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The New Mass
In Advent 2011, there may be plenty of surprised Catholics in your parish. The Vatican recently approved the final version of the new English-language translation of the Mass texts after a decades-long, byzantine process. America readers will be familiar with the controversy surrounding the approval (as well as the "What if We Just Said, 'Wait'?" movement). Overall, the new translation is a word-for-word replication of the approved Latin text rather than one aimed at conveying a more general "sense" of the Latin. A few Catholics will be delighted by the more high-toned language; some will be dismayed at overly fussy words; most will probably miss the "old" Mass (a k a the Novus Ordo), which did not seem to need much tinkering. There are some striking changes. Christ now died not "for all," but "for many" (the original Latin is pro multis). For a time, then, both priests and the faithful will have their eyes glued on their sacramentaries and missalettes.
In preparation for the introduction of the new texts, the U.S. bishops have announced an ambitious catechetical program. But is this a case of closing the church doors after the liturgical horses have fled? It is unlikely that any catechesis will convince Catholics who think otherwise that the new translations are an improvement over the old. Perhaps the best that the bishops' program can do is remind Catholics of the centrality of the Eucharist, the "source and summit of the Christian life," as the Second Vatican Council taught. The Mass is still the place where Catholics meet God in the most profound way. And that is the invitation for all, not just many.
Who Is Not Coming?
A report issued in September by the Pew Hispanic Center, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau, shows that the size of the unauthorized immigrant population has been shrinking since mid-decade and continues to shrink—a marked reversal. The inflow of unauthorized immigrants was nearly two-thirds smaller between March 2007 and March 2009 than it was from 2000 to 2005. As a result experts have lowered their estimate of the total number of unauthorized immigrants living in the country: from 12 million in 2007 to 11.1 million in 2009. The decrease means nearly a million fewer people are living (not to mention working and paying taxes) in the United States. The drop has been most notable in U.S. states along the southeast coast and in the mountain west, especially Arizona, Colorado and Utah.
Who are no longer coming? Mostly they are unauthorized immigrants from Latin America (the Caribbean, Central America and South America), but excluding Mexico. The number from Latin America declined by 22 percent between 2007 and 2009, while the number from Mexico peaked at around 7 million in 2007 and has leveled off.
This report tracks a notable trend reversal but offers no explanation for it. It does not show that increased border security or stronger anti-immigrant laws or fewer job opportunities are responsible. Nor does it suggest why the number of Latin American immigrants, in particular, is declining. Some will find the drop itself a positive development, a big problem shrinking, whatever the reason. Yet few big problems solve themselves. In this case the need for immigration reform at the federal level remains as long as there are millions of unauthorized immigrants among us.
Developing Obesity
Hunger and starvation continue to afflict the world's poorest countries, but in some poor nations obesity has also emerged as a growing problem. In the past two decades, rates of obesity have tripled in developing countries that have been adopting a more Western lifestyle in terms of food consumption, according to The New England Journal of Medicine. A study by the United Nations in 1999 found obesity in all developing parts of the world, and it tends to grow as income increases. Even in sub-Saharan Africa, where most of the world's hungriest people live, an increase in obesity is taking place, especially among urban women. The World Health Organization has pointed out that this pandemic originated in the United States, crossed to Europe and the world's other rich nations, and then appeared in even the world's poorest countries, especially in their urban areas.
Dr. Barbara Burlingame, a nutrition officer at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, has noted that obesity often leads to micronutrient deficiency, which can lead in turn to such health threats as anemia, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. While starvation-level hunger remains one of the world's most serious food problems, the growing level of obesity in developing nations has created a new challenge that calls for more attention to the quality as well as the quantity of food. Much of the blame can be placed on multinational companies that market cheap, highly refined fats, oils and carbohydrates. The influence of the West, with its penchant for high-calorie and sugary fast foods, is a growing culprit that must be dealt with, along with profit-driven multinational companies.
At the school level, where habits are formed and where lunches are subsidized by the government, we would be wise to follow Michelle Obama's suggestions on providing more healthy choices for the children. PE should also be a part of the school curriculum to further encourage our sedentary children to develop good exercise habits.
I have worked for large organizations my entire working career. Change is a constant. The one lesson I have learned is we need to embrace change to make it work. It seems to me that the "Liberal" establishment in the Church does not give due credit to the intelligence to the person in the pew. I do not think that we will have trouble adapting to the new language. Give it a chance. Embrace it. Encourage others. The constant criticism is not helpful. The decision has been made. Now our role is to make it work.
Let's not throw in the towel. There is more at stake than simple phrasing. The arcane and archaic phrasing of the new Mass translation has the power to further marginalize smart young people. No. I think it's time for a conversation... between pastors and congregations (the bishops are surely not listening). Let there be two Rites, let certain churches maintain the "old" form, let people vote with their feet (and their heads and hearts). Whatever the choice, it's not time to acquiesce. We are losing young Catholics faster than we are losing vocations... they are the Church's legacy and it's time to smartly support them. No amount of catachesis will cause anyone to mistake a bowl of feathers for a bowl of gold. It is time for laypeople, priests, sisters and brothers to speak up with real courage, it is not time to roll over and play dead.
The sections of the new translation I have seen do not seem to be to hard to understand. For some reason, the specific case of the word "ineffable" seems to have taken on a life of it's own. For what it's worth, I know exactly what ineffable means-because my junior year at a Jesuit high school, my Sacraments and Prayer teacher explained it (and why we need a word like ineffable to even begin to talk about God!) on the first day of class. It took him about 30 seconds. I prefer a translation that is accurate in talking about God-even if it occasionally makes me learn new things!
Technically, YES, but actually NO. The real problem with the NEW translations is not the language of the product, but the reversal of the PROCESS implemented by Vatican II empowering indigenous episcopal conferences to produce their own translations. In this case, the authority of the local English speaking bishops of the world to generate liturgical texts was subsumed and usurped by Rome as ICEL (the International Committee on English in the Liturgy) was attacked and replaced by the VOX CLARA (as if the Latin nomenclature doesn't betray a papal restorationist agenda begun by JP2 and continued by B16). That's the problem. The language -rubber stamped by bishops' conferences around the world and returned for the official imprimatur- is but a symptom of a faulty process which is diametrically opposed to the reforms of the Council.
I am 23 and am another youth absolutely yearning for the new translation. The current translation has parts that are slightly off and others that are just flat embarrasing.
1. Greeting Reponse:
Original Latin: Et cum spiritu tuo
Current English Text: And also with you
Corrected Translation: And with your spirit
Spanish has always translated this correctly as "y con tu espiritu"
The "espiritu" here is the indellible mark on the priests soul. It will be good to remind the priests and people of this. It is from the earliest Christian times, and faithful to the Latin.
2. Confiteor:
Original Latin: mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa
Current English Text: through my own fault
Corrected Translation: through my own fault (2x), through my most grevious fault
Can't really add much here, again Spanish has it right.
3. Immeadiately prior to the words of Consecration
Original Latin: accipens et hunc praeclarum calicem in sanctas ac venerabiles manus suas
Current English Text: he took the cup
Corrected English Translation: he took this precious chalice in his holy and venerable hands
This one makes it obvious that the current text is inadequate.
4. The words of Consecration over the contents of the Chalice
Original Latin: pro multis
Current English Text: for all
Corrected English Translation: for many
Why did they change the words over the Chalice in 1967. "for all" is just wrong. Multis means many. Omnibus is all. Every Eastern Rite and all of the Orthodox Churches use "many". Saints and theologians explained that in the Consecration the efficiency of Christ's Sacrifice is spoken of, not its sufficiency.
Christ died for all. No one who supports the corrected translation denies that. However, not everyone will accept the fruits of His Sacrifice. It is more likely that those unhappy with the correction are unhappy with the idea of people actually being in Hell. But thats reality. We need this translation.
I would suggest that reading an inter-linear Greek-English translation of the NT would illuminate our understanding of the texts.
". . . the profit motive has done more to advance life than any other motive since civilization began." I think not. The profit motive has provided the situation that this country is in today and has been responsible for things like slavery, child labor, deaths in dangerous jobs, etc. . .
Profit is not evil but neither is it eternal. It matters how you get it and what you do with it after you have it. If we really want to be Christ-like, then we must live as He did and obey what he commands, e.g. "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal. . ." It was NOT a SUGGESTION.
Its' where the rubber meets the road. Much profit in third-world countries determined to get these people to use powdered milk, but failed to teach them to boil the water; it led Ford to manufacture an automobile that exploded when hit from the rear, when it would have taken a mere $15.00 per car to correct. Capitalism is fine as long as there are rules to prevent suffering because of greed, but profit is many times what leads people to feel abused when they have rules. If we had not needed rules, GOd would not have provided for us the Ten Commandments that, when you actually obey them, prevent us from harming ourselfs.
I had four years of theology/philosophy (+ liberal arts for degree in physics). I am going to miss the current English translation. It sounds like English to me, not 19th century over-decorated English trying to act like Latin. An English translation of Latin can never mirror the spareness of Latin. In that respect, "Quod scriptsi, scriptsi" cannot be made into English that has the elegance of the Latin, no matter the yearning and nostalgia. My German ancestors liked what was called "cake-work" decorations on their houses. This translation appears to veer in that direction.


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Woman fell under Bernardo's spell
LONDON, Ont. – Evil can creep out from behind bars, past the guards and gun towers and barbed wire.
Evil can creep out and seize the heart of a woman, just as it seized so many women before.
Serial rapist and killer Paul Bernardo has somehow managed to start a relationship with a 30-year-old London woman that was apparently leading to marriage.
How in the world could this happen? How in the world can we stop it?
It's no surprise Bernardo is trying to lure in another woman. He spent much of his adult life attacking women physically, sexually assaulting at least 14 and killing at least three.
Stuck behind bars for life, he has resorted to attacking a woman's very mind.
He has a predator's instinct for finding a target. He is smart enough to know that any woman who writes a friendly letter to him must — by that very act — be vulnerable.
Each letter the London woman wrote to him the past few months provided further proof of her vulnerability, and further opportunity to draw her in.
You're beautiful, he told her, which suggests the attractive blonde sent him a photo.
He hit all the right notes with a troubled, religious woman looking to give and receive unconditional love.
I'm innocent, he said. I'm a Christian. I am guilty only of being present when the women were killed. Aren't Christians supposed to forgive?
She seemed powerless to resist the charms of the good, nice Christian man.
It appears we are also powerless to stop him.
"The principal goal is public safety," Correctional Service Canada (CSC) states as its mandate on its website.
Two methods ensure that safety: Rehabilitation for prisoners who will complete their sentence and "proper control of offenders."
Proper control does not prevent, apparently, a serial killer and rapist of women from courting another woman.
"CSC has no jurisdiction over whether two people can obtain a marriage licence as marriages are governed by provincial legislation," a spokesman said in an e-mail.
The mind reels at the thought of this wedding going through, of happy conjugal visits for Bernardo.
In three interviews, Toronto Sun reporter Sam Pazzano and I asked the woman at least 17 times about her relationship with Bernardo.
She deflected us time and time again. Her answers: "Do I have makeup all over my face? … Can I call my parents because I don't want to get in trouble with anybody? … I am kind. If you ask any of my friends, that is probably one of the things I am most guilty of, being a nice person … I have this exact same tape recorder. "
A tough court reporter, Pazzano was frank with her about Bernardo's crimes. He reminded her that Leslie Mahaffy, Kristen French and Tammy Homolka will never get their wedding days and that their families have nothing to celebrate.
The woman cried at times during interviews and insisted she did not want to hurt anyone.
Neither Pazzano nor I are fully convinced the facts of the case will persuade her to call off the relationship.
But the fact this story has surfaced may very well be the best chance she has to save herself.
Her parents had no idea what she was up to until contacted by us.
Her friends suspected something was up but weren't sure what.
In getting the story, Pazzano and I have caused some anguish for her parents and friends.
They are suffering. But they are on high alert as well. Her mother and father are determined to stop the relationship.
As one friend wondered, what if no one had found out before it was too late?
At least now people can try to stop her before she goes too far, she said.
"Maybe, some good can come out of this."

subset: commoncrawl


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Close'n time downtown
TODAY'S GAME: This afternoon, the Buffalo Bisons take on the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees at Dunn Tire Park in the final game of a five-game home-and-home series (1:05 p.m.). The Herd needs a win today to avoid a Yankee sweep of the series. This will also be the final home game for the Bisons in 2008 as the team will finish up the season with four road games. On the mound today for Buffalo will be LHP David Huff. The southpaw has allowed three runs or less in each of his last eight starts. The Yankees will counter with LHP Chase Wright.
TODAY'S STARTER: David Huff
-Last Game: 8/23 @SYR: (ND, 5.2IP, 10H, 3R, 3ER, 4K), Bisons' 5-4 Loss.
-2008 w/ Bisons: (5-4, 2.97)(15GS, 75.2IP, 66H, 29R, 25ER, 13BB, 77K).
-2008 w/ Akron (AA): (5-1, 1.92)(11G, 10GS, 65.2IP, 44H, 17R, 14ER, 14BB, 62K)
-2007 w/ Kinston (A): (4-1, 2.72)(11GS, 59.2IP, 57H, 23R, 18ER, 15BB, 46K).
-2007 Carolina League All-Star, missed second half of season (left elbow strain).
-2006 w/ Mahoning Valley (A): (0-1, 5.87)(4GS, 7.2IP, 9H, 5R, 5ER, 8K).
-Drafted by Cleveland in the 1st round (39th overall) of the 2006 MLB Draft
HOME FINALE: The Bisons enter today's game with a 32-38 record at Dunn Tire Park this season. It's the first time since 1999 (33-38) that the team will finish under .500 in Buffalo. Over the last eight seasons, the Bisons have averaged 43 home wins a season. Since the ballpark opened in 1988, the team has finished a season with a home losing record only three times.
COOP'S RECORDS: OF Jason Cooper drove in both of Buffalo's runs last night in what was his 202nd game in Dunn Tire Park. Coop is the only person to play 200 games in this ballpark. His 119RBI are also more than any other player while his 105 runs scored and 36 doubles rank second in the parks history.
VERY IMPRESSIVE: RHP Preston Larrison threw another shutout inning relief last night. The righty has now tossed 11 consecutive scoreless outings, a streak that began on August 1. During the streak, Larrison has struck out 11 and allowed 10 hits in 11.1 innings of work. Overall with the Herd, Larrison is 0-2 with a 3.52ERA and one save in 18 outings.
MVP: Last night, OF Todd Linden was named the Bisons Stan Barron Most Valuable Player. The switch-hitter has failed to reach base in only 12 of 85 games while leading the club in home runs (13), walks (51), on-base percentage (.385) and slugging percentage (.472). A clutch performer, Linden has averaged .341 (31-91, 35RBI) with runners in scoring position.


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Joppa Hill farm, town seek chance at accord
BEDFORD - The town is moving forward with plans to terminate its lease with the Educational Farm at Joppa Hill, but is offering one final chance for the two parties to reach an agreement.
The lease ends March 8, but the farm's board has been invited to participate in a third-party mediation in hopes that the two sides can resolve their issues, said Town Manager Jessie Levine.
Levine sent the EFJH board and its president, Michael Scanlon, a notice of default of the lease and agreement between the two parties on Tuesday.
According to the notice provided to the EFJH board, the town's position is that EFJH has violated its lease in four areas: the barn has not been maintained by the farm in accordance with the lease; the board has not pursued its repair "expeditiously and with diligence;" the barn poses safety risks that could impact the town's insurance rates; and the farm entered into a sublease agreements with individuals or organizations.
In letter accompanying the notice, Levine said that after two years of discussions and negotiations, EFJH has made no commitment to address safety concerns about its barn, and there was no choice but to terminate the lease.
"The barn poses a significant health and safety hazard to the public as well as to the employees, volunteers, and animals that have access to it, and the Town cannot allow this safety hazard to continue," the letter read.
Several attempts to resolve the issue have failed.
At a meeting on Jan. 14, Levine and three members of the town council were under the impression that the two parties had a verbal agreement, but the board unanimously refused to sign the documents brought forth from that meeting.
Levine said the use of a mediator may forge an agreement between the town and the farm.
"We're not going to do it as a re-run of the last two years," Levine said. "You go into mediation with an attitude that assumes there is some binding result in the end."
At the same time, Levine said even mediation won't stop the clock from ticking.
Scanlon could not be reached for comment.


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I hope I'm not ruining a good thing by posting this info, so I'll keep it simple.
If you happen to be hungry and at Plummer Park in West Hollywood, look out for the old Russian lady with the bubushka, heavy clothing and world-weary posture to match, and a sweet smile pushing a beat up shopping cart. She's usually around mid-day. Choose between peppery potato or sweet cheese pierogi, or rather, piroshki.
Give her a dollar for each one (which BTW is not called a piroshki in the singular form.) She hands you the warm filled dough in a paper towel, and hangs out with her cart holding the keep-warm steamers and Ralphs bags until the parents and kids at the playground and chess players exhaust her supply.
Her product isn't the softer, dense semicircular, round or mezzaluna shaped dumpling we often associate with Eastern European pierogi, but are single servings formed like a long potato or a mini football. (As a [mostly] Russian/former Soviet-descended Jew, I feel guilty for not knowing more about this food genre.) The outside crust is rather firm, and either baked or fried -- the former, I hope -- to a perfect golden brown.The filling has some room to breathe inside all that expanded dough.
It's a treat that brings the boys and girls of all ages to the yard.


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Underground propane leak prompts Lebanon evacuation
March 02. 2014 11:04AM
A 1,000 gallon underground propane tank burst a leak off Bank Street in Lebanon Saturday night, triggering a general alarm for the town fire department and the evacuation of two nearby apartment buildings.
Firefighters responded at about 8:30 p.m. after getting a report that a loud pop was followed by a hissing sound and the smell of gas. Crews found that a leak had developed in the area of the valve assembly cover, but the valve area of the tank was encased in ice.
The general alarm was sounded to bring additional crews and equipment and two nearby apartment buildings were evacuated; the residents were given temporary shelter at a nearby firehouse.
Irving Propane crews initially could not find the source of the leak or start repairs until after Lebanon Public Works crews arrived with a steam culvert thawing unit to clear the ice from the area of the valve. Once the ice was melted, an Irving worker tightened the valve.
Officials said it appeared that expanding ice in the valve pit forced the main fill valve open, allowing gas to escape.
No injuries or property damage was reported and residents returned to their apartments at about 11:30 p.m.


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Former Hawks McClanaghan, Baron host clinic at Hendricken
NBA trainer Rob McClanaghan - a Hendricken grad and former Syracuse basketball player - and former Hendricken/URI star Jimmy Baron held the Shoot Like A Pro clinic at Hendricken this past Saturday for boys and girls 9-18 years old.
The clinic focused on different aspects of the game, such as shooting off screens and shooting off the dribble, and McClanaghan also put former Hendricken and current URI player Billy Baron through a similar workout that he uses on NBA players as an example for the clinic's participants.
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It was a disruptive week in closerland. Depending on how you look at it, three to five relievers lost the closing gig. Three teams are using a committee. A bunch of established guys allowed multiple runs in an outing.
This week was a good test of the tiers. The top two didn't so much as twitch, even with a few bad performances peppered throughout. The third tier held steady too aside from welcoming a new member to the fold. The mayhem was mostly constrained to the fourth and fifth tiers. Hopefully you had time to sufficiently hedge against the closer turnover.
Before we hop into the nitty gritty, here's your blanket reminder – it's officially trade season in the real baseball world. If history is any guide, we may start seeing deals as early as this week. Two teams seem particularly desperate for closer help, while at least three clubs have a bonafide closer on the market. Start prepping for the fall out now. We'll discuss the details throughout.
Editor's Note: Rotoworld's partner FanDuel is hosting a one-day $40,000 Fantasy Baseball League for Wednesday night's MLB games. It's $25 to join and first prize is $6,000. Starts at 7:10pm ET on Wednesday. Here's the FanDuel Link.
Tier 1: Elite (5)
Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves
Aroldis Chapman, Cincinnati Reds
Greg Holland, Kansas City Royals
Koji Uehara, Boston Red Sox
Kenley Jansen, Los Angeles Dodgers
Kimbrel was busy last week, netting four saves while allowing just three baserunners. Holland was less busy, he tossed two innings, picked up a win and a save, struck out five, and didn't allow any baserunners. Jansen was least interesting with a single three out save.
The Reds tried to use Chapman four days in a row starting about a week ago. He ultimately blew the save on the fourth day. He hasn't pitched since June 28.
Uehara picked up the loss on July 1, but he still saved two other games in the last calendar week. He's allowed runs in three of his last seven outings, but I see no reason to get excited. Edward Mujica, Andrew Miller, and Junichi Tazawa are all waiting in the wings.
Tier 2: Rock Steady (9)
Glen Perkins, Minnesota Twins
Sean Doolittle, Oakland Athletics
David Robertson, New York Yankees
Joakim Soria, Texas Rangers
Steve Cishek, Miami Marlins
Francisco Rodriguez, Milwaukee Brewers
Huston Street, San Diego Padres
Cody Allen, Cleveland Indians
Rafael Soriano, Washington Nationals
You may recall Perkins was coming off a bad week the last time we got to together. Since then, he appeared just once and struck out the side. I'm sure he's fine.
Doolittle walked a second batter. Sad face. Now he has 59 strikeouts against two walks. More notably, he had a tough week including a four run blow up in Detroit. The two blown saves are probably no more than a lesson in regression – Doolittle is going to occasionally walk hitters. As a pitcher who works up in the zone, he'll allow the odd home run or multi-hit appearance.
It wasn't Soria's best week. He allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits and a walk – most of them on June 27. On June 29, he took the loss (and also struck out the side). Like with Doolittle, this is probably just regression rearing its ugly head. He hadn't allowed a run since May 27 and the time before that was April 12. Even Kimbrel allows runs sometimes.
Fantasy owners might remember June 27 as the day the closers died. Cishek was just one of several who gave up a bunch of runs. Even with the four run outing, he still has a sub-3.00 ERA.
Rodriguez blew a save on June 27 when he allowed a solo home run. He later picked up the vulture win. He also snagged saves on the 26th and 28th. If you had told me in March that he would be one of the most reliable closers in baseball, I would have laughed in your face. Granted, I should know better, much crazier things happen all the time in baseball.
Street and Joakim Benoit both pitched well this week. They're on the trade block, and it's possible they'll both be moved elsewhere. If that happens, it looks like Dale Thayer and Alex Torres are the most obvious candidates to fill in. Thayer has a pinch of experience and isn't left-handed (like Torres), so I would speculate on him first.
Tier 3: The Mid-Tier (6)
Fernando Rodney, Seattle Mariners
Casey Janssen, Toronto Blue Jays
Mark Melancon, Pittsburgh Pirates
Trevor Rosenthal, St. Louis Cardinals
Jonathan Papelbon, Philadelphia Phillies
Addison Reed, Arizona Diamondbacks
Rodney watch continues. He did allow a run as part of the June 27 reliever disasterpiece, but he picked up the save anyway. No walks in two outings is nice too (that's what we're watching). I'm confident he has a grip on his command and control.
Welcome Melancon to his rightful home. A non-elite strikeout rate is his "wart," but he's still a stingy reliever with a low ERA and plenty of save opportunities. Last week, I was hesitant to rank Melancon higher due to the presence of Jason Grilli. Now Ernesto Frieri has taken his place. I expect the Pirates won't move Frieri into the ninth inning role unless Melancon does something to lose it. Tony Watson and his 0.96 ERA might be first in line anyway.
For the second week in a row, Reed blew a save. Reliever rankings should be sticky – we shouldn't react too strongly to the occasional bad outing unless the pitcher's manager reacts strongly. Reed still possesses good strikeout and walk numbers. He's walked four batters in his last four appearances (3.1 innings), which is a worrisome sign. I've bumped him down three spots within the tier, but I still consider him a Tier 3 option.
Tier 4: Questions (5)
Chad Qualls, Houston Astros
Hector Rondon, Chicago Cubs
Zach Britton, Baltimore Orioles
Jenrry Mejia, New York Mets
Joe Smith, Los Angeles Angels
It appears the leash may be short on Mr. Rondon. He allowed one run, three hits, and two walks over four appearances in the last week. The warning sign resulted from his most recent outing. When he allowed a leadoff single, the Cubs immediately began warming Neil Ramirez. Rondon set the next three batters down in order, but we have to wonder about the margin of error. Rondon still has good numbers, even if they're slightly worse than Ramirez.
It's really really hard to rank a reliever with a 79 percent ground ball rate. Every bit of training I have says he'll regress simply because nobody maintains that kind of ground ball rate. If he does regress, he may not be a closing quality reliever. So long as nearly four-fifths of balls are on the ground, he's borderline elite. Strikeouts aren't part of the profile, but it's hard to give up runs when you only allow infrequent singles. He'll stay here for now.
Mejia threw two innings as part of the Mets 11 inning loss on June 27. He was immediately called back to action on June 28 to record the save, and he hasn't been needed since. He should be rested again after that burst of work. He didn't allow any runs over those three innings.
Smith is good enough to hold a closer job, though we know how itchy Mike Scioscia is about his closers. Smith has posted strong strikeout and walk rates this season, but they're above his career numbers. His peripherals haven't changed enough to account for the improvement, so there's a chance regression will push his ERA higher than the current 2.78 mark. If he does experience hiccups, Jason Grilli is waiting to pounce.
Tier 5: Roller Coasters (5)
LaTroy Hawkins, Colorado Rockies
Santiago Casilla, Jeremy Affeldt San Francisco Giants
Jake McGee, Grant Balfour, Joel Peralta, Tampa Bay Rays
Zach Putnam, Jacob Petricka, Javy Guerra Chicago White Sox
Joe Nathan, Detroit Tigers
Hawkins' demotion to Tier 5 is purely administrative; my outlook has not changed. The Rockies have the fewest saves in baseball, which makes sense. They have an explosive offense, and they lose a lot of games. The two factors together mean save opportunities are rare. With Hawkins refusing to strikeout hitters, there just isn't much value to him.
Sergio Romo blew another save last week on a home run, and that was the end of it. Manager Bruce Bochy says Casilla and Affeldt will close by committee. The Dodgers have crept within half a game of the division lead. I have to believe the Giants will trade for a bonafide closer ASAP since neither Casilla nor Affeldt are reliable ninth inning options.
The Rays are running a true committee. McGee picked up two saves early in the last week. Then he pitched the eighth inning in a game that Peralta blew. Then Balfour came on for the save yesterday. Sheesh. Balfour walked two in his save.
Ronald Belisario is out as the White Sox closer. It's not clear who is taking over, but Putnam received and converted the first save opportunity. It was a four out save. The three current candidates all have low ERA's and mediocre (or worse) peripherals. Expect more mayhem to come. I'm pretty sure Belisario is still their best reliever despite that he's better suited to middle relief.
Nathan recorded a save in his lone appearance. He allowed a home run. I'm not sure how much longer this will be allowed to continue. I understand Nathan is being paid to be a closer, and he isn't exactly useful as a middle reliever. Both Joba Chamberlain and Al Albuquerque are better pitchers these days. Clearly the club is waiting for the trade deadline to make a move, but that seems shortsighted with the Royals climbing to just 4.5 games back.
Matt Lindstrom (ankle), Chicago White Sox
Jesse Crain (calf, biceps), Houston Astros
Bobby Parnell (elbow), New York Mets
The Deposed
Jim Henderson, Milwaukee Brewers
Jose Veras, Chicago Cubs
Josh Fields, Houston Astros
John Axford, Cleveland Indians
Jim Johnson, Oakland Athletics
Jason Grilli, Anaheim Angels
Ernesto Frieri, Pittsburgh Pirates
Sergio Romo, San Francisco Giants
Grant Balfour, Tampa Bay Rays
Ronald Belisario, Chicago White Sox
Well, that was an eventful week. Grilli and Frieri swapped teams and will work as setup relievers. Three others lost the closer mantle. Balfour's inclusion was subjective since he's still clinging to a small share of the job.
The Steals Department
I recently evaluated the steals market using numbers from the ZiPS projection system available at FanGraphs. I found six baserunners with a combination of season-changing steals totals and a low acquisition cost.
The most expensive of the six is Starling Marte, but he's a multidimensional player. I'm pretty excited to watch him hit between Gregory Polanco and Andrew McCutchen. He should swipe about 15 bases over the rest of the season.
Eric Young Jr. and Rajai Davis have the most speed in the group. Both are expected to steal over 20 bases through the rest of the season. Neither player starts everyday – Davis is actually sliding into a fourth outfielder role. You might be able to find both players on waivers.
If you'd prefer a shortstop, Elvis Andrus and Jean Segura make good choices. Andrus is probably owned, and his name value can lead him to be overpriced. He isn't contributing any counting stats besides steals. Segura has struggled throughout the season, but the projection systems think he'll turn things around enough to be of value.
Last but not least, Leonys Martin is a kind of poor man's Marte. Technically, he can contribute to all five categories, although his supporting cast isn't likely to help him score runs or stockpile RBI. He's getting some starts atop the lineup.


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. shares declined in the extended session Wednesday after the housewares retailer's forecast for the current quarter fell short of Wall Street estimates.
Bed Bath & Beyond BBBY, +0.99% shares fell 4.2% to $65.09 on moderate volume after the company forecast fiscal first-quarter earnings of 92 cents to 96 cents a share. Analysts surveyed by FactSet expect $1.02 a share.
Fiscal fourth-quarter results were largely in-line with the analyst consensus.
Imperva Inc. IMPV, +0.07% shares dropped 36% to $31.88 on heavy volume after the network security company slashed its outlook. Imperva said it sees a first-quarter loss of 40 cents to 44 cents, rather than a loss of 33 cents to 37 cents a share, on revenue of $31 million to $31.5 million. Previously, Imperva was calling for revenue of $36 million to $37 million. Analysts had expected a loss of 13 cents a share on revenue of $36.7 million.
Ruby Tuesday Inc. US:RT shares surged 13% to $6.71 on moderate volume after the casual dining chain reported an adjusted fiscal third-quarter loss of 7 cents a share on revenue of $295.6 million. Analysts had forecast a loss of 8 cents a share on revenue of $284.8 million.
AngioDynamics Inc. ANGO, -0.99% shares rose 4.1% to $16.50 after the company reported quarterly earnings of 8 cents a share on revenue of $88.2 million. Analysts expected 9 cents a share on revenue of $86.9 million.
More from MarketWatch:
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text:
Don't be intimidated by these essential joinery planes – a few tricks make them easy to use.
by Christopher Schwarz
Pages 34-39
Many woodworkers think planes that cut joinery are difficult to use, slow-cutting and complex to set up. Quite the opposite is true. If you can sharpen a block plane, you already have mastered the skill essential to using rabbet planes and plow planes – the two most important joinery planes.
In fact, when I teach students to use these planes, I usually have to ask them to stop making shavings at some point so we can all get back to work – the tools are quite addicting to use.
So why do most woodworkers opt for their router or table saw when cutting rabbets or grooves? I think it's because there is little information out there on how to set up these hand tools and – more important – how to hold them properly. This article will tell you everything you need to get started with rabbets and plows.
About the Planes
The rabbet plane and plow plane cut two of the most fundamental joints in woodworking. Rabbet planes cut rabbets, and plow planes cut grooves. There are some fairly complex combination planes out there that can be pressed into cutting both of these joints. If you have one of these tools, I recommend you seek out its manual in order to get started.
Each of these tools has an extended family of planes that have different features, or sometimes are used for different woodworking trades. While there is no way to cover all the variants, here's a quick and dirty lesson.
Let's start with the plows because they are easier to understand. While there are dozens of different kinds of plow planes – usually the difference is in how the fence adjusts – the tools work the same as all their kin. You select a blade that equals the width of the groove you want. You set a depth stop to control the depth. You set the fence to control how far away the groove is from the edge of the board. And almost all plows have these same three controls – though some don't have a depth stop.
Also in the plow family are "coachmaker's plows" and "circular plows" – both are tools used for grooving surfaces involving curves. They are uncommon in a furniture-maker's tool chest.
The rabbet plane family is, as one might expect from the sound of the name it shares with a certain mammal, rather large. What makes a tool a "rabbet" plane is that the tool's cutter extends out to one – or both – of the sidewalls of the plane. This allows the tool to cut into corners.
There is no way to cover all the types of rabbet planes, so let's discuss the ones you are most likely to encounter.
Web: Learn about combination planes at the Cornish Workshop web site.
Blog: Read Christopher Schwarz's blog on handplanes – five years' worth of free material.
In Our Store: Read "Handplane Essentials," by Christopher Schwarz.
From the June 2012 issue #197.
Buy the issue now.


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Description:Here's what this application will do for you (if you buy it and it does these things well – please write us a nice review). If you need a quick horse pick and you don't have a racing form. Or you don't know anything about horse racing. Or you know how to pick horses but you want to see what the computer program likes. If any or all of these conditions are met, you should have One Click Pony. You don't have to enter any data and the picks are easy to understand. Just turn it on, wait for the picks to download to the Android device and go to the betting window. You can choose between 30 tracks in North America – please note that not all 30 tracks are racing all the time. The most you will see on this app at any one time is about 10 on a Saturday, but if you are at a major track, this app has it. How does One Click Pony make it so easy? Nationally syndicated handicapper, Liam Durbin, produces computer-based handicapping products every day for the Chicago Tribune, LA Times, ESPN.com, and several others. His computer program converts the output to XML where it can be downloaded to your Android device in just minutes. One Click Pony has a ridiculously simple, attractive interface that makes choosing a winning horse very easy. For every race, One Click Pony gives you the following attractive betting options: * Best Bet To Win * Live Long Shot * Best Speed * Best Class * Best Form * And more! Includes a wager calculator for exacta, trifecta, and pick three wagers. This app does not do scratches automatically but you can click and drag horse off the screen and it will be replaced by an alternate choice. Version 1.4 covers 40 tracks in North America: * Churchill Downs * Belmont Park * Del Mar * Hollywood Park * Santa Anita * Aqueduct * Saratoga * Ellis Park * Keeneland * Turfway Park * Arlington Park * Hawthorne * Calder Race Course * Gulfstream Park * Pimlico * Laurel Park * Colonial Downs * Fairplex * Louisiana Downs * Fair Grounds * Monmouth Park * Meadowlands * Los Alomitos * Woodbine * Oaklawn * Mountaineer * Philadelphia Park * Evangeline Downs * Delta Downs FOR SUPPORT – visit the forum at http://www.e-ponies.com/forum/. See if someone else has already reported the same problem. If not, post a note or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com. You will get a response! Good luck at the races!


text:
LONDON, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Gulfsands Petroleum, which has headquarters in London, said Thursday it was confident it will be able to recommit itself to developments in Syria.
Gulfsands said it was working with its joint venture partner Sinochem Corp., a Chinese company, in monitoring its assets at the Khurbet East and Yousefieh fields in Syria.
The company in 2012 suspended operations in Syria because of sanctions imposed by Western governments responding to civil war.
"The board [of directors] is confident of the company's ... eventual return to operations in Syria once European Union and other sanctions permit," Gulfsands Chief Executive Officer Mahdi Sajjad said in a statement.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration says Syria's energy sector is in decline because of war and Western economic sanctions.
Gulfsands said the Khurbet East and Yousefieh fields are shut down and no longer in production because of the conflict.
The company said the infrastructure associated with the fields is intact and secure according to the terms of agreements made between the government in Damascus and local communities.
"The company understands that infrastructure in the region continues to be operational with significant production from other fields in the area operated by the central government," Gulfsands said.


text:
B&CMW needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 13 designs submitted by 8 freelance designers.
Why Be Average a woman motivational speaker needs a new website to match her logo.
Why Be Average
Why Be Average that is woman owned. It is a company that will provide books/literature, domotivational speaking engagements on how not to be just average. The website needs to match the logo found here: http://www.whybeaverage.com/logos The website needs to be professional and business oriented but matching the logo. The navigation is as follows:
- Home
- Meet Laura
- Speaking
- Coaching
- Products
- Business
- Real Estate
- FAQ's
- Contact Laura


text: Univar has launched a new corporate website at www.univar.com that reflects its global operations and its partnerships with customers and chemical suppliers. The website showcases Univar's international reach and its extensive product range. The new website has been completely redesigned with a new layout that makes it easier to navigate through different product and service categories as well as links to regional information about Univar. Visitors to the site have quick and easy access to information on everything from capabilities and new products to career opportunities and the latest Univar news from around the world. To learn more visit www.univar.com.


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Brazil holidays
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Accommodation rating: Simple
Please call 020 7873 5000 for more information or to make a booking.
Alternatively, discover other hotels and what to do in Pantanal
ExceptionalTruly exclusive and exceptionally luxurious.
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Located 225km west of Campo Grande and 35km from the town of Miranda, the 53,000 hectare...
Hotel Porto Jofre is located on the banks of the Cuiabá river in the northern Pantanal,...


text:
VANCOUVER, BC – There was a point in time not long ago when Omar Salgado was thought to be a can't-miss Major League Soccer prospect.
That was certainly the opinion of Vancouver Whitecaps FC when the club made him their first-ever MLS SuperDraft selection back in 2011.
Evidently, the club had a lot of faith in Salgado back then, and despite a devastating run of injuries that has kept him out of the lineup for most of the past two seasons, they haven't given up hope.
"It's pretty depressing if you're a player and you're injured … and as a young player when you're just trying to find your way in life and in your career, it's obviously been a really rough start for him," Whitecaps FC head coach Martin Rennie told reporters last week. "We really hope that he can get himself better and that he can show the potential that we all believe he has. He's a fantastic player and someone we believe in. We hope we can get him back."
There's still a long road ahead for Salgado, who has been out of the lineup with a fractured right foot since May, but he took a significant step in his recovery late last week. For the first time in over four months, Salgado made an appearance at a 'Caps training session, as he jogged along the sidelines and did some light work with head athletic trainer Jake Joachim.
"It was great to see him out on the field," Rennie said. "That's the next step for him. He's been doing a lot of fitness and rehab type stuff. Hopefully he can get a good run at it."
It's about time something went Salgado's way.
The El Paso, Texas native initially broke his foot while playing for the U.S. U-20 team in June 2012. Then, he suffered a setback in October 2012 just after returning to Vancouver's lineup. Most recently, Salgado re-fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot at a U.S. U-20 camp in April of this year before undergoing surgery in Santa Monica, California.
From there, it was a month and a half of straight crutches, about two weeks of weight-bearing crutches, a month in a boot, a few weeks of walking, and some rehab with Rick Celebrini, the club's head of sports medicine and science, before getting onto the field again.
Salgado talks about giving his all to the City of Vancouver
In total, the 19-year-old winger has made just 21 MLS appearances with Whitecaps FC over the past three seasons.
Sometimes, Salgado said he wonders why he's been cursed with such bad injury luck.
"I don't really understand what happens … but everything happens for a reason," Salgado told whitecapsfc.com. "I'm just trying to stay positive and look at the big picture. I'm still young so hopefully next year, if I'm ready, I get a full year in. And from there, we'll see."
Despite being one of the club's longest-tenured players – he's one of only six current players who have been with the club since they joined MLS in 2011 – Salgado said he's still getting to know some of his teammates.
After undergoing surgery, the duel American-Mexican citizen went home to spend some time and recover with his family in El Paso. He's only been back in Vancouver for about a month and a half.
"I guess that's the hardest part, you don't really feel part of the team," Salgado said. "But it's gotten a lot better. I've gotten to know a couple of the guys that I haven't met so it's been good."
Coming back to Vancouver has presented a different challenge, however. That's the challenge of watching games from the press box at BC Place. Being so close to the action – and yet, so far – is something Salgado has struggled with.
"It's pretty hard, to be completely honest," he said. "You always want to be out there helping the team and it sucks when you can't."
"I miss it, for sure," he added.
These days, Salgado said his foot is feeling "okay." The 6-foot-4 forward said he was happy to get out of the boot and onto the field, but he knows the true test will come once he starts training again. However, at this point, it is still too early to put a timeline on when that will be.
Regardless, if he doesn't return this season, he knows it won't be the end of world. Salgado turns 20 on Tuesday. He still has many years ahead of him.
The club hasn't given up hope, and neither has he.
"I like the city, I like the team, I like being here," Salgado said.
"I still think that I can succeed in this sport."


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WASHINGTON (AP) — With the number of seriously wounded and ill soldiers at a six-year low, the Army is closing down some of the special units set up to care for troops and reorganizing the program.
"That's good for the Army, good for our soldiers," Brig. Gen. David Bishop said of the declining population of severely wounded. Bishop heads the command that runs the so-called Warrior Transition Units, started in 2007 following the scandal over poor conditions at what was then Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, including shoddy housing and bureaucratic delays for troops who were outpatients.
Fourteen of the 38 units will be closed and some new community-based units will be established under the reorganization plan being announced Thursday.
Some 58,000 soldiers have passed through the special units since the start of the program, aimed at giving the most severely wounded, ill or injured soldiers comprehensive and coordinated medical and mental health care and provide counseling on legal, financial and other issues as they transition either out of the service to civilian life or back to military duty.
Some 49 percent eventually returned to duty in the Army, Bishop said.
But the number of people who need such care has steadily fallen because of the end of U.S. presence in Iraq, the decrease in troops in Afghanistan and the fact that Afghans are taking the lead on security missions there, Pentagon officials say. The population of the Warrior Transition Units stands at 7,070 this month compared to 10,053 in October of 2012 and more than 12,000 in 2008.
Today's population of soldiers in the special units is the smallest since the more than 6,200 in those units in September 2007, according to Army data.
In Iraq, al-Qaida-linked fighters overran parts of both cities in the Sunni-dominated Anbar province last week, seizing control of police stations and military posts, freeing prisoners and setting up their own checkpoints. Anbar was a hard-won battle by U.S. troops, some of whom ended up in Warrior Transition Units.
Iraqi troops, backed by pro-government Sunni militiamen, since have been clashing with the fighters and carrying out airstrikes against their positions in an effort to reassert control of the cities.
Some of the current Warrior Transition units have fewer than 10 soldiers in them and Bishop said reorganization — even with the planned startup of a dozen new community-based units — will reduce staff by some 500 people while at the same time standardizing and improving care for troops.
Bishop said the changes result from periodic reviews of the program and are "absolutely not related to budget cuts, sequestration or furloughs" of federal employees that resulted from the debt crisis.
Three specific things will happen under the reorganization plan. First, the Warrior Transition Units, which are at major military bases where there are military medical facilities, will be reduced to 24 from 29; secondly, there also will be a closing of all nine so called Community-Based Warrior Transition Units, which were largely used by National Guard and Army Reserve troops designated as able to heal in their home communities as opposed to on a military installation. Thirdly, officials will establish 13 new units that will allow troops to still get help in their community but will be answerable to the larger units on the military bases and so be better controlled and give troops better access to resources, Bishop said.
The reorganization is supposed to be finished by October.
Before the special warrior transition units were established, soldiers with health problems were placed on "medical hold" status, in which even the name implied a kind of limbo and they received less attention during recovery. The new units provided more structure, emphasized that as soldiers their new mission was to heal — and it gave each patient a doctor, squad leader and nurse case manager who oversaw his care, coordinated with social workers, therapists and other specialists the soldier needed.
The program has had its ups and downs. A year after it started, the number of troops in the units spiked to over 12,000 because commanders were using them as dumping grounds for soldiers with lesser injuries — a way to get them off their books and get replacements for their units. Eligibility requirements since then have been tightened to require troops being admitted have more complex or multiple health issues that will take extended treatment time and take the more comprehensive care the units were designed for. Some troops have said they disliked the units and felt they were warehouses for the sick, while many were satisfied with the program and felt they benefited from it.


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Dow Transports poised to close at an historic high. This is, at first glance, a play on airlines.
Why the airlines? Because they have turned their businesses around: 1) they have paid down debt, 2) mergers have increased, with more to come, 3) they have limited capacity, and 4) raised prices.
But the group to keep an eye on is railroads. They have a bigger market capitalization than airlines and, most notably, underperformed the S&P 500 last year.
Railroads have now become relative value plays.
In addition, railroads are plays on the U.S. economy in 2013...on cars, agriculture, and coal, so any downturn in outlook will affect their recent rally.
Air freight: improving Asian freight data will help companies like Federal Express (FDX) and Expeditors International (EXPD).


text:
NEW YORK (AP) — When it comes to operatic ghost stories, none is more creepily effective than Benjamin Britten's "The Turn of the Screw."
The British composer's 1954 adaptation of the Henry James story, setting a libretto by Myfanwy Piper, perfectly captures the suffocating atmosphere as well as the ambiguity of the original. Britten's elegant score, written for chamber orchestra and six soloists, uses 12-tone serialism interspersed with traditional melodic forms that keeps the listener off-balance and instills a growing sense of unease.
On Sunday afternoon, the New York City Opera premiered a new production at the Brooklyn Academy of Music that captured some of these qualities but ultimately failed to do justice to the piece.
Much of the problem lies in the decision by director Sam Buntrock — best known for the revival of Sondheim's "Sunday in the Park With George" — to tell the story in the style of 1980s horror movies. Though intelligent updating can shed new light on a work, this effort seems at best beside the point and, at crucial times, downright harmful.
James set his story in a 19th-century English country estate, where a young governess is sent to care for a brother and sister, Miles and Flora, whose only living relative can't be bothered with them. She soon discovers to her horror that their former governess (Miss Jessel) and her lover (Peter Quint) — both dead — have returned as ghosts to try to claim the children's souls. Or so she thinks. It's also just possible that the phantoms she thinks she sees are figments of her overactive imagination.
James — and Britten — do a masterful job of keeping us guessing, and it's questionable how drawing inspiration from "The Shining," ''The Exorcist" and the like can improve on the original.
Buntrock, using an ingenious cutaway set by David Farley and clever lighting by David Weiner, moves the action to a modern manor house, complete with a television set, Cassio keyboard and a "Star Wars" poster. Whenever Quint appears, the TV screen — a la "Poltergeist" — develops static. This gimmick gets old, especially in the final scene when Quint and the Governess are waging a tug of war for the soul of Miles. To have the TV start acting up in the midst of their battle is a silly distraction.
Wrongheaded, as well, is Buntrock's decision to follow Miles' death with the appearance of his ghost. He seems to be saying that although the grown-up spirits have been vanquished, the child will now haunt the place — an extraneous notion not at all in the spirit of the original.
There's much better news on the musical end of things. All six singers do terrific work, starting with soprano Sara Jakubiak, who brings pure, powerful tone and fierce commitment to the Governess' difficult music. Tenor Dominic Armstrong, doubling as the Narrator and Quint, uses his smooth sound to convey sinister charm and menace. Boy soprano Benjamin P. Wenzelberg makes a sweet though small-voiced Miles, and adult soprano Lauren Worsham sings strongly as Flora and acts the part of a little girl as believably as possible. Excellent as well are contralto Sharmay Musacchio as the housekeeper, Mrs. Grose, and soprano Jennifer Goode Cooper as the visibly pregnant ghost of Miss Jessel. Jayce Ogren conducts the 14-piece ensemble with fluid pacing and fine attention to detail.
There are three more performances through March 2. City Opera, which opened its season at BAM with Thomas Ades' "Powder Her Face," then moves to the City Center in April for two more productions: Rossini's "Moses in Egypt" and Offenbach's "La Perichole."


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A man who along with his wife was seriously injured in a fire early Friday that heavily damaged a home at 19 Beaver Dam Trail has been arrested on several charges, police said.
Glenn Alburtus, 60, is charged with second-degree threatening, first-degree reckless endangerment, first-degree unlawful restraint and disorderly conduct, Police Lt. Kevin Roche said. Police expect more charges will be filed as the investigation continues.
Alburtus was under police guard in the Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital, Roche said.
Susan Albertus, was flown to Yale-New Haven Hospital, where she was in critical condition on Friday night, Roche said. The hospital could not confirm that Susan Alburtus was a patient.
Police said the cause of the fire, which is being treated as a "criminal incident," is under investigation. A search-and-seizure warrant was secured for the house Friday, Roche said. The state fire marshal and the Old Saybrook and East Lyme fire marshal were called in, and a state police arson dog was brought to the scene.
Police said they received several 911 calls at about 5:15 a.m. reporting yelling and screaming in the Beaver Dam Trail house, and when they arrived there they found a woman screaming for help from the second floor, Roche said. Officers broke into the house, but were driven back by flames and smoke inside, he said. Firefighters arrived to douse the blaze, and allow rescuers to find the victims.
The fire was out by about 6:50 a.m., officials said. A police officer and a firefighter were injured in the fire and were taken to a hospital, where they were treated and released, officials said.
Next door neighbor Bob Chase said Glen and Susan Alburtus bought the house at 19 Beaver Dam Trail in July 2007 and have lived there since. He said he didn't know them very well.
He said he woke up at 5:30 a.m. and noticed a "huge glow" outside his window and saw "tremendous" flames.
"The flames were above the roof," he said.
Another neighbor, Tony Lyons, said Glenn and Susan Alburtus kept to themselves.
Lyons said his wife woke up at 5:30 a.m. to the sound of yelling. They both looked out the window, saw flames and then went outside to look at the house.
"It was engulfed in flames. I'm surprised it's still standing," he said.
Police said there have no record of responding to calls at the Alburtus home during the past five years.
FOX CT reporter Ayana Harry contributed to this report.


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2'6" x 6'3" / 75cm x 190cm
3'0" x 6'3" / 90cm x 190cm
4'0" x 6'3" / 120cm x 190cm
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6'0" x 6'6" / 180cm x 200cm
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British Bed Company Contract The Hotel Two Pocket 3'6" x 5'3" Special Size Mattress
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Product Information
The Hotel Two Pocket has 1000 pocket springs and luxurious amounts of hypoallergenic fillings, giving it more of a medium to firm feel. The mattress is very supportive and feels great, so you can be confident that your guests will sleep comfortably during their stay. For quantity orders, call our contracts team for a quote on 0800 567 7625.
Please note headboard is not included.
Please note wood may be visible through the Classic fabrics.
Divan base is manufactured by British Bed Company
After one month of use I can say that this is a really good mattress.
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I got this mattress in right time.
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My opinion about quality is 9/10, because the shape is not ideal. One place is thicker, but this doesn`t disturb to sleep well.
Was This Review Helpful? 0 0
Lovely mattress. Very comfy.
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is the level of support to the body, suitable for average to heavily weighted people. This is not a comfort rating.
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fillings are 100% polyester, man made, very durable, great recovery.
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The young ladies of Girls' Haven are celebrating after receiving a welcome gift from Harbor Healthcare Systems in the form of a brand new study room.
The official ribbon cutting ceremony for the new study room was on March 22 at 1 p.m. at the facility located on Fannin St. in Beaumont. The recently renovated room features fresh paint, new computers and printers, lovely decorations and comfortable furniture. This room was designed to offer the residents a safe and practical environment for their studies and homework.
Girls' Haven of Beaumont is a residential operation that aspires to turn tragedy into triumph by providing a safe, nurturing environment for girls affected by physical, sexual or emotional abuse, neglect, abandonment, exploitation or severe family dysfunction. Harbor Healthcare donated all funds for the renovation and completion of the room, and their staff volunteered time to assemble the furniture, paint and remodel the room along with installing the computer equipment.
"We love the people of this community," explained Brenna Rodriguez, Director of Business Development for Harbor Healthcare. "Harbor has been blessed to grow so quickly, and we are always looking for ways to give back regardless if the people in need are outside the scope of what we do. Girls' Haven has a tremendous impact on our community, and Harbor wants to help amplify it."
"The room just looks awesome," exclaimed Alice Teeler, Girls' Haven Executive Director. "The Harbor people were just great. They had a vested interest in our girls and genuinely wanted to help them succeed. The kids are ecstatic. Having this environment and the new equipment will aid their growth, and we are thankful for that. Our desire here at Girls' Haven is just to take care of people, and it's an incredible thing when you develop a kinship with another company that shares your values and views in ministering to others."
"I love giving back," Rodriguez asserted. "Harbor loves giving back. It's awesome to be with a company that helps foster that belief, but most importantly, that wants to legitimately help without benefit to itself. We all need to step up. We can change the world if more and more people decided to have an impact and change one life at a time. Hopefully this philosophy won't be just taught, but also caught. Hopefully others will see it and catch on. Maybe one day, one of the girls will see what someone else has done, and then they too will decide to make a difference for someone else."
"My girls deserve this," Teeler said at the ribbon-cutting event.
Beaumont Mayor Becky Ames cut the ribbon at the ceremony and thanked Harbor Healthcare Systems for their contribution to Girls' Haven. Ames often appears at Girls' Haven events and said the organization holds a dear place in her heart.
"I am happy to be here," Ames said at the gathering. "The study room turned out great!"
Girls' Haven holds many annual fundraisers and will be hosting a Golf Tournament in
May. To help or get involved, please visit http://www.girlshaveninc.org [4] or call (409) 832-6223. To visit Harbor Healthcare Systems, click on http://www.harborhcs.com [5] or call (409) 813-2332.
[1] http://theexaminer.com/users/sharon-brooks
[2] http://theexaminer.com/sites/default/files/DSCN3172.jpg
[3] http://theexaminer.com/gallery/girls-haven-cuts-ribbon-new-study-hall
[4] http://www.girlshaveninc.org/
[5] http://www.harborhcs.com/
[6] http://theexaminer.com/stories/news
[7] http://theexaminer.com/tags/girls-haven
[8] http://theexaminer.com/tags/harbor
[9] http://theexaminer.com/tags/study-room


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ACE only supply quality components that have been tried and tested over time to stand up to the continuous heavy use of our customers. Our Fabrication workshop allows us to respond quickly to our customers needs.


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American Express Reports Strong Cardmember Volumes and Revenues for Fourth Quarter; Will Recognize C
American Express Reports Strong Cardmember Volumes and Revenues for Fourth Quarter; Will Recognize Charges for Restructuring, Membership Rewards and Cardmember Reimbursements
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- American Express Company (NYS: AXP) said today that cardmember spending, revenue growth and credit quality remained strong during the fourth quarter despite an uneven economy.
Net income for the quarter, however, reflects costs associated with three items:
- A $400 million restructuring charge ($287 million after-tax) designed to contain future operating expenses, adapt parts of the business as more customers transact online or through mobile channels, and provide the resources for additional growth initiatives in the U.S. and internationally.
- A $342 million expense ($212 million after-tax) reflecting enhancements to the process that estimates future redemptions of Membership Rewards points by U.S. cardmembers.
- Approximately $153 million ($95 million after-tax) of cardmember reimbursements for various types of transactions dating back several years. This amount deals with fees, interest and bonus rewards as well as an incremental expense related to the consent orders entered into with regulators last October.
Fourth Quarter Results
After reflecting the impact of these items, net income for the quarter was $637 million, or $0.56 per share.
Excluding these items, fourth quarter adjusted net income was $1.2 billion, or $1.09 per share.1 For the year ago period, net income was $1.2 billion, or $1.01 per share.
Fourth quarter consolidated total revenues net of interest expense were $8.1 billion, up 5 percent from $7.7 billion a year ago.
Cardmember spending was 8 percent higher than a year ago, despite a brief dip in late October/early November reflecting the impact of Hurricane Sandy on consumers and businesses in the northeastern United States.
Credit indicators remained at historically low levels. The write-off rate for the U.S. lending portfolio (principal only) was 2.0 percent for the quarter.
Fourth quarter and full year 2012 results will be released as scheduled on January 17, 2013.
"We've delivered strong results since coming out of the recession and have been consistently gaining share in a very competitive U.S. industry," said Kenneth I. Chenault, chairman and chief executive officer. "In addition to strengthening our ties to merchants and cardmembers, we have launched products for new customer segments, expanded into new geographies internationally, and extended our presence well beyond the traditional American Express footprint.
"All of this has been taking place at a time when technology is transforming the world of commerce, regulatory changes are reshaping the financial industry, and customer loyalty has become more important than ever.
"Maintaining our momentum in this environment will require us to evolve our business, embrace new technologies, become more efficient and generate resources to invest in the many growth opportunities we've identified.
"Regardless of the environment, success is also going to be defined by doing what's right for our customers. We never want to make mistakes, but we are fully committed to correcting them and providing compensation when appropriate. At a time when public confidence in financial institutions is at a low point, we want to make sure that we live up to the reputation we've earned over many years for delivering superior value and service to our customers. The material costs for reimbursement that we are able to identify have been recognized, but we are going to continue to work closely with regulators and strengthen our controls as part of our personal commitment to protecting the integrity of the American Express brand."
The restructuring charge mentioned above will consist largely of severance payments related to the elimination of an estimated 5,400 jobs. Those reductions will be partly offset by jobs the company expects to add during the year. Overall staffing levels by year end 2013 are expected to be 4 to 6 percent less than the current total of 63,500.
Elements of the restructuring program include:
- Reengineering the business model in Global Business Travel to reduce its cost structure and invest in capabilities that better align it with the shift of customer volumes to online channels and automated servicing tools;
- Continuing the reconfiguration of cardmember servicing and collections as we drive efficiency through our global scale and as more customers use online and mobile channels instead of paper and telephone;
- Reducing the size of our staff groups while continuing to maintain the right focus and resources on risk and control activities;
- Ensuring that we have the right organizational structure across our client management and sales functions to best serve our customers; and
- Consolidating similar functions and eliminating duplicate efforts wherever possible in order to drive efficiency.
The job reductions will take place across seniority levels, businesses and staff groups. The largest reductions will come in the travel businesses, which operate in an industry that is being fundamentally reinvented as a result of the digital revolution. Overall, reductions will be spread proportionally between the U.S. and international markets and will primarily involve positions that do not directly generate revenue.
Changes within the customer service organization are designed to help us continue to deliver award-winning service and operate at maximum efficiency as more customers and merchants do business with us through online and mobile alternatives.
"Against the backdrop of an uneven economic recovery, these restructuring initiatives are designed to make American Express more nimble, more efficient and more effective in using our resources to drive growth," said Mr. Chenault. "For the next two years, our aim is to hold annual operating expense increases to less than 3 percent.2 The overall restructuring program will put us in a better position as we seek to deliver strong results for shareholders and to maintain marketing and promotion investments at about 9 percent of revenues."
Membership Rewards Estimates
Membership Rewards, the industry's largest and most successful customer loyalty program, allows cardmembers to accumulate points each month and redeem them at a future date by choosing offers from hundreds of our merchant partners.
Determining the costs for this program is a multi-step process that uses predictive models to estimate the amount of earned points that will ultimately be redeemed by cardmembers, and then applies an estimated average cost per point that the company will incur for those redemptions.
Following a previously announced review, the company enhanced the ultimate redemption rate (URR) estimation process, refining the predictive model it uses for the U.S. program. These changes increased the global URR assumption to 94 percent from 93 percent and translated to an additional $342 million in the balance sheet reserve for Membership Rewards and a corresponding charge in the fourth quarter.
"Loyalty and reward programs are one of our major competitive advantages," said Mr. Chenault. "They have been a centerpiece of our marketing efforts and based on their success we have expanded them during the last few years to offer broader opportunities for cardmembers to earn and redeem points. The enhancements we've made to our models predict even greater usage of the program in the future and that has traditionally meant closer, more meaningful relationships with our cardmembers."
Cardmember Reimbursements
As previously reported the company has been cooperating with ongoing regulatory reviews and continues to enhance its compliance controls.
The company's analyses of cardmember inquiries, complaints and account records from the last several years have identified instances where:
- Late fees of approximately $28 million were collected from some cardmembers who did not receive statements for the billing period prior to the write-off of their accounts.
- Interest of approximately $24 million was charged to some cardmembers who had disputed balances on their accounts.
- Certain bonus rewards for industry specific spending with an aggregate value of $68 million should have been credited to cardmembers.
Separately, the company identified additional cardmembers during the quarter who will receive restitution as part of the consent orders we entered into with various U.S. banking regulators in October. That restitution, which amounts to an incremental $33 million, relates to previously disclosed issues with debt collection settlement letters.
Impacted cardmembers will be notified directly in the coming months.
American Express will hold a conference call for investors to discuss this announcement at 5:00 p.m. (ET) today. A live audio webcast of the investor conference call will be available to the general public on the American Express Investor Relations web site at http://ir.americanexpress.com. A replay of the investor conference call will be available after the call at the same web site address.
These results represent preliminary estimates for the three months ended December 31, 2012.
About American Express
American Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress, foursquare.com/americanexpress, linkedin.com/companies/american-express, twitter.com/americanexpress, and youtube.com/americanexpress.
Key links to products and services: charge and credit cards, business credit cards, travel services, gift cards, prepaid cards, merchant services, business travel, and corporate card
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward−Looking Statements
This press release includes forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements contain words such as "believe," "expect," "estimate," "anticipate," "optimistic," "intend," "plan," "aim," "will," "may," "should," "could," "would," "likely" and similar expressions. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. The company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following:
- adjustments arising in the normal course of completing the company's fourth quarter and year-end financial closing process;
- the possibility of not achieving the expected timing and financial impact of the company's restructuring plan and higher than expected employee levels, which could be caused by factors such as the company's ability to mitigate the operational and other risks posed by planned staff reductions, the company's ability to develop and implement technology resources to realize cost savings, underestimating hiring needs related to some of the job positions being eliminated and other employee needs currently not anticipated, lower than expected attrition rates and higher than expected redeployment rates;
- the company's ability to grow and deliver strong results on average and over time, which will depend on, among other things, the level of consumer and business spending; increasing revenues from the company's credit and charge card, prepaid and other products; identifying and exploiting new opportunities; sustaining pricing in light of regulatory and market pressures; increasing merchant coverage and expanding the Global Network Services business; credit trends; expense management; currency and interest rate fluctuations; and general economic conditions, such as consumer confidence, unemployment, the housing market, the health of state economies and GDP growth;
- the ability of the company to maintain and expand its presence in the digital payments space, including online and mobile channels, which will depend on the company's success in evolving its business models and processes for the digital environment, building partnerships and executing programs with companies, and utilizing digital capabilities that can be leveraged for future growth;
- uncertainty relating to the actual growth of operating expenses in 2013 and subsequent years and the ability to hold annual operating expense growth to less than 3 percent for the next two years, which will depend in part on the company's ability to achieve the expected benefits of the company's restructuring plan, which will be impacted by, among other things, the factors identified above, the company's ability to balance the control and management of expenses and the maintenance of competitive service levels for its customers, unanticipated increases in significant categories of operating expenses, such as consulting or professional fees, compliance or regulatory-related costs and technology costs, the payment of monetary damages and penalties, disgorgement and restitution, the company's decision to increase or decrease discretionary operating expenses depending on overall business performance, the impact of changes in foreign currency exchange rates on costs and results, and the level of acquisition activity and related expenses;
- uncertainty in the amount of marketing and promotion expenses relative to the revenues in 2013 and subsequent years, which will depend on (i) factors affecting revenue, such as among other things, the growth of consumer and business spending on American Express cards, higher travel commissions and fees, the growth of and/or higher yields on the loan portfolio and the development of new revenue opportunities and (ii) the company's ability to control and manage marketing and promotion expenses as described below, the availability of opportunities to invest at a higher level due to favorable business results and changes in macroeconomic conditions; and
- the actual amount to be spent by the company on investments in the business, including on marketing, promotion, rewards and cardmember services and certain operating expenses, as well as the actual amount of resources arising from the restructuring plan the company decides to invest in growth initiatives, which will be based in part on management's assessment of competitive opportunities and the company's performance and the ability to control and manage operating, infrastructure, advertising, promotion and rewards expenses as business expands or changes, including the changing behavior of cardmembers; and
- the actual amount that the higher URR assumption derived in the fourth quarter will increase cardmember rewards expenses annually in 2013 and subsequent years, which will depend on the terms of the Membership Rewards program, redemption patterns, costs per point redeemed and the level of cardmember spend; and
- uncertainty relating to the timing and magnitude of a possible charge resulting from the current review of the URR estimation process for the company's international Membership Rewards programs, which will depend in part on the demographics and assumptions about the behavior of cardmembers enrolled in the international Membership Rewards programs as compared to the U.S. program and the potential growth of the international Membership Rewards programs.
A further description of these and other risks and uncertainties can be found in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the three months ended March 31, June 30 and September 30, 2012, and the company's other reports filed with the SEC.
1 Management believes adjusted net income, and adjusted earnings per share, which are non-GAAP measures, provide useful metrics to evaluate the ongoing operating performance of the company.
2 Operating expenses represent salaries and employee benefits, professional services, occupancy and equipment, communications and other expenses.
Media Contacts:
Marina H. Norville, +1-212-640-2832
Mike O'Neill, +1-212-640-5951
Investors/Analysts Contacts:
Ken Paukowits, +1-212-640-6348
Rick Petrino, +1-212-640-5574
KEYWORDS: United States North America New York
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Tuesday, America will make a most important decision! On Wednesday, the tumultuous election of 2012 will be finally over.
Tuesday, America will make a most important decision! On Wednesday, the tumultuous election of 2012 will be finally over. Thanks be to God!
At 79, I've lived through many presidential elections. This one was undoubtedly the longest, most divisive, most cruelly bitter, and most obscenely costly political process I've witnessed. I'm very grateful the ordeal is finished. But the question begs, what made this election such an ordeal; what made it so different?
First of all, the 2010 Supreme Court Decision called Citizens United that allowed Corporations to financially support candidates like individuals, opened the flood gates for exorbitant donations to flow into candidate coffers.
Never have we been so swamped with such a deluge of political hype. This flood of money began in June '12, when the State of Wisconsin was purchased by Republicans spending fortunes of Super PAC (the corporate political action committees) donations. The possibility of buying an election was tried and proven.
The financial firestorm was ignited. It sadly continued through the presidential campaigns. In the recent weeks, corporate interests have attempted to purchase the nation. Hopefully they failed.
With the willing help of the electronic media, however, increasingly spurious, salacious and sinister advertisements were aired in hopes of evoking a thoughtless but highly emotional and favorable response for the chosen candidate.
With such visual and visceral stimulus inciting and evoking angry emotions of both candidates and voters, there is little wonder the campaign rhetoric got so heated. Sadly, like is so many emotional tirades, there was only heat, and very little light.
Then there was the Tea Party. In 2010 its leader proclaimed that the only future focus of the neocon Republicans was to defeat Obama in 2012.
The election began with that challenge. The tragic consequence was a neocon controlled House of Representatives whose only purpose was to make the president look bad.
They said "No" to his efforts to remedy the economic ills left to him by his predecessor, and the shouted "No" to any attempt by him to serve all the people.
So many Tea Party Congressmen/women succumbed to the despot Grover Norquist and signed a pledge "never" to raise taxes. That pledge protected the "rich and powerful" who the president believed should carry a larger load of America's financial needs. The "Pledge" was more important than the nation.
Obedience, not thought, became the measure of neocon worthiness. The frustration of moderates seeking negotiation and compromise resulted in some Republicans departing their Party.
Finally, and most tragically, immediately upon the president's election in 2008, deep seeded, seething and stealth racism began to slither out from under the rocks.
Sadly, an old demonic impulse in Americans found a new target. There was a "black man" in "our White House."
To the racists this was an abomination. They enthusiastically latched on to the challenge by the neocons. Their total focus was to correct this aberration and win back the White House for a white man.
A recent AP survey articulated the rise in racist power, reporting that for the first time in many years, the majority of Americans are bigoted against African-Americans.
The vehement denunciation of the president wasn't aimed at his programs, it was aimed at him; he was increasingly hated because of who he is.
Under that shadow, political opponents suddenly became political enemies; verbiage became more and more hate-filled and cruel; the accusations of fraudulent birth records and religious affiliation became more absurd and satanic; even the sale of hand-guns spiked as phony alarms were whispered, or sometimes shouted.
The whole campaign of 2012 sank into the mud and muck of unabashed, unfounded, and uncivilized emotions. It has been a tragedy and a betrayal of all for which America stands.
Let us give thanks it will soon be ended. Let us hope we will have survived.
Anyone who has read anything I've written knows for whom I'm voting. I vote the Democrat ticket; I vote for every person seeking election under the Democrat banner. I've said it before, and I will continue to say, Democrats have done more good for more people more times; and that means all of them, not just those few who head the ticket.
If my people prevail, I will be very thankful and happy. I believe with all my heart Barack Obama and his team (from Congress, to Kansas, to the city council and county commission) deserve another four years to complete the healing of our nation from the terrible, costly and deadly wounds of the Bush administration's immoral and costly conquests. I hope the Democrats win.
Should the people choose otherwise, however, I will be sad, but not bitter. If there is another Republican president and administration, I will be part of the "loyal opposition." I will be an opponent, and never an enemy of whomever is president, senator, congressman, legislature, mayor, councilman, or commissioner.
He/she represents me, and I will support them even as I oppose them. I will surely never hate them whatever their color, their religion, their sexual orientation, or their gender.
They are Americans elected by Americans to serve Americans. For the past two years, we've had the perfect political storm: unlimited self-serving funds, ideological fanaticism and hateful racism converging on this next Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012.
Let us pray that we do our duty, weather the storm, emerge into calm and peace with little or no damage.
If so, America again will truly have proven its noble character and lived the truth as a people whose good "is crowned with brotherhood from sea to shining sea."
Fr. Bob Layne is a Episcopal Priest-retired, living in McPherson. Reach him at firstname.lastname@example.com.