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Angels' Williams says pitch got away
By T.R. Sullivan / MLB.com
Holland's start pushed back to next Saturday
ARLINGTON -- The Rangers are giving Derek Holland extra rest in the rotation and pushing him back to Saturday against the Astros.Holland last pitched on Thursday in a doubleheader against the Orioles, so he will make his next start on eight days of rest. This will also allow the other four starters to pitch on their normal four days of rest. The Rangers have been looking for ways to give individual starters extra time off, and they decided to do it with Holland now. "It's nothing physical and there's nothing wrong," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "Everybody else is in line. When you go through these doubleheaders, you have to make adjustments, and this time it's Holland. We can afford to do it now." The Rangers have Matt Harrison and Neftali Feliz pitching against the Angels this weekend. The Rangers still haven't officially announced a starter for Monday against the Royals, but it is expected to be Scott Feldman. They want to use a spot starter for Monday rather than bringing Holland or Colby Lewis back on three days of rest after pitching in Thursday's doubleheader. Lewis is scheduled to pitch Tuesday against the Royals. Holland's turn would be Wednesday against the Athletics, but the Rangers are planning to pitch Yu Darvish on his normal four days of rest, followed by Harrison on Thursday. That would leave Feliz, Holland and Lewis against the Astros during the weekend in Houston. "I'm not too worried about it," Holland said. "I'm fine with it. I guess I can't do anything about it if that's what they want to do. My job is just to be ready to pitch. It's probably what I'll do, doing what I'm usually doing, just getting ready for Houston."
Beltre shows speed with sore hamstring
ARLINGTON -- Adrian Beltre, still dealing with a sore left hamstring, beat out an infield hit in the first inning on Friday night. There was some debate on Saturday morning if Beltre really "stretched out" the hamstring in trying to beat out the hit."He smelled that hit and stretched it out," manager Ron Washington said. "That's what happens to baseball players when they smell a hit." "I got there quickly on one leg," Beltre said. "But it was good enough to get there safely. I don't think I forced it enough to see how it is. I was trying to run fast enough under control." Said Washington: "He was under control, but he found a third gear." "I'm not going to force it for another week or so until I need to," Beltre said. "I don't want to get back to square one." Beltre was back at designated hitter on Saturday as the Rangers don't want him in the field during the wet weather. Rangers Ballpark in Arlington was hit by more rain on Saturday morning, and the Rangers remain cautious with Beltre. Washington said there are no plans to shut him down completely. Beltre is hitting .347 with four home runs and 13 RBIs in his last 14 games entering Saturday. The Rangers are 20-5 when Beltre has been in the lineup this season. "His production is not what we're looking for, it's his presence," Washington said. "He makes everybody better and he's easier to deal with when he's playing. You realize what kind of void we have when he's not in the lineup."
Short turnaround no concern to Young
ARLINGTON -- The Rangers played a doubleheader on Thursday night in Baltimore and didn't get back to Texas until after 2 a.m. CT. They had a rain delay of almost two hours on Friday night and didn't leave the Ballpark until well after midnight.But they were back in the clubhouse ready to go at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday. "We're fine," infielder Michael Young said. "With this group, it's always fun to be at the field. The sooner the better." Young arrived at the ballpark in a slump, hitting .197 in his last 17 games entering Saturday. He was 14-for-71 along with three walks and 13 strikeouts. His average has dropped to .293 from a season high of .414 on April 21. "I feel good," Young said. "I just need to bear down on fundamentals and I expect things will start going my way. If I stay focused on my job, I'll be fine. I have been down this road many times. It's nothing that worries me."
Wash: Darvish wanted to pitch after delay
ARLINGTON -- The Rangers did have an option if they had decided not to send Yu Darvish back out to the mound after Friday's one-hour, 56-minute rain delay. Manager Ron Washington said they could have gone with Scott Feldman after the delay and pushed back Darvish until Monday against the Royals.But that was never a serious consideration, Washington said. Darvish was adamant about pitching, and he ended up getting the win in the Rangers' 10-3 victory. "It shows that he has heart," Washington said. "He's a winner. He's for real. All this guy has ever done is win. I know it was in Japan, but winning is all he has ever known. That's what he was all about last night. "He wasn't going to be denied. He wanted to do his job. We had a lot of discussions, but he was adamant about taking the ball. You could tell by the way he was talking that he was pitching. The guy wanted to pitch, and he did."
Worth noting
Triple-A Round Rock infielder Yangervis Solarte is now up to a 22-game hitting streak going into Saturday, while Double-A Frisco infielder Jurickson Profar had a 21-game streak going. Mike Napoli has a triple in each of his last two games after going over two years without hitting one. He went 876 at-bats without a triple before hitting one in the second game on Thursday's doubleheader. The Rangers went into Saturday's game hitting .357 in the first inning and leading the league in runs scored.
T.R. Sullivan is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Postcards from Elysian Fields, and follow him on Twitter @Sullivan_Ranger. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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And man, is this thing great! Dropped almost all temps in my computer down 10C minus the HDDs. Nice and roomy, looks great too! Here are some pictures for you guys:
Currently working on resolving an issue where the 4th hotswap bay isn't reading an HDD. Other than that, things have been working good. I think its possible that the 4th one isn't making full connection, and since that's just a storage drive it can be put off until I have more time. Hope you enjoy!

subset: commoncrawl


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Just wanted to wish you and your wife the best. It has been a true pleasure and honor to work with you. You have been nothing but professional when working with me throughout the years.
My best to you!
Carol Whitmore,
Manatee County commissioner
Hi Mike ... Can't tell you how sad I was to hear about your leaving. I think the world of you and your family and only wish you the very best life can offer. Best of luck with your new adventures. What a loss for our community but a gain for Plant City. Keep in touch, Mike.
Nancy Novak
Hi Mike,
This is a wonderful opportunity for you and your family and I wish you all the best. So much has happened and Manatee County has been a great place to raise a family and grow a business! You are right where you are supposed to be and about to begin a new chapter that will bring new challenges and opportunities!
May you continue to care for and about what you do and balance that with the most important thing ... caring and enjoying your family!
I wish you good health and happiness and may you find another Annie in Plant City who will watch out for you! We will have to meet at the Strawberry Festival! :-)
God speed, and it has been a pleasure knowing and working with you.
Julie Aranibar
We will miss you and wish you and your family all the best!
Renee (Martone-Cecil) and Steven
I appreciated your kind note … am hoping you will come back to team up for the April Fool's' edition!!!
Rex Jensen
I'm delighted for you to have this career opportunity but sad for us at BRE. You have been so supportive of BRE, and we truly appreciate all you have done for us. Please stop by and see us any time you are in the area!
Best wishes and thanks for everything,
Kathy Keebler and the students, parents and staff of BRE
Oh my goodness!!!
Well, we will really miss you but I guess "good luck" is in order. I am sure you will do a great job at the new paper. Don't forget us little people J.
Eva M. Rey, executive director Lakewood Ranch Town Hall
When I was reading your editorial, it struck me that we both started the same time here in Lakewood Ranch. I have always appreciated your support of our endeavors.
I'm glad to hear that your house is under contract and I wish the best for you and your family. I'm sure this will be a great step for both you and Jess. It will only be a matter of time before you will be loved and supported by the Plant City community!
I'm glad to hear that Pam will be taking over your position. She is awesome, but does have big shoes to fill!
Thanks for your friendship and support over the years. We will keep in touch!
Break a leg!
Roxane Caravan
The first time I met you, you attended a meeting at Woodland Baptist Church, where a group of moms from Braden River Elementary School had a dream about offering an after-school enrichment program to their students.
You were a young, skinny, recent college graduate — with a ponytail. Perfect! You so kindly helped us with our Newspaper Club.
My son, who was at BRE at the time, is now a senior at UCF. Time has flown; now it's time for you to fly. Best of luck to you and your family. Thanks for being such a great mentor to our young residents.
Donna Puhalovich
Career Counselor EMS/Fire Science Programs
Manatee Technical Institute - East Campus
Brad Buchmueller: I have no doubt you'll make a difference in Plant City. Good luck to you and Jess.
Rebekah Doughty: Wonderful parting words, Mike! Congratulations to you and Jess. I absolutely know you will be a success!
Ann M. Scharnhorst: Congrats!! Glad that I got to be part of the legacy. :)
Courtney Prentis Berg: Such courage, Mike! Best to you all on this new adventure — awesome!
Connie Salyers: Wishes you the very best, but what a huge, huge loss for us!
Mischa Kirby: You'll do wonderful, Mike. I'm so proud of you and happy for you.
Rob Gorley: Mike, best wishes for your continued success. Take care of that beautiful family and thank you for all your coverage of our music and BRE. Take care.
Rick Carl: Hey Mike, after many years of looking forward to receiving the weekly issue of The Observer and reading it from front to back, I recently had the opportunity to say hi and to speak news and drums with you. Being a true fan of both The Observer and your former band, it was great to finally meet you. I hope The Observer will stay on the same track philosophically. I really wish you and your family all the best. You will be missed!
Maryann Grgic: Really great article. You will be missed! Best of luck to you!!!!
Bob James: I sure hope we stay in touch and you still come on down to cornerstone. Love ya man!!!


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Farina eyes another Sydney FC signing
Sydney FC coach Frank Farina is keen to bolster his side's charge to the A-League finals with another new signing as he continues to reshape the former strugglers.
Farina has helped lift the Sky Blues from the bottom of the ladder to the brink of the top six since his mid-season appointment as replacement for Ian Crook.
Sydney turned in their best performance of Farina's short reign in last week's 7-1 thrashing of Wellington, the club's biggest A-League win.
The match featured the debut of Farina's first two signings, striker Joel Griffiths and defender Tiago Calves, and the coach revealed on Thursday he was still in the market for another new face.
With the league's transfer window open for another three weeks, Farina said he ideally wanted another striker or defender.
"There could be (another signing)," Farina said.
"The window closes on the 14th of February, so yeah, if the right one comes along, we certainly wouldn't say no."
While former Newcastle Jets star Griffiths impressed in his first game for the club, he faces a battle to be fit for Saturday's blockbuster clash with Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park.
The striker is battling a hip flexor problem while utility Rhyan Grant (calf) is also in doubt and the pair will be given until match day to prove their fitness.
Ideally, Farina will field an unchanged squad against the Victory as he targets something Sydney have lacked badly this season - consistency.
A win in Melbourne would give the Sky Blues three consecutive wins for the first time since the start of the 2009/10 season.
"Consistency is the key to success for any football team," Farina said.
"We haven't had that this year - that's being brutally honest - and we haven't played that well so, really, that's the stuff you've just got to continue to work on.
"We've strung some good results together. I wouldn't say we've played great football, and that arguably was our best game on the weekend but you've got to build on that."
The Australia Day clash will represent Sydney star Alessandro Del Piero's first match in Melbourne and he heads into the clash in sizzling form following a remarkable four-goal haul against the Phoenix.
Farina paid tribute to the Italian great as the ultimate professional and looked forward to seeing his strike partnership with Griffiths blossom.
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Update: Frazee man making 'small progress' after broadside crash Thursday
Frazee resident Terry D. Green, 50, who was critically injured in a broadside collision on Thursday is making small progress in the hospital.
On his Caring Bridge website, his daughter Chelsey wrote Friday morning that "Our family is cautiously optimistic at this point. Even a small amount of progress is progress nonetheless."
After the accident, which occurred at about 5:15 a.m. Thursday at the intersection of Highway 10 and County Road 10 near Morningside Motel, Green was transported to Essentia Health St. Mary's and then taken to Sanford Health in Fargo.
"When Dad arrived at Sanford this morning, he had his chest examined for trauma and the doctors removed his spleen," Chelsey posted on Caring Bridge.
"His pancreas was slightly damaged in the process. His abdomen was left open after the spleen removal and if all goes well through the night, the doctors will go in and clean his organs and close him back up tomorrow."
The morning of the accident, Green was westbound on County Road 10 to turn eastbound on Highway 10. He was driving a 2007 Chevrolet Silverado.
His truck was hit broadside by Terry J. Birkeland, 36, of Frazee who was westbound on Highway 10 in a 2005 Dodge Ram pickup.
Birkeland suffered non life-threatening injuries and was transported to the hospital following the crash, according to the State Patrol.
Friday morning, Chelsey posted: "The nurses lessened the dose of his blood pressure medication very slightly and also eased off on the sedation to check for reflexes and responses from him using commands such as wiggling his toes and squeezing his hand, which he did do. He also fluttered his eyelids a little bit and his pupils were reactive, which is good."


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Android Apps
Bitzer debuts secure MVL service for enterprise apps on Android
January 17, 2011 | by Andrew Kameka
Rather than have employees use company-issued phones for work and a personal phone, companies will soon opt to provide access to corporate data on a user's personal smartphone. But employing this method will require security and the separation of data offered through mobile virtualization.
Bitzer Mobile has released a demo of its service that shows how companies can provide access to enterprise apps on Android phones. The Bitzer Enterprise Virtualization App Container (EVC) links a native Android application with a web app. Users can access data pulled from web, edit it, use native features like camera or GPS, and then update the web data through sync. This can be used for contacts, expense reports, customer invoices, and several other data sets.
EVC is designed to help IT managers and employees have more productivity options through their mobile devices. It connects to Oracle ERP, Google Apps, SAP, and several other enterprise apps, but does it in a secure mobile virtualization layer. Data is transferred through the MVL and regulated by an Admin Control Panel in the event that access needs to be removed.
A demo of the Bitzer Mobile service is available in the Android Market right now, but more templates and customization options for IT professionals are on the way. Companies will have to pay $5,000 annually for up to 50 users to get the full EVC service, but discounts are available for people ordering a large number of licenses.
Find out more information on BitzerMobile.com.


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Compact swing brings Hundley desired results
By Corey Brock / MLB.com
SAN DIEGO -- Being short to the ball has helped Padres catcher Nick Hundley to some big results in the last two games, the results of getting back to the swing he worked diligently on during the offseason in his sessions with hitting coach Phil Plantier.
"Being short has been huge for me," Hundley said of having a more compact swing. "I think that I was getting myself in trouble when my hands get too far away from my body."
Hundley tied his career high with four hits in Wednesday's 4-3 loss to the Dodgers. The previous day, Hundley launched his first home run of the season.
The sample size is small, but after getting two hits in his first 15 at-bats of the season, he has five hits over his last seven at-bats.
"I'm continually learning, and the more you play, the more you know yourself," he said. "And the better you know yourself, the more you can avoid those long downturns."
Hundley hit .358 in Spring Training and was pleased that he was able to carry the lessons that he took from his offseason sessions with Plantier to Arizona. He admits that it's easy to get away from that at times, though he's better about making adjustments on the go.
"It's definitely something you feel," Hundley said.
Kelly returns to San Diego to start elbow rehab
SAN DIEGO -- Pitcher Casey Kelly, who had Tommy John surgery on his right elbow on April 2 in Florida, flew late Monday to San Diego, where he will continue his rehabilitation.
Kelly is wearing a metal brace used to immobilize his arm. He will wear it for six weeks to not put the arm in a stressful position, he said.
Kelly, ranked No. 4 among the Padres' top prospects, had the procedure performed by noted orthopedist James Andrews in Pensacola. Kelly then returned to his Florida home to relax before heading to San Diego.
"They went in and said it was a significant tear," Kelly said. "But they said the surgery went well."
Kelly won't be able to do a lot initially but has removed the brace on occasion to do some range-of-motion exercises with the training staff.
"Everything is going slow," Kelly said. "We're letting it heal. In about 12 to 14 days, they'll remove the stitches."
For now, Kelly is adjusting to working with one good arm -- his left arm, no less. It's been an adjustment so far.
"There's a lot of things you don't think of … like brushing my teeth, eating, opening doors," Kelly said.
Kelly has already tapped into two players who had similar surgery a year ago, pitchers Cory Luebke and Joe Wieland, for advice.
"Having those guys around helps if I have questions," he said.
Around the horn: Alonso shows infield range
SAN DIEGO -- It was a wild ninth inning Wednesday for Padres first baseman Yonder Alonso, as he was constantly on the move, bouncing around the infield while the team was on defense.
After Padres manager Bud Black emptied his bench -- with the exception of reserve catcher John Baker, who would hit in the bottom of the inning -- he asked Alonso to play second base to start the inning as Mark Kotsay occupied first base.
Alonso later moved to third base in the inning and then back to second base. He didn't have a ball hit at him, though Adrian Gonzalez singled to right field, just out of the reach of a diving Alonso.
Alonso became the first player in club history to play those three positions -- first, second and third base -- in a game. He's also one of 20 players in Major League history to do so. The last was Ben Zobrist of the Rays on Sept. 23, 2010, against the Yankees.
Alonso didn't see what the big deal was.
"Buddy gave me a warning that it might happen," Alonso said. " ... It wasn't so far out of the ordinary. It's not like I was playing center field."
But it was still unusual for Alonso, who had played one game at third base before Wednesday and that was in 2011, when he was with the Reds.
"Actually, Yonder said that he had played second base before," Black said. "He said, 'I have just got to move over 25 feet [from first base].'"
The Padres were shorthanded after Carlos Quentin was essentially unavailable due to a sore right wrist. Black also used Cody Ransom in the bottom of the fifth inning to pinch-hit for starting pitcher Eric Stults.
Jesus Guzman struck out for pitcher Anthony Bass in the seventh inning. Kotsay was used in the eighth inning, flying out for Alexi Amarista. That left Baker, who hit in the bottom of the ninth.
Worth noting
• There's still no word when third baseman Chase Headley -- on the disabled list with a fractured tip to his left thumb -- will begin a Minor League rehabilitation assignment. For the second time in as many days, Headley was able to take batting practice and take ground balls before the game.
On Saturday, the team will present him with his Silver Slugger and Gold Glove Awards. It's also Chase Headley Bobblehead Night, with the first 25,000 fans receiving the bobbleheads.
Corey Brock is a reporter for MLB.com. Keep track of @FollowThePadres on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Two parents are alleging that Durango High Schools head girls volleyball coach engaged in a 15-year pattern of bullying and retaliation against students, including their daughter.
James and Elizabeth Candaleria filed a notice of claim two weeks ago against Durango School District 9-R in relation to their allegations against coach Robin Oliger. If the district does not respond within 90 days, the Candalerias may file a lawsuit.
The Candelarias charge that the district has been negligent, ignoring parents complaints about Oliger for more than a decade.
Deputy Superintendent Bill Esterbrook refused to comment about the allegations, saying it was a personnel matter, and that he had forwarded the Candalerias notice of claim to the school districts attorney, Darryl Farrington.
Farrington also refused to comment but said it was highly unusual for such claims to be filed.
DHS Principal Diane Lashinsky and Athletic Director Sheldon Keresey, who were also named in the notice of claim, did not respond to emails requesting comment.
Oliger, who also teaches physical education at Needham Elementary School, could not be reached for comment by phone or email.
James Candaleria is an assistant U.S. attorney and Elizabeth Candelaria is a homemaker.
Though the Candelarias seek damages in relation to Oligers alleged mistreatment of their daughter Rianne Candelaria over the last two years, affidavits included with their claim cite incidents dating back to 1996.
In an affidavit, Donna Nazario, parent of a player, recounts that at a volleyball team summer camp in 1996, Oliger became so angry with her daughter Carmen Small (who is now a world-class cyclist) that Oliger threatened to rip Smalls face off, using an expletive for emphasis.
Nazario writes that parents demanded Oligers termination in 1997, after a varsity volleyball match in Cortez ended in DHSs defeat, enraging Oliger, who told the players that she did not want to see any of their faces on the bus, and abandoned them in Cortez.
Oliger resigned shortly afterward. But after an unpaid year of absence, the 9-R school district board renewed Oligers contract. The notice of claim alleges that Oliger was rehired on the condition that she would not return to the head girls volleyball coach position at DHS.
School officials who declined to be identified dispute that such a predication existed. Oliger was rehired as DHSs head girls volleyball coach in June 2002.
The Candelarias allege that, from 2003-2005, Oliger harassed, humiliated, and intimidated player Breanna Pritchard before Pritchard left the team her senior year.
In an affidavit, Pritchard recalls that Oliger called her midget and that informing Oligers supervisor was not an option because at the time, the Athletic Directors daughter Colleen Keresey was also on the team.
Pritchard wrote that Oliger provided special instruction to Keresey at practices.
Colleen Keresey, who went on to play volleyball at Colorado College, has since become DHSs assistant volleyball coach.
The notice alleges that the district was again negligent in ignoring a formal written complaint presented to the school board in 2005 by Doyle Villers, whose daughter Jessica was a volleyball player at the time.
Villers complaint accused Oliger of picking teams before tryouts and of fostering the impression that summer camps were mandatory.
In an affidavit, Villers calls the districts response utterly inadequate.
The Candelarias allege that in October 2010, Oliger retaliated against their daughter for taking the PSAT instead of arriving early to a junior-varsity volleyball match.
They allege that despite Colorado High School Sports Association rules, it is students common impression that volleyball summer camps are prerequisite to making the varsity team and that tryouts are mere show trials, as Oliger chooses the varsity team ahead of time.
The Candelarias allege that while at a summer volleyball camp in Denver, ahead of the 2011-12 school year, Oliger brought 12 girls, including their daughter, who was invited to the camp at the last minute, to a sporting goods store. Oliger arranged for the girls to purchase varsity volleyball shoes for the upcoming season. Though it was weeks before tryouts, Oliger bought a 13th pair of shoes for an absent player.
According to the Candelarias, Oliger later told Rianne Candelaria not to wear her varsity shoes to tryouts because we dont want to let anyone know that we have a team already. After tryouts, Oliger told Rianne she had not made the team. The other 11 girls who attended the camp did wear their shoes to tryouts and made the team. So did the girl who had gotten the 13th pair of shoes.


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Well, yes, anyone who has spent any time with Monastics (or just walked through a city like Bangkok) would know that there is a wide variation in how seriously they take the Vinaya/Path.ignobleone wrote: When I tried to help some monks (in a Thai Buddhist temple) to clean-up their laptops (yes, these days monks are inseparable from computers) from virus, I saw uTorrent was running on the background with at least ten action movie torrents in the queue. I didn't say anything about it, only talked to myself that it was a serious Vinaya violation. No wonder the laptops are often infected by virus. I wonder whether they have time to meditate everyday.
But that doesn't mean there are not some extremely dedicated bhikkhus in city or western monasteries or that one cannot get some extremely useful instruction in the West.
That's really a different issue from the finding a helpful teacher. If you keep thinking that the good teachers are only to be found in some shangri-la place, then, of course, you won't find any close by...ignobleone wrote: There are too many distractions these days. I think living in jungle is the best way to avoid modern distractions. My opinion is based on that reason.


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Notes: Litsch's durability proven
Development not motive behind potential return to Minors
By Jordan Bastian / MLB.com
"He had enough starts," said Gibbons, referring to Litsch's stint with Toronto last season. "How many starts did he have total last year, 20? I think that's a pretty full year, especially for a young kid. I think he's proved enough.
"Whether he makes the team or not, we don't know. But he's proved enough to me, anyway."
On Tuesday, Litsch took the mound at Knology Park for his second start of the spring, squaring off against the majority of the New York Yankees' regular lineup. A rain delay in the bottom of the second inning forced Litsch to finish his work indoors, but the 22-year-old did manage to complete two innings before the sheets of rain showed.
Litsch, who is competing with right-hander Casey Janssen for the fifth spot in Toronto's rotation, needed 44 pitches (25 strikes) to get through his two frames on the hill, and the right-hander added another 14 tosses inside the batting cage after his start. Against New York, Litsch gave up one run on three hits, with one walk and one strikeout.
"He can go out there and get hit a little bit," Gibbons said. "We're just looking to see what he's doing with his pitches. ... The big thing is, hopefully he uses his sinker a little more. His natural pitch is his cutter, and that's his go-to pitch when he needs it.
"But he's most effective when he uses both of them, so he can cut up both sides of the plate."
Litsch, who went 7-9 with a 3.81 ERA in 20 starts for Toronto in 2007, said that -- unlike in his last start, when he used mainly fastballs and changeups -- he mixed in all of his pitches this time around. Using his sinker, Litsch forced four New York hitters to ground out, which the pitcher said was an improvement over his results against the Tigers on Thursday.
"I didn't get many ground balls in the last game," said Litsch, who yielded four runs in two innings against Detroit in that start. "I'm trying to [work on my sinker]. I threw a couple good ones today and a couple bad ones. That's the main thing I'm working on right now, and it's definitely getting there."
Differing views: Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi took a non-committal stance on Tuesday when asked if Jeremy Accardo was a shoo-in for the bullpen's setup job. Ricciardi would only say that Accardo was "in the mix" for that role, if closer B.J. Ryan is healthy enough to be the stopper come Opening Day.
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Gibbons had a different take on the matter. Last season, while Ryan was recovering from reconstructive surgery on his left elbow, Accardo filled in and chalked up 30 saves. That performance has Gibbons backing Accardo as the obvious pick for the eighth-inning job.
"That's Accardo's [job]," Gibbons said. "But everything is going to revolve around B.J. If B.J. is healthy, that's Accardo's job. Then, of course, Jeremy will fill in to close some games when Ryan's not available."
Rounding third: The more Gibbons sees Vernon Wells swing, the more the manager is convinced that the center fielder has no lingering problems from the left shoulder surgery he had in September. It's also a main reason why Gibbons is leaning toward slotting Wells into the third spot of Toronto's lineup.
"I was watching him hit in the cage before the game the other day," Gibbons said, "and that's as good as I've seen his swing look in two or three years. His shoulder is fine, and I think he's going to have a big, big year. I really do.
"I like him right in that three-hole. He's earned his name, and he's earned his stripes here being in that spot. That's always been his spot, and he's had big years for us. I see him hitting in that third spot."
Finding the time: The Jays are trying to sort out how catching prospects Robinzon Diaz and Curtis Thigpen will each get enough playing time this season at Syracuse. One way is to have the players spend time at some other positions.
On Monday, Diaz played third base during a Minor League game for Toronto and he has experience at second base as well. Thigpen, who spent time with the Blue Jays last season, has logged some innings at first base on occasion this spring.
Gibbons backs Frasor: Gibbons noted that reliever Jason Frasor, who often went long stretches without an outing during season's second half a year ago, shouldn't be looking over his shoulder this spring. Gibbons said, as far as he's concerned, Frasor will be in Toronto's bullpen. Frasor has been sick with flu-like symptoms for the past few days, but he's slated to make his first game appearance of the spring on Wednesday.
Far from perfect: On Tuesday, the Blue Jays were unable to manage a single hit -- or a baserunner, for that matter -- in a rain-shortened game against the Yankees at Knology Park. After roughly an hour-long weather delay, which interrupted play in the second inning, Toronto pulled its regulars from the lineup and labored to a loss in five-plus innings.
Roster moves: Prior to Tuesday's game against the Yankees, the Blue Jays returned pitchers Jamie Vermilyea, Jeremy Cummings and Ryan Ketchner to Minor League camp. Toronto currently has 56 players, including 16 non-roster invitees, in camp with the big league club.
Quotable: "Zaunie's got the Kennedy assassination figured out. There's a lot of conversations with Zaunie that don't end up the way you think they're going. And I love him." -- Ricciardi, joking about catcher Gregg Zaun
Coming up: Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay is scheduled to pitch three innings on Wednesday, when Toronto hosts Philadelphia at 1:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday at Knology Park. Brian Wolfe, Jesse Carlson, Tracy Thorpe, Mike Gosling and Frasor are also slated to pitch for the Jays.
Jordan Bastian 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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OC Bureau Honored
OCEAN CITY – The Ocean City Convention and Visitors Bureau has received the 2009 Facilities & Destinations Top Destination Award. The Top Destinations Awards are voted on by the Facilities & Destinations' readership of more than 51,000 association and corporate meeting planners.
The Ocean City Convention and Visitors Bureau is included in the list of award winners published in the 2009 Facilities & Destinations SuperBook.
The Ocean City Convention and Visitors Bureau was also awarded the Meetings & Conventions Magazine Gold Service Award. This is the fifth time the CVB has earned this prestigious award.
PRMC Reorganizes Department
SALISBURY – Peninsula Regional Medical Center has announced the reorganization of its former and combined Community Relations & Marketing Department.
Effective immediately, Donna I. Richardson has been named the Director of Marketing and Roger A. Follebout, Jr. has been appointed the Director of Community Relations.
"The ways in which we provide assistance to our patients and our communities and keep them informed of advancements at our Medical Center have changed tremendously in just the past few years," said Peggy Naleppa, Peninsula Regional President. "We felt the appropriate way to meet those needs was to distinguish these two departments by appointing a director responsible for the continued growth and enhancement of community relations and also of marketing."
Richardson, who has been with Peninsula Regional since 1984 as Director of Community Relations & Marketing, graduated from Syracuse University with a BFA degree, and has over 30 years experience in advertising, design and marketing.
Follebout, who joined the Medical Center in 1998 as a Community Relations & Marketing Specialist, has most recently served as the department's manager since 2006. He is a graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore with a BGS degree Telecommunications Emphasis and is a former television broadcast journalist.
Realtor Earns Designation
OCEAN VIEW, Del. – Lois Saraceni with Prudential Carruthers Realtors has been awarded the Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) designation by the Real Estate Buyer's Agent Council (REBAC) of the National Association of Realtors.
"Today's real estate brokers and agents want to provide a full menu of services for their clients, whether they are buyers or sellers", explains Dale A. Stinton, President and CEO of REBAC. "The ABR® designation, the benchmark of excellence in real estate buyer representation, demonstrates to clients that the agent has taken steps to continue their education in the field of buyer representation, and has the proven experience and training to deliver ethical and professional service to real estate buyers."
Saraceni joins more than 34,000 real estate professionals in North America who have earned the ABR® designation. All were required to successfully complete a comprehensive course in buyer representation and an elective course focusing on a buyer representation specialty, both in addition to submitting documentation and verifying professional experience.
Saraceni has also earned the SRES designation.


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Barney keeps making highlight-reel plays
By Carrie Muskat / MLB.com
Barney made two impressive defensive plays on Saturday and extended his National League single-season record errorless streak to 130 straight games.
"What he showed us this year with the glove, I'm very happy for him," Chicago's Alfonso Soriano said.
The old overall NL mark was 123 consecutive errorless games, set by Barney's former Minor League manager and Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg, from June 21, 1989, to May 17, 1990. The Major League record single-season errorless streak by a second baseman is 141 games, held by Placido Polanco and set in 2007 when he was with the Tigers.
Barney's streak at second base spans 1,048 1/3 innings since his only 2012 miscue at second base on April 17 in Miami. He remembers that play, which came in the eighth inning.
"It was a routine ground ball that bounced a few times and I just over-thought [Jose] Reyes' speed, and I charged it a little bit and I walked right into an in-between hop that I couldn't handle," Barney said. "If I sit back on it and catch it at my waist, I throw him out. Guys who have speed do that to you. You know when [Tony] Campana is out there, there is no routine play."
Barney robbed Pedro Alvarez of a possible hit in the Pirates' fifth, when he snared the ball, then spun around to throw him out at first. In the sixth, Barney somehow caught Travis Snider's popup in shallow right with a runner on and one out, and hurdled sliding right fielder Dave Sappelt to avoid a collision.
"I was worried that he was going to run me over," Barney said of Sappelt. "You're all ears and waiting to hear if he says anything, and I didn't, so I committed to it."
Cubs manager Dale Sveum's playing career nearly ended in a freak collision in 1988 with Brewers outfielder Darryl Hamilton. Sveum was going back after a ball on the play. He's told Barney the story.
"It doesn't make me feel any better hearing that," Barney said. "You have to trust your outfielder, and trust that if he's not going to slide, he's going to say something."
Sappelt did exactly what he was supposed to do.
"He thought he had an opportunity to make that catch," Barney said. "He followed protocol perfectly. If the guy doesn't say anything, he's going to go low. Infielders are always taught to go high when they're going backwards. Luckily for the both of us, he did it the right way -- and so did I."
Barney leads the National League in fielding percentage, and could win his first Gold Glove Award this year. He's got plenty of highlights for voters to watch.
"That was as good a defensive game as anybody could play," Sveum said of Saturday's game by his second baseman. "That kind of play there [in the sixth], there aren't a lot of people who throw their life on the line for a ball like that. He said, 'I'm catching that ball and I don't care what the collision will be.'
"All year long, he hasn't been afraid to do anything defensively. He's been fearless all year long."
Soler impresses during BP session
CHICAGO -- Cuban outfielder Jorge Soler showed just what he could do in a big league ballpark on Saturday.
Soler, 20, who signed a nine-year, $30 million contract with the Cubs this summer, put on quite a show during batting practice -- hitting five home runs, including two over the left-field bleachers and onto Waveland Avenue.
"What a great athletic body," Cubs manager Dale Sveum said of Soler, who had seen before only on video. "Great hands -- the ball comes off his bat to the pull side pretty nice without a lot of effort. That's something to build on when you have those kind of hands and that kind of hand speed, you can always work with that."
This was the first time Soler has ever been in a Major League ballpark, and he had all of the Cubs baseball brass watching every swing -- including president of baseball operations Theo Epstein, general manager Jed Hoyer, and Sveum -- around the cage.
"I felt good," Soler said through interpreter Luis Eljaua, special assistant to the general manager. "I was a little intimidated -- I've never been in a big league ballpark before. After a while, I felt like I fit right in."
He looked comfortable as he hit line drives off Cubs infield coach Pat Listach. Soler played 20 games in the Rookie League before he was assigned to Class A Peoria, where he batted .338 in 20 games with three home runs and five doubles. He is rated No. 5 on the Cubs' Top 20 Prospects list according to MLB.com.
After the season ended, Soler took some time off in Miami, where he lives with his father, but will report to Mesa on Sunday to begin instructional league. Soler will room with the Cubs' No. 1 Draft pick, Albert Almora, again. The two met in Canada at a world championship tournament, and were roommates earlier this year in Mesa during Rookie League play.
Almora, who was at Wrigley Field on Friday and showed up again on Saturday, said he'll help Soler learn English. How long before Soler is patrolling right field at Wrigley full time?
"I don't know," he said. "As long as I learn to make adjustments, the time will come when I'm here."
Castro trying to remove leg kick from swing
CHICAGO -- Starlin Castro posted back-to-back seasons with a .300 average and, last year, led the National League in hits. But Cubs manager Dale Sveum thinks the shortstop can do better.
Sveum is trying to convince Castro to get rid of a leg kick that he uses as part of his timing. Castro did just that on Friday against the Pirates' Jared Hughes, and the result was a three-run home run.
"It's one of those things, you'd like to see him quiet all of that down," Sveum said on Saturday. "Because of the hand-eye coordination he has, I think those things could happen more often without all the leg kick that he has and another little hand gesture in there that causes some inconsistencies.
"It's just a matter of trying to get to another level," Sveum said. "He's obviously at one level. We want to get a 22-year-old kid [to a whole different] level."
On Friday, Castro said he used the leg kick last season, which led to him being the youngest player ever to lead the NL in hits.
"We don't want to be hit chasers," Sveum said. "We want to be a complete, full, prolific hitter. Those three-run homers could happen more often. The OPS comes into play with adjusting to situations."
Instructional league begins on Monday
CHICAGO -- Jorge Soler will join first-round pick Albert Almora and 18 other players taken from this year's First-Year Player Draft in the Cubs' instructional league, starting on Monday in Mesa, Ariz.
There will be more than 40 players participating in the month-long workouts. Games begin on Sept. 21.
Soler, the Cuban outfielder who signed a nine-year, $30 million contract in July, played in Mesa in the Rookie League before he was promoted to Class A Peoria, where he hit .338 with three home runs, five doubles and 15 RBIs in 20 games.
Soler and Almora were roommates and teammates in Mesa before Almora was assigned to Class A Boise, where he batted .292 in 15 games. The Hawks reached the Northwest League championship series, losing in three games. Theo Epstein, Cubs president of baseball operations, sees potential in the organization.
"The lower levels had a lot of cause for excitement, especially at Boise," Epstein said. "It was fun at the end of the year to go up there and look on the field and you literally had a prospect at every position, which is rare in the Minor Leagues. That's the youngest team in the league and they came within four outs of proving they were the best team in the league."
Epstein said he was also happy with the progress of Javier Baez, the Cubs' No. 1 pick in 2011. Baez batted .333 in 57 games with Class A Peoria, hitting 12 home runs, 10 doubles and five triples, and then hit .188 in 23 games at Daytona with four home runs, three doubles and one triple. The shortstop will play for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League, which starts on Oct. 9.
Other Draft picks to join Soler and Almora in the Cubs' instructional league include pitchers Pierce Johnson and Paul Blackburn, who were taken in the compensation round; and second-round pick Duane Underwood, another right-handed pitcher. Pitcher Ryan McNeil, selected in the third round, will join fifth-round pick Anthony Prieto and sixth-round selection Trey Lang at Mesa.
Other Draft picks to take part include pitchers Nathan Dorris, Corbin Hoffner, Chad Martin, Stephen Perakslis; catchers Chadd Krist and Lance Rymel; infielders David Bote, Ben Carhart, Jacob Rogers and Tim Saunders; and outfielder Bijan Rademacher.
Shawon Dunston Jr., Trevor Gretzky, Dan Vogelbach and Cuban pitcher Gerardo Concepcion also will participate in instructional league. Concepcion was 2-6 with a 7.39 ERA in 12 games at Peoria.
Carrie Muskat is a reporter for MLB.com. She writes a blog, Muskat Ramblings, and you can follow her on Twitter @CarrieMuskat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Blue Mountains (OR) > Canyon Mountain > Climber's Log
Canyon Mountain Climber's Log
[ Sign the Climber's Log ]
|A great new year!
Date Climbed: Jan 4, 2012
|My buddies Wally and Jake accompanied me on an extremly difficult winter climb just a few days after new year. We had planned the trip for sometime, and had always wanted to do it in the middle of winter. It is a hard climb in summer and as you can imagine the snow was very deep. The last quarter mile or so the snow was up to my waist. Unfortunatly we could only make it to the top of the western most peak and not the highest middle one.
|Posted Jan 18, 2012 2:26 pm
|Brian Jenkins
|Last Day of Summer (sort of)
Date Climbed: Sep 7, 2009
|With my buddy Jim. I should probably write a trip report about how we got home from this one. Beautiful day though, great way to spend the last rays of summer. Long drive but excellent hike. Fun off trail stuff and who knew about this granite in Oregon?!?! Great summit although it really needs a new summit register. There are notes from 1975 in there. Hope the photos turn out.
|Posted Sep 9, 2009 3:07 pm
|Dayhike up the east ridge
Date Climbed: Jul 2, 2006
|I'm going to have to say this is the most difficult of the Strawberry Mountains I have hiked. I bushwhacked my way up the east ridge just before the trail drops into Dean Creek and hit the summit ridge where things were a little dicey with giant cliffs to both the east and west. The ridgeline has some exposure but is a lot of fun to explore, Also enjoyed the summit register, hard to believe so many people have been on the summit with the long unmaintained approach.
|Posted Jul 4, 2006 6:58 am
|Overnight at Dean Creek
Date Climbed: Jun 23, 2006
|After driving from Portland with stops at the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center, Moore Mountain and Dairy Queen, I hiked in to Dean Creek and set up camp just after the sun set. One of the best night's sleep I have had in a long time. Got up the next day and tackled the Green Mountain Route I had seen in Barbara Bond's book on a hot sunny day. Had excellent views of all the surrounding mountains, except to the southeast where a forest fire blocked the view. The Summit register was pretty fun to check out. Lots of history. Returned to the trail via Dean Creek, and was surprised at how much shorterand easier it was. Hiked back to the trailhead and made the long drive back to Portland.
|Posted Jun 29, 2006 8:51 am


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What is the consistency like when you're hand kneading? If it's manageable and your hands stay clean, you could probably up the hydration. A good dough should be a bit sticky and frustrating to handle before it rises. In my very early attempts, I would underhydrate because I thought stickiness meant I needed more flour. Always not enough rise and lots of tearing. I discovered the error of my ways by accident and haven't looked back since. Also, a good long counter rise before balling and refrigerating helps too.
Ok cool, thanks for the info i'll check out those links. Yeh it has been very cold here lately and it's not that warm in my house either so that could be an issue as well as my technique.My dough is nothing like the dough being stretched in that Tony Gemignani video, that dough looks awesome to work with, I wish I knew his recipe!
Hi guys,Just registered here and looking for a bit of advice when it comes to NY style pizza. I'm pretty happy with the taste of my dough but it doesn't seem to stretch too well. My hydration is about 61% and my oil content is 1.5%, I use Hovis Strong White Bread flour.I hand knead my dough for about 15 minutes, let it rise for about 2 hours, knock it back, divide it into dough balls and then cold ferment for a further 24 hours.Any tips for improving the stretchiness and overall strength of the dough?


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Pirates win challenge to prevent a Cardinals run
By Tom Singer / MLB.com
ST. LOUIS -- Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle successfully challenged a call at third base, and it saved the Pirates a run in their game against the Cardinals.
With Jon Jay, who had singled, running from first base with one away in the third, Matt Holliday pushed a single through the hole scooped up by the onrushing right fielder Travis Snider, who threw to third.
Snider's throw came in high, and third baseman Pedro Alvarez slapped the tag on Jay. Third-base umpire Ted Barrett ruled safe, but the call was overturned after a review of two minutes and 36 seconds on Hurdle's challenge.
Hence, Matt Adams' ensuing a single off Gerrit Cole did not produce a run, merely putting runners at first and second. Yadier Molina then bounced to third to end the inning.
Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog Change for a Nickel. He can also be found on Twitter @Tom_Singer. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, then set a wire rack over it. Coat the rack with cooking spray. Arrange ½ pound of bacon evenly on the rack. Sprinkle the tops of the bacon liberally with brown sugar. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes, or until the bacon is lightly browned, crisped and the sugar has caramelized. Let the bacon cool, then cut it into bite-size chunks.
Mix a splash of hot sauce (more or less, to taste) into the base guacamole recipe, then mix in three-quarters of the chopped candied bacon. Sprinkle the remaining bacon over the guacamole, then serve.
Nutrition information per serving: 200 calories; 170 calories from fat (85 percent of total calories); 18 g fat (4.5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 15 mg cholesterol; 8 g carbohydrate; 5 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 4 g protein; 320 mg sodium.


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Dardanelle Middle School began the morning with a special pre-class memorial that honored the fallen, recognized the heroic acts of so many 11 years ago and paid tribute to local law enforcement and first responders who serve our communities each day.
Principal John David Keeling told the student body while they were too young to remember the events of Sept. 11, 2001, the impact was still felt today and impacted the lives of the entire nation.
"We're going to honor the victims and their families and also the heroism of so many on that day," Keeling told the students. "We're also going to honor our local law enforcement and fire departments, who risk their lives for our community every day."
Dardanelle graduate and Arkansas Tech University student Caitlin Miller sang "God Bless America" acapella before 1st Sgt. Keen led members of the JROTC program in the flag presentation.
Keen and the students raised the American flag and the Arkansas state flag until they reached half staff, and members of the senior high trumpet section played the National Anthem.
Resource officer Lonnie Moore played taps while the crowd remained at attention.
Keeling asked everyone for a moment of silence before dismissing the students and teachers for class.
"As you go in your classrooms today, remember the events of 9/11," Keeling said. "On this day and every day, those tragic events will be remembered." Dardanelle Police Chief Montie Sims and members of the Dardanelle Fire Department thanked Keeling and the student body for their tribute.
In Russellville, the entire student body at St. John Catholic School met at the flagpole to learn more about the events that occurred on 9/11 and to pray for those that lost their lives, all service men and women and the entire nation.
After principal Mark Tyler prayed, he told the students (none of whom was born in 2001) why this day would be forever marked in history.
"September 11 was a turning point in American history," Tyler told the students. "It is a day that will forever be remembered. Many people lost their lives that day, and it is important to remember the day to ensure it never happens again."
Tyler and the students sang "God Bless America" and said the Pledge of Allegiance. He added that patriotism should occur every day, not just on a few days each year that mark anniversaries of great battles or loss.
"We want our children when they leave here to have a strong foundation for what it means to be a good citizen," Tyler said. "God calls us to be good citizens and we try to instill that in our children. Patriotism is encouraged year round."
Russellville Mayor Bill Eaton commended the two schools for doing more than just teaching patriotism in the classroom.
Eaton said 9/11 is similar to the events of Pearl Harbor and that with time, if the country isn't careful, people could forget the importance of the date. He said educating the younger generations is the key to keeping the significance of 9/11 and other important dates alive.
"It's like anything else. Everything has to be maintained with a certain amount of vigilance and dignity," Eaton said. "We can never let our guard down. I think our country lost an innocence at that point. 9/11 will stand as an exclamation point that we will always keep in the back of our minds."


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(Me and my daughter at Field day 2008)
VA3NNW, DXCC Canada, ITU 4, CQ Zone 4, Locator EN93rk
G7RZQ, DXCC England, ITU 27, CQ Zone 14, Locator IO91rk (previous)
I have written a few bits of Amateur-radio related software, including, but not limited to:
I'm also a member of KWARC - the Kitchener-Waterloo Amateur Radio Club, and elected 2009-2013 President. In Jan 2010 I gave a presentation called An Introduction To CDMA, and in April 2010 I gave one on PSK31 and WSPR. In Sept 2010 I demonstrated my LED Dance Floor and in Oct 2010 I put together the KWARC QUIZ [244KB PDF] with questions from the exec, Industry Canada, and a few other sources.
|This stuff is maintained by Nick Waterman - Email Me


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Zachary Holly was supposed to have a hearing Friday in Bentonville.
But prosecutor Van Stone said Thursday that the hearing would be postponed because Holly's attorneys have a scheduling conflict.
It's not clear when the hearing will be rescheduled, but Stone said Holly is still set to stand trial in April.
Holly has pleaded not guilty to capital murder, rape, kidnapping and residential burglary in the 2012 death of 6-year-old Jersey Bridgeman.
Jersey's death ended a short life marred by abuse. Her father and stepmother were sentenced to prison after being convicted of chaining her to a dresser in 2011.
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Holly.


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Over the past week I have noticed tiny dark brown beetles in my kitchen and bathroom which are on the ground floor of my house. I started noticing one of two per day but can now catch up to ten. I can't get a picture because they are so small (usually between 1.5 to 2.5 mm). They occasionally fly and their head is deprecate from their body. I am unsure how many legs they have but they do have antennas. I have check all of my cupboards but found none. They seem to prefer the floors, ceilings and walls. I would like to identify and get rid of these as soon as possible and any help or advise in doing this would be greatly appreciated.
It would really need a photo for an identification.
It may be a food pest, in which case check any bags of flour etc. in the kitchen.
They sound too numerous for furniture beetles, though they do appear around this time of year. Look for small round holes in wood furniture, skirting boards etc. But if you haven't noticed the beetles in previous years, it's unlikely I think.
Could they be coming in from outside?
You should Google a photo of Anthrenus verbasci as around half of all the 'small indoor insects' turn out to be this species.
I have seen those carpet beetles before but I don't think that's what it is. The ones in my home are a bit to small and are all the same block colour of dark brown.
I have only lived in the house since last October so I'm not sure if they have been present in previous years. It is possible that they are coming from outside as the two rooms that they are present in share the same outside wall. I have also seen two of 3 coming from beneath my kitchen kick boards. I haven't seen any damage in the house.


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Suspensions most painful part of process
By Mike Bauman / MLB.com
What happened with Major League Baseball on Monday represents short-term pain and long-term pain.
A-Rod to appeal suspension through 2014
Across game, eagerness to move forward
50-game suspensions: Cruz | Peralta | E. Cabrera
Major bans span across sports, history
Justice: Players support protecting integrity
Bauman: Suspensions most painful part
Gio pleased to have name cleared
Braun suspended for rest of '13
Commissioner Selig's statement
Releases: Suspensions | A-Rod disciplined
Drug Policy in Baseball
Duquette, Justice on suspensions
A-Rod on suspension, appeal
MLB broadcasters react
More video
It is never pleasant when any player in the game is suspended for the use of performance-enhancing drugs.
This has already begun to occur as the result of MLB's investigation into Biogenesis, the now-defunct "anti-aging" clinic in south Florida accused of supplying banned substances to Major League players. Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers, the National League's Most Valuable Player in 2011, has already been suspended for 65 games for his involvement with Biogenesis and PEDs.
Now comes a larger batch of suspensions, 13 in all, announced by Major League Baseball on Monday afternoon. With the suspensions in the past, MLB will be faced with disappointed fans and teams, as well as the usual sorts of corollary damage caused by the use of banned substances.
Enforcement of baseball's anti-drug policies cannot be accomplished in a matter that can always be categorized as painless. The 211-game suspension of Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez has been accompanied by its own bizarre soundtrack. This has included Rodriguez essentially accusing the Yankees and baseball of conspiring to void his contract. The evidence for that claim is nowhere to be found.
|What they can't do:
|Cannot receive pay
|Cannot participate in Arizona Fall League
|Cannot participate in Postseason games
|Cannot be elected or selected to the All-Star Game (if player is suspended during the offseason, Spring Training, or championship season prior to the All-Star Game)
|What they can do:
|Can participate in Spring Training and extended spring training
|Can participate in affiliated Winter League games
|Can work out with the club
|Can participate in batting practice before the gates open before a game
|Can consent to an assignment to a Minor League affiliate for a period of time prescribed under Section 7.H.2 of the Joint Drug Program
On the other side of the issue is the good news. Major League Baseball has a suitably stringent anti-drug policy. And this program is made up of much more than rhetoric. No matter how tough the policy is, without a matching toughness in enforcement, it is a paper tiger.
Commissioner Bud Selig referred to that issue while characterizing baseball's investigation of the Biogenesis matter. "[The investigation] is thorough, it's comprehensive, and it's aggressive," Selig said. "I'm proud of that and it's a tribute to what we're trying to do.
"It's one thing to say you have a tough program, but we need to enforce it well. We have a tough program. We have left no stone unturned. I think it's consistent with everything we do."
Baseball has its own investigatory arm, as recommended in the groundbreaking Mitchell Report. Thus, the game is in a position it could not have been in previously -- having the capability to thoroughly investigate on its own a case such as the one Biogenesis presented.
And after the facts are accumulated, MLB has an obligation to follow through on the penalty phase. Braun's 65-game suspension was negotiated. He had not only violated baseball's drug policy but had subsequently made misleading comments regarding his innocence.
Rodriguez will appeal his suspension, which will take effect on Thursday, but his suspension is longer than those of other players, because of repeated violations of the drug policy and attempts to interfere with baseball's investigation of Biogenesis.
The notion that this is somehow a persecution aimed directly at Rodriguez requires more imagination than knowledge. If a suspension of Rodriguez through 2014 were upheld, Rodriguez would still have three years remaining on his current contract with the Yankees. Rodriguez, who has previously admitted that he used steroids for three seasons while playing for the Texas Rangers, would be owed $61 million for those final three years.
Thus, even if A-Rod is found guilty in this instance, he will be given what will amount to a third, and relatively lucrative, chance.
There is nothing like a lifetime ban arising out of the Biogenesis case, but a point will still be made. The "non-analytic positive," a finding of PED guilt without a positive drug test, is now part of the enforcement equation. As a result, there is one fewer place for PED users to hide.
Mike Bauman is a national columnist for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Counter Argument: 3 Reasons We Need V2X
25 comments
Under V2V, combining a dedicated frequency spectrum (the 5.9 GHz band for the US and Europe and the 5.8 GHz band for Japan) and ad-hoc network architecture enables a "heartbeat" message, broadcast by each car 10 times per second, Juliussen explained. "It is a relatively simple and cost effective solution" for avoiding collisions, for example, easily incorporated into mass market cars.
The downside of a safety system based on V2V, however, is that such safety features work best when every car on the road is equipped with DSRC-based features. In other words, V2V needs a universal mandate, explained Juliussen.
Traffic efficiency
Beyond safety features, another benefit of a V2X infrastructure, said Juliussen, is "improved efficiency in traffic." When cars need to pass through a number of traffic lights, the V2X infrastructure can inform drivers of a recommended driving speed, in order to reduce unnecessary acceleration or slowdown.
NXP's Freeman agreed. Noting that safety and environmental impact are the real impetus behind V2X, he pointed out that efficient traffic flow allows individual cars to waste less fuel. Even though Freeman believes the combination of the current ADAS and LTE "can go a long way" to address the safety issues, "V2X really add[s] tremendous value to society," he claimed. "Benefits are fantastic."
While acknowledging that LTE can also add value to the future of V2X infrastructure, Freeman sees all the possible components as complementary. The DSRC-based V2V and V2I can offer necessary safety messages "without tying up people's mobile bandwidth," he added.
With its 802.11p chips designed to work in the DSRC spectrum, NXP today is participating in roughly half of the current road trials (based on the DSRC spectrum) worldwide. "As a chip company, you don't necessarily want to be too early to the market, but we hope to help create the market [for V2V]," said Freeman, "by offering the underlying semiconductor architecture."
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Wrestling is coming to the Arkansas River Valley.
The athletic department of the Russellville School District (RSD) announced Friday that Russellville High School will compete in wrestling as a club sport beginning in January. The RHS Wrestling Club will be operating at no expense to the RSD.
"This has been part of a big push by Phil Hatcher to get wrestling in Arkansas," RSD Athletic Director Jim Dickerson said. "Arkansas and Mississippi are the only states that don't have high school wrestling."
A $9,000 wrestling mat was provided by the Arkansas Wrestling Association to the first 20 schools to have teams in Arkansas. Donations are being accepted to purchase head gear and wrestling uniforms.
Harold Taylor and Terry Davis will serve as volunteer coaches for the wrestling club. Both have been very active in the River Valley Boys and Girls Club wrestling program for several years. Russellville MIddle School coach and RHS teacher, Phillip Goodwin will serve as sponsor. At this time, there are 18 young men signed up in the wrestling club. Coaches are looking for athletes in the lower weight classes.
Matches have tentatively been scheduled for Jan. 6 and 15. A complete schedule will be finalized after the first of the year.
"Harold (Taylor) and Terry (Davis) are in charge of getting matches scheduled," Dickerson said. "We are hoping that Russellville can host a few matches and allow the schools from the 7A West and 7A Central to meet and cut down on travel expenses. The number of meets scheduled for this year depends on the funding and how much money the wrestling club can spend on travel."
A total of 18 other high schools in Arkansas have started wrestling programs. Fayetteville, Springdale, Har-Ber, Bentonville and Little Rock Central are some of the other 7A schools who will be offering wrestling.
"This is only preliminary work. We got a late start to putting together our program," Dickerson said. "We think this will be very successful. Our soccer and swimming programs started out as club activities."
While the Arkansas Activities Association does not currently recognize wrestling as a sport, Dickerson says it will be a big day when they do.
"Today is a big day for us in getting this program off the ground," Dickerson said. "The big day will be the day the AAA recognizes it as a sanctioned sport and we can bring it in to our athletic program."
For more information on the wrestling program, contact Dickerson at (479) 890-6356. Anyone interested in wrestling, or anyone willing to help support the wrestling program, can contact Dickerson, Taylor, Davis or Goodwin.


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U.S. pushes against Germany in looming decision to locate climate fund
The United States is lobbying against Bonn, Germany, in its bid to become the headquarters for the Green Climate Fund, several delegates involved in the decision said this week.
Germany is among six nations jockeying to house the potentially multibillion-dollar fund, and Bonn is considered -- along with Songdo, South Korea, and Geneva, Switzerland -- a top contender.
But board members and activists said the Obama administration opposes Bonn because the city also is is home to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. While some view that as a plus, U.S. leaders worry that the UNFCCC would be too close for comfort, possibly influencing the new fund and likely dissuading Congress from putting money in it.
"I have been telling my friends from the U.S. that we should manage an institutional separation with a spatial proximity. We are very clear that the fund is not a subsidiary to the UNFCCC," said Manfred Konukiewitz, deputy director-general for climate policy in Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Germany's board member on the Green Climate Fund.
Konukiewitz maintained that the United States is quietly backing South Korea's bid, largely for strategic diplomatic reasons.
"I think in the end there are a number of very different concerns that play into the decision of my U.S. colleagues, like that Asia is a very important region for the U.S. right now," he said. "The U.S. government is very conscious of geopolitical issues."
Geopolitics at work
The United States has not publicly backed any candidate for the fund, and U.S. Treasury Department officials declined yesterday to speak about the upcoming decision. The 24-member board of the Green Climate Fund meets this week to choose the new home base.
It's a decision, observers said, that will reverberate beyond national pride for whichever city is chosen. Board members and climate activists said having strong government support, progressive leaders on climate finance and links to financial power structures could help make the Green Climate Fund into a powerful economic tool to help vulnerable countries.
Right now, the fund is an empty shell, but it is expected to manage much of a $100 billion annual pledge that nations vowed to raise from both public and private sources.
"The Green Climate Fund needs to do a lot of work as a thought leader, not just an entity that approves projects. We're looking at a new economic paradigm," said Farrukh Khan, who led the transition team that created the fund and now is an alternate board member from Pakistan.
"It's heartening to see how much interest the Green Climate Fund has," Khan said.
Also competing to host the fund are Warsaw, Poland; Mexico; and Namibia. Observers said Namibia is likely to have problems attracting staff; Poland is trying to establish itself as an Eastern European financial center but has earned enmity among climate activists for blocking the European Union's emissions reduction efforts; and Mexico remains a strong dark-horse contender.
Asian countries line up behind South Korea
Mexico, in fact, created the very idea of the Green Climate Fund and shopped it around in the months before the 2010 climate summit in Cancun. Yet, board members said, Mexico gave a weak presentation at the previous Green Climate Fund meeting. Geneva, meanwhile, has the allure of its financial markets and proximity to several U.N. agencies, yet is criticized as too expensive a city.
Hong-Sang Jung, director-general for economic cooperation in South Korea's Ministry of Finance, said his country, which just 50 years ago was one of the world's poorest, is both leading on climate change and uniquely qualified to bridge the developed and developing world.
"If we locate in Bonn or Geneva, the Green Climate Fund will become another European and developed-country institution," Jung said. "Now, if we locate the GCF in a less-represented region, it can make a big momentum."
This is South Korea's second attempt in two years to make a name for itself in the world of climate change. It lost a hard-fought bid against Qatar to host the 2012 U.N. climate summit. Now, though, it is said to have backing for the Green Climate Fund of many Asian countries that supported Qatar for the conference. South Korea has taken a voluntary emissions target and has established an institute aimed at developing strategies for low-carbon growth.
Jung declined to comment on U.S. support for South Korea's bid but noted that he agrees with U.S. concerns that Bonn is "too close to the UNFCCC."
Europe is split
Europeans, meanwhile, are split among Bonn, Geneva and Warsaw. But those backing Bonn have criticized delays in South Korea's efforts to turn the Global Green Growth Institute into an international body and have questioned whether South Korea can attract the necessary international staff.
They also have cast U.S. opposition to the city as part of a cynical effort to undermine the Green Climate Fund. European sources close to the board decision argued that the United States not only wants distance from the United Nations but also wants to avoid a fund that mirrors the United Nations' one-party, one-vote system to give donors more weight. They characterized the U.S. effort as against the interests of developing countries affected by climate change and the European Union.
U.S. officials rejected that characterization. Billy Pizer, former deputy assistant secretary for environment and energy at the U.S. Treasury Department, argued that in order to be successful, the Green Climate Fund needs a financial and accountability structure that is fundamentally different than what currently exists within the U.N. system. Besides, he said, the reality is simply that Congress is unlikely to put taxpayer dollars into a fund closely aligned with the United Nations.
"The U.S. wants this to be a strong fund, and a strong fund means a fund that is not too associated with other international organizations that Congress has at time shown they have a lot of issues with," Pizer said.
South Korea, which is hosting the Oct. 18-20 board meeting, has the home turf advantage. Members will vote by closed ballot, eliminating the candidate with the least votes until a winner emerges.
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The LAWeekly website recently posted a brief article about the upcoming Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree being held in Burbank, California from June 10-12, 2011. As part of the article, they posted a photo that was an offensive way to advertise this very successful annual genealogy event and the field of genealogy itself.
[UPDATE: After . . . → Read More: This Is The Face of Genealogy


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Physics Seminar
Robert Hayward, who is retired from the NRAO, will give a special Physics Department Seminar titled, "The Colgate Paramp: The Story of Stirling Colgate and the Multifunction Array Radar and their Impact on Radio Astronomy." This talk is a historical account of the low-noise parametric amplifiers (or paramps) that were salvaged from an early Anti-Ballistic Missile radar built and tested at the White Sands Missile Range during the mid 1960's. The facility was known as the "Multifunction Array Radar" (MAR-I) and it was the first prototype of a phased-array radar developed for the Nike-X missile defense program. The MAR-I was salvaged during the fall of 1970 by New Mexico Tech. The salvaged MAR-I amplifiers came to be known as "Colgate Paramps", named after Stirling Colgate who was then president of Tech (1965-1975). . 4 p.m. in Workman 101


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The Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour - 8th May 2012
The Scottish Literary Tour Trust
Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at 7:30 PM (BST)
Literary Supper packages
We would recommend that you give yourself at least ONE HOUR for dining prior to the tour beginning at 7.30 pm. The total price for your literary lunch or supper is inclusive of the tour cost. On receipt of your booking reference, the bar staff will issue you with a ticket for the tour. From there, all you have to do is sit down and relax, enjoy your meal and prepare yourself for an award-winning, dramatised literary tour of Edinburgh - against one of the most spectacular and historical back-drops in the world – recently awarded the first ever title: UNESCO "City of Literature"!
Please be advised that we require a minimum of two days notice for all literary lunch and supper packages. (unless by special arrangement over the telephone).
For confirmation on the day, please give the respective pub a print out of your bookings page and give the name used to confirm your booking through our site if it is different to that on the booking form.
No refunds will be issued for any reason whatsoever, once the booking request has been confirmed by The Scottish Literary Tour Trust and subsequently relayed to the client. If we are fully booked on the date of your preferred literary dining package and are unable to accommodate your request or able to secure an acceptable alternative, we will issue a full refund to your credit card company within 24 hours. Please note that places on The Edinburgh Literary Pub & Bus Tours may still be available, irrespective of dining capacity at either The café Royal or the Ensign Ewart.
*NB please note all literary lunch and supper packages are inclusive of the tour price.
The aim of The Scottish Literary Tour Trust Ltd is to produce unique literary projects which will entertain and inform a wide audience, through the collaboration of Scottish talent, past and present, raising awareness of Scotland's rich literary heritage throughout the United Kingdom and abroad. Besides the Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour, the Scottish Literary Tour Trust has developed other relevant cultural products in the UNESCO City of Literature.
In order to purchase these tickets in installments, you'll need an Eventbrite account. Log in or sign up for a free account to continue.


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Myrmecia forficata
When the photographer disturbs her nest, a small Myrmecia forficata worker emerges to stand guard.
Harrietville, Victoria, Australia
Wilsons Promontory National Park, Victoria, Australia
Myrmecia mandibularis
A foundress queen in her nest. Yandoit, Victoria, Australia.
Myrmecia nigriceps
Bull ants are solitary foragers, hunting alone even though they live in colonies. Here, a worker Myrmecia nigriceps descends a tree trunk in a eucalypt woodland.
Yandoit, Victoria, Australia
Yandoit, Victoria, Australia
Myrmecia nigriceps, the black-headed bull ant. The large eyes of these insects bestow excellent vision for an ant.
Yandoit, Victoria, Australia
Portrait of Myrmecia nigriceps, the black-headed bull ant. Bull ants are among the largest ants in the world, some over an inch in length.
Yandoit, Victoria, Australia
The versatile mandibles of Australian bull ants are useful for digging, grasping prey, handling brood, and reminding intrusive photographers of their place. Yandoit, Victoria, Australia.
Myrmecia nigrceps - black-headed bull ant. The large eyes of these insects bestow excellent vision for an ant, and Myrmecia have the disconcerting habit of turning to face- or even chase- people who approach too closely.
Yandoit, Victoria, Australia
The elongate, toothy mandibles of this predatory bull ant helps her seize prey.
Yandoit, Victoria, Australia
A nest of the black-headed bull ant Myrmecia nigriceps.
Yandoit, Victoria, Australia
Myrmecia sp.
Australians know Myrmecia bull ants for their painful stings, which the ants readily employ to defend their nest from attack. Or, in this case, from a photographer.
Diamond Creek, Victoria, Australia
Myrmecia nigriscapa
A testy bulldog ant (Myrmecia nigriscapa) advances on the camera that intrudes on her nest. The large eyes of this ant give her excellent vision.
Wilsons Promontory National Park, Victoria, Australia
Myrmecia nigricepsMyrmeciaMyrmeciinaeFormicidaeantsinsectsinch antbull antbull antsbulldog antsHymenopterainsectred and brown bull antAustraliaeyesjawsbig antenormous antlargest ant


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© 2008 MLB Advanced Media, L.P. All rights reserved.
Brewers ride late push into playoffs
Momentum has Milwaukee rolling for NLDS in Philly
By Adam McCalvy / MLB.com
MILWAUKEE -- They crowded into a small dining room, away from the plastic-covered walls of the home clubhouse at Miller Park, to watch on television. Three Mets outs to go. Then two. Then one. Then, pandemonium. Led by slugging first baseman Prince Fielder, the Brewers emerged with the National League Wild Card in hand. They wasted a few cases of champagne and then took the celebration back to the field, where tens of thousands of fans had been watching the Marlins beat the Mets on the big screen, sending the Brewers into the playoffs. Next stop, Philadelphia. The Brewers and Phillies begin a best-of-five NL Division Series on Wednesday at 2 p.m. CT. It will be Milwaukee's first playoff game since 1982. "I don't care when we did it last," shortstop J.J. Hardy said. "We did it now. And it couldn't be more exciting. We're having a blast." Once the champagne dries and the confetti is cleared, interim Brewers manager Dale Sveum will have to sit down and figure out the particulars. On Sunday, picking a Game 1 starter and settling the postseason roster was the last thing on his mind. "Don't even ask me that now," Sveum said amid the celebration. Left-hander Cole Hamels (14-10, 3.09 ERA), who beat the Brewers on Sept. 13 in Philadelphia as part of a four-game Phillies sweep, will start opposite somebody for Milwaukee. Since the fabulous CC Sabathia pitched a complete game on Sunday to put the Brewers in the postseason, he will not be available until Game 2 at the absolute earliest.
A trio of Brewers right-handers appear to be front-runners for Game 1. Yovani Gallardo might be the leading candidate, though he worked just four innings on Thursday in his return from right knee surgery. Dave Bush is another, though he threw 43 pitches in relief on Saturday. Or, Sveum could go with experience and use Jeff Suppan, who would be on regular rest and is 5-2 with a 3.00 ERA in nine career postseason starts.
Working against Suppan is the fact that he went 0-3 with an 8.44 ERA in five starts in September. He was knocked out of a Sept. 14 start in Philadelphia after two innings.
General manager Doug Melvin said the baseball staff would convene Monday to make some decisions. The team will take part in "Rally Monday" at the Summerfest grounds in Milwaukee beginning at 5 p.m. CT, then will travel to Philadelphia.
The pitchers were lining up Sunday to declare themselves available.
"Who wouldn't be," Bush said. "We have a couple of days to figure all of that out. We're just excited about this right now."
Said Gallardo: "If they give me the opportunity, I'll be glad to. The next day after I pitched I had normal soreness and nothing more than that. Other than that, my body feels great."
The Brewers, who lost five of six games against the Phillies this season, will not be able to count on Ben Sheets. The right-hander, a Brewer since 2001, longer than any other current player, said again Sunday that the pain in his right elbow almost certainly would not let him pitch.
Sheets had some tears in his eyes while the team celebrated on the field. Maybe it was the champagne in his eyes.
"I'll have to be a cheerleader for a while," Sheets said. "It's got to be fun, because I've got no choice. It don't look good, but you never know."
Pitching issues are nothing new for the Brewers under Sveum, who decided on the first day he took over from Ned Yost as manager to move left-hander Manny Parra to the bullpen. Sveum never counted on losing Sheets, though he had been receiving treatment on his elbow.
With Sheets down and Parra out, the Brewers' list of probable pitchers over the final week of the regular season was dotted with initials: CC and TBA, as in, "to be announced."
"It's been an absolute jigsaw puzzle," pitching coach Mike Maddux said. "We've had some injuries here and there, and we have a pitching staff that lost it's horse. It's been tough, man."
Only seven days earlier, the Brewers appeared dazed, confused and on the way home for October. They were 2 1/2 games behind the Mets, three back in the loss column, with only six games to play.
Then came a 5-1 homestand while the Mets lost six of their final nine games.
On Sunday, the ride seemed worth it.
"I know what it means to this city," said left fielder Ryan Braun, who delivered two game-winning home runs this week, including Sunday's go-ahead, two-run shot. "I know what they have gone through for the last 25 years and what they went through for the first three weeks of this month.
"To me, the postseason began a week ago. We had to win all of these games just to get here."
|"To me, the postseason began a week ago. We had to win all of these games just to get here."
|-- Ryan Braun
Adam McCalvy 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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New York Secretary of State Cesar Peralis will tour the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown tomorrow afternoon at 2pm, according to Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson.
(Idelson -1)
The visit will highlight the importance of the Hall as a tourist destination and will celebrate the cultural diversity of the sport with a special tour of the "Viva La Baseball" exhibit, honoring the Latino contributions of the game.
The local chapter of the Disabled American Veterans is looking for volunteer drivers to transport local veterans. DAV member, Ernie Thompson explains…
Thompson (:19)
Volunteer drivers must have a valid drivers license and will receive a complete physical at no cost. If you can help with transportation for our local Disabled veterans, call 764-8134, that's 764-8134.
Lt. Governor Bob Duffy is expected to be Governor Cuomo's running mate again when Cumo runs for re-election next year. Sources say Duffy is fully committed to the ticket. An announcement on a final decision is expected by the end of the year.
The New York State Police are continuing their efforts to find qualified candidates eligible to take the upcoming State Trooper Exam in October. Qualifications and salary information can be found at the New York State Police recruitment website at NYTROOPER.com. The deadline for registration for the upcoming exami is September 8.
State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli is urging Gov. Cuomo to sign legislation to provide more oversight of the state's private special-education providers. In June, the state Legislature passed a bill to authorize the state comptroller to audit special education programs for preschoolers with disabilities every five years. DiNapoli's office has conducted 15 audits since 2007 of preschool special-education providers, finding cases of fraud and misuse of public money. Eight of the providers have been referred to prosecutors for potential criminal charges. The state Education Department said it didn't have a team of auditors to check how the public money is being spent on the programs.
Better communication and transparency are among the fixes New York state has demanded from its utilities in response to recent severe storms. Gov Cuomo detailed recent actions by the state Public Service Commission, directing utilities to have better emergency plans in place, communicate more effectively with customers and work better with each other. The actions stem from recommendations made by the Moreland Commission to investigate the electric utilities' management, preparation and response to Superstorm Sandy, Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee. The PSC requiring NYSEG and five other companies to address these issues in revised emergency response plans by Dec. 15.
Governor Cumo signed a bill that allows the state to suspend people's drivers license if they owe $10,000 or more in state income taxes. New Yorkers who are unable to pay their back taxes in full can make a payment arrangement with the state. Drivers can apply for a restricted license if they need one to get to work. For more information, call the tax department at (518) 862-6000.
The State Health department announced revisions to the New York City water system's 2007 filtration avoidance determination have been drafted and will be released for public review and comment. Among the components are watershed protection programs in response to the devastation caused by hurricane Irene and tropical storm Lee in 2011. They include provisions for New York City to fund a local flood hazard mitigation program. It also includes an increased number of stream restoration projects.
New York Secretary of State Cesar Peralis will tour the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown tomorrow afternoon at 2pm, according to Hall of Fame President Jeff Idelson.


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GRAMMY Foundation Launches ELI Writing Competition
The GRAMMY Foundation has launched its 13th Annual Entertainment Law Initiative Writing Competition, co-sponsored by the American Bar Association. A substantial cash scholarship of $5,000 will be awarded to the author of the winning essay and $1,500 will be awarded to each of four runners-up. Additionally, each winner will receive airfare, hotel accommodations and a ticket to the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards telecast in Los Angeles on Feb. 13, 2011, as well as invitations to other GRAMMY Week activities, including the annual ELI Luncheon on Feb. 11.
ELI endeavors to promote future careers in entertainment law by seeking out the nation's top law students and giving them invaluable networking and educational opportunities. Established in 1998 by The Recording Academy, ELI is designed to forge a connection between the creative, technical and legal communities of the music industry.
"The GRAMMY Foundation's Entertainment Law Initiative has evolved into a vital program that offers promising law students the opportunity to engage in a dialogue about the significant issues facing the music industry today," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation. "Just as the GRAMMY Foundation's education programs for high school students nurture the music professionals of tomorrow, our Entertainment Law Initiative is fostering the next generation of entertainment law practitioners."
ELI has three main components: the essay competition, a GRAMMY Week ELI Luncheon featuring a prominent keynote speaker, and a legal seminar series.
The ELI WritingCompetition invites law students to write a 3,000-word essay on a compelling legal topic facing the music industry today. The Foundation also conducts ELI Writing Competition workshops at prominent law schools around the country with the goal of helping students with their essays. Once again this year, ELI has partnered with Box.net to allow students to upload their submissions directly over the Internet. Box.net's mission is to provide the best tools to enable people around the world to share and exchange information and content.
The contest will culminate with essay presentations from the winning student authors at the prestigious ELI Luncheon. Past luncheon keynote speakers have included Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.); Edgar Bronfman Jr., chairman and CEO of Warner Music Group; Clive Davis, chief creative officer of BMG North America; Zach Horowitz, president and COO of Universal Music Group; and Timothy J. Leiweke, president and CEO of AEG, among others.
The ELI Legal Seminar series will kick off at the DePaul University College of Law in Chicago on Oct. 27 with a panel titled Practicing Entertainment Law In The New Legal And Music Economy. This program will be presented in partnership with the DePaul University College of Law Center for Intellectual Property Law & Information Technology.
Competition submissions must be sent online by Jan. 3 at 11 a.m. PST. Winners will be announced on Jan. 30. For complete contest rules, send an e-mail to email@example.com.


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You can build your own fabrication table!
It was a late night of fabrication in the Circle Track shop. My back was sore from being hunched over, working on our Mini Stock project car for the past six hours. I took a break from welding and thought about what was next on the to-do list for our Mustang, and I realized it was almost time to start building the 'cage and mount for the fuel cell. I could feel my back tighten up as I thought about building this intricate protective 'cage on the floor in the shop. Then I wondered if the concrete floor was even flat, let alone level enough to build something that needs to be perfectly square. And then it hit me–build a fabrication table!
Now, I know it may sound complicated, but building a fabrication table is fairly simple and something you can do at home. If you fabricate or modify a lot of your own parts, or simply need some solid work surface, a table like this a great addition to any shop. It gives you a solid surface to either weld or clamp parts or brackets to, as well as supplying you with a consistent, level work surface, which will ultimately give you higher quality results.
In its most basic and simple form, we're building a table–four legs and a top. Outside of that, the possibilities (size, height, material, and so on) are limitless based on your needs and abilities. Being that our fabrication table will reside in our Snap-on Tech Center, which we share with many of our sister publications, we wanted to build a table big enough for just about anything. We also needed it to be mobile, and act as a storage location for our Lincoln welding equipment.
We started with some extra rollbar tubing left over from the Mini Stock rollcage. Although this is fairly heavy tubing for a table, we had it, and we need the base of the table to be fairly stout to support the weight of the work surface we plan on using (more on that in a minute).
We started by taking some basic measurements. Knowing the top is a 4×8-foot sheet of steel, we wanted to leave enough room around the top to be able to clamp parts down, or simply attach the welder's ground directly to the table.
The first things we built were the sides. Measure twice, cut once, and make sure all of your corners are square. Once you have two identical sides, it's time to attach them. This is where it gets a little tricky. Having a few friends to help keep things in place is a good idea. Squaring the sides to the top of the base is a critical step. If the top of the base isn't square, the work surface may not sit flat, giving you a workspace that isn't level, or worse, something that could fail and collapse if it's supporting large amounts of weight.
Once our base was complete, we headed to Harbor Freight and picked a set of casters. This gave us the ability to move the table around the shop. We went with two fixed casters and two swivel casters, but four swivel casters will work better if you have a tighter area. Once the casters were welded on, it was time to drop the steel top onto the base of the table. Our work surface is a flat rolled 1/2-inch steel plate. The 4×8-foot sheet weights in at a hefty 653 pounds, but this will give us a solid surface for anything we could ever need to fabricate, modify, or fix.
Keep an eye out for our new fabrication table in our Mini Stock series, as well as many of our other project car builds.