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Marlins unveil 2017 All-Star Game logo
The Miami Marlins unveiled the logo to be used for the 2017 All-Star Game prior to Wednesday's matinee matchup against the Philadelphia Phillies. 2017's MLB All-Star Game will take place in Miami on Tuesday, July 11.
This logo differs a little bit from All-Star logos of recent years since it doesn't resemble a seal or shield. Instead, a star sporting Miami's colors frames the words "2017 Miami All-Star Game." And the leaping Marlin seen on Miami's caps tops off the nifty logo.
It's simple, and I'm a big fan of it.
I've actually been unable to watch any of the All-Star Games since 2013 due to a variety of reasons. But I'm going to ensure that I have next year's game blocked off on my calendar well in advance. And if Giancarlo Stanton's performance at the 2016 Home Run Derby is any precursor, I will make sure to have the night of July 10 free as well.
Minding Mascots: True stories of furry foes from my young life as a sports fan
Hidden underneath a heap of fake fur, pounds of plastic, and presumably a whole waterfall of sweat stands a person above the law—a character only a miser would despise and everyone else must adore, or at least accept, as the jovial personification of the home team. I'm talking about mascots…cute from afar, creepy when close.
I attended my first big time sporting events as a young child, and was originally excited by the concept of lively team nicknames perusing the stands to celebrate with fans. But then at a University of Virginia football game, I witnessed my little brother break down at the sight of Buzz, the mascot of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. And I couldn't blame him. Buzz is a perfect example of the inherently conflicted nature of sports mascots. On the one hand, he's supposed to be a lovable, colorful animal and take pictures with families. But on the other, he represents the ferocity of an animal chosen specifically for its lethal fighting qualities as a moniker for a group of 11 large men poised to hit 11 other large men.
As an eight year old, I attended a football festival prior to the NFL's Pro Bowl. As a proud St. Louis Rams supporter, I donned my Marshall Faulk jersey and was excited at the day's possibilities. Yet, nearly every time I approached a beckoning NFL mascot I was met with the same cold, sometimes physical, rejection of my fandom. It's the PRO BOWL! Back then, the NFL season was already over by the time the Pro Bowl was played. At that point, there's no excuse for animosity towards an eight year old football fan—not as though there ever is. After my head was bitten by a Bengal and my neck choked by a Buccaneer's bicep, I found solace in the Buffalo Bill's mascot. First, he was the closest thing to a Ram I could find, and he also welcomed me with the Aloha attitude I was expecting from everyone else.
Even as an eight year old kid, what could I do? I couldn't punch a Patriot or kick a Colt, then I would look like the sour aggressor. If you're in a cute and colorful costume, aggression is just part of the game, but retaliation by a non-costumed kid would likely be a misdemeanor.
Aside from one quarter of a Titans game (accidentally), I have not been to an NFL event since I was ten years old. But mascots extend far beyond the football world.
When I was nine, I went to the Baltimore Orioles' Camden Yards to see my Florida Marlins in interleague action. Before 2013, interleague play in baseball was a once-a-summer ordeal that pitted teams in opposite leagues against each other just once every three years…translation: the Marlins and Orioles are farther from rivals than anyone. A cheap Marlins hat was my only team regalia as I stood along the railing next to Florida's dugout in an effort to be close to the players before the game.
Baltimore's Bird came over to rile up the O's fans in the section. He spotted my Marlins hat and pointed at me in an effort to conjure up boos and heckles from the nearby Orioles fans. I was NINE! He then, without asking, removed the cap from my head and used it to wipe certain crevices of his bird body. Now, I understand that the inanimate mascot suit does not sweat and defecate like an actual living creature, but I would still prefer my headwear not to be defiled in such a way.
Five years later, I was walking up Half Street outside Nationals Park with my family. The Marlins were in town for one of their three series each year, which makes this aggression slightly more understandable but no less egregious. Teddy Roosevelt, the most beloved of Washington's racing presidents, approached to high five the other three members of my family who were wearing Nationals garb. He then denied me a high five before taking the beautiful teal cap off my head and flinging it frisbee-style down the road. It was a damp day and the hat landed a good ways away from us. Luckily, it didn't get too dirty, otherwise it would have been veritable property destruction. I take my head fashion very seriously—though not as seriously as those ignorant twits that are adamant a sizing sticker must be left on the bill of a cap in order to make it fashionable, but I digress.
People have had it far worse than me and my brother, though. The Vanderbilt Commodore punched a student's nose as he was crowd surfing. And the Kansas City Royals' mascot once launched a hot dog into a man's eye, damaging his retina.
And corporate mascots? Even worse!
At a Chick-fil-A one day, what must have been a mascot-in-training repeatedly came to stand at the end of my table, just staring at me and my brother while we ate. He or she couldn't talk, and didn't really attempt to interact. They just stood there, and it was an unbelievably uncomfortable situation.
I'm fairly certain that the sole purpose of a mascots is to make introverts feel uncomfortable and unnecessarily raise the blood pressure of random people as they hide behind their mask of anonymity and the unwavering shell of silence. And as soon as that silence is broken, I believe the person should lose their mascot privileges.
Just a few weeks ago, I went to pick up a free pizza from a newly-opened restaurant here in Fredericksburg. While in line, I was approached by a teenager wearing a flimsy pizza slice suit. He high-fived the other customers, but I guess my hand wasn't going to cut it for him. With both of his hands, covered in Mickey Mouse-style mitts, he started pawing for my face. And then he SAID "I want to touch your face!" If someone outside of a suit says that, police involvement is permitted. Instead, the other customers laughed as I swatted his hands away. The same thing happened again when I was further up in line. And then as I walked out of the restaurant, he spotted me and pawed for my face one last time as I ducked out of his way and scampered through the door.
This guy was by far the worst mascot I've encountered, simply for breaking the ONE rule of mascots (staying silent) if for nothing else.
Tommy LaSorda, I wish I had your gusto:
Nats bobble to a beatdown: Mets at Nationals 5.23.16
It was hardly a traditional Beanstalk Baseball game, and the sky wept due to Paul's new life in Cincinnati. But Ben, Jack, and I made a Monday excursion to D.C. to witness the Nationals get clobbered by the Mets.
Apparently Ben's work schedule at George Mason takes precedence over getting together with his friends—something I really don't understand since his girlfriend pretty much supports his whole livelihood—so at this juncture our only opportunity for a Nats game hangout was Max Scherzer's bobble head night. It was an event I knew would be crowded, and resulted in us having to settle for tickets in the 400 level. But with rain in the forecast during this gloomy May, I figured BP was questionable anyway, so the crowd volume (with respect to the rain) wouldn't end up dampening our trip all that much.
Per usual, Jack and I met Ben at the Springfield metro station. And much to Jack's chagrin, it was not Ben's girlfriend who dropped him off. Jack spent the rest of the day moping about that, and the fact that we had to get to D.C. at the "break of dawn" (aka 3:30 p.m.), and tried to convince Ben's better half to pick him up at the end of the evening because apparently she's an important part of his social life.
We rode the metro up to the Archives station because there's a burger joint there of which Ben approved. He takes his food very seriously, so I entrusted him with the task of finding the best culinary delights to satisfy our mid-afternoon desires. The place is called "Plan B," and I warned him that the Catholic Church is against such a thing, but he insisted that these hamburgers were far from sinful—apart from the moral code of my wallet, as I later learned.
After some strangely, nonchalantly slow service, as well as witnessing the tourists outside get poured upon, we finished up around 4:15. I figured BP's likelihood of existence was minimal, but at the same time I knew we'd still need to get the park decently early to ensure our bobble head acquisitions.
With a bit of time to kill, we wandered over to the Archives because Ben insisted that the incredibly dim light in the rotunda was a spectacle to behold. If you've never been, the lighting in the main rotunda of the Archives is far duller than what you've seen in National Treasure to protect the quality of the documents (also, you can't just waltz up the main steps into the building the way Nicholas Cage did).
We wandered over to the metro station and hopped on the green line for a hot few stops before we found ourselves on Half Street at about 5:10. With the bobble heads secure and BP sufficiently rained out, we took a jaunt around the Park and settled down under the cover in section 111 as an overwhelmed and clueless young usher tried to continently come to grips with the hordes of fans huddled in the concourse as the atmosphere again bawled over Paul's absence.
The game was rain delayed until 8:10 p.m., and a relentless chill settled over the ballpark. Ben and Jack both had long sleeves, but I had packed light because my trip to Nats Park 10 days prior hadn't required a sweatshirt. So as my Floridian genes commenced an allergic reaction and sprouted raised follicles named for waterfowl, Ben and Jack may have been legitimately concerned for my health, so I assured them that despite my apparent discomfort nothing was in fact wrong with me.
As the game began, we ascended towards our actual ticketed seats (preposterous, I know!) only to find that they were positioned directly under the end of the upper deck's roof. That's no problem because the rain was over, right? Well, all the water from the storm had dripped off the roof and pooled on the ground in our row. So we had to hold our bags on our laps and watch like peasants from the rafters.
A half inning of discomfort later, we descended back down to the field level to go eat at the Red Porch. Ever since last August when Ben and Jack somehow attained the Holy Grail at the Red Porch—a waiter that was either high on life or drugs (or both), who undercharged them—Ben has wanted to return to find out if he could attain the same fortune.
Since it was only the second inning, the escalators were still going up, so we had to take the system of ramps down. These ramps are a torture device for drunk people, according to Ben.
"I am sure if you tried to roll something down the ramp it would be as if it were on a level-plane," Ben eloquently said later. These ramps were also our "escape route" in case of emergency, leading me to believe the Nationals' administration cares so little about the well-being of the upper deck riff-raff since they've given us the slowest possible way to exit the stadium.
Luck would not be on our side as our waitress was fully sober. She informed me that hot chocolate was the only soft beverage without free refills, and I knew at that point we had lost Ben's luck from the year prior. They stopped serving food after the fifth inning or so, which meant that we were allowed to stay in the Red Porch as long as we wanted (normally, there is a one-hour time limit).
As for the game, I made a classic Steve move and missed a three-run homer by David Wright while I was in the latrine. I was back at the Red Porch, though, for when Yoenis Cespedes launched a homer to the right-center field seats. Neil Walker then went back-to-back with a homer to left field. Gio Gonzalez saw his ERA increase by an entire point, and the Nationals' offense couldn't scratch a run across after the first inning. The Mets won 7-1 in a game that lasted just over two and a half hours after it finally started.
One bright spot of the evening was Bartolo Colon. He literally didn't swing the bat, but he's a joy to watch nonetheless.
Washington bench bests Miami bullpen: Marlins at Nationals 5.13.16
A complete lackage of lefty relievers and a trio of home runs from the Nationals sunk the Marlins in game one of the four-game weekend series at Nationals Park. While it was tough to see the Marlins go down in such a way, I had a great evening for my first game of 2016 in D.C.
Joe and I hung out at the Red Porch for the entirety of batting practice, free from most of the chorus of children realizing for the first time they can get free baseballs by yelling at players.
Joe pointed this out later on, but the amount of dropped toss-ups was absolutely bewildering. Two of the balls I picked up Friday were just mishandled by other people, so I gave them back.
I ended up giving away two more that were home runs I didn't catch. The second of which, from Ryan Zimmerman, was an absolute tater that ended up back in the Red Porch restaurant. I wasn't thinking on my toes when a little twerp came up and expected me to give it to him. I did because I'm a lightweight pushover. But I shouldn't have respected his ingratitude and either kept it for myself or given it to someone else.
I did successfully catch three home runs during Marlins BP, though, so that's what made this whole thing worthwhile. The first was from Adeiny Hechavarria, I believe. It was a simply fly ball near the center field end that made me lean over a row.
I had never caught a Giancarlo Stanton homer on the fly before, so I was really antsy to get one. Unfortunately, BP for him is not just a dinger derby. He methodically works to the opposite field before he unleashes the beast, significantly reducing the number of home runs he actually hits from the number he potentially could.
Nevertheless, he hit a blistering line drive that may have been the fastest ball I've ever seen hit, I wouldn't know. Before I could really even get my bearings it smacked a seat across the aisle from me and plopped down. I picked that one up, but I was a tad salty since I could have caught it had I been more on my toes. Luckily, he came through again with a high drive to the center field end. I scampered across a row and a half to make a drifting catch. I figured as a Marlins fan it's more or less a rite of passage to catch a Stanton dinger. Now six years into his career I was glad I had finally done just that.
He hit another homer during BP that ended up a good three rows back into the restaurant—probably a 450-footer. So the next time he got up, I figured I'd play back. The steps up to the restaurant are much too steep to conquer while tracking a home run, so if one lands up there, it's probably going uncaught by anyone down below. So I played in the aisle behind the first set of tables and much to my delight, he launched one to that exact latitude. It was a majestic behemoth that smacked right in my pocket.
I feel very unathletic while tracking and catching home runs during BP. For one thing, I bruise my thighs while running through the seats just because I inadvertently hit so many of them. Also, since you can't exactly circle around a ball and catch it while moving forward, I end up just drifting and more often than not leaning while I catch it. It ends up being a sprawling activity that puts the former outfielder inside of me to shame.
So I think I "snagged" eight balls during BP. All I can really tell you for sure is that I caught three, and kept one other that I picked up.
Joe cleaned up as well, since he's still at an acceptable toss-up age. He ended up with four as far as I know.
And we met this kid and his father who had half-season tickets at the Red Porch. This kid, lemme tell ya, was a master at the art of being a child at a baseball game. He must have snagged a dozen—all toss ups I think—from pretty much every player who ended up catching a ball in center field throughout the course of BP's two hours. We also saw him get a warm-up ball from Ben Revere during the game. It was ludicrous. A smart kid who is young and cute enough could probably make Zack Hample look like an amateur.
As for the game itself, we sat in the left field corner, section 108. Nothing really came our way during the game.
I was delighted to see the Nationals were wearing their navy blue stars and stripes jerseys–the first time I'd seen them in person.
After a brisk first four innings, Nationals starter Gio Gonzalez ran into some trouble in the fifth when two Daniel Murphy errors allowed the Marlins to score two runs.
In the top of the sixth, three straight singles loaded the bases for the Marlins with no outs. Here come some runs! Except not.
Manager Dusty Baker removed Gonzalez from the game and inserted Yusmeiro Petit, traditionally a long or middle reliever. Petit struck out Adeiny Hechavarria and was then replaced by lefty Oliver Perez. This was the first of Baker's impeccable managerial decisions.
Perez came in and induced a double play from the hot-hitting lefty Derek Dietrich. The Fish were left with a goose egg for an inning they started with three consecutive hits.
In the bottom of the sixth, Marlins starter Tom Koehler exited the game with two outs after surrendering a single to Jose Lobaton. The Nationals were still scoreless at the time. But Stephen Drew pinch hit for Perez and lifted a two-run homer to right field off reliever Bryan Morris, tying the game.
Blake Treinen entered the game to pitch for Washington and kept the Marlins scoreless in the seventh.
After a walk to Anthony Rendon in the bottom of the inning, Bryce Harper launched a two-run shot to right field. I was texting Paul during the game and he mentioned that he doesn't think he'd seen a Harper homer in person. And I don't know if I had either until Friday.
Giancarlo Stanton just missed a solo home run leading off the eighth, but settled for a double off the right field wall. He later scored on a ground out by Chris Johnson.
Baker got another pinch hit home run from Chris Heisey in the bottom of the eighth, the fifth and final run for the Nationals.
Jonathan Paplebon sealed the deal with his tenth save of the season, and the Nats took home the curly W.
Photo Gallery: Marlins at Nationals 5.13.16
Marlins' Monday resilience proves turned corner
Miami tried to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory Monday night, but the Brewers were having none of it. In a game where things went stereotypically wrong for the Fish, Jose Fernandez saved the team by pitching seven scoreless innings to defeat the Milwaukee Brewers at Marlins Park.
The ridiculousness started in the second inning when J.T. Realmuto blasted a home run onto the sculpture with Marcell Ozuna at first. 2-0 Marlins, right? Wrong. As center fielder Kirk Nieuwenheuis drew back on the fly ball, Ozuna thought it was in his best interest to tag at first base and reach second in case of it being caught. But Realmuto, watching his drive, touched first and rounded, stopping in his tracks when he saw Ozuna. The brief overlap of the runners was immediately recognized by Milwaukee's bench. Upon review, Realmuto was called out for surpassing Ozuna on the bases. Ozuna's run counted and Realmuto was rewarded with an RBI single…a 410-foot one at that.
I can see where Ozuna was coming from on that play, and I guess technically Realmuto should have paid more attention to the runner. But on a fly ball that deep, unless Nieuwenheuis has a play in front of the wall, Ozuna should be rounding second. For him, it's more important that he score in the likely event that the ball hits off the wall and stays in the park than advance to second in the unlikely event Nieuwenheuis makes a leaping catch.
Ozuna's trouble for the night wasn't over. With the Fish leading 1-0 in the sixth, Milwaukee's Ryan Braun hit a lined shot out to him in center field. Ozuna got spun around and completely whiffed as the ball momentarily nestled in his glove, but then popped down to the grass. Braun ended up with a two-out double. Fernandez induced the next batter to fly out, ending the threat and keeping the Marlins on top.
As clumsy as the Marlins are, the Brewers are the Brewers and trump the Marlins in that category. They surrendered a Little League home run to Derek Dietrich in the seventh inning. Dietrich lined a ball down the right field line and scampered towards third for a triple. The relay from the outfield hit him as he approached the base and bounded away, allowing Miami's second baseman to score.
In one final attempt to allow the Brewers to win the game, closer A.J. Ramos entered to pitch with a 4-0 lead in the ninth. He walked the first two batters. After a coaching visit to the mound, Ramos struck out the next two. All is well. Except he walked the next one. After five batters, no one had put a ball in play and the Brewers had the tying run at the plate.
Manager Don Mattingly summoned Bryan Morris from the bullpen and presumably told him to throw any sort of strike that didn't surrender a home run. He failed on the first batter and walked in a run. Suddenly, Milwaukee had the go-ahead run at the plate in an inning they began down 4-0 and had not hit a fair ball. Luckily for Miami fans, the final Brewer batter, Jonathan Villar, solidified Milwaukee's supremacy as the team least willing to win. He struck out and the Marlins escaped an inning that they themselves made thrilling by failing to throw strikes.
After a game like that, it's a wonder that this team won 11 of 12 over the last two weeks. Thankfully, strong pitching performances, like Fernandez's Monday night, have kept the Marlins successfully piling up wins.
Also, if Derek Dietrich continues performing at a high level–the infielder is hitting .333 with 13 RBI in 26 games–Dee Gordon's suspension can be overcome.
This is a good team with talented players around Fernandez and Giancarlo Stanton. Last year–and certainly two years ago–the Marlins would not have won this game. The bullpen would have failed sooner, or the errors would have haunted more, or the team wouldn't have scored a run after having one taken off the board.
But now in 2016, this team plays nine full innings, and they've won some competitive games. Holding their own in the NL East, this isn't the same Miami Marlins team in perpetual rebuild mode. It's their time to play ball.
A true American story of free food and home runs: Cubs at Reds 4.23.16
It was the second annual (hopefully it's annual) installment of me asking my friend Emily to ask her mom for her company's fancy-schmancy Reds tickets…and me tagging along with an assortment of other friends for an evening full of food baseball, and (two-for-two so far) a Reds win. Luckily, one of the assorted friends this time was Paul, who conveniently attends college at Xavier University in Cincinnati.
Saturday pitted the Reds against the Cubs for the sixth time in 2016. The Redlegs were a goose egg for the first five. In fact, they had been no-hit two nights prior by Jake Arrieta. It was also Joey Votto bobblehead night at Great American Ball Park. If you add all those things up, you get long lines, lots of kids, and way too many Votto and Kris Bryant shirseys for my eyes to count.
It was a shame for everybody involved that the Cubs didn't take batting practice at all. As we walked into the stadium, the batting shell was being rolled away, and some Chicago players were out throwing in left field. But there was no hitting to be had. So naturally we ascended to the posh club level perch, complete with a smorgasbord (which I really think should be spelled "schmorgizboard" for the fun and Scrabble-value of it) of ballpark and non-traditional ballpark cuisine. I had an approximately eight course meal before first pitch.
I actually had to schlep down and out of the stadium to give Paul his ticket when he arrived, which was an adventure of its own. The Reds conveniently have a re-entry gate, but as I learned from a pair of far-gone, alcoholically-inebriated Cubs fans on my way back in, people entering the stadium for the first time cannot use the same gate as those re-entering.
While I'm on the subject of drunk people: MLB instituted cheap little metal detectors at each stadium last year that fans must pass through upon entering. The security process is this: hand off a bag (if you have one) to the yellow-shirted guy, and put your keys and cell phone in a little container. The bag is inspected and your items are passed around the metal detector while you walk through. And that's it. Hardly TSA. Well, there was this one rather indulgent fan who in his state of mind treated the line as though he were hitching a flight on Jet Blue (Moon), and took his shoes and belt off in line. The security guard informed him there was no need of that and he seemed absolutely baffled by the fact that he could be passed off as safe without being forced to strip his accessories. Anyway, after he re-clothed, he took a selfie with a statue of the Reds' mascot and went on his way.
It was the bottom of the first by the time Paul and I made it back up to our section and he had successfully loaded his arms and hands with the various delicacies his mouth desired.
Our seats were in the first row of section 303, the second deck right above first base. I think it's slightly higher than the Stars & Stripes Club is at Nationals Park, but it's still definitely within foul ball range, as we learned in the later innings. I mentioned to Paul though that given our limited lateral mobility (we were stuck in the middle of the row), our foul ball snagging chances would be at a minimum.
In the top of the second, Addison Russell jacked a solo home run into the second deck in left field, temporarily putting the Cubs up 1-0. In the bottom of the fourth, Brandon Phillips knocked in a run to put the Reds up 2-1 with a double-almost-triple to the wall in left-center. He was thrown out at third base by a hair.
Chicago re-took the lead in the fifth by putting up two runs, but the Reds' bats went on a rampage in the bottom of the sixth. Eugenio Suarez and Adam Duvall both hit three-run homers. Duvall's was followed up by a Scott Schebler dinger, and the Reds had seven runs in the inning. Also, Tyler Holt pinch hit in the inning, and actually came around to bat a second time before three outs were recorded. So I guess that's technically two pinch hit appearances in one inning/game. He singled on his first one.
The Reds weren't done as they tacked on two more runs in both the seventh and eighth innings. Superhero bobblehead man Joey Votto (Vottomatic) homered in the bottom of the seventh–a two run shot to right field. It was Cincinnati's fourth homer of the day and the fifth altogether between the two teams. Miraculously, it was the only one I missed–an 80% success rate. Hear that, dad? I was getting food at the time and happened to catch it on the television screens inside, but didn't see it in person. Still though, four out of five. That's…something.
As for the foul balls: I wasn't wearing my glove because none came to our section last year when I was there and none appeared during the first several innings this go-around. But in the seventh, a righty popped one up right towards us. I yelled at Paul because he was on his phone, and we both stood up. But the ball descended two rows back and was pretty much uncatchable without me stepping over the people sitting behind us.
I had learned my lesson though, so I put my glove on and waited for another. The opportunity came on a silver platter, but I made like the Bengals and let the moment gobble me up.
The row behind us was empty, and Paul was sitting to my left. To my right were my friends Heather and Emily, neither of which are experienced in the foul ball catching department. Paul was on his phone AGAIN as a right-handed batter hit one straight to us. I stood up and tried to shift to my right, in line with the ball, but Heather's femurs were impeding my path. Kids: this is why you don't want to make friends. She was yelling at me like she wanted me to catch it, which she did (and I did, too…duh), but we both froze up and didn't move. I could have/should have stepped over my seat to move to the empty row behind us, but I didn't think fast enough and the ball landed on some deserted concrete and bounced away to a fan sitting in our row to the right. It was a bummer, but I'm sure there will be more opportunities in the future.
The Reds won 13-5. The 18 combined runs were the most I had ever seen in a game in person. Defeating the 16 I saw at Nationals Park in September 2012.
Heather and Emily wanted to get a picture with me after the game, and it didn't quite work out because whenever Paul pressed the shutter, my face didn't cooperate. So naturally we ended up with a bunch of gems like these:
So that happened.
Overall, it was a really fun time and I highly recommend the all-you-can-eat seats at Great American Ball Park should you be so fortunate enough to have a friend with connections.
Next stop on my baseball adventures: home. And Nationals Park in May. Peace out.
Five Years Deep-Fried: Recapping half a decade of blogging
This month marks the fifth anniversary of this blog and the start of the greatest writing project I've taken on in my life. I was a freshman in high school when my dad suggested that I start a baseball blog, combining the sport with my passion for writing. The timing couldn't have been better as the Marlins were re-branding and preparing to open up Marlins Park in 2012.
Readership spiked in November 2011 when Jeffrey Loria resurrected the Miami Marlins like an overzealous, technicolor phoenix from the ashes of the team formerly known as Florida. On 11.11.11, the new logo and uniforms were unveiled in an intense ceremony at the to-be-completed Marlins Park, and I went crazy and wrote three blog posts in one day!
2012 was bad year for the Fish, but a decent year for me. I documented my first ever trip to Miami and, to this day, my only trip to Marlins Park. In addition, I saw games at Dodger Stadium and PETCO Park. And then in October, I made one of the best decisions for the sake of my blog and wrote an in-depth analysis of the Nationals Park seating chart, which is far and away my most viewed post. Trust me, if you want to pick a good seat for a Nationals game, give it a read.
2013 and 2014 were absolute blurs of years as high school wound down for me. On "college trips" I got to see a few games at Turner Field, and I made another Spring Training trip to Florida in 2014. In May of 2014, Paul and I produced the initial episodes of "The Top Step," a podcast-type thing that will hopefully take off when we find inordinate amounts of time to spend on such an endeavor.
Later that summer, my family took a trip to the great Northwest where I saw two games at Safeco Field and even a minor league game in Vancouver, Canada. Seattle is a gorgeous city and the Mariners officially became my favorite American League team.
In the fall of 2014 I started college at the University of Dayton as well as my writing with Flyer News, the student newspaper at UD. I primarily covered the women's basketball team throughout my first year, and they thrillingly advanced to the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament.
Flyer News really helped me appear as an authentic journalist because in June 2015, I attended a Washington Mystics game as a member of the press to cover the two Flyers who were drafted to the WNBA. It was my first time covering a professional sporting event as a member of the media.
I soon graduated to the big leagues (lol) when I applied for a credential to an August game between the Nationals and Diamondbacks. My official "reason" for covering the game was to write about the Jayson Werth Chia Pet promotion, but that soon evolved into me just milking the press experience for what it was. We'll see if they ever let me back.
In all, I'm quite pleased with how I've been able to keep up journalism as a hobby while actually studying engineering and trying to make the world a better place in that regard. I've had some awesome experiences as a journalist, or a blogging student pretending to be a journalist, but I still don't believe it's an industry into which I should fully immerse myself.
One of my favorite movies, Hitch, provides an excellent perspective on journalism. Max, an editor-in-chief, reminds his young gossip columnist "There is more to life than to watch other people live it."
And that's really the beauty of what this blog is. I can live my life and write about what I want, free from the pressures of organized media. So thank you for any and all of the time you've spent reading over the past five years, and I look forward to the many more posts to come!
Return of the Juju: 2016 Season Predictions
If you recall back to August 2015, I was introduced to a new concept in the baseball world: juju. And mine is bad. I single-handedly applied the icing to the dismal end of Drew Storen's Nationals career, allowed Carlos Gonzalez to smash a grand slam off the aforementioned reliever, and oversaw the downfall of the 2015 Washington Nationals during my staycation at Nats Park–all after I guaranteed the Mets miss the playoffs. So 2016 can only be better, right?
2016 will, unfortunately, be the first even-numbered year since 2008 that I will not spend time in Florida for Spring Training. 2010 was my first trip to Jupiter, when I was enamored in baseball paradise for a few days watching my Marlins practice just feet from my eyes. In 2012, I saw the Nationals and Cardinals play a game in Jupiter before I traveled to Miami for an exhibition game at Marlins Park–days before it officially opened for the start of the season. And in 2014, my mother graciously accompanied me on another Florida excursion that my high school understood as "visiting my elderly grandmother," where I saw games at Disney, Jupiter, and Viera.
Something called college got in the way this year, and I will not be trekking to the Sunshine State, but that may be great news for every National League club not named the San Francisco Giants. The Giants have won the World Series each even-numbered year since 2008. And 2015 was the first year (odd-numbered years included) they failed to reach the National League Championship Series since 2009. If my presence at Spring Training has an effect on the Giants' postseason efforts, and because of juju I'm not surprised if it does, then I'll gladly trade a baseball trip for a different club representing the NL in the World Series.
On that note, here's what I think will definitely happen this year (disclaimer: it now definitely will NOT happen):
The Cubs will suffer after a stellar 2015. Their young players will still be talented as ever, but now that they're no longer underdogs, the MLB mentality will catch up to the youthful stars and they will not win the NL Central as everyone is predicting.
Yoenis Cespedes, Giancarlo Stanton, and Bryce Harper will vie for the National League home run title. Stanton will probably average a home run every 10 or 12 at bats, but the injury plague will bug him and the Marlins, who can't seem to catch a break with their slugger. I think Stanton will finally break the 40-homer threshold–something he was well on his way to last season before a June hand injury ended his year.
The Nationals will re-sign Ian Desmond because Danny Espinosa won't be nearly as valuable as an everyday shortstop as the Nats want him to be. Trea Turner won't be MLB-ready either, so it's back to the fan-favorite Desmond, who is still currently unemployed.
The Detroit Tigers will claw their way through a difficult American League Central and somehow win the division after taking 2015 off. The Royals will win at least 85 games, but will have to settle for a Wild Card a year after winning the World Series. There's something about Jordan Zimmermann and Miguel Cabrera being on the same team that won't let me pick against the Tigers. For Cabrera's sake, I really do hope Detroit wins a World Series in the near future, but the Tigers seem to falter every time the lights shine bright.
And because of the Spring Training juju, the fact that they missed the NLCS last season, and the fact that the Cardinals failed to keep the San Fran-St. Louis magic going, the Giants will NOT win the National League this season. Diamondbacks, anyone?
Bread Basket Catch: Major League Baseball's Power Shift
I read an article on MLB.com several days ago explaining how the American League Central will be the powerhouse of the big leagues in 2016. It looks like each team in the division has at least improved in some way–maybe save the Royals, who have won the American League two consecutive seasons and are the reigning world champs. I won't argue that at all, but I took the premise a step further for my latest Flyer News article. The National League Central is just as much a juggernaut. Three teams–St. Louis, Chicago, and Pittsburgh–made the postseason out of that division last year, and all three are still in a position to contend.
Midwest figures to make big impact on 2016 MLB season
America's breadbasket caught a bunch of talent in the off-season, and will look to harvest the benefits in 2016.
It's pleasing to me that the power has shifted from the New Yorks, Philadelphias, and Bostons of the nation to rust belt and agriculture-heavy areas like Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Kansas City. Baseball, as a whole, has recently had a wide geographic spread of champions–at least a much better distribution than the NFL or NBA can sport in the last several seasons.
If you read that article, you'll see why at least seven or eight of the 10 central division teams are in a position to contend in 2016, but don't be surprised if neither division is represented in the World Series. Why?
First, it's an even-numbered year. The last time the San Francisco Giants failed to win a World Series in an even-numbered year, it was 2008 and the Philadelphia Phillies hoisted the trophy. Adding Johnny Cueto and a dynamic Denard Span (pictured left) to to the roster, there is no reason the Giants should not challenge the Dodgers for the NL West this season. On top of that, manager Bruce Bochy clearly knows what he's doing in the postseason, and he has a roster seasoned to playing deep into October.
Second, the young blood in the American League will again challenge the Royals, or whoever wins the AL Central. The Houston Astros were a few outs away from knocking off KC in the 2015 ALDS, and their young lineup will be more potent with another year of experience. They'll be an exciting team to watch in 2015, along with the Toronto Blue Jays, who finally got over the hump and made the postseason for the first time since 1993 last year. With arguably the most dangerous offense in the league, the Blue Jays will be a force to be reckoned with all season. A Tigers-Blue Jays postseason series would be absolutely captivating as they may sport the top two offenses in the league. Think Miguel Cabrera and Justin Upton versus Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion.
The Midwest sports much of baseball's talent, but will have to struggle with the other power centers this season in order to show their true colors.
On a similar, but non-baseball note, I came across this map yesterday on Wikipedia. It's called the Nine Nations of North America. I primarily noticed that some major cities in the nation are at fascinating junctions.
Dallas looks to be right at the intersection of the Breadbasket, Dixie, and Mexamerica. I've never been to Dallas, but I can certainly see the cultures of all three of those regions blending into that area. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area is the fourth largest of its kind in the nation.
It's hard to tell for sure, but it looks like Los Angeles is right between Mexamerica and Ecotopia. While LA will never be grouped in the same categories as El Paso, TX or Juneau, AK in any substantive geographical survey, given the broad spectrum of this one, those groupings will have to suffice. That said, Los Angeles is the second largest metropolitan area in the nation, and could almost get its own category because it transcends any typical cultural or economic geographical labels that the southwest region of the country is given.
Chicago looks to be just inside The Foundry, but its metropolitan reach may extend into the Breadbasket. This makes perfect sense. Save the nickname of St. Louis, Chicago is really the gateway to the west. Just how all roads lead to Rome, all railroads lead to Chicago.
South Florida–new New England. Honestly, if we're talking about demographics and leisure life in this map, you might as well cut Florida off somewhere just south of Orlando and shade in the rest as New England. Climate wise, Florida is of course more similar to The Islands nation. And the northern reaches of the state are certainly part of Dixie America.
Finally, my hometown of Fredericksburg, Virginia is not clarified by this map. The 'burg is just about the southernmost point of Washington, D.C.'s suburban reach, and it's a beautifully awkward estuary of the northeast and south. On this map, it looks like it nestles at the bottom right corner of The Foundry, but I could walk to Dixie.
Questions to consider:
- If you've been to Dallas, where would you place it?
- Where do you draw the north-south/south-north line in Florida?
- Can Los Angeles be grouped with Mexamerica, Ecotopia, or neither?
- If you're familiar with Chicago, where's the line between farming and industry?
- And will the National Capital region continue cutting south into Dixie?


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Posted on 1 November 2013
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We hope to arrange another session soon. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Meanwhile, CLICK HERE to check out the Spurs Shop events calendar to see future events near you.
4 May 2016
One of our most iconic former players will be at the Spurs Megastore to meet and greet supporters ahead of Sunday's (May 8) match against Southampton.
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Supporters attending our home match against Bournemouth this Sunday, March 20, will be able to meet legendary former players Alan Mullery and Phil Beal at the Spurs Megastore.
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Supporters attending two of our forthcoming home matches will have a great opportunity to meet some legendary former players at the Spurs Megastore.
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RLJ Lodging Trust Acquires Two Assets for $120M
Friday May 23rd, 2014 - 9:34AM
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BETHESDA, MD—RLJ Lodging Trust has acquired two West Coast hotels, the 256-room Courtyard Portland City Center in Portland, OR, and the 293-room Embassy Suites Irvine Orange County in Irvine, CA, in an off-market transaction.
The combined purchase price is $120.0 million. The purchase price represents a forward capitalization rate of approximately 7.4% on the hotels' combined projected 2015 net operating income. The hotels' 2013 aggregate revenue per available room is greater than $116, which is approximately a 10% premium to RLJ's reported 2013 RevPAR.
The transaction was funded with cash available on RLJ Lodging Trust's balance sheet and its revolving credit facility. The company expects to use proceeds from its recently announced follow-on offering to subsequently repay its revolving credit facility.
With the addition of these two hotels, RLJ Lodging Trust now owns 148 properties, consisting of 146 hotels with approximately 23,000 rooms, and two planned hotel conversions located in 21 states and the District of Columbia.
Tags: RLJ Lodging Trust • Hospitality • Acquisitions •
Well, it's halfway through 2016, and not much has changed since the beginning of the year. Despite the terrorism acts in Orlando, FL and Turkey, and the Brexit referendum, little has happened to affect the travel industry. Overall, things might have slowed a bit, but a majority of the fundamentals are holding steady, including occupancy, ADR and RevPAR. I've been asked why this cycle has lasted longer than those preceding it. As far as I am concerned, it's due to a single phrase: Never Again.
Rockbridge Acquires Hilton Garden Inn in Nashville, TN
AccorHotels' Deputy CEO Vivek Badrinath Steps Down »
Michele Caniato Joins sbe as Chief Brand Officer
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The attractive Sony WX200 18MP 10x Zoom Compact Digital Camera delivers style with substance thanks to its 18 megapixels quality with rapid photo taking of up to 10fps. 15 scene modes help you to capture any situation and Full HD video provides you with great quality recording.
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Gloria Rodrigues
RE: Cabral DeMello Gravesites
Aloha, Yes it is!
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Gloria Rodrigues
on Jan 04, 2016 3:35 PM
Gloria Rodrigues
RE: Cabral DeMello Gravesites
Wow! This is awesome!!! Do you have my email?
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Gloria Rodrigues
on Jan 04, 2016 1:47 AM
Gloria Rodrigues
RE: Cabral DeMello Gravesites
Oh my gosh... I have been looking for their grave and could not find so decided to make a memorial. Thank you thank you thank you!!! They are my uncles grandparents. I will delete mine and enter the info and pics on yours.
Mahalo, Gloria
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Gloria Rodrigues
on Jan 03, 2016 6:34 PM
John Radford
I have transferred this memorial to you. I walked this small cemetery in 2011, and took pictures of all the gravestones that I could read. There were some old ones that were so worn that I couldn't read them, so I can't say for sure there wasn't a stone. The information regarding Maria, came from a cemetery index. The index indicates the information came from an obit from the Goff, KS newspaper, dated May 10, 1906. I have not seen this obit. It maybe possible for you to get a copy from the Kansas History Library in Topeka, KS. They have old newspapers on microfilm there. You should be able to find an address if you google the library.
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on Feb 17, 2013 1:55 PM
RE: Photo of TN Huff tombstone
Absolutely, you have my permission to use my photo. I'm glad I could help.
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on Jun 13, 2012 5:31 AM
Frank & Clara Cameron
Well, there was finally a little break in the weather. Unfortunately, there is only a small headstone for Frank but there was a cement edge around the plot with the family name.
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on Mar 24, 2012 12:03 AM
George Robbins II
Jodie McEuen (McEwen)
I have been searching for Mr. McEwen in Evergreen to fullfill your photo request, and so far have not found him. As you stated the only location given by both cemetery and Bisbee Museum records is in General. I have searched the on-line cemetery plot maps for him in 12 sections labeled as General, East General, West General and New West General with no luck. I have found other McEwens, but have not found either Jodie or Anita. I also researched people who died about the same date as Jodie to put me int the correct area of the cemetery with no success. Jodie died in 1910 at a time when very poor records were maintained, and the remaining plot maps have faded, or the records were just not entered. I will keep scanning the plot maps for awhile, and you might also want to look at the maps for his grave. They are at http://www.bisbeecemetery.com/, under Mapping and Research. If you do find his location, let me know and I'll be glad to take the photo.
George Robbins
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George Robbins II
on Mar 14, 2012 12:52 PM
Alice Moore Durgin (Sep. 29, 1856 - May 7, 1901)
Willcox Pioneer Cemetery request -
I was unable to locate the headstone you are requesting, but I am new to this. I did talk to Dan Douglas who is the funeral home person here in Willcox and he told me that he has a list of all the people of record in that cemetery. It is not in order, and does not have a plot map, only names, but I am going to stop by and get the list from him. I am not able to complete this request, so I am returning it to unclaimed. I will try to learn how to email you the list when I get it. Take care. RaeAnn
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on Nov 15, 2011 7:35 PM
Mary Lavezzari
Jefferson Maddison Cook marker
This marker might have an interesting story. Jefferson Maddison Cook was the name on the marker when our local Eagle Scout did research on this cemetery. His records were transcribed to findagrave. On going to the cemetary yesterday I found that the marker has been changed to Jefferson Davis Cook. I inquired at the Cemetery office and found there were no records for Jefferson Maddison Cook. I have made a new memorial for your ancestor,j davis and have entered the new photo on that memorial. Mary
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Mary Lavezzari
on Jun 22, 2011 11:29 AM
Vicki Andersen
I was beyond excited to find this entry. I only recently discovered that my ancestor Alice Moore had a brother Lemarcus. I had no idea that Alice had been married a second time to a Durgin. If you have any information on this marriage I would so appreciate learning about it. I have compiled a bit of information on Lemarcus if you would like it. It would fill in some of the gaps in the info you have. I am so excited to find another relative on my Moore Line.
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BOSTON - Commuter trains south of Boston saw major delays Friday morning as crews tried to address signal problems at South Station.
The problem was fixed early Friday morning, but the MBTA said morning trains heading into Boston on the Kingston/Plymouth line could be delayed up to an hour. Trains heading south on the line could be delayed by an hour and 15 minutes.
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The CG launch trailer is out for Civilization V: Gods & Kings.
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Until recently our knowledge of infants with subclinical motor and psychological defects was limited by two facts: (1) the lack of a consistent rating system on which neonatal distress could be recorded, and (2) the poor quality, in terms of prediction, of the diagnostic techniques available to the neurologist, psychiatrist, and psychologist. With the advent of the Apgar rating system,1 the first step in understanding this problem was made. Rating standardization over various parts of the country tends to produce records which are consistent, regardless of place and examiner, and which therefore facilitate research interest. While the first step has been taken, the Apgar rating has not yet provided a sensitive diagnostic tool, in that its predictive use is still limited to a dichotomous distribution.
In the last five years, much work on neonatal and infant perception and attention has demonstrated that (1) the technology is now available for
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Christchurch Metro Cricket will be holding its 2016 Golf Day on Friday October 14th at the picturesque Kaiapoi Golf Club.
The BLACKCAPS schedules for the next two ANZ INTERNATIONAL SERIES' have been released
The Fulton Cricket Scholarship Golf Day is being held on April 17 at the Weedons Golf Club. This is a fundraising event with the money going towards the Fulton Cricket Scholarship.
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In visual studio on my PC I can use itoa() to convert from a base ten int to a base 2 c-string. However when I am on a Linux machine that function isn't supported. Is there another quick way of doing this kind of conversion? I know how to use a string stream and I can use the dividing and modding to convert to another base manually.
I was just hopping that there was an easier way of accessing the binary representation of an int.


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|Documentary films
Children's films
Juvenile works
Fiction Juvenile films
Juvenile films
|Pessoa Denominada:
|Harry Potter, (Fictitious character); J K Rowling; Harry Potter, (Fictitious character); J K Rowling
|Tipo de Material:
|Gravação de vídeo
|Tipo de Documento:
|Material visual
|Todos os Autores / Contribuintes:
Hugh Laurie; Questar, Inc.
|1568558554 9781568558554
|Número OCLC:
|Information from pre-release promotional materials.
Originally produced for public television broadcast.
Inspired by the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling.
|Hugh Laurie, narrator ; producer, Sarah Strupinski ; director and writer, Shaun Trevisick.
|Hugh Laurie, narrator.
|Público Alvo:
|MPAA rating: Not rated.
|1 videocassette (48 min.) : sd., col. ; 1/2 in.
|a British documentary made for American public television.
Explore the myths and legends that inhabit the world of Harry Potter; learn about witches and wizards, Greek gods, the Celts, ghosts, magical creatures and ancient spells. Discover where a school like Hogwarts is located, what lies beneath Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station, what ancient civilization had a 3-headed dog like Fluffy, what are the real origins of the Philosopher's Stone, and what links Harry Potter to the journeys made by King Arthur and Odysseus.
Críticas contribuídas por usuários
Ítens Similares
Assuntos Relacionados:(13)
- Potter, Harry -- (Fictitious character) -- Fiction -- Juvenile films.
- Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Imaginary organization) -- Fiction -- Juvenile films.
- Wizards in literature -- Juvenile films.
- Magic in literature -- Juvenile films.
- Rowling, J. K. -- Themes, motives.
- Feature films.
- Video recordings.
- Potter, Harry -- (Fictitious character)
- Rowling, J. K.
- Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Imaginary organization)
- Magic in literature.
- Themes, motives.
- Wizards in literature.


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Updated Feb 13, 2013 - 2:48 pm
Hundreds line up for central Phoenix Sprouts opening
PHOENIX — Starting at 4 a.m. people were lined up to get their hands on free groceries at the Squaw Peak Plaza at 16th Street and Glendale Avenue.
Sprouts Farmers Market has opened shop and it had a certain Black Friday feel. Big lines, crowded parking lots and what most people really cared about, freebies.
Mike Ordaz drove in from Tempe for the party.
"The goodie bags and meeting the people (were the draw)," he said.
Others who live in the north central Phoenix area were happy to have a shopping option closer to home.
The first 200 people in the door received free grocery goodie bags. The bags offered other specials to draw attention to the store.
This location is the 18th Sprouts store to open in the Valley.
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The governor has forwarded the full report to three district attorneys, APS' acting superintendent, and other officials to determine whether criminal charges should be filed. He says there will indeed be consequences for those guilty of cheating.
Deal declined to address the report's specifics during a Gold Dome press conference, but did reveal general findings. Investigators tasked by former Gov. Sonny Perdue to probe allegations that APS teachers and principals changed students' test answers discovered that 178 teachers and principals were responsible or directly involved in cheating. Of those, 80 confessed. (See full statistics and general findings below.)
"When test results are falsified and students who have not mastered the necessary material are promoted, our students are harmed, parents lose sight of their child's true progress, and taxpayers are cheated," Deal said. "The report's findings are troubling, but I am encouraged that this investigation will bring closure to the problems that existed in APS and restore the focus on students and the classroom. As we begin to turn the page on this dark chapter in Atlanta Public Schools, I am confident brighter days lie ahead."
Mike Bowers, a former state attorney general, and Bob Wilson, a former DeKalb County district attorney, handled the investigation but were not given a chance to answer reporters' questions at the press conference. According to the AJC, nearly 50 of the Georgia Bureau of Invesigation's 240 officers assisted in the probe.
Deal says he's waiting on Attorney General Sam Olens' advice to release the full report. Until then, we have the following summary from the governor's office to shake our heads about:
* Thousands of children were harmed by the 2009 CRCT cheating by being denied remedial education because of their inflated CRCT scores.
- We found cheating in 44 of the 56 schools we examined (78.6%). There were 38 principals of those 56 schools (67.9%) found to be responsible for, or directly involved in, cheating.
- We determined that 178 teachers and principals in the Atlanta Public Schools System cheated. Of the 178, 82 confessed to this misconduct. Six principals refused to answer our questions, and pled the Fifth Amendment, which, under civil law is an implied admission of wrongdoing. These principals, and 32 more, either were involved with, or should have known that, there was test cheating in their schools.
- We empathize with those educators who felt they were pressured to cheat and commend those who were willing to tell us the truth regarding their misconduct. However, this report is not meant to excuse their ethical failings, or exonerate them from their wrongdoings.
* The 2009 CRCT statistics are overwhelming and allow for no conclusion other than widespread cheating in APS. The BRC expert, Dr. John Fremer, wrote an op-ed article for the AJC in which he said there was widespread, organized cheating in APS.
* The drop in 2010 CRCT erasures confirm the conclusion above.
* Cheating occurred as early as 2001.
* There were warnings of cheating on CRCT as early as December 2005/January 2006. The warnings were significant and clear and were ignored.
* Cheating was caused by a number of factors but primarily by the pressure to meet targets in the data-driven environment.
* There was a major failure of leadership throughout APS with regard to the ethical administration of the 2009 CRCT.
* A culture of fear, intimidation and retaliation existed in APS, which created a conspiracy of silence and deniability with respect to standardized test misconduct.
* In addition to the 2009 CRCT cheating, we found other improper conduct: several open record act violations; instances of false statements; and instances of document destruction.
A statement from Mayor Kasim Reed, plus other updates, after the jump.
UPDATE 1:30 p.m: Mayor Kasim Reed issues a statement:
"Today is a dark day for the Atlanta Public School system. The State of Georgia's investigation into allegations of widespread cheating on the CRCT test confirms our worst fears. There is no doubt that systemic cheating occurred on a widespread basis in the school system.
Further, there is no question that a complete failure of leadership in the Atlanta Public School system hurt thousands of children who were promoted to the next grade without meeting basic academic standards.
I am grateful to former Governor Sonny Perdue and Governor Nathan Deal for their leadership on this issue and for bringing the grave problems facing the Atlanta Public School system to light. The investigators followed the facts, regardless of where they led. I would also like to commend Atlanta's press corps, especially The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, for its service to the public by providing comprehensive, investigative reporting on the test score discrepancies.
I am confident that Interim Superintendent Errol Davis, former Chancellor of the University System of Georgia, and Board of Education Chairwoman Brenda Muhammad and Vice-Chairman Reuben McDaniel will take decisive action and lead the system in a manner that resolves the problems uncovered in the investigation and work to ensure that this never happens again.
The Atlanta Public School system can and will recover from this painful chapter in its history. The system has the support of teachers and educators who are principled and committed to serving the city's students. The system has the support of thousands of parents who are deeply invested in what happens in the classroom and the academic achievement of their children. And Superintendent Davis, Chairwoman Muhammad and Vice-Chairman McDaniel have my full support and that of the entire City of Atlanta as they begin to move the school district forward."
UPDATE 1:53 p.m.: WABE offers a video of the press conference:
Showing 1-17 of 17
I live right next door to the Serenbe Farm House and no one asked me,…
@ atlantan109 Perhaps so. Can you cite any instance where an Atlanta City neighborhood association…
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Joseph Liam Denly (born 16 March 1986) is an English international cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and leg break bowler. An exciting stroke player who relishes short pitched bowling, Denly first came to attention during the England 2005 Under...-19 tour of India where he made three half-centuries in three tests. He previously represented England at Under 17 level and went on the ECB Under 18 tour to the Netherlands in 2003.
Connect any celebrity with Joe Denly to see how closely they are linked... romantically!


text:
Affirmation Ball
Are you having one of those days where nothing seems to be going right? They usually start off with you running late, then you don't your cup of coffee, and the downward spiral continues unless you get some positive reinforcement; which is really hard to come by these days! So, if your coworkers and [...]Read more


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Vigils Planned In Response to Orlando Tragedy
Early Sunday morning, 9 people were killed and 53 were injured by a gunman at a nightclub in Orlando. It is the worst massing shooting in the history of the United States. Vigils and tributes to victims are happening all over the world as well as locally here in North Carolina. A Community Gathering in Solidarity with […]Read More
Early Morning Fire at La Res
****UPDATE: La Res posted on Facebook on Monday that the restaurant would be closed for remodeling "until further notice" to repair damage to the kitchen.*** No injuries were reported after there was a fire at Chapel Hill Restaurant and Bar La Residence early Sunday. Officials say fire crews were dispatched to the establishment on West […]Read More
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Maintenance work will shut down a popular bikeway in Carrboro this week. A release says a Duke Energy contractor will be conducting vegetation management along the Libba Cotton Bikeway from June 13 through the 15. The bikeway will be closed from eight o'clock in the morning until 4:30 each afternoon. The crew will make sure […]Read More
GoTriangle 'Optimistic' Light Rail Funding Will Be Restored After Surprise Alternate Cap from Senate
The Durham – Orange Light Rail project may not be out of the woods quite yet under the budget proposals from the North Carolina legislature. The 17-mile rail proposal has an estimated price tag of nearly $1.6 billion and would be funded at 50 percent with federal dollars, 25 percent from the state and 25 […]Read More
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Orange County brings in an estimated $100,000 per year through the operation of the soccer pitches at the Soccer.com complex near Gravelly Hill Middle School in Efland, according to officials. And that number could soon be on the rise. Commissioners unanimously approved a proposal on Tuesday night to proceed with the purchase of 37 acres […]Read More
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Basketball analyst Charles Barkley is calling on the National Basketball Association to move the 2017 All-Star Game from Charlotte over North Carolina's controversial House Bill 2. Barkley, who has been a mainstay on Turner Sports' Inside the NBA, spoke about HB2 while on the Dan Patrick Show. "I've been trying to get the NBA to […]Read More
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Carrboro Police have arrested two men in a string of vehicle crimes. Officials say officers responded to calls for service related to three unoccupied vehicle fires, two calls for breaking and entering of motor vehicles and a stolen motor vehicle all between 1:30 and four o'clock the morning of June 3. All of the incidents […]Read More
WCHL & Chapelboro Moving to University Place
WCHL radio is moving to a new space at University Place on South Estes Drive, after 14 years at its location off Weaver Dairy Road. The station was purchased last August by California and Colorado-based businessman Leslie Rudd, a former homeowner in Chapel Hill. He brought in Chris Ehrenfeld, Jim Kitchen and Mark Vitali as […]Read More
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The Orange County Board of Commissioners has unanimously approved a new county slogan — "Around the Corner, Ahead of the Curve." The slogan will be placed on a new county interstate sign and will replace the former slogan "You'll Be A Fan For Life." "We heard from many people who said 'if you're looking at that […]Read More
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Former UNC forward Brice Johnson has been named to the USA Men's Select Team, which was announced on Tuesday. The team will train with the senior men's national team during its training camp in Las Vegas. Johnson led the Tar Heels to an appearance in the national championship game during his senior season at Carolina. […]Read More
UNC Cancer Research Suggests Overuse of Aggressive End-Of-Life Treatments
UNC researchers traveled to Chicago this week to present their latest cancer research at the American Society of Clinical Oncology's annual meeting. Leading the group was Dr. Ronald Chen, a professor at UNC's department of radiation oncology. He studies the impacts of aggressive cancer treatments at the end of a patient's life. "I think it's widely […]Read More
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text: On Fri, Feb 14, 2014 at 03:43:24PM -0600, Haluk Dogan wrote: > I want to convert my directed graph to directed acyclic graph. I know > Feedback Vertex Set algorithm can do this. However, I couldn't see its > method in jGrapht. Can you describe more precisely what you mean by 'convert' and for which purpose? Add edges? Remove edges? Reorient them? Remove vertices? Any minimality constraints? Regards, Ernst -- Information System on Graph Classes and their Inclusions (ISGCI) http://www.graphclasses.org


text:
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text:
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Any idea why this would happen? I changed themes and all content gone. I tried different themes but same thing.
Can someone peek at http://www.andreabiz.com and look around? Could it be a plugin conflict?
Thanks for any help. This is quite annoying as there is no use to have a blog if no one can read it!


text:
Death, taxes and Tigers' C-USA streak
Originally Published: March 4, 2009By Mark Schlabach | ESPN.com
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The last time Memphis lost a basketball game against a Conference USA opponent, Tigers point guard Tyreke Evans was still a sophomore at American Christian School in Philadelphia.
"Brokeback Mountain" was still breaking the box office, and Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock were still Hollywood's oddest couple (or was it Britney Spears and Kevin Federline?). Duke was the best college basketball team in the land, and the financial markets were still a cash cow for investors: ...
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A Bone to Pick
Time for a little rant.
In this era of internet fast - rapid dissemination of information, we've expected our hard-hitting beat reporters to keep asking the tough questions. Yesterday, the reporting on Reed Johnson's foot injury disappointed me. The news was lightning fast. I got a twitter text message from David Kaplan regarding Johnson's X-Rays showing a fracture in his foot. Then before blinking an eye there were links to articles from all of the major beat writers...Tribune's Paul Sullivan, Gordon Wittenmeyer/Sun-Times and Bruce Miles/Herald.
Unfortunately they forgot to ask a followup question. Something like...could you tell us what bone is broken? C'mon guys, this is no longer the era of "the toe bone is connected to the foot bone". In these times when medical information is being questioned for more
specific information, you would think they could ask what bone was
broken. It leads to less unnecessary speculation (or at least more
specific speculation). I had hoped they learned this lesson. I recall when Gordon Wittenmeyer got his dander up, when the news on Rich Harden's MRI showed a small rotator cuff tear but they didn't get that information after the test in October but only found out that information in January at the Cubs convention. I was proud of GW back then for raising a fuss.
Although it might not make much difference in estimating the time to recover (they all reported up front it would be 4 weeks, meaning he's out until September), it really bugs me that the baseball reporters didn't ask what bone was broken in Reed Johnson's foot. Group think often leads to complacency. They just might be missing something important here. After reading all 3 biggies (Sullivan, Wittenmeyer and Miles), none of them wrote anything more than this:
Sullivan: "Johnson continued to play and flied out in the second inning. He was removed in the top of the fourth and sent to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for X-rays, which revealed a non-displaced fracture on the top of the foot."
Wittenmeyer: "The platoon lead-off man suffered a non-displaced fracture when he fouled a pitch off his foot in the first inning Wednesday. He later singled and scored the first run and batted once more before leaving as the pain got worse."
Miles: "The Cubs originally announced Johnson had a bruise, but X-rays revealed a non-displaced fracture..."
There are 11 bones in the foot not counting toes (phalanges). If it's a metatarsal fracture (there are 5 metatarsals) it probably doesn't make much difference in terms of time to heal but if he broke a bone called the navicular it could be longer than 4 weeks...much longer. Dempster broke a phalanx (big toe) and it took 2 weeks so I assume it's not that...they would have said he broke a toe, not his foot if that were the case.
A navicular fracture was what Frank Thomas as well as Michael Jordan had early in his career and currently has led to big problems with Yao Ming.
I found this link with some info on why Navicular fractures are different but it does mention one thing in common with what they said about Reed Johnson's injury...it's located at the top of the foot:
As early as 2002, the American Academy of Family Physicians reported a rise in tarsal navicular bone fractures in active people. It is most common in athletes who indulge in running sports, and is very difficult to spot, which causes further complications as the condition worsens. The bone is located at the top of the foot.
The first symptom is usually pain in the midfoot area, gradually spreading throughout the rest of the foot. Regular x-rays don't usually pick up the damage right away, so doctors are often led in another direction in trying to diagnose the source of the trouble. Slight injuries are often treated with six to eight weeks of immobilization in a cast. Worse cases like Yao's often necessitate surgery.
Navicular fractures can be difficult to diagnose and often don't show up on initial X-Rays because they can happen initially as a stress fracture. That's a subtle hairline crack that is like a crack in a car winshield. It can extend or propagate if it gets continued activity and RJ did play after he was hit in the foot during the 1st inning at bat, in fact he singled and subsequently scored on DLee's sac fly...then continued in the outfield for another inning and even batted again until he couldn't handle the pain.
I'm not saying RJ's got a navicular fracture.
We don't know what bone is injured when they say a fracture in the foot even if they have said the X-Ray's showed a non-displaced fracture. So I'm just sayin' that reporting a non-displaced fracture in the foot isn't enough these days. Especially when it's two day's before the trade deadline and any DL stint longer than 4 weeks could be a significant issue.
Re: A Bone to Pick
Only possible more charitable explanations that I can think of for their omission is that the Cubs sent them the news in some form of press release, where there wasn't an actual human being available to whom they could quickly direct follow-up questions.
If that is the case, then I would hope that either A. one of them would note it in their reporting, or B. within the next few hours, as someone from the Cubs becomes available, it will be the first question asked.
If it winds up being B, then I am going to give you all credit as being the impetus. If neither of those things happen, then yeah, it's another case of "reporters" really being little more than dictation machines. Someone pay me to transcribe the Cubs press releases! I cn transricbe goood!
Re: A Bone to Pick
I think what we're failing to take into consideration here is that 99.9% of Cub fans probably don't care what bone in the foot is broken as long as they know he's only out 4 weeks.
I think the assumption is that if the Cubs said he would be out 4 weeks and there's a non-displaced fracture in the top of his foot, it means it's not a navicular fracture.
OTOH, if the "4 weeks" figure is just conjecture on the part of the beat writers based on a typical timetable for a standard foot injury, my assumption goes out the window.
Also, don't get me wrong, I love reading Dr. Hecht's analysis, and it always helps when he has more details with which to work, but the time for these "journalists" to do some sleuthing was when KW and Prior kept getting injured and no one knew what was going on.
Re: A Bone to Pick
where there wasn't an actual human being available to whom they could quickly direct follow-up questions
if it was a press release...then I would have expected Bruce Levine to don his cape and fly to the information highway's rescue. Plus David Kaplan has contacts with all the medical staff at Northwestern. I think he could have gotten that question asked and answered for a freebie Lou Malnotti's pizza.
...getting off the soap box to watch today's game.
Re: A Bone to Pick
It's a very, very good soapbox on which to stand.
Re: A Bone to Pick
even Len/Bob in the TV pregame say: non-displaced fracture in RJ's left foot.
and although Stevens is at the ballpark today, they expect Sam Fuld to be with the club in Florida.
Re: A Bone to Pick
Don't you have to be down for 5 days or something once you get sent to AAA?
Re: A Bone to Pick
I think it's 15 days unless you replace someone who goes to the DL.
Re: A Bone to Pick
Re: A Bone to Pick
Miles weighs in on Fuld being called to the team for the Florida series
also says Soto may be ready for possibly the Cincy series or more likely Colorado series.
Re: A Bone to Pick
now it comes out...
NY Times reporting ManRam and Ortiz tested positive in 2003 and are on "the list"
Re: A Bone to Pick
Wittenmeyer also got a crucial fact wrong. Johnson broke his foot AFTER he singled and scored in the 1st, not before. The foul ball off his foot came in his 2nd at bat.
Re: A Bone to Pick
I was thinking the same thing.
Re: A Bone to Pick
Nice catch. Curious to see how long his article stays posted before being corrected.
Re: A Bone to Pick
Two guys HBP??? What is Hart doing?
Re: A Bone to Pick
How is Mike Fontenot better than Andres Blanco, again? I'm having trouble making sense of all that.
Re: A Bone to Pick
Re: A Bone to Pick
Re: A Bone to Pick
Less chance of Fontenot (than Blanco) landing Big Z on the DL for ritual piggy-back rides?
Re: A Bone to Pick
I <3 Fontenot.
Re: A Bone to Pick
I'm sure the 4 week estimate came from the medical staff, probably the orthopedic surgeon (Dr. Gryzlo) and not the writers.
...still it's like when ARam had his dislocation or Dempster broke his big toe...the recovery estimates were all over the map and it takes time to see how things are progressing. Having more info just helps analyze these injuries. Hence a rant not an inquistion.
Some injuries have a trickier track record, but still can heal quickly if all goes well. Another one has a the nickname called a Jones fracture...which is a fracture (often starting as a stress fracture as well) at the base of the 5th metatarsal but closer to the bones proximal shaft and has a very different healing timeframe than an avulsion type fracture at the base of the 5th MT (which is much more common).
Re: A Bone to Pick
How the hell do you let Kaz "Anal Fissure" Matsui homer off you?
Re: A Bone to Pick
Fox, Bradley... back to back!
Re: A Bone to Pick
When Bradley and Sori are hitting, with Lee and Fox before them, that is quite a murderous lineup.... Too bad Lou doesn't seem to trust Fox with catching...
Re: A Bone to Pick
With a healthy roster I like Fox on the bench. He can be what Olmedo Seanez was to the Dodgers a few years ago: A bench bat with some thunder.
Re: A Bone to Pick
Another day of whoop-ass! I love it!
Re: A Bone to Pick
Heyman tweets that Cubs are close to Grabow and could add another pitcher...
Re: A Bone to Pick
cost should be interesting...if the cubs can get him for scraps that'd be impressive, but a fox/marshall/hoff could be in their future.
grabe's worth more than his numbers show.
Re: A Bone to Pick
Can't imagine the cubs would give up marshall, it would seem to defeat the purpose of making the trade. My guess is that they offer/ed a couple of A level or below arms that have potential and hope that it gets done. That seems to be hendry's m.o. when trading for spare parts.
Re: A Bone to Pick
problem is grabow is more than spare parts to PIT...and a lotta teams
i hate his control issues and he's got starter stuff, but he can't quit working deep counts and walking people.
behind those "meh" numbers are a 93-95mph fastball, a deadly changeup that actually works on righties, and a slider. lot of people would love to kick the tires on the guy...esp. since he stays healthy, too.
Re: A Bone to Pick
think I worded that incorrectly. Grabow is a solid setup guy, but Hendry hasn't typically given up a lot for guys like him in the past. Not that Hoff or Fox should be untouchable, but I guess I don't see them going in a deal. I guess we'll see.
Re: A Bone to Pick
heard that...i don't have an inside track on the trade or rumors or names, but i know grabow was highly sought after this offseason and his stuff is something people would love to kick the tires on.
he's got starter stuff, but he can't consistently put it together...even batter to batter.
just looking at his #s it should seem that he'd be cheap, but behind those numbers are some tools that are worth a lot of he even finds a shred more control over it.
Re: A Bone to Pick
Hmmm... he sounds like someone Dave Duncan would turn into a staff ace....
Re: A Bone to Pick
Grabow, Gorzelanny being talked about...
(thnx to Paul Noce for the links from parachat)
Re: A Bone to Pick
Grabow and Gorzelanny suggests that the Cubs may need more depth at starting pitcher. Wonder if Lilly is to be out longer than first suggested?
espn: Cubs finalizing deal for Grabow
espn: Cubs finalizing deal for Grabow
Re: espn: Cubs finalizing deal for Grabow
You 3/44'd yourself.
Re: A Bone to Pick
Recent comments
I have a lot of faith in Baez that he's going to turn into a more consistent, solid player. It looks like it took him about a half season or so of futility at the plate to figure out he was not talented enough to get away with the crazy approach he had. I think his running game will eventually have a more measured aggression.
I hope the D and bullpen show up. Cubs haven't had much luck against Davies, and he's been going well lately. A little uncomfortable with the Cards only 6.5 back--feels like they're right on our tails compared to the 11 game lead I've grown accustomed to.
Cardinals, stop that. Right now.
In a year or two, a lot of fans are going to point at trading him as a mistake. He'll probably be slashing something like 280/400/480 for Seattle at the time. Of course, by WAR, he'll still be worth less than 3, since we're talking zero defensive value.
vogelbomb debut for tacoma (AAA SEA)... 3-3, 1bb, 1 HR, 1 double...DH'd.
while he mostly played 1st considerably more than DH for AAA CHC, DJ Peterson is probably going to see most of the time at 1st for AAA SEA.
Carl Jr.! Very nice!
Baez with another "WTF?" play trying a delayed steal with a runner on 3rd and one out.. Remarkable talent, needs to make better decisions.
m.montgomery up in the pen with a man on 2nd, 2 out, and rondon 20 pitches into the inning.
...and rondon ends it 22 pitches in with a popout to RF.
I gotta say with the crappy defense the Brewers have displayed outside of Fowler I'm pretty disappointed the offense hasn't shown more and Rizzo seems to be very swing happy lately. That said my god am I happy Madden has finally given Carl Edwards a chance after multiple times up with nothing. I don't think he could handle a starting role with his body frame but his stuff plays so well in a relief role and he seems to be able to handle high stress situations very well.
2nd at bat. Fowler is good for the Cubs run differential.
welcome back fowler.
More slow news...
Did Davey Martinez have to bring the shotgun?
glad to see almora going to AAA to get work.
.265/.291/.422 through 86PA...2hr, 7 doubles.
i don't expect too much of an improvement when he's taking over CF next year, but the team doesn't really need him right now as much as they need him to get regular work (imo).
CHITOWNMVP01: The Cubs MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) has had one slot open since 7/6 (when RHRP Joel Peralta was Designated for Assignment).
The problem with the September roster is all of the pitching changes. They should find a way to limit pitchers to twelve except for extra inning games. More pinch hitters or pinch runners do little to slow the game down and are more fun than endless calls to the bullpen. I also think the fans get cheated when they use position players to pitch because employed a half dozen pitchers with righty-lefty switches. Having as few as four positions players on the bench to start a game also leads to some pretty ugly defensive substitutions.
CHITOWNMVP01: Joe Nathan's 30-day Article XIX-C minor league rehab assignment expires tomorrow, but he doesn't have to be reinstated from the 60-day DL tomorrow.
Also, I think 40 man roster should be full, not at 39, unless I counted wrong. I'm in a hurry to leave the house.