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ARLINGTON, Tex. -- No player has ever won the Triple Crown in consecutive seasons. Is Miguel Cabrera really making a bid to do so?
The Detroit Tigers third baseman ignited the question with a three-homer game Sunday night against the Texas Rangers.
Cabrera entered the game leading the American League in batting average and RBI.
SUNDAY: Cabrera's 3 HRs not enough as Tigers fall to Rangers
His three homers gave him 11 and brought him within one of the league lead, shared by a quartet: Cleveland Indians' Mark Reynolds, Toronto Blue Jays' Edward Encarnacion, New York Yankees' Robinson Cano and Baltimore Orioles' Chris Davis.
Last year, Cabrera became the first player in either league in 45 years to win the Triple Crown (leading the league in homers, RBI and batting average). The only two players to win two Triple Crowns are Rogers Hornsby (1922 and 1925) and Ted Williams (1942 and 1947).
In the sixth inning Sunday night, when he already had two homers for the game, Cabrera drew the kind of intentional walk that only the best hitters get: one with first base occupied.
When he came up with runners on first and second and two out, Texas pitching coach Mike Maddux visited right-hander Jason Frasor on the mound. During that lull, Cabrera stood at the plate and kidded with Rangers manager Ron Washington, who was in the first-base dugout.
"I was telling him it was the second visit (of the inning) and they had to bring in the left-hander," Cabrera said.
It was the first mound visit. After falling behind 2-1, the right-handed Frasor intentionally walked Cabrera, moving the runners along and loading the bases for Prince Fielder.
"When they walked me, I said, 'They're in trouble,' " Cabrera said. " 'That's a bad move.' "
Left-hander Michael Kirkman came in, and Fielder greeted him with a bases-clearing double to give the Tigers the lead.
It didn't even last an inning. With the Tigers bullpen both depleted and not yet sorted out -- "not in sync," in manager Jim Leyland's phrase -- Texas jumped on rookie Jose Ortega for four runs in their sixth go ahead for good in an 11-8 win.
"I would feel better if we won," Cabrera said. "We lost today. We battled and we fight."
On the day he signed his long contract extension with the Tigers in 2008, Cabrera mentioned one goal: winning the World Series. He did so as a rookie in 2003 with the Marlins and hasn't done so since.
Each year, he comes closer to being one of those Hall of Famers who won one or more World Series early in his career and then never won another, even as he piled up the achievements. This group has members named Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Cal Ripken Jr., Christy Mathewson and Nolan Ryan.
On the other hand, there is the man whom Cabrera caught and passed on the all-time home-run list Sunday night, Hank Greenberg. He was on a World Series winner as a young Tiger in 1935 and as a veteran Tiger in 1945. If the Tigers win the World Series this year, Cabrera's second world title will have come a decade after his first, just like Greenberg's.
Cabrera isn't waiting for another world title to smile. Like Mays, he takes a great joy in this sport he commands. ESPN's cameras caught Cabrera smiling often Sunday night, on the field and in the dugout. If he hits better than anyone, he also seems to enjoy the game more than anyone.
After the game, Cabrera did kid about one thing, or so at seemed. He smiled as he said of his second homer Sunday night, a drive that hit the top of the center-field fence at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, "At home, that's a double."
Cabrera rarely if ever laments the large dimensions at Comerica Park, even after the park swallowed up his potential game-ending drive on Wednesday. Cabrera's home field, more than any pitcher, might keep him a place or two lower on the all-time home-run list than he would be if he played in a standard-sized park.
He was asked how it feels to be called one of the best hitters in history.
"It's too soon to say that," said Cabrera, 30, who has 332 homers. "There a lot of great players who have played this game. I respect that they did a lot for baseball. They got 3,000 hits and more than 500 home runs. They already did it.
"My career is short right now. There is a long way to go to say that."
A long way, perhaps, but on Sunday night Cabrera drew closer by 1,250 feet – the estimated combined distance of his three homers.
John Lowe writes for the Detroit Free Press


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The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones
Item #: IB53735
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|When her mom is attacked and taken from their home in New York City by a demon, a seemingly ordinary teenage girl, Clary Fray, finds out truths about her past and bloodline on her quest to get her back, that changes her entire life.
|Directed by:
|Harald Zwart
|Lena Headey, Lily Collins, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Jamie Campbell Bower, Kevin Durand, Kevin Zegers, Robert Sheehan, Aidan Turner, Jemima West, Robert Maillet, Jared Harris, Godfrey Gao, CCH Pounder, Chad Connell

subset: commoncrawl


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Coupling Facility Topology Information - A Continuing Journey
MartinPacker 11000094DH Visits (9963)
9 months on from this post and I finally get some time to enhance my Coupling Facility reporting. If you recall I mentioned OA37826 , which provides new SMF 74 Subtype 4 data and fields in the RMF Coupling Facility Activity report - in support of enhancements in CFLEVEL 18. [1] I also mentioned that my 74–4 code needed reworking to properly support the Remote Coupling Facility Section... [More]
System zEC12 CFLEVEL 18 RMF Instrumentation Improvements
MartinPacker 11000094DH Visits (9663)
I don't know how many of you will've spotted this but there was a nice instrumentation enhancement in the recent System zEC12 announcement. It comes with the RMF support for CFLEVEL 18 ( OA37826 and provides much more detail on paths to Coupling Facilities (CFs). Previously RMF reported channel path acronyms - one per path. And that was all. (A channel path acronym is something like... [More]
Vienna Conference - A Trip Report
MartinPacker 11000094DH Visits (10590)
I think people know better than to ask me for a trip report to a conference I've attended. They'll get what I think is important - and their priorities are probably different. So here is that trip report anyway... You'll probably have gathered by now I'm for a "for the journey" person than a "for the destination" one. But I won't bore you with the minor inconveniences on both... [More]


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QPR v MK Dons: Match preview
QPR v MK Dons
FA Cup Third Round Replay
Loftus Road
Tuesday, January 17. Kick off: 2000
Team News
QPR captain Joey Barton will miss tonight's game as he serves the third and final game of his three-match ban.
Fellow absentees include Adel Taarabt and Armand Traore who are both away on African Cup of Nations duty. Alejandro Faurlin will too miss the game after picking up a serious knee injury.
Mark Hughes is likely to give some his fringe players a run out with Bradley Orr, Fitz Hall, DJ Campbell and Hogan Ephraim all in contention for a start.
MK Dons have injury doubts concerning centre-half Gary MacKenzie, who looks likely to miss the game, but Charlie MacDonald should be fit after missing the original tie at stadium:MK.
Robinson wants MK history boys
MK Dons manager Karl Robinson has urged his players to overcome the nerves and create history by reaching the fourth round for the first time in the club's history tonight.
The Dons are going well in fifth place in League One and a cup run may benefit the side. After all, the prize for tonight's winners in the next round is the arrival of Premier League big boys Chelsea.
Robinson said "We're excited but there is an element of nerves there because we're not just going there to make the numbers up but we are going there to put a performance on and get the victory".
"I know Mark Hughes doesn't leave any stone unturned and I am sure that when he was on that plane back from Newcastle on Sunday he would have been watching a DVD of us and putting together a preparation plan".News Now - Sport News


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Disability Income Insurance — Tennessee
Tennessee Disability Income Insurance is currently available through State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company. Details about coverage, policies, and benefits are listed below. Please read a brief description of the State Farm® Disability Income Insurance in Tennessee.
Find an Agent
This policy is designed to help protect those who need help covering day–to–day living expenses if they are disabled due to sickness or injury, under the care of a physician, and unable to work.
Policy Features
You have the option of choosing a combination of coverages that best meet your needs. Your selection of the options below helps determine the cost of your policy.
- The monthly benefit amount
- The benefit period — the length of time benefits are paid to you
- The elimination period — the length of time you must be disabled before benefits begin
This is a summary of what benefits may be available to you. For a more detailed understanding, meet with your State Farm agent.
Monthly Benefit Amount
This is the monthly income that you would receive if you became totally disabled as defined in the policy.
Residual Disability
If you are not totally disabled, and are working, but experience a 20% or greater loss of earnings due to injury or sickness which requires the regular care of a physician, State Farm will pay part of your monthly benefit amount. During the first six months of residual disability, the company will pay a minimum of 50% of the monthly income amount for the total disability benefit. If a loss of earnings exceeds 75%, then you will receive 100% of the monthly income amount for the total disability benefit.
Waiver of Premium
When you meet certain requirements, your premium for this policy is waived (paid by the Company). Ask your agent for more details.
Rehabilitation Expense
If you participate in an approved vocational rehabilitation program while you are totally disabled, State Farm pays for part, if not all, of those expenses. The level of support you receive depends on your monthly benefit amount.
Additional Purchase Option
Over time, coverage needs change. If you find you need more Disability Income coverage, this option allows you to purchase more on your fifth policy anniversary with an abbreviated application process. You'll need to meet certain requirements, so ask your agent for more details.
Optional Benefits*
To help tailor this product to your specific needs, ask your State Farm agent for details on the following optional benefits:
- Regular Occupation Extension Rider
- Social Insurance Supplement Rider
- Cost of Living Adjustment Rider
*These riders are available at additional cost.
Exclusions and Limitations
This policy does not cover any loss caused or contributed by:
- Normal pregnancy and childbirth; however, complications of pregnancy are covered as a sickness.
- Any attempt at suicide, whether sane or insane, or any intentionally self-inflicted injury.
- War, declared or undeclared, or any act or hazard of war.
- Injury sustained or sickness contracted while you are in the armed services of any country.
- Your participation in the commission of an assault or felony, riot or insurrection.
- Injury or sickness which results from the use of marijuana, narcotic drugs, hallucinogens, barbiturates, amphetamines, or tranquilizers which were not prescribed for you by a physician.
- We will not pay policy benefits for any period you are incarcerated.
- Mental or Nervous Disorder limitation. The total amount payable under this policy for any period of disability caused or contributed to by a mental or nervous disorder shall not exceed a cumulative lifetime maximum of twenty-four (24) months. If you are a resident patient in a hospital when this lifetime maximum is reached, this limitation does not apply while you remain continuously confined provided that the confinement is medically necessary to the treatment of your mental or nervous disorder. This limitation will not extend the maximum benefit period shown on the policy schedule.
- Pre–existing Condition Limitation. This policy does not provide benefits for any loss incurred or disability which is caused by or results from a pre-existing sickness or physical condition unless the loss is incurred or the disability starts more than two (2) years after the effective date of coverage.
- Benefits payable under this policy may be reduced because of other valid loss of time coverage.
This is a Marketing tool intended for use in the sale of insurance. Completion of an application for a State Farm insurance policy will require contact with a State Farm agent.
This information provides only a brief explanation of coverage currently available in TN. There are terms under which the policy may be continued in force or discontinued. Modifications apply in some states. See policy series 97053TN or 97054TN for exact terms and conditions. Policy series 97053TN premiums are step-rates based on the age of the insured at the time of renewal. Policy series 97054TN premiums are level-rated. Policy is guaranteed renewable to age 67. For additional details on coverage and cost, contact a State Farm agent.
State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company
Bloomington, IL


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This is LA's only social, team-based karaoke league. We're a community of people who like putting ourselves out there, night after night. It's team-based, meaning you perform with friends and cheer each other on. And the competition? You, your fellow singers and anyone else you invite, score each performance using our "matchup" mobile scoring system.
LA Karaoke is a social, team-based karaoke league. This means that teams will be competing against each other for the title of "City-Wide Karaoke Champions."
A season lasts 10 weeks, with the last two weeks reserved for the Semifinals and Finals. A City-Wide Finals competition is then held after the regular season ends.
LA Karaoke performers receive an official t-shirt, as well as enjoy alcohol specials, exclusive parties, theme nights, contests, prizes and special events throughout the season.
We are just into performance and we love to win... and now we have an outlet in to express ourselves.
The More We Drink, the Better You Sound
I should tell you our unofficial motto: Anyone can kick a ball, but only ballers can belt a ballad.
The Commissioner
We compete. It's not really about the winning; it's about having fun. But the competition is the fun.
Naughty by Nurture


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Ventricular Assist Device May Offer Hope for Youngest Heart Patients
(HOUSTON) -- Just prior to her 5th birthday, Avery Toole had her first heart attack.
Avery had told her parents that her stomach was hurting. When her mother Cheryl Toole looked at her, Avery's skin was grayish. They brought her in to the hospital, and almost as soon as she got there, her heart stopped pumping blood.
"To stand there and watch her get chest compressions was shocking and devastating," Cheryl Toole recalled. "It was the first time we thought we might lose her."
It was not the first time Avery's heart had threatened to fail. Born with a rare heart defect in which the left side of her heart was underdeveloped, surgeons undertook heroic efforts when she was an infant. She underwent a total of eight open heart surgeries at Children's Hospital in Boston.
Avery is far from the only child to endure such heart issues. Hundreds of children in the United States are born each year with failing hearts, and often the only hope is transplant. Unfortunately many are not able to survive long enough to find a suitable donor heart. As children's hearts continue to deteriorate, doctors turn to so-called bridging therapies.
One such option is to attach a young patient to a machine that serves the functions of the heart and lungs. Called ECMO, this machine can buy some time for these children -- but it can only be used for short time, and some patients experience grave complications when they are on the machine.
For a while, Avery was one of these patients. Placed on and off ECMO four times after continuing to experience heart attacks, her platelets -- the substance in her blood that allows clotting -- had become dangerously low. She was bleeding into her lungs. She could not survive on ECMO for very much longer.
Not too long ago, ECMO would have been Avery's only option; indeed, it was the only option for these young patients for many years. To Dr. Charles Fraser, this was a huge problem.
"My interest [in this project] related to my clinical frustration," Fraser said. The surgeon-in-chief at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, Fraser served as principal investigator for The Berlin Heart Study Group. Its goal: to conduct the first prospective, multicenter study of a device that has not been used yet in children.
Largely because of this work, kids with failing hearts have been able to take advantage of a technology that at one time was only available to adults -- Ventricular Assist Devices, or VADs. There have been no FDA approved VAD devices for children until this trial.
"Having been a children's heart surgeon of a number of years, the clinical necessity of this device was obvious," Fraser said.
The study, published in New England Journal of Medicine, compared the outcomes of 48 children who received VADs to those of children who received ECMO in the past. The study divided the patients into groups based on size and showed all children with VADs did better. Smaller patients had a 13 percent increased success rate and larger patients a 25 percent increase success rate.
VAD was not without its complications. About 30 percent of patients with a VAD suffered from a stroke. Most strokes were minor, others were disastrous. Despite this, the adverse events rate was lower with VAD then ECMO.
Cheryl Toole said once Avery had been given a VAD, her situation improved dramatically.
Avery was able to get stronger, and 52 days later a suitable donor was found. Avery received a new heart -- one doctor says she would not have survived long enough to receive it had it not been for her VAD.
"Before the Berlin heart was available there is no question that [Avery] would have not survived," said Dr. Charles Almond, the Harvard surgeon who implanted Avery's Berlin device.
Whether such devices will be available to other kids who could potentially benefit from them depends on research that will commence next year. This is when four new types of pediatric VAD devices will become available in clinical trials through a program called Pumps for Kids, Infants and Neonates -- also known as PumpKIN.
"Our hope as practitioners in this field is that this [data] will turn up the RPMs on devices in this field and that we develop more devices," Fraser said.
But new devices alone will not solve the problem.
"[I]f we could improve donor awareness we would be able to shorten the waiting time for a heart and perhaps we would not get into a situation where the child is getting sicker and needs a VAD while waiting," said Dr. Daphne Hsu, co-director of the Pediatric Heart Center at Montefiore.
Avery, now 8, starts second grade this September. Monday marked the three-year anniversary of the day she received the donated heart of a little boy named Dalton Lawyer, who was hit by a car and killed while riding his bike.
Since then, the Tooles and the Lawyers have become close friends.
"It's a very special, unique relationship," said Cheryl. "It's just wonderful."
Three years after receiving the donated heart that now beats in her chest, Avery plays t-ball, swims and runs. She just returned from a 12-day sleep-away camp designed specially for children who have had open heart surgery.
"You would never know by meeting her that anything was the matter," Cheryl Toole said.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio


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Happy Birthday Queen Mary 2by Paul Motter | October 20, 2009
Today, Oct 20, is the fifth birthday of one of most important passenger vessels currently in service, the Cunard Queen Mary 2.
Today, Oct 20, is the fifth birthday of one of most important passenger vessels in service, the Cunard Queen Mary 2. To celebrate, she will sail up the River Mersey to Liverpool, city of origin for Cunard Line 170 years ago. Few companies can claim as significant a place in human history as Cunard; without the line many American immigrants from the 19th and 20th centuries would not have arrived.
Cunard merged with the White Star Line of Titanic fame in 1929, after the famous stock market crash created hard times worldwide. The merger was forced on Cunard by the British government even though the two lines had a different focus. White Star had survived the famous sinking of Titanic in 1912 and had become known for the highest quality service at sea, but profitability eluded them when the economy went south. Cunard adopted their slogan, however, for "White Star Service."
Without Cunard the Allies may not have won World War II. The company converted both the Queen Mary and the Queen Elizabeth into troop carriers to get US soldiers to Europe. At the time, the two ocean liners were painted dark grey and refitted with up to 10,000 bunks apiece to carry as many men as possible per trip.
The QE2 (Queen Elizabeth 2) replaced the two previously mentioned Queens in 1969. The market for ocean liners was starting to dwindle with the advent of transatlantic air travel. The last existing ocean liners were quietly converted to cruise ships, most famously the SS France, built by the nation of France, being acquired by NCL to become the SS Norway in the 1980s.
In 1998 Cunard Lines was acquired by Carnival Corp., parent company to many successful cruise lines including Carnival, Princess, Seabourn, Holland America, Costa and P&O Cruises. At the time Cunard still had just one ship; the QE2.
In 2002 Carnival Corp announced that they would build an Ocean Liner for the 21st Century for Cunard. The ship would be the Queen Mary 2, and unlike conventional cruise ships she would be built for speed and stability - two counter-purpose attributes for passenger ships. An extensive design process was undertaken and finally a plan emerged to build the fastest and largest passenger ship in the world. At about 148,000-tons the ships would compete for size with the new Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas vessels which carry about 35% more passengers.
click on pictures below for larger images:
|Entering Southampton Harbor
|Queen Mary Docked
Cunard spared no expense in building the perfect ocean liner. They gave her four powerful diesel turbines plus two gas turbines. The ship has 40% more steel than the average cruise ship. Wave-tunnel tests were exhausted until the team came up with an innovative bow design to reduce the effect of water resistance in a completely new way.
Cunard Lines has thrived since Queen Mary 2 was introduced October 20, 2004 - christened by the British Monarch Queen Elizabeth II herself. Since then, the Queen Elizabeth 2 (the ship) was sold to a company in Dubai for $100 million (one of the better prices ever for a used passenger ship), and the new Cunard ship Queen Victoria was introduced in 2007. Cunard soon announced a new ship; the Queen Elizabeth would join the fleet in 2010. She will not be named the QE 3, the company decided to merely give her the same name as the original vessel. In fact, Cunard uses many of its names over and over.
Queen Mary 2 was built in France - not in the River Clyde in Scotland as most of her predecessors had been built. The shipyard, Chantiers Du L'Atlantique, had built some of the last and most famous ocean liners in history including the Normandie and the SS France.
To put the size of Queen Mary 2 into perspective, the Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth were both about 65,000-tons, two and a half times smaller. The QE2 was about 80,000-tons, so more than 40% smaller. Royal Caribbean did eventually build a slightly bigger ship, the Freedom of the Seas at 160,000 tons, but the new Royal Caribbean ship set to debut next month is 220,000-tons, almost one-third again larger than the current largest vessels in service.
But the thing to remember about Queen Mary 2 is that while she is big she has "scale." Her onboard ambience is a bit like Grand Central Station where you walk in and see a ten-story high ceiling bit no way to get up there. Its size represents grandeur, not business. It is not a crowded mega-ship. In fact she is one of the roomiest ships at sea with an astounding passenger/space ratio of 56 (square meters per guest) when the industry average is about 40.
The Cunard liners are among the last ships to have even a remnant of the "class system" once common on passenger ships. There is one main dining room, the Britannia, where 80% of the passengers eat, and then there are two special restaurants; The Princess Grill and the Queen's Grill. Passengers who eat in these special dining rooms also stay in special suites named after the dining rooms.
click on pictures below for larger images:
|Queens Room - for tea and night dancing
|Beautiful Lalique Vases throughout
|Bronze and copper 3-d sculpture
|beautiful chandeliers in Queens Room at night
|magnificent hallway with murals
|mural of NY City inside Britannia
Near-term Itineraries for Queen Mary 2 If you now feel like trying out the Queen Mary 2, after calling in Liverpool she will do a few short "sample" cruises from the British Isles of two to four days.
In November the liner will do what she is most famous for: 6-night Atlantic crossings between New York and Southampton. The cost for these crossings is very reasonable - standard balcony $995, Princess Grill $1995, Queens Grill $2495.
15-day Christmas & New Years Cruise: The Holiday cruise departs December 20th from New York City and sails to the Caribbean for a total of 15 days. The cruise spans both the Christmas and New Years holidays. The cost: standard balcony $1995, Princess Grill $4595, Queens Grill $5295.
World Cruise: 108-days Departing January 5, 2010: Queen Mary 2 sails a world cruise every year. This year it will go from New York City to South America, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, China, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Dubai, Egypt, through the Suez Canal, through the Mediterranean and back to New York City. The cost for this cruise starts at just: $25,000 standard inside; $33,000 standard balcony, $74,000 Princess Grill, and $90,000 Queens Grill.
The Queen Mary Experience I have been on a Queen Mary 2 crossing and she is a beautiful ship with extensive onboard activities. I have to say it was one of the most active cruises I have ever been on - especially considering the entire voyage is six days at sea with no ports of call.
The line offers great guest speakers about Ocean Liner history; on our cruise it was former CruiseMates contributor Ted Scull. Another former CruiseMates contributor is now the ship's Chief Officer, Ben Lyons, at only 29 years old he is the number three in command onboard, and one of the highest ranking passenger ship officers of American citizenry anywhere in the industry.
Attractions onboard include a Planetarium with a projection screen dome that lowers as the seats set back, offering a full surround projection experience of informative "space" documentaries. RADA, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, is onboard for classes and special shows in the theater. This London-based drama school is regarded as one of the best in the world, counting Peter O'Toole, Diana Rigg and Judi Dench among its graduates.
click on pictures below for larger images:
|RADA day training - drama classes
|RADA Poster
|dramatic license
There is a computer learning center and an amazing library where they actually fax in daily newspapers. The favorite meeting place is the "Golden Lion Pub" where the Brits may start drinking at 10:00 am; which I believe they must do before they can stomach the blood pudding or kidney pie they serve there.
Canyon Ranch is the Spa onboard - one of the few ships to have Canyon Ranch as its spa service.
Nighttime Activities on Queen Mary 2 Famous Michelin-starred chef Daniel Boulud created the original menus for the Queen's Grill and Princess Grill dining rooms. Alternative restaurant "Todd English" is offered by the well-known East Coast chef on all Cunard ships. There are several formal nights onboard, three out of six days on our crossing - the Captains Reception, the Black & White Ball and the Ascot Ball. Tuxedoes are "mandatory." For the Ascot Ball the ladies make hats from bits and pieces offered onboard and prizes are given to " winners" of various distinction.
Ascot Ball: Click for Close-up
The big finale of a transatlantic crossing is sailing into New York Harbor at dawn - past the Statue of Liberty, under the Verrazano Bridge and into Brooklyn - not Manhattan because the ship is too big to make the turn from the Hudson River into the Manhattan docks. She just fits under the Verrazano Bridge - she must pass under exactly the highest point or disaster would ensue.
Entering New York Harbor: Click for Close-up
|Approaching the Verrazano Bridge
|The antennae go under
|The smokestack barely clears
Summing Up Queen Mary 2 Queen Mary 2 is a class act with all the trimmings of an authentic world-class ocean liner. The ship is something of a Cunard museum and one becomes ensconced in the experience of living the golden age of ocean liners while onboard.
At night the ship rivals some of the great dance ballrooms of the golden age of big bands. With one of the largest orchestras at sea and a huge dance floor, the band plays dance standards and the crooner croons like he was born in 1920. The dress is tres elegante and of course there are gentlemen hosts to make sure every lady gets a chance to dance. Go to www.cunard.com to see more about the great Cunard ships.
Entering New York Harbor: Click for Close-up
|Looking Up the Hudson River
|Downtown Manhattan
|Statue of Liberty Aglow


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Nowadays, clutches are not only a practical and indispensable accessory but also one of the best ways to define your outfits and to make a fashion statement at the same time. For the spring summer season of 2011 Oscar de la Renta manages to create the impression of nature revival through the fabulous clutch designs that are modern and sophisticated. Those who love luxury and want a clutch bag that reflects sophistication and refinement yet has a bold accent that makes it stand out, perhaps the best choice would be an exotic leather clutch. F... Read More


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It used to be that as Americans moved up the ladder, they moved farther away from the city. Not anymore. According to political scientist, Alan Ehrenhalt, author of The Great Inversion and the Future of the American City, they're flocking back in droves these days. For example, at the time of 9/11 there were 15,000 people living south of the World Trade Center. By 2007 there were 50,000. "The strollers have reached Wall Street…. Take a walk down there some Saturday and you will see for yourself." In other words, our manifest destiny is no longer toward wider open spaces and bigger homes; it's more like a refrain from the famous Petula Clark song: "Downtown, things'll be great when you're Downtown...."
Inspired by his hero, the grass-roots activist and urban planner, Jane Jacobs, Ehrenhalt, walked around many of America's big cities over the past 10 years – Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Houston, Phoenix – trying to understand how they were changing. What he discovered was a "radical rearrangement in which people who possessed money and choice were increasingly living in the center, while newcomers and the poor were settling in the suburbs, often in the outer reaches of suburban territory. In short, many American metropolitan areas were coming to look more like the European cities of a century ago...." This cultural phenomenon, unobserved and underreported, convinced Ehrenhalt that American society was, in fact, demographically inverting right under our noses, hence the term "demographic inversion" (as opposed to "gentrification").
With a "quick glance backwards," Ehrenhalt offers up Baron Georges-Eugene Haussmann's redesigned Paris of the 1860s (with a few references to fin de siècle Vienna) as the paradigmatic city, with its percolating street life acting as "a theatre for living," and, in Ehrenhalt's mind, "what the "millions of people with substantial earning power or ample savings ... are moving toward" in the future.
Then starting with Sheffield, a neighborhood three miles north of downtown Chicago as a prime example of this great demographic inversion, Ehrenhalt takes his reader on a tour of the changing American cityscape, pointing out the salient features that have given rise to the transformation of this once shabby, working class neighborhood into one of cosmopolitan chic: the proximity to downtown Chicago, the mass transit station, the nearby university, the charming Victorian cottages, and the commercial corridor. And that's just Sheffield. Chicago's entire Loop (five miles north and south of downtown, and a mile from Lake Michigan) exploded by 48% in just seven years between 2000 and 2007.
Ehrenhalt cites a few other near-center, arrondissements that have similarly burgeoned over the past decade, namely Portland, Ore.; and Clarendon, Va., eight miles due west of D.C. He implies but does not come right out and say that the linchpins for their success are three-fold: 1) jobs 2) readily accessible light-rail transit, and 3) charm, which – in James Kunzler's words from "Home From Nowhere," a similarly themed endeavor – "promotes the intersection of relationships and invites one set of patterns to interact with other patterns, including the complex patterns of individual human minds."
From there, the great inversion is not so ... great.
The Bushwick section of Brooklyn, for example. Long synonymous with grim poverty, gangs, and drug dealers, it is today a happening bedroom community for New York's young artists. Be that as it may, there are still "long, dreary blocks lined with abandoned textile factories and large strips of vacant land." Cheap, yes, lively, sure, but still uglier than a stump full of spiders. Philadelphia is another not-exactly-there-yet city that Ehrenhalt examines. Yes, Philly has an elegant central core along Walnut Street with "a lunchtime pedestrian count of more than two thousand a day," but it also has more violent crimes per capita than any of the other 10 largest cities in America, and, according to the Brookings Institute, "the largest proportion of abandoned properties, 36.5 for every one thousand residential units." Not exactly an American Vienna.
Ehrenhalt shows us the suburban side of the story in Gwinnett County, Georgia, a suburb outside Atlanta. This was once a rural expanse of 437 acres, and today the quintessence of our "suburban immigrant nation." There's even a new Taj Mahal there, called Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushoram Swaminarayan Sanstha temple (BAPS for short), situated next to a Walgreens in Lilburn, Ga. Gwinnett used to have great football teams, but with the influx of Asian immigrants, its highest scores are now recorded on the SATs. The demographic is split right down the middle 50/50 white to non-white.
Then there are, to use Ehrenhalt's own analogy, the Pinocchios:
Phoenix, is a central-coreless sprawlscape that is trying its hardest to make itself over into an urban center, and though they are investing heavily in miles of transit lines and new centers of urbanity, their plan at present is to build nine urban centers. Nine! And Denver, which has emerged as the "capital of the suburban town center phenomenon," has converted an unused airport ten minutes from the city's downtown into a new urban experiment in the retrofitting of suburban America with shops and residents all in one. So much for Haussmann's 1860s Paris.
"The Great Inversion" is an enjoyable and engaging read, especially for those considering a move back to the city. It is solidly researched with great questions asked and plenty of hard facts and anecdotal answers provided. And though Ehrenhalt manages to keep his objectivity throughout most of the book, at the very end he reveals himself to be a cockeyed Eur-optimist to wit, "[people] are settling in cities – those who have a choice – in large part to experience the things that citizens of Paris and Vienna experienced a century ago: round the clock street life; café sociability; casual acquaintances they meet on the sidewalk every day; merchants who recognize them. This is the direction I think we are heading in." His research certainly bears out some of this opinion; however, he might want to make note of the fact that McDonald's and Walmart announced record profits in 2010 and GM did the same in 2011. Vive Les États-Unis!
Richard Horan is a novelist and the author of "Seeds: One Man's Serendipitous Journey to Find the Trees that Inspired Famous American Writers from Faulkner to Kerouac, Welty to Wharton." His latest work, "Harvest: A Picaresque Adventure into the Heart of America's Family Farms," is due out this summer from Harper Collins.


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René2 necesitaba un nuevo diseño de página web y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 38 diseños de 11 diseñadores freelance.
Who is Ososoft? We are a young and innovative company dedicated to easy web software and mobile Apps development. What does "easy" mean?
We interpretate it in two ways:
- easy to create (latest technologies, our positionIt product introduces a new technology!)
- easy to use: Software created by us is extraordinary easy to use - usually intuitive which means no tutorials, no trainings!
We have five business areas
- TYPO3 Full-service: implementation and support of small to very large TYPO3 projects
- E-Commerce: solutions based on TYPO3 and/or Magento
- E-Government: complete TYPO3 solutions
- Mobile Solutions: iPhone App development and mobile web projects
- positionIt: an innovative software product with a new technology
We address ONLY middle size to large companies from all branches.
1. Appearance
We want to appear as a middle size IT / Software company.
We DON'T want to appear as a web agency as our current design (http://www.ososoft.de) shows. We want a different direction.
2. Design
We need a startpage and a subpage design. General requirements:
- Innovative (this is very important!)
- Serious but with some fresh and playful elements (can be also web 2.0)
- Blue is the main color but we'd like to see also other colors
- Logo must be on the top, colors can be changed (the overall direction must stay blue)
- Page should be aligned in the center
- The menu structures and navigation must be clear and easy
- Use your own pictures or example stock images freely when required
Startpage requirements:
- Search box
- News area must be visible (headlines + teaser text)
- 3 teasers (tease our business areas)
- Icons for main menu items (optional)
Subpage requirements:
- Search box
- Breadcrumb (example Home: Services >> E-Commerce)
- Several smaller Teaserboxes
- Three menu levels
- Icons for main menu items (optional)
3. General
We are very open and encourage you to integrate new and innovative ideas!
4. Feedback
Implementing websites is our businesses - we can provide detailed and precise feedback!
If you need more or different files/information from us, please let me know!
5. Most important
Thank you for participating and have fun!


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Bring comfortable clothing and your own yoga mat to the beautiful theater in the Old U.S. Mint for Jazz Yoga. This free yoga class will feature instructor Susan Landry and meditational jazz piano by Peter Nu.
Free and open to the public, sponsored by the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park.


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ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- World champion Sebastian Vettel won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in dominant fashion Sunday to clinch a seventh straight victory and 11th of the season.
Although the German had already clinched his fourth consecutive world title at the Indian GP last weekend, he pledged there would be no let up. Starting from second on the grid, Vettel overtook his Red Bull teammate Mark Webber on the first turn and was untroubled after that.
"Obviously, winning is very special," Vettel said. "Seven races in a row — every single one is tough."
He beat second-placed Webber by 30.8 seconds and Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg by 33.6 seconds. Lotus driver Romain Grosjean was fourth and two-time former champion Fernando Alonso finished fifth — although stewards were investigating the Spaniard for a passing move on Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne late on.
Vettel now has 37 career race wins and, with two races left, can match Michael Schumacher's single-season record of 13 wins in 2004 — during which the German also won seven in a row. Schumacher also won 11 races in 2002.
Vettel looked stunned when told he had just matched Schumacher's run of seven wins in a row in one campaign.
"I remember watching Formula One as a kid (when) Michael was dominating for Ferrari," Vettel said.
Vettel can set a single-season record with eight straight at the United States Grand Prix in two weeks' time. Then, victory at the season-ending Brazilian GP a week later would match Italian Alberto Ascari's long-standing overall record of nine straight, spanning the 1952-53 seasons.
"People see seven races they don't see the challenge it takes every race to nail it," Vettel added. "We got everything right, pit stops, reliability. The numbers aren't that important to me but equally they make me very, very proud."
Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told Vettel over the car radio, "that was a champion's drive,' with the German driver responding with his trademark high-pitched whooping sound.
"It's not often you get to drive a car like this. I love you guys, thank you," Vettel said before climbing out of his car and hugging his waiting parents.
Just like last weekend, Vettel celebrated the win with a few screeching doughnuts on the Yas Marina circuit. He was fined last time, but is unlikely to care too much.
He will look to match Schumacher's record with wins at the U.S Grand Prix in two weeks' time and the season-ending Brazilian GP a week later.
Webber's last win was at the British GP in July last year and the 37-year-old never looked like making it 10 career wins.
The Australian has never been known for his pure speed and made a poor start, allowing Vettel to pass him on the outside on turn one as Rosberg came up from fifth to second.
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton went the other way, dropping from fourth to fifth as Grosjean got ahead of him. Force India driver Paul di Resta finished sixth ahead of Hamilton and Ferrari's Felipe Massa.
Because qualifying and the race itself are held at twilight, the track is considerably cooler allowing drivers to avoid the stifling daytime heat.
Before the race started Hamilton experienced problems with his rear right brake, prompting a flurry of activity from Mercedes mechanics.
But Kimi Raikkonen's day proved even more difficult with the Finn retiring on lap one with suspension damage.
"The Caterham only touched a little bit the front wheel, but the angle was so bad it damaged my suspension," Raikkonen said.
The 2007 world champion threatened not to race at all because Lotus has not paid his wages all year. Then he qualified fifth only to be demoted to the back of the grid after his car failed a post-qualifying inspection because of an illegal floor.
With 10 laps to go, Alonso went off the track after nearly colliding with Vergne's Toro Rosso. Stewards were investigating whether Alonso stayed within the track limits.
Two-time former champion Alonso has not won a race since the Spanish GP in May, but with Raikkonen out he consolidated second place in the drivers' standings.h
Sebastian Vettel wins seventh race in a row at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- World champion Sebastian Vettel won the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in dominant fashion Sunday to clinch a seventh straight victory and 11th of the season.


text: Honeywell Wi-Fi Cameras - the C1 and C2 Connected intrusion monitoring Remote Self-Monitoring — Homeowners can keep a constant eye on their home, no matter where they are On-Device & Cloud Storage — Clips are stored on the included SD card. Plus, secure storage of the past 24 hours is free. Easy Installation — The camera can be mounted on a wall or table top and installed quickly with the Honeywell Lyric app. C2 camera can also be mounted. Motion Detection With Audio Analytics — Intelligent sound detection identifies smoke and carbon monoxide alarms and sends out real-time alerts Automatic Privacy Mode — Using geofencing technology, the system can tell when homeowners are leaving the premises, and when the camera should go into recording mode Detection Zones — Customers can set up to two detections zones for extra sensitivity or to ignore background motion like a ceiling fan Two-Way Talk — Talk through the camera when communication is necessary Night Vision — Special camera modes ensure clear video footage throughout the day High-Quality Viewing — Ultra-wide angle (145-degree), high-definition viewing (1080p HD) -C2 Camera Only


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Cameron gains VTA life membership, Rocke presented with WFD Chalmers Award+MORE
Tokyo Motor Show to feature Hybrid 700 Series and FlatFormer concept +MORE
Ceva, DHL and Phoenix Transport amongst those setting up base south of Brisbane+MORE
It was obvious to anyone at this year's Brisbane Truck Show that even after three years of solid growth in the wake of its new model range, Mercedes-Benz has not let the grass...+MORE
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TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) is the online version of the 'Supplement to the Official Journal' of the EU, dedicated to European public procurement.
TED publishes 520 thousand procurement notices a year, including 210 thousand calls for tenders which are worth approximately €420 billion.
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Colors of Fall
Colors of Fall
from 22.00
Photographed by Sandra Louie DiGiorgio.
Sandra Louie DiGiorgio is a Bay Area born and raised native. She raised her three daughters while growing a passion for traveling and photography. She travels the world, waiting patiently for numerous tourists to pass by, as she captures the perfect moment of culture and beauty.
Every print comes with a Floating Hanger, that will float your print 1.5" off the wall. Very light weight, and ready to hang on the wall right out of the box.
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MONTREAL - The CEO of SNC-Lavalin called 2013 a "year of housekeeping" as the company continued to deal with allegations of corruption and fraud and posted lower profit and revenue in its fourth quarter.
Chief executive Robert Card said Thursday that he expects this year to be one of rebuilding for the Montreal engineering and construction giant.
And by 2015 there should be a "beginning of a return to normalcy," he told financial analysts on a conference call.
"We have made good progress in 2013 on many fronts," Card said. "I'm confident we'll continue this momentum in 2014."
SNC-Lavalin (TSX:SNC) operates around the world and has been dealing with the fallout from multiple allegations of corruption levelled at certain former SNC senior executives, including its former CEO.
The reputation of the Canadian company has been tarnished since it disclosed in March 2012 that an internal investigation found that $56 million in questionable payments had been made.
SNC's former chief executive, Pierre Duhaime, was "relieved of his duties''' and was later charged with fraud involving $22.5 million in payments related to the construction of a Montreal hospital.
Last August, the company disclosed that 32 employees had admitted ethical violations under the company's three-month amnesty program. It was launched after both internal and police investigations into the allegations of fraud and corrupt practices in Canada and abroad.
SNC-Lavalin has since introduced a company-wide ethics and compliance program.
Card noted that SNC-Lavalin received approval last month to bid on public contracts in Quebec and called it a "key milestone."
Quebec's securities regulator gave the authorization in February after months of investigation and has said the company passed all checks from the province's anti-corruption squad and has ensured that all people associated with alleged improprieties have left the company.
The company recently hired a senior executive from Dow Chemical Co. to oversee its governance, ethics and compliance efforts as it works to restore confidence in its practices.
But SNC-Lavalin said it's confident in its long-term outlook and will raise the quarterly dividend to 24 cents per share, a four per cent increase from its current dividend.
In its financial results, the company said that its revenue fell to $2.12 billion in the fourth quarter from $2.42 billion a year earlier.
The $300-million reduction in revenue in the quarter was spread across most of SNC's activities, but was offset by increased revenue from its investments in infrastructure concessions, such as AltaLink, which is Alberta's largest regulated electricity transmission company.
SNC's overall net income fell to $92.6 million, from $93.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2012. The decrease would have been bigger without improvements from infrastructure concession investments.
Net income per diluted share fell to 61 cents from 62 cents a year earlier and were a penny below analyst estimates.
Its main operating activities — building, operating and maintaining major projects in several industries — had a loss of $31.3 million in the quarter, compared with $23.46 million in net income a year before.
Net income from infrastructure concession investments grew to $123.8 million from $70.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2012, offsetting most of the decline in SNC's operating activities.
The company said that several of its divisions — infrastructure and environment, oil and gas and mining and metallurgy — will continue to face challenges in the coming year.


text: Hi everyone; I hope I've posted in the right section. This question is for those graduating in the class of 2011, no matter what law school you are at. We are rising 3Ls. Can somebody please give me an honest picture of what the employment prospects are for this graduating class? I know you are all still students but I'm sure somebody out there knows more than I do. I am a 2L right now at a top 50 law school. There are people I know who have multiple job offers for this summer at law firms (I am not sure which ones) and those people who can barely land unpaid internships. For those people without a firm job this summer, what are chances something will come up in late summer or Fall of 2010 that will lead to something at graduation? I am asking because I am seriously questioning where law school is going for me. I am a 2L right now on my school law review with median grades (not spectacular, just middle of the road student)and I came to law school seeking a patent law career, but since none of the firms I wanted are hiring (either that or they say I don't have enough experience), I question what I am doing in law school. I have a Master's degree in biochemistry and molecular biology and I do not really feel there is anything out there for me in the legal field. What does everyone think? I would appreciate some response.


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So no cherries? :-\
I think Elimination station was updated!
This Week's EpisodeJohn Vito & Jill ponder a non-elimination week as their housemates contemplate who the next arrivals will be. When no one arrives for a week, Amber turns to tattoos for entertainment.
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Wet Palette Paint Parties are fun, stress-free painting parties using watercolors. A paint party studio where art meets entertainment! Absolutely NO experience necessary. We provide all the art supplies. An evening of painting often turns into a full-fledged party! Sipping is allowed (Wine and food will be available for purchase at an additional cost) and laughter is encouraged. At the end of the Party you will go home with a finished watercolor painting (Size: 12"x16") created by you.
Space it limited. Don't wait to Register!
Where: The Wet Palette Studio; 1001 Wright Ave., WA 99354
When: Saturday, OCt. 12th at 6:00PM.
Painting: Fall Refflections
Wet Palette Party Attendee Testimonials:
"Best paint party that I have attended!"
"Becky with Wet Palette made it so fun for someone that hadn't painted with watercolors since grade school! I walked away with a painting that I am proud to hang on my wall and show off!!!"
When should I arrive for the party?
All classes begin promptly at the scheduled time. Doors open 30 minutes prior to paint time. As a courtesy to other guests please arrive 15-30 minutes prior to the class start time, especially if you plan on ordering food or drink for during the party.
Will Food or Drinks be available?
Yes! Food and both alcoholic and non-alcohol beverages are not included in ticket price but will be available to purchase at an additional charge. You can Pre-Order your Food + Drink Online 1 week before the party date at www.wetpaletteparty.com/menu
Can I get my painting Matted or Framed?
Yes! You can add having your finished painting Matted and Framed for an additional $25 or $30, depending on frame style. You can reserve adding a Frame during check-out or add it during the party. Please note that Frames added at the party will be on a first come, first served basis. Mat and Frames will be paid for at the event by cash or charge.
What size will the finished painting be?
12" x 16". When matted it will fit a standard 16" x 20" frame.
Are all suppilies included?
Yes! All paint brushes prepped canvases and even aprons are included. All you need to bring is your energy and williness to try something new.
Are there ID requirements or an age limit to enter the event?
Yes! Wet Palette Paint Parties are designed so that anyone can have fun and success. Minumum age to attend is 12 years old. All painters under the age of 17 must be accompanied by a ticketed adult. Everyone attending must be ticketed. We do not allow observers.
What are my transport/parking options getting to the event?
Free parking available. Spaces do fill up fast so please plan your time accordingly. Additional parking is available next door at the Church. The party will start promptly at it's scheduled time.
What can/can't I bring to the event?
Due to our permit and licensing, NO outside food or beverage. If you would like to bring a bottle of wine a $10 corkage fee will apply.
Where can I contact the organizer with any questions?
Becky Brice 509-554-2587 or email@example.com
Is my registration/ticket transferrable?


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Mayor's Office
The City Recycling Office reminds residents to pick up a flyer from retailers about the annual tree recycling program while shopping for a tree this holiday season. The flyer contains a map listing the City's seven tree recycling sites and dates the trees will be accepted for recycling. The collection of trees will end Sunday, January 9.
This is the 24th consecutive year for the City's tree recycling program. It is the oldest program of its kind in the state. Over the last 23 years, the City has recycled more than 182,217 trees.
The Solid Waste Operations Division of the Public Works and Utilities Department and the Parks and Recreation Department work together to offer this service to residents. Hofeling Enterprises, 2200 South Folsom Court, will be donating grinding services again this year. Residents can obtain tree mulch at no cost from Hofeling Enterprises, on a first-come first-served basis, starting January 10.
More information on the City's tree recycling program can be found by contacting the recycling hotline at 441-8215 or by visiting the City website, lincoln.ne.gov (keyword: recycle).


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Like the lives touched by Dawn L. Hochsprung, the candles at her vigil Tuesday night were lit by passing the flame from person to person in the crowd.
In Naugatuck, where Hochsprung graduated from high school in 1983, the vigil began with the singing of the names of those who died at the Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday. Hochsprung, principal of the school for the past two years, was remembered as a "born leader."
Her high school track coach, Ron Aliciene, told hundreds gathered in the rain on the Naugatuck Town Green Tuesday night that Hochsprung almost was an assistant coach — and that those skills served her well as an educator.
"She never met a challenge she was not able to overcome and conquer," Aliciene said, recalling the captain of the track team who became a school administrator. "She was bright. She had an outstanding personality and an infectious smile to nurture children. Dawn was a born leader."
The vigil for Hochsprung — whose funeral and burial will be private — ended with moving choruses of "Amazing Grace" and "Silent Night."
Tuesday also was marked by the funerals of two of the first-graders who died Friday — James Mattioli and Jessica Rekos, both 6. And in Stratford, mourners stood in line for hours to pay their respects to the family of first-grade teacher Victoria Soto, who died protecting students in her class. And at a memorial in Newtown near the school, a steady stream of people, many of them from New York, placed teddy bears, flowers and notes — and paused to reflect.
The Rev. Gordon Rankin, of the Congregational Church in Naugatuck, said he was troubled that it took such a tragedy for people to put down their TV remotes and cellphones and "raise a light against the darkness."
"As we look at these candles we know that we have lost so very much," Rankin said. "I am troubled for a town left to make sense of devastation while the eyes of the nation and the world watch. I know my heart is not alone. I know every heart here is troubled tonight."
Soto Remembered
Twenty-five miles from Naugatuck, in Stratford, hundreds of mourners streamed into a funeral home to pay respects Tuesday to Soto's family in her hometown. The wake included an honor guard from several police agencies, including the state police and the Stratford, Fairfield and Stamford departments.
Soto's older cousin, James Wiltsie, said he was awed by the outpouring of affection from friends, acquaintances and strangers who greeted the family during the wake.
"Everybody who talked to me said they loved her … 'We love Vicki' ... 'We love Miss Soto,'" he said. Teachers from throughout the state came to show their solidarity, he said.
"Vicki died protecting her children," Wiltsie said. "She didn't call them students. They were her kids."
Soto was in her third year as a first-grade teacher. She hid her students and is credited with saving many of them.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Wiltsie, a Marine who served in Somalia, said: "We want to offer thanks to the world, to the nation and to our community for the outpouring of love we've received."
Univision and Telemundo also covered the Soto wake after interviewing her family members in Puerto Rico. The coverage of the shootings, Soto's role in protecting the children, and her memorial services have drawn great interest in the Latino community, a Telemundo staff member said.
Earlier Tuesday, in Newtown, the funerals of James Mattioli and Jessica Rekos were held at St. Rose of Lima Church, the nexus for vigils, prayers and many funerals and the place for the community to come together to grieve. His funeral was first, and when it ended about 11:15 a.m., mourners and flowers had arrived for her service at noon.
Mournful Day
All day Tuesday, mourners — many of them touched by the shared grief of the community — continued to visit memorials dotting Newtown to pay their respects.
A growing number of mourners have stopped at what has become the main memorial site, just down the road from the school. The makeshift shrine has grown rapidly, as teddy bears, candles and notes are placed by a steady stream of visitors.
On Tuesday afternoon, Perry Kinard, of Long Island, paused at the memorial with his uncle to play "Amazing Grace" on his violin in the cold, damp air. On his guitar, Kinard played a song, "Remember Me," that he had composed in memory of the 20 first-grade students and six women gunned down Friday morning at the school.
Kinard said he was inspired to write the song after seeing a photograph of Noah Pozner, who had loved to read and was described by his mother at his funeral Monday as a "rambunctious little maverick, who was smart as a whip."
"One of the kids caught my eye, Noah, so I dedicate this song to him," Kinard said. "I don't know why ... light was just on him, the way he was smiling, it was like there's something different about that kid, he's a true soldier."
Kinard said he decided to write the song Friday, shortly after hearing of the shooting on his way home from work.
"I was shocked to hear that this random dude just shot these kids and these teachers. I was just like seriously this is ... that's crazy. ... Why would you do that? ... Innocent people that never did no harm to you," Kinard said. "I was in tears."
Kinard said he couldn't sleep that night and sat on the side of his bed in the dark, thinking.
"During the night, everything just came to my head and I wrote down everything, played it out on my guitar, wrote a song," Kinard said.
One family visiting the memorial said they understood what it was like to lose a family member to violence.
Antoinette Neil-Griffith, of Long Island, said her family always grieves around Thanksgiving. Her brother was murdered three years ago when he was robbed one night returning to his car. Her husband also had a brother who was murdered.
"And now with this, it just brought back a lot of memories," Neil-Griffith said. "And so it's a question: Why would a person kill all these kids? They're so innocent."
Neil-Griffith, a psychotherapist, said that she and her husband took their children — aged 16, 12 and 5 — out of school early Tuesday. Her 5-year-old son, Madison, wanted to place two of his teddy bears at the memorial.
"I said pick two of your favorites and he picked them out and we lit a candle, said a prayer, and he started to cry a little while ago," Neil-Griffith said. "And I said, 'You're doing a very good thing by donating stuffed animals. It's a good gesture from your heart and, you know, now they're with Uncle Calvin and they're angels and, you know, you're part of that.'"
Neil-Griffith's 16-year-old, Noah, said it was scary because his brother is about the same age as the first-graders who died at Sandy Hook Elementary. Since the shooting, there has been discussion in his school on Long Island about safety procedures.
"I heard my principal is going to practice it after Christmas break," Noah Griffith said.
Down the street from the memorial, Kathi Schapp of Torrington tried to help by bringing her golden retriever to town. She and a friend brought their dogs, which work as therapy dogs at hospitals, nursing homes and working with children.
"Not in this capacity, you know. Who ever would have thought that we'd have something like this where we'd be needed," Schapp said. "This community needs healing. ... I felt this was something I could give to the community. You know, maybe get someone to smile that who hasn't smiled since Friday."
Cruz Visits
One of the first funerals to be held was Monday for Jack Pinto, a big fan of the New York Giants football team. On Tuesday, Giants receiver Victor Cruz visited the home of the 6-year-old who was buried in a replica Cruz jersey.
Several elementary school-age children played touch football in the front yard of his family's home Tuesday and many wore Giants jerseys or Newtown football or wrestling shirts as they laughed, smiled and hugged.
The children and their families left after several hours. Kids carried autographed Giants footballs and jerseys.
About 45 minutes later, Cruz left the home in an SUV and an escort of five police cruisers, sirens blaring. He later tweeted "much love to the entire Pinto family. Great people with huge hearts."
'Day Of Mourning'
Gov. Dannel P. Malloy called for a "Day of Mourning" Friday and a moment of silence at 9:30 a.m., about the time of the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary. He has asked houses of worship and government buildings to ring bells 26 times at that half-hour.
"Though we will never know the full measure of sorrow experienced by these families, we can let them know that we stand with them during this difficult time," Malloy said.
Malloy has written a letter to the governor of every state asking them to join with Connecticut in reflecting on the lives lost in Newtown.
"Mourning this tragedy has extended beyond Newtown, beyond the borders of Connecticut, and has spread across the nation and the world," Malloy said. "On behalf of the State of Connecticut, we appreciate the letters and calls of support that have been delivered to our state and to the family members during their hour of need."
Courant staff writers Jenny Wilson, Shawn Beals and Josh Kovner contributed to this story. A report from the Associated Press also is included.


text: The reaganfoundation.org put on a big baseball exhibit at the President Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA. this past Sept. 2014. From all reports it was fabulous. Attached is a link to a slide show. Wonder if any of the SoCal Crew made it. The fingerless gloves below were part of the exhibit. I included them here because they have a slightly different look with round padding in the palm and thumb stall. pretty cool looking. Anyway here is the link, enjoy. http://photos.dailynews.com/2014/07/photos-baseball-exhibit-at-the-reagan-library/#2


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It is easy to get caught up in all the competition and aggression that follows the World Cup, especially if your home country gets knocked out. However, the tournament's silver lining is the inspiring and touching moments that are maybe not so visible to the average sports fan. Here are a few of our favorite moments we would like to share with you:
Source: dakarbanlieu.com
At the start of each match, a child escorts every player onto the field. The children are randomly selected from around the world to be 1 in 1,408 to walk a player into the stadium. Australian player, Mark Bresciano, accompanied by his young fan, reaches down to tie the boy's shoe during the pre-game festivities.
Source: kaskus.co.id
In most countries, especially Brazil, soccer is more than just a game to the people. Children fill the streets to soccer with their local friends and are always willing to pass the ball to tourists.
Source: mirror.co.uk
In 2010, when Brazil beat South Africa, a young fan ran out onto the field. When security was going after the boy to remove him, Neymar, Brazil's lead scorer, scooped the young fan under his arms and brought him to celebrate the victory with the team.
Source: 101greatgoals.com
They even let the young fan pose for a few photos!
Source: metro.co.uk
The excitement is in the air! On Copacabana Beach's FIFA Fan Fest area in Brazil, U.S. fans watch in agony as Portugal scores the tying goal sending the U.S. off to face Germany.
Source: time.com
A young England fan cringes, as Wayne Rooney's, England's top scorer, misses an opportunity in their match against Uruguay math on June 19th.
Source: time.com
Wayne Rooney also had a good reaction as well!
Source: tuxboard.com
An American couple celebrates the United States victory over Ghana with a kiss on the beach in Brazil.


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Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) - Male
A medium-sized (7 inches) songbird, the male Scarlet Tanager is most easily identified by its bright red body, black wings, and black tail. Female Scarlet Tanagers are green above and dull yellow below with dark wings. Males of this species may be separated from male Summer Tanagers (Piranga rubra) by that species' red wings and tail and from male Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis) by that species' black face and conspicuous crest, while females may be separated from female Summer Tanagers by that species' paler back and darker breast. The Scarlet Tanager breeds across much of the northeastern United States and southern Canada south to Alabama and west to Nebraska. In winter, this species migrates to Panama and northern South America. Migrating Scarlet Tanagers may be seen in areas of the southeastern U.S.where this species does not breed. Scarlet Tanagers breed in a number of mature forest types, preferring larger areas of unbroken forest to smaller, more fragmented habitats. In winter, this species is found in a variety of dense humid tropical forests. Scarlet Tanagers primarily eat insects and spiders during the breeding season, but may eat fruits, berries, and earthworms at other times of the year or when insects are scarce. In appropriate habitat, Scarlet Tanagers may be seen foraging for insects on leaves and branches in the tree canopy, in undergrowth, or, more rarely, directly on the ground. Birdwatchers may also listen for this species' song, a series of whistled notes recalling that of the American Robin. Scarlet Tanagers are most active during the day, but, like many migratory songbirds, this species migrates at night.


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AKRON, Ohio, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- About 200 prospective jurors gathered in an Akron, Ohio, theater Tuesday as jury selection started for the trial of suspected Craigslist killer Richard Beasley.
Summit County Common Pleas Judge Lynne S. Callahan told the large group before the process of selecting 12 jurors and six alternates began that Beasley's trial for the 2011 slayings of three out-of-work men and wounding of a fourth who responded to Craigslist ads for jobs could take as long as six weeks, the Akron Beacon Journal reported.
Opening statements are expected to start Feb. 27.
The newspaper said Beasley, 53, of Akron wasn't at the Akron Civic Theatre when the proceedings began but appeared later at the county courthouse. Dressed in a dark business suit, he held a cane in one hand and covered his face with his other as he was wheeled into the courthouse in a wheelchair accompanied by several sheriff's deputies.
Beasley could be sentenced to death if convicted of killing Ralph Geiger, 56, of Akron; David Pauley, 51, of Norfolk, Va.; and Timothy Kern, 47, of Massillon. He also is charged with wounding Scott Davis, 48.
Beasley's co-defendant, Brogan Rafferty, now 18, of Stow was convicted last October and faces life in prison.


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I'm not a fighter, but this series has been all too civil for my liking. Spice things up!
Or, you could
...that's always entertaining.
You wanna keep the jaded Chicagoans interested in this matchup of two first-place teams? Take advice from
. That man knows how to put on a show! Granted, he's probably not working anymore, but it taught us all valuable lessons on how to detonate a grenade.
There looked like there might be some tension between the White Sox and Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez yesterday. What, a guy can't hit four homers in a series without being vilified? As Ramirez ran out a fly ball in the eight inning, Sox reliever Octavio Dotel had some words for the guy. Turns out both were giggling like schoolgirls, so I'm guessing it was some friendly trash talking. They are going to stop by Claire's boutique and get those
necklaces later tonight.
I want some sizzle. I want an ejection. It's almost the Fourth of July, give me fireworks!
I'm done ranting. I'm just still upset NBC cancelled
. What happened to Danny and Delinda's baby? Will Sam really marry her ex-husband's brother? Shame on you NBC. Shame on you.
: Sox will use all the same personnel except Alexei Ramirez, not Juan Uribe, will start at second. The Cubs have a new left fielder in Mark DeRosa after
. And Daryle Ward is your DH today, not Koskue Fukudome (he's in RF).
There will no switching back and forth between Len & Bob and Hawk & DJ as this is a FOX-run show today.
Comment board is below; post at will.
if you are stuck at work on a Saturday too.
Announcers to be announced soon. Also, baseball soon.
It's Thom Brennaman
and Mark Grace. It's Cubs-a-poolza!
It's 83 degrees at U.S. Cellular Field with wind blowing out of the west at 15 m.p.h. Fox's forecast? Bragging rights. Cubs starter Sean Gallagher just bumped fists with Eric Patterson. Wonder if Patterson's not-so-good skills will transfer? Javier Vazquez's first pitch to Koskue Fukudome is a called strike. Fukudome fouls one off and we're even at 2-2. And now it's a full count as Vazquez's pitch goes a bit high. And then the dreaded leadoff walk. Here's DeRosa. Grace predicts a fastball that DeRosa can hit...and hit he does. A single just past Joe Crede's reach at third. Two on. That Mark Grace is smart. Derrek Lee, who had double-play-itis yesterday, has hit into 19 DPs this season.
Second pitch and Lee cranks it the other way and that will score Fukudome. Cubs 1-0.
Runners on the corners and no outs. Another slow start for Vazquez against the Cubs. He falls behind 2-0 to Ward. Oh wow, a strike! Brennaman calls Vazquez an "enigma" because you never know how he'll fare. Ward runs the count to 3-2 (he thought strike 2 was a shade low).
He hits the next one right in front DeWayne Wise in CF for a single; DeRosa scores and it's Cubs 2-0.
Runners at first and second. Ozzie Guillen comes out for a chit-chat. C'mon, get Don Cooper in that Rascal scooter for some words of encouragement. And the Chicagoland-area is under a T-storm watch. Thanks for the huge graphic FOX. Aramis Ramirez shanks one to RF for the first out of the inning; runners stay put. It's raining in New York. I know you care. Here's Jim Edmonds, it was his birthday yesterday. It's Grace's birthday today. According to
, one of Edmonds' nickname is "Lassie." Like the dog. Huh? Because he can fetch? Edmonds whiffs at the 1-2 pitch and Vazquez gets the strikeout. A visit from Ozzie and Javy is a new pitcher. Maybe he told him there's no ice cream sundae waiting for him if he loses. Geovany Soto is quite good. Breaking ball, strike three called. Brennaman: "What a difference when Vazquez gets high, er, ahead." Yes, because pitching high...never a good idea.
Cubs 2-0.
Brian Anderson gives the cutesy lineups. Carlos "Lego-hair" Quentin. There were some other ones, but I'm too embarassed for him to repeat them. Matt Murton did the Cubs lineup last inning; his were equally awkward. Gallagher gets Orlando Cabrera to ground to third for the first out. Pierzynski take ball one and then lines the next to LF for a single. Here's 'ole Lego-hair.
Gallagher gets ahead 0-2 in the count before a low ball. Ball. Ball. Then a called third strike (slider) right down the middle which freezes Quentin.
Jermaine Dye now, who Brennaman calls the "hottest hitter on the planet." He hits the 1-1 pitch deep to CF and it's outta here. Tied 2-2.
Feeling hot, hot hot. Thome now. He hits the 3-2 pitch quite far into the LF corner, but it's foul and out of play. Somewhere, Hawk was yelling "Stretch." And the Thome draws the walk. Cubs pitching coach Larry Rothschild comes out to offer some wisdom to Sean. He then throws strike one to Crede (Sean, not Larry).
Crede lifts it deep to LF and it bounces just off the bottom of the wall, it's a double and that scores Jim "Wheels" Thome. White Sox 3-2.
DeRosa has to chase the ball after it ricohets off the wall. Eric Patterson? Is that you? Nick Swisher, who Brennaman called "a delightful character." He is kinda like a cartoon. Zoinks. Full count, few foul balls. Another foul ball and Swish lets his bat go flying into the stands. Weeeeee. 29 pitches thus far for Gallagher. The 9th pitch in the at-bat strikes out Swisher swinging.
White Sox 3-2.
So it's a low-scoring, pitcher's duel today, eh? Guess
after eating some bad food. Perhaps he made a
. Hey, FOX just showed a Taco Bell commerical. Wacky. Mike Fontenot grounds out to Swish at first for the first out of the inning. Here's Ronny Cedeno. Swing and a miss and it's 0-2. And then it's another swing and a miss for Vazquez's third strikeout of the day. Mark Grace: A fan of Ozzie Guillen. I know you were curious. 1-2 count to Fukudome. And Fukudome goes down swinging too. Quick inning for Javy.
White Sox 3-2.
Alexei "Cuban Missle" Ramirez is up first. He was out yesterday because his wife was expecting their third child. Wonder if she had it? Amanda is always a lovely name for a girl. Oh, FOX just said he had a son...named Alexei. So congrats! He falls behind 0-2 after fouling off a few. He then hits one to the gap in LF for a stand-up double. Lou Piniella waddles out and barks an order at Gallagher. Then walks back. Piniella is still peeved in the dugout. Tempers! Flaring!!!! Here's DeWayne Wise. He lifts the 1-0 pitch to Fukudome in RF for the out. His bat broke too. Ramirez stays at second.
O-Cab hits one just past Fukudome to score Ramirez. White Sox 4-2.
It's a double for O-Cab. I imagine Lou is fuming. Pierzynski with one aboard and one out. Quickly behind 0-2. 43 pitches for Gallagher. And AJ strikes out looking on a fastball down the middle. Two gone. Lego-hair Quentin now. Grace also likes Quentin from his days with the Diamondbacks. Hits the 1-2 right to Cedeno for the easy grounder to end the inning. Sox tack on one more.
White Sox 4-2.
FYI: Vazquez is at 37 pitches; Gallagher ended the second inning at 48 pitches. First pitch swinging is DeRosa, swings it right to O-Cab at shortstop for the first out. Lee gets ahead 2-0. Grace says this year's City Series just feels different because both teams are really good. And the Sox fans have mellowed since winning it all in 2005. I'd say no to that last statement. Lee grounds it to O-Cab, it takes a funky hop and almost smacks him in the face. Ruled a hit, not an error. Camera in the Cubs dugout shows Gallagher sitting far, far away from his teammates. I think he's in a timeout. Wind is picking up a the ballpark. Ward falls behind 0-2. Low ball bounces in the dirt and off of AJ's, um, region. Ouch. Ward singles a soft liner to JD in RF for a single. First and second for Ramirez. One out. Ramirez lines it to Dye in RF for the second out. Runners stay put. Here's Jim "Lassie" Edmonds. Vazquez gets two change-ups in there for strikes, 1-2 count. Foul. Ball. Ball. And...ball for a walk. That will load the bases for Soto. First pitch ball. He rips, I mean rips, it to Crede. And Crede leaps and makes the nice stab. That guy isn't half bad.
White Sox 4-2.
James: Lou loves to change the lineups. Maybe he had one of his "senior moments" when he left out Theriot in favor of Cedeno. Theriot had a nice over-the-head-backwards catch yesterday too. JD is up first. Gallagher still on the mound for the Cubs. Dye singles into left field for a leadoff single. Thome skies it to RF, but Fukudome is under it for the first out. That was hit high in the sky, like a Phillip Rivers' pass. Here's Crede. RBI-double for him in the first inning. Here, he takes the 2-1 pitch to Edmonds in CF. Dye scampers back to first. FOX chats with Ozzie: He told Javy to be aggressive. B-E aggressive. B-E A-G-G-R-E-S-S-I-V-E. Swish swings at misses at strike two. Nice changeup from Gallagher. Low ball two in the dirt and JD steals second base. Throw is late from Soto. Delayed steal b/c of the dirt ball. Swish pops it up to Cedeno at SS to end the inning.
White Sox 4-2.
Really, Cedeno made that catch yesterday? My bad. I'm a fraud. I just drank a bunch of coffee and my brain is just waking up. Fontenot has himself a stand-up double to LF to start this inning. He thought about three bases, but didn't try. AP just said Ryan Theriot was out of the lineup for a second straight game with a bruised hand. So there's your answer. Also, Scott Eyre to the DL. The Cubs recalled right-hander Jose Ascanio. Discuss. Cedeno falls behind 1-2. 2-2. Couple fouls. Now 3-2. Eighth pitch in the at-bat is fouled off too. Ninth pitch strikes him out swinging. Fukudome stands in there. AJ smothers a low one, and Fontenot can't advance to third. 1-1 to Fukudome. 1-2 on a swing and a miss. 3-2 count and Javy is at 79 pitches. Geez. Ball four outside. So first and second with one out. DeRosa now. He quickly falls behind 0-2. Getting a little dark at the ballpark.
Looks like some rain in the area, but mostly north of the Cell. 2-2 now to DeRosa, who enjoys bowling. 0-2 to 3-2.
DeRosa lines it to CF for a single. Fontenot will score, White Sox 4-3.
Fukudome moves to second. Here comes Ozzie...Cooper is on the phone to the bullpen. Ozzie pulls a Lou and does the sloooooow walk. Nick Masset and Boone Logan get up in the bullpen. D-Lee is up at the plate.
First pitch hit keep to the track in CF. Wise misses it for a Lee double. Fukudome runs home, while DeRosa skips home (weird) and it's Cubs 5-4.
Ward grounds it right to Swisher for the second out. Lee to third. Here's A-Ram. I think Matt Thornton started to warm up too. 93 pitches for Javy; 2-2 count for A-Ram. 45 hits with two strikes this season for Ramirez. Not now though, as Ramirez strikes out swinging.
Cubs 5-4.
Gallagher: 62 pitches, 39 strikes. And he'll face Alexei Ramirez first. Cook county under severe T-storm warning until 5:15 p.m. Fun times.
Ramirez hits the 1-1 pitch to LCF for a solo shot, and we are all tied at 5-5.
Here's DeWayne Wise. Brennaman says that Ramirez is a new man since having his son yesterday, blah blah blah. Dude, it's his third kid. I think he knows the drill. FOX chats with Lou and says Reed Johnson should be back soon. Lou's message to Gallagher: Throw breaking balls in the dirt. Interesting. Grace on Lou: "What a beauty." If you say so...Wise strikes out swinging. O-Cab also strikes out swinging. Here's Pierzynski. Gallagher walks him on five pitches. Highlights of the Mets-Yankees game. That
is quite the work of art. I say Carlos Quentin should grow one. Quentin pops it up to Fontenot at second to end the inning.
Tied 5-5.
Lou Piniella wants the lights to be turned on. And no, that's not a metaphor. Edmonds is up first against Vazquez. He singles to Dye in RF, who kinda stumbles while fielding it. Timber. Edmonds stays at first. Javy still in there. Hmmmm. Soto now. Big swing and miss at 2-1 to make it 2-2. And Vazquez rings him up while Soto watches strike three fly ball. He argues for a minute, then walks away. And that will be it for Vazquez. Boone Logan will be the new Sox pitcher. Logan is 2-1 and holds a 2.28 ERA. He also wears No. 57. Fontenot will be first to face him; one on and one out. First pitch is...a pickoff attempt to first. Logan wins the lefty battle, striking out Fontenot looking. Two outs. Cedeno up; he's struck out twice today. Quickly 0-2. And then he grounds it out of Crede's reach, right down the line. That's a double for Cedeno, but Edmonds pulls up at third (he's running with a tender foot). Quickly 0-2 to Fukudome. 1-2; 2-2. Just high, Sox fans groan. Another high one, but Fukudome can't check his swing. And that's two K's for Logan.
Tied 5-5.
Gallagher still in there. He gets Dye first, who falls behind 0-2. Dye golfs it and Fontenot gets under the pop fly for the first out. Southpaw now in the seats behind the pate. He's the green one. Thome now. 3-1...Thome thinks it's ball four and leans toward first...but it's strike two. Thome eventually gets the walk. Gallagher is at 96 pitches. And Brennaman says it's starting to smell...like rain. Sky looks rain-ish. Crede runs the count to full before hitting a single to RF. Thome advances to second. 100 pitches for Gallagher; Lou paces in the dugout and Rothschild picks up the phone. No one up in the Cubs bullpen yet. Swisher rips the first pitch down the RF line, just foul. Fair ball, foul ball. Grace: "Dog-gone-it." Seriously, is that Hawk dressed up as Grace? Swish can't check it up and then misses at strike three. Two outs. The Sox's A-Ram stands in there with two aboard. Gallagher beats him with a fastball (Alexei fouls it off) to get ahead 1-2. Another fastball fouled off. Gallagher strikes him out too, this one on a foul tip. Two stranded.
Tied 5-5.
Nick Masset is the new Sox pitcher, according to MLB.com. FOX still at commercial. I win!
Masset: 3.24 ERA, 0-0. He'll get DeRosa first. He grounds it to O-Cab, who makes a high throw but Swisher catches and tags the running DeRosa. D-Lee now. He singles it to Dye in RF. So D.B. Sweeney, of "toe pick" fame, threw out the first pitch at the game today. Here comes Ozzie before the Ward at-bat. And Masset won't get to face him, instead it will be Matt Thornton on the bump.
Extremely memorable double header against the Chicago Cubs on May 29, hitting a walk-off grand slam in the first game and a game-tying ninth inning home run in the second game, all on the same day that his son was born. So here's Ward with one on and one out. Thornton strikes him out with a 96 mph fastball. Two outs. A-Ram lines it right to Dye in right for the third out.
Tied 5-5.
Emailer Dave thinks the "Fukuthome" jersey is bashing Thome. Why spend all that money on an anti-Thome jersey when you could just buy Cubs' ware. Stupid. Gallagher still in there for the Cubs; 110 pitches (67 strikes). DeWayne Wise up first. He hit a homer in last Saturday's Cubs-Sox tilt. He goes down swinging in this inning. 8 K's fof Gallagher. Carlos Marmol warming in the 'pen. O-Cab now. He gets behind in the count 0-2. Then three balls. Smashed to straight-away CF, but Edmonds is there to haul it in. Pierzynski hits it off the end of his bat, a slow roller to second for the third out. Gallagher, rolling.
Tied 5-5.
The Sox pitcher will be Thornton still. Piniella pats Gallagher on the back in the dugout, and Rothschild has a chat with him on the bench. So I assume that will be it for Gallagher. It's sunny again at the ballpark. Thornton strikes out "Lassie" Edmonds on back-to-back fastballs. Soto now, who was robbed of extra bases by Crede earlier. And Thornton strikes him out swinging too. Two outs. Quickly 0-2 to Fontenot. Then Thornton strikes him out too, this one looking. Grace: "Oh dear." Well put.
Tied 5-5.
David, Medinah: Yeah, I was joking. Those tall dudes freak me out. I like the Rose pick. Carlos Marmol is the new pitcher for the Cubs. He'll face Quentin, Dye and Thome. So the easy part of the lineup. Karl_in_Chicago: The message board, not me, has gone quiet.
Bye-bye. Quentin sails a homer over the wall in RF and the Sox lead 6-5.
Looked like Quentin is late on that swing, but guess he got enough of it. Good job, Lego hair. Two straight up-and-in pitches to JD. Crowd is not pleased. 3-0 count. Then a strike. Then another strike. Then ball four. Thome pops it up in the bright sunshine to DeRosa in LF for the first out. Marmol falls behind 3-1 to Crede. But comes back and gets Crede to hit a slow roller to Cedeno, which he fields, steps on second and then fires to first for the 6-3 DP.
White Sox 6-5.
Karl_in_Chicago: I know, those Mariotti updates kicked ass. But he's afraid to go to the Cell right? Scott Linebrink is the new Sox pitcher. Cedeno starts things off with a grounder to O-Cab for the first out. It takes a funny hop to O-Cab's right, but he handles it. Fukudome hits a slow roller to O-Cab for the out. Two pitches from Linebrink, two outs. Looks like
, writing about the draft. DeRosa now. 1-2 count...then called strike three on DeRosa.
White Sox 6-5.
Mike: I did not see that, but I wouldn't be too surprised. Marmol gone; Neal Cotts now on the mound for the Cubs. He gets Swisher, Ramirez and Wise. Swish fouls one off and it hits Soto and the ump right in the face. Two-for-one! Ouch. Bobby Jenks warms up in the Sox 'pen. Swish lines it off Cotts' leg, but it rolls right to Fontenot for the easy out. Cotts appears to be OK. Cotts gets ahead of Ramirez 0-2. My TV keeps freezing, so it looks like Cotts is pitching in slo-mo. Ramirez swings at strike three. FOX shows some Grace highlights, and we miss the Wise at-bat. But he singled up the middle. Here comes sweet Lou. There goes Cotts and here come Bob Howry. Howry is 2-2 with a 4.70 ERA this season. FOX shows Ron Santo in the radio booth. He went to the All-Star game nine times.
Wise steals second on the second pitch to O-Cab. Tag a bit low on the hip from Cedeno. 0-2 to O-Cab. Popped up to Soto in foul ground -- inning over.
White Sox 6-5.
Sox closer Bobby Jenks will face Lee, Ward and Ramirez in the ninth. AKA: Uh, not three easy outs. Jenks is 2-0 this season with 2.08 ERA. Lee is 4-for-4 today. First pitch strike. Lee makes contact on the third pitch to the wall in RCF for a double. FOX shows up the tarp coming off the field at Shea Stadium. Yeah, um, there's an actual ballgame here. STOP! Will Ward bunt? Two pitches, two balls, no bunt showings. 3-1 (the one from a foul). Ward grounds it right to Swisher for the out, but Lee advances to third. RBI opportunity for A-Ram. Infield is in. 1-0 to Ramirez. He grounds the 1-1 pitch slowly to O-Cab at third; Lee stays at third. Two outs for Edmonds. Ozzie goes to the mound, but (duh) leaves Jenks in. Strike one to Lassie. Edmonds has never faced Jenks. He hits the next one to Alexei at second for the 4-3 put-out to end the game.
White Sox 6-5.
Final thoughts:
Nice competitve ballgame. No ejections, but at least it wasn't a snoozefest. Sox bullpen nailed it down for a rocky Javy Vazquez. Timely homers by the Sox = a win. Sox go for the sweep Sunday night. And we'll be here to cubicle it all for ya. Thanks for reading!


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Plenty of new faces among Seattle's Top 20 Prospects
With 2013 Draftees signed and entered into their respective clubs' pipelines, MLB.com has re-ranked its Top 100 Prospects and each club's Top 20 Prospects.
With 2013 Draftees signed and entered into their respective clubs' pipelines, MLB.com has re-ranked its Top 100 Prospects and each club's Top 20 Prospects.
After ranking first as a team in MLB.com's preseason prospects list, the Mariners have fallen to a tie for 11th in a midseason re-ranking of that list. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, since the primary reason for the drop is that some of Seattle's well-regarded youngsters are now starting to pay dividends at the Major League level.
Two of the Mariners' top-rated position prospects -- catcher Mike Zunino and second baseman Nick Franklin -- earned early-season promotions and enough playing time in the first half that they're no longer eligible for the prospect rankings.
Thus, while Seattle still has three players in MLB.com's Top 100 list -- right-hander Taijuan Walker at No. 4, left-hander Danny Hultzen at 28 and shortstop Brad Miller at 94 -- their overall MLB ranking dipped with the midseason promotions.
Miller also is now with the Mariners and establishing himself as the team's starting shortstop, but he's yet to reach the rookie eligibility limit of either 130 at-bats or 45 days on a Major League active roster that will graduate him off that list.
The standard is 50 innings or 45 days for a pitcher, which was a level met by three other youngsters who were on the Mariners' Top 20 Prospects preseason list -- relievers Stephen Pryor and Carter Capps and starter Brandon Maurer.
That youthful influx is a welcome sight for a club that has been grooming its Minor League system since general manager Jack Zduriencik's arrival four years ago and now is starting to see the payoff.
"It's a little bit of a different-look club, but it's guys we all thought we'd see at some point in time this year," Zduriencik said of the arrival of the youth group. "You could make a good argument that we probably saw them a little sooner than we should have. However, there are circumstances that happened that made that come to fruition.
"That said, I think you have to be proud of what these kids have done up here in a short time. They've shown things where you can look forward and say, 'This has a chance to be a pretty good group of kids.' And that bodes well for our future."
The Mariners had five players from their preseason Top 20 list gain enough first-half experience that they're no longer eligible for "prospect" status. That's a positive sign for a club that has been waiting for its youthful core to mature, though it does dramatically change Seattle's prospect status.
Zunino (third on the team's preseason list), Franklin (fourth), Pryor (sixth), Capps (seventh) and Maurer all saw enough playing time that they're now no longer listed as prospects. Maurer, 23, and Capps, 22, both are back in Triple-A Tacoma now, but they gained invaluable experience and are big parts of the future. Pryor is another hard thrower with a big upside and is expected to return from the disabled list soon, while Zunino and Franklin have quickly established themselves as key starters since their midseason promotions to the big league club.
Dropped off
FIve players who were near the bottom of the Mariners' Top 20 preseason list have either been traded or dropped off the list. Third baseman Vinnie Catricala (15th) was traded to the A's in early June for cash after being designated for assignment after batting .253 in 48 games with Double-A Jackson. Center fielder Francisco Martinez (19th) was dealt to the Tigers in a similar deal after being DFA'd when he was hitting .206 through 34 games at Jackson.
Three other youngsters -- left-hander Jordan Shipers (16th), catcher Jack Marder (17th) and third baseman Joe DeCarlo (18th) -- are still in the organization, but have been replaced on the latest rankings by new additions.
New faces
With all their promotions and departures, the Mariners have a pretty significant midseason shift in their Top 20 Prospects rankings. First-round Draft pick D.J. Peterson immediately slid in to the No. 4 spot, while second-rounder Austin Wilson was placed at No. 9.
Eight other players debuted in the Top 20, including shortstop Chris Taylor at No. 6. Also moving in were catcher Tyler Marlette (13), right-handers Carson Smith (14) and Edwin Diaz (15), third baseman Patrick Kivlehan (17), second baseman Timothy Lopes (18), outfielder Guillermo Pimentel (19) and shortstop Ketel Marte (20).
Rising/falling stock
Taylor, a fifth-round Draft pick last year out of Virginia, made a big jump into the Mariners' Top 20 at No. 6 after hitting .335 for Class A Advanced High Desert and then continuing to produce after a promotion to Jackson a month ago. Marlette, a 20-year-old drafted in the fifth round out of the Florida high school ranks in 2011, has impressed with a strong first half at Class A Clinton and comes in at No. 13.
Smith (14) is establishing himself as a quality closer for Double-A Jackson, while the 19-year-old Diaz has pitched well as a right-handed starter for Rookie League Pulaski.
On the downside, right-hander Victor Sanchez was dropped eight spots (from No. 9 in the preseason to 17), but remains a prized prospect as an 18-year-old Venezuelan who threw a no-hitter earlier this month for Clinton.
Top 100 representation
When it comes to the Top 100 Prospects in all of baseball, the Mariners had three players crack that prestigious list, with Walker at No. 4, Hultzen at 28 and Miller moving in for the first time at 94. Walker moved up one spot from the preseason rankings and Hultzen dropped 10 spots after an injury-plagued first half.
The Mariners were first as a team in the preseason rankings based on having five players in the Top 100, but they dropped to a tie for 11th in the midseason rankings after seeing Zunino and Franklin both lose their prospect eligibility and left-hander James Paxton dropping out of the Top 100 after an inconsistent first half for Tacoma.
Team rankings are based on a point system where the No. 1 overall prospect earns 100 points, the No. 2 prospect earns 99 and so on down to one point for the 100th overall prospect.
Greg Johns is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @GregJohnsMLB as well as his Mariners Musings blog.