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Extra Pre-game work bring Rays a Win
Rays 9, Mariners 3
C C Comes Alive
To say that Tampa Bay Rays fans have been waiting for Carl Crawford to warm up at the plate might be a bit of a lost moment in time. The slugger had been mired in a bit of a slump where he seemed to be just swinging kind of flat to just make contact with the ball. It has been a increasingly difficult time to see our Second guy in the order struggle like this when the team really needed his bat to come alive. But he finally did come out of that slump and he did it with gusto going 4 for 5 last night, while crossing the plate 3 times for the Rays. It looked like the Crawford of 2008, when he used to use his speed and the playing surface to get hits based on his speed and played upon the agility and performances of the opponent's infield players.
He started showing his renewal early by hitting a ball straight at Seattle first baseman Mike Sweeney, but the ball was hit so hard and also took a nice hop right before it got to Sweeney and it handcuffed him to give Crawford his first hit of the night. Crawford ended scoring on Carlos Pena's 2-run double to the wall to help the Rays take an early lead in the game. Crawford again got a chance in the second inning on a slpa single to left field, but he was overly aggressive and Mariner outfielder Endy Chavez was able to cut him down trying to advance to second on the throw. I understand the aggressive nature of the team, but sometimes it just runs your team out of a potential rally.
Then in the fourth inning Crawford put his speed again to the test as he hit a ball hopping over the mound after hitting right in front of the plate and second baseman Ronny Cedeno had no play at first base to give him his second single of the night. Crawford again came around to score on Evan Longoria's double to right-center field gap. That would be his second plated run of the night. In the sixth inning the Mariner's went to the Bullpen and Crawford got a walk out of reliever Roy Corcoran to lead-off the inning. That marked the fourth time tonight he was on base. Longoria again hit a screamer into the right-center field gap and crawford scored from first base to score his third run of the night.
The Mariners finally got Crawford off the base paths in the seventh inning when he struck out against Seattle reliever Miguel Bastista to end the inning. His final chance came in the ninth inning when Seattle brought in reliever Mark Lowe to finish out the game. With two-men on base at second and third, Crawford hit another single up the middle to get his only RBI of the night when Jason Bartlett crossed the plate. The inning ended two batters later when Pena hit a ball to Ichiro in right field, but you want to think that Crawford looked skyward and loved his night at the plate. Sometimes a slump at the plate can follow you into the field and it gets into your head when making plays in the outfield.
I truly think this did happen to him during the Chicago White Sox series and during a few fly balls in this series. In the White Sox series he seemed to give up on balls hit in front of him a few times, including at least three on Sunday afternoon. But when you confidence is growing, you will stride faster and take a few more chances on balls. Crawford's night at the plate saw his average rise from a suspect .224 to a more .270. All that in one night. Crawford might have been one of those guys that Rays Manager Joe Maddon worked with before the game with extra B P today trying to instutue more ground balls and using their team speed and abilities to test a defense. It paid huge dividends for crawford and the Rays last night as they broke out of their slump of scoring and putting their aggressive nature to the test against the Mariners last night.
Elaine Thompson / AP
Evan Oh Mighty!
Who would have thought more than 135 games ago when Evan Longoria finally made his Major League debut we would be talking about this feat at such an early juncture in his career. But the pure fact is this guy has risen above expectations and is now moving at his own speed towards the top to be spoken in the same sentences as some of the greats who have played third base in the majors. Considering this guy makes it look so easy only compounds the fact he might just become a true force on the Rays for many years. First off, only two other players have stroked the ball like Longoria to post their 100th RBI earlier than him. And neither of those guys even plays on the same side of the field as him.
Cardinal Superman Albert Pujols and Brewers Home Run wonder Ryan Braun are the only players to reach this feat faster than the Rays hot corner guy. Not let's just take a peak at this a bit here. He is in the company of Pujols, who was the 2008 National League Most Valuable Player, and a true superstar in the making with his fellow State Farm Home Run Derby participant Braun. No predictions or forecasting here, but the future is so bright, he better wear shades. And all of this is coming in a time when the media and writers are forecasting a sophomore slump for the slugger. But Longoria is also taking a shot at putting his name up there for early consideration for his second All-Star bid with a some impressive offensive numbers.
Coming into tonight's 6:30 start, after a great 3 for 4 night , with 3 RBIs, he is currently sitting in the number 3 spot in hitting with a .415 average. But that is not his only posting in the League Leaders right now. His 3 RBI's last night put him in a 3-way dogfight in third for the RBI's with 16. Of course he is trailing team mate Pena, who is sitting in the two spot with 17 this season, But that puts a total of 33 RBI's into the thrid and fourth slot of the Rays lineup. That is impressive because with Longoria getting on base, it increases the chances for Pena to be able to produce runs and get the Rays into the Wins column. And his record 100th RBI in the fourth inning came off his 7th double of the year. Oh, and by the way, he is tied for the lead in that category too.
Longoria might have thought last season was the magical one, but so far in 2009, he is exceeding expectations and also seeming to just be letting us all go along and enjoy the ride. I am not saying the Rays should hitch their wagons to this star, but you always ride the hot hand, and right now Longoria
is as hot as the sun. And if all the above was not enough, he is still the top dog in Slugging Percentage, hitting a robust .830 right now with hard hitting Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler right behind him. How much of a compliment is that, Kinsler is a hitting machine and is trailing Longo. I do not know about any of you, but I am truly enjoying watching this guy hit, field and also wreck havoc on the base paths this year. I compared him to Mongo last year played by Alex Karras in "Blazing Saddles". Not for the character's brain power,or lack of it, but for the brute force and ability he showed. Longo is making all of us rethink third base, and maybe even that sophomore slump idea.
Navi reverting to Old Habits?
I really like Dioner Navarro. The guy has been a force behind the plate for the Rays for several years, but his current hitting struggles make you again question what is going on with him. Granted it has been almost two years since he started off like this, but if you remember back at the All-Star break in 2007 when he was hitting an anemic .177 for the Rays. I am seeing some of the same swings and desperate slices at the ball hoping for contact again this year. He is currently not at that mark, but after last night contest his average has dipped to .184. But what is more upsetting is this might creep into his defensive work soon, and the Rays do not need that to happen.
Last night was not his night in several ways. First he is the only Rays hitter to not get on base last night going 0-5. A good sign id that none of those 5 at bats resulted in a strikeout, so maybe his salvation is only a stroke away. But his night was hampered by another play that he should not have been pegged with an error last night. In the fifth inning, Seattle catcher Rob Johnson hit a ball high into the sky underneath the roof of Safeco field and Rays pitcher Jeff Niemann was pointing it out to Navarro, who came from behind the plate and was camped under the ball for the easy out.
But at the last moment, Rays first baseman Pena came in and bumped into Navarro causing him to lose focus and the ball fell to the grass. Luckily for the Rays, Home Plate Umpire Larry Vanover called the ball foul, or it would have been Johnson standing on second base after the play. Navarro was given an error on the play, which I do not agree with, but he did seem to have a clear shot at the put out, and for that fact he should have been given the error. But here is the place that the official scorekeeper can also have given the error to Pena for his interference in the play.
It did not work to the Rays disadvantage, but was an example of the piling on right now of Navarro's woes. He did however have a bright moment in the sixth inning when he mowed down Ichiro, who was trying to steal second base. Niemann, becuase of his large size can be a bit slow to the plate, but Navarro got the ball and sprung up throwing and got the tag perfectly online so that Bartlett could apply the tag to his left shin for the out. That might just be the one thing that could spark confidence in him and he could again begin to rebuild his hitting, just like in the last part of 2007 when he went .289, or in 2008 when his .295 average showed everyone he had the abilty to hit and play great defensive catching for the Rays.
Elaine Thompson / AP
Niemann looked Golden in Victory
Rays starter Jeff Niemann must have thought he was in a dream before the beginning of the fifth inning. He was sitting on a chance to put an exclamation point on the reason he should be the fifth starter for the entire year. He had been able to work out of the wind-up the entire game and did not have any worries about base runners. Since those first five batters he faced in 2009 in Baltimore, Niemann has ressurected his season by posting a 2.61 ERA in the last 10.1 innings for the Rays. But coming into the fifthth inning, he was facing a blank slate in hits and runs, but that soon would change for the 6 foot 9 inch right-hander.
In the matter of a few batters his night would completely change dispite an impressive and entusiastic outing in Seattle. In the fifth inning he seems to begin to show signs of maybe second guessing himself and the fatigue of the night. The inning started off with Adrian Beltre hitting a hard ball deep into the hole to Jason Bartlett at short, but Bartlett was high with his throw and Pena could not come down with the tag in time to get Beltre on the play. It went in the books as an E-6 on the play saving Niemann's bid for the moment.
But the next hitter, Ronny Cendeno, who had come in after Mike Sweeney went down with a back strain, gave Seattle only their second base runner of the night when he walked on 4 pitches. Niemann was beginning to show signs of letting this game get away from him when Jose Lopez came to the plate. Lopez had hit 18 home runs in 2008 and had the ability to ruin Niemann's bid in one stroke. After working the count to 0-1, with a called strike, Niemann tried to put a ball on the insdie corner that Lopez turned on and hit into the Mariners' Bullpen in left field for a 3-run homer.
After the inning, the scoreboard showed only one-hit on the night for Niemann, but the three runs put the Mariner's in striking range 7-3 at the time. Niemann ended the night in the sixth inning when Rays Manager Joe Maddon came out and got him after going 5.1 innings and giving up 3 hits and 3 runs on the night. Niemann's effort lowered his ERA to a more respectable 5.40 this season, which is the same ERA as Scott Kazmir this season. That might put some emphasis to just how far he has come in his last few starts on the mound. He has a better ERA than Andy Sonnanstine and is equal with Kazmir. If you take away those first five batter, he might even be the most productive pitcher this season for the Rays. Not bad for a guy who was fighting for a chance not less than three weeks ago to even be on this team's roster.
Hump Day Happenings
I thought it was great that the Rays let Rays Bullpen Catcher Scott Cursi take out the official line-up card to the umpires before last night's game. The guy has been one of the hardest working people on this Rays staff for years. The guy does a hard job with a smile and it was a great sight seeing Scottie at the plate before the game. With that in mind, do you again send him to the plate with the line-up card tonight? Do you toy with the Baseball gods and break from superstition, or do you ride the karma of Cursi and his aura of professionalism to the bottom of the wave. I hope he again gets shot, because you might remeber that he did it also during the 2008 season and team also won that contest. Cursi is 2-0 in that position, can we go for 3-0 Joe?
Another Rays blog, the Rays Index came up with this gem that current Rays DL candidate Fernando Perez is doing a column for the New York Times. As many Rays fans know, Perez is a graduate of Columbia University and is a well-versed guy on the bench right now rehabbing his wrist injury. You can still see him before the Rays games doing his running in the field with his light blue foam cast hoping the days come fast that it can be removed and he can resume baseball activities. Here is a link to that column for those interested: http://bats.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/17/fernando-perez-rays-fandom-up-close/. You will not be disappointed in his style or impressions of life as a Ray. I look forward to more of his writings this year for the publication.
I still think it is funny when something goes wrong with a uniform or a team plays a joke on a player with mis-spellings or an alteration on their jerseys. I remember when the Rays put only "Rocco" on Rocco Baldelli's jersey a few years ago to play a joke on the center fielder that he should be like Ichiro and have only his first name ob his jersey. Baldelli actually played an inning before it was pointed out to him by an umpire at second base as he was running into the dugout. I could see guys falling off the top seat rail in the dugout and it was a priceless moment in Rays history.
But I do have to say that the recent embarrassing moment for Majestic, who make all of the formula game issued jerseys for MLB really did show a huge vulnerable situation in their Quality Control department when two Washington Natinals players were spotted with grammarical errors on their jerseys during a game. I can see it getting by the QC department and getting shipped to the team, but the teams put their own names and numbers on the jerseys in-house, so the blame has to also go with the Washington Clubhouse staff. I would think you would double-check your work before you hang it up in a professional player's locker for game use.
I know the job is some times bang, bang in the Clubhouse, but to let something like that get to the field is a major problem. I mean,there have been names wrong on jerseys before, and even patches upside down or even wrong. But to put a jersey out on the field that displays your teams name wrong is a huge insult to the organization. I bet from now on there is going to be a huge amount of double-checks and balances in place to keep this from happening again in Washington. And by the way, Majestic should not have issued such a huge apology, it should have been caught before it hit the player s back, or at least before the beginning of the first inning.
8 Comments
Y'know, I feel like I should have known this long ago, but I only just recently realized that Carl Crawford is a Houston native. He's an outstanding player when he's on his game. Just one more reason for me to cheer on the Rays to repeat in the AL East! Glad to see him heating it up, and glad to see Niemann pitching better, as well.
I talked with him a few years ago about him attending Jefferson Davis HS in Houston.
He said it was an enlightening experience, especially after he learned who Jefferson Davis was in history. He is a great guy who rose above the water level to produce a great story for his life. Considering he could have played football at Nebraska, or Basketball at UCLA, I think he made the right choise for him and the Rays.
Rays Renegade
Crawford is a true gem, and any team would be lucky to have him. Talk about an all-around athlete. As for the Nationals and their hapless uniforms, it reminds me of a writer friend whose publisher left her name off her book cover. Does anybody check anything????
I once wrote an article a long time ago on a local Soccer team and the "Evening Independent" sports copy clerk called the coach to confirm the players name, but he used the name "Tim" with all the players, so she changed my story to show the changes and it got published wrong.
I was not embarrassed because I had the original copy that had the correct names, but the school did not like me until I showed the principal I got it right.
Sometimes trying to be so right can be so wrong.
Rays Renegade
Rays – I think we all have players who are off to a slow start. Certainly David Ortiz's start has been slower then many of us would have liked. I'm glad that he, like Crawford, as starting to find his bat. And the Nationals? As if the fans of that team didn't have enough to be concerned about! Do the players really only have one shirt available to them or were they all wrong I wonder? That team appears to be the Rodney Dangerfield of baseball – they just can't get no respect!
It was funny, with that great new ballpark I thought they might increase the team's chances of getting to the playoffs so they could show the country their great ballpark, but negative press is better than none at all.
From the recent Elijah Duke's situation, where I now hear he was paid $ 500 dollars to attend, to the uniform fiasco. The Washington team can do no right in 2009.
Let us not forget their GM and the Dominican situation, or their fire sale in the Bullpen after 11 games.
It is going to be fun to watch the transaction wire with the Nationals this year ( I did not forget the "o" ).
Rays Renegade
What's with this Elijah Dukes thing? What did he do? Hey RaysRenegade, I sure would like for some of those young arms the Rays have to be shipped over to the Mets. How about it? Tell me who you want and I'll see if we can work something out and no this is not former GM Jim Duquette. If you so wish to, stop by and participate in my daily baseball trivia to earn points towards the challenge of being crowned "The 1 Constant Baseball Trivia Guru" for 2009 and a small baseball related gift/prize. A new question will be posted each day during the 12:00-1:00 PM hour.
You have gotten some Rays arms in the last few years, but they have not helped you as much as you would like…
You have gotten Al Reyes ( retired now), Brian Stokes ( on your 25-man roster), Jorge Sosa ( ? ) but I know you want Scott Kazmir back in the fold.
I will come on over and check the Triva Contest out this weekend. I am not at home right now and it is a bit of a hazard to even get online to do my blog lol.
Rays Renegade


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best bet is to get out and get your hands on one to hold (either Best Buy or Apple store)
I like the Mac Book Pro Retina. I toyed with getting an Air but I want to run a windows VM on it in Parallels and the storage is too light for that.
the 13" looks and feels like a great machine.

subset: commoncrawl


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FSPL Adult Reading Group [1]
Join others in your community as we discuss:
Prodigal Summer
by Barbara Kingsolver
Prodigal Summer weaves together three stories of human love within a larger tapestry of lives inhabiting the forested mountains and struggling small farms of southern Appalachica.
Books and reading guides are available at both Franklin and Springboro library branches. No registration is required.
The FSPL Reading Group offers a nonjudgmental, uncritical discussion where everyone who wishes to contribute has the opportunity to do so.


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The COPS Unit (Community Oriented Police Services) is a full-time unit consisting of two deputies. Each deputy assigned to this unit is required to go through several state certified courses dealing with Community Oriented Policing Strategies.
The county is divided into two areas and each COPS officer is assigned as the Community Policing Officer for his or her area. COPS officers routinely attend township meetings and also help coordinate neighborhood watch groups and regularly attend those neighborhood watch meetings.
The COPS Unit is also involved in:
- Crime prevention programs such as Identity Theft, Operation I.D., Cyberbullying, etc.
- Senior safety programs such as the Senior Citizen Police Academy and the Senior Expo.
- Community events such as Police Memorial Week, National Night Out and the County Fair.
- Youth Academies in June, July and August.
Go to: Crime Prevention Awareness for informative downloads.
Main Phone: 815-319-6500
Deputy Dennis Lingbeck: 815-319-6503


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- Which type of exterior paint is best for your home?


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Most of all, Phelps took with him the title of the most-decorated Olympian of all time. That's something you just don't replace.
USA Swimming, however, is looking for a new poster boy. Actually, given the fact Phelps left his mark in 11 events, there are many 'new' faces that need to fill the considerable void left by the world's greatest swimmer.
Phelps' best event was the 200-meter butterfly. He was pretty good in the 100 fly, as well. Those are two big reasons why Stanford graduate Bobby Bollier will be competing at the Phillips 66 National Championships next week in Indianapolis, Ind., instead of being retired as well.
"It's my events Michael Phelps is leaving behind," Bollier said this week. "U.S. Swimming is looking for fast people to fill that in."
Bollier, for one, is a bit relieved that Phelps is no longer taking one of two berths for every major swim meet.
"It's not like he was a distraction," Bollier said. "If anything, he was a motivating factor. But, his departure provides opportunities for people like me."
Bollier is scheduled to swim the 200 fly, 200 free, 100 fly and 400 free at the national championships, which serves as the qualifying meet for the FINA World Championships July 28-Aug. 4 in Barcelona, Spain. Only the top two finishers in each event are eligible for the USA team.
Bollier knows the pain of not finishing among the top two after taking third at last year's U.S. Olympic Trials. He went into the final having clocked the fastest times in the prelims and semifinals, but his personal record of 1:55.79 in the finals left him behind Phelps and Tyler Clary.
"I put everything into that race," Bollier said. "I have no regrets. Even though it would have been awesome to make the team, I got everything out of it that I could — even though I didn't get the icing on the cake.
"Trials were a huge mix of ups and downs. Short term, I'd say it was definitely a negative simply because I didn't make the Olympic team. When you get third at Olympic Trials, it's really humbling. But, long term, it's just something else that happened in the past. I learned a lot about what's important to me, what defines a swimming career, and what makes the whole swimming experience so enjoyable."
Following the Trials, Bollier took nearly two months off from swimming. But, because his family had tickets to the London Olympics, Bollier made the trip with them,
"I went to London to see some events and got to explore the city, something I wouldn't have done has I made the team," Bollier explained. "It was an alternate Olympic experience and a good way to get closure on not making the Olympic team — just seeing there were other ways to enjoy the Olympics without competing in it."
Bollier met up with Shannon Vreeland, a former teammate of his with the Kansas City Blazers' club. She earned a gold medal on the 800 free relay team. They had lunch together after her relay win.
"I had a lot of friends on that (Olympic) team," said Bollier.
Fortunately for Bollier, he had made a fortuitous decision back in March of 2012 that he'd swim at least through 2013.
"I made the decision in advance because I didn't want the Olympic Trials to be the deciding factor on my career," he said. "I was very happy with that decision, It took a lot of pressure off me at Olympic Trials."
The 23-year-old Bollier, who graduated from Stanford last June, eventually got back to training in September of 2012 and rejoined a small group of his former teammates with Stanford Pro Elite. The post-grad team trains with Palo Alto Stanford Aquatics with Tony Batis and at Stanford with head coach Ted Knapp and assistant Scott Armstrong, who ironically used to help coach Phelps at the North Baltimore Swim Club.
Bollier's teammates include Eugene Godsoe, Chad La Tourette, Jason Dunford, Geoff Cheah, and B.J. Johnson. Godsoe, La Tourette and Johnson will be swimming at nationals next week, as well.
Bollier is seeded No. 2 in the 200 fly, La Tourette is No. 2 in the 800 free and No. 3 in the 1,500 free, Johnson is No. 3 in the 200 breast, and Godsoe is No. 3 in the 50 and 100 backstrokes plus No. 5 in the 50 and 100 flys.
Bollier said he's "optimistic" about his chances next week.
"I've had a good year," he said. "I'm in good shape right now . . . The swimming perspective is interesting, as well."
Along with training with his friends and high school swimmers with PASA, Bollier served as an assistant swim coach at Menlo-Atherton High this past season under former Stanford All-American Lori (Heisick) Stenstrom. She shares a special bond with Bollier — she finished third in the women's 100 breast at the Olympic Trials in 1988.
"My experiences have definitely given me a renewed attitude about the sport," said Bollier, "and I'm excited for the rest of 2013 and beyond."
The Phillips 66 National Championships should be a good one, with many of the 2012 U.S. Olympians returning to re-establish themselves while many up-and-comers are looking to make a splash.
The top PASA entrants include Palo Alto High grad Jasmine Tosky (No. 4 seed in 200 fly), Sacred Heart Prep's Ally Howe, Curtis Ogren of Menlo Park, Gunn grad Rachael Acker and Paly senior Andrew Liang.
The Stanford men will be led by junior David Nolan while the Cardinal women have Maya DiRado and Felicia Lee, among others. Palo Alto High grad Liv Jensen (50 free) and Stanford grad Randall Bal also will be among the talented fields that include more than 30 members of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team.
The meet runs Tuesday through Saturday at the Indiana University Natatorium.
This story contains 992 words.
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The Australian Open women's final pits the defending champion and No. 1 Victoria Azarenka against 2011 finalist Li Na, in a match that offers both a chance to join Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova as the only active players with more than one Slam.
For Azarenka, it hasn't been as complicated on the court as it's been off of it (see photo above). She's faced only one seed in her six matches, No. 29 Sloane Stephens in Thursday's semifinals. No. 6 Li ousted No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska and No. 2 Maria Sharapova and hasn't lost a set all tournament. The last time Li beat two top-five players at a tournament she won it. That would be the 2011 French Open.
Stephens' coach: Azarenka 'cheating within rules'
On form, you have to give the slight edge to Li, though Azarenka leads the head-to head 5-4 and is on a 20-match win streak in January matches. Her last January loss was at the Australian Open in 2011 to ... Li. In fact, Li is 2-0 against her at Slams, though Azarenka has won their last four matches.
The final will begin at 3:30 a.m. ET/12:30 a.m. PT on ESPN.
Azarenka has to put the last 48 hours behind her: You know the film: Man wakes up. Man has no idea who he is. Man spends all day dealing with a tragedy that he doesn't understand. Man goes to sleep. Man wakes up. Man has no idea who he is. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Azarenka has been getting hammered for the controversial end to her semifinal. She took a 10-minute medical timeout before Stephens was to serve to stay in the match. She was grilled by the media in her post-match press conference and reams of paper (real and metaphorical in this digital world) have been dedicated to calling her a cheat, a liar and the face of gamesmanship. Her PR machine has been in full swing to mitigate the damage. Azarenka spent part of her off-day Friday sitting down with members of the media trying to diffuse the situation.
Azarenka's timeout ignites controversy
So the best thing Azarenka can do is to go to bed and wake up forgetting it happened. Given how much Li is beloved in Melbourne -- thanks to her final run here in 2011 and her charming post-match interviews -- and how awkwardly silent the stadium was after Azarenka beat Stephens in the semifinals, the crowd will be firmly and loudly behind Li. They will mimic Azarenka's shrieks. They will boo her fistpumps. Any outburst from her will be met with whistles. She should prepare as if she's the most hated woman in Melbourne.
But if there is any player on either tour who is used to having a crowd firmly against her, it's Azarenka. Her whooping grunt and pugilistic finger-pointing and tongue-wagging has rarely endeared herself to the Aussie crowd. That reaction seems to fuel the chip on her shoulder. Embrace it. Use it. To quote that old reality show cliche: Victoria Azarenka isn't here to make friends. She's here to win.
Her best bet is to take the crowd out of the match early by racing to an early lead. She's on a 41-match win streak when she wins the first set. A quick start could leave Li reeling.
• Will the real Li please stand up?: At her best, Li is better. But it's always been a question of consistency, not just match to match but game to game, point to point. She played perfect tennis to stymie a streaking Sharapova in the semifinal 6-2, 6-2. That match was closer than the scoreline; Sharapova repeatedly had game points on her own serve and couldn't convert. The question is whether Li can bring that same level against Azarenka and hold her nerve on big points. If this truly is a new and improved Li under new coach Carlos Rodriguez, I tip her to win this match. Emphasis on "if."
• Li's forehand encore: Li's forehand was always a weapon, the only question is weather it would do damage to her opponent or herself. So the biggest revelation from the semifinals was the surprising resiliency of the Li forehand. It's a shot that Rodriguez has been working on with her. If the Sharapova match is any indication, it could be the difference between another erratic season and one that sees her deep into the second week of Slams all year. It's been the go-to wing for her opponents throughout her career, but that tactic proved Sharapova's undoing. Li absorbed her power on the forehand side and stayed in rallies. She'll have to do the same Saturday.
• The battle for depth: Though Li has a bit more firepower and therefore more of an eye toward offense, both women hug the baseline, take the ball incredibly early and try to get the ball deep on their opponents to get a short ball they can terminate. Azarenka is particularly good at this, and if Li can't back her off the baseline she'll stand there and run her ragged all day long. And we know how much Madame Li hates running.
• No. 1 ranking on the line: The scenario is simple for Azarenka. Win and she stays No. 1. Lose and Serena Williams overtakes her on Monday. The reality is Serena will likely take it at some point this spring. Azarenka is defending 4,150 points through March (thanks to her 26-win start to 2012) while Serena is defending a mere 650.
PREDICTION: Li in three sets.WERTHEIM: Azarenka's dubious gamesmanship


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By Amanda Wicks
Sean Kingston and Meek Mill never snitched on The Game, according to a new statement from Kingston's lawyer Michelle Iarusso.
Related: The Game Fires Back at Sean Kingston & Meek Mill
Speaking with TMZ, Iarusso said her client never pointed the finger at Game after discovering that his $300,000 necklace had been stolen from the L.A. Penthouse Nightclub. "At no time did my client bring up The Game during the investigation," Iarusso said. "In fact, [Sean], to date, has not even spoken to any member of the LAPD regarding this incident."
Besides speaking with Kingston's lawyer, TMZ obtained a copy of the original police report, and nowhere in the document is Game mentioned as a possible suspect. If Meek had thrown out Game's name, it's likely it would've been noted in that paperwork. The case has since been closed because Kingston is no longer cooperating. Instead, he's interested in suing the nightclub over negligence.
Iarusso's statement echoes what Kingston said over the weekend about Meek. On Instagram, he stated that his friend had never named Game to the police. It seems to be a matter of miscommunication, but that hasn't stopped the threats from flying fast and furious on both sides. While rappers have been quick to take sides between Game and Meek, Nipsey Hussle is advocating for a more peaceful solution. The level-headed rapper wants the two to "sit down like men" and talk out their issues.


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Hi Everyone,
Was not sure whether to put this in Quiltmaking or Off Topic as it is to do with Quilt Making but as far as im concerned its more fantasy than reality, so my question is if somebody said to you you could have any Sewing Machine you wanted money no object and the same with the Fabric what would you choose.
Mine would be Pfaff Quilt Expression 4.0 it looks really good and it has a long throat, and fabric would be Kona Bay fabric like the new Geisha Dynasty fabric.
Lots of love
Hi Frances,
I have a Pfaff QE 4 and just adore it! The large throat area is wonderful for machine quilting. I just finished a Bargello Table runner from a class the end of January. Maneuvering it thru the throat was no problem at all. As for fabric, well, that's a hard decision. For me, it would have to depend on what project I want to do or am currently working on. Just give me a blank check when I go fabric shopping! LOL
Sue, in the Piney Woods of East Texas
In The Piney Woods of Deep East Texas
The m.achine is easy.... The Bernina 830. As for fabric that is tough. Love batiks, fusions, orientals.
Vinton, Virginia
Oh my, I love my Elna Quilters Dream so I'd want the newest as mine is about 8 years old. I just love it, but have seen the new Bernina with the automatic thread cutter and that would be fantastic. You did say it could be any, well I have a Tin Lizzie longarm that I'd love to get rid and get a Gammill with the auto everything.
Fabric yeah just give me a blank check I love them all.
Frances I love my janome 6600, and I'd have to say on fabric Jo Morton..Barbara
What a question!!!!! I love my Elna Quilters Dream Pro but I would be equally happy with any Pfaff with a deep throat. As far as fabrics I have several favorites....Thimbleberries, Civil War, 30/40's, Moda, just to name a few of my favorites. I could probably spend a small fortune. As my financial adviser says... I need to be saved from myself!!
I'm with Nana - the Bernina 830.
Fabric - Moda!
On the banks of the Mississippi River in north central Minnesota (Brainerd lakes area)
i haven't been on the hunt for a new sewing machine so i have no idea what's out there. i love fabric, i'll just take it all, and it'll save me thinking about what i want
gini in north idaho
gini: i love fabric, i'll just take it all
Oh, Gini, you already have it all! LOL
I love my pfaff, quilt expression 4.0 too. The first one I got had a lot of problems, and then they decided it was a lemon and gave me a brand new one. The things I found difficult before are now easy. I used to thing the pfaff I had earlier was tempermental, but the one I have now is very obedient and does whatever I want her to do.
Fabric? I think I like the batiks best. But right now I am drooling over the new "Pickles" fabric by simple treasures. I love the cartoon, my husbands name for me is Pickles, and the cartoon Pickles is a quilter too.
Chiliwist Valley
I have to agree with Richard. about the machine Janome 12000 but I love anything Moda
[Ava, Missouri
Patti: The first one I got had a lot of problems,
I just got a QE 4.0. What problems did you have with your first one???
I still love my Brother QC 1000 and haven't really thought of another machine, but Fabric....Batiks and Orientals. I am especially drooling over Plume with the Peacocks.
My dream machine is a Baby Lock Ellisimo Gold! I have been looking and researching sewing machine for the last 2 years and this one seemed to be the best for the money.
As far as fabric...is it bad to say.....I WANT IT ALL!!! I will admit, I am an addict!
Mooresville, NC


text:
Enbriidge Pipelines (Midla) L. L. C.
Third Revised Volume No. 2
Contents / Previous / Next / Main Tariff Index
Effective Date: 10/11/2002, Docket: RP03- 39-000, Status: Effective
Original Sheet No. 94 Original Sheet No. 94 : Effective
(c) not contain more than 3% by volume of carbon dioxide or of
(d) not contain more than 7 pounds of water per 1,000 Mcf;
(e) have a temperature of not more than 120oF.; and
(f) have a gross heating value of not less than 950 Btu per cubic
foot, measured at an absolute pressure of 14.73 pounds per square
inch at sixty (60) degrees Fahrenheit and saturated with water
The sulphur content and hydrogen sulphide content shall be determined by
approved standard methods generally in use in the natural gas industry.
The hydrogen content shall be determined by the method prescribed by
the Natural Gasoline Processors Association of America in NGPA Publication
2261-72 or ASTM publication D 194564 (1968) or any revisions thereof, or by
such other method as shall be mutually agreed upon.
The Btu content shall be determined by joint tests made by taking
samples of the gas and determining the Btu content by means of a method or
methods agreed upon. If a recording calorimeter is installed, the monthly
average of the daily readings obtained shall be used. Btu values shall be
corrected to 14.73 pounds per square inch absolute at 60oF. saturated with
water vapor.
The water vapor content shall be determined at such intervals as shall
be found necessary in practice, by the use of dew point apparatus approved
by the Bureau of Mines and utilizing curves for "Water Vapor Content of
Compressed Natural Gas" comprising Figure 41 to Bureau of Mines, U. S.
Department of the Interior, Monograph 8 "Gas Hydrates and Their Relation to
the Operation of Natural-Gas Pipe Lines," or by such other curve or method
as shall be mutually agreed upon.


text:
I'd like to know if there exists any other sport than Quidditch in the Wizarding World? I'm kind of unsure.
I'd like to know if there exists any other sport than Quidditch in the Wizarding World? I'm kind of unsure.
Hi elleve,
There are a few sports in the wizarding world, and quite a few games.
Quidditch of course,
Winged Horse Racing,
Triwizard Tournament,
Aingingein is a sport played on brooms with flaming hoops and a ball called a Dom,
Creaothceann involves brooms, cauldrons and hundreds of falling rocks and bludgers. That one was banned in1762.
Broom races is Sweden.
An American version of Quidditch called Quodpot which has eleven players per side and an exploding ball.
Shuntbumps is similar to jousting
Stichstock ancient game involving a dragon's bladder and a 20 ft pole
Swivenhodge involves a pigs bladder and hitting it back and forth, still played today.
Head Juggling for the Headless Hunt
Head Polo for the same
Games would include Wizards Chess, Gobstones, and Duelling.
I hope that helped. You may find these I listed in Quidditch Through the Ages and on the Lexicon. There are a few more, but I listed most of them here.
Wow! I was pretty sure that Quidditch was the only sport. Boy, was I wrong! Thanks so much for your help, red haired mom.
I vaguely remember something about "Exploding Snap" from one of the books. I'm not sure what it is though.
Exploding Snap is a card game they always play on the Hogwart's Express.Originally Posted by Neville's Girl
That's cool there are so many more games! I always figured Wizards would have more sports than just Quidditch but they weren't in the books so I didn't think about it much.
Do Americans play Snap? When I was in the States working at summer camp a few months ago we actually taught the kids to play it which is strange because its such a common card game.Originally Posted by Ghoul in Pajamas
Snap is a card game which can be played with two people or more. You put a card down and the next player puts a card down on top and so on. If your card you put down matches the card the last person puts down you have to yell 'Snap' before your opponents do. If you yell 'snap' first then you get to keep all the cards in the pile. the object of the game is to win all the cards.
I'm assuming Exploding Snap is when the cards blow up in your face when they match. lol
I'm hopeless at the game because i have such slow reflexes but its a common card game played by kids.
Well I'm an American, but from the south. We play a game similar to that but it's called Egyptian Rat Screw. Instead of yelling 'snap', you put your hand on top of the cards before anyone else, that way it's easier to tell who went first. There are also other ways of getting cards. One way is by slapping a sandwich, where you have for example a nine, then someone lays down a two, and the next person lays down another nine, you can slap that because it's a sandwich. That's just how I play.Originally Posted by Lily Windsor


text:
GRAMMY Live Kicks Off On Feb. 10
For the third consecutive year, music fans worldwide will have unprecedented access to VIP and backstage events leading up to and throughout the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards with GRAMMY Live, available on GRAMMY.com and CBS.com.
Beginning Friday, Feb. 10 at 2 p.m. PT, and running through Sunday, Feb. 12, GRAMMY Live will feature three days of exclusive live videos, blogging, tweets and retweets, as well as official news reports and entertaining updates from GRAMMY Live hosts Alison Haislip, Tai Beauchamp, Andrew Burnette, and John Norris. Behind-the-scenes GRAMMY cams will give the audience an insider's view into some of the most exclusive GRAMMY Week events, including the Social Media Rock Stars Summit; MusiCares Person of the Year tribute honoring Paul McCartney; Special Merit Awards Ceremony & Nominees Reception; Pre-GRAMMY Gala; as well as an exclusive live performance by Almost Kings, winners of CBS.com's From Your Garage To GRAMMY Live contest.
On Sunday, Feb. 12, GRAMMY Live will kick off with the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards red-carpet arrivals and the Pre-Telecast Ceremony, followed by the official GRAMMY Celebration after-party. Additional behind-the-scenes footage will offer viewers a "multiscreen" experience, complementing the CBS GRAMMY telecast with red-carpet coverage, backstage interviews, exclusive photo sessions with winners (with renowned photographer Danny Clinch), press room question-and-answer sessions, and past GRAMMY moments. Fans can check in to "GRAMMY Live" via GetGlue during the three-day webcast to unlock an exclusive sticker.
"We're giving music fans the ultimate GRAMMY experience this year through GRAMMY Live," said Evan Greene, Chief Marketing Officer for The Recording Academy. "We connect with music in very personal ways, and through shared, social experiences, fans are more eager than ever to support and follow their favorite artists in new and exciting ways."
"We're excited to be partnering with The Recording Academy to bring music fans this incredible multi-platform experience," said Marc DeBevoise, senior vice president and general manager of entertainment at CBS Interactive. "By making this program available in so many ways, we're catering to all music fans, giving them an exclusive virtual ticket to the biggest music event of the year on any device."
The GRAMMY Live mobile app, available now for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch users, offers users videos, news about GRAMMY nominees and presenters, and GRAMMY trivia. The app's interactive features include a "Guess the Winner" poll, where fans can cast their vote for who they think will win across 20 categories. The app also integrates comprehensive social media coverage of the event and lets users follow and reply to tweets from the official GRAMMY Twitter account, along with the Twitter accounts of many GRAMMY nominees this year. Additionally, users can access a live stream of GRAMMY nominees' music on GRAMMY Radio. The free app, sponsored by Target, is available for download in the App Store. Android-powered device users can download the The GRAMMYs mobile app from the Android Market. (The Android version of the GRAMMY app does not include GRAMMY Live and GRAMMY Radio.)
AEG Digital Media has returned for the third consecutive year to live stream the entire three days of GRAMMY Live. Using its feature-rich, multi camera angle Tremolo Player and the MC — a new interactive polling app that allows viewers to answer trivia questions, participate in polls, and see interesting stats and announcements — online spectators will become participants as they watch their favorite performers arrive and vote for who is best dressed on Music's Biggest Night. To complement this, The Recording Academy will utilize new partner Mass Relevance's social curation platform to filter, moderate, and publish interactive social content into the GRAMMY Live and GRAMMY.com experience, delivering increased social engagement.
GRAMMY Live will once again leverage Akamai's global distribution HD network for live streaming and video on demand to power extensive live and on-demand streaming. Additionally, LiveU technology will be utilized, allowing live footage to stream without being "hard-wired." Thanks to mobile backpacks that bond wireless services together utilizing a LiveU proprietary antenna and HD-quality video transmission, spotty connectivity is overcome in low-coverage or congested areas.
The Recording Academy has also partnered with the most progressive online companies and leveraged the best of both open-source and proprietary technologies to deliver a cohesive, exciting and more enriching user experience for GRAMMY.com and GRAMMY.org, including Drupal, Lullabot, Ooyala, and Rackspace.
The 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place live on Sunday, Feb. 12 at Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast live on the CBS Television Network from 8–11:30 p.m. ET/PT.
Follow GRAMMY.com for our inside look at GRAMMY news, blogs, photos, videos, and of course nominees. Stay up to the minute with GRAMMY Live. Check out the GRAMMY legacy with GRAMMY Rewind. Keep track of this year's GRAMMY Week events, and explore this year's GRAMMY Fields. Or check out the collaborations at Re:Generation, presented by Hyundai Veloster. And join the conversation at Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.


text:
This week we are working on Zone 4: The Master Bedroom. It also includes any bathroom you may have off the master bedroom, and whatever lurks in the bedroom closet. This will be an ongoing process. You may or may not get the entire room cleaned this week. That is not the objective. Any thing you do in this room now will be an improvement over the way it was last week. Next month you will focus on it again.
Your bedroom should be the cleanest room in your home. Many of you still use yours as a garbage/clutter disposal for the rest of the house. If your bedroom is clean and clutter free, then it becomes an inviting haven for building your relationship with your spouse. The best gift you can give your children is a strong marriage. This is true whether your children are 2 or 40 years old.
Flybabies: Your task is to declutter this area. Spend 15 minutes a day this week doing something, anything, in the master bedroom. It did not get dirty in a week and it will not get clean in a week, but you will be making head-way. It is a trend! Get in the habit of decluttering in small segments of time. Decide what time of day you are going to tackle this little job, set a timer for 15 minutes, and just do it.
If Zone 4 is already decluttered: (that means no more clutter – only the things you use and love!) Go on to the detailed cleaning list. You will be amazed at how easy it is to relax and sleep in this room when the clutter is gone!
Zone 4: Mission #1 Monday
Dear Friends:
Today I want you to spend 15 minutes getting rid of anything that does not belong in your bedroom.
Things that have gotten thrown in a corner, on a chair or even the floor. The things that you almost
don't even see because they have just become part of the room, get it out! If it does not belong
there then out it goes!
This does not mean that you have to spend three hours in your bedroom, do what you can do for 15 minutes.


text:
pregnant people
I am glad that you are so politically correct as not to exclude 50% of the population.
There is the pregnant man (transgendered technically).
I can't find it but there is also one case that a man (with the normal man equipment) that had a embryo implanted and was carried to term.
That way Windows update & such won't be bugging you that updates are available every time you boot.
You know you can turn off windows update? Same goes for most other software that will do its updates automatically. The rest either don't use them, complain to the developer to make it does that you can turn off auto updates, or just use the proxy or firewall to block the site that the software checks for updates with.
I agree. I would never accept the liability for data loss on any computer that a customer brought in for repair.
When I have to send a computer out for repair (normally just laptops) but it also includes towers under warranty I am not authorized to work on. I will, if it seems to be a hard drive failure, image the drive before shipping it, or if it is defidently not a hard drive issue remove the hard drive from the computer and either hold it in store or give it to the customer.
Yes, VirtualBox supports direct access. You have to edit config files to do it but it does work, but the VirtualBox team does not recommend it. They instead recommend that you use iSCSI, which VirtualBox also supports to connect to SANs directly. You also have to edit config files or use the CLI version of the VirtualBox machine setup (VBoxManage addiscsidisk), the option is not available in the GUI.
asus.co.uk is not Asus's offical website. The offical website is uk.asus.com as linked by asus.com.
Also see my other post about the registration status of the co.uk site.
The GGP poster is right, Slashdot has been had.
I highly doubt that ASUS hosts there website on 1and1.co.uk. Nor would they use 1and1 for their registrar. Especially when asus.com is registered with Network Solutions.
Not to mention that page seems to be the only page that the domain has on it and if try to snoop around it just redirects to uk.asus.com which is where asus.com sends you when you choose the UK for your country. If you check other countries on the asus.com landing page you will see that Asus puts there country sites on subdomains.
Result of WHOIS query:
Domain name:
Asustek Computer Inc
Trading as:
Registrant type:
UK Individual
Registrant's address:
The registrant is a non-trading individual who has opted to have their
address omitted from the WHOIS service.
1 & 1 Internet AG [Tag = SCHLUND]
URL: http://registrar.1und1.info/
Relevant dates:
Registered on: 23-May-1997
Renewal date: 23-May-2011
Last updated: 22-May-2009
Registration status:
Renewal request being processed.
Name servers:
WHOIS lookup made at 16:22:49 28-May-2009
Agreed! The meta-moderation should be to moderate for the moderators not yet another way to moderate the comments. If they want more comments moderated give more mod points rather than repurpose another system.
I judge a religion as being good or bad based on whether its adherents become better people as a result of practicing it. - Joe Mullally, computer salesman


text: We can all be clumsy now and then, some of us more often than others! So I'm sure that many of us have been injured for completely silly reasons. I'm ashamed to say that I just pulled a neck muscle while performing a Tim Tam slam. I don't think I'll be telling my coworkers about that....but it was so worth it! For the uninitiated: Tim Tam Slam My youngest sister once got a concussion...from playing horsey at age 15. She was on all fours on the hardwood floor, acting like a horse, and bucked her head as she neighed, right into the floor. Watching my mom explain that one to the doctor was hilariously sad. So what is your most ridiculous injury?


text:
I'm running Google Chrome on Windows 7. Frequently Chrome will hang. If I try force close, it won't and I have to reboot the computer. BUT if I instead close down Zone Alarm, then Google Chrome immediately comes back to life. Google Chrome will work for a while, but eventually, especially after reviving the laptop from sleep mode, Chrome will stop working until I close Zone Alarm. Most of my computer use involves running Google Chrome. Zone Alarm is causing a significant degratation of my computer stability and performance and is now a guaranteed threat to my productivity than the potential of computer viruses.
Is there anything I can try beside uninstalling Zone Alarm and treating the license fee as a sunk cost.


text:
Local ski areas look to rebound from off year
Berkshires ski areas are scrambling to make as much snow as temperatures will allow and open as many trails as possible for the winter season. Their main objective: to rebound from last season, which some have called the worst on record.
Last year's temperatures and lack of snow left many skiers reluctant to head to the slopes, even though all five Berkshires-based ski areas had made plenty of snow and were open for business.
The three years prior to last season generated record numbers for most ski areas, but last year was "brutal," according to Brian Fairbank, CEO of Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort in Hancock.
Fairbank said Jiminy was roughly $2 million off the year before,
At Ski Butternut in Great Barrington, last season was "the worst year we've had," according to spokesman Matt Sawyer.
Other county ski resorts said their skier visits were 20 to 30 percent lower than the previous year.
"It was bad, probably one of the worst years we've had in a while," said Jamie Carr, general manager of Otis Ridge in Otis. "But we're still here."
As of Saturday afternoon, two trails were open at Otis Ridge.
Snow predictions for the 2012-13 season are mixed.
Temperatures are projected to be cold enough to allow local resorts to make plenty of snow and open many of their trails this week. But if snow doesn't fall in the New York City metropolitan area, most of this area's key market won't feel like it's time to ski.
Regardless, folks in the ski industry are eternally optimistic, and their hopes for this season are high.
"We deal with it the way it comes in," said Michael Berry, president of the Colorado-based National Ski Areas Association. "We make snow when we can, and we're better at it than ever before. And we're hopeful -- it's part of our DNA."
At Jiminy Peak, crews had the resort open on weekends by Thanksgiving, and Fairbank said bookings for the resort's Country Inn are looking good.
Jiminy is now open seven days a week.
"We're all working hard and things are looking up," he said.
Ski Butternut opened on Dec. 15. Like last year, they made plenty of snow to open trails. But like the other resorts, Sawyer said, "We're depending on Old Man Winter's marketing efforts. We could have great skiing, but if nobody sees snow in their yards, they may not feel like skiing."
At Catamount in South Egremont, as with many other ski areas, pricing will remain the same and snowmaking has allowed for good conditions on the slopes. Many trails are expected to be open this holiday week.
"Last year people just weren't in the mood throughout the winter to come out," said Rich Edwards, marketing director at Catamount. "So this year we're trying to reconnect with our customers and let them know that even if it doesn't snow much, it is still worthwhile to come out and enjoy winter in the Berkshires."
At Bousquet Ski Area in Pittsfield, the season will be especially challenging for snowmaking crews laboring through the night without owner George Jervas for the first time since 1981.
Jervas died in August at the age of 76 after suffering cardiac arrhythmia while working at Bousquet. Jervas had owned the ski area since 1981 and was known for his resourcefulness and grit in finding better ways to make more snow.
According to Sherry Roberts, Bousquet's business manager and Jervas' longtime companion, the resort's staff is "doing this year for George."
Like the rest of the ski areas, Bousquet is seeking to come back from last season, which was 30 to 35 percent off -- the ski area's "worst year ever," Roberts said.
"We're just going to do all we can to make sure [Jervas'] legacy lives on," she said. "He was always checking to see if the customers were happy and the kids were having fun. For George it was all about the kids."
Roberts said the crew has been making snow nearly every night, and that the Bousquet community is sure to come out this winter. The ski area opened on Saturday.
"Our strength is that we're in the city limits, have good prices, and our ski teams support Bousquet," she said. "So we're just going to dig our heels in and move forward."
To reach Scott Stafford:
or (413) 496-6241.
On Twitter: @BE_SStafford
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


text:
Car Forums / Ford / Ford Focus
Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Ford Focus Prices Paid and Buying Experience
What was the additional discount for. Is there further discounts to be gotten over the Family price and the 2500 rebate. I know I pulled up a car that matches my needs on the Ford site. But it comes up to 13850 or so there. If I could add Traction Control
, ABS, and Side airbags for onl 700 more I'd do that.
I looked at Civic and to get ABS, you have to get EX trim ($17K), and you still would not get traction cotrol. Also, heated seats, 6 CD in dash changer and duplicate audio controls are not available in any Civic trim. I liked the quiet ride of Civic and interior quality, but I would be paying lot more ($3K) and get lot less in a Civic.
Some dealers would not go below the Ford Family Plan, but Quirk and few others I talked to were ready to discount below the Family price. In my opinion, dealers with huge Focus inventory (20+ focus on lot) were ready to discount below the family plan price, while others with little inventory (<5 focus on lot) were not willing to discount. In New England region, I did not find many 2005 Focus SES left over. Many dealres had the S or few SE trim, but only few had SES trim
Add $150 for heated seats and you would get Family price of $14723.
I should qualify my self when using the tem "best". Focus is "best value" in compact car and that is why I chose it. There are better compact car in terms of build quality and interior material quality. e.g the arm rest between front passanger is so small and fixed that you can barely rest your arm on it. Honda make it a sliding arm rest so that you can position it the way you like it. The ride is much quieter in Civic/Corolla. The hood and the trunk are both padded with insulation in Civic/Corolla while Focus leaves them unpadded. The sound of closing doors on Focus gives you "hollow" feeling, using the swicth for the front map light sounds like it is going to break soon.
What Focus lacks in the material and build, it make up in features and value. I looked at Accord EX-L because that was the next higher level car that offered everything I wanted in the Focus. Even in Accord, you get traction control in EX-V6 only. Even Focus' big brother Taurus did not offer all these options in a car. You would have to get the Ford Five Hundread to get them.
I could not believe that Focus offers all modern options except side curtain bags for front and rear. And you can mix and match options; only choose what you want. I did not care for sunroof and leather, so I got one without it. In Civic, you cannot mix and match many of these options.
last year i bought a focus too. you are right about the materials and quality of build. it could be better. my wife and i still enjoy the heck out of it, although we don't have to drive it if we don't want to. it has tons of features. i looked at corollas/civics too. to get abs on a corolla, the only ones i found were 's' models which stickered at about 20g's.
based on what i paid for the focus, i could only get a 2 door civic 'vp'.
i have a moonroof and heated seats, so i'm happy no matter what the climate.
i just washed the focus and parked it in the street. a couple of people on their walks, were giving it looks that seemed like envy, to me. i know one of them drives a big buick.2017 Ford Fusion SE 2014 Ford F-150 FX4
Yes your right about the Civic and ABS. also the same on the Mazda it's pretty expensive. I'm in Southern California so am willing to pass on the traction control and ABS. Also I don't care that much about the 5 disk CD. But still would go for the SES since I want the cruise control, leather steering wheel and 16 inch tires.
Anyway so far didn't find anyone willing to nogioate from the Family price + rebate.
In fact I get that price anyway because where I work gives me an x-plan price (i think thats whats it called) and was told that its the same as the f-plan price. Anyway been exchanging emails with an abnoxious Ford internet sales guy, went to the ford site found a car and emailed him to find out if he had a local discount above the Ford family and rebate. He emailed back and said he'll give me a special internet price and I can only get it if I see him. Then next email sends me an invoice with the same price the Ford web site gives you and says its his special deal and he's only around 3 days a week. When I mentioned I could get the same price by just walking in the door and seeing anyone, he emails back that he expected loyalty for all the work he did for me (an email giving me the Ford family price) and was outraged that I'd be so disloyal as to buy the car from someone elese there. Anyway I'm still waiting to see what happens with the Fplan after the 6th. I heard it's mostly will be extended. If not I wonder if they will increase the rebate, I which case I already get the X-plan so that would be to my advantage.
creakid1 Posts: 2,032You're right about the Focus' interior material. I got to warn all of you before buying an '05 Focus -- the air coming out of the vents of my charcoal interior kept giving me (& everyone else) a nauseating plastic smell, & I had this '05 ST since Oct '04.
I don't lower the seat all the way, so my right elbow feels just right & relaxing resting on that high center armrest while shifting the stick.
Other than that, the Focus' elastic ride & responsive handling is like a dream, & the Civic/Corolla can't even come close.
likeitornot Posts: 42Sorry I didn't see any Zx4 forums or really anywhere to ask this..
I'm either buying a New Focus Sedan or a used. So far it seems like the new is only like 20-40 more than the used.
I was thinking instead, maybe go with a used LX which would be even cheaper. But I can't find too much online about the LX's. Are these the ones with themost problems and to stay away from? I guess it was anything before 2004 that's bad because of the recalls?
Or are focuses better in general new, less problems? I hear a lot of problems iwth these cars so I'm kind of worried. I really like the focus though so..
kyfdx Posts: 70,698You should check out this thread.. Ford Focus ZX3/ ZX5 Owners: Problems & Solutions .. to get an idea about problems on a previous model..
Host-Price Paid Forums
Prices Paid, Lease Questions, SUVs
occupant1 Posts: 412Five Star Ford here in North Richland Hills TX has told me that they are "having a sale" this weekend (yeah yeah) and all 2006 Focuses are $4000 off sticker. So I'm wondering, would that work? The cars I am looking at are various ZX4 S sedans, AC and auto, no other options, MSRP of $16020. So that's $12,020 plus tax/title/plates. The Simple Plan price accoring to Ford is $15,333 ($687 off sticker) less $1500 rebate for a final price of $13,833 and this dealer is $1813 under that? Am I in for a gimmick sales tactic or are others finding basic Focus sedans down around $12K?
thomas1234 Posts: 3This board is apparently in hibernation, but here goes:
06 Focus SE XZ4 with these two options:
auto trans
safety package (ABS & side airbags)
Price: 15792
Total: 13792 + TTL
Your thoughts?
lost Posts: 64The best price on a Focus tend to drift between 3k and 4k off MSRP. While not a bad price you need to shop every Ford dealer around you to verify the best price.
duck68137 Posts: 7I just bought a red ZX4 SES with Automatic. MSRP was $17,135. After 2500 rebate, 500 college rebate, 500 auto show rebate & 500 rebate when financed through FORD, final price was $12,239. Not a bad price for a car with all these features.
sounds like you got a sweet deal. about 2 years ago, i bought a focus to keep mileage off our other cars. it is a much more enjoyable vehicle than i expected to get.
the $500 college rebate would had to get extended way back to have me qualify.2017 Ford Fusion SE 2014 Ford F-150 FX4
teenspirit Posts: 3Got sport package, convenience package and safety package.
MSRP $17125, vehicle price $11695, OTD price $12874.
I know it's not an available option, but has anyone been able to talk their dealer into adding the heated seats (weather package) to their '06 SE?
Automatic, Safety package, Convenience package.
Neg price $15,542
Rebates $3,000
Final Price $12,542.
huey4417 Posts: 1I found a single owner, pampered, 2002 Ford Focus ZTS w/Mach Audio sound system, 51,000 miles in outstanding condition, new tires, etc. It is not a true Mach edition Focus but sort of a "mock Mach" if you will. The owner is asking $7900 which appears to be a pretty fair asking price based on Edmunds valuation. The problem is I live in Michigan where unemploymrent is bad and getting worse everyday and the only things that are selling are at rock bottom prices i.e. homes, boats, cars. So I'm trying to figure out how much the "experts" would tell me I should pay for this car? Edmunds lists the trade-in value at approx. $7100 so it appears the car is somewhat priced to sell at $7900, but who knows anymore. Thoughts anyone? What would YOU pay for a car like this? It really is in outstanding condition. Thanks.
You could probably offer $7000 or even low ball at $6500 and see what they come back with. But if money isn't a huge issue for $5k more you can get a brand new car.. perhaps not a fully loaded ZTS, but a ZX4 for sure (see my post above). I'd just be concerned buying a car who's warranty is soon to expire.
mospace Posts: 1I bought my ST in Michigan at Jack Keller Ford while on vacation! I paid about $17,500 receiving about $4k off the list price. It is nicely equipped only lacking a few items such as side impact airbags, perimeter security and some other small doo-dads. It has leather seats (heated), moon-roof, and the Appearance package with a wing. I love it. The buying experience was good. It took awhile because the dealership was actually quite busy. So far, I'm pretty pleased. Check out ClubFocus for lots of information on upgrades etc.... (www.clubfocus.net).
Anyone know of any good dealerships in the Boston area to get a focus?
Came over here to see if anyone has bought a 2006 ZX3 lately. What did you pay? What trim/options did you get? I'm just doing my research.
skane Posts: 12006 ZX3 SE 5 speed
after 3000 in rebates and haggling(not enough, probably) It was just about $12800
1 ABS/side airbags
2 tilt/telescope wheel, cruise
3 Sport package (leather wheel, fog lights, alloys)
Still, a very good deal considering the price of the Korean cars in its class. I am most impressed with the Mazda designed engine now used. It sounds something close to sporty when pushed. Fuel economy in mixed driving has been about 28.5 MPG which is ok.
jluff Posts: 2Hi,
I just bought a 2006 Ford focus sedan at Herb Chambers in MA...there is one in Braintree on the quincy line. I got a base SE sedan model for $11,311.00 after the rebates! I got $4,249 of sticker!!!! I have power locks, windows,power mirrors, center console, Remote keyless entry and AC!!! They were great and the cheapest deal I could find. They even gave me the "hold back" of $450 from Ford which the dealership gets to help with costs. I negotiated online first by sending out 25 quote requests and emailed them all back with the best offer thus far before going to any dealership or calling them back. The dealership experience was like "wham bam thank you mam" because of it. 20 min the first time, then 40 the second to fill out the paperwork and show my wife the car...lol. I will never ever go into a dealership before doing this again. Great experience when they fight and compete for your business instead of the other way around.
Good luck if you havent bought already. Please let me know what you think..
Hi -
At Wayside Ford in Marlborough, Massachusetts, I just purchased a 2006 Ford Focus ZX4 SES, with heated leather seats, automatic transmission, sunroof, 6-CD player, anti-lock brakes, and alloy wheels, for an amazing $15,100. With the rebates on the vehicle, how can you beat that? This seems to be the perfect choice during this critical gas time. Driving it is a pleasure so far even though I think the exterior looks rather anonymous and dated. How on earth can you beat this price for a car, fully equipped, in today's market? The victims moaning about the high gas prices for their SUV's, need to re-adjust their thinking. Jim, congratulations! You got a great price on a great vehicle. Take a look at Consumer Reports sometime and you will see the Ford Focus ZX4 is at #2. I drove the #1 choice, the Civic, and found it to be too low, plus the price would have been full MSRP (close to $20,000, no leather, no heated seats). The Focus is a better choice, a better deal and even better to drive.
Wow...I am very impressed with your deal..Did you get a manual or automatic?
Cargirl ... I got the Focus with the auto transmission.
Initially I was going to purchase a Dodge Caliber. I was reluctant because 1.) It's a first-year model, 2.) the Focus handled better, and 3.) a Calibar similarly equipped would have been around $20,000 (full MSRP . . no deals). The reasonable price of the Focus (invoce + rebates), along with superb handling and a fun-to-drive factor won me over. My only regret is that I love the styling of the Caliber and think it's a much more interesting looking vehicle. Maybe next time around.
I wanna make sure I understand this. The price of the car was $15100 before the rebates? So how much did the final cost come to including all the fees and such? How was the price brought down to $15100 in the first place? I'm just curious because I plan on buying a new ZX3 at the end of the month.
a local dealer has an ad for a focus 4dr msrp 17,2xx, offered price 13,180.
you can go to forddirect.com browse inventory, plus see the window stickers and invoice amount. it's a good resource.2017 Ford Fusion SE 2014 Ford F-150 FX4
Hunnydew . . . I found the car on-line at forddirect.com from a local dealer. You can see the actual sticker price at that site. I looked for the best Focus I could find with the most options. Heated seats were a must. I liked the ST the most but it didn't offer auto transmission, so I settled for a ZX4 SES instead. The MSRP was $19,380. I got the invoice price from Edmunds. Then I deducted $3000 in rebates, went to the dealer, showed him my paperwork, and acted undecided. This was one of several vehicles I would have settled for (Mazda3, Dodge Caliber, Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan). The dealer called me back 3 days later and agreed to the price. $15,100 was the out-the-door price (invoice plus $3000 in rebates.) I also did financing which gave me another $500 off. So the actual price is less than $15,000. That price is unbeatable for what I got.


text: Mike Fitzmaurice asked me to forward this note. I'm not so sure I can agree with the "most sought after" bit, but I can promise that the talk will be interesting. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The next meeting date will be at a new location. Tuesday July 12th the time will be 2:00 to 5:00 PM at 2025 M Street NW Washington DC 20036 and will feature a series of technical briefings featuring Greg Lindahl, Distinguished Engineer and Founder at PathScale. Greg is one of the most sought-after speakers on HPC. Greg will also speak about the new Dual Core Opteron Processor. This will be the seventh event in a series of what we describe as "THE LINUX CLUSTER FORUM" which will focus on complete Linux Cluster solutions for mission critical applications and production research. Please Note Venue Change for the July 12th Meeting which will be at Radio Free Asia in downtown DC. This is the same site that hosts the DCLUG meetings. Directions are available on the DCLUG site: <http://dclug.tux.org/dclug_meetings.html> Live video stream in ogg theora format will be available at: http:/streamer0.rfa.org:8000/bwbug_video.ogg <http://streamer0.rfa.org:8000/bwbug_video.ogg> The camera operator will be available in #bwbug on irc.freenode.net to relay questions from remote attendees. Please click on the link to register http://bwbug.org/Meeting_Registration.php Michael Fitzmaurice BWBUG 703-502-2904 (o) 703-973-9054 (c)


text:
Home Theatre Tickets Ballet and Dance Ivan Putrov
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text:
I've been asked this quite a lot recently, and have no idea. I know, more or less, the commenters, but there are quite a number of readers who don't comment.
So, who are you? Scouts' Honor, now, and you're only allowed to vote once. (I'm not looking for any particular answer here, it's just a completely unscientific survey…). Choose one. It's up to you.
Weird. Buttons don't display properly. The TOP one is "VOTE", the LOWER one is "VIEW RESULTS". Weird.
I'll turn this off in a week or so. I'm interested in knowing who the nine of you are!
Update: After about 24 hours of voting:
I find this very surprising, Lotta docs (comparatively), fewer nurses than I would have thought, etc. (It's totally unscientific, but it's interesting nonetheless).


text:
Asparagus with Creamy Chive Drizzle celebrates early spring
When the guy at the checkout asked me if asparagus could hold up to freezing temperatures, I thought he was referring to a malfunctioning refrigerator. Then, he put his hands in the air, layering them 4 or 5 inches apart. "My asparagus is about this big already," he said. "It's supposed to get down into the 20s tonight. I'm worried about the asparagus."
I couldn't give him an answer about how overnight freezing temperatures would affect young asparagus shoots. I can cook, but I'm not much of a gardener.
As soon as I returned home, I went out to the dirt patch that used to be a garden in my yard. Each spring, I harvest a few asparagus spears, thanks to the initial planting of the previous owners of our house.
I crawled on the ground, moving away leaves and pine needles as I searched for signs of asparagus. Sure enough, there was one purple tip looking like a little nose poking out of the soil - a definite sign of early spring.
Although it may be a while before my asparagus is ready to harvest, this vegetable that is related to onions, garlic and other members of the lily family is in grocery stores right now.
When buying asparagus, choose firm, bright green stalks that are relatively equal in thickness for even cooking. The tips should be tightly furled.
As is true with many vegetables, the fresher it is, the better the flavor will be. To store asparagus, wrap the bottom of the stalks in a damp cloth and slide into a plastic bag before putting it in the vegetable drawer in the refrigerator. Or bundle the spears with a rubber band and place them upright in a container with an inch of water. Use the asparagus as soon as possible.
Prepare fresh asparagus by first breaking off the tough, lower end of each spear where it snaps easily. Save the woody bases for soup stock if desired. Next, wash the stalks thoroughly and carefully to remove any sand from under the scales.
Tender asparagus spears are a culinary treat eaten raw. Enjoy the crunchy vegetable with dip or chop and toss into salads. When you eat asparagus raw, you will get the highest dose of vitamins A, C and K that it has to offer.
There are so many ways to prepare asparagus. I prefer to keep it simple, allowing the full flavor to come through without being overwhelmed by other ingredients.
Cooking the spears in boiling water for just a few minutes preserves crunchy texture. A little too long in simmering water will result in mushy spears, so don't move too far away from the stove.
Asparagus and chives are the first joyful signs of spring in the garden. No wonder they taste so good together. Asparagus with Creamy Chive Drizzle is a harmonious blend of chopped chives, garlic and shallots. Dijon mustard adds a tart surprise, and honey contributes just the right amount of sweetness. Tarragon adds alluring flavor. It's a dish that rings in the new season of spring.
On my next trip to the grocery store, I asked the asparagus guy why the crowns in my garden were producing stalks just a couple of inches tall while his were almost half a foot tall. "Compost. Give them lots of organic compost," he said.
Hmmmm. Maybe I'll give gardening another try.
Asparagus with Creamy Chive Drizzle
1/2 cup vegetable or grapeseed oil
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 cup chopped chives
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound fresh asparagus spears
Grated lemon zest, for garnish
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add garlic. Stir as it cooks off the heat for a minute. Transfer to a blender. Add chives, vinegar, mustard, honey, tarragon and salt and pepper. Process until smooth. With blender running, add remaining oil in a steady stream until mixture is creamy. Set aside at room temperature, covered, for up to 4 hours or refrigerate up to 3 days.
Snap tough ends from asparagus and discard. Arrange spears loosely in a skillet with an inch of boiling water. Simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until tender-crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain well. Arrange on plates. Stir chive mixture and drizzle over asparagus. Sprinkle with grated lemon zest. Makes 4 servings.
Tips from the cook
--Use extra Creamy Chive mixture as a dressing for tossed salads or as a spread in your favorite wrap.
--Grapeseed oil is a nice choice for the Creamy Chive Drizzle because it emulsifies well, creating a dressing or drizzle that will not separate.


text:
Bryan Colangelo was interviewed live on-air with Landry & Stellick (Fan590's The Early Show) this morning.
Recap is courtesey of my homeslice SkinnyP of RGM:
CB4 is gonna be fine, one of those things that could get worse and some sensitivitiy just keeping an eye on it. Not sure how he is responding to treatment but will see today how he is. Nice to have a lul in the schedule to push to get on the court.
Started off bad 7-13 was not a true showing of our team, we were 5-5 in PHX and we lost at the end. POssession for possession we were up with the a top team, took a step back after that game. Untill washington then cleared the air. Coaches there for them and on them (dirty?) Jay has done a great job this year, except for the two broken clipboards
Feels similar to 06-07 and the guys are responding. Sonny and Amir are contributing more than they thought. Doesnt want to jinx it, thought Saturday night basketball was weird, but it was sold out so it was great.
Bargs, why is he flourishing? Not a knock on Sam but Jay is really helping him, he isnt so anxious and easier for him to get comfortable and seeing him applying it to a game is a different story, more confidence. They said he wouldnt be rookie of the year, and that he is a good fit for the team. Capable of scoring 20 a night, more physical nice little inside game. Not ever going to be a great rebounder because of the way they play. You cant knock him because he doesnt get boards, because he is not asked to be under the rim because of Chris. His block are usually flat footed, and he is starting to get it all together and he is still very young.
Reggie Evans- Waiting for the squeeze play before he is actually back (makes Chris Kaman reference) getting his timing not really explosive yet. It is great to have a guy like Reggie to come in and cvhange up the game. Having him and Amir to be able to turn to is great. Marco may not play.
The guys asked about the Kaman incident, BC wants to see how its written in the rule book. Everything he represents on and off the court is great.
Not about the stat sheet, its about Practice and things you dont see.
Dont think I missed anything.


text:
Bring on the bocce.
That's what Palo Alto Mayor Yiaway Yeh is hoping residents throughout Palo Alto will say on Sunday, June 3, when he hosts the second installment of his "YMCA Mayor's Challenge."
The free recreational event, titled "Day in the Park," will feature yoga, bocce ball and youth tennis. The purpose of the Mayor's Challenge is to bring neighbors together to meet one another, he said in a press release.
The event is loosely competitive, with points awarded to the neighborhoods that turn out the most participants.
Day in the Park will take place at Mitchell Park and Rinconada Park from 2-5 p.m. Each hour will include 45-minute sessions of each sport simultaneously, with the tennis limited to kids 10 years old and younger. Participants can rotate through all three sessions or just choose one, Yeh said.
Day in the Park is an all-volunteer event co-sponsored by Palo Alto Tennis Club and Campo di Bocce, according to Yeh.
Tennis rackets and Bocce Balls will be provided, but neighbors should bring their own yoga mats.
This event is open to Palo Alto residents, all school-district students, and people who commute to work in Palo Alto.
The first Mayor's Challenge event, table tennis, took place on March 25, with more than 150 neighbors and volunteers turning out. The top three neighborhoods with the greatest number of participants in the first challenge were Midtown, Barron Park and Old Palo Alto.
People can register for Day in the Park at www.ymcamayorschallenge.org or in person at the Palo Alto Family YMCA on Ross Road. Additional information is available by contacting Stephanie at the YMCA at 650-842-7167 or emailing firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
A return to FedExForum was just what the Memphis Grizzlies needed.
After dropping the first two games of the series, including a crushing defeat in Game 2, Memphis downed the Los Angeles Clippers, 94-82, behind a raucous home crowd and a big double-double from Zach Randolph in Game 3 of their Western Conference quarterfinal.
Randolph was held in check the first two games, but powered the Grizzlies on Thursday with 27 points and 11 rebounds, six of which were offensive, and a desperate Memphis squad picked up its first victory of the series.
Marc Gasol, the Defensive Player of the Year recipient, turned in 16 points and eight rebounds and helped limit the Clippers to just 38.8 percent shooting. Tony Allen and Quincy Pondexter scored 13 apiece and Mike Conley dished out 10 assists in the victory.
"We have the best bigs in the league. They are really great," said Pondexter. "Marc is one of the best centers in my eyes. Zach has brilliant plays. He's like the best power forward in the league. When you have those two guys doing what they do, it's hard to stop us."
Chris Paul, who provided the game-winning layup for Los Angeles in Game 2, netted just eight points on 4-of-11 shooting, but the Clippers still maintain a 2-1 series lead.
"It's hard to run if you don't have the ball," said Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro. "It is hard to play with any type of tempo if you don't have the ball. So rebounds, we turned the ball over too much, we ran the clock too much, and that is what's going to happen."
Blake Griffin registered 16 points and Chauncey Billups had 11 in the setback.
The series will resume when the team's square off in Game 4 on Saturday afternoon.
The Grizzlies, who were 32-9 during the regular season at home, were in control of the contest the entire way and led over the last 41 1/2 minutes of play.
The Clippers made one last threat when they bridged the third and fourth quarters with a 15-6 run to cut their margin to five at 74-69, but Memphis scored nine of next 11 points to build a double-digit lead that would last over the final 5 1/2 minutes of play.
Randolph, who was held to 13 points in each of the first two games of the series, matched that total in the first quarter after sinking a pair of free throws to open up a 19-14 lead for Memphis.
Griffin scored LA's last eight points of frame to bring them within 23-20, but Memphis began to create some distance midway through the second. Pondexter buried a 3-pointer to spark an 11-2 run to open up a 12-point lead and the Grizzlies carried a 47-39 advantage into the break.
Their margin continued to grow in the third, as Allen hit a jumper and added a reverse layup soon after to re-open a double-digit lead. A pair of free throws from Pondexter made it 68-54 with 1:22 remaining before the Clippers made their run which ultimately came up short.
Memphis' lead ballooned to as many as 16 before the final buzzer.
Game Notes
The Clippers committed 18 turnovers, which turned into 17 Memphis points ... Memphis dominated the glass by a 45-33 count ... The Grizzlies went 28-of-38 from the free throw line.


text:
8-26-08 PNC Park, Cubs @ Pirates
The only positive from the entire night was the beautiful pink sky at dusk.
Tonight's game was the absolute worst game I've been to all season. Although it was a nine inning game, the game lasted FOUR hours.
During the Pirates' portion of batting practice I got absolutely nothing. The Cubs' portion of batting practice was just as bad. The Cubs' fans outnumbered the Pirates fans at batting practice, so I didn't even bother putting on my Cubs gear. The Cubs players were also remarkably stingy, notable Lester Strode, who even ignored a group of young Cubs' fans when picking up two balls near the wall.
Luckily, around 5:40, Aramis Ramirez launched a homerun ball directly at me. I didn't even have to move.
I caught the line drive on the fly, making it ball #1, and my only ball of the day.
I caught the ball in my usual batting practice spot, in the aisle between Sec 134 and 135.
After BP ended, I tried to get Ian Snell's warm up ball, but bullpen catcher Herbie Andrade took it into the bullpen with him, totally snubbing me.
My seats for this game were located on the right field wall, in Sec 143 Row F. I figured that I could improve on my paltry one ball by moving back and forth between RF and CF
throughout the game. Nate McLouth throws a warm up ball into the stands at the top of each odd numbered inning, while the right fielder throws during even numbered innings. I made nine attempts to get a warm up ball.
Unfortunately, I think Nate knows who I am and refuses to throw the ball to me. On one Sunday back in June, I caught three of his warm up balls in one game. Two I had to jump for, and probably weren't meant for me, possibly contributing to McLouth giving me the could shoulder ever since.
I didn't receive a ball the entire game, so I moved down to Section 24 to attempt to get a game ball from an umpire as they left the field. By this time, it was 11:04 PM, and the only remaining fans in the crowd were Cubs fans. The place had a Wrigley Field feel to it, as chants of "Let's Go Cubbies" echoed from every crevice of the stadium. In the picture below, you can see all of the Cubs fans standing in anticipation of the final out. U
Game: 1 Ball
Season: 104 Balls
Career: 142 Balls
Attendance: 17,929 (46.7% full)


text:
An evangelical church in Louisville, Ky., will cease its sponsorship of a local Boy Scout troop over the Boy Scouts of America's recent decision to admit openly gay youth, but continue barring participation by gay or lesbian adults.
The executive pastor at Southeast Christian Church told the Louisville Courier-Journal that the organization has become too polarizing. Church leaders began discussing the issue around the same time the BSA announced it would reconsider its long-standing ban on "open or avowed homosexuals" last summer.
After much debate, church elders decided that supporting the local Boy Scouts was a step too far. Hester said the policy change was a "catalyst" for the church's decision, but wasn't the only issue driving the decision.
"Truly for us it's a logical decision," pastor Tim Hester told the Journal. "We cannot be distracted from the mission God has called us to… We want everyone, including ourselves, to live by biblical standards."
Between Boy Scout Troop and Cub Scout Pack 212, roughly 300 families participate in Scouting events held at the church, according to the Journal. The Scouts have until the end of the year to find a new meeting location.


text:
Sony Odin specs might have been revealed already
0. phoneArena posted on 11 Oct 2012, 02:57
Here is a wild rumor to start your day with: we believe we know what the hardware specs of the Sony Odin might be. You know, that Sony Odin (just a code name, by the way), which is rumored to be the company's flagship Android smartphone for 2013. The details were posted online on a forum thread dedicated to Xperia-related rumors. However, before you dismiss this bit of news and call it bogus, allow us to note that the forum member who revealed the specs made a post referring to the Odin code name back in June. Do we have your attention already?...
This is a discussion for a news. To read the whole news, click here
1. AppleConspiracy (Posts: 637; Member since: 18 Oct 2011)
Things are shaping up like a large-scale introduction of multiple Nexus devices that could have 5-inch FullHD displays. Last year, Google Nexus project introduced the HD display. And now it's time for another "innovation".
4. pokharkarsaga (Posts: 454; Member since: 23 Feb 2012)
Next year 2013,the innovation is "no bezel"phone.Motorola RAZRi has already given us the taste.So enjoy the whole screen without borders and bigger size displays with full HD resolution.
6. neutralguy (Posts: 1152; Member since: 30 Apr 2012)
xperia arc pro
xperia nexus arc
nexus arc
xperia nexus
nexus pro
anything else? :D
13. XiphiasGladius (Posts: 813; Member since: 21 Aug 2011)
Xperia TV, (Xperia T size + Xperia V enhancements + New Full HD Screen maybe & 2500mAh battery)
22. eisenbricher (Posts: 973; Member since: 09 Aug 2012)
+ one more tree in the Jungle of Alphabets
Darn I hope Sony keeps it name as 'Odin' and put a laser engraving of Odin's drawing on its back *__*
25. XiphiasGladius (Posts: 813; Member since: 21 Aug 2011)
nice idea. I wanna see that.
8. eisenbricher (Posts: 973; Member since: 09 Aug 2012)
What is happening to me:
Nokia Era: Oh wow, his phone has a 320x240 display! *jealous* Mine has a $hitty 128x128 CSTN panel :/
Nokia's Decline: Oh wow! look at that, VGA resolution!! *jealous* I only have a 240p :/
SGSII : What a stunning WVGA display *__* I wanna throw my phone away :(
SGSIII/One X: Screen to die for! Die die my phone >:[
1080p Era: Dunno if I'll call 720p a $hitty display or not.. I wonder.
Display Evolution man!
23. dexter_jdr (Posts: 1163; Member since: 28 Jun 2012)
u want display evolution? im still waiting for a pixel-less display!!! a screen displaying pure images, similar to the human eyes' vision!!!
2. Dr.Phil (Posts: 1771; Member since: 14 Feb 2011)
I'm excited for the supposed 6 inch device. I seem to always want to go bigger with my phones, and then you can't go back to those little 4 inch screens.
3. wendygarett (unregistered)
Japanese are finally produce a lot of big screen phone this years... but still it's hard for the feature phones users (which contains almost 80% in japan) to accept the giant phone... Oh well, time will tell :)
5. neutralguy (Posts: 1152; Member since: 30 Apr 2012)
xperia arc pro.
7. rahulcena5565 (Posts: 57; Member since: 01 Nov 2010)
Its starting, the FullHD revolution!
Android brings in innovation, as always
9. eisenbricher (Posts: 973; Member since: 09 Aug 2012)
After like 2-3 yrs someone would be totting this as 'Revolutionary Innovation' xD
11. rahulcena5565 (Posts: 57; Member since: 01 Nov 2010)
Haha, more like Sammy Mobile
12. AppleConspiracy (Posts: 637; Member since: 18 Oct 2011)
How is this innovation?
18. SonyXperiaNexus (Posts: 374; Member since: 01 Oct 2012)
hes saying the same thing apple does.resolutionary
10. rusticguy (Posts: 2828; Member since: 11 Aug 2012)
So this shift towars larger screen phones ultimately has been forced by Samsung. So the race for larger screen phones will still get bigger by day/year. Are we looking at 6 inch iPhone (with width unchanged) next year?
20. kanagadeepan (Posts: 1026; Member since: 24 Jan 2012)
LOL... Width unchanged 6" iPhone???
14. XPERIA-KNIGHT (unregistered)
sounds good sony......i guess for the phablet crew anyway..........but im still waiting on that.... 4.3 inch beast?? lol im looking for the most compact phone with all the best specs possible :)
That would be my dream phone.....quad core with 2500 battery HD screen 4.3 or 4.5 inch, no higher no lower
15. loken (Posts: 462; Member since: 09 May 2012)
i bet if danny p reviews this it'll get a 7
16. XPERIA-KNIGHT (unregistered)
no it wont..........it'll get a 7 point FIVE this time! lolz
17. Jimstar (Posts: 259; Member since: 24 Oct 2011)
Well pork my daughter and kick my dog, I guess phablets really have taken off. This is the last thing I saw happening whether the Note was a success or not.
Makes you kinda feel bad for Dell, they didn't know how ahead of the curve they were, if only they'd hung in there.
19. darac (Posts: 2156; Member since: 17 Oct 2011)
Great, but I'm afraid that by the time it gets out, Samsung will already take the spotlight with the S4
21. Mke5Mke (Posts: 18; Member since: 10 Oct 2012)
Phones are getting bigger and tablets are getting smaller. Technology is seeking equilibrium. There's really no need to have a tablet and a smartphone when one device can do the job of both. If I were a Samsung fan more than an Android fan, the Note II would be my next device. But because I believe Android provides a greater innovative, technological thrust forward than Samsung or any single OEM and because Android performs at its best on the latest and greatest hardware, it looks like I'll be choosing the LG Optimus G this year.
24. spiderpig2894 (Posts: 597; Member since: 10 Jan 2012)
WOAH! That is a big leap for Sony.
26. Insignificant (Posts: 192; Member since: 22 Sep 2012)
iPhoneArena, you are just getting worse as worse.
If you learnt how to read the forums instead of making up things, you'd know there are two flagships next year, and the ODIN is the first half one. It won't have a 1080p display.
The second half will.
The second half phone will have an MSM8974.
28. AbhiD (Posts: 96; Member since: 06 Apr 2012)
seems like u didn't read esato forums with open eyes...
both the devices (5 inch screen and the other with 6 inch screen) will come with 1080p resolution.
What phonearena has reported is completely correct!!!
27. Insignificant (Posts: 192; Member since: 22 Sep 2012)
The 2H flagship will establish Sony as the best phonemaker. Hopefully the sales will reflect that.