text:
More than two months after his shocking death at the age of 50, Michael Jackson was finally laid to rest Thursday night at a service attended by both the King of Pop's family and his many famous friends.
In addition to his parents, Joe and Katherine Jackson, and his several siblings, some others in attendance at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, Calif., were Elizabeth Taylor, Berry Gordy, Quincy Jones, ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley, Kenny Ortega, Macaulay Culkin (along with girlfriend Mila Kunis), baseball legend Barry Bonds, actor Chris Tucker, Reverend Al Sharpton and Corey Feldman.
The service had been scheduled to begin at 8pm on Thursday night, but didn't actually start until about an hour later than planned.
In the hours leading up to the funeral, hundreds of people — a mix of both fans and media — crowded the street corners surrounding the entrance to Forest Lawn.
Guests began to arrive at around 6:15 p.m., with Taylor and Tucker among the early arrivals.
The police then closed off Los Feliz Blvd. near the cemetery for the when the Jackson family motorcade pulled into Forest Lawn just after 8pm to the chants of "Michael, Michael!" from the gathered crowd outside the gates.
Some Jackson family members showed their appreciation to the fans by rolling down their windows to and wave and say thank you.
Michael's sister La Toya Jackson was the last to arrive before the service commenced.
Sporting matching suits with bright red ties and each wearing one white glove, Michael's brothers waited as his casket, topped by a bountiful bouquet of white flowers and a king's crown, was brought to the gravesite and then acted as pallbearers for their late brother and bandmate.


text:
Tom Cruise already has a successful action movie franchise in the "Mission: Impossible" films. But he makes a serious bid to start up a similar action series as "Jack Reacher," a hard-boiled operative in the mold of Jason Bourne. Jack lives off the radar screen after a career as a military police investigator.
A former army sniper Jack knew in Afghanistan becomes the prime suspect in a shooting spree that kills five people in Pittsburgh. Jack's efforts to solve the crime cause problems for the police investigation. He teams up with the suspect's defense attorney, played by the smart and sexy Rosamund Pike, to unravel the mystery.
This premise is the excuse for all the intrigue and mayhem that follows as they are both put in harm's way. Jack is forced into situations where he must demonstrate his outstanding martial arts and black ops skills. Heads are crushed, bones are broken and dead bodies pile up.
Robert Duvall has a nice cameo as a grizzled old Marine running a shooting range. As expected, there is high tension with high-speed chases to keep the adrenaline flowing. It's a great example of this action-packed genre. If this is your cup of tea, you'll enjoy the violent ride.
'Les Miz' earns its tears
Musicals by their very nature are prone to excess, and "Les Miserables" is no exception, but that doesn't mean it's not a beautiful movie.
The beloved stage show-turned-movie is known for haunting melodies and tear-stained drama. Listen closely to the lyrics to understand the moral choices each character faces. I noticed the audience was totally enrapt, and at some points, it seemed there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
Led by Hugh Jackman as long-suffering Jean Valjean and Anne Hathaway as the truly miserable Fantine, the actors sing with searing emotion. Russell Crowe, as relentless Inspector Javert, is a surprise with a pretty decent voice. For comic relief, who better but Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen as the notorious Thenardiers, deliriously grungy and wicked innkeepers.
The holidays are a time to reflect on hope, love and charity. I can't think of a better way to spend them than watching "Les Miserables," even if a few tears are shed.
Skip trip to 'Hyde Park'
In the disappointing "Hyde Park on Hudson," there's a definite "ick" factor in seeing Franklin Delano Roosevelt having an intimate relationship with distant cousin Daisy.
Set in 1939, Bill Murray is charming as FDR but both Laura Linney (as Daisy) and Olivia Williams (as wife Eleanor) seem uncomfortable and dull.
There's a great private conversation between the president and visiting King George VI (Samuel West), that was like a mini follow-up to "The King's Speech." What a film this could have been if the focus stayed on these future real-life allies, rather than on some sordid fiction.
JOHN DEPKO is a retired senior investigator for the Orange County public defender's office. He lives in Costa Mesa and works as a licensed private investigator. SUSANNE PEREZ lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant for a company in Irvine.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Publisher: Berkley Jam Books
Author: Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moesta
Cover Artist: Dave Dorman
Cover Price: $5.99
Media: Paperback
ISBN: 0-425-16416-0 - 1st
23 years after ANH; Episode 13 of the Young Jedi Knights series
Jacen and Jaina
When the Empire died, they were born—a new hope for the New Republic. The young twins of Han Solo and Princess Leia have grown strong with the Force, thwarting the evil Nolaa Tarkona and destroying the Emperor's plague. Now, with their friends Lowbacca the Wookiee and Tenel Ka, the future heroes of an already legendary saga continue their training.
Lando Calrissian offers the young Jedi Knights a rare opportunity—a vacation on Cloud City. They jump at the chance—as long as their new friend, the mysterious Anja Gallandro, can come along.
Anja is happy to be included. But little do the twins know that they are actually helping Anja hatch her sinister plan. A plan that goes far deeper than simple revenge...
|Subsequent Printings


text:
Transform your photos into one-of-a-kind, hand painted masterpieces!
From Iraq With Love by Anthony Falbo - 6.250" x 8.000"
Archival Matte Paper
CRQ13 - Black Wood (CRQ13)
Very White
1/8" Clear Acrylic - Foam Core Mounting
Assembly Charge
Framed Print
From Iraq With Love framed print by Anthony Falbo. Bring your print to life with hundreds of different frame and mat combinations. Our framed prints are assembled, packaged, and shipped by our expert framing staff and delivered "ready to hang" with pre-attached hanging wire, mounting hooks, and nails.
Ships Within
2 - 3 business days
There are no comments for From Iraq With Love. Click here to post the first comment.
Fine Art America offers over 250 different frames at wholesale prices.
Fine Art America is one of the largest, most-respected custom framers in the world. We stock over 250 different frames which can be used to create museum-quality masterpieces from any print. All framed prints are assembled, packaged, and shipped by our expert framing staff within 3 - 4 business days and arrive "ready to hang" with pre-attached hanging wire, mounting hooks, and nails. Our wholesale buying power allows us to offer frame prices which are typically 25 - 40% less than retail frame shops.
Average Rating (4.92 Stars):
Bernice McGlothlin
March 17th, 2019
Timina Eggert
March 17th, 2019
Jeffery Krumm
March 16th, 2019
Jason Cowie
March 15th, 2019
Anthony R Falbo was born and raised in Flint, Michigan. His fascination with color and paint began at a very young age. Anthony's art has a very noticeable and unique artistic flair that today is recognized and collected throughout the world. With a steady demand internationally the value of owning an authentic Falbo has soared. His Cubestraction series has, and still continues to receive tremendous praise throughout the art community. Falbo's art can be seen in many of the most esteemed private collections. Being well known for his works in the Light and Dark, Cubestraction, Genesis, and Impressionist series, is what makes Anthony Falbo recognized as one of the most versatile master painters in the twenty first century. His works...
Our return policy is very simple:
If you're not happy with a purchase that you made on FineArtAmerica.com, for any reason, you can return it to us within 30 days of the order date. As soon as it arrives, we'll issue a full refund for the entire purchase price. Please note - Fine Art America does not reimburse the outgoing or return shipping charges unless the return is due to a defect in quality.
Fine Art America sells thousands of pieces of artwork each month - all with a 100% money-back guarantee. We take great pride in the fact that hundreds of thousands of artists have chosen Fine Art America to fulfill their orders, and we look forward to helping you select your next piece!
All framed prints ship from our production facility within 2 - 3 business days of your order.


text:
Your family's well-being is SYNERGY HomeCare's priority. Our compassionate caregivers are trained in geriatric and disease-related topics and have assisted thousands of families. We help people who want to stay in their home wherever home may be. Whether your loved one is recovering from surgery, living with Alzheimers or needs a little help, we assist our clients maintain their independence and enhance their quality of life.
From family friendly trips with kid friendly activities to local plumbers lawyers, spas, and contractors. Judy's Book has millions of listings and reviews for the best and not so great. Whether you're looking for a specific business or just trying to discover great places we make it easy. We're a family oriented site focusing on bringing trusted reviews and recommendations to moms and others. Green and Sustainable places are becoming more relevant to Judy's Book users, have a favorite place? Write a review and tell users why it's Green!


text:
1943 Willys MB Finds Its Way Back Home After 70 YearsPosted in News on June 4, 2013
On June 3, 1943, a brave little Willys MB rolled off the assembly line of the Willys Toledo plant in Ohio to be delivered to the U.S. Army later that day, one month before the landing in Sicily. Having served its mission honorably over 4,500 miles from home, it spent nearly 70 years overseas. At the end of World War II, the little Willys MB was transferred to the Italian Army, which put it into service until the Willys MB was decommissioned and later sold. In April 1984 it was bought by the Italian journalist Vittorio Argento, who is also the present owner as well as the director and star of the 'back home' operation that brought the Jeep back to its birthplace after 70 years.
The faithful Willys MB made the trek across the Atlantic from Rome to New Jersey where it then drove across three states and over 1000 miles to reach Chrysler Group's Toledo Assembly Complex and the historical production site where it was built 70 years ago. The jeep has come a long way, and not just physically but metaphorically as well. The Willys MB was very crude and bare bones with only the necessary equipment to get our soldiers through the toughest terrain they could encounter. 70 years later, the current generation Jeep Wrangler JK still bears a lot of similarities with its 70 year-old ancestor. Even after 70 years, the Wrangler is still built with solid front and rear axles; a two-speed manually shifted transfer-case, fully convertible capability and even a fold down windshield as standard equipment.


text:
Unique How Do Bathroom Fans Work
Unique How Do Bathroom Fans Work we have published for you on Monday, October 22, 2018 at 8:55 pm, the posts in the category Bathroom Ideas and has been rated by 153 Visitors. You can easily browse all the ideas here by clicking one of the images available, then you will go to link that has been headed.the ideas has been resolution 2000x2000 pixels, and just search other ideas on here.
Labeled :


text:
0 items
Out of stock
You've never seen beach balls like these before. At ToySplash, we pride ourselves on having a wide variety of the most fun pool and beach toys, and these beach balls are no exception. Whether you want a standard, multi-colored beach ball or you're looking for something spectacular that adds spunky character to your pool, the lake or the ocean while you splash with family and friends, you'll find it at ToySplash.
Show off your patriotism with an American flag beach ball festooned with stars and stripes, or inspire a sense of wonder in kids and adults with an inflatable globe beach ball that measures 24 inches in diameter. If you're looking for something a bit bigger, you're in luck; we have beach balls as big as 60 inches in diameter (that's 5 feet of massive bouncing, splashing fun).We also have tasty beach balls that are great for family picnics, such as our Gigantic Bouncing Burger Beach Ball, which is a real whopper measuring in at 3 feet across. You'll also have a blast with our 3-foot Red Tootsie Pop Beach Ball. Little ones adore our Intex Aquarium Beach Ball, which has a funky blow-up fish inside (these balls are available in blue or pink, so you can get the perfect toy for your favorite tot).
Some of ToySplash's best-sellers are our customized 16-inch beach balls. Ideal for family picnics, business giveaways or marketing materials - especially those involving summertime promotions - these customized beach balls are available in a whole rainbow of colors. We'll add your company name, logo and telephone number to each one, and they're available in bulk quantities to help you save even more money.
No matter what kind of beach balls you're looking for, you'll find them here. You don't have to spend your valuable time walking up and down the aisles of a big-box store to find the right pool toys and inflatables for your summer fun when you can shop with the pool toy experts at ToySplash.


text:
Scoring for the 2012 tennis team's going to be changed from the traditional 15-love to 14-love. As in 14-0, Princeton.
The Tigresss team had 14 dual meets up and 14 dual meets down for a perfect 14-0 record. Or in tennis terms, we call it 14-love.
No Princeton team of Connie Lind's has ever gone undefeated in dual match play like this one did this season. Lind said never in her wildest dreams she imagined they'd have the opportunity to finish undefeated. She said they simply found a way to win.
Along the way, the Tigresses won the Mendota Invite and the NCIC Dual to the Finish, took second in the Sterling Newman Invite and the L-P Invite, placed third at the Rock Island Gold and finished the season as sectional runners-up to perennial power Ottawa.
As they did throughout the season, their final serve comes as together as the 2012 BCR Co-Players of the Year
Jen O'Neil-Jr. (No. 1 singles): The Tigresses' top singles player made her way to state, placing second at the Ottawa Sectional. Although she did not win a match there, O'Neill said it lets her know where she needs to get to make it back next year and improve. She finished with a 22-10 record, claiming second at the Sterling Newman Invite, third at Mendota Invite, fifth at the L-P Invite and seventh at the Rock Island Gold.
Makenzey Wilson-Sr. (#2 Singles): For someone who never picked up a tennis racquet until her junior season, the singles standout posted a a sparkling 24-4 record. The PHS senior, aka Venus Wilson, made it to the third round of sectionals and won the Mendota and L-P Invites and placed third at Sterling Newman and Rock Island.
Stephanie Blessman-Sr. & Mackenzie Schafer-Sr. (#1 Doubles): These partners had a history together, having played their way to state in 2011. Although they didn't make it back, bowing in the third round of sectionals. They posted a 19-8 record. Highlight included a first at Mendota, thirds at Sterling Newman and L-P and fourth at Rock Island.
Kate Morrow-Sr. & Taylor Behrend-Jr. (#2 Doubles): The PHS pair made it to the third round of sectionals, bowing out with a 17-9 record. Their season highjlights include winning the Mendota Invite and placing third at Sterling Newman and fourth at
Courtney Webb-Jr. and Emma Reidner-Jr.(#3 Doubles): The Tigresses tandem finished with a 10-3 record, a second-place showing at the Rock Island Invite.


text:
|Thread Tools
|Display Modes
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Kansas City
Casino cash: $30408
2013 Kansas City Royals Repository Thread
Proposed 2013 Slogan: Tigers: They're what's for dinner
Actual 2013 Slogan: Come to Play
A better, more accurate, or alternative slogan: All in, no panic, we promise.
Dayton Moore has pushed all his chips in and is riding on King/Jack suited, hoping it comes together, he gets some good luck, and he hits the nuts by the river card. There's potential, oh yes, there's potential. There's also risk.
At the midway point, Dayton is left counting on the river card. The flop and turn didn't help him, and he's looking at the Tigers holding a pair of Queens and the Indians holding a pair of 9s. His 2013 plan hasn't failed - yet - but the odds are not in his favor.
Burning questions updates below.
Burning Questions for 2013:
1) Will the improve rotation be improved enough? Does James Shields pitch like a fringe No. 1 away from Tampa Bay? Does Ervin Santana pitch to his highest upside in his walk year? Can Jeremy Guthrie build on his strong performance as a Royal in 2012? Can Wade Davis bring his new mentality- and velocity - back to the rotation?
Midseason check-in: Yes, the rotation is certainly improved enough. Shields has pitched like a fringe No. 1 and Santana is having his best season. Guthrie has horrible peripherals but has continued to perform well at his home park and eat innings on the road. Davis brought neither his kick-ass mentality or improved velocity back to the rotation and is in Luke Hochevar/Hiram Davies territory.
2) When will Luke Hochevar be shown the door?
Midseason check-in: It appears, never, at this point. Hochevar has been solid in non-leverage situations, though pretty much every time he has been used with men on base in an inning, it has been a disaster.
3) Does Hosmer bounce back?
Midseason check-in: It took some time, but Hosmer's performance from June 1 on is probably the most encouraging thing about the 2013 season so far.
4) Can Moustakas hit for a whole season like he did in the first half of 2012?
Midseason check-in: Nope. Moustakas was god-awful, then great for about 3 weeks, then god-awful again. He has been better since he started working with Brett and Grafol but still has a long way to go.
5) Who regresses?
Midseason check-in: Welp, Alicides Escobar is not a surprising name here (though Yost's stubborn insistence on hitting him second is ridiculous). Billy Butler is a surprise. He isn't having a terrible year - still contributing a lot to the offense - but he's not hitting for the average or power he has displayed over the past several years.
6) Who plays 2B?
Midseason check-in: A whole bunch of people, and not that great. Gio is at least getting a shot, though he once again is not doing much with it.
7) Can Jeff Francoeur be at least replacement level, rather than epic horrible level?
Midseason check-in: Hahahahahahahahahahaha
8) Will Dayton Moore survive to see 2014?
Midseason check-in: Outlook uncertain. Probably still around, unless the team completely tanks in the second half and he does something foolish. My guess - he sacrifices Ned Yost this offseason and gets one more shot with a new manager in 2014.
9) Will Danny Duffy come back healthy? And if he does, is he the same, better or worse?
Midseason check-in: Yes. Velocity looks the same, and it looks likely he is the same guy as before.
10) And the big one: Has KC added enough to run down the big-money Detroit Tigers?
Midseason check-in: Doesn't look like it, does it?
Last edited by duncan_idaho; 07-15-2013 at 10:01 AM..
Posts: 14,142
Mahomes or GTFO
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: KC
Casino cash: $24382
This is the first year that I can remember (born in '85) that I'm actually PUMPED going in. I've been skeptical the past few seasons...but this year, I'm all about these guys.
Posts: 12,319
21st Century Schizoid Fan
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: The Gates of Delirium
Casino cash: $35050
I used to joke about this, now it has finally happened:
Don't we already have Willy Taveras on the roster -- Jarrod Dyson?
Dayton loves him some 1970s-style CFs. I bet he's tried to coax Omar Moreno out of retirement (although as Bill James once wrote, guys like Moreno don't "retire").
How about find the money to sign Michael Bourn? Put Bourn in center, Cain in RF.
Posts: 57,519
FINALLY! The wait is over.
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: The Future Is Now!!!
Casino cash: $9947665
Posts: 56,553
Oread Incarnate
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Bringing a train near you
Casino cash: $16540
They're still shitty.
Posts: 4,863
Ride on!
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Galaxy far far away
Casino cash: $13272
1. i hope so. it will be better than 2012, but i'm not going to act like i know enough about any of the new guys to say they will be good enough to make a run at the division.
2. hoch will lose his spot in the rotation before opening day. i think if he pitches well enough in relief, he's gone at the deadline.
3. i think hosmer bounces back, and starts playing consistently better baseball all the way around. he's too good of a player to have not worked his ass off this offseason.
4. moose tacos falls in the same category as hosmer. these guys want to win, and have the talent to win, so it all comes down to drive and desire. anybody questioning that about either of these two?
5. i'm not sure who will regress, but i find it hard to believe cain and perez continue to rip the ball the way they did when healthy in 2012. that being said, i'm still excited about them. i think that even with a drop off in production they are still pretty exciting to watch.
6. i think a better question is can getz stay healthy. could we upgrade? sure, but we could do a lot worse.
7. i don't think frenchy bounces back. there i said it. i think he'll continue to hit at that just below .250 mark. for a right fielder who isn't a power guy, that will not do.
8. i'm a homer, and optimistic. yes. i think moore is here well beyond 2014, especially if this shields gamble pays off.
9. i sure hope duffy comes back to form. i like his attitude, and his personality. really impressed me when he was tweeting like a fan after his injury last season. i like his "want to be in kc" attitude, even though i don't get why anyone would have it.
10. dayton has addressed the biggest hole on this team from last year. he's done enough to get me excited for royals baseball, again. its december, the chiefs suck, and i want to put my homer glasses on now, so hell yes they've done enough to compete. who wants tiger meat for dinner?
Posts: 5,468
FINALLY! The wait is over.
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: The Future Is Now!!!
Casino cash: $9947665
Posts: 56,553
Join Date: Jul 2012
Casino cash: $5003
In for a division championship!
Posts: 6,945
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Houston, TX
Casino cash: $11920
I'm sure I'll watch a lot of the games as usual but probably won't post much in here.
Posts: 5,409
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Helena, MT
Casino cash: $1018949
Posts: 17,574
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: JCMO
Casino cash: $15391
Bob Dutton @Royals_Report
#Royals sign LHP George Sherrill and RHP Dan Wheeler to minor-league deals in addition to OF Willy Taveras.
Posts: 4,583
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: JCMO
Casino cash: $15391
Jim Duquette @Jim_Duquette
I was just told by a top major league exec that The #Tigers were heavily involved in discussions for Shields before #Royals landed him.
Posts: 4,583
Forever Royal
Join Date: Mar 2012
Casino cash: $1400
I am excited for this season. Like many the anger from the trade has settled and I have come to accept it and dare I say approve of it.
Posts: 14,813
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Kansas City
Casino cash: $30408
Side note on Shields:
I was looking at his PitchFx data to try and quantify the claims that he changed his approach after 2010. The difference was pretty astounding. He has always been a fastball/change heavy pitcher, but...
From 2010 to 2011/12, Shields drastically reduces the use of his two-seam fastball and cutter by about 60 percent while ramping up his curve and slider. As a result, his harder offerings - which got blistered in 2010 - become more effective.
It's not unusual for a guy around 30 to change his approach, but that's pretty drastic.
Oh, and his average fastball velocity has actually ticked up since he changed this approach. So even though he just turned 31, that's trending positively (unusual for pitchers this age).
"You gotta love livin', cause dying is a pain in the ass."
---- Sinatra
Posts: 14,142
Time For Your Wake Up Call !!!
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: Barn Yard
Casino cash: $2008000
This guy thinks the trade was crap, here's his take .........
A Royal Blunder
Why it made no sense for the Kansas City Royals to trade star prospect Wil Myers
By Rany Jazayerli on December 10, 2012
Dayton Moore, the general manager of the Kansas City Royals, has been far from perfect at his job. He has made bad trades (Melky Cabrera for Jonathan Sanchez), he has made terrible free-agent signings ($36 million for Jose Guillen), and he has signed Jeff Francoeur not once, but twice.
But two years ago, he was able to deliver something to Royals fans that they hadn't felt for a quarter-century: hope. After the 2010 season, the Royals had fashioned the greatest farm system in baseball, the greatest anyone had seen in years. People were talking about the Royals, and not as a punchline. After 25 years without so much as a pennant race, fans of the team could realistically dream about the playoffs — not just a fluky, 2012-Orioles-style appearance, but a legitimate mini-dynasty atop the weak AL Central.
Last night, that dream was ripped apart like a cheap piñata. Frustrated by the inability to develop a starting rotation to pair with the team's young, talented offense, Moore traded Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year, right fielder Wil Myers, and three other solid prospects to the Tampa Bay Rays for James Shields and Wade Davis.
The Royals got a terrific starting pitcher in Shields, and Davis was a solid back-end starter for the Rays in 2010 and 2011 before they moved him to the bullpen in 2012, where he excelled. But Kansas City gave up an astonishing amount of talent, rivaling the Atlanta Braves' regrettable payment for Mark Teixeira1 in 2007 as the largest collection of prospects traded in the past decade.
This is a terrible trade for the Royals, deeply flawed in both its theory and execution, and while it might make the Royals marginally more likely to make the playoffs in 2013, it does irreparable damage to their chances of building a perennial winner.
Let's start here: Wil Myers is not a good prospect. He is not a very good prospect. He is one of the best prospects in baseball, almost certain to be among the top five of every prospect list that is published this offseason. Good prospects fail all the time. Very good prospects fail more often than not. But the very best prospects — especially hitting prospects, whose risk of injury is dramatically lower than their counterparts on the mound — turn into above-average regulars, if not stars, well over 50 percent of the time.
Myers, as mentioned, was named Minor League Player of the Year. In the past 20 years, 14 position players won the same award. Here are their names:
1992: Tim Salmon
1993: Manny Ramirez
1994: Derek Jeter
1995: Andruw Jones
1996: Andruw Jones
1997: Paul Konerko
1998: Eric Chavez
2002: Rocco Baldelli
2003: Joe Mauer
2005: Delmon Young
2006: Alex Gordon
2007: Jay Bruce
2008: Matt Wieters
2009: Jason Heyward
2011: Mike Trout
Yes, Delmon Young was once the Minor League Player of the Year, and if you want to spin this trade for the Royals, you can bring up Young's name as a cautionary tale. And after a promising start to his career, Rocco Baldelli was ravaged by injuries and his career ended at age 28. But every other player on that list has gone on to become a well-above-average player at his position. Most of them became stars. At least a few will go into the Hall of Fame.
Based on the list above, Wil Myers has about an 86 percent chance of becoming a true impact player in the major leagues. Yes, that's based on a small sample size, but that's just the point: Myers is a special player, and there are precious few players that you can compare him to. In 2012, he hit .314/.387/.600 between Double-A and Triple-A while playing the entire season at age 21. He hit 37 home runs, the most by any 21-year-old in the high minors (Double-A and Triple-A) since 1963.
Myers wasn't just one of the best prospects in baseball. He also perfectly fit the one glaring hole in the Royals lineup. The fantastic farm system from two years ago has already supplied the Royals with young talent at first base (Eric Hosmer), third base (Mike Moustakas), and catcher (Salvador Perez) to go along with earlier farm system products in left field (Alex Gordon) and at DH (Billy Butler). The Zack Greinke trade brought in starters at shortstop (Alcides Escobar) and center field (Lorenzo Cain).
But in right field, the Royals committed to Jeff Francoeur, who in 2012 was arguably the worst everyday player in the major leagues. (This continues a long tradition of a Commitment to Execrableness in Kansas City. Yuniesky Betancourt would have once again contended for the worst everyday player honor had he played more.) Francoeur hit .235/.287/.378, which would be atrocious for a shortstop, and despite his cannon arm in right field, he had such poor range that defensive metrics estimate he cost the Royals about 10 runs on defense.
Instead of replacing Francoeur with Myers in 2013, a switch that would be worth around four wins, they're stuck with the game's worst right fielder for another season. The downgrade from Myers to Francoeur is almost enough to cancel out the benefit from acquiring Shields.
Shields is an excellent pitcher who has thrown more innings over the past two seasons than anyone except Justin Verlander. But he's not an ace, and if you're going to give up a prospect as good as Wil Myers, you need to get an ace.
Shields has a 3.89 career ERA, and a 3.15 ERA over the past two years. (Mind you, three years ago he had a 5.18 ERA and led the AL in hits, earned runs, and home runs allowed.) But here's the thing: In Tampa Bay, he played in one of the best pitchers' parks in baseball, in front of one of the best defenses in baseball, for one of the best managers in baseball. He brings none of those things with him to Kansas City.
Ballpark? For his career, Shields has a 3.33 ERA when pitching at Tropicana Field. When pitching anywhere else, he has a 4.54 ERA.
Defense? By defensive efficiency — a measure of what percentage of the time a defense turns a ball in play into an out — the Rays have had the best or second-best defense in the major leagues for each of the past three years. By comparison, over the past three seasons the Royals have ranked 28th, 24th, and 26th in defensive efficiency.
Manager? Joe Maddon's record speaks for itself.
These factors are intertwined to some extent; one thing that makes Maddon great is that he's so aggressive about using defensive shifts, which improves the team's defensive efficiency, as does the ballpark. Overall, it's fair to say that Shields is a good pitcher who was put in position to look like a very good pitcher.
In terms of pure baseball value, Shields has the edge in 2013. But of course, the Royals and Rays didn't trade players — they traded contracts, and the difference between the two is staggering. The Rays have control of Myers for at least the next six years — and given their knack for signing star players to long-term deals as soon as they reach the majors (Evan Longoria, Matt Moore), it wouldn't be a surprise if they soon have Myers under club control into the next decade. The Royals have control of James Shields for two years.
Myers will be making the major league minimum, more or less, for the next three years. Shields will get paid $10.5 million in 2013, and the Royals have an option for him at $12 million in 2014.
That's the most inexplicable part of this trade — that a team that plays in a tiny market, whose owner has a history of (to be kind) penuriousness, and who has already indicated that they've reached their payroll cap, would trade a potential star making minimum wage for a pitcher who earns eight figures in each of the next two seasons. You can't simply evaluate this trade by comparing Myers to Shields — you have to compare what the Royals could have done with Myers and all that money they're going to spend on Shields. For $22 million over the next two seasons, the Royals could sign Shaun Marcum. They could come close to signing Edwin Jackson. Hell, Brandon McCarthy, who can't stay healthy but who has a 3.29 ERA over the past two years, just signed with the Diamondbacks for two years and $15.5 million.
James Shields makes the Royals' rotation much better in 2013. But so would a lot of pitchers who would have signed for the money Kansas City is committing to him. The difference between Shields and any of those pitchers amounts to one more win in 2013, two at the most. And all they would have cost is money — not one of the best prospects in baseball.
Wade Davis, the other pitcher the Royals acquired, may also help their rotation in 2013, which says more about the state of their rotation than about him. Davis was a marginal starter for Tampa Bay in 2010 and 2011, primarily because he couldn't put batters away. He struck out only 5.6 batters per nine innings, well below average. The Rays had the depth in their rotation to move Davis to the bullpen for 2012, and there he improved dramatically — his fastball velocity jumped from 91.8 mph to 93.7 mph, his slider was sharper, and his strikeout rate literally doubled to 11.1 per nine innings.
Davis can be a dominant reliever, but the Royals have a stacked bullpen, and they have announced that Davis will go into spring training with a chance to reestablish himself in the rotation. Given that their bullpen is stacked, this is a rare glimpse of wisdom in the insanity that is this deal. If Davis can maintain his extra juice, he would be a very valuable no. 3 starter — particularly since Davis is signed to a contract that gives the Royals club options to keep him at a reasonable salary through 2017.
It's unlikely that this trade will work out for the Royals, but if it does, Davis — not Shields — will be the key to the trade. And if the Royals traded six-plus years of Wil Myers for seven combined years of control of Shields and Davis, this would almost be a fair deal. It would still favor the Rays, given that Myers is years away from making serious money, while Shields and Davis are already making it. But at least it wouldn't be Grand Theft Farm System.
Ah, but the Royals also threw in three other prospects!
Jake Odorizzi, whom the Royals acquired when they traded Zack Greinke two years ago, is a major league–ready starter with four average to above-average pitches. In 145 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, he struck out 135, walked 50, and had a 3.03 ERA. He's probably not more than a no. 3 starter in the end, but he's already a finished prospect — you don't have to dream on him. He was ranked the no. 69 prospect by Baseball America two years ago, the no. 68 prospect last year, and will probably be in that range again. Basically, he's Wade Davis, only four years younger and with three years' less service time.
Mike Montgomery was one of the best left-handed pitchers in the minors two years ago, back when everything was coming up 7's for the Royals. Even a year ago, he was ranked above Myers as the Royals' best prospect, thanks to a fastball in the mid-90s and an excellent changeup. He has mysteriously lost the ability to get hitters out, however, with an ERA over 5 in the minors in each of the past two seasons. He's a lottery ticket for Tampa Bay, but one that could pay off very, very big.
Patrick Leonard just turned 20 years old, and he hit 14 homers in 62 games in rookie ball this year. He could be just about anything. He's not a top prospect, and probably never will be, but he's just the safety-deposit box the Rays snatched up on their way out of the bank vault.
So if you want to read this trade as charitably as possible from the Royals' perspective, you can say that they almost got fair value for Wil Myers … and then flushed Odorizzi, Montgomery, and Leonard down the toilet.
It's a terrible trade, and for it to work out at all for the Royals, they have to go to the playoffs next season. If they do, then the tradeoff might be worth it, the way it was for the Milwaukee Brewers two years ago when they traded Brett Lawrie for Shaun Marcum, and four young players for Zack Greinke.
But as they're presently constructed, the Royals still aren't good enough to win the AL Central. Their top four starters, none of whom were with the team as recently as July, are Shields, Jeremy Guthrie, Ervin Santana, and Davis. Aside from Shields, that's a lot of league-average talent. If they're going to the playoffs, their offense will have to carry them there.
Only here's the thing: The Royals' offense was worse than their pitching staff last season. Thanks to their fine bullpen, the Royals ranked 10th in the AL in runs allowed in 2012. They ranked 12th in runs scored.
If the Royals do make the playoffs in 2013, it will be because their offense took a huge step forward. It will be because Eric Hosmer, who struggled to hit .232/.304/.359 as a sophomore, returns to being the Will Clark clone that everyone expects him to be. It will be because Salvador Perez doesn't get hurt and miss half the season, and because Mike Moustakas improves his batting average, and — most of all — because the Royals get production out of right field.
By making this trade, the Royals gave away the most obvious source of an offensive upgrade. There is no better example of robbing Peter to pay Paul.
There is also no better example of moral hazard, the term that applies to the dangers of having a decision maker (like, say, a GM) whose self-interests are not aligned with those he's making decisions for (like, say, a baseball team). Prior to this trade, the Royals were well set up to win 85-90 games in 2014, when a wave of pitching talent in their farm system was expected to catch up with the hitters who have already arrived. They seemed poised to be competitive through the rest of the decade. Wil Myers would have been in the middle of their lineup the entire time.
But winning 90 games in 2014 does Dayton Moore no good if the Royals struggle again in 2013, because after six consecutive losing seasons to start Moore's tenure, a seventh in 2013 would probably mean he'd be out of a job. This trade hurts the Royals significantly in the long term, but it might help Moore keep his job in the short term.
If the Royals reach the postseason in 2013, ending the longest playoff drought in American sports, Moore will keep his job, and he might even deserve to. It was the work of his front office that led the Royals to draft players like Myers2 in the first place. Even if Moore gutted his farm system for a playoff appearance, by Kansas City standards that qualifies as an unbridled success.
And if they don't win, well, at least there won't be any doubt about whom to blame. It's not owner David Glass, not with the Royals poised to have a payroll north of $80 million. Moore didn't just push all his chips into the pot — he pushed in his job security as well. If his gamble fails, and if it turns out that Moore sacrificed the Royals' future for an illusory present, Royals fans can only hope that someone else will be able to pick up the pieces.
Our society is run by insane people for insane objectives. I think we're being run by maniacs for maniacal ends and I think I'm liable to be put away as insane for expressing that. That's what's insane about it.
John Lennon
Posts: 32,485
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Iowania
Casino cash: $47396339
Tavaras looks God-awful and should have virtually no chance to make the team. He might be a 4th OF in Omaha.
Posts: 35,838
|Thread Tools
|Display Modes
Linear Mode


text:
OUYA Devs Listen to Feedback? Booya!
The OUYA team has been listening to feedback from the community, ever since they sent the OUYA Dev Console a month ago. Let's take a look at some of the changes they've made!
It seems that a lot of the feedback they received had to do with their controller design. They've take the good, the bad, and everything in-between and crafted a new controller with the following changes:
- The D-pad has been changed from a "disc" style to a "cross" style, which will mean greater accuracy for play.
- The thumbsticks have received rubberized tops for better grip and traction.
- The touchpad will be more responsive in the final release. The sensitivity can be tweaked in the Settings menu.
- Triggers have been improved and are more flush with the controller's body.
- The battery bay is now more snug and the pull-tab will be made of a higher-quality material.
They've even tested the controller with an oscilloscope to ensure it's fast and responsive, which is something that's pretty impressive. We love it when good feedback is taken to heart, especially when it leads to a quality product down the line.
Check out more on the OUYA at the console's official website and let us know if you've already pre-ordered your own!


text:
Bright Lights and the Big City at Epic Roasthouse
Epic Roasthouse on San Francisco's waterfront is the kind of place you go to impress.
There's the unparalleled view of the Bay from most any table, including the jaw-dropping LED "Bay Lights" flickering installation on the Bay Bridge.
There's the over-the-top clubby decor by famed restauranteur-designer Pat Kuleto that showcases the dining room in a sort of pump-house-gone-glam look.
And of course, there is the menu, full of luxurious ingredients and spendy dishes including a 4-ounce A5 Miyazaki Wagyu steak for $98 and "An Epic Meal for Two" (a 32-ounce Tomahawk rib steak plus a 2-pound lobster) for $198.
Last fall, Park Ulrich, also executive chef of adjacent restaurant Waterbar, took over the same position at Epic Roasthouse when founding chef, Jan Birnbaum, departed. I had a chance to dine at Epic Roasthouse recently as a guest of the restaurant, though, it was a night when Ulrich was not there.


text:
germain needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 30 designs submitted by 9 freelance designers.
Design a web site that has the theme of the soul but does not have any religious or spiritual symbols. I like the colors of blue, green, and violet.
The soul could be symbolized as a pearl in a golden pink glow-ray.
You may also use a different symbol for the soul if you feel inclined.
The design needs to have a theme of healing and education with a business flare to it rather than something religious or mystical. If a web site could look businesslike and therapeutic at the same time that would be ideal.
This site is for the education, healing, and triumph of the Soul. I want to reach people in all walks of life.
- Item 1...The title The Triumphant Soul in bold.
- A tagline of "Happiness Lies in Serving the Salvation of Humanity" maybe in Italics bold?? Try different variations.
- The colors of blue, green, and violet should be abundant but white, yellow, pink, and variations of purple are ok.
- The soul symbolized as a Pearl in a golden pink glow-ray.
- Item 1...Stay away from a relgious theme.
- No black, brown or dark colors or theme.


text:
I decided today to end my new-recipe drought and cook something I liked the look of that I found in a colour supplement this weekend. It was a prawn and okra "gumbo" and it looked like my kind of thing. Stealth vegetables: tick. Spicy: tick. Easy: tick.
So after raiding Waitrose, I potato-sacked Kitty into her cot at 1pm, waved cheerio and thundered back to the kitchen with more enthusiasm than I've had in... months and months... to set about cooking this thing.
And it was - it still is, sitting down there greasily in its pot - DISGUSTING. It is like an orange glue-soup studded with chunks of raw onion and warmed-up red pepper. And the thing about red peppers is that they're fine raw and they're fine cooked long and hard, but anything in between is tastes like a microwaveable pizza from a service station.
Is that what gumbo is supposed to be like? Does anyone have a good gumbo recipe? I like the sound of it, mostly because the word "gumbo" is good. But this was just a travesty.
I'm racking my brains, here. I followed the recipe - from a staggeringly famous, usually terrific chef. I didn't shirk or get impatient or skip anything out. Just a bad, bad recipe. Maybe an error? A few of you may have seen it this weekend. Don't bother with it. I mean, like, FUCK I could have been asleep this afternoon! And what if I didn't have an alternative dinner?! What a waste of time and money; literally all going to go on the compost.
I'm in a simply foul mood about the whole thing. But at the very least you may as well benefit from this horrible misadventure, because I certainly haven't.
On a lighter note these are amazing. No, they didn't send me any freebies, but if they'd like to, it would cheer me up enough to prevent me from sending Yotam Ottolenghi his gumbo back to him in the post. On fire.


text:
- This event has passed.
Parent – Child Mother GooseApril 3, 2017
Offered by Talk With Me and TFRC.
For babies ages birth to 12 months.
Come to cuddle, talk, sing and have fun with your child while learning rhymes, songs and stories to share with your child over an 8 week period.
A great program and a chance to meet up with other parents in your community. Call 506-856-3617 or email email@example.com to register for this free program.


text:
The Fogarty International Center of the NIH has a variety of research and training programs focused on fostering international biomedical research collaborations, enhancing ongoing U.S. based research programs, addressing specific biomedical research areas of critical international importance and increasing the research capacity of developing countries. You may get all current information, downloadable applications and application instructions from the NIH/FIC web site: http://www.fic.nih.gov/You will find there the Fogarty International Research Collaborative Awards (FIRCA) and the AIDS- FIRCA along with a number of other grant, Fellowship and Training programs in AIDS, malaria, emerging diseases,population and health, environmental health, ecology and infectious disease, biodiversity, maternal and child health, tuberculosis, training for minority students in international research and more. To find all information associated with a program of interest, click on "special instructions" for each announcement. Applications can now be filled out on Cayuse.
To apply for a FIRCA a U.S. scientist (in a non-profit institution) with an active NIH grant must be the FIRCA P.I. The foreign collaborator may be senior or junior but should be clearly capable of conducting independent research and generally should have a staff position in their home institution.
For the regular FIRCA the foreign collaborator should be from a developing country (as described in the program announcement), or from Russia, Independent States of the former Soviet Union, or Central/Eastern Europe. The AIDS-FIRCA has no regional limitations. The U.S. P.I. should obtain the application forms and fill them out with the foreign collaborator's input. Note: Intramural NIH scientists may be involved as collaborators on a FIRCA but may not, at this time, submit as the P.I.
U.S. scientists with NIH grants are listed in the NIHREPORTER system which includes information on all grants that NIH is funding or has funded in the past. It also includes information on NIH intramural research. You can reach the site by going to: http://projectreporter.nih.gov/reporter.cfm
R01 applications from foreign investigators:In addition to the Fogarty opportunities, NIH will accept R01 applications from foreign investigators. The NIH REPORTER can be used to identify institutes funding the type of research a foreign investigator is interested in. In addition, each NIH Institute has an international representative who may be of help. Contact the Institute directly for the name of the international representative (start at http://www.nih.gov and find the appropriate institute).
Human Frontier Science Program for International Research in Neuroscience and MolecularBiology http://www.hfsp.org/
Neuroscience:*IBRO Fellowships in neuroscience for scientists in developing countries:Go to: http://www.ibro.org/ for general funding.


text:
Cul-de-sacs Are Making Us Fat
Are the disconnected cul-de-sacs so popular in suburban development actually strangling their communities?
These striking images compare the walkability of two Seattle neighborhoods. The blue lines are how far a pedestrian could go walking from the red dot at the center.
At left is Woodinville, a typical suburban arterial jumble with no walkable areas. At right is Ballard, with much easier pedestrian access between points and to food, goods, and services. Ballard's walkable footprint is much larger.
New research published in the Harvard Business Review finds those living in more walkable areas travel 26% fewer miles by car. As walkability increases, so does walking and biking, while pollution and fatness decrease.
The problem, The Seattle Transit Blog argues, is that the government, "historically let developers do nearly anything with cheap land." "We all know what it's like to have to get in your car to go to the Baskin Robbins in the next strip mall over. Is this an example of freedom? Not socio-economically, for certain. Not if you prefer to walk than drive. And certainly this lack of oversight is not the best choice for the planet."
The Unintended Consequences of Cul-de-sacs [Harvard Business Review]
The Cul-de-Sac Ban [NYT Magazine]
How Cul-de-Sacs Are Killing Your Community [Infastructurist]
The Damaging Effect of Cul-de-sacs on Walkability [Seattle Transit Blog]
Is the Problem Auto-Dependency or Suburbia? [Seattle Transit Blog]
Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.


text:
Strickland: Not Running For Governor in 2014
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland says he will not run for the office in 2014.
Strickland, a democrat, lost the 2010 election to current Ohio Governor John Kasich, a republican.
Strickland released this statement about his decision:
"Today, I am announcing my decision not to seek election as Governor of Ohio in 2014.
"In many ways, this has been a very difficult decision. I look back fondly on my time as Ohio's 68th Governor –and am proud of my Administration's efforts to guide our state through the greatest national economic crisis since the Great Depression. With the help of my First Lady — Frances Strickland– my dedicated and loyal Cabinet, and my incredibly hard-working Executive Staff, we held the ship steady. With the help of President Obama, who provided the funds necessary to keep Ohio and all of America from slipping into another Great Depression, we were able to preserve the social safety net, make important investments in education, and position Ohio's economy for the recovery that started in February 2010.
"And when I look back on my four years as Governor, I am equally proud of those in the Strickland Administration who served the public with honor, integrity, and humility. We sought to make Ohio better.
"My administration was about positioning Ohio as a leader in our rapidly changing economy and global world. We worked to rebuild our infrastructure with a special effort to make sure the national system for rail transportation included Ohio. We worked to ensure there were more Ohioans with affordable health care coverage. We significantly improved our national standing in public education, made sure it did not suffer from deep cuts during the economic crises, and worked to satisfy the Supreme Court's ruling for equitable funding with a new formula that was less dependent on property taxes. We enacted a comprehensive energy reform bill that helped to stabilize the energy market for consumers and business while creating a renewable portfolio standard that has positioned Ohio as a leader in advanced energy. And, we made college more affordable. Most significant for jobs, we were leaders in investments in alternatives sources of energy and went to bat for the automobile industry; working closely with President Obama on the rescue plan that has been so pivotal in Ohio's economic recovery.
"In short, I believe my Administration stood and spoke for the causes that count.
"Frances and I will continue to be politically active private citizens. We will continue to stand with working men and women to build a stronger Ohio —and to defeat anti-worker and anti-middle class legislation that may arise."


text:
Why We're Buzzing About Stylish Insect Jewellery
No, we're not bugging out: insect jewellery is the latest accessory to captivate the fashion world. From a bumblebee-studded choker (similar version here) to a tortoiseshell cuff festooned with the insects, Alexander McQueen's S/S 13 collection was the bee's knees, but we've also spotted creepy-crawlies of all varieties (think: beetles, butterflies, and more) adorning elegant pieces of jewellery. Thanks to these critter-inspired charms, these baubles get a slightly subversive spin. Click through to see the bug-embellished picks you should Go Buy Now.
Delfina Delettrez Double Bee Ring ($430)
Add this bumblebee ring to your jewellery rotation for statement-making style.
Tory Burch Buddy Bee Post Earrings ($68)
These earrings are a charming yet understated way of incorporating this trend into your repertoire.
ASOS Pretty Tough Necklace ($84)
Layer this ornate necklace over a buttoned-up shirt for a fashion-forward look.
Daniela Villegas Unity Bracelet ($6000, 323.822.3600) in Sagra Buqueti Scarab/Black Opal
This investment-worthy scarab bracelet is dainty enough for everyday wear.
Photo:Getty Images
Iosselliani Stag Beetle Necklace ($144)
Wear this striking beetle pendant to add interest to a simple t-shirt and jeans.
Pamela Love Spider Earrings ($115)
The perfect mix of feminine and edgy: classic pearl drops suspended from bronze spiders.
Mango Touch Crystals Beetle Necklace ($100)
A beetle adds an unexpectedly playful element to a multicolored necklace.
Temperley London Beetle-Embellished Suede Belt ($315)
Cinch in the waist of a little black dress with a polished beetle belt.
Kelly Wearstler Butterfly Cuff ($295)
Give your cocktail dress a little extra flair with an elegant butterfly cuff.


text:
Guaranteed secure shopping
Builders Booksource is SSL encrypted on Apache servers and guaranteed secure.
Our Secure Sockets
Layer (SSL) software is the industry standard and among the best
software available today for secure online commerce transactions.
It encrypts all of your personal information, including credit
card number, name, and address, so that it cannot be read as the
information travels over the internet.


text:
Job Seekers
Community Developments Investments (August 2013)
Four Bands Community FundThis hunting lodge and cabins complex is one of the small business projects financed by the Four Bands Community Fund.
Working Together: Effective Partnerships Between Native CDFIs and Banks Bridge the Financing Gap in Indian Country
Tanya Fiddler, Executive Director, Four Bands Community Fund
High poverty and unemployment rates and limited physical, legal, and financial infrastructure mark the Indian reservations scattered throughout the country. A significant portion of Native American populations living in these reservation communities struggle daily to meet basic needs for food, water, and shelter. A movement that began gaining momentum in the early 2000s is beginning to turn the tide, however, by providing access to lending products and fundamental financial education. This movement, led by Native community development financial institutions (CDFI), is building a financial infrastructure where there once was none.
Take, for example, the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, an area about the size of Connecticut. Located in Dewey and Ziebach counties in north–central South Dakota, the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation is home to an estimated 8,407 people as of 2012, including 6,146 Native Americans—73.1 percent of the population.1 For the 2007–2011 period, in Ziebach County—among the country's poorest—43.5 percent of the population lived below the poverty level, while Dewey County reported a 30.3 percent poverty level. For the same period, South Dakota and the United States reported 13.8 and 14.3 percent poverty levels, respectively.2
According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007–2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (table 1), the median household income for Dewey and Ziebach counties is $30,645 and $27,917, respectively. For the same period, South Dakota and the United States reported median household income of $48,010 and $52,762, respectively.3 In the same survey and for the same period, Dewey and Ziebach counties posted unemployment rates of 20.3 percent and 27.1 percent, respectively—multiple times the unemployment rates for South Dakota (4.8 percent) and the United States (8.7 percent).4 A starker picture, however, is portrayed in the last labor survey conducted in 2005 by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, which estimated 88 percent of the labor force on the Cheyenne River Reservation to be unemployed.5
Table 1: 2007-2011 Economic Characteristics of Cheyenne River Reservation Counties, South Dakota, and the United States
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Most of the reservation's residents operate on a cash-only basis and have little experience with banks, savings accounts, or effective use of credit. With little financial experience, residents become easy targets for predatory lenders—payday lenders, check cashers, high-interest credit card companies, and pawnshops. It is not uncommon for residents to receive offers in the mail for credit cards with 80 percent interest rates or such high fees that, in some cases, the borrower is left with $50 out of a $250 line of credit.
Payroll deduction programs available from the tribe—a major employer on the reservation—and other employers further exacerbate the problem by enabling individuals to commit significant portions of their paychecks in advance for many types of purchases—often non-necessities. Although the payroll deduction program was intended to provide financial assistance in the face of an emergency, people use the program to purchase furniture or electronics on credit and are left with fewer dollars for day-to-day living expenses.
Four Bands Community Fund, a Native CDFI in Eagle Butte, S.D., has developed products and services to help overcome the challenges of poverty and unemployment that the residents of the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation (figure 1) face. Four Bands was born out of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe's Planning Department and was incorporated in 2000 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. As a separate entity and an independent organization chartered by the tribe and the state of South Dakota, Four Bands is free of political influence from the tribal system. The organization has formed a strategic relationship with the tribe, however, to ensure that the CDFI's programs and services are aligned with the tribe's overall economic development planning efforts.
Figure 1: Cheyenne River Indian Reservation Communities
Source: Four Bands Community Fund.
With intimate knowledge of the unique circumstances on the reservation and with more than a decade of experience working in a rural, economically distressed area, Four Bands has become the leading organization on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation in the areas of small business development, business lending, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship education. A small nonprofit organization with a staff of nine, this organization has dramatically transformed the economic landscape of the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.
Through the end of 2012, Four Bands had served nearly 4,000 clients and disbursed approximately 580 microloans, small business loans, and credit-builder loans totaling $4.1 million. Since its inception in 2000, Four Bands, through its lending products, has contributed to the establishment or expansion of more than 100 Native-owned businesses and the creation or retention of more than 400 jobs on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. Since 2005, its individual development account (IDA), or matched-savings, program has committed more than $400,000 to help more than 100 people achieve asset-based savings goals. Thousands of adults and youths have completed financial education training, and more than 300 individuals have completed a comprehensive business development course. Through a partnership with the five reservation schools, more than 2,000 students have been exposed to financial literacy and entrepreneurship concepts.
Through all of this, Four Bands, like other Native CDFIs, has been changing the unbanked and underbanked population into banked individuals and families. As a result, individuals who may never have had a bank account have enrolled in the IDA program and opened savings accounts, and individuals who may have had only a personal savings account have started a business and opened personal and business checking accounts. In addition, Native CDFIs have been helping their local business communities grow. It is not uncommon for a CDFI business client to transition into mainstream banking for larger or more complex loan products.
While Native CDFIs have helped ease the lack of access to capital and financial resources that plague reservation communities throughout the country, the impact of these small nonprofit organizations remains limited. The fact is, mainstream banking institutions rarely, if ever, engage reservation communities, but these banks' investments are needed to push economic development on the reservations to the next level. The problem is that, for mainstream banks, Indian Country is unfamiliar and risky territory, with layers of complex issues such as tribal sovereignty and multi-jurisdictional areas. A majority of the potential lending opportunities are for start-ups, and those loans carry significant amounts of risk—especially if the lender does not know how to recapture losses through tribal court. Native CDFIs, however, can help: They are local experts and have the relationships and experience in place to navigate these systems. Because their programs are designed to mitigate risk, Native CDFIs can serve as protective layers as well as beneficial partners for banks wishing to invest in Indian Country.
Until recently, Four Bands' limited relationship with banks was typical for a Native CDFI: We partnered with local banks to administer our matched savings program. (Because most Native CDFIs are revolving loan funds and do not offer depository services, the organizations work with nearby banks, where matched-savings program participants open savings accounts and make regular monthly deposits.)
In 2012, Four Bands pioneered a new investment strategy with 1st Financial Bank USA in Dupree, S.D. Because Native CDFIs are mission-driven, they offer development services, such as financial education and business training, that banks do not. In April and May of 2012, 1st Financial Bank took an active role in a series of financial education courses that Four Bands delivered to nearly 300 tribal employees. Not only did the bank financially support the training to cover curriculum purchases and a portion of the staff time, bankers from 1st Financial were on site at the training sessions. As the trainer discussed budgeting or checking and savings accounts, bankers had the opportunity to answer specific questions about their banks' products and services. This partnership combined the best of both worlds—nonprofit mission and for-profit banking services—to invest in the human capital on the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.
The Citi Foundation has also been a leader in Native investment strategies. Through a grant, it is the primary funder of the South Dakota Native Entrepreneur Investment Fund, the first statewide lending program designed for Native communities. With a substantial investment from Citi, the South Dakota Indian Business Alliance is piloting the investment fund this year based on the successful Native CDFI model. As a result, 10 participants will obtain credit-builder loans and improve their credit scores, 25 participants will complete business plans, and 15 participants will obtain microenterprise loans.
There are other ways banks can invest in Native communities too. For example, banks can provide low-cost long-term capital that Native CDFIs can relend. In this strategy, banks can meet their CRA requirements and Native CDFIs can increase business activity and create jobs in their communities. Bank of America has done well in this arena, although its footprint doesn't cover all reservation communities.
Participation loans are another way Native CDFIs and banks can come together. As businesses keep growing in Indian Country, participation loans may become common. For example, a Native entrepreneur may grow his or her business to the point where capital needs exceed what the local Native CDFI can provide. Say the entrepreneur needs to make a large equipment purchase of $350,000 to expand the business. While he or she may have built a positive history with the local Native CDFI, the CDFI cannot make a loan for this amount. (Native CDFIs typically focus on microlending and small business loans. Currently, Four Bands' maximum loan amount is $250,000.) In this situation, a bank could take first position on a participation loan and the Native CDFI could take a soft second position; both share the risks and profits, while the reservation economy grows a little bit more.
There is a lot of potential for banks and Native CDFIs to form symbiotic relationships, in which each partner benefits. It comes down to this: Native CDFIs have what banks need to break into Indian Country—knowledge and ground-level experience. Banks have what Native CDFIs need to keep effecting change in their communities—capital and expertise.
Working together, these two types of financial institutions can have a far greater impact than one working alone.
Tanya Fiddler, Executive Director of the Four Bands Community Fund, can be reached at email@example.com.
Community Developments Investments is produced by the OCC's Community Affairs Department. Articles by non-OCC authors represent their own views and not necessarily the OCC's.
1U.S. Census Bureau, State and County Quick Facts, South Dakota.
4U.S. Census Bureau, Selected Economic Characteristics, 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimate, DP03.
5U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Indian Services, 2005 American Indian Population and Labor Force Report.


text:
Stephen Stanley necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 812 diseños de 150 diseñadores freelance.
Hockey Australia
Hockey Australia is the national governing body for field hockey in Australia. We work in conjunction with affiliated state and territory organisations to manage and promote our sport as well as managing and promoting our national mens and womens teams who compete in all major international tournaments.
We are funded through a combination of revenue from domestic competitions/affiliates, federal government funding and corporate sponsorships.
We are looking to aggressively grow our brand in the Australian market and expand levels of participation in field hockey across the country particularly in school aged children.
Field hockey in Australia is enjoyed by an extremely wide demographic with participants of both genders across all age ranges from 5 years old through to 70 years old. As such the logo must have a general broad appeal, however as part of our development/growth we are looking to primarily target the 13 - 25 year old age group and this should be a primary focus of the design. A secondary focus should be the appeal to large corporate sponsors which means that the logo must translate across all mediums from online, to print through to signage and also television.
We would like a fresh, modern and imaginative logo designed for Hockey Australia.
The logo should incorporate;
- logo graphic
- text of 'Hockey Australia'
- colours would include or solely consist of green and gold
As part of the process we are looking to incorporate a co-branding of all states and territory associations, as such we would like to see a secondary sample logo created using different colours, different wording and a tweak or slight change to the graphic to distinguish it from the national brand and align it with the state brand. The sample logo will be for Hockey NSW.
This logo should incorporate;
- logo graphic
- text of 'Hockey NSW'
- colours would include or solely consist of navy blue and light blue
- optional State specific icon that could be incorporated is a waratah flower
We would encourage lateral ideas - a good example is the new tennis Australia logo - http://www.schoolsportwa.com.au/ima…tralia.JPG.
We would discourage clichéd responses using literal representations of an Australian map, kangaroos (or other animals) or hockey sticks. The logo should be clean and crisp it should not be elegant or overly complex.
Overall we are looking an innovative modern approach that will broadly appeal but that will provide an edge in the youth market.
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


text: Cherokee Da' Ass, or just plain Cherokee as she is best known, has one of the finest asses in porn. This stunning ebony performer also has a mix of Spanish and Indian in her heritage, which gives her that extra sensuality. Cherokee is a California girl all the way. She grew up in Southern California where she still resides today. Born on February 11, 1976, Cherokee entered the world of porn in 1999. At the age of 23 she quickly gained popularity in the black porn niche. Cherokee has worked for several leading studios but is best known for her Black Ice films. Along with appearing in movies, Cherokee has also been featured in several men's magazines including Sweets, Straight Stuntin', Bootylicious and Big Black Beauty. In her spare time, Cherokee enjoys keeping in touch with fans through her membership site. Cherokee is often recognized not just by her scorching performances but also by the "D'ass" tattoo on her right ass cheek.


text:
Italy's e-commerce sector has celebrated a bumper Christmas, but some people are left nursing a hangover now that the party is over.
Online sales in Italy over the holiday season were the best ever and beat expectations, Roberto Liscia, the president of Netcomm, a consortium of online vendors, told Il Sole 24 Ore newspaper Wednesday.
"We had estimated e-commerce purchases worth 2.5 billion euros (US $2.95 billion). Instead we reached 3 billion euros, with an annual increase of 28 percent," Liscia told the business daily. Italy's online holiday sales grew 14 percent in 2012, and 21 percent in 2013, with more than 10 million people shopping for gifts online this year, Liscia said.
Italy still lags other European countries, however. Just 4 percent of Italian companies sell their products online, compared to a European average of 15 percent, Liscia said.
Among those not celebrating, however, were the online clients of Italia Digital, a company based in Lucca, in northwest Italy, which sold technology products through five online portals: italiadigital.it, affaricerti.it, mediaprezzi.it, affaridigitali.it, and megaprezzi.it.
On Dec. 13 the portals closed, publishing an announcement that they were undergoing maintenance, and customers received emails informing them that the company was in crisis and unable to provide them with either the goods ordered or a refund.
Published reports suggest thousands of consumers may have been defrauded for a total of around €500,000 of undelivered IT products.
Police in the town of San Concordio have reportedly placed the administrator of Italia Digital, Daniela Simonetti, under investigation for fraud after summoning her for questioning in recent days.
A consumer organization, the Movement for the Defense of the Citizen (MDC), says it has lodged a complaint with the Antitrust Authority and the Lucca prosecutor's office, calling on those responsible to be charged with fraud and fraudulent bankruptcy.
"The ecommerce market is a resource for the economy of the nation, whose development must not be damaged by these episodes, which must be prosecuted with the maximum severity by the magistrates," MDC said in a statement on its website.
Disappointed customers of another e-commerce failure have until Jan. 12 to file a claim for losses with Milan's bankruptcy court, the Corriere della Sera reported Wednesday.
The failed venture, Happyprice, which aimed to become the Italian Groupon, offering discounted group sales through the portal prezzofelice.it, closed for business in June and was declared bankrupt July 31.
The collapse came despite the support of wealthy backers, who included Leonardo Etro, nephew of the fashion designer Gerolamo Etro, and the three youngest children of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi: Barbara, Eleonora and Luigi.
The investors have blamed the company's administrator, Pietro Dore, for allegedly keeping the true financial situation from them and concealing the existence of losses of around €2 million.
Part of the company's problems stemmed from an excessive dependence on the sale of mobile phones, which offer a very low margin of profit, internal company documents showed.
"It sold smartphones with a 50 percent discount, but only for a few seconds. Then you got the more expensive and, obviously, less desirable version," the consumer association Altroconsumo complained, denouncing Happyprice to the Antitrust Authority for unfair business practices.
The Milan bankruptcy court will begin examining claims against Happyprice on Feb. 10, holding out a slim prospect of relief for those not best pleased with the way Italy's e-commerce sector operates.
Join the CIO New Zealand group on LinkedIn. The group is open to CIOs, IT Directors, COOs, CTOs and senior IT managers.


text:
Gamer Fakes Disability to Get Donations
This is one of the most vile things I have ever seen. Diablo 3 streamer ZillianOP was caught getting out of his wheelchair. He had been pretending to be disabled to gather donations and sympathetic viewers. His channel has since been removed from Twitch.
According to chat logs also hosted on the site, Zilian claims that he did not actually walk away but instead pushed up off his chair and fell in the process.
- Reposted by


text:
We lost our little Tri-colour last year.
It was totally unexpected. We went out to do the shopping and when we got home, he was dead under a tree.
We suspected a heart attack as he had a heart murmur.
My mother picked him up like a baby and cried and cried the whole day. The next day we dug a hole, wrapped him up in our best blanket and buried him under a shady tree. We then planted lillies over his grave.
We visit him every morning to say hello and have even created a shrine in the kitchen dedicated to him with this poem.
When God had made the earth and sky
The flowers and the trees
He then made all the animals and
All the birds and bees
And when His work was finished
Not one was quite the same
He said: "Ill walk this earth of mine
And give each one a name."
And so He travelled land and sea
And everywhere He went,
A little creature followed Him
Until it's strength was spent.
When all were named upon the earth
And in the sky and sea,
The little creature said:
"Dear Lord, there's no name left for me."
The Father smiled and softly said:
"I've left you to the end,
I've turned my own name back to front
And called you 'DOG' my friend!"


text:
Privacy Policy
Collection, Use and Security of Personal Information
National Stroke Association has created this Privacy Policy to explain why we collect particular information and how we will protect your personal privacy within our websites. The following discloses our information gathering and dissemination practices for the websites located at the URLs support.stroke.org and www.strokesmart.org (Sites).
In order to fully understand your rights we encourage you to read this Privacy Policy as well as our Terms of Use. National Stroke Association reserves the right at any time and without notice to change this Privacy Policy simply by posting such changes on our Sites. Any such change will be effective immediately upon posting. Because National Stroke Association wants to demonstrate our commitment to your privacy, this Privacy Policy notifies you of:
- What personally identifiable information of yours is collected through the Sites
- Who collects such information
- How such information is used
- With whom your information may be shared
- What choices you have regarding collection, use and distribution of your information
- What kind of security procedures are in place to protect the loss, misuse or alteration of information under our control
- How you can correct any inaccuracies in your information
This Privacy Policy applies to activities of National Stroke Association and additionally to persons visiting National Stroke Association websites, signing up for National Stroke Association publications and mailings, or entering into transactions with National Stroke Association, and covers the collection, use, storage and disclosure of information and data as described in this Privacy Policy. The Privacy Policy does not apply to information that National Stroke Association collects on contractors, vendors or other entities with which National Stroke Association does business, although National Stroke Association will contractually require them to comply with relevant provisions of the Privacy Policy.
Collection of Personal Information
1. National Stroke Association will collect Personal Information (see below for definition of "Personal Information") on an individual only if the individual provides the information to National Stroke Association either directly or through a third party. National Stroke Association also may collect information about a person who has been referred to the websites to send them emails regarding National Stroke Association's efforts or a person to whom National Stroke Association has been asked to send emails regarding National Stroke Association's fundraising, programs or efforts. If a person donates to National Stroke Association, National Stroke Association may collect sensitive Personal Information such as the donor's credit card number, card type, expiration date and keep a record of the financial transaction.
National Stroke Association may collect Demographic Information it obtains from individuals and third parties for fundraising purposes, to inform development of programs, products and services and to notify persons of National Stroke Association programs, events, educational opportunities and upcoming meetings.
National Stroke Association utilizes Google Analytics features based on Display Advertising (e.g., Remarketing, Google Display Network Impression Reporting, the DoubleClick Campaign Manager integration, or Google Analytics Demographics and Interest Reporting).
Visitors can opt-out of Google Analytics for Display Advertising and customize Google Display Network ads using the Ads Settings.
National Stroke Association will not facilitate the merging of personally-identifiable information with non-personally identifiable information previously collected from Display Advertising features that is based on the DoubleClick cookie unless you have robust notice of, and the user's prior affirmative (i.e., opt-in) consent to, that merger.
If you wish to hide all of your browsing behavior you can use Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.
National Stroke Association may collect Aggregate and Transactional Information and add to its database every time a person visits National Stroke Association websites. Also, National Stroke Association collects Aggregate Information for research purposes.
2. Types of information: "Personal Information" is "Demographic Information" and/or "Medical Information" which identifies a specific individual with a minimal degree of effort. Demographic Information includes name, address, city and other similar information. Medical Information includes diseases, treatments, lifestyle behaviors, family history, genotype, phenotype and other similar information. Transactional Information is data collected on an individual based on the individuals' interactions with National Stroke Association, which may include sensitive information such as credit card information and Medical Information. Aggregate Information is information presented in summary or statistical form, which does not contain data that would permit the identification of a specific individual without extraordinary effort.
Use of Personal Information
- When an individual provides Personal Information to National Stroke Association, National Stroke Association may use the Personal Information for its fundraising, programs, products and services.
- National Stroke Association uses Transactional Information for research purposes for the development or implementation of its fundraising, programs, products and services. The presumption is that, since Transactional Information is highly proprietary, it will not be disclosed to third parties.
- National Stroke Association will disclose all information as required by law.
- National Stroke Association will make every effort to discontinue the use of an individual's Personal Information as soon as practicable if requested by that individual. National Stroke Association may need to retain Information in its archives and records to comply with law, resolve disputes, analyze problems, assist with any investigations, enforce National Stroke Association's User Agreement and other policies, and take other actions otherwise permitted or required by law.
- If a user elects to use National Stroke Association's referral service for informing a friend about our Sites, we ask them for the friend's name and e-mail address. National Stroke Association will automatically send the friend a one-time e-mail inviting them to visit the Sites.
- If a user wishes to subscribe to National Stroke Association's push email technology, e-newsletters or other digital sign-up activities (e.g, pledge), we ask for contact information such as name and email address.
- National Stroke Association's websites contains links to other websites. Please note that when you click on one of these links, you are entering another websites for which National Stroke Association has no responsibility. We encourage you to read the privacy statements on all such Sites as their policies may be different than ours.
Use of Donor Information
All requests to remain anonymous shall be honored. National Stroke Association does not sell or share donor lists with external parties. Donors who supply National Stroke Association with their postal addresses or email addresses may be contacted periodically for solicitation purposes and/or with information regarding upcoming events. Donors that are not interested in being contacted on a periodic basis can opt out of these communications by emailing email@example.com.
Donor names may appear on our website. If donors do not want this recognition, donors can request their names be withheld by emailing firstname.lastname@example.com, and the donations will appear as "Anonymous."
Specific Requirements
- National Stroke Association will take reasonable and appropriate measures to keep Personal Information confidential and in a secure environment, including taking appropriate action in the event of unauthorized disclosure.
- Access to Personal Information will be restricted to only those personnel with a legitimate business purpose.
- National Stroke Association owns all Personal Information provided to it by individuals and collected in accordance with this Policy. When an individual provides Medical Information to National Stroke Association, National Stroke Association will ensure that the individual acknowledges their assignment of the right to use the data to National Stroke Association.
Third Party Disclosure
- Permission is required before National Stroke Association discloses Personal Information to a third party. No permission is necessary for Aggregate Information, since Aggregate Information does not identify a specific individual.
- For disclosure of Demographic Information, National Stroke Association as a minimum will use the "Opt Out" approach. An "opt-out" is obtained when National Stroke Association through some correspondence gives an individual the opportunity to decline or "opt-out" of disclosures to third parties. If the individual does not opt out, permission is deemed granted. Depending upon the nature of an activity or project, a higher standard than "opt-out" may be used, such as "opt-in" whereby an individual must affirmatively give consent before information is disclosed.
- For disclosure of Medical Information, Informed Consent is required before National Stroke Association discloses Medical Information to a third party. Informed Consent occurs when an individual has sufficient facts about the disclosure, comprehends those facts, and voluntarily consents to the disclosure. Where a third party such as the employer or healthcare provider of an individual requires the individual to participate in an National Stroke Association program which collects Medical Information, National Stroke Association will require the employer or healthcare provider to procure Informed Consent before National Stroke Association will release Medical Information to that employer or healthcare provider.
- From time to time, there is a benefit in allowing a third party to use collected Personal Information on individuals. However, unless an individual gives permission, National Stroke Association will not disclose Personal Information collected by National Stroke Association to any third party. National Stroke Association sometimes engages third parties to provide certain operational services to National Stroke Association or on its behalf. National Stroke Association may disclose Personal Information to those third parties on a "need to know" basis under a written contract.
- National Stroke Association uses and allows third parties to use Aggregate Information for research purposes for the development or implementation of its fundraising, programs, products and services.
Information Security
National Stroke Association uses an outside credit card processing company to bill users for goods and services or to process donations. These companies do not retain, share, store or use personally identifiable information for any secondary purposes. National Stroke Association partners with other parties to provide specific services such as secured Sites for financial transactions. As an option, users may register and create a personal account profile to provide more personalized information. Users are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of the user ID and password, and are fully responsible for all activities that occur under their account. National Stroke Association has no liability or responsibility for such use. National Stroke Association users are given the opportunity to "opt-out" of having their personal information used by third parties at the point where we ask for the information for purposes not directly related to our Sites. For example, our informational email messages have an "opt-out" mechanism so users who register can change their minds and be removed from receiving future informational messages.
If you decide at a later time that you want to opt out of any of National Stroke Association services, you can also contact Customer Service at 1-(800) STROKES (787-6537) or email firstname.lastname@example.com. Please reference "Opt Out" in the subject line and describe which services you would like to opt out of in the body of the email. To update or change your information and preferences, visit our user login page and log on to your account.
National Stroke Association's websites may use cookies to enhance your experience while using the Sites. Cookies are pieces of information that some websites transfer to the computer that is browsing that websites and are used for record-keeping purposes at many websites. Use of cookies makes use of the Internet easier by performing certain functions such as saving your passwords; your personal preferences regarding your use of the particular websites and to make sure you don't see the same ad repeatedly. Many consider the use of cookies to be an industry standard.
Your browser is probably set to accept cookies. However, if you would prefer not to receive cookies, you can alter the configuration of your browser to refuse cookies. If you choose to have your browser refuse cookies, it is possible that some areas of our Sites will not function properly when you view them.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, the practices of these Sites, or your dealings with the Sites, you can contact:
Stroke Association
9707 E. Easter Lane, Suite B
Centennial, CO 80112
Email to: email@example.com
Call: 1-800-STROKES (787-6537)


text:
Telebet and internet wagering will be available for the simulcast menu which includes Philadelphia Park, Beulah Park, Turf Paradise and Portland Meadows. Full dark day simulcast operations will resume on Tuesday, March 3. There is no charge for parking or admission and gates open at 11:30 a.m.
Next Saturday, March 7, Aqueduct Racetrack will offer a pair of Grade 3 races, headed by the 57th running of the $250,000 Gotham, New York's first major Triple Crown prep for three-year-olds at a mile and a sixteenth. The races will be part of a live 10-race card that begins at 12:30 p.m., and all overnight races carded for Gotham Stakes Day will receive a $10,000 purse increase.
Likely to contend in the Gotham are Jeff Singer's Axel Foley; Turtle Bird Stable's Haynesfield, David J. Lanzman Racing Stable's I Want Revenge, Sequoia Stable's Imperial Council; Peachtree Stable's Masala; West Point Thoroughbreds' Mr. Fantasy; Starlight Partners' Naos and Mark E. Russell's Russell Road.
Russell Road, a West Virginia-bred Wheaton gelding, has won six straight after a half-length loss at Charles Town to begin his career. Trained by James Casey, he will get a strong test for class in the Gotham.
Haynesfield, a New York-bred son of Speightstown, lost his debut race at Saratoga last August, but has since reeled off four straight victories, including two in open company here in the Count Fleet and Whirlaway.
I Want Revenge and Axel Foley both ship in from California, where I Want Revenge ran third to Pioneerof the Nile in the Grade 2 Robert B. Lewis and Axel Foley was second in the California Derby.
Imperial Council, a son of 2003 Wood Memorial and Belmont Stakes winner Empire Maker, has won two of three starts for Hall of Fame trainer Shug McGaughey, while Mr. Fantasy is unbeaten in two starts for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin. Naos has won two of three starts for trainer Todd Pletcher, who also figures to run Masala here.
Saturday, Aqueduct will again feature a guaranteed $250,000 late Pick 4 on races 7-10.
* * *
Shadwell Stables Lucky Island (ARG) worked a half-mile on Friday morning on the fast training track at Belmont Park as he prepares to make his seasonal debut in next Saturday's 118th running of the Grade 3, $100,000-added Toboggan for three-year-olds and up at six furlongs.
The 5-year-old Lucky Roberto colt won four of seven starts last year, including victories in the Grade 3 Bold Ruler Handicap and Grade 2 Tom Fool Handicap at Belmont Park. His season ended, however, with three dismal performances and he was given time to rest.
Also working on Friday was John Petrini's Joey P., who went five furlongs in 1:01.01, handily. A 7-year-old Close Up gelding, he will be looking to end a three-race string of runner-up finishes for trainer Ben Perkins Jr. He has not raced since a neck loss at Monmouth Park on September 1.
Expected to challenge him in the Toboggan are King T. Leatherbury's Ah Day, who was third in the Grade 1 Carter Handicap here last year; Repole Stable's Driven by Success, who is riding a three-race winning streak in restricted company; Susan Moore and M and M Thoroughbreds' Grand Champion, fourth in last November's Fall Highweight Handicap; and R. David Sadoo's Place Your Bet, second to True Quality in the Paumonok here on January 24.
* * *
Tri-Bone Stable and Dr. Russ Cohen will sponsor a complimentary dinner for backstretch workers on Tuesday, March 3 from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. at the Aqueduct and Belmont Park kitchens.
Tri-Bone and Cohen are the respective owner and breeder of What a Pear, who won last Sunday's Busher Stakes by better than10 lengths.
Now 4-for-4, the E Dubai filly will likely come back in the Grade 1, $400,000 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland on April 4.
* * *
Trainer Dominic Galluscio posted back-to-back wins in races one and two on Saturday with R Fast Favorite, ridden by Erick Lopez and Spunky, ridden by Anna Rose "Rosie" Napravnik. Galluscio has quietly advanced in the trainer standings during Aqueduct's inner dirt meet and Saturday's training double brought him up to fourth in the trainer standings with 17 victories, mostly in claiming races.
"Even a blind squirrel has to catch an acorn sometimes," Galluscio joked. "No, you have to have to have race luck and be in the right races. It's all in the placing."
So far this winter, Galluscio seems to have the placing pretty well figured out and it's not the first time he's enjoyed inner track success.
During the '05-'06 inner track season, Galluscio finished ninth in the standings and went on to win the 2006 $250,000 Empire Classic Handicap with longshot Organizer. History repeated itself in 2007 – after finishing 7th in the inner track standings, Galluscio saddled another Empire Classic winner, Dr. V's Magic, full brother to Organizer.


text:
Qt is an important part of our BlackBerry 10 Cascades framework. We were proud to be part of Qt Developer Days in Santa Clara, where we had our own booth set up to showcase the BlackBerry 10 OS and to speak to developers about the excitement surrounding the upcoming BlackBerry 10 launch event on January 30th (not long to go now!). Some developers did not really know what BlackBerry 10 was but after seeing the platform for themselves, they shared our excitement. This was a user interface that they had not seen before, and something a lot of the MeeGo community liked with its simple but powerful gestures.
Alec Saunders, VP Developer Relations at RIM, had a keynote speech where he presented our BlackBerry 10 ecosystem story. He also spoke to RIM's involvement with Qt and how developers can be rewarded for porting their Qt applications to BlackBerry 10. BlackBerry World is a going to be a level playing ground for your applications to actually have a chance of being discovered and not lost in the crowd like on other platforms.
We seeded eager developers with BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha testing devices for them to port over their existing MeeGo / Symbian Qt applications, and also provided technical support. For Qt Mobile Application Developers, BlackBerry 10 offers the ability to get a return on your existing development investments. Depending on the complexity of your application, the port over to BlackBerry 10 can really be a painless experience.
We do realize that not everyone can get to these events, and so we have the BlackBerry Qt Porting Program, an online offer so that eligible developers can get their hands on BlackBerry 10 Dev Alpha testing devices. For complete details, see the Official Program Terms and Conditions.
What you need to do is:
- Become a BlackBerry World Vendor.
- Submit your porting plan to bring your Qt app to BlackBerry 10 for approval at https://developer.blackberry.com/offers/qt
We also have an offer of a one-time donation of $10,000 USD to the Qt Project Hosting Foundation if 50 eligible Qt apps are ported to BlackBerry 10 by the Qt Community and then posted and available for sale in BlackBerry World by January 30, 2013 (1)
- Be a BlackBerry World Vendor.
- Apps must be submitted to BlackBerry World by January 20, 2013 and be approved.
- 50 Qt apps must be up for sale in BlackBerry World by January 30, 2013.
It was fantastic being part of Qt Developer Days in Santa Clara, but this is really just the start for us and by no means the end. We are actively working with Digia and the Qt foundation to further strengthen Qt and our relationship with it and also with you.
Below are some links of how we can help you develop for us:
Qt Project Wiki:
Qt Project Group:
Open Jam Sessions for Qt developers to talk to RIM internal Qt experts about technical problems:
- Qt Live Time with BlackBerry Developer Relations
- Wednesday, December 12, 2012 @ 10:00 – 12:00 ET
- https://developer.blackberry.com/devzone/jamcommunity/supportjams/session_registration.html?id=307
- Qt Live Time with BlackBerry Developer Relations
- Wednesday, December 19, 2012 @ 10:00 – 12:00 ET
- https://developer.blackberry.com/devzone/jamcommunity/supportjams/session_registration.html?id=308
Porting Qt to BlackBerry 10:
- Porting Qt Applications to BlackBerry 10 is Easier than Ever!
- Writing Qt apps for the BlackBerry 10 platform
Built for BlackBerry and the 10k Developer Commitment:


text:
Cyclocross on the Cheap: Chaingangs and Powermeters
Cyclocross rarely knows such glamour, despite richly deserving it. And Vegas had it all: shiny things, light things, new things, expensive things; trade shows were ever thus. Oh, and the hangovers. I'm sure there were some immense hangovers.
A casual glance at this array of goodies might convince you that their purpose was to make you faster. Anyone who has ever pressed a pedal in anger can tell you otherwise. These gadgets exist solely to tell you how slow you are. They can express inadequecy in figures accurate to the third decimal point. The all-consuming guilt that can be inspired by a powermeter is phenomenal. If I ever find myself poor (poor in a serious way, not poor in my current self-proclaimed, irreverent, slightly flippant way) I will qualify as a psychoanalyst and specialise in treating the anxieties of middle-aged bike racers. I would never go hungry again.