text:
Congratulations Anna! Great job Kelly and Shar. You guys are wonderful.
- Afifa
Ooooh, good job, Anna! You absolutely deserve it! And Kelly and Shar too! Wonderful job, everyone.
"Through literacy you can begin to see the universe.
Through music you can reach anybody.
Between the two there is you, unstoppable."
--grace slick♥avvie: julia/the_opaleye
Yay, Anna! And well done to Shar and Kelly, too! -squishes-
Congratulations, Anna! And Shar and Kelly too.
Congratulations, Anna! And well done to Shar and Kelly.
- Cassie
Thanks for the gratulations, everyone! And thanks to the RAC for finding me worthy of the Review Award. Good job, Kelly and Shar - in my opinion, you deserve this much more than I do. *pickles*
This month's review award, yes? Well, really, you all write really good reviews. And I seriously mean that. So now we'll just get right down to it...
Finalists for July:
And our winner is...
Well, how about I do the things that we've said about this reviewer first, and see if you can guess who it is?
+This review was clear and provided good, helpful feedback, telling the author why things worked well (again, wewt for positive, constructive critique!).
+This review was just really outstanding. It was personable, but also very straight to the point and helpful in its concrit. I could find no concerns with this review, and that made me beam with pride at being considered a member among such a SPEWer.
+rofl. As if she ever does anything less than a 4. But seriously, the reviewer gives thorough critique and praise, providing sound, logical, and succinct reasoning for every point she makes. At no time is the reviewer ever anything but cordial, even when giving the more negative comments.
+What can I say other than wow? Jenna's reviews are just so brilliantly in-depth in her praise and critique, and especially the critique is phrased in a way that it's helpful and not at all hurting, but she's not sugar-coating it. Jenna's reviews are just... Jenna-esque. XD
Oh, oops. Maybe that last one gave it away.
-beams- OH WELL! Congratulations to our dear Head!
Banner by Anna
Um. I'm actually in a state of shock. (Which is really impressive considering I'm never surprised by anything, least of all things like the SPEW Review Award which I monitor the processes of. x.x)
So. >.> Yes. that's actually all I know how to say. I'm speechless. And my banner matches my black/whiteness.
So, thank you, RAC.
I think I've just copped enough sense to say that, no, I don't think I've earned this or particularly deserve it, and because of that I'm all the more grateful and humbled by it.
*blushes and wanders out to cry quietly*
ETA: Bah, I'm so self-absorbed in my state of shock. >.>
Congrats to Kelly, Jen and Ari. I read your reviews, and you're awesome. And, to all of SPEW, you really do a great job every month. ♥
Congratulations to Kelly, Ari and Jen as well!
Congrats Jenna! You so deserved this.
And way to go to Ari, Kelly, and Jen as well. You're reviews were all excellent.

subset: commoncrawl


text: DOL's ARB announces two new members and new briefing policy By on August 24, 2010 Posted in Department of Labor The U.S. Department of Labor's Administrative Review Board (ARB) has issued a letter announcing the appointment of two new judges, and a new policy on briefing schedules. The two new judges are Joanne Royce and Luis Corchado. Royce previously worked for the Government Accountability Project (GAP) and a House committee. Corchado was Assistant Director of the Litigation Section for the… Continue Reading


text:
Dwyane Wade or LeBron James?
Dwyane Wade or LeBron James?
Dwade >>> Lebron..
Better Mid Range shooter way more clutch. And better freethrow shooter
fukcen boston cant even beat milwaukee when we need them too.
Damn player-centric usernames straight to hell.
Kelly Tripuca just called Lebron an excellent shooter.
LeBron is MVP unless the Heat can win 48+ games if they do that then Wade is the MVP.
Cav's are gonna win at least 60 games this year and thats a huge suprise considering they only won 45 last year.
Wade is the best clutch player in the league, has a great mid range shot, and is decent from beyond the arc
LeBron is a good mid-range shooter and streaky from beyond the arc, but LeBron gets a triple-double nearly every game.
....anyways hope we could steal this one.
DaTPRiNCE...That EGYPTiAN Fella, #MeloMafia
theyre not playing bad. if they fall behind early, the cavs arent gonna let them back in. theyre doing ok with keeping up basket for basket so far. they gotta get to the hoop. hughes just blew a layup but if he keeps doing what hes doing the execution will come. i never really thought of the cavs as a defensive team, and theyre really not, just aggressive, swarming d.
Damn player-centric usernames straight to hell.
lee is holding his own but he just looks so undersized against Z. i wanna get a look at samb no homo, this isnt a great situation for him to get his first minutes though.
Damn player-centric usernames straight to hell.
Nate & Lee did their thang in the first quarter
It looked like Jefferies did not want to pass the ball to shoot-first Larry Hughes
jefferies has the biggest pair of stone hands ive ever seen. ever time he gets the ball it always ends in him dropping it or it flying into the stands.
Damn player-centric usernames straight to hell.


text:
METRO DETROIT - In Macomb County, Clinton Township and Sterling Heights are facing important public safety millages.
In Sterling Heights, elected leaders claim 45 police officers and 20 firefighters could be laid off if the measure fails. The police department says it would see crime prevention measures cease.
"Our detective bureau will go from 24 detectives down to eight," said Sterling Heights Police Chief Michael Reese. "We'll eliminate our traffic safety division, our crime suppression unit, our canine office will be eliminated and our accident prevention unit will be eliminated.
Ferndale voters face marijuana proposition
In Oakland County, Ferndale voters are deciding whether to legalize possession and use of an ounce or less of marijuana.
Law enforcement leaders say the ordinance is merely political and trumped by state and federal laws.
"It would be like the shopping center saying you can smoke marijuana in our parking lot but Bloomfield Hills police right there says, 'nah, I don't think so,'" said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.
Royal Oak voters face human rights ordinance
In Royal Oak, voters are faced with a a decision on a human rights ordinance to prevent discrimination against gay, lesbian and transgender residents. It was passed by the commission and blocked by a petition drive. Now, voters will have their say.
School districts seek major bond levies
Several major school districts from Dearborn, Troy and Farmington are seeking approval for major bond levies. While funding for enhanced school security gets most of the attention, more than 85 percent of the money will help upgrade aging buildings and enhance technology for every student.
Story: School security proposals on several Metro Detroit ballots
Former mayor runs for Troy City Council
Former Troy mayor Janice Daniels is seeking a seat on the City Council. She was recalled a year ago after opposing the city's new transit center and making a slur against gays in a Facebook post.
Copyright 2013 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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text:
MEMS Structure for Energy HarvestingS. Rabbani, P.K. Rathore, G. Ghosh, and B.S. Panwar
Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
In this paper, a piezoelectric cantilever is investigated using finite element analysis made possible by COMSOL Multiphysics for the generation of electrical energy. A micro power generator was designed to convert mechanical vibrations present in the environment to electrical power. The model was studied for different cantilever dimensions. The load resistor was optimized for obtaining maximum output power for a cantilever length of 2000µm. The load was introduced to the FEM design through PSPICE netlist. The amplitude of vibration for different frequencies has been analyzed through frequency response analysis. The results confirm the possibility of PZT microcantilever power generator for wireless sensor applications. A CMOS compatible fabrication process flow is also suggested.
- rabbani_presentation.pdf - 0.72MB
- rabbani_paper.pdf - 0.36MB


text:
Why Rove McManus' The Project confounds Americans
When the man behind its inception and production tried to explain it in the United States, the question usually asked: 'Is it an Aussie version of The Daily Show?'
When Rove McManus slips behind The Project's curved desk tonight – beginning a four-month co-hosting role – he will be joined by two of his best mates, Peter Helliar and Carrie Bickmore.
But as co-owner of Roving Enterprises, the company that makes the show, McManus is also their boss. Which means he could have them fired and frog-marched out of the building should they displease him.
''And don't think I won't,'' he says. ''You'll notice they'll be more prone to laughing at every pathetic pun I make. They'll have no choice.''
In truth, it's his close friendship with the pair that convinced him to take on the job. It will require him to be on our shores at least until December – his longest stretch in Australia since he moved to the United States in 2009.
''It was going to be a three-month trip,'' he says, ''and then suddenly you wake up and go, 'Oh my God, it's five years later and I have a baby!''' (He and his wife, actor Tasma Walton, welcomed their daughter Ruby in December last year.)
''I've missed Australia and I feel a lot of love when I come back. I hope this stint on The Project doesn't ruin that, but I'll do my best.''
As McManus points out, working closely with someone does not guarantee a friendship.
''You can work with people for years and years and years and they're still just your colleagues,'' he says. ''But the three of us have all clicked and become very, very close.''
McManus and Helliar formed a tight bond as fledgling stand-ups in the mid-1990s, and Helliar was part of McManus's long-running self-titled program on Channel Ten – including its first iteration on Nine in 1999. Bickmore joined the show in 2006, becoming close to both performers, and recently visited McManus in Los Angeles.
Since moving to the US, McManus has been busy on television with lots of guest appearances, his own cable talk program and, most recently, the Fox network's game show Riot. Critics gave it the thumbs up but low ratings prompted its cancellation.
He's disappointed – he loved working with friend and executive producer Steve Carrell – but it did give his stand-up career a boost.
''I got to host a network television show in the States, and that's a massive accomplishment,'' he says. ''From that, I'm now able to headline comedy rooms around the States. There's a whole lot of benefits in the fact I even had the chance to do it.''
For most of his career, McManus has juggled various roles: TV host, radio host, producer, live performer. He was intimately involved in the creation of The 7pm Project, as it was called when it launched in 2009, but has since taken a step back.
''In the early development stage, I was very much in mother bird mode. You lay the egg and you incubate it; the little chick comes out and you spew up your food into its mouth and massage its wings and then let it fly.
''Once it's out of the nest, you just let it go ... for the most part, I just sit back and let it do what it's doing, because it does pretty well with my minimal input.''
Now he's back in the studio, will he immerse himself in the production side of things again?
''It's such a well-oiled machine with a great team working behind the scenes. I don't need to be pushing my weight around too much. I'll happily just come in and do what I'm told.''
Having interviewed plenty of big stars in the US and Australia, McManus has found no real difference. Their level of fame, more than where they are from, determines how they engage with him.
''If you're an incredibly famous person and every single thing you say will be taken out of context, then chances are you'll be a little bit more guarded,'' he says. ''Especially with something like The Project, where you're there not just to talk about your movie – there might be a story on, say, hepatitis and you'll be asked if you have anything to add, and suddenly you could be saying something that could be making headlines internationally.''
It's this aspect of the program – its ability to toggle between serious and light-hearted topics – that confounds Americans, given there is nothing quite like it on US television.
When McManus tries to explain it to them, they usually ask if it's an Aussie version of The Daily Show.
''When it first debuted, it was seen as a bit of an odd fish. Nobody knew what it was. People came on board but then left because it didn't gel with their pre-conceived notions. Then everyone has slowly come back.''
The show's ratings have grown recently and it remains one of Ten's best-performing series.
For viewers, McManus's co-hosting role will be a welcome return to the screen for the man whose Rove Live program they voted the network's second most popular show in a recent 50th birthday special.
The icing on the cake for him was the praise his idol, Bert Newton, gave him during the program.
''He's the king of the mountain of Australian television,'' he says.
''He has no reason to be as wonderful as he is. If you met Bert Newton and he was a bit stand-offish or reclusive you'd go, 'That's perfectly understandable; you're Bert Newton for crying out loud and you've earned the right to be stand-offish!'
''But the fact that he's not – the fact he keeps abreast of everything that's happening, he's so supportive of new people coming through and has embraced so many people like myself ... you almost feel like you've been knighted by royalty when he mentions your name.
''That I can call him a friend means a lot.''
The Project airs weeknights 6.30pm on Channel Ten.
Michael Lallo is a Senior Entertainment Writer for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald. Michael joined Fairfax Media in 2006 as a feature writer. He has also been a news reporter for The Sunday Age, a deputy editor of Green Guide and a columnist and critic.
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text: Granted I don't watch a lot of him or doubles in general, but God, how many volleys can you dump into the bottom of the net. And when standing about a foot from the net! Every now and then you see a player that just makes you feel great about being a 4.0 hacker because you see the pro making the exact same mistakes as you do out on the muni courts. Volley long, volley into the net, volley into the net, volley long. I mean, come on, we all have bad days, but show a little emotion. Poor Lopez was bobbing and dancing around, obviously trying to make the most of one of the biggest matches of his career, and Granollers had all the intensity of someone at a wake. Jesus, slam your racquet, throw it, bash it against your head a la Youznhy, just do something. Granners totally cost them that match. Does he always suck so bad?


text:
How did you pick your screen name?
My name, Elwing, is from The Silmarillion, a book from JRR Tolkien that tell the hole story about the Midle-Earth, with details about everything that happend before The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings. Elwing is the wife of Earendil, and actually is the mother of Elrond and the grandmother of Arwen (for those who saw the movie or read the books). The name means "star-spray" in Sindarin, in Spanish is translated like ROCIO DE ESTRELLAS ("dew of stars"), and my name is ROCIO, wich is like dew in spanish. I´m from Argentina.
How did you come to read Twilight and which book is your favorite?
I heard about Twilight when the movie came out. Near my house there was a construction site and was full of Edwards and Bellas everywhere, and I was against my younger brother went to see it because I thought he was like True Blood or something like that. Last year I and a college friend were talking about books and she said Twilight was really good and I HAD to read it, and the next week as it was my birthday she gave me Twilight. Long story short, I LOVED IT, the Oct 13th was my B-day, Tuesday, by Thursday I had already finished reading it and I bought a New Moon, that by Sunday (Oct 18th) I had already finished. For Eclipse I had to wait until early November to read it because I had exams, I almost die, and ´cause of the finals, Breaking Dawn I read it in January, simultaneously with the same friend who introduced me to the world of the Cullen clan, I was so exited that it only took me 5 days. I already read each book 3 times.
My favorite book is Eclipse.
Who do you like best: Edward, Bella, or Jacob?
Who is your favorite minor character?
Alice, and people say we are very much alike
What are your hobbies?
I like read, and a lot of movies. I´m also red belt in Tae Kwon Do, and I in summer I like to swimg in the sea.
Where are you from
Buenos Aires, Argentina.
How old are you?
22, going for 23...
Anything else you would like to share.
sorry if sometimes I screw with grammar... (Can I say screw?) I´ve been reading the Lex since last year but it was for my bad grammar I would not venture to the forum.


text:
Little Ceasars to open on Houston Highway
By BY MELISSA CROWE - email@example.com
Feb. 28, 2013 at 8:04 p.m.
Updated Feb. 28, 2013 at 9:01 p.m.
The vacant coffee shop at Laurent and Rio Grande streets will soon have new life.
Texas Best Value pulled permits this week to transform the building into a carry-out pizzeria, Little Caesars Pizza, made famous by its $5 deals.
The city's Development Services Director Jared Mayfield said the company pulled permits this week for selective demolition inside the building, 1301 E. Rio Grande St.
He expects a remodeling permit is days away to turn the coffee shop into the pizza chain.
Tucker Construction, of Victoria, started work Tuesday on the facility.
Nearby at the H-E-B gas pumps, Wenceslao Gutierrez, 66, of Victoria, said he is happy to see more business opening up in south Victoria.
Gutierrez has lived in the city since 1968.
"It's growing, but most of it is up north," he said. "A lot of people live on this side of town, and we need services over here."
Although he said he did not frequent the business when it was a Starbucks, the pizzeria is a place he would visit.
According to its website, Little Caesars first opened in 1959 in Michigan.
Victoria has two other Little Caesars franchises, one on Navarro Street and the other on John Stockbauer Drive.
Melissa Puerto, 33, of Victoria, is not a Little Caesars fan but said it's an inexpensive go-to for birthday party meals.
She said she went to the Starbucks at the same location while it was open.
That business opened in August 2007 and, according to a sign posted in the window, closed in November 2008. It has been vacant ever since.
Cydny Wilson, 24, of Victoria, said the city has enough pizza places.
She said she would not shop at the new take-out restaurant.
"They need to put a Chick-fil-A on this side of town," Wilson said.


text:
If we want to punch above our weight, we need bigger gloves
SEVERAL years ago, a survey of 150 young Britons found one third did not believe Timbuktu existed. The rest described as a mythical place the sunburnt Saharan outpost that has long been a Western euphemism for an impossibly distant and outlandish destination.
Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has no such problems with geography. This week Timbuktu and its hinterland have been the epicentre of Australian diplomacy thanks to our new status as a member of the United Nations Security Council, the nostrils of our diplomatic corps flaring at the whiff of African cordite.
Simmering Islamist intrigues in the land-locked nation of Mali - until now, perhaps best-known for the northern township of Timbuktu - erupted into global focus after France, the former colonial master, sent troops and warplanes to bolster the embattled government forces in what is being billed as a new frontier in the war against terrorism.
One of the first to mount the barricades in support of the intervention was Foreign Minister Bob Carr. On Wednesday he painted a doomsday scenario in which the al-Qaeda-backed rebels, if unchecked, would capture all of Mali, spread mayhem across a swath of sub-Saharan Africa and threaten the world with a new ''situation akin to Afghanistan''. He said Australia was considering sending military equipment and funding to bolster the deployment of African troops to back the French.
Heady stuff for Australians still stumbling home from the beaches and cricket pitches of their summer sabbatical. But it seems we all need to get up to speed on Africa - even if its many and intractable problems rest in our national consciousness somewhere well west of the Back O'Bourke. Or Timbuktu.
Africa is now important to Australia because the problems of Africa are important in the august chambers in New York. Most of the workload of the UN Security Council is consumed with African issues - not least the ongoing conflicts in the Central African Republic, the Congo and Mali. And since January 1 and for the next two years, what matters to the council matters to Australia as we enthusiastically resume a seat at perhaps the world's most important table after an absence of 27 years.
The question is, are we ready to resume this role in the formidable shadow of the five permanent members of the council - the United States, Britain, Russia, China and France - and what can we realistically contribute and achieve beyond the immediate euphoric rush to our national ego?
The excitement that has swept the government and parts of the bureaucracy since Australia won election last October to one of two Security Council berths in a contest with Finland and Luxembourg has bordered on hubris - particularly in some of the florid rhetoric of the Foreign Minister.
When Australia was tapped last week to chair the council committees policing sanctions against the Taliban, al-Qaeda and Iran, Carr was effusive in self-congratulation: ''This is a serious diplomatic job. It confirms that we are highly regarded by the members of the Security Council and that includes the five permanent members. Australia is taken seriously.''
The thrill of being taken seriously by other nations may be partly due to the fact that we were not taken very seriously last time around. The campaign to win a seat on the council in 1996 ended in tears. Confident predictions of victory by then ambassador Richard Butler were shattered when many of the nations that had supposedly promised to vote for Australia failed to do so in the secret ballot. Senior diplomats still blame some of that on the infamously arrogant and abrasive style of the ambassador. ''The Butler did it'', declared a newspaper headline reporting our national humiliation at the time.
This time, the victory was emphatic. Australia won a seat with an almost three-quarters majority on the first ballot - to the consternation of Luxembourg and Finland which had campaigned for much longer and at much greater expense.
Everyone knows the real power at the UN rests with the veto-wielding permanent five, but supporters of Australia's bid see a substantial opportunity for those countries holding the 10 rotating council positions. ''It means Australia is now a country everyone wants to talk to,'' says one senior diplomat. ''All the big decisions come to the council and all of a sudden Australia is the centre of attention with everyone lobbying for decisions they want. If you handle it well, you can build a great reputation that lasts for years and years.''
Former foreign minister Gareth Evans says the role gives Australia a chance to help advance major issues of international concern, such as seeking to restore a global consensus on tackling genocide and crimes against humanity, boosting the UN's work in conflict prevention and resolution, and moving to revive the moribund nuclear disarmament process.
He sees significant dividends for Australia in supporting such causes as well as helping to advance issues of concern to other middle-ranking and smaller nations, which in turn will be more inclined to support the policy priorities of Australia, such as managing asylum seekers. ''Good international citizenship is a category of national interest,'' he says.
While the return to the Security Council might see Australia's punching above its weight in the international arena, we are in desperate need of a new pair of padded-leather gloves and there's an embarrassing hole in the backside of our old silk shorts.
Australia now has fewer than 100 overseas missions, the least of any G20 nation, and DFAT's staffing has shrunk by about 13 per cent since the mid-1990s, at the same time as the federal bureaucracy overall has expanded by about 60 per cent. A further $45 million was pruned from the department in last year's budget. A parliamentary committee report recently described Australia's international representation as ''seriously deficient'' and called for at least 20 more foreign missions.
Nowhere has the penny-pinching been more pronounced than in Africa - where we, as the new kid on the Security Council block, will need to be most engaged and informed. There are just five Australian embassies or high commissions across the entire continent, including South Africa, and four consulates in other nations. Australia's presence in 12 more African states is merely a consular shopfront provided by Canada - including in Mali.
Our token presence on much of the continent is all the more egregious given it was Africa that played a key role in securing our victory in the hard-fought contest for the Security Council seat. Some deft lobbying spearheaded by DFAT veteran and former ambassador to France Bill Fisher secured a remarkable 22 of the 24 UN votes from francophone Africa.
While Australia's UN mission is said to be reasonably well resourced, there is only a small team within the department dedicated to Security Council work. And that workload is about to explode. The council passed 53 resolutions last year and it is expected to be even busier this year, with each resolution requiring intensive research, negotiation and official direction.
An obvious danger of this new priority for our diplomatic service is that attention and resources may well be diverted from pressing issues closer to home. This week, while we were busy cheering the cavalry into Mali, Fiji was tearing up a draft constitution aimed at ending six years of military rule and Papua New Guinea again thumbed its nose at Australia by confirming a ban on distinguished economist and business executive Ross Garnaut.
Mark Baker is editor-at-large.
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text:
Justin Bieber, 16, to Pen His Own Memoir
Justin Bieber wants to tell the world all of his life's accomplishments (the kid's 16, but he sure has done a lot), and the "Baby" pop giant will unleash his journalistic prowess on the world in October.
According to GossipCop, the Bieber memoir (Title suggestion: Bieberography?) will hit stores this fall, with HarperCollins publishing the teen tome. There's not much more info in the report, but one could expect the book to document Bieber's meteoric rise to fame via YouTube, his family life and how a 16-year-old boy deals with thousands of screaming fans everywhere he goes.
The book won't be out for a few months, but until then, you can study up on Justin with The Holy Bieble for all things Bieber-related.


text:
Dipoto responds to Trout's agent on renewal
By Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com
PHOENIX, Ariz. -- The Angels gave superstar outfielder Mike Trout a $510,000 salary for next season, representing a $20,000 jump from the Major League minimum, and his agent is not happy.
Trout's representative, Craig Landis, made it clear in an email that Trout's contract is "not the result of a negotiated compromise," adding that the salary "falls well short of a 'fair' contract and I have voiced this to the Angels throughout the process."
Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, teams are free to assign whatever salaries they want to players in their pre-arbitration seasons -- between zero and three years of service time -- provided that it's no less than the 2013 minimum of $490,000.
To determine those salaries, the Angels use an objective system that gives a lot of weight to service time, not performance. Trout's situation is rare -- as a 21-year-old coming off being the unanimous choice for American League Rookie of the Year and the runner-up for MVP -- but the Angels still went by the book.
"Craig and Mike have a right to their opinion and we don't begrudge them their feelings," Angels general manager Jerry Dipoto said. "We love Mike. Mike's a big part of what we're doing here, obviously, now and hopefully for many years to come."
Of the 22 zero-to-three players who obtained contracts from the Angels Saturday, Trout was the only one who was "renewed," while the other 21 "agreed" to their salaries. The highest salary for those 22 was $540,000 for Mark Trumbo, who has just over two years of service time.
Within the Angels' system, $510,000 was the most a player with Trout's service time -- 1.070 years -- could make.
"We're trying to manage a group of 25 players, not one," Dipoto said, adding: "We have been as aggressive with Mike as we can be."
The Angels' decision to not make an exception for Trout is mainly due to the domino effect it can have on the rest of their other pre-arbitration players, now and in the future. They don't believe this -- or moving him from center field, for that matter -- will hinder their ability to sign him to a long-term contract.
"I don't think so," Dipoto said. "Mike's a great kid, he's wired the right way. We have every faith in his desire to be a great player. He's going to go out there and he's going to bust his tail."
Teams take different approaches with regards to how they compensate players before they're arbitration eligible, and some weigh performance and awards more heavily into the figure. In fact, the last 10 Rookie of the Year Award winners have received an average raise of more than 21 percent over the minimum.
Under the Angels' system, Trout's raise was four percent over the minimum.
"We're seeing a minimum salary that has gotten bigger and bigger, and we are seeing an average salary at the Major League level that has gotten bigger and bigger, and we're charged with managing that across the board," said Dipoto, whose payroll will be about $160 million in 2013. "With the zero-to-three and arbitration years and free agent years, at some point you have to manage the talent on the field and the economics of the game. That's what we're trying to do every day."
Landis had previously voiced his displeasure to the front office about Trout no longer being the everyday center fielder, now that Peter Bourjos will move into that role, but Trout himself has not expressed any resentment about the move, publicly or to Angels executives.
Trout wasn't scheduled to play against the Brewers at Maryvale Baseball Park on Saturday, and Landis said he would not comment further on the matter.
"As when he learned he would not be the team's primary center fielder for the upcoming season," Landis wrote, "Mike will put the disappointment behind him and focus on helping the Angels reach their goal of winning the 2013 World Series."
Frieri's pitching repertoire evolving
PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Ernesto Frieri's desire to be more than a one-pitch pitcher officially began on Saturday, when he threw a scoreless inning of relief at Maryvale Baseball Park.
This spring, Frieri is looking to broaden his repertoire after relying almost entirely on a live fastball -- and struggling with an unreliable slider -- while serving as the Angels' closer in 2012. He's starting to integrate a cutter and, to a lesser extent, working to hone his changeup.
The 27-year-old right-hander hardly threw either pitch against the Brewers on Saturday.
"In my first outing, I want to work on my fastball, first and foremost, throw strikes, get my mechanics in order and that's it," Frieri said pregame -- but Angels manager Mike Scioscia likes what he's seen from his other pitches so far.
"[The cutter] looks like a pretty legitimate slider when he throws it," Scioscia said after Frieri gave up only one hit in the Angels' eventual 4-3 loss. "He gets a little bit of depth to it, and [pitching coach Mike Butcher] really thinks his changeup is coming along. So I think his ability to change speeds is something that's going to help him."
Cabrera hoping to boost fans in Puerto Rico
PHOENIX, Ariz. -- Veteran reliever Fernando Cabrera, a non-roster invitee obtained on a Minor League contract in the offseason, is among those competing for a bullpen spot with the Angels and needs every opportunity to show he deserves to start the season in the big leagues.
Instead, he'll depart for the World Baseball Classic on Sunday, which may not impact his chances all that much, but certainly can't help.
The 31-year-old right-hander feels he owes it to his native Puerto Rico, an island where baseball's importance has dropped considerably over the last few years.
"We've lost a big part of our baseball fan base in Puerto Rico," Cabrera said in Spanish. "One of the few events that people really get excited about in Puerto Rico and get behind is the World Baseball Classic. They like it. And representing your country is something that always makes you feel good."
Cabrera notched a 5.24 ERA while compiling 132 appearances in the big leagues from 2004-10. Last year, he pitched for the Mets' Triple-A affiliate, posting a 4.10 ERA and 22 saves in 68 innings. And in '06 and '09, he represented Puerto Rico in the Classic, throwing 5 2/3 shutout innings in a combined eight appearances as his country made it no further than the second round.
This year, he'll join a squad that includes Major Leaguers such as Mike Aviles, Carlos Beltran, Yadier Molina, Angel Pagan and Alex Rios -- but also one that has to play in a pool with powerhouses Venezuela and the Dominican Republic.
Since being included in the First-Year Player Draft in 1990, teams have found few benefits in heavily scouting the area because they can't sign players at a bargain rate, and Puerto Rico has thusly seen its baseball talent plummet.
Academies recently opened by Beltran and Major League Baseball have helped -- the Astros' first overall pick, shortstop Carlos Correa, came from MLB's Academy -- but there's still a long way to go.
In 2012, 17 Puerto Rican-born players appeared in the Majors. From the Dominican Republic, there were 128. And from Venezuela, there were 88.
For Cabrera, the telling sign comes from the Puerto Rican winter league, where he pitches every offseason.
Fans have simply lost interest.
"It has to improve, but no matter how good the baseball is, the fans just don't go to the games," Cabrera said. "I believe there's still good talent in Puerto Rico, and it's getting better. Hopefully the country can just get behind them."
Worth noting
• Erick Aybar played his last game with the Angels before departing for the World Baseball Classic. The Dominican team will play exhibition games in Tampa, Fla., before playing Pool games in Puerto Rico starting Thursday. Aybar, who went 1-for-3 as a leadoff hitter on Saturday, was told he'll basically split time at shortstop with Jose Reyes.
• Vernon Wells went 1-for-2 with a walk and a long solo home run to left-center field in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Brewers, making him 3-for-8 with three RBIs this spring. "He's more than the one-dimensional player that we've seen," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "He's not just a guy who can hit the ball out of the park. He'll give us a big lift if he can swing the bat the way he can."
• Sean Burnett didn't get off a bullpen mound on Saturday, instead solely doing rehab work and pitchers' fielding practice, but Angels manager Mike Scioscia expects that to happen by Monday. Burnett has been limited to throwing off flat ground since dealing with a stiff lower back on March 18.
Alden Gonzalez is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Gonzo and "The Show", and follow him on Twitter @Alden_Gonzalez. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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No Hidden Fees - No Credit Card Surcharges - Low Shipping Rates
Images shown may not be an exact representation of the actual product.You may contact us if you have questions about the exact specifications of this item.
AR-.308 Standard Collapsible fits collapsible stock ArmaLite® AR-10® and other AR-style .308 rifles with 3¼" recoil buffers.
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We're on the Atkins diet here, and I wrote about it on January 29th. At that time, my most prominent side effect was increased grouchyness. That has receeded to its normal baseline.
It's my waistline that's changed. About 40 days in, and I've lost 21 pounds. I'm as light now as I was when I left active duty, and my clothes are much looser. My spouse has also lost some, though she chooses not to quantify it (or tell me, whichever). We cannot decide when to quit it, but this diet is so easy to stick with, even when eating out, that it's not a punishment for us.
This isn't an endorsement of the Atkins diet. There are several diets out there, and they all work for somebody. Find the one that works for you, and stick with it.


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I hate my math teacher.
I hate his voice. He sounds like Squidward.
I hate that he gave us homework to do on the weekend.
I hate the way he slides around the room in his shiny shoes.
I hate listening to him.
I hate learning a bunch of stupid, easy things in his class.
I hate his laugh.
But, I guess he is an okay person.. those are just the things I dont like about him .
And.. I have so much energy right now! I want to sleep but I cant. UGH, I have to pee and I dont feel like going and I am bored!


text: Yvonne Kleinmann's current work as head of the research group 'Pathways of Law in Ethno-Religiously Mixed Societies: Resources of Experience in Poland-Lithuania and Its Successor States' at Leipzig University has been ongoing since 2008. She holds master's degrees in the fields of East European History, Slavic Studies, and Theatre Studies. Earlier on in her career she participated in the preparation of the permanent exhibition of the Jewish Museum in Berlin, worked at the Dubnow Institute for Jewish History and Culture in Leipzig, and coordinated the project 'Peace of Religions and Modes of Solving Religious Conflicts in East Central Europe' at the GWZO in Leipzig. Her Ph.D. thesis on Jewish forms of life in St. Petersburg and Moscow in the 19th century was published in 2006.


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Pursuit of gasoline dumper spurs debate over fugitives list
It wasn't hard to track down Jun Wang the first time he ran from the crime that would eventually land him on U.S. EPA's list of wanted fugitives. Wang fled after employees of a Kettering, Ohio, tire shop confronted him as he drained gasoline from his delivery truck into a storm sewer near their store on Nov. 18, 2003. Amid the commotion, the panicked Wang failed to replace his fuel-tank plug, and his truck trailed gasoline through a parking lot and through the streets of Kettering. He didn't replace the plug until his next food delivery stop. But it was too late. Authorities weren't far behind.


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The board voted unanimously to authorize the school administration to enter into negotiations with Southwest Foodservice, a food service company based out of Scottsdale, Ariz., after the company made a presentation to the board. The board will continue to review the company moving forward.
"I was impressed with what they said. I would just like to see a little more documentation," school board member Margie Smith said during the meeting. "It's important we just verify the information they gave us was accurate."
The board began considering change to the district's food management after the child nutrition department began running a deficit.
"Probably half the districts in the state run a deficit," said Nathan Barber, the school district's business manager. "But the board was looking into a consulting service to see if that was something the food service consultant could suggest how we could eliminate that deficit, or if we were doing what we needed to be doing."
According to Barber, Southwest Foodservices will now prepare a proposal to the district that will outline its plan for reducing the deficit. Superintendent Randall Williams will then bring that plan to the board and make a recommendation on a course of action.
In other business, the Russellville School Board:
• Approved the Change Order 002 from Keener Construction, Inc. for Russellville High School safe rooms project to omit integral panel devices and provide electronic hardware at aluminum entrance units for an increase of $11,453.87.
• Approved the revision of Policy 8.1.1R (Classified Salary Schedule) to include HVACR position/salary with certification and without certification.
• Approved extension of the superintendent's contract.
• Approved the finance report.


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Air pollution-caused deaths total over one million per year in China
In January, NASA revealed satellite images showing dramatic visuals of air pollution over China. Consequently, a new analysis is reporting that more than 1 million people are dying prematurely every year from air pollution in China alone.
We reported earlier that air pollution, especially around Beijing has greatly been influenced by coal-fired power stations. However, population growth along with increasing development is causing the nation into an air pollution crisis.
"Cars are being added and trucks are being added to the streets in major cities at record numbers. Power plants burn significant amounts of very low-grade coal, and the energy consumption in China is rising dramatically," says Robert O'Keefe of the Health Effects Institute in Boston and presenter of the findings. "This is the highest toll in the world and it really reflects the very high levels of air pollution that exist in China today."
The Chinese population does not need a report to tell them the problems of their air pollution. They see the smog on a daily basis and cannot see buildings across the street on certain high-level days.
In an effort to protect themselves from breathing in this toxic air, many will often wear masks outside. Also, some parents will not let their children play outside.
O'Keefe and other researchers decided to take a closer look at a massive report about the world's health problems that was released in December by the journal The Lancet.
They found that in China, approximately 1.2 million people die prematurely from exposure to outdoor air pollution.
In fact, about two-thirds of all the deaths from air pollution are now occurring in Asia, most of them in China. And air pollution has become the fourth leading cause of death in China.
"For the most part, the air pollution effects are generally manifested in frail populations — people with asthma are generally more susceptible to the effects of air pollution," O'Keefe says. "Also the very young and children who live in highly polluted areas for extended periods of time."
Fortunately, attention is coming to this issue and the fact that the Chinese government is allowing presentation of these findings and is even doing their own air monitoring is a step in the right direction.
"They've put in place ... a nationwide monitoring network that is reporting, in real time, levels of air pollution," O'Keefe says. "So for the first time the Chinese government is providing transparent levels of air pollution that the public can actually see."
For more information, check out NPR.
Air pollution image via Shutterstock.


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Today, anon optics is proud to unveil a completely re-designed anonoptics.com, which features all of anon's new 2013 goggle styles and an impressive list of new digital tools to better experience the brand.
When users first drop in on the new anonoptics.com, the first thing they'll likely notice is the website looks and works great from any device - whether it's a desktop, a tablet or a smartphone. That's because for the first time, anonoptics.com was built with a 'responsive design' to make it user-friendly from nearly any device.
The second thing that will standout on anonoptics.com is the revolutionary new M1goggle, which has its own dedicated section on the website. Inspired byanon pro riders, the new M1 goggle utilizes magnets, which make swapping lenses on the fly faster and easier than any goggle to precede it. The resulting advantage of the M1 is split-second lens changes, all made possible through an exclusive design technology called 'Magna-Tech', which pulls, guides, and locks the lens into the M1's frame. With the M1, riders can instantly adapt to ever-changing light conditions without the hassle of lenses that are difficult to switch out. See for yourself how easy it is to change lenses in the M1 video.
Other key new features of anonoptics.com include new pro-model videos, which tell the story behind what inspired each anon pro-model; an updated team section that showcases each team rider's digital snowboarding journal; and social media tabs on the homepage that display real-time updates from anon's Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and iPhone App. In addition to all this, anon has created a new interactive frame fit chart where a full 360-degree view of all goggle styles shows how well each anon frame will fit your face.
Just in time for the website launch, anon has also completely re-designed its iPhone app. Stand-out updates include a new Rider Journal experience with a streamlineddesign and archiving capabilities, plus enhancements to the Team Travel section, which make keeping track of your favorite anon rider more fun than ever before.
To check out the entire 2013 anon line, head to www.anonoptics.com where users can get to know the product, the team, and download the re-designed anon app for iPhone. Also be sure to check out the all-new 2013 anon brand video.


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Marcus Burghardt (BMC) collected his second win of the Tour of Switzerland when he won the seventh stage between Savognin and Wetzikon on Friday.
Burghardt, who took the fifth stage on Wednesday, finished on his own some 55 seconds ahead of Oscar Freire, Greg van Avermaet and Manuel Quinziato, three of 15 riders who took off in a morning breakaway.
Dutchman Robert Gesink (Rabobank), who finished in the peloton five minutes behind, keeps the leader's yellow jersey. He is 29 seconds ahead of Spaniard Rigoberto Uran and 36 in front of BMC's Steve Morabito.
Frank Schleck is a further two seconds back with Lance Armstrong in seventh place, 55 seconds behind the leader.
Burghardt, a stage winner in the Tour de France two years ago, made his move 60km from home when he broke away from the leading group, which had itself gone clear 62km into the race.
They had built up a five-minute lead over the peloton before Burghardt's decisive escape. The eighth stage on Saturday sees the peloton travel the 172km between Wetzikon and Liestal. It ends with a time-trial on Sunday.
Top-10, Stage 7
- 1. Marcus BURGHARDT (GER) BMC Racing Team in 4:52:02
- 2. Oscar FREIRE GOMEZ (ESP) Rabobank Cycling Team at 1:01
- 3. Greg VAN AVERMAET (BEL) Omega Pharma-Lotto at 1:01
- 4. Manuel QUINZIATO (ITA) Liquigas-Doimo at 1:01
- 5. Luis Leon SANCHEZ GIL (ESP) Caisse D'Epargne at 1:08
- 6. Mathias FRANK (SUI) BMC Racing Team at 1:08
- 7. Juan Antonio FLECHA GIANNONI (ESP) Team Sky at 3:24
- 8. Matti BRESCHEL (DEN) Team Saxo Bank at 3:28
- 9. Michal GOLAS (POL) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team at 3:28
- 10. Jurgen VAN DE WALLE (BEL) Quick Step at 3:28
Overall Standings, after Stage 7
- 1. Robert GESINK (Netherlands) Rabobank Cycling Team in 30:15:59
- 2. Rigoberto URAN URAN (Colombia) Caisse D'Epargne at 29
- 3. Steve MORABITO (Switzerland) BMC Racing Team at 36
- 4. Frank SCHLECK (Luxembourg) Team Saxo Bank at 38
- 5. Joaquin RODRIGUEZ OLIVER (Spain) Team Katusha at 42
- 6. Matteo CARRARA (Italy) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team at 54
- 7. Lance ARMSTRONG (United States) Team RadioShack at 55
- 8. Oliver ZAUGG (Switzerland) Liquigas-Doimo at 1:01
- 9. Jakob FUGLSANG (Denmark) Team Saxo Bank at 1:17
- 10. Thomas LÖVKVIST (Sweden) Team Sky at 1:38


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(I've written the "Business Europe" column for today's Wall Street Journal Europe. The article is on the WSJ website and below. I've added the first picture to this post).
In a big hangar at a former military airfield near Zurich in mid-May, Bertrand Piccard stepped into a prototype airplane cockpit (picture) and began "flying." And kept on going. For 25 hours straight.
The test, followed a day later by another 25-hour dry run with pilot André Borschberg, went well. It was the first real-scale flight simulation for Solar Impulse, an unconventional aircraft designed to circumnavigate the Earth powered uniquely by solar energy, without producing any polluting emissions. Mr. Piccard's team is planning the first real takeoffs in mid-2009, and then a few months later a 36-hour trip aimed at assessing the feasibility of manned nighttime flights – when the energy source, the sun, is "off."
If everything goes according to plan, a five-leg, monthlong tour of the world will follow at some point in 2011 or 2012, with Messrs. Piccard and Borschberg each flying alternating stretches of five days and five nights between landings. "We're not in it just for the adventure," Mr. Piccard told me. The team wants to use this attention-grabbing challenge to inflect energy and climate policies and "to become a testing ground for the development and exploitation of renewable energies and clean technologies" – with an eye also to their future commercial potential.
Crazy? Sun-powered prototype planes have been around for a while. But this would be the first with a man on board; the first to stay aloft day and night; and the first to take off with its own power, after sitting on the runway until the sunrays, and only the sunrays, have charged up its batteries.
In a world dependent upon fossil fuels, the Solar Impulse project is certainly a provocation. But it comes with credentials. It's the brainchild of Mr. Piccard, a 50-year-old Swiss aeronaut and scientist. His legendary grandfather Auguste in 1931 became the first man to reach the stratosphere in a balloon. In 1960 his father, Jacques, together with U.S. Navy Lt. Don Walsh, was the first to reach the deepest trenches of the oceans, the Mariana's, in a bathyscaphe.
Unable to beat them up or down, Bertrand went horizontal. In 1999, alongside Brian Jones of Britain, he completed the first nonstop, round-the-world flight in a hot-air balloon. The duo prevailed over a number of competitors, including Richard Branson.
Mr. Piccard and his team have already lined up €40 million ($63 million) in sponsorship money from Deutsche Bank, Belgian chemical group Solvay, and Swiss watchmaker (and NASA supplier) Omega. The project also has technological and scientific cooperations with French high-tech firms Dassault and Altran, the European Space Agency, and the Swiss Institute of Technology, among others. The project has even received the official patronage of the European Commission, which sees in it "an example of what industry and energy policy makers should be doing to foster energy efficiency and clean mobility."
The first Solar Impulse aircraft, dubbed HB-SIA, is currently under development (picture left: a virtual rendering of what the plane will look like). It will have the weight of a car (a bit less than 2 tons) but the wingspan of an Airbus 320 (about 60 meters; a subsequent version will be 20 meters wider). The wings will be covered with solar cells. Stacks of batteries will store the energy accumulated during daylight to power the four engines at night.
After sunset, the plane will also glide to preserve energy, gradually dropping to 2,000 meters altitude from the cruising level of 8,500, before climbing again. In this scheme, altitude will become a virtual form of energy: The higher they fly during daytime, the longer they will be able to glide during the night. Dawn will be a critical moment: Have they stored enough energy from the day before, and have they been able to glide long enough so that the plane can "encounter" the sun and start recharging the batteries?
The project presents a variety of extreme design and technology challenges, and it may still fly into turbulence. To succeed, Mr. Piccard's team will have to produce or benefit from others' advances in materials and composite structures, which need to be solid and lightweight. They'll also need ultraefficient solar energy capture (cells) and storage (batteries) that don't exist today, along with more-developed aerodynamics and propulsion. "The key is really energy efficiency," explains Mr. Borschberg. "We need to find ways to extract maximal power from minimal energy, and to fly using as little of it as possible."
They will also have to push the boundaries in meteorology, routing and human physiology monitoring. The pilot will be up there alone for days and nights in a row, wearing a special shirt filled with sensors and even a vibrating system that can be remotely activated to wake him up. He will also have to manage his sleep, food intake and other physical needs in a cockpit built to be narrow and spartan, to help keep the airplane light.
Could this technology one day be used on all airplanes? Even Bertrand Piccard doesn't envision solar planes replacing today's aircraft anytime soon. But the Solar Impulse project aims to become a catalyst for the development of solar and other technologies that could lead to future applications in air travel and in areas other than aviation.
A visit to another, sealed-off part of the hangar reveals a skunkworks where cockpit and wings are being assembled, aerodynamics tested, engines miniaturized, software developed, special ultralight and resistant foams shaped into craft parts. Here lies part of the sponsor's interest in supporting the project: The Solvay engineers, for instance, are working on the foams, intended to protect batteries and engines from big temperature differences – and promise significant future commercial applications, should Solar Impulse succeed.
"We want to show people that renewable energy is not a step backwards but a jump into the future," Mr. Piccard told me. "If we can go around the world in a solar aircraft, that means that we can do incredible things with renewables."


text: Some of you may recall that to celebrate the publication of Rebecca Wells' Crowning Glory of Calla Lily Ponder, we gave away authentic New Orleans' King Cakes to the first 25 book groups to let us know that read were reading the book. These photos just came in from Julie of Booking Mama of her group wearing their beads (but where are you Julie?!) and of their King Cake in all its glory. I can't wait to read her review of the book and their discussion this week! Rebecca was on the radio recently talking about Calla Lily as well - listen in!


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KEXP Reviews
|Browse by one of the following:
- (Light in the Attic)
The raunchy soul singer was dropped from Island Records after the release of her excellent 1975 album Nasty Gal. This was the projected 1976 follow-up, and it's never been released until now. Like Nasty Gal, it was produced by Davis herself, though it might be even better than that landmark album. Betty's band Funk House was in prime form here, laying down some of the fieriest hardcore funk around while Davis continued to stretch herself vocally and lyrically, singing, shouting, purring and growling with total confidence on some of her most powerful songs. 10/8/2009 - Don Yates
Other Betty Davis album reviews:
Nasty Gal - 10/8/2009


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|25: Assemblies of God, Aberdeen, Scotland
|Other reports | Comment on this report
Mystery Worshipper: Bookworm.
The church: Assemblies of God (AOG), King Street, Aberdeen.
Denomination: Pentecostal.
The building: A recently-cleaned, silver-granite, Gothic-arched church. Inside there is a wooden beamed ceiling, white walls and brightly coloured banners.
The neighbourhood: The church is very close to Pittodrie, Aberdeen Football Club's home ground. It is surrounded by student flats of both Aberdeen and Robert Gordon Universities all granite buildings.
The cast: Rev. John Strachan (the church minister).
What was the name of the service?
Gospel service (in the evening).
How full was the building?
About two-thirds full, with mainly students and fortysomethings.
Did anyone welcome you personally?
Yes the minister (or pastor, to use AOG parlance), who was very kind and friendly. He asked where I was from, introduced me to some people and showed me to my seat. Pretty scary if I hadn't been a Christian.
Was your pew comfortable?
The church has 1970s plastic chairs with little shelves at the back for the hymnbooks. Not bad.
How would you describe the pre-service atmosphere?
Very cheerful and friendly. People were chatting, children were laughing and running about. It was very relaxing and not at all cliquey.
What were the exact opening words of the service?
'Where two or three are gathered, the Lord is there also, so let's all greet each other.' At this point, we all 'shared the peace'.
What books did the congregation use during the service?
'Making melody' hymnbook. An overhead projector displayed songs from 'Mission Praise'.
What musical instruments were played?
Keyboard, drums, electric guitars, tambourines.
Did anything distract you?
A little boy kept running to the front of the stage to play with a colouring book... until his mother swiftly removed him!
Was the worship stiff-upper-lip, happy clappy, or what?
Definitely happy-clappy but not false or manipulated. The worship leader was so cheerful and the keyboard player so frenetic, one couldn't help feeling part of a 'joyful noise'!


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So, with my car finally arriving (a week later than hoped...damn you factory shutdown!), this is what I'm really looking forward to: http://t.co/70bd9Bq5Sn
Read the last few blog entries at that link (Edmunds.com long term test). The child-like glee of these seasoned reviewers is remarkable--and reminds me of how I felt during my test drive. Compare it to a typical Edmunds long term review (like say the Cadillac ATS: http://www.edmunds.com/cadillac/ats/2013/long-term-road-test/). I'm sooooo looking forward to getting the car!


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This is a two parter.
1. Why would the leafs greatest there hokages make a seal the contained all there forbidden Justus? I mean that just screams! Come take me I'm filled with lots of powerful Justus!!!!
2. For them to be known as good people. Why did the second hokage make a jutsu that requires a sacrifice? Killing someone just for a jutsu sounds bad right? So why would be make a jutsu that needs a sacrifice?


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White Sox Short Hops: Game 1
Wise, Richard shine, but Rays' offense too much to handle
By Jason Beck / MLB.com
The fourth different team the White Sox have faced in four games had too much offense to contain, unlike the previous three games.
Dewayne Wise, who slugged the White Sox ahead with his three-run home run in the top of the third inning, had to watch Evan Longoria's go-ahead shot soar over his head and off the catwalk above him. Big number
1 -- Hit total with runners in scoring position, and that was Wise's homer. A bases-loaded, one-out opportunity in the seventh inning was squandered to pretty much put away the game. Game balls
Dewayne Wise
The journeyman outfielder continued his penchant for big home runs with his three-run shot in the third, briefly giving Chicago the lead.
Clayton Richard
The left-hander gave up Carl Crawford's RBI single upon entrance, but struck out the next five batters he faced to at least give his team a chance to come back.
Javier Vazquez
The swings and misses were back, but the Rays took advantage of Vazquez's aggressiveness with four extra-base hits, including two Longoria homers, in the first three innings and three singles in the fifth.
Sense of October
The intensity of the postseason was evident in Orlando Cabrera's showdown with Grant Balfour with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh.
Jim Thome
Comment: Tuesday night's hero grounded out four times on Thursday, three times into the shift of the Rays' infield defense.
Clayton Richard
3.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 5 Ks
Comment: Richard not only saved the rest of the White Sox bullpen for Game 2, he kept Game 1 close.
"If we don't make it to the World Series, to me, to me personally, we just played a couple more games. That's all we did was play a couple more games. My goal is we have 11 games to win." -- manager Ozzie Guillen
The White Sox have a chance to even the series and head home with a chance to finish off the series there, but they need a strong start from Mark Buehrle.
Jason Beck is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Diamond Princess Cruise Review by duanetanouye
- Sail Date: October 2012
- Destination: Asia
Pre-Cruise Travel: On the way to the airport from our home, the taxi driver (small women) could not get our luggage out of the trunk of her taxi. I twisted something in my right arm helping her which rendered my right arm somewhat useless as lifting anything caused discomfort for the next 25 days of the trip (What a way to start). Korean Air was an excellent airline with excellent food, service and comfort (US airlines can relearn from how Korean Air treats their passengers).
Upon arrival in Beijing International Airport, we had made independent arrangements with the Beijing Marriott City Wall Hotel to send a driver to pick us up as Princess Cruises had told and written to us that our package would not include the airport-hotel pre-cruise transfer since we were arriving one day early. Not only were we greeted by a Marriott Hotel Meet/Greet limo driver in black suit, but we also saw our hand-written name on a piece of cardboard by a women in a sweater who turned out be the local travel agency Princess uses. We went with the Marriott Hotel limo driver and told the Princess rep we would not need their van (we told her what Princess had communicated with us and she apologized on behalf of Princess and left).
The Beijing Marriot Hotel (City Wall location) was a relatively new hotel with excellent service staff, great food/buffet and large clean rooms. I was surprised the rooms were even larger than Marriott hotels in the US with a great view of the city (separate review on TRIPADVISOR.COM). We spent the first day on our own which in Beijing was very easy due to the location of the hotel and nice weather.
The Beijing Chinese tour agency that Princess contracts with was excellent. Their organization and guides were well versed in English, very efficient, always on-time and informative/entertaining throughout the 3-day Princess tours. Our primary tour guide (a college professor) had to leave us on the first day due to a family death, but his protege stepped right in and took over. She was just as fluent in English and provided excellent commentaries mixed with some humor. The transfer to the ship went flawlessly and we were off the bus through customs/boarding in less than 10 minutes. Our luggage was waiting for us in the balcony cabin (Aloha 619).
ON THE DIAMOND PRINCESS: Our balcony cabin had upgraded LCD Television and everything was what we expected including the older-type shower vinyl curtain, vacuum flush toilets, refrigerator, hairdryer, safe, plenty of storage space/shelves. We even got brand new beds and pillows that they had to unwrap as we watched from the side. Our stateroom attendant (Glennard) was there to greet us and we exchanged information on our dining schedules and requested ice schedule every night.
Since the ship was built in 2004 in Nagasaki, Japan, it was still in great shape and we constantly saw crew members repainting metal/wood, floors, and hulls during the entire cruise. The carpets were a little worn, but we saw no spots/discoloration anywhere. We took daily walks on the Promenade (Deck 7) deck that went around the entire ship from the bow to the aft.
The Vivaldi Dining Room staff was absolute fantastic. Our waiters Euncil and Fernando remembered our food and wine selections and made recommendations every night.
The Diamond Princess Cruise Directors had an absolutely great Entertainment Director. The singers and dancers were top notch performers of a higher quality than what we had experienced on other cruises. We looked forward to the shows in the Diamond Princess Theater and we always got front-row seats.
Disembarkation in Bangkok, Thailand was a different ordeal. Since we were on a Princess post-cruise hotel/tour package, for some reason Princess was not as organized and had little or no information on the itinerary. From the moment we walked off the ship, there was some confusion as our group seemed to be made of 130 to 140 people, half spoke English, 25% were Italians and 25% Brazilians/Spanish all directed to 4 buses with no indication of which bus to board. After waiting 55 minutes, we were told we would leave late as our bus had to wait for one couple who woke up late and were still in their cabin. We ultimately left without them. That threw our schedule off and we missed part of the tradition Thai folklore show at our first stop.
After a long day hot, humid outdoor viewing of elephants and tropical plants in a sweltering sun, we had lunch and then started a 2.5 hour non-stop bus ride to the Shangri-La hotel in Bangkok. The hotel itself is a top-notch 5-star hotel on the river with its own boat dock. The Princess cruise passengers were directed to a ballroom for check-in where we were greeted by polite hotel staff offering water, a cool sweet ginger drink, and cool towels. It was all well organized as they gathered our passports to match up with welcome packages and hotel check-in documents.
After about 75% of our bus was dispatched to their rooms, a crowd of loud, pushy and downright rude Italians and Brazilians barged into the ballroom and immediately swamped the hotel staff and ruined the tranquil atmosphere that hotel staff was trying to methodically maintain. After 45 minutes into the melee, our tour guide returned to the ballroom, saw what was going on jumped into the fray as well and started yelling at the hotel staff to get our rooms assigned. We finally got our room which we found out had a heavy smoking room which was unacceptable. Rather than go back to the ballroom, I went to the main lobby (I had noticed a number of Princess passengers returning to the ballroom complaining of wrong rooms, missing luggage, etc).
The Shangri-La hotel main lobby was a sea of tranquility compared to the frenzy of the ballroom. I was greeted by the Resident Manager Marlon Hirsh who listened to our plight and immediately directed staff to get us a non-smoking room, find our luggage, and within 5 minutes we were taken care of and we settled into our non-smoking room with a great view of the river/city. The staff and service personnel of the Shangri-la Hotel are to be commended for getting everyone, including the loud, pushy, and rude passengers, processed. (See separate TRIPADVISOR.COM on Shangri-La Hotel review).
The flight home went smoothly from the hotel to Bangkok Airport. We used United Airlines for the flight home with a connection in Narita (Tokyo), Japan. The (UA) airline attendants were very good but the food and entertainment program was a notch below Korean Airlines in terms of quality and selection.
It was a wonderful and memorable experience, but we're glad to be home. Checked off several bucket-list sites to see and do.
Cabin Review
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ByJulian E. Barnes
Early last month, as the latest crisis in Iraq unfolded with the fall of Mosul to Sunni militants, expectations ran high that the U.S. would soon intervene. That intensified after June 12 when President Barack Obama said Iraq would need "more help" from the U.S., and added, "I don't rule out anything."
Soon after, the Pentagon announced the movement of Navy warships into the Persian Gulf, fueling the expectation in the U.S. that strikes could come quickly.
That's no longer the case.
U.S. defense officials are tamping down any talk of a quick decision on what to do next in Iraq.
And on Wednesday, Mr. Obama addressed a range of foreign policy challenges, including the Afghanistan elections, negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, the fighting between Israel and Hamas, and Russian provocations in Ukraine, but there was no mention of imminent action in Iraq. In fact, Mr. Obama didn't mention Iraq at all.
What's going on?
A fresh assessment of Iraq's security forces prepared by U.S. military teams working in Iraq was delivered to the Pentagon this week. It wasn't exactly a sunny outlook, but Rear Adm. John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, said that while defense leaders felt a sense of urgency, they were not going to rush their work.[wsj-responsive-more-in tag="Iraq" category="" ]
"We're going to be deliberate about it. We're going to be measured. We're going to keep an open mind," Adm. Kirby said. "And as we said before, getting this done right is more important than getting it done quickly."
It was a sharp change in tone from the Obama administration's rhetoric of just a month prior. In part, U.S. officials want to slow the process of making any decision on their next move to give Iraqi politicians more time to form a government, officials said.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met Tuesday with Mr. Obama. While they were expected to discuss the outlines of what the assessment teams found, they did not formally present a report to Mr. Obama.
The Iraqi parliament is still wrestling with forming a new government and electing a new prime minister. U.S. officials have signaled they do not want to see Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki remain in power for another term.
On Tuesday, Iraq's parliament elected a new speaker, a first step toward forming a new government in a process Washington has been trying to speed along. Iraqi politicians remain divided and it is far from certain the election of a new speaker will clear the path for a new governing slate to take power.
The U.S. does not want to move quickly to step up aid to the Iraqi security forces for fear of removing pressure on Iraqi political leaders to drop support for Mr. Maliki and find a prime minister who can reach out to disaffected Sunnis.
As the U.S. bides its time while Iraq negotiates, a broader recalibration appears to be under way in Washington as officials gradually lower expectations that dramatic American action will take place.
At several turns in mid-June, military and White House officials tried to douse expectations of imminent U.S. air strikes. In an address on June 19, Mr. Obama said he would send up to 300 advisers to Iraq to establish joint operation centers and assess and advise the Iraqi military, effectively putting off strikes.
Privately, officials initially described the operation centers as "fusion centers," potent cells that would help Iraqis use American intelligence to plan operations against militant forces. The advisers, officials said, would work with Iraqi divisions and brigades to provide frontline advice.
This week, officials began further tempering expectations of what U.S. forces would do in Iraq.
Adm. Kirby said it was wrong to call the operation centers "fusion centers." He described their role as communicating and coordinating with the Iraqi security forces and the Kurdish regional government's forces, known as Peshmerga.
The Pentagon spokesman also said this week there has been no decision about whether to begin a more intense U.S. effort to advise the Iraqi security forces. Indeed, he spoke about the advisory mission in the conditional tense saying the assessment teams were in place "to give us a sense of what an advisory mission could or would look like should we move to that."
On one level, this reflects the grim assessment presented to military leaders. Many Iraqi units are infiltrated by Sunni, and Shiite, extremists. Sharing intelligence risks it being sent either to Tehran, by pro Iranian Shiites, or to militant groups by Sunnis angry with the state of the Iraqi government.
But the Pentagon has known about the basic outline of problems for months.
A defense official said the Pentagon was not trying to recalibrate, but was making sure it did not impinge on the "decision space" of Mr. Obama by saying anything that signaled air strikes or stepped up military action is at hand.
"We want to keep the slate as clean as possible," said a defense official.
At the White House, the appetite for decisive military action in Iraq, even on a small level, is lessening.
That is in part because Iraq's security forces now are performing better and are not losing significant amounts of new ground, buying time for deliberate decision making.
But it is also could be a reflection of strong public opposition to anything that looks like a new war in Iraq.
Another U.S. official noted the administration needs to find a course of action palatable to an American public opposed to even a small deployment of troops.
"You have to find options that demonstrate commitment yet do not put U.S. forces at risk and do not raise the ire of the American public," the official said.


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BROWNSTOWN TOWNSHIP, Mich. - Brian Schmitt stumbled upon evidence that would crack one of the biggest Metro Detroit mysteries wide open. At the time, he didn't even know it.
"It's amazing what you find in the woods if you pay attention," Schmitt said. "It was really unforeseen that I would look down and see a skull, a human skull."
Last month, Schmitt, a hunter who says he was out for a leisurely walk looking for deer antlers, was at a wooded area along Blakely, Clark, Marsh Creek in Brownstown Township when he found the skull. He snapped a picture and then drove straight to the Brownstown Township Police Department with the skull in his pickup truck.
Read more: Skull found, given to Brownstown Township police
"The detective seemed pleased. I actually escorted them to the spot where I found the skull," Schmitt said.
Detectives identified the skull as Lizzie Mae Collier-Sweet. The Brownstown Township woman went missing without a trace six years ago. Police always expected foul play and believed her husband, Roger Sweet, was somehow involved. However, numerous searches over the years always turned up empty.
After Schmitt found the skull, detectives honed in on the exact spot. It was the same spot where they found Collier-Sweet's skeletal remains Thursday morning.
Read: Lizzie Mae mystery: Remains found in Brownstown Twp.
"If, in fact, there is closure to this case, I really feel confident that the family is going to get some healing and be able to rest a little easier," Schmitt said.
Watch: UNCUT - Police discuss finding Brownstown Twp. woman's body
Special section: Lizzie Mae Collier-Sweet's body found
Copyright 2013 by ClickOnDetroit.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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In this next installment of all things Walking Dead, we are talking video games. With the success of the graphic novel and the TV series from AMC, it's not surprising that a video game franchise would follow. I enjoy first-person shooter video games and the thought of playing in the prequel to the current world in the TV series is pretty interesting. Still waiting on more details to emerge about the game, but we do have a summary and the trailer. Sounds like this game is going to be made of AWESOME!
Product Synopsis:
This first-person action game allows players to assume the role of the crossbow-wielding survivor Daryl Dixon, alongside his brother Merle, on a haunting, unforgiving quest to make their way to the supposed safety of Atlanta.
The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct takes the undead and brings them out of the TV show and into console gaming systems in a terrifying way. The iconic walkers will relentlessly hunt down players like their television counterparts, using a combination of sight, sound and smell. As Daryl, players will need to tread carefully throughout each new area they explore. Once discovered, it doesn't take much to attract an unstoppable horde of undead walkers, so every threat needs to be assessed, and every situation analyzed. Players will have to choose between whether to stay and fight while risking a gruesome death or using stealth to avoid the undead. No place is truly safe for Daryl as he makes his way through the Georgia countryside in this new, post-apocalyptic world.
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HELLO ALL. I'm from vancouver BC. I'll be riding my 800 gs to s/america. Better say the 2 of us will shipp the bikes to valparaiso chile ,see part of the dakar , ushuia and back . iguazu falls,machu pichu,colca canyon etc.. if anybody has experience about flying ( way that I would prefer) the bikes from or to S/america please let me know. Otherwise they are going by boat. We are getting a 20'container from vancouver so there is room for a couple more bikes , we'll split the cost. I'm open for any advise that you guys can share, I'm always open to any advise. At almost 61 but still in good shape is "now or never" I"ll be posting pix /videos in youtube. Mario can2chi. Would be nice to see some of you along the way , to meet for coffee or advise where to service the bikes.
Adios, mucha cerveza


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With Skyrim rising on the horizon, we wanted to get some contests going and have a little fun while we all wait. These contests will be reoccurring until the game is released. The prizes will also get bigger and better as the launch day draws near.
Okay, to start things off we have something rather simple. I am thinking of a number between 1 and 1000. The person who guesses the number first, or comes the closest, will win a free year subscription to IGN Prime. Simply use the comments to submit your guess. You are only allowed one entry (one guess).
*Contest ends in a week at 12 midnight.