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The Woodrow Wilson Ohio Teaching Fellowship
State: Ohio
Zip: 43210
County: Franklin
City: Columbus
Address: Enarson Hall, 154 W 12th Avenue Columbus, OH 43210 United States
Phone: (614)292-9444
Fax: unknown
Email: unknown
Web site: unknown
Status: Work
Review: Ohio State University, Masters in Chemistry Education
Degree Offered: Masters in Chemistry Education Format: Campus
Program Description: The Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship seeks to recruit, prepare and retain effective teachers for the students and schools who need them most. It is open to individuals - college seniors, recent graduates, and career changers - with undergraduate degrees in the arts and sciences. Fellows will attend enriched, school-based master's-level teacher education programs, complemented by intensive mentoring during the first three years of teaching at high-need urban and rural schools. The Fellowships focus on four goals: transforming teacher education; getting strong teachers into high-need schools; attracting the very best candidates to the teaching profession; and cutting teacher attrition by retaining top teachers.
Financial Aid Offered: No


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Google's email system, Gmail, has unveiled its 57th language and it's one close to home -- Cherokee.
Google worked with the Cherokee Nation to develop the language in Google's web search and in Gmail, according to Craig Cornelius, a Google engineer, on the official Gmail blog. In 2002, a survey found that no one under 40 spoke conversational Cherokee, and that galvanized the tribe to create language immersion classes as well as reaching out to technology.
The Gmail team worked with a team of volunteers to come up with words that didn't exist in the Cherokee lexicon, such as "inbox" or "spam." For a tribe that developed the first written native language, this was an important step.
"We are constantly trying to find ways to ensure our Cherokee language lives on and thrives, and being able to converse via email is a vital part of that," Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Bill John Baker said in a statement.
Joseph Erb, language technologist at the Cherokee Nation agreed. "Projects like these give more life to our language in our communities. It is not just about preserving our language and culture. It is about using our language each day and every day and continuing who we are as a people. And this give us that chance each time we check our email."
For those wanting to use Cherokee, they simply need to go to Gmail settings to use the language ᏣᎳᎩ.

subset: commoncrawl


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I am new to completely new to opengl. First off can I just state that I do not usually ask for this kind of help but I am in real need for it. basically I have information that I am trying to extract from an XML file and I need to display this information on a 2d graph which I just found out the aparatus I am using only uses opengl.
Can somebody help me and posssibly provide me with some code that I can use (with FULL reference given). An example of what I need is basically:
xml reading:
date = years
values = power
there for power would be the y axis and the x axis would be years
If somebody could help me I would really appreciate it. Again I normally dont ask for this but I am in dier need:
Thank you very much


text:
|Main ingredient:
|Preparation time:
|10 - 15 Min.
Your location: » Cooking tips & Culinary trends » Recipes » Recipe detail
|Main ingredient:
|Preparation time:
|10 - 15 Min.
1. Heat the oil in the vitavit royal and brown the meat. Add the onions, vegetables and potatoes and cook briefly. Season with stock, salt and pepper and add water.
2. Close the cooker in accordance with the instructions and set the main control valve to level II. Place on a high heat. When the first ring becomes visible, reduce the heat. The cooking time of 5-7 minutes begins when the second ring becomes visible.
3. At the end of the cooking time, release the steam according to the instructions, shake once and then open. Mix the cream and the tomato puree and gently fold in. Season with salt and pepper.
Do you have any questions, suggestions or wishes with regard to our products ? The Fissler Customer Service will be pleased to help you.
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text:
One of the original victims of Ed Okun's 1031 TaxGroup embezzlement ponzi scheme speaks out about her Victim's Impact Statement and her gratitude for. . . us. Thank you and may the best possible outcome be realized~
Comment From An Okun Victim
"You said it all in a nutshell, about a nut. Thank you, Dean's Guide. You've been a great resource for we victims of Okun, in that were it not for your website many of us wouldn't have connected with one another and had each other's support over the last three years.
Thankfully the US Attorney's office flew several of us to Virginia to give our Victim's Impact Statements at Okun's sentencing hearing, which afforded a few of us the opportunity to meet one another. It haunts many of us to this day wondering how many victims out there may STILL be unaware of what's transpired. They moved, they're in retirement facilities, they died, whatever may have happened they were unreachable by the court system and therefore have only known their financial loss without answers.
We've yet to realize national press coverage of this horrendous white collar crime committed upon us non-investors, which could so easily happen to anyone else. A heed of warning to anyone considering utilizing the IRS' 1031 Exchange rule…..don't.
Again, thank you Dean's Guide for your coverage!"


text:
The BlackBerry Torch 9850/9860 is RIM's latest entry into the world of touchscreen QWERTY keyboard-less phones. Though many great examples of this type of phone exist from other manufacturers, RIM appears to be struggling to adapt to that world—the new Torch is passable, but lacking in several ways when compared to other phones on different platforms available on the same carriers for the same price.
The Torch is a nice-looking phone, with a front that curves at the top and bottom toward the flat, rubberized back. The sides are also curved, and the phone feels very comfortable to hold either vertically or horizontally. It's fairly thick at 0.45 inches, and feels solid, but not too heavy at 4.76 ounces.
Five buttons are aligned along the bottom of the screen: call answering, menu/options, select/scroll, back, and power off/call end/close application. A headphone jack and volume rocker are along the right side of the phone, along with a "convenience key" toward the bottom that can be set to trigger a number of actions, like opening the camera app or voice dialing. The top of the phone has a depressable area that locks the phone, and a micro-USB port is centered on the left side.
The Torch's speaker is set in the bottom of the phone, and can play audio loudly, but it doesn't have much sound depth or bass. Call quality is passable, but not fantastic, both for us and the people we spoke to using the phone.
The Torch's only camera is 5 megapixels and is located on the back. It lacks tap-to-focus and struggles to focus in some situations, particularly with indoor shots. If it's able to target the subject, colors and detail are quite good. When taking 720p video, the camera struggles a bit with focus, but has great stabilization. In just one of the many frustrating transgressions of intuitive design, "Video Camera" and "Camera" are separate applications on the Torch.
As an operating system, BlackBerry 7 is very pretty with neat little icons, and though the 3.7-inch screen is a lowish resolution (800x480), it has great color balance and can render tiny text on non-mobile webpages in a readable way. The display is bright and still readable in direct sunlight, though viewing angles are narrow, so even moderate tilt results in a dimmer view.
With a single-core 1.2GHz processor and 768MB of RAM, the OS keeps up well enough when navigating menus and opening apps. However, interacting with the apps is sometimes a pokey experience where you're left wondering half the time whether or not the app picked up on your selection. We had particular problems with the browser when trying to search for and watch YouTube videos, when clicking search result links seemed not to register multiple times. Other times the apps, and switching between apps, were very responsive.
RIM touts the phone's handling of notifications as one of its strengths. All messages and notifications are grouped on the home screen and sometimes as separate categories (for instance, Facebook notifications will appear separate from messages), and then all displayed inline when the notifications menu is opened. When you're not on the home screen, a tiny notification along the top of the screen will pop up when you have new messages. But unlike Android, we can't just pull the notification bar down and get to the messages from anywhere.
In most cases, the phone responds better to scrolling using the center button, where brushing your finger over its surface will move the highlighter around. The button seems like a concession to old BlackBerry users who are not used to interacting with the screen, but the screen makes the button redundant. It's a shame that the button functions so much better; we wish RIM had committed to the touchscreen.
The pokiness extends to the App World, where Sprint's 3G will do the phone no favors in making you feel like downloading a single app is a chore (though it is 4G-capable, if you're in range of Sprint's WiMax). There's also not much in the way of a large selection or guidance on finding good apps: when we attempted to find an app that could take screenshots, we selected a free one rated four stars, only to find it didn't do anything without purchasing the full version. A meager 4GB of storage (effectively 2.5GB with the OS installed) is included with the phone, so we didn't want to get too crazy downloading apps anyway, though the Torch's memory can be expanded with up to a 32GB microSD card.
The menus are not arranged very intuitively. When told we couldn't use the browser because data was turned off and we needed to change the setting in "Mobile Network," we searched the "Setup" app multiple times in vain before finding it in another app titled "Options." Why these are separate entities, we aren't sure.
There is an integrated Messaging app in the OS that allows you to begin a number of different kinds of messages—IM, text, e-mail, BlackBerry Messenger—from one place. However, it doesn't thread the messages to different phone numbers or screen names together, a feature we really liked in webOS.
BlackBerry phones are beloved because of their keyboards, so we'd expect an all-touch BlackBerry to put extra effort into making sure the touchscreen keyboard was up to snuff. While using the keyboard wasn't terrible, it was far from the best we've used; we felt we couldn't type very fast and get a reliable transcription of the words we were trying to type. The OS includes an autocorrect system that is less aggressive than the one in iOS, which helps, but we wouldn't hold up the Torch as an example of a standout messaging phone.
The Torch's battery is on the small side at 1230mAh, but we had little trouble getting a full day's use out of it. The CDMA version is rated at 6.8 hours of talk time and 6.6 hours of video playback, while the UMTS version gets 6.1 hours of talk time. The Torch can access Sprint's WiMax network, which hobbles the battery life a bit.
As a touchscreen phone, the Torch is not as much of an unmitigated disaster as the BlackBerry Storm and Storm 2. But using the phone feels too often like an uphill struggle—tasks aren't impossible, but they aren't easy either. We feel like we spent a lot of time baffled as to why the phone didn't seem to be able to do what we wanted, when we wanted it to. At $199.99 with a two-year contract (and $50 mail-in rebate) on Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile, and AT&T, a happy customer would have to be already engaged with the BlackBerry platform by choice or force for this to be a good option.
The Good:
- Phone's body is nicely designed and comfortable to hold
- Battery can hold its own for full day of use
- New BlackBerry 7 OS leaning more towards touch interactions
The Bad:
- Screen is sometimes laggy and unresponsive, making for a bad typing experience
- Operating system is still unintuitive in many places
- Camera is mediocre
The Ugly:
- Specs not at all competitive with similarly priced phones
- App World is not the fun theme park it sounds like


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The body of Urooj Khan, the Illinois Lottery winner who authorities now say died of cyanide poisoning, will be exhumed Friday morning.
Family members say they hope the dig at Rosehill Cemetery, on Chicago's north side, will lead to answers as to who may have killed Khan, and why.
"We are confident he was a healthy person and cannot die like that," Khan's brother, ImTiaz Khan, said Thursday evening. "We are just praying to God that justice will be serviced, and whoever did this will be punished."
The 46-year-old's death in July, a single day after lottery officials presented him with a check for more than $425,000, was originally attributed to natural causes. A relative later requested the Cook County Medical Examiner take another look.
Medical Examiner Dr. Stephen Cina said that second look revealed lethal levels of cyanide. A judge last Friday granted a request to exhume the body for further testing.
U.S. & World
Khan's widow, Shabana Ansari, said police questioned her about the ingredients of Khan's last meal and that she doesn't believe anyone could have poisoned her husband.
"He was an extremely great person," Ansari told NBC Chicago. "Nobody could be his enemies."
Dr. Jon Lomasney, the Director of Autopsy Service at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine, said that while the upcoming autopsy will be difficult, it should reveal new details.
"After six months of lying in state it's going to be a lot of degradation. The body is not going to be well preserved. ... There's going to be liquefaction of a lot of organs," he said.
During the autopsy, which should take about two hours to perform, all of the internal organs will be removed and dissected individually.
Lomasney said residual chemicals and substances will be present after six months, and investigators will be able to determine if those levels are normal or not. Cyanide, he explained, can be ingested in food or liquid. It can also be inhaled.
"If you find high levels of cyanide in the lungs higher than the other organs like the stomach or blood, then you can determine that the cyanide was taken into the body via inhalation," he said. "Likewise if you find the highest levels in the stomach then it was probably ingested."
A full report of the autopsy should be available within three months, Lamasney said.


text: Jacek Łydżba Born in 1966 in Włoszczowa. Studied at College of Visual Arts in Czestochowa and the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. Graduated (Distinction) in 1989 in the poster art under tutorage of Prof Maciej Urbaniec. In 1999 nominated for a Passport Award by magazine "Polityka". He has been working in the Jan Długosz University in Częstochowa since 1995.


text:
All recent 911 GT3 Cup cars in one championship, six events in 2013
The 2013 racing season will bring the
Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge to the Benelux
An initiative of Prospeed Competition and GT3.nl, with the support of national importers.
GRÂCE-HOLLOGNE –The 2013 racing season will bring the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge to the Benelux. This Challenge is an officially supported Porsche racing platform for drivers, teams and fans in the Benelux market.
The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux is created in a joint effort with D'Ieteren Porsche Import (Belgium), Pon Porsche Import (The Netherlands) and the Luxembourg Porsche importer Autosdistribution Losch.
The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux will be the twentieth member of a family that encompasses the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup and various Porsche Carrera Cups and GT3 Cup Challenges representing the Porsche racing DNA throughout the world…
Leading the way will be the second generation of the 997-based 911 GT3 Cup car. This 450bhp race car, based on the road going 911 GT3 RS, will instantly make the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux the fastest one-make Cup in the Benelux.
The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux will also welcome the first generation of the 997-based 911 GT3 Cup car and optionally the 996-based 911 GT3 Cup car, bringing together all recent generations of modern Porsche Cup racing in one championship.
The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux is will run several classes. The Pro-Class will see two people take the wheel of a car in the proven Pro-Am structure, joining gentleman drivers with (semi-) professional drivers, creating synergies for both.
In the Am- and Club-Class, running the first generation 997 Cup and the 996 Cup respectively, cars will be shared by two drivers as well, but only gentleman drivers are allowed.The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux is planning six events for its inaugural season and will race on all major circuits in Holland and Belgium.
The Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux is created by ProSpeed Competition and GT3.nl, who have a longstanding relationship in racing and both have a background in Porsche dealership organisations. ProSpeed Competition and GT3.nl are partners of Porsche Motorsport.
The new Challenge is an excellent opportunity for commercial partners to support participating teams, connecting their brand to the strong values of Porsche and motorsport.
The Challenge will also become an inspiring and useful relationship-marketing platform, bringing the brand closer to prospects and customers through test drives and events around the Challenge.
Jean Heinen, Director D'Ieteren Porsche Import: –
"The return of Porsche to the top category of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2014 reaffirms the importance of motorsport for Porsche. At the same time 2013 will mark 50 years of the 911. It will be a good moment to celebrate the anniversary of this legendary car. As from next year the drivers of the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux will help us to communicate it even more thoroughly."
Ray Uiterwaal, Managing DirectorPon Porsche Import: –
"Motorsport and Porsche have been inseparable since the very first car that was built, and today the racing heritage is still an essential part of the company and her cars.
With the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Benelux we now have our own official platform to bring the Porsche values to our customers and fans, showcasing the level of performance and engineering in our cars, both on and off the racetrack."
Michael Dreiser, Manager international One-Make Series, Dr.Ing. H.c. F. Porsche AG: –
"The worldwide Porsche one-make series provide a stable platform for all involved parties: drivers, teams, sponsors and partners. We at Porsche Motorsport are delighted that this new GT3 Cup Challenge will take off in 2013 in the Benelux countries and would like to thank the ProSpeed Competition and GT3.nl for their commitment as well as D'Ieteren Porsche Import an Pon Porsche Import for their strong support. Let's all look forward to thrilling races."
Prospeed – photos Porsche
Prospeed Competition organizers and GT3.nl chose to cut monobrand's fastest Benelux 450 hp of the 911 GT3 Cup Type 997 II. But first, the first generation 997 and 996 are also welcome to complete the grid. There will be three categories (Pro and Am Club, depending on the level of drivers and cars) and the schedule includes six races on circuits Belgian and Dutch.
Pascal ROUARD
B-4460 Grâce-Hollogne – Belgium
Benelux is a union of states comprising three neighbouring countries in northwestern Europe: Belgium, the Netherlands andLuxembourg. The union's name is formed from joining the first two or three letters of each country's name – Belgium Netherlands Luxembourg – and was first used to name the customs agreement that initiated the union (signed in 1944).[2] It is now used in a more general way to refer to the geographic, economic and cultural grouping of the three countries.
In 1951, these countries joined West Germany, France, and Italy to form the European Coal and Steel Community, the predecessor of theEuropean Economic Community (EEC) and today's European Union (EU).
The main institutions of the Union are the Committee of Ministers, the Parliament, the Council of the Union, the Court of Justice, the Secretariat-General, the Organization for Intellectual Property.
The Benelux Secretary-General is located in Brussels. It is the central administrative pillar of the Benelux Economic Union. It handles the secretariat of the Committee of Ministers, the Council of Economic Union and the various committees and working parties. Moreover, it ensures the registry of the Benelux Court of Justice.


text:
BANGKOK – World stock markets tumbled Monday, with Hong Kong's key index sinking nearly 5 percent, as downbeat comments from major U.S. banks and mounting woes at American auto giants undermined recent optimism about economic recovery.
The retreat followed a sell-off Friday on Wall Street where investors booked profits on the Dow Jones industrial average's 21 percent gain over 13 trading days.
Data showing a dip in U.S. personal incomes and a slowdown in personal spending were reminders that the world's largest economy and its banking system remain troubled.
Investors in Asia were also unnerved by reports that the chief executives of JP Morgan Chase & Co. and Bank of America Corp. both said business conditions had got tougher since they reported being profitable for January and February.
"The comments from these two banks show that problems in the U.S. financial sector aren't over and that's negative for sentiment," said Castor Pang, an analyst at Sun Hung Kai Financial in Hong Kong.
"Investors are also cautious before U.S. employment data this week. If the unemployment rate continues to rise that will be a problem for the U.S. and for stock markets in countries like Japan that rely on the U.S. economy," he said.
Japan's Nikkei 225 stock average sank 390.89 points, or 4.5 percent, to 8,236.08, and Hong Kong's Hang Seng slid 663.17, or 4.7 percent, to 13,456.33. South Korea's benchmark was down 3.2 percent while markets in Singapore, Taiwan, and India fell 3 percent or more.
As European trading got underway, Germany's DAX was down 3.7 percent, Britain's FTSE 100 shed 2.5 percent and France's CAC 40 lost 3 percent.
U.S. stock futures pointed to more losses Monday on Wall Street. Dow futures fell 187, or 2.4 percent, to 7,575 and S&P 500 futures were off 23, or 2.8 percent, at 793.10.
Adding to the gloom in Asia, data released Monday in Japan showed that industrial production in the world's second-largest economy fell 9.4 percent in February as the sharp slump in global demand continued to paralyze the nation's factories.
In Tokyo trade, shares of automakers fell after the White House said ailing automakers General Motors and Chrysler had not submitted acceptable plans to receive billions more in bailout money, increasing the odds the two American auto giants will eventually file for bankruptcy protection.
Japanese automakers have said the possible collapse of major American automakers would hurt them as well by putting pressure on U.S.-based car parts suppliers. Potential job losses in the U.S. would also weigh on consumer spending.
Toyota Motor Co., the world's largest automaker, fell 3.7 percent, Honda Motor Co. shed 6.7 percent, and Nissan Motor Co. dived 7.7 percent.
A rising yen sent tech shares broadly lower. Sony Corp. declined 7.4 percent, Sharp Corp. lost 5.1 percent and chip maker Elpida Memory Inc. plunged 12.2 percent.
Financial shares were also weak in Asia. In Seoul, KB Financial Group was down 6.5 percent and Mitsubishi UFJ Finance dived 8.8 percent in Tokyo after being downgraded to "conviction sell" from "neutral" by Goldman Sachs analysts who cited rising credit and equity losses.
On Friday, the Dow Jones industrials fell 148.38, or 1.9 percent, to 7,776.18. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 16.92, or 2 percent, to 815.94 and the Nasdaq composite index dropped 41.80, or 2.6 percent, to 1,545.20.
In oil markets, prices tumbled to below $51 a barrel as investors cashed in on recent gains, and in tandem with losses in regional stock markets. Benchmark crude for May delivery fell $1.86 to $50.52 by midafternoon in Asian electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract dropped $1.96 to settle at $52.38 on Friday.
The dollar fell to 96.46 yen from 97.84 yen late Friday, while the euro dropped to $1.3199 from $1.3288.
World Stocks Tumble on Auto, Bank Concerns
BANGKOK – World stock markets tumbled Monday, with Hong Kong's key index sinking nearly 5 percent, as downbeat comments from major U.S. banks and mounting woes at American auto giants undermined recent optimism about economic recovery.


text:
It's a great week to daydream about some slalom. Or 'boarding. Or sitting by the fire in the lodge, perusing the wine list and wondering how tomorrow's powder will be.
From your desk, you can peek at the Squaw Valley slopes as if you just fell off the lift -- all thanks to Google's new Street View for Ski Resorts and Slopes. There are 13 famous ski resorts featured, thanks to the Street View Snowmobile. Google sent out the snowmobile before the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
Ski resorts are added to the existing collections like, Parks of the World and Hawaii Beaches.
U.S. & World
Squaw Valley, known for its quality since 1960 when it hosted its own Winter Olympics, is the only California resort included.


text: The final meeting of the year. Our AGM is important as it is your chance to have your say on the running of the club, and what you want to see in next years programme, so please attend. We will also be having a bit of an end of year party, so look out for more details on that!


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About the U.S. Capitol Building
About the U.S. Capitol Building
The United States Capitol Building is located in Washington, D.C., at the eastern end of the National Mall on a plateau 88 feet above the level of the Potomac River, commanding a westward view across the U.S. Capitol Reflecting Pool to the Washington Monument 1.4 miles away and the Lincoln Memorial 2.2 miles away.
Take a 360° degree virtual tour of the U.S. Capitol Building.
Bounded by First St., SW, Independence Ave., Constitution Ave., and First St. SE
Dimensions: 751 feet 4 inches long; its greatest width is 350 feet. Its height above the base line on the east front to the top of the Statue of Freedom is 288 feet.
At the U.S. Capitol Building the Senate and the House of Representatives come together to discuss, debate and deliberate national policy; develop consensus; and craft the country's laws. As the nation has grown so has the U.S. Capitol Building: today it covers well over 1.5 million square feet, has over 600 rooms, and miles of corridors. It is crowned by a magnificent white dome that overlooks the city of Washington and has become a widely recognized icon of the American people and government. The U.S. Capitol's design was selected by President George Washington in 1793 and construction began shortly thereafter.
The U.S. Capitol Building is among the most architecturally impressive and symbolically important buildings in the world. It has housed the meeting chambers of the Senate and the House of Representatives for over two centuries. Begun in 1793, the U.S. Capitol has been built, burnt, rebuilt, extended and restored; today, it stands as a monument not only to its builders but also to the American people and their government.
As the focal point of the government's Legislative Branch, the U.S. Capitol Building is the centerpiece of the Capitol Campus, which includes the six principal Congressional office buildings and three Library of Congress buildings constructed on Capitol Hill in the 19th and 20th centuries.
In addition to its active use by Congress, the U.S. Capitol is a museum of American art and history. Each year, it is visited by an estimated 3-5 million people from around the world.
A fine example of 19th-century neoclassical architecture, the U.S. Capitol combines function with aesthetics. Its designs derived from ancient Greece and Rome evoke the ideals that guided the nation's founders as they framed their new republic. As the building was expanded from its original design, harmony with the existing portions was carefully maintained.
Today, the U.S. Capitol Building covers a ground area of 175,170 square feet, or about 4 acres, and has a floor area of approximately 16-1/2 acres. Its length, from north to south, is 751 feet 4 inches; its greatest width, including approaches, is 350 feet. Its height above the base line on the east front to the top of the Statue of Freedom is 288 feet. The building contains approximately 540 rooms and has 658 windows (108 in the dome alone) and approximately 850 doorways.
The U.S. Capitol Building is divided into five levels. The first, or ground, floor is occupied chiefly by committee rooms and the spaces allocated to various congressional officers. The areas accessible to visitors on this level include the Hall of Columns, the Brumidi Corridors, the restored Old Supreme Court Chamber, and the Crypt beneath the Rotunda, where historical exhibits are presented.
The second floor holds the Chambers of the House of Representatives (in the south wing) and the Senate (in the north wing) as well as the offices of the congressional leadership. This floor also contains three major public areas. In the center under the dome is the Rotunda, a circular ceremonial space that also serves as a gallery of paintings and sculpture depicting significant people and events in the nation's history. The Rotunda is 96 feet in diameter and rises 180 feet 3 inches to the canopy. The semicircular chamber south of the Rotunda served as the Hall of the House until 1857; now designated National Statuary Hall, it houses part of the Capitol's collection of statues donated by the states in commemoration of notable citizens. The Old Senate Chamber northeast of the Rotunda, which was used by the Senate until 1859, has been returned to its mid-19th-century appearance.
The third floor allows access to the galleries from which visitors to the Capitol Building may watch the proceedings of the House and the Senate when Congress is in session. The rest of this floor is occupied by offices, committee rooms and press galleries.
The fourth floor and the basement/terrace level of the U.S. Capitol are occupied by offices, machinery rooms, workshops and other support areas.


text:
A running discussion on the Cincinnati Reds and everything else in the baseball universe.
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
All Undervalued Team: Morgan Ensberg, 3b
In honor of the fact that he was non-tendered this week, Morgan Ensberg gets the third baseman on the All Undervalued Team. Actually, he's long been one of my favorite players, so he would've gotten the nod anyway, but the fact that he has been cut loose just makes him an even better bargain.
Ensberg attended USC and played the hot corner on the 1998 USC championship team. He's still the only player in USC history to post a 20 homer and 20 stolen base season. Ensberg was joined on the team by future teammates Jason Lane and Eric Munson.
The Astros drafted Ensberg with the 272nd overall pick in the 9th round of the 1998 draft.
Unfortunately, Ensberg was also involved in one of the most unfortunate incidents in recent baseball history. On March 3rd, 2000, Morgan Ensberg, Keith Ginter, Derek Nicholson, Mike Rose, Eric Cole, and Aaron Miles were held at gunpoint in their minor league hotel room by armed robbers. All but Miles were bound hand and foot with plastic ties, had duct tape placed over their mouths, and blankets placed over their heads by the robbers in Ensberg's hotel room.
The robbers went from person to person taking their valuables when they heard Aaron Miles return to his adjacent room. They told the players that they'd be back soon with company and they left to get Miles. When they left, Rose was able to slip out of his plastic ties and lock the door behind them. Ensberg was also able to wriggle free of his ties, permanently scarring his wrists in the process, and call the police.
When the robbers heard the sirens, one jumped out of the second story window and fled, but the other forced Miles back into his room at gunpoint. The police escorted Ensberg and the others to safety, but the second gunman held Miles at gunpoint for 25 minutes. Miles, the son of a heavyweight boxer, took matters into his own hands. He attacked the robber and ended up wrestling over the gun when a SWAT team member broke through a window shooting the robber.
Thankfully, all the players escaped unharmed, but Ensberg still carries physical and emotional scars.
Ensberg is one of the streakiest offensive players around, but when he's on, he's very good. And, when he's off, he's still able to contribute with his secondary offensive skills.
When Ensberg is going well, he has power, patience, and the ability to hit for average. In 2005, Ensberg was undeniably going well, as he posted a line of .283/.388/.557/.945 with 36 homeruns, 86 runs, 101 RBI, and 85 walks.
However, that was the high point and his performance has been very volatile ever since. Despite the inconsistent performance, Ensberg still boasts an impressive career line of .265/.366/.476/.842. He has an impressive .131 BB/PA, sees 3.92 pitches per plate appearance, and on average hits a homerun every 19.5 At Bats.
On June 9, 2006, Ensberg tore a tendon in his shoulder and hasn't ever been able to get back on track. He suffered through substandard second half of 2006 and a disappointing 2007 season. However, he was also a bit unlucky in 2007, as he posted an impressive line drive percentage of 23% with Houston and 30% with San Diego. It's difficult to say how much the shoulder injury has impacted his performance, but he could still bounce back and be a very productive player in 2008.
At the plate. Ensberg seems a bit mechanical. He's not the most natural or graceful athlete and has a tendency to over think things at times. However, he's got a good, solid swing.
He has a small stride, an explosive hip rotation which provides good power, a fairly compact swing, and maintains good balance throughout. He can get pull happy, which makes him susceptible to breaking pitches on the outer half.
Ensberg has all the tools to be an impact offensive player, but time will tell if he can pull it together to get his career back on track. If his struggles were due to his shoulder injury, then he's got a good chance of bouncing back. But, only time will tell if it was the shoulder injury that was slowing him down.
On defense, Ensberg has very good range and rates in the upper echelon of third basemen defensively. He also has soft hands and an accurate arm, so his fielding percentage is solid. He makes the plays he supposed to make and his range allows him to reach balls that many others wouldn't.
Ensberg is currently 32, so his best defensive years may be behind him, but he's still got the ability to be a good, solid defensive player.
Time will tell whether Ensberg can bounce back to his peak level of performance, but he's the type of player who's worth rolling the dice on. Even if he doesn't bounce back, he'd still be a quality option to have on the bench.
If things break right, then Ensberg could flip the switch and again become an impact player who combines power, patience, and a good batting average.
2 comments:
- AnonymousDecember 21, 2007 at 6:57 PM
I agree with you on Morgan, he would be a good catch. Some one should sign him to a minor league deal and invite him to spring training. I hated to see him leave Houston. But they had to blame it on some of the guys and trae them.... astros fan....ReplyDelete
Hey porkchop,ReplyDelete
Thanks for the comment and I couldn't agree more. I'm a big Ensberg fan, which has brought me a lot of grief over the past couple of years. But, I just think he's got a tremendous offensive game "when he's right" and he's very solid on defense.
He's actually one of my favorite players and I'll be very interested to see how much the shoulder injury has impacted his performance. If that's all it was, then he could be a real steal for someone in 2008. I'd certainly roll the dice on him without hesitation, as he could be a pleasant surprise.


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Blake Shelton has announced plans to delay his tour following the death of his father, Dick.
The elder Shelton passed away Wednesday, according to a representative for the country singer.
"Mr. Shelton, who was in declining health this past year, was surrounded by loved ones in Oklahoma upon his passing this evening," the rep told Us Weekly.
U.S. & World
Shelton was in the midst of his "Well Lit & Amplified" Tour," with dates pending in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana next week. Those dates will be reschedule for March. Further information will be available through the "Voice" coach's official web site.
"I appreciate your understanding during this difficult time and thank you for all your prayers, "said Shelton in a statement. "Your support means the world to me. I love you guys."
Selected Reading: MSNBC, Blake Shelton.com, US Weekly


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Sancar's harem was a vampire coven created by a Turkish vampire named Sancar, though it was actually a harem. This coven was destroyed by Siobhan when she killed Sancar around 1510.
He loved the idea of creating a vampire harem and traveled through Europe to look for exceptional women for his collection, with human servants of his own. In the end, he found seven women to add to the harem, three of whom were completely devoted to him.
When Sancar heard of the beautiful Irish woman, Siobhan, who was stronger than any man, he sought her out and became completely infatuated with her complexion and physique. That night, he made his move on her, raped and bit her, and took her back to his lair while she was in transition.
However, before Siobhan's newborn year ended, she killed Sancar and his most devoted followers. The four who weren't devoted to him went their own ways, and the coven split.
- Sancar: Founder and master of this coven. He enjoyed the company of beautiful women so much he created the harem as a vampire, turning only women who appealed to him. He was most appealed by Siobhan. However, she showed no loyalty to him, and before the end of her year as a newborn, he died in her hands.
- Siobhan: The last member of the harem, Sancar heard whispers about her while in Ireland and sought her out. When he saw Siobhan, he was amazed by her beauty and strength that compared to no one. That night, he raped her and then changed her. However, Siobhan never had loyalty to Sancar. She killed him and broke the coven apart before her newborn year ended. She spent the next centuries traveling and eventually built the Irish coven with mate, Liam, and Maggie.
- Seven female vampires: All of them chosen and turned by Sancar for his collection. Of all seven (excluding Siobhan), three of them were entirely loyal to Sancar and were killed trying to avenge him. The other four, feeling no real loyalty toward Sancar, went their separate ways after his death.
- Human servants: Kept for entertainment, services, and sustenance. Presumably, when the harem split apart, the remaining humans escaped.
This coven was only mentioned in The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide.
|Sancar's harem
| Olympic • Volturi
Amazon • Arkansas • Benito's • Denali • Egyptian • French • Hilda's • Irish • James's • Joss's • Mexican • Monterrey • Northern Texas • Romanian • Sancar's harem • Seattle newborn army


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White Chic Slip On Flats
Regular price $39.00
White for fall and winter?? Yes! White is very trendy, and I love it! It's so sharp! And you can still wear them in the spring! Great price for this adorable loafer! Easy on and off! Also comes in leopard! Runs true to size.
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Includes tips on housetraining, socializing, and more Get the scoop on bringing a Boston Terrier home and raising him right Have the unmistakable snout, bulging eyes, and endearing snorts that trumpet the Boston Terrier stolen your heart? Whether you're thinking about adding one of these American Gentlemen to your home or already have, this book gives you all the basics on raising and living with this intelligent, affectionate breed - from feeding and healthcare to basic training. Choose the right Boston for you Puppy-proof your home and yard Teach your Boston basic commands Correct Boston behavior gone badBedwell-Wilson, Wendy is the author of 'Boston Terriers for Dummies ', published 2007 under ISBN 9780470127681 and ISBN 0470127686.[read more]
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The fighting in Syria has not only approached Israel's borders, but equally as important, is embroiling Lebanon via Hezbollah, who have been involving themselves in the fighting in Syria, to the extent of conducting ground offences there. (h/t Legal Insurrection):
Free Syrian Army spokesperson Louay al-Moqdad said that the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah has been coordinating with the Syrian army and is now waging ground offensives inside Syria.
"For the first time [Hezbollah] is conducting ground offensives [in Qusayr] with the help of the arsenal stationed in Syrian villages and Lebanese border-towns that are under its control," Moqdad said in remarks published by An-Nahar newspaper on Monday.
He added that the military operations of Hezbollah were lead by two of its officials, Mustafa Badreddine Din and Wafiq Safa.
Badreddine was indicted by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon for involvement in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.
On Sunday A Hezbollah official said that three Lebanese Shiites have been killed in clashes in Syria, as the opposition accused the Shiite militant group of fighting alongside its regime allies.
In parallel to their military involvement, Hezbollah are working to increase their political influence in Syria, and by proxy that of Iran, by offering asylum to Syrian Alawite officer. This offer provides Hezbollah itself with multiple benefits:
Iran is working to place all of Lebanon under its control because if the Syrian regime stays, its position will not be healthy or secure, and if it fails and Iran is unable to help the Alawites establish their state, Iran will still have a vital foothold in the Mediterranean. That is why, according to reliable sources, Hezbollah began last month to propose to Alawite officers in the Syrian army to seek refuge in Lebanon.
On one hand, the aim of this offer was to calm down the growing concern of many Alawite officers that they may be tried as war criminals or be the targets of bloody liquidation after they have become convinced that the regime will fall sooner or later. On the other hand, the offer aims at reinforcing the ranks of Hezbollah's fighters with veteran Alawite officers with high combat experience.
These moves are led from behind the scenes by one of the security aides of Hezbollah's secretary general through party elements that support the regime's confrontation of the armed opposition inside Syria. Last month, Hezbollah's secretary general asked his security assistant to inform party elements working with and coordinating with Syrian officers and offer them a "package deal" from which the two sides would gain on the day that Assad falls. The offer was made following signals and messages that Hezbollah officials received from their military elements in the field in which they hint at the growing concern of the Alawite officers. The Hezbollah elements in Syria that are providing training and assistance to the forces loyal to Assad are in contact with the various military units, including the Republican Guard.
The aim of the offer that is part of Hezbollah's preparations for after Assad's fall is to insure the continuity of Hezbollah's military and political power in Lebanon. The reason is that in case the opposition in Lebanon becomes united with the help and support of the international community, it will try to undermine Hezbollah's power after it had lost Syria's strategic support.
Meanwhile Hezbollah's encroachment into Europe has many people very worried indeed. In fact Bulgaria has been urging the Europeans to blacklist Hezbollah in order to prevent further terror attacks on its soil:
The European Union must take collective action against Hezbollah, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolai Mladenov said on Monday morning.
Mladenov attended a meeting in Brussels to brief his counterparts on an initial investigative Bulgarian report which blamed Hezbollah for the bombing outside the Burgas airport that killed five Israeli tourists and the Bulgarian bus driver last July.
"We believe the attack that happened in Burgas last year was organized by people connected to the military wing of Hezbollah," Mladenov said.
"We in Europe need to take collective measures to make sure that such attacks will never happen again on EU soil, that we are protected as the EU," he said.
"We must send a strong message to the rest of the world that activities like this are unacceptable, no matter where they are planned or executed," he added.
Given the extremely worrying developments in Syria, and taken together with the announcement by the Bulgarian authorities that Hezbollah was behind the bombing of the Israeli tourist bus last summer, one would think that the EU would finally agree to blacklist Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.
The European Union is inclined to not declare Hezbollah a terror organization, even through evidence indicates that operatives of the Shiite Lebanese group were behind a lethal attack on Israelis abroad, EU sources quoted by Israel Radio said Saturday night.
Five Israeli tourists and a local bus driver were killed in the bombing in the Bulgarian resort town of Burgas on July 18, 2012.
Reportedly, despite the fact that Bulgaria found Hezbollah responsible for the attack, even naming its prime suspects in Lebanon, the EU's tendency is to level sanctions only on the people suspected of direct involvement, and not at the organization as a whole.
Many countries consider Hezbollah a terror organization, including Israel, the United States, Canada, the UK, Egypt and Bahrain.
Officially labeling Hezbollah a terrorist entity would significantly hamper the organization's ability to operate. But doing so requires unanimity among the EU's 27 member states.
On Friday, France, the main force in the EU that has thus far resisted initiatives to name Hezbollah a terror group, said it may yet reconsider its policy.
One can understand the French, and the rest of the Europeans, for being terrified of Hezbollah. But burying their head in the sand, or giving in to blackmail, will not bring peace and quiet. It will only ensure, to paraphrase Churchill, that the crocodile will eat them last. We must all, Israelis, Europeans and Americans, present a united and unified front against Hezbollah and its allies in order to prevent its growth and spread across the region, acting as a proxy for the malign and dangerous Iranian regime.


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WASHINGTON (AP) � The Obama administration's new rules targeting power plant emissions will give states until mid-2018 in some circumstances to determine how they'll reach their targets.
That means the rules won't full take effect until long after President Barack Obama leaves office. The delay raises questions about the fate of the landmark rules under the next administration.
The new rules seek to cut carbon emissions from power plants by 30 percent by 2030. But states are being given flexibility to develop their own plans for meeting their targets.
Obama initially wanted states to submit their plans by mid-2016. But details of the proposal obtained by The Associated Press show states could have until 2017 to submit a complete plan. If they join with other states, they could have until 2018.


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Find all Discoveries and over 90% of the hidden treasure chests. Go to Hamachou Island to check your exploration total.Sky Battle King Vyse rank
Defeat Roc in Ixa'taka, Alania in Glacia, Giant Looper near the Looper's nest Discovery, Obispo (north from Crescent Isle until you wrap around the map to the bottom), and twelve ship battles with Valuans, Black Pirates, and any other opponent.Vyse the Battle Lord rank
Kill more than 2,500 monsters. Go to Hamachou Island to check your kill total.Vyse the Bounty King rank
Defeat and claim the rewards for all eight bounties.Vyse the Charismatic rank
Find all crew members.Vyse the Extravagant rank
Accumulate 1 million gold and all of the ship luxury items: the Intercom (bought in Nasrad), Enhanced Kitchen (bought in Nasrad), Floor Heater (Ixa'takan Black Market ship), Air Purifier (dropped Alania the giant spider if Kalifa is in the party), Yafutoman Alcove (bought in Yafutoma), Soundproofing (from Raja or Raja Embla ship battles in Deep Sky if Kalifa is in party), Expensive Wheel (bought in Crescent Isle), and Chandelier (bought in Crescent Isle), Wooden Doll (from Roc the giant bird if Kalifa is in party).Vyse the Fisher King rank
Catch more than 1,000 fish. You do not have to keep them all in your inventory.Vyse the Legend rank
Get all Discoveries, 100% hidden treasure chests, all eight bounties, and complete the Piastol/Maria plot.Rank bonus
Earn all the ranks available for Vyse. Return to Crescent Isle to encounter Vigoro as a pirate. The Mystery Merchant will now sell the Sky Fang cutlass. There is also a Golden Hamachou Discovery that can be found at the top of the island between Shrine Island and Sailors' Isle.Alternate opening sequence
Get Fina in your party to unlock the alternate opening sequence featuring Cupil.Avoid battles on ship
Fly as low as possible to avoid battles on your ship. Note: This works about 50% of the time.Water beast
When you get the Green Moon Crystal, go back down to Horteka Village. Go down to the water and talk to the beast. He will ask to see the stone. Answer "Yes" and you will get a black 5" cannon for your ship. Note: You can only talk to the beast once, and if you do not have the stone at that time he will leave forever. If you give him the crystal, you will have to fight him to get it back.Vorlik Blade
In order to get the ultimate blade for Vyse, you must first have Ryu-Khan and then you must upgrade his shop. After you find Fina's ship, talk to him about things. He will tell you about a piece of metal called "Velorium". Go back into deep sky and start searching with the crane. Soon, you will find two pieces of the substance. Talk to him again and he will begin work on his "ultimate piece". In a day or two, check with him. He will give you the Vorlik Blade. This has the highest attack and accuracy in the game.Abirik Chams
1. Catch ten Sky Sardis fish and give them to the merchant flying next to Horteka.
2. Go to Nasr once it has been destroyed and talk to the old merchant who gave you the passport into Valua. He is in the weapon shop.
3. Keep going to the Kabal lady in Maramba and the tavern keeper in Esparanza until you have to find Gentum, Khale and Kabal to make some Kabal Skewers. The Kabal can be found by going to Gordo's Bistro and talking to Gordo; the Gentum by going to the item shop in Nasr and buying it for 300 gold pieces; and the Khale on an invisible island called Spice Island, southwest of Yufatoma (it is also a discovery -- watch your compass). Once you have obtained all of these, keep going back and forth again until the tavern keeper gives you the final Abirik Cham.
1. At Pirate's Isle, go to the underground area. It is near the crane at the topmost area.
2. At Shrine Island, it is on the third level down from the entrance.
3. At Maramba, it is on the balcony of the inn.
4. At the Temple of Prynn in the second hall with a falling boulder, it is in the center of the hall against the left wall.
5. At Horteka, it can be found just before the entrance to the airship area.
6. At King's Hideout, it can be found near the open silver pot.
7. At Moon Stone Mountain, at the very first fork, turn left and search.
8. At Moon Stone Mountian, in the first room that you can see below, cross to the other side via the left path. Then, get on the middle path and search near the trap panel.
9. At Rixis Entrance, it is to the left of the statue where you placed the Golden Man's Eye (the left statue).
10. At Rixis, in the area with several floating platforms, after crossing on the first, go up the broken stairs and search. It is at the top.
11. Defeat Gordo in the North Ocean.
12. At Nasr, you will get it automatically when you receive the paycheck at the tavern.
13. At Daccat's Island, it is near the entrance when you go there with Aika and Fina.
14. At Daccat's Island, in the room with several bridges on Aika's side, go to the treasure chest and cross the two bridges directly in front of you. Then, search.
15. Search at the top of the Sailor's Island lighthouse.
16. At Nasrad in Ruins, search below the fountain in the center of town.
17. Search the deck of the Delphinus.
18. At Esperanza, go down the ladder near the entrance of the main town area and search.
19. At Yafutoma, you will find this Cham on the right side of the city near the ferry dock.
20. At Mt. Kazai, after the drop from the room with four passages, go down the passage until you reach a fork. Go south and search immediately for the cham.
21. At Exile Island, follow the path until you pass under a "roof". Then, go to the next circular area and search for a Cham.
22. At Crescent Isle, search behind the building with the large cannon in it, underground.
23. At Crescent Isle, look near the flagpole in the upper part of the village.
24. At Gordo's Bistro, search near the barrels. Gordo's Bistro can be found in North Ocean near the top of the sky.
25. Search the entrance of the Ruins of Ice.
26. At Glacia, from the final save point in the dungeon, go south past an intersection and search at the end of the path.
27. At Ilchymis' Islandm look down the stairs near one of the machines.
28. Hamachou Island can be found high in the sky above Dark Rift. search around near the partying Chou to find the Cham.
29. At Shrine Island (part of Soltis), Once inside the area with many ring rooms, go to the last large room before the next area. Go down one room. It is located here.
30. At Soltis, once in the area with all the teleporters, search each level for the final Cham.
At about the middle of the game, Vyse will receive his own ship, the Delphinus. After you receive this ship, you will be able to recruit crew members that will help you win ship battles. Here are their locations, jobs and what they do for the ship:
- Job: Gunner
- Location: Talk to her at your base to have her join your crew. Disc 2.
- Passive: Increases the damage dealt by Secondary Cannons.
- Job: Engineer
- Location: He joins automatically when you visit your base after it has been built. Disc 2.
- Passive: Adds 20 to the ship's Defense score.
- Job: Lookout
- Location: Talk to him in Gordo's Bistro once you have 30 or more Discoveries. Disc 1.
- Crew Command: Increases the chance of getting critical hits. (6)
- Job: Helmsman
- Location: Talk to him in Esperanza after you have returned from Yafutoma. Disc 2.
- Passive: Adds 15 to the ship's Dodge % score.
- Job: Engineer
- Location: Talk to him both before and after traveling to Yafutoma. He is in Horteka. Disc 2.
- Passive: Adds 20 to the ship's Magic Defense score.
- Job: Artisan
- Location: Fly up to his island (north of Valua) and talk to him. Leave, then talk to him again. He'll only join, if Vyse knows the Riselem spell. Disc 2.
- Crew Command: He raises your ship's attributes for a short while. (8)
- Job: Builder
- Location: He joins automatically when you visit your base after it has been completed. Disc 2.
- Passive: Increases the power of the Moon Stone Cannon!
- Job: Merchant
- Location: Bring her a Suiran Blade (bought in Yafutoma) and she'll join your crew. She is in Maramba. Disc 2.
- Passive: Increases the chance of finding special items.
- Job: Gunner
- Location: Talk to him in Nasrad. Disc 1.
- Passive: Increases the damage dealt by Main Cannons.
- Job: Builder
- Location: Talk to her after falling down the waterfall in Yafutoma. Disc 1.
- Crew Command: She repairs the ship completely. (7)
- Job: Helmsman
- Location: Pay him 10,000 gold on Sailor's Island to have him join. Disc 1.
- Passive: Adds 30 to the ship's Quick score.
- Job: Sailor
- Location: Gotten automatically on the Delphinus.Disc 1.
- Crew Command: Doubles the ship's SP. (8)
- Job: Jester
- Location: Find the red balloon in the Sailor Island's lighthouse. Bring it back to Merida in Horteka for her to join. Disc 1.
- Passive: Increases the value of the ship.
- Job: Delegate
- Location: She joins your crew after you beat Bluheim. Disc 1.
- Crew Command: Protects your ship from enemy magic for one full turn. (10)
- Job: Merchant
- Location: Talk to her in Nasrad. Disc 1.
- Passive: Increases the chance of finding expensive items.
- Job: Delegate
- Location: Talk to him on Sailor's Island to have him join. Disc 1.
- Crew Command: Protects your ship from cannon fire for a full turn. (10)
- Job: Cook
- Location: Talk to her in her tavern on Sailor's Island. Disc 1.
- Crew Command: She replenishes one character's MP. (6)
- Job: Jester
- Location: Talk to the kids on Pirate Isle to have their dog join your crew. Disc 1.
- Crew Command: Raises your chance of striking first for an entire turn. (4)
- Job: Sailor
- Location: Found in the Dark Rift. Joins your crew only if Polly is also on your crew. Disc 1.
- Crew Command: He will reduce the Spirit Points cost of actions for a turn. (8)
- Job: Artisan
- Location: Joins your crew once Vyse has attained Hero status. Talk to him at his home in the Frontier found past the Sky Rift north of Yafutoma. Disc 2.
- Crew Command: Raises the Attack and Defense of the Delphinus for a short time. (15)
- Job: Lookout
- Location: Talk to him in Horteka after having found the Ixa'ness Village. Disc 1.
- Passive: Increases the Hit% of Torpedos.
- Job: Cook
- Location: Talk to her in Yafutoma's restaurant once Kirala is in your crew. Disc 1.
- Crew Command: Maxes out the ships SP. (15)


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I get mine from the liquor store. More expensive but they come with free beer
I got most of mine from friends. Word spread I needed bottles and cases of empties would randomly show up in the box of my truck at work. I finally had to ask them to stop because I ran out of space to store them all.Paul


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You are here
Just Desserts: Diet-Friendly Baking Tips
Andrew McCaul
How to Make Healthy Desserts
"It's possible to slash major calories and fat from almost any baked good without sacrificing flavor or texture," says Jessica Crandall, RD, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. All it takes to make decadent treats that do minimal damage is one or two modifications — and we're giving you 24 to choose from! How sweet is that?
Andrew McCaul
Better-for-You Brownies
Spend Wisely
Paying a little extra for high-quality products, like premium chocolate and pure vanilla extract, can pay off. "More-flavorful ingredients make you less likely to miss any calories you've cut," says Kim Macy, the pastry chef at Miraval Resort & Spa in Tucson, Arizona.
Blend In
Puree soft or silken tofu, then use it in a one-to-one ratio to replace half the fat in your favorite brownie recipe. Researchers from Idaho State University found that eight in 10 people enjoyed fudge made with tofu in place of butter. "It has a neutral taste, so the chocolate flavor still shines through," says study author Linda Rankin, PhD. "Plus it's high in protein and calcium."
Scott Little
"Beet" Your Sweet Tooth
"Beets add sweetness and moisture without taking away from the flavor," says pastry chef Marisa Churchill, the author of Sweet & Skinny. Add two-thirds of a cup of finely grated raw beets to brownie batter and you can reduce the sugar by a quarter cup.
Use Your Bean
When researchers served brownies made with pureed white beans in place of half the shortening, testers rated them just as tasty as their full-fat counterparts. To make the switch, pulse cannellini beans, black beans, or lentils in a food processor with a little water, then replace half the butter, oil, or shortening in your baked goods with an equal amount of the puree.
Andrew McCaul
Whip It Good
For a lighter spin on cream cheese frosting, which is typically made with full-fat cream cheese and butter, beat together an eight-ounce block of reduced-fat cream cheese, one cup of powdered sugar, and one teaspoon of vanilla extract. The fluffy icing contains a mere 59 calories and three grams of fat per tablespoon.
Lay It On Thin
Buttercream can pack more than 140 calories and five grams of fat in just two tablespoons. Julie Garden-Robinson, PhD, a food and nutrition specialist at North Dakota State University, suggests frosting your cake with nonfat whipped topping instead, or sifting on powdered sugar, which contains just 10 calories per teaspoon. Chocoholics: Melt 16 ounces of bittersweet chocolate with a quarter cup of low-fat milk, then spread the mixture on your cake or cupcake, advises Kim Galeaz, RD, a nutrition and culinary consultant in Indianapolis.
Andrew McCaul
Crack Down on Eggs
Use two egg whites or a quarter cup of egg substitute in place of one egg and you'll trim about 60 calories and six grams of fat from your treats. You can skip eggs altogether by combining a half teaspoon of baking powder, one tablespoon of vinegar and one tablespoon of water, says Patricia Kendall, PhD, RD, a professor of food science and human nutrition at Colorado State University. Or mix together one tablespoon of omega-3-rich ground flaxseed with three tablespoons of water.
Make It Your Fizzness
Mix a can of diet soda into a cake mix and, voilà! You have a moist, fluffy dessert — for just 160 calories and two grams of fat per piece. "Most dry mixes already contain some fat, so you don't need to add oil or all those eggs," Galeaz explains. She combines one box of devil's food cake mix with a 12-ounce can of diet cola and an egg white. "It works in other combinations too," she adds. Consider using diet cream soda in white or yellow cake, or diet root beer in a chocolate mix.
Andrew McCaul
Guilt-Free Cookies
Start Small
Most chocolate chip cookies are seven times larger than what the USDA considers a healthy portion, according to a study from New York University. To bring yours back down to waistline-friendly reality, use a tablespoon to measure out dough. (Baking brownies or a sheet cake? Cut them into two-inch squares before serving. Pie slices should be about one and a half inches across at the widest part.)
Spread the Love
The next time you make chocolate chip cookies, use one cup of mini morsels instead of two cups of the regular kind to slash 1,120 calories and 64 grams of fat. "The smaller pieces provide more chips per bite, so you still feel as if you're getting plenty of chocolate," Crandall says. She suggests applying the same principle to other calorie-dense ingredients, like nuts and dried fruit, by finely chopping half the amount called for in the recipe.
Andrew McCaul
Power Up Your Flour
Replacing one cup of white flour with the whole wheat kind adds 10 grams of heart-healthy fiber to your famous snickerdoodles (or any other kind of cookie). Because whole grains are coarser than refined ones, start with a fifty-fifty mix and gradually increase the amount of whole wheat flour with each batch until you strike the best balance. If you're a purist, Galeaz recommends using white whole wheat flour. "It's made with white wheat rather than the red wheat used in regular whole wheat flour," she says. "It tastes milder and has a lighter texture but contains all the fiber and nutrients."
Go for the Gold
"Browning enhances butter's flavor, so you can use half as much and make up the difference with an equal amount of low-fat cream cheese," Churchill says. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it begins to foam, then stir. Once the butter turns golden brown, transfer it to a resealable container immediately (otherwise it can burn) and pop it in the fridge for up to a month.
Andrew McCaul
Slimmed-Down Pies and Tarts
Stick It to Butter
"Believe it or not, graham cracker crusts will hold together without all that melted butter," Churchill says. To shave 56 calories and five grams of fat off that piece of pie or cheesecake, pulse 10 honey graham cracker sheets (that's six ounces) into fine crumbs in a food processor. Add two tablespoons of low-fat milk and process for another 30 seconds, or until the crumbs stick when pressed together. Mold the mixture into a nine-inch pie dish and bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes.
Andrew McCaul
Even the Score
Compared with sugar, agave nectar has a lower glycemic index value (a measure of how food affects your blood sugar), which means it won't cause energy crashes. And, Macy says, because agave is sweeter than sugar, you need only half to three-fourths as much of it, depending on how ripe your fruit is and how sweet you like your pie. Just reduce the amount of liquid in your recipe by about a quarter cup and lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees.
Andrew McCaul
Break Out of Your (Pie) Shell
You know meringue as cloudlike cookies, but it can double as a piecrust, saving you 40 calories and eight grams of fat per slice. "The crunchy texture works best with chocolate mousse or lemon curd," Macy says. To make a meringue crust, beat three egg whites with a quarter teaspoon of cream of tartar on high speed until foamy. Gradually beat in three-quarters of a cup of sugar until the whites are glossy and stiff, then a half teaspoon of vanilla. Spread in a greased pie dish and bake at 225° for one hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Flake Out
Vegetable shortening gives piecrust its flaky texture, but it also can contain artery-clogging hydrogenated fats. "Even products listed as trans fat-free can pack up to half a gram per serving, which is damaging to the heart," Crandall says. Avoid products labeled "partially hydrogenated" and instead opt for versions made from coconut or palm oil, like those from Spectrum Organic Products, Churchill suggests.
Andrew McCaul
Muffins and Quick Breads
Slightly Sweeten the Deal
Sugar adds sweetness and light: "It absorbs liquid during baking and slows the development of wheat proteins, which can weigh down your desserts," Kendall explains. But you can cut back on it by up to 25 percent and still keep that soft, airy texture. "And because the amount of sugar called for in many recipes results in treats that are overly sweet, in some cases you'll actually improve the flavor," she says.
Andrew McCaul
Halve It Your Way
Prefer to use sugar substitutes? "They have a different chemical consistency and are often sweeter than sugar, meaning you'll need less," Kendall says. For best results, use sweetener-sugar hybrids developed specifically for baking, like Domino Light or Truvia Baking Blend, and follow the substitution directions on the package (most say to swap in a half cup for one cup of sugar).
Bulk Up
Curb calories by pumping up the produce in your batter. "When I make banana bread, for instance, I'll add an extra cup of fruit," Galeaz says. "It increases the volume and adds fiber, which helps keep you fuller longer." Or steal a move from Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious playbook and add pureed or finely grated vegetables to your treats. One study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people actually preferred carrot cake made with extra veggies to the regular version — even though it had 102 fewer calories a slice.
Get Low
"I often experiment with low-fat cream cheese and milk in place of full-fat types," Churchill says. "In baked goods, there's no noticeable difference between the two." But she draws the line at fat-free products, which can make treats taste dry and rubbery. "A little fat is necessary to get the right texture," she says.
Blaine Moats
Mega Calorie Savers
Slim down your sweets and score an extra dose of nutrients by using fruit and veggie purees. They make desserts denser, so try a 25 to 50 percent trade to find the right ratio.
1. Applesauce
Best bets: The mild flavor of unsweetened applesauce works particularly well in muffins and cakes. Use an equal amount to replace some of the butter, oil, or shortening.
Added bonus: One cup delivers three grams of fiber for 102 calories.
2. Canned pumpkin or sweet potato puree
Best bets: Substitute either one for fat in a one-to-one ratio in spice breads, spice cakes, or chocolate desserts. You can also add a can of pumpkin to a box of brownie mix in place of the eggs and oil.
Added bonus: You'll get a hefty dose of immune-boosting vitamins A and C.
3. Prunes or dates
Best bets: These add richness and deepen the color of gingerbread and brownies. Blend a half cup with six tablespoons of water until smooth, then use the puree to replace an equal amount of fat.
Added bonus: Prunes are a good source of iron, and dates provide nearly two grams of fiber each.
4. Bananas
Best bets: Avoid adding bananas to anything you don't want to taste vaguely fruity. Try subbing half the amount of the oil called for with the same amount of mashed banana.
Added bonus: A large banana provides 487 milligrams of potassium, which helps protect your heart.
Originally published in FITNESS magazine, November/December 2012.


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Homeless Pedestrian Killed By Train
Two homeless men were trying to get across the tracks around the North First and Burger intersection. One man made it and the other did not. Police are withholding his name until the family of the deceased is notified. One witness said it looked as if they were trying to beat the train.


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Selma Blair has been in a lot of movies over the years, but to me she'll always be that girl who made out with Buffy in that crappy teen movie where everyone dry humped. You know the one I'm talking about. Well now she's set to star in "Columbus Circle", a new flick where she'll play a girl who hasn't left her apartment in nearly 20 years who has to confront her fears when her neighbor is murdered. I look forward to not remembering her in this also. Unless she makes out with a girl from a crappy 90's TV show. The cast of "Charmed" I'm looking at you.
When a movie gets pushed back a couple weeks you take notice, but don't really get worried. When the Sam Raimi produced film "The Possession" gets pushed from a January release to August 31 then you start to think something might be up. The movie, which follows a couple kids who accidentally unleash a an evil spirit hell bent on their destruction, has already been pushed once before so nothing good can come of this. Although maybe Raimi just likes the summer months. They're so much happier.
Legendary Pictures has acquired the rights to a new flicked currently titled "Spectral" which is being described as a grittier version of "Ghostbusters". The film comes from Ian Fried, a name I find on IMDB but I'm assuming it's not the same guy who was the voice of Timothy in "The Secret of NIMH". Although if it is I'm already a giant fan.
Think you're sick of exorcism films? Well think again my friends because none other than Nicolas Cage is being courted for a new film "The Quiet Ones". The film is based on the real life happenings of a team of Cambridge academics in the 1970's who record their investigation as they attempt to exorcise a poltergeist from a young girl. Didn't I blow your mind this time? Didn't I?


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Tracy Smothers Ringside Chat DVD-R
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The wild-eyed Southern boy doesn't ever disappoint!
Tracy Smothers has been here, there and everywhere! This 20+ year veteran sits down with Highspots for another edition of Ringside Chat! Some of the topics covered...
- Memories of his favorite wrestlers as a kid.
- How he got into the business.
- What Steve Keirn's biggest mistake was.
- How hard it was to manage working a regular job and trying to be a wrestler.
- Tojo Yamamoto's thoughts on him as a wrestler.
- His first big break.
- His time in Florida.
- Working with New Breed.
- His time in Continental.
- Working with The Stud Stable.
- How he met Steve Armstrong.
- How he got into NWA/WCW.
- Why Dusty Rhodes hated him and Steve Armstrong.
- His first trip to Japan with Los Brazos.
- Working with The Midnight Express.
- Why 'The Southern Boys' became 'The Young Pistols'.
- Working with The Master Blasters.
- Thoughts on the constant booker changes in WCW & how it affected him.
- Which bookers he liked and which he disliked.
- Why Steve Armstrong left WCW.
- What he did after WCW released him.
- Going to Japan to work for All Japan Pro Wrestling.
- Wrestling with Steve Williams, Terry Gordy & Joel Deaton.
- Who convinced him to return to the wrestling world?
- Thoughts on Jim Cornette & Smokey Mountain Wrestling.
- A special description of the typical Southern wrestling fan in the mountains.
- What he thinks Jim Cornette wanted to accomplish with SMW.
- How good did guys get paid by Cornette?
- Thoughts on The Gangstas in SMW.
- Why he had to step in and stop the police from going after New Jack once.
- Thoughts on a young Chris Candido.
- Working his first ever ladder match.
- Why he thinks SMW eventually folded.
- Comparisons between Jim Cornette & Paul Heyman.
- Working W*ING as Jason The Terrible.
- Thoughts on Mr. Pogo and the time Pogo shot on him.
- Why nobody wants to work with Mr. Pogo.
- His opinion on the hardcore style of W*ING and IWA Japan.
- The Gilberts shooting over in Japan.
- Thoughts on some of the younger All Japan guys at the time he was over such as: Misawa, Akiyama, Kawada, Taue & Kikuchi.
- Working with Giant Baba.
- Who gave him the Freddie Joe Floyd gimmick & how the name was thought up.
- Thoughts on his old SMW buddies getting gimmicks such as T.L. Hopper & Santa Xlaus.
- What did Jim Cornette think of the gimmicks.
- The only good thing the WWF did with him.
- How he got into ECW.
- Who he was brought in to put over.
- Thoughts on the ECW locker room.
- Great story about New Jack kicking a fan out of the locker room.
- How the FBI was formed.
- His thoughts on fellow FBI members.
- Memories of his famous ECW promos.
- Did Paul Heyman ask him to do anything else beside wrestle?
- Training wrestlers in the WWF development c
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A running discussion on the Cincinnati Reds and everything else in the baseball universe.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
2009 Top Prospect List: "Other Notables"
Leading off the list of "other notables" is J.C. Sulbaran. He's the obvious choice, because he's hands down the most intriguing. The Reds selected Sulbaran in the 30th round of the 2008 draft. He was drafted out of American Heritage High School in Plantation Florida, which is the same school that produced top Royal prospect Eric Hosmer.
Sulbaran was set to attend the University of Florida, but the Reds were able to get him signed to a professional contract. Sulbaran works with three pitches: a 90-94 mph fastball, a very good biting curveball, and a changeup. At 6-2, he has good height for a pitcher.
Even before throwing a professional pitch, there was already a bit of buzz surrounding Sulbaran. He managed to open some eyes with impressive performances on the international stage for the Dutch national team. Sulbaran put together two solid performances against the Cuban national team. As a young fresh out of high school pitcher, his performance was rather impressive. However, there just wasn't an established baseline of performance on which to base his evaluation, so he landed in the "Other Notables" category. However, if his subsequent performance in the World Baseball Classic is any indication, Sulbaran could climb into the top 10 on the 2010 list.
In case you missed it, here is how Sulbaran dealt with Ivan Rodriguez during the WBC. Good morning, good afternoon, and good night, Pudge!
I'm still higher on Janish than most. As I mentioned in the Chris Dickerson write up, I think the Reds should give extra weight to prospects who provide plus defense and plus strike zone control from premier defensive positions.
Janish got a lengthy look at the MLB level in 2008 and looked a bit overmatched. He posted a meager slash line of .188/.270/.250/.520 in 89 plate appearances. He struck out in 22.5% of his at bats, but did fairly well when he put the ball in play, as he posted a 23.3% line drive rate and a rather unlucky .230 BABIP.
Janish has a short, quick, compact swing and a good eye at the plate. The Reds want Janish to work to improve the strength in his forearms and wrists, which can only help him reduce his strikeouts and allow him to do more with the balls he puts into play.
He'll never be a star, but I still believe he has the potential to be a sneaky good value at the shortstop position.
Smith is an intriguing pitcher. The Reds selected him in the 6th round of the 2006 draft out of Community College of Southern Nevada. His pitching profile is good control, high contact, heavy ground ball pitcher. He's not a big strikeout pitcher, but he throws a heavy sinking fastball. In addition, he features a good slider and a mediocre changeup.
In 2008, his stellar performance at high-A Sarasota earned him a promotion to double-A Chattanooga. Unfortunately, his stint at double-A didn't go quite as smoothly. His performance level wasn't very high, but later in the season it was revealed that Smith had been trying to pitch through torn cartilage in his knee. It'll be interesting to see just how big of a role the knee problem played in his 5.40 ERA.
Obviously, ground ball pitchers are desirable in Great American Ballpark, but I'm not sure his ceiling is high enough to project him as a starter. It was a bit surprising to see Baseball America rate him as the 13th best prospect in the system. Ultimately, he may be better suited to the bullpen.
Heisey is a well rounded prospect and a good example of how hard a prospect has to work to shed an early label. He has never been given respect by the scouting community, so he is constantly working to prove them wrong. He went to Messiah College in Pennsylvania and was selected by the Reds in the 17th round of the 2006 draft.
Heisey has a career slash line of .291/.365/.433/.799. He doesn't have any tools that really stand out, but his drive to succeed and his baseball IQ cause them to play up a tick. His baseball IQ certainly helps him on the bases, as he swipes bases at a good clip. Ultimately, Heisey's best attribute is his plus defense. He has the ability to play all three spots in the outfield. However, on the offensive side Heisey still projects best as a 4th outfielder. Unfortunately, he has a heavy platoon split, which as a right-handed hitter leaves him on the short side of the platoon. In his minor league career, he has a .913 OPS against lefthanded pitchers and a .779 OPS against righthanded pitchers. In addition, Heisey's line drive rate leaves something to be desired.
As you can see from the following video-clip, Heisey utilizes a simple, compact swing that has served him well. However, he'll only go as far as it will take him. At this point, it remains to be seen if he has enough offensive upside to be more than a utility outfielder at the MLB level.
Hanigan is a solid professional. Surprisingly enough, he was signed by the Reds as an undrafted free agent. He doesn't have many true weaknesses, but he also doesn't have any major strengths. Perhaps his most valuable attribute is his ability to control the strike zone. Not only does he post a strong walk rate, but his high contact rate allows him to post good batting averages. Hanigan also possesses a solid defensive skill set, which should ensure that he'll have an MLB career of some kind. Catchers with good defensive skills don't have to provide much offense to justify an MLB roster slot.
Unfortunately, he's already 28 years old, so there isn't much upside left. At this point, what you see is what you get with Hanigan. And, obviously, the Reds aren't convinced that he can shoulder a big role. After trading for Ramon Hernandez to be the number one catcher, the Reds seem to have penciled Hanigan in as the backup catcher for the next few years.
13 comments:
pretty good list larkReplyDelete
i love the depth of our farm system as there are still several players you could put in this other notables section. its looking like we have a good future
one question though, why do you consider oliveras a better prospect than heisey? I always thought heisey had much better tools and hasn't struggled as much but that's just my opinion, great list as always keep it going
Thanks for the comment.
I agree with you on the depth of the system. The organization has really improved the farm system, both in depth and top tier talent. We graduated a lot of top notch talent last year, but we've done a nice job filling the void with Yonder, Duran, and Yorman. And, we've improved our depth through better drafting.
I actually thought the farm system would have a bigger drop off than we did after Cueto, Bruce, and Votto arrived in the show. It seems that we have done a much better job finding value in the later rounds of the draft, as evidenced by Danny Dorn, Alex Buchholz, Zach Cozart, Josh Roenicke, and Chris Heisey.
Speaking of Heisey, I actually do like him. I think he's a nice, well-rounded player. He doesn't really have any weaknesses, but he doesn't have any massive strengths, either. Well, his defensive skill is definitely a strength, which is a big plus in my book. Even so, I have a hard time envisioning him as more than a 4th outfielder.
When you are coming up with a prospect list like this, you have to determine how you want to balance upside vs. polish. Do you give the nod to Josh Ravin, because you love his upside? Or, do you give the spot to Carlos Fisher, because he's polished and almost big league ready? There is far less risk in Carlos Fisher, but there is far more upside in Josh Ravin.
By and large, in creating this list, I chose upside over polish. When I look at Heisey, I see a Chris Denorfia type. Nothing wrong with that at all, but I just don't see a ton of value in 4th outfielders. Now, if he keeps crushing the ball in the minors like he has early on in 2009, then I'll have to reevaluate his chances as a starting outfielder. He's been very impressive thus far.
As for Oliveras, he's intrigued me just enough to keep an eye on during his career. He's young and is more projection than production at this point. Still, if everything breaks right and he reaches his ceiling, I think he could be more than a 4th outfielder. That said, he's a longshot. Heisey is much more likely to have an MLB career, than Oliveras, but I went with the guy who might have a chance to be more than a 4th outfielder if all goes well.
Now, if I had it to do all over again, I might have gone with Heisey or one of the other guys who just missed instead of Oliveras. Obviously,. the two guys who you won't find on any other top 25 lists are Ravin and Oliveras. Both are gut feel guys, but I'm higher on Ravin than Oliveras.
Even so, there really isn't TOO much difference between #25 and #30 on these lists, so I went with my gut and wrote about the lesser known Oliveras. Oliveras took a step forward in 2008, but he needs to take another big one in 2009 to avoid slipping off the list.
If I had it to do all over again, I might have gone with Heisey. On Oliveras, I probably placed too much emphasis on upside and not enough on polish. There may be too much risk there to justify a #25 ranking, but sometimes you just have to listen to your gut. :)
lark, do you think im crazy for thinking that we should bring up stubbs? I mean, if we are going with speed and defense he fits perfect and even though he is struggling at the plate, it cant be much worse than what we are getting from dickerson/hairston right now. plus the trio of taveras, stubbs, and bruce would just be an amazing defensive outfieldReplyDelete
idk maybe we should wait for him to start hitting a little more first what do you think?
and how about Rosales, the dude is on fire. i never really liked him but if he keeps hitting like this how can you ignore him? i know its small sample size but if he is still hitting half-way through may and EE isn't,then trade EE and have rosales fill in untill frazier is ready
At this point, I doubt Stubbs is the guy the Reds would call up. As you mention, he has been scuffling at triple-A, though he did go 3-5 today, so maybe he's coming out of it. Even so, I'd image that if the Reds are going to make a change that Jonny Gomes would get the first crack. You could make a case for hot hitting Chris Heisey, but I doubt they'd promoted him to the majors from double-A and have him leapfrog Drew Stubbs.
If it was up to me, I'd give Dickerson every chance to get it rolling. That said, given that he was headbutted by Tejada last night, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Reds take the opportunity to put Dickerson on the DL and send him on a rehab assignment to get him some regular ABs. I'd imagine if there were ANY lingering concussion like effects, then that's what they'll do.
As for Rosales, you got your wish. The Reds just placed Edwin on the DL with a chip fracture in his wrist and recalled Adam Rosales. I think it's a good idea, as I long ago soured on Edwin. I doubt Rosales is the longterm answer, but he's white hot right now and can only be an improvement over Edwin. As for Frazier, the Reds moved him to the outfield, so I don't think he'll get a look at 3b any time soon.
It'll be very interesting to see how Rosales performs. I think the time was right to make a move.
Thanks for the thoughts!
- AnonymousMay 1, 2009 at 3:41 PM
How about a guy like Bankston? What's his story?ReplyDelete
He seems to be hitting the ball both for power and average but probably another guy without a defined position. Not seeing much defensively.
Thanks for the comment!
Bankston is an interesting player. I'm not sure you can realistically call him a prospect at this point, but he was a good one a while back. In the Rays organization, he was shaping up to be a quality 1b prospect. Unfortunately, he never quite got over the hump.
Part of the reason may be that the Rays tried to switch him to third and it just didn't take. In addition, he suffered a few injuries which slowed his progress. At that point, the Rays designated him for assignment and the Royals nabbed him off waivers. After that, he spent time with the A's and now the Reds. Interestingly, his acquisition always seems to generate a bit of excitement in his new organization, but he never puts it together.
You pretty hit the nail on the head with Bankston, who has a decent skill set at the plate. At one time, he had the ability to hit for average, control the strike zone, and hit for above average power. Now, he seems to have decent batting average and solid power.
At this point, he strikes me as an organizational player more than a legitimate option at the MLB level. He always seems to do just enough to create a little excitement and get himself noticed, but he just can't take it to the next level. I wouldn't consider him to be a legitimate option at the MLB level. He might be able to hold down the 25th spot on the roster for a couple weeks, but much more than that isn't overly realistic.
- AnonymousMay 4, 2009 at 11:22 AM
Thanks for your great insights, Lark!ReplyDelete
Question on Drew Sutton. Some had him ranked in the top ten this year in the Astros farm, though they have arguably the worst group of prospects in the majors. A lot of people also question his age (26) and the fact he had to repeat AA.
Would he make your top 25 or has time really run out? Was the motivation behind this trade mostly for the cash returns?
Hey rocflight,ReplyDelete
I think you think hit all the big issues on Drew Sutton. The Astros are probably the weakest farm system in baseball, so you have to take his high ranking there with a grain of salt. That said, he was quite strong last year.
I'm actually working on a write up of Sutton and should have it posted by this weekend. When I'm done with that, I should have a good idea of where I think he ranks in our system. I need to do a bit more research on him first.
As for the trade, I think the Reds were tired of Keppinger's struggles and saw more viable options coming up through the farm system. Guys like Paul Janish and Adam Rosales can provide as much value as Keppinger at a lower cost. So, I'm sure that money had something to do with it, but also the fact that our bench was getting crowded. Also, I think Keppinger needed a change of scenery, so hopefully it works out well for everyone.
Anyway, thanks for the comment!! I'll have more on Sutton later this week.
Oh, forgot to mention, Sutton made his Reds organization debut tonight. He went 1-4 with a walk for Louisville and played 2b. It'll be fun to see what he can do.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 6, 2009 at 12:07 PM
Are you planeing on postong anything new soon? Maybe some draft stuff would be really cool.ReplyDelete
Hey Anon,ReplyDelete
I have about 3 things have written, so I should have some new stuff up by this weekend. I usually try to post more regularly, but things have been hectic as of late. Thanks!
- AnonymousMay 26, 2009 at 2:51 PM
Hey lark can I make one observation and that is that Willy Taveras is only 6 months older than Dickerson and is a solid veteran as he only had one down year in colorado where he hit .251 but swiped 68 bags. He has seen the postseason and has performed nicely in the world series. His defense, speed and plate discipline are to be desired. As much as I like Dickerson if I was running this ball a club a future outfield of Stubbs, Taveras and Bruce would prove to be the best in baseball. I would hope you would agree.ReplyDelete
It's a funny thing about Willy T and I think it's explainable by lowered expectations. As it stands right now, everyone is down on Chris Dickerson, but loves Willy T.
Currently, Willy T has a slash line of .274/.335/.348/.683 and everyone loves him. Chris Dickerson has a slash line of .228/.374/.354/.728 and everyone is down on him. C-Dick has a higher OBP, SLG, and, of course, OPS than Willy T. So, what makes Willy T so great?
Willy T's defense has been solid in center, but Chris Dickerson has always been neck and neck with Drew Stubbs for the title of best defensive outfielder in the system. Given a complete season, I'm not at all convinced that Willy would be the more valuable defensive player.
From where I sit, Willy T's big advantage is in base stealing. That's about it. So, why is everyone so high on Willy T? Is it because expectations were so high for Dickerson? Or, is it because people like early count slap hitters who run fast?
I guess my big problem with Willy T starting while Dickerson rides the pine is that there really isn't much upside left to Willy T. I mean, he is what is currently doing. Best case, he hits .300+ while doing it, while the worst case is that he hits .260 while doing it. Still, this is pretty much it.
As for Dickerson, a case could be made that he is as valuable as Willy T right now AND I don't think it's a stretch to say that he still has untapped potential. He hasn't found his power stroke yet, but it's in there. And, if he taps into it again, then he's much more valuable than Taveras. And, it's not even all that close.
At this point, I just don't quite understand the massive discrepancy in playing time and fan appreciation between Dickerson and Taveras.
Anyway, that's my stance on it.
Thanks for the comment!


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Ken Teasdale has not received any gifts yet
I'm guessing you're no longer involved, but...
Hi Ken, are you looking to play? I'm near the courts off Spruce Creek and Central Park Blvd in Port Orange or we can hit some balls wherever's convenient.
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