
take care
over 6 years ago
33900 comments
Susan, How are you? Please keep in touch.
almost 7 years ago
794 comments
Happy Easter
about 7 years ago
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Susan, Good evening! How are you?
about 7 years ago
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Hello Susan, may you have a wonderful week...
about 7 years ago
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Have a Happy New Year.
Account Removed
about 7 years ago
happy new year ^ ^ ^
Susan, Hi! How are you? I hope that you had a great and fantastic Thanksgiving! It would be great if it was also a blessing for you!
over 7 years ago
42 comments
I hope that you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that all is well with you.
over 7 years ago
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Susan I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving
Hope you are enjoying your weekend. Have a Happy Thanksgiving.
hey Girl what is going on how are you ? long time no chat
Hi Susan, thanks for accepting my invite. It is nice to meet you.
Good evening, Susan. How have you been? It seems it has been a while since we've talked! Hope you are having a great week!
Hello Susan How are you ? long time no see hope all is well what have you been up to lately


text:
The Brumbies will look to cement their place atop the Super Rugby standings when they host the Force in Saturday's all-Aussie derby.
The Brumbies will look to cement their place atop the Super Rugby standings when they host the Western Force in Saturday's all-Aussie derby at Canberra Stadium.
The tournament leaders are on 35 points – nineteen clear of the 13th-placed Force – and start this clash as favourites, though the men from the west have already caused an upset or two this season.
Indeed, another shock Force victory could see the Brumbies lose their pole position and fall behind the Reds if they get the better of the Blues on Saturday.
It's for this reason that Jake White's troops will be extremely wary of a Force side that, besides only winning two games so far this year, have been competitive in most rounds.
They have beaten the Crusaders as well as the Reds and ran the Hurricanes close last week, so White and co. would have certainly done their homework on them.
"They are very enthusiastic and have a very enthusiastic forward pack who run the ball really well," said Brumbies assistant coach Stephen Larkham.
"They have dangerous players like Sam Norton-Knight who is adding a new dimension to their attack.
"Also Alfie Mafi and Jayden Haywood are very dangerous, so they have quite a dangerous back three.
"They are quite unpredictable in what they throw at you, so defence will be a big area for us to focus on this week."
Defence was the hallmark of this Brumbies performance in last Saturday's pulsating draw against the Reds at Suncorp Stadium, so Larkham shouldn't have too many sleepless nights.
In team news, the Brumbies have made just one change and bring in prop Scott Sio, while the Force have been bolstered by the return of Kyle Godwin, Salesi Ma'afu and Ben McCalman.
Prediction: The Force have nothing to lose and will throw everything at the competition leaders. But the Brumbies showed last week they can withstand anything… Brumbies by 8!
The teams:
Brumbies: 15 Jesse Mogg, 14 Henry Speight, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Christian Lealiifano, 11 Joe Tomane, 10 Matt Toomua, 9 Nic White, 8 Ben Mowen (c), 7 George Smith, 6 Fotu Auelua, 5 Sam Carter, 4 Peter Kimlin, 3 Ben Alexander, 2 Stephen Moore, 1 Scott Sio.
Replacements: 16 Siliva Siliva, 17 Ruaidhri Murphy, 18 Leon Power, 19 Colby Faingaa, 20 Ian Prior, 21 Pat McCabe, 22 Robbie Coleman.
Western Force: 15 Jayden Hayward, 14 Patrick Dellit, 13 Junior Rasolea, 12 Kyle Godwin, 11 Ed Stubbs, 10 Sam Norton-Knight, 9 Alby Mathewson, 8 Richard Brown, 7 Matt Hodgson (c), 6 Ben McCalman, 5 Sam Wykes, 4 Toby Lynn, 3 Salesi Ma'afu, 2 Heath Tessmann, 1 Pek Cowan.
Replacements: 16 James Hilterbrand, 17 Kieran Longbottom, 18 Rory Walton, 19 Chris Alcock, 20 Mick Snowden, 21 Sias Ebersohn, 22 Winston Stanley.
Date: Saturday, April 27
Venue: Canberra Stadium
Kick-off: 19:40 (09:40 GMT)
Referee: Angus Gardner (Australia)
Assistant referees: Andrew Lees (Australia), Matt O'Brien (Australia)
Television match official: Matt Goddard (Australia)


text:
At Staten Island University Hospital, our physicians have earned a reputation
for excellence and innovation in education,
research and patient care. Our doctors are
renowned in their fields and lead
exceptional teams of nurses, technicians,
clinicians and support staff that deliver
advanced, compassionate care
to their patients.
Learn More
Staten Island University Hospital provides complete medical
and surgical services in inpatient and outpatient
settings at both our North and South site locations.
Read on to learn more about the full range of
services offered at SIUH, including
locations, contact information
and descriptions of programs.
At Staten Island University Hospital, we strive to provide
the best health care for our patients. We also seek
to make their stay as comfortable as possible.
That's why we provide many helpful
resources for patients and visitors
to help them navigate our
hospital with ease.
Would you like to visit someone who is a patient at Staten Island University Hospital? If so, we welcome you. Family and friends
can play a key role in the healing process
for patients. You can serve as a
companion, advocate and be a
participant in their care.
Staten Island University Hospital is part of the Staten Island community. In addition to providing state-of-the-art healthcare services, we educate our
neighbors by sponsoring
health-related community
events and support groups.
Learn More
Providing quality health care for our patients is our greatest priority.
In order to do this, our hospital family is committed
to the education of our medical caregivers.
We provide accredited training and
educational programs for physicians, nurses,
allied health professionals and technicians.
Dr. Hanna trained at Yale- New Haven Hospital for diagnostic radiology and completed her dual fellowship in muculoskeletal imaging and breast imaging. In these two areas of expertise, she utilizes the latest techniques in practice including breast imaging and biopsy. Dr. Hanna completed her transitional year of residency at St. Joseph's Hospital Health Center in Syracuse, New York, followed by her radiology residency at Yale-New Haven Hospial where she was the recipient of a research award in 2009. During her fellowship training at Yale, Dr. Hanna became proficient with arthrograms, as well as minimally invasive breast biopsies.
Certified by the American Board of Radiology in 2011, Dr. Shirley Hanna joined the Staten Island University Hospital faculty in 2012 after completing her fellowship in musculoskeletal and breast imaging at Yale-New Haven Hospital.
Dr. Hanna graduated Magna Cum Laude from Seton Hall University after earning several awards. She then attended medical school at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) where she was a member of the AQA, the National Medical Honor Society, as well as the Gold Humanism Honor Society.
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Flames 2011-12 Player Grades: Defense
Vintage Flame
April 26 2012 09:13AM
With the off-season report cards done for the Flames Top Six and Supporting Forwards, we now turn our attention to the back-end, as we examine the performance of Calgary's defense
The defense got pretty beat up over the course of the season, both physically and during play, forcing the coach to make changes to the pairings. Both injuries and lack-luster performances both contributing to frequent juggling on the blueline. Unlike the forwards, who also had their fair share of injuries to contend with, the defense wasn't really weighed down by bad luck. If anything, their misfortune came as a result of the injuries, where the team was forced to dress overwhelmed and outmatched lines.
82 GP, 5G-24A-29 Pts
Grade: B+
When discussing Jay Bouwmeester, there is no other defenseman for the Flames that will have such a wide range of support and criticism. Since being thrust into the position of the number one rear-guard with the departure of Robyn Regehr, Jay has been like a two-headed coin that still always manages to come up tails.
With five goals and twenty-nine points, there has been plenty of vitriol to go around for the once offensively gifted Eastern Conference D-man. What has made matters worse is that a salary of 6.6 Million dollars accompanied by a cap hit of 6.68 M, has left the fans feeling that even if the Flames management wanted to get rid of J-Bo, they would never be able to find a taker for his contract. That is, not unless they were prepared to take back an equally as bad contract.
Then there is his current NHL leading "iron man" streak of 588 regular season games, which is all the proof some fans need that Mike Peca was right when he said Jay was too casual, and easy to play against. The lack of a dominating physical presents has left many shaking their heads, especially since his arrival made Dion Phaneuf expendable, and wondering why the Flames ever dealt Regehr.
When He's Good: Bouwmeester is fantastic skater with good vision that is capable of carrying the puck. When the powerplay is clicking, Jay is the quarterback that moves the team up the ice and allows the forwards to set up in the offensive zone. He also has very good speed thanks to his natural smooth skating, which allows him to pinch in on the play but also recover quickly enough to cover his position in the defensive zone. Nobody plays harder minutes than Jay, as he faces the opposition's top lines night in and night out. As much flak as Bouwmeester takes for his lack of offensive production, he should receive double the praise for the twenty-five plus minutes he plays every night and the goals he prevents when on the ice for the Flames.
When He Struggles: There are some nights when the team and/or the defense is struggling, be it due to effort or ailment, and Jay seems to feel like he needs to do more than more than he is capable of. It's these times that you see the untimely turnovers or loss of possession that lead to the defensive breakdowns and unfortunate results. There weren't many nights where Jay felt confident enough to pinch in and become an offensive option on the play. Whether that was due to either leave his defensive post or leave an inexperienced partner as a liability, we can't say for sure.
Regardless of what his motives were, the Flames production suffered and will continue to suffer if Bouwmeester can't find the opportunities or the will to come in off the point.
68 GP, 2G-13A-15 Pts
Grade: B
From the day Chris Butler got to Calgary, his job was pretty much to push a rope up a very steep hill. Brought in as a replacement for the incumbent #1 blueliner and longtime fan favorite, Robyn Regehr, Butler went from playing as a bottom four D-man with Buffalo to being baptized by fire in the top pairing with Jay Bouwmeester.
While playing in the top pairing is not the ideal situation for Butler, he also cannot be considered a liability there either. So by no means can he be collared as the fault in the Flames defense. For the large majority of the season he was a decent compliment for Bouwmeester and was positionally responsible enough that Jay could focus on his side of the ice without having to cover for Butler. As a result, the pairing faced the opponent's toughest competition each and every night with Butler averaging 21:36 of ice time, ranking him third on the team for all defensemen.
At $1.25 million, Butler is a bargain compared to Regehr's $4.02 cap hit. Add to the fact that Reggie finished his season in Buffalo with 1G-4A-5Pts in 76 GP and the trade looks a lot better than it did at the time it was made. With the new and improved NHLNumbers.com, there is an interesting function added whereby you can see the "Spending Efficiency" of a player in relation to his contract. If you're a cap team and are looking for the best bang for your buck, then Chris Butler's 12 PTS/$MM is a lot better on the organization's bottom line than Robyn Regehr's 1.244 PTS/$MM.
When He's Good: Butler is a good shut down defensemen. He's not going to wow you with his skating like Bouwmeester, but he is solid on his feet and physical against the opposition. Given what Butler had to work with in Buffalo, his learning curve was a lot more extreme in Calgary and for the most part he answered the bell. If the Flames manage to find a proper #2 D-man to play with Bouwmeester, then Butler could end up being a good serviceable #4 guy to pair up with Giordano. He'll be 26 in October, so he could definitely still factor into some long term planning by the organization.
When He Struggles: We all saw the Boston game and it's one that's going to be hung on Butler for quite awhile. It may not be a fair assertion of his capabilities, but when you have a fan base filled with venom, even one game makes you fair game. One area that Butler struggles in his assertiveness: he tends to take his leads from what Bouwmeester does on the ice, which makes him more of a reactionary player. Because he's not fast enough to play that role superiorly, his reactions are sometimes late which gets him into a mess of trouble. That being said, part of that burden could be attributed that he is playing vastly over his head, and could be eased if he was moved to the second pairing where he belongs.
61 GP, 9G-18A-27 Pts
Grade: B-
After scoring 8 goals and 43 points last year, Giordano looked like he was poised to step up and assume the leadership role that was vacated with the departure of Regehr. It was a natural fit to see the "A" on his jersey and big things were expected of him as it pertained to his role on the blueline and on the team.
The season was a strange one for the fourth year Flame. In each of his previous three, Gio had shown progression from one year to the next, but seemed to have regressed this past campaign. He scored two points less than Bouwmeester but also played in 21 less games, indicating that he is still Calgary's most offensive threat from the blueline.
However he also saw the second most offensive zone starts, with his 51.2% only ever so slightly under that of TJ Brodie. That shouldn't be surprising though given how much time Bouwmeester and Butler spent in the defensive end, coupled with Gio's second highest average ice time (23:01), naturally leads to the conclusion that Mark saw more time in the far end of the ice.
Giordano's offense suffered in the first half, scoring four goals and four assists in the first twenty-three games. His struggles were punctuated by (what was thought to be) a devastating ruptured tendon injury. For a few weeks afterwards there wasn't even a timeline for his return, which made it even more surprising when he came back after only five weeks.
The injury dove-tailed into the strangeness of the season because when Giordano returned, he came back better and played a lot more like to his play last year. In the final thirty-eight games, Gio would record five goals and tack on another 14 assists, and he also managed to elevate his defensive play, becoming more that of which he was expected to be like from the start.
When He's Good: He's the best all around defensemen on the team. Giordano is a good skater and has a good sense of where the play is and where he needs to be. He's not afraid to jump into the play and easily becomes an offensive option when he makes the jump. Rarely will he be out of position, and even when he is, it's not long before he's back in and engaging the play. One of Gio's best qualities is his complete lack of tentativeness. He has pretty good hands for a defensemen and has shown that puck-handling is more of a strength than a weakness; after all who could forget this play...
When He Struggles: It's difficult to say which Mark Giordano the Flames can look forward to over the next four years. Is he the player that dominated last season or the one that struggled this one? It would be easy to blame the dip in his stats on the injury, except for the fact that he got better after it. Much how I said that Butler would most likely benefit from moving from the top pairing to the second pairing, I also think that Giordano would benefit in having a partner of that calibre. I
t's not so much an issue that he is bad in his all around play, rather, he may not have the capability to mask the inefficiency of his partner as Bouwmeester does with Butler. Many might question how I can give Butler a 'B' grade and then give Gio a 'B-'? The answer is simply while Mark is clearly the better player, he was playing the role of the #3 defensemen when there is the expectation that he should be a 1-2 guy. Butler on the other hand should be a 3-4 guy, but was able to perform respectively while grossly playing over his head.
47 GP, 2G-9A-11 Pts
Grade: C
Derek Smith was the mirror image of Giordano this year. Smith had a great start and seemed to be gaining respect and playing time. When Mark Giordano went down to injury, it was Smith that stepped up in his place, even earning time on the power-play. The former Senator signed as a free agent last off-season and managed to make enough of an impression to earn a two year contract with the Flames for $775K per.
Before Calgary could get Gio back into the rotation, Smith went down with a high ankle sprain. Prior to the injury, he had two goals and eight assists. Unfortunately, upon his return he would only register one more assist the rest of the season.
It wasn't just his statistics that suffered when he got back to playing. Often Derek looked to be behind the play or out of it completely in the offensive zone. In the defensive zone he was also behind a step or two and seemed to struggle with his assignments.
When He's Good: He has the capability to be a decent two-way defensemen. Before the injury Smith was able to keep pace and was more than willing to jump up into the rush and even venture down low in the offensive zone. Smith isn't a power skater but has good hands and can distribute the puck well.
His last season in the AHL, he managed 10G-44A-54 Pts in 71Gp, placing him 4th amongst all AHL defensemen. When he brought that game to Flames, he was a pretty good bet as 5-6 guy on the blueline.
When He Struggles: Unfortunately the guy that came back after injury seemed uninvolved and unimpressive. Whether he had lingering effects from the high ankle sprain is unclear, but he just was never in sync after it. If not for the lack of depth on defense and the fact that he suffered another injury later, Smith had played himself into position as a bubble guy that had a lot more to prove even with the inexpensive contract.
54 GP, 2G-12A-14 Pts
Grade: B
Definitely one of the surprises and bright spots of the Flames season. Brodie was less than impressive in training camp after expectations had set the bar fairly high as a Calgary prospect. Last year, he had a great training camp only to have it derailed by an injury. This year he didn't seem to come to camp prepared or with enough determination to break into a lineup that shouldn't have been too hard to crack.
When he was finally called upon he made the absolute most of the opportunity, solidifying his place in the line-up and a part of this organization moving forward. Despite not seeing a lot of time on the power-play, he managed to put up 14 pts in 54 GP.
While most of that can be attributed to receiving the highest 5v5 offensive zone starts of all Calgary's D-men (51.9%), Brodie has it in him to continue progressing.
When He's Good: He is a talented puck moving defenseman that can also play a physical game. Not one to shy away from the corners or deliver a big hit, Brodie uses the combination of checking and good hands to separate a player from the puck and then move it out of his zone. He is also a good skater that can deliver accurate outlet passing that with time could be used to quarterback the power-play.
When He Struggles: Every rookie player has areas of improvement and Brodie is no different. With all his skills, there are still pieces of his game that he will have to work on. He has a good vision of the ice but can still improve his anticipation to expedite the transition game. Sometimes while looking for the "pretty play" he can get caught holding the puck too long which can get him into trouble, especially against some of the larger power forwards.
There isn't a lot of flash to his game at the NHL level, as he mostly focsues on not screwing up as much as possible. As his development matures he will hopefully learn to make plays and release his shot faster, which would casue his point totals to increase.
62 GP, 1G-6A-7Pts
Grade: C
Nobody hacked on Cory Sarich like I did this year. Often if there was a defensive collapse or an unwarranted stupid penalty was taken when the play was already gone in another direction, I was looking for Cory. Another case of a Flames defenseman that was too slow and too immobile to be of any serviceable use to a defense core that needed to squeeze blood from a stone.
As the year went on though, Sarich is one of the guys that stepped up when the team was once again trying to make a run at the post-season and the Flames needed tiny miracles to fall like a freaking blizzard.
No one could ever question his effort or intentions as they were always legit and he has been a loyal soldier for the Calgary Flames. It might not even be fair to question every aspect of his game, given that the guy is 32 and has injured pretty much everything there is to injure in your body, but despite all the physical excuses that may be... well excusable, the mental breaks where he becomes a liability and costs his teams opportunity or puts them in a jam is what earned him his grade. Don't believe me? Look at the picture people...
When He's Good: There are no bells and whistles to Sarchy's game; his plan is to hit and hit hard... and he's damn good at it when he's healthy and isn't called upon to do much more than that. He's the typical old-school player that figures it's better to let the opponent figure out how to get into the zone, I'll just hit 'em till he leaves for a line change and lets someone else try.
When He's Bad: He's terrible! Like it has been said, he is not the most agile defenseman anymore, if he ever was. The likelihood that his opponent is probably going to possess the skill to get around him often takes him out of position or gets him into trouble to the point where he takes a penalty. Sarich is a UFA now and barring some disastrous turn of events, will most likely part ways with the organization. He made it quite clear that he wants to play where he is wanted and I'm not sure that is a fit for either party going forward.
Anton Babchuk & Scott Hannan
32 GP, 2G-8A-10 Pts 78GP, 2G-10A-12 Pts
Grade: F Grade: D-
There is just not too much to say on these last two gentlemen that hasn't been said already. The consensus that Babchuk was nothing more than a panic signing as a power-play specialist gone awry is evident in his ten points and re-affirmed that he only got in thirty-two games - in most of those due to necessity from injuries.
When he was brought into the line-up, he wasn't even on the first PP unit, hardly indicative of a specialist of any kind. In the defensive zone, fans held their breath and could barely watch because of the liability he was with or without the puck. He's not a very good skater or puck handler, and when all you're known for is a big shot, it's not very hard for even a mediocre PK unit to take that away.
Scott Hannan is in some ways even worse. He played over double the amount of games that Anton did, and managed two more points. He doesn't have the shot Babchuk has, but he can skate (slightly) better. Scott's problem is that he is just too slow and is often caught out of position or simply gives the puck up in the worst situations; like in overtime to David Jones... in front of his own net. The upside on Hannan is that he makes $1.5 M less than Babchuk and is now a UFA, and most likely is not going to be re-signed; meaning the worst is over in regards to Hannan.
When They're Good: They're keeping the popcorn filled. Both struggle at ES, but Hannan was actually okay on the PK this year. Babchuk's lone plus remains his shot and presence on the PP.
When They Struggle: They are usually on the ice.
April 26 2012, 09:45AM
April 26 2012, 10:00AM
It wouldn't break my heart to see Sarich, Babchuck and Hannan gone. I like the other five but that pretty much leaves us in the same position as half of the NHL: looking for a legit top 4 D and maybe finding a cheap 7 guy.
April 26 2012, 10:10AM
Are you grading the article, Calgary's defenders or life as a Flames fan in general?
Why even mention Regehr's points? Dude's not a scorer- never has been never will be.
I mean, he had a bad season regardless, I'm not defending him, just pointing out that it's a poor arguement to make.
April 26 2012, 11:04AM
Grading Bouwmeester is a lose-lose proposition. There's no question he plays some of the toughest minutes in the league and is mainstay on the Flames back-end.
On the other hand, he's payed like a Norris candidate and he certainly isn't in that league. There's not enough offense there and he doesn't affect the play like, say, Weber, Lidstrom, Chara.
I like the grades on most of the D-men, especially Butler and Bouwmeester, I think they both take a lot of undeserved flack. Sure Bouwmeester could have a better cap hit but it is what it is. I just don't see how you replace Bouwmeester's mins easily thru trade or free agency. As far as Butler he is a 3-4 (ish) guy doing the best he can as a top pairing guy. Who knows maybe the trial by fire will improve his game as he is still fairly young.
Gio had a rough season and I'll ease up on him as he was injured but I think as Kent mentioned he wasn't stellar to start. A pretty fair grade.
Brodie/Babchuk/Sarich: Everything is bang on in my opinion.
As far as Hannan goes I tink you were a little tough on him. He wasn't an outstanding bottom 4 guy but he wasn't mind-meltingly bad either in my opinion of course.
I'd almost agree with you on how harsh VF is being with Hannan, but when it came to blunders this season, his were just terrible.
I'm ok with defenders making mistakes, lots of times it's the mistakes that fires them up and they end up better for it, but Hannans mistakes were just followed by more mistakes. He should have been an easy trade at the deadline, 3rd or 4th round pick or whatever. Too bad the "Fool me once" speech was nothing more than that, a speech.
I agree with some of the grades, I think Jay-Bo and Butler should be rated a little lower. Regardless of the fact they play top minutes and against the top opposition every night, they are far too soft.
I understand Jay-Bo is not a physical defenceman, however, he still needs to use his stick more effectively to clear the puck out. With Butler on his pairing, that tandem was really soft. Butler literally allowed guys to skate right past him go to the net and score. You need a shut down guy, someone to clear bodies in front of the net with mobility.
I don't see Butler as a top 2 defenceman, he could play on the top 4, but I think he was in over his head many nights.
I like the emergence of Smith and Brodie, that really helps us out. Feaster really needs to bring in another top 4 d-man if he cannot land a top 2 d-man. Like we talked about earlier: Carle, Wideman, Colaiacovo, or along those lines would help us out.
the reason smith looked so bad coming back from injury is because he played like 15 games against top comp with bouwmeester. jay might be able to carry chris butler, but not derek smith.
I run into so many JBO haters & really, I try to tell them the only thing I hate is his salary & cap hit. If you cant get a huuge return for him from the likes of a Detroit to replace Lidstrom, you keep him. When you go through a rebuild/retool/whatever the cap hit will only be a psychological annoyance anyway.
I am good with Gio/JBO/Butler & Brodie going into next year. Feaster must spend some $$$ on some UFA dmen or via trade somehow for bonafide, hard hitting, nasty dmen. Even if we get 1, I'll call it a success by Feaster.
Sarich/Hannan/Babchuk probably have to go. If I bring anyone back for 1 year, it would be Sarich for like $800K/yr.
Smith will make a good #7 & need to play like he did early in the year to crack the roster on regular basis.
Anyone else hear about Chicago interested in acquiring Kipper? Things like last years 1st rounder(Mark Mcneil) & this years 1st rounder being thrown out there. Not sure what to think about that if there is any element of logic & truth to that kind of offer. Almost think Feaster should take it & run. Whats with Leiland not playing in the playoffs?
April 26 2012, 01:15PM
@ Kevin R
"Whats with Leiland not playing in the playoffs?"
Troy Ward's interview on the Fan indicated Leland has a bad win/loss record against Milwaukee.
In addition, Leland gave up the spot when he had his baby & the other guy (can't think of his name right now) has played decent so he's going with the hot hand.
Ok thanks. Kind of freaked me out that he we are staring at possibly trading Kipper & taking the bungee jump with Leiland & someone & here he's isnt playing playoffs for our farm team. Even if Taylor had been on a hot run, I think the long term future is with Irv.
April 26 2012, 01:55PM
Good point. It's the Ian White effect.
April 26 2012, 01:56PM
@Kevin R
Danny Taylor was the much better goalie down the stretch and in aggregate than Irving on the farm. It only makes sense for Ward to go with the better guy.
The decision paid off too because the Heat swept their first round series.
@Kent: So what does that say? If the rumours & speculation are true out there that Kipper is on the market & probably traded, who do we go with here. Taylor(who just got hot) or Leiland, our RFA & 1st rounder who has shown some real good things in a small sample last year at the NHL level. Not that I am expecting Flames to make a run for the playoffs next year but we still have to play 82 games competitively. Is this just about winning a series or 2 at the AHL level or should we not see what our future franchise goalie does in a playoff scenario?
My god VF, you were very harsh on Mr. Hannan. I know he didn't have the greatest of seasons but a D-? That seems a little extreme to me. He played well on the PK for the most part and had a rough go at it at even strength. That warrants roughly a C in my opinion.
@Kevin R
Danny Taylor is under an AHL-only contract, so the Flames do not even have his rights. They would have to sign him to a 2-way deal just so he could move up to play here, and so far in his career he is not proven himself to be of NHL quality. He turns 26 in two days so he isn't really a prospect anymore. That being said, goalies are sometimes late bloomers so...
The Flames need to let Sarich and Hannan walk, and use the savings from Sarich to find a solid 2/3 guy to round out the top six; Bouw, Gio, new guy, Brodie, Butler, Smith. Guess we are stuck with Babchuk as the 7th guy for one more year. At least Feaster only signed Babchuk to a two year contract...
Not a league shattering d corp, but with the right Sarich replacement workable...
@schevvy: I guess that is all the more reason to wonder why we wouldnt be pressing to see Leiland in the playoffs. Now I understand about his wife having a baby, hope all is well & healthy, so I do see him not having his head into it at the moment. So what then will be his eta of playing time, the next series? Just wondering, I would be a little selfish on wanting to see our property in the pressure playoff games. But thats just me.
April 26 2012, 08:10PM
You're so narrow minded it's pathetic. You can't just judge a guy on his contract. Although his offensive numbers aren't their, Jay logs very important minutes for this club, and you have to respect that. The contract will never be a good one, so get over it and look at why he is valuable.
April 26 2012, 08:19PM
Babchuck should have recieved a worse grade. I can't think of a single player in Calgary Flames history that was worse than Anton Babchuck (who had more than a cup of coffee, on the team). The guy makes me rage. What an awful waste of money, and Feaster's biggest mistake so far.
Babchuck = Epic Fail
I can think of at least 5 during the 90's who were way worse than Babs. (maybe more, but I don't want to look them all up, haha)
April 27 2012, 11:58AM
Anders Erikson was worse than Badsuck.
J Blows still sucks.
Amazingly optimistic grades. Considering where the Flames ended up in terms of GA, and if Kipper had a Jesus season, then I suppose the blame falls onto Badsuck, Hannan, and floaty Iginla?
April 27 2012, 11:55PM
Defensemen worse than Babchuk who played in Calgary ( more than a few games): Jamie Allison Joel Bouchard Petr Buzek Chris Dahlquist Kari Eloranta !! (that left defenceman !) Alexander Godynyuk David Hale Igor Kravchuk Andre Zyuzin


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—Kathy Ng Hassan
Tags: Japanese selvedge, Nick Friedberg, NSF Clothing, NSF Denim, Simon Miller


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LIVETARGET Golden Shiner Vibration Trap
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Comments: had this bait in the 1/4 ounce and caught alot of fish off of it but it was pretty small and i ended up losing the bait on a walleye = (, so i just got another one but got it in the 1/2 ounce size and it seems like a perfect size and cant wait to get out there with it again!
From: Matt: IL
Comments: These baits are great. I used a Gold/black golden shiner a few weeks ago and landed some really nice fish. I lost a few bigger bass so I replaced the hooks with larger Gamakatsu's and havent had a problem since. I've landed probably 10-12 fish on this one bait and the paint/finish still looks good. A few small scratches from teeth is all.
From: Dan: Nor Cal
Comments: awesome bait catches fish
From: Godzilla: CA Delta
Comments: JJ's is simply the best! I am a professional anger and spotted bass guide on Georgia's famed Lake Lanier. I only trust JJ'S to deliver the best experience for my clients - JJ's helps you catch more fish - period!
From: Jimbo: Lake Lanier, GA
Comments: Great awesome bait, only problem is that after one day of fishing almost all of the finish literally peeled off. Still, this got me a fat snook, snakeheads, and plenty of bass all in a South Florida's days fishing.
Looking forward to a few more colors, and a re-finish...
Comments: I had my first chance to fish the Koppers Vibration Trap Thursday and man was I impressed. Down here in Tn. the water is in the lower 60's and the fish are beginning to spawn and the bite was tuff. I fished for about two hours and the Koppers trap was all that I could get a bite on. I caught 5 good fish between the2 and 4lb range. This is a good bait and the action in the water is the best that I have ever seen. You can reel in fast and stop it and it will fall straight down triggering bites. The appearance is second to none. It is going to be my go to bait when the fishing is tough. The bait is absolutely beautiful. You will never see a bait that looks like a real fish like the Koppers do. The only change that I did to the bait was to change the rear hook to a #4 owner treble. Get you a couple of these guys in the half ounce size and you will catch the fire out of fish. You will be amazed at the quality and the action of the bait.
From: William: Hohenwald, TN