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The Practice Effect
- Narrated by: Andy Caploe
- Length: 12 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release date: 22-05-12
- Language: English
- Publisher: Audible Studios
- Whispersync for Voice-ready
Regular price: £19.39
Physicist Dennis Nuel was the first human to probe the strange realms called anomaly worlds - alternate universes where the laws of science were unpredictably changed. But the world Dennis discovered seemed almost like our own - with one perplexing difference. To his astonishment, he was hailed as a wizard and found himself fighting beside a beautiful woman with strange powers against a mysterious warlord as he struggles to solve the riddle of this baffling world.
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- Benjamin
- STOKE ON TRENT, United Kingdom
- 10-07-15
Just OK
Not a bad story but lacks maturity or seems a bit dated. Probably more suitable for kids than adults.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
- Mark
- Woolhampton, Berks, United Kingdom
- 13-04-13
A good book and an OK performance
I first read this as a print book and bought the audio book after I lost the original. I loved the book but this performance did not quite work for me. The reader's voice just didn't gel for me. That said, it is a clever book with some remarkable ideas and it may be that coming to it fresh would be a very different experience - much like seeing a film without having read the book first. There is a lot to like about this and the blending of SF and fantasy (always difficult to pull off) works remarkably well here.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
- James
- 25-05-12
My favorite Brin novel. Glad it's now in audio.
Would you listen to The Practice Effect again? Why?
Absolutely! 20 years ago I discovered an amazing new world in the Uplift novels and like an unsupervised child with a bag of halloween candy, I devoured them. Over the next couple of years I read all of Brin's novels and The Practice Effect is my favorite with Startide Rising coming in a close second. I am very happy that this book finally came out in audio and pleased that the narration was good and did not distract from what I consider an amazing story.
What did you like best about this story?
The practice effect!
What about Andy Caploe's performance did you like?
The narration did not distract from the story.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
I enjoyed Dennis's Wright Brothers moment.
Any additional comments?
I am disappointed that the only Brin novel that ever made it to film was the Postman. The Postman movie/screenplay was an unmitigated disaster and I would have loved to have seen The Uplift War or Startide Rising made into a GOOD film.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful
- Got My Book
- 25-05-16
Science & Snark
Real Rating = 4.5*
SciFi Novel that achieves the author's objective of "mixing rapid fire fun with challenging ideas"
The Practice Effect by David Brin, read by Andy Caploe, published by Audible Studios (2012) / Length: 12 hrs 16 min
SERIES INFO: This book is standalone and not part of any series.
I own an old paperback copy of this book. It was something that I kept hoping would be made into audio. And yet I was also afraid that it would be, but would be done badly. The tone of the protagonist's "voice" is so central, that even just a passably decent narrator could have ruined what I love about it. Thankfully that isn't the case.
I am not a fan of prankster characters nor of cruel sarcasm & snark, but I do love a character who makes snarky observations about the world. Dennis is a perfect example of this.
When I read this book for the first time, I though I might end up being a bit disappointed and maybe even offended as a female reader. The only woman mentioned at Sahara Tech is pushy and obnoxious, and then part way through we are introduced to a "beautiful princess" from a mystic tribe. It seemed to be setting us up for a male fantasy romance (gorgeous, blond & ethereal, adoring female). Thankfully it turned out to be a bit deeper than that.
Along with the tone, another thing I love is how the author explored the cultural & sociological ramifications of differences in physical laws. The world felt complete and complex.
I didn't give it a full 5 stars, because I often skip most of the stuff that doesn't focus on our central characters when I'm re-reading/listening.
Note: Neither the cover nor the publisher's description are very compelling. I would like to see both get an upgrade.
Our Hero (Dennis Nuel): A reality physicist with a sharp wit.
Dennis's face sometimes took on that dreamy expression often associated either with genius or an inspired aptitude for practical jokes. In reality he was just a little too lazy to qualify for the former, and just a bit too goodhearted for the latter.
The Princess (Linnora): Not just here to adore the hero. Her opinion about him see saws quite a bit, and she is clearly able to think for herself. She is weak enough to faint when confronted by something overwhelming, and strong enough to walk for a full day on blistered feet and a twisted ankle; foolish enough to go off without a guard, and wise enough to realize her beliefs might need re-examining.
Dennis & Linnora: This is NOT a romance, but does include one. There is no InstaLove, but neither is there a lot of time spent on developing the relationship.
The actual nature of the world Dennis enters is one of the central mysteries he is trying to unravel, so I can't say much without giving something away. I will say that I especially enjoyed the description of the city that included not just what it looked like, but how it sounded and smelled as well.
A favorite bit of Earth tech is the exploratory robot.
The author could have chosen to begin with Dennis stepping into the new world and told how he got there in flashbacks, but instead he chose to begin by establishing Dennis' character and background which are central to the story being told.
"The lecture was really boring.
At the front of the dimly lit conference room, the portly, gray-haired director of the Sahara Institute of Technology paced back and forth - staring at the ceiling with his hands clasped behind his back - while he pontificated ponderously on a subject he clearly barely understood."
The book has a clear yet open ending. I would love to read a sequel to see what becomes of Dennis & Linnora, how do the artifacts introduced from earth impact this world & vice versa, do certain people ever get what's coming to them?
Dennis's hesitation to hunt, since:
What if the "rabbits" here were philosophers? Could he be so sure anything he aimed at wasn't intelligent?
Dennis' genre savviness
He acted confident, but he was less than entirely certain. In a science-fiction story he had read as a boy, another Earthling had, just like himself, been transported to another world where the physical laws were also different. In the story, magic had worked, but the hero's gunpowder and matches had all failed!
I COULD HAVE DONE WITHOUT: Mild swearing
OTHER CAUTIONS : A song with innuendo / A scene in which our villain is not taking no for an answer, and our hero believes that interfering will only get him killed.
I don't feel that the narration perfectly captures Dennis, but Mr. Caploe clearly understands and does a really good job / He uses different voices & accents to distinguish the various characters / Was more than a bit slow. I listen on 1.5 speed (instead of my usual 1.25)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
- Clare
- 17-08-17
Fabulous Fantasy Fluff
It is not really science fiction, and definitely not the usual Brin novel. It is a fun feel good story, and has held up well (it is over 30 yrs old).
But the narration speed is wrong, I know Nuel is a laid back guy, but the narration is too slow (he was in danger of sounding comotose instead of relaxed). I fixed it by playing at 1.25 speed, and then it was totally fine.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
- Amazon Customer
- 16-11-12
This book was doomed to fail
The author started with an interesting premise, but one which could have no logical solution in the end. Brin wrapped up the book in a hurry and gave us the answers that we were looking for, but it was clear that even he thought they were so lame that they weren't worth exploring.
I've read two Brin novels now, and both of them had the same problem: Brin has clever ideas, but mediocre follow-through.
This book was kind of fun, but it also felt a bit unpolished and immature. It would have made for a fantastic episode of Star Trek or the Twilight Zone, where you can forgive some loose ends for the sake of enjoying the thought experiment. It just didn't have enough meat to justify an entire novel.
6 of 8 people found this review helpful
- Robert Swenson
- 25-03-17
Great story / Bad narration
The narrator is plodding, reciting the most exciting parts of the book in a monotone, while overacting the voices. He would make an excellent narrator for children's books, but this book (one I've read a dozen times, and LOVE!) was a bit mangled by the reading. Contrast this against the Honor Harrington series. Or better yet, the Dresden Files, read by James Marsters. Those books came alive for me. I can't imagine them being read any other way. You FEEL what is going on.
Do at least buy "The Practice Effect" for Kindle, and read it. I'll be hoping that someone else records this book in the future. I finished it, but I found myself losing track, and needing to rewind repeatedly along the way.
No offense intended. The narrator enunciates well enough - though the way he does seems to indicate he doesn't know what some things are. You see this with other narrators who do military books, but have no idea how certain things are said. And I couldn't help imagining that this book was being read on an extended (and lackluster) episode of Reading Rainbow. But don't take my word for it... Dee-dah-DAW!
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
- DobieChuck
- 02-06-15
Practice Makes Perfect
A really fun romp... Whimsical and entertaining... I wasn't expecting the lighthearted and humorous story from this author, but was pleasantly surprised... The only downside is the narration, which was entirely too slow and poorly paced... Worked well on 1.5 speed, but don't know if I could have handled it at regular speed...
2 of 3 people found this review helpful
- Kindle Customer
- 14-09-17
practice makes perfect..really?
dunno..lots of stereotypical new yorkish accents, very determined reiteration of this theme of practicing things.
Brinn has been much much better.
perhaps this was practicing for the next book?
- Carl
- 05-12-12
David Brin at his best!
Where does The Practice Effect rank among all the audiobooks you've listened to so far?
Near the top
Who was your favorite character and why?
Probably the robot.
What about Andy Caploe's performance did you like?
Did a nice job but the story was the star.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Move me? No, but the whole concept is really fun to think about.
Any additional comments?
One of my favorite books of all time not for anything but the concept of the practice effect.


text:
The euro declined vs. most of its major counterparts as European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said the common-currency bloc faces risks from financial instability.
The yen rose against the 17-nation currency for a second day after the International Monetary Fund said the region's economy will shrink more than forecast this year. The franc sank against the euro after two of the world's biggest custody banks said they will charge depositors to hold the Swiss currency and the Danish krone. Sterling declined versus most major peers as U.K. manufacturing fell more than forecast.
"There's getting to be more concern about growth in Europe," Charles St-Arnaud, a foreign-exchange strategist at Nomura Holdings Inc. in New York, said in a telephone interview. "Data we saw overnight, mainly from the U.K., was not really positive. The new forecast from the IMF doesn't help."
The euro dropped 0.4 percent to 101.17 yen at 9:27 a.m. New York time. It weakened 0.4 percent to $1.2916. The yen was little changed at 78.33 per dollar.
Draghi told the European Parliament in Brussels that there is no alternative to austerity as euro-area officials are pushing debt-strapped nations across southern Europe for more cuts despite the risk that they will deepen economic recessions gripping the region.
The ECB president is "making the market a little bit cautious at the moment," said Ian Stannard, head of European foreign-exchange strategy at Morgan Stanley in London. The market will probably "see the euro correct back down a little bit further on the day," he said.
Rand, Aussie
South Africa's rand surged against all of its 16 most- traded peers after the nation's Road Freight Employers Association said three unions with 15,000 workers agreed to end their strike.
The rand had depreciated yesterday versus all of its major counterparts, dropping to the weakest in almost 3 1/2 years against the dollar, as stoppages by the country's mining and transportation industries spread.
The currency climbed 1.1 percent to 8.8003 per dollar, snapping a four-day drop. It fell to 8.9942 yesterday, the weakest level since April 27, 2009.
The Australian dollar rallied from an almost three-month low reached yesterday. The Aussie added 0.3 percent to $1.0219 after touching $1.0149 yesterday, the lowest since July 13.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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"I can't forbid the girls singing to Neymar. I just think they have bad taste! He's not all that in terms of beauty!"
Mano Menezes on the immense female attention received by his Brazil forward
"If you feel empty, fill yourself up. Riquelme has betrayed 75 per cent of the country, who are Boca fans."
Diego Maradona on Juan Roman Riquelme's decision to quit Boca Juniors because he felt "empty"
"When you have a sausage pulled away from under your nose, they will eventually snap and bite."
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge on why he expects Bayern Munich to respond to being edged out for three major trophies last season
"I think they've made something that looked impossible, possible. It's another dream come true. I'm joining a dream team, and they've bought the best defender in the world, Thiago Silva. As long as I have him behind me, I don't need to look back. It's true I don't know that much about Ligue 1, but Ligue 1 knows who I am."
Zlatan Ibrahimovic on joining Paris Saint-Germain
"My only idol is Ronaldo. I think Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo are good players, but for me the only one is Ronaldo. I couldn't see Maradona or Pele, so for me the best player I have ever seen is Ronaldo."
Paolo Guerrero
"I would like it if the Ballon d'Or remains in the Barça dressing room. Hopefully Iniesta or Xavi can win the award. They would deserve it for everything they've done in recent years and at EURO 2012."
Lionel Messi
"I never saw an England team in the last 40 years that kept possession against teams like France, Italy, Brazil, Spain and Argentina. Wake up everybody! I played for England for a lot of years and wanted to keep the ball better, wanted to be more successful, wanted a winning team – all those things. But it's disrespectful to other nations and arrogant to just dismiss them and talk about, 'Oh, we are England, we talk about ourselves'. We have to see ourselves in the light of Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, Germany, Argentina, Brazil."
Gary Neville
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Baichung Bhutia, the legendary Indian, gives a frank assessment of the nation's domestic league
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Fernando Signorini, the former Argentina physio, on Lionel Messi


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|Mediterranean-Style Cod
April, 2007
Serves 4 / A healthy dose of Mediterranean ingredients— olives, tomatoes, garlic, and red peppers—enhances cod's flavor profile significantly. Steaming fish in wine infuses it with flavor and keeps it moist. Ingredient tip: Refrigerate zested lemons in plastic wrap for later use. Serving tip: Top with crumbled feta cheese.
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
(about 11/2 cups)
12 ounces cherry tomatoes
(about 21/2 cups)
3/4 cup Kalamata olives (about 3 ounces), rinsed and finely chopped
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup dry white wine
4 6-ounce cod fillets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 lemon, zest removed in thin strips, for garnish
1. Place finely grated lemon zest in a small bowl; stir in black pepper.
2. In a 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic; sauté, stirring, for 1 minute or until golden. Add bell pepper; sauté 3 minutes. Add tomatoes; sauté until most have burst, 8—10 minutes. Stir in olives and beans. Pour wine carefully into skillet, increase heat, and bring to a boil. Boil until slightly reduced, 8—10 minutes.
3. Season cod with salt. Press lemon zest—black pepper mixture on top of each fillet. Lay cod on vegetables in a single layer. Sprinkle with oregano. Cover tightly, reduce heat, and steam until cod is cooked through and opaque, about 10—12 minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with strips of lemon zest.
PER SERVING: 331 cal, 20% fat cal, 7g fat, 1g sat fat, 73mg chol, 36g protein, 24g carb, 7g fiber, 597mg sodium


text:
Let me get this out of the way. Age of Ultron is one of the most audaciously awful comic books I've read in a very long time. It's everything that's wrong with the comics industry today. Terrible decompression. Characters written willy nilly to suit a story that was written from the ending backwards. Ridiculous hype for what is sure to be a nonsensical ending involving a character no one cares about that purports to "change the comics universe forever" or "rock the Marvel universe to its foundations" or some bullshit like that but which will fail to deliver on that front. Black Panther tripping down a flight of steps and dying. Wolverine Mary Sue-ism worse than a Jason Aaron book. A comic that was written like two years ago delayed due to all the Dilbertesque corporate comic industry shenanigans that cause a comic book to come out when the rest of the line has gone through two or three status-quo shattering events since it was written. It's just a bad comic.
And you might think, what a way to kick off a review of Uncanny X-Men #6, by talking a lot of shit about Age of Ultron. But I feel it's important to get that out there because, in reading Uncanny X-Men tonight, I feel like I finally understand "The Great One" Brian Bendis. Because Bendis didn't earn the nickname "The Great One" by writing awful comics like Age of Ultron, even though he does have a reputation among certain crowds for writing comics like it.
He's done a lot of good work. I love Powers. When it comes out. It seems like he'll start off strong with a relaunch of the book, then kind of fade out and all of a sudden it's three months late or its not being published anymore. Then another relaunch, repeat. Avengers Disassembled, House of M, these were books where stuff happened, where Bendis' writing was inspired and innovative, and which really changed things in the Marvel Universe and opened the possibilities for a lot of great storytelling, Look at Dark Avengers and the whole Dark Reign era. Those were some great comics, and Bendis was largely responsible.
At the same time, you had the things that drive people nuts about Bendis creeping in. The Avengers fighting The Hood and ninjas over and over again. Increasingly more ridiculous decompression. Whole issues where people just said "the hell?!" to each other for twenty-two pages.
Just as "The Great One" can be "Great," like anyone else, he has a dark side as well. And when one has as powerful and creative a "good" side as "The Great One" Brian Bendis, universal balance dictates that there must be an equally horrendous "bad" side.
Uncanny X-Men, and its companion book, All-New X-Men (or is it the other way around) is like purified, concentrated Bendis greatness. The core X-Men franchise is as compelling, as exciting, as when Chris Claremont was writing it, and I don't say that lightly, because Claremont is the greatest of all time. X-Men is as good or better than it was when Morrison was writing it. And that's almost entirely because of Bendis and what he's doing in these two books.
Bendis took an X-Men franchise that was seriously damaged by the character assasination of Avengers vs. X-Men and he healed it spectacularly. Scott Summers is a better character than he's ever been, and, like the Phoenix reborn, he rose from the shitty ashes of that craptacular event, under Bendis' care and guidance, and is unpredictable again. Dynamic. Must-see.
Not getting into all of the plot threads going on in All New X-Men, in Uncanny X-Men we've got a book about Cyclops, Magneto, Magick, and Emma Frost, with both powers and psyches damaged by the events of AvX, the Phoenix Force, and the death of Charles Xavier. Their powers are broken, not functioning properly, but their relationships with each other are as well. And their (and the mutant race's) relationships with the world.
We've seen that on display for the first five issues of this book. We've seen intrigue and betrayal, we've seen the team barely holding things together while putting on a brave and threatening face to the world. They're defying the Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., and Wolverine's team of X-Men, but it still feels like things could fall apart at any second, like disaster is waiting around the corner.
In Uncanny X-Men #6, this idea is firing on all cylinders. The team is trapped in Limbo as the Dread Dormammu makes a play to take control of the dimension from Magick. They've got some brand new mutants with them, inexperienced and feeling like they might be in over their heads. They're pretty screwed. But the team pulls together here, once again finding the strength to fight against ridiculously overwhelming odds, and do it with style and confidence (in the case of the new mutants, artificial, but in the case of Scott, Magneto, and Emma, who each showed leadership and coolness under pressure in the battle).
Why? Because they're the X-Men, and that's what the X-Men do. In the face of staggering, depressing opposition, they fight anyway. It's what superheroes do. I think the comics industry forgets that sometimes, while they're too busy having supeheroes fight each other in laughably clumsy attempts to be metaphors for simplistic political and philosophical debates. But not here. Bendis knows how to write the goddamn X-Men.
And Frazer Irving knows how to draw the goddamn X-Men. The art in this issue is amazing. I don't know if I've ever seen anyone convey anguish on the face of comic book characters as well as Irving does in this issue on, well, all of the X-Men, who are going through an admittedly anguishing period. The art and particularly the colors set the tone in every scene.
I know that's something everyone says about every book, but, here, it means something. It's not just Dormammu's head who's on fire here, it's the whole fucking page. When Scott lets his optic blast loose, the panels literally light up. It's wild. When Irving does a splash page of the Mindless Ones closing in on the X-Men, there's an incredible sense of depth as the cavernous, fiery Limbo opens up, and you can actually spend a few moments exploring it. When Dazzler is revealed at the end as the newest agent of Shield, she's glowing. It's just totally cool.
And the way the book ends is cool too. The X-Men have just launched into battle, Dazzler has joined the team, and Maria Hill, director of S.H.I.E.L.D., is wondering: Who are the good guys? What are they planning? What is going on? How can she help? Who should she help? What's going to happen?
The beauty is, I don't know. For the first time in a very long time, the future is wide open for the X-Men. I believe anything can happen, and I'm actually excited for it. Not skeptical. Not cynical. I'm all in.
And how is this possible? How is the man who's writing Age of Ultron writing this book?
The answer is in the question. This book is so great *because* Age of Ultron is so awful. Bendis isn't trying to balance himself out. Like Scott Summers' optic blast, "The Great One" is unleashing every bad tendency he's got in Age of Ultron, just getting it all out there in an orgasm of bullshit comics. And as a result, Bendis' X-Men is shaping up to be one of the greatest runs of all times.
So you know what, Bendis? Fair enough. Everyone needs a process, and if this is what it takes... I'll buy five copies of Age of Ultron if it's gonna result in Uncanny X-Men.
Because I get it. I understand. And I love it.


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By Kevin Siembieda
Rifts® Thundercloud Galaxy™ is at the printer! It took sleepless days and long hours of work, with Matthew Clements and Greg Diaczyk helping to edit, and they and Carl Gleba chipping in a few ideas, in order to get the book done before the Creators Conference, but we did it. The book is done. At the printer. And we all think you'll love it. See the new description for details elsewhere in this Weekly Update.
The Rifter® #54 ships next Tuesday. This is another great issue with a wealth of fun information. A Heroes Unlimited™ adventure, Palladium Fantasy RPG® monsters and races, the Rifts® city of New Chillicothe, a Nightbane® story and the final chapter of The Hammer of the Forge, plus news and other good stuff.
Rifts® Vampire Kingdoms and Robotech® New Generation Sourcebook are next for release. Immediately after the Creators Conference this week, I will be diving into these two titles for release. Count on it.
Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames has also been put into pre-production mode. The cover has been assigned and the ideas for it are rocking.
A nice birthday. Even though I worked through my birthday, it was nice. I received a lot of emails, private messages and telephone calls from friends and family. I also received a few wonderful presents in the mail from my brother and a couple of friends, as well as an awesome book from Alex. The most unexpected gift was an original painting from one of the top artists in the field. It and the kind letter that came with the gift knocked my socks off. Wow. You can read about these things in greater detail in my last two or three Murmurs from the Megaverse®.
Reminder – Back in Print and Ready to Ship: For some reason, people were slow to buy the newly released backstock titles and Rifts® Baseball Caps, but people suddenly started to buy them, and other titles, this past week. The following items are ready to ship.
- Rifts® Dimension Book™ 6: Three Galaxies™
- Rifts® Black Vault™
- Rifts® Mercenaries™
- Aliens Unlimited™ – A Heroes Unlimited™ sourcebook
- Rifts® Baseball Caps
Online sales. Sales were nothing to write home about, but they the picked up from the previous week of abysmal sales. We should see a good increase with The Rifter® #54 and Rifts® Thundercloud Galaxy™, both shipping this month. And they will be followed in short order by more new releases all Spring and Summer.
Palladium to attend Gen Con Indy – August 4-7. Please come on over and stop by our booth to chat and get autographs, as well as pick up new and backstock titles, specialty items and more. We're not sure who will be joining us at the Palladium booth, but so far, Palladium creators you'll be able to meet include:
- Kevin Siembieda
- Wayne Smith
- Michael Mumah (artist)
- Brandon Aten (writer)
- Matthew Clements (writer; tentative)
- And others to be announced.
Palladium Website. The website is moving forward, but we've all been busy with other things the past few weeks. We will kick it into high gear after the Creators Conference.
Palladium Creators Conference started yesterday. We have something like 25-30 freelance writers, artists, and staff who have come in to pool our creative minds and talents to take Palladium to the next level. I'll reveal all in next week's update.
Sorry, I need to keep this Weekly Update short so I can start the Conference. I will have plenty to talk about next Update. Meanwhile, get those pre-orders in for The Rifter® and Thundercloud Galaxy™, keep those imaginations burning bright and game on.
– Kevin Siembieda, Publisher
This is another landmark issue of The Rifter® filled with epic source material, exotic places, strange critters, adventure settings, good stories and ideas.
The Rifter® is your doorway to unlimited imagination and numerous Palladium role-playing worlds. It offers new heroes, powers, weapons, magic and adventure for your games. It presents new villains, monsters and dangers to battle, and new ideas to consider.
The Rifter® #54 includes:
The book is done, at the printer and awesome. Great ideas, great art, unique new alien races available as player characters, weird creatures and monsters, secrets of the Gene-Tech, weapons of the Dominators, ancient ruins, colony creation rules, adventure galore and much, much more.
The Scramble is the mad dash to claim and colonize the thousands of worlds of the Thundercloud Galaxy. Colonists flock to the Thundercloud filled with dreams. Space Pirates and an array of cutthroats also flock to the galaxy, guns in hand, ready to rob and fleece the colonists. Lawmen and heroes are in great demand, and the opportunities for clever adventurers are said to be without limit. As the civilizations of the Anvil and Corkscrew Galaxies scramble to colonize the Thundercloud, they are beginning to realize the galaxy holds more riches, beauty, horrors and secrets than anyone has ever imagined, making it a place of discovery, adventure and treachery like no other.
Thundercloud Galaxy™ is a perfect companion to the rest of the Phase World®/Three Galaxies™ based Dimension Books as well as the Minion War™ series. Players can be pirates, raiders, brigands or hired guns, or they may be explorers, adventurers, Spacers, or any number of heroes trying to protect the colonists or the indigenous peoples of countless worlds and colonies. The possibilities are truly limited only by your imagination.
Kevin Siembieda is reorganizing, tweaking, expanding and updating one of the most popular Rifts® World Books ever published: Vampire Kingdoms™. This will include some new artwork and an expanded page count. The book will be updated and expanded in much the same way as Kevin did with Rifts® Sourcebook One a few years ago. Best of all, it will be accompanied by theRifts® Vampires Sourcebook™.
Trouble is stirring in the Vampire Kingdoms as ambitious vampire lords, ladies and misanthropes seek to expand their power to dominate more mortal life forms.
Written by Kevin Siembieda and a handpicked selection of other writers, this sourcebook explores the vampires of Mexico and their kingdoms in ways you never imagined. Tons of new data, adventure ideas and revelations.
This Robotech® sourcebook will be an early 2011 release.
Final page count and price may be subject to change. Spring 2011 release.
At last, the underwater realm of Lemuria. The people and history of Lemuria, new magic, sea herbs and healing, sea monsters, and more.
Final page count and price may be subject to expansion and increase. Spring 2011.
The Minion War spills across Rifts Earth, where demons and infernals hope to recruit allies and use the Rifts as gateways of destruction. Their influence shakes things up across the planet, especially at locations where demons and Deevils already have a strong presence. More details to follow, but for now, 'nuff said.
Data about the chaos and madness of the early days of the Great Cataclysm, and the brave men and women who tried to stem the tide of destruction and save lives, the First Responders.
Armageddon Unlimited™ is the ultimate good vs evil setting and adventure. The fate of the world hangs in the balance and only you can stop its destruction as demons and Deevils fight for control of the Earth and bringing about the end of life as we know it.
Armageddon Unlimited™ is more than an epic world-saving adventure, it is also a sourcebook jam-packed with new powers, magic, weapons and Power Categories that can be incorporated into any Heroes Unlimited™ campaign. This book can be used as a standalone adventure sourcebook for Heroes Unlimited™ or as a pivotal plot in an expansive Minion War™ campaign. Get a free sneak preview
of the book from DriveThruRPG.com.
Aliens Unlimited™ brings alien beings to your Earth-based Heroes Unlimited™ setting and enables you to take your Earth heroes to alien worlds. This sourcebook has everything you need to launch an alien based campaign or galactic adventures, or introduce alien invaders, villains, heroes and campaign ideas.
Aliens Unlimited™ makes the perfect resource and companion to the Thundercloud Galaxy™ or any of the Rifts® Dimension Books and Minion War™ series. Looking for some new space aliens, villains and monsters to add to your Thundercloud Galaxy™ or Minion War™ campaign? Need some unique Splugorth slaves? Demon henchmen? Take a look at Aliens Unlimited™(and the Aliens Unlimited™ Galaxy Guide™ companion sourcebook); easy to adapt.
A guide to the Three Galaxies, this book takes a look at dozens of solar systems, notable planets, select alien races, people, civilizations and monsters, as well as space anomalies, spaceships and more. This is another sourcebook that is ideal for campaigns involving the Minion War™, the Thundercloud Galaxy™, Phase World® and adventures in the Three Galaxies.
For generations it has been rumored the Coalition States maintains a Top Secret facility where it locks away and stores all the magic weapons and items it confiscates from adventurers and mages. The CS, of course, denies these rumors, but they are true. And the truth is revealed for the first time in this epic sourcebook packed with secrets and magic items. Do your characters dare to rob the Black Vault?
This fan-favorite sourcebook presents everything you need to create and run a mercenary company on Rifts Earth. It includes creation rules, new Occupational Character Classes such as the Professional Smuggler, Thief, Safecracker, Spy, Bounty Hunter, Master Assassin, and others, plus a treasure trove of mercenary weapons, vehicles, gear and arms dealers.
Back by popular demand. A black Rifts® Logo on a khaki baseball cap with black trim. Looks great and fans love it! Makes a great gift.
Gold print on a rich black, faux velvet material. Looks gorgeous, a sturdy and well made drawstring bag. A big 7x9 inches, can hold a lot of dice.
This is a great resource for getting out of print Palladium titles and other select books. We've made 90 titles available as PDF digital downloads from DriveThruRPG.com. This is a great way to try Palladium products and get access to out of print RPG source material. Some notable titles include.
- Splicers® RPG
- Beyond the Supernatural™ RPG, First Edition Rules.
- Boxed Nightmares™ for BTS, First Edition Rules.
- Nightbane® Book Four: Shadows of Light™.
- The Mechanoids® RPG and The Mechanoid Invasion® RPG Trilogy.
- Palladium Fantasy RPG®, First Edition Rules and select 1st Edition sourcebooks.
- After the Bomb® RPG and sourcebooks.
- The Rifter® issues 1-48.
- The Best of The Rifter®
- Deluxe Revised RECON® RPG and Advanced RECON® Sourcebook.
- And more – go to DriveThruRPG.com and check 'em out.
- Armageddon Unlimited™ – New – Available now!
- The Rifter® #53 – New – Available now!
- Rifts® World Book 20: Canada – Back in print – Available now
- Rifts® Dark Conversions – Back in print – Available now
- Palladium Fantasy RPG® – Back in print – Available now
- Rifts® Game Master Guide – Back in print – Available now
- Rifts® World Book 5: Triax & The NGR – Back in print – Available now
- Rifts® Bionics Sourcebook – Back in print – Available now
- Rifts® China One – Back in print – Available now
- Rifts® Megaverse® Builder – Back in print – Available now
– Rifts® Baseball Cap – BACK IN STOCK
– Rifts® Dimension Book™ 6: Three Galaxies™ – BACK IN PRINT
- Rifts® Black Vault™ – BACK IN PRINT
– Rifts® Mercenaries™ – BACK IN PRINT
- Aliens Unlimited™ – A Heroes Unlimited™ sourcebook – BACK IN PRINT
- The Rifter® #54 – New – Available now.
- Rifts® Dimension Book™ 14: Thundercloud Galaxy™ – New – April 25.
- Rifts® World Book 8: Rifts® Japan™ – BACK IN PRINT – Ships April 25
- Rifts® World Book 13: Lone Star™ – BACK IN PRINT – Ships April 25
- Robotech® New Generation™ Sourcebook (tentative)
- Rifts® WB One: Vampire Kingdoms™, Expanded & Updated
- Rifts® Book of Magic (back in print)
- Rifts® Vampires Sourcebook™ – New
- Rifts® World Book™: Lemuria – New
- The Rifter® #55 – New
- Rifts® Megaverse® in Flames (Minion War™ crossover) – New
- Rifts® Chaos Earth™: First Responders Sourcebook (as soon as we can slot it in)
- Dead Reign™ Sourcebook Three
- Robotech® UEEF Marines and other Robotech® sourcebooks.
- Rifts® sourcebooks
- Rifts® Chaos Earth™ sourcebooks
- Palladium Fantasy®: Mysteries of Magic™ Two & Three
- Palladium Fantasy® other sourcebooks
- Warpath™ Urban Jungle RPG
- And other good stuff. Lots of other good stuff!
The Queen of Ghouls: Life-Sized Halloween Props
Check out the new creations by Palladium's very own Kathy Simmons. See her new zombie, Jack Skellington and Sally, with more new creations on the drawing board. Each Halloween prop is truly life-sized (most are 6 feet or taller – Jack is almost 8 feet) and seem almost alive.
Each is an all-weather, life-sized Halloween prop that can handle rain and snow, and is a one-of-a-kind work of art (no two are exactly the same). Each looks frighteningly "real." All come apart and fold down to slightly larger than a king-size pillow for easy storage. Comes with easy instructions, a plastic storage bag, and the lawn stake to stand it up in your front yard. Indoor stand sold separately.
Types of "Ghouls" include: Zombies (all kinds!), killer clowns, wizards, witches, devils, grave ghouls, scarecrows, executioners, mad doctors, deadly nurses, vampires, werewolves, and more. Kathy's also now offering an array of hand-painted Halloween signs, signs with heads and bodies hanging from them, witch's brewing pots, Halloween centerpieces and more. Best of all, her high quality creations are much more affordable and imaginative than most competitors or mass produced items in a store, making them affordable Halloween fun.
If you think the photos online look good, you should see them in person. A typical "ghoul," as she calls her creations, costs $129-$259. You can see some of her work at her Queen of Ghouls™ Ebay store – queenofghouls.com.


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Sep 03, 2011
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Coker volleyball team completed their clean sweep of the competition at Queens Invitational on Saturday with their third 3-0 victory of the tournament. This time the Cobras defeated Virginia Union 3-0 with scores of 25-14, 25-10 and 29-27.
The third set of the match was the most difficult for the Cobras as they had to battle back from a 24-20 deficit to take home the shutout win.
Coker will return home for their next match on Wednesday at 7 p.m. against the Knights of St. Andrews.


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Your turn to grade the Orioles
Peter Schmuck has already handed out his grades for the 2012 Orioles. But we thought you deserved a chance to play professor and offer your assessments. Was Schmuck too lenient or too harsh? Who gets your highest (and lowest) marks? We're looking forward to seeing your grades for each player who had a significant role in the 2012 season.
Copyright © 2018, Chicago Tribune


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Caithan Crusade4 books in series
Call of Madness Publisher's Summary
In Caithe, magic is considered to be a gift from the devil, that should be rejected - by giving away your life when the first signs of 'magic madness' appear. However, the same magic gift is considered a blessing, when used by Caithe's king. But the situation is problematic, when Athaya, the king's daughter starts showing the signs of the magic. She runs to a nearby kingdom that embraces magic, but will that be enough to protect her?©1990 Julie Dean Smith (P)2013 Audible, Inc.
Book 1
Book 2
Book 3
Book 4


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Livingston Parish Fair
October 7-14, 2017
2017 Fair Catalog
The Livingston Parish Fair will be held during the week of October 7 - 15, 2017. This is a perfect venue to showcase the efforts of our fine educational system in an entertaining setting. The Livingston Parish Fair Association has provided us with the following events to promote our schools' role in Livingston Parish life:
· Poster Contest - Due by Monday, September 18, 2017 by 4:00p.m. Poster should advertise Livingston Parish Fair, October 1 - 9, 2016. For information, contact Karen McDonald at 686-0674.
· Essay Contest - Due by Monday, September 18, 2017 by 4:00p.m. For information, contact Karen McDonald at 686-0674.
o Essay theme: " What would be the best way to end bullying in your school? "
· School Exhibits - Request Form attached, Return to Don Gill by October 2, 2017.
o Exhibit theme: "Race to the Fair" Cars get us where we want to go and reflect our personalities. Celebrate what cars mean to us with different events and displays.
· Academic Fun Bowls – Thursday, October 12th 2017. For information, contact Ruben Spillman, Jr. at 664-4189.
In addition, these times have been set aside for LPPS students to enjoy the attractions available:
· Children With Special Needs Day - For students with an IEP, Wednesday, October 11TH, 2017 at 10:00 a.m.
Please note: All games and rides will not be in operation at this time.
· Field Trip Day – Thursday, October 12TH, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Special pricing for rides and exhibits!
If you wish to exhibit, complete and return the attached form to Don Gill at the Central Office by Monday, October 2, 2017. 32 spaces are available and will be assigned on a first come, first served basis. Signage will be in place on Monday, October 9th, to notify schools of assignments. Drawings will be made to determine corner areas assignment for each division.
· Each school shall use its own discretion as to the type of exhibit that fits the theme given.
· Each school shall be allotted an 8' long space. Other dimensions of the exhibit space are diagrammed in the premium catalog. (5' backboard, 30" slanted shelf table-top, 28" apron). All surface area of the space is covered with ¼" plywood and electricity is available to each space.
· All electronics used in an exhibit are the responsibility of each school, not LPFA.
· (Optional) One 5 x 7" communication card will be available to provide information about each exhibit to the judges.
Exhibits will be judged on student work, theme and organization. There are three divisions of competition: Elementary, Middle or High School.
Cash prizes will be awarded for 1st through 4th Place winners in each division.
4-H Clubs that display an exhibit will receive 10 points for participation, as well as 30 points for 1st Place, 20 points for 2nd Place or 15 points for 3rd Place.
Exhibits may be set up on Monday, October 9th, or Tuesday, October 10th, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Exhibits must be completed for public viewing by Tuesday, October 10th, at 4:00 p.m.
The Livingston Parish School Board does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, national origin, disability or gender in its educational programs and activities (including employment and application for employment), and it is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of gender by Title IX (20 USC 168) and on the basis of disability by Section 504 (42 USC 794). The Title IX Coordinator is Stephen Parrill
Livingston Parish Public Schools is committed to ensuring that all websites and web applications, both public-facing and for internal use, conform to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (W.C.A.G.) 2.0 Level AA. Any issues should be reported email@example.com.
(firstname.lastname@example.com), Assistant Superintendent, P.O. Box 1130, Livingston, LA 70754; Phone (225) 686-7044. The Special Education Director is Dr. Eric Penalber (email@example.com); the LPPS 504 Coordinator is Monica Sullivan (firstname.lastname@example.com), P.O. Box 1130 Livingston, LA 70754; Phone (225)686-4248.


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I have been lucky enough to turn one of my passions into a job and to become a dive instructor. When I dive every day I see a fascinating underwater world that never ceases to amaze me and the divers that I take underwater. The underwater world is simply magical. Unfortunately every day I dive I also see the devastating mark of human consumption everywhere in the ocean.
Every day, I see plastic bottles both at the surface and in the sea. In the sea and in the heart of the reefs I see baby nappies, plastic bags, metal cans, plastic and glass bottles, fishing lines, constructions materials to name just a few. I pick up as many things as I can but this is nothing compare to the amount of trash we pour in the ocean every day.
We are all culprits of this "poisoning". In the Indian Ocean, the safari boats simply dump their rubbish in the sea. The island resort hotels do the same. Instead of taking their refuse to a processing island they just wait for night to fall so no one sees them and dump the rubbish in the sea a few miles off the island. It's cheaper. The profit that these island resort hotels make could very easily provide for a refusal budget but the greed for profit at all costs seems as infinite as the universe itself.
The governments worldwide seem to be turning a blind eye to the situation so I am inclined to think that the refuse processing is a big money scam in many countries not to say worldwide.
In Italy the rubbish are being buried in fertile agricultural grounds… In his book "Gomorra" the journalist and writer Roberto Saviano denounces all these refuse processing or rather non processing scams. Of course the fact there is no regulation or control about the rubbish processing results in constant daily poisoning of our soil and seas.
We are poisoning our own environment and killing many other innocent species in the process… In the sea the situation is dramatic. The land to water ratio on the planet is about 30 to 70% so the ocean covers about 2/3 of the planet. With this in mind you would think, the ocean is so big that you would hardly ever see traces of human consumption there. Well that's precisely where the situation becomes alarming, the reefs are not only the victims of the overall global warming phenomenon which is more subtle to perceive but they are also ridden with human rubbish everywhere and this we cannot ignore.
We all know that the oceans are overfished, we all know about global warming, we all know about species disappearing due to human over consumption and damage so the question is what do we do about it? Individually we can do localized actions but separate we cannot change the big picture. So when are we going to get involved all together?
The main issue beyond the refuse processing is the whole consumer product industry. Packaging. Do we really need 3 layers of plastic around our products? Do we really need to have our strawberries in a plastic container and an extra cellophane layer around it? Do we really need baby nappies made out of Polyethylene i.e. plastic?
It is time to rethink the whole consumer products packaging worldwide and fast! It is not only killing or endangering many innocent species worldwide; it is also endangering us humans. The bottom line of the issue is that "money rules" in this world as we all know.
My question to conclude is simple: when all natural resources will be poisoned or extinct will Men survive eating money??
By Angelina Cecchetto on 2nd February 2013


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Beaumont/Port Arthur
The weather April 26-28 made for a soggy first weekend of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, more commonly known as Jazz Fest, but festivalgoers still managed to have a good time. Here's hoping for beautifully cool and sunny weather right here in Beaumont for the Jazz & Blues Fest on Saturday, May 18, at Crockett Street Entertainment District. With the purchase of one $10 ticket, guests can hear 14 different bands all in one area. Funds raised go to support the Museum of the Gulf Coast.
While we harbor no disrespect for the Wall Street Journal who called us "that scrappy little paper from Southeast Texas," we prefer to think of ourselves as simple seekers of the truth. We're of the opinion that headlines and sound bites never tell the whole story. Our readers demand all the facts, facets and flavors of every story or event. And, they expect to be informed, educated and stirred to action.
For this week's New York Times crossword puzzle, pick up a copy of this week's The Examiner on newsstands now.


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AOL waves goodbye to 900 staffers
Jobs contract off back of content spending spree
AOL pointed 900 of its employees towards the door marked Exit yesterday, as part of the company's effort to recast itself as a media content provider.
Just last month, the firm's CEO Tim Armstrong confirmed the $315m buyout of the Huffington Post.
Around 200 staffers based in the US were laid off, following that purchase. AOL axed 400 jobs in India and said a further 300 roles at the company would be outsourced to third-party outfits.
The jobs cull leaves AOL's headcount reduced by around 20 per cent, with a workforce now of 4,000 people on its books worldwide.
This is the latest in a series of job cuts at AOL. Armstrong has been desperately trying to shift the firm's focus away from cashing in on an increasingly diminished dial-up internet access biz.
His response has been to gulp up well-known blog sites. Late last year, AOL bought TechCrunch.
"Today is a very difficult day at the company because people's jobs are impacted," said Armstrong. "The changes today for me are very personal."
Business Insider has a copy of Armstrong's memo to staff here, as well as more details about the lay-offs. ®


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Waitrose & Ecotricity
We are committed to living and working more sustainably
Many of our stores are already supplied with renewable, or 'green', electricity and now we want to extend that to transport. That's why we have joined up with Ecotricity, a green energy company providing the electricity for the vehicle charging points outside Waitrose's Welcome Break service stations across the country. It's a small step on a long journey towards a lower-carbon future – and we hope you'll join us along the way.
We're cutting energy
We have been working to make our business as sustainable as possible - for example all our UK stores use 100% renewable energy and our policy is that we send no food waste to landfill.
But you tell us you want to be as sustainable as possible at home too - so we want to help make that as easy as we can.
We have car charging points at some of our branches, while Ecotricity have installed aditional charge points at Waitrose Welcome Break motorway service shops.
Find out more about Ecotricity (opens in a new window).
About renewable energy
Renewable energy is good for the environment, can help reduce your carbon footprint and save you money. This energy comes from any source that is naturally replenished – from sunlight or wind, to heat from the earth or plants grown for fuel.
Technologies such as wind turbines and solar panels can be installed at your home so you can generate some or all of your own electricity and they are used on a much larger scale by a variety of energy providers.
The Department of Energy & Climate Change works to make sure the UK has secure, clean, affordable energy supplies and is responsible for cutting UK greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80% by 2050 and sourcing at least 15% of our energy from renewable sources by 2020. Solar panel electricity systems, also known as solar photovoltaics (PV), capture the sun's energy using photovoltaic cells. These cells don't need direct sunlight to work – they can still generate some electricity on a cloudy day, making them a viable option for the UK.
Wind turbines harness the power of the wind and use it to generate electricity.
Wave and tidal stream energy is electricity generated from the movement of wave and tidal flows. Wave power is much more predictable than wind power – and it increases during the winter, when electricity demand is at its highest. The industry is still in its infancy and further research is needed. Anaerobic digestion is a treatment process which harnesses natural bacteria to produce biogas from waste biodegradable materials, such asagricultural manure and slurry, food waste and sewage sludge. Biogas is rich in methane and is a source of renewable energy.


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Is your weight holding you down? You're not alone.
Almost 34 percent of adults in the United States are obese. And, Pennsylvania ranks among the top 20 most obese states with an obesity rate of 28.5 percent.
If you're struggling with obesity and you're ready to lose weight, the UPMC Bariatric Surgery Center and team can help you find a healthier, happier you.
Personalized care
Our bariatric surgeons will work with you to develop your personalized weight loss plan and determine which weight loss surgery or procedure is best for you:
Decision-making resources
If you're trying to decide if bariatric (weight loss) surgery is the right option for you:
Lifelong support
Our approach to bariatric surgery provides you with everything you need for successful weight loss and weight management — before, during, and long after your surgery.
Multiple locations
We offer bariatric procedures at multiple locations throughout Western Pennsylvania and Western New York — from Pittsburgh to beyond Erie and in-between.
You could be a candidate for weight loss surgery at UPMC's Bariatric Surgery Center if you:
Dr. Anita Courcoulas talks about the effects of bariatric surgery on those with type 2 diabetes.
New Bariatrics Procedure at Magee
Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC is the first in the state to offer a new outpatient bariatrics procedure.
Your path to weight loss, weight loss maintenance, fitness, and wellness.
Sign up for BodyChangers today.
Learn more about this service.
Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences
| Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit www.healthwise.org
For help in finding a doctor or health service that suits your needs, call the UPMC Referral Service at 412-647-UPMC (8762) or 1-800-533-UPMC (8762). Select option 1.
UPMC is an equal opportunity employer. UPMC policy prohibits discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, sex, genetics, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, familial status, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected group status. Further, UPMC will continue to support and promote equal employment opportunity, human dignity, and racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity. This policy applies to admissions, employment, and access to and treatment in UPMC programs and activities. This commitment is made by UPMC in accordance with federal, state, and/or local laws and regulations.
Medical information made available on UPMC.com is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should not rely entirely on this information for your health care needs. Ask your own doctor or health care provider any specific medical questions that you have. Further, UPMC.com is not a tool to be used in the case of an emergency. If an emergency arises, you should seek appropriate emergency medical services.
Pittsburgh, PA, USA | UPMC.com


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Tina Fey Pencil Skirt
A classic pencil skirt totally dressed up Tina Fey's red carpet look at the 'Admission' premiere in NYC.
Brand: J Mendel
Brand: J Mendel
Tina Fey Peplum Top
Tina Fey spiced up her red carpet look with a black leather peplum top.
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MISENHEIMER, N.C. – In a key Conference Carolinas matchup in terms of seeding for the conference tournament, the King University baseball team took two-out-of-three from Pfeiffer University. The Tornado took Sunday's rubber match 6-3 behind a great start by pitcher Alex Gonzalez.
Gonzalez allowed an unearned run in the first inning, but recovered to retire seven straight batters. After the first inning, the junior only allowed three hits over six innings. The King offense was quick to respond to Pfeiffer's early run as Jose Sola laced a double to score Garrett Cook in the top of the second and even the score.
Tyler Gaby ignited the Tornado offense with a one-out single in the fifth inning. After a Steven Todoschuk walk, Josh Huffman crushed a three-run home run to put King (27-16, 12-9 CC) ahead. King added onto the lead with a Garrett Cook sacrifice fly in the seventh inning that scored Todoschuk and gave the Tornado a 5-1 advantage.
Gonzalez's day came to end in the seventh inning when Pfeiffer (18-26, 11-8 CC) plated a run. Gonzalez scattered five hits in seven innings of work while striking out nine and earning his seventh win of the season.
Cook tacked on an insurance run for King in the ninth as his single scored Huffman who walked earlier in the frame.
The Falcons scored on run in the bottom of the ninth, but Alex Martin got the final two outs to earn his fourth save of the season, giving King the 6-3 win. Huffman paced the Tornado offense going 3-for-4 with three runs batted in and two runs scored. Tom Hooker also chipped in with two hits while Cook drove in two runs.
King will be in action again on Monday when the host Carson-Newman College. First pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m.


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Product Details
CS-9 Tire Chains by Thule®. Sold in pairs. If you're looking for ease of installation, maximum traction, and ease of removal in a tire chain, you've found it with the Thule CS-9. These tire chains are a breeze to install, and self-tensioning and auto-adjusting, so you can be on your way regardless of what Mother Nature dishes out. And the asymmetrical diamond pattern chain with icebreaker reinforcements will provide the grip to get you to your destination. When the road clears, just pull on the external release lever to remove the chain. CS-9 Tire Chains are available to fit all popular tire sizes.
Fitment notes: Tire size should be checked prior to doing shopping/making a purchase
- Color coded assembly points aide installation
- 9mm diameter links makes these chains ideal for vehicles with very little clearance at the inside of the wheel
- Self-tensioning system: just one stop to fit the chain
- Micro-regulation system for perfect tensioning of the chain
- External release lever minimizes getting dirty and removal time
- Manufactured from hardened manganese nickel alloy steel
- Asymmetrical diamond pattern chain with icebreaker reinforcements, for the best grip on snow and ice
- Nylon buttons on chain protect wheels from damage
- Comes with a convenient storage case
- Compatible with anti-lock braking systems and traction control systems
- Comes with gloves and a kneeling mat to ease installation and removal
- Comes complete with everything required for installation, including instructions
- Backed by a 5-year limited warranty
When you need maximum traction for the slipperiest conditions, wrap a set of Thule CS-9 Tire Chains around your drive wheels and be on your way. They couldn't be any easier to install. The attachment points are color coded, to make installation easy, even in the dark. And installation will be completed as you drive, because the self-tensioning and auto-adjusting system will adjust the chains for perfect tension and fit as you roll down the road. Removal is also simple; just pull on the external release lever to remove the chain from the tire.
The CS-9 is manufactured from hardened manganese nickel alloy steel for long term durability. It gives you all the traction you need thanks to the unique dual-sided D-shaped link design with the steel icebreaker reinforcement plates. If clearance is tight between the inside of your tires and inner fender wells or mechanical components, the CS-9 is ideal because it takes up very little room. And the anti-scratch nylon buttons will protect the finish on your wheels.
CS-9 Tire Chains are available to fit most popular tire sizes. When the weather clears, they can be removed and stored in the included storage case. These tire chains come with everything necessary for installation, including detailed instructions. Thule even provides gloves and a mat to kneel on, so you can stay as neat as possible while installing and removing your tire chains. The limited 5-year warranty applies to the original purchaser of the product, and warrants the product against manufacturer's defects in materials or workmanship.
Thule® designs and manufactures products for outdoor enthusiasts, athletes, and those that lead an active lifestyle. They specialize in developing and marketing cargo transportation solutions so these people can bring their gear with them wherever they go, whatever they drive. Thule was founded in Sweden in 1942, and built their first roof rack system in the 1960s. Today Thule leads the market with innovative products for transporting, bicycles, watercraft, snowsport equipment and other gear on the roof, with the trailer hitch, on the trunk or hatch, or in the pickup bed. Thule manufactures the strongest, most durable and longest lasting load carrying systems on the market, and backs their products with a lifetime warranty. Over 80% of Thule products sold in North America are made in USA, and Thule employs over 1,000 American workers.


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LILacrossenews.com, Posted 11/26/12
From Release
US Lacrosse and Major League Lacrosse today announced that the 2013 Major League Lacrosse Collegiate Draft will take place Friday, Jan. 11, in Philadelphia as part of the 2013 US Lacrosse National Convention, presented by Champion.
The draft begins at 8:30 p.m. in the Liberty Ballroom of the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. The draft is open to the public, and admission is free.
"We're delighted Major League Lacrosse will be returning its draft to our national convention," said Beth Porreca, director of special events at US Lacrosse. "The draft had a very festive atmosphere at the convention last year, and should again be a popular destination following Dick Vermeil's keynote address at 7 p.m. We always appreciate the opportunity to work with Major League Lacrosse on win-win initiatives such as this."
"We'd like to thank US Lacrosse for working to include our collegiate draft into an impressive lineup of activities at the US Lacrosse National Convention," said David Gross, commissioner of Major League Lacrosse. "I was thrilled with the atmosphere at our draft last year, and it's a great evening for lacrosse fans of all ages as we find out who may be our League's next stars. The 2013 draft should be quite strong."
The MLL Collegiate Draft will consist of eight rounds. The order for the first round of the draft is:
1. Ohio
2. Hamilton
3. Charlotte
4. Charlotte (from Rochester)
5. Long Island
6. Boston
7. Denver
8. Chesapeake
For more on the draft, visit majorleaguelacrosse.com/draft-center. Follow @MLL_Draft on Twitter (hashtags #laxcon and #MLL).
The US Lacrosse National Convention, presented by Champion, is the largest professional development event in the lacrosse world. Lacrosse coaches, officials and administrators can save 30 percent by purchasing their convention tickets online prior to Dec. 28. For info on tickets, discounted hotels and speaker schedules, visit uslacrosse.org/2013convention. Follow @uslaxconvention on Twitter (#laxcon and #MLL).
Note to Media: To request credentials for the US Lacrosse National Convention, email firstname.lastname@example.com with "Convention Credential Request" in the subject line before Dec. 14. Convention media credentials will be accepted as media credentials at the MLL Collegiate Draft.
About US Lacrosse
US Lacrosse, a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation, is the national governing body of men's and women's lacrosse and the home of the nation's fastest-growing sport. US Lacrosse has more than 400,000 members in 64 regional chapters across the country. Through responsive and effective leadership, US Lacrosse provides programs and services to inspire participation while protecting the integrity of the sport. Bookmark, like and follow US Lacrosse at uslacrosse.org, fb.com/uslacrosse and @uslacrosse, respectively.
About Major League Lacrosse
Major League Lacrosse (MLL), the premier professional outdoor lacrosse league, was founded by Jake Steinfeld and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts. Major League Lacrosse commenced play in June of 2001 and will enter its thirteenth season in 2013. MLL has continued to lead the sport of lacrosse into the mainstream of competitive team sports. The league is made up of eight teams: Boston Cannons, Charlotte Hounds, Chesapeake Bayhawks, Denver Outlaws, Hamilton Nationals, Long Island Lizards, Ohio Machine and Rochester Rattlers.
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Music News
If you're like me, and you weren't at Coachella this past weekend (and won't be next weekend either), you're probably pretty annoyed with all the big music blogs and websites. Look at these cool Coachella pictures! Watch your favorite bands perform! Listen to this reunited band play live again!
No, no, and no. I refuse to live vicariously though Pitchfork.
Luckily, the East Coast has some pretty cool things going for it too. Here's all the awesome music news that doesn't have to do with Coachella.
In New York City, The Guggenheim Museum's new music series, Divine Ricochet began this past weekend. The entire series features performers like Zola Jesus, Grouper, and Julianna Barwick playing alongside a private viewing of John Chamberlain: Choices, an exhibit that explores "abstraction, rhythm, harmony, and dissonance."
The Walkmen have released a new single from their new album, Heaven, due out June 5th. The band will be performing at Brown University's Spring Weekend on April 21.
Jack White's April 27 show at Webster Hall in New York will be streaming live on Youtube at 9pm. I guess I will be living vicariously through that one. PLUS: His solo album, Blunderbuss will be streaming here via iTunes TONIGHT starting at 9pm.
And finally, Bruce Springsteen has expanded his tour to include a string of East Coast dates at the end, including three shows in his home state, New Jersey.
So don't fret! Coachella might be awesome, it might have the greatest bands, it might be in beautiful California….but the East Coast rocks too! And you can always watch all the recaps without having to stand around outside and sweat.


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GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (AP) – A Grand Junction man says his family's oil shale claims covering thousands of acres in northwest Colorado are valid – and an analysis by the Center of the American West at the University of Colorado at Boulder says he might have a point.
The Bureau of Land Management says the odds are against that, but that it's likely something courts would have to decide.
Researchers at the Center of the American West began looking last year into the claims held by the Smalley Creek Oil Shale Co. out of Collbran, where Jerry Reed's great-grandfather Clarence Surrey lived.
The Smalley Creek claims, however, no longer exist and the land to which they applied now are owned by the federal government and administered by the BLM.
"I think they were illegally taken" by the U.S. Department of the Interior, Reed said.
"The most plausible – although still highly unlikely – scenario in which the Reed family has a valid case today hangs on the possibility that the federal government improperly relocated the claim while the original claimants were still performing annual maintenance or had demonstrated their intention to resume it," researchers Ryan Rebhan and Jason Hanson wrote in their paper, "So You Think You've Got An Oil Shale Claim."
To be sure, Rebhan and Hanson noted, the Interior Department likely was acting within its rights in relocating the claim and placing it under the government's leasing authority.
That doesn't mean that the Smalley Creek holdings couldn't be valid, however.
The claims date back to before the 1920 Mineral Leasing Act became law. Claims that precede 1920 could be patented or held by the owners of a private property.
A patented claim can be used by the owner for any purpose, just like any other real estate.
Reed could have lots of company. More than 35,000 oil shale claims were made between 1915 and 1920. About 10,000 claims were made in Colorado and more than double that amount, 25,000, were made in Utah, where oil shale outcrops are easily seen.
His family had claims covering 60,000 acres, Reed said.
The Green River Formation in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming contains the world's richest oil shale deposits and the federal government controls 70 percent of the land that overlays it.
The likelihood in the case of Smalley Creek Oil Shale Co. and Reed is that the company failed to meet the annual work requirements of the General Mining Act of 1872 and that the Interior Department placed it under the federal leasing authority in the 1930s.
Reed, 50, said he recalls going to the BLM offices routinely in the 1970s to deal with the family claims.
As for whether the claims are valid, Reed said many are patented, meaning that once the deed, or patents, were issued, there is no longer an assessment or annual labor requirement of $100.
Rebhan and Hanson see it slightly differently, concluding that if the family did the annual labor, or resumed work after a lapse but before relocation, those are the important issues.
"If the answer is yes to either of these questions, then the family may have a case against the Department of Interior," Rebhan and Hanson conclude.
It's true, as well, that the legal history of oil shale is convoluted and confusing.
"I had actually been to some of the legal swamp of oil shale claims" when he learned of Reed's claims, said Rebhan, a native of Rifle, near the heart of the Colorado oil shale deposit.
Reed's claims are mostly placer claims, meaning that they would apply to rock visible on the surface and so they're unlikely to get to the deepest – and richest – deposits in Rio Blanco County, said Glenn Vawter, executive director of the National Oil Shale Association.
That's the reason that Utah claims outnumber those in Colorado. The Utah side of the deposit is shallower, with outcrops.
Reed contends his claims stretch up Piceance Creek and could very well take in some of the best lands.
There are outcrops along the eastern edge of the deposit that could lend themselves to some of the techniques now being tried in Utah on state and private lands, Vawter noted.
"There are places where you could do what Red Leaf is doing," he said, referring to Red Leaf Resources Ecoshale process. Red Leaf digs out a shale deposit to build a capsule, complete with a heating and oil recovery system, then replaces the shale and covers it. As the shale is heated, it releases oil, which the system is to collect.
It's one thing to speculate, said Colorado BLM spokesman Steven Hall, and another to prove a claim.
"It's not uncommon to have academics offer their own points of view regarding these claims," Hall said in a statement. "But whether or not the claims or the academics' point of view is correct is a question best left to the courts."
Claims such as Reed's are not unusual, Hall noted, but "having those claims substantiated or verified is not common."
Reed, who has spent most of his free time since 2009 delving into records in Garfield County and other locations, said he has the legal right of ownership to the Smalley Creek Oil Shale Co. lands under state and federal law.
He's pursuing them, he said, on behalf of his family and Collbran, which once was a haven for oil shale speculation and exploration.
"I felt I was obligated," he said. "I felt Collbran was owed something."
– By GARY HARMON, The Daily Sentinel
(© Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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UH Manoa presents world premiere of karate exhibitUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Events & Communications Coordinator
The world premiere of the exhibit, "Karate: From Okinawa to Hawaii," opens in UH Manoa's Hamilton Bridge Gallery on July 1, 2009. The exhibit features images from the collection of the Hawaii Karate Museum under the direction of Charles
C. Goodin, and is sponsored by the Center for Okinawan Studies, Center for Japanese Studies, Consulate General of Japan in Honolulu, and the University of Hawaii at Manoa
Library. The exhibit will run from July 1 — August 28, 2009 and is open to the public during Hamilton Library Building hours.
The art of Karate, literally, China or "Tang" Hand, originated in Okinawa by the synthesis of the native fighting art of "Ti" and Chinese martial arts ("Chuan Fa"). This combined art
was called "Tudi" in the Okinawan language or "Tote" in Japanese. An alternative reading of the Chinese characters was "Karate."
Karate (later written as "Empty Hand") arrived in Hawaii in 1900 with the very first Okinawan immigrants aboard the S.S. City of China. In fact, Kisaburo Kawakami, an
Okinawan who "jumped ship" in 1896 and worked in Hawaii for many years, may well have been Hawaii's first Karate expert.
Through a series of visits from 1927 to 1934, prominent Karate instructors toured the islands to help establish and spread the art in Okinawan camps and communities from Hilo to Waipahu to Kekaha. Documentation of Karate in the island communities came in newspaper articles that occasionally described gangs of thieves who were knocked unconscious by elderly, unarmed Okinawan men who they had attempted to rob. Small
local groups that had taught Karate privately in homes and backyards as the secret art of self-defense, began to teach the art outside the Okinawan community. After World War
II, Hawaii residents serving with or working for the military in Japan and Okinawa, learned Karate and began to teach the martial art when they returned home.
Today, Karate is widely practiced in Hawaii and offers a window through which students can learn about the rich Okinawan culture from which it came. Above all, Karate is an
art that emphasizes character development, non-violence and respect for life, with selfdefense techniques used only as a last resort.
In conjunction with the exhibit, there will be a karate demonstration by senior instructors and students of the Hawaii Karate Kenkyukai at the UH Manoa Art Department Auditorium on Sunday, July 12, 2009 from 10:30 — 11:45 am. The demonstration and the exhibit are free and open to the public.
A one hour lecture on the early transmission of Karate from Okinawa to Hawaii will be given by Charles C. Goodin on Sunday, July 19th at 3:00 p.m. in Room 301 of Hamilton
Library. The lecture is also free of charge.
For more information on the exhibit and related events, please call Teri Skillman at 956-8688 or email email@example.com


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Ground Gyros recipe-- which is also very flavorful and one of my husband's favorite quick week night dinners.
here. Otherwise, use a box grater for the zucchini, and it's important that you squeeze the excess water with your hands, or by wringing it with a tea towel or cheese cloth. Soggy zucchini makes soggy fritters and that is not very appetizing! NOTE: Use young zucchini, not ones that have grown to the size of a baseball bat! The younger, the sweeter. The older, the more bitter (hmmm, sounds like me!) Chop some green onion. Add some Feta Cheese. For the herbs, you can use fresh mint and fresh dill. My husband doesn't like mint, so I cut fresh dill (from my Spring garden) and flat leaf parsley.
I always post a printable recipe card at the end of each recipe post. If you cannot view it, you might be using an older version of InternetExplorer. You should be able to view my recipe cards with Safari, Mozilla, Google Chrome and Internet Explorer.
If you still can't view the recipe card, all of my recipes are stored on Key Ingredient, by clicking here.
If you still can't figure out how to view the printable recipe card, please email me at email@example.com and I am happy to help


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"Arise and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time." Winston Churchill
"Proclaim Liberty throughout All the land unto All the Inhabitants Thereof." Inscription on the Liberty Bell
Monthly Archives: April 2013
Freedom Club 2013: An After-Action Report
Tonight was the Freedom Club's annual dinner. It was, as always, a delightful event. The Freedom Club is the principal organization of conservative donors in Minnesota. (Actually, it is probably the only organization of conservative donors in Minnesota.) For nearly 20 years, it has been almost the only counterbalance to the teachers' unions, rich out of state liberals, and others who support the Democrats. For most of its history the »
A red-line erased, and prudently so
At his press conference today, President Obama took the same position on Syria that his spokesmen have previewed. It's a lawyerly, two-part position. First, we don't know for sure that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons. Second, even if it has, this is just one factor in our analysis of what to do (or not do). The first part may be true, and after Iraq we should have less »
Politico gets carried away
Politico suggests that our friend Rep. Tom Cotton is "the last, best Hope for GOP hawks." The idea is that, with even conservatives moving away from an interventionist mindset, Tom now carries the banner for those like Bill Kristol who hold out for the post-9/11 Republican consensus on foreign and national security policy. There is some truth to this narrative. But the story's author, Alex Burns, falls into the Washington »
Media alert
My friend Bill Otis, who sometimes contributes to Power Line, is scheduled to appear on Piers Morgan's show on CNN tonight some time after 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Bill will discuss Arsenal's amazing unbeaten streak since Morgan trashed the team on television. NOT — Bill actually will debate Alan Dershowitz about whether The Boston Bomber should face the possibility of the death penalty. Bill's article about the subject in Forbes »
The Jason Collins conundrum
In case you have been vacationing in Outer Mongolia, let me be the first to inform you that NBA player Jason Collins has disclosed his sexual orientation — gay. I have no interest in the sexual orientation of Collins or anyone else, and I doubt you do either. At the same time, it is easy to imagine that Collins has had a rough time of it in "the closet". So »
The Stupid Party Strikes Again
It's not enough that Washington Republicans seem bent on signing onto any immigration deal that supposedly helps them with their "image" problem, but why do so many of them want to bash one of Obama's better ideas in his budget: privatizing the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)? Let's see: Barry Goldwater was for this before it was cool, and Ronald Reagan broached the idea in 1981, and was beaten back. Now »
The "Southern Strategy" Debunked Again
Liberals will never tire of calling conservatives racist, because it's always a show-stopper, a way of cutting off further debate on any issue where a liberal is likely to lose. So don't expect it to go away any time soon. (Though why Republicans aren't better at "punching back twice as hard," e.g., by pointing out the permanent racist legacy of the Democratic Party, noting the vote tally for the 1964 »
The Obama Borg claim a new victim
Victor Davis Hanson borrows the concept of the Borg from Star Trek ("the fictional alien race that appears as recurring antagonists in various incarnations") to capture the Obama administration's groupthink reformulating the war on terror. The Obama Borg, as Hanson dubs it, dissociate Islam from terrorism. The denial has reached absurd proportions with results that would be laughable if they weren't so serious and pathetic. We are all familiar with »
Mirandizing Tsarnaev — why the government should come clean
Former federal prosecutor Bill Otis graciously quotes my latest reflections on the Mirandizing of the Boston Marathon terrorist and adds some thoughts of his own. Bill says that, if the Justice Department was concerned that 16 hours of interrogating Tsarnaev without a Miranda warning was pushing the outer limits of the Quarles exception for emergency questioning, the concern was undertandable: I am not aware of a case in which any »
The Benghazi whistleblowers
Fox News has two related stories regarding State Department and CIA employees who reportedly have information they wish to offer about the Obama administration's conduct in relation to the Benghazi attack. According to a lawyer for one of these whistleblowers, the information pertains to (1) the State Department's failure, prior to the attack, to provide proper security despite warnings that should have led to a security beef-up (2) the government's »
My New Gun
I got a carry permit a couple of months ago, but my guns have been full-sized–an Armalite AR-24 9 mm. pistol, and a SIG Sauer Mosquito .22–and not really suitable for carrying. So I ordered a carry piece through a friend who owns a gun shop outside the Twin Cities. It arrived today, having rolled off the factory line on April 18. So I left work a few minutes early »
George Jones, RIP
Country singer George Jones died this past Friday at the age of 81. I think the consensus is that Jones was the best country singer of the era. You can certainly hear his influence in just about every younger country artist worth listening to. Jon Pareles gives Jones his due in the New York Times obit "His life was a country song." Pareles renders a fine appreciation of Jones's life »
A Modest Proposal Re: Annexation
As we noted here, Numbers USA has estimated that if the Gang of Eight's immigration proposal becomes law, at least 33 million immigrants will enter the United States, or be legalized here, over the next ten years. The overwhelming majority will be Mexicans, and most will enter the country as a result of our irrational policy of chain immigration, which will be unlimited as to the relatives of those covered »
A French "Oui" for Gay Marriage? Not So Fast
It's an axiom of American cosmopolitanism that Europe is far advanced over the United States in terms of social democracy, tolerance, openness, and so forth, and at the pinnacle of European sophistication stands France. The French have it over us on everything from existential filmmaking, wine and cheese, anti-semitism, and embrace of gay . . . —wait, what's this? A major populist uprising against gay marriage in France, with hundreds »
Defense spending cuts — a "paradox" for the left; a conundrum for the right
The Washington Post reports that the defense cuts mandated by the sequester are proving to be a "paradox" for the left. Keith Ellison, the ultra-leftist congressman from Minnesota, says he "feels torn" by the cuts because they further his goal of reducing the money available to the military, but contradict his goal of maximizing government spending. When in doubt, the left these days will tend to opt for government spending, »
Mirandizing Tsarnaev — Questions for Eric Holder
Mike Rogers, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, is as perplexed as I am about the circumstances associated with the Mirandization of the surviving Tsarnaev terrorist. Accordingly, he has written a letter to Eric Holder posing questions for the Attorney General. Concerned that the interrogation of Tsarnaev may have been "conducted in a manner that prematurely cut off a lawful, ongoing FBI interview to collect public safety information," Rogers tells »
The Week in Videos
How did I miss these two 30-second videos last week while compiling the Week in Pictures? The first is a recording, via YouTube, of NPR's Dina Temple-Raston speculating that the Boston bombing was likely the result of right-wing extremists because Hitler's birthday was about to be observed. Even though this video has only sound but no images, you have to hear it, not to believe it–much better than reading the »


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Pre-Gamin': Nats v. Cubs (12:05 CT) – Lineups, Broadcast Info, etc.
It's Game Two on the young season, as the Cubs look to pick up that first win. Matt Garza gets the start for the Cubs, who'll face AL import, Gio Gonzalez.
I like the Cubs' chances today, which may or may not be based on logic or reason. It's probably going to require a 200 to 300% increase in runs scored, though (since the Cubs scored just one on Thursday, that's actually not asking much). Paul Sullivan says the wind is blowing out to left, so it could be a higher scoring affair either way. And that, combined with the lefty on the mound, makes me love the Cubs' all-righty lineup today.
Bryan LaHair is still sitting with the bad back, but, here's the thing: I'd probably want him sitting anyway against the lefty Gonzalez. He could pinch hit today, and will probably be back in the starting lineup tomorrow.
On the roster front, Rodrigo Lopez is expected to rejoin the Cubs at some point this weekend (probably today), so there will be some shuffling. Assuming there isn't a last minute injury, it seems like one of the infielders – Blake DeWitt? Luis Valbuena? – will be on the way out. There will also have to be a 40-man roster move. (Update: Yup, Lopez added, Valbuena sent to AAA Iowa.)
Game Info
Washington Nationals (1-0) at Chicago Cubs (0-1), 12:05pm CT on CSN.
Game Thread
The Game Thread lives here. Click me. And, of course, for those who aren't into message board-style game threads, please feel free to use the comments on this post for your in-game commentary/outbursts.
Starting Pitchers
Gio Gonzalez (0-0, -.–, no other stats available yet)
Matt Garza (0-0, -.–, no other stats available yet)
Washington Nationals Lineup
1. Ian Desmond, SS
2. Danny Espinosa, 2B
3. Ryan Zimmerman, 3B
4. Adam LaRoche, 1B
5. Jayson Werth, RF
6. Mark DeRosa, LF
7. Roger Bernadina, CF
8. Wilson Ramos, C
9. Gio Gonzalez, P
Chicago Cubs Lineup
1. Reed Johnson, RF
2. Joe Mather, 3B
3. Starlin Castro, SS
4. Alfonso Soriano, LF
5. Jeff Baker, 1B
6. Geovany Soto, C
7. Marlon Byrd, CF
8. Darwin Barney, 2B
9. Matt Garza, P