text:
You're a star!
Not really, but tomorrow (Friday) you can be a part of one.
It's going to be a very cool turnout tomorrow when the Dodgers get their award of excellence star on Hollywood Blvd. Vin Scully, Tommy Lasorda, Joe Torre, Fernando Valenzuela, Russell Martin…those are just five of the Dodger luminaries who will be on hand for this first-ever event.
It's open to the public, so stop by wearing your blue. It will be at 6801 Hollywood Blvd. (the corner of Hollywood and Highland) and the best parking is at the property at Highland and Johnny Grant Way (the entrance to Hollywood and Highland).
We hope you'll all be there…and if you can't be, you can watch it live on FSN Prime Ticket, starting at 11 a.m. PT.
Also, tomorrow night on DodgerTalk following the game, Ned Colletti will be taking calls from the fans to answer your questions. The game is cap night and then afterward, Ned will head to the studio here at the stadium with Ken Levine and Josh Suchon on KABC 790.
116 Comments
i posted this at the end of the last thread, but since we have a new post.. here it is again:
does anyone want to go to the game tomorrow night? you can watch kershaw pitch, and you also get a FREE dodgers cap! i bought tickets a while ago, but i can't go anymore, and i'm going on saturday anyway.. they're not great seats, but they're not bad either. reserved level, section 26. i will give them to you face value or below face. let me know! thanks.
tony jackson says:
"Joe hinted before the game that he is now more open to the possibility of LaRoche starting at 2B."
Really, Boston? Stay tuned, I guess.
Dodgers infielder Nomar Garciaparra, who was in Las Vegas on a rehabilitation assignment for a strained left calf, flew to Boston to have his doctor evaluate him. Los Angeles general manager Ned Colletti was to watch Garciaparra on Wednesday but canceled the trip.
I guess Nomar doesn't trust Stan Conte…
sara – wish I could go tomorrow, but can't. Are you going to the ceremony to see the Dodgers get their star?
It's a fluid time of year. Expectations and organizational directions are being reconsidered, some strongly so. The Dodgers, for one, are waiting on Rafael Furcal and Andruw Jones to heal (lol), waiting on Brad Penny and Hiroki Kuroda to heal and then pitch like front-of-the-rotation starters, waiting on their young players to string together some professional at-bats (where does mainstream press here stuff like this, Coletti?). And, even then, they no longer have the vaguest notion of what a healthy Jones can give them. Actually, they have a strong suspicion, which is worse
Pierre and his .330OBp is proffesional so is Kent and his 250 avg in 4 hole,***** i wish the youngsters would be just like em so i know we will suck for years instead of hoping for the best.
If it's a fluid time of year, I'm having a scotch!
jungar – if only they would listen to what the fans want, but obviously they aren't, and the spins and lies in stories are only getting worse. Like many have said, we are all preaching to the same choir, which happens to be ourselves.
I hope that Stults gets enough time with the big club to prove that he can be in this rotation, as I think Kuo could be if Torre didn't have his mind made up that Kuo needs to be in relief. The reason those two would be important is because Lowe can't be expected to be with us next year, and Penny probably will not be with us after 2009. If we can do well with Stults and Kuo starting, I think we should cut the cord with Lowe and Penny possibly as early as the trade deadline in order to come up with a couple of decent AAA prospects and a shortstop and second baseman for next season. The time is also getting short for playing LaRoche in the regular everyday lineup; either Andy or DeWitt should take some second base turns to show us if we have a second baseman for next year.
i wish i could make it to the ceremony dnelson, but sadly, i have to work =/
nevermind about the tickets everyone. my co-worker wants to go.
That's too bad sara. It sounds exciting especially since russell will be there 🙂 Glad you found someone to take your tickets.
so what is everybody's take on us getting a pitcher at the dealine…maybe a rich harden??? i know that he is injury prone, but with the injuries of penny and kuroda, i think ned may want to get a pitcher
i think it is possilbe to get harden without giving up our "core" young guys….maybe a Hu, Young, Meloan deal?? lol
i am in Boston. Flying very early tomorrow morning (6:38 a.m.) back to L.A. I miss my boys in Blue 😦 I miss L.A 😦 so I am glad to be back tomorrow. 🙂
Realistically, I don't think I can make the event in Hollywood on time but I'll be there for the game and the weekend series. Also my friend Erik and I are scheduled to go to the Carne Asada. He bought a ticket for my birthday (6/28) but I don't know if that is going to happen based on what Josh said and Nomah's condition. At the last game in L.A. Dave (I forget his last name) told me that the 70's celebration is scheduled for 6/28. I thought the Women's baseball clinic was going to happen on that day. I'll take the 70's celebration but I still want a WIN Women's baseball clinic!!! Dr. Steinberg told me we are going to have one! Sara: you should try to go. it is a blast being on the field learning from the boys. The last time I bugged Dave about it, he said "you keep asking me that.."
Where is ndeschenes post?
Took a lot of crap from the Celtic fans at work in New Hampshire.
Josh: How about a post from Mark Langill. I had asked him at the 60's celebration about those star like on the Hollywood blvd that are on Sunset blvd. I showed him the picture of the one for Jackie Robinson. It has a bat and a glove. I was surprised he did not know anything about them. I went back and noticed that there a lot of one, all sports related. I saw Tommy's, and Sandy Koufax. When did they started putting them there. I discovered them when going to breakfast to Barragans. BTW Josh, I was the only dressed like the 60's that day.
emma, I am not a softball/ baseball player, but I would be willing to learn very quickly to be able to go to the clinic(when it happens). I know many coaches here that would coach me enough so I would appear to know what I am doing. That would be a blast!! I am probably better than I think. I just never played as a kid./adult. However, when I am out playing around with my own kids, I can hit and catch the ball, and at school, I can play a mean wiffle ball game with my students – does that count? LOL!!! Anyhow, I would definitely make the trip if they did a clinic – Wow!! would that be fun! 🙂
I'm not really sure if I feel like fighting the traffic, I'm 43 miles east and to get there at let's say ten O'clock I'd have to leave at about eight then head home at noon then it's back to the stadium for the game, and those Friday night games always seem to go long.
I think I'll see how I feel in the morning?
Rich Harden is, and I repeat is injury prone. Any A's fan will tell you he is great, but he never stays healthy. My best friend is an A's fan, and she if confident he will be injured by the end of the season – always happens. However, I can see the A's wanting to go for a deal like that because they are trying to go young also – hmmmm – something to think about 🙂
Lo & Behold! What a Great 7 o 4 Third In A Row Victory By Our Beloved Los Angeles Dodgers over the Cincinnati Reds! Amazing Super Hero Matt Kemp Shows exactly why he is amazing with His Home Run Smash, 2 Hits and Important 3 RBI'S! Again Super Hero, The Tower Of Power,James Loney, Impressively Delivers going 3 For 4,with 2 Runs Scored and RBI! Super Heroes Andre Ethier and Angel Berroa catch The World Series Victory Fever going 2 for 5 with an RBI and run scored respectively! Way to go guys! Super Hero Eric Stults was Simply Magnificent going 6 Gutsy Innings allowing only 1 Run and 5 Strikeouts! Super Hero Pitchers Scott Proctor, Joe Beimel, Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Saito pitched like they have World Series Victory Fever On Their Mind! And Of course, The Invincible, Man of Steel, Superman, Jeff Kent With His Double and Run Scored and whom all of us Los Angeles Dodger Fans, Coaches, Managers and everyone associated With Our Beloved Los Angeles Dodgers, are pulling For Superman to get His World Series RING! All of Our Los Angeles Dodgers Were All Super Heroes! Sing All of us Dodger Fans For The Stars OF Heaven Are Shining Down on Our Beloved Team, and they will Continue to Sparkle As they continue to play True Los Angeles Dodger Baseball and bring back the World Series Championship Back to Los Angeles!
If Ned can trade the old, then fine. But leave the kids alone. Stults (granted, he's 28-years-old) is just another example that the Dodgers have what it takes in-house. Aren't we all just a little sick and tired of Ned's collection of cast-offs and has-beens? To acquire a legitimate starter is too costly. Let's keep seeing what Dodgers have on the farm.
I have tickets for Saturday. Dodgers will need their hitting shoes to stay with the Tribe.
It's great to see the Dodgers winning, but that still does not excuse the way Torre is managing. Example: Last Saturday Young played as the DH and went 3-4, bringing his BA to .300. Pierre went 0-5, bringing his BA to .275. Since that time Pierre has played every game and Young has appeared only once as a PH. Sweeney, with a current BA of .111, has appeared three times as a PH without success. That kind of managing defies all logic and shows a definite prejudice against the younger players. Although Pierre may be playing good right now, his good is not the best the Dodgers can do. An outfield of Young, Kemp, and Ethier is the best offensively and defensively. Yet, Torre will not use it or even try it for several days. LaRoche hits a HR as soon as he is called up, then wastes away on the bench. These kids are not only the future of the Dodgers but have more potential for producing right now. Yet, Torre turns a deaf ear to our pleas to give them a try. I have come to the conclusion that he is afraid to play them very often for fear that they WILL SUCCEED and he won't be able to defend playing his favorite vets all the time. If that's not the case, why won't he play them??? He keeps talking about needing more production/power, but he won't play the talent he has that can provide that! His managing is totally frustrating!!!
Let's hope Ned gets some real tought questions tomorrow!
ndeschenes – It is wonderful to hear from three days in a row. Wow!! Indians might be a little tougher, but the Dodgers looked good so hopefully they will bring some of that great plate discipline back to California. We will look forward to hearing from you tomorrow when we win game #4 in a row. Have a wonderful evening ndeschenes 🙂
Redfox – Frustrating is kind of an understatement at this point. What Joe Torre is doing is incomprehensible. Most of the vets today did all the things that Torre claims the younger players are struggling with. What possible example can they be setting other than a very bad one, and who in their right mind would allow themselves to let JP have any influence over how to play defense in the outfield. I was watching highschool players today in the outfield (one being my son) who had no problems throwing the frickin ball to their cut off man without the cutoff man having to be halfway into left field themselves. I realize this hasn't caused the Dodgers to lose a game yet, but I have no doubts that this issue will be a big one on a close game (which right now they all seem to be close games so it's only a matter of time).
BTW – Andre will have his day off tomorrow – left handed pitcher, eventhough I believe his double today was hit off of a lefty ( I know it was!!). Mr. Torre, Andre can't improve that split if he doesn't get the ABs in the first place. It's a little hard to improve and average against lefties if you are not in the game. However, that being said, maybe we will see a DY sighting tomorrow, along with a possible LaRoche sighting as well. One could only hope. One could hope for Pierre to wake up with the stomach flu that seemed to put Ken Griffey Jr. on the sidelines for the series so maybe we can see, for one day, an outfield of Ethier, Kemp and Young – wouldn't that be a refreshing thought.
martinloneykemp…the top three RBI guys right now are Kemp, Loney and Martin in that order. Kemp has 42 right now which projects to 101 RBIs for the season.
i had work late, and then a softball game.. so i just got home a little while ago.. but i just read to catch up~
dnelson, i was SO tempted to try and go to the ceremony because, as you said, russell will be there.. but i don't think i can make it.. BUT also since russ is staying late on saturday to be the coach of one of the teams, i will just have to try my best to attract his attention during the hollywood stars game =)
crzblue, that clinic sounds fun! i will definitely have to keep an eye out for that so i can get involve. you can never learn enough about the game, and learning from the players would be so great..
kpookiemon, i will be there saturday as well.. seems like we'll be seeing CC Sabathia, who's been pitching better lately. and obviously, cliff lee is starting tomorrow and he's been great. so yes, we will need our hitting shoes..
with back to back lefties, laroche will start at least one game. we'll just have to see who it'll be for. i would guess dewitt since loney has been absolutely on fire. it will also be interesting to see which game russell sits. it'll either be tomorrow night so he can start the FOX game on saturday, or saturday (day game, after night game). i was surprised he didn't sit today with the day game, but then again, it's russell and he's iron man. then again, with an off-day on monday, maybe he will start all three..
also, i'm not sure how many people were listening to the tv broadcast today.. but steve lyons was being REALLY critical of kemp's defense today. first he commented on a bad route kemp took and so he had to jump to catch the ball.. and then he criticized him for not running in fast enough to back up the by russell, allowing the base runner to go to 3rd. i understood what he was saying, but kemp was playing REALLY deep since adam dunn was up so i don't think he had a play anyway.. and as far as the route.. i've seen pierre take some of the worst routes ever, but if you can catch up to the ball, then it's still an out. the fact is that kemp made the play, and he's played SO much better of a CF than pierre ever has or ever will be able to.
This feeling is starting to freak me out a little. You know, the trade deadline. It just feels like there's every element present for a colossal failure to be made, of Pedro-Delino proportions.
The kids as a group aren't failing us, all the players on the DL are hurting us. I understand that injuries happen over the course of a season, but as a 27-year old who's been a Dodger fan since 1985, I don't ever remember so many "Don't worry about _____, he's fine, it's just precautionary" press releases coming from Stan Johnson. Maybe injuries happen no matter how you care for them, but the way you care for them would seem to play a part in the severity of the injury and how it progresses. I'm not pretending to know how a sports medical staff does their job, I'm just saying I notice a marked difference from the way Stan Johnson did business, as well as a difference in results.
Sorry about the tangent, I'm just trying to say if we try to solve our aging vets offensive underperformance by trading away a Kemp (why the **** does his name keep coming up?) or Loney for a rental, only to see them become Raul Mondesi or Mark Grace for another team, let alone a division rival (if we go for Holliday, Maddux or Wolf). With Colletti's track record, the need for a quick-fix offensive producer and the amount of talent we have that are growing in stunted condiotions in favor of currently-underachieving PVL's, I have this weird July 31 2004, Barry Bonds' Ballerina twist, Lakers 92 Celtics 131 feeling.
It was awesome to sweep the Reds, though. This next series will be tough, but we have a chance, and who knows, we might be getting previews of one or two of next month's Dodgers.
wow, i need to proof read..
i forgot the D, on involve*d*
and i also left out throw, on "not running in fast enough to back up the *throw* by russell"
sara – like I said, I saw highschoolers do a better job in the outfield than Pierre. It seems like with Kemp, the media has been especially critical of every aspect of his game. Even after today's good game for him, it always has to be mentioned where improvement needs to be. After a day when the vets didn't have the best "leadership type day" Torre and gang still pick up on all the mistakes of the kids, totally ignoring those of the veterans today and becomes a team issue instead of saying it like it is – the vets sucked today, especially Sweeney(Wow! what a mess that is)
You know Russell and Andre are going to be at the ceremony tomorrow – sigh 🙂
More fun with stats to celebrate the coming of summer. First of all Kemp projects to 98 RBIs not 101 as I bumbled earlier. MartinLoneyKempEthier all have six home runs, projecting to 14 for the season. Kind of, whatever……… Second half should produce bigger numbers. DeWitt has 5 HRs. I've purposely left out vets because I'm focused five years from now on their dynasty.
northstateblues – Those rumors are very worrisome even if they turn out just to be what they are – rumors. There are a lot of articles out there suggesting it, and it makes you wonder why, if it's a rumor, does it keep reappearing.
i know.. andre and russ there together.. *SIGH* 😉
kpookiemon – that sounds like a great feeling – a "young gun" dynasty of MartinLoneyKempEthierDeWitt – that will be one of the best days for this new Dodger era when we can actually say – "They did it and they are all still wearing Dodger Blue" 🙂
Just think of what damage can be done if they are just left alone to do what they do best – play baseball!!
LOL sara 🙂
i have NO idea why i'm still up! but we're not bringing up orenduff.. ramon troncoso is being recalled instead.
Just an idle thought… If we don't stop doleing out millions of dollars and starting positions to past-their-prime players, where will the money come from to keep the kids together once their contracts come up?
Good Question, northstateblues – hmmmmm! I would assume because of our market's size and the revenue they bring into Dodger Stadium, their contracts shouldn't be a problem. Isn't that another reason why we are kind of worried about the trade deadline because Ned has blown so much money in the past. Money has never been an object before. McCourt will just turn it around and make the fans pay somehow through higher ticket prices, parking, etc.
Boy, sara! I thought I was bad. Do you stay up reading this stuff too? I also have text alerts for the Dodgers so I will get text messages all day long telling me of transactions, moves, etc. I don't think there is a more passionate board out there. I think between all of us, there is not one aspect of this team that is not accounted for and can't be proven through statistics or written facts.
I don't think anybody in the Dodger Organization can ever say the ITD bloggers don't know what they are talking about. 🙂
Below is the section from the article about the Dodgers – the rest of the article focuses on other teams.
Come back, Andruw!
It's obvious the Dodgers miss shortstop Rafael Furcal, but guess what? As bad as center fielder Andruw Jones was before undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery — and he was .165-.273-.271 bad — the Dodgers were better offensively when he was healthy.
Jones made his last start on May 18. The Dodgers were 22-21 on that date, averaging 4.9 runs per game, according to STATS Inc. Since then, they've gone 12-17, averaging 3.4 runs per game.
Part of the drop-off, obviously, is attributable to the loss of Furcal to a back injury on May 5. But the increased workload for Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp in Jones' absence has not improved the performances of either young outfielder.
Ethier's OPS before Jones went down was .804; since then it's .776. Kemp's OPS was .793 before Jones' injury; since then it's .767.
The decreases might not be dramatic, but they're enough to suggest that both Ethier and Kemp benefited from the competition for playing time that existed when Jones was healthy. Then again, they also could reflect the typical inconsistency of young players.
I do realize the article above is written by Rosenthal, and I know now to take all of his stuff with a grain of salt, but it doesn't mean the man doesn't infuriate me. However, this sounds just like something Torre would say, so I wouldn't be surprised if Joe Torre actually believes this crap.
In the article, he forgot mention Juan Pierre's lovely numbers since Andruw departed. On May 18, Pierre's OPS was 674 and now it is 662; Pierre's numbers suck either way. So, if you are going by Rosenthal's logic then Pierre is missing the competition, too – right? but, oh wait, he is Joe Torre's version of a teacher's pet.
And what's Pierre's OBP since then??? Perhaps he benefitted from not playing every single friggin day! Rosenthal's such a hack who has it in for the kids just like Plaschke.
If the kids are so bad, why does every other GM in baseball want them, with Kemp first on their list? I don't see anyone asking about Pierre or Jones. Total tripe.
BTW, GOOOOOD Mornin' Dodger fans!!!
Good morning, enchanted!! The media is off to another day of kid bashing. They can't even get credit for playing good – it always gets turned around into something that still needs to be worked on, or just out and out lies like this article. In every article I read last night about Kemp, they would tell us how great he did, but then the writer would have to mention one of his shortcomings. Maybe the media needs to see a list of our vets shortcomings compared to the shortcomings of our young players, starting with Pierre and his weak-*** arm.
I just feel that, at this point, we've gone with the youth movement for so long that trading a Kemp, Loney or Kershaw would make everything since Grady Little was managing worthless. Yeah, even a World Championship couldn't erase what happened between the end of Gagne and today, but at least it would've been means to that end.
Hey, I'd like to win today too. So did many 49ers fans in the 80's and early 90's, and thanks to the contracts the owner gave out back then, they'd be lucky to see the playoffs by 2010.
and if they are foolish enough to trade any of those players, they'd damn well better be getting someone in their prime or just before their prime in return. A whisky salve to apply to the wound.
They trade Martin, Loney, Kemp or Kershaw and I'm through with them for good and will go over to the Angels. Trade Ethier, DY, DeWitt or LaRoche and they'd better get someone very upside or I'll strongly consider being through as well.
Would make no sense to get this far into a youth movement then do a 180, but it is afterall Ned's wisdom that has gotten us the illustrious group of PVLs we have already. Ned wouldn't know true talent if it came up and bit him in the ***.
maybe we can chalk up the kid bashing in the media to the desire to have one of baseball's big-market storied teams return to October relevance, in the way that if they can get John Q. Public baseball fan to think the vets are leading the team and the kids are awkwardly growing, then it would lessen the blow if the kids were traded for proven veteran leaders.
the zero-attention-span 21st Century media can't wait for a youth movement to develop in L.A. "Who does Kemp think he is?!!! Could learn a thing or two from selfless good-guy Luis Gonzales!" They're just as tired as us, but obviously they forget that one of the main reasons the Dodgers did good when they won championships was because of their homegrown talent. As any of us knows, the Free Agent era has rarely been kind to us, we always seem to get the short end of the stick. The only really really good trade I can think of within the last five years was Bradley for Ethier… But it'd mean nothing if we traded Andre, because he hasn't gotten to his prime yet (and the way he's plugged in and out of the lineup, hasn't got a real chance yet), and Bradley's among the AL batting average leaders this year.
Ehhh… I'm just insomniac and paranoid at the moment. Forgive the dark outlook of my posts, it's just that I'm not someone who trades their team loyalties very easily, and for crissakes, at least with the Lakers we only had to deal with Del Harris for 5 years, with Ceballos, van Exel et. al. The last time my FAVORITE team in sports won a title, I hadn't learned to write in cursive yet. I'm tired of waiting too, but I can wait if it means that we have not just a core, but a TEAM growing together, with PRIME veterans plugged into the holes.
(To this day, I think we'd like Pierre a lot better if he wasn't making 45 million dollars for his Punch-and-Judy speedy game style. I think his speed and drive is an essential cog to any team, as long as they don't expect anyone to see him as "The Answer To All Our Problems". We could've easily let the Giants have the guy named after Marichal, and signed Lofton to bide the time until the Bison became ready for CF duties. And, of course, it wouldn't hurt to not end multiple games with 2 out pop-flies in the midst of a 9th inning rally.)
And I have no doubt in my mind that if they'd get playing time instead of booster-seat treatment, these kids would have been winning Rookie of the Year awards like they did in the 80's and 90's.
Hard to do that when you're spending the formative years of your career making room for LuGo's leaky Huggies.
Good Morning, Dodger Blue Fans!
It's morning music time! I started out with a positive song using these lyrics, and then I read Rosenthal's article about Dre and Matt and with NSB's questions about trades, it's hard to stay positive when so much can possible go wrong when it comes to our idiot management team. Then again, what would a day be without a song about my favorite PVL 🙂
song : "Can't Play Without Phew"
Original Song: "With or Without You"
by U2
See the stone set in Joe'e eyes
See the thorn twist in Dre's side
Joe will wait for Phew
Sleight of hand and twist of fate
Joe makes Andre sit and wait
Cause Joe will wait for Phew
Can't play without Phew
Can't play without Phew
Through the storm Dre still gives more
Dre gives it all but Joe wants more
Cause Joe can't play without Phew
Can't play without Phew
Can't play without Phew
Joe can't play
Can't play without Phew
And Pierre plays everyday
And Pierre plays everyday
And he plays
And he plays
And Pierre plays everyday
Dre's hands are tied, he's ego bruised
Joe has him with nothing to win
And everything to lose
And Pierre plays everyday
And Pierre plays everyday
Can't play without Phew
Can't play without Phew
Joe can't play
Can't play without Phew
oh, oh, oh ****with Edge playing guitar****
Can't play without Phew
Can't play without Phew
Joe can't play
Can't play without Phew
Northstateblues – I hear you loud and clear. I am also up late at night reading all the trade hype – as much as I don't want to believe it, why is the rumor out there in the first place.
I don't think I would go as far as enchanted and be done with team, but I would be upset for a pretty long time, and probably couldn't watch for a while. And since I am not taking it to the extreme of cutting ties with the team, I would have to add Ethier to his list of untouchables. To get him off of a great trade only for him to get traded himself, would be really hard to take. Yes, he is my favorite player, but seriously, he has so much potential and hasn't gotten to show it yet because of always being blocked, and I really don't want to see him become a fabulous major leaguer on another team, nor would I want the same for Martin, Loney, Kemp or Kershaw.
Good one dnel! All you lyricists just don't quit! The "soft" Lakers could learn a thing or two from you.
Thanks northstateblues 🙂
Before I grab a nap (damn insomnia), here's a play on Cat Steven's "Where Do the Children Play".
Well I think it's fine having a vet or two
Or a Champ Manager in Dodger Blue
Here comes summer, Boys about to become men
But how can they get a chance if their road's just blocked again and again and again…
I know we've come a long way,
Lineups changing day to day
But tell me, when will the kids get to play?
Well they roll out vets, moth-eaten and sore
As the new Boys of Summer scratch their heads, they've seen this before
The season can be long, sitting out makes it tough
How can these kids come through if they don't get to play enough
Oh, I know we've come a long way,
Lineups changing day to day
But tell me, when will the kids get to play?
If we could reach the fall, cheers will fill the air
But judging from the last two years, Colletti can't get us there
Will he make us laugh? Will he make us cry?
Will he kick Kemp a Mile High in excange for that Holliday guy? No no no…
I know we've come a long way
But don't let it end this way
Or we'll be asking "Where do our kids now play?"
Notice though that most of this trade rumor crap originates on the east coast.
Good one nells!
Pardon me, that was rude. Let me start over.
Today's math lesson:
Rosenthal = Total moron
What an idiot. I logged on to that site and planted a reply. Since they're not too likely to accept it, here it is:
"Excuse me, "Part of the drop-off, obviously, is attributable to the loss of Furcal"? PART? Let's see, Furcal was hitting .366 and is STILL leading the Dodgers in runs scored. Jones is going to have to get hits in his first 6 at bats when he comes back just to get to the Mendoza Line. The fact is that the Dodgers were better offensively DESPITE Andruw, not because of him. There is no way that you can spin his numbers to show anything else.
The drop off in Ethier or Kemp or anyone else is fairly normal during the season. Let's pick some other timeframe and I'll show that they've improved. I can cherry-pick statistics too. Why not look at Juan Pierre's OBP and compare it to the other leadoff hitters? Why not look at Jeff Kent's numbers and compare them to other 3 and 4 hitters? Why not look at Mark Sweeney's PH numbers and compare them to other teams' primary pinch hitters? It's not the young players that are letting this team down, it's the veterans."
I couldn't make it any shorter or more 'polite'.
thanks enchanted!! It's like a teacher(master in your case) telling a student good job 🙂
Yes, I have noticed that all the rumors are from east coast. I am going to remain positive and assume they are just that – rumors.
wow!! You tell them eric!!! Way to go!! After a great win and production from our young players and to see something so idiotic in the news this morning, really had me infuriated as well. Why can't they just leave the kids alone and let them play?
Go get 'em eric!!!
Not surprisingly, I never received a response back from "Sarah's Take."
Northstate jumps in the deep end!!
It took a long time for Tony Jackson to come around and admit JP shouldn't be the left fielder, but where is he now? Why no critical pieces on how poor a leadoff hitter he is? Why no critical pieces on the worst hitter (and I use that term very loosely) on the team (Sweeney.)? Why no pieces on the first pitch hacks Pierre and Kent have been taking with regularity lately? Why always bash the kids? They're the only ones doing anything.
Anybody know the pitch counts for the PVLs vs. our kids the three games in Cincy? I swear JP and Kent couldn't average more than 2. something, where I'd be willing to bet out kids saw 4. something.
BTW, here's another great stat from PVL Kent: 9BB in 235 PA's (not even 4%.) If he were such a great threat, why wouldn't opposing pitchers be walking him more to get to our young guns who have no idea of how to hit? 9 walks – that's quality patience at the plate. Yeah, Kent has a plan everytime he goes to the plate – hack at everything.
eric, I posted this comment onto fox's comment line – is that what you did, or did you go to e-mail instead? I didn't see it posted so I am assuming it is being screened – yes?
I would like to comment on the Dodger outfield situation. Before somebody decides to call out the young players on the Dodgers and their decreasing OPS, one needs to look at the veteran stats of Juan Pierre. It was stated that Ethier(776) and Kemp's(767) OPS has dropped since Andruw Jones went on the DL, but it wasn't mentioned that Pierre's OPS has gone down also. His OPS has dropped from 674 to 662,which is over 100 points lower than Ethier and Kemps in the first place. The true Dodger fans are tired of our young players being singled out for being young players and nobody is addressing the issues with our veteran players who, in some cases, are severely lacking in statistical performance for this 2008 season so far. The Dodger fans want fairness in reporting statistical information, meaning if you are going to point out the shortcomings of our young players, then you need to address those same shortcomings with our current veterans as well. Statiscally, our young players are outperforming our veterans in almost every hitting category.
okay eric, mine made it to the fox comments, but did you go straight to the e-mail instead?
Very fabulous song northstateblues – Wow! you are going off the deepend like enchanted said. LOL!! It's okay, you are with a very good group – all crazy too 🙂
rosenthal is an idiot. i don't EVER listen to what that guy says..
you guys all forgot billingsley in your untradeables lists. you have kershaw but not bills. i would NOT be able to forgive them if they trade bills..
about the rumors.. since all the rumors are coming out of the east coast.. i think it's just because the yankees and the mets are both underachieving and they have nothing to talk about except hoping for a brighter future. acquiring prime talent in trades would be something to try and stay optimistic about. i think that's why they're trying to keep themselves entertained.
Hi nellie,
Yeah, I see yours made it, that's cool! Well said, I must say!
I don't know about mine. I typed it in the "Talkback" box. Perhaps they didn't like my email address. When I tried to log in, they didn't like my address. Something about "the portion of your address after the '@' is incorrect. Please use another address". Well, it's the only email address I have. I really don't want to use my work address, but I don't think they'd like it either. So I just made one up and it got me in. 🙂 It also said something about sending an email back to me, so perhaps when that email went into the email ozone they canned my comments. Ah, who cares? Yours got in and it says what I wanted to say anyway.
Maybe I just wasn't polite enough.
Sorry Sara, guess for some reason I either forget about the pitchers or consider Billz and Brox young vets. Would hate to see either one of them go as well. Obviously though, Ned can't afford to trade established pitching, so I'm not as worried about them.
Nice songs again this morning! Nellie and northstate, well done!
Northstate, weren't you one of those who had to change your name like fogey and kahli?
yeah, i figured the reason was that you were assuming bills is "safe" but i just don't trust ned, and i know a lot of teams would LOVE to get their hands on chad.
Oh, sara – I just assumed the Chad was safe, but I am with – he's is way too valuable to lose. I think I overlook the pitching staff in many cases because they are, according to media, the only ones doing their job lately, but that should make us even more vocal for them so that Ned doesn't do anything stupid (well, that's an understatement!), and assume we don't care about them, when it's really quite the opposite.
eric – I really wanted to say more, but it was getting too long. Thanks 🙂
For those of you that think CBILLS is "safe" I have one name for you and then you can rethink the "safe" claim…….
And also NED is a much bigger Moron than the Fox group!!
The funny thing about Rosenthal is he sounds like Coletti. The reason we were better with Jones is simply Pierre played less.
eric – "American Pie" just played on the radio – couldn't help but to think of your song. Same thing with enchanted's Bohemian's Rhapsody in the car on the way to Modesto yesterday. My son thinks I have absolutely lost my mind, but his teammates who were in the car find it cool that I am such an avid baseball fan, and that we would actually make up songs about the Dodgers.
I'd have to agree there jnv.
True jungar, but don't try and cloud the issue with facts! 🙂
jungar – never thought of it from that angle – lol!. Pierre playing more could have something to do with Ethier and Kemps so-called poor numbers. Can you imagine the numbers when they are both playing everyday – meaning Pierre and Jones playing everyday because the way it's going Pierre isn't sitting any time soon unless by some freak of nature thing happening.
jnv – thanks for putting us a little more at ease – NOT!! LOL!! 🙂
Pierre is a freak of nature…
I guess when you have no muscles to pull, it's hard to land on the DL.
Pierre is a freak of nature, He is the only major leaguer with a hat size smaller than my 10 year old son!! LMAO
LMAO!!!!! Unfortunately, enchanted, I am too well aware of that, but I remain hopeful his kryptonite will be discovered someday, and hopefully sooner than later. LMAO!!
let's try this one: the kids number are "getting worse" because torre doesn't appreciate them and they're afraid the better they play, the more likely it is they will lose playing time.
obviously it doesn't make sense, but in torre's mixed up world.. SIGH
Piano, piano, wherefore art thou, piano?
And what about LaRoche? The guy hits a home run in the first game he plays in and then sits on the bench for 5 games???? I trully do not understand Torre's thinking. How can you bitch about not getting enough offense but you sit a guy that hits a bomb his first at bat back???
I wont take this team seriously until they take themselves seriously and stop lying to the press.
Kent and Pierre are liabilities and should be treated that way at this point. Play for 2009 while winning in 2008. i AM TIRED OF IT CAUSE i WROTE THE SAME THING IN 05, 06, 07.
.254 /.300 /.296 /.596 with 18 runs in 41 games since Furcal went down. This is what we give ourt most AB's to and you want me to care if Kemp took a bad swing on a slider away as a 24 year old? U slug worse than your .300 obp?***** me Joe. how can I take anything you say seruiously, how can any of us? And yet there is Lyons and Steiner on "advice" from Coletti to talk about Pierres newfound game. I have news for you his OBP is .336 AGAIN.
And Kent, you cant field, and dude here are the numbers, come on Joe. .248 /.285/.405/.691 ****** how can you want me to root for a team that with its top 4 hitters you have two guys OPSin lower than 700. With Runers on base here is what mr meat and potatoes is doing, yet all i hear about is how the kids need to take proffesional ABS
.202 .273 .294 .566
Don't hold back Jungar you are on a roll!!! 🙂
Okay, here is my song-writing debut… Promise me, you won't laugh!!! Well, you can laugh with me, just don't laugh at me. Thx for the inspiration from all other songwriters on this blog. Sung to that lovable novelty Christmas song, Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. Maybe sung better if Ned is the one singing this song.
Juan Pierre got run over by a reindeer
Walking home from my house Christmas Eve.
You can say there's no such thing as Santa
But as for me an' Torre, we believe.
Juan was drinking too much eggnog
All night we laughed and caroused around
But he forgot he has no arm strength
As he tried to pull a weed from the ground
When we found him Christmas morning
We only saw his little head
That was sticking up from the snow
With deer droppings all around him like a bed
Juan Pierre got run over by a reindeer
Walking home from my house Christmas Eve.
You can say there's no such thing as Santa,
But as for me an' Torre, we believe.
Now we're all so proud of Torre
He's been taking this so well
Mumbling, "PVLs, who'd of thought?"
Playing young kids like he's under a spell
It's not Christmas without Slappy
All the family's dressed in blue
And with his unmatched 5" hat size
Who do we give his extra hats to?
Juan Pierre got run over by a reindeer
Walking home from my house Christmas Eve.
You can say there's no such thing as Santa,
But as for me an' Torre, we believe
Oh, and a note: I didn't know but I was just guessing on JP's hat size!!!
(: … 🙂
That's me looking both ways to make sure its safe to cross.
Jungar you're right on. It's just too bad we have the three stooges running the show in a bizarro world where logic and common sense don't apply.
There you go cpomp!! It's cooler in the deep end!!
"We think of him as the captain of this team," Dodgers first baseman James Loney said.
this quote was said about… RAFFY
random, yet interesting
How can Raffy be a team captain when he only plays part time???? Shouldn't a team captain actually play the game? Don't get me wrong I think ferk is great, but he has been hurt way to much to be considered a team captain.
thx enchanted. It was fun doing this. Like I said before, I'm not very long on imagination so it takes me a while. But I liked this song writing "shtick."
yeah, I love Raffy when he plays, but he doesn't play much. I like the idea of Russ being our captain!!!
and it was nice to see and hear both Blake DeWitt and Andre Ethier after the star ceremony!!!
CP – I am so very impressed. I was reading the song at the DMV, and I was laughing so hard, I was crying. It made the time there very enjoyable. You get extra brownie points for a song about Pierre. He's a favorite topic of mine, too.
jungar – before cp's song, I was having laughing moments over your comments too.
eric/enchanted – maybe now we can wish for pianos and reindeers – LOL!!!!!
thx dnel,
Like I told enchanted, it was fun doing this…
oh, and I can't take total credit for my song. Scott from Whittier put this out as an idea and I just ran with it. Now it was a slow run, but I ran with it nonetheless…
cp – I knew you would like doing it.
Where did you find out about DeWitt and Ethier at the "star" ceremony – were you there?
no I wasn't there. I was just watching it on Prime Ticket
CP – just think, we will get to repost that song every day during the holiday season. It will become a holiday classic for ITD – LOL!!!
thx dnel… I don't know about a classic, but thx anyways… I've gotta go; will catch up with y'all later…
More great song parodies – nice job to all.
Miss Debbie – you are right on about the general quality and generally on-target commentary here. I would mention that Dodger Thoughts ranks high as well. Remember the example I posted the other day of about 1 hour after J.D. Drew's opt-out was announced came their first comment about whatever they do, don't sign Juan Pierre?
Ken Rosenthal is a gossip-monger, not a credible analysis and it shows when he attempts to try analysis. You folks are spot on in your comments here. I might summarize it this way:
The Dodgers have struggled offensively since May 5 (Furcal's last game) due to:
1. Furcal at leadoff became Pierre at leadoff, daily.
2. Which led to LESS playing time for Kemp and Ethier, until Jones was hurt
3. Black hole of offense at SS.
4. Jeff Kent's near season-long slump in the 4th or 3rd hole.
5. Blake DeWitt finally cooled off.
JP's OPS until Furcal injury .780 (!), .662 now.
JP since Furcal hurt: .261 .307 .303 .610
LA SS not named Furcal: .140 .201 .186 .387
Jeff Kent 2008: .248 .285 .405 .690
Jeff Kent since Furcal down: .218 .248 .363 .611
DeWitt since 5/23 (starting with the St. Louis series): .211 .283 .267 .550
BTW, note that Pierre's had a better approach at the plate and put up better numbers as a PART-TIME player, despite the fact that he is normally a poorer first half player (career OBP split .337 vs. .360), then immediately slumped once he started leading off every day. I could just as easily speculate that JP is a better OBP man when he plays part-time and that the mental strain of playing every day causes him to lose concentration and take poorer approaches at the plate.
westernmost – in regards to Pierre and part -time. Maybe if he sleeps in instead of insisting on being at the ballpark 10 hours before a game, he won't be so tired and lose his concentration at the plate.
I do read the Dodger Thoughts blog usually daily, and yes I do find them very informative as well. There are a few good stat people on there and there's one that predicts based on percentages the outcomes of games – very cool stuff. However, they certainly do argue much more over there at times. I call them the hollywood group because on off days and times, they are always talking about television show scripts, etc. And yes, I realize our own entertainment appears to be odd over here too with all the songs. So, in some ways our groups are very much alike, and overall, we are all Dodger Fans wanting pretty much the same things – the best ball players on the field, period. 🙂
As far as Rosenthal – I do realize he is what he is – an idiot.
BTW – westernmost – all those points you made up above – why can't management see the obvious as you just pointed out?
maybe the part-time pierre thing, means that he was also one to benefit from the outfield competition, not just kemp and ethier. i think it means that when he felt like he had something to prove and show everyone they were wrong about him, he was able to be a better, smarter ball player.. but now that he has the job he wants (playing everyday and leading off) he has mentally relaxed and has become himself once again. i think job security is a motivating factor more for the vets than for the kids, because the kids are always going to try to work hard as they haven't "been paid" yet and the majority of them have a very high energy for the game.. so what this means is that until joe benches pierre for at least a day, or moves him to the bottom of the order, he's going to stay comfortable and lax.. send him a message, joe! i beg you! i know you won't, but i still wish you would exhibit some common sense, for once..
If Sara worked for Ned:
Sara – that was an insightful well thought out and logical argument.
We'll have none of that here young lady!!
btw, for those of you who have prime ticket, it looks like they're replaying the walk of fame ceremony quite a few times. i just set my tivo to record the next showing 🙂
If you think about it sara, the vets know Joe is on their side, so, as a veteran player on this team, why wouldn't you feel confident that your job is secure unless you take yourself out of the game. Joe has publically said Pierre is his lead off man, and if you are Pierre, you must be very, very happy (even though he never looks happy) – LOL!!
BUT NED, i was just trying to help the team.. we need to figure out ways to make ourselves better!
NED: it makes all too much sense. we don't make decisions around here with sense and logic. we're all about making unreasonable, illogical decisions!
Joe's with Juan like a kid is with a new toy – play with it until it breaks.
Break dammit, break!!!
sara – jealous right now – lol 🙂
Those of us without Prime Ticket would love to see today's Hollywood Star ceremony. Can you see if there is a way Dodgers.com can get us video as well. Thanks!!
I was thinking about scary Joey this morning, and had the epiphany that he isn't wishing anything upon the Dodgers that JoJo and Ned aren't already doing…
new thread with picture of star 🙂
all i'm saying is that maybe the vets need to be embarassed a bit before they'll respond. with all the comments and articles on their side, they have nothing to be ashamed of, so they'll just go about their business. because if no one tells me i'm doing anything wrong, i won't fix it. they seem to have no trouble embarassing or criticizing the kids.. they should shift and try it on the vets
The day that common sense is used by this Dodger regime is the day I roll over and die!!! 🙂
But at least I would see the day it happened!!!
Fascinating blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere?
A design like yours with a few simple tweeks would really make my blog stand out.
Please let me know where you got your theme. Kudos


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Multi-beam joint connection
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Quality Means Hours of Creative Play
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Safety First
Superior Play Systems® is serious about child safety. It's why all our wooden playsets sold at our dealer locations are designed by engineers and professionals and are tested in strict conditions for your absolute safety. In addition, our playsets have already withstood years of play and have stood the test of time. Since we maintain control over our production process, we can ensure each piece sold from Superior Play meets our exacting safety standards.
Unlike many plastic and metal playsets, our solid beam cedar play equipment is naturally pest- and weather-resistant, meaning we don't have to treat it or coat it in toxic chemicals, a common concern when it comes to metal and plastic play equipment. Each swing set and play area we make is also carefully checked to ensure it does not splinter.

subset: commoncrawl


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LONDON, July 11 (UPI) -- A new study has cast doubt on the recently accepted wisdom that a glass or two of red wine is actually good for the heart.
According to researchers, whose new study was published this week in the journal The BMJ, even a single glass of wine or beer can be damaging to the heart.
The research -- carried out by scientists from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University College London and Pennsylvania University -- isn't exactly new, as in no new experiments or studies were undertaken. But scientists analyzed a total of 50 studies that looked at drinking habits and heart health, with data from more than 260,000 people.
They say the big picture from all these studies: less alcohol is the only sure way to improve and protect heart health.
Some studies have previously suggested moderate amounts of alcohol could be good for heart health.
"However, we now have evidence that some of these studies suffer from limitations that may affect the validity of their findings," said study author Juan Casas, a researcher at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
"The best thing to do is to reduce consumption to reduce blood pressure and risk of heart disease," said Casas. "We expect that these findings will help to simplify policymaking about alcohol consumption."


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Easy Does It - Tales of Open Source Coding
After six weeks of the most intense coding I've done in seven years (!!) the basic functionality of my PigIron open source Java class library for IBM VSMAPI is complete.
It's been quite an experience. Seven years ago I became deeply professionally involved in architecture, team mentoring and project management. Through that era I always made sure to do at least some coding to keep my mojo workin'. But it was not a period marked by intense coding creativity.
Embarking on PigIron, I decided I was going to code as easy and economically as I could while still fulfilling the needs of PigIron's niche target audience in the mainframe world. I was determined to go easy on myself and my users and not sacrifice time and sanity on the pursuit of an illusory perfection, such as chasing nascent standards or popular programming metaphors for their own sake.
The experience has reaffirmed a lot you may have heard about simplicity.
First of all, if you're supporting a communication protocol with lots of similar but maddeningly diverse structures, it's easier to metacode than to code. I used m4 to generate the Java code itself for the 100 function calls and associated parameter types of VSMAPI 5.3.
What the PigIron audience is really looking for is open source browser-based provisioning of z/VM installations. That means a web application. PigIron layers that by providing (soon) a Servlet. It's partitioned that way so that I can author a simple Manager web app hopefully to be superseded by a better web app by someone who does that better. I just have to get as far as a Servlet.
The PigLet Servlet will respond to object streams over HTTP. "Use XStream !" my web-app coding buddy opined. But XStream is a complex, fully mature open source API built on about ten other open source projects. I wasn't ready to shift from coding a small, monolithic NetBeans+Ant project to using the phenomenally bloated Maven to build PigIron.
Instead there the classic reference implementation of JSON that's BSD-style licensed and now checked into the PigIron tree, which incidentally does XML as well. What a relief to find a simple, well-targeted, properly licensed piece of code just to drop in!
"Use Restlet for your servlet architecture!" another friend advised. But Restlet is still overkill for what PigIron does, which is essentially just bridging protocols with some parameter checking thrown in for good luck. Tomcat and a tiny body of hand code in Java appear sufficient, easily debuggable, and allow PigIron to keep most of the core functionality in PigIron itself, keeping minimal the code body residing in the external architecture of Servlets.
I had a minimal PigLet Servlet up and running within three hours of of downloading Tomact.
Open Source seems in danger of losing the K.I.S.S. concept of simplicity as a virtue. PigIron is paddling frantically in the opposite direction.


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Judges are unaware of the identities of writers and photographers during the review process and may not vote on their own submissions. Entries receiving the most votes are selected for publication.
Entries from people of all racial and ethnic backgrounds are encouraged.
Poetry--maximum five submissions with two pages maximum per poem
Short Stories--maximum of two submissions totaling 3,000 words each
Artwork and Photography--maximum five submissions; black and white photos and drawings preferred
For more information, contact the Write Place, Riverview 118, (320) 255-2031.
Last update: 15 July 1998
URL: http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/kaleidoscope/volume4/submit.html


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Raúl hoping to make impression on return to Spain
Wednesday 4 April 2012
Article summary
Raúl González admits FC Schalke 04 have it all to do as they look to overturn a 4-2 deficit at the home of the "best Athletic side I've ever seen", but he is determined to give his all.
Article top media content
Article body
Raúl González says it will be an honour to play what may be one last game at San Mamés, and he is determined to go out with a bang as FC Schalke 04 look to overturn a 4-2 UEFA Europa League quarter-final defeat at Athletic Club.
It looked set to be Raúl's night in last Thursday's first leg as he registered twice to overturn Fernando Llorente's opener midway through the first half, his second on the hour a sumptuous volley. Three goals in the last 17 minutes for the visitors completely changed the complexion of the quarter-final tie. "We were better for 70 minutes, but after they made it 2-2 we hit a wall," said the striker. "This may be the best Athletic I've ever seen."
That is high praise indeed of a Bilbao outfit he met frequently during his 16 years at Real Madrid CF. "They were always matches played with a lot of passion," Raúl recalled. "Having the chance to play at San Mamés once more time is an honour and I hope to mark it with a great performance even if our chances of beating Athletic are difficult. It will be a good match because both teams want the win."
Indeed, Schalke coach Huub Stevens hopes Athletic's unbending attacking style will bring their own downfall, though he is banking on his own side profiting from a similar approach. Opposite number Marcelo Bielsa confirmed that his team would play as they always do, a method that has brought its reward in cup competitions if not the Liga – Saturday's 2-0 defeat at FC Barcelona left them five league games without a win.
Bielsa admits as much, thanking Raúl for his praise but dismissing the notion that Athletic are having "a great or successful season". He added: "We have to improve; I've not achieved my target yet. It won't be easy to win on Thursday and we can't ignore Schalke's quality. Raúl is a great player and we'll have to defend well."
Suspensions to Ander Iturraspe and Fernando Amorebieta will hamper those ambitions, while Schalke have their own problems at the back as Christian Fuchs has flu. The timely return of goalkeeper Lars Unnerstall in Sunday's draw at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim provided a surprising lift, however, and if Schalke need further believe they can dwell on the fact that the last time a German side played at San Mamés, in 2009, SV Werder Bremen ran out 3-0 winners.


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Two weeks ago, I stood on the red carpet at the Sam Swope Auto Group 60th Anniversary, having just interviewed Mayor Greg Fischer on camera, and watched as Louisville's leader pulled out his iPhone and updated his Facebook and Twitter accounts with details about the event.
I pulled out my own iPhone, snapped a photo, and laughed: I'd just been scooped by my mayor.
Later that night, I posted several pictures to the Twitter and Facebook accounts I manage and included a photograph of Mayor Fischer with a comment that essentially said: "Want to know who's manning the mayor's social networking outlets? He is.â€
The feedback that ensued was positive – except for one private Facebook message from a man who doesn't live in Louisville.
"Great. Your mayor tweets. How is this relevant?†the sender asked. "And who cares!?â€
"I do,†I replied, "and judging from the response to my posts, so do many others. Most of us are used to our leaders being shrouded by public relations squads that fire off trite answers and formulated sound bites, or visibly arm them with so-called heartfelt speeches that were clearly written and revised by an arsenal of employees. We're used to our leaders being untouchable, inaccessible. Mayor Fischer is anything but. While you may not see the relevancy of what he did, many of us here in Louisville do. Our mayor has a solid staff of people who are charged with addressing the issues impacting our city, but he – not his team – took the time to send out a quick message about a great event to connect with the thousands of people who follow him on Facebook and Twitter. I believe this says something incredible about him and his commitment to being truly, fully accessible to the people he serves. And, frankly, I think what he did is proof my mayor is cooler than yours.â€
Admittedly, I was quite a bit fiery in my response, so I wasn't surprised at my critic's reaction: He defriended me after making a snide comment about the (admittedly obscene) number of photos I post of my dogs.
Follow Mayor Fischer as @louisvillemayor on Twitter or LIKE him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MayorGregFischer.
Speaking Of Cool…
On Jan. 3, LouisvilleKY.com writer Gabe Duverge wrote an intriguing article weighing the "cool factors†of Lexington and the University of Kentucky against those of the University of Louisville and the River City.
By now, most everyone has heard internationally-known rap mogul Jay-Z – also known as Beyonce's husband – was in Rupp Arena for the big Dec. 31 match-up against the Cards.
Gabe's take? "A friend helped it sink in at a New Year's Eve party. 'Why would Jay-Z spend his New Year's Eve in Lexington, Kentucky?' The answer is simple, but the ramifications are boundless. Thanks to John Calipari and his mega-teams of future pros, Lexington is experiencing a rebirth. Suddenly, a town known for horse farms and rolling pastures has become the 'Hip-Hop Capital of College Hoops.' … With its newfound cultural prominence, Lexington's largesse is also inflating.â€
I'm certainly not intending to jump into the Cats vs. Cards debate, but what struck me about the article and, even more, the voluminous feedback Gabe received is that many Kentuckians –both Blue and Red fans – are adamant about disproving the stereotypes we see perpetuated far too often about our state.
Despite the fiery rivalry, there is a common ground we seem to be standing on now more than ever: Kentucky is cool, and it's high time the rest of the country knows it.
Thanks, Jay-Z, for adding strength to our collective foundation. And if you ever want a courtside seat in the Yum! Center, I'm pretty sure that won't be a problem.
So Not Cool
Last weekend, I posted this Facebook status update after an embarrassing online interaction:
Best FB correspondence I've had this week or proof I need to slow down and stop multitasking: Guy I don't know: "Hi Angie. We never met but do you date brothers?†Me: "I'm not seeing anyone right now but dating brothers seems a little … weird. I prefer to date one person at a time and if I dated your brother, I don't recall, but dating two people from the same family would be really awkward. :)†Him: "LOL. I meant black guys.†Me: "Oh. Wow. Ha. Sorry.†#mortified
At first, people thought I was joking with the fella. I wasn't.
When I responded to his message, I was in the middle of several tasks and took his message literally. Brothers, to me at that moment, meant the familial kind, not a friendly racial designation.
I'd like to believe that's because I don't think of people in terms of race, and certainly not at all when it comes to whom I date. But, as one Facebook friend pointed out, my response –coupled with the fact that I own a pair of overalls and a fanny pack and wear both regularly – may be nothing more than evidence that my cover has been blown and I have been revealed to be "tragically unhip.†#whatever
MiniMarathon Madness
Even though January is almost over, it's not too late to train for the Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon. I am, and I won't lie, it still hurts, but there have been some seriously rewarding moments. I'm running with Fred's Team in support of the Olmsted Parks Conservancy and would love to have more people join us, but there are also many other causes you can run for. Find one that motivates you at www.derbyfestivalmarathon.com.
Want to connect with Angie? Email her at email@example.com, follow @angiefenton on Twitter, find her at www.facebook.com/angiefenton2 or call her at 502.551.2698.


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Any member of BAYS may be suspended or expelled from membership by a resolution passed by not less than two-thirds of Directors present at a Board meeting. The member involved shall be notified of the intended action and may make a statement to the Board of Directors before the resolution is put to a vote.
The decision of the Board of Directors shall be binding on the member and no reason for the suspension or expulsion need be given by the Board of Directors.


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As of July 1, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare banned Japan's restaurants from serving rebā-sashi — beef liver sashimi — a raw dish popular at yakiniku restaurants. It was only a matter of time, of course, before someone began promoting a substitute. After all, Japan is the country that brought the world kanikama — fake crabmeat.
Enter Mannan Rebā. It's made from sheets of konnyaku (arrowroot jelly), a traditional gelatinous foodstuff commonly found in oden. Haisky, the Kagawa Prefecture konnyaku manufacturer behind the product, introduced the imitation liver last fall — before the ban was announced but after the deadly food poisonings that prompted it.
It seems to be hitting the spot. The company has so far sold over 300,000 packs of Mannan Rebā — over half of them since the ban kicked in.


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Russian TV News Anchor Gives Obama The One-Finger Salute!
"A Russian news anchor flipped the bird on-camera while reading a report about the APEC summit that took place earlier this month in Hawaii. Tatiana Limanova made the hand gesture right after she read the name of President Barack Obama. It is unsure if the gesture was directed toward the U.S. president, Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, or someone off camera." - Therightscoop
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- News
- Video
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Taio Cruz is a British pop singer/songwriter whose second album, Rokstarr, catapulted him to international chart-topping success in 2010 with its smash hit singles "Break Your Heart" and "Dynamite." Born Jacob Taio Cruz on April 23, 1983, in London, England, to a Nigerian father and a Brazilian mother, he went to school in Rugby, Warwickshire, West Midlands. His songwriting career got off to a quick start when he was signed to a publishing deal at age 19 and credited with co-writing Pop Idol winner Will Young's 2004 Top Five hit single "Your Game," the recipient of the 2005 Brit Award for Best British Single. In the wake of this success, Cruz made his debut as a solo artist in 2006 with the Top 30 single "I Just Wanna Know." Initially released by his own label, Rokstarr Music London (later renamed Rokstarr Entertainment Division), the song earned him a major-label recording contract with Island Records. Following a couple more singles, "Moving On" and "Come on Girl," the latter of which hit the Top Five, Cruz made his full-length album debut with Departure (2008). Entirely written and produced by the singer/songwriter himself, Departure spawned another two singles, "I Can Be" and "She's Like a Star," and earned favorable reviews. Prior to releasing his second album, Cruz furthered his reputation as a hitmaking songwriter. In addition to co-writing songs for British pop superstars Cheryl Cole ("Stand Up") and JLS ("Keep You"), he penned material for grime rapper Tinchy Stryder's second album, Catch 22 (2009), in particular the Top Five hit "Take Me Back" and the chart-topping smash "Never Leave You." "Break Your Heart," the lead single from Cruz's second solo album, Rokstarr (2009), topped the U.K. singles chart in September, a month after "Never Leave You" vacated the spot, and third single "Dirty Picture" was another major hit, reaching the Top Ten. Produced and written in collaboration with fellow U.K. hitmaker Fraser T. Smith, Rokstarr was re-released internationally in 2010 with the addition of "Dynamite," a Dr. Luke production that topped the charts in a half-dozen different countries. "Break Your Heart" was likewise re-released internationally and hit number one in several different countries, including the United States, where it was remixed to include rapper Ludacris as a featured guest. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi


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It's a rare day you find a female-driven comedy that doesn't focus solely on romantic entanglements or who's prettier, because, obviously, that's all women have the mental capacity to bicker and pull hair over, right, Hollywood?
But the prospect of "You Again," about a nerd-girl-made-good (Kristen Bell) confronting the queen bee ("Cloverfield"s Odette Yustman) who made her life miserable in high school before the mean girl marries her brother (sadly under-watched "Lone Star" rising star James Wolk), seemed ready to sidestep all of those banal clichés. Sure, it was still set around a wedding, but that just served as a backdrop, setting the stage for a showdown so many would love to have (Chenoa Thomas, we'll meet you in the parking lot any day, any time). Add to the mix a cast including hotter-than-summer-in-Boca Betty White, Sigourney Weaver, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Kristin Chenoweth and "You Again" has all the right ingredients to serve up a comedy soufflé that's airy, sweet and satisfying.
So why does it fall flat and airless?
U.S. & World
Is it director Andy Fickman's fault? Fickman's career has been frustratingly mercurial to follow. We loved his early efforts, "Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical" and the vastly underrated but cultishly beloved Shakespearian rewrite, "She's the Man," but "The Game Plan" and "Race to Witch Mountain" left us cold.
Is it the way the film spirals out of control and into Disney Channel sitcom territory by pitting Weaver and Curtis against each other in a sophomoric battle mirroring Bell and Yustman's?
Is it the inexperience of first-time screenwriter Moe Jelline showing in a script of cobbled together sight gags?
Is it the continued curse of female comedies?
The answer: All of the above.
While Bell makes for a charming and skilled lead, the film's credibility is instantly shot when the audience is asked to buy her as a pimply, four-eyed loser. Bell is simply too sunny, golden and glorious to be believably bullied. Meanwhile, Yustman, whose career has been largely based on scream queen roles, lacks the comedy chops to stand out in a crowd with credits ranging from "A Fish Called Wanda" to everyone's favorite Lifetime reruns, "The Golden Girls."
Less a feature film than a series of showy vignettes, "You Again" is familiar in the worst kind of way as it meanders along by rote, leaving behind an awkward afterburn that makes you feel like you're stuck in a "Saved by the Bell" episode that's all Screech and no Kelly or Zach. And no one wants to see Jamie Lee Curtis acting like Screech. A continuous loop of her commercials about yogurt that makes you poop would be more enjoyable.


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Embedded below is the full text of the bill the GOP has proposed to raise the debt ceiling for three months. (That is, if Harry Reid can pass a budget.) Give it a read, share some thoughts, and if you're a lawyer, make sure the House leadership doesn't accidentally propose anything unconstitutional. And, for conservative readers, take a while to ponder why Republicans think it's smart to vote to raise the debt ceiling four times a year.
H/T Joe Weisenthal and Jamie Dupree


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Located at the St. Pete/Clearwater Airport. "Aviators" Bar & Lounge, Dollar Car Rental, Business Center, SHUTTLE, wireless internet throughout, tennis and basketball courts, golf.
Data is submitted by registered FlightAware members on 2010-Sep-03 11:11.You must register or login to edit FBO information.
Jet A and 100LL airport fuel prices for all FBOs at KPIE


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Our long-term research objectives are to understand, in mechanistic detail, how RNA viruses enter, replicate, express genetic information, and bud from cells, to understand viral pathogenesis, and to facilitate the rational design and development of new vaccines and anti-viral drugs. Our general strategy is to focus on human metapneumovirus and avian metapneumovirus (members of Paramyxoviridae, non-segmented negative-sense RNA viruses) and human norovirus (a member of Caliciviridae, positive-sense RNA virus).
Research interest I: Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) and avian metapneumovirus (aMPV).
The family Paramyxoviridae includes two subfamilies: Pneumovirinae and Paramyxovirinae. The subfamily Pneumovirinae includes a number of significant human and animal respiratory pathogens such as human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV), bovine RSV (bRSV), human metapneumovirus (hMPV), avian metapneumovirus (aMPV), and pneumonia virus ofmice (PVM). Examples of Paramyxovirinae include human parainfluenza virus type 3 (PIV3), measles, mumps, and Hendra and Nipah viruses. Among the paramyxoviruses, hMPV, RSV, and PIV3 account for more than 70% of acute viral respiratory diseases, most notably in infants, children, and the elderly. Together these viruses are responsible for the majority of respiratory tract diseases and inflict significant economic and emotional burdens. For many of these viruses, there are no effective vaccines or anti-viral drugs.
Project 1: Understand the mechanism of metapneumovirus entry.
Paramyxoviruses enter host cells by fusing the viral envelope with a host cell membrane. This is mediated by membrane fusion induced by surface glycoprotein spikes. For viruses in the Paramyxovirinae subfamily, it is firmly established that membrane fusion requires a specific interaction between two glycoproteins, the attachment protein and the fusion (F) protein, with fusion occuring at neutral pH. However, membrane fusion of pneumoviruses appears to be unique, in that fusion is accomplished by the F protein alone without help from the attachment glycoprotein. In addition, some hMPV strains require low pH for fusion to occur. Our lab has chosen to study two closely related pneumoviruses, hMPV and aMPV, as models to understand the mechanisms of membrane fusion triggered by F protein.
Project 2: Understand the replication and gene expression of metapneumoviruses.
All viruses utilize host cell machinery to synthesize their own genetic materials. Upon entry into cells, the virus has to initiate replication and gene expression. Paramyxoviruses use a unique strategy for replication and gene expression. The active template for paramyxovirus replication is not the naked RNA genome but the protein and RNA complex. Viral genomic RNA is completely encapsidated by the nucleocapsid (N) protein to form an N-RNA complex. During RNA synthesis, the N-RNA template is recognized by viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) that carries out two distinct processes: (i) transcription to yield 6-10 capped, methylated and polyadenylated messenger RNAs and (ii) replication to yield full-length antigenomic and subsequently genomic RNA.
Our lab uses hMPV and aMPV as models to understand the mechanisms by which the RdRp controls these two processes: replication and transcription. We will focus on the two major components of RdRp, the large protein catalytic subunit (L) and the cofactor phosphoprotein (P). We will use biochemical and genetic approaches to define functional domains in the RdRd that regulate replication and transcription. Disruption of these functional domains in the RdRp could potentially limit virus replication and thus attenuate the virus, or alternatively could be lethal to the virus. Therefore, a better understanding of replication and transcription control would facilitate the rational design and development of new vaccines and anti-viral drugs against these viruses.
Research interest II: Human norovirus and animal caliciviruses.
The Caliciviridae family includes a number of significant enteric viruses that cause gastroenteritis in humans and animals. Examples of these viruses include human norovirus, human sapovirus, porcine norovirus, and the newly discovered primate calicivirus (Tulane virus). Human norovirus is the leading cause of nonbacterial gastroenteritis worldwide, contributing to over 95% of all non-bacterial acute gastroenteritis each year, and more than 60% of all foodborne illnesses reported annually. However, human norovirus remains difficult to study because it cannot be grown in cell culture and it lacks a small animal model. Currently, there is no vaccine or antiviral drug against this virus.
Project 1: Develop practical prevention and control strategies against human norovirus.
Currently, there is no effective measure to control human norovirus. Our goal is to develop novel strategies to eliminate viral contamination in food, water, and the environment. We are interested in identifying effective sanitizers to remove viruses from food, equipment, and any contact surfaces; and identifying effective thermal and non-thermal processing technologies to inactivate viruses in foods and the environment.
Project 2: Understand the pathogenesis of human norovirus and primate calicivirus in a gnotobiotic pig model.
Recently, we found that Tulane virus, an enteric cultivable primate calicivirus that is genetically similar to human norovirus, replicates in gnotobiotic pigs. Similar to human norovirus, Tulane virus causes diarrhea and fecal viral shedding, and histological changes in pig intestines. Using gnotobiotic pigs as a model, we aim to understand the pathological and immunological aspects of human norovirus and primate calicivirus in vivo.
Project 3: Develop new vaccine candidates against human norovirus and other noncultivable caliciviruses.
To date, there are no vaccines or anti-viral therapies for human norovirus. This is due in major part to the fact that human norovirus cannot be grown in cell culture. Generally, a live attenuated vaccine stimulates strong systemic immunity and provides durable protection. However, such a vaccine is not realistic for viruses that cannot grow in cell culture. In this situation, a vectored vaccine may be ideal. We are interested in developing non-segmented negative-strand RNA viruses (such as vesicular stomatitis virus, VSV) as vectors to deliver human norovirus virus-like particles (VLPs) to be used as a candidate live vaccine for human norovirus. Using a gnotobiotic pig model, we will examine the protective immune response against human norovirus infection using these vaccine candidates. VSV offers a number of advantages, such as safety, genetic stability, efficient expression of foreign genes, and induction of systemic immune responses. This recombinant system will provide a new avenue for the development of vaccines for non-cultivable caliciviruses.
Ongoing Research Support
- "Messenger RNA capping and methylation in pneumoviruses." $1.9M
Principle Investigator: Jianrong Li; co-investigator: Stefan Niewiesk
Agency: NIH/NIAID R01
Period: 12/01/2010 -11/30/2015
- "An integrated approach to prevent and minimize foodborne enteric viruses in vegetables and fruits." $1.0M
Principle Investigator: Jianrong Li
Agency: USDA National Integrated Food Safety Initiative (NIFSI)
Period: 09/01/2010-09/01/2014
- "Inactivation of enteric foodborne viruses in high risk foods by non-thermal processing technologies" Total: $5.0M; subcontract to Li $850,000
Site Principle Investigator: Jianrong Li; Principle Investigator: Haiqiang Chen
Agency: USDA/National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Period: 02/01/2011-01/31/2016
- "Building capacity to control viral food borne disease: a translational, multidisciplinary Approach" Total: $25.0M; subcontract to Li $850,000
Site Principle Investigator: Jianrong Li; Principle Investigator: Lee-Ann Jaykus
Agency: USDA/National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Period: 07/01/2011-06/30/2016
- "Methyltransferase-defective recombinant viruses as live vaccine candidates for avian metapneumovirus: a jump from theory to practice." $375,000
Principle Investigator: Jianrong Li; co-investigator: Mo Saif
Agency: USDA/AFRI Animal Health and Well-being Program
Period: 11/01/2009 -03/30/2014


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Photo Jaya Tri Hartono. Copyright © YogYes.com
Bedroom 4 at Caty's HouseBedroom 4 at Caty's House, a place to stay in Sleman. See also another photos of [NAME] here.
12. Bedroom 5
Photo Gallery of Caty's House
Exterior Garden Living Room Encyclopedia of CATS Dining Room Bedroom 1 Bedroom 2 Bathroom 1 Bedroom 3 Bathroom 2 Bedroom 4 Bedroom 5 Bathroom 3 Cats Decoration Kitchen Dining Room Cats Decoration
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About Caty's House
There are only few rented houses in Yogyakarta having cook, that's why Caty's House becomes special because of its cook service. Caty's House is your sweet home far away from home.Read more:
CATY'S HOUSE - A Rented House with A Special Cook