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2,021 undergraduate and graduate students awarded degrees
Princeton University awarded degrees to 1,202 undergraduates in the class of 2011, four from other classes and 815 graduate students at its 264th Commencement Tuesday, May 31.
The University also conferred honorary doctoral degrees upon six individuals for their contributions to sports, education and the arts: Henry "Hank" Aaron, baseball Hall-of-Famer; Geoffrey Canada, champion for children in Harlem; Susan Desmond-Hellmann, clinical researcher and chancellor of the University of California-San Francisco; Charles Gillispie, Princeton's Dayton Stockton Professor of History Emeritus; Judith Jamison, dancer and choreographer and artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; and 1966 Princeton alumnus Robert Rawson Jr., legal expert and long-serving member of the University's Board of Trustees.
President Shirley M. Tilghman, the 19th president of Princeton, presided over the exercises and addressed the graduates. Approximately 7,500 guests attended the morning ceremony on the front lawn of historic Nassau Hall.
John Pardon, who majored in mathematics, delivered the valedictory oration. Pardon scored his first perfect math SAT score in middle school and began taking advanced coursework from an early age. After his sophomore year at Princeton, he took only graduate courses in the mathematics department, with the exception of one high-level undergraduate course. Pardon received prizes for outstanding achievement within Princeton's mathematics department, mastered Chinese in four years of study, played cello for four years with the Princeton University Sinfonia and twice won the student orchestra's annual concerto competition. The winner of a 2010 Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, a national award recognizing outstanding potential in math, natural sciences or engineering, Pardon earned a prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship to support his graduate studies at Stanford University beginning this fall.
The salutatory address, which at Princeton is traditionally is given in Latin and is the University's oldest student honor, was delivered by Veronica Shi, a classics major. The tradition dates back to an era when the entire Commencement ceremony was conducted in Latin. While the Latin salutatory began as a serious, formal address, today it often includes humorous tributes and recollections, and serves also as a farewell to Princeton campus life.
Because few students today know Latin, the new graduates follow along using printed copies of the remarks. These include footnotes telling when to applaud (plaudite) and laugh (ridete) and cheer (conclamate). Guests and other audience members do not have the annotated copies, a practice dictated by tradition because the salute is directed to the members of the class.
Shi learned Latin and Greek her freshman year at Princeton, taking an intensive path of study that continued with study over the summer. The following semester her performance earned her the first A+ that her professor had ever given in a 200- or 300-level Latin course. She impressed her instructors with her accomplishments in several challenging graduate seminars in classics and with her 207-page thesis, which traces how Greek and Latin epic poetry became a political genre. Active also beyond her studies, Shi was a student member of the Faculty Committee on the Course of Study, a member of the Undergraduate Student Government's Academics Committee and a member of the Behrman Undergraduate Society of Fellows. Shi won the 2011 Daniel M. Sachs Class of 1960 Scholarship, one of the highest honors given to Princeton undergraduates, which she will use to pursue a master's degree in Greek and Latin languages and literature at Worcester College at the University of Oxford.
Here is more information about Princeton's degree recipients:
Class of 2011 recognized at Commencement, by the numbers
620 men, 582 women
1,006 bachelor of arts
196 bachelor of science in engineering
1,202 total class of 2011 undergraduate degrees awarded at Commencement
4 degrees awarded at Commencement to graduates from former classes
Class of 2011 honors
522 received honors (43.4 percent of the class)
114 highest
163 high
245 honors
Graduate degrees for the 2010-11 year
350 doctor of philosophy
302 master of arts
73 master in public affairs
25 master of architecture
19 master in finance
18 master of science in engineering
16 master in public policy
6 master of engineering
5 master of fine arts
1 master of arts in Near Eastern studies


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Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Neal Huntington Defends the Nuttings
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
34 comments:
- MJ said...
I listened to that interview and Huntington also made it clear that the Pirates don't plan on signing a decent free agent pitcher. I don't expect them to sign a top-tier starter, but I do expect them to actually pay some money to upgrade the slop they call this five-man rotation. More of the same.
- Unknown said...
Good point, Don.
I love the Pirates and my support won't end just because they stink - I guess I'm a masochist. However, I'm getting sick of them tooting their horn on how much they have spent on the draft in the past three years. Good for them.
Now someone shove back in their face the extremely low amount they have spent on free agency in the past three years and how that ranks in MLB. You get better by burning the candle at both ends. - 5:48 PM
- Chip said...
I just posted about the quality of Nuttings leadership in the other thread. Neal is right to defend him. He is doing everything it takes to build a winner and ignorant fans and sports "media" keep harping on the same tired incorrect points.
Please, Don, I've found your Pirates coverage to be rather fair in an oasis of idiots like Senile Smizik or that clown from WV on the Fan. Don't turn into one of those people.
Yes, the Pirates SHOULD spend on the draft. Except not every team does and they haven't in the past. Littlefield ignored Latin American. He wouldn't deal with Boras. McClatchy (THE REAL CUPLRIT in the Pirates misery) is the goof who cut back scouting and minor league spending. He's the imbecile who pulled us out of international signings.
Anybody who doesn't realize this organization has taken a quantum leap forward to the better since Bob Nutting took control simply has no clue what they're talking about. Which isn't shocking consider the fair weather nature of most "Pittsburgh sports fans."
And enough with harping on the payroll. WHO COULD THEY SIGN? Seriously, your blog is named after one of the biggest wastes of money in Pirates history. Do you think that is the way they should go?
Should they have spent $12 million on useless crap like Xavier Nady or Bronson Arroyo? Should they have given Jason Washed Up Bay a $20 million contract? You don't spend money just to spend it. That's a ridiculous argument only made by the tragically uninformed.
The FACT is they are doing exactly what they need to do. They're spending money wisely. They're trading wisely. They're building a farm system. They're using the draft and Latin America again.
Please don't be one of those who panders to the same ignorant crowd as Alzheimers Smizik. You're better than that. Frank and Neal are doing a great job because Bob Nutting is giving them the resources to do it. He gets enough unfair criticism that Neal is right to give him the kudos he's earned. I only wish some sports writers/bloggers had the balls to do the same.
This is the first time in 18 years the franchise is truly on the right track and we have all three of those gentleman to thank for it. - 6:09 PM
Comparing the $31 million spent in the last 3 drafts to the $30.25 million ($16.25m signing bonus) the Reds spent on Chapman is unfair, as Chapman's deal was an international free agent contract. For it to be a slightly more fair comparison, you'd have to also include the money earned by all the players signed in these draft classes during their first six years in the system.
Feel free to criticize the lack of big-name international free agent signings, but the Pirates have spent more on the draft in the last three years than almost every single team in baseball, without having to sign Strasburg or Harper. Yes, the major league payroll is low, but I'd rather have them spending money to build from the bottom up.
And by the way, the Reds three highest-paid players are Harang, Arroyo, and Cordero: more than $36 million in payroll right there. That's almost half their money spent, and those guys aren't among their 5-6 most valuable players. Joey Votto makes $550k this year, and was developed in their system. I'd much rather the Pirates have guys like him and add free agent payroll afterwards. - 6:46 PM
- Barry JT said...
I would much rather see them spend $30 million on loads of prospects than on Chapman. I really doubt that Chapman is worth two Strausbergs.
I really think these "Are the Pirates Cheap?" debates need to be shelved for a couple of years. Of course their payroll is unbelievably low. They routinely start three rookies and two second year players. Let's wait until Pedro hits arbitration the first time. If the payroll is $30 mil, then I think we can have this conversation. - 9:58 PM
- dice said...
Of course they have spent the most on draft picks the past 3 years, look at where they draft! Here is the past 5 yrs....
2010 No. 2
2009 No. 4
2008 No. 2
2007 No. 4
2006 No. 4
Wake Up People! These picks aren't going to be cheap. I know it's different, but the Detroit Lions can probably say the same thing. The Bucco's FO is a joke.
I still can't believe anyone supports this team. I admit I care about Pirates Baseball, but I will not support this team with the Nutting's crew in charge. It must be a requirement to have political expeirence to work in the FO because this team is full of lies and propaganda. - 10:14 PM
I've been mad at this team for years. But for the first time in my life they're actually spending money for a change, even though it is just on the draft. It's a small step, but a HUGE step for the Pirates.
Can't give up now, even if this is the last time I keep my hopes up. I've come to far to just walk away. - 10:28 PM
- BURGH08 said...
Thank you Don. Excellent post.
I think that if Neal just shut his trap and didn't go on with the snarky comments, all would be well in Pirate World, even the folks that think Nutting is a joke (which is most of the fan base).
At the end of the day, the Pirates HAVE to spend SOME money, or get called out like the Marlins did. How can they still make a profit, yet spend enough money to show they are putting at least some back into their franchise? Through the draft.
I am all for the moves being made at this point by going in this regard. Let's see what happens is A.) the people drafted develop and B.) the current core develops C.) if the current core is developed are still here when these picks develop...if they do.
That's a whole other animal, and until those things happen, this organization only deserves credit for doing something that every MLB franchise does. It's easy to brag about money invested in drafts when you are the among the lowest payroll year after year. - 10:43 PM
- brian said...
I don't find fault with what NH said. It seems to me he was saying his boss enabled him to do his job in the draft by giving him the financial support to bring in the talent the Pirates did. No matter what the Pirates FO says they'll get ragged on constantly by the media and casual fans no matter what type of move they make. As always winning cures all, and unfortunately it's probably another season or two before the plan starts to succeed at the Major League level.
To succeed in MLB, it's not just about having a large or "acceptable" payroll, it's about the accumulation and development of talent throughout the organization. In the case of the Pirates it means drafting and signing high-end/high upside talent. Every team had a chance to draft Allie but were supposedly scared off by his asking price,yet the Pirates took him and got him signed as a 2nd round pick for well over slot price. The Bucs have invested in a bunch of HS arms the past two drafts and given them over slot price bonuses when they could have just as easily gone off to college to boost their draft status. I'd rather have a FO that will draft an Alvarez/Taillon type than take a "safe lower ceiling" picks and supplement the ML team with mid-tier or wash-up free agents.
As for the low payroll, yes the Pirates are terrible this year, but I'd rather be bad with payroll flexibility for the future, then have players with horrid contracts and no trade clauses like the Cubs or Astros to go with a barren farm system.
Cincy was already mentioned so I'll add that Milwaukee has 50M+ of this season's payroll tied up in pitching. Outside of Yovanni Gallardo (450K) nearly the rest of the staff has performed below replacement level with a combined negative WAR. When you have to go the FA route for pitchers, you're going to pay a steep price. For Milwaukee, where they are as an organization (high draft pick position players panning out and forming their core/playoffs in 08/high attendance) it was deemed worth the risk. For a 100+ loss team and a still young and developing core of hitters like the Pirates, it's probably better to allocate the resources elsewhere than to be looking for a FA SP who will probably cost you around 10 million a year and at best will get you from a 57-60 win team to a 65-70 win team.
If the current core develops plus enough pitching in the minors pans out in Pittsburgh and we are a piece or two away in 2013-2015 and ownership/FO doesn't pony up to get them if they can be had or retain the players that can be resigned and want to be here than the Nutting bashing would be more than warranted and justified. As of today, I'd rather be taking the approach the Pirates are doing with Nutting/Huntington in building from the ground up than the half-assed "rebuilding" under McClatchy/Littlefield. - 11:55 PM
- Brian said...
- Unknown said...
OK, to use your Chris Rock analogy...Some guy takes care of his kids and so you kick him in the nuts for doing it?
Bob Nutting is doing all the things he needs to do. That's the point. Why should he be called evil, cheap, etc.?
What the hell else should the Pirates have done in their position these off seasons? What free agent miracle workers could they have signed?
If Nutting "justifiably" takes a beating for having a low MLB payroll, that statement must assume there was a better course of action to take using more money to get better players.
Was there? Really? Seriously?
Last year I did a study of position players, and I found that not one player was on any roster of a team in any market under 4 million people who was a free agent signing, was being paid as an above average player and who actually was performing at an above average level.
And I'm not talking about just being signed that previous off-season. I'm talking about just being on the roster no matter when the signing took place.
Not one player!
Do you understand what that means? Do you understand now that when people like yourselves bash ownership for not going out to get an above average player in free agency, they are talking about an absurdly ridiculous course of action?
If the odds of successfully pursuing that strategy are so slim, why should people be clamoring for the Pirates to do it?
They are spending their money in the right way, and hopefully saving some money for the future when that money can better be spent. That will be when Cutch, Alvarez and Co. mature and are due large salaries in their year 4-6 seasons and hopefully beyond. - 2:28 AM
- dice said...
@marklandson.....I did a study too last year and I found out the Pirates suck...do you understand what that means....
- BurressWithButterflywings said...
Nutting isn't doing ALL of the things he is supposed to. They are just making it look good by signing the players they should be drafting so high in the draft year after year after year after year.
They are still doing the minimum at the Major League level, so there is no reason whatsoever they wouldn't have money to sign these picks. When you take that $10 Million/yr spent on the draft and average it in with the MLB payroll, it doesn't quite as admirable.
The bottom line is, this is just another investment for the future. But not in the way you Nutters thing. They are going to hold these guys back until the last possible minute, then once they play out their rookie contract ship them off for a couple of 27 year old career minor leaguers.
And for people who are going to say that is baseless and Bob Nutting has only been in charge since 2007, do some homework. He became the de facto chief in 2007, he has been chairman of the board since 2003. - 7:57 AM
- BurressWithButterflywings said...
Also, there is little chance either Cutch or Alvarez, let alone both, will be extended beyond their rookie contracts.
- BURGH08 said...
Here are some other great 'studies':
* The standings. Feel free to pick any season since Nutting was involved.
* The report in Forbes Magazine that claims the Pirates made a "fat profit" (April 2009).
* The major league payroll compared to teams in their own division, and across most of baseball.
Again, do they deserve credit for signing those players? Sure, but I wouldn't call it a 'banner day' either. Players that get drafted typically get signed. - 8:41 AM
- Unknown said...
BURGH08 said: "Players that get drafted typically get signed"
The MLB draft is 50 rounds. Teams typically only sign about half the players. Players going unsigned, even in the early rounds, is not at all uncommon. Don's notion that signing players is what the Pirates "should" be doing is correct, but it isn't a given for any team, let alone for the Pirates.
There were a lot of ney sayers who suggested the Pirates were too cheap to sign both players. That is all Huntington was referring to with his comment. The Pirates reputation for penny pinching is well deserved but I see no need to take NH to task for that comment. Those ney sayers were wrong. He has a right to point that out. - 9:48 AM
- 78Deville said...
Maybe I can call the Fan Morning Show and brag about how I went to work and did exactly what I was expected to do.
It just rubs people the wrong way when these guys in the front office get in front of the media and talk about how great they are. Have you ever seen Ray Shero (or Craig Patrick or Tony Esposito or Ed Jonston for that matter) statements like this? And these guys drafted FRANCHISE ALTERING PLAYERS.
Not these guys. You almost wonder if they congratulate each other after a successful trip to the restroom. - 10:08 AM
- Unknown said...
@dice...Yes, I do understand what it means that the Pirates suck. It means they shouldn't have a large payroll like many of the teams that also suck.
In MLB, a high payroll is purely the function of having a lot of players who have more than 5 or 6 years of experience. That is all. It doesn't mean those players are better than the players you have with less than 5 years experience.
In fact, another study I did last year found that 85% of all MLB players who performed at even an average level had either less than 6 years in MLB or were with their original team.
So, when you are in a position where the Pirates have been, how can you possibly get much better by bringing in better players from that pool of 15% of decent players available?
You either have to trade for them (OOPS!...that's not possible because you have no good prospects in the minors to use as trade chips) or purchase them on the free agent market (OOPS!...that's unrealistic because I just showed that no other team in the Pirates' situation is able to do that).
So, guess what? The only other way you can try to get above average players is:
1) trade your aging established players for some young players that have some promise but whose original team has soured on them for some reason,
2) take free agent fliers on some players that might have bounce back years,
3) draft well and pursue an aggressive strategy of buying out high schoolers from their college commitments with over-slot bonuses,
4) aggressively pursue international free agents.
Since Bob Nutting took over in 2007 and ousted Littlefield and McClatchy, the Pirates have done ALL of those things.
Some of the moves Huntington has made in #1 and #2 have not worked out to turn around the MLB team in a short period of time. That's too bad, but that has NOTHING to do with Bob Nutting.
There is nothing that Bob Nutting could have done differently to turn the team around faster than what he has already been doing since practically day 1.
And yet, he is still kicked in the nuts by the people who use football terms like "rookie contract" when talking about the Pirates. - 10:17 AM
- give me the brandy said...
There were 20 teams that could have taken Allie and they all passed because they thought the bonus money would be too much. The Pirates took him in the 2nd round and gave the 10th highest bonus of any player in this year's draft. For that, they deserve credit.
This is something that Littlefield never would have done, and that is a big part of the reason why the team is in such bad shape today. - 10:25 AM
- brian said...
For those who want to invest in free agents, who on these lists (2011 and 2012 Free Agent classes) can the Pirates realistically get as an upgrade over what they currently have in the organization?
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/03/2012-mlb-free-agents.html - 10:40 AM
- 78Deville said...
@ marklandson What are these studies based on?
- BURGH08 said...
* Craig said: "The MLB draft is 50 rounds. Teams typically only sign about half the players. Players going unsigned, even in the early rounds, is not at all uncommon. Don's notion that signing players is what the Pirates "should" be doing is correct, but it isn't a given for any team, let alone for the Pirates."
I should have clarified in the first two rounds in my initial statement. Would you care to tally those percentages?
Again, great they signed them, and if you want to throw them a bone to say they are actually functioning like a team when it comes to the draft.
* The jury is still out on other facets of this organization in my opinion.
Brian writes from his list who the Pirates can "realistically get", and to that I say "exactly".
If you can't realistically afford players to upgrade to fill holes in with, why do you REALLY own a team?
* Finally, I'm not up on how 'blog responses' are done, but find it funny a guy disagreeing with Don's take simply posts a link to his blog where you can find his 'response'.
What's next? Challenging him to a dance off at the mall parking lot? - 12:46 PM
- Koz said...
You have it right. Even if they ARE doing the right thing, they aren't going to boost their reputation by self-aggrandizing themselves on talk radio. Stay humble and pray for results. - 12:46 PM
gotta agree with matt bandi on this one. you run a solid blog here but the pirates just reeks of the same old "nutting is evil" themed posts. they are doing it the right way. so what if neal comes off as arrogant? would you rather have an arrogant NH or an imbecile DL?
- Unknown said...
They are based on me, in the off season, looking at every player in MLB who compiled at least 2.5 WAR (Wins over replacement) and then looking at Cot's contracts and other sources to figure out how they were signed, what year of service time they had, etc.
I used 2.5 WAR as a measure simply because that's how much Andy LaRoche was worth last year, and I wanted to give fellow Pirate fans an idea of how difficult it is to find a player in free agency who would be better than what most people found unacceptable. - 2:03 PM
- Unknown said...
It's not always a question of being able to afford players. They also have to want to come and play for you.
There are only about 10 teams in MLB that regularly do what you are suggesting when their team is not in immediate contention. - 2:07 PM
- Steve said...
...and yet for the kazillionth time, it's amazing how people think the team will be able to field a complete/competitive roster in 2 years simply by building through the draft. There are holes that will simply have to be filled through FA signings (pitching), holes that by the time the current round of draftees is MLB ready, the current "core" of players will be near or at the end of their contracts and possibly going elsewhere. Even the rare, small market/low budget teams that the overly optimistic like to cite as examples of hope, have to go outside the system for a few pieces. Exactly who in the hell do the Pirates think is in the system that will be able to turn this rotation into anything respectable in one to two years? I'm talking realistically and with real good odds, not more of the same Lincoln/Morton failures and experiments, or some guy in A ball who's mowing them down.
I agree with Don, doing what's expected when you're in the situation the Pirates are in shouldn't be something to call the press about. I've never seen a FO so in a hurry to point fingers at itself simply sor not $hitting the bed. You don't see the Nationals GM applauding and giving the ownership a reach around for spending money on Harper and Strasburg. Their fans would set stadium on fire if they didn't spend it and would be within their rights to do it, yet I don't think Pirates fans would have been so upset. They would have swallowed the excuse like always and moved on. Pirates fans who unconditionally support ownership and the FO are like the fat girl who knows she's gonna get used and dumped on but puts out anyway because she's that desperate to be loved (i.e a winner). There Fat girls, is that analogy better than the Chris Rock one? - 2:11 PM
- brian said...
"Brian writes from his list who the Pirates can "realistically get", and to that I say "exactly".
If you can't realistically afford players to upgrade to fill holes in with, why do you REALLY own a team?"
By saying "realistically" I didn't just imply affordability. The Pirates, and many teams in MLB, aren't going to be able to give Cliff Lee the $20M a year he will most likely get this offseason. If the Cardinals inexplicably decline Pujols option this year and make him a free agent, about six or so teams will be able to afford him at the 25-30 million a year he would command. And quite honestly, with the size of the Pittsburgh market, the historical attendance figures (including winning and losing seasons) and the TV deals the Bucs will probably never be able to afford players at that price no matter who owns the team.
Being realistic about FA signings also referred to useful starters, in their mid 30s, signing here who have been on or currently play for winning teams. Guys like Carl Pavano, Ted Lilly, Brad Penny, Javy Vasquez etc; aren't likely to sign on here to spend the twilight or back-end of their career in the midst of a rebuilding job. Maybe they sign if we massively overpay, but that would be wasteful and wouldn't put us that much closer to winning the Central or Wild Card.
Maybe the Bucs can take a risk on guys coming off injury plagued seasons like Rich Harden, Chris Young or Erik Bedard with short-term, incentive laden deals. Most of the other guys on the list would be more expensive versions of the back-of-the-rotation types that we have now.
When the Pirates are good and in contention for a playoff berth, that is when it is time to fill out the roster with FA acquistions. 2011 is not that time.
Again, the key for the Bucs is to develop the talent from within and make sound decisions on whom to keep and make long-term commitments to. Hopefully enough pitching currently in A+ and AA (Morris, Owens, Wilson, Locke etc) can be solid MLB starters to go with the recent "ace-level" signings and compliment the core we have in place which is mostly everyday players.
If they start winning (possibly), the attendance is 30,000+ a night (not so sure), all forms of revenue are being maxed out (maybe) and they aren't properly investing in the organization by making sound baseball decisions (ultimately time will tell, but I believe they are doing it right) then I wouldn't be opposed to a regime change. - 2:18 PM
- give me the brandy said...
@ Steve: This team won't be good in 2 years without outside help, I think even die-hard Bucs fans would admit that. 3 years is possible, and by then I'd be all for adding some pieces through free agency/trades and hopefully they will expand payroll at that point. If by then they aren't willing to do that, then we will know that Nutting really is just a cheap bastard.
Your analogy makes no sense because my rooting for the Pirates has no effect on whether they produce a winning team, so no, the Rock analogy was better. - 2:48 PM
- BURGH08 said...
"It's not always a question of being able to afford players. They also have to want to come and play for you."
They will consider you a hell of a lot more if you have the money to pay them. They also will consider you if you have players worth playing with.
Maybe someday these young guys will be some of them. Highly unlikely that there will be enough of them though. - 3:45 PM
- BURGH08 said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- BURGH08 said...
"would you rather have an arrogant NH or an imbecile DL?"
I'll take C: What NH does without trying to take shots at what the fan base thinks of his boss.
Again, good work on getting them signed, but if they didn't spend money on the draft, they would have been ripped most likely in the same fashion the Marlins were. They have no choice but to spend SOME money.
If you want a blog where you want to pat NH and Nutting on the ass, then maybe this isn't the place for you. Or most of the region for that matter.
By the way, the PLC blog that lined a 'response' predicted the Pirates would win 76 games this year.
In other words, for a team that many thought would lose 100 games this year, and lost 90 or more games since 2004 (when they lost 89) would actually lose 86 this year.
I think there is nothing more that needs to be said here. - 4:11 PM
- HomeRunFromBehindTheMeatballs said...
@inclementweather - that comparison is EXTREMELY fair. It's all young talent acquisitions. And while the pirates are near the top in MLB Draft spending, they are likely near the bottom in my made up category of "devleopmental talent acquisition spending". They keep tooting their own horn, all the while, their draft spending isn't that impressive. Like the post said, they're just FINALLY spending WHAT THEY SHOULD. How much did the pirates spend on Miguel Sano?
While, the Pirates payroll is unGodly low, who should they be paying? I would rather see if the young guys can play (J. Clement/S. Pearce/etc) and find out for sure that some of these guys shouldn't play everyday (A. LaRoche/L. Milledge/etc) than watch another x nady/n mclouth/j bay outfield ever again. That being said, 'Cutch NEEDS a raise next season.
@dice - great point about draft position!
@brian - 2011 - Man, would i LOVE to see Cutch/Tabata/Crawford in the outfield! There wouldn't be any bloop singles or extra bases against that D! Ain't gonna happen, but ...well, yeah, ain't gonna happen. Josh Fogg is still around? In the majors?
2012 - Adrian Gonzalez is a player too, but we'd have to outbid a LOT of teams for him.
I realize that Crawford & Gonzalez will be THE catches of free agency the next few years, but i'd at least TRY to get them. Hell, while i'm living this pipedream, might as well go after Cliff Lee in 2012 too? I really don't feel like you COULD overpay for these three guys. They're all proven performers. - 9:53 AM
- HomeRunFromBehindTheMeatballs said...
To further Dice's point about draft position, here is a chart from baseball america of how much over slot each team spent in the 2010 MLB draft (bucs rank 5th)
('Slot Total' means what the team would've spent if it signed ALL of its picks in the first ten rounds at slot value)
http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/?p=2935 - 12:13 PM

subset: commoncrawl


text: I was playing singles with this guy today and I couldn't even win a game. I tried running him side to side hitting the ball so hard it looked like it had been in a waffle press from my strings to no avail and off pacers didn't do anything as well. I was pretty free to do what I wanted with the ball but he was fast enough to get to anything I threw at him. He's not a great player but he runs down gets the ball back a lot until I screw up. Anyone have ideas to throw a guy like that off his game?


text:
Foil Packet Tilapia CrockPot Recipe
Day 33.
The Ingredients:
serves 4
3 or 4 filets of Tilapia (or other favorite white fish)
--lay out a piece of foil
--rub sauce mixture on both sides of fish
cook on high for 2 hours. Unwrap carefully and test with a fork. If the fish flakes easily, it's done (2 hours on high has always been enough time in all my cookers), if it doesn't flake super easily, rewrap then cook on high for an additional 30 minutes.


text:
In May 2014, Google presented a new concept: a car without a steering wheel or pedals. By 2020, the company intends to introduce self-driving cars to the public. Car technology has come a long way in the last 130 years. How far? Take a walk through the evolution of cars - the answers may surprise you.
The First Automobile
So who created the first true automobile? The answer is surprisingly elusive. Leonardo da Vinci was creating designs and models for early automobiles back in the 15th century, and there were many after him that attempted designs that used steam, electricity, and gasoline for power. But most sources point to Karl Benz as the inventor of the first practical automobile back in 1885/1886. Powered by an internal-combustion engine and possessing three wheels, the Motorwagen took its first drive in 1885 and is widely recognized as the first car ever made. His company went on to produce a four-wheeled car in 1893. His partnership with one Bertha Benz resulted in a company that continues to this day. You guessed it: Mercedes Benz.
The First American Car
The history of the first American car has been no less contested. In 1895, George B. Selden was granted a patent as the inventor of the first automobile (though he had yet to actually build one). Though he successfully kept his patent pending for 16 years, most authorities give credit to Charles E. Duryea and J. Frank Duryea as the first successful American creators of a gasoline-powered automobile in 1892/1893.
Never heard of them? That's not surprising. When the history of the American automobile is brought up, most people think immediately of Henry Ford. While not technically the inventor of the first American auto, he was the man responsible for popularizing the machine. Because of Ford, cars became affordable, and not just a luxury for the rich. As the automobile gained popularity, it also gained functionality, and Americans began to see them as a necessary part of their daily lives—a thought that really hasn't changed over the past century.
The Rise of Auto Insurance
Of course, with more automobiles came more risk, and with it the need to protect both people and property. The first recorded purchase of an automobile policy was in 1897, when Gilbert L. Loomis bought an insurance policy from Travelers Insurance Company. The concept was new enough that automobile insurance as we understand it didn't quite exist—his policy was technically a horse and carriage policy. But it covered Loomis in case he hurt someone or damaged their property. Travelers decided that they were on to something, and a year later they began to start writing policies for actual car insurance, not just horse and carriage policies. Auto insurance would not become commonplace until 1927, when more states (starting with Connecticut in 1925) began to require that drivers prove some sort of financial responsibility in the event of an auto accident that resulted in injury or property damage.
Car Technology and Safety Improvements
Surprisingly, a lot of the technology in cars that we now consider standard were once nonexistent, or considered optional accessories. Can you imagine driving today's roads in a car that wasn't enclosed? What about a vehicle without turn signals, lights, rear-view mirrors, or a speedometer? Early motorists lived dangerously.
In fact, many 1920s automobiles were open models with canvas and isinglass side curtains. When the Hudson Motor Car Company engineered an enclosed two-door sedan that was priced comparably to the older open-air models, enclosed vehicles became the new norm. Windshield wipers weren't invented until 1903, when a woman named Mary Anderson decided that drivers stopping to manually wipe off their windshields when it rained or snowed was not just time-consuming, but dangerous as well. The concept of the turn signal was invented in 1914, but factory-installed turn signals weren't available until 1939.
One of the most important safety innovations for the modern automobile came about in 1959, when Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin invented the three-point seat belt. While this wasn't the first patented seat belt (that occurred back in 1885), it was the design that we still use today, consisting of a strap across both the lap and the shoulder. It was an invention that revolutionized auto safety, and it's likely that Volvo could have netted a fortune on patents. Instead, they gave the patent away, having decided that the safety of countless drivers and passengers was too important to keep to themselves.
A Car in Every Garage
As the world changed, so did the automobile. The years prior to the stock market collapse of 1929 were the heyday of the luxury automobile, of which Rolls-Royce is perhaps the most well-known. The postwar years saw an increased influx of smaller, lighter cars into the United States, and around this time the sports car entered the scene, ushering in an era of cars that existed for fun rather than strict utility. The 1980s saw the advent of the minivan, which sought to improve the lives of busy parents across the country. The 1990s ushered in the era of the sport-utility vehicle (SUV), followed a decade later by the smaller crossover, a response to rising gas prices. Today, manufacturers continue to experiment with ways to improve upon the original auto, from seeking out alternative fuels to finding ways to bring the internet with you on the road. At this rate, who knows that the automobile will look like in twenty years? One thing is for certain: Karl Benz would hardly recognize it.
Protecting What Matters
The automobile has come a long way in the last 130 years, and new innovations are always on the horizon. One thing that hasn't changed: the need to protect yourself, your passengers, and your vehicle. When you choose auto insurance with Farm Bureau Financial Services, you are choosing a service that offers a range of options to help keep you safe, both on the road and off it. Talk to your agent to learn more


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Assailants threaten to charge mentally ill son with 'blasphemy' if victims pursue justice
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, January 4 (Compass Direct News) — Infuriated by an alleged anti-Islamic comment by a mentally ill man, more than a dozen Muslims attacked his Christian family here last week, beating his 20-year-old sister unconscious and breaking her leg.
The woman's father, Aleem Mansoor, said his daughter Elishba Aleem went unconscious after being struck in the head with an iron rod in the Dec. 28 attack. Mansoor said a Muslim known as Mogal beat him and his daughter with the rod on the street in front of their apartment home after falsely accusing his 32-year old son, who suffers from schizophrenia, of blasphemy.
"Elishba shouted, 'Father look! He is going to hit you,' and she came somewhat in front and the rod hit her head," Mansoor told Compass. "She touched her head, and her hand was covered with blood."
After she fell unconscious, the assailants began striking her on her legs and back, Mansoor said.
"As soon as the mob realized that Elishba was totally unconscious, they shouted that the girl was dead and fled from the scene," he said.
Elishba Aleem had rushed down from the family's third-floor apartment in Iqbal Town, Islamabad and was attacked when she pleaded for the mob to stop beating her father, who received five stitches for a hand wound. With iron rods and cricket bats, the mob also injured Mansoor's wife Aqsa and his sister-in-law Aileen George. Another of Mansoor's sons, 24-year-old Shazir Aleem, saw the assault from the apartment and also was beaten when he hurried down.
"When Shazir's wife Sanna saw that her husband was being beaten, she rushed down with [infant daughter] Hanna in her arms and pleaded with them, 'Why are you beating my husband?'" Mansoor said. "Someone in the mob snatched Hanna from Sanna and threw her on the ground, and then those beasts began beating Sanna as well."
The baby girl escaped serious injury.
Initially the assailants had attacked Mansoor as he tried to leave home with his son Shumail Aleem, whom he intended to take to police to clear up accusations by shopkeeper Muhammad Naveed that he had spoken ill of Islam.
As Mansoor reached his car, however, about a dozen men with cricket bats and metal rods got out of a parked Suzuki van and surrounded them, he said, and within 10 minutes more than 100 angry Muslims had joined Naveed, his other brothers and his father, Mogal.
"Naveed shouted, 'Why are you people looking at these choohras [derogatory term for Christians]? Catch them and kill them,'" Mansoor said. "My wife Aqsa and sister-in-law Aileen George threw their doppatas [Indian head coverings] at Naveed's and others' feet to humbly request that they not attack us, but they refused to listen. They began beating all of us with rods and cricket bats."
Area Muslims resent that the family has a car and is well-off, Mansoor said.
"They say Christians should be suppressed and kept under a tight control," he said. "They think Christians should salute them when they pass by them."
His son Shumail has been under medical treatment for schizophrenia for more than five years, he said, and because of his condition he does not work.
"As long as Shumail takes medicine, there is no one nicer than him on the earth, but if he is not taking the medicine then he is the worst creature," Mansoor said.
Mansoor's daughter, a first-year college student, received treatment at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) and eventually regained consciousness, though she remains in intense pain. Mansoor said members of the Muslim mob ensured that she did not receive a medical-legal certificate documenting her condition.
When Mansoor told Naveed and others that he would take them to court over the attack, his Muslim adversaries said he would fail because they had paid PIMS officials 50,000 rupees (US$600) to withhold the medical report on his daughter's injuries. He said they also told him that they had paid off officers at the Shehzad Town Police Station to pressure the family to drop the case with an out-of-court settlement.
"The assistant sub-inspector, Ghulam Gilani, of Shehzad Town Police Station, called my wife and told her that if the family pursued the case of assault on us, then we would be implicated in the blasphemy case, which would have serious consequences for us," Mansoor said.
Gilani and hospital officials were not immediately available for comment.
'Blasphemy' Accusation
The comment said to have triggered the violence was uttered at a nearby general store, where Shumail Aleem had gone to buy cigarettes at about 8:30 p.m. on Dec. 28.
Dec. 28 was Islam's 10th of Muharram, or Yom-e-Ashura, when Shiite Muslims mourn the death of Hussein ibn Ali, grandson of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad. Pakistan's population is made up primarily of Sunni Muslims, who also honor the day on the claim that Moses fasted on that day to express gratitude to God for freeing the Israelites from Egypt.
At the store an elderly Christian man known as Baba Sadiq asked Shumail Aleem why movie channels were not being shown on the store's cable-fed TV.
"Shumail told him, 'Are Muslims out of their minds? Why would they show movie channels on Ashura?'" Mansoor said.
The comment apparently supported Naveed's decision to refrain from showing films on the Muslim holy day, but the shopkeeper began beating Shumail Aleem, demanding to know why he had profaned Hussein's name, Mansoor said.
Two weeks prior, Mansoor said, Naveed and his brothers had beaten a Christian boy so severely that when he bled a piece of flesh issued from his nostrils.
"Shumail had seen this all, and had protested with Naveed over this, and when he came home he was very upset over the beating and repeatedly asked his mother to go and ask Naveed about it," Mansoor said. "We think that Naveed bore a grudge because of Shumail's inquiry and protest about that beating of a Christian."
Mansoor said that after Naveed severely beat him, Shumail Aleem returned when the rest of the family was not at home, as several had taken Mansoor's 3-month-old granddaughter Hanna to the doctor. When they returned at 9:45 p.m., Mansoor said, he found several things in the house "thrown around or broken."
A neighbor told them that police and about two dozen men had come searching for Shumail Aleem — who had hid in an upper storeroom — because Naveed had accused him of blasphemy.
"We went to Naveed, who was at his shop, and inquired what had happened," Mansoor said. "He told us that Shumail had tried to steal several things from the store and also damaged several things, and worst of all that he profaned Imam Hussein. My wife told Naveed that he knew that Shumail was mentally ill so he should have waited for us, and that we would have paid the damage, but that there was no need to go to the police."
Naveed told them that whether their son was mentally ill did not matter, that he had filed a police report — which later proved to be untrue — and that they would search relentlessly for Shumail Aleem, Mansoor said.
The mob stopped pursuing members of Mansoor's family only after the intervention of Pakistan People's Party politician Malik Amir, he said, but neither police nor the hospital has cooperated with him in legal matters. An influential Muslim in the area, Raja Aftaab, is also urging the family to settle out of court, he added.
"My stance is that the entire mob that attacked us should come to our house and apologize in front of all the neighbors, and then I will start negotiations with them," he said.


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Starbucks is using its coffee cups to jump into the political fray in Washington.
The world's biggest coffee chain is asking employees at cafes in the Washington, D.C., area to scribble the words "Come Together'' on cups for drink orders on Thursday and Friday. CEO Howard Schultz says the words are intended as a message to lawmakers about the damage being caused by the divisive negotiations over the "fiscal cliff.''
It's the first time employees at Starbucks cafes are being asked to write anything other than customers' names on cups.
While companies generally steer clear of politics to avoid alienating customers, the plea to "Come Together'' is a sentiment unlikely to cause controversy. If anything, Starbucks could score points with customers and burnish its image as a socially conscious company.
This isn't the first time the coffee chain is using its platform to send a political message. In the summer of 2011, Schultz also asked other CEOs and the public to stop making campaign contributions until politicians found a way to deal with a crisis over the debt ceiling that led to a downgrade in the country's credit rating.
U.S. & World
For the latest push, Starbucks is taking out an ad in the Washington Post on Thursday showing a cup with the words "Come Together'' on it.
The "fiscal cliff'' refers to the steep tax hikes and spending cuts set to take effect Jan. 1, unless the White House and Congress reach an agreement to avoid them.
As for whether customers will be confused by the "Come Together'' message or understand that it's related to the fiscal cliff, Schultz said in an interview that there's wide public awareness about the negotiations and that Starbucks will use social media to explain the effort. The Seattle-based company says test runs at select stores showed operations wouldn't be slowed.
Schultz says the message is a way to underscore the damage being done to the "consumer psyche and behavior'' by the talks. Although he says Starbucks sales haven't been affected, he points out that Wal-Mart Stores Inc. CEO Mike Duke warned that fears over the fiscal cliff could cause Americans to pull back on holiday spending. Early figures have shown a relatively weak shopping season.
As for the negotiations, Schultz isn't taking any sides on the issues of tax increases or spending cuts.
Copyright AP - Associated Press


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Several IDHS staff were among those honored for doing an exceptional job of supporting persons with disabilities in the workplace Those receiving awards were the Illinois Tollway, State Rep. Greg Harris (D-Chicago), Schnucks grocery store and four employees of the Illinois Department of Human Services. The awards were presented by Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) Director Rocco J. Claps and Department of Illinois Human Services Secretary (IDHS) Michelle R.B. Saddler at a ceremony of the state's Interagency Committee on Employees with Disabilities (ICED).
ICED (www.state.il.us/iced) represents the interests of more than 3,000 employees with disabilities in state government. The Awards Program promotes independence, access, and opportunities for employees with disabilities.
"On behalf of the administration of Governor Quinn it is a privilege to be here today to shine a light on the truly exceptional performance of these organizations and individuals who have all worked so hard to create opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in the workforce," said IDHR Director Claps. "Rep. Harris has worked tirelessly as an advocate for persons with disabilities. And the Illinois Tollway was deservedly singled out for recognition for its outstanding affirmative action record in employing people with disabilities, including recruitment, hiring and accommodation practices."
"IDHS is proud that four of our employees - among so many who work hard every day to serve and empower persons with disabilities around the state - were singled out for special recognition today," said IDHS Secretary Saddler. "We also salute the Tollway, Rep. Harris and all the other honorees for their dedication to creating a workplace environment that gives every worker an opportunity to fulfill their potential."
ICED gave Certificates of Award to the following state agencies for hiring employees through the successful Disability Opportunities Program: The Departments of Military Affairs, Children and Family Services, Public Health, Natural Resources, Transportation, Veterans Affairs, and Human Services as well as the Gaming Board and the State Retirement System.
The ICED award for Employee of the Year went to Richard Jonathas, a ten-year employee of DHS's Division of Rehabilitative DRS Services in Waukegan. Jonathas is described as a knowledgeable and dependable worker who empowers customers on a daily basis with his caring, positive approach. DHS employees Elisabeth Mann of Rockford and Benro Ogunyipe of Chicago received Certificates of Award.
The ICED Advocate of the Year award went to Wanda Bethel Satkas, a DHS employee at the Ludeman Developmental Center in Park Forest. Satkas advocates on behalf of her son and others with autism. She started an autism organization 16 years ago that has made a real difference in the lives of countless parents and persons with disabilities.
For additional information on ICED, please contact Susan Allen at the Department of Human Rights, at (217) 785-5119 (V), 1-866-740-3953 (TTY), or email@example.com.
Illinois Department of Human ServicesJB Pritzker, Governor · Dulce Quintero, Secretary Designate
IDHS Office Locator
IDHS Help Line 1-800-843-6154 1-866-324-5553 TTY
© 2023 Illinois Department of Human Services


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27SaturdayOct 2012
(Not satire – I'm sorry to say.)
A female disability activist had her home raided yesterday by South Wales Police who attempted to intimidate her into stopping posting comments on Facebook critical of government cuts and specifically the Department of Work and Pensions and their attacks on the rights of disability claimants.
In her own words:
I've just had the police forcing their way into my flat near midnight and harrassing me about my "criminal" posts on Facebook about the DWP, accusing me of being "obstructive". I didn't know what in f**k's name they were on about. They kept going on and on at me, it was horrifically stressful, and they only left after I started crying uncontrollably.
The police officers did not charge her. They clearly were just attempting to scare her into stopping her political activities.
The woman was alone in her own home. She was left feeling frightened and vulnerable – by the very people who should be protecting her.
If the police wanted to talk to her, why did the officers choose to enter her home at midnight on a Friday? Why didn't they inform her in writing or interview her at a police station so she could arrange for a lawyer to be present?
At best this is unprofessional behaviour on the part of South Wales Police, at worst it is political harassment of an individual worthy of a dictatorial state such as China or North Korea.
Well done South Wales Police. You must be very proud of yourselves.
I've kept the identity of the woman secret for obvious reasons but if anyone would like more information about what happened to her, leave your email address in the comments below and I'll ask her to contact you. Thanks.
Original post here http://tompride.wordpress.com/


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Vintage Helly Hansen T-Shirt Medium
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Teen Sets Record for Fastest Texting, Becomes Envy of Teens Everywhere [VIDEO]
Kids today. They sure know their texting.
Marcel Fernandes, 16, set a world record for fastest texting when he composed a 25-word paragraph in 18.19 seconds. The Brazilian smashed the previous record for the same paragraph, which had previously been done in 18.44 seconds.
Marcel went into the record books using the keyboard app Fleksy. The above video is really just a commercial for the app, but you also get a look at some of his fancy finger work.
In case you're curious, here's the paragraph Marcel had to write:
The razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human.
Yeah, it doesn't make sense to us, either.


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Behind the scenes of the energy debate, Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., is working to prepare the United States for the December United Nations climate change summit in Copenhagen. Cardin was recently in Athens to deliver an address on climate change to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), a regional security coalition. He was there as part of his duties as chairman of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, an independent federal agency staffed by congressional members and administration officials that works with OSCE. Cardin is also a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, which is currently marking up the climate legislation introduced recently by Sens. John Kerry, D-Mass., and Barbara Boxer, D-Calif.
NationalJournal.com spoke with Cardin after his trip to get his take on some of the key components of a global climate change treaty and domestic climate legislation.
NJ: You have called for an international treaty to include an "enforcement mechanism" against imports" from countries that don't meet their international goals of reducing greenhouse gases. Can you elaborate on this proposal?
Cardin: What we want to make sure is that once we set international targets, and each state has their requirements and each state enacts their laws, that in fact there is an enforcement of those limits. If we enact targets and countries are supposed to meet their targets and they don't, we're not going to meet our overall targets. So, there needs to be a mechanism for enforcement. …
What it would mean is that if a country is supposed to meet a certain target and they don't meet that target, the products that come from their country into the international marketplace would be assessed the carbon difference as to how much it would have cost to comply with their standards. That assessment would be an import fee, basically, for a product entering another market.
NJ. Would this serve the same function as a border tax?
Cardin: In reality, yes, it's the same thing. But it's not enacted by a country. It's an international standard. So rather than the United States having a border adjustment, it would be an international regime under the climate change [agreement] rather than under the WTO.
NJ: The legislation that passed the House in June includes a border tax provision. Are you in support of a border tax as part of domestic legislation?
Cardin: I think you have to be able to address the question as a U.S. parliamentarian: How do you protect an American company in competition if a product made from another country is not subject to the same regime as the American company on reducing carbon — or paying for the cost of carbon? So I think you have to be able to answer that question. I would rather answer it through international enforcement, but if you can't through international enforcement then I think it's certainly a legitimate issue for each country to deal with on their own.
NJ. Several lawmakers have criticized the border tax, saying it could trigger trade wars between countries. Do you think implementing an international provision like this would prevent trade wars?
Cardin: I'm not so sure that the provision that's in the House bill would promote a trade war, so I'm not going to concede that point. But I do believe it is much more understandable internationally if it's done under Copenhagen rather than each country acting on its own.
NJ. What do you see as the Kerry-Boxer bill's strongest international components?
Cardin: First, it provides U.S. leadership on the targets. The targets are aggressive. Secondly, it provides financing for the developing world, which is certainly a major issue in the international community. It also provides direct financing for deforestation remedies.
NJ: Is there anything not included in the bill that you think should either be included in that bill or be at the forefront of the discussions in Copenhagen?
Cardin: I'm working with Senator Kerry on making sure our international obligations are adequately funded. That's a continuing effort. I'm not sure if I'm going to be totally satisfied about what I see in the first efforts.
NJ: President Obama is scheduled to visit China in November. What do you think should be his goals going into that meeting?
Cardin: I hope we'll have a bilateral with China on some of these issues. … I hope we'll be able to show some mutual progress. The fact that these meetings are taking place is significant in and of itself. The fact that China is becoming more and more of a player by their individual actions on climate change is important. Where China has not moved as aggressively as I would like is agreeing to work directly with the international community rather than just unilateral actions. And I hope the president can advance that need for China to be very bold in Copenhagen, really working closely with the developing world to make sure we get a successful conclusion. So I would like the president to advance that in November.
NJ: Experts have predicted that China is set to outpace the United States, not to mention the rest of the world, in producing renewable energy, making this more of a competition than an international cooperation. Is that part of your concern?
Cardin: Right. China is very strategic when it comes to trying to position itself in the international trade and investments in other countries. So they're continuing to act that way on climate change, being very strategic, understanding that it means job growth and the development of their own economy. Where I have not seen China is their willingness to enter into an international regime, and I think that's the challenge.
NJ: Where do you predict Congress will be in its climate change debate come December?
Cardin: Chairman Boxer has announced hearings and she intends to go to markup, so I think it is now becoming more and more likely that we'll have a bill out of the Environment and Public Works Committee before Copenhagen. I'm not sure how much further we'll get than that. But I think there is momentum in the United States Senate for more support — Sen. [Lindsey] Graham and Sen. Kerry's piece in the New York Times was certainly encouraging. There seems to be some momentum developing in the Senate, so that's what we want to see… giving the president the confidence to commit the United States to significant responsibilities in Copenhagen.
NJ: How do you think the U.S. should respond to the criticism that the Senate's goal of reducing emissions by 20 percent by 2020 isn't even close to what it should be aiming for?
Cardin: I personally believe we could do better than 2020, but I think that's certainly a very forward aggressive goal — puts the United States at the forefront internationally on carbon reduction. Those who say it's not enough — let's see how well they're doing themselves. … Can we be more aggressive? Absolutely. But this would be a huge step forward.
NJ: Do you think there is going to be any "sleeper" region — an area of the world not discussed much in the media — that will come to the fore during international climate change talks?
Cardin: You've got to look at South America. That's a critical part of the equation.
NJ: In what respect?
Cardin: The environmental issues concerning forestation, concerning the costs of the developing world. That's a part of the world that we need to look at. Africa also. South America and Africa are regions that we have to be mindful of during this debate. There is a lot of carbon capture capacity there.


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Poland: The Long Journey to Freedom
Book Talk: MARZI by Marzena Sowa and Sylvain Savoia
To participate to the commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the declaration of martial law in Poland, the NATO Multimedia Library organized on 13 December, at NATO Headquarters, a book presentation and signing by Marzena Sowa and Sylvain Savoia, authors of the award-winning "Marzi", a comic strip about life in Poland during the 1980s as seen through the eyes of a young girl.
Marzena Sowa's memoir of a childhood shaped by politics feels remarkably fresh and recent. With expressive and engaging art by Sylvain Savoia, "Marzi" is a moving and resounding story of an ordinary girl in turbulent, changing times.


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UPDATE: Because some have questioned whether this teaching is truly from the Church (as though the clear teaching of the current Catechism and the Code of Canon Law were not enough), I will add a citation from the Catechism of the Council of Trent: "Furthermore, all those who have not the use of reason are not fit subjects for this Sacrament; and likewise children who, HAVING COMMITTED NO SINS, do not need the Sacrament as a remedy against the remains of sin."
Monday, July 18, 2011
Why can't young children receive Anointing of the Sick?
UPDATE: Because some have questioned whether this teaching is truly from the Church (as though the clear teaching of the current Catechism and the Code of Canon Law were not enough), I will add a citation from the Catechism of the Council of Trent: "Furthermore, all those who have not the use of reason are not fit subjects for this Sacrament; and likewise children who, HAVING COMMITTED NO SINS, do not need the Sacrament as a remedy against the remains of sin."
30 comments:
Dear Reginaldus, I found this article very interesting and it made me think about the risks present-day children are exposed by the delaying of Christian Initiation (I mean Confirmation and First Communion). In fact, there may well be children who are in the age of reason far before the age they are admitted to Penance and the other sacraments to complete their initiation. The fact that the Church, in an administrative sense, doesn't value the need for a more "personal approach" in considering the maturity of a child as a candidate for Penance, Confirmation and Eucharist, may be detrimental for those children who may commit actual sins and acknowledge them because they reach the age of reason far before the established age of reason according to the use of the local church. That exposes these children to the risk of dying in actual sin (even mortal, why not?)because they are impeded to receive Penance and ultimately the Anointing of the Sick.
What do you personally think about this, Father? - July 18, 2011 at 5:11 AM
I thought children could actually sin, just not mortally? Re-reading the post, I guess they would have no need of the grace "to strengthen the individual against despair, doubt and discouragement as he faces the possibility of death and the particular judgment" if they have not sinned mortally. Is that correct?
But does Annointing not take away temporal punishment for venial sins? I'm sure my two year old has some temporal punishment stored up for her that needs remitting . . . - July 18, 2011 at 6:27 AM
- Cordelia at Catholic Phoenix said...
I recently received the Sacrament of the Sick having cancer and a pericardial effusion and needing emergency surgery to rlease the fluid around my heart. Afterwards during my two week stay in the hospital, I was totally at peace with dying if that is God's will for me. I am so grateful to my friend who called the priest to come! I can't explain how peace about dying is such a gift.
- July 18, 2011 at 9:08 AM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
A while ago (around Pentecost), I wrote a little article arguing that the age for confirmation and communion should be at about 7years.
I very much agree with your comment ... in fact, many bishops (at least in the USA) are beginning to lower the age of confrimation and first communion ... also, we are instructed by the Church to give first confession very soon after the child manifests the ability to reason (which is generally around the age of seven).
Finally, I personally would Anoint a child of the age of 6 or 7 if he were dying ... we are to err on the side of presuming the use of reason when there is a real doubt.
So you are correct there too! - July 18, 2011 at 9:15 AM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
Vince K.,
I am sure your two year old has done some bad things! :) Still, these are not really sins, because such a child cannot be reflective enough to sin (neither can such a child show true love).
While discipline is still in order, this "punishment" cannot be as for a sin but is rather a means of education, teaching the child what is acceptable and what is not.
By the time a child is 7, most have acquired the use of reason and then they can sin both mortally and venially .... I am quite certain that a baptized child will usually only sin venially, especially at first.
Hence, before this age, Anointing is not needed. - July 18, 2011 at 9:20 AM
- Jack Quirk said...
With all due respect, Father, I must compare and contrast Canon Law, which is a human attempt to comply with Divine Law, plus your very well-reasoned argument, against Jesus' teaching: "Let the children come to me, for of such is the Kingdom of God."
I believe that as a Catholic I am required to obey Canon Law. I do not believe that I am required to agree with it. Unless it can be shown that I am required to agree with Canon Law, then I will be hard-pressed to agree with this provision. - July 18, 2011 at 10:40 AM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
So, Jack,
I suppose you want us to marry little children too?
Or, perhaps we should ordain them (at least the little boys)?
Indeed, how dare the Church refuse any sacrament to a little child!
oh wait ... maybe there is another meaning to that verse ... like that all children should be baptized!
The point, which you seem to be missing completely, is that the little children have no need of the sacrament of Anointing! It would actually be offensive to anoint an infant, since this would say that the infant isn't assured of salvation! Let the little children come indeed! - July 18, 2011 at 11:21 AM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
(also, the restriction of Anointing to people of have come to the use of reason is NOT A HUMAN LAW, it is divinely instituted together with the sacrament itself -- just like bread and wine are the matter of the Eucharist, so too the recipient of Anointing is a sick person who has had the use of reason ... it is beyond the control of the Church [unlike whether infants can receive the Eucharist or Confirmation, which can change according to Church Law])
- July 18, 2011 at 11:23 AM
What are the remnants of sin left in the person after Confession???
Sam - July 18, 2011 at 11:37 AM
- CM7 said...
I have a question about the below line in your article.
"As infants and children under the age of reason who have been baptized have most certainly not committed any actual sin, it is quite certain that they have not lost the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which was given through Baptism."
I tend to agree with you here and have argued many times that a person in "mortal" sin does not have the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. The usual response I get is that once you have the Holy Spirit, via baptism, He is always there. We just suppress Him to the point that the light is not seen. How do you respond to this argument or are they correct? They also make the claim that if God did not dwell in you, then you would seize to exist, which I do agree with but don't understand the fullness of this truth. It seems like there are different levels of God's dwelling in us or sustaining us.
God bless.
Thanks. - July 18, 2011 at 1:21 PM
- Jack Quirk said...
Father, in response to your suggestion that giving children the anointing of the sick would be as ridiculous as marrying them, I can only quote paragraph 1520 of the Catechism, which says:
"A particular gift of the Holy Spirit, the first grace of this sacrament is one of strengthening, peace and courage to overcome the difficulties that go with the condition of serious illness or the frailty of old age. This grace is a gift of the Holy Spirit, who renews trust and faith in God and strengthens against the temptations of the evil one, the temptation to discouragement and anguish in the face of death. This assistance from the Lord by the power of his Spirit is meant to lead the sick person to healing of the soul, but also of the body if such is God's will. Furthermore, 'if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.'"
So it seems to me that forgiveness of sins is only part of what the sacrament confers. Peace and courage to overcome the difficulties that go with serious illness seems to be something that children could benefit from, as would be healing of the body if God so chose. - July 18, 2011 at 6:13 PM
I have a question/comment... because, even though a cradle Catholic, I had never heard that children were not to partake of this sacrament. In fact, my own son, at two years old, WAS given this sacrament. He had had one kidney removed as an infant, and the remaining kidney was failing. The priest at my mother's church did the anointing at her request, and never even hinted that it was not allowed. On our very next doctor's visit after the anointing, all trace of disease was gone from that remaining kidney. Miraculously. His doctors were astounded, and could find no medical explanation for the cure. This same child is now 7 years old, and has a faith that humbles his father and I. Did Jesus not heal children as well as adults? Did the apostles not heal children, as a sign of God's power and glory? I understand that the sacrament is one of spiritual healing, but Jesus also very much provided PHYSICAL healing as a sign of His power. Not knowing "the rules" about this sacrament, was having my son annointed wrong? I would never take back the sacrament that led to his miraculous healing. It has been a witness to many over the years!!
- July 18, 2011 at 7:53 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
Because the child has not the use of reason, there is no need for "strengthening, peace, and courage to overcome the difficulties that go with the condition of serious illness or the frailty of old age."
The whole point of the sacrament is spiritual healing ... and a baptized infant has no need of this.
The bodily healing is only given as a means to spiritual healing ... hence an infant would NEVER receive the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. - July 18, 2011 at 8:47 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
Michael P,
The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the gift of sanctifying grace. This grace is lost through mortal sin ... and so is the indwelling of the Spirit and of the whole Trinity.
Still, God remains in us as causing our existence ... this is not "indwelling" but is God's existence in all things through power, presence, and essence.
So, on a natural level (which does not bring salvation) God is still present in and to a man in mortal sin.
But, on a supernatural level, the man is separated from God and from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
Hope this helps! + - July 18, 2011 at 8:51 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
@Anonymous (7:33pm)
In fact, your infant did not receive Anointing ... because only those who are of the age of reason are even capable of receiving the sacrament.
Still, it seems that God worked a miracle through the actions of the priest ... this does not mean that it was good for the priest to give Anointing (it was a gravely sinful action on his part), but it does prove that God wants us to know that he is with us in difficult times.
[also, I should add that priests will sometimes do a blessing with oil, and not the actual sacrament ... this does cause great confusion for the laity, and priests ought to refrain from this practice]
Thus, you are quite right to not want to "take back" the great gift that was given through the priest's prayer ... we should only wish that the priest would have used the prayers for sick children, rather than expose the sacrament to nullity.
Indeed, God is soooo good! He can make use of even an imperfect situation to bring about great miracles!
Peace to you. + - July 18, 2011 at 8:55 PM
- Elimu said...
that is very enriching,in fact it clearly explains CCC,1307.
joseph - July 19, 2011 at 12:17 AM
What about mentally disabled persons who are beyond the age of reason, but are mentally like young children?
- July 19, 2011 at 7:19 AM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
Good question! The Church teaches that if a mentally disabled person truly lacks the use of reason, he is not to receive the sacrament -- again, he has no need for this sacrament, as he has not (and cannot) commit any actual sins.
However, if there is doubt as to whether the man has the use of reason or not, then he should receive Anointing at the proper time (as well as Confession ... though pastoral sensitivity is needed here).
Peace to you! + - July 19, 2011 at 8:17 AM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
Someone (who claims to be a "Roman Catholic Theologian", though he lacks any approval from his bishop) has accused me of making up the idea that Anointing is for the healing of the remnants of sin ... let me explain:
1) I do not say it is only for the forgiveness of sin ... rather, it is principally for the healing of the wound left by sin even after it has been forgiven (esp. through Confession).
2) The Church is extremely clear -- Anointing is for spiritual healing, even the physical healing would only be given in order to effect a spiritual healing (cf. CCC 1532, cited in the article above). The spiritual healing is only needed for those who are spirutaly ill ... i.e. those who have committed some actual sin which, even after being forgiven, still has weakened the soul.
3) The Catechism of Trent speaks clearly to this point: "Next is Extreme Unction, which obliterates the remains of sin and invigorates the powers of the soul" (from part II, on the Sacraments in general)
Again, "When the Apostle [James] says that sins are forgiven, he ascribes to Extreme Unction the nature and efficacy of a Sacrament." (from part II, on Extreme Unction) -- here we see that Anointing is connected specifically with the healing of the wounds of sin.
Finally, and most clearly, we point to the words of the Catechism of Trent which explain why young children are not to receive this Sacrament:
"Furthermore, all those who have not the use of reason are not fit subjects for this Sacrament; and likewise children who, HAVING COMMITTED NO SINS, do not need the Sacrament as a remedy against the remains of sin."
Any so-called "Roman Catholic Theologian" should have know this, let the detractor be silent. - July 19, 2011 at 8:31 AM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
Related to some of the comments, I should like to point out that there are many sacraments which benefit people without any reference to sinfulness.
Hence, for example, Confirmation is not primarily about sin and the individual (even a child without the use of reason) can benefit from this sacrament ... because Confirmation isn't primarily about sin.
However, Anointing is the completion of Penance (as per the Council of Trent, Denz. 907) -- this is quite clear especially in the writings of the Church Fathers. The nature of Anointing makes it to be only for those who suffer from the wounds of actual sin (i.e. who are spiritually ill) ... it is related to Confession, which also can only be given to those who have actually sinned.
Thus, it is not as though all the sacraments are only for sinners (though, of course, without the Fall it is doubtful that any of the sacraments would have been instituted -- excepting Marriage, which would still take on a different form than Christian Marriage today) ... but Confession and Anointing have this particular characteristic, that they are for the healing of actual sins. Hence, according to the manifest teaching of the Church (from the Fathers, through the Scholastics, the Catechism and Council of Trent, and even in the current Catechism) this sacrament is reserved to those only who have committed some actual sin -- hence, young children who lack the use of reason and cannot commit any sins, are not to receive this sacrament.
I hope that this is clear.
If any theologian or priest cannot understand this simple point, he clearly knows nothing at all about the Sacrament of Anointing. - July 19, 2011 at 11:39 AM
- Jack Quirk said...
Father, I can only suggest that those who would say that a child would not need "strengthening, peace, and courage to overcome the difficulties that go with the condition of serious illness" hasn't been around many of them.
Now, in raising the points I do I am using the language of the Catechism, which, perhaps, renders me an unsophisticated theological thinker. Continuing in my simplicity, I quote the following words of the Catechism as to who receives the sacrament:
"1514 The Anointing of the Sick 'is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death. Hence, as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived.'
1515 If a sick person who received this anointing recovers his health, he can in the case of another grave illness receive this sacrament again. If during the same illness the person's condition becomes more serious, the sacrament may be repeated. It is fitting to receive the Anointing of the Sick just prior to a serious operation. The same holds for the elderly whose frailty becomes more pronounced."
There's nothing here to indicate that an age requirement is of the essence of the sacrament, or that even the use of reason is necessary, nor can I find it anywhere else in the Catechism. I'm sure you have sources that wouldn't be known to me, who may not even qualify as an amateur theologian. I don't mean Canon Law, of course, which is changeable, but some authoritative source that shows that I have misunderstood the nature of this sacrament as it was given to us by Christ. - July 19, 2011 at 1:49 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
I am happy that you are reading the Catechism, that is great!
My argument has been based almost entirely on the Catechism ... which states very clearly that the sacrament is for spiritual healing and that physical healing is granted insofar as it is needed for spiritual healing.
The whole point of the CCC is that the sacrament is for spiritual healing ... I have provided many quotes in the article above and also in the comments.
The Catechism of Trent is even more clear ... please see my comment of 8:31am, July 19.
Also, as I have quoted from Paul VI in the previous articles, it is clear that the sacrament is only and can only be for those who have attained the use of reason.
This is the problem I have with your comments ... you are citing little pieces of the CCC, out of context. You are ignoring that the CCC is very clear that the effects of the sacrament revolve around spiritual healing. You are insisting that the sacrament can (theoretically) be given to children, even though this is contrary to the entire tradition of the Church (both in the East and the West).
Now, if you would have asked a question, I would have been very happy to discuss the points.
But, instead, you cited the Bible at me, as though I (and the Code of Canon Law, and Paul VI) are somehow refusing the "little children" whom Christ has called.
That is extremely offensive...
I do not criticize you for not being a theologian ... I don't present myself as a theologian ... I don't criticize you for not understanding the Church's teachings immediately, we all have a lot of room for growth ... I do, however, criticize you for dismissing the Code of Canon Law, the Catechism of Trent, and the current Catechism ...
In particular, I think you are out of line when you suggest that the pastors of the Church don't understand children and haven't (as you said) "been around many of them" (perhaps this is a subtle shot at celibacy?) ...
In any case, you have asked for a citation from "some authoritative source" ... and I am left wondering: Is not Paul VI, the Code, the CCC, the Catechism of Trent, and the Ritual Book for Anointing enough?
I guess that there is just no pleasing some people ... especially since I have no children of my own ... - July 19, 2011 at 2:10 PM
- Jack Quirk said...
Well, blow me down, you're right! Here it is in the old Roman Catechism (which is still operative):
"Furthermore, all those who have not the use of reason are not fit subjects for this Sacrament; and likewise children who, having committed no sins, do not need the Sacrament as a remedy against the remains of sin. The same is true of idiots and insane persons, unless they give indications in their lucid intervals of a disposition to piety, and express a desire to be anointed. To persons who from their birth never enjoyed the use of reason this Sacrament is not to be administered; but if a sick person, while in the possession of his faculties, expresses a wish to receive Extreme Unction and afterwards becomes delirious he is to be anointed."
That's it, then, on the question at hand. Sorry, but from your original article, I thought you were defending a provision of canon law only, and I can't find anything in the CCC that says that children should not receive anointing of the sick.
I will forbear defending myself on the charges you have leveled against me, since (1) I might have incited you to them through my manner of presenting my point (you're not the first person I've irritated), and (2) they are completely beside the point. - July 19, 2011 at 4:41 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
If we have come to a deeper understanding of this sacrament through our little debate (which, I will be the first to admit, was more harsh than it should have been), I give praise and thanks to God, and to you my brother!
I should have included the citation from the Roman Catechism (the Cathecism of Trent) in the original article ... I only refrained from doing so because some people react very negatively to that Catechism.
I am more than delighted to see that you have a love for it!
In truth, answering your comments did help me to come to a much better mode of explaining the faith; so I am greatly indebted to you for that!
God's blessings to you, and please forgive me for my quick and somewhat harsh comments. - July 19, 2011 at 4:55 PM
Hi Father,
Excellent post. I too, with my 16 years of Catholic education and thinking I had read the Vat II documents and the Catechism, didn't know that the Anointing is not to be administered to children who haven't reached the age of reason. Now, I'm being lazy, I didn't see the question answered: in the Rituale are there prayers that may be said by the priest for sick little children that are not part of the Sacrament of Anointing? Thank you and God bless you. - July 20, 2011 at 7:04 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
Yes! There are prayers and Scripture readings for sick children -- they are found in the Ritual Book "Pastoral Care of the Sick" (which is the modern ritual book for Anointing of the Sick).
Peace! + - July 20, 2011 at 7:37 PM
- Carlos said...
Dear Reginald,
In the Byzantine tradition, the Church offers the Mystery of Holy Anointing during the great fasts of the church. This is primarily for the spiritual healing of the christian who during the fast is at most need of this for both the health of his soul and a fortification against the assaults of the enemy. Our parish celebrates it once during the Fast of the Nativity and again during the Great Fast of Lent.
As far as reason goes, I would think if a person were comatose, the Holy Anointing could still occur. Assuming this is true, I don't see how it could be withheld from a child.
Was there ever a public celebration of the sacrament in the western church tied to any of the liturgical seasons?
- Carlos - July 22, 2011 at 1:03 AM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
I'm not quite sure what the circumstances are in the case to which you are referring ...
Certainly, no one can validly receive Anointing of the Sick if they are not seriously ill (or suffering from old age) -- so, any notion of having everybody receive as a means of entering into the liturgical season cannot be correct.
[we should not be surprised if abuses exist in the East ... Anointing Masses are often accompanied with many many abuses in the West]
Regarding whether a comatose person can receive ... certainly yes.
Because he had the use of reason at some point, and he has committed some venial sin (which has already been forgiven, probably, but the wounds and remnants of which still remain) ... hence he will benefit greatly, even though he does not have reason at the moment.
However, young children who have NEVER had the use of reason and have never sinned "are not fit subjects" of the Sacrament (as the Roman Catechism states so well), because they suffer not from the wounds of actual sin.
Hope that helps! + - July 22, 2011 at 8:29 AM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
I see you posted our conversation over at the Catholic Answers Forum ... there, someone brought up the example of Ellen Organ (aka Little Nellie), a very holy little girl who died at the age of 4 and receive Anointing -- she inspired (it is said) Pius X to lower the age of communion.
The person who brought that up as a counter example to my post lacks all credibility and intellectual honesty ... the whole point of Little Nellie is that she attained to the use of reason at an extremely young age (apparently by a special divine grace) ... this is why she was allowed to receive her first communion on December 6 (well before her death on Feb 2).
Far from disproving my post, the story of Little Nellie PROVES MY POINT: If little Ellen Olsen had not yet attained to the use of reason she would not have been Anointed, however precisely because she reached the use of reason at a very young age, she was given the sacrament of Anointing before her death. - July 22, 2011 at 2:48 PM
- Father Ryan Erlenbush said...
Well, I don't know what is going on in particular churches, but it is clear from the Eastern Code of Canon Law, that the discipline of the Eastern Rites is the same as that of the Latin Church:
Canon 737
1. By the sacramental anointing of the sick with prayers of a priest, the Christian faithful who are gravely ill and sincerely contrite receive grace, by which, strengthened by the hope of eternal reward and absolved from sins, they are disposed to correct their lives and are helped in patiently enduring their infirmity and suffering.
and Canon 738
The Christian faithful freely receive anointing of the sick whenever they are gravely ill; pastors of souls and persons who are close to the sick are to see to it that they are supported by this sacrament at an opportune time.
They must be "gravely ill" and "sincerely contrite" ... hence, they must BOTH be physically sick and spiritually sick (i.e. have committed at least some venial sin for which they are sincerely contrite). - July 23, 2011 at 8:45 AM
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It's been something I've wanted to do for a while. Share a bit of home design with you. I actually even started off last year with a few ideas but somehow, like so many things, the idea got lost in the daily routine.
Then the lovely Janelle of Talk of Tomatoes created a great event called Centerpiece of The Month and I have been wanting to take part in it for absolutely forever. The perfect kick to get on with my home design session here on the blog.
So, for my first entry to this event I present to you a bouquet in orange. The flowers are entirely courtesy of my neighbor. She lives a few houses down the road and has the most gorgeous garden one has ever set their eyes on. She's 55 and has a small flower shop - how convenient eh?
Well whenever Soeren and I are over to visit I am never allowed to leave without a bouquet of flowers cut from her garden.
Today we put together a dream in orange. As I was wearing an orange blouse and feeling high spirited she suggested I take this lovely summer color home with me. She put together roses, gerberas and berries. Then she gave me the bunch and I tied it up into a bouquet.
At home I placed it in a rectangular glass vase. Looks lovely doesn't it!
More Ideas:
Elegant Bouquet
Finally I also got around to taking a picture of that lovely apron I won for these blondies. Thanks once again to Myriam!
My browniebabe entry this month are these rich chocolate mocca brownies. Enjoy them!
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