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My husband has decided to be more healthy so one of his recent purchases was the Philips Juicer. We enjoy fruit juice and this provided us with an easy way to make our own. Since we have a little boy we obviously want to make sure that he gets all the vitamins he needs and juice is a useful way to top up the 5 a day fruit and vegetables.
It is quite bulky and takes up valuable preparation space in our little kitchen so luckily it fits on top of the fridge freezer although this means that it is difficult for me to reach but not my husband. This comes in handy as if he makes the juice he has to clean up afterwards! It is easy to put together and to take apart for cleaning. There are some good design features in particular the hug the juice ends up in can separate the froth from the juice so you get lovely clear juice to drink. My husband isn't too fussy so he will quite happily drink it all but I prefer the froth removed.
On the plus side this does make some very nice juice and is a good way to add to your five a day. It has a powerful motor and makes light work of juicing. To be fair I much prefer the fruit juices which will be higher in sugar and therefore shouldn't be drunk in too a high quantity. The vegetables juices were a bit hit and miss in my opinion but the fruit juices were lovely. To make the vegetable juice more palatable my husband adds root ginger which does help improve the taste ie add so much ginger you cant taste the beetroot! The feeder tube is pretty wide so you do save time by not having to chop up your fruit or vegetables into small bits.
On the downside although this juicer has no problem juicing lots of different fruit and vegetable the downside is the cleaning of the machine afterwards. As it is so good at providing you with nice clear juice it also means there is a lot of pulp left over. This does seem to get everywhere and does make the cleaning of the machine awkward. Although it is I am therefore quite reluctant to use it and even my husband's use has tapered off . There is time saving in making the juice but the clean up operation afterwards takes a lot longer. The pieces are dishwasher safe but as we don't have a dish washer that doesn't help us much.
I think it is worthwhile to consider how much you will use a juicer before making this purchase. If you are sure that you will use it and not mind the time it takes to clean up afterwards then I can certainly recommend this juicer for the ease of use and quality of the juice it produces. It costs around £120 so it is not a cheap purchase. For the amount of times we are currently using it I am not sure if we are getting value for money for it. It is a good juicer so I cant fault it there although cleaning is a pain and therefore give it 4 stars - if we had a dishwasher would be higher.
I had read reviews on the Philips HR1861 Juicer last year and they seemed very positive, so I decided to buy one for myself.
It is a lot larger than you'd expect, which is a good and bad point, it is good because bigger is better! But it is bad if you have a small kitchen as you may struggle to find a spot for it. We have a decent sized kitchen, so it sits on the side comfortably.
You can make a big jug of juice, not just 1 glass, which is great if you're making it for a few people or if you wish to keep a stock in the fridge.
I haven't owned a juicer before so have nothing to compare to, but this juicer is certainly a lot easier to clean that I was expecting. I just stick all the relevant parts in the dishwasher.
I am the sort of person who will happily drink fruit juice or eat a fruit yoghurt but will rarely go to the fruit and pick a piece of fruit over some crisps or chocolate. I exercise regularly and I eat lots of meat and vegetables however I knew I needed to eat more fruit. I had read reviews on the Philips HR1861 Juicer and they had been pretty good so I decided to purchase myself one.
I have to say it is much larger than I thought and I struggled to find space for it as I have a small kitchen. The juicer comes with a juice jug and also a book showing different ideas and recipes using the juicer which actually came in handy for the first few weeks until I was confident trying new combinations.
It does come with instructions however you won't need them as it is pretty self explanatory and assembles easily.
You can make around 1 and half litres of juice which is great as you can make enough to keep in the fridge for later in the day or the day after which means you don't have to use the machine every time you want a healthy drink.
The juicer is really easy to clean as well. I do this by hand as I don't have a dishwasher however the parts are dishwasher safe.
I have never had a juicer so I don't have anything to compare this machine to however I think it is great! It is so easy to use and it is a great way to make sure you are having your 5 a day. I would definitely recommend if you have children as you be able to make sure they get all the fruit in a home-made juice drink with no extra added sugar.
After my wedding when we decided we wanted to try for a baby I thought it would be a good idea to get a juicer. The idea of been able to get my 5 a day in a juice at the start of the day sounded too good to be true so I needed one of these badly.
I did a bit of research to find out about the different types and decided that this was the one that best suited my needs.
I bought this online and it cost me £80 so quite expensive but it was a good make and I didn't want to waste my money getting one that would not last.
I got my husband to set the juicer up as he has more patience for this type of thing! He said that it was easy to put together and it didn't take him long at all. I now keep it on my units all the time as I use it every morning to make juice for me and the kids. The juicer has a really good look about it so is something you will like to display it doesn't need to be hidden away.
The juicer is unbelievably simple to use you simply plug it in and then select the speed you want.
I was worried before buying this that it would take ages to prepare the vege or fruit before it could be put in the juicer but I pleased to say this is not the case you really just have to remove the outside peel and any big stones.
I expected to be waiting ages for the juice to come out but this is not the case it comes out really quickly. None of the pulp comes out this is all collected into a separate part of the juicer. The juice it makes is gorgeous you can try all kind of different things but you can also make up your own ideas. I bought a book with lots of recipes in and love trying out new combinations.
It is a great way to get fruit and vege into kids if they don't normally like to eat it. My daughter will tell you she hates fruit and vege yet she will happily drink some juice.
The juicer comes with a jug that you can get the juice in you can then pour it straight into your glass from that.
The best bit about the juicer is you can put it all in the dishwasher so you don't have to mess about cleaning it all out which I would imagine might be difficult.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to make sure they get their 5 a day or anyone who just wants to have fun making juice with their kids!
The Philips juicer hr1861 has to be the best juicer on the market right now for consumers with an average budget.
For juice experts and beginners alike the machine is so easy to use and comes with a clear guide on how to make the most from your ingredients.
It is described as a 'whole fruit juicer' making super quick time of whipping up a tasty juice in a matter of seconds. No need to peel, chop or deseed most fruits as this is taken care of within the machine so you really do get the most goodness from whatever it is you are juicing.
The handy jug has a large capacity ensuring convenience when juicing, it simply fits onto the spout and collects the juice. Within the jug is a separater ensuring you get the clearest juice when pourlng. As this jug has a 1.5L capacity the collection tub on the back of the machine which captures the pulp can hold 2L so you can juice in bulk for the whole family in one go.
Most impressively within the machine itself, the patented micro mesh filter gets the most from your ingredients, 2 or 3 medium apples will easily give you a full glass of juice. That's your 5 a day taken care of from just one juice potentially!
It's worth noting when purchasing from most outlets, a free recipe book from the juice master Jason vale is offered inside :)
It is fun and exciting to open the fridge to see what it is you can create when there are so many ingriedients that the machine will turn into lovely fresh juice, that is not from concentrate or full of additives and E numbers.
I've owned this Philips juicer for around 7 months now and it's fantastic! I always aim to use it daily, but in reality I'm a bit too lazy for that so if I use it a couple times a week I feel I've done well. I do have weeks where I don't use it at all, but I always return to it, because it's just such a fabulous way to get lots of fruit/veg without having to actually EAT it.
I tend to stick to a similar recipe each time, but there are so many variations you can do. I bought the juicer from Argos (for £100), which was about £30 more expensive than amazon at the time (which was around £70) but I wanted the security of being able to easily take it back if there was a problem. With it being electrical you never know - but actually I've had no problems so all is good there. The good thing though, is that when I bought it from Argos it came free with a Juice Master book, full of recipes (although I must admit, I read a lot of the recipes when I got it and then never actually made any... but it's there if I want it and I'm sure I'll use it at some point when my normal recipe gets boring). So, what I usually make is a combination of something like this:
2 handfuls spinach
2/3 carrots
1 apple
1 lemon (or a half if I don't want it too strong).
For me the above foods (as well as whatever else I may have in my fridge) would never make it into my diet in the quantity that they do when they go into my juice. Even if it did go into my diet, the veg, other than the spinach, wouldn't be raw and we all know raw veg is fantastically healthy and full of enzymes.. and all of that. For this reason I really can't recommend this juicer enough for people who don't eat as much fruit and veg as they perhaps should. I imagine it's a good way for some parents to trick their children into 'eating' healthier, too. When I make my recipe above, it just tastes like lemon.
Using the juicer is really easy. You just put the fruit/veg into the er... shoot (?) , turn on the juicer with the switch, and then push the contents down with the er... pushy thing (?) that's supplied, and then the juice comes out of the spout and into your jug (also supplied). That's about it really.
One important thing to mention is that when you turn the switch on the juicer, the juicer sort of 'jumps'. I had read a review that mentioned this before I bought it, but I didn't realise how significant it would be, so when I turned mine on for the first time, I wasn't prepared and the juicer jumped and the jug that was sat by it (waiting to be filled with lovely healthy juice) was thrown from the counter top and some of the juice that had already been poured into it was spilled on the floor (which annoyed me). Anyway, the simple remedy to that is to just hold the juicer when you turn it on, and then you can let go again straight after.
It juices really well and takes probably less than 30 seconds and although it's loud, it's not too loud - it's actually quieter than my blender. I don't have much to compare it to, since it's my first juicer, but I've heard that the amount of juice you get per fruit/veg is good for a juicer, too. You do get a lot of pulp (which is normal with juicers), it seems like a waste to it throw away, but if you look online there's plenty of suggestions of how to use it, so it doesn't *have* to be a waste. I just throw it away though because I can't be bothered ;)
The juicer has a few detachable pieces so you can take it apart afterwards and clean it, but it's really easy to take apart and reassemble. Once you've taken it apart (after juicing) you get to do the fun bit - cleaning it. In fairness it's really easy to clean, but because there are a few parts it's vaguely time consuming, so I don't like it. You would find this with any juicer though so it's not really much of a criticism. Actually, I think it's dishwasher safe so that solves that... but I always hand wash mine for some reason. The juicer is quite large and so takes up a bit of space, but that's only a problem if you're limited on space. If you have the space I'd say it's worth having this take up some of it.
The Philips HR1861 juicer IS expensive, as I said I bought mine for around £100 from Argos and it's currently £79 on amazon... but you definitely get what you pay for, it's a top quality juicer, and if you use it often you get your money's worth.
I bought this juicer when I had a moment of madness doing the juice diet that was said to leave you feeling completely refreshed once completed and this was the juicer that was recommended to help with the task, unlike the juice diet which didn't last after the 7 days this juicer has been a brilliant kitchen appliance for the past 5 years. Durable is the main thing I would say about this product it is still in brilliant condition after all these years and uses, this probably couldn't be said if I hadn't cleaned it in the instructed way, it still works like the day it came out the box which was of a high quality, the no 'bits' tagline that this product had at the time of release is complete fact everything that is allowed through the juicer comes out clear with no 'bits' which makes this product worth every penny I spent at the time and now being much cheaper I would say it is a bargain to anybody who purchases it, if your looking for a juicer then look no further this is the one for you.
I came across a hugely inspiring documentary earlier in the year which focussed on the impressive benefits of drinking fresh fruit and vegetable juice. I purchased this juicer a few weeks after watching it as I felt that juicing would benefit me. I gathered up lots of recipes and so on and started to research juicers. I initially wanted a cheap one, but invested in this one as I knew that I'd get plenty of use out of it. I bought this in early February and have been using it almost daily as it's so simple to use. It makes juicing even the most awkward-to-juice food (eg spinach, cucumber etc) quick and efficient and although it does obviously need cleaning after each use, I find this quicker than using manual citrus juicers or blenders, as you simply drop the whole fruit in and the fresh, vitamin rich juice is ready within seconds! It also allows me to effortlessly juice vegetables and fruits such as kale and carrots that without a whole fruit juicer would be pretty impossible to juice!
Price, Value for Money and Availability
This juicer is widely available both online and offline, and a variety of shops including Argos, Curry's and Debenhams sell it. I bought mine from Amazon as it was signifficantly cheaper on there than it was in the shops - I got mine for £60 and the RRP is around £79.99. This is mid-range for a juicer - it's certianly not top of the range and all singing all dancing like some of the more expensive £200+ juicers are, however as I wanted a basic juicer I am quite happy with the price I paid. The cheapest juicer that I came across when I was looking into buying one was thirty pounds, but I decided to pay a little extra to ensure that it would be a durable, sturdy and long lasting/good value for money product. Although this is a pretty basic machine compared to some, it does what I need it to do effeciently. It's good quality, durable and it produces smooth, pulp free juice. I've had mine since February and it looks as good as new, so I really do think that sixty pounds was a bargain!
The Benefits of Juicing
- Increases your consumption of fruit & veggies considerably. I often juice 6 carrots and a whole cucumber and drink the lot within 20-30 minutes. Can you imagine how long it would take to EAT that lot?!
- Gives your body a hit of nutrients, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes that are easily absorbed, resulting in better overall health
- Helps rebuild and regenerate healthy cells and tissue, resulting in clearer, softer skin, shinier hair, clearer eyes and so on
- You can introduce a wider variety of fruit and vegetables into your diet
The Juicer & My Opinion
This is a whole fruit juicer meaning that the food preperation time is minimal - I don't need to peel or chop a majorty of the food that I use this to juice, however with fruit such as plums and dates, it's important to de-stone them so that the stone does not block up the mesh filter. I don't worry about de-seeding or peeling most fruit/veg as it has a filter that prevents seeds etc from coming out the other end. I do always peel fruit with a thick skin such as bananas, oranges, lemons, mangos and so on, but this is mainly because I don't want the taste of the skin in my juice, not because the juicer can't cope with it. The juicer has a 700 watt motor and two speed settings. It is quite basic in design but because it's made of shiny silver stainless steel it has a kind of 'sleek' and 'modern' look to it. The colour scheme is versatile and simple enough not to clash with kitchen decor - it's silver with black detailing, and as far as I am aware this is the only colour scheme available. I was a little concerned about it being silver, as scratches, finger prints and dirt show up easily on pale colours, however this is actually made from anodised aluminium which won't mark or stain, which I think is great and I can confirm that there are no visible marks or scratches on mine even after so much use! The juicer looks fine on my kitchen worktop and you can tell that it is good quality just from looking at it.
The juicer is pretty neat as it is quite tall rather than being overlly wide, so it doesn't take up too much counter space. I was a little concerned that it would be too tall to fit on my kitchen worktop as we have wall cupboards directly above the work top, but luckily it is quite a compact machine. I keep mine in one place so don't need to worry about the weight of it/how easy it is to move about etc, but it is worth noting that at around 5kg (unboxed) in weight, it's not the most lightweight of machines, however if you did need to move it around frequently for whatever reason, it wouldn't take too much effort either. The juicer comes packaged securely in a cardboard box. An information/instruction manual is included, which is very in-depth and easy to understand. It covers everything that the owner needs to know, such as how to set it up, the features, basic health and safety warnings, information on the various attatchments, information on how to clean it and so on. A free recipe book (RRP £13) is also included. I wasn't expecting the book to be much good with it being free, but it's actually really informative with some fabulous tips and recipes.
I was initially quite overwhelmed by the number of different parts when it came to setting up the juicer, however by following the simple instructions, I soon figured it out. After owning the juicer for a number of months and getting used to it, I find that it is very simple to set up, it's just a matter of attaching the different parts which takes me no more than a few minutes. There is a micro mesh filter which is easy to fit and remove, an extra large feeding tube, a filter and a pulp container which holds up to 2 litres of pulp. A cleaning brush is also included, which I find very handy when it comes to cleaning the gunk off of the walls of the juicer and the feeding tube. There's also a 1.5 litre plastic jug which slots under the juice dispenser spout perfectly meaning no spills or waste. The jug has a foam seperator which goes on top of it (like a lid) once you have a full jug of juice, which comes in handy with watermelon as it foams/frothes up a ridiculous amount for whatever reason! I usually drink the juice straight out of the jug which is handy and it obviously reduces washing up as I don't need to pour it into a glass. All of the parts are dishwasher safe which is always an advantage and they wash well - no issues with staining etc. I've found that a good way to reduce the amount of cleaning after use is to line the pulp collector with a plastic food bag.
Once the juicer is set up, it is simple to use. Make sure that your juice collecting jug is below the dispenser spout, turn the juicer on, choose the speed (1 for soft fruit/veg, 2 for hard fruit/veg) and then insert the fruit into the feeding tube, pushing it down with the plastic cylindar tube. The juice will almost immedietly begin pouring out into the jug. The juicer is pretty loud, but it never sounds like it is struggling or like it might explode at any second! Unlike a blender, this does not vibrate noticeably, although if I put my hands on either side while it's on, you can feel that it's working. The juicer will only work when the two bits on either side are pushed down securely, which is good as obviously this prevents it from being turned on by accident and therefor avoiding any accidents. Once you've juiced your fruit and veg, simply remove the detatchable parts, eg the filter and pulp collector. This takes no time at all as the parts aren't fiddly. Once removed, simply pop them into the dishwasher.
The juice that comes out of the juicer is always smooth in consistency; no bits of pulp or anything like that. If you juice more than one fruit/vegetable, like I often do, then the juice will layer, which does not look particulary appetising however a quick stir soon fixes this. The juicer copes well with whole oranges, whole carrots etc but I usually cut apples in half to avoid 'over working' the juicer, as I am paranoid that hard fruit could damage it, even though that is highly unlikely. The juicer does well at getting every last drop of juice out and the pulp left behind is always bone dry. I can extract around 350ml of juice from two large oranges which I think is a decent amount - much more than I'd get if I was using a citrus juicer. You will be suprised how much pulp you are left with if you juice regulary and if you have a garden I'd reccomend composting it to avoid waste.
I love this juicer! It is so easy to use and it juices fruit and vegetables perfectly; the juice is always lovely and smooth and I find that this is a great way of getting plenty of fruit and vegetable juice into my diet. My current favourite juice is cucumber, carrott and spinach juice - it tastes nicer than it sounds! I overall reccomend this juicer - it's brilliant value for money, efficient and it's very durable too. It looks good, does what it's supposed to do well due to the strong motor and it is easy to clean as the parts are dishwasher safe. Five out of five stars from me!
Bought this a few weeks ago as a pure impulse buy, and I could not be more happy with it.
It is easily assembled, and once you've done so it is very sleek and professional looking. I happily leave mine assembled on the kitchen counter, knowing it fits in with the modern design of the room.
The juicer has two settings - one more powerful than the other. For the likes of lemons and oranges the low setting is more than powerful enough - due to the extremely formidable blades of the actual juicing contraption. The higher setting makes short work of tougher fruits such as apples. You guide the fruit towards the spinning blades using the cylindrical pushing part of the juicer.
The pulp of juiced fruit is collected in a vat attached at the back. The pulp can be used for baking, or simply recycled. You can tell the juicer really gets as much liquid as possible out of the fruit due to how dry the pulp is. I recommend putting a recyclable bag inside the pulp collecting vat, it saves the annoyance of cleaning out the pulp and means one less component to clean.
The juicer also comes with a serving jug that has a filter, to prevent froth getting into your drink. Useful when you make a large batch for the family or to show off to guests.
Cleaning the juicer is the only downside - yet it is inevitable. The blade needs to be scrubbed thoroughly to get all remnants of demolished fruit from it. The other parts are all dishwasher friendly.
Aside from that, this juicer is a fantastic investment that will surely see lots of use in even the most fruit n veg averse households! My personal favourite is a concoction that is made of 3 golden delicious apples and 1 lemon - it tastes just like lemonade, but is 100x healthier!
I bought this juicer just 4 weeks ago and since then have used it about twice a day so i will give my opinion on it.
What do i get in the box?
Well mine came with a jug, the juicer, a cleaning brush, an instruction manual and a big book of juice making RRP12.99.
What will it juice?
Well more or less everything! i am yet to come across a fruit or vegetable that could beat it!
Technical stuff!
OK its basically a large brushed steel finished mesh filter juicer, with an extra large feeding tube packing a whopping 700w of power! The feeding tube is big enough to shove whole fruit down, just throw it in, plunger down and juice pours out into the provided jug. One thing i have found is that some apples and oranges can be too big to throw down whole so i just cut it in half. I can juice myself a glass of the freshest tastiest juice in less than a minute, it is so fast, and there's no horrible forcing down on the plunger just pop your hand on and gently push. This is a juicer with a large pulp container, well i say large... it is huge, i have not managed to fill it yet. It comes apart easily and is extremely easy to clean, it even comes with it's own cleaning brush. It juices at two speeds, labeled as 1 and 2 on a dial on the front; 1 for soft things like citrus, pears etc. 2 for hard things like carrots (it will still blitz through everything on level 1 but 2 is there if you want it faster!)
Two things that amazed me about this juicer are the consistency of a) the juice and b) the pulp. Unlike juicers that i have used in the past the juice is perfectly smooth no bits at all. And as for the pulp compared to the juicer that i used last, It comes out like dust! it is very dry as opposed to a wet mess.
I personally can't find a negative other than the fact that some fruit doesn't fit down the feeding tube, but i understand that it is so no one puts their hand down there. I bought mine from Argos for just £69 at the time i said if it is rubbish i'll take it back. I have never even thought about it, it is brilliant and i love it.
When i juice my favorite is the Watermelon cooler:
2 oranges peeled
1 lime (do not peel)
1 quarter of a water melon (remove the rind ignore the seeds)
Ice (crushed or whole, i prefer it whole as it doesn't melt as fast)
Agave syrup 1 or 2 tsp to taste
And my little princes's favorite is the pink champagne:
1 apple ( not granny smith)
1 pear
2 purple or red plums (just remove the stone)
for young children add a little water to dilute the sugars.
I made both recipes, I hope you like them!
When buying products, I always like to buy off reputable brands that I trust, and Philips is definitely one that I trust, hence it made it easy for me and narrowed down the options. This juicer also had very good reviews, so it was a bit of a no brainer in terms of choosing my first juicer and I really have no regrets. Ever since I went to a restaurant a few months ago, where they had a massive juicer, I have become a little bit obsessed with getting one.
There are two different speed options here. Not really much to say here, I prefer the lower speed option, but if you are in a rush, and really want to utilise the 700 watt power, then it is probably best to go for the higher speed option. In case you get confused instructions are provided, and they are very simple to use, but this is expected when the manufacturer is Philips.
I always expected this to be loud, but actually is quiet, so I really can't complain here. I didn't buy this for the quietness though, so either way this would not have affected my score.
The container is quite big, so you can fit fruit whole into it, however at first I have to admit I was cutting things in half. After experimenting a little I did see that it could handle whole fruit, and to be honest for the price which I will go into in more detail below, I should really have had more faith in this juicer. It is also well built, so doesn't look like it can fall apart at any moment. It is very user friendly in terms of cleaning and you can separate out the parts. Cleaning really is important for an item like this as you can imagine.
I have seen people here stating this is available for £80, but at the moment it is priced around £90 on Amazon and most other online sites. I would recommend choosing the Amazon option, which is what I did, and delivery was quick, but of course this can vary. Juicers generally are on the market at quite a cheap price, but I know how electronic items can break down, and as juice is something that I drink on a daily basis I figured I would fork out to be a quality machine, and would recommend others to do the same. Look at it this way, the machine may cost £90, but then in the long run, you will regain the cost as you will never need to buy a carton of juice again, and just the base fruits which of course are much cheaper.
There is a nice little addition with a book accompanied, which gives a few ideas on different juices you can try, and I have found it to be quite useful. Personally though I am experimenting with different fruits, and trying combinations I have never tried before. I am quite hooked on apple and mango at the moment.
Overall I just think this is awesome, and one of the best purchases I have made. The big plus points is how you don't need to peel or cut any of the fruit. Just pop it in and the job gets done. It does a great job at extracting every ounce of juice from the fruit to keep wastage to a minimum. In terms of health benefits, well you can't really go wrong. There is something about juicing your own fruit that is just so much more satisfying than buying juice from a bottle. It maybe a little on the pricey size for some people, but in terms of value for money this definitely lives up to the price tag, and I give it an easy five stars.
We all have gadgets and kitchen appliances that lay dormant in a cupboard cluttering the place up. Gifts that were recieved and hardly ever used. The juicer is high on such a list of items a lot of us own but which we hardly use. Now and again we have the urge to eat more healthily and the juicer is a great way to help you atowards your five a day. I have owned mine some time now and get fairly regular use from it.
The Philips HR1861 looks the part. The juicer is well made and both feels and looks robust. The brushed stainless steel finish on the main body of the juicer gives a very professional and expensive look, it has to be noted that this isn't a cheap and cheerful machine though. Priced at around £80 online I bought it after a lot of deliberation. Juicers can cost anything from under £20 to over a hundred pounds, so it is always best to work out what your needs are before purchase.
Philips is a well-known brand and is one I can trust for both quality and value for money. The looks are obviously a major selling point as it does look the part. The 700W motor is of a healthy power and has some much needed grunt. There are two speed options. You may think this is disappointing, but I find it adequate and the juicer does handle most things I throw into it. The juicer can handle fairly large chunks of fruit, and nothing I have put down the chute has been a problem for the powerful device. Harder fruits such as apples and pineapple are cut down to size reasonably well and I am most impressed with the juicing power to hand here.
When I first began using the juicer it was very simple to set up and operate. I did look over the instructions to see if there were anything glaringly obvious I had forgotten to do, but setup and operation are a doddle. There is a large jug that comes with the juicer which is ideal as it can hold a good amount of fruit. This is simply put into the front of the juicer. There is then a pulp collector which catches the pulp from the fruit, allowing you to do a lot of juicing before it needs emptying. The pulp collector also ensures that fruit juices are very clean and pulp-free. If you don't like bits in your freshly squeezed fruit juice then the HR1861 could be for you!
Cleaning the juicer is also an important consideration. As the main jug and pulp-collector are easy to access and remove this makes the job much easier, and there are no fiddly areas that are difficult to clean either. The seperate componants are dishwasher safe, so this is another bonus if you have one of these. I often just rinse the various items straight after use, as there is nothing worse than cleaning off dried orange pulp.
Although the price may seem a little bit steep I still think this juicer is worth the money. Juicing is simple and the motor is powerful enough to handle even hard apples and pineapple. The juice extraction is also very efficient, meaning that you get as much juice from the fruit as possible. The design is also very clean and sexy, meaning it could happily sit on your kitchen worksurface without having to hide it away. I award the Philips HR1861 a full 5 Dooyoo stars as it is an excellent all-round juicer.
At the risk of repeating what it already says in the other reviews, I would not hesitate to recommend this juicer to anyone who wants to try freshly juiced fruit and veg with minimal hassle.
No need to chop things up, which is the most time consuming part about juicing if you have a juicer with a narrow "chute"
This one powers through whole beetroots with ease!
The cleaning really only takes a couple of minutes so long as you do it STRAIGHT AWAY!
The bits rinse off easily with the help of the brush provided and if you put a bag in the back container to catch the pulp this too saves time and effort.
Ther are some great recipes around for things to do with the pulp - add it to soups and stews or mix it with flax seeds and dry it in the oven to make tasty crackers. Obviously it depends what you've juiced as to just how these taste.
The look of this juicer has divided opinion in my house, I actually think it looks stylish and quite sleek however my other half thinks that for £80 we should have got something that does not resemble a cross between a piece of science kit and a hoover, personally i cannot see what his problem is and actually think that this is a nice piece of equipment besides which he is more than happy to consume the juices that I prepare with it however he is less keen to do the cleaning of it.
Maintaining a healthy diet is not always easy and I'm always wary of store produced juices and prefer to make my own. This juicer from Phillips has a silver aluminium body. The motor is quite powerful at 700 watts and is not as noisy as I expected it to be based upon a previous juicer that we had. I also like the fact that along with the two speed setting the juicer can handle large pieces of either fruit of vegetables so there is not a lot of chopping to do. It also has a nice large container for the contents so you can make a decent amount at any one time. The feeding tube is nice and large making the whole juicer easy to set up and very easy to operate. There is a pulp collector to help strain the juice, I hate too much pulp in a juice drink and this device is excellent at filtering that out.
I have used it to make a range of juices including hard vegetable like carrot, apple and pear juice in fact probably the most noticeable fruit we have not used is orange. After use cleaning is really easy as the parts can go in the dishwasher however to be honest I tend to wash it by hand and especially the pulp filter as that is a little messy.
I have found this to be an efficient and effective juicer and despite what the other half says I like the way it looks especially with the shiny aluminium giving it a nice sleek look.
With eating healthy getting more popular every year, I thought it would be fun to get a juicer. And it would also help in getting those five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. These days many different brands have their range of juicers and of course Philips couldn't stay behind. In order to get my five portions a day I went for this Philips HR1861.
The main reason for getting this juicer was the brand. Philips is certainly a brand that I can trust as we have several products of them in the house. The looks of the mixer did help as well. It has a silver aluminium body which gives it a more expensive feeling, certainly compared to some other juicers out there. It comes with a 700 watt motor, two speeds option, which can handle almost everything. The great thing about this juicer is that you don't have to chop the fruit in small pieces since it can handle large chunks of fruit.
Setting the juicer up for the first time is very easy. The most impressive part is the big jug in the box. It can hold a lot of fruit and is easily used with the juicer. You just put him in the front of the juicer and nothing could be easier. Then you also have the pulp collector which is actually slightly bigger than the jug. So it can hold up a lot of pulp which means you can use a lot of vegetables and fruit before it's full. Setting him up and the detachment is very easy. It's all clear were everything belongs and you don't have to use much force really.
Washing the separate parts is easy because you can put them in the dishwasher. They are easy to rinse off and the most difficult part to clean is more the jug than any other part of the juicer.
I don't think that there is anything negative about this product. It's a wonderful juicer for the price. I bought it just under the 100 pounds. Five stars.
This Philips Juicer gives you all the juice without the fuss thanks to its patented micro-mesh filter and powerful 700W motor / The extra-large feeding tube easily takes whole fruits and vegetables, so you don`t have to peel, core, de-seed or chop first anymore / The versatile motor with two speeds can handle hard fruit as easily as soft fruit, and because the pulp container is so large, you can make more juice in one go / Short name: Philips HR1861


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Despite the record $1.6 trillion deficit this year, and the consensus that exploding spending and debt is pushing the nation toward catastrophe, the Obama administration has completely chickened out on spending reforms in its new budget.
Downsizing Blog
HSR: Joe Biden Channels The Simpsons
In his customary salesman style, Vice President Joe Biden recently made a pitch to a Philadelphia crowd for a plan to spend $53 billion over the next six years on a national system of high-speed rail.
Slashing Popular Programs Contest
House Republicans proposed some (tiny) spending cuts this week and the Obama administration will likely propose some (tiny) cuts next week in the federal budget.
Abolish Federal Job Training Programs
A report from the Government Accountability Office finds that the federal government administers 47 different employment and job training programs at a cost to taxpayers of about $18 billion. The GAO excluded another 51 programs that could be considered as providing job training assistance, such as student loan subsidies.
OMB Director Lew on the New Budget
President Obama will release his budget blueprint for fiscal 2012 next week. If an op-ed penned by his budget director, Jacob Lew, in Sunday's New York Times is any indication, the administration intends to continue fiddling while the government's finances burn.
Cost Overruns at the National Archives
A new report from the Government Accountability Office finds that the National Archives and Records Administration's Electronic Records Archive project is headed for major cost overruns. Initiated in 2001, the project was originally projected to cost $745 million but could end up costing $1.4 billion. The project's development phase was supposed to be completed by September, but the GAO estimates that it won't be completed until 2017.
Gingrich & Woolsey on Energy
The other day, The Wall Street Journal provided a public service by lambasting Newt Gingrich for his absurd speech to the ethanol lobby in Des Moines last month (money line: "Obviously big urban newspapers want to kill it because it's working, and you wonder, 'What are their values?'"). Today, Gingrich and fellow ethanol-maven James Woolsey struck back in those very same pages. In doing so, Gingrich provided yet more evidence that he's intellectually unfit for office.
Affirmative Action in Federal Contracting
The Small Business Administration's 8(a) program sets aside federal contracts for minority-owned or other "disadvantaged" small businesses. In his book on the "scandalous" history of the SBA, author Jonathan J. Bean sums of the program's sordid legacy:
Sen. McCaskill's Bold Decision
Sen. Claire McCaskill, a Missouri Democrat, has decided to co-sponsor a bill with Senate Republicans that would cap federal spending at a declining percentage of GDP over ten years. Spending as a percentage of GDP would eventually be reduced to 20.6 percent, which is equal to the average from 1970 to 2008. To put this perspective, federal spending as a share of the economy will be close to 25 percent this year, and is projected to be even higher ten years from now.
HUD 'Failing the Taxpayers'
That's what the Department of Housing and Urban Development's recently retired inspector general had to say in response to rampant malfeasance and mismanagement at public housing authorities uncovered by a joint investigation by ABC News and The Center for Public Integrity.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Main Content Senate Bill 0393 (2011) rss? friendly link printer friendly Friendly Link: http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?2011-SB-0393 Public Act 136 of 2012 (Effective: 5/16/2012) Find this PA in the MCL Sponsors Rick Jones - (primary)Mike Nofs, Tory Rocca, Michael Green, James Marleau, Jack Brandenburg, Michael Kowall, Gretchen Whitmer, Goeffrey Hansen (click name to see bills sponsored by that person) Categories Corrections: jails; Corrections: prisoners; Cities: other; Local government: other; Corrections; jails; population requirement for municipalities eligible to seek reimbursement from inmates; remove. Amends sec. 2 of 2006 PA 88 (MCL 801.312). Bill Documents Bill Document Formatting Information [x] The following bill formatting applies to the 2011-2012 session:- New language in an amendatory bill will be shown in BOLD AND UPPERCASE.- Language to be removed will be stricken.- Amendments made by the House will be blue with square brackets, such as: [House amended text].- Amendments made by the Senate will be red with double greater/lesser than symbols, such as: <<Senate amended text>>. (gray icons indicate that the action did not occur or that the document is not available) Documents Senate Introduced Bill Introduced bills appear as they were introduced and reflect no subsequent amendments or changes. As Passed by the Senate As Passed by the Senate is the bill, as introduced, that includes any adopted Senate amendments. As Passed by the House As Passed by the House is the bill, as received from the Senate, that includes any adopted House amendments. Senate Concurred Bill Concurred bill is the version passed in identical form by both houses of the Legislature, issued prior to availability of the Enrolled bill. Public Act Public Act is a bill that has become law. Bill Analysis House Fiscal Agency Analysis Analysis as Reported From Committee (04-17-12)This document analyzes: SB0393 House Committee Summary (03-21-12)This document analyzes: SB0393 Senate Fiscal Analysis COMMITTEE SUMMARY (Date Completed: 5-27-11)This document analyzes: SB0393 FLOOR SUMMARY (Date Completed: 8-29-11)This document analyzes: SB0393 ANALYSIS AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE (Date Completed: 6-6-11)This document analyzes: SB0393 ANALYSIS AS PASSED BY THE SENATE (Date Completed: 1-19-12)This document analyzes: SB0393 ANALYSIS AS ENACTED (Date Completed: 6-27-12)This document analyzes: SB0393 History (House actions in lowercase, Senate actions in UPPERCASE) Date JournalAction 5/24/2011SJ 45 Pg. 771REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY 6/1/2011SJ 49 Pg. 1408REPORTED FAVORABLY WITHOUT AMENDMENT 6/1/2011SJ 49 Pg. 1408COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED IMMEDIATE EFFECT 6/1/2011SJ 49 Pg. 1408REFERRED TO COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE 8/24/2011SJ 63 Pg. 2033REPORTED BY COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE FAVORABLY WITH SUBSTITUTE S-1 8/24/2011SJ 63 Pg. 2033SUBSTITUTE S-1 CONCURRED IN 8/24/2011SJ 63 Pg. 2033PLACED ON ORDER OF THIRD READING WITH SUBSTITUTE S-1 9/7/2011SJ 64 Pg. 2062PASSED ROLL CALL # 470 YEAS 37 NAYS 0 EXCUSED 1 NOT VOTING 0 9/7/2011HJ 66 Pg. 2131received on 09/07/2011 9/7/2011HJ 66 Pg. 2131read a first time 9/7/2011HJ 66 Pg. 2131referred to Committee on Judiciary 3/22/2012HJ 31 Pg. 472reported with recommendation without amendment 3/22/2012HJ 31 Pg. 472referred to second reading 4/25/2012HJ 39 Pg. 646read a second time 4/25/2012HJ 39 Pg. 646substitute H-2 adopted 4/25/2012HJ 39 Pg. 646placed on third reading 4/26/2012HJ 40 Pg. 667read a third time 4/26/2012HJ 40 Pg. 667passed; given immediate effect Roll Call # 200 Yeas 108 Nays 1 4/26/2012HJ 40 Pg. 667inserted full title 4/26/2012HJ 40 Pg. 667returned to Senate 4/26/2012SJ 39 Pg. 658HOUSE INSERTED FULL TITLE 4/26/2012SJ 39 Pg. 658LAID OVER ONE DAY UNDER THE RULES 5/1/2012SJ 40 Pg. 681HOUSE SUBSTITUTE H-2 CONCURRED IN 5/1/2012SJ 40 Pg. 681 ROLL CALL # 270 YEAS 36 NAYS 0 EXCUSED 2 NOT VOTING 0 5/1/2012SJ 40 Pg. 681GIVEN IMMEDIATE EFFECT 5/1/2012SJ 40 Pg. 681FULL TITLE AGREED TO 5/1/2012SJ 40 Pg. 681ORDERED ENROLLED 5/9/2012SJ 44 Pg. 764PRESENTED TO GOVERNOR 5/8/2012 @ 2:08 PM 5/17/2012SJ 48 Pg. 874APPROVED BY GOVERNOR 5/15/2012 @ 10:50 AM 5/17/2012SJ 48 Pg. 874FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE 5/16/2012 @ 1:26 PM 5/17/2012SJ 48 Pg. 874ASSIGNED PA 0136'12 WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT


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Related quotes
"In England, if you commit a crime, the police don't have a gun and you don't have a gun. If you commit a crime, the police will say "Stop, or I'll say stop again.""
"In the best of times, our days are numbered anyway. So it would be a crime against nature for any generation to take the world crisis so solemnly, that it put off enjoying those things for which we were designed in the 1st place: the opportunity to do good work, to enjoy friends, to fall in love, to hit a ball, and to bounce a baby."
"I think that's how Chicago got started. A bunch of people in New York said, 'Gee, I'm enjoying the crime and the poverty, but it just isn't cold enough, let's go west.'"


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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The St. Petersburg City Council has approved a plan to spend $1.3 million for renovations to Tropicana Field.
Monday's 7-0 vote paves the way for a project that features the creation of open-air concessions where a restaurant now exists. It also includes walkways behind the outfield seating area.
Tampa Bay Rays officials have characterized the project as a major upgrade for fans.
The Tampa Bay Times reports that team officials had asked the city for the money, which comes from ticket sales and naming rights. The city controls the account, which currently has about $2.1 million in it.
Bathroom overhauls, better lighting and improvements required under the Americans with Disabilities Act, are also part of the project. The work is expected to be complete before next year's baseball season.
Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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A great way to organize your keys and also double your promotional potential with this Double Ring Billboard Promo Keychain.
Add some character to your medical staff's uniform with a heart shaped custom stethoscope ID tag.
There is no better place to get your back to school promotional products than ePromos. With school time just around the corner, there is not a minute to waste on getting your logo on those personalized backpacks, promotional pens, promotional pencils, and more! With the variety of items we have here at ePromos for back to school time, the combinations are endless! Mix and match items to give those kids everything they need to do well this upcoming school year!


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- Caterham news
Van der Garde secures Caterham race seat
- Drivers:
- Cyril Abiteboul
- |
- Charles Pic
- |
- Giedo van der Garde
- Teams:
- Caterham
Giedo van der Garde has secured the second race seat at Caterham for 2013, completing the team's line-up alongside Charles Pic.
Van der Garde fought off competition from 2012 incumbents Heikki Kovalainen and Vitaly Petrov as well as outsiders such as Bruno Senna. He took part in six FP1 sessions for Caterham during the course of the 2012 season and also drove for its junior team, Caterham Racing, in GP2. He comes to the team with support from long-time sponsor McGregor.
"I am absolutely delighted to confirm that I will be racing in the 2013 F1 World Championship with Caterham F1 Team," he said. "I want to thank Cyril [Abiteboul, team principal], Tony Fernandes, McGregor and everyone who has worked so hard to make this happen.
"I know I am ready to take the step up to F1 and all the work I have done throughout my career, and particularly in the last year with this team, has brought me to my ultimate goal. Throughout 2012 I was able to fully integrate myself into the team, both through the FP1 sessions I ran at a number of tracks that were then new to me, and as reserve driver, fully embedded with the team throughout the season. Now I can continue to learn at the highest level of motorsport and show that I am ready for F1. I cannot wait to start work."
Team principal Cyril Abiteboul added: "Everyone in the team is delighted that we can finally confirm that Giedo will be racing for us in the 2013 FIA Formula One World Championship. He has been part of our family since early 2012 when he joined our GP2 team and was appointed as Reserve Driver for the F1 team. He acquitted himself extremely well in both his GP2 season and his six FP1 sessions, progressively improving his outright pace, technical feedback and his relationship with his engineers and mechanics, giving us the clear justification for promoting him to F1.
"This is the next natural step for Giedo with our team. We continue to grow as a team and we are committed to giving young talent across the motorsport industry the chance to grow with us and this is Giedo's opportunity to show he deserves his place at the very highest level of global motorsport. He and Charles have been team-mates before, so he is an excellent choice to partner Charles in what is going to be another very interesting season. We are all looking forward to seeing Giedo continue to progress as he takes on the ultimate challenge of F1."
Caterham will launch its new car, the CT03, at the first test in Jerez.


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Hi everyone,
I was walking my dogs on the Cotswold Hills, earlier this month, which is mostly grasses growing on Oolitic Limestone. Whilst I was walking, I spotted a tiny butterfly settled on a purple meadow flower. It caught my eye because of a bright blue body. More details below...
Body: bright blue
Wings: about 1-1.25cm when closed
Closed Wing colour: White with sort of grey / creamy circles in a pattern
When it took flight, the inside of the wings were a deep lilac
Unfortunately, both pictures I managed to get are too blurry to see anything helpful. Maybe if people could post pictures in their replies, I might recognise it
Have a browse through the photos here
- http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species_family.php?name=Lycaenidae
The list starts with hairstreaks and coppers (it won't be in there) and ends with Duke of Burgundy (not that either); it will be between those - amongst the blues. Note that with many species of blue, the female is somewhat brown. If yours was predominantly blue, it was probably a male; you've just got to try to find one with the right shade of blue (very tricky because of lighting) and the right pattern on the underside (tricky because of subtle differences).
So, you may not be able to ID it exactly; you may have to settle for it being one of a handful of possible species.
Whatever it was, I'm sure you had a lovely walk in the rolling Cotswold hills, made all the more memorable by the fleeting companionship of some of its more charming denizens like that blue. Methinks you might return.


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Six Nations
ESPN Staff
February 14, 2013
Ben Morgan injured his ankle against Scotland © Getty Images
England head coach Stuart Lancaster has confirmed Ben Morgan, Alex Corbisiero and Freddie Burns will not be available for the Six Nations clash with France next weekend.
Morgan suffered an ankle injury during England's opening Six Nations match against Scotland at the beginning of the month and subsequently missed their narrow win over Ireland in Dublin. While Burns and Corbisiero have missed both of England's opening matches with knee injuries.
Lancaster is happy with the progress being made by all three players but insists it will be a couple of weeks before Morgan and Burns are ready to return while Corbisiero, as expected, will be out for longer than that.
Morgan and Burns therefore could have a chance of playing in England's penultimate match against Italy on March 10, though Corbisiero remains unlikely to return in time to feature in England's Grand Slam drive.
"They are making good recoveries but they are all still a way from being in contention for a spot," he told Sky Sports News. "Their next step is to go back to their clubs. Freddy is making good progress so hopefully he will be back at Gloucester soon. Ben Morgan will be another couple of weeks and Alex Corbisiero could be a bit longer than that.
Lancaster is also encouraged by the progress of flanker Tom Croft, who started for Leicester against London Welsh last weekend. Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill has confirmed that Croft will not play against Harlequins this weekend but will feature against Saracens the following week as he continues his comeback from a serious neck injury.
"Tom Croft is the other one. We were pleased with his performance for Leicester at the weekend. I think he is going to miss week but keep making good progress and i am sure he will come back into the equation over the next few weeks."
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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heard you were looking for baseball cards, and have a solid hockey stock.
i have:
SPx Scott Dunn rookie auto #136/999
1969 Jim Hunter (regular card)
Miguel Cabrera facsimilie auto rookie card
Upper Deck MVP Prospect Travis Buck rookie auto
Topps Matt Garza rookie
Topps Phil Coke rookie card blue refractor *149/399
Stan Musial Bronze Diamond Kings
Topps Nolan Ryan rookie
I'm into hockey auto patch rookies, and a big devils fan, so if you are interested, let me know what you have to offer and we can work something out. Thanks.


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Wanderers extend win streak to six
The A-League's form side Western Sydney have strengthened their hold on a top two berth with an impressive 2-1 win over Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park.
Iacopo La Rocca and Shinji Ono scored the Wanderers' goals as the visitors notched their sixth straight win - the best streak in the league this season - to move five points clear of the third-placed Victory.
It was the Victory's first home defeat since crosstown rivals Melbourne Heart downed them to open the season and their second straight loss, after falling to fourth-placed Adelaide United last weekend.
The Wanderers' win, in front of 21,638 fans including a noisy throng of their own supporters, was well-deserved.
They put the Victory under constant pressure, not letting the home side develop fluidity or freedom at any stage.
The Victory's speedy New Zealand attacker Marco Rojas, who has been in dazzling form this season, was given little room to move and with the injured Archie Thompson missing the Victory lacked inspiration.
La Rocca gave the visitors the lead in the 11th minute, after Ono sent a free kick from about 30m deep into the box and La Rocca showed poise in a goalmouth scramble to put it home.
While the Wanderers had two more dangerous attacking thrusts soon after, the Victory didn't look like scoring in the first half.
They showed a few positive signs early in the second.
Argentinian play-maker Marcos Flores forced Wanderers keeper Ante Covic into his first save of the match four minutes into the half.
Covic had to work even harder two minutes later, when a slick Flores pass allowed Rojas to penetrate deep and cross to the goalmouth, where Covic did well to block Andrew Nabbout's shot.
The Wanderers looked to have snuffed out Victory's rally when Ono pounced on a rebound to goal in the 72nd minute after Nathan Coe had parried a Youssouf Hersi shot.
Young Victory substitute Connor Pain gave his side a flicker of hope when he scored his first A-League goal on the counter-attack three minutes later but the home side couldn't fashion another.
Wanderers coach Tony Popovic was delighted with the performance against a side of Victory's quality.
"They don't always match, performances and results, but we continue with a long run of games now where we've been performing well," Popovic said.
He made special mention of the throng of Wanderers fans who travelled for the game and were so vocal in support.
Victory coach Ange Postecoglou was in a dark mood post-match and reluctant to lavish much praise on the winners.
"They were okay. It was a tight game, they won," he said.
He angrily dismissed suggestions the Victory had blown their chance of finishing top.
"What do you expect me to say? That we're going to finish third," Postecoglou said.
"We're a football club that tries to win every game we play and if we win six in a row and the others drop six in a row we'll finish first."
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Dear B J ,
Hey there B J,
Got to tell you dude, lately you have doing some everlasting damage to your professional credibility here with your present boss, the Rays. Now we have known each other since you first got called up in September 2001, when you were 17 and a few of us hit a local nightspot after a Yankees/Rays game and danced, chatted and got to know each other. I hope I can write to you as someone who has seen you grow as a ballplayer and offer some advice on your current problems. So take what I am about to say as a buddy just speaking to another buddy from heading towards a dangerous place.
No, it is not like you are attempting to go out on a building ledge and we need to talk you down, but you are in a very critical stage in your professional life where anything said from you right now is taken as gospel. Now to even speak out of turn until your Batting Average and your fan approval begins to again go north would be a very critical detour in your career. Seriously dude, when all that garbage came down a few years ago from the local Durham fishwrap about the "Three Amigos" (Delmon Young, Elijah Dukes and moi) while with the Bulls, I was the guy fighting with Rays fans to see the words did not come from the "true" BJ, but from an "off the record" BBQ conversation.
You rebuilt those bridges within the organization and showed you were a team player and you rebuilt your image to be sturdy and capable of taking on almost anything. But I have to level with you guy, right now the glaring games with the Umpires and the jawing after called third strikes along with the half efforts at flailing at balls outside the zone are making you look like a shadow of your former self.
E-man, I got to tell you this honestly, for a while there it looked like you were finally crawling out of that deep hole and were again showing that you loved hitting in the lead-off spot, but something suddenly died within your swing. Something zapped that energy and that strong will to strike that small white ball around like a toy.
Why is it that you got so upset about going down in the order? Dude, Joe Maddon has stood by and deflected the daily pot shots at you for so long that maybe he finally decided you needed to show some spunk and intestinal fortitude, and the 7-spot was a chance to sort it all out and still play every day.
Instead we got an entitlement attitude and a sense of lost focus at the plate. Dude, I know you still got it in you. Going down in the order sucks, but you are still living the dream and patroling the center fields of the MLB. And this latest bruhaha about you being moody about going to number 9 spot, Well stop it. I have to go with Maddon on this one dude. You forgot who B J Upton was there for a bit. You forgot the guy who the the opposition nervous and sweaty while on base.
But If you truly want to know something……. Jason Bartlett did not like or want that lower spot in the either, but he smacked that ball and produced the hits and drove in those guys in scoring position when you forgot how to play the game for a bit. Through him focusing all his negative emotions onto his hitting, he got the desired spot he wanted. But he also thought of the nine hole as a "second lead-off" guy. And maybe that is where your mental state should sir right now. You get on base, you got guys coming up right behind you who have your back……everytime.
Understanding that was a move made for the team, not to punish you. It gives you an honest chance to readjust and refocus yourself to become the fiesty outfielder the fans have gotten to know and love. The actions that need to be taken were simple. You just need to now just chill a bit and accept things at the plate. Let Maddon go ot there and argue the balls and strikes.
Right now the more you whine to the guys in blue, the wider the strikezone might get before the end of this season. Smile, walk away and surpise everyone. Right now you are hiding within the shadow of a emerging star. You have not snuffed out the limelight, but it is growing dimmer. By showing maturity at plate, and towards the umpire crews, you will gain back that simple strikezone. Right now, I do not believe the umpires consider you a model citzen of the kingdom of MLB.
Secondly, get over all the chatter and ramblings about C C . I understand he is your sidekick, or vice versa. You guys will always be friends no matter if he plays here for in China. Look at the way CC is handling it, like a professional. He knows baseball is a business and he is hitting and playing like a fiend right now. He knows that the team could re-load the farm system with a trade for him. He is not happy about it, but both of you have seen enough guys come and go from the Ray to know it is not in your hands.
Come on guy, you are better than this B S. you truly know you got the stuff, or you would not be getting the chatter about your "Web Gem" plays in Centerfield. You are within a whisper of getting your name mentioned with some of the best right now, and you might ruin it by sulking at the plate. Dude, they do not consider guys for the Rawlings Gold Glove Award who whine and sink at the plate. They do not give that beautiful Rawling trophy to guys who hits under .250 and does not look like they are leaders. That award is more than a defensive award, it recognizes the best of the best.
So the decision is yours dude. You know what this team needs right now is another bat to spring out and take control. Pat "the Bat" is beginning to find a small groove. The team has made a trade to get more production, and you now have got to carry your outfield weight. I am not asking you to hit .600 the next two months, but I am asking you go get on base, make pitchers nervous and be the B J we all came to watch play the game.
I got your back no matter what. I know how far you have sunk, and I know it is a tough road. But you got the goods to beat it and go forward from here. So why not take tonight's game as a "coming out. part 2" party and prove to some of the grumbling factions around the Rays Republic that you might be down, but you are not out.
Dude, just like the team, you are in a "must win" situation to garner back the respect and the accolades you have sweated and labored for since that first call-up in 2001. It is time to take the Junior off your name is spirit and play like a man, take it like a man, and if defeated take your licks like a man. You know me, I will fight with words or fists to proclaim you are not a bum.
You have got to show these people the fire is still lit inside you. They think the flame is gone. It is time E-man. Time for you to show why we have been behind you for so long. It can be done with something as simple as a little more concentration and effort. So just think about what I am saying here. Think of what you are tossing to the side with those comments and outward anger. The number 9 slot is still in the lineup, you are not sitting on the bench watching Gabe Kapler or someone from the minor leagues play your spot.
Time to put childish things away like pity parties and temper tantrums and play like a professional again. You wanted this kind of attention and admiration since you were a young kid. Do not throw it all away on an attitude problem that will label you for the rest of your career. Tampa Bay has had this situation before, and his name was Jose Guillen. Like you, he could play a fantastic outfield, could get the ball anywhere on the field. But he lacked plate discipline and focus. And that is the issue with you right now.
Not a lack of class, but of attitude and disbelief they would drop you down in the order. Remeber BJ, Guillen was here until his contract was up. After that he was free to go and became someone elses worry. I do not want to see you go down the same road. He was a great defender and could play the RF corner better than anyone who has ever put on a Rays jersey, but the drama with him on the team finally got to much. Young and Dukes are also gone because of their internal and external issues and frustrations surfacing at the wrong times.
Dude, all I am asking you to do it be that old BJ. The kid who could not wait to go to the ballpark and play baseball again. I am asking for that guy who used to grin when he got on base, smirk when he stole a base, and pump his fist when he scored a run. want to see the guy who smiled before, during and after the game again. If not, then all I can say is I told you so.
18 Comments
Excellent letter. You gave him some tough love but you also spoke to him buddy to buddy. I wish you could actually sit him down and tell him all that!
Well done, that was some good advice to BJ. Let's hope it gets him back on track!
Great post. Good points. Wish we could have him read your letter.
Well I guess he can either take it ot leave it.
But I truly think he likes it here and will sign a nice arbitration contract in the off season.
but if he slacks he has got to remember he is losing money.
Rays Renegade
I think it is beyond a pep talk sometimes.
He is his own worst enemy, like so many of us are when we either play a sport, or even write our blogs.
We can find fault in a paragraph others see as a good piece, or comment.
Sometimes a player can just get too deep into the process of trying to "fix themselves" that they end up deeper in the hole.
Rays Renegade
I still remember a time where I could of done that, but it is long gone now.
But we wave towards each other at times, and he always makes a point to sign if I bring something down.
I have been in the same spot, before, but a coach brought me back to the surface.
It felt like a drowning, but I was in the middle of a football field.
He will see this. Someone is printing it tonight and putting it in his box at the Trop tomorrow.
Hopefully by then, he will not need to read it.
Rays Renegade
That's well said, I bet Upton got your message. This should be a wakeup call to handle it good and bring back the Rays. Hopefully this will turn out for the good.
Matthew Tang
As always thanks for that.
B J is just in that rut that we all can get into, but his is played out upon the game we all watch so closely.
Do I agree with some of his choices?
No, but it is not my life to live.
You have to have hard times to enjoy the good ones.
that is one of the reasons I think a few of the guys in 2008 might have overindulged becuase you might never get there again in your career.
Rays Renegade
I know there are tmes with each of our teams we want to ring a guy by his neck to wake him up, or bring him back to earth.
Since B J came up in 2001 at 17 for the first time, people forget he is only 25 years old.
Carl Crawford had troubles early on and then clicked like mad.
Hopefully it is a just a spurt of growing pains and will be back to normal soon. ( knock on wood).
Rays Renegade
I was sitting on Twitter last night in the #Rays room and all of a sudden it got dark and ugly towards B J.
I thought it went a bit far, but i could also understand and feel the same frustrations and vented hostility to go towards someone.
This team is built for the long haul. I hope that continues late into 2009, but if it does not, i hope it is not for lack of effort.
Rays Renegade
front page of espn.com MLB says hes on the block. id love to have him but would many teams make an offer after his struggles?
Well, RR, this is definitely a sticky situation. The rumor mill already has BJ gone after this season… and that's a sad thing in my opinion. Hope your letter isn't too late and that he "gets" it because now is a very important time for his career as you point out. Just goes to show that we fans (and the temperature of the baseball world) does matter and people do pay attention.
I'm sure BJ is frustrated with his own performance this season, and he's probably angry at the organization for shopping him, and that's where all this is coming from. But you're right, it's definitely being directed at the wrong place, and he really should try to focus his energy into finding his swing. I hope he does. It would be a shame if, like Jose Guillen, he ended up wasting all that God-given talent. Or, sigh, Delmon Young.-Erinhttp://plunking-gomez.blogspot.com
You mean the same media giant that had Scott Kazmir headed to the Angels and Roy Halladay to the Philiies all but sealed a few weeks ago.
I believe their credibility as much as the palm reader down the street from my house.
Sorry, it might be true, but I would rather someone on a blog break that news that a agency that has a NE-bias.
Rays Renegade
I always look at it from the aspect of what is best for the team. He is about to hit his first arbitration. Those guys usually do not get dealt, but there could be a first time.
Also, the media has no conscience anymore.
They have basically become drones to poublic opinion.
Watch, if he turns it up the rest of the season, they will not apologize for throwing him under the bus, but try to embrace him…….Sorry I am over the fakeness of the modern media.
Stand your ground amd make a committment. Waivering like a reed in the wind makes you, and your agency look like amateurs……and makes us look more like the "experts".
Rays Renegade
You know I liked Jose Guillen, and I still proudly wear one of his 2001 game jerseys at least once a year. But he was not the clubhouse cheerleader and brought drama and problems to himself.
BJ seriously has to look beyond this "media" trade talk. The Rays have not shopped him, but they have taken inquiries about him.
And that is part of the game of baseball. He miught have been placed on waivers to see who might be interested as far as we all know.
As for Delmon, I have never liked how he has been a smaller image of his older brother ealry in his career. Dimitri has changed, but it took the realization that a boatload of bridges were still burning for him to understand the BS is caused for so long.
People forget we drafted him in the Expansion Draft, and immediately sent him to Cincy. That should tell you something about the Young boys.
Rays Renegade


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Holidays mean curling up by a warm fire, cocoa in hand, cat on your lap, with your stockings hung by the fire with care ... Because hanging your socks by the fire is a great way to dry them after a nice long hike in the rain.
The holidays are upon us, and for Oregonians those couple days off we get for stuff-bread-up-a-turkey's-butt day and that other holiday when having an old man sneak into your house at night is somehow a good thing don't have to mean shopping, eating and complaining about shopping and eating — they mean it's time to put on a warm, dry coat and head outside.
Nearby Nature gets you outside and helps with your holiday preparation on Saturday, Dec. 1, from 1 to 4:30 pm with its Lessons in the Learnscape Workshop: Draw Your Own Nature-Themed Holiday Cards with David Wagner. The event will be held at Nearby Nature's yurt in Alton Baker Park and participants will draw pictures and take home cards at the end of class. Bring a favorite nature photo and a microtip pen and make all the relatives happy with your eco-oriented handmade cards, and Wagner says the method he will teach "is akin to tracing; it substitutes for drawing skills," so no worries if you are new to art. The cost is sliding scale, $17-$30 for members, $20-$35 for non-members, with work trades available. To register or for more information, call 687-9699 or go to www.nearbynature.org/learnscape.
Nothing says love like a scented card, or any thing that smells good, so luckily for you nature lovers and artists, Cedar Creek Botanicals in Dorena is offering a holiday herbal workshop on Nov. 18. The focus is on perfumes, and for $45 you will blend two perfume blends out of essential oils, make a solid perfume stick and a perfume oil, and after eating an organic lunch, participants will make refreshing tonic sprays for the face. To find out more or reserve your spot, call 946-1012 or go to cedarcreekbotanicals.com
If you are the athletic type, there are always a lot of 5Ks to keep your blood pumping. Bonus: Races usually come with a free T-shirt. We do not recommend race T-shirts for re-gifting. On Nov. 22, the Turkey Trot at Skinner Butte Park features a 4-mile run, 2-mile walk and 200-meter kids' "Gobbler Gallop." Call 484-9883 for more information, that same phone number will also give you info on another Tofurky Day race: the 31st annual Turkey Stuffer 5K at Splash! At Lively Park.
For the true outdoor runner, Dec. 15 is Mt. Pisgah's Frozen Trail Runfest and it bills itself as the "the muddiest, coldest, hilliest, most scenic event you'll run all winter," if you're feeling really athletic you can tackle the 50K portion of the event.
For those of you who didn't stay up all night drinking champagne on New Year's Eve ... or maybe for the hardy souls that do, and yet can still get up and run, there's the First Run at Valley River Inn on Jan. 1. For those of us who plan to be fit and sleep in, you can run the 10K or 5K at noon on Dec. 31 instead. This is another Eclectic Edge event, so also call 484-9883.
Not into spending money or the whole gift-giving thing? Hikes are free (or a small fee) all year round at places like Howard Buford Recreation Area, Elijah Bristow State Park, the Ridgeline Trail and more. Put your Santa hat on, slap the reindeer antlers on the dog and get outside.


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MOVments: Surviving the City, Reality TV, and E-CommercePosted by: Anna Wilkinson on May 29, 2013 / 6:50 AM
MOVments: Foreign Investor Spectres, Sign Language, and Ghetto RevoltsPosted by: Anna Wilkinson on March 27, 2013 / 12:22 PM
MOVments: Telling Tales and Toying with the World of Vancouver Real EstatePosted by: Anna Wilkinson on February 26, 2013 / 7:05 AM
This week in MOVments we explore some of the recent narratives, numbers, and neighborhood games top of mind in the ever-present world of Vancouver real estate. We have the on-going and multi-layered tale of gentrification in the DTES, some new research that tackles the oft-cited cause/effect relationship of of foreign-buyers driving up condo prices, a playful chronicle of one conceptual artist selling the smallest pieces of real estate in the history of Vancouver, and an online game that tests your knowledge of local city neighborhoods.
Pidgin Protesters. By now, you've probably heard about the protests happening outside of a newly opened restaurant called Pidgin in the Downtown Eastside. Anti-poverty activists are arguing that the intrusion of another high-end restaurant in the neighbourhood means that there is not only less space for low-income housing or organizations providing community services but that it is also disrespectful to the culture of the community. On the other side of the argument, people like city councillor Kerry Jang see the mixed nature of the area as a positive and restaurant co-owner Brandon Grossutti sees his efforts at hiring DTES residents as a path to a more integrated community. And while we're on the subject, check out a couple other perspectives that range from accusations of a kind of reverse NIMBYism to biased media coverage of protestors.
The Myth of the Foreign Buyer Boogeyman? Chances are that if you've lived in Vancouver for any length of time you've also heard about the people who come from overseas to buy up our real estate, drive up prices, and then leave the residences vacant. This Globe and Mail piece suggests that there may be less truth in the story than we previously believed. Although exact statistics are tricky to obtain the article states that "2012 figures from Landcor Data Corporation show that only 0.2 per cent of people who bought residential properties in Metro Vancouver last year are currently living outside of the country" In other words, hardly enough to drive the market. The article also says that many foreign investors are in fact also residing here, coming from China and other countries in order to support their children's educations.
Cube Living. Looking for some affordable real estate in the city? Then look no further than artist Alex Grunenfelder's Cube Living project at 221A Artist Run Centre. Last week, Grunenfelder was selling one cubic foot units of space to interested buyers for as little as one dollar. In this interview for The Tyee Grunenfelder explained the project: "I'm not necessarily advocating living in smaller spaces," he says of Cube Living. "It's about looking at the discussions that are happening around all of this, and maybe looking at things from a different point of view, and also trying to project, where is this going? Where is this process of urban densification going to end up?"
Know Your 'Hood. And finally, get to know your Vancouver neighbourhoods with this cute little app (helpful for the next time that you buy real estate?).
At the MOVeum:
March 3 - Design Sundays: Upcycled Urbanism March 7 - Special Curator Talk & Tour: A Clandestine History of Contraception March 10, 17, 24 - Design Sundays: Upcycled Urbanism
[Image: Screenshot from Click That 'Hood game by Code for America]
MOVments: Safety FirstPosted by: Anna Wilkinson on August 21, 2012 / 5:29 PM
Remember how last week we said that BC's push for online voting was a simple tale of convenience in our fast-paced world? As it turns out, it might not be. OpenFile points out why online voting might be more dangerous than you might think. That's right, dangerous. The whole thing got us thinking about how we perceive safety and the different ways that we engage with risk, liability, and uncertainity in Vancouver. So, this week we're looking at the slightly threatening (and also the smelly and the historically biased) side of the city.
Skytrain Safety. The first of many Skytrain fare gates was installed last Monday with the aim of reducing fare evasion and increasing safety for riders. But as OpenFile reports the new system (which won't begin operating until 2013) might make public transit seem safer but will probably do little to actually decrease danger. As TransLink Chief Operating Officer Doug Kelsey suggests, "The keyword is 'perception.' By having fare gates, it enhances the customers' perception of the system being safe...Does a light make people safer? I don't think so, but if it eliminates some shadows and increases the customer's perception of safety, then great. That's a secondary benefit for us for sure."
Odour Laws. Chances are if you've ever spent any time at the corner of Commercial Drive and Hastings, you've smelled something, well, gross. The rendering factory in the area is just one of the facilities that will likely be affected by a new bylaw designed to manage the city's stinkiest smells. High-risk businesses will be required to pay fees of up to $150,000 in order to implement odour management plans.
Getting Into It. There are also dangers associated with leaving some of Vancouver's harsh realities unexamined. For example, as Rebekah Funk argues, terms like 'urban renewal' and 'urban sustainability' used in place of 'gentrification' can shield people from understanding the detrimental impact of new businesses and higher-income housing on the city's poorest areas. Far from being a cut and dried issue, Funk's article in the current issue of Megaphone Magazine looks at the problematics of building integrated, socially-responsible neighbourhoods in the city. And, in a similarly revealing vein, a recent public intervention campaign aims to draw attention to historical injustices committed by BC's first lieutenant-governor Joseph Trutch against the province's aboriginal peoples. Several stickers reading "Joseph Trutch was a racist bigot" have gone up along Trutch Street. Definitely an attention-grabbing way of fighting historical amnesia.
Getting Cozy on Robson. And lastly, in a move that is making the streets happier, more lively, and ultimately maybe even safer, Robson Street will be filled with giant bean bag chairs for three weeks. The large scale art installation has already got a lot of use from children and adults playing, lounging, and sliding around, since it opened last Wednesday.
At the MOVeum:
September 13 - Art Deco Chic: Talk & Tour with Ivan Sayers | Design Challenge Winners Panel
September 19 - Opening Night - Object(ing): The art/design of Tobias Wong
September 20 - Opening Day - Object(ing): The art/design of Tobias Wong
[Image: Pop Rocks installation on Robson Street. Photo by David Niddrie]
MOVments of the weekPosted by: Erin Brown John on September 24, 2010 / 5:01 PM
Another round-up of things we've been following this week:
Two block diet. The Vancouver Sun ran a great article this week about a small community that has formed around producing local food. Some residents in the Riley Park-Little Mountain area decided to pool their resources and help each other turn their back yards into gardens. They now share a communal compost, greenhouse, pressure-canner, laying hens and bee hives and provide an example of what can be accomplished when people work together.
Marine Gateway. The Marine Gateway Project continues to face opposition from many residents in the Cambie Corridor. Architect Nigel Baldwin is one of the latest people to voice concern. Francis Bula presents a document he prepared that visualizes the proposed development in other locations in Vancouver revealing just how large it would be.
However, Bula brings up a good point that it may be more appropriate to judge the individual parts of the development, rather than condemn the whole. For example, the proposed development would include community gathering spaces, something that is currently lacking in Marpole.
Still, others argue that projects like these are essential to drive down the cost of housing and increase supply.
The Charles. The new pub in the Woodwards building has sparked some controversy over the direction of development and revitalization in the area. Some residents and advocates for the Downtown East Side are concerned that the new businesses opening in the neighbourhood offer products and services at prices well beyond what many residents can afford, speeding gentrification.
Hornby bike lane again. The City of Vancouver released drawings of the blocks affected by the Hornby bike lane. The plans continue to draw the ire of the business community. I have been particularly enjoying following Gordon Price's thoughts on bike lanes in the city and the current conflict between businesses and planners.
Breaking car-dependence. Another thing we've been following is the Tyee's series Seven Rules for Sustainable Communities, about planning cities to minimize the need for cars.
Image credit: Les Bazso, PNG, from the Vancouver Sun
MOVments of the weekPosted by: Erin Brown John on July 16, 2010 / 1:54 PM
A round up of things we have been following this week.
Beatty Street wall repaint. Painting is finally underway on the new Beatty Street wall mural. The project is jointly funded by the City of Vancouver and Concord Pacific and depicts figures from Vancouver's past and present. More information can be found on the project's Facebook page and Youtube.
Shortly before the Olympics the Beatty Street Wall was painted over by city workers conducting what was apparently routine maintenance. The move sparked the ire of a large number of people in the community. For those of you who may be feeling nostalgic, the original artwork is still visible on Google Street View, here.
Pop-up shop. Douglas Coupland partnered with Roots to open up a temporary store in Gastown stocked with several limited edition signature items. The event has garnered a lot of buzz and is part of a trend in retail and marketing that turns shopping into an event with stores appearing in novel locations for limited periods of time. Pop-up retail and marketing has already been used successfully by several companies. In a sense, the Cheaper Show uses the same model in order to create new markets for local art. I'd love to see this concept used for non-commercial purposes too, like education or community building.
The changing face of Gastown. The Westender focuses on the closure of Biz Books to highlight the pressures on independent businesses as Gastown gentrifies. In spite of the neighbourhood's facelift, rents are rising and there is a growing number of empty storefronts as people wait for the renewal and residential density ushered in by Woodwards to arrive.
City calls for container housing. City council is considering a motion to explore the use of shipping containers in providing low-cost social housing. The Tyee ran a very positive story about this kind of housing earlier this year, but the comments below reveal that it is a very controversial idea.
Old Spice answers your questions. And a shout-out to Old Spice for launching an excellent social media campaign this week. In short: you send a message to the Old Spice Man via social media and he responds in a video on Youtube. This is in no way a product endorsement, I just think it's a clever and entertaining campaign and Mashable is reporting some incredible stats about its' reach and effectiveness.
Image credit: Kris Krüg, via flickr


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Amidst all the chatter from the TV media about the new shows announced for the 2012-13 season, I'll make a trivially easy guess that has nothing whatsoever to do with those new shows, and practically nothing to do with entertainment programming at all.
CBS will win the season adults 18-49 ratings crown for the 2012-13 season for the first time in 20 years (the last time was 1991-92).
Why is my guess such an easy one?
Football (and maybe a bit baseball).
- CBS is likely to finish two tenths of an adults 18-49 ratings point behind Fox this season (3.0 to 3.2)
- CBS will have the Super Bowl next season (+0.3 ratings points for CBS)
- CBS will have the AFC Championship game in primetime next season (+0.1 point for CBS)
- FOX will not have the NFC Championship game in primetime next season, like they did this season (-0.1 points for FOX)
- FOX is unlikely to get another seven game World Series like they did this season (unknown, but likely negative effect for Fox)
Adding all that up, CBS is likely to easily clear FOX among adults 18-49 next season regardless of what happens with either network's entertainment programs.
Remember, you heard it here first!


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Regular price: $19.95
A Vampire Will Not Rest Until He Satisfies His Hunger . . .
And what I, Reign, hungered for most of all was Olivia Gavin. I have never met a woman more beautiful, more tantalizing, and so I made her my bride. She promised me her heart and soul . . . in return, I plundered her flesh, and bound her to me for all eternity. Then, terrified of what I'd made her, she fled.
Now she has returned, desperate for my help in saving her beloved nephew. But my assistance comes at a price: She must share my bed once more, for the feel of her soft skin, the heat of her kiss, excite me still. And I know she desires me, even as she resists her own heart.
Yet, as we rediscover the passion that brought us together, an enemy waits to destroy us both . . .
Again, this could have been narrated much better, but despite this, it had a brilliant storyline about hate, deception, betrayal, understanding and then forgiveness and finally love.
It was exciting as the story of the Brotherhood unfolds and we are finding out more and more why exactly they are being hunted. Coupled with this plot, you then have the tortured romance between husband and wife vampires that is so touching.
Worth a credit? Despite my repetitive complaints about narration, YES the plot's good and worthy of a credit - but listen to a 'Sample' just in case.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful


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If you're going to be an MLS SuperDraftee, it might be a good idea to get one of those unlimited phone plans.
"My phone was blowing up. I probably had 150 text messages and 55 missed calls," said Jalil Anibaba about the cellular bombardment he received following his ninth overall selection by the Chicago Fire in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft.
Having gone through the 45-minute pomp and circumstance of giving a "thank you" speech, doing interviews, hugging the family and meeting all the club dignitaries, the University of North Carolina product had to take a moment at the Baltimore Convention Center to sift through all the communications in search of one person.
"The first person I called was my step brother Josh [Reese] who wasn't there because he had finals back in California. He's my best friend and I just wanted to express my excitement and thank him for always being there for me."
After the call, the 2011 Combine MVP had the chance to reflect on everyone that had reached out to congratulate him on making the next step in his career.
"You would think the calls and messages would make me think 'I've made it this is great'. For me though it was more of, 'Oh wow, I'm really from an amazing community'. I'm surrounded by amazing people who care about me and that are willing to express their happiness for me. It made me realize how thankful I am for the people that are in my life."
A product of Davis, Calif who also spent the first three years of his collegiate career at Santa Clara University, it's a well-known fact that players born and bred in the Golden State wouldn't mind also playing the game at home. During the anticipation of being selected, Anibaba said he went through a "melting pot of emotions" however he made a conscious decision not to be hopeful for a team based on geography.
"I knew better that that," he said about hopes of being selected by a California-based club. With the draft process you have to be ready to acclimate yourself wherever you end up. For me I was just hoping for a good situation, one that would allow me to learn as much as possible and grow as a player and human being. I can definitely say I got the best situation out there with the Fire."
Anibaba would go on to great things with the Fire in 2011 in 2011, setting the club's rookie record in appearances (29) and minutes (2,508) while tallying two goals and one assist during regular season play. His "improbable, impossible" 40-yard blast in an early season U.S. Open Cup qualifying victory over Colorado was voted as the team's "Goal of the Year" by the club's supporters.
Having gone through a whole year of being a professional, what advice might Anibaba bestow upon former Tar Heal teammates Enzo Martinez or Lombard, Ill product Kirk Urso ahead of Thursday's SuperDraft?
"Once they've been picked, I would tell them first and foremost to continue to work hard. This profession, most if not all, is about merit, what you do with the opportunities that you've earned. Have an open mind as far as the process is concerned because there are a lot of variables that players can't control. Finally, just take time to reflect and have fun. You only go through this once and it goes by super fast. Before they know it they'll be doing interviews just like these."
Jeff Crandall is the Team Writer for the Chicago Fire. Follow him on Twitter @JefeCrandall.


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BERLIN- Stephen Decatur's girls' varsity basketball team inched closer to the .500 mark for the season with a pair of wins over Crisfield and Washington this week.
Last Thursday, the Seahawks routed the Crabbers, 63-24 behind 13 points from prolific scorer Abby Schorr. On Tuesday, the Decatur girls stayed on a mini-roll, beating Washington, 77-57. Schorr again led the Seahawks with 24 points, while Katie Purnell pitched in 18. Monique Wise was tough on the boards, grabbing 20 rebounds.
With the pair on wins, Decatur snapped a four-game losing streak and improved to 9-10 on the season. The Seahawks wrap up the regular season with road games against St. Michael's and Parkside next week.


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Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by T'Girl, Nov 13, 2012.
Ocean's Eleven doesn't make me hungry but it always makes me want to have a glass of Scotch.
That's how I learned the phrase "to have the munchies..."
I can't think of any movie that made me hungry, but Steel Magnolias put me off red velvet cake for a long time. Bleedin' armadillo cake.
I can't think of any movies that have gotten me hungry... I've tried a lot of new foods I otherwise might not have because of movies I've seen, but never actually been made hungry.
Novels and short stories are a whole different ball game though - there are times when I'm reading something and the author describes not just the food but the internal monologue of the characters eating and it is just visceral.
Waitress. That one gets to me too. I've never seen a pie diner before but the one in that movie was cool.
... shared in bed with a certain handsome young man
Well, at least I do (long for, I mean, not share *sigh*)
Not a vegan, huh?
Vegans tend to be lower in fat content.
Oh yes, Keanu Reeves and Nathan Filion; enough to make any woman hungry!
A wonderful film, watching her at work was marvelous!
Speaking of Danish film; here's another one I can't watch without becoming a bit peckish:
The Great Race...there's a scene where a huge pie throwing fight breaks out. Tony curtis walks through the whole fight and doesn't get any pie on him. it always makes me hungry for pie.
That scene at the table in Neverland when they're imagining an enormous feast. Those colourful pie things always made me hungry!
That scene in Jurassic Park where the kids are in the visitor's center and see that buffet table with the best looking food and desserts! Sure, it's after the queasy goat leg/T-Rex munching scene. Fast forward through that...!
Anyone else can't wait to see Jurassic Park next year in the theaters?
Oh yeah! Me too! I always wanted to eat that as a kid!
Does it bug anyone else when there's an eating scene, and the food's all laid out, but because of the dialogue/ensuing action, the food never gets eaten? That distracts me to the point of not being able to focus on what's going on after that. EAT YOUR FOOD! YOU ALREADY SET IT ALL OUT!
that doesn't bother me much, but I really hate it when there's a food fight scene. With so many people starving (even in "1st world" countries), it's setting the absolutely wrong example for kids.
How much of that food is real though? They usually have people throwing cream pies because they're made of shaving cream and not real cream.
The movie, not the game.
You know...that breakfast scene? With the steak and eggs? And the woman not only cooked it all, but packed it to go? Hubby wanted to marry her for her fast thinking and great care in feeding people under pressure. I just got hungry for steak and eggs.
I forgot about Twister! Steak and eggs- yum!
ETA- Just remembered Julie and Julia! I wanted to try every recipe from Mastering the Art of French Cooking when I got home. My sister gave me a copy later, and though I haven't tried every recipe from it, I've gone through several. The big one I had to try was Julia's Boeuf Bourguignon. I've pretty much mastered that one.
Lots of TV shows and movies make me hungry for whatever they're eating.
- I once went to McDonald's to get some chicken fajitas after an episode of House where House was eating Mexican food.
- I made an omelet after hearing Col. Mitchell's recipe on Stargate SG-1.
- I made a steak dinner and a breakfast after seeing the same on Dexter.
- I got myself a bag of Doritos after returning Secret Window to the video store. Johnny Depp's character was eating the stuff in the movie.
- Just two weeks ago I prepared myself a steak dinner with small potatoes and asparigus after seeing Denzel Washington eat the same thing in Flight.
Someday, I'd like to try Robert Rodriguez' Sin City breakfast tacos.
Yeah, I don't like that either.
Separate names with a comma.