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Results tagged ' Free agency '
Winter Meetings: Day 3
If you haven't heard ad nauseum that CC Sabathia agreed to a 7-year $161 million contract with the New York Yankees today, then you just haven't been paying attention. The good folks at ESPN have had everyone but Steven A. Smith (thank God) weigh in on Sabathia's decision and the fact that the New York Yankees successfully outbid every team… including themselves.
Quite frankly (to steal it from Steven A.), this should come as a suprise to absolutely no one. After sitting on a 6-year deal worth a reported $140 Million, it took a trip to the Sabathia home by Yankees general manager Brian Cashman (if there was ever a more appropriately named GM) to get the deal done. And now we have the first premier signing of the winter, setting the bar rather high for starters and sending other teams scurrying to secure their prize acqisitions. Speaking of which…
Braves attempting to top market for Burnett…
This has been our lead topic since the Jake Peavy talks took a turn toward Chicago's Northside and hasn't veered South again. Honestly, if the Yankees can outbid themself for a pitcher, then I can certainly argue with myself over whether or not the Braves should be letting this A.J. Burnett bidding hit astronomical numbers. With all the rumors swirling around, there is a chance that the report is exagerated – as Mark Bowman pointed out. in contrast to the Fox Sports report that had Atlanta offering $80 million guaranteed over the next five seasons.
For the sake of my argument and the content of this blog, let's say the Braves are offering Burnett a 5-year $80 million contract. No, it's not Sabatha money – which trumps Santana money, which trumped Zito money, which trumped Hampton money – but we are still talking about the same pitcher who has been in the majors for parts of 10 seasons now and has won more than 12 games on exactly one occassion… last season's 18.
Injuries sapped his performance in 2006 and 2007, limiting him to 21 and 25 starts respectively. While his numbers from a year ago (18-10, 4.07 ERA, 231 K) in a career high 34 starts are for the most part impressive, the idea of signing a guy who has shown such a history of injury to a five year contract at age 32 (in January) just doesn't thrill me. In fact, it doesn't even make me excited to about next year, because all I think about is what Atlanta was going through last season. Injuries. And so, am I to assume that to fix a rash of injuries that one is to go out and sign one of the more injury-plagued talents in the game?
When the Yankees and Red Sox began expressing serious interest and serious dollar amounts, the Braves may have found themselves on a slippery slope with an off-season checklist that still lacks that ace pitcher. The Yankees can afford to miss with Burnett and not feel the financial effects, but Atlanta is in a rather different boat. They paid $40 million for 9 wins from Carl Pavano and large sumes for Jarret Wright, Kevin Brown, Kei Igawa and others who never produced to expectation.
And as soon as I finished this entry, the Yankees went and did this
Maybe Atlanta should concentrate on another target and allow themselves the financial flexibility of persuing other options both this winter and down the road. The Braves may have to find themselves getting more and more creative when it comes to reloading and competing. The days of spending the big money on free agents, and the days of Maddux-Glavine-Smoltz are both things of the past. But, on the other hand, I will say that a deal for Peavy would have been the best scenario to fill the needs.
Smoltz just got really popular on the rumor mill…
All of a sudden, the name John Smoltz started appearing on the boards everywhere. I noticed the initial post that Ken Rosenthal put up on Tuesday, citing if the Braves are yet to offer a contract then what is to stop other teams from taking a chance on the 41-year old righty? Essentially, I guess there's nothing to stop it. Next thing you know, Peter Gammons is reporting that Smoltz's medical records and recent throwing session videos are being handed around to interested teams and the Red Sox are among those to recieve them. then Rosenthal is back at it with a source telling him the Braves are prepared to lose Smoltz if it comes to that.
Bobby Cox was absolutely thrilled with the way Smoltz looked last week in his first throwing session. "I've never seen John so fired up about something in my life," said Cox. "He loves
challenges, and he's got a big one ahead of him. But what I saw for the
very first time out off the mound was incredibly good."
He even remarked that Smoltz is planning to pitch at least two more seasons during his scheduled press conference in Las Vegas. That was news to me, but one thing at a time I guess. So Bobby must have really seen everything he could have ever hoped for from John, who threw his entire assortment of pitches for the first time since undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery in June. The Braves would love to have him back, but at a rate that would allow them to maintain budget and give Smoltz a chance to earn bonuses based on performance.
This story will probably develop rather slowly, but I'd be somewhat shocked to see Smoltz trotting out to the mound at Fenway Park or anywhere else for that matter. And come on people, Smoltz pondering the Mets?! Really? I doubt that very seriously.
Wednesday's top rumors and done deals:
- CC Sabathia ended weeks of speculation by signing a 7-year $161 million deal that includes an opt-out clause after three seasons with the New York Yankees.
- Mets add J.J. Putz to their bullpen in a three-team 12-player trade that involved New York, Seattle and Cleveland. New York parted with Aaron Heilman in the deal. Putz will be the set-up man for Francisco Rodriguez, who signed a 3-year deal with New York Tuesday.
- The Tigers traded for Tampa Bay starter Edwin Jackson, giving up prospect Matt Joyce.
- Scott Boras updated the status of several of Mark Teixeira, stating that Tex has received long-term contract offers. Washington and Boston are believed to be the two top contenders for his services, and the contract could be for up to 10-years and exceed $200 million.
- Baltimore agreed to terms with shortstop Cesar Izturis on a 2-year $6 million contract.
Till next time,
Winter Meetings: Day 1
The Winter Meetings are usually the time where there is much to report,
but Day 1 has not seen anything major. You know it's a slow news day
when the biggest signing of the day may be Mark Loretta inking a $1.4 million deal with the Dodgers, or Adam Everett heading to Detroit for $1 million. The most substantial trade? Well, that involved Gerald Laird
heading to Detroit. There was more news talking about where people were
not going, than deals getting done. Then again, it's only Day 1.
Frank Wren headed to Las Vegas with one piece of the puzzle already having been acquired, with the Javier Vazquez
last week. While that does leave quite a few other things on the list,
it allows the Braves to turn their focus to acquiring the ace starter
they've been searching for in A.J. Burnett. Should the Braves be able to broker that deal in Vegas, then it would mark a new chapter for the team.
as we all know, when one door closes, another door opens. With that
said, Monday marked the official retirement of four-time Cy Young
winner Greg Maddux. We may never see another pitcher who racks
up the number of wins (355) as Maddux finishes with. And while his
style was not one of sheer power pitching dominance, his control was
unbelievable and his ability to carve up a line-up was always a
pleasure to watch. If you needed nine innings, Maddux could get you
there in two hours and less than a hundred pitches. He was that good,
and then some.
Speaking of Hall of Fame bound right-handers, the Braves were encouraged by what they saw in a recent throwing session from John Smoltz. In fact, it was so good that Braves manager Bobby Cox could hardly contain his excitement when talking to the the AJC's David O'Brien:
"Oh, he'll be back — no doubt in mind," Cox said after he and pitching
coach Roger McDowell watched the 41-year-old pitcher throw off a mound
for the first time since career-threatening shoulder surgery in June.
"Roger was impressed, and John's on cloud nine. No pain at all. None.
Zero pain. Man, he's way ahead of schedule."
fact that Smoltz is on the mend and throwing without pain fits in
nicely with a time table that should have him ready to go this spring.
An offer certainly seems forthcoming if Smoltz has sold everyone that
his comeback is actually not a comeback at all, but just another
chapter in a storied career. A healthy Smoltz would be another piece of
the rotation solved.
While 300-game winner Tom Glavine is
taking slower steps, having just undergone his surgery in mid-August
(as compared to Smoltz' June procedures), and is now throwing from flat
ground to begin his road back. Glavine's season was a disappointment
for both the lefty and the Braves, with just two wins in 13 starts. A
decision for Glavine will likely come after the new year, but the
Braves certainly won't be extending the $8 million offer they handed
him last season.
Stay tuned, Day 2 of the Winter Meetings is just a few hours away…
Till next time,
Not so long ago, in a division not so far away…
lucky team this winter has turned into a sprawling saga that seems to
make for sequel story, after sequel story, after – you guessed it –
sequel story. So I have decided to make this particular period in the
storyline that dark middle chapter that every great trilogy makes use
of. Call it whatever you like, but I prefer to craft it after my
favorite portion of another great trilogy. I'm guessing you already see
the theme here.
For the sake of the theatrics, here's a plot synopsis to catch you up:
Episode 1: A New Hope
I'm not stretching here. Synopsis: The announcement that the Padres
intend to trade Jake Peavy ignited hopes that Atlanta would be able to
add an ace to the front of a rebuilt rotation next season. The length
of contract and a price tag relative or better than any comparable
pitcher that has hit the market made Peavy a sought after commodity for
any number of clubs. The plot twisted and turned a bit, showing who the
players in the Peavy Sweepstakes are before leaving a cliff-hanger
ending that saw the Padres unable to find a trading partner and the
Braves publicly calling off the hunt. It brings us to where we are
Episode 2: The Padres Strike Back
quietly wondered if Peavy's no-trade clause was going to be an issue that
would ever come bubbling to the surface of these trade talks, but eventually was able to come up with a rationale
that goes something like this: If the Braves are seeking Peavy, then they know
full well he has a no-trade clause and will thereby be assuming the
responsibility of their first talent to have such a clause. If they
want his services bad enough then Atlanta will end up granting this
contractual caveat.
Then Padres GM Kevin Towers brought us back to reality with this little nugget of joy courtesy of Tom Krasovic and The San Diego Union-Tribune:
"Atlanta has a club policy that's been in place that no one will have
full no-trade protection," he said. "I don't see them bending the rules
for Jake. At this point in time, that's not going to happen unless Jake
changes his position on that."
further opined what we have heard from sources close to Peavy, that he
would prefer a trade to the Chicago Cubs because they seem more ready
to compete. That runs in direct conflict with the rumblings that
Atlanta is the attractive destination, since it is closer to his
Alabama roots. The Orioles are now mentioned as the illusive third team
needed to broker any deal between the Padres and Cubs, but the finances
may not be there after Ryan Dempster signed his 4-year deal. If there
is anything that seems clear to me, it's that the Padres are determined
to trade Peavy, but the manner in which they accomplish it seems to be
far from orthodox. It strikes me as odd that Towers is kicking this stone up the street again, and mentioning the Braves on a semi-regular basis. We still have the exciting conclusion to look
forward to, and I can't even begin to figure out where this story will end and where this pitcher will land, but I can tell you it will not be on the forrest moon of Endor.
In other, non-Peavy news…
There are some less whimsical things going on in Braves country,
including losing out on Mike Hampton's services for next season. This move is hardly an intergalactic bombshell (but I guess nothing in this entry really is), because no one was mentioning his name as one of the major moves that would solidify this rotation. Hampton was seldom there over the past three seasons, but the Braves saw
enough of him from the end of July through September to get the idea that he could be a steady back of the rotation starter. The $2
million deal (with another $2 million worth of incentives)
was reportedly less than what the Braves offered the lefty. And just
like that, Atlanta can strike through Hampton's name (in a different way
this time) on their list for 2009.
As a pledge to you, my readers, there will not be another Jake Peavy inspired blog until there is something substantial to report. So tune in for the epic finale… some day.
Till next time,
I'll trade you, but no take-backs!
As those that have followed the Braves rise to the top and subsequent slide back to the middle of the pack over the past two decades, one would notice that many of the key acquisitions during this time have come via the trade. It is a part of baseball that garners anticipation, excitement and sometimes disappointment for an organization and its fans.
I thought it would be fun to look at some of my favorite Braves trades, and some of my not-so-favorites, because we may have some trading fun to talk about here in the near future. I always like to hear the bad news first, so I can enjoy the good news a littler more… or at least temper my expectations. Here goes:
Top 5 Least Favorite Braves Trades:
5. Ryan Klesko, Bret Boone & Jason Shiell to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Reggie Sanders, Quilvio Veras & Wally Joyner
Sanders was utterly terrible in his one season with the Braves while Veras tore an ACL and never appeared in the majors again after Atlanta. Despite there being no way to know these things would happen, Klesko, just 28 at the time, was a part of three World Series team and a product of the system. Boone had been the big off-season acquisition just one season earlier, so why trade these central pieces coming off a World Series appearance?
4. Jermaine Dye & Jamie Walker to the Kansas City Royals for Michael Tucker & Keith Lockhart
Here's one where you can just say,"what if?" What if the Braves had held on to Jermaine Dye? Would he be the same player he became in Kansas City after some struggles? He'd more than likely have contributed at least as much as Tucker (the 10th overall pick in the '92 draft) did in his two season with Atlanta. Lockhart proved to have the most staying power, lasting six seasons as a chief reserve and pinch-hitter. Hardly an even up swap for Dye and his 286 homers since 1997.
3. Adam Wainwright and Ray King to the St. Louis Cardinals for J.D. Drew and Eli Marrero
This is one reason the Braves find themselves looking for two front-line starting pitchers this off-season. J.D. Drew has moved on to greener pastures twice since having a career year for Atlanta in 2004. And I'm just going to say it now, Drew was not the second coming of Mickey Mantle. All Wainwright has done is prove the scouts that signed him right, developing into a staff ace by the age of 25. Too bad he doing so for the St. Louis Cardinals.
2. David Justice and Marquis Grissom to the Cleveland Indians for Kenny Lofton and Alan Embree
This is the ultimate in head-shakers. I couldn't fathom the logic as a teenager and I still struggle to find anyone who would do this deal. Granted, Lofton was the ultimate lead-off hitter in 1997 and not the rent-a-player of the past seven or eight years, but still. Justice, who's homer gave the Braves their lone World Series title of the 90s, was coming off an injury-plagued season but was still a potent middle of the order threat. Grissom was a consummate professional and still, in my opinion, every bit the center fielder Lofton ever was… and then some. To make matters worse, all three men would be playing in the same outfield in 1998… when Lofton signed a free-agent contract with Cleveland. Ouch. Atlanta did get 86 appearances out of Embree though. Heck of a silver lining.
1. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Elvis Andrus, Matt Harrison, Beau Jones and Neftali Feliz to the Texas Rangers for Mark Teixeira and Ron Mahay
We have not even seen this trade bear fruit for the Texas Rangers, but it may be the deal that just keeps on getting worse for Atlanta. Teixeira was dealt away for Casey Kotchman and Stephen Marek almost a year to the day later. Would you do that prospect buffet deal for Kotchman? Me neither. Of all the deals I've covered here, this is a trade that simply should have never been made. Teixeira turned down an 8-year $140 million extension from the Rangers and I would have to say that common sense logic would dictate the Braves would have to pony-up even more to keep him. Mahay bounced to Kansas City for a richer deal than the Braves wanted to give him, so the Braves really came out of this deal having seriously depleted their rich farm system for a calender year of Teixeira and 30 appearances from a 36-year old left-hander.
In Closing…
The Braves may not have known that Teixeira had already turned down that extension, but this trade was unable to push Atlanta in the play-offs. Maybe it was just all the poor luck of injuries this season that forced Frank Wren's hand when it came to trading Teixeira. Maybe it was Scott Boras and his hope of a $200 million pay-day for his client that forced the deal. If it underscores anything, it is that there are no promises in the game in this day and age. Even a player who spent his college years in Atlanta wants what he has coming. That's why Boras claims a nice finder's fee for that big contract Tex has coming.
So who is ready for a big trade this off-season?
Up next, my Top-5 Favorite Braves trades of the past 20 years.
Till then,


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Bijay Kant Dubey
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subset: commoncrawl


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Squishies – The latest crazy buggy high schools and beyond
Children are naturally-born collectors. They also like fashion. Enter Squishy. These Japanese imports are the latest craze and are quite excited. It is not only difficult to find it because it is not sold in the average shop, most adults have never heard of them.
Today we will answer all the common questions that squishies get. Who are they? Squishies are soft, "bread" like masks, or a kind of roast good, a character or a combination of both. They are the latest version of stress ball, yet softer and "kawaii" (the Japanese word "cute"). Squishies are usually scented, the most common choice being cake or bread. Typically, squishies are connected to a mobile phone hood or keychain.
Why do kids like it? Well, of course they are cute. Squishies are tangible and fun for kids to "recycle" over and over, hence the name. Add the sweet smell and have several sensory games that are quite irresistible.
Where did this charm come from? Like many great fashion, this is one of the entertaining and whimsical imports from Japan. Japanese teens (and adults!) They like to decorate mobile phones with fake treatments, fruits and gems. This is called deco-den. You've probably seen someone whose Hello Kitty cell phone "burst out" in this way. In addition to treating their mobile phones as kawaii, they like to wear loud or funny straps as much as they can. Mobile phone straps have a huge tendency in Japan and have been around for years.
By trying to find out that kids in the United States are obsessed with fun, we seem to have narrowed down a powerful source: YouTube. Find the word squishies on YouTube and find hundreds of hundreds of videos on them. The worms are traded on YouTube, kids and even adults, presenting their filthy collection and even trying to make home-made cages. There are two things that make these videos completely clear. A. These kids are absolutely obsessed with squishies. B. They want a lot of things, and the more "rare" the better.
Where can you find rarity, or usually squishy? In Japan you will find the best selection. Of course, most parents refuse to travel around the world with a five-dollar trinket. Another place that from time to time seems to appear in Japanese cities and even in Chinese cities, which exist in a handful of cities across the country. The simplest place to find them with your finger.
Source by sbobet th


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Doug Dorst, JJ Abrams, Ship of Theseus, Signe Rabe, Sola, V.M. Straka, VM Straka, wall writing, xebec
Below is the text of the wall-writing that S scrawls into the wood of his room on the xebec – at least the text that is revealed to us in Ship of Theseus. Much more writing occurred, but we are only privy to what is show below. Remember that S began the text at the top of his cell and continued writing in a spiral around his room until it reached at least halfway down to the floor (p217) where it culminated in the question written on p329. The format of the text has been maintained (italics, ALL CAPS,
strikethroughs, etc.) in case that is relevant for the possible code hidden there. Jen suggests multiple times that there must be a code.
This may be an allusion to the anonymous 1866 novel Les Démons en Haut, a scathing rebuke of the contemporary Parisian bourgeoisie. While the book is not well-known—indeed, it was banned almost immediately—one can easily imagine that Straka felt a kinship with its author.


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They've got her surrounded.
Manhattan prosecutors have secretly arrested at least three key people in Anna Gristina's alleged escort ring — her accused money launderer and two suspected high-price call girls — and are grilling them for evidence against her, The Post has learned.
Court transcripts and other records, along with sources familiar with the case, indicate that the two alleged prostitutes and a "laundry man" — identified by sources as 67-year-old shamed Russian-American accountant Jonas Gayer — have met privately with authorities to save their own hides and clinch a case against Gristina and her suspected cohort, Jaynie Mae Baker.
One of the women has admitted privately to having turned tricks for Gristina at her alleged East 78th Street "brothel," a source said.
Prosecutors have engaged in hush-hush negotiations with alleged call girls Mhairiangela "Maz" Bottone, 30, and Catherine DeVries, 31 — who are both charged with prostitution, according to court documents — and with alleged launderer Gayer, who is identified only as "John Doe" in court and arrest records.
Gayer — a former IRS agent who sources said has known Gristina for years and is Facebook friends with her alleged co-pilot, Baker — was arrested without fanfare on a single charge of promoting prostitution in March 2010, court records reveal.
A charge of felony money laundering was later added.
Gayer previously pleaded guilty in a $10 million federal tax fraud case, in which it was alleged he cooked the books of a Brooklyn trucking firm to hide the evasion scheme. He served no jail time.
In the latest case against him, the balding, bespectacled, Soviet-born alleged launderer is charged with illegal acts dating as far back as 2003.
He has been on the DA's radar at least since 2005, according to court records. .
Since his arrest, Gayer, who lives on Beekman Place, has remained free without bail, despite high charges, and appeared in closed court before Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan nearly a dozen times.
The transcripts of all the proceedings related to his case were ordered sealed by Merchan.
But one transcript obtained by The Post reveals that Gayer case was called before Merchan on Feb. 22.
Later that day, Gristina was arrested and her alleged brothel and her Orange County rescue-pig farm were raided.
Gayer was excused from appearing in court that day. But during the hearing, prosecutors asked for and obtained the search warrants for the "brothel" and farm.
"How are things going?" the judge asks, referring to "The John Doe Matter."
"Going well," Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Roper responds. "He's doing well and he has been in touch with us."
Asked today if he was Gristina's money man, Gayer told The Post, "I don't think so. It's not true."
He admitted being Facebook friends with Gristina and Baker, but claimed he's never met the women.
"We have a mutual acquaintance," he said. "A man named Bruno Jamais. He's a restaurant owner."
The suave, French-born Jamais worked at the famed Daniel before opening his own Upper East Side eatery, Restaurant Club — which quickly gained a reputation as a hot spot for young women looking to land one of the wildly wealthy sugar daddies who frequented the pickup place.
Jamais could not be immediately reached for comment.
Transcripts for the arraignments on the two alleged high-priced hookers, DeVries and Bottone, who are also free without bail, indicate they had met with prosecutors and intended to meet again.
The two women were indicted in the alleged ring on Feb. 24, two days after Gristina's arrest.
DeVries, a tall, blue-eyed brunette, was arrested on Feb. 27.
Bottone, who has long, dark blond hair and speaks with a British accent, was arrested on March 2.
A source close to the investigation confirmed that both women are cooperating in the case.
Both have worked for Gristina for some time, sources said.
"There were appointments in that apartment that [Gristina] booked," a source close to one of the women said, referring to the alleged brothel on East 78th Street.
Meanwhile yesterday, Gristina's new defense attorney, Gary Greenwald, said his client is considering pleading guilty to the one charge against her — felony promoting of prostitution.
Even if prosecutors were successful at winning the maximum sentence on such a plea — at least 2 1/2 years — she'd serve only as little as a year at an upstate women's prison before being sprung on work release as a nonviolent first offender, insiders in the case noted.
"She'd be near her home and family [in upstate Monroe], she doesn't give up anybody, she doesn't make any enemies," one insider told The Post. "That's how she's leaning right now."
Gristina, meanwhile, is working to secure a $2 million bail bond — collateralized by her husband, her sister and, in largest part, by the TriBeCa loft of defense attorney Peter Gleason, who stepped down as her lawyer yesterday to remove any conflict of interest in posting her bail.
Lawyers for both alleged hookers declined to comment.
Carlos Martir Jr., who represents Gayer, did not return calls for comment.
Martir has represented shamed New Jersey lawyer Paul Bergrin, an accused murderer and drug runner who also has pleaded guilty to running a New York City prostitution ring.


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The 2012-2013 World Marathon Majors (WMM) Series title came down to the streets of New York City at today's running of the 43rd ING New York City Marathon. At the Series finale, the $1 million prize was still up for grabs among four race day competitors. … [Read more...]
WMM decided in New York
November 4, 2013


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It's a style that is quintessentially ours, yet is recently evolved from a foreign progenitor. It has been a mainstay of dumbed-down Irish macrobeer for decades, yet has seen a revival at the hands of newer craft breweries. Just what is the story with Irish Red Ale?
Late last year, a small group of us gathered in the Dublin pub with the best selection of reds, plus one British keg bitter, to find out via blind tasting if the microbreweries really are doing a better job, and if the Irish Sea really does mark the boundary of the style.
Our timing was perhaps unfortunate. We had missed the availability of Beamish Red by about a year, and both Dungarvan's Copper Coast and Clanconnel McGrath's Red were still some months away. The field in O'Neill's of Suffolk Street on the day were:
- Bass: a keg ale brewed in the UK which does not claim any Irish heritage.
- Kilkenny: the only nitrogenated red ale available.
- O'Hara's Red: established craft Irish red, well known from the bottle, but presented here in rarer draught form.
- Rebel Red: Franciscan Well's craft red, of a similar vintage to O'Hara's.
- Smithwick's: the genre-defining Irish red from Diageo
Prior to the tasting, drinkers were asked to name the reds they believed to be their favourites. These came out as:
- a_friend_in_mead: O'Hara's
- bog_myrtle: Rebel Red
- MrsBeerNut: O'Hara's
- sbillings: Rebel Red
- TheBeerNut: O'Hara's
And so the tasting began. As with the previous tasting of stouts at O'Neill's we set up shop in the snug so half-pints could be purchased and arranged in secret on the other side of the screen. As before, the staff were bemused but very helpful throughout.
No-one had made the claim that Irish Red was the most awe-inspiring or distinctive of styles, so deliberations were long. The final results showing each drinker's guesses and how they rated the beers in order of preference (1 being the favourite) are like this:
The first thing we've proved is that there really really is a difference between Irish red brewed by a microbrewery and one made for the mass market. O'Hara's and Rebel took all of the first and second places between them, with O'Hara's edging it in the popularity stakes. Notably, both of our professed Rebel Red fans underwent a conversion to O'Hara's, with just a_friend_in_mead turning the other way.
The quality gulf between micro and macro is even more apparent from the tasting notes submitted. The caramel and hop character of Rebel and O'Hara's is remarked upon several times, while there was a struggle to find any distinguishing features in Bass and Smithwick's: the word "nothing" is used by two panellists in describing how Smithwick's tastes. Wateriness and metallic off-flavours are also remarked upon for all three industrial beers.
The second proven thesis from the evening's tippling is that Irish Red is not a real beer style. On the night, nobody was confident about which was Smithwick's and which was Bass, even though one is supposedly an Irish "red ale" and the other a British "keg bitter". Kilkenny was easily spotted since it had a nitro head, but had John Smith's or Tetley's Smooth been in the mix, I think there would have been some contention. Likewise there was no way either craft beer was going to be mistaken for a mass-produced ale like Bass, but a quality British red keg ale -- Brewdog 5am Saint, for instance -- would, I believe, have muddied the water considerably. Until further tests are carried out, I think my hypothesis that "Irish Red" is simply keg bitter stands.
Thanks to all the volunteers on the night, and apologies for the delay in writing up the experiment.
Discuss this item in the forums.


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Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Eggnog Cookies - Baking GALS Round 25
What's your oldest memory of eggnog? Is it something you had with your family during the holidays? Or still do? I remember early on in elementary school, our class made a cookbook and one of my classmates submitted a recipe for homemade eggnog. I'd probably had it at some point before this, but making it from that recipe is the first experience that comes to mind. I loved it right from the start. Of course that wasn't the adult version, which I also am a big fan of!
So, the big question with eggnog in baked goods is, will the flavor actually come through? I've made eggnog scones before and I remember them being good, but not really having a strong eggnog flavor. Maybe I used a light variety or needed to add more, who knows – but after making these cookies, I'll be playing around with those scones again as there was no shortage of flavor here!
This recipe actually called for the addition of dark chocolate chunks. I'm sure that is also delicious, but eggnog to me just screams nutmeg, so I omitted the chocolate and added some nutmeg and cinnamon chips instead. To me, they are absolutely perfect like this, but if you prefer chocolate, just sub out the same amount that I used for the cinnamon chips.
|Go ahead - add a splash of bourbon. :)
Recipe adapted from Brown Eyed Baker (www.browneyedbaker.com)
1 cup + 2 Tbsp AP flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp ground nutmeg
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
¼ cup Eggnog (light not recommended)
1 egg yolk
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup mini cinnamon chips
Preheat oven to 300º. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg; set aside.
Using an electric mixer, in a large bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggnog, egg yolk, and vanilla. Continue to beat at medium speed until completely mixed, about 2 minutes.
Reduce mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in two batches, mix until just combined. Using a rubber scraper, fold in the cinnamon chips and make sure all flour is incorporated.
Using a small or medium cookie scoop, drop dough onto the cookie sheets about 2 inches apart. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges are set and just starting to turn a golden brown and the centers spring back when touched lightly.
Remove from oven and let rest on the cookie sheets for 1 minute then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Store in an air-tight container.
**Note 1** I used a medium cookie scoop and this recipe made about 18 cookies – therefore you may want to double it!
**Note 2** Order a batch and let me do the work - check out Bakeri and let me know what I can make for you!


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Skip to comments.N4T Investigators: Border Patrol stripping agents of their rifles
Posted on 11/10/2014 10:41:41 AM PST by lulu16
The News 4 Tucson Investigators have uncovered that some U.S. Border Patrol agents have lost a key part of their arsenal. And that has agents who patrol along the border here, extremely worried.
We learned that U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Offices of Border Patrol and Training and Development are inspecting the quality of agents' M4 carbines throughout Border Patrol sectors nationwide. But agents tell us, some of those M4s have not been replaced. And, we've learned, agents are required to share rifles amongst each other.
"There's a lot of agents that are pretty upset over it," said Art del Cueto, president of the Border Patrol's Tucson Sector union. "We know it's a dangerous job. We know what we signed on for but we want to have as much of the equipment as we need to perform the job."
The M4 carbine is used by the U.S. military and by Border Patrol agents. It's even used by the Border Patrol's tactical unit, BORTAC. Agent Brian Terry was carrying the M4 when he was shot and killed in December 2010.
Del Cueto tells us that because some of those M4s have not been replaced, agents are pooling their weapons, which makes it difficult to personalize the settings on a rifle, such as the sights.
One carries the bullets and one carries the rifle. When the one carrying the rifle is killed, the one carrying the bullets picks up the rifle.
The list, Ping
Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list
When will people accept the truth: the Executive has been sacked by forces hostile to the Untied States.
Jeff Prather former DEA, who was quoted in the article, will most likely be interviewed today 3pm on James T Harris conservative radio show today. He speaks regularly.
If you are interested in border issues, Garrett Lewis, one of our conservative radio hosts, keeps us apprised. That is where I heard about this story this morning on his show, which is from 6am to 10am.
He also reported on a conference about destroying "frontieras" (borders) where they discussed inequalities:
This years conference has emphasized hierarchies, including rich over poor and citizen over recent arrival.
Barry's old board buddy, Bill Ayers was there enjoying our resort El Conquistador (no irony) in Oro Valley ( north of Tucson-—conservative town) and railing against corporations influence in education.
0bama is not incompetent
0bama is evil; he is willfully destructive of these United States.
That quote is from an excellent movie..
The sights should not be "personalized". They should be set up so that anyone can pick up the rifle, aim it and fire it accurately.
I watched the movie with one of my sons and I pointed out how socialism/communism didn't hesitate to sacrifice the lives of millions for the benefit of the State. I told him that the people running our Government are no different.
BPAs should just carry personal owned rifles if their employer doesn't have enough to go around
Is Obama disarming our Border Agents ahead of his Executive Amnesty?
Looks like it. Check this post later on and I'll see what Prather says. He is known for connecting the dots.
Plenty of justice dept rifles for the narcotraficantes, but not enough for our own agents...... sounds normal to me, if you are a illegal alien usurper in the white hut that wants to destroy the USA.
Wow, my 13 year old and I had the same conversation. I hammered on the notion of the "Political Officer". (Ralph Fiennes character)..
It's going to be the best of show for Harris, so no further info on this topic from Prather.
This is from Newsmax on what we are doing to help and guide illegals:
"Raleigh Leonard, the Border Patrol's Tucson Sector Division chief, credits 10 new rescue beacons placed in high immigrant traffic areas for helping to reduce deaths among those trying to come into the U.S, the Monitor noted.
"I think we can all agree that crossing the border is an illegal act, but nothing that should be assigned the penalty of death," Leonard told the Monitor.
The area remains dangerous, however. One Mexican man was killed by a Border Patrol agent late last month, the third such shooting in a year, the Arizona Daily Star reports. "
Sorry, the IRS needs those rifles more.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.


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Benefits & Risks of Diversification
Moving into different business areas can increase your sales and revenue but might stress your business more than the move is worth. Before you enter uncharted territories, even based on proven benefits, perform an "if so/then what" analysis to determine if the downsides will outweigh your benefits or if any damage to your current business model won't justify diversification.
A company can diversify in several ways, including acquiring a new business, adding a new market segment or selling new products or services. A floral shop owner might add photography services, capitalizing on the needs of wedding planners who use both services. A website developer might add SEO consulting services for businesses with existing websites who want to improve search results and increase traffic. A business can diversify by providing the same product or service for a different market segment, such as a marketing company that specializes in working with law firms creating a department that specializes in nonprofit marketing. This is known as horizontal market segmentation.
Increased Sales and Revenue
Obvious benefits of diversification include increased sales and revenue. If a business has captured a significant portion of a marketplace, it's difficult to improve profitability because there is little room for new customer acquisition. Adding a new product or service or entering a new market segment offers the opportunity for exponential growth.
Dependency Reduction
Many small businesses rely on only one or two large clients for most of their revenue, making the company extremely vulnerable to failure if one client leaves. Even if diversification does not increase your profits exponentially, it can provide you with enough of a cushion to withstand losing a key customer while you seek a replacement.
Operational Stress
If customers want your new product or service, the requirements to fulfill those sales might strain your ability to operate, making the diversification unwise. You might reduce productivity among employees who must now multitask. Short-term capital needs and debt expense to fund the diversification might be too high. If you produce, store and ship products, your supply chain might not be able to handle the burden. When you consider a diversification opportunity, analyze the affects it will have on your human resources, information technology, production, finances and marketing.
Brand Damage
KFC has resisted selling hamburgers, fish and tacos, even though it might be able to sell those products, because it would damage its brand message of being a leader in fast-food chicken. Diversifying into new areas using the same brand name can confuse your customers or convince them you are no longer a leader in your area because you don't specialize.
Photo Credits
- Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images


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Natural Architecture
The natural environment still manages to fill us with a sense
of awe and amazement. despite the amount of scientific
knowledge mankind has gathered, nature still holds great
mysteries that we may never be able to unravel.
this complexity has continually daunted man. in frustration, we
try to control nature by enforcing order. as a result,
we have distanced ourselves from the earth, even though
our survival is completely dependent on it. we are now trying
to regain our close connection to nature.
There is an emerging art movement that is exploring mankind's
desire to reconnect to the earth, through the built environment.
referred to as 'natural architecture', it aims to create a new,
more harmonious, relationship between man and nature by
exploring what it means to design with nature in mind.
The roots of this movement can be found in earlier artistic
shifts like the 'land art' movement of the late nineteen sixties.
although this movement was focused on protesting the
austerity of the gallery and the commercialization of art,
it managed to expand the formal link between art and nature.
this has helped develop a new appreciation of nature in all
forms of art and design.
The 'natural architecture' movement aims to expand on 'land art'
by acting as a form of activism rather than protest. this new
form of art aims to capture the harmonious connection we
seek with nature by merging humanity and nature through
architecture. the core concept of the movement is that
mankind can live harmoniously with nature, using it for our
needs while respecting its importance.
The movement is characterized by the work of a number of
artists, designers and architects that express these principles
in their work. the pieces are simple, humble and built using the
most basic materials and skills. because of this, the results
often resemble indigenous architecture, reflecting the desire
to return to a less technological world. the forms are stripped
down to their essence, expressing the natural beauty inherent
in the materials and location. the movement has many forms of
expression that range from location-based interventions to
structures built from living materials. however all of the works
in the movement share a central ethos that demonstrates a
respect and appreciation for nature.
These works are meant to comment on architecture and provide
a new framework to approach buildings and structures.
they aim to infuse new ideas into architecture by subverting
the idea that architecture should shelter nature. instead,
the structures deliberately expose the natural materials used
in the building process. we see the branches, the rocks and
all the materials for what they are. we understand that these
structures won't exist forever. the materials will evolve over
time, slowly decomposing until no evidence remains.
these features are intentional, provoking viewers to question
the conventions of architecture. the designers aren't suggesting
that architecture must conform to their vision, they are just
providing ideas that they hope will inspire us all to rethink the
relationship between nature and the built environment.
'la tonnelle' by gilles bruni and marc babarit, 1996
'ash dome' by david nash, 1977
'organic highway' by mikael hansen 1995
'bridge in moasi, china' by edward ng, 2005
'clemson clay nest' by nils-udo, 2005
'weidendom' by sanfte strukturen, 2001
'reed chamber' by chris drury, 2002
'running in circles' willow and maple saplings, patrick dougherty, 1996
'toad hall' by patrick dougherty, 2004
'fog pad' by n architects, 2004
cover of 'natural architecture' by alessandro rocca, published by princeton architectural
press, 2007 – all the images featured in this article are taken it.


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The Community Bank Advantage
- By
- Jul 05, 2012
Whether you're looking to finance your next project, obtain a line of credit or expand your business, you may find yourself in search of a good banking partner. So where should you turn? Big banks seem alluring for their deep pockets and numerous offices, but community banks are attractive for the personalized attention they offer and their community focus.
It might surprise you to learn that if you operate a small to midsize business, you may have a better chance of obtaining a loan or a line of credit from a community bank. Here's why:
• Mission. In order to meet their profit goals, big banks prefer big loans. Small loans may be more hassle than they're worth for a big bank. Conversely, community banks thrive on small to midsize loans.
• Relationships. Big banks have central loan processing facilities and receive large volumes of loan applications. Loan approval at big banks is a very quantitative process. A community bank will combine quantitative and qualitative evaluation – that is, the community banker will rely partly on personal knowledge of the loan applicant and the applicant's company to decide whether to originate the loan.
• Context. Just as it sounds, a community bank is very focused on its community. Your banker is likely to be involved with and knowledgeable about the region in which you operate. Again, this will allow the banker to consider more than just the numbers when evaluating your loan application. Additionally, when you establish a relationship with a community banker, you're likely to benefit from the community bank's consultative banking services. Community bankers welcome the chance to serve as an advisor to their clients for important business decisions and general business strategy. Big banks often view consultative services as a legal liability.
If you're looking for a large loan to finance a large real estate development project, you probably want to start with the big banks. But if you're looking for a smaller loan, a business line of credit or an SBA loan, you might save time and gain an important business ally by starting with a community bank.


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Thursday the Supreme Court reversed 96 years of jurisprudence on minimum pricing pacts. In 1911, the Supreme Court found that minimum pricing agreements were in violation of the Federal antitrust laws. Today the Supreme Court ruled the pacts are not per se violations of federal law but must be analyzed on a case by case basis – blowing the doors off of a century of consumer protection law. Justice Breyer commented in the dissent that "the only safe predictions to make about today's decision are that it will likely raise the price of goods at retail". Justice Alito was in the majority on this one (see my recent post below on his voting record). Higher prices for consumers and hard times for small businesses are on the horizon because of this decision. See more in depth commentary on the decision at WSJ lawblog.
June 2007
June 29, 2007
ATTACK ON CONSUMERS CONTINUES – DOOMSDAY PART IIPosted by Jeff under tort reform
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June 29, 2007
$20 MILLION SETTLEMENT ON BAD FAITH CLAIM IN DRAM SHOP SUITPosted by Jeff under Auto Accident, Bad Faith, Damages, Dram Shop
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Princeton Insurance refused to pay policy limits of $1 Million in a suit against a bar. The suit was based on the acts of the manager of the bar who served himself alcohol, drove drunk, hit the victim who was working directing traffic, and fled the scene. The acts of the tavern manager made the victim, Joseph Tuski, a quadriplegic. Mr. Tuski had $1.6 million in past medical expenses, $2 million in lost earnings and the jury found he needed $18 million for future medical expenses.
The jury in the underlying case awarded a $75 million verdict. The judge in the case reduced the jury's verdict to $37.5 million. The owners of the bar assigned the claim against their insurance company, for failing to pay Mr. Tuski's claim timely, to the plaintiff, Mr. Tuski.
In a story about the case, Plaintiff's counsel said Princeton had actual knowledge of the serious injuries the plaintiff suffered from and knew there were no defenses to hide behind. Princeton ignored the facts and law and refused to make an offer. The insurance company could have avoided the verdict and the subsequent settlement had they done the right thing and paid the claim timely. This is not an incident isolated to this insurance company, this is a nationwide trend, affecting consumers everywhere, especially here on the Gulf Coast, where consurmers have been at war with insurance companies over denial of claims since Katrina hit.
June 28, 2007
DOOMSDAY FOR THE CONSUMERPosted by Jeff under tort reform
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Justice Sam Alito has made himself the brightest star in a galaxy of shining stars. This Supreme Court is the most business friendly court in years, and Alito is the most friendly of the bunch. In an article on Bloomberg.com, Robin Conrad, executive VP of the US Chamber of Commerce's litigation unit, called this year's term "absolutely stellar" and "the best in the unit's 30-year history".
A quote from Maureen Mahoney, a lawyer at Latham & Watkins in Washington, sums up the term this way: "I always thought of the Rehnquist court as a good forum for business, I think we now know that the Roberts court is even better".
This term the court limited state government's authority to regulate national banks, made it harder for plaintiffs to sue in shareholder lawsuits, tightened restrictions on punitive damages, and limited consumer's rights under federal credit reporting laws, in a case where the court sided with insurers over consumers.
But the stats tell the tale, Alito sided with the US Chamber of Commerce 13 out of 14 votes – making him a superstar for business by any standard. See the US Chamber's victory press release here. Consumers are in for a bumpy ride the next few years.
June 27, 2007
EPA MISTAKES IN AFTERMATH OF 9-11Posted by Jeff under Ground Zero Workers, Lung Disease, Medical Monitoring, Toxic Tort
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Continuing the EPA's parade of incompetence, there is an article in the New York Times regarding Whitman's testimony on the EPA's response to the 9-11 clean up. Whitman repeatedly denied the agency downplayed their findings regarding air quality around the attack site in the days following 9-11. Whitman might still be in denial, but the proof is in the pudding. There was ample evidence of dangerous environmental conditions around the site immediately after 9-11, particularly evidence on dangerous levels of dust in the air, including hazardous silica dust and asbestos dust. Now there is medical proof of the dangers in the worker's afflicted with World Trade Center dust disease (see previous posts).
Two quotes from the story:
"She (Whitman) said that she was addressing residents of Lower Manhattan — not workers at ground zero — when she said a week after the attack that the air was safe to breathe", and
"(s)everal members of the subcommittee also pressed Ms. Whitman to acknowledge that exposure to the dust from the collapsed twin towers had made workers and residents sick. Ms. Whitman declined to do so, saying that the evidence linking the dust to disease was not conclusive. She said she had not read clinical reports from the Mount Sinai World Trade Center Screening and Monitoring Program. A preliminary study released last year showed that 70 percent of the first 9,000 workers examined had reported developing some kind of respiratory problem after working on the debris pile."
She could have come to the hearing and taken responsibility for what she did, but she chose not to. What a shame.
June 27, 2007
EPA MISTAKES IN KATRINA CLEAN UPPosted by Jeff under Toxic Tort
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There is an article in the Times Picayune regarding the EPS's handling of the post Katrina clean up. The agency is criticized for not monitoring for asbestos fibers during demolition and clean up. This mistep could lead to thousands of clean up workers coming down with illnesses similar to the diseases experienced by 9-11 workers.
The agency is also criticized in the report for taking too long to remove hazardous materials from wildlife refuges. The delay in removal allowed containers of hazardous materials to leak into the refuges, endangering the ecosystems.
In addition, it appears the agency failed to provide guidance to local authorities in storm debris disposal, which resulted in the improper removal to landfills of various storm debris materials and could result in a negative impact to the environment in the long term.
June 26, 2007
BLACK LUNG TRAGEDY – MEDICAL MONITORING PROGRAM PITFALLSPosted by Jeff under Lung Disease, Medical Monitoring, Toxic Tort
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Only 16% of Kentucky coal miners get screened for black lung disease, an occupational lung disease caused by prolonged breathing of coal mine dust. As early as 1822 the disease was recognized in coal miners. It was called miner's asthma at that time. Black lung is preventable, just like all occupational diseases.
The government provides free programs to screen miners for black lung. But, according to a story in the Appalachian News, miners avoid screenings out of fear of losing their jobs:
"Miners must share their black-lung diagnosis with their bosses almost immediately if they want to receive state benefits. And if miners are found to have black lung, there's often no safe place for them to work in a mine. That leaves many worried that their employers would find reasons to let them go."
The highest paying jobs are the ones that expose miners to a lot of dust. Additionally black lung disease has a long latency period, it does not manifest itself until years after the initial exposures occurred. The disease is also dose related. If you are taken out of the dusty environment it will slow the progression of the disease.
In Kentucky, black lung disease death have increased 38 percent from 1998 to 2004, whole the rates have dropped in other coal mining states. KY miners who were x-rayed last year had several times higher rates of black lung disease than expected.
This situation needs to change. Miners should not have to suffer from a preventable disease. The government needs to change the rules regarding compensation, so that miners are comfortable diagnosing the disease earlier. The companies that use up these employees, until they are no longer fit for any employment, need to be held accountable for the condition they leave their employees in and the employment laws need to be changed to prevent firings. Unions might be the answer.
Occupational dust disease is preventable. The levels which cause disease are known and dust control measures that would prevent disease can be implemented. Companies have refused to do this for many years. No reason to believe they will change any time soon.
June 21, 2007
MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL MONITORING SUIT DENIEDPosted by Jeff under Medical Monitoring, Toxic Tort
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Workers at a Boeing facility brought a lawsuit in Federal Court in Mississippi asking for medical monitoring. The workers claim they were exposed to beryllium dust at the facility. Exposure to beryllium dust can cause scarring of the lungs that can be fatal. The claim brought in a suit for medical monitoring is not that the worker has a physical injury, but that the worker has fear of an injury and that is an injury in and of itself.
Had the case not been denied, the workers would have sought to create a fund to pay for their monitoring in the future. This is something that, considering the state of the health care system in this country today, is absolutely necessary for the hard working men and women of this country – when they have been exposed at their worksite to a known toxic material. Score another one for big business.
June 19, 2007
TORT REFORM BY ELECTIONPosted by Jeff under tort reform
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The New York Times has an editorial on the amount of money spent in this country on judicial races. Interesting facts: business interests contributed $15 million to candidates running in state supreme court races. By contrast lawyers contributed only $7 million in the same races. Several years ago business interests succeeded in "flipping" the Alabama Supreme Court – changing the court from a court that protects consumer/worker's rights to one that protects business interests. The same thing also happened with the Texas Supreme Court. Over 17,000 ads were run in the race for Chief Justice in Alabama recently.
Business interests in this country are attacking consumers' rights to fair compensation for injury. These same groups are not advocating taking away big business' right to sue. These companies that are advocating taking away consumers' rights are the same companies who routinely get multi-million dollar judgments in the court system. Don't know what the solution is, but consumers deserve better than the current system.
June 14, 2007
DOCTORS' CONTINUING EDUCATION FINANCED DRUG INDUSTRYPosted by Jeff under Consumer Rights, Product Liability
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Editorial in the New York Times today regarding drug company funding of continuing education for doctors. Doctors are required to take a certain number of hours of continuing education a year to maintain a license to practice medicine. Historically, universities and medical societies sponsored these continuing education classes. Since 1998 the amount the drug industry has spent on continuing education for doctors has gone from $302 million a year to $1.2 billion a year, a four fold increase. In the past decade the drug industry has taken over providing most of the continuing education for doctors in this country. A quote from the editorial sums up the danger in this trend: "Because pharmaceutical companies now set much of the agenda for what doctors learn about drugs, crucial information about potential drug dangers is played down, to the detriment of patient care".
A story that goes hand in hand with this item played out in Congress this week. In a hearing before a congressional committee a doctor testified how a drug company threatened to sue him for billions of dollars in stock losses because he talked about health concerns related to a drug they sell.
The makers of Avandia, a diabetes drug, threatened to sue Dr. John Buse because he questioned whether there was a risk of heart problems associated with the drug. A new study published in the New England Journal of medicine found patient's risk of heart attack could increase 40 percent in patients taking Avandia. It appears, based on these findings, that Dr. Buse's concerns about Avandia had some basis.
Hopefully, for consumers, the trend of allowing doctors to get the bulk of their continuing education from drug companies will not continue. Drug companies bombard the public with ads for pills to improve your sex life (viagra, cialis), pills to improve your sleep) and pills to improve anything else you can think of. Doctors should diffuse the effects of direct marketing to the consumer, not play along with it. The medical community should police itself on this matter. Physician heal thyself.
June 6, 2007
FAMILY OF MESOTHELIOMA VICTIM AWARDED $5.2 MILLION IN FOSTER WHEELER ASBESTOS CASEPosted by Jeff under Asbestos, Damages, Lung Disease, Product Liability
[2] Comments
The family of a retired naval machinist was awarded $5.2 million by a jury in Los Angeles, in a suit brought against asbestos manufacturers alleging exposure to their products caused asbestos related cancer. Richard Walmach, a mesothelioma victim, passed away in 2006. The jury found Foster Wheeler Corporation acted with malice and awarded a verdict of $5.2 million, including $2 million in punitive damages. Walmach removed asbestos from Foster Wheeler boilers during his career as a machinist. Walmach worked at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard in the 1960s and worked for 37 years at the Puget Sound Naval Yard.


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12 Apr 2017 Growing Up Together
Florida Weekly and I hit Southwest Florida right about the same time. I was a little bit ahead of them on the calendar but when they showed up on the scene I gobbled up every page of the weekly paper. It was a fantastic way to learn more about the community and issues impacting Southwest Florida, not to mention checking out all the photos in the social scene sections. I felt as if I knew people before actually meeting them in person.
Several years later I was leading a small grass roots non-profit and Florida Weekly was always willing to print stories about our work, ads for our events and photos from our fundraisers. They not only did it for the organization I worked for but hundreds of others in our community.
They were there for us.
Never did I imagine that a few years later I would have the opportunity to share thoughts and stories on the pages that were my lifeline in my first few years in Fort Myers. When I joined the Southwest Florida Community Foundation team and learned that Florida Weekly donated a weekly column space to the giving spirit in Southwest Florida, I was amazed. Evidently the column had been in the very earliest issues of the fledgling Fort Myers paper.
This gift of space allows the Foundation and many of its non-profit partners to share innovative programs, stories of local philanthropists, the first published articles by interns embedded in local non-profits, musings by our senior staff members and trustees, and yes, sometimes private moments that my family still wishes I would keep to myself- all in the name of promoting generosity in our region.
500 words a week, for 10 years on charitable giving, philanthropy and community need is an incredible curation of generosity and inspiration. The remarkable thing is the publishers of Florida Weekly do the same thing for health and wellness, business, animal lovers, and more.
They are here for us.
As if one 10-year birthday wasn't exciting enough, I also had the opportunity to celebrate this past week with our Women's Legacy Fund, a fund of the Southwest Florida Community Foundation. The contributors to this fund have supported women and girls in our region through nearly $140,000 in grants in areas such as domestic violence, STEM mentoring programs, neighborhood resources, employment skills and literacy. With an endowment of nearly $660,000, these women are planning for the women and girls of the future as well. Most recently Impact Dunbar joined the WLF family to focus specifically on women and girls in the Dunbar community.
They are there for women and girls in Southwest Florida.
Being around for 10 years is a remarkable accomplishment, but using those years to make a difference in our community is a real reason to celebrate.
Happy Birthday Florida Weekly and Women's Legacy Fund, it's been great watching you grow.
The Southwest Florida Community Foundation, founded in 1976, cultivates regional change for the common good through collective leadership, social innovation and philanthropy to address the evolving community needs in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties. The Foundation partners with individuals, families and corporations who have created over 400 philanthropic funds. Thanks to them, last year the Foundation invested $5 million in grants and programs to the community. With assets of $93 million, the Community Foundation has provided more than $67 million in grants and scholarships to the communities it serves since inception. The Foundation is the backbone organization for the regional FutureMakers Coalition and Lee County's Sustainability Plan. Based in Fort Myers, the Foundation has satellite offices located in Sanibel Island, LaBelle (Hendry County), and downtown Fort Myers. For more information, visit www.FloridaCommunity.com or call 239-274-5900.


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Hiatus Over: Thoughts on My First Full Climbing Season
I realize that this site has gone quiet, but I haven't. Lately i've been concentrating my time on my trips, my climbing, my contributions to other publications, and less on my writing here. This is where it started, and as my project now goes into its second year, the weather begins to change, the cold […]Read more "Hiatus Over: Thoughts on My First Full Climbing Season"


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Note: 1 crore = 10 million
Note: US$ 1 ~ Rs. 50
The government of the Indian state of Kerala has decided to supply rice and wheat at ration shops at the rate of 25kgs per month at Rs.2 a kilo against the present rate of Rs.3 a kilo to 20,00,000 families living below poverty line. The government would incur an additional expenditure of Rs.5 crore per month or Rs.60 crores per year. The benefit to a family is Rs.25 per month. Cannot a person earn additional Rs.25 per month by working? The wage rates are around Rs.150 per day for males and Rs.80 per day for females, i.e. Rs.230 per family of two working people (one male and one female). Instead of giving rice at Rs.2 a kilo, if the government provides jobs for just one additional day in a month, the government need not supply rice at Rs.2 a kilo. They can even price rice at Rs.9 a kilo. The cost of one month's supply would be Rs.225, the same as the wages for one day.
Now coming to the creation of jobs, it is very easy in India compared to countries like Japan, US and other developed countries. Every village needs at least 5 or 10 public toilets. The unskilled people can be asked to dig pits. Every village is dirty. The unskilled people can be asked to clean the village and wages at Rs.150 for males and Rs.80 for females can be given. Every month, people can be asked to clean the village once in a weak. In every village, the lake can be deepened and cleaned. Roads and streets can be repaired. Such works are sufficient to provide additional one day work for all families below poverty line.
In towns and cities also, a large number of works can be undertaken. One is cleaning of the streets and roads. The other is transporting the garbage. The third is washing the public transport vehicles (at present vehicles are not cleaned as they should be). The potholes in the streets and roads could be closed. The public places like railway stations, bus stations, vegetable and other market places could be washed. The lakes around the towns could be deepened to hold additional water during rainy seasons. Trees can be planted in parks, on the sides of streets and roads wherever possible, watering the same etc. Used water can be recycled and used to water the plants and trees.
Supplying essential items at highly subsidized rates will only make people lazy and the number of people below poverty line cannot be reduced.
This applies to all developing countries in the world.


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Where Is Lite Coin Going – Shared Wealth in The New Digital Economy – The Affluence Network
Thank you for coming to us in your search for "Where Is Lite Coin Going" online. Here is the coolest thing about cryptocurrencies; they don't physically exist everywhere, not even on a hard drive. When you take a look at a specific address for a wallet containing a cryptocurrency, there is absolutely no digital information held in it, like in the exact same manner that a bank could hold dollars in a bank account. It really is nothing more than a representation of value, but there's no real palpable sort of that value. Cryptocurrency wallets may not be seized or frozen or audited by the banks and the law. They do not have spending limits and withdrawal limitations imposed on them. No one but the owner of the crypto wallet can determine how their riches will be managed. The sweetness of the cryptocurrencies is that fraud was proved an impossibility: due to the nature of the method in which it is transacted. All exchanges on a crypto currency blockchain are irreversible. As soon as youare paid, you get paid. This isn't something short term wherever your customers could challenge or demand a concessions, or employ dishonest sleight of hand. Used, most merchants could be wise to utilize a transaction processor, because of the irreversible nature of crypto currency deals, you should make sure that stability is hard. With any type of crypto currency whether it be a bitcoin, ether, litecoin, or some of the numerous additional altcoins, thieves and hackers might access your private secrets and therefore take your money. Unfortunately, you probably will never get it back. It is very important for you to adopt some very good safe and sound techniques when coping with any cryptocurrency. Doing this may protect you from all of these adverse events. In the event of the fully-functioning cryptocurrency, it could actually be dealt like a commodity. Proponents of cryptocurrencies announce that this sort of electronic income isn't handled with a key bank system and is not therefore susceptible to the vagaries of its inflation. Because there are a minimal quantity of items, this coin's importance is dependant on market forces, letting owners to industry over cryptocurrency transactions.
Where Is Lite Coin Going: Your Wealth Robot: The Affluence Network
Ethereum is an unbelievable cryptocurrency platform, however, if growth is too quickly, there may be some problems. If the platform is adopted fast, Ethereum requests could increase dramatically, and at a rate that exceeds the rate with which the miners can create new coins. Under such a scenario, the whole stage of Ethereum could become destabilized because of the raising costs of running distributed applications. In turn, this could dampen interest Ethereum stage and ether. Instability of demand for ether can result in a negative change in the economical parameters of an Ethereum based company that may lead to company being unable to continue to manage or to stop operation. The physical Internet backbone that carries information between the different nodes of the network is now the work of a number of firms called Internet service providers (ISPs), including firms offering long-distance pipelines, occasionally at the international level, regional local pipe, which ultimately joins in families and businesses. The physical connection to the Internet can only happen through one of these ISPs, players like degree 3, Cogent, and IBM AT&T. Each ISP runs its own network. Internet service providers Exchange IXPs, owned or private businesses, and occasionally by Authorities, make for each of these networks to be interconnected or to move messages across the network. Many ISPs have arrangements with suppliers of physical Internet backbone providers to offer Internet service over their networks for "last mile"-consumers and businesses who need to get Internet connectivity. Internet protocols, followed by everyone in the network makes it possible for the data to flow without interruption, in the right area at the perfect time.
While none of these organizations "owns" the Internet collectively these businesses determine how it functions, and recognized rules and standards that everyone remains. Contracts and legal framework that underlies all that is taking place to discover how things work and what happens if something goes wrong. To get a domain name, for example, one needs permission from a Registrar, which has a contract with ICANN. To connect to the Internet, your ISP must be physical contracts with providers of Internet backbone services, and suppliers have contracts with IXPs from the Internet backbone to connect to and with her. Concern over security problems? A working group is formed to work with the issue and the alternative developed and deployed is in the interest of most parties. If the Internet is down, you've got someone to phone to get it mended. If the problem is from your ISP, they in turn have contracts in place and service level agreements, which govern the way in which these problems are resolved.
The advantage of cryptocurrency is that it uses blockchain technology. The network of nodes the make up the blockchain isn't regulated by any centered company. No one can tell the miners to upgrade, speed up, slow down, stop or do anything. And that is something that as a committed supporter badge of honor, and is identical to the way the Internet functions. But as you understand now, public Internet governance, normalities and rules that govern how it works present constitutional difficulties to an individual. Blockchain technology has none of that. You've probably noticed this often times where you generally distribute the great word about crypto. "It is not risky? What goes on if the value crashes? " to date, many POS programs provides free conversion of fiat, improving some matter, but before volatility cryptocurrencies is addressed, most of the people is going to be unwilling to carry any. We must find a method to struggle the volatility that's inherent in cryptocurrencies. For most users of cryptocurrencies it isn't necessary to comprehend how the process operates in and of itself, but it's basically crucial that you comprehend that there is a procedure for mining to create virtual money. Unlike monies as we understand them now where Authorities and banks can only select to print endless quantities (I 'm not saying they are doing thus, only one point), cryptocurrencies to be managed by users using a mining program, which solves the sophisticated algorithms to release blocks of monies that can enter into circulation. When searching on the web forWhere Is Lite Coin Going, there are many things to consider.
Where Is Lite Coin Going – Safe High End Dividend Yield: Affluence Network
Click here to visit our home page and learn more about Where Is Lite Coin Going. Entrepreneurs in the cryptocurrency movement may be wise to investigate possibilities for making gigantic ammonts of money with various kinds of online marketing.There could be a rich reward for anyone daring enough to brave the cryptocurrency markets.Bitcoin structure provides an informative example of how one might make lots of money in the cryptocurrency markets. Bitcoin is an outstanding intellectual and technical achievement, and it's created an avalanche of editorial coverage and venture capital investment opportunities. But very few people understand that and pass up on very lucrative business models made available because of the growing use of blockchain technology. The transactions of Bitcoins are recorded in ledgers which are referred to as Blockchains. The ledgers use extremely complex technology about them to work. The thought is very simple than you think. The Blockchain allows two parties to create a smart contract. The contract can be created between two companies in a platform known It's definitely possible, but it must be able to recognize opportunities irrespective of market behaviour. The market moves in relation to cost BTC … So even if it's in a BTC trend down can make money by buying the altcoins which are altcoin oversold trading ratios-BTC. Sure, your purchasing power in DOLLARS may be lower, but as long as your purchasing power in BTC is still growing you'll be alright. It should be difficult to get more little gains (~ 10%) throughout the day. Study the way to read these Candlestick charts! And I discovered these two rules to be accurate: having little gains is more profitable than attempting to fight up to the summit. Most day traders follow Candlestick, therefore it is better to look at books than wait for order confirmation when you think the cost is going down. Secondly, there is more volatility and reward in monies that haven't made it to the profitableness of sites like Coinwarz. If you are in search of Where Is Lite Coin Going, look no further than The Affluence Network.
Where Is Lite Coin Going – Your Digital Needs Done Right: The Affluence Network
Only a fraction of bitcoins issued so far are available on the exchange markets. Bitcoin markets are competitive, which means the cost a bitcoin will rise or fall depending on supply and demand. A lot of people hoard them for long term savings and investment. This restricts the quantity of bitcoins that are really circulating in the exchanges. Additionally, new bitcoins will continue to be issued for decades to come. Hence, even the most diligent buyer couldn't buy all existing bitcoins. This scenario is just not to imply that markets aren't exposed to price exploitation, yet there's no requirement for big sums of cash to transfer market prices up or down. The merest occasions on earth market can affect the cost of Bitcoin, This can make Bitcoin and any other cryptocurrency volatile. Since one of the earliest forms of making money is in money financing, it truly is a fact you could do that with cryptocurrency. Most of the lending sites currently focus on Bitcoin, many of these sites you're required fill in a captcha after a specific period of time and are rewarded with a small amount of coins for visiting them. It is possible to visit the www.cryptofunds.co site to locate some lists of of these sites to tap into the currency of your choice. Unlike forex, stocks and options, etc., altcoin marketplaces have quite different dynamics. New ones are constantly popping up which means they do not have a lot of market data and historical view for you to backtest against. Most altcoins have fairly inferior liquidity as well and it is hard to produce a reasonable investment strategy. Cryptocurrency is freeing people to transact money and do business on their terms. Each user can send and receive payments in the same way, but in addition they participate in more complex smart contracts. Multiple signatures enable a trade to be supported by the network, but where a certain number of a defined group of people agree to sign the deal, blockchain technology makes this possible. This allows progressive dispute mediation services to be developed in the future. These services could enable a third party to approve or reject a trade in the event of disagreement between the other parties without checking their money. Unlike cash and other payment systems, the blockchain always leaves public evidence that a transaction occurred. This can be possibly used within an appeal against businesses with deceptive practices.


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LOS ANGELES, CA – 21 Sep, 2016 – Surely you´ll look forward to hearing this phrase in the big race for Global Energy 2016, for which you have been preparing so hard. In the week before the race, the key is the well nutrition, that will help you achieve your personal goal.
Here a few simple steps in the countdown phase:
• Let's start with the famous "carbo-loading". The most important thing is that you have to build it the last week, not just the night before.
• Increase 5% your intake of carbohydrates (1 more serving). Food allies this week are cereals like Bimbo Soft White, Tia Rosa flour tortillas, pasta, rice, potatoes, sweet potatoes, etc.
• Only this week avoid high-fiber foods such as those prepared from whole grains, oats, large amounts of vegetables and fruit, and legumes.
• Avoid alcoholic beverages, specially the day before the race, because they increase dehydration.
• Decrease your training, your muscles can be loaded with glycogen.
• Don´t eat raw, spicy or fatty foods to avoid gastrointestinal discomfort before the big race.
• The day before the race avoid red meat, because the process of digestion can interfere with your energy levels.
• It is recommended 5 meals at day, but this week it takes more relevance, eat light and frequently help to our metabolism to be in good condition for the "D-Day".
• Don´t forget to stay well hydrated and drink 400-600 ml of water 1 to 2 hours before the race.
Menu for the day before the race:
Breakfast: French bread with Bimbo no crust and a little honey, mango and tea.
Mid morning snack: A bar Bran Frut Bimbo bar and a yoghurt drink.
Meal: rice with carrots, fish and creamed spinach.
Mid afternoon snack: nuts or peanuts.
Dinner: Baked potato with ham and cheese, pear and tea.
(*) Remember to drink water during the day.
When you finish the race enjoy your great achievement. The following is take necessary actions for successful recovery.
Here are some tips:
• Hydrate you with fluids and electrolytes.
• Eat foods with carbohydrates and protein, it´s important to eat both, because it´s the ideal way that the muscle really recovers.
• If you only eat protein the body is slowly recovering, you think you've done a great effort, help to make it easier, we share some ideas:
○ 1 slice of Bimbo Soft Whitw with turkey ham or peanut butter.
○ 1 quesadilla with Tia Rosa flour tortillas and cheese.
○ 1 cup of fruit with cottage cheese.
○ 1 Bimbo Multigrain and milk, or you can choose a Bimbo Bran Frut.
For optimal recovery during next 48 hours still consumes 5% more carbohydrates.
We are sure that with these tips, your race for which takes a lot of time in training, will be a guaranteed success.
Finally, don´t forget to enjoy Global Energy 2016. Good luck!
#Bimbo, #Bread, #WholeGrains, #Diet, #Health, #Multigrain, #Carbohydrates, #Cereals #GlobalEnergy
For More Information or to request the release in Spanish please send an email to email@example.com
Written By Grupo Bimbo's Nutritionist Ana María González
Full News Story: http://pressreleasejet.com/news/bimbo-ready-set-go.html
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Company Name: Bimbo
Contact Person: Aida Phillips
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Country: United States
Website: https://bimbobakeriesusa.com/


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Is it purely coincidental that the moon rotates on its axis in synch with its revolution around the Earth, keeping the same face always pointed toward us?Asked by: Zaheer Merchant
AnswerThe Earth's moon rotates (spins on its axis), every 27.32166 Earth days. It revolves around the Earth in the exact same period - every 27.32166 Earth days. Because of the synchronization of revolutionary and rotational periods, the same portion of the moon's surface is always directed toward the Earth.
The phenomena of which you speak is not coincidental, and 'universally' speaking, throughout the galaxy, may well be considered more typical of planet moon relationships than perhaps an anomaly.
It is fairly well understood how the gravitational interaction of the moon with our Earth is responsible for the tides on our planet. But far less recognized and understood is the gravitational effects of the Earth on the moon. The mass and speed of rotation of the Earth influence the moon in that some of its rotational energy is actually transferred to the moon. The result of this being that the moon rotation is slowed while also being placed continually into a higher orbit and thus slowing its revolution. The net effect of this gravitational relationship is that the moon's rotation has been slowed to match its orbital period. Ironically, since the Earth is giving up some of its rotational energy to the moon, the Earth and moon will, in the far distant future, reach a synchronization of rotational periods, as Pluto and its nearer to its mass moon Charon have already done.
Many of the moons in the solar system have also reached this point of equilibrium. In Jupiter, the moons Amalthea, Thebe, Io, Ganymede, Callista, and Europa, all have identical rotational and revolutionary periods.
Answered by: Stephen Portz, Technology Teacher, Space Coast Middle School, FL


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Zuckerberg says also adding group chat feature
NEW YORK (AP) — Quick on the heels of Google's launch of its latest social-networking venture, Facebook is rolling out video calls. It's powered by Internet phone company Skype.
Facebook said Wednesday that it is also rolling out a group chat feature. Facebook users can now create instant group chats if they want to quickly message a small group of their friends.
CEO Mark Zuckerberg says Facebook now has 750 million users. And they share 4 billion things such as photos, links and status updates on the site every day.
Google Inc. opened up Google Plus last week on an invite-only basis.
For more, here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/videocalling


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DSU Gives Extra Life
This weekend, Einstein Bagels was host to DSU students working together to raise money for the Children's Miracle Network in Sioux Falls. The way they raised their money was not the standard way however, as they raised this money through a 24 hour game streaming event called Extra Life. The Gaming Club, with help from the Zimmermann Hall Council, participated in the national event where participants streamed the video games they were playing across the internet. As they streamed the games, they also posted on social media for links where friends, family and strangers could donate money towards the Children's Miracle Network. Many participants created stretch goals, in which they would do something hilarious, crazy or strange if enough money was raised. Several DSU students had stretch goals, ranging from taking pictures while wearing a dress to having their beards shaved off for the first time in years.
The event started at 8 AM on Saturday, and continued for 24 hours until Sunday morning. Many students were there from start to finish, and even a few who were not there at the beginning stayed long enough to make it so they were there for 24 hours. Along with the streaming, several other students came to watch, or play board games and card games. It wasn't just students who came, but also alumni that lived in the area and wanted to enjoy the gaming experience. Several participants expressed how pleased they were with the timing of the event. Zack Beermann, an officer in gaming club, commented while playing Viva Pinata that, "this is a great time to have something positive happen when in the gaming industry there's been a lot of negativity about gaming right now". Professor Glen Berman, who was also in attendance, stated that he felt Extra Life gets an under used market involved in charity. He was pleased to see how well even a small group such as the DSU gaming club could do in helping the national event.
Extra Life raised over $5.5 million in 24 hours, with Dakota State Gaming Club contributing over $2,500 towards this total.
Photo Credit: www.extra-life.org


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The search found 203 results in 0.01 seconds.
Accepting a job below one's skill level can be severely penalizing when applying for future employment because of the perception that someone who does this is less committed or less competent, according to new research from a sociologist at The University of Texas at Austin.
We elaborate a cultural framing theory of legal cynicism—previously used to account for neighborhood variation in Chicago homicides—to explain Arab Sunni victimization and insurgent attacks during the U.S. post-invasion occupation of Iraq. Legal cynicism theory has an unrecognized power to explain collective and interpersonal violence in international as well as U.S. settings. We expand on how "double and linked" roles of state and non-state actors can be used to analyze violence against Arab Sunni civilians.
Since the 1980s, leading U.S. firms have announced massive downsizing plans in the name of maximizing shareholder value, but some observers are skeptical about how serious firms are in implementing these plans. Building on political theories of corporate governance, I examine how conflicts of interest and alignment among investors, workers, and top managers affect the implementation of announced downsizing plans.
Conventional research in organizational theory highlights the role of board interlocks in facilitating business collective action. In this article, I propose that business collective action affects the evolutionary path of interlock networks. In particular, large market players' response after a collective action to the classic problem of the "exploitation" of the great by the small provides a mechanism for interlocks to evolve.
Community reactions against organizations can be driven by negative information spread through a diffusion process that is distinct from the diffusion of organizational practices. Bank panics offer a classic example of selective diffusion of negative information. Bank panics involve widespread bank runs, although a low proportion of banks experience a run. We develop theory on how organizational similarity, community similarity, and network proximity create selective diffusion paths for resistance against organizations.
Taking advantage of historical census records that include full first and last names, we apply a new approach to measuring the effect of cultural assimilation on economic success for the children of the last great wave of immigrants to the United States. We created a quantitative index of ethnic distinctiveness of first names and show the consequences of ethnic-sounding names for the occupational achievement of the adult children of European immigrants.
Although several studies have examined the association between religious involvement and physical functioning, there is no consistent empirical evidence concerning the true nature of the association. The Hispanic population is also surprisingly understudied in previous work. In this article, we employ seven waves of data from the Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly to examine the association between religious attendance and performance-based mobility trajectories among older Mexican Americans.
Numerous studies document that higher education is associated with a reduced likelihood of depression. The protective effects of higher education, however, are known to vary across population subgroups. This study tests competing theories for who is likely to obtain a greater protective benefit from a college degree against depression through an analysis of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health and recently developed methods for analyzing heterogeneous treatment effects involving the use of propensity scores.
This paper contrasts two money-related stressors—debt and economic hardship—and clarifies where debt fits into the stress process model. Debt may be a direct or indirect stressor, as something mediated by psychosocial resources, and may be a potential buffer, interacting with economic hardship. The analyses use data from a two-wave panel study of 1,463 adults. One way debt is distinct from economic hardship is that debt is more common among economically advantaged groups.
This article develops a general theory regarding the onset of ethnic war, starting with two analytic innovations: a mechanism-based approach toward social facts and an emphasis on dynamic interactions. I deploy two meta-mechanisms – the security dilemma/spiral model and intergroup-intragroup interactions – as meta-synthesizers. I then bring together the numerous factors and mechanisms scattered in the literature into a more integrative and dynamic theory of ethnic war by linking factors with immediate drivers of conflictual behavior via the two meta-mechanisms.