text:
Pop stars and designer labels, musicians and models, seem as vital to the other as breath is to the human body. Female pop divas are always showing off their killer shoes while the dudes are flaunting the next pretty young thing on their arm.
Accordingly, there are tons of songs, pop and otherwise, about fashion and inspired by models. To pump us up into a bank-breaking shopping frenzy, we've compiled a list of our Top Ten Pop Songs About Fashion, Glamour, and Supermodels.
10. "Gucci Gucci"- Kreayshawn
Kreayshawn might have a problem with wearing the same thing as "basic b*tches" i.e. Gucci, Fendi, and Prada, but we don't.
Prada python boots with a drape-y dress and some gold bangles? Yes, please.
9. "Harajuku Girls"- Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani loves fashion so much she a) wrote a song about the ever-inventive style of the girls in the Harajuku district of Japan and b) she started her own clothing labels.
While Harajuku Lovers is cute, we love the modernized ska style of L.A.M.B.
Like this 1950's "Teddy Boy" inspired look from her Fall 2011 collection.
8. "Picture Perfect"- Chris Brown
Like many of his kind, the hip-hop superstar kind, Chris Brown has a thing for model good looks, especially looks fantastic enough to grace the cover of a magazine:
Damn girl set my flame ablaze/Top model chick from my favorite page
7. "Boots & Boys"- Ke$ha
Most people wouldn't consider Ke$ha–with her penchant for glitter and animal-print booty shorts–to be a beacon of style, but girl knows what's up.
For example, how can one argue with her love for both boots and boys?
Something 'bout boots and boys/They bring me so much joy/I gotta say it, I wear 'em both so pretty as I walk in the city/Watch out, boots and boys
6. "Fashion Beats"- Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas have always been very vocal about their love for quirky, crazy fashion. For reference, see Will.I.Am's space-age vest above. One might say they always stay:
In fashion. In fashion. In fashion. In fashion/Enchante, comment allez vous. Tres bien merci et vous. Super good, super nice. Salt and pepper, sugar and spice/ Space sugar case to the moon let's go. Coco Chanel, Marilyn Monroe/Cat walk, fashion show. Runway, fashion show. Tall man, radio, G6, I don't know
5. "Christian Dior Denim Flow"- Kanye West
Who was the last person to name drop so many supermodels in one song? George Michael?
I'm in my Christian Dior with a Veronica Webb/Noemie Lenoir, Chanel, Sessilee Lopez/Arlenis Sosa, Selita Ebanks/If you work with my people, speak that Jourdan Dunn language/Make a phone call, out to Joan Smalls/I wonder how it feel to lower (Lara) Stone's walls/Jessica Gomes, yall, I would damage her/And see if Jessica Stam got the stamina/I'm in the car with Leo and the Benz swerve/I heard Bar was friends with Esti Ginzburg/Coco Rocha, Kate Mimosa/Alessandra Ambrosia, Anja Rubik,/Get Olga Kurylenko, tell her I'm very single/Abbey Lee, too I'm a freak boo/I'm wylin I'm on a thousand/I wanna see Irina Shayk next to Doutzen
4. "Glam"- Christina Aguilera
Christina Aguilera has vacillated between being "dirty" and being "stylish," but she's always been "glam."
Runway on fire, fashion gods inspire/Lose control, inhibitions run wild/Get on the floor in your best couture/Come on and take me higher
3. "Vogue"- Madonna
Considered one of the most influential songs about fashion around, Madonna adopted her "vogue" movements from the gay ballroom dance competitions in major cities around the country, but most notably Harlem.
Dance teams would often call themselves "Haus" of something. How very fashionable.
2. "Labels or Love"- Fergie
Fergie can't fool us. We know she's got a good man. But that doesn't mean she's not into having a little bling–most notably Gucci, Fendi, and Prada:
Gucci, Fendi, Prada versus purchasing them finer things/Men they come a dime a dozen, just give me them diamond rings/I'm into a lot of bling, Cadillac, Chanel and Coach/Fellas boast, but they can't really handle my female approach…So we can't go all the way, I know you might hate it but/I'm a shop for labels while them ladies lay and wait for love
1. "Fashion"- Lady Gaga
By far, the most fashion forward pop star is Lady Gaga. One of her songs, which sadly didn't become a radio hit, is "Fashion." The song talks about Gaga's love for labels–also Gucci, Fendi, and Prada.
I am, I'm too fabulous/I'm so, fierce that it's so nuts/I live, to be model thin/Dress me, I'm your mannequin/j'adore vivienne habillez-moi/Gucci, Fendi et Prada/Valentino, Armani too/Merde I love them Jimmy Choo
See, Gaga loves Gucci, Fendi, and Prada and she's definitely not a "basic b*tch."
- Did we miss any pop songs about fashion? Let us know in the comments!


text:
Debuting as skipper, Weiss discusses philosophies
By Thomas Harding / MLB.com
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The surprise of Walt Weiss being named the sixth manager in Rockies history wore away quickly. While it's true he last worked in pro baseball in 2008 and had been coaching youth and high school sports, Weiss was able to give the Rockies what they lacked -- deep roots within the franchise.
Weiss is the first manager in Rockies history to have worn purple pinstripes as a player. He was there from 1994-97 and was a key cog on the '95 team that went to the playoffs in the franchise's third year. After retirement, Weiss worked as a special front-office assistant from 2002-08 and at the Major and Minor league levels offered instruction to many of those who played on the '07 and '09 teams that reached the postseason. Not only that, but he hired former Rockies star Dante Bichette as hitting coach and brought back former players Eric Young and Pedro Astacio into camp as instructors who will be checking in during the season.
Granted, the Rockies have just 20 seasons behind them, and just three of those have resulted in trips to the postseason. After the October departure of former manager Jim Tracy, who was the architect of the last playoff team (2009) but eventually found himself not agreeing with the direction of the franchise, the Rockies were attracted to Weiss, who lived the franchise's story as a player and knows from that perspective that any season can have a winning ending.
The Rockies and their fans need someone to restore their faith in brighter days.
W: Henderson L: Ottavino
The Rockies' 64-98 finish in 2012 was the worst in club history, and the outside perception was that the club was spinning its wheels in an attempt to define itself and figure out how to win consistently in a unique park that has historically been ultra-friendly to hitters and a challenge to pitchers, in an atmosphere that can be daunting to opponents but also is theorized to increase the risk of injury to players who play most of their games there.
The Rockies have tried all kinds of personnel plans and coaching ideas. Finally, when the team went with a four-man starting rotation with tight work limits for starters in an attempt to fundamentally change its approach to pitching, the public was left wondering where the reasons for struggles ended and the excuses began.
Enter Weiss, who played for several recognizable names -- Tony La Russa with the Athletics at the start of his career, original Rockies manager Don Baylor, Rene Lacehmann (now Weiss' first-base coach) and Braves legend Bobby Cox. Those who influenced him were innovators, but much of their success came from sound fundamentals, aggressive play and alert thinking. In Weiss' mind, it hasn't changed since he played, and it stayed with him even though he's been away from the Majors.
Last year, Weiss coached at Regis Jesuit High School in the Denver area. In many ways, managing the Rockies isn't much different, even though many of the players have wives rather than prom dates and don't have to borrow their parents' cars.
Weiss recently discussed his new job and his time-honored philosophies:
MLB.com: Will you be a little nervous when the season opens in Milwaukee on April 1?
Weiss: To an extent, sure. That's a good thing. More than anything else, I'm excited to watch our guys play. That's what I'm looking forward to. I'll be nervous just because it's competition. When you're competing, you should get a little nervous. My whole career, to the last game I played in the big leagues, I was always nervous before the game. Of course, it wasn't to the extent that I was early in my career, but I still had butterflies before every Major League game.
MLB.com: How different will you feel from last year, which was your first and only season as head coach at Regis?
Weiss: I was nervous for those games because it's competition. There's a certain level of focus and intensity you have to bring to competition. Nervous energy is a part of it.
MLB.com: At the start of your Major League career, you played for the Athletics and manager Tony La Russa, and won the 1988 American League Rookie of the Year Award. Do you believe even back then that La Russa believed you could end up a manager?
Weiss: I was just a kid there. I think he would say that I was a student of the game and there was some intent to the way I played the game. But it's tough to say he saw me as a manager when I was 23 years old.
MLB.com: Since you last played in the Majors (2000), even though you didn't know until this past winter that you had a shot at being a manager, did you watch the game with a manager's eye?
Weiss: I wouldn't say always, but I think as I got older, I certainly watched the game differently. I don't know if I could sit here and say it was through the eyes of a manager. It was probably more as a player. I put myself in situations how I would approach this pitcher or defensively what I'd be trying to do here.
And sometimes, I watched as a manager, trying to predict what a manager might do here or looking at matchups later in the game, to think along those terms. But I don't think I sat there and watched the game completely from a manager's perspective.
MLB.com: How has the player changed since you played?
Weiss: I think the players are better, generally speaking. That's just the way it is. Twenty years from now, they'll be better [than now]. A lot of that is just advances in training and information. The talent level is real high. There are other factors you can argue about. Certainly, money changes the approach to the game, the amount of money that's in the game now. Then again, 20 years ago, they were saying the same thing about money. There's a lot more caution because of the money that's at stake -- from the front-office standpoint and from a player's standpoint. That's just a product of where the game is at financially.
But it's hard to say how different the players are. You hate to hear old-timers say, "The game was better when I played." I don't think that's the case.
MLB.com: But you hit on something there by mentioning the word "caution." Throughout Spring Training, you have wanted to defeat caution. Why is that?
Weiss: I just want to make sure when we take the field there's not a fear of failure, not a safety-first mentality. I don't think you can thrive at this level with that type of mindset. Regardless of the sport, the guy or the team with the aggressive mindset usually wins.
We've got to find a balance. We're preaching, "Play the game hard and play the game right." And you've got to do both. If you're always playing the game hard and you hit a single, and you try to run to second and you're out by 10 feet, you're playing hard, but you're not playing the game right.
We're going to err on the side of aggression. We'll run into some outs. But for me, it's more important that the league knows we will push the tempo.
MLB.com: How important was reaching back to past Rockies, in building your staff and in adding special instructors?
Weiss: Maybe there's some credibility because of where we play. It's a little unique in the game. But at the same time, we don't have all the answers because we played here. There have been a lot of smart people that have tried to manage this club and been on the coaching staff, really smart baseball men. I'm not so naive to think that because we play here, we've got it all figured out.
MLB.com: At times in talking to the players, you've mentioned that what you're emphasizing is being emphasized by 29 other teams. Was that important, particularly after the Rockies were accused of trying to reinvent the game last year?
Weiss: At this point in the game's history, there's no reinventing the game. Our goal is creating awareness about the things that are effective in the game and fine-tuning our focus on certain aspects of the game. It actually simplifies our approach to the game. What happens is you leave camp and guys tend to fall back on things they've always fallen back on in competition, and get away from some of the common-sensical things that help you win games. We're trying to create that awareness and that focus of certain things to simplify their approach to competition.
MLB.com: Do you believe your pitchers are good enough to win now?
Weiss: I do. I'll also say some of those guys need to take the next step in their development to make a serious run at our division. I do think the talent is there.
MLB.com: After a team loses 98 games, often the culture is part of the problem. Yet the Rockies have made few changes, and on the inside, there is a belief that the team's attitude is not a problem.
Weiss: There are a lot of good things in place already. It's a good bunch of guys that play hard, that prepare well, that compete well. It was one of those years that, anything that could have gone wrong went wrong. We've got to make sure we focus on the right thing and play the game the right way. I don't think effort has ever been a question for this club.
And it's not having an environment where there's a fear of failure. There's pressure built into this game no matter what your situation is individually or collectively as a team. The stakes are high. But we're creating an environment where these guys have the freedom to go out there and be athletes, let their ability shine. Fear of failure can be something that drives you, but you don't want it to be something that inhibits your ability. I want to make sure they feel the freedom to go out there and let it fly.
MLB.com: Is it important for you to prove yourself as a manager?
Weiss: "I haven't really focused on that. I'm looking at it a lot as I did as a player. I prepare myself every day. I go out there and compete and take my best shot. The next day, I do that again. At the end of the year, you look up and see where you're at.
Failure to me is not taking your best shot. I'm confident in the people around me. [Veteran bench coach] Tommy [Runnells] has been great helping me with this process. I've leaned on him a lot this spring. I'm looking forward to the competition. That's how I want our team to be identified. I want other teams to look at us and say, "These guys like to compete."
Thomas Harding is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Matrox Video Products Group today announced that new value-priced bundles of the Matrox RT.X2 and RT.X2 LE realtime editing platforms and Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 are now available worldwide. The bundles include either the RT.X2 or RT.X2 LE realtime editing card with a professional breakout box, Adobe Premiere Pro CS4, Adobe Encore CS4, and Adobe OnLocation CS4.
"This bundle puts unprecedented editing power into the hands of corporate communicators, event videographers, project studios, educational facilities, and digital filmmakers at an affordable price," said Pierre-Martin Dion, Matrox RT.X2 product manager. "The RT.X2 hardware combined with the Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 software gives users all the tools they need to produce top-quality SD and HD productions - creatively, efficiently, and faster than ever - then easily deliver to tape, DVD, Blu-ray disc, the web, and mobile devices."
Key features of Matrox RT.X2
Matrox RT.X2 extends the capabilities of the Adobe CS4 software with many important benefits:
Price and availabilityThe Matrox RT.X2 LE and Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 bundle is priced at $1,595 US (€1,349, £1,099) plus applicable local taxes. The Matrox RT.X2 and Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 bundle is priced at $1,795 US (€1,575, £1,249) plus applicable local taxes. The bundles are available from Matrox-authorized dealers worldwide. Current Adobe® Creative Suite® 3 Production Premium or Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 owners can purchase RT.X2 LE hardware-only at $1,095 US (€925, £760) and RT.X2 hardware-only at $1,295 US (€1099, £895) plus applicable local taxes.


text: I've read that using a rubberband as a shock absorber adds about 5 pounds too your tension. Right now I use have my racquet strung at 57 pounds an use a rubberband as a shock absorber. I really like the feel of it so I was wondering that if I string it at 62 which would be plus 5 to my 57 that I have now. Would that feel the same as my 57 with a rubberband? Sorry if this sounds confusing?


text:
Arsenal end trophy drought with FA Cup win
Arsenal ended its nine-year trophy drought on Saturday, coming from two goals...
Juan Martin del Potro earned his 14th career title and kept Julien Benneteau winless in ATP finals with a straight-set victory Sunday in the championship match at the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament.
The second-seeded del Potro posted a 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 triumph Sunday for his first title of 2013. He won four times last year and was the runner-up just once, falling to Roger Federer in this event.
Benneteau, meanwhile, came up short in a final for the eighth time in as many tries. The Frenchman was denied twice last year and has lost a title match at least once each year since 2008.
After del Potro had his serve broken for the first time this week in the second game of the match, the Argentine star rebounded by taking the next four games. Benneteau broke back in the 10th game and forced a tiebreak, which del Potro won with ease.
He carried that momentum into the second set and opened a 3-0 lead with a break of serve and never relinquished the advantage, concluding the match in an hour and 37 minutes. A nose bleed forced del Potro to take a brief medical timeout between the eighth and ninth games before he served out the match at love.
Del Potro improved to 14-5 all-time in title matches and became the first Argentine to win in Rotterdam since Guillermo Vilas in 1982.
Benneteau, who stunned Federer in Friday's quarterfinals, has the most finals appearances without a title among active players. Gilles Muller is next with three.


text:
'Two fingers' if Juncker is backed
If EU leaders back Jean-Claude Juncker for the post of European Commission president this week it would be "flicking two fingers" at voters across the continent who had expressed concerns about Brussels, Iain Duncan Smith said.
The former Tory leader said the rise of Eurosceptic parties had sent a "seismic message" and accused heads of government of being "utterly complacent" about the situation.
David Cameron will risk deepening divisions between the UK and EU by forcing leaders from across the 28-member bloc to vote on the issue at the European Council summit this week unless his counterparts are prepared to consider an alternative candidate.
The move would mark a distinct break from the way that the commission president is usually chosen, with the nomination agreed by consensus between the leaders.
The Prime Minister's decision to oppose Mr Juncker's nomination looks set for failure, after nine centre-left leaders, including French president Francois Hollande and Italy's Matteo Renzi declared their support for Mr Juncker - the candidate nominated for the presidency by the centre-right European People's Party (EPP).
The EPP is the largest party in the European Parliament following the elections last month, but Mr Cameron has made clear he will "fight this right to the very end" rather than allow the European Council, made up of leaders of EU governments to rubber stamp Mr Juncker's appointment.
Mr Duncan Smith, a prominent Eurosceptic within the Cabinet, said: "I was talking to the Prime Minister the other day and he said there are a load of countries there who share his view on this, they think this is the wrong man, the Italians were saying it, many were saying it, even privately I understand many Germans say it."
The Work and Pensions Secretary said Mr Juncker was "by no means a reformer" and backed the Prime Minister's stance, saying the EU needed to be "roughed up a bit about this".
He told BBC Radio 5 Live's Pienaar's Politics: "If they give Jean-Claude Juncker a job this is like literally flicking two fingers at the rest of Europe and saying to all the people out there 'we know that you voted the way you did but you are wrong and we are just going to show you how wrong you are by carrying on as though nothing happened'."
Mr Duncan Smith indicated he would be prepared to vote against EU membership in the referendum promised by Mr Cameron in 2017, even if the Prime Minister recommended staying in after a renegotiation.
He said: "I have always been of the view that there needs to be major change within the European Union if Britain is to honestly think this is a viable enterprise for us. It's not right now, it's heading in the wrong direction."
On his own position he said "at the end of the day every elected MP has a free vote, they have to take the decision of their conscience" and added: "When it's something as big as this you have to vote for what you think is best for your country.
"But I will help, support and assist the Prime Minister in getting the best deal and then I will make a view on that when it comes back."
If Mr Juncker got the job of European Commission president there would still be the possibility of reform if EU leaders were committed to it, but if they did not follow that course it would be "very bleak" for Britain's chances of remaining within the EU.
"At the end of the day Jean-Claude Juncker wields a certain amount of power, but nothing like as much still as the governments of Europe. So the key question really is are these governments of Europe prepared, regardless now who becomes president, to actually say this place needs dramatic change and reform - decentralisation, much more power going back to nation states again," Mr Duncan Smith said.
"Are they going to do that? If they don't do that then it does make the prospect for Britain being in Europe very bleak indeed."
Mr Cameron will spell out his concerns to European Council president Herman Van Rompuy in No 10 tomorrow, ahead of a two-day meeting of leaders on Thursday and Friday.
Tory former defence secretary Liam Fox said that if Mr Cameron did not "fight a battle and take a bloody nose" over Mr Juncker's candidacy it would put the EU "on the juggernaut route" to ever closer union.
He told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "The Juncker agenda is wrong for the people of Europe, including the people of Britain, and the British Prime Minister is right to stand up against it."
An opinion poll showed that almost half of Britons would vote to leave the EU under the current membership terms.
The Observer/Opinium poll found that 48% of people would "definitely" or "probably" vote to leave the EU, while 37% said they would definitely or probably vote to stay in.
The poll found that if Mr Cameron was able to secure a deal which "redefined the terms of Britain's membership" then 42% would definitely or probably vote to remain in the EU, with 36% saying they would probably or definitely vote to sever ties with Brussels.
But just 18% of those polled believed it was quite likely or very likely that Mr Cameron would be able to secure "satisfactory" terms, with 55% saying it was quite or very unlikely.
:: Opinium carried out 1,946 online interviews from June 17 to 19. Data were weighted to ensure a nationally representative sample.
Shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander said: " The responsibilities on David Cameron this week are clear; he needs to deliver a president of the commission who will make Europe work better, and make Europe work better for Britain.
"There can be no excuses. David Cameron has a clear mandate from political parties here in the UK - including Labour - to build consensus across Europe for an alternative candidate for president of the commission.
"Getting the right candidate is ultimately a test of David Cameron's influence with our allies to secure the best deal for Britain in Europe.
"Even his strongest supporters recognise that so far the Prime Minister has badly misjudged these vital negotiations, and his public anger appears a very poor substitute for private influence.
"It was not just a bad negotiating approach, but it was bad for Britain for David Cameron to appear to threaten exit from Europe at a key moment of these discussions.
"In the past we've seen David Cameron flounce out of the European negotiating room to little effect.
"And even David Cameron's own backbenchers know, bluster and belligerence are an unconvincing substitute for influence and leadership.
"So in the vital closing hours of negotiations, it's time for leadership, not excuses from David Cameron."


text:
Quote:Stickied it for you Raul. Make me look good if we roll next time, dammit!
Quote:I'll be coming east during that time frame, but I won't get any closer than North Carolina. My son is getting married then. Other than that, is the east end of Vancouver close enough?JG
Artifacts from the Ryukyu Kingdom missing since WWII.
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Book presents photo tour of the Trans-Allegany Lunatic Asylum. A must if you're going to take a ghost tour!


text:
More than 2,000 fans made the trek to BBVA Compass Stadium on Saturday for the Houston Dynamo's inaugural Fan Fest.
The event, open to the general public, was an opportunity for members of the Houston community to get up close and interact with their favorite Dynamo stars. There were stations for autographs, pictures as well as a station for a Q&A where Dynamo players took questions from fans.
Aside from the autographs and photos, Dynamo season ticket holders were treated to special experiences, including the ability to play on the field in the morning as well as take tours of the Dynamo locker room.
Were you at today's Fan Fest event? If so, tweet us a photo or post it on our Facebook wall! Here's a sampling of what the fans thought about today's event. Enjoy and we hope to see everyone on March 2!


text:
A business degree from FSC is valued by employers throughout the United States and overseas.
Florida Southern's business curriculum prepares you to compete for business positions within the local, regional, national, and global job markets.
Our business graduates go on to obtain highly sought after positions in marketing, business operations, accounting, finance, management and statistical analysis. Through an array of hands-on, engaged learning experiences and international exposure, you'll find your business degree provides you great flexibility in career choices and the solid business foundations to allow you to succeed.
Other FSC graduates have chosen to further their education at some of the most prestigious graduate and professional schools in the world: The London School of Economics; University of Stockholm; Pennsylvania State University; University of Miami; and others.
With so many options, one thing's for certain, whichever path you choose, you'll be ready!
As a Barney Barnett School of Business & Free Enterprise alumnus/a, you have joined a lifelong group of business leaders, titans of industry, friends, and mentors.
Please keep your contact information up-to-date so we can continue to support you. Update your contact information on our Alumni web site »


text:
This study is maintained and distributed by the Health and Medical Care Archive (HMCA). HMCA is the official data archive of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
National Survey of Surgeons on Trauma Care Issues, March-July 1993 (ICPSR 6265)
Principal Investigator(s): Esposito, Thomas J., Loyola University. Shock Trauma Institute
This study investigated surgeons' practice patterns, experience and training in trauma care, and preferences and opinions about caring for trauma patients. Practice pattern variables include surgical specialty, type of surgical practice arrangement, type of appointment with a medical school or university, membership in the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the American College of Surgeons, or the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, and whether the respondents' patients paid their bills through private insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, or an HMO. In addition, respondents were queried about their primary hospital, including number of beds, types of physicians employed in the trauma or emergency department, whether the hospital was officially recognized as a trauma center, whether it had a separate clinical trauma service with oversight and responsibility for the care of trauma patients, whether surgical patients were covered 24 hours a day by a resident or in-house physician, and whether there was 24-hour coverage by a resident or in-house physician in the hospital's Intensive Care Unit. To assess experience and training in trauma care, respondents were asked how often they were inappropriately called to evaluate and treat trauma patients, if they had taken trauma call at any hospital during the last 12 months, how many trauma patients they treated during the last 12 months and for what percent of them they received compensation, whether they had taken the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) Course in the last four years, how much they had learned about trauma from residency training, post-residency fellowship, combat duty in the Armed Forces, journal articles, and colleagues, how confident they were in their ability to provide resuscitation, diagnosis, operative care, and critical care, if they had ever been named in a malpractice suit in a trauma case, non-trauma emergency case, or non-emergency case in certain disease categories, and whether this litigation made them reluctant to take on these types of cases. Preferences and opinions on the care of trauma patients were investigated through questions that asked respondents if they preferred to treat adult or pediatric trauma patients, if they preferred to treat blunt or penetrating trauma, and how taking care of trauma patients affected their image with their peers and community. Respondents were also queried about incentives and disincentives for treating trauma patients, reasons for not providing trauma care, opinions on how trauma cases compared with other emergency cases, and opinions on how various aspects of trauma care in their community were deficient. The data also include information on the age, gender, and geographic location (census region) of the respondents.
Access Notes
The public-use data files in this collection are available for access by the general public. Access does not require affiliation with an ICPSR member institution.
ASCII + SAS Setup
Study Description
Esposito, Thomas J. National Survey of Surgeons on Trauma Care Issues, March-July 1993. ICPSR06265-v1. Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], 1998. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR06265.v1
Persistent URL: https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR06265.v1
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This study was funded by:
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (19275)
Scope of Study
Subject Terms: emergency departments, health insurance, Health Maintenance Organizations, health professions, hospitals, Medicaid, medical education, medical procedures, Medicare, patients, surgery, trauma centers
Geographic Coverage: United States
- 1993-03-02--1993-07-01
- 1993-03-02--1993-07-01
Universe: Physicians listed in the American Medical Association (AMA) Physician Master File who reported to the AMA that they were in active, nonfederal practice in the United States and who spent the majority of time in a typical week as general surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, or neurological surgeons.
Sample: Stratified, random sampling.
self-enumerated questionnaires and telephone interviews
Original ICPSR Release: 1995-08-16
- 1998-04-28 The codebook, project report, and data collection instrument are now available as PDF files.
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text:
Why is 115 the cut-off? And why only consider the FS? Oh, because American Flatt has 116 in the FS this season?
How about we look at the ladies who cracked 190 in the total score for any competition within the past year. Oh, look at that, Joannie's one of them (without being on home turf to boot.)
Boo-hoo, no wonder you have to make a "point" against her and then immediately throw out an exception that disqualifies it. Because we all know a figure skating competition in Japan doesn't count, and there's no way that her Free Skate would have garnered that many points elsewhere, right? RIGHT?


text:
OCEAN CITY – In the 1990s, when Michael Hartnett, Co-Head of International Investment Strategy at Banc of America Securities–Merrill Lynch Research, used the phrase "best of breed," he was referring to Japanese companies that escaped the decade-long bear market in the world's second-largest economy.
"Japan was facing something similar to what is going on in the U.S. today — a credit-fed boom followed by a deflationary bust," says Hartnett.
Yet, in sharp contrast to the plight of most Japanese stocks, a basket of 15 top-performing Japanese blue chips rose 330% during that decade, versus a 40% decline for the broader market.
Today "best of breed" applies to the kinds of companies that tend to weather downturns and are more likely to provide long-term opportunity for investors. Such companies have healthy balance sheets, strong management, consistent earnings histories and forecasts with bright future prospects, plenty of cash as a percentage of overall assets, and clear growth strategies.
Now, as investors look for signs of recovery in the global economy and markets, searching for companies with these best-of-breed attributes could help identify stocks that have the potential to rise even if market benchmarks don't. Although markets may remain volatile, investing in well-positioned companies can potentially enable you to achieve better-than-market results over the long term, according to Hartnett.
Where should an investor look for such companies? One fruitful area might be markets that are primed to outperform. Hartnett is especially optimistic about the prospects for some emerging markets in Asia and Latin America. What makes certain countries in these regions attractive is that they have current account surpluses, they have stronger domestic demand prospects in 2009 and beyond, and their banking sectors are relatively healthy. China currently matches those criteria, so it shouldn't be surprising that some large-cap Chinese stocks fit the best-of-breed definition, says Hartnett.
Emerging-market banks that avoided the subprime mortgage lending that crippled many U.S. financial institutions could be particularly appealing. "Three years ago, not one of the top 20 banks in the world, ranked by market capitalization, was Chinese," Hartnett says. "Now the top three are Chinese."
As far as U.S. investments are concerned, investors may consider globally oriented brand-name companies that export to high-growth countries such as India and Brazil, which have burgeoning consumer markets. "When you wake up one day in the emerging world and recognize you've made it to the middle class, you want a Big Mac, a Coca-Cola and a pair of Nike sneakers," observes Robert Doll, Vice Chairman and Global Chief Investment Officer of Equities at the BlackRock investment firm.
While it makes sense to invest in sectors poised for growth, even hard-hit industries such as U.S. banking and real estate may offer best-of-breed candidates.
"The commercial real estate sector is one of the main beneficiaries of U.S. government intervention, so there are opportunities to invest in REITs [real estate investment trusts], not only on the equity side but also in fixed income," says Doll
While no investment strategy can guarantee success, screening for best-of-breed stocks offers important historic lessons for choosing equities suited to today's global downturn, says Hartnett.
(A Merrill Lynch Senior Financial Advisor. She can be reached at 410-213-8520.)


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Here are some of the notable quotes from around Major League Baseball this week:
"What can they say now that we're world champions? Twenty-five years they've waited. I was barely born."
-- Jimmy Rollins, noting that he's not yet 30 years old while the Phillies just won their first championship in 28 years, and the city of Philadelphia got its first since the 76ers won it all in 1983. (Philadelphia Daily News)
"It's a frustrating thing to go home for the next week or so and sit at home and not have something to do. Everybody had plans of playing tomorrow. I have to think of something to do. I don't know what the heck I'm going to do tomorrow."
-- Cliff Floyd commenting on Rays seeing their season come to an end after losing Game 5 of the World Series to Philadelphia, giving the Phillies a 4-1 series win. (Tampa Tribune)
"I think right now we just have to take it all in. We lost the World Series -- it's not something to be proud about. But the one good thing about it is that we did have an unbelievable Cinderella season. I think in a couple days we're going to look back and go, man, we did something that nobody in the whole entire universe would have thought we'd have done. We shocked the world when we did that."
-- James Shields talking about the just-concluded 2008 season after the Rays fell to Philadelphia 4-3 in Game 5 of the World Series, giving the Phillies a 4-1 series win. (St. Petersburg Times)
"I feel like a winner now."
-- World Series MVP Cole Hamels. (Philadelphia Daily News)
"It's obviously disappointing -- we felt that we had a good enough team to get it done and we came up just a little bit short. What a season to be able to go from worst like that to be in the World Series right here! That is just special."
-- Scott Kazmir commenting after the Rays lost Game 5 of the World Series, 4-3, to Philadelphia, giving the Phillies a 4-1 series win and the title. (St. Petersburg Times)
"It's a good thing he was perfect because this is unbelievable. It was a lot of hard work and it's all for a reason now."
-- Ryan Madson on teammate Brad Lidge, who finished the entire season without a blown save, after he closed out the Phillies' Game 5 win on Wednesday night. (Philadelphia Daily News)
"If Aki had made that play, it would have been a great play, but it didn't happen."
-- Joe Madden talking about Rays second baseman Akinori Iwamura, who came close to making an-over-the-shoulder catch on a Jayson Werth blooper over a drawn-in infield in the sixth inning, allowing Geoff Jenkins to score from third base with one out and give the Phillies a 3-2 lead in Game 5 of the World Series. (St. Petersburg Times)
"This is a great situation. I'm even more excited for that guy who's holding the MVP. He deserves it. He's the ace."
-- Jamie Moyer, expressing his appreciation for a job well done by teammate and World Series MVP Cole Hamels. (Philadelphia Daily News)
"We really thought we were going to go back to Tampa. It's kind of tough on us right now. We didn't think we would lose three games straight up here and we really thought we'd make it a better series."
-- Carl Crawford after losing Game 5 of the World Series to Philadelphia and losing the series, 4-1, to the Phillies. (Tampa Tribune)
"It's perfection shared with everybody else in here. Without them, it couldn't happen."
-- Brad Lidge, who was quick to credit his teammates after closing out Game 5 of the World Series. (Philadelphia Daily News)
"I didn't think I'd have a chance to get him at first base, to be honest with you."
-- Chase Utley, on the decision to throw home in Game 5 of the World Series in a play that saw him throw out Tampa Bay's Jason Bartlett at home instead of trying to make a play at first base on Akinori Iwamura. (MLB.com)
"I still don't feel anything. It feels like just another win. It feels like we have another game to play tomorrow."
-- Shane Victorino, after the Phillies won the World Series on Wednesday night. (MLBlogs.comi>)
"That's been completely out of my mind up until this point. I love it here, and the team has treated me very well."
-- Rocco Baldelli commenting on how he has not started to think about this offseason, one in which he will be a free agent. (St. Petersburg Times)
"He's been big for us at first base, third base, DH. We've had him play shortstop a couple of nights. He's a switch-hitter who gets big hits. I just really like the guy a lot."
-- Rays manager Joe Maddon on the impact and versatility of former Braves infielder Willy Aybar. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
"It was tough to see, tough to feel your fingers, tough to do everything. It was probably the toughest six innings of baseball I've ever had to play."
-- Evan Longoria commenting on playing in the bitter cold, wind and rain on Monday night in Game 5 of the World Series in Philadelphia. (St. Petersburg Times)
"A lot of teams thought he was good, not just the Dodgers. I don't think anybody was thinking he would be the No. 1 pick in the draft three years later."
-- Dodgers assistant general manager/scouting Logan White on Rays phenom David Price, whom the club selected out of high school in the 19th round. (Los Angeles Times)
"After getting on the bus in front of the fans we just saw, you don't have to tell them much. We got cursed out as much as you can get cursed out in one minute."
-- Cliff Floyd on the reception the Rays got from Philadelphia fans when getting on the team bus at the hotel in Philadelphia. (St. Petersburg Times)
"Beanie showed up with three bags and a box. I don't even know -- that might be like 36-40 hoagies. ... We really have enough to almost feed the entire team. I'm passing them out. They're in the clubhouse right now. She did not let us down."
-- Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon discussing his mother, Beanie, and more than a dozen other relatives, going to Philadelphia and bringing the usual complement of hometown delicacies. Maddon grew up in the Philadelphia area. (St. Petersburg Times)
This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Just after 2 p.m. on Monday afternoon, firefighters received a call for a wildfire off Flynn Creek Road in Comptche.
The wildfire had spread to near 200 acres by the time of firefighters arrived. Firefighters continue to try to contain it.
The latest report from Wednesday morning was 29 fire crews of 765 firefighters, with 47 fire engines, five bulldozers, and a helicopter have contained 50 percent of the fire. At one point, four air tankers and three helicopters were helping fight the fire.
The fire is burning to the east into commercial timber property.
As of Wednesday morning, there was no order for anyone to evacuate.
Five structures have been destroyed in this fire; it is unclear at this point whether the structures were residential or commercial.
Updates will be posted immediately online and on Facebook and a more detailed report will follow in next week's edition of The Mendocino Beacon. UPDATE as of 6 A.M. Thursday, Oct. 4. The fire has been 95 percent contained. CAL FIRE expects full containment by the end of the day. "The forward progress of the fire has been stopped," says the press release. "Firefighters are working hard to complete a fire line. Heavy mop-up efforts 300 feet inside the line. Significant demobilization of resources to begin."


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The team looked impressive especially on defence in the third when we had combinations of KL DD TR AB ED JV
Casey's clearly learning a coaching tip every couple of games. He's already learned not to use 11 man rotations, to not play Aaron Grey or John Lucas, and to play Valanciunas in the 4th quarter. By this logic, when the season ends he'll be better than Phil Jackson or Pop. I believe!
I wish we had an owner like Mark Cuban as he's rip the NBA and not worry about the fines. BC or Casey have to have his back and say something and how has Casey not been T'd up with all of the missed calls.
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For whatever reason, I decided that Mojos would be my ball until I'm good enough to care. I buy them 4 dozen at a time on ebay for about $8 a dozen. Thankfully, my purchase from last year is still doing me OK. They're perfectly fine for me. They're round, have dimples and go really far when I hit them well. Conversely, they'll go way left when I slice it. Just like any other ball.
I've played 36 before on a couple of occasions. You are weary as hell by the time youre done.


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HELLP syndrome is a rare, but serious condition. It is a form of severe preeclampsia that occurs during pregnancy or just after delivery. HELLP stands for:
- H emolysis
- E levated
- L iver enzymes
- L ow
- P latelet count
HELLP involves 3 types of problems:
- Hemolysis is the destruction of red blood cells. This can lead to anemia.
- High levels of liver enzymes. Liver enzymes are chemicals in the blood that show how well the liver is working. High levels of enzymes mean the liver has been damaged.
- Low platelet count. Platelets are components that help stop bleeding. A low level of platelets can lead to problems with bleeding.
Risk Factors
HELLP syndrome is more common in Caucasian women over the age of 25 years. Other factors that increase your chance of getting HELLP syndrome include:
- Two or more previous deliveries
- Preeclampsia or HELLP in a previous pregnancy
Some women may have no symptoms at all. When they do appear, symptoms may include:
- Pain in your upper right abdomen
- Nausea or vomiting
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Swelling
- Vision changes
- Bleeding from gums
Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done. Tests may include a complete blood count and liver function tests.
Talk with your doctor about the best treatment plan for you. Treatment will depend on how many weeks along you are in your pregnancy.
The only cure for HELLP syndrome is delivery of your baby. If you are 34 weeks pregnant or less, your doctor may recommend trying other treatments until you reach 34 weeks of pregnancy.
- Corticosteroids to help the fetal lungs mature if your baby will be premature
- Magnesium sulfate to prevent seizures in the mother
- Blood pressure medications, if your blood pressure is high
In some cases of HELLP, transfusions of platelets or red blood cells are used to increase the number of these cells.
There is no known way to prevent HELLP syndrome. If you have HELLP with one pregnancy, you are at increased risk to develop it again during another pregnancy. See your doctor regularly during pregnancy. If you develop the condition, it can be treated.
Revision Information
- Reviewer: Andrea Chisholm, MD
- Review Date: 04/2017 -
- Update Date: 05/20/2015 -


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World Series Game 4: Giants at Tigers, 8:07 p.m.
Not one thing on the positive side of zero has happened for the Detroit Tigers in this World Series.
There has been no good luck, no happy thoughts, no joyful vibes.
It's been a series filled with bad breaks, gloomy dispositions and losses as Detroit gone from championship favorites to left for dead in the matter of four days. The San Francisco Giants have made sure of this, taking a 3-0 lead in this best-of-seven series and sucking in everything and anything that can even be remotely considered encouraging.
They've left the Tigers with nothing but the fading scent of a World Series title that was once within their reach but no longer seems possible.
"There's no secret formula or message for them," Tiger manager Jim Leyland said after Game 3. "They're big guys. They know what the situation is."
That situation now is this: Win Game 4 on Sunday night or face a winter knowing you barely bothered to show up in the biggest games of the season.
How did it get to this point?
World Series Game 4: Avila out | Cain vs. Scherzer | Odds
First there was the completely wacky Game 1 in which one of baseball's aces of aces, Justin Verlander, pitched like a fifth option overwhelmed by the moment. There was also Pablo Sandoval, who decided he needed some game-used equipment in Cooperstown so he clicked off three homers to attract some attention from MLB authenticators.
Beyond that, the Tigers have been the nerdy wallflowers too shy to strike up a conversation at a high school party. They can't score.
Their nearly weeklong layoff has been somewhat to blame for the offense vanishing and Giants pitching has obviously been the co-conspirator. But three meaningless runs in the first game and not one since is a bit ridiculous.
Detroit is hitting .165/.248/.220 with a .467 OPS, and the numbers with runners in scoring position are probably too offensive to write in a public forum, so we'll give you some time to send the kids and the easily disturbed to the other room…
OK. Here they are: 1-for-11, .091/.167/.091.
The disappointment in those situations was never displayed more than the fifth inning Saturday. In the 40-something-degree temperature and with the Tiger offense even more frigid, the AL Triple Crown winner stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and the scoreboard favoring the Giants, 2-0.
Tigers' Cabrera beats Trout for SN Player of the Year | Past Players of the Year
The fans at Comerica Park, all night just looking for any sign of life from their team they could rally around, stood and screamed. This was a potential series-changing moment they were about to witness.
Miguel Cabrera stepped into the box with Ryan Vogelsong on the mound, bases loaded and two outs.
Two pitches later, the encounter was over. Cabrera had popped up to shortstop and Vogelsong walked off of the mound with the shutout still in tact. Cabrera walked back to his position with the Tigers' confidence and hopes strewn over nearly three games' worth of wreckage.
If the last two Octobers have reminded us of anything about this sport, it's that it has no clock ticking down, so there is always a chance until there definitely isn't anymore. Comebacks have become commonplace and almost expected.
One of the problems with that is the Tigers' main example of a team achieving that improbably feat are the Giants in the other clubhouse, winners of two postseason series after facing elimination six times.
— McNeal: Giants taking nothing for granted
After Game 3 of this series the Tigers said what they were supposed to. They reminded reporters that the series isn't over, and that as long as there is another game to play there is always a chance.
But unlike two nights prior when those same things were spouted in San Francisco after the Tigers had lost the first two games, when they said them in Detroit it was more like they were trying to convince themselves.
The tone had changed. The delivery and the looks that accompanied them were sullen.
And while it takes nothing more than a single at-bat to change attitudes from negative to positive, the Tigers look like a team that knows that at-bat presented itself already and that it might not make a cameo.
The teammates who were supposed to overmatch their Senior Circuit opponents are now on the verge of saying their goodbyes and parting ways until February, without a World Series trophy to accompany them.
"Obviously," Prince Fielder said to reporters after Game 3, "you don't visualize this."


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Wednesday, Jan. 22
7:01 p.m. An officer returned a phone call and spoke with a woman about her vehicle being rammed and pushed into a garage. The woman said her ex-husband had borrowed $1,000 for her to buy a car from a woman. The woman said she was supposed to pay the woman $250 a month until the amount was paid off but she said that the vehicle was not running and that it had been parked at her ex-husbands house. The woman said she told the other woman that she could not pay for a vehicle that was not running. The woman said she picked up her daughter from her ex husbands house and her daughter told her that somebody had rammed the vehicle with another vehicle. The woman told the officer that she believed it was the woman that she was buying the vehicle from that did this. The officer reported to the ex-husband's house who said that he believed that his ex-wife was the one who rammed the vehicle and not the other woman. The officer did not see any damage consistent with the vehicle being struck by another car. The damage to the garage door was caused by a bottle jack. The officer then went to the other woman's residence and did not observe any damage on the car consistent to the damage on the other vehicle. The officer spoke with the other woman who said she had been at her sisters since the day before and had not driven at all. There are no leads or suspects in this case.
Friday, Jan. 24
9:30 p.m. An officer was parked in his marked patrol vehicle at the intersection of east Main and south Madison St. when he was approached by a man who told him he needed help getting home. The man told the officer he was trying to get to Arizona. The officer could smell an unknown alcohol beverage on the man's breath. The officer asked the man where he was staying and the man said he was staying at the casino and pointed to the City Market. The officer advised the man that the casino was south of town and the man said no that he was staying in New Mexico. The man said that he was actually staying in Arizona and that he was 19 years old. The officer asked the man if he could perform a pat down of his outer clothing for safety reasons and the man said he could. The officer found 8 full 12 oz. cans of bud light in the mans pockets. The man agreed to taking a PBT and the results were .240. Since the officer could not get an answer out of the man of anywhere in Cortez he could go he arrested him and charged him with underage consumption.
Saturday, Jan. 25
2:14 p.m. An officer was requested to call a woman to take a report of a stolen vehicle. The woman stated her boyfriend broke up with her while at Wal-Mart on the 24th of January. The woman said he got mad at her and took her vehicle without her permission from the Wal-Mart parking lot and went to New Mexico. The woman said she wanted her vehicle entered as stolen. On Jan. 26 at approximately 5:30 a.m. the officer received a note from another officer stating that the woman had called back on Jan. 25 at 8:10 p.m. and said her vehicle had been returned to her and she did not want to pursue charges. The report was canceled.
11:26 p.m. Dispatch requested an officer to respond to a residence for an active fight. As the officer was responding to the area, dispatch advised him that a Native American male wearing a black jacket with long dark hair left the area on foot. When the officer arrived in the area he attempted to locate the male. Approximately five minutes later another officer aired that he was in a foot pursuit with a male matching the description. The officer reported to the location and observed the officer and a male on the ground. The man was resisting arrest and was finally arrested with the help of two other officers. While arresting the man the officer could smell a strong odor of an unknown alcohol beverage coming from his breath. The officer then went back to the residence and spoke with the victims. A man and woman both said a man they had never met before knocked on the door of their residence, when they opened the door the man asked if he could come in and crash at their place tonight. The man at the residence told the Native American male that he could not come in and that he was not welcome inside of his home. The man said that the Native American male said, "That's not cool bro " and pushed the door open. The man said the Native American male pushed him so he wrestled him to the ground and escorted him out of his house. He said he did not see which we the man went after that. The man and woman said they would like to press charges on male. The man was arrested and charged with 1st degree burglary, 3rd degree assault and resisting arrest.


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Club cricket Pattinson's only pathway back to world stage
JAMES PATTINSON must prepare for his international return by playing club cricket next weekend because Cricket Australia says a return through the Big Bash League would compromise its integrity.
Pattinson, 22, has exceeded all expectations for his recovery from a rib injury suffered in the Adelaide Test and is back bowling three times weekly, albeit limited to about six overs per session.
CA's prediction that the fast bowler Pattinson would be unable to resume until after the BBL prompted his team, Melbourne Stars, to replace him with South Australia's Daniel Worrall, although they have since admitted they would have left him on their list had they known he was a chance to be fit for the tail end of the tournament.
Under present BBL rules once a player is replaced they are no longer eligible, irrespective of fitness. The Stars have officially requested CA relax this rule on the basis Pattinson is a key national-team player whose preparation for the looming ODI series could be enhanced by representing the finals-bound Stars.
While CA is yet to officially respond to the request - a verdict is expected on Thursday - its executive general manager of operations, Mike McKenna, told Fairfax Media he was not envisaging special dispensation for Pattinson.
''There's no provision for a rule change and no Cricket Australia board meeting scheduled so I don't think it's going to come up,'' McKenna said.
''It would've been great for James to be playing but we've got rules that have been put in place and all the teams have lived with those rules. James was not the only player ruled out and he's not the only player ready to go again. While he's an Australian player we've got to look at the integrity of the competition rules. I don't see them changing.
''We've got to be fair on the other teams. Some teams have carried injured players. The [Adelaide] Strikers have carried Andrew McDonald through the season hoping he'll be fit again. Others have replaced players with guys who probably aren't of the same standard but felt it was best to do that. The Stars have made their decision and may well have to live with it.''
McKenna said CA would consider list-management changes as part of a comprehensive post-season review but maintained ''right now we're not willing to change it mid-season''.
''If the competition's got credibility you've got to make sure that your rules [reflect] that. It's not 'Is this rule right or wrong?' It's 'Is it right to change it mid-stream?'.''
Pattinson last week told a Boxing Day Test breakfast he was hopeful ''Cricket Australia lift the rule … and I can get back via the Big Bash''.
Should CA maintain its stance against Pattinson representing the Stars, whose squad could be depleted by the start of the ODI series that overlaps the BBL finals, the right-armer's comeback appearance would be for Dandenong on January 12, at home to St Kilda in Victorian Premier Cricket. All three BBL finals will be held in the week following that match.
Playing club cricket may not be ideal for Pattinson's return to Australia's ODI squad but it could aid his preparation for next month's Test tour of India.
Jesse Hogan has been a reporter at The Age since 2004, and has been part of its sports department since 2008. He is primarily focused on cricket and has covered a number of the Australian team's overseas tours, including the 2011 World Cup. He also reports on AFL and soccer.
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© 2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Tribe targeting prudent upgrade options
Shapiro busy at Winter Meetings, but deals likely on hold
By Anthony Castrovince / MLB.com
LAS VEGAS -- That line from the Vegas-glorifying movie "Swingers" -- "You're so money, and you don't even know it" -- doesn't apply to the Indians these days. They don't have much money, and they know it.
While the Tribe has multiple needs in this winter marketplace, it appears doubtful the club will be able to add a player of major impact in multiple areas. That's the simple math that comes with having roughly 70 percent of your anticipated 2009 payroll tied up in 11 players already under contract.
"We're just trying to make the best impact to our team that we can," general manager Mark Shapiro said Monday, as baseball's annual Winter Meetings began in earnest at the Bellagio. "With the economic realities as they are and us knowing our resources are going to have to be very focused and very precise, we're just going to make the biggest impact in runs scored or runs [prevented]. That may be an infielder, a starter, a closer, or one of each at a lower level. Time will tell."
And time has not been of the essence in this slow-progressing Hot Stove season. The Indians, like many other teams, have been forced to play the waiting game while the big fish get settled.
When it comes to the impact player, the Indians' chief priority right now is to add a closer, and they'll probably be able to do so in a market saturated with free agents (Francisco Rodriguez, Brian Fuentes, Trevor Hoffman, Kerry Wood, Jason Isringhausen and Brandon Lyon, among others) and potential trade bait (the Mariners' J.J. Putz, the Pirates' Matt Capps and the Orioles' George Sherrill, among others).
It's not an enviable position, but it's nonetheless likely the Indians will need the Mets to act first, because the Mets are in a better financial position to set the market.
The Mets have reportedly offered Rodriguez, who saved a Major League-record 62 games last season, a three-year contract believed to be worth around $36 million, but it appears K-Rod is likely to hold out for more. The remaining free-agent closers are waiting to see what K-Rod commands before they put themselves in a position to sign.
But while the Indians must wait, Shapiro said they aren't doing so idly.
"We've been very active in our conversations, both trade and free agent," Shapiro said. "It took a little while to get started, but we've been as busy as we've ever been at a Winter Meetings."
While the Indians have a glaring need for an infielder, the closer search looks to be more fruitful.
"It's definitely the deepest market," Shapiro said. "We've been fairly open in saying that. And there are trade alternatives that are certainly available. That's certainly a market that we have to explore."
But the Indians continue to explore possibilities in the infield, some of which involve Jhonny Peralta making the move from shortstop to third base. Peralta is already playing third in the Dominican Winter League so that he'd be acclimated to the hot corner if a move is made.
At the moment, the Indians' preference is to leave Peralta where he is. But that could change in a hurry.
"Peralta is our shortstop," Shapiro said. "We've played Jhonny at third in the Dominican because we could. We thought it was a good opportunity for him to get comfortable at the position in the event that we acquire a player that justifies considering the move. But we have not yet acquired a player like that."
Don't rule out the possibility of the Indians acquiring a shortstop, moving Peralta and leaving second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera where he is.
Now that Rafael Furcal has turned down a multiyear offer from the A's, the Indians will reach out to his agent, Paul Kinzer, this week. But if Furcal is adamant about obtaining a four-year contract worth $12 million annually, as has been speculated, it's difficult to imagine it coming from the Indians. They have concerns about the 32-year-old Furcal's injury history. A left ankle injury and back surgery have limited him to just 174 games over the last two seasons.
One rumor that surfaced Monday and was reported by Yahoo! Sports linked the Indians to trade talks involving Astros shortstop Miguel Tejada. But Shapiro indicated that rumor was bogus.
In general, few rumors are flying about the Indians, primarily because they are not players for the market's big names.
"We certainly don't have the ability to play at the highest levels of the market," Shapiro said. "Even if we get to the next level, it's hard to say we [can make] multiple moves. We'll balance our offseason decisions, take the resources we've got and make the highest impact we can make."
Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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she definitely a slutty whore with a big round juicy ass will always hungry for cocks, I wish I could fuck her both glory holes or do have a slutty girl like her for me
It's gotta feel so good with a pussy and another man's cock rubbing together.. And then the cum..well, that's so hot and naughty. How come Jean and Wayne seem to be the only real DP creampies on this site? With millions of views you'd think there would be more.. I'd love to be the other cock in your threesome.. Really nice..
She is one HOT woman! She really knows how to work that pussy till those men couldn't take anymore and blew both their loads inside her! HOT!!! I'd love to be in her place feeling those men pumping me and hearing them call out before they blow their HOT spunky loads in my warm pussy! x
While my sister in law was staying our house and I was fucking her she dripped a big creampie out on my bed just before my gf (her sis)got home from her graveyard shift,when she layed down on the wet spot on the sheets and I had to explain that I had just jacked a load there.Her response was not to let her sister catch me masturbating,I just about died....
Not into double penetration either but would love to take sloppy seconds with a body like that!!! Would like to take you doggy style so I could enjoy looking at that beautiful ass as I cum deep inside you!!
i came all over the place
this is so fucking hot! love it!!!
So do i
would love to use a friends sperm as lube in a wet cunt so i could sperm in it too
Yip its really nice to share a warm wet pussy with another hot guys cock
that was hot 2 watch i lasted seconds then i cum all over the place....wet wet wet fingers... i wana b her x
That is so HOT !! Damn I wish I'll do that one day soon. Rubbing my hard cock against my buddy's cock until we both shoot our loads in a wet pussy.
does that count as gay rubbing your cock against another even if it is in a pussy?
Good Show Jean Swing! :)
Agree, outstanding to participate in a DP, always manage to pump a huge load of cum in my wife ass as one of her young studs from work spends the night with his hard cock in her tight pussy.
I love to watch spunk dripping from my girlfriends pussy after a good fucking.She often scoops it out and sucks her fingers.
I do this often with my gf and her sister and her bf but my gf is pregnant , we often have 4somes so now we both blow our loads into my gf sister
Omg yeah! I have done this before and it's SO awesome! I wish I could do it alot more...the feeling of both men blowing that load and moaning...mmmmm yeah! I cum within a couple minutes of watching this. =)
mm. I want to be the guy on the bottom. I'd love to feel my cock flooded with hot, sticky cum while balls-deep in a tight, wet, pussy... I'd cum an instant later and feel both loads rush out of her used snatch all over my shaft and balls. Fuck that's hot.
Yea anon that's just how I like it
I agree buddy !
these guys seem to love rubbing and spooging all over each other. Hm, well, showbiz is showbiz
Jean Swing is the REAL THING!!
How can i join this club. this looks like it could be fun since my wife don't give me sex any more
@Laura..you sound hot.. I want you.. For the hot naughty fucking..
I am not much of a fan of double penetration, but I certianly do love sliding from one to the other!
more vids like this please would love to be there to clean up
i would lick every last bit of cum from her sweet hole and even clean those fuck sticks an make em shine. love the sweet cream flavor. oh baby i need some.
These JS videos are so ficking hot! They are real, she is into it and thet are flat out doing it. Jean and Wayne are hot! Hope you keep making more.
Mr Ezz..You had a lucky escape. Its great to share a pussy and have your cock rubbing with another guys in a girls hole.
I just love how she loves to feel the spunk fill her, saying "Load me up" ...SOOOO sexy!!
The second best part would be licking that cum filled pussy and sucking the other guys spunky cock. Like big cjef I can almost taste the lovely salty spunk hmmmm
i came just thinking about this
Seeing this woman go slow taking her clothes off just sends all sorts of feelings through me.
Just look at that cum. Tell me you dont wanna suck on that cock with all that other pussy juice and mans cum on it. I can almost taste the lovely salty spunk. hmmmm
Schon meine Grossmutter sagte immer: Doppelt haelt besser. Recht hat sie!
Think i Wont?? cause i would lol
ok baby, you lick their come off their cocks and balls and i'll take good care of your sopping pussy
God damn! I just busted all over the place! HOT!
i wud love to be her xxx
Can i clean that up for you please
i wanna go last
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January 6, 2012 – The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors is urging the public to be cautious when handling hot liquids and soups. Scald burns are the second leading cause of all burn injuries and children, older adults and people with disabilities are especially at risk.
"In winter, there's nothing as comforting as a warm cup of soup," said Lorraine Carli, vice president of communications for NFPA. "But if you're not careful this simple meal can turn painful."
Scald burns are the second leading cause of all burn injuries. According to the study "Instant cup of soup: design flaws increase risk of burns" released by the Journal of Burn Care & Research, prepackaged microwavable soups, especially noodle soups, are a frequent cause of scald burn injuries because they can easily tip over, pouring hot liquid and noodles on the person.
"It is amazing that many people believe that hot water is not a common cause of severe burns. For a child, it is the most common burn injury. Scalds are almost always preventable. When they occur, a child may be scarred for life. Next time you are cooking or even holding a cup of coffee in your hand think about the small ones below you," said Dr. David Greenhalgh, a co-author of the study and Chief of Burns at Shriners Hospitals for Children Northern California and UC Davis Medical Center.
"We see the devastating and sometimes lifelong consequences of scalds every day. It is important to remind the public to take precautions to avoid injury," said Amy Acton, executive director of the Phoenix Society. A scald injury can happen at any age. To help prevent scald injuries, NFPA and the Phoenix Society offer some safety tips:
For more information on reducing the risk of these types of burns, view NFPA's scald prevention tip sheet.
About the Phoenix Society
The Phoenix Society for Burn Survivors is the leading national nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering anyone affected by a burn injury through peer support, education, and advocacy. Visit the Phoenix Society's website at www.phoenix-society.org.
About the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
NFPA is a worldwide leader in fire, electrical, building, and life safety. The mission of the international nonprofit organization founded in 1896 is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.
Subscribe to NFPA RSS News feeds
Contact: Lorraine Carli, Public Affairs Office: +1 617 984-7275
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© National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 2018


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I didn't like the fact that Edward kept jumping everywhere. It was unnecessary, somewhat.
And when they were 'declaring' how they felt didn't seem so... real.
Sure, the 'and so the lion fell in love with the lamb' lines were there, but it just didn't feel right.
First he was mad, then he changes to another. It was... I don't know. Could've made it WAY better.
And that was NOT how I pictured them at all. I was picturing the meadow to be some kind of 'hidden' place only the two of them knew. Not... the school's backyard.
And then, it was sad how they didn't put the 'Be Safe' scene there. Edward was supposed to put that in Bella's truck before he went hunting and they just completely didn't even add it onto there. I thought that part would've been really romantic.
Then there were two other scenes I really wished they included. The whole 'breakfast time for the human' scene when Bella passes out when Edward kisses her again.. it would've been really sweet. And I wish they included the 'tamper with your memory' scene. It was also the first time Edward says 'I love you' to Bella. I wish they really added that there.
spookybell wrote:Um... Is Alice's transformation explained in Twilight or New Moon???
Bella finds out how Alice transformed in Twilight, when James explained to her that one exception when he didn't kill someone. And that happened to be Alice because the guy from the institution changed her.


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Jay-Z, Keys Pick Up Tony Award Noms
Jay-Z, Keys Pick Up Tony Award Noms
Nominations were announced today for the 2010 Tony Awards with GRAMMY winners Jay-Z, Alicia Keys and Will Smith picking up 11 nominations, including Best Musical, for their production of "Fela!" Jay-Z, Keys, Smith, and producer Jada Pinkett Smith, among others, are tied for most nominations of the year with the revival of "La Cage Aux Folles." Also picking up a nomination for Best Musical was "American Idiot," based on the GRAMMY-winning Green Day album, and GRAMMY winner Bon Jovi's David Bryan for "Memphis." The Tony Awards will take place June 13 in New York. (5/4)
Sirius XM Radio Posts Profit
Sirius XM Radio has posted its second consecutive quarterly profit with a first-quarter net income of $41.6 million, compared to the year-earlier loss of $238.8 million. First quarter sales increased 11 percent to $670.6 million, and the company added 171,441 net subscribers, bringing the total subscriber base to 19 million, according to Sirius XM Chief Executive Mel Karmazin. (5/4)
UMG Acquires Finnish Indie Groups
Universal Music Group will acquire Finnish rock and pop music companies Johanna Kustannus, Love Music Publishing and Siboney. While terms have not been disclosed, the dncluded in the deal is the recorded music catalog of Love Records, which includes artists Agit-Prop, Tabula Rasa and Wigwam. The agreement follows a previous distribution deal between UMG and Siboney, which has released more than 200 albums from the Love Records catalog and Johanna Kustannus, including albums by Hanoi Rocks, the Leningrad Cowboys and Pelle Miljoona. (5/4)


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The 12 Guys of Christmas: The Dapper Man
The Dapper Man's the type of guy who takes his time on things and still comes out ahead. He's an example of a well curated life and considers all the details. These gifts are sure way to show your secret hero you're on his level, and you got "it" too.


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Saturday 6th July 2013
First House
Second House
£40.00 - £60.00
Since the runaway success of her 1990 debut album Circle of One (which went Platinum), and the impassioned hit single "Get Here" (the Brenda Russell composition that became an unofficial anthem of the 1991 Gulf War) Oleta Adams has inspired a growing legion of fans in the U.S. and Europe with journeys of the heart via songs that draw deeply from her roots in gospel, while crossing effortlessly into the realms of soul, R&B, urban, and popular music. Her success, nurtured by worldwide tours with Tears for Fears, Phil Collins, Michael Bolton, and Luther Vandross, has been solidified by four Grammy nominations and a seemingly bottomless well of creative energy.
Oleta will be adding to her musical legacy with the release of a new secular album, Let's Stay Here, on April 21st of this year. Although Oleta has had the opportunity to work with many fantastic producers over her career, she decided to produce this album herself in addition to writing eight of the ten songs. Let's Stay Here is a creative and evocative project with a soulful jazz influence and songs that project many tantalizing thoughts. The songs weave through many a journey including a seductive love affair, vacation bliss, an abusive relationship, forgiveness, as well as a cover of Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" which was featured on a recent Buick commercial television ad campaign.
A long-time resident of Kansas City, Kansas, where she has found sanctuary from the turmoil of the entertainment industry, Oleta Adams also remains anchored by her upbringing in the Pacific Northwest. The youngest of three girls and two boys, Oleta spent her formative years in Seattle before traveling over the mountains at age six to Yakima, Washington, an idyllic town of 60,000. She first demonstrated her budding vocal gifts in the Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church where her father served as minister.
By the time Oleta was eleven, she was directing and accompanying four choirs, having already established herself as a piano prodigy. She credits her further musical development in junior high school to Lee Farrell, "the brilliant Julliard-trained teacher and voice coach who changed my life." School provided another outlet for Oleta Adams: the theatrical stage. In her senior year she broke barriers and traditions as the star of Hello Dolly! admitting that "early on I realized the pleasures of being a big fish in a small pond."
Turning down the chance to pursue an operatic career as a lyric soprano, along with a scholarship to Pacific Lutheran University, Oleta instead spent a summer in Europe before heading to Los Angeles in the early 1970s. One demo tape and $5,000 later, she discovered that the disco movement had deafened music executives. Oleta's gospel-flavored voice was not "in." With the help of Coach Lee Farrell she wound up in Kansas City, where she launched her career playing piano bars, hotel lounges and showrooms.
Oleta quickly became a local institution, with her own billboard and a regular gig at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Celebrities from every musical genre caught her act, including Eartha Kitt, Cab Calloway, Air Supply, Gino Vanelli, Yes and Billy Joel. Finally serendipity came in the form of the British band Tears for Fears, whose frontmen Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith asked her to appear on their 1989 "The Seeds of Love' album, video and European tour. Proving that good things come to those who wait, upon her return to the U.S. Oleta signed a record deal for her first solo album in 1991.
With seven CDs, including secular, gospel, a Christmas album, and soon the eighth, Let's Stay Here, worldwide acclaim and over two-and a-half million albums sold, Oleta's musical odyssey continues – spiritually and creatively. For this consummate artist- composer-producer-musician, many goals remain on the horizon.
Support: The Ronnie Scotts All Stars
+ support tonight: The Ronnie Scotts All Stars with Special Guest vocalists Emma Smith (Mon) and Natalie Williams (Tues)
Monday's band line up: Alex Garnett (tenor sax), James Pearson (piano), Sam Burgess (bass) and Ed Richardson (drums).
Tuesday's band line up: is Alex Garnett (tenor sax), James Pearson (piano), Sam Burgess (bass) and Chris Higginbottom
The Ronnie Scott's All Stars are comprised of some of the greatest talents on the U.K scene, including some of our most regular performers James Pearson (piano), Sam Burgess (bass) and Pedro Segundo (drums)
James Pearson:-
Musical Director at Ronnie Scott's and the owner of a ferocious piano technique coupled with a sense of musicality rarely heard, James Pearson is one of the most exciting musicians to have emerged from the U.K in the last 25 years. After working with him, the late jazz legend Sir John Dankworth declared: "James Pearson is an exceptionally gifted artist. His masterful playing makes him head and shoulders above the rest of his contemporaries. He shows signs of true greatness".
Sam Burgess:-
Double Bass Despite only being in his early 30's, already Sam is a stalwart of the UK jazz scene. As well as appearing on numerous film soundtracks such as 'Bridget Jones's Diary' and 'Hannibal'. Sam's thumping, pounding, relentlessly driving bass lines have been heard accompanying the likes of Bob James, Billy Kilson, Gary Novak, Joe Lock, Dave Kekowski, Guy Barker, Dave O'Higgins, Pete King, Gareth Williams, Claire Martin, Jim Mullen, Alan Barnes, Tim Whitehead, John Horler, Gwyneth Herbert, John Dankworth, The BBC Big Band and Robbie Williams.
Pedro Segundo:-
At 22 years old Pedro Segundo, Portuguese drummer joins the James Pearson Trio at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club.
Born and raised in Lisbon, picked up the drums seriously at the age of eight starting studying classical percussion a year later. In June 2011 he graduates from Guildhall School of Music and Drama in Timpani and Classical Percussion. His musical ability combines a blend of styles creating a unique sound on the drum set. He has played regularly with Dennis Rollins, Femi Temowo, Mário Franco, Cleveland Watkiss and many other artists touring in festivals all around the globe.
Other regular performers include:
Dave Ohm (drums), Natalie Williams (vocals), Alex Garnett (sax), Nigel Price (guitar), Steve Rushton (drums), Polly Gibbons (vocals), Alistair White (trombone), Gary Baldwin (hammond), Al Cherry (guitar), Matt Home (drums), Alan Barnes (sax), Ralph Salmins (drums), Arnie Somogyi (bass), Mark Smith (bass), James Nisbet (guitar), Pete Long (sax), Gerard Presencer (Trumpet), Dave O'Higgins (sax), Alec Dankworth (bass), Steve Fishwick (trumpet) and others...
To find out more, please go to:
Tell us what you think of Oleta Adams, Support: The Ronnie Scotts All Stars below..


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ORLANDO, Fla. - No one has been arrested so far for the murder of a local teen who was abducted and then killed nearly a year ago.
Joshua Johnson, 18, went missing on Aug. 15, 2012. Authorities said he was later found murdered, set on fire in a vacant home in Pine Hills.
For Patricia Davis, Johnson's grandmother, the middle of the week brings back reminders of her loss.
"I have to take it one day at a time," said Davis. "A lot of days don't be good days, but when Wednesday comes it's not a good day for me."
Johnson's family is pleading for clues to his death, wondering why he had to be killed.
"We don't know who did it, where they are at, or anything," said Davis. "No one has said anything, they have no leads."
Witnesses initially came forward and told police they saw Johnson fighting with two men, but thought the group was playing around.
But police said those two men attacked Johnson and forced him into a van.
Whitney Davis is Johnson's older sister, who says he was a funny guy, who always brightened everyone's day.
"He wouldn't want us to give up on him," said Davis. "I think about him all the time and he's always on my mind. Every time I look at my son, it reminds me of my brother."
The family said Johnson was getting his life back on track and was coming home from school the day he was kidnapped.
Despite no leads, the family believes people in the area know who did it, but are too scared to speak up.
"I'm really afraid they're going to do this again to someone else. They need to be caught and off the streets," said Davis.
If anyone has information, they are asked to call Crimeline at 1-800-423-TIPS. Callers can remain anonymous and are eligible for a reward up to $5,000.
Copyright 2013 by ClickOrlando.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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text: Previously in the Enterprise Avatar Contest... Thanks again for the votes! Next up we have Acquisition. Any episode with Jeffrey Combs is automatically a great one. The theme, care of my co-winner od0, is Ferengi from TNG to ENT! You may choose your Ferengi from any Trek show(s). The voting thread will go up this weekend. Have fun, all! I'll start things off: Episode: Theme:


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The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including the effectiveness of the control notice of exemption filed with the Surface Transportation Board, SteelRiver said.
In a related move, SteelRiver acknowledged its hiring of John Fenton as Patriot's new CEO once it completes its purchase. Fenton on Monday this week surprised many by announcing his departure from Southern California's Metrolink regional rail system, where he served as CEO.
Companies "have been after him for a long time. He's a talent that is hard to hold onto," observed Richard Katz, Metrolink's board chairman and a former state legislator, commenting to local media. "It's happened a lot sooner than I would have liked. Except for the family matters, I think he would still be here."
Fenton will succeed Patriot founder, Chairman, President and CEO Gary O. Marino, who will retire but provide consulting services to the new owners.
Boca Raton-based Patriot Rail oversees 13 short line and regional railroads in 13 states.
Chris Kinney, senior managing partner and CEO of SteelRiver Infrastructure Fund North America, commented: "Patriot is a highly complementary asset to our existing investment portfolio; we believe that the Company's scale and operating strategy will allow SteelRiver to capitalize on additional consolidation opportunities in the short line rail industry in North America." The transition to the new ownership is expected to be seamless, with no disruption in service to customers. Kinney added: "We highly value the operating and management team at Patriot and want to ensure that they continue to serve their customers who have come to rely on quality rail service."


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John D. Mayer is Professor of Psychology at the University of New Hampshire and the author of numerous scientific articles, books, and psychological tests.
The "Personality Analyst" posts are written by John D. Mayer unless otherwise noted. Each post is edited by Deborah Hirsch of By Your Side Editing (see link below).


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ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — A former U.S. Marine fighting extradition to the Philippines on charges of killing a couple said in a jailhouse letter professing his innocence that he would never do something "so heinous and stupid."
Timothy Kaufman, 35, has been jailed since his arrest in April near at his grandfather's Albany-area home. He is one of three men charged by authorities in the Philippines with the 2011 killing of a retired Northern Ireland police officer and his girlfriend. Philippine authorities seeking Kaufman's return allege he took part in a premeditated killing in an area known for its sometimes-seamy club scene.
Kaufman, in a handwritten letter to the media sent from jail, adamantly rebutted the charges.
"Let me make it abundantly clear that I did not kill those people," Kaufman wrote in a letter dated June 11. "I loved being in that country and I would not have done something so heinous and stupid to jeopardize myself there."
An extradition hearing is scheduled in federal court in Albany June 25.
Kaufman described himself in the four-page letter as a "Jewish kid from Knoxville," Tenn., who served in the Marines and loves his country. He said he went to the Philippines in April 2011 for some extended rest and relaxation.
The bodies of David Balmer, 54, and 26-year-old Elma de Guia were found dead on Sept. 2, 2011, in a bedroom in the Angeles City home of Richard Agnew, a club owner and friend of Balmer's. Kaufman was charged with two counts of murder along with Joseph Tramontano, a fellow American, and Jesus Santos Jr., a Filipino, who police say was the driver.
Kaufman left before charges were filed against him. In the letter, he said he had feared for his safety in a country where "if a foreigner doesn't have the money to pay then they are guilty." He claims he would not get a fair trial if extradited.
"I am no shining example of how a man should be," Kaufman wrote, "but I am also no murderer."


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PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL -- Newly formed National Kiddie Rides LLC made its debut at this year's International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions show, launching a three-rider carousel. The new Horsin' Around ride was designed by company founder A.J. Kress, who serves as president and chief operating officer of the new manufacturer.
"Our goal is not to reinvent the kiddie ride," Kress explained. "Rather, we are looking to reinvent the operator's view of these machines. Kiddie rides are plus business to an operator's existing route, including those who run jukeboxes and pool tables."
Kress is himself an operator, running Florida Music & Vending here. In his view, many fellow operators are overlooking the potential of modern, well maintained and intelligently placed kiddie rides to bolster route earnings and add value for appropriate locations. Kress has been running kiddie rides for the past seven months.
In addition to the brand-new carousel, which is proprietary to NKR, the company plans to distribute other rides from well-known manufacturers -- Jolly Roger among them. NKR is marketing these on a nonexclusive basis to facilitate one-stop shopping by operators.
Many features of the new Horsin' Around ride were prompted by operational experience. These include a robust structural-steel welded frame, stronger and larger driveshaft and gear than is common on small carousels, and a heavy-duty No. 40 roller drive chain. It is supplied with a T-post cart for easy moving and placement, and it incorporates an onboard jack system for use in raising the ride for service. It also is fitted with three service area lights to improve visibility while performing maintenance.
PHOTOS: A.J. Kress shows off National Kiddie Rides' three-passenger kiddie ride at the IAAPA Attractions Expo. It has a 53" diameter and stands about 9 feet high (at the tip of the canopy). At right, Kress demonstrates the onboard jacking system, which lifts the ride's base 8" for service clearance.
The ride offers an operator-adjustable attract mode, a long-life 12V. LED illumination system with one-time customizable color LEDs in red, blue or green, customizable music stored on a Secure Digital (SD) memory card and a safety message available in several languages. It is engineered for smooth starting and deceleration, and is fitted with an adjustable ride timer and payment system. One of the three horses is molded with a toddler saddle equipped with a seat belt to accommodate very young children. An independent movement assembly allows each horse to move up and down.
NKR plans to grow as a manufacturer, distributor and operator of coin-actuated kiddie rides. Founder and management team leader A.J. Kress, a second-generation industry member, brings diverse experience to his new enterprise. He worked for a vending machine manufacturer, ran a family fun center and built a street route in Elmsford, NY, north of New York City, before establishing his Palm Beach Gardens operation. Al Kress of Benchmark Games (Hypoluxo, FL), A.J.'s father, is applying his exhaustive knowledge of the business to aid NKR in elaborating its marketing strategy. NKR is not a part of Benchmark.
Horsin' Around has a sticker price of $9,995. Information about NKR products and revenue-share opportunities may be had by calling A.J. Kress at (561) 331-1000. The company is constructing a website at nationalkiddierides.com, which is now live and nearing completion.
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Cards quiet as Trade Deadline passes
Club content with bevy of moves made in recent weeks
By Matthew Leach / MLB.com
Having already made three in-season moves, general manager John Mozeliak was in an enviable position: he could jump if the right opportunity presented itself, but he didn't have to make a move. The Cardinals would still like to add a right-handed relief pitcher before the Aug. 31 deadline for setting playoff rosters, but the urgency was definitely different on Friday than it has been on Deadline day in past years.
"I don't think there was really any momentum to get anything done in the last, say, 36 hours," Mozeliak said on Friday afternoon. "But there were times when previous deals we were working on didn't seem like they were going to get done either. I kind of came into the office this morning [thinking] if something happens and we think it's right, we'll do it. But we do feel this club is vastly improved and can compete and should be able to win."
Since late June, the Cardinals have added Mark DeRosa, Julio Lugo and Matt Holliday. The cost has been plenty from the farm system, but only two players from the Major League roster: Chris Duncan and Chris Perez. So while the long-term cost has been significant, there's little doubt that the Cards' active roster is significantly stronger than it was six weeks ago.
Now that the non-waiver Trade Deadline has passed, deals involving players on the 40-man roster cannot be made unless the players have already cleared waivers. In other words, the player must be offered to the other teams in reverse order of the standings, and if he is claimed by one of the teams, he cannot be traded. The club that placed the player on waivers can either withdraw the request and keep the player, let the player go to the claiming team, or work out a trade with the claiming team.
There is another deadline, Aug. 31, that is very important to contending teams because players must be on the Major League roster by midnight on that date to be eligible for postseason play. That's the date the Cardinals have in mind, and they believe there's still a chance to get something done before that day.
"I think given the flurry of deals that happened at the 11th hour here, the likelihood of guys getting through waivers may be higher than low," Mozeliak said. "And the cash may prevent people from just claiming and claiming."
The Cardinals were not especially inclined to part with any more prospects or take on any significant salary in a deal, limiting their options as far as adding a pitcher. One chance to make such a move may arrive when and if Troy Glaus is activated from the disabled list. The club would like to move Glaus to a team that could use him as a first baseman or designated hitter, and it's conceivable that he could fetch a reliever in exchange.
Without doing that, though, making a move was difficult.
"Acquisition costs come in many different shapes and sizes," Mozeliak said. "But to stay cash-neutral and not move any player of desire was impossible."
So the day moved relatively stress-free for the front office as well as uniformed personnel. In some cities, they were watching the ticker closely to see who might be coming or going. In St. Louis, it held passing interest but didn't dominate the day.
"We've done so much and Mo has kept us posted, so I knew that it was very unlikely that we would do anything," manager Tony La Russa said. "And I'm really pleased with what we've done. We're all pleased with what we've done. It was an interesting day. I was watching other things when I was getting ready. They had it on in the lunchroom, so all the different moves got talked about. I heard most of them."
Matthew Leach is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.