text:
Bond was reduced Thursday for a mother and her boyfriend accused of felony child abuse.
Bond was reduced Thursday for a mother and her boyfriend accused of felony child abuse.
Jose Jimenez, 25, and Echo Martinez, 20, appeared at separate times before Otero County District Judge Michael Schiferl Thursday with the intention of setting preliminary hearings and discussing bond reduction.
Jimenez and Martinez were arrested last week on charges of child abuse after local law enforcement received a call that Martinez's 7-month-old child was not breathing. Martinez has been charged with felony child abuse and misdemeanor child abuse. Jimenez has been charged with felony child abuse.
They were both being held at the Otero County Jail on a $15,000 bond. However, each of their attorneys Thursday asked for a reduction.
Jimenez appeared first and his lawyer, Ray Torrez, asked that bond be reduced and asked the court to consider a personal recognizance bond. Torrez said along with the presumption, Jimenez has ties to the community with family living here, along with a 6-year-old child who is Jimenez's "world."
Torrez said this is an unfortunate situation, but put simply, accidents do happen. Torrez said Jimenez confessed to law enforcement that he was throwing the child into the air and lost hold the child, resulting in the child hitting his head. He said it comes down to a jury deciding if it was a reckless act or an accident.
Torrez also said that although he hasn't seen the complete discovery, he understands that his client was the one who called 911 and his client performed CPR on the child.
Assistant District Attorney William Culver asked that bond remain as is due to the seriousness of the injuries that the child sustained and the fact that the child was unable to protect himself. Additionally, Culver said Jimenez has many known aliases and, because he is considered a legal resident only for purposes of employment, worried that Jimenez could be flight risk.
He asked that conditions of the bond be amended to include that Jimenez can not have contact with any child under the age of 10 without the consent of Social Services.
Schiferl said he would reduce the bond to fall in line with court schedules, but because of the serious allegations, it would be reduced to $7,500 with the condition that there is no contact with any child under the age of 10 without the consent of social services.
A preliminary hearing for Jimenez was then set for March 26.
In the Martinez case, her lawyer, Casey Irwin, said that they had discussed the situation with the District Attorney's office and both agreed on reducing her bond to $2,000. Culver said although culpable, the District Attorney's office does not believe she is the main suspect. However, he said she is charged because she placed her child in harm's way and did not seek immediate attention.
Schiferl granted the reduction in bond to $2,000 with the condition that Martinez does not have any contact with children under the age of 10 without consent from Social Services.
Her next court appearance will be on March 28.


text:
Recipes brought to you by Avanti Savoia
Visit us online at www.avantisavoia.com
Maple Cinnamon Drop Cookies
Be the first to review this recipe.
(Recipe ID: 479)
Preparation time: 25 minutes; Cook time: 12 minutes
Source: Vito De Carolis
Cookie recipe made really special with cinnamon infused maple syrup.
Items indicated with an astrisk (*) available for purchase in the Avanti Savoia store. See below to add these items to your cart.
- 2 cups All-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon *
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground ginger *
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground cloves *
- 1/4 teaspoon Baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon Fine sea salt *
- 1/2 cup Unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1 Egg
1/4 cup Cinnamon-infused maple syrup
Highland Sugarworks suggested
- Sift together dry ingredients; set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, cream butter, and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Beat in egg and maple syrup.
- Gradually blend in dry ingredients.
- Drop by heaping measuring teaspoonful onto un-greased cookie sheet.
- Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned around the edges.
- Remove to wire rack; cool.
Buy Ingredients
The following ingredients are available in the Avanti Savoia online store. Click the product name for more information.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Sponsored by Softball
The Norse advanced to the third round of the championship bracket thanks to a 5-4 victory over UW-Whitewater this afternoon. The Norse scored two runs in the second and third innings and added what proved to be an important insurance run in the third.The Warhawks scored once in the fourth and three in the fifth.
Morgan Franklin, who was 2-for-3, was one of four Norse that produced multiple hits. Franklin drove in two runs, one of which was a solo home run to left field to start the second frame. Alise Miller, Miranda McCay and Kayla Hatting all tallied two hits as well.
Becca Girvan (20-5) went the distance in the circle. Girvan allowed four runs on six hits, walked three and struck out 11.
The victory gives Luther an overall record of 30-9 marking the seventh consecutive season the Norse have posted 30 or more wins.
On the other side of the winners bracket, the winner of the North Central (IL) versus Illinois Wesleyan game will face Luther at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow afternoon. A victory by either team of this game will be one victory away from claiming the regional championship and a trip to the NCAA III Championship in Eau Claire, Wis., May 17-21.
Questions? Contact David Blanchard, post_to_results, 563-387-1586


text:
Commissioner Katz sets new direction for DCF
Hartford - Joette Katz is watching out for her kids, all 4,000 of them, from the 10th floor corner office of a state office building on Hudson Street.
Since stepping down from the Connecticut Supreme Court two years ago to become commissioner of the state's perennially troubled Department of Children and Families, Katz has changed the way business is done at the agency.
She is steering the DCF away from institutional and out-of-state placements for abused and neglected kids and focusing on helping troubled families rather than "snatching and grabbing" their children.
At 60, Katz has no intention of retiring - "I'll sleep when I'm dead," she said during an interview in late June.
When she was a member of Connecticut's highest court, her opinions shaped state laws pertaining to equality in education, the death penalty, eminent domain and gay marriage, just to name a few.
After 18 years on the court, she stepped down when newly elected Gov. Dannel P. Malloy asked her to head up the DCF. She said she needed a challenge and admits it has been "heavy lifting."
The department employs 3,200 people, including 1,000 social workers, and its annual budget for the current fiscal year is $793.4 million. The agency had custody of 4,022 abused and neglected kids as of June, but also had oversight of another 36,000 children and 16,000 families that need services.
Katz said she is striving to bring about reforms that won't be reversed by a future administration, reforms, she said, that are not new to most of the country.
"Shame on us," she said.
Katz is married to research scientist Philip Rubin and has two grown children of her own, but often refers to the kids in state care as "my kids." She said she wants them to wake up in the morning and have breakfast with the same person who tucked them in the night before.
"I say to legislators, how do you want to raise your kids?" she said.
Since 1989, the DCF has been operating under a consent decree resulting from a lawsuit, Juan F. v. O'Neill, which charged that the agency, then known as the Department of Children and Youth Services, was failing to provide the necessary services to abused and neglected children.
The agency, which has an exit plan from the decree, satisfied 15 of 22 requirements during the quarter that ended Dec. 31, 2012, according to a court monitor's report that also said "an excellent working relationship between Commissioner Katz and the Juan F. plaintiffs has emerged."
Asked if she felt she had to "teach to the test" to satisfy the consent decree, Katz said, "If you do your work right, Juan F. will take care of itself."
Katz said Malloy has been great to work for, telling her, "I'll get out of your way. Keep me in the loop." She said she also meets regularly with legislators.
Katz's annual salary during the past fiscal year was $153,831. She also receives a judicial pension of more than $100,000 a year.
By the numbers
Since she took over in January 2011, the number of children living in group homes, institutions or other so-called "congregate" settings has decreased by 23 percent. Katz said she would like to see that number drop much further. Only 47 children are placed at out-of-state institutions, compared to 362 in 2011.
Sixteen percent fewer kids are being cared for by the agency overall, and 40 percent more, compared with two years ago, are living with relatives. Providers work with the relatives to make sure they can adequately care for the displaced kids.
"It's not just about serving kids," Katz said. "It's about serving families, because kids come from families."
Priscilla F. Hammond, a children's attorney from Lyme whose caseload includes 100 children in DCF custody, said she was skeptical about the "considered removal meetings" that take place between parents, social workers, lawyers and others when the department is considering removing a child from a home.
"I have now attended several and I have changed my mind," Hammond said. "I was pleasantly surprised at several of them where there was a very good outcome for the child or children."
The meetings resulted in a quicker resolution for kids, who were often placed with an adult they knew and avoided the trauma of being taken into a stranger's home, Hammond said.
Katz, who started her state career as a public defender, said she sometimes represented adults who had grown up as "DCF kids." Serial killer Michael Ross was on her case list, as was Jerry Daniels, who raped and murdered Christine Whipple and killed her 3-year-old child in Norwich in 1984. But Katz said another client, who had been raised at Long Lane, the state's former juvenile detention facility in Middletown, was "even more dangerous."
Children in limbo
Earlier this year, Katz took Superior Court judge Curtissa Cofield to task - and to court - for excessively delaying decisions on the cases of 10 children whose parents had their rights terminated. The delays kept the kids from being adopted or placed in more permanent settings.
"When I found out, I said, 'I want to hold the judge's feet to the fire,' '' Katz said. "It was a little daunting for some of the lawyers who represent the agency, because we don't usually do that. But I said, I'm not going to be complicit. I don't ever want to meet these children and have to say I'm sorry."
Katz said she couldn't just pick up the phone and tell Cofield, whom she has known for 30 years, to act on the cases, because that would be considered an ex-parte communication. The state Appellate Court ordered Cofield to issue the judgments, and she eventually complied.
In June, the state Judicial Review Council suspended Cofield without pay for 30 days for delaying the child welfare decisions.
"I never wanted her grieved," Katz said. "I just wanted the decisions. This was tragic, as far as I was concerned."
State Rep. Diana Urban, D-North Stonington, co-chair of the legislature's Children's Committee and a champion of a fiscal policy called results-based accountability, said DCF was incapable, in the past, of providing the data needed to assess the agency's performance. Under Katz, the DCF has become a model for results-based accountability, Urban said.
"When Joette came in, knowing her background, I made a beeline for her office," Urban said. "She was pedal to the metal, let's do it. We were talking the same language, and there was an immediate level of comfortability."
Katz recruited her friend, Stamford attorney Ernest F. Teitell, to help her put together the Child Justice Foundation Initiative, in which private attorneys volunteer to ensure children in DCF care are getting the educational services to which they are entitled. Forty prominent attorneys from around the state have volunteered and have disposed 50 cases.
"She saw this need and came up with this idea that she wanted the private bar to step up and do a pro bono project to represent these kids," Teitell said in a phone interview.
Teitell said he wasn't surprised when Katz, who had always been active in children's programs, decided to take on the DCF.
"She wrote a lot of opinions and everybody recognized her as a real force on the court," he said. "She wanted to write another chapter and do some real good. That's what she's about.
Katz's former colleague on the Supreme Court, Justice David Borden, said that for her to leave the court, where she was comfortable, was "a gutsy, character-driven thing to do."
"She grew up in Brooklyn and she has that kind of New York quality," Borden said. "She's kind of in your face at times. She doesn't mince her words and she doesn't dance around it. She does it in very simple or direct language."
When 3-year-old Athena Angeles of Willimantic, whose family had been involved with DCF, died just hours after she had been treated for a cut in the emergency room at Windham Hospital, Katz was publicly critical of the hospital. But she also reached out to the medical community to create more rigorous screening for abuse by doctors.
Katz also spoke up when a DCF-involved child from Milford died, stating publicly that the agency had done its best with the information available to it at the time.
"If you do everything you're supposed to do, and something bad happens, we're not going to throw you under the bus," she said.
Pushback and criticism
Katz has encountered what Urban, the legislator, calls "pushback" from providers whose programs were closed and from union leaders who felt that the reforms were threatening their jobs. Both unions that represent DCF workers were contacted for comment for this story, and neither responded.
"I think anybody who has this kind of vision and this kind of tenacity is going to be subject to criticism," Urban said.
Katz was the subject this spring of a scathing newspaper column because she parked her BMW convertible in a state lot over the winter. Katz apologized, moved the car, and moved on.
Some in the legal and social services communities remain skeptical about the closure of group homes and Katz's insistence that hard-to-place children, including sex offenders and fire starters, should be kept in state.
The High Street Group Home in Mystic, which had housed troubled teenage girls for decades, closed in April after DCF cut the budget of its operator, the Noank Group Home and Support Services, by $1 million.
Attorney Kelly Reardon, president of the Noank Group Home's board of directors, said she understands the trend away from group homes, but that congregate care facilities provide a better setting for some children who need daily support from therapists and peers.
"We have had girls who said that it was only when they went into a group home that they felt like they had a true family," Reardon said.
Katz said the agency has monitored the children who were removed from congregate care settings and those who were brought back from out of state.
"None are worse off, and most are better," she said.
Old Lyme church holds service as family approaches 100th day in sanctuary
Public safety forum to focus on crime recidivism, priorities
Why did so many people leave the Kendrick Lamar concert before it was over?
After a miserable U.S. Open, why the Travelers Championship is the best golf tournament out there
White House press secretary says she was kicked out of restaurant because she works for Trump
Trump administration considers plan to use $77 million in Coast Guard money to pay for border enforcement


text:
photo 1 of 8
Dave Herman
TRAINING: On a typical day I usually go to my storage unit and work out for about an hour.
When and why did you start training for fighting? I started training for fighting about two years ago. I started training right after my first professional loss because I didn't want it to happen again.
What ranks and titles have you held? One-time competitive beer pong champion.
Do you have any heroes? None
What does it mean for you to fight in the UFC? It's a great opportunity. The UFC is the largest and best promotion in the world. I'm looking forward to fighting some of the best guys in the world.
Did you go to college and if so what degree did you earn? I graduated from Indiana University with a general studies degree.
What was your job before you started fighting? I didn't have a job prior to fighting. I was a full time student.
Specific accomplishments in pro competition? Compiled a professional record of 13-0 prior to joining a gym and training MMA.
Favorite grappling technique: The takedown
Favorite Striking technique: Gorilla strikes
Getty Images reserves the right to pursue unauthorized users of this image or clip. If you violate our intellectual property you may be liable for: actual damages, loss of income, and profits you derive from the use of this image or clip, and, where appropriate, the costs of collection and/or statutory damages up to $150,000 (USD).


text:
Junior Hunter Knight, an All-Atlantic Coast Conference performer in the 100 and 200-yard breaststroke at this month's conference championships, collected two more NCAA 'B' cuts this weekend at the 200-yard distance. After breaking a school record in the 200 breaststroke at the ACC Championships, Knight went 1:57.91 in the event preliminaries and dropped time in a 1:56.99 time trial performance, which was good for his second-fastest time of the season.
Senior Jim Zuponeck also saw action at the two-day meet in Atlanta, competing in the 100 breaststroke after placing fifth overall in the event at this year's conference championships. Zuponeck clocked 54.65 in the 100 breaststroke preliminaries and returned to post a mark of 54.42 in the evening final, with both times surpassing the NCAA provisional qualifying standard in the event.
Joining Knight and Zuponeck at the last chance meet was senior Ben Hwang. An ACC Championships finalist this season in the 50 freestyle, Hwang recorded a time of 20.00 in the morning preliminaries for his fifth NCAA 'B' cut of the season in the event.
The field for the 2013 NCAA Division I Men's Swimming and Diving Championships will be announced Wednesday, March 13.


text:
I was thinking of going to get a camera tomorrow after reading the comments on my post from LLBers. This evening I sat my gate man down and we started gisting. I asked him if he suspects my husband and my niece. He did not want to say a word at first. I threatened him and told him he will lose his job. Then he showed me some pictures of my niece and husband on his phone. A cheap camera phone I bought him when I returned from England last month.
I was shocked. I asked him how he got the pictures. That was when he told me he had noticed both of them and sometimes when he comes into the house to mob the floor they get so carried away and won't notice someone came in. He said he knew I was going to ask him this question one day and that was why he tried his best to take the pictures without them noticing.
I immediately asked the stupid girl to pack her things and leave for her mother's house. She has left the house now and my husband is not yet back from work. But I plan not to ask my husband any question.


text:
Products >
Cloning_and_Competent_Cells >
Competent_Cells >
An E. coli HST08 strain that provides high transformation efficiency. These cells can be used in a wide variety of applications—from preparation of cDNA and genomic libraries, to construction of longer-length genomic libraries, subcloning, and even methylated DNA cloning. Stellar Competent Cells lack the gene cluster for cutting foreign methylated DNA (mrr-hsdRMS-mcrBC and mcrA), and are therefore useful for cloning methylated DNA. The cells can also be used for blue/white screening (i.e., alpha-complementation) when transformed with vectors containing the lacZalpha gene. Stellar Competent Cells are ideal for use with Clontech's In-Fusion Cloning Kits.
An E. coli HST04 strain that lacks the genetic factors (dam and dcm) necessary for the methylation of DNA. Plasmids prepared using this product can be cut by restriction enzymes which are normally blocked by dam or dcm methylation. A dam/recA double mutation is lethal, so the parent strain is recA+. Therefore, it follows that transformation of extracellular DNA with repeat sequences can result in recombination by recA. This product is not a suitable cloning host. For transformation, it is highly recommended to use this product for constructing plasmids as mentioned above.
Transformation Efficiency: > 5 × 108 cfu/µg
Transformation Efficiency: > 1 × 106 cfu/µg
Please see the product's Certificate of Analysis for information about storage conditions, product components, and technical specifications. Please see the Kit Components List to determine kit components. Certificates of Analysis and Kit Components Lists are located under the Documents tab.


text:
Michael Vick to the Eagles on a Two Year*Contract - Arrowhead Pride
So Vick to Chiefs can be put to rest.
Edit (additonal sources):
Michael Vick signs two-year deal with Philadelphia Eagles - ESPN
Flying to Philly: Reinstated QB Vick signs two-year deal with Eagles
Report: Vick lands with Eagles | National Football Post
They all cite Mort. but we all know how sketchy his sources can be
Edit 2: In spite of any personal opinions one can't deny that the Eagles are loaded on offense. The addition of Vick only adds another dimension to an already stacked corps of specialist (Maclin, McNabb, DeSean, Westbrook, Vick, Curtis, McCoy, etc...)


text: Save This Event For Later Park Ave Bike Arrowhead MTB Race #5 Pittsford, NY, Wed Jul 10, 2013 Who's Registered? | Contact Event | Event Website | Google Calendar Start line address: Pittsford, NY 14534 Presented by Park Ave Bike Shop This is a past event. If you wish to see the details for this event click, "Continue" below. If you are looking for a current event, please search the event calendar .


text:
Problems you only have at fetish events:
When teetering down a marble staircase while encased in a skintight sleeve of a dress, perched atop seven and a half in heels, do not ‒ I repeat DO NOT ‒ attempt to grab the handrail for balance.
Because it's covered in lube.
That was lesson # 1 that I learned quickly (and the hard way) at the 7th annual San Francisco Fetish Ball, which took place at the gloriously opulent beaux-arts Grand Ballroom of the city's historic Regency Center on a nippy evening in March.
The lube (which is used to keep latex outfits shiny and supple) flowed thickly and freely that night, along with many latex-encased visions of beauty, more than a few cornea-scarring disasters, and a fascinating, sometimes ground-breaking collection of latex couture served up by the top designers in the industry. Round it all out with some of fetish's top models and performers ‒ Darenzia, Angela Ryan, Kumi, Apnea, and Perish ‒ and you've got yourself one hell of a night.
This year's official theme was Metropolis, but the general consensus seemed to be "anything goes." The patrons consisted of many, many a man in military uniform (some were more than happy to deliver an accompanying history lesson, whether you wanted to hear it or not), a smattering of zombies, some dude in a scuba diving outfit, a plumber, Wonder Woman, and a red-and-white rubber zebra.
But one of the best-dressed awards goes to a fixture of the San Francisco clubbing scene, Francis, for his simply brilliant "I'm with stupid" latex t-shirt.
Of course, a big fetish fashion party wouldn't be complete with out Italian artist and pretty boy Filippo Bertoncello, who seems to charm the pants off of every one he meets (the fact that he's not wearing any certainly helps).
The performances and fashion shows kicked off with a delightful breath of fresh air ‒ an expertly executed, delightfully seductive tango performance by rotating pairs of dancers bedecked in latex fashions from Bodycult (Germany). It was hypnotic watching the lithe dancers wrap their limbs around each other, and fascinating to watch the latex meld and twist with their movements.
Emcee duties were handled by Sister Roma of San Francisco drag activists The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (her best line of the night, delivered to a squawking drunk girl who repeatedly interrupted Roma's introductions: "Oh, honey ‒ I loved you in Two Girls, One Cup.")
SF-based designer Madame S took inspiration for her collection from the aforementioned 1927 Fritz Lang film, rendering beautiful, striking shapes in rich metallic hues. Models robotically shuffled across the stage while clips of Metropolis flashed across the screen behind them. The result was beautifully creepy.
Antiseptic Fashions served up some intricately rendered leather collars that drifted all the way up to the models' noses, serving as ornate couture muzzles.
And Pretty Pervy closed the show with insect-inspired inflatable latex creations, featuring an alien-like gasmasked creature emerging from a giant latex cocoon.
The run away winner of the night, however, goes to the performance presented by Stockroom.com, featuring designs from Syren and Stormy Leather. This massive, Mad Max inspired epic featured award winning burlesque performer Diamondback Annie draped in a breathtaking latex dress measuring 12 feet long and 9 feet in diameter, surrounded by slavish minions wearing gas masks shaped like the head of Anubis. It appeared as though Diamondback Annie was perched atop stilts ‒ but she soon whipped off the slick gown to reveal she was standing atop the shoulders of a masked slave. As the Anubis slaves worked themselves into a frenzied orgy of groping, the music segued into the Scorpions hair metal classic "Rock You Like a Hurricane," culminating in the moment when Annie shot off her trademark glitter-spewing codpiece.
It was truly a show stopping spectacle, and - to put it crudely - totally fucking awesome.
As the night wore on, the masses of skyscraper heels wore through the flesh of many an unfortunate fashion victim (myself included). Men and women alike staggered en masse to the couches, flinging off said torturous implements and curling their naked, raw toes into the Regency's sumptuous carpet, uttering moans of relief.
As always, beauty is pain ‒ but whether it is intentional or incidental is up to the wearer.


text:
Dear members,
Right now we are having Data entry work available for single pc and for 100
pcs . Bulk projects available are presently ebooksconversion and Dental
insurance. Details for single Pc are as follows.
PDF to word conversion work
Work is of pdf to word conversion by the way of typing, work is on weekly
basis, work will be given on monday by way of cd's, ftp, or email attachmnets,
the completed work has to be submitted by saturday.Work load will differ
from scheme to scheme, to get the details of the available scheme please
scroll down. Accuracy of 98% has to be maintained or 20% penalty will be
charged. Per month there will be 22 working days.
Deposit: Amount Various deposit amount has to be paid to get the work, the
deposit paid is non refundable, for details of deposit amount look below
for various schemes.
Income: payment is made in terms of per 1000 character of work typed, you
will be paid 10rs per 1000 character of work typed. Bill has to be submitted
after every 15 days, the bill will be cleared after 45days. Contract period
will be 1 year, Payment will be made through demand draft or bank transfer.
Refund :If u find it difficult to complete the work in time, or have problem
in doing the work, or the work or payment is delayed from our side, you will
get refund of the deposit amount with 2% interested after 2 months from the
date of request.
Schemes for PDF to word work:
scheme students housewife self emp -1 self emp -2
deposit 3000 5000 8000 10000
character* 15000 25000 40000 50000
Rate per 1000 chrcter 10rs 10rs 10rs 10rs
Monthly Income. 3000 5000 8000 10000


text:
Huskers Battle First Big Ten Opponent
No. 17 Nebraska (4-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
at. No. 55 Ohio State (4-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
Saturday, Feb. 2, 11 a.m. (Columbus, Ohio)
The No. 17 Nebraska women's tennis team (4-0,0-0 Big Ten) head to Columbus, Ohio to face their first Big Ten opponent on the season with No. 55 Ohio State (4-0, 0-0 Big Ten) will be tough competitors coming off of a 7-0 win over Eastern Kentucky at home.
The Huskers remain undefeated following the ITA Kick Off weekend claiming two more victories at home. The Huskers defeated No. 23 Tennessee on Saturday 4-3 in a tight shoot-out to move into Sunday's finals against No. 18 Notre Dame (who defeated No. 22 Georgia Tech). Nebraska rose to the challenge and ousted No. 18 Notre Dame 4-1 in the finals on Sunday. No. 22 Georgia Tech defeated No. 23 Tennessee 4-2 on Sunday in the consolation match.
Mary Weatherholt Earns Big Ten Player of the Week
The Huskers senior from Prairie Village, Kan. won the Big Ten Player-of-the-Week honors on Jan. 30 following her impressive results from the ITA Kick Off weekend. Weatherholt defeated three individually ranked opponents to go undefeated on the weekend and remain undefeated this spring season.
Against No. 23 Tennessee on Saturday, Weatherholt defeated No. 23 ranked Brynn Boren in the No. 1 singles position 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 after pairing with fellow Husker Patricia Veresova to defeat No. 12 ranked Brynn Boren and Kata Szekely at the No. 1 doubles position 8-3. On Sunday against No. 18 Notre Dame, Weatherholt defeated No. 58 ranekd Britney Sanders at the No. 1 singles position 6-3, 6-4.
Weatherholt on the Record Hunt
Being undefeated on the season with 7-0 combined (4-0 single, 3-0 doubles), Weatherholt only needs 19 more combined wins on the season to become the winningest women's tennis player in Huskers history (18 to tie record) currently held by former teammate Madeleine Geibert with 181 total career combined wins for Nebraska (Weatherholt 156 concluding 2012 and 163 including 2012-13).
Nebraska in the National Rankings
The ITA Division I women's tennis rankings were released Wednesday, Feb. 2 and the Huskers remained at the No. 17 spot seeing no change in position following their 2-game winning stay at home over the ITA Kick Off weekend.
Nebraska has defeated two nationally-ranked teams this season against No. 23 Tennessee and No. 18 Notre Dame.
The Huskers are the third-highest ranked Big Ten team, trailing only behind No. 14 Northwestern and No. 16 Michigan. Only two Big Ten teams didn't make the ITA rankings, being, Iowa and Michigan State, which makes it a total of ten teams from the Big Ten to make the cut rounded out by No. 26 Purdue, No. 31 Illinois, No. 41 Minnesota, No. 48 Penn State, No. 51 Indiana, No. 55 Ohio State, and bottom of the pole No. 75 Wisconsin.
Looking Ahead
After winning the ITA Kick Off event, the Huskers head to the USTA/ITA National Indoor Team Championships in Charlottesville, Va. Feb. 8-11. The Wichita State match that was scheduled for Feb. 9 is canceled due to the results and will not be scheduled for a later date.
Following the National Indoor Team Championships, Nebraska faces Illinois State at home on Friday, Feb. 15 at 4 p.m.
Scouting the Ohio State Buckeyes
Head Coach: Melissa Schaub
2012 Record: 10-15 (4-7 Big Ten)
National Ranking: 55
The Buckeyes sit at No. 55 in the ITA Division I team rankings that were released Jan. 30. Ohio State currently has one player in the ITA singles rankings with Kelsey Dieters siting at No. 41 on the list. The No. 55 Buckeyes have no pairs in the ITA doubles rankings. OSU defeated Eastern Kentucky 7-0 in their last match at home in Columbus, Ohio on Wednesday.


text: im having a lot of trouble with chopping with my warp. i know i know level 10, but i chop like every other ball. i just don't understand. i just got a new barrel and have plastic nubbins in it. i am kinda frustrated right now. maybe ill have to get rid of my warp, revy, and pf-hr body and trade them for a no rise and a halo. i am starting to think this is the answer. i really love the warp but can't get it to work right!! please save me.


text:
Hooper Earns Spot on World University Games Team
Lincoln - Nebraska's Jordan Hooper earned a position on USA Basketball's 12-player roster for the Women's World University Games, USA Basketball announced on Sunday.
Hooper, a 6-2 forward from Alliance, Neb., captured her first roster spot with USA Basketball in her first trip to a trials. The two-time All-American has powered Nebraska to back-to-back NCAA tournaments, including a trip to the NCAA Sweet 16 as a junior in 2013.
Hooper, a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, earned a spot on USA Basketball's Women's World University Games Team after three days (May 16-18) of intense competition among 33 of the nation's top collegians at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
The U.S. Women's Basketball Junior National Team Committee chose the select squad that will represent the United States at the World University Games in Kazan, Russia, July 8-15. Hooper and the other 11 members of the U.S. team will meet again for training at the USOC June 25-July 1.
"I am really excited," Hooper said. "I didn't really think I had much of a chance to make the team honestly, because there were so many great players, and I didn't really feel like I played that well the first two days. But I made up my mind from the beginning to just go out and play hard and do my best, and I think that's what the coaches liked about me."
Hooper, who will sporting No. 10 for USA Basketball, is one of five members of the 2013 USA Basketball Women's World University Games Team who will be making their first appearances on a U.S. squad. Shoni Schimmel (Louisville), Aaryn Ellenberg (Oklahoma), Crystal Bradford (Central Michigan) and Tricia Liston (Duke) all join Hooper as first-timers on the U.S. team.
The other seven members of the squad have multiple years of a experience with USA Basketball, including Ariel Massengale (Tennessee), Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis (UConn), Bria Hartley (UConn), ReShanda Gray (Cal), Cassie Harberts (USC), Theresa Plaisance (LSU) and Odyssey Sims (Baylor). The team will be coached by Sherri Coale (Oklahoma) with help from assistants Brian Giorgis (Marist) and Coquese Washington (Penn State).
"It is a great opportunity," Hooper said. "I am just going to try to make the most of it and enjoy the experience. I'm really honored to get a chance to represent the United States at the international level for the first time."


text:
20 babies born March 30, 2012 - July 29, 2012.
Begin your Journey to Storytime! Designed for our tiniest patrons, we introduce you and your baby to an interactive and stimulating workshop. This program is the first of a five multi-session program series created especially for you and your child to follow until they are ready for Storytime.


text:
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Will the august Hall call upon Robbie?
These days, the anticipation devolves into a full day of neurotic self-flagellation, as we start telling anyone who'll listen how we don't even really care about these things anyhow, because it is all governed by a bunch of out of touch writers and goofballs, and it's all a sham.
Maybe this year will be different, seeing as how Alomar is generally considered to be at the top of his class, and has a reasonably good shot at getting in. Setting ourselves up for disappointment, we have already started to envisage the classic Blue Jay logo as it might appear on a bronzed plaque.
There's been plenty written about why Robbie belongs in the Hall, so we'll spare you our fumblings around his career numbers. We take the legitimacy of Alomar's candidacy as an article of faith, and as such, we'd look like a fool trying to explain our rationale. (Not unlike the vast majority of Hall voters...but we digress.)
If you're interested, I'd instead recommend two other articles, which do a pretty good job of making Alomar's case. Stephen Brunt's piece in yesterday's Globe was typically excellent and established Alomar's crucial place in the team's history (it all got great when he arrived, and went to hell after he left, although not solely because of him). Neate Sager at Out of Left Field broke down Alomar's candidacy using the Keltner test, and makes a better case than we ever could. He also makes a great case for Tim Raines on a regular basis, which has thus far been for naught. (Ouch...we just felt our stomach tighten.)
The announcement comes this afternoon at 2 PM. Govern yourselves accordingly. We'll probably be jumping for joy or weeping in sorrow somewhere on the internets shortly after the announcement.
Our Ballot, If We Had One
There was a time when we might have been a total hardass about the Hall of Fame balloting, and we would have worked hard to discredit just about everybody's candidacy. As Brunt quite rightly noted, the voting for the Hall has taken on an "air of high moral dudgeon" in recent years.
So being the jovial and generous sort that we are, here's who we would have included on our ballot this year: Alomar, Mark McGwire, Bert Blyleven, Tim Raines, and Edgar Martinez. We'd think long and hard about Fred McGriff, Barry Larkin and Andre Dawson, and we'd feel bad about excluding Dale Murphy.
We'd also cast a thought towards Pat Hentgen, who doesn't have the numbers for Cooperstown enshrinement, but should probably get his name up on the Rogers Centre facade. (Sometime after Jimmy Key is put up there...but again, we digress.)
UPDATE! 2:06 PM! With Post-Announcement Outrage!
What a fucking load of horseshit. Andre Dawson gets in, and Alomar doesn't. Suddenly, I hate the stupid Hawk. Not even the best former Expo on the ballot.
Can't wait to hear the explanation for this from bloated turds on why Robbie was left off their ballots.
53 comments:
- Drew - LtB said...
I'm with you but Larkin gets in if I had the choice. Which I don't.
As we discussed at Walkoff Walk yesterday, the museum part of the Hall is much more interesting than the busts anyhow. The keepers of the Hall fluff up its meaning meaning to boost the value of their influence, me thinks.
- January 6, 2010 at 11:12 AM
- eyebleaf said...
Alomar's getting in. There will definitely be jumping for joy. He hit a more important home run than Joe Carter's World Series shot, and that picture is a bloody beautiful thing.
- January 6, 2010 at 11:20 AM
- Tao of Stieb said...
Funny about Larkin, because in my initial cursory look, I had him in.
I think that my prejudice against stolen bases and the fact that he rarely drove in many runs probably put me off of him.
Having said that, he does fit into the qualification of being amongst the elite at his position for the majority of his career. Back in the 90's, Larkin was the shit. (So was Dale Murphy in the 80's...but maybe not for enough years.)
Maybe I'd be one of those guys who adds people to their ballot in subsequent years.
- January 6, 2010 at 11:46 AM
- Ian H. said...
If Robbie gets in, I will have to strongly consider going to Cooperstown to see the induction ceremony.
- January 6, 2010 at 12:45 PM
- Mark said...
From 1930-2009 with 60% or more games played @ SS and 7000 PA, Larkin is the 6th best SS by OPS+. The guy was also an MVP award, and won a GG. Yeah, GG are meaningless, but not having seen him play I'm under the impression he's at least average, if not above average.
He's a HoF as far as I'm concerned.
- January 6, 2010 at 12:56 PM
- Mark said...
Sorry that should say he won an MVP award**.
- January 6, 2010 at 12:56 PM
- Stedron said...
Though I'm a Jays fan, Reds games have always been a part of my life seeing how they're 45 minutes away. I'd go to 15 or 20 a summer from the time I was 5 (1983) until I was 20-ish and started to broaden my horizons. I would rarely root for the Reds, but instead went to see all the guys on other teams that I could only see on tv. With all that being said, (and it pains me because he went to Michigan,) I have to say Barry Larkin is a H.O.F'r.
- January 6, 2010 at 1:03 PM
I don't understand why so many people support the inclusion of noted juicer Mark McGwire. Steroid use should exclude anyone from consideration.
- January 6, 2010 at 1:12 PM
- Stedron said...
Excluding Bonds would be idiotic, so the rest of them have to get a pass as well. I leave McGwire out based on the horrid stretch in the middle of his career, but not because of PEDs.
- January 6, 2010 at 1:28 PM
- Tao of Stieb said...
Steroid, schmeroid. There are lots of different "cheaters" in the Hall at this point, some of whom transgressed against actual rules as opposed to rules which the moral majority has imposed post facto.
Anyone want to start rooting out scuffers and spitballers? Anyone want to look at amphetamine users?
McGwire had a pretty exceptional offensive career, and was even a top tier defender early in his career. His numbers rank amongst the greats. He belongs.
- January 6, 2010 at 1:41 PM
The fact that there are other cheaters in the Hall of Fame does nothing for your argument. Past mistakes do not justify future ones.
McGwire not only cheated, but helped permanently taint the image of baseball. I can guarantee you that steriod poster boy A-Rod will NEVER see the Hall of Fame except on a guided tour.
Oh, and Robbie didn't make it.
- January 6, 2010 at 2:15 PM
McGwire got under 30% of the vote.
He will never be in the Hall of Fame.
- January 6, 2010 at 2:16 PM
- eyebleaf said...
McGwire will get in once all this stupid steroid hand-ringing is done with. Like Tao said, he won't be the first cheater in the Hall, and he won't be the last.
Alomar was robbed. It's not surprising. He'll get in eventually. He's another victim of the outrageous BBWAA.
- January 6, 2010 at 2:21 PM
- Stedron said...
Ok just for fun because I hate they way he's hid from the steroid accusations (and I'm bored.)
The case against McGwire:
-0 MVPs.
-.217 career postseason avg.
-Only had 100 RBI in 7 of his 16 seasons.
-There isn't a Hall of Fame position player with 6000 At Bats that has fewer than McGwire's 1626 Hits.
-Only averaged about 15 doubles a season
-I hated the A's in the late 80's early 90's, and you should have too.
- January 6, 2010 at 2:26 PM
I strongly believe that no infamous steroid user will ever be inducted.
The "hand-wringing" is justified. Steroids nearly destroyed the game. They certainly turned it into a joke for the better part of a decade.
Nobody wants to be reminded of this era. McGwire, Arod, Bonds - their names are synonymous with cheating, lying and unsportsmanlike behaviour. They deserve to be punished. They certainly don't deserved to be honoured. Pete Rose was banned from baseball for placing a few bets. What these clowns did is incomparably more damaging and shameful.
The Hall of Fame is not solely there to honour stats. And, as the vote today proves, I am certainly not in the minority of people who feel this way.
- January 6, 2010 at 2:30 PM
- Stedron said...
Anon, you're using some selective memory.
A FEW bets? You're talking to an Ohio guy here, Rose had some serious problems, and gambling was just the root of it. (With that being said, I believe he should be in.)
The game was never close to being destroyed. Attendance has gone up every year since the strike (except maybe last season.)
If Bonds doesn't get in, then the HOF becomes a farce. He was on his way to being (arguably) the best player ever before there was any thought about steroids.
Ty Cobb is probably hanging out with Hitler and Ted Bundy right now, and he's in the hall. The Hall is not for great people, it's for great ballplayers.
- January 6, 2010 at 2:38 PM
- Stedron said...
And because McGwire didn't get in, doesn't mean they share your opinion on steroids. They are just as likely to share my opinion that his numbers, as a whole, are unworthy. His exclusion proves nothing.
- January 6, 2010 at 2:40 PM
Proof or not, there is nothing to suggest that their decision was not influenced as much by steroid use as it was by numbers.
Bonds is a joke. The epitome of a liar and a cheat. The HOF would be a farce if he is admitted.
If he was so great, why did he feel the need to use steroids? The fact that he was supposedly so talented only compounds the egregiousness of the offense.
Again, past indiscretions do not justify future ones.
Comparing juicers to players like Ty Cobb means nothing. If Ty Cobb was playing today... well, he wouldn't be playing today. He would probably be in jail, not in the Hall of Fame.
Just because ethical standards can't be retroactively applied does not mean that they shouldn't be applied at all.
- January 6, 2010 at 2:52 PM
- Stedron said...
Ethics have nothing to do with sports. Sports are entertainment. The Hall of Fame is the equivalent of the Walk of Fame in Hollywood. Do you want to start keeping actors and actresses out of movies based on ethics? Do you like music? Uh-oh, we better keep all the musicians that use drugs off the airwaves. you're going to find yourself in a very gray world before you know it.
The only remotely valid argument is that kids idolize ballplayers. However, and I speak as a parent, if you're worried about a ballplayer (or a musician, or an actor) negatively influencing your kid, you're not doing your job as a parent.
It's a museum, get over it.
- January 6, 2010 at 3:01 PM
- Gil Fisher said...
We should reward good ethics in all people whether they be in sports, movies or law firms. And we should discourage bad ethics at each turn.
It's a societal duty.
- January 6, 2010 at 3:15 PM
- Stedron said...
Well then John McDonald is a future Hall Of Famer because he's a real class act.
- January 6, 2010 at 3:20 PM
- F9book said...
Promote your site or blog on f9book.com
- January 6, 2010 at 3:22 PM
It's fairly common knowledge that Bonds started using steroids after McGwire and Sosa exploits in 1998. If you look at his stats from 1986-1998 they're pretty mind blowing. In thirteen seasons he had terrific counting stats like 411 HR, 1917 hits, 1216 RBI and 445 stolen bases. Even better is a line of .290/.411/.556, which is an OPS of .966 and OPS+ of 164.
If he continued at the pace he was going for the rest of his career without steroids he may not have hit 762 home runs or had that 73 home run season but he still would have made the Hall of Fame.
- January 6, 2010 at 3:22 PM
- Gil Fisher said...
Well that doesn't make sense.
- January 6, 2010 at 3:22 PM
- Jdoug said...
I'm just as surprised as anyone about alomar. But Blyleven too? Does anyone know how many more chances he has at the hall?
- January 6, 2010 at 3:26 PM
- Tao of Stieb said...
Here's what doesn't make sense: I would vote for McGwire, but not for Bagwell.
Figure that one out.
(Yeah, I suppose I am a total and complete hypocrite.)
- January 6, 2010 at 3:26 PM
I don't think that Stedron understands the concept of "ethics." Perhaps we should just replace the word with "rules." It's a much simpler concept for you to understand. If you replace the word "ethics" with the word "rules," you will see how asinine you sound.
"Ethics (RULES) have nothing to do with sports."
Does sporstmanlike behaviour mean nothing to you? Fair play? Level playing field? All that jazz?
"Do you want to start keeping actors and actresses out of movies based on ethics (RULES)?"
Man, this is a terrible analogy. First of all, no MLB team would ever employ a player known to be using steroids. There is no debate here. Just to indulge your absurd comparison, however, what was the last Mel Gibson movie you saw? Michael Richards? Ethics matter.
"Do you like music? Uh-oh, we better keep all the musicians that use drugs off the airwaves. you're going to find yourself in a very gray world before you know it."
Are you actually comparing recreational drug use among musicians to performance enhancing drug use among professional athletes? Oh, wow, you are. I don't think I even need to explain how nonsensical this is. Suffice it to say, professional sports have explicit rules against performance enhancing drugs. Drugs like steroids create an unfair advantage for their users. Smoking weed or shooting up dope isn't going to give you a leg up in the Grammy nominations.
"The only remotely valid argument is that kids idolize ballplayers."
The implication there is that athletes you use steroids are not admirable. Tell me then, why are we inducting them into a so-called "Hall of Fame?"
They are cheaters, they don't belong - get over it.
- January 6, 2010 at 3:26 PM
"Well then John McDonald is a future Hall Of Famer because he's a real class act."
This just in, talent and class are not mutually exclusive.
- January 6, 2010 at 3:30 PM
- Gil Fisher said...
I like mentally discounting stats for Steriod users as Anon above has. I also like the idea of holding off on the voting for one (like a McGuire) until as many facts come out as possible, so that my discounting can be well informed. I'm not sure McGuire didn't start the junk in the eighties in Oakland. I'm not sure he was ever clean.
I also don't mind if bad boys are made to wait. I would like to see a postumous vote for particularly bad people like Jackson and Rose, so that they don't get the gratification of election during their lifetime, but they do eventually go where they belong based on their on-field achievements.
- January 6, 2010 at 3:31 PM
"It's fairly common knowledge that Bonds started using steroids after McGwire and Sosa exploits in 1998."
Nothing can prove that.
If it is true, it just compounds the stupidity of tainting those terrific thirteen seasons.
- January 6, 2010 at 3:32 PM
- Gil Fisher said...
Dawson had 438 HRs and 318 SB (75% success rate).
Other members of the 400/300 club:
That is all.
- January 6, 2010 at 3:38 PM
"I would vote for McGwire"
The only reasonable explanation is that Tao sympathizes with the cheater's plight. Why settle for being good when you could be abnormally, freakishly, suspiciously amazing?
If McGwire discovered that eating baby hearts boosted his performance, he probably would have been making monthly trips to Calcutta orphanages.
- January 6, 2010 at 3:40 PM
- Stedron said...
Were you in a coma in the 90's? If not, can you at least go pick up a Thesaurus and see if you can connect the dots between ethics and rules? Save your time, because you can't. If you want, I suppose you could try the Bible.
Anyway, here we go:
"Rules" Oh, you must be talking about the rules right now, as opposed to the rules when these individuals were actually competing. Silly me to try and use the rules under which these players were governed.
"First of all, no MLB team would ever employ a player known to be using steroids. There is no debate here" You're telling me that gm's weren't turning the other cheek to this behavior? You're telling me that no one knew? Hilarious.
Do you own a television? There's a Mel Gibson movie being whored out right now. Something about darkness? Edge of Darkness maybe? It's irrelevant unless you really want to make the argument that actors and musicians are denied work based on ethics. (you're going to have an easier time if you understand that ethics are closer to morals than rules." If you really want to get pantsed in a debate about that, let me know.
"Are you actually comparing recreational drug use among musicians to performance enhancing drug use among professional athletes?" Absolutely. Maybe not as much in this generation, but if you don't think marijuana and lsd had a profound effect on music as we know it, well I just don't know what to say to you other than you're in denial.
"The implication there is that athletes you use steroids are not admirable. Tell me then, why are we inducting them into a so-called "Hall of Fame?"" I'll take a stab here because your statement doesn't really make sense. It's simple. Hall of FAME. Since you have your reference books out from earlier, check out words associated with fame....like FAMOUS. We wouldn't be talking about these guys if they weren't.
- January 6, 2010 at 3:41 PM
"It's fairly common knowledge that Bonds started using steroids after McGwire and Sosa exploits in 1998."
Nothing can prove that.
If you want to "prove" something, show me proof that Barry Bonds has used steroids.
- January 6, 2010 at 3:41 PM
- Stedron said...
"I also don't mind if bad boys are made to wait. I would like to see a postumous vote for particularly bad people like Jackson and Rose, so that they don't get the gratification of election during their lifetime, but they do eventually go where they belong based on their on-field achievements."
Gil....seriously....you just said that you want to deny someone the satisfaction of getting in, BUT YOU'RE OK WITH IT IF THEY'RE DEAD!!! Holy crap dude, self-righteous much?
And really, if you want to contribute, at least spell McGwire right. Are you still bummed the Jays traded Holliday?
Sorry Tao, I'm cranky today.
- January 6, 2010 at 3:45 PM
"Rules" Oh, you must be talking about the rules right now, as opposed to the rules when these individuals were actually competing. Silly me to try and use the rules under which these players were governed."
They are rules that establish the framework in which the current crop of potential Hall of Famers is evaluated. They are the rules that will see players like McGwire, Bonds and Arod perennially rejected until the day you die.
"First of all, no MLB team would ever employ a player known to be using steroids. There is no debate here" You're telling me that gm's weren't turning the other cheek to this behavior? You're telling me that no one knew? Hilarious."
I am in no position to speculate as to what GM's did or did not know during that period. All I am saying now is that if there was concrete proof of a player using steriods, he would not be hired by any MLB team today.
"Do you own a television? There's a Mel Gibson movie being whored out right now. Something about darkness? Edge of Darkness maybe?"
I asked you the last Mel Gibson movie you saw. Not which one is currently being advertised after several years as an industry pariah. Regardless, there is no comparison between actors and athletes who use steroids. An actor's behaviour off the set does not influence their performance in front of the camera. Steroid use directly affects an athletes performance and creates an unfair advantage compared to the players who are not engaging in cheating and deception.
"Are you actually comparing recreational drug use among musicians to performance enhancing drug use among professional athletes?" Absolutely. Maybe not as much in this generation, but if you don't think marijuana and lsd had a profound effect on music as we know it, well I just don't know what to say to you other than you're in denial."
Maybe you don't understand the practical consequences of steroid use. There is nothing stopping any musician from using drugs. Nobody would ever contend that a musician who uses drugs is "cheating." I don't think that musicians who don't use drugs are resentful towards the ones who do. Perhaps you should have a conversation with one of the baseball players who weren't cheating. The simple fact is that
"The implication there is that athletes you use steroids are not admirable. Tell me then, why are we inducting them into a so-called "Hall of Fame?"" I'll take a stab here because your statement doesn't really make sense. It's simple. Hall of FAME. Since you have your reference books out from earlier, check out words associated with fame....like FAMOUS. We wouldn't be talking about these guys if they weren't."
Are you saying that the only metric for Hall of Fame admittance is "Fame?" Are you being deliberately obtuse or can you not conceptualize any other degree of merit besides what is literally spelled out in front of you?
I'm sorry, but I really can't understand how anyone can advocate the inclusion of cheaters into the Hall of Fame. Ethics, morals, rules. Call it whatever you want.
Stedron, if you actually were able to somehow reproduce, I hope you raise your child with a little more character than what you espouse here.
- January 6, 2010 at 4:03 PM
"The simple fact is that..."
Sigh... I'm clearly too stoned to be having this debate.
I am just surprised that the condemnation of McGwire, Arod, Bonds, et al. has not remained near-universal.
I thought that was something that could unite humanity.
- January 6, 2010 at 4:12 PM
- Stedron said...
IT'S NOT ABOUT CHARACTER!!!! I'm not defending any of these actions, but as a fan of the game, I believe this MUSEUM should represent all aspects of the game. Warts and all. To strive for anything else is akin to sticking your head in the sand. Put Rose's transgressions on his plaque, put the speculation about Bonds on his plaque. Let people think for themselves. IT'S ENTERTAINMENT! IT'S JUST A GAME! Inclusion into the hall of fame doesn't bring with it god-like status, or immortality. It's a bust in a museum! Excluding exceptional players based on factors outside the game (Rose) or questions of morality (Bonds) is - if nothing else - censorship.
Thinking that these fictitious "rules" that you're making for inclusion should only be applied in the present and not retroactively is hypocritical.
Great players should be included in the story of baseball. Currently, that story is told in the Baseball Hall Of Fame MUSEUM! I can't stress that last word enough. It's right there in the title. This voting shenanigans is just a way for a bunch of old curmudgeons to feel important.
Really, if you honestly think that Bonds won't get in, I question if you even watch baseball, and thus, I question why I'm wasting my time having this discussion with you. He was the best player for a generation steroids or not, and while people like you will try to make a statement from your tower and not vote him in on the first ballot, I guarantee you he gets in (along with McGwire, eventually.) You're so adamant in your stance, what are you going to do when/if one of these dirty-birdy no good cheaters does get in? Are you going to boycott the game? Are you going to cry about it?
Your point about players that didn't use would be valid if they were without representation. They could have gone to their union at any time and put a stop to PEDS, but the problem went on for a decade before there was any movement that direction (after the court of public opinion was coming down on everyone in the sport.) So either A) they didn't mind, or B) the majority was using. Either way makes your stance pretty moot.
- January 6, 2010 at 4:31 PM
- eyebleaf said...
Steroids/drugs are bad, mmmkay.
- January 6, 2010 at 4:39 PM
- Gil Fisher said...
Gil....seriously....you just said that you want to deny someone the satisfaction of getting in, BUT YOU'RE OK WITH IT IF THEY'RE DEAD!!! Holy crap dude, self-righteous much?
And really, if you want to contribute, at least spell McGwire right. Are you still bummed the Jays traded Holliday?
Get a grip, child.
- January 6, 2010 at 5:19 PM
- Gil Fisher said...
Apparently Stedron stayed up all night unable to contain his excitement over his idol being voted into a Hall he feels has no legitimacy. Go figure.
- January 6, 2010 at 5:21 PM
Like it or not, "character" (or whatever you want to call it) is obviously a factor among the current voters.
Personally, I am a big fan of Pete Rose and would have no problem with his admission. His numbers were awesome and it's hard to say they were augmented by his bets.
Clearly, the HOF induction method is not without flaws. Unless it changes to a purely stats-based system, these sort of personal beliefs will, rightly or wrongly, affect who gets in.
For many people, it does not matter if Bonds was the greatest player to ever step on the field. They just don't like him. Unreasonable or unfair as it may be, it could keep him out of the HOF forever.
Maybe we should just plug stats into a computer and it could determine who gets in. Obviously, I would not stop watching baseball if a noted juicer was inducted. That said, I will not deny the schadenfreude that would come with Bonds, McGwire and Arod continued rejections.
Maybe I am not a true baseball fan and just like those spiteful old curmudgeons doing the voting. I apologize for any previous ad hominem attacks, but I really do enjoy this interesting debate.
- January 6, 2010 at 5:21 PM
The question regarding McGwire (and eventually Sosa and Bonds) will be answered next year, when Palmeiro is eligible. Going by his numbers (10th all-time in total bases, 500+ homers, 3000+ hits, 1300+ walks, 1600+ runs, and two/three Gold Gloves), he's a big, immediate yes.
Buuuuut, he failed a drug test.
- January 6, 2010 at 5:45 PM
- Gil Fisher said...
Palmeiro also pointed while lying to the Senate. Pointing is a big no-no with BBWAA.
Robbie pointed before he spat, you may remember. The BBWAA remembered.
- January 6, 2010 at 5:53 PM
I don't know how much month the Cardinals have left to sign Albert Pujols, you'd have to think the Cards wouldn't pay this much for Holliday if it meant they wouldn't have enough money for Pujols.
- January 6, 2010 at 11:40 PM
Alomar deserves to be in the hall!!!
Randy Ruiz deserves a look at DH in 2010!!!
- January 6, 2010 at 11:48 PM
But won't Pujols command at least $8m per season more than Holliday? Is it possible that they signed Holliday because they knew they couldn't afford Pujols?
- January 7, 2010 at 12:13 AM
- Stedron said...
The story I heard is that they had to lock up Holliday to show Pujols that they were committed to winning. It was spun as if the signing was a step toward resigning Pujols. That's a huge commitment to Holiday though.
Gil, you continue to make no sense to me. I have no idea who you think my idol is. I also don't see why it's too much to ask that you spell a player's name right if your input is to be taken seriously. I'd like a little reassurance that you have a clue as to what you're talking about.
Anon, I 100% agree that the voters just not liking Bonds will delay his induction, but I still think he has to get in.
I also agree that Rose should be in, but if you're talking about integrity of the game, the fact that he wagered on his team while he was the manager can't be ignored. He claims he always bet on them to win, but his track record for honesty is well chronicled.
In summation, I believe that you can't have a generation where your inductees are Griffey, Randy Johnson, Maddux, and that's it. It will just leave a giant void in the story. You have to keep the criteria to greatness on the field, and do your best to pass on the stories of who these people were. In 70 years people can look at Bonds the same way many people look at Cobb. Players like Griffey can be thought back upon fondly because they did things the right way. I'm just not comfortable with pretending some players and feats never occurred. My opinion is that no one will forget about Roger Maris or Hank Aaron regardless of the fact that those records are no longer theirs. Their names will come up every time someone talks about McGwire, Sosa, and Bonds, and hopefully the whole story is told consistently and people will be left to come to their own conclusions. Were Bonds and McGwire juicing? Almost certainly. Were the pitchers they were facing juicing as well? To some extent, it appears so. Is it still incredibly difficult to hit a baseball? Sure it is. Weighing all these factors will be a great discussion for future generations (hell, it's a great discussion for our generation,) and any thought-provoking nuances regarding the game will be great for the game's future. I wonder how many young baseball fans would know about Shoeless Joe if Field Of Dreams wasn't made? It's that doubt that makes me strongly believe that the Hall of Fame has a responsibility to baseball fans to tell the whole story.
- January 7, 2010 at 8:38 AM
Stedron, why is okay to invoke ethics on Rose betting on sports, but not Maguire using steriods, or Alomar spitting on unpires? I agree that the repurcussions don't have to be the same, but you can't say ethics have no place in sports in one post and then say that you agree Pete Rose is rightfully suspended for gambling.
- January 7, 2010 at 10:41 AM
- Stedron said...
That was my point. I was just pointing that out to you since you say Rose should get in. I say they should all be in.
McGWIRE!!!!!!!!!!!! ARRRRGHH!!!!
- January 7, 2010 at 1:09 PM
- brainiac said...
Help me out here...when did steroid officially become illegal in the MLB?
- January 7, 2010 at 2:21 PM
- Gil Fisher said...
That last anon was me Stedron. And i was messin' with you on the McGwire spelling.
I've never been able to spell his name with a "w" before, but I'll probably never forget now.
I won't apologize for not being up in arms over the voting process. I think we'd agree on who should be in and who should be out, but would disagree on the validity of the process.
Overall, I acknowledge that Dawson should probably be amongst those just on the outside of the Hall based on contributions on the field as we are able to currently measure them. But I will not begrudge a voter for giving the Hawk a few points for intangibles - I believe they matter even though they can't be measured.
I'm also very happy that, for the first time, it looks like Blyleven will be successful in his journey to the Hall. It leaves hope for Raines and others who's accomplishments are unheralded.
I'm also satisfied with 74% of the electorate voted for Alomar and I'm quite sure he'll be enshrined next year.
I know you want an "in or out" vote, but I'm not fussed and I'll accept the system as it is.
I wish there were less idiots out there voting, but everybody knows that the world is full of stupid people so why should we expect the BBWAA to be any different - hell they think BaseBall is two words apparently.
I'll apologize now for any spelling mistakes in this post.
- January 7, 2010 at 6:26 PM
- Stedron said...
I don't know that you completely get my stance. I'm totally ok with Dawson. He's one of the handful of players I distinctly remember from my early youth, which makes him "famous" enough for me. Along with winning an MVP for a last place team, is enough in my mind.
- January 8, 2010 at 9:29 AM


text:
Kanye West isn't happy with Annie Leibovitz.
She must be terrified.
West is upset because he says Leibovitz didn't show up to take his wedding-kiss photo with Kim Kardashian, so he had to spend four days of his honeymoon retouching the photo she didn't take.
Four days?
Right, four days. It's important. It's not every day Kim Kardashian gets married. I mean, she may not get married again for another two or three months.
As the world knows, the rapper and reality show star got married May 24 in Florence, Italy. Three days later, Kardashian shared an official photo of them kissing in front of a fancy floral wall, and the Instagram photos quickly gathered more than 2.28 million "likes" and 51,000 comments on Instagram -- records for the photo-sharing site, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Kanye said four days. The photo was shared after three days. I'm no mathematician, but ... I guess Kanye isn't either.
West said Tuesday at a creativity conference in France (Kanye ain't about math -- it's all about CREATIVITY) that Leibovitz backed out of their wedding on short notice, the New York Post reported. He also said he spent four days on his honeymoon working on the photo, to make it look proper.
The world thanks you, Kanye. We're all better because of your good work.
The image was actually shot by 22-year-old British photographer Conor McDonnell, according to the New York Daily News.
Here's where the story gets fun. West said Leibovitz -- who makes a handsome living taking pictures of celebrities, and shot the couple for the cover of Vogue's April issue -- backed out because she was "scared of the idea of celebrity."
Maybe she was just scared of the idea of having to spend so much time with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian.
"Let me tell you something about that kiss photo that my girl put up ... this was pissing my girl off during the honeymoon, she was exhausted because we worked on the photo so much because Annie Leibovitz pulled out right before the wedding," West said. "I think that she was, like, scared of the idea of celebrity."
It's always wonderful to see celebrities who have their priorities straight.
"Can you imagine telling someone who wants to just Instagram a photo, who's the No. 1 person on Instagram, 'We need to work on the color of the flower wall,' or the idea that it's a Givenchy (wedding) dress, and it's not about the name Givenchy, it's about the talent that is (its designer) Riccardo Tisci -- and how important Kim is to the Internet," he said. "And the fact the No. 1 most-liked photo (on Instagram) has a kind of aesthetic was a win for what the mission is, which is raising the palette."
The Internet has a palette?
Tony Hicks provides celebrity commentary for the Bay Area News Group. Contact him at Facebook.com/BayAreaNewsGroup.TonyHicks or Twitter.com/insertfoot.


text:
Tech Tip #5 Statistics Without Math
In preparation for the analysis of the paintball breakage tests we have to cover the subject of statistics. Many people feel that statistics are unreliable and we have all heard that "you can lie with statistics" but good statistics tells us a lot. For those who are not mathematically inclined, don't worry there are no formulas in this Tech Tip!
We will examine how to measure the accuracy of a paintball marker even though it might not be very apparent. To do this we have to start with a typical shot grouping as you can see in #1 below.
The grouping in #1 is obviously not perfect and they never are, the shots are distributed in a wide area. If you wanted to measure the accuracy of this marker you could use a circular shape around the group as we see in #2 above. We all know that if you measure the diameter of this circular shape it gives you a number that you can use for accuracy. But wait, you say that there is that one "flier" at the top, should you include that? You might say "well that must have been a bad ball so we should leave it out". If we redraw the circle as in #3 our accuracy magically goes up!! Now we have a dilemma, which shape to use and what to include but it doesn't stop there.
If we look at figures #4 and #5 below we see that the same size circular shape can be misleading.
Figure #4 is obviously a tighter more accurate group with one flier, while #5 is worse overall but still fits in the same circle. So now we understand the dilemma, how do we measure these distributions accurately? Scientists face this all the time and fortunately there is a simple way to use another shape to more accurately tell us what we have. It takes a few more steps but they are not that hard.
The first step in statistically analyzing the distribution is to use more circles, as we see in #6 below, to give us some zones to count hits in.
Next in #7 we count the hits in each zone and stack them up. If a hit touches the line we will count it as being in the next zone. In #8 we mirror over the first three columns to the right side so our shape will be easier to see. This is the same data just copied to the other side for clarity.
Now we have a nice stack of hits and can remove the circles as we have done in #9 below.
In #10 we fit our new shape to the stack, look familiar? Sure it is, it's our old friend the Bell Curve!! If you ever suffered through high school math you must have run into this guy. I remember being "graded on a curve" aughh! So now in #11 we have a new shape, the Bell Curve, which has to be fitted to the stack by adjusting it's height and width etc. Programs like Excel do this for you today and just give you the results.
So now that we have our Bell Curve shape how the heck to we measure this weird thing? See #12 below!
Lets start at the top of the Bell Curve and slide down one side. As we just come off the top, the curve gets steeper and steeper. As we get about half way down the side the curve starts to flatten out. It is at this point, where the curve transitions from getting steeper to getting shallower, that we take our measurement.
We simply measure the width of the curve at that point. This measurement is called, are you ready, a standard deviation! Get it? A "standard way" to measure deviations! Just what we were looking for, yea! Much more sophisticated than a circle, way better than guessing and we got here without math. This measurement is also called one sigma and has it's own special symbol.
So what does the measure of standard deviation tell you? It means that 68% of the shots were inside this section of the curve. The dark section of #13 represents 68% of all the area under the Bell Curve. It tells you that this marker will put about 2/3rds of its shots in a circle one standard deviation wide. This is how the military measures their accuracy, this is how polls are determined etc. It allows for fliers but doesn't give them a lot of weight.
Now we are ready to compare two shot groups and see what comes out. Look at #14 and #15 below, which one has better accuracy?
In the two examples above, #14 didn't put that many right in the center but shows a little tighter overall pattern. #15 has a bunch dead center but a wider spread. Two shooters could easily argue that each had the better accuracy than the other. Note that they both fit in the same size circle so that doesn't help.
Below we see the results of a fit to each of the shot groups above.
We see the fruits of our labor as an obvious difference between the standard deviations of the two groups. If we were to take the group and input all the x and y coordinates for each shot into a program like Excel it would just kick out the standard deviation and we would be done. Doing it the long way gives a solid understanding of how we got the measurement.
The one thing we haven't covered is the error factor. In all statistics you get a result, plus or minus X amount. This is the amount that your result could be off if you did the same test again. You wouldn't expect it to be exactly the same but you wouldn't expect it to be way off either. We won't go into all of that here but you now know how to build the curve so errors will make some sense. In order to build an accurate Bell Curve you need a BUNCH of points! If you only had say 10 shots there would be no way you could fit the curve with any accuracy. If you had 1000 shots your curve could be fit very tightly. The moral of the story here is you can't determine accuracy from 5-10 shots. This is why I wanted 40 samples for the paintball test, otherwise the error bars would be so wide they would be meaningless. Sort of like firing one shot, hitting the middle of the target and claiming your marker is perfectly accurate!!
Statistics has shown us the light and made our job easier with less argument. We have learned that a circle is not the best shape to determine accuracy, the Bell Curve part of math really will help you with fun stuff like paintball and most importantly all of this is comprehensible to most anyone. I myself only have a high school math education so I might have missed some details. If I have, some smart people here on AO will be sure to catch it and correct me. If you want to impress on your parents that paintball is more than just a game, tell them in the forum tonight we were discussing a one sigma deviation of a standard distribution based on data taken from two shot groups. Mention you are worried that your error bars were getting out of control due to a lack of input but your Bell Curve should look better after more runs. That might net you some bucks for paint!
On another note Tom Kaye's Tech Tips will be a monthly feature in Action Pursuit Magazine starting in two months. We will be extending our search for truth, justice and the American Way to the rest of the paintball world!
Tom Kaye


text:
Pilar Sanders Releases Photos From Workout DVD
I am not a woman, so I might have to ask a young lady how do they feel to see someone so ridiculously in shape like Pilar Sanders. I am sure a lot of brothers will be buying her workout DVD, but not for the workout.
No official word when it will be released, but hopefully there will be more leaked footage.


text:
Malloy's program creates 1,000 jobs, but critics say that's not enough
Hartford - In the three years since Gov. Dannel P. Malloy introduced the "First Five" program in his first budget address, the participating companies have created more than 1,000 jobs, a number that proves success to some and failure to others.
Malloy started out his term with the First Five initiative to attract new companies to the state and keep others here. Companies that created 200 new full-time jobs in two to five years would receive millions of dollars in low-interest loans, grants and tax credits under the program.
The six companies that have signed contracts with the state have created 1,053 jobs as of June 30, 2013, the most recent data available, and received $62 million in low-interest loans and grants, according to the state Department of Economic Development. They will get another $63 million as their projects move forward and create at least another 147 jobs, according to the terms of their contracts.
DECD Commissioner Catherine Smith said the program is "solid" and has put Connecticut on the map for businesses.
First Five "delivered what it needed to, to make Connecticut viewed as a competitor again," she said. "Honestly, I think four or five years ago, no one knew Connecticut. It just wasn't on the radar."
But others, including House Republican Leader Larry Cafero, R-Norwalk, said it is time to put the money somewhere else.
"We as individuals in positions of power need to be big enough to say it didn't work or it's not working as well as it has been," said Cafero, who voted against the program initially and later for it in a bipartisan jobs bill. "Let's change direction."
First Five was passed in June 2011, and First Five Plus, which expands the availability of the program to 10 more businesses, was passed during an October 2011 special legislative session as part of the bipartisan jobs bill. Only two legislators voted against the jobs bill.
The state has selected 11 companies for the program, although not all have signed contracts, with room for four more. Those 11 companies have reported a total of 1,377 new-full time jobs.
At a minimum, the state expects 2,200 jobs from these 11 companies; in return, they will receive low-interest loans and grants that total $214 million. That works out to $97,409 per job.
If these companies were to create more than the 200-job minimum, they could get a portion of their loans forgiven. In all, the 11 companies have agreed to invest $1.4 billion in capital improvements.
Rep. Ted Moukawsher, D-Groton, is among the legislators who don't think the number of jobs warrants that amount of state investment.
"I don't think that is a real good return on investment," he said.
There could be indirect job growth from these 2,200 jobs, he added, but the state doesn't go back and find out if all of the "rosy" projections came through. Smith said, "It is almost impossible to figure out which indirect jobs are driven by a company or not because so many things go into the community."
No ESPN contract
In August 2011, Malloy announced that ESPN was joining the First Five program, the third company to do so.
"We have a desire to make ESPN as large as we can possibly make it in Connecticut," the governor said at a news conference on its Bristol campus. "The more that's here, quite frankly, the more that's likely to stay here."
The company pledged to add at least 200 and as many as 800 new, full-time jobs over the next five years. In return, ESPN would receive $18.7 million in loans and grants for the construction of a 193,000-square-foot production facility that would be the new home to "SportsCenter" and other programming.
ESPN has not, however, signed a contract with the state in the more than two years since that press conference. Without a contract, the state has not disbursed any of the funds, but ESPN has reported to the state that it has created 128 jobs. The new facility, called Digital Center 2, is being built and is expected to open in the spring.
When asked about ESPN, Smith said, "We talked to them a few times along the way. I think we are close to bringing it to finalization."
If the company isn't pushing the "pedal to the metal," the state isn't pushing it to do so, she said.
While ESPN is expanding in Connecticut, other First Five participants have moved here, or moved their headquarters here.
Health insurer CIGNA Corp., among the original First Five, has moved its headquarters to Bloomfield from Philadelphia and created 191 jobs as of June 30, 2013, with $21 million in direct assistance, low-interest loans and grants, and $50 million in future tax credits. A low-interest loan from the state is in the 2 to 4 percent range, Smith said.
The Navigators Group Inc., an insurance company, has moved its headquarters to Stamford from New York and created 118 jobs with $7.5 million in low-interest loans and grants from the state. It is scheduled to get another $4 million.
Cable provider Charter Communications, which signed its contract in December, has relocated its headquarters to Stamford from Missouri and created 147 jobs with $6.5 million in low-interest loans and grants from the state. It is scheduled to get another $2 million.
NBC Sports has consolidated its headquarters in Stamford from four former locations in northeastern states and created 362 new jobs with $20 million in low-interest loans from the state.
Two other companies relocated within the state. Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc., which is moving to New Haven from Cheshire, has created 158 jobs with no funds yet dispersed from the state. It is scheduled to receive $26 million in low-interest loans and grants and $25 million in future tax credits.
CareCentrix, a home health care company, has moved to Hartford from East Hartford and created 77 jobs with a $6.9 million grant. It is scheduled to get another $17 million.
All job growth numbers were self-reported. The DECD is requiring the companies to submit a job audit performed by a certified public accountant at each company's specified job growth "target date."
Small business investment
Cafero said that he would rather see the state spend economic development funds on small businesses because it is more cost-effective. As of June 30, 2013, the state had spent about $115 million in the form of loans and grants to small businesses in the state's Small Business Express Program. Those businesses created about 3,043 new jobs.
David Cadden, professor of entrepreneurship and strategy at Quinnipiac University, agreed.
"For long-term growth, it is better to invest in small businesses and to create a climate that is extraordinarily friendly for small businesses and has policies that make it easy for small business to function and grow and therefore hire more people," he said.
Richard Pomp, law professor at the University of Connecticut, said it would make more sense to clean up the tax base and level the playing field instead of giving out tax credits to large corporations.
"Don't try to anticipate where tomorrow's growth will come from," Pomp said. "Simply have a level playing field and get out of the way of the tax system."
He added the state should work to lower tax rates and housing costs and energy costs.
"Throwing money at a corporation is easy, a no-brainer," he said. "The question is whether it is the best use of resources, and that is where the literature suggests, no, it is not the best use of resources."
State Sen. Andrew Maynard, D-Stonington, said he supported First Five as part of the broader jobs package and thinks it has sent a message that the state is open for business.
"I can tell you it has been night and day between the Rell administration and this administration," Maynard said. "Malloy meets with top business leaders in this state and they know he is trying."
Explore the interactive below for more information about the companies taking part in the First Five program.
Public safety forum to focus on crime recidivism, priorities
Old Lyme church holds service as family approaches 100th day in sanctuary
After a miserable U.S. Open, why the Travelers Championship is the best golf tournament out there
Why did so many people leave the Kendrick Lamar concert before it was over?
White House press secretary says she was kicked out of restaurant because she works for Trump
Trump administration considers plan to use $77 million in Coast Guard money to pay for border enforcement


text:
Umpqua offers the serious fly tier a value-based hook alternative to the current offerings on the market, with a broad range of the most desirable hook styles. After extensive product research, they deliver a quality product at a terrific price.
Umpqua U-series hooks feature; high grade carbon steel, chemically sharpened points, micro barbs for easy penatration and easy de-barbing, along with a logical numbering system for hook use identification:
U0xx Dry Fly Hooks - U1xx Nymphs Hooks - U2xx Curved Hooks
U3xx Streamers Hooks - U4xx Saltwater Hooks - U5xx Specialty Hooks