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Sch only started yesterday and I felt like I have aged so much. My punishment for not completing my hols hw sent me into a mad rush and panic to complete everything in 1-2days. Well I succeeded somehow with my lack of sleep, breaking my resolution to sleep early in sch days in a single day. 😂🔫 Honestly there was no thrill I feel on the first day of sch, just felt like I am back to sch after a week of hols (considering I go sch 3 times a week for training, school is just too familiar even in the hols). Still have some essays to be completed by next week but it's okay at least i can breathe now cos it's orientation for the next 3 days! I realised despite the mad rush to complete all my hw since last week, I have read 2 books! (Idk where I found time for that) 😂 anyways both books were kinda similar in the sense that one was in the form of letter writing while the other one was purely conversations between the characters throughout the whole book. (Btw they are the perks of being a wallflower and love, Rosie) anyways I found both books really nice except I was a little confused with TPOBAW cos idk what mental illness he was suffering from and his relationship with his aunt Helen etc. love, Rosie on the other hand was just really nice, idk how describe but it's basically this Rosie girl and Alex guy who were best friends since 5 years old. They missed many chances of getting together and had their own separate lives for so many years while still being there for each other all the time. There are a lot 命运作弄他们 moments but the book eventually ends off with them realizing their love for each other and pursuing it (they were 50 years old by that time). Anyways it's a nice book haha. I think I'm addicted to reading again. Probably going to read a new book soon!
On a side note, the juniors are finally in SH which makes us the oldest in sch omg! Honestly it feels a little weird not seeing the seniors in sch anymore! Breakout today was epic HAHA! Btw, I hope orientation will be fun Tmr! 🙂


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complaints, reviews, rip off & scam : 4 pages every SMB site must have
The title says it all. Complaints, reviews, rip off & scam are 4 searches that every commercial site, product and service provider should be aware off. Once your users started searching for these keywords + your business name, service or product, you know you have a problem.Read More
Creating SEO Friendly Maps – my first SEOmoz post
My first post on SEOmoz.org on creating SEO friendly maps just got published, check it out and let me know! You may also want to check my post on creating SEO friendly Widgets.Read More
45+ Check Points for a Comprehensive SEO Site Audit
In every SEO conference I attend there must be multiple site clinic sessions. Webmasters and business owners ask questions to a bunch of SEO gurus. What I noticed is that there is no process or structured methodology to Audit a site. Also i noticed that most of webmasters/business owners are not very familiar with SEO or Coding. That's why I created this comprehensive list of SEO check points for any site webmaster or business owner to SEO-Audit their site in an easy way:Read More
SEO Friendly Widgets
The main goal for widgets, so far, is its viral effect in increasing traffic. But with the recent Facebook.com updates (allowing spiders to their members profile pages) and the increased use of widgets on social networks, it is important to build SEO friendly widgets. In other words to utilize widgets in link building. if you are going to have a Widget, you should get some SEO link benefit out of it, in addition to its viral benefit.
To discuss how we can use widgets for SEO benefits, let's dissect widgets into 3 main parts; header, footer and body.
SEO Over-Optimization Penalty (OOP)
While many SEOs claim this is a myth, a lot of us see it happening everyday. I am discussing "white-hat" tactics that may cause over-optimization penalties. Hitting the over-optimization filters in Google is also called "-950 penalty" because site rankings get demoted 950 positions.Read More
URL Optimization
1- Avoid Session IDs
2- Use server mod reWrite when possible
3- use hyphens instead of underscores
4- include your primary keyword in the URL
5- keep your pages closer to the root directory "flat directory architecture"
SEO Advanced
SEO AdvancedRead More

subset: commoncrawl


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Business and Finance
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The roof may be one part of the house that is rarely touched by you. However, the roof becomes an important part because it directly affects your own comfort. Roofs that are not treated will experience some problems. The most frequent problem is the roof leak during the rainy season. To fix it you can use the services of dunwoody roofing. A leaking roof will indeed cause some loss to yourself. For that, you need to know some...
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The following restricted page is accessible only within the UCLA network. Please logon with your AD credentials.
William Kim
William received his Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Pathology from the University of California, Los Angeles where he identified and subsequently investigated the ability of a synthetic fusion protein containing the intracellular signaling domain of the Thrombopoietin receptor to induce erythropoiesis from human hematopoietic and embryonic stem cells. Currently, he is working with collaborators from City of Hope to develop a novel dendrimer nanoparticle mediated approach to transiently manipulate gene expression during hematopoietic differentiation from human embryonic stem cells. William is also an aspiring singer/song writer but is definitely not quitting his day job anytime soon. He is also particularly fond of Puritan literature, art history, as well as traditional folk and Irish music, aside from the many other awesome things in life.
Selected Publications
Kim W, Zhu Y, Deng Q, Chin CJ, He CB, Grieco AJ, Dravid GS, Parekh C, Hollis RP, Lane TF, Bouhassira EE, Kohn DB, and Crooks GM. (2014). Erythropoiesis from Human Embryonic Stem Cells Through Erythropoietin-Independent AKT Signaling. Stem Cells. 32(6):1503-14.
Parekh C, Sahaghian A, Kim W, Scholes J, Ge S, Zhu Y, Asgharzadeh S, Hollis R, Kohn D, Ji L, Malvar J, Wang X, and Crook G. (2012). Novel Pathways to Erythropoiesis Induced by Dimerization of Intracellular cMpl in Human Hematopoietic Progenitors. Stem Cells. 30(4):697-708.
Mukherjee T, Kim W, Mandal L, and Banerjee U. (2011). Interaction between Notch and Hif-alpha in development and survival of Drosophila blood cells. Science. 332(6034):1210-1213.
Call G, Olson JM, Chen J,…Kim W,…Banerjee U. (2007). Genome-wide clonal analysis of lethal mutations in the Drosphila melanogaster eye: comparison of the X-chromosome and autosomes. Genetics. 177(2): 689-697.
Liao TSV, Call GB, Guptan P, Cespedes A, Marshall J, Yackle K, Owusu-Ansah E, Mandal S, Fang QA, Goodstein GL, Kim W, Banerjee U. (2006). An efficient genetic screen in Drosophila to identify nuclear-encoded genes with mitochondrial function. Genetics. 174: 525-533.
Lily Miao
Runfeng Miao (Lily) is an undergraduate student in Nanjing University, China. She is an exchange student and works in the lab as a research volunteer for a year. Currently, she is working on the gene expression of novel hematopoietic progenitors under the instruction of Chris Seet. She is an energetic girl, in her spare time, she likes to draw, read and play basketball.
Edward He
Chong Bin (Edward) He obtained his B.S. degree in 2014 with a major in biochemistry and a minor in biomedical research from the University of California, Los Angeles. Edward joined Crooks lab through the UCLA undergraduate research program. Working closely with William Kim, Edward's aim was to investigate the efficiency of controlling the timing of gene expression during the process of hematopoietic differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells using various approaches including lentiviral vectors containing Tet-on inducible system and electroporation mediated RNA transfection. Upon graduation, Edward continues to work as a Staff Research Associate in the lab, where he participates in multiple projects such as engineering of a thymic aggregate for implantation, analysis of molecular factors necessary for neonatal thymopoiesis, and generation of definitive hematopoietic stem cells from pluripotent stem cells.
Judy Zhu
Yuhua (Judy) Zhu, Staff Research Associate IV, is the lab manager of the Crooks lab. Her expertise includes human embryonic stem cell cultures and transduction, cord blood, fetal liver and bone marrow processing, as well as functional assays for hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, reading and cooking Chinese cuisines (eg. delicious dumplings) for both her family and her fellow lab members.
Rebecca Chan
Staff Research Associate II
Jessica Scholes
Salemiz Sandoval
Salemiz Sandoval received her Ph.D. from the Molecular Biology Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. Her work was focused on identifying oncogenes that cooperated with the transcription factor CREB to accelerate leukemias in a mouse model of myeloproliferative disease. Salemiz joined the lab of Dr. Crooks in September 2011. Currently, she is working to characterize the function of several stem cell specific microRNAs in the hematopoietic system. On her spare time she enjoys analyzing gene expression and flow cytometric data…while watching Walking Dead. She also enjoys hiking, watching movies and spending time with family and friends.
Sandoval, S, Kraus, C, Cho, M, Cho, E, Bies, J, Manara, E, Accordi, B, Landaw, EM, Wolff, L, Pigazzi, M, Sakamoto, KM. Sox4 cooperates with CREB in Myeloid Transformation. Blood May 2012. PMID: 22627767
Sandoval, S, Pigazzi, M, Sakamoto, KM. CREB: A Key Regulator of Normal and Neoplastic Hematopoiesis. Advances in hematology. 2009. PMID: 19960054
Cheng, J, Esparza, S, Sandoval, S, Shankar, D, Sakamoto KM. The potential role of CREB as a prognostic marker in Leukemia. Future Oncol. 3: 475-480, 2007. PMID: 17661722
Kinjo, K, Sandoval, S, Sakamoto, KM, and Shankar, D.B. The Role of CREB as a Proto-oncogene in Hematopoiesis. Cell cycle, 4:1134-1135, 2005. PMID: 16096372
Yang, SH, Toth, JI, Hu, Y, Sandoval, S, Meta, M, Bendale, P, Gelb, MH, Bergo, MO, Young, SG, Fong, LG. Blocking protein farnesyltransferase improves nuclear blebbing in mouse fibroblasts containing a targeted Hutchinson- Gilford progeria syndrome mutation. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 102: 10291-10296, 2005. PMID: 16014412
Stephanie C. de Barros
Stephanie obtained her PhD degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry in 2012 at the University of Sciences and Technology in Montpellier, France. Her PhD research focused on studying the modulation of hematopoietic progenitor cell engraftment and T cell differentiation by conditioning regimen and different routes of progenitor administration. She joined Dr Crooks' team in October 2013, where she is pursuing her interest in T-cell development from a different perspective: by investigating the mechanisms triggering thymic stroma growth and regeneration, as well as the early events leading to thymic involution. Besides being a thymus lover, Stephanie enjoys exploring the City of Angels, traveling, photography, swimming and she loves baking desserts for her friends.
Oburoglu, L., Tardito S., Fritz, V., De Barros, S.C., Merida, P., Craveiro, M., Mamede, J., Cretenet, G., Mongellaz, C., An, X., Klysz, D., Touhami, J., Battini, J.L., Dardalhon, V., Zimmermann, V.S., Mohandas, N., Gottlieb, E., Sitbon, M., Kinet, S., and Taylor, N. 2014. Coupling glucose and glutamine metabolism to nucleotide biosynthesis conditions the lineage differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells. Cell Stem Cell., Nov 6;15(5):666-8.
De Barros, S.C., Vicente R., Chebli K., Jacquet C., Zimmermann V.S and N. Taylor. 2013. Intrathymic progenitor cell transplantation across histocompatibility barriers results in the persistence of early thymic progenitors and T cell differentiation. Blood., 121 (11): p.2144-53.
De Barros, S.C., Zimmermann, V.S and N. Taylor. 2013. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: Targeting the thymus. Stem Cells.
Vicente, R., Swainson, L., Marty-Grès, S., De Barros, S.C., Kinet, S., Zimmermann, V.S. and N. Taylor. 2010. Molecular and Cellular Basis of T cell Lineage Commitment. Sem. Immunol., 22:270-275.
Amélie Montel-Hagen
Assistant Project Specialist
Amélie did her undergraduate studies in biochemistry and molecular biology at the University of Montpellier, France where she developed strong interest in hematopoietic cell biology. She received her PhD in July 2008 under the supervision of Dr Naomi Taylor at the Institute of Molecular Genetic of Montpellier (IGMM), France. Her doctoral work was mainly focused on glucose and vitamin C transport during erythropoiesis but also aimed to understand T-cell commitment and differentiation. Amélie was rewarded a post-doctoral fellowship from Europe and joined Dr Hanna Mikkola's lab at UCLA in January 2009. She was studying the role of the transcription factor Mef2c in B cells and hematopoietic stem cells during development and aging in mice. She also led a project on the transcriptional regulation of the hematopoietic fate by SCL/TAL1 during mouse development.
Amélie decided to pursue her career in immunology; she joined Dr Crooks' lab at UCLA in July 2012 as a postdoctoral fellow and obtained a faculty position in January 2014. Her work is focused on the biology of the thymus and specifically on the thymic microenvironment and the induction of immune tolerance. Her goal is to create a translational implantable model composed of thymic stromal cells (including thymic epithelial cells and mesenchyme) and hematopoietic progenitors in order to support T-cell development and induce tolerance through the generation of Tregs.
Outside of the lab Amélie enjoys exploring LA and Southern California with her husband Guillaume and their two boys Andrew and Damian. She likes painting, dancing, running and most of all making pastries.
Scl binds to primed enhancers in mesoderm to regulate hematopoietic and cardiac fate divergence. Org T, Duan D, Ferrari R, Montel-Hagen A, Van Handel B, Kerényi MA, Sasidharan R, Rubbi L, Fujiwara Y, Pellegrini M, Orkin SH, Kurdistani SK, Mikkola HK. EMBO J. 2015 Jan 6. pii: e201490542.
Engineering the human thymic microenvironment to support thymopoiesis in vivo. Chung B, Montel-Hagen A, Ge S, Blumberg G, Kim K, Klein S, Zhu Y, Parekh C, Balamurugan A, Yang OO, Crooks GM. Stem Cells. 2014 Sep;32(9):2386-96. doi: 10.1002/stem.1731.
Scl represses cardiomyogenesis in prospective hemogenic endothelium and endocardium. Montel-Hagen A*, Van Handel B*, Sasidharan R, Nakano H, Ferrari R, Boogerd CJ, Schredelseker J, Wang Y, Hunter S, Org T, Zhou J, Li X, Pellegrini M, Chen JN, Orkin SH, Kurdistani SK, Evans SM, Nakano A, Mikkola HK. Cell. 2012 Aug 3;150(3):590-605. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2012.06.026. *equal contribution
Erythroid glucose transporters. Montel-Hagen A, Sitbon M, Taylor N. Curr Opin Hematol. 2009 May;16(3):165-72. doi: 10.1097/MOH.0b013e328329905c. Review.
In vivo and ex vivo gene transfer in thymocytes and thymocyte precursors. Adjali O, Montel-Hagen A, Swainson L, Marty S, Vicente R, Mongellaz C, Jacquet C, Zimmermann V, Taylor N. Methods Mol Biol. 2009;506:171-90. doi: 10.1007/978-1-59745-409-4_13.
The Glut1 and Glut4 glucose transporters are differentially expressed during perinatal and postnatal erythropoiesis. Montel-Hagen A, Blanc L, Boyer-Clavel M, Jacquet C, Vidal M, Sitbon M, Taylor N. Blood. 2008 Dec 1;112(12):4729-38. doi: 10.1182/blood-2008-05-159269. Epub 2008 Sep 16.
Cell surface expression of the bovine leukemia virus-binding receptor on B and T lymphocytes is induced by receptor engagement. Lavanya M, Kinet S, Montel-Hagen A, Mongellaz C, Battini JL, Sitbon M, Taylor N. J Immunol. 2008 Jul 15;181(2):891-8.
Erythrocyte Glut1 triggers dehydroascorbic acid uptake in mammals unable to synthesize vitamin C. Montel-Hagen A, Kinet S, Manel N, Mongellaz C, Prohaska R, Battini JL, Delaunay J, Sitbon M, Taylor N. Cell. 2008 Mar 21;132(6):1039-48. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2008.01.042.
Isolated receptor binding domains of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 envelopes bind Glut-1 on activated CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Kinet S, Swainson L, Lavanya M, Mongellaz C, Montel-Hagen A, Craveiro M, Manel N, Battini JL, Sitbon M, Taylor N. Retrovirology. 2007 May 15;4:31.
Kenneth Kim
Kenneth graduated from UCLA in 2013 with a B.S. in Biology. Since graduating, he's been working closely with Amélie Montel-Hagen on engineering a functional, implantable thymic microenvironment. He also assists Stéphanie de Barros in her project to better understand the biology of the thymus. Outside of the lab, Kenneth enjoys playing sports, biking, listening to music (including country), and eating tacos with friends after 2 A.M.
Julia Chin
Chee Jia (Julia) Chin, MS is a PhD candidate in the Cellular and Molecular Pathology program at UCLA. Her thesis research focuses on understanding the extrinsic factors/microenvironment that are important for hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) maintenance and that can facilitate generation of HSC from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC). With funding from the International Fulbright Science and Technology Award, she has focused during the first stage of her PhD thesis on how mesenchymal components in the bone marrow niche regulate HSC. Her work led to a publication describing a novel population of cells identified as CD146+ pericytes in the human fetal bone marrow and the adult fat tissues that are functionally distinct from other mesenchymal cells in their ability to maintain repopulating HSCs. Prior to joining UCLA, Julia earned her Masters degree in Bioscience at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, where she spearheaded the set-up and build-out of a new research laboratory in stem cell biology. During her free time, she loves to travel with a Lonely Planet, tries interesting food and optimizes her cooking skills with support from the lovely Crooks lab members.
Kim W, Zhu Y, Deng Q, Chin CJ, He CB, Grieco A, Dravid G, Parekh C, Hollis R, Lane TF, Bouhassira EE, Kohn DB, Crooks GM. Erythropoiesis from human embryonic stem cells through Erythropoietin-independent AKT signaling. Stem Cells. doi: 10.1002/stem.1677. 2014. PMID: 24677652
Gkountela S, Li Z, Chin CJ, Lee SA and Clark AT. PRMT5 is required for human embryonic stem cell proliferation but not pluripotency. Stem Cell Reviews and Reports. 10(2):230-9. 2014. PMID: 24477620
Corselli M, Chin CJ, Parekh C, Sahaghian A, Wang W, Ge S, Evseenko D, Wang X, Montelatici E, Lazzari L, Crooks GM, Pe´ault B. Perivascular support of human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. Blood. 121(15):2891-901. 2013. PMID: 23412095
Chris Seet
Chris did his undergraduate studies in biology at the University of Chicago, and graduate medical studies at the University of Sydney. He is currently a Fellow in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at UCLA and is pursuing a PhD through the UCLA Special Training in Advanced Research (STAR) Program. Chris's project focuses on cellular and molecular aspects of human immune development within the bone marrow and thymus, with a particular interest in the immunologic basis of hematologic malignancies. His overall goal is to develop novel approaches to modulate immune development to improve cellular therapies, including stem cell transplantation.
Kohn L.A., Seet C.S., Scholes J., Codrea F., Chan R., Zaidi-Merchant S., Zhu Y., De Oliveira S., Kapoor N., Shah A., Abdel-Azim H., Kohn D.B., Crooks G.M., Human lymphoid development in the absence of common γ-chain receptor signaling. J Immunol. 2014 Jun 1;192(11):5050-8. Epub 2014 Apr 25. PMID: 24771849
Zhang, J.*, Seet, C.S.*, Sun, C., Li, J., You, D., Volk, A., Breslin, P., Li, X., Wei, W., Qian, Z., Zeleznik-Le, N.J., Zhang, Z,, Zhang, J., p27kip1 maintains a subset of leukemia stem cells in the quiescent state in murine MLL-leukemia. Molecular Oncology, 2013 Dec;7(6):1069-82. Epub 2013 Aug 20. PMID: 23988911. *Equal authorship
Seet C.S., Brumbaugh R.L, Kee B.L. Early B Cell Factor Promotes B-Lymphopoiesis with Reduced Interleukin-7 Responsiveness in the Absence of E2A. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 2004 Jun 21;199(12):1689-700. PMID: 15210745


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The Art Department at San Juan College strives to be a place where artist of all interests and skill levels can come to participate and develop.
The creative process in visual arts – conception, creation, critique, revision, and exhibition, shape the intellectual foundation for any individual to become an independent and critical thinker. The Fine Arts curriculum develops the capabilities of emerging artist because it is centered in liberal arts studies and combined with applied studio courses.
Students may advance their skills in Drawing and Painting, Ceramics, Jewelry, Sculpture, Photography, or Art Foundation.
Quick Facts
- Fun, fun, fun!
- A welcoming, inviting and inclusive environment!
- Purseu Excellence


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You are here: Home » Welcome
Our Factory
We are one of the most professional manufacturer and exporter of fashion accessories in yiwu.
We have our own design team and also can make design as per the client's requirement. We provide one-stop service from designing, development, production to shipment.
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Mo's has been a part of Berliner Kreuzbergian life for much longer than I have lived here. And even though I agree it is royalty in the world of falafel, to me it will always be the Queen, as it is always the gentle lady, that prepares my luscious falafel im brot.
For years I was even lucky enough to live above the little hole in the wall it inhabited in Graefe Strasse. Unfortunately, as gentrification crawled in and prices went up in Kreuzberg, the little Imbiss was forced to move.
Mo's is now located in Urban Strasse, kind of an uneventful part of Kreuzberg. And yet, you'll more than likely find a queue when you go there; even in winter. There are very few other places that will even come close to the delectable experience that it is to eat there.
There is not much seating space and it is all outside so it is more of a stop and go. But, trust me, it's well worth it. Now, eight years after my arrival in Berlin, having also left Graefe Kiez, to me it is still the best falafel in town, with rich, moist falafel, seasonal veggies, hummus or nut paste if you choose, topped off with a bit of yoghurt. There are many variations: vegan or with cheese. Just have a look at the handwritten menu. Then, indulge. I promise the way you look at falafel will never be the same.


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3. Publishing Applications to Users
7. SGD Servers, Arrays, and Load Balancing
Secure Global Desktop Servers Tab
The Secure Global Desktop Server List Table
Maximum Simultaneous User Sessions
Daily Resource Synchronization Time
The Application Session List Table
C. User Profiles, Applications, and Application Servers
Secure Global Desktop servers are machines running Oracle Secure Global Desktop (SGD) software. By adding at least one other server you create an array. An array can distribute load between its servers and therefore increase reliability. One server in the array is the primary server, which is responsible for replicating configuration data. Other servers in the array are called secondary servers.
Use the Secure Global Desktop Server Settings tab to set up an SGD server array, or to configure settings for a particular SGD server.
This chapter includes the following topics:


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Due to popular demand, I'll walk you through how to make a website from scratch in less than 4 minutes. I'll also show you how to change your WordPress theme, edit your posts and have your website live (and optimized for mobile devices) in a few easy steps.
Having a website essentially doubled my traffic for my apps by giving me more exposure. It's best to create as much buzz as possible and on multiple platforms (including Facebook, Twitter, etc.). Want to create buzz before a launch? Having a simple landing page with an email subscription form will go a long way in marketing your app and will allow you to have direct communication with your audience. A shortcut to the discounted affiliate link is above, however, there are many others out there with the same capabilities that you may use if you choose to do so.
http://www.mobilemassappeal.com/bluehost (discounted link!)
External Link: "How to Make a Website from Scratch"


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Today I helped at Young Embroiderers'. The first time in quite a long while, that I have been able to help out. Various events have clashed with the YE meetings, so it was nice to be able to get there today.
They made fabric flowers to give to their Mothers next Sunday. Here is a little posy in progress, they all did so well and their will be some very happy mums. ( More photos on Chelmsford Embroiderers Guild fb page).
When I got home, I got out my paintbrush and attacked my fabric vessel with it. I decided not to dye it, but rather to complete it so that I can get on with my peacock, which at the moment looks like a road kill victim. So while the paint is drying I am going to stuff the bird


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Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Mo' Cash, Less Problems
In other soothing news, Will Carroll has the lowdown on Mariano Rivera's shoulder surgery over on Unfiltered. The procedure--called a Mumford procedure--isn't as scary as what we usually expect when we hear the words "Yankees' best pitcher to have shoulder surgery."
Monday, September 29, 2008
Sweet and Sour
For the first time since 1993, the Yankees season ended with the Yanks on the outside looking in at the postseason. In 1993 I'd just graduated college, a cell phone you could barely fit in a coat pocket was a cutting-edge luxury, and next to nobody had heard of the Internet. It's been a long wild ride for the Bronx faithful, and I'm grateful that it lasted this long. Looking, ahead, 2009 promises big changes. Mike Mussina, Andy Pettitte and Bobby Abreu are free agents, Jason Giambi and Carl Pavano will be free agents if their options aren't picked up. In different ways, the Italian connection of Mussina, Giambi and Pavano have each been emblematic of the 21st Century Yanks. Mussina (like the Yanks) has been good but not great over the past eight years. Giambi has been simultaneously frustrating and underrated; despite all the steroid drama, there were only two real bad years out of the Giambino's seven in the Bronx. Pavano--well, he's been the symbol of how far the Yankees have fallen from the late 90s peak, an overpriced player whose name itself became a punchline.
We'll have October to watch everyone else play for the World Series title (can I hear a "Lets go Rays"? OK, maybe not...) and some months after to see how this particular Humpty Dumpty tries to put itself back together again. Will the Yanks stick with their homegrown players, despite a season that presented significant setbacks for each and every one of them? Should veteran warhorses like Mussina and Pettitte and Abreu return next season? Will CC Sabathia get fitted for a set of XXL pinstripes, and if so, will it be a mistake of Pavanoriffic proportions? Time will reveal all things, and we'll have time to discuss it, starting with September in Review tomorrow, and season reviews to follow.
Some odds and ends:
Schadenfreude is such a lonely word: For all the Lupica talk about how New York is now the Mets' town again, they finished with the exact same record as the Yankees, and they're now just as likely to win the World Series. I wasn't exactly rooting against the Flushing warriors, but given the way that Mets fans stunk up the joint during this year's Subway Series, I'm not exactly sad that the Phillies overtook them for the division title, again, and that the Brewers snuck past them to grab that Wild Card.
Joe vs. Joe: First of all, congratulations to Joe Torre, as well as his pinstripe alumni coaches--Don Mattingly, Larry Bowa, and Mariano Duncan--for making it to the playoffs in his first year managing the Dodgers. This is the type of news that's bound to set off all sorts of recriminations about how the Yankees would have been so much better if Torre, not Joe Girardi, had been at the helm for Yankee Stadium's final season. There's no way to tell, but let's get some perspective here, in the current Yankee manager's defense. First of all, the Dodgers won the weakest division in baseball, with a record five wins worse than the Yankees. Second, both managers had to deal with injuries--each lost his staff ace about 100 innings into the season--but the Dodgers got a historic second-half push from an extremely motivated Manny Ramirez, who hit almost .400 over the last two months of the season. Xavier Nady was nice, but not that nice. Third, Torre gave Juan Pierre 400 plate appearances, which is kind of as bad as giving Melky Cabrera 450 PA, just without the excuses of youth and defense. I wish Torre the best, and missed him (and Donnie Baseball) during the Stadium's swan song, but it really doesn't pay to look backwards.
Brief Political Digression: Friday's presidential debate looked like a draw from here--each candidate seemed to do best in the areas they were expected to have trouble. McCain managed to dominate the conversation during the section of the debate that was on the economy, dragging the discussion to comfortable terrain where he could talk more about earmarks and spending than market regulation. Obama didn't back down during the foreign policy section of the debate, despite McCain's constant digs at his lack of experience and supposed naivete. The absolute worst line of the entire debate, from McCain: "I think the lessons of Iraq are very clear that you cannot have a failed strategy that will then cause you to nearly lose a conflict." So the key to victory is avoiding failure? Thanks for the tip...
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
At BP: The Last of the Last
Another neat gimmick that fell short in the execution was the Yankee Stadium countdown clock, which I mentioned in my piece on the Yankee Stadium home opener. The idea was that in the fifth inning of each home game, once the game became "official" a special guest would turn a crank, and the number of games left at Yankee Stadium would be reduced by one on a special scoreboard. Throughout the season, people registered disappointment with this because the "special guests" were often not terribly special or particularly associated with Yankee baseball. Often the person turning the crank would be an obscure executive from Met Life, the promotion's sponsor. In the middle of the fifth inning of Yankee Stadium's last game, Yankees announcer Michael Kay shows up on the big screen, spouts some doubletalk about how there can be no final game at Yankee Stadium, because Yankee Stadium is forever, then he turns the crank, making the special countdown scoreboard go from one to—I kid you not—"Forever." Two observations on this come to mind: first, thanks for the season-long voyage toward innumeracy, you've managed to make us all dumber; and second, with the Stadium packed with VIPs, at least a half-dozen of them Hall of Famers, Michael frickin' Kay was the person selected to turn that crank? Really?Also at BP (but this time, free), Brother Joe got to share some of his feelings about the closing of the Cathedral:
As promised, some more pics:
Of course, you cannot praise 85 years of baseball players in one sitting. It's too much to handle, there are too many greats to name at once, especially given the franchise we're talking about here. Even the video clips seemed to miss a handful of significant players, and there was only so much time and space to have Yankee greats be announced and trot out to their positions. It was left to us to fill in the gaps.
So you let loose for Hideki Matsui, and hope that Rickey Henderson can hear you yell. A chant of "Paul O'Neill" fills the air, and in your heart you want Dave Winfield to feel the love as well. The crowd goes wild for Derek Jeter, and you just know that Scooter is hearing the echo, tucking into a cannoli and smiling. You can't cheer them all, so you cheer the one out loud and the rest in your heart, the ones who are there, the ones who live in your memory, and the ones who set the stage for your memories, the heroes you know by stat lines and stories and grainy black-and-white footage. You cheer, and when you try to chant, your voice catches and you realize this is all hitting you a little harder than you thought. The video board shows Chris Chambliss hitting a huge home run, and you realize this is the only chance you've had to cheer your first favorite player in more than 20 years, and you do just that, standing out among a crowd of people with no understanding of why the short guy is so excited.
Brother Joe wasn't sitting with us for the Stadium's swan song, but he did come by to visit during the pregame. After the game, we stood outside the Stadium (by the manure-smelling Gate 2) talking about the day, the game, the monolith next door, soon to be our team's new home. Joe (a brother from another mother) and my actual brother Jeff are the two living people most responsible for me taking my love of the Yankees above the level of casual fan, and it meant a lot to me that the three of us were outside the Stadium together as they closed the shutters on the public entrance. "If I had a press pass, I'd see day break in there," Joe said. Amen.
Brother J and I (he's on the left and I'm on the right) at the end of the game. After one of our fellow Sunday plan holders took the pic, I noticed that we were out of focus, but the Stadium wasn't (he'd wanted to make sure we got the scoreboard in the background). My brother and I agreed that, on this night in particular, the focus should be on the Stadium, so we decided not to re-take the shot. I think it puts things in perspective.
You can find more of my photos from in this Picasa album, which I'll be updating with more pics soon.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Zero Games Left: The End of Yankee Stadium
My brother J and I saw off the Cathedral in style yesterday, spending about eleven hours there en route to the Yanks' 7-3 win over the Orioles, the last Yankee win on the plot of land they've called home since 1923.
It was a bittersweet day, more celebration than wake for the defunct arena. I'll have more thoughts on it later on today at Baseball Prospectus, and there will be more pictures and discussion here on the blog once I've gotten some rest. Until then, just know I feel very lucky to have spent a very special day at the Stadium.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
18 and Over?
Meanwhile, the weather's been nice for Yankee Stadium's last week. Yesterday, I was in Riverside Park, where the local tweens were showing off their sk8er boi skillz. Hopefully, the good weather will hold up for the Yanks and Orioles to send out the Stadium in style this weekend. One way or another, I'll see you in the Bronx Sunday night.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Eight Games Left: Record-Setter
(Hat tip to J for the camera work. Click on the image for a larger view.)
Congrats to the Captain on his torrid 9-hit weekend, and for matching Lou Gehrig's all-time Yankee Stadium hits record. Jeter now has all week to better the mark, one that will be a permanent part of the record books with the Cathedral closing its doors. The record-matching hit was a majestic homer off the Rays phenom, lefty David Price. The game also featured a first-inning grand slam by A-Rod, additional fireworks by Jason Giambi, and some slick defense by Brett Gardner in center. Can't Pitch Carl pitched well enough for his third win of the season, although his high-eighties cheese doesn't really tempt anyone to pick up the option on his contract. After some shoddy work by Jose Veras with a four-run lead, Mariano Rivera got a one-out save in the ninth to step into a tie for second place on the all-time saves list.
On the other side of things, Robinson Cano got benched mid-game by Joe Girardi, for failing to hustle on a hit deflected off Giambi's glove. Some would say that the benching is a long time coming, in a season where Cano will be lucky to finish with a .300 OBP, and where the adjective most often applied to him has been "lackadaisical." That's not one of the good English words, Robbie.
Monday, September 08, 2008
Dead Team Walking
Things aren't going to get easier, with the Yanks in Anaheim to play the team with the best record in baseball. Ugh.
By the way, I'm holding a chat over on the Baseball Prospectus web site at 1:00 PM, Eastern. Everyone's invited to join in and ask some questions. The link to the chat session is here. Hope to see you there.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Catching Up: The Fall of Melky Cabrera
Melky's demotion left a hole in the Yankee defense. For all his struggles with the bat, Cabrera's been an above-average fielder in center. Shifting Johnny Damon to center, and inserting Xavier Nady in left, is a huge net loss for the Yankee defense. Only days before he became a full-time center fielder again, Damon was bragging about how much he loved DHing--not a great sign, for a player the Yanks acquired for his flycatching ability. Nady, who I'd remembered as a decent defender from his time with the Mets, looks utterly unnatural in left field--his routes to balls make late-era Bernie Williams look efficient and instinctive, his arm is awful. Even though the Yankees could likely use him as a late-inning defensive replacement, if nothing else, the Yanks didn't recall Cabrera with the expanded rosters on September 1--a sign that the demotion may be punitive, as well as performance-related.
Monday, September 01, 2008
Month in Review: August 2008
Overall: 72-64, 651 RS, 619 RA
Game of the Month: August 3, 2008--Yankees 14, Angels 9 Probably the wildest game of the year, with the Yanks digging a 5-0 hole for themselves early, clawing their way back against John Lackey and taking an 8-5 lead in the bottom of the seventh, thanks to some shabby defense by the Halos, then losing the lead on a Mark Texeira grand slam against Edwar Ramirez, then taking the lead again with a six-run, three error eighth inning. The whole game was just a tradeoff of haymakers between what looked like two of the best teams in the league. As the month wore on, the Yanks showed that they're not really in the Angels' class this year. Other candidates: the Yanks' comeback against the Red Sox to avert a sweep on Thursday was pretty big, but it was canceled out by the comeback loss to the Jays on Saturday. In some ways, both of those games were emblematic of the month as a whole.
Player of the Month: It's hard to give this to Mariano Rivera in a month where he had two losses and a blown save--although, otherwise, he was his normal, stellar self (6 Sv, 1.88 ERA in 14 1/3 innings). But who are the other candidates? Jason Giambi led the team in HR (8) and RBI (22) and had some clutch hits, but didn't hit or get on base too well overall (.232/.327/.524 for the month). Derek Jeter hit well for average last month but showed no power (.345/.382/.402), Bobby Abreu was better (.342/.405/.421) but not by too much. By default, the best offensive performance for August goes to Xavier Nady, who impressed with the bat (.308/.351/.523, 6 HR, 19 RBI), even if his glove has been suspect. With that in mind, the month's honors go Mike Mussina, (3-0, 2.93 in 6 starts). He's on pace for his most starts since 2001, and would be only 3 games away from the magic 20 game plateau if the bullpen hadn't blown the game in his start against the Twins. Pretty neat, considering that at this point last year he'd been booted from the rotation for Ian Kennedy, and most everyone (including me) thought there was a fork sticking out of him.
Dregs of the Month: In his first month in Pinstripes, Ivan Rodriguez (.196/.250/.321 in 56 AB) was almost outhit by the man he was putatively replacing as the Yankees' backstop, Jose Molina (.222/.239/.400 in 45 AB). That's some kind of awful. Speaking of awful, Melky Cabrera (.115/.148/.115) finally played his way off the Yankees' roster, losing his spot intermittently to Brett Gardner and Justin Christian prior to the Xavier Nady trade. I'll talk about this more in a Catching Up, but it speaks volumes that when the September 1 callups were announced, Melky was left in AAA to help Scranton in the International League playoffs. Even though Melky was hitting .333 in AAA, he showed absolutely no power, and between the two levels, in 83 at bats, Melky only had two extra base hits (both doubles) all month.
Speaking of the Nady trade, Damaso Marte has been almost as big a disappointment in August as Pudge has been, allowing a 7.71 ERA in the month (and perhaps being injured, per Pete Abe). Dave Robertson (8.81 ERA) also had a month to forget in the bullpen, and Edwar Ramirez returned to his Three True Outcomes ways (3 HR, 4 BB, 13 K in 11 2/3 innings, good for a 6.73 ERA). Girardi leaned pretty hard on the bullpen all month long.
Story of the Month: Since 1996, when the Yankees almost blew their division lead with a 13-17 month, August has been very good to the New York Yankees. They've had a winning record every year since, and with the exception of 2001--where the Yanks squeaked by with a 15-14 mark--the month has tended to be a difference maker--while their opponents hit the doldroms in the dog days, the Yanks surge ahead on the depth of talent a ginormous payroll can buy. The month's 13-15 finish in August 2008 is the result of the Yanks taking beatdowns from some of the best teams in the league (2-4 against the Angels, 1-2 against the Red Sox and Twins) while not making up the difference against some teams that weren't quite of that quality (2-2 against the Rangers, 2-4 against the Blue Jays). As I mentioned this morning, this isn't going to get any easier--the Yanks have 13 games against division-leading opponents in September, plus three games against the Red Sox.
Around Yankeeland, an eerie level of acceptance has set in: this just isn't our year. Much of this season has been a wait for the Pinstriped surge that never arrived--that 18-9 month that declares that your team's a contender, or at least a real threat if it came down to a short series. Indeed, every Yankee team since 1996 has had at least one month where they had single-digit losses. Even if the Yanks were to keep up that streak with a 17-9 September, the Red Sox would have to go 10-16 (and the Twins would have to go 12-13) for the Yankee Stadium's swan song to continue into October. People aren't even dreaming about that possibility. Some, like Hank Steinbrenner, have already started to look ahead to this winter's free agent market.
Looking Ahead: Derek Jeter comes into September needing 45 hits in 28 games to reach 200 for the season. The most hits Jeter has ever had in a month is 50, which took him 32 games in August 1998. The next most was 44 hits, which Jeter has managed twice in his career. The ten hits that he stands away from Lou Gerhig's all-time Yankee Stadium mark is much more manageable, given that there are 10 home games left. If the Yanks stay in rotation, Mike Mussina's remaining starts this season would fall against the Rays, Mariners, Rays, White Sox, Jays, and Red Sox, a pretty tough schedule. He needs wins in four of those starts to become a 20-game winner for the first time in his career.
Ten Games Left: Sun Baked
The afternoon sun beat down mercilessly on the left field stands on Sunday, just as the unrelenting Roy Halladay beat down on the Yankees' batters. The rubber game of the series snapped the wrong way for the Yankees, leaving the team cooked as it goes on a ten-game road stand, seven games behind the Red Sox and two and a half games behind the Minnesota Twins, and leaving me with a nasty sunburn.
The day had a nostalgic tinge to it. Sunday afternoons have been my main experience of Yankee Stadium, ever since I got my first weekend ticket plan as a teenager. Rather than taking the train straight to the Stadium, I got off in Manhattan and walked across the Macombs Dam Bridge--one of my typical routes to and from the Stadium when I lived uptown and had all the time in the world.
As you can tell by the sign, the MDB is a draw bridge, which was a big curiosity for me when I was younger. I remember a number of times waiting to pass across, but I don't think I was ever actually on the span when the draw bridge bell started to ring.
Anyway, the walk to the park wasn't the only thing that brought back memories of the old days--the game itself did, as well. The Yanks needed Good Andy Pettitte to show up and counter Halladay pitch-for-pitch. But Bad Andy walked the first batter of the game, Marco Frickin' Scutaro. Scutaro came around to score, and before Halladay took the mound, the Yanks were down 3-0, thanks in part for Xavier Nady butchering a fly ball in left field. In the second inning, Scott Rolen--batting 8th against a lefty--roped a solo homer to make the score 4-0. Solo homers in the fourth and the sixth provided the tease, bringing it just close enough to make things frustrating, but again, the 7th inning brought things to a boil. Just like Saturday's game, Girardi tried to sneak one more inning out of his starter. Just like in Saturday's game, Pettitte stuck around too long, allowing three straight hits and another run. Finally, the score got to 6-2, Jays, where it would remain.
There are 26 games left in the season. Only 10 of those are home games, and their opponents' weighted winning percentage is .545. With no games left against the Twins and only three against the Red Sox, they don't just have to play out of their minds in September to make the playoffs, they need help from the opposition. It's a damn tall order.


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Electric Cathedral / Charles Ellsworth Tour Kickoff
By R.G.B. Robb [Posted July 13, 2015]
Shows that comprise only local acts tend to be some of my favorites. Call me biased if you will, but I've found that local shows tend to have a greater musical variety than a lot of touring acts, because touring bands want to fill seats, so they look for similar acts to round out the … read more


text:
Everybody knows the lure of what's new and exciting, but sometimes it's really the pas-sion that lasts and builds in intimacy that captures the imagination. In Your Atmosphere celebrates the sexy side of romance and commitment in six sizzling stories about love, kink and the happily ever after.
Author Bio:
Laila Blake (lailablake.com) is an author, linguist and translator. She writes character-driven love stories, co-hosts the podcast Lilt and blogs about writing, feminism and so-ciety. Her work has been featured in numerous anthologies. Keeping a balance between her different interests, Laila Blake's body of work encompasses literary erotica, romance, and various fields in speculative fiction (dystopian/post-apocalypse, fantasy, paranormal romance and urban fantasy) and she adores finding ways to mix and match.A self-proclaimed nerd, she lives in Cologne/Germany with her cat Nookie, har-bors a deep fondness for obscure folk singers and plays the guitar. She loves photog-raphy, science documentaries and classic literature, as well as Doctor Who, Game of Thrones and The Big Bang Theory. You can find her across the web. To stay up to date with her most recent publications, please consider signing up for her spam-free newsletter.
Author Links:
Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | Goodreads | Pinterest | Instagram | Tumblr
Buy Links:
Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords | AllRomanceAuthor Bio:
L.C. Spoering has a degree in English writing from University of Colorado, and a lesser degree in sarcasm earned from the days of yore on AOL. A storyteller since she started talking, she now spends her days writing, reading and contemplating the universe through various pop culture lenses.
Her work has appeared in The Dying Goose, as well as several anthologies released with Cleis Press, LadyLit Publishing, and Seal Press. Her story, "Closing Time" placed third in the 2013 Better Sex Erotic Fiction Contest: Female Fantasies.
A native of Denver, she lives with her husband, 2 children and entirely too many pets. Her favorite writers include Jeffery Eugenides, Margaret Atwood, Michael Chabon, and Jane Austen; her musical tastes run the gamut from John Mayer to Ingrid Michaelson, Radiohead to Death Cab for Cutie. She has a weakness for repeated viewings of The Office and cheap red wine.


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When Sunil Gulati steps to a podium in a Toronto hotel one December morning, Kyle Martino can't hide his smirk. Nobody knows this man, Martino thinks. Nobody in America has ever seen him on television. Nobody would recognize him if they did. And isn't that exactly the problem with soccer in this country?
Gulati is the president of the United States Soccer Federation, an elected but unpaid position that he has occupied since 2006. To Martino, a former MLS player who works as a studio analyst on NBC's English Premier League telecasts, the leader of his sport should be as prominent as the commissioner of the NBA or the NFL. "You know who Roger Goodell is," he'd insisted earlier that morning. "You know who Adam Silver is. I know who those guys are and I don't even watch their sports."
Standing in the back of the ballroom, on the second floor of the Westin Harbour Castle, his white dress shirt carefully untucked, Martino yearns to be the face of American soccer, albeit an unshaven one. With that in mind, he has taken a leave from his job and sold his stake in a Spanish team to run for USSF president.
In front of him, sitting demurely in one of the metal folding chairs facing the podium, another aspiring USSF chief executive stares at Gulati with rapt attention. Kathy Carter, 48, runs Soccer United Marketing, which generates millions of dollars annually for MLS. Considered the establishment's preferred candidate, she entered the room moments before alongside Gulati and MLS commissioner Don Garber. The rumor circulating the ballroom is that she even flew to Toronto on Garber's plane, though that turns out to be untrue. It isn't lost on Martino that he is standing at the back of the room and Carter is sitting at the front of it. "Nobody," he whispers as the news conference begins, "even told me that this was happening."
Gulati is there to report on the 2026 World Cup bid the United States is mounting in conjunction with Canada and Mexico. He explains that Televisa network, which owns Mexico City's Azteca Stadium, demanded that its country stage the tournament's opening game, second in prominence only to the final. Gulati refused to commit, he says. Rather, he threatened to withdraw from the bid and leave Mexico and Canada on their own.
This, it turns out, is supposed to be a joke. But as if that doesn't make him seem like enough of a caricature of the entitled American, he adds a punch line that sums up everything that his critics can't abide about him, despite the sizable advances in many areas that U.S. soccer has made during his USSF tenure. "I told them," he says, "'You can't fly through U.S. airspace.'"
Everyone in the room is silent.
The USSF hasn't held a contested election since 1999, but this one is making up for lost time. Besides Martino and Carter, six other aspiring presidents -- three former U.S. World Cup players, two lawyers, and the sitting USSF VP -- have been trolling constituent groups around the country for votes, which will be tallied at the organization's convention in Orlando, Florida, on Saturday.
This wouldn't be happening, it is safe to say, if not for perhaps the worst loss in American sports history. Last October, the U.S. men's national team traveled to the Caribbean island of Trinidad and Tobago, known best for steel drums and the world's hottest peppers. To secure a place in this summer's World Cup, the U.S. needed only a draw against players who compete in lower-level American leagues, or for Trinidadian teams with names (W Connection, Club Sando) that sound like somewhere you'd go looking for a hookup on a Friday night.
Forget beating Brazil or Germany this summer in Russia; the U.S. couldn't get out of CONCACAF, which consists of the nations between Canada and Panama and countries in the Caribbean. Instead, the Americans delighted dragon-slayers everywhere by losing to a country with roughly 1/320th of its population and 1/900th of its GDP. As a result, the U.S. will miss the tournament this summer for the first time since 1986, when the country didn't even have a league. The estimated financial cost of that failure is in the hundreds of millions of dollars. The cost in interest to the sport in America is incalculable.
Way back in April, when the most meaningful event in its athletic history was still a twinkle in Trinidad's eye, a Boston attorney named Steve Gans -- who played soccer in college and has helped coach and run youth teams -- declared his intention to run against Gulati for the presidency. Back then, the notion of unseating a three-term incumbent seemed fanciful. But the Trinidad loss changed everything. "If we had qualified for the World Cup, do you think any impetus for change would have existed?" Martino says now. "I can tell you that if we had qualified, Sunil would be the president for the next four years. And we would have lost an opportunity to finally elect someone who has a soccer vision."
But who? In the weeks after the failure to qualify, it became clear that heads would need to roll, and that one of them would be Gulati's. The Monday before he left for Toronto, Gulati acknowledged that reality with a prepared statement that he would not be a candidate for what would have been his fourth term.
And that's when the free-for-all began.
Given the uncertain state of American soccer, it seems appropriate that the team with home-field advantage in the title game of our national league is Canadian. On this MLS Cup morning, the relationship that each of the major candidates has with the existing power structure can be inferred by his or her physical distance from Gulati, who will finish the World Cup news conference in a few minutes by telling a circle of reporters that most of the candidates running to replace him aren't up to the job.
As Carter nods and Martino looks pained, Carlos Cordeiro is holding an earnest -- if not exactly necessary -- conversation in the lobby. Cordeiro is vice chairman of the 2026 bid. He has spent hours helping finalize the details of the complicated, three-nation plan. But he has also acted as Gulati's right-hand man for the past two years. Desperate to avoid questions about why he declared his candidacy while Gulati was still evaluating his own, uneasy about a public viewing of the complicated state of his friendship with the discredited president, he has created a reason to stay downstairs. He never appears at the news conference.
Now 61, Cordeiro joined the USSF as an independent director in 2007. A former Goldman Sachs executive with a Harvard pedigree, he's almost never seen without a business suit. His challenge is to distance himself from Gulati while simultaneously defending his role in Gulati's administration, which is pretty much his only tangible qualification for the position. As someone who hasn't played in a competitive match or coached a team at any level, he has to fend off accusations from the other candidates that he knows nothing about the sport.
The most vociferous of those candidates is Eric Wynalda, the three-time World Cup participant and former broadcaster. Of all the campaigns, his has been the most visible and voluble, at least to fans who use Twitter or listen to podcasts or walk through airports. A proponent of promotion and relegation, shelving the playoffs, and playing games in domes during the winter, Wynalda is this election's version of a populist. He'd rather have an intense conversation with someone who disagrees with him, even if that person happens to be a cab driver, than attend an official event. He was conspicuous at the hotel all morning, but now nobody knows where he has gone.
There are three longshot candidates: former standout players Hope Solo and Paul Caligiuri, and the New York lawyer Michael Winograd. They're so far removed from the center of power that they're off the radar. And Gans? He's tending to business back in Boston, monitoring the proceedings in Toronto through texts. If Gulati is the USSF equivalent of Lyndon Johnson, the incumbent who decides under pressure not to run again, Gans is this election's Eugene McCarthy. He challenged the sitting president when it wasn't politically expedient, then lost the spotlight to the big names who jumped in as soon as it was. (In this analogy, Martino -- handsome, young, articulate, opportunistic -- represents Bobby Kennedy. And Cordeiro, the sitting VP, is a spot-on Hubert Humphrey.)
After the news conference, the candidates converge on the lobby, detailing their visions of the soccer universe to anyone who will listen. "It's arrogant to say that we just had a business guy in there who made a lot of mistakes, so we're going to put another business guy in there," says Martino, who is the son-in-law of the actor and progressive political activist Susan Sarandon. He's talking about Cordeiro, about Carter, maybe about Gans. "Simply by osmosis, businessmen in other countries are soccer guys," he adds. "That's not true here."
Martino pitches his notion of a USSF president who gets paid, as Goodell and Silver do. That will elicit an eye roll from Cordeiro, who points out that the USSF charter gives its president the role of board chairman, not chief executive. Martino, he says, is campaigning for a job that doesn't exist.
Carter's role as a crucial revenue-producer for MLS would seem to be an impediment to simultaneously running the organization that oversees the league. Martino made that point in a news release when Carter announced her candidacy, which happened the day after Gulati dropped out: timing that seemed suspiciously choreographed. "Except that I do represent change," she protests now. "I haven't actually worked inside the federation. I've worked on behalf of the federation, but not inside it. I haven't been in the youth soccer space for 25 years." She shrugs off the perception that she is Gulati's anointed successor as misinformation being spread by desperate rivals. "People can take all the shots they want," she says. "I'm going to stay above it. I appreciate everybody's passion. Twenty years ago, this all would have been met with indifference."
In a far corner of the lobby in Toronto, where Wynalda and Martino have converged in a conversation with a former Fox executive, such passion has spilled over into unpleasantness. Earlier, Martino confided that Wynalda has been showing disdain for him in interviews, mocking the level of soccer that he managed to achieve during his playing career. That has left Martino in no mood for cordial discussion. When Wynalda admits that he won't be attending the game that afternoon, in part because he disapproves of the whole concept of a championship game deciding the winner of a domestic league, Martino can't hide a sneer.
"We'll miss you," he says.
"No, you won't," Wynalda replies, smiling.
Martino doesn't smile. "We both know that I won't," he says.
You don't need to own an original Giorgio Chinaglia bobblehead to realize that soccer has evolved differently in the U.S. than everywhere else. By the time that youth soccer started booming in America in the late 1960s, baseball, football, basketball and hockey were established. Their overlapping schedules blanketed the calendar year. Soccer had to wedge itself in, one more passenger pushing into a car that already felt crowded.
So a summer season was adopted to avoid the Super Bowl. Playoffs were created to make fans feel comfortable with the sport. The possibility of relegation or promotion, which motivates ambitious small clubs around the world, was deemed too risky to attract the wealthy investors that a U.S. league required. Expansion franchises were created, then awarded nicknames tested by focus groups. Resources were pooled, profits shared.
All those accommodations, Wynalda believes, has left us with soccer that only vaguely resembles what the world plays. "Being Americans, we felt that we could have a different schedule than the rest of the world, we could have a different plan, and it would magically happen," he says. "But we've never done soccer right in this country." Wynalda argues that we still haven't taken the steps to foment a genuine American soccer culture. "If you go to a party, and you walk through the front door, and you walk around the perimeter of the room and you never have a drink and you never talk to anybody, did you really go to the party?" he asks. "We think we've been to the party. We haven't been to the party."
It isn't lost on Wynalda that soccer is more popular in the United States now than ever before, by an order of magnitude. Games from half a dozen European leagues fill weekend mornings. MLS is thriving, with expansion hopefuls offering, according to one league owner, "not just $100 million dollars for a team, but hundreds of millions." The world's most important clubs, engaged in a pitched battle over the U.S. market, have invested in offices and academies and even shares of franchises. In America, now, soccer matters.
And in soccer, America matters. But walk into an elementary school nearly anywhere in the country and you'll see far more Manchester United and Barcelona shirts than those of any MLS franchise, or even every MLS franchise put together. Most American fans enjoy the sport by tuning into foreign clubs, maybe shouting out the chants and the songs, then sitting down to two hours of televised entertainment. That makes sense because it's also the way most Americans access the NFL and NBA; it doesn't matter, it turns out, if your favorite team is halfway across the state, they country or the world. "I think we're on the cusp, but we're still below most other countries," Cordeiro acknowledges. "But remember, our league is only 20 years old."
The USSF, on the other hand, has been around since 1913. Until only a few years ago, it was led by well-meaning dilettantes. "When I started," says Bob Contiguglia, the Denver physician who served as president from 1998 to 2006, "the referee program was run from a shoebox in someone's basement. We had to borrow money to send the women to the World Cup." The $12 million budget Contiguglia inherited grew to $52 million by the time he left. Now it's nudging $150 million. That's still less than half that of the major European nations, though, and one-third of Germany's or England's.
A paid CEO runs U.S. Soccer's business affairs, but leadership comes from the president. Gulati, a lecturer on economics at Columbia, has guided the organization through its greatest period of growth and advancement: selling out stadiums, pleasing sponsors, making money. Even his strongest critics acknowledge that he deserves much of the credit for the sport's success over the past decade, including a women's national team that still ranks as the world's best, a compelling World Cup bid that seems likely to bring much of the 2026 event to American soil and a development system that is turning out better players at the top of the pyramid than ever before.
But that has come, critics say, at the expense of the sport itself. "We are creating technically sound players who have no joy," Gans says. To him, the USSF-sanctioned academy system, meant to identify and support elite players, is doing more harm than good. "People sitting in some boardroom say, 'This will make a kid more professional,' " he says. "They send down an edict from 30,000 feet. And they couldn't be more wrong in most of their decisions."
Recently, several of those decisions combined to alienate one of America's most promising prospects. Eighteen-year-old Jonathan Gonzalez is a California-born midfielder with Mexican parents who plays for a club team in Monterrey. When he was left off the U.S. roster for a recent friendly against Portugal, nobody bothered to give him an explanation. In part because of that, Gonzalez has decided that, for the rest of his international career, he will compete for Mexico. "He obviously didn't feel enough love from the USSF," says Gans, who sees it as emblematic of the organization's emotional disconnect with young players in general and young Hispanic players in particular. "How is it that we lost a kid like that? How could we let that happen?"
Growing up in Massachusetts, Gans played until he couldn't play anymore, getting as far as a trial with the Major Indoor Soccer League's Baltimore Blast. Then he turned his attention to his sons, one of whom now stars at Brandeis. "You nurture your kids, and they play and play, and you see the joy being taken out of it," he says recently while watching a match from a bar in Boston, his voice husky with emotion. "And one day, you look up and it's gone. This passion that my father passed down to me and I passed down to my boys? It's gone."
Gans snaps back into campaign mode. "There has to be a better way," he says.
At their home stadium that Saturday evening in December, Toronto FC wins its first MLS title. The game is compelling, as emotional in its way as a top European league's cup final. There isn't nearly as much history involved, of course, but that doesn't seem to matter to the fans shouting in the misty darkness.
Afterward, there's a crush in the hospitality tent, and a long wait for the buses that are shuttling VIPs back to the hotel. Cordeiro arrives with executives from Canadian and Mexican soccer and they prepare to be there awhile. But moments later, Gulati strides in and announces that he has a car. The other two men, who have been working with Gulati for years, stand up to leave. Cordeiro lingers, unsure if the offer applies to him. As he departs, Gulati waves an arm in Cordeiro's direction, as if to say that even if Cordeiro did declare himself a candidate while Gulati was still considering his own options, he still won't abandon his former acolyte to trays of half-eaten canapes and grindingly loud music. "Come on," he says.
That night, Cordeiro again holds court in the hotel lobby. Indian-born, like Gulati, but of Portuguese and Colombian descent, he and his three siblings were raised by their mother in Miami after their father died in a car accident. Following business school, he embarked on a career in banking and venture capital, having learned long before to take nothing for granted. A lifelong bachelor, he poured his passion into business. In 2007, he turned to soccer. Before becoming vice president, he was USSF treasurer and chaired its budget committee. He's also a powerful voice in CONCACAF and FIFA. It's true that he hasn't ever worn cleats in a game that matters. But his knowledge of the inner workings of international football is second only to Gulati's.
For two hours, he sips cabernet and connects with USSF delegates who wander past. He's enough of an insider to know many of them, enough of an innate politician to strike the right notes with each. "There are different presidents for different times," he says at one point. "Sunil's emphasis was with the elites. With the exception of this year, that wasn't bad. And I'm part of that, and I'm proud of it. But when I talk to the grassroots, I can tell you that they feel left behind."
"We can fix it," he says. "But it takes leadership. And if we fix our youth, we may well end up with -- surprise, surprise -- better national teams. That's how it works." The relief around the table is almost palpable. For the first time, it seems, someone is giving them a reasonable way out of this mess, a vision familiar enough to feel comfortable, but pointed toward 2026 and beyond.
Later, Contiguglia joins the table. Then John Collins, the only board member who doesn't represent a specific USSF constituency, pulls up a chair. The mood is jovial, less like a sports event than a bunch of business colleagues unwinding after doing a deal. Cordeiro sits at the end of the table, mostly letting others do the talking, looking utterly at ease. It's getting late, and there's a USSF committee meeting to attend the next morning.
But for now, he flags down the server. There's still time for one more round.


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I used to post more photos of my nails, but I started to get a little lazy and didn't feel like getting all creative in the nail art department. then yesterday, I was super inspired after seeing Erica's watermelon pedicure on fashion meets food and thought I'd attempt to re-create the look on my own fingernails and toes!
It actually wasn't as hard as i thought it would be! Just be patient and try to keep your hands as steady as possible. It also helps if you're a little ambidextrous, but if not, you can ask your friend to help paint your other hand for you. :)
here's a little tutorial to help you:
- Apply clear nail polish/base coat and let dry.
- Paint your nails with 2 coats of pink (or red!) nail polish. Let dry.
- Use green nail polish to paint a green stripe french-tip style across you nails.
- With the black detailing nail polish (i've seen these at forever 21 for cheap!), carefully dot on "seeds". It helps to practice this part on a piece of paper first, so you can determine how the seeds will look.
- Seal with a clear topcoat.
here are the polishes i used:
Rimmel Play Fast in "Camouflage", Goldie nail polish in pink, L.A. Colors Art Deco detail polish in black
|Pastel Watermelon Nails


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168360attr:jewelrypawn shops
Ez Pawn Inc is located at the address 794 Grand Caillou Rd in Houma, Louisiana 70363. They can be contacted via phone at (985) 868-4278 for pricing, hours and directions.
Ez Pawn Inc has an annual sales volume of 501K - 999,999. . For more information contact Deneil Brown, Manager
Ez Pawn Inc provides Resizing, On-Site Services, Ring Sizing to it's customers. For maps and directions to Ez...
EZPAWN provides convenient solutions to our customers' need for short-term cash. We offer pawn loans and exceptional values on quality pre-owned merchandise. We pay top dollar for gold!
Be the first NOLA.com user to add photos or videos of EZ Pawn
Ez Pawn can be found at Grand Caillou Rd 794. The following is offered: Personal Financing. The entry is present with us since Sep 9, 2010 and was last updated on Nov 14, 2013. In Houma there are 42 other Personal Financing. An overview can be found here.
EZPAWN is located on 794 Grand Caillou Rd. in Houma and the staff is always friendly and ready to help. Depending on the products brough in exchange for cash, EZPAWN associates will make the best offer and will give customers the money they want. EZPAWN can buy personal possessions, especially gold and jewelries. EZPAWN promises to make the best appraisal possible.


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The theme of the book is winged creatures in fantasy: dragons, fairies, monsters and even a city with wings. The genre is fantasy with full length books and a couple of smaller stories from Indie Authors who have been self-publishing their books for the last few years.
Each of these authors, myself included, has written and published a number of books that have caught the attention of readers worldwide. I invite you to explore the Wings of Fantasy and find exciting authors to discover.
Rojuun, a novel by John H. Carroll
Book 1 of The Willden Trilogy. Rumors are spreading about a new race called Rojuun. They appeared from the depths of the mountains eight hundred years ago with the intention of taking over the world. Tathan of the Shadows has been charged with learning more about them. However, he must learn more about his very unusual companions before he can succeed.
Fireblood, a novel by M. A. Nilles
Magic is everything to a priest or priestess, inherited by the descendants of the Creators. Over time, Ayali's abilities have weakened, threatening to expose her tribe to the power of the darkness befalling their lands. Beneath the pressures of her family and tribe, Ayali turns down a dark path. She must face the shadows within her before it consumes their world and destroys her life.
Nature Abhors a Vacuum, a novel by Stephen L. Nowland
Aiden Wainwright was the son of a wagon maker in a small country town where nothing interesting ever happened, until a chance encounter with a strange relic changed him forever. His resourcefulness and courage are put to the test when he travels to a nearby town and finds the place on the brink of disaster. Aiden must marshal his limited resources to aid the town and uncover the villains.
Soul Bonds, a novel by E.M. Sinclair
A young slave girl flees from the Lord who owns her, choosing to die in the mountains rather than become one of his 'pretties'. When that death seems all too likely, she is found by one of the Dragon Kindred and Tika's life takes a twist she could never have imagined in her wildest dreams - or her worst nightmares.
Those are the books that you will find in Wings of Fantasy. I hope they fly you to fantastic new worlds that expand your mind and tickle your imagination.
All my best,
John H. Carroll


text: Flint Coffee Company Share: Coffee & Tea Flint Coffee Company Visit Website 601 MLK Avenue Flint, MI 48502 (810) 444-8598 About Map About We roast and sell coffee grown on our family farm in the high cloud forests of Peru. Our coffee is shade grown and chemical free. We also roast other sustainable coffees from around the world. What's Nearby? Distance: 5 10 15 20 25 50 mi.


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"Your lack of faith is useless…"
From "The Question Is Complete" by Aereogramme.
It's that time of year again…the papers and television shows chronicle the highlights and lowlights of the year fading out. We look back before looking forward.
How would you sum up 2009? What words or pictures would you use? What were the defining moments? Could you make sense of them at the time?
Mine is here. It's a post I wrote on this blog back in April. It all seems so much clearer now as another year ends. The third interpretation in the blog post seems to ring true. As 2009 ebbs away I have laid down worship leading and small group leading. Family life will change in 2010 as we eagerly await a new arrival in May. Work brings new responsibilities and new contacts – even with surveyors who share my love of surfing!
The lure of the sea with all its symbolism pans large on my horizon and I've been spending much less time on my blog and much more getting this off the ground.
Here's to the New Year!


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Ref.nr.: 68288
Hotel Calina Costa Brava, Spain
Hotel Calina Costa Brava Family friendly Hotel with a swimming pool in Cadaques, Catalonia, Spain
Welcome to the Hotel Calina Costa Brava.This family-run hotel is situated in Port-Lligat Bay, 20 metres from the Salvador Dali House-Museum. It offers free Wi-Fi in all areas and 2 outdoor swimming pools with sea views. For more on this Costa Brava Hotel Accommodation please click on the availability buttons above and below.
Hotel Calina Costa Brava in Cadaques. This Costa Brava Hotel Accommodation, has a swimming pool, is family friendly. Prices from 71.5 EUR.
AvailabilityShow Availability for Hotel Calina Costa Brava
Facilities and Features
- Outside Area:
Swimming Pool
- Suitable For:
Room Details:
45 Bedrooms
Suitable for Families Family Friendly
Location Details and Things to Do
About Cadaques and CataloniaThe Hotel Calina provides excellent Hotel Accommodation in Cadaques, Catalonia, Costa Brava Spain. The address is Avenida Salvador Dali, 33 , Cadaques , 17488.
Recommended Things to Do
Banyoles lake
Loch, Lake, Waterfall
Catalonia, Spain
Natural park of Volcanic Zone of La Garrotxa
Loch, Lake, Waterfall
Catalonia, Spain


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A new paper on visual management has been published as a research result in the Digilean project:
Introduction to the paper:
As products become more complex and the competition increases, the development of new products has become more important to companies. During this process the companies needs to have a method for developing sharing correct information at the right time, otherwise projects can be delayed due to re-work and modifications. During the 80's the Japanese outrun its competitors concerning number of product models in combination with time to market. The Japanese companies relied on a concept later termed as Lean Product Development (LPD). From LPD emerged a method for planning and synchronizing projects named Visual Planning (VP), which have shown strong benefits for its simple design and ability to plan project with little effort and a low threshold to the methodology . VP helps the team to focus on the execution of the project involving resource allocation, assuring deliverables and keeping focused on the common goal. Traditionally the only resources demanded are sticky notes, some pens and a wall to place the notes on. However, limitations of a physical solution becomes apparent when more and more projects are conducted in distributed teams, where information on wall-based boards becomes difficult to share and interact with. One method that has similarities to Lean VP is Scrum and the most obvious difference between the Lean VP board and Kanban/Scrum board is the horizontal axis which in VP is presented by a timeline while on the Kanban/Scrum board is presented as different phases/statuses . Kanban/Scrum boards are common to use within Agile development and especially within software development. Lean Thinking and Agile development are two different but complementary concepts. The research concerning VP is very limited and therefore the name, definitions and description of the methods on the matter varies For example, VP can be included in term Visual Workflow Management. A definition of VP that is used in the context of this research paper, emphasize the support for the team concerning task coordination and is independent of physical boards and notes: One method for development teams to handle this task coordination is to visualize tasks and deliverables to enhance their communication and coordination within the team.
Have a look at the complete paper here:
Great seminar on Visual Management with presenters from Chalmers, Volvo Cars and AB Volvo and over 50 participants from industry. Look out for a new edition this fall focusing on Knowledge Management. Read more about meeting solutions for digital Visual Planning at http://www.itmab.se
Volvo Car Customer Service are increasing their usage of Yolean Visual Planning within the customer service organization. The software developed as a spin-off from the Vis-IT research project is now utilized to plan and improve activities and services throughout the European service network.
One of two Master Thesis from Chalmers to be nominated to Lilla polhemspriset 2016 is "Visual Planning; Coordination and collaboration of Multi-site teams in Product Development organisations" by Josefin Bertilsson och Gunilla Wentzel. The master thesis has been a part of the Vis-IT research project, supervised by Daniel Stenholm and examined by Dag Bergsjö. The thesis can be downloaded here on projectvisit.org under publications.
Read more about the prize at: www.polhemspriset.se/
What does the cities have in common? Exhibitions containing digital visual planning.
Our visual management solutions was presented for the hungry audience at Automation Småland
Collaboration with the EU project Virtual Obeya at EPFL!
For more information about:
Industrial Networking & Learning Forum click here (http://www.lean-analytics.org/)
A master thesis work conducted by Josefin Bertilsson and Gunilla Wentzel has been presented with the focus to answer on the research question: How can visual planning help multi-site teams to succeed?
In the work have they looked into what makes team to succeed, how can visual planning support this and finally what type of technical solution is needed to be successful?
To answer these questions one company has been used as a case company which allowed testing and implementation in ongoing projects while eight other worked as reference companies. The companies are Emerson (case), Assa Abloy, Autoliv, Ericsson, Rejmes Car, Scania, UniCarriers (Atlet), Volvo Cars and Toyota Material Handling.
Interesting discussions are for example:
• What happens when you dedicate a "speakers corner" for the one that talks during the multi-site visual planning meetings?
• What can a team do to increase the awareness to the meeting when the team is distributed?
• What is a good level of structure in the digital tool for visual planning – how much should be able for the user/company to change concerning the interface of the digital tool?
We are now waiting with excitement for their publication that will be out late this month.


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The McGees hold up remarkably well. Having spent so much time with Donald Westlake's relative reticence over the past few years, MacDonald's use of McGee and Meyer as his dual-persona mouthpieces took some getting used to, but while the natural staling of politics means that MacDonald once in a while strikes a wrong note, overall his sociopolitical asides remain effective--and, most important, consistent with his tarnished knight-errant. Florida is, was (since at least Andrew Jackson, and probably the Spanish), and always will be an absolute destructive mess, it seems, as unfathomable to outsiders as it is confounding to natives.
One thing that remains particularly interesting is how MacDonald uses McGee to acknowledge the frustration and weariness of the series writer. Through the middle of the series--three or four books leading up to 1978's The Green Ripper--McGee is explicitly weary with himself, frustrated by the role he's cast himself in, doubting its truth and value both, but unsure about how he might either rejuvenate himself or break out of it. That, dramatized, is the problem of the series author--and one of the reasons that I remain astonished by (and incredibly respectful of) Westlake's twenty-four years of letting Parker lie fallow: mechanically putting a character through recognizable paces is a creative risk, one that can kill character and creator both. Yet rather than deny the problems he faced continuing to write stories about his meal ticket, and thereby letting his books curdle into cynicism, MacDonald took them out and looked at them, and let us see them, too.
For McGee, the answer is lasting love, which instantly reenergizes him--and its inevitable loss, which sets him dangerously aflame. For MacDonald, presumably, rejuvenation came from allowing McGee a possibility previously denied--the possibility of lasting change--and seeing where that led.
I've been skirting the one substantial flaw in MacDonald's books: sex. McGee is at his most dated when it comes to women--not because he is a midcentury sexist, but because the feminism he believes in and practices is, much as he scoffs at Hefner, fundamentally a Playboy feminism. It's a feminism of difference, one that allows self-determination regardless of gender but nonetheless falls back too often (for our contemporary tastes) on men being men, women being women, and freely given, heartfelt, passionate sex being the cure-all. Even McGee sees the occasional excess, lacerating himself here and there for his fuck-a-wounded-bird-to-health technique--but that doesn't stop him from maintaining the approach.
Worst of all, McDonald fails to heed my sole rule of writing: Always describe hangovers; never describe sex. Oh, does he describe sex. It's well-meaning, inexplicit, but nonetheless cringe-inducing, like when you hear someone say "make love" in seriousness. A passage from The Brass Cupcake will suffice as evidence:
I rose with her on the wave crest of a thing long denied, only vaguely conscious of reaching between us and thumbing open the buttons of the jeans, then sliding my hand around her and peeling the jeans down over the twin concavities of alive plum-tautness, dimly conscious of the thud as the moccasin fell at the end of the couch, of her breath that was like the beating of a wing against my throat, of the infuriating intricacies of robe belt, of the twin alivenesses hard under the blue T shirt, of the whole urgent mounting need of her, as vivid as a scream."Twin concavities of alive plum-tautness"? Jesus. (And that moccasin--in 1950, that's surely borderline Bohemian?)
That passage aside, The Brass Cupcake is a fine crime novel, and, as MacDonald's first, surely gave his editor a sense that here was a rare talent ready to cut loose. Bad sex aside, I'm grateful to Random House for reissuing it and a slew of other MacDonald standalones. Those are the books that a young Westlake read as he was starting out, and about which he wrote:
Gold Medal originals, with their yellow spines, were my education in popular fiction. At first I devoured them all indiscriminately, but gradually I began to go past the yellow spine to the brand name, to differentiate Vin Packer from Harry Whittington, Edward S. Aarons from Peter Rabe, and to accept some new titles more eagerly than others. There were the writers to skip, there were the old reliables, there were the few really good writers with surprises and felicities somewhere within every book, and there was John D. MacDonald. Almost from the beginning, he was in a class by himself, and I think the secret was that he never wrote a scene, not a scene of any kind, as though he were writing for the pulps. There was never overstatement, never sleaze, no wallowing in the mire. He accepted my, the reader's, intelligence as a given, and not many did that.My complaints about the sex scenes aside, I can't disagree.


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There are many instances when a lawyer might be necessary. It can be intimidating to meet and interview lawyers. There are many things to consider, such as their fee structure Probate Experts, how to communicate with them, etc. Use the tips below to help you understand what you can expect when dealing with lawyers.
A good tip to remember when looking to hire a lawyer is to make sure you find a lawyer that has the necessary experience that you're looking for. If you're going to court soon for a criminal case, it wouldn't make sense to bring on a divorce lawyer, you'll need a criminal lawyer.
Remember that you should be the one seeking out a lawyer, not the other way around. This is usually a scam you should avoid, in particular if you have an issue which will cost a lot. It is best to stay away from these lawyers and find a professional who does not need to reach out to potential clients.
Hire a lawyer that is accessible. A lot of people are disappointed because their lawyer is impossible to get in touch with. This can lead to a lot of issues, not the least of which is the fact that you will wonder if you are getting adequate service or not.
Check online to find out what sort of fees are typical for your legal issues. This will help you avoid being scammed down the road. Choose a lawyer who has a good track record and a great deal of experience to ensure that they don't overcharge you for their own time-wasting mistakes.
You should be cautious of providing a lawyer with a large retainer to tackle your case. If your lawyer needs a retainer for your case, then you should ensure any money that isn't used will be refunded back to you. You're probably better off shopping around for lawyers whose retainer fees aren't quite so large.
Use an attorney referral service. These services can help you look find some good layers. Some services are inferior though, as they don't adequately vet the lawyers. Some services simply list any member of the bar that is practicing and has liability insurance. Find out how these services vet the lawyers before deciding which one to use.
Look for a lawyer that is an expert in your type of case. Many lawyers can handle a wide range of cases, but if you want the best outcome possible, you want a lawyer that deals solely with cases of the same nature as yours. The best lawyer for you will have many cases like yours and knows the law the best.
You should never hire a lawyer from an advertisement that you have seen on television, seen in the phone book or heard on the radio. This is really no indication of how good of lawyer they are. Research the lawyer's legal background and read reviews from their peers to determine if they are right for you.
Everyone wants to find the best legal representation for the best price. However, remember that many times you get what you pay for and you surely want the best outcome of your case. Do some research about the reputation of several different lawyers as well as asking acquaintances for personal recommendations.
Always consult an attorney before filing a claim. A lawyer who specializes in the field will give you a better chance at winning your case. Independent research will help you somewhat, but you will never have the same knowledge as an expert in their field. Make sure to chose wisely.Referrals from a general lawyer can also be very helpful. Your lawyer's knowledge of you, and of the law in general, gives him a unique insight to the kind of specialty lawyer that would work best for you. If you are a current client, your lawyer will want your continued business and give you a good referral.
When it comes to choosing a lawyer, always trust your instincts. Do you feel like he's trying to sell you something? Does he seem like he lacks competence? Does she seem nervous? If you feel uncomfortable believing what the lawyer says, so will a judge or jury, so move on.
The purpose of a lawyer is to keep your interests safe. This is why you should have one look over a contract before you sign it. If you do not, then you won't have any protections if the other parties to your contract decide to cheat you. The language in your contract lets them.


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Privacy Policy
We respect your concerns about privacy. We, therefore, encourage You to refer to the Privacy Policy of the Website on an ongoing basis to stay abreast of our most current privacy policy practices. The following policy is intended to protect your privacy and ensure that your Personal Information is handled in a safe and responsible manner. As we continue to develop our Website and take advantage of technologies to improve the services we provide, our policies will continue to evolve. We fully abide by our Privacy Policy as outlined on our Website for all users. Please check back frequently to see any changes or updates to our Privacy Policy.
We may gather online customer information to enhance your online experience with us, to improve the content of our Website, and for marketing and promotional purposes. We collect information from You when You complete the online enquiry process. The information You share with us is shared with the corporate affiliates of Specialist Tooling Technologies Ltd, solely for the purpose of marketing and increasing the value of service to You.
How do we handle your Personal Information?
Your Personal Information may be disclosed to other businesses within Specialist Tooling Technologies Ltd and to third parties who will help process your order (if applicable). Specialist Tooling Technologies Ltd requires all such third parties to treat your Personal Information as fully confidential and to fully comply with all applicable UK data protection and consumer legislation from time to time in place.
You should be aware that if we are requested by the police or any other regulatory or government authority investigating suspected illegal activities to provide your Personal Information we are entitled do so.
You agree that You do not object to us contacting You for any of the above purposes whether by telephone, e-mail or in writing and You confirm that You do not and will not consider any of the above as being a breach of any of your rights under the Telecommunications (Data Protection and Privacy) Regulations 1999.
Why do we have a privacy policy?
Specialist Tooling Technologies Ltd is committed to privacy for everyone who accesses our Website. Under the Data Protection Acts of 1984 and 1998 and any revisions to these Acts, we must comply with certain regulations which are designed to ensure that any Data You provide to us is processed with due care and attention.
How do we define 'Data'?
Data is information that is any Personal Information which You provide to us and which is recorded and used by us and by which You can be identified.
Do we pass on your personal details to third parties?
We will only pass on your details to third parties who may contact You for marketing purposes by mail or email, or research agencies with your prior approval. We may share aggregate information with selected third parties but we do not disclose individual names or any identifying information.
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Should our policy change in the future, for example to comply with new legislation, we will post these changes on the privacy policies statements contained on the Website. Please check back frequently on the Website to see any updates or changes to our privacy policy.
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Cookies are small pieces of information that are stored by your browser on your computer hard drive. They contain no recognisable Personal Information.
We use them to identify You as You travel around our site and to provide site usage information, which will further help us improve and develop the site and services we offer.
We advise You not to use cookies if your computer is shared by other people. You can accept all cookies, reject all cookies, or modify your browser to alert You of any new cookies. Cookies also protect the integrity of registered passwords and limit access to 'paid for' services.
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You acknowledge and agree that all brand names, product and service names and titles, trademarks, trade names, service marks and copyrights of their respective holders and all other intellectual property rights in all material or content supplied as part of the Website shall remain at all times vested in us or our licensors. You are permitted to use this material only as expressly authorised by our licensors or us.
You acknowledge and agree that the material and content contained within the Website is made available for your personal non-commercial use only and that You may download such material and content onto only one computer hard drive for such purpose. Any other use of the material and content of the Website is strictly prohibited. You agree not to (and agree not to assist or facilitate any third party to) copy, reproduce, transmit, publish, display, distribute, commercially exploit or create derivative works of such material and content.
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The Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and You irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England
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A match made in music heaven. Imagine if these two reconcile and start doing music together again. The former Mo'Hit Record bosses performed three of their hit songs at Dbanj's sister's wedding today. They performed Fall in Love, Endowed and my favorite, Suddenly. D'banj called Don Jazzy to join him on stage and he obliged. Heard they gave a good performance.
D'banj and Don Jazzy, may God touch your hearts…Amin! 🙂