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47% of IT decision makers believe that long term business goals and best practice are being compromised due to inflexible purchasing processes in Europes boardrooms. Independent pan-European research commissioned by Unisys, the global IT services and technology company, reveals that short-term earn-back time and preferred IT supplier lists have become increasingly influential in the specification of key technology choices, at the expense of performance and suitability for purpose. This is creating a potential conflict between corporate practice and business advantage.
According to the survey of 250 CIOs and IT directors, meeting budgetary requirements is by far the most influential factor when implementing IT systems, with short-term quarterly budgeting taking precedence over long-term business advantage. 25% of businesses surveyed admitted to spending most of their budget on business as usual technology that keeps the business ticking over, rather than moving the business forward.
The lack of IT supplier diversity highlighted by the survey means that new and innovative ideas are not being pitched into corporate business through new technologies or companies. For example, 43% of respondents confirmed their companies favour existing relationships over other IT suppliers, despite the fact that 29% of them think that this restricts the way they do business and a further 24% do not believe that it is conducive to long-term business objectives. Overall, the challenge of changing current processes is steep with 46% of businesses admitting that adding a new IT supplier to the preferred list was fairly difficult or very difficult in existing business environments.
Intelligent spending on hardware and software has never been more important, yet IT systems are in danger of failing as inflexible purchasing guidelines are taking precedence over a companys technology needs, explains Steve Rawsthorn, vice president of sales and marketing for Unisys, Systems & Technology EMEA. These are worrying problems for businesses already pressed enough to demonstrate real return on investment. Achieving the right technology choice should be a straightforward matter for the IT director or CIO. Much harder and costlier, by far, is managing the explosion of applications or servers, for example, that inflexible or short-sighted purchasing policies create. Companies are in danger of getting the balance of risk and innovation wrong, compromising long-term business performance.
Rawsthorn continues, Whilst procurement has a valuable role in streamlining costs, this shouldnt be at the expense of business performance, innovation and growth. CIOs and IT directors need to closely examine their current purchasing policies and ensure that guidelines really meet their business needs.
In response to the survey findings, Unisys has developed a series of questions to help IT assess whether they have an adaptable, flexible IT procurement policy. This questionnaire is available on March 1 2005.


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JAZZ FEST INDEX - 2006 Rochester INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
Here was Respect Sextet, former Eastman students, up on the big stage in front of Java's where they played every Wednesday to a handful of people. City's Frank DeBase is in the lower right hand corner with his camera. Respect Sextet has two cds available and I would strongly recommend them both although I much prefer the second one which was recorded live at the Downstairs Cabaret. The tenor sax player is terrific and Ted Poor is an amazing drummer but, much more importantly, the group has their own sound. And it's a rollicking yet pretty damn sophisticated sound for such young kids. They all improvise like pros. Next year, they belong in Kilbourn Hall. - photo by P Doddy - click photo to advance > next

subset: commoncrawl


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Charles Bradley…
From time to time the showbiz world always seems to throw out a lifeline to neglected pop artists, who'd – literally – once trodden the boards with stars and idols of their day. Soul music's CHARLES BRADLEY was such an artist, making his impression on the critics aged over 60 with a couple of fine post-noughties sets, "No Time For Dreaming" and "Victim Of Love".
Born November 5, 1948, Gainesville, Florida, Charles subsequently watched in awe, the soul stirring of stars such as JAMES BROWN, WILSON PICKETT and OTIS CLAY, dreaming one day that he would emulate his heroes on the stage; when Charles was 14, he witnessed the former icon perform his unique act at The Apollo, an electrifying night that he admitted left a permanent mark on his psyche.
So where did all these years go? Well, many of them were taken up by impersonating the aforementioned Godfather of Soul, while menial jobs – mainly as a cook – took up the long days of living from hand to mouth between Bar Harbor, Maine and Wassaic, New York, still thinking he could rise from the ghetto to become a respected artist with a bona fide record deal; sadly his backing band were drafted as the Vietnam War took hold. Hitchhiking to the west coast, the journeyman worked in Alaska and California, before the draw of the Big Apple took him back to Brooklyn, where his aforementioned JAMES BROWN-inflected R&B routines went down a storm at the Black Velvet club, et al.
Then, out of the blue, at 50+ and, with little prospects of finding his niche, Gabriel "Gabe" Roth at the independent, Brooklyn-based Daptone imprint gave lounge-singer BRADLEY a deal that would enable the singer – nicknamed the Screaming Eagle of Soul – to garner an outlet for his breath-taking vocal chords; Pop Idol and X-Factor were probably wishing he'd stood in their long queues to pop freedom.
Duly matched up with producer Thomas Brenneck (a white 30-something geezer), after the first of a series of one-off, limited-edition 7" singles for the label sprouted wings. It was indeed great to see a label reactivate the halcyon days of vinyl and, co-billed with the help of Sugarman & Co, `Take It As It Come' reflected and projected something that was lost when Atlantic, Motown and Stax, er… moved on up.
Collaborating with The Bullets as his Afro-beat backing (Brenneck was their guitarist/songwriter), Charles continued in sporadic form on two further occasions with 2004's `Now That I'm Gone' and 2006's `This Love Ain't Big Enough For The Two Of Us', before Daptone struck up a deal with Brenneck's Dunham Records. Together with in-house soul collective, Menahan Street Band, 7" single after 7" single – without a hint of a picture sleeve – portrayed BRADLEY as an artist jazz-soul disciples might've missed first time around. As aforementioned this artist's cool was of the mid-00s, and not the mid-60s; the singles, `The World (Is Going Up In Flames)' (taking the shooting and killing of his brother by his nephew as its template), `The Telephone Song' and `No Time For Dreaming' (flipped with `Golden Rule'), product of a JAMES BROWN/WILSON PICKETT-esque singer that could go far if the right promotion buttons were pushed.
Creeping out from the heady release schedule that littered the first month of 2011, BRADLEY's debut album NO TIME FOR DREAMING {*8} was just what the doctor ordered. Featuring Charles's gritty screams of passion on `How Long', and subsequent singles `Heart Of Gold' (yes, the NEIL YOUNG nugget!) and the cosmic `Stay Away', Southern-soul-type singer – and his "horny" Menahan posse – looked to have captured a fresh audience fed up with so-called R&B of the day.
Sophomore set, VICTIM OF LOVE (2013) {*8}, sold well enough to hit a respectful No.130 in the Billboard charts; no doubt helped by an autobiographical documentary film revealing the man's heart-wrenching rise to fame. Anyone missing the Blaxploitation-era of the JBs, or even The TEMPTATIONS in all their greasy-gospel-grinding glory, BRADLEY and Brenneck retro-fied every song without the hint of an apology. There was no need. From The TAMS-meets-CHI-LITES-like `You Put The Flame On It', the fluidly funky `Strictly Reserved For You', the tender `Let Love Stand A Chance' and the psychedelic `Confusion', CB had kick-started a whole new breed – however aged – of spiritual soul singers.
Springing back on the good foot in 2016 with CHANGES {*7} – the title taken from his cool cover of the BLACK SABBATH classic! – "Mr. Dynamo" CHARLES BRADLEY stepped back even further to the 60s on this retro-soulful set of songs. Augmented by the staggering Menahan Street Band (who were afforded a complementary bonus-disc), the clock stopped on the power-strewn performances of `Ain't Gonna Give It Up', `Nobody But You' and `You Think I Don't Know (But I Know)', tracks worthy of picking up yer old JB classics.
The all-too-sad epilogue to the man's mighty mission was halted with his death (of stomach cancer) on September 23, 2017.
Depending on the artist, posthumous sets could be so wide-ranging or copious in these times of austerity, that it was indeed hard for both compiler and unerring fan to see eye-to-eye on inclusions. Therefore with only unreleased leftovers and a collection of rarities from Charles's time at Daptone/Dunham to cherry-pick, chances were that any dilution might spurn listeners to fully enjoy the merits of BLACK VELVET (2018) {*7}. Taking the aforesaid scenario into account and treating the set as another step forward, the retro-soul of his own numbers – from `Can't Fight The Feeling' to an electric version of `Victim Of Love' – matched that of choice covers of NIRVANA's `Stay Away' and NEIL YOUNG's `Heart Of Gold'. The only disappointment was that it would be the last we hear of the talented Mr. BRADLEY.
© MC Strong/MCS Dec2013-Sep2017-Nov2018


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This year again the IT companies in Bulgaria reported a deficit in specialists for their businesses. Is YOUR company part of this statistics? How many professionals did you fail to employ throughout last year in order to complete your projects? How many specialists quit and weaken your teams?
Regardless of your company's size; no matter if you are developing a product, IT service or if you maintain or integrate software solutions, we are sure you already feel that your business is suffering from the lack of good professionals. Probably you do not have the necessary time to develop, optimize or integrate your software product or service because you invest your energy in the constant race for better specialists.
We can offer you an approach, which will lead to providing suitable IT professionals for your business needs. Our services and know-how are based on:
- Identify and attract the most suitable match for your business and hiring needs;
- Optimize your business time – you will meet only with the good fit for your company;
- In-depth understanding of the technology stack, business and people needs;
- Brand management – we know how to attract the candidates for you;
- Competitive advantage – speeding up the recruitment process and full support till successful hires.
- Long-term retention of the hired candidates' at your company due to the successful match between the candidates needs and the business needs;
- Market review;


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Technology professionals face a constant barrage of requests to implement and deploy applications to meet the needs of various parts of their organization. Without a formalized process to direct traffic in the flurry of application requests, things can get messy fast; leading to frustration, lack of trusts, and siloed technology adoption. Leveraging some of the baseline principles from change management frameworks, you can provide some structure to this to receive and send the information needed to set realistic expectations on deployment capabilities.
One excellent way of prioritizing is understanding the level of value and effort for the applications to be deployed. Value and effort are evaluated from many perspectives, so having a solid understanding of your stakeholders is critical to conduct this sort of analysis. This methodology is easy to remember with the LOVE acronym:
Where do I start?
Step 1: Determine the level of value by strategically evaluating the business implications of implementing the GIS application, technology, and/or information. Some example questions to consider include:
- How does this support our strategic goals, objectives, initiatives?
- How will this help us in the long term and short term?
- What parts of our organization can/will benefit from the adoption of this application?
Keeping this simple is key, as it will need to be actionable. For example, ranking from 1-3 or Low-Medium-High value.
Step 2: Determine the level of effort for deploying AND maintaining the GIS data, information and/or application. The level of effort can be determined by answering questions such as:
- How much time will this take our IT team to develop, test, and deploy?
- What training/skills gaps exist that need to be considered?
- Will my team be willing and able to adopt this into their workflows?
Use the same scale that you used in step 1 for the sake of consistency and simplicity. (i.e. rank 1-3, or low-medium-high)
Step 3: Evaluate the results from Step 1 and Step 2 to determine where you have high value and low level of effort. These will be imperative to establish quick-wins and build momentum for your transformation. The high value, high level of effort initiatives are candidates for doing formal change management and project plans. They'll require a more significant planning effort, but since they are high-value, the ROI makes it justifiable. The image below is a good reference for putting this to use:
These 3 steps are often things we think about but don't formally document. By having this documented, assumptions are avoided and collaboration with stakeholders is encouraged.


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Motorcycle Rentals
Geared Full Size Motorcycles
Choose your favourite bike from our wide range of machines for every style of bike riding. Not sure what to choose? Just give us a call or come for a test ride!
Automatic Scooters
Renting a Scooter gives you freedom to do whatever you want or whenever you want: Take it to the beach, go shopping or just explore the island your own style. Scooters are easy to handle even if you don't have much experience yet.
Motorcycle Rental Requirements:
- Rates includes helmet and gloves
- One day period means 24 hours
- All available motorcycles can be rented for extended periods
- Rental customer must be 18 years old or above
- Motorcycle license required for rental of all motorcycles including scooters
- Helmets must be worn by all rental customers
- Deposit of US$ 100 on motorcycles is due at pick-up
- We will hand it over to you with fully loaded fuel tank and we expect you to bring it back completely filled
- Single Vehicle Insurance Excess is available at only US$ 25 per day.
- If you pick up your bike in the morning and return it the next morning, we will charge you for only one day.


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I'm a curator of the funny, odd, fascinating, clever, wise, rare, informative, and curious things I find on "the internets" and elsewhere.
I collect strange stuff. There's no obvious theme or consistency. It's just whatever tickles my neurons at the moment. But this odd collection reflects who I am and what I'm learning, and that's exactly what I want to preserve with this website.
You'll see photos, quotes, videos, and more words on a wide variety of subjects which may not appear to have any logical connection, but do connect somehow in my mind.
So browse around, take a look at my smog cloud, leave a comment or share with others. But if you do none of those things, the least you can do is judge me severely for what I choose to post on this website 😉
BTW, I got the title line "to give voice to my own curiosity" from a Charlie Rose interview with Stephen Colbert.
Thanks for visiting!
~ Brent
You might notice that I've adopted a formatting style where I bold the first few words of most paragraphs. I find it easy to scan a webpage in that style and decide which paragraphs to actually read. It also leaves something of a bread crumb trail that seems to keep me reading more than I would without that formatting…Works for me, anyway 🙂
In case you're curious, the spectacular photos of tornadoes used in the header are from the gallery Extreme weather in Tornado Alley | WJLA . All photos take by crazy man Marko Korosec/mediadrumworld.com/WENN.


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Growth in Title I Funding
Funding for Title I*, adjusted for inflation, grew by 23 percent between fiscal 1994 and 2001. Public school enrollment in the United States, meanwhile, grew by about 7 percent from fall 1994 to fall 2001. (Enrollment data for 2000 and 2001 are estimates.)
NOTE: *Includes spending for only
Title I, Part A, the "basic" and "concentration" grants.
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education
Web Only
We encourage lively debate, but please be respectful of others. Profanity and personal attacks are prohibited. By commenting, you are agreeing to abide by our user agreement.
All comments are public.


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Cat Furniture Explained
Getting the Best Cat Furniture
If you're just beginning to consider them as a pet, the very first step you will see is the 7-8 diameter furry tail, referred to as a brush. In fact, cats will lick your skin when you run into a house for a number of reasons, whether you're family or not. Obviously, cats are fickle, since most cat lovers know, so whenever the cat starts to lick someone's skin or clothes immediately, be skeptical. These cats have an extremely placid temperament and end up being exact affectionate in nature. So should you need your cat to have her own luxurious residence, here are a few things you have to remember whilst buying the cat house. My cats and little dogs get about an identical amount as the chickens.
Cats are extremely interesting animals. Your cat may have related feelings. Cats always utilize bare earth to do their toilet, in the lack of cat litter. These cats are among the simplest to keep as pets, particularly for families with children. An indoor cat can acquire lonely and bored whenever you are not at home. The Japanese Fortune Cat is the topic of numerous legends.
Never let a youthful child manage the corn snake unsupervised. It's a way to manage the family they love so much. Unfortunately, pet healthcare insurance wasn't included in the new HealthCare Reform Act. Just make certain the dog house plan you buy is created for insulation. There is a wide array of dog house plans available on the market you can purchase, that will do just fine. Without doubt you can receive some fantastic bargains on the net, but do some research on discount kitty condos! It was not the optimal/optimally situation to have a pet, even if I'd wanted one…and I didn't.
Definitions of Cat Furniture
It's going to be wise if you may rope in some assistance from a friend or relative. It is easy and very simple to carry out. It isn't going to kill them at once. Ensure that everything will be balanced. Things to learn before you go. To provide you with an idea about what to try to find, here's a comparison of balconies we've had most recently.
Many maintain a conventional property. Yes, my home is infested with fleas. If you thought vacuuming the whole house everyday was sufficient to do away with fleas, well. So, the next thing you ought to do when you vacuum your complete house is to change all your bedsheets. It can even be employed to decorate away from the home. The dog home, also needs to be built on a foundation of some type, such as patio stones, after which it also needs to be a couple of inches above that, so that there's air flow below the home. So, by producing the perfect environment, you might have a heated dog house.
What You Need to Know About Cat Furniture
You can get them in kits or you could purchase plans to create your own. Pastry bag kits often have different `tips.' Cat boxes are created in several assortments of shapes and have many colours. These pieces represent the wide range of items quite nicely. If you're able to, it is very good to construct a little bit of a hallway facing the dog house, almost enjoy an igloo entrance, so the most important region of the dog house isn't exposed to the snow and rain. To a cat you merely have something near your head.
To top all of it, you'll need to assemble the cat house yourself. Be sure that none of the furniture is in anybody's way, and it is in a location where kids have a tendency to not use as a play spot. Although cat furniture appears to be readily available on the market, it's often highly overpriced. This sort of cat furniture can be available in many unique configurations too. Any all-natural carpet would do.


text: There are many obstacles to having a strong prayer life and none more employed and observed than the lack of time or busy-ness. It's a shallow obstacle because we clearly find time for less important things–entertainment and friends. We rarely use that excuse meaningfully to excuse our lack of time spent with those closest to us. Christ stole time from his sleep to pray. Just begin with 15 minutes/day and try to grow that over time.


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Crest Tires
Would recommend Antler Technologies to anyone! They are available whenever you need them and always make sure you are taken care of.
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Classic 4X4 Repair Centers
Jared was an outstanding help getting our surveillance cameras installed and up and running. Could not be happier with the installation process and professional service.
Tigris Holdings LLC
Would recommend to those looking for a company that thinks outside the box. We currently use 4 custom made Mobile Surveillance Trailers and could not be happier.


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Lufkin Medical Malpractice Lawyers
Medical Malpractice Attorneys in Lufkin, TX Holding Negligent Medical Professionals Accountable
We rely on doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to properly diagnose illnesses, correctly perform medical procedures and provide careful treatment when we are sick. As in all professions, mistakes are made and sadly it is the patients who suffer an injury, illness (or worse) as a result. When it comes time to hold the responsible party accountable for your injury, you can depend on the attorneys at Hastings Law Firm to represent your interests effectively.
If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury resulting from medical care, you need a firm with experience in this field of law to help you evaluate your case. Hospitals, doctors, nurses and insurance companies have a wide range of resources at their disposal, including experienced defense lawyers on their side, and put up many obstacles to protect themselves. You need someone with equal experience, who specializes in malpractice cases to help you win your case. Hastings Law Firm can assist in helping you prove that a medical malpractice has occurred resulting in an injury to yourself or a loved one (whether due to a surgical error, misdiagnosis or other negligent practice).
Experienced Litigators, Personalized Attention, Relaxing Environment
Tommy Hastings is an accomplished medical malpractice attorney serving the Lufkin area who has obtained millions of dollars in compensation for victims of medical negligence through verdicts and settlements throughout the state of Texas. With our help, we have provided our neighbors and fellow community members with the means by which they can begin putting their lives back in order.
All of Us Are Here To Help You
When you work with us, you will get to know everyone in our office. We treat everyone here as family, and we want to see you succeed. This ensures that our team relates to each client on an individual basis and cares deeply about the results. You are not just "another case" to us; you are a real person who has been hurt and who deserves justice.
Contact Us To Learn More About How Our Texas Medical Malpractice Law Firm Can Help You With Your Case
The Hastings Law Firm is a dedicated medical malpractice law office representing victims as well as their family members who have suffered injury or death in cases relating to medical errors or negligence. If you or a loved one has experienced injuries as a result of medical negligence, we urge you to contact our experienced attorneys now to go over a potential court case. We are able to provide you with a totally free and private case evaluation so that you can determine the best course of action based on full understanding of your options. Call today at 877-269-4620 or write to us on the web to schedule your free initial consultation. All cases are completed on contingency, so you never pay anything unless we recover compensation for you.


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Rehearsal Scraps: This Is Not A Drill - A Fire Alarm Goes Off During A Taping Of CONAN
The live taping of CONAN is interrupted by the wails of a fire alarm on the anniversary of Conan's 19th year on television. Off-camera, Conan addresses the studio audience and James Van Der Beek dances.

See how all the fire alarm fracas played out on air by clicking here.


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A few too many nosy neighbors
Neighbors are good for emergency cups of sugar, but nobody likes a snoop.
A recent nationwide poll conducted by ServiceMagic.com, a website that provides names of pre-screened home-improvement and repair professionals, revealed that 64% of 1,100 people surveyed said their neighbors follow their lives too closely and that they have caught the culprits in the act.
Further, four out of five said someone on their block "sees everything" going on. Half consider it harmless, while the other half claims the snooper is hoping to report loud noises, illegally parked cars, overgrown lawns and other nuisances.
How many considered themselves nosy? Just 9%. But 2% admitted that they were the ones who "see everything."


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Make Your Home's Appearance Alluring With The Technicians
With today's changing world, having an interior design that is out of trend does not make sense for your home. If you do not want to spend a big sum of money on interior designing, you can simply update your home with simple designs. Or else, you can think about designing the most important or most-visiting rooms of your home rather than designing the entire home. No matter where you want to design and what to design, but you should hire the interior designing company. The advantage of hiring the interior designing company is that, they will come out with the best design by grouping all the opinions of the family members. It is needless to mention that, all such people in a family will have different opinions and insights when choosing the interior design for their home. All the opinions of the family people get clashed when choosing a design and eventually no final decision would have been made. On the other hand, the interior designer will listen to everyone's desires or ideas and come out with a beautiful design that matches all of their needs and expectations. You do not have to go through the hassle of making a decision on choosing the interior design for you; instead, you can handle that to the designer or designing company.
Myths to find the interior designing company
- When it comes to finding the interior design firm in Singapore, you should know something about the style, job, cost factor and more about the company. Only then, you can decide whether or not it is the right time to begin the designing work.
- First, you should keep yourself educated about the work of the interior designing and designer. Interior designing is nothing but the art of enhancing the interior of the room to achieve the aesthetically appealing space. The interior designers will work to attain the aesthetical look in the room.
- The interior designers are trained in knowing the physical and emotional needs of a person in regards to the interior designing of their home or office. Besides creating the beautiful design, the interior designers will create the most advantageous design that your home or office can benefit from.
- Once, after knowing what designing company and designers can do for you, you can move on to hiring the company. You can search the interior designing companies online as within the clicks of the mouse, you would come to know more about the companies that do well in interior designing. If you are interested about bungalow interior design can visit this website http://www.mdsi.sg/a-touch-of-class-the-best-bungalow-makeovers-in-singapore/.
Choose the company that can come out with the best interior design.


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The New Dodge Challenger
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Cheap HeLa
Anyone know where I can get HeLa cells for cheap(or free^_^)? No specific cell line, but for like $20 or so.
Any help?
Such a price seems highly unlikely as they usually go for hundreds of dollars.
Exactly. To be honest I really would only need a little bit to start then grow a colony(right word?). Then I can use what I need and sell/donate to others who need it.
Yeah. If you're friends with someone who works in a lab with them you might be able to convince them to start you a culture.
do you have the equipment for that? growing mammalian cells isn't like growing bacteria. Yes you can grow more, but only if you have all the gear
I don't currently have a setup but it would take about ten minutea to plan out. I don't have any friends in labs but if anyone here did (or could find one) that could really help. Before I were to set anything up I would need to know how much i am starting with. If I can get it done and grow some I could probably setup a sorta bank for anyone who wants some for testing toxicity, or treatments, or whatever.
Ten minutes? There's a great manual regarding setting up for mammalian cells. I'll try to find you a link but it's pretty much a situation where if you're sweating the cost of the cells then you don't have the equipment to keep them alive. I mean I wasted that much just trying to make a diy laminar flow hood that turned out to be shit.
Yeah I've read up and have a pretty good idea what needs to be done.
To be clear about this, I know what I need and will be able to set that up, my only problem is the starting culture.
setting up a lab for mammalian will cost thousands of dollars. Even the media to keep the cells alive can be several hundred. The laminar flow hood alone will cost a bucket load. Not to mention the co2 incubator. The cells are one of the least expensive parts. If you've got everything else, getting cells should be easy
I can get the lab setup. I just need to cells. The media is $6. I can build the hood for like $20. A box with a filter and ethanol reservoir.
First off, if you can get media for $6 please share your source cause $6 DMEM would be great. A packet of DMEM usually costs $20-1000 depending on what kind you get, not to mention all the other stuff you'll need. Because remember, you'll need to passage your cells regularly. So you need trypsin, and PBS. And all your buffers and your antibiotic solution to keep your cells sterile. You'll also need a CO2 incubator since you can't just use a regular incubator because you need to keep the the oxygen content low. Which means you also need a co2 tank. The hood can't be built for 20 bucks. Like Cassox said, he tried and it didn't work well. I also couldn't do it for 20 bucks. If I could, I'd have done so. You need a proper laminar flow hood which will run a minimum of 1000, but probably more. You need a water bath to prewarm your solutions. Oh and all the fancy prepacked pipettes. etc etc etc There's literally a huge list of stuff you need. And of all of it, the cells are cheap comparatively. And ok, lets say you can hack together all of that and found some magical place to buy all your reagents. What do you plan on doing with the cells? Like why hela cells? Why not chicken cells? Or insect cells? With insect cells you can theoretically isolate them yourself and not need to worry about buying them.
I'm not trying to be a dick, but I'm not sure you grasp the difficulty of this. I'm sure there are some who could legitimately hack all that together and manage to keep some cells alive. But without the proper tools it'd be a nightmare.
Bumping to hear more about 6 dollar DMEM
$6 for 500ml http://www.bioind.com/dmem-high-glucose-cell-culture-media/ there is more under the same category but thats just the cheapest.
Again I just need help finding cells, I can cover the rest.
I get your concerns but I can rig up what I need.
As for reasons I like a challenge.
I could use different types of cells, but hela is the most widely used and the cheapest I could find.
Can you elaborate or give me a source on the insect cell isolation?
Here's a protocol for hemocyte isolation from caterpillars https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3523423/
You would have slim chances of starting a culture Mammalian cells for $20 unless you already had access to a pretty well equipped lab, and happened to stumble across a small sample sized culture for cheap.


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Go back to
DinosaurFactory. Time to create another bug! Comment out the length line again. This time, do call the method... but instead of the spec, just pass
foo. Whoops! We're calling the right method... but we've passed the wrong argument!
What happens to the tests?
Yep... they pass! If this possibility frightens you more than the sound of raptor claws on the door... We can also cover this in the test.
In addition to saying that
getLengthFromSpecification() should return 20, you can also say that the method must be called exactly once or with some exact arguments. Then, if the method is not called once or is called with different arguments, the test will fail.
Move the
method() call onto the next line. Then add
->expects($this->once()). The method must now be called exactly once.
|... lines 1 - 9
|class DinosaurFactoryTest extends TestCase
|... lines 12 - 56
|public function testItGrowsADinosaurFromSpecification(string $spec, bool $expectedIsCarnivorous)
|... lines 61 - 67
|... lines 69 - 78
Then, after
method(), add
->with($spec). This
with() function is pretty sweet: if the real method accepts three arguments, then you'll pass those three arguments to
with(). In this case, if the value passed to the first argument of
getLengthFromSpecification() does not match
$spec, the test will fail.
|... lines 1 - 9
|class DinosaurFactoryTest extends TestCase
|... lines 12 - 56
|public function testItGrowsADinosaurFromSpecification(string $spec, bool $expectedIsCarnivorous)
|... line 60
|... lines 63 - 67
|... lines 69 - 78
This should finally kill the test. Try it!
Yes! Failure because, for
large herbivore does not match the actual value:
Awesome! Move back to
DinosaurFactory, and re-fix the length line. Double-check that this fixes things. It does!
|... lines 1 - 7
|class DinosaurFactory
|... lines 10 - 21
|public function growFromSpecification(string $specification): Dinosaur
|... lines 24 - 25
|$length = $this->lengthDeterminator->getLengthFromSpecification($specification);
|... lines 27 - 35
|... lines 37 - 45
This is really cool stuff. But you should not use it everywhere. Remember: at this point, we're really testing how the internal code of the method is written. The more we do this, the more often the tests will break when really... they shouldn't. Basically, we're micro-managing our own code!
For example, what if we refactor the method and decide to call
getLengthFromSpecification() two times? The tests will break! Sure, our code might now be a little inefficient... but as long as we still create the correct Dinosaur, shouldn't the tests pass? You need to decide how strict each test should be.
And if you don't care how many times a method is called, you can use
$this->any() instead. Back on the Test Doubles documentation, search for
once()... and find the next result until you see a list of "matchers".
These are classes, but there's a shortcut to use each, like
$this->atLeastOnce() and
You can also do a little bit of magic for the
with() method. Go back to the docs and search for "anything". Cool! This is an example where the method should be called with three arguments. But instead of passing the exact values, we assert that the first argument is greater than zero, the second is a string that contains the word "Something" and we don't care at all what is passed as the third argument.
Search once more for
callback(). This is the most powerful option: you create your own callback and do whatever logic you want to determine if the argument passed is valid.
We've got mocking down! But it's so important that I want to go through one more, fully-featured and classic example.


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Nha Trang City
Small island in central Vietnam an emerging destination
Located around 500 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City, Diep Son Island in Van Phong Bay, Khanh Hoa Province, is an emerging destination known for its pristine beauty. Diep Son […]
Nha Trang beautiful beach city
Hi guys! Before starting our journey today, we wanna say thanks for your attention since we created the blog. Your visiting are our pleasures. Now! Let's start the trip! Yay […]
Po Nagar Cham towers in Nha Trang
The Po Nagar Tower is the name of the main temple in a complex of Cham towers on a knoll at the river-mouth of the Cai River, 2km north of […]


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I won this playing Key Quest.
My keys go from gold to bronze:
74 55 3 1
Awesome Eh? People though are complaining about it which I think is really stupid I mean these aren't really expensive PBs. 😀
Which makes me think that I'm going to look up the price of a plushie PB (I forgot how much they cost) and make a new pet on my side if I've got enough Neopoints!
Btw I still need Purple Items so please contact me if you do!!


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Let me begin by saying the DE: HR is everything that Hard Reset isn't. I will stop with the comparison there.
I was pleased with the immersion factor of the world created by Square Enix. They nailed it. The very public struggle of those that want to augment their bodies with upgraded parts and those that fight to keep humanity pure. Human versus Human+. I, being one who already day dreams of augmentations, found taking the side of Human+ very easy. This ease slowly faded throughout the game as more story elements presented themselves.
I have finished my play through(15 hours played) and I am very happy with the game. I think it is deserving of the $30 price point.
The visuals are good and the overall thought behind the atmosphere is well done. DE: HR has the finished feel, but once is a blue moon I would catch something that escaped final polish. These moments did not detract from the experience,however. The higher end augmentations have cool animations.
Audio is well done also. Voice acting, which is an easy place to go wrong, is sound(pun intended). Music was reminiscent of Mass Effect, but not in a bad way. Sound effects helped to flesh out the world
Game play is challenging with a nice return to the occasional boss fight and puzzle to solve. I do wish that the map system worked a little better. I occasionally found myself wandering around trying to find a way into an apartment building(more than I should have needed to).
Deus Ex: Human Revolution is worth the buy and worth the experience. While by the end I did have a few new thoughts to consider about augmentations, I would, in the end, still upgrade a few parts if given the chance(I'm looking at you heart... single point of failure bastard you).


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Burkina Faso: in activity
To provide some background, since the 1970s, Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, like all Sahelian countries, have suffered from erratic rainfall. This led to poor cereal harvests and in turn, to chronic or severe food deficits. From 1970 to 1980, in response to these crises, governments developed numerous strategies to reduce food shortages and improve food security. Although the populations originally had high hopes for conventional grain banks, most of the latter were not operational despite major efforts by national authorities, NGOs and private initiatives to ensure that grain banks become tools for food security. In light of the lessons learned from the difficulties operating conventional cereal banks, alternative approaches were developed that promoted the commercialization of cereals by adhering to the principle of multiple stock rotation, purchases and sales several times during the crop year. Organizations adopting this approach are commonly described as "grain marketing co-operatives". Our aim is to guide the project towards this form of sustainable management.
Women often experience difficulties accessing credit because they do not have guarantees from institutions working in the area. However, they have crops that could be used to access credit if such crops are stored in good conditions and duly recognised by the credit institution. The grain bank project grew from the desire to store crops to have enough collateral at their disposal to access credit.
In short
- 13,182 people affected from 2016 through 2019
- Construction of a grain bank in Boudoukuy (2017-2018)
- Construction of the Wona grain bank (60 beneficiaries) and purchase of 30 pallets (2016-2017)
- Purchase of 60 pallets for the Boungou and Natongou cereal banks (2016-2017)
- Construction of the Boungou and Natongou cereal banks (2016)
This post is also available in: French


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A major Tory donor has requested not to be given a knighthood, amid an intensifying row over David Cameron's honours list.
Ian Taylor, an oil executive at Vitol, wrote to Theresa May requesting his name be taken off the list, after he was named as a Tory donor and funder of the pro-EU campaign who had been put forward by Cameron for an honour.
In a statement, Taylor said: "In recent days, speculation in the media has suggested that I may be recognised in the forthcoming resignation honours list. This has been accompanied by seriously inaccurate comments about the company I lead. In these circumstances, I think it is right I request that my name does not go forward, if indeed I was being considered for an honour.
"Tonight, I am writing both to the outgoing and the current prime minister requesting that I would not wish to be considered for an honour at this time."
As the row over Cameron's decision to reward donors, aides and pro-EU campaigners in his resignation list entered its third day, with no sign of abating, allies of May tried to dissociate her from the controversy by signalling she would do things differently from her predecessor when it comes to handing out honours.
The prime minister has come in for criticism from Labour and the Lib Dems for her refusal to block the honours proposed by her predecessor, with Downing Street saying that would set a very bad precedent.
In a clear attempt to distance May from the row engulfing Downing Street, Conservative allies said she would be more careful than Cameron not to open herself up to the charge of cronyism when she hands out rewards for public service.
"Anyone who has worked with her knows there will be no abuses of the system," a government source said.
The attempts to disassociate May from Cameron's choices comes as she is under pressure herself over the list proposed by Cameron because the prime minister has the power to block the recommendations before they reach the Queen.
At least one Conservative party donor, Michael Spencer, is believed to have been stopped from getting a peerage by Whitehall after a last-ditch attempt by Cameron to secure him entry to the House of Lords. But many of the other honours on the list, leaked to the Sunday Times, are expected to go through.
On Tuesday night, May was also facing calls to reopen cross-party talks on reforming funding of political parties, as campaigners claim the current system opens up politics to being influenced by big money and many major donors end up rewarded with peerages or other honours.
Lord Bew, the chair of the committee on standards in public life, said he would be making a fresh push for progress after such talks aimed at bringing greater integrity to the funding of political parties reached stalemate during Cameron's premiership.
Bew wrote after last year's general election to Cameron, Harriet Harman, then acting Labour leader, and other party leaders, asking them to get back around the table.
A year on from that call, Bew told the Guardian he would be writing to the new party leaders including May and Jeremy Corbyn, as well as the others, reminding them of his call for discussions as his committee prepares to publish new figures on party funding this week.
Bew said the debate was fractious and difficult to resolve but there was some opportunity for progress, starting with small areas of agreement between the parties.
"There are controversies about the Sunday Times story [on honours]. But the big question that links it all up is this one on party funding," he said. "The British people themselves think you would only give money to a party unless you expect a peerage or some such goody but they also believe they should not have to contribute a penny towards funding political parties – which would solve the problem."
Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat leader, issued a challenge to May to return to the issue. "With a new leader and a new Tory party chairman, I now challenge them to join me to restart the cross-party talks on funding for political parties," he said.
"Big money from union barons and big money from rich donors must not continue to warp our politics. This whole sorry saga of Cameron's cronies shows how we must kick big money out of politics."
A Conservative spokesman signalled the party could be willing to make some progress, after the stalemate of the last parliament.
He said: "The numerous inter-party party funding talks over the last decade have failed to reach any consensus – they were too focused on complex and controversial structural changes. Neither is there any public demand for more state funding of political parties. During the trade union bill, the Conservative party suggested reforms to promote small-scale fundraising that would command broad support, rather than trying and failing to achieve an all-or-nothing, 'big bang' solution."
During his time as prime minister, Cameron recommended at least a dozen party donors to sit in the House of Lords, triggering persistent accusations of cronyism.
Research by the Guardian has found a string of Conservative donors granted peerages under Cameron have poor speaking and attendance records in the House of Lords.
Six of the donor peers have contributed just a handful of times to debate in the chamber since entering the House of Lords, and one has already retired, while retaining his title.
Anthony Bamford, who had personally given more than £100,000 while associated companies provided £4.7m, has spoken just twice in the main chamber since joining in 2013. In the year to February – the last month for which data is available – he is registered as having attended five times.
Michael Bishop, who became Lord Glendonbrook and has given the party more than £1m, has made just one contribution on the floor of the Lords and is registered as attending only 16 times in the year to February.
Other examples include George Magan, who gave the party almost £1.5m. He has spoken twice since joining the Lords in 2011. Robert Edmiston, another major donor whose companies have contributed around £4.5m, spoke just five times before retiring as a working peer four years later.
A minority of peers who are also major Tory donors have made significant contributions to the House of Lords. These include Dolar Popat, who has given the party more than £200,000, but became whip and has made more than 340 speeches in the Lords since 2010.


text: As a doctor, I see a lot of hand arthritis. With all of the Blackberry thumb and painful, and often disabling thumb joints out there, why don't we see more thumb surgery? The reason is likely that the artificial joints in the hand seem to involve a long and often painful recovery with a lot of occupational therapy. Unlike a knee replacement, where you can still work with your hands, type, text, etc… a thumb joint replacement in your dominant hand means you're totally out of commission in today's modern hand-centered work force. As a result, we do see the occasional patients getting thumb surgery with a tendon (see Thumb Surgery Alternative post), but still the same issues above apply. Is there a way to avoid thumb surgery? Yes, we've had good experience with injecting the patent's own adult stem cells into the joint. I've posted a patient testimonial below:


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Commends the progress of Dubai Aviation City's project there
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, commended the progress of the Dubai Aviation City's project in Dubai South, which is to cover, upon completion, an area 145 square kilometers, near EXPO 2020 site.
During a visit to the project, Sheikh Mohammed praised the efforts of Dubai Airports and Dubai World Central's staff, which oversee the development of this project that sets the gold standard for the civil aviation industry and will put the UAE among the leading countries in the world in this high tech industry.
His Highness congratulated staff of Dubai Airports and Dubai World Central, headed by Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chief Executive of Emirates Group, Chairman of Dubai Airports, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, for his dedication and follow up of the execution of the project.
His Highness also highlighted the importance of the aviation industry in enhancing the national economy, adding that the aviation industry is key for the economic prosperity.
His Highness toured the Al Maktoum Airport, and expressed his impression with the airport's facilities.
His Highness was accompanied by Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chief Executive of Emirates Group His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and H.H. Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Director- General of the Department of Protocol and Hospitality in Dubai H.E. Khalifa Saeed Suleiman, and Executive Chairman, Dubai Aviation City Corporation Khalifa Suhail Al Zaffin, along a number of senior officials, were also present during the visit.
Dubai Airport's Passenger Levels Rise 2.1%
He expressed his admiration for the modern building, which is the first of its kind in the world and is equipped to provide comfort and entertainment to passengers of private aeroplanes.
Sheikh Mohammed also unveiled the curtains from two five-star classification plaques that were awarded to two centres run by the Jetex Company for Private Aviation Services in Dubai and in the Paris–Le Bourget Airport, following their evaluation according to the global star rating system that was launched by the UAE Government.
The Jetex Centre in Paris is the first to receive the five-star rating outside the UAE, which could lead to the system's adoption by more leading private sector companies both inside and outside the country.
Sheikh Mohammed was accompanied during the tour by several Sheikhs, officials and engineers from Dubai World Central.
Read More: flydubai Goes to Tashkent


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11 Next-Level Popsicles for Shameless Grown-Up Indulgence
Unless you grew up in some perpetually snow-covered tundra, gorging yourself on popsicles was inevitably the cornerstone of your childhood summers. But why leave those sticky-sweet wonders in the past? Live out your deepest nostalgia-fueled cravings while steering clear of that red dye number five with these 11 adult-worthy frozen delights.
The Barista: Cold Brewed Coffee by Brewla
This NYC-based company has taken summer's go-to pick-me-up to new levels with this frozen treat. Made with organic milk, spiked with cold-brewed coffee, and finished with a touch of sugar, this has all the buzz of a New Orleans-style iced coffee but is a heck of a lot more refreshing. And even if sucking down a creamsicle on your morning commute might get you a few stares, anyone who's trudged to work in 100+ degree weather knows a little ridicule is nothing compared to that sweet relief.
Strawberry popSorbetto myPop by Popbar
If romance movies taught us anything, it's that there's nothing more luxurious than eating chocolate-covered strawberries and sipping Champagne while lounging in a giant bubble bath. But who wants to soak the day away indoors when you can recreate the scene poolside with Popbar's ultra-posh dark chocolate-dipped strawberry sorbet pops while simultaneously working on your tan? It's a true summertime win-win.
Mango Filled with Chamoy Paleta by La Newyorkina
La Newyorkina's diverse fleet of upscale paletas, made by hand with natural ingredients, are sure to blow any bodega cocopop straight out of the water. A stimulating mix of pulpy Mango and Chamoy, a tart, salty, and somewhat sweet pepper sauce popular in Mexican cuisine, this icy-hot flavor combo pays heed to the popsicle's native roots while delighting New York chile fanatics of all backgrounds.
Vodka-spiked Watermelon Mint Lemonade by Fruta Pop
Who says you can't have your booze and eat it, too? Fruta's determined to make all your Spring Breaker ideas a reality with this frosty blend of watermelon juice, fresh mint sprigs, bright lemonade, and top-shelf vodka. And at less than 5% ABV, you can definitely have your fill and still keep your footing atop that next killer swell. Cowabunga, dude.
Vernor's Ginger Ale by Detroit Pop Shop
There are few things Michigan natives take more pride in than their Vernor's (sorry, Tigers fans), touted to be the oldest surviving ginger ale brand in America. The beloved soda translates beautifully into this tangy, slightly peppery, and sweet-but-not-too-sweet ice pop that tickles the tongue just like the notoriously bubbly soft drink. The shop also offers a Faygo Red flavor, but since this list focuses on more refined selections, we'll save that one for the Juggalos.
Bangkok Night Market by Pop Nation
Can't afford a trip to Thailand this summer? Let your tastebuds do the traveling with Pop Nation's icy riff on the classic Thai iced tea. Backed by a rich coconut milk base, this decidedly grown-up pop is packed with a garden-full of flavor, including infusions of turmeric, lemongrass, Kaffir lime, ginger, and just a pinch of fiery cayenne to round out the herbs and temper the sweetness. All that's missing is a motorbike and a couple of Singhas.
Cucumber Lemon Mint by the Hyppo
Based out of Florida, the popsicle peddlers behind the Hyppo are no stranger to muggy weather. And, as one might expect, this cooling mix of fresh cukes, puckery lemon juice, fragrant mint, cane sugar, and a dash of sea salt has everything it takes to shine underneath the summer sun's brutal rays. Find a shady spot near some crashing waves, pair a few of these pastel-hued bad boys with a beachside cocktail or two, and watch your citified troubles melt away quicker than a popsicle in July.
Lavender Cream by LocoPops
North Carolina pioneers LocoPops has been churning out gourmet popsicles fit for palates of all ages for a decade now, finally finding a home base in Durham in 2014. Their Mexican-inspired lineup comes in a boatload of different flavors, including vegan options and even a pop especially for pups, but none is more geared towards Bull City's finest than the decadent lavender cream. Described as an "edible trip to Provence," this lush, calming cooler smells just good as it tastes.
Avocado Orange by AikoPops
When it comes to grown-up popsicles, savory is often the name of the game, and these velvety suckers from Aiko lead the pack with style. A masterful balance between crisp citrus and soothing avocado, downing one or two of these is almost like getting a full serving of your daily fruits and veggies -- except, you know, way, way more fun.
Southern Belle by Buzz Pop Cocktails
Remember Push Pops? Well, kiss Barney Rubble goodbye and say hello to the Southern Belle, an adult-friendly version of that cylindrical ice cream truck favorite. This sugary mix of sweetened iced tea, fresh peach puree, lemon juice, and, of course, premium bourbon, is kind of like those SoCo shots you used to slam in college. OK, it's exactly like those SoCo shots, but somehow the frozen element -- not to mention the hipster-friendly packaging and all natural ingredients -- make the experience feel a whole lot classier.
So Matcha Goodness by Dream Pops
Both healthy and delicious, Matcha is trendy for a reason, and these sleekly designed geometric pops, imbued with Panatea Ceremonial Matcha, coconut milk, coconut palm sugar, sea salt, olive oil, and vanilla bean are case and point. The coconut's earthy sweetness softens the green tea's satisfying bite while layers of sea salt and vanilla add a sophisticated finish for an all-around soul-hugging experience.
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» The failure of a local sales tax to produce revenues as expected should dampen excitement around the latest extension of Miami's Metrorail system.
Last week, Georgia voters overwhelmingly denied the passage of the T-SPLOST referendum, which, among other things, would have provided $7.2 billion for transportation over the next ten years to the Atlanta region thanks to income from a 1¢ sales tax. About half of that funding would have gone to public transit operations and expansion; in the city of Atlanta itself, the program would have paid for the beginning of work on the Beltline transit corridor, a light rail line to Emory University, several BRT lines, and a MARTA heavy rail extension. Voters were clearly unconvinced of the value of the transportation investments, were motivated by anti-tax sentiment, and felt that the projects would not benefit them directly. The result may be decades of increasing
Continue reading Where There Were Once Many Lines Planned, Just One Opens in Miami »


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Best Modern Playwrights
Who are the great playwrights?
Easy! Shakespeare, Brecht, Miller, Albee, Wilde, Moliere – *yawn*- excuse me.
Yeah we get it. The old guys did it well. They wrote the classics, they set the bar. Hell, they fill the curriculum we all now study through school and university. And we've read and studied and seen and performed and debated and re-interpreted and rehashed and restaged them all on high rotation for decades, and in some cases, centuries.
Believe it or not, great works did not just stop being made. We are not destined to cycle through everything written before the 1960s. And sorry to make you feel old, but even apparently 'recent' playwrights such as David Hare, David Mamet and Sam Shepard wrote the bulk of their work over 30 years ago. Theatre is ever moving, ever changing, and unless you have your ear to the ground, you may be missing the next great masters.
It is hard to capture the sheer magnitude of the shift our culture has taken from the 20th century to the 21st, and it's a shift we miss if we do not listen to the artists trying to capture it. This modern age is filled by distant yet constant warfare, widening generational gaps, rampant capitalism and unrelenting individualism. It's a world of trends, of technology, of political correctness, of dangerous curiosity and of repressed uncertainty. It's a new age, with new art, and as artists, we should acknowledge and embrace that fact.
The first seventeen years of the 21st century has seen some incredible work produced. There has been a strong return to Chekhovian naturalism, lead by the American playwrights, a blending of absurdity and magical realism by the British and a desire by all to tackle what it means to live in the modern western world. . Yet what makes the new works great, is the same reason we still revere the classics: they aim to share with the audience, a moment of pure, unfiltered truth.
SO who is picking up the torch? Who is creating the new work that people will be talking about in years to come, and defining the style of the early 21st century? Because, no matter what your theatre history teacher told you, great works are written every year and if you're serious about theatre you should know who to read, and who to watch out for.
Whether you're a theatre maker looking for something to stage, a young writer looking for inspiration, or an actor looking to for a new audition piece, these are some of the playwrights you should get familiar with.
10 Great Modern Playwrights
Annie Baker
Lucy Prebble
Mike Bartlett
Simon Stephens
Neil Labute
Anthony Nielson
Kate Tempest
Stephen Karam
Exploring the works of contemporary playwrights is a vital and enriching thing to do as an actor. We recently wrote an article on why it's important for actors to read plays. Reading plays increases your knowledge, vocabulary and understanding of story structure.


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Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.
Jonah 1:17
Click here to read how the deal went down
in the most recent post on
The Stone Boat.
Image (used without permission) is a photo of a petroglyph off the coast of Maine, by The Rev. Townsend.


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In his hit new HBO series John Oliver has taken on the unenviable task of confronting the week's news in an informative yet entertaining way. That challenge has never been more evident than it was last night, after a long and miserable week marked by tragic deaths in both Hollywood and Missouri, where protests and violent conflicts with police continued over the weekend.
Though he didn't have access to the most recent news (including last night's decision to deploy the National Guard), Oliver took incisive aim at the excessive militarization of police in Ferguson, during last night's show. Oliver, whose wife is an Iraqi war veteran, criticized everything from the lack of training and proper form, to the baffling use of woodland camo in an urban environment. Though his tone wavers between joking and deadly serious throughout the segment (a thin line Oliver always walks very well), his final ultimatum is hardly a laughing matter.


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Conversations with God
Neal Donald Walsh
Book 1
To whom does God communicate? Are there special people? Are there special times?
All people are special, and all moments are golden. There is no person and there is no time one more special than another. Many people choose to believe that God communicates in special ways and only with special people. This removes the mass of the people from responsibility for hearing My message, much less receiving it (which is another matter), and allows them to take someone else's word for everything. You don't have to listen to Me, for you've already decided that others have heard from Me on every subject, and you have them to listen to.
By listening to what other people think they heard Me say, you don't have to think at all.
This is the biggest reason for most people turning from My messages on a personal level. If you acknowledge that you are receiving My messages directly, then you are responsible for interpreting them. It is far safer and much easier to accept the interpretation of others (even others who have lived 2,000 years ago) than seek to interpret the message you may very well be receiving in this moment now.
Yet I invite you to a new form of communication with God. A two-way communication. In truth, it is you who have invited Me. For I have come to you, in this form, right now, in answer to your call.


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Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/aiwb-essential-handgun-skills-2-days-tx-tickets-101445327706 Description September 05, 2020 from 9:00am-5:00pm: AIWB Skills Appendix Carry Skills Class AIWB: What it is. What it isn't. How to get the most out of it safely. This will be an 8 hour live-fire and dry-fire class that will dive deep into how to get the most
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/aiwb-skills-class-tx-tickets-101445566420 ClassDescription AIWB: What it is. What it isn't. How to get the most out of it safely. This will be an 8 hour live-fire and dry-fire class that will dive deep into how to get the most out of carrying AIWB. Topics: Safety Holster and gun selection How
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/essential-handgun-skills-tx-tickets-101445758996 Essential Handgun Skills. A one day class that will give you essential skills to take your handgun shooting to the next level and give you solid technique to practice and develop your skills. This class, like all my classes, will be taught on more of a "performance coach"
For Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/performance-focused-skills-drills-and-tests-amarillo-tx-tickets-113056322504
TICKETS: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/advanced-aiwb-skills-class-bellville-oh-tickets-83552976201 Advanced AIWB (Appendix Inside the Waist Band) Carry Skills Class Note: This will be a combination live and dry fire class that will focus on how, as an individual, you will you most utilize the AIWB carry system. Topics Discussed: Safety 4 Rules firearm safety Muzzle discipline


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TRADITIONS-----Having been a Johnny Come Lately to some of Andrew Calhoun's music from his earlier days (He was a guest with a brilliant piece of work a few years back) I will be making up for that when I feature some his great material this Sunday. The John Prine piece is totally autobiographical---he told me that. Andrew will be by guest on 5/29. Much more this Sunday in a topical vein---hey---you know the world is ending on 5/21 so we have to commemorate that and feel sad that Ron will not be around for the show on 5/22---or will we.
SUNDAY SIMCHA----A new voice tomorrow---and, as always, the old standards along with some requests. Dennis Wolfberg is our unexpected stars by the requests that have come in===only fitting for you to hear him on this blog. Brilliant comedian who died in 1994----I mourn him since I knew him personally.
Back to the John Prine comment. In addition to the Dennis Wolfberg piece there is a piece by Mr. Calhoun and to find out more you will have to either tune in or catch it on the archives.


text: Exfoliation, Facials & Peels Here's What We Do Better DERMAPLANING Designed to make the skin feel smoother, and appear healthier and more youthful, dermaplaning removes the top most layer of facial skin, thus eliminating dead skin cells and the fine vellus hair or "peach fuzz". LEARN MORE Facials Our experienced aestheticians will design a treatment that fits your skin type, lifestyle and help you achieve the results you so deserve. LEARN MORE Chemical Peels Choose from The Perfect Derma Peel, ZO 3 Stiumulator Peel and the ZO Controlled Depth Peel. LEARN MORE Schedule An Appointment


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Their taking a bit of a break this month as there are no new classes starting until September, but don't let that fool you. Get it Scrapped is still a hopping place!
They have a ton archived classes available that you can take at your own pace and still get assistance from the instructors when needed. Check out your options:
Embellishments: Beautifully Handmade with Tania Willis
MORE Mad Digital Skillz with Pattie Knox
Product Pizzazz 102 with Doris Sander
Product Pizzazz 101 with Doris Sander
Mad Digital Skillz with Pattie Knox
Digital Templates with Pattie Knox
Beginning Photo Editing with Lynn Weber
Intermediate Photo Editing with Lynn Weber
Art Journaling 101 with Dina Wakley
Art Journaling 102 with Dina Wakley
Another very talented creator of handmade goods, Nicole specializes in custom designed die cut scrolls, 12x12 lace papers and more. They are amazing and nothing you'll ever find at your LSS or big box store.
She's adding new designs and colors all the time, so don't miss out.


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Matt Elliott
October 28, 2011
at IMS
With the ODC at Bonge's
Matt Elliott
"Probably the finest example of a man anyone will ever know. Kind beyond measure, a great listener, an even better conversationalist, unbelievably well versed in all things Indiana and a pleasure to be around even when you'd heard enough about some small part of the city you didn't know existed."
-Facebook Post by Brugge Brasserie
The quote above, written no doubt by one of Matt's closest friends, encapsulates in a few short sentences what I and so many others feel after hearing the tragic news of the sudden and unexpected passing of a great friend and an even better person. It is always a sad moment when you learn of the passing of someone that is close to you, though rarely have I ever been more stunned and numbed as when I received the call that Matt had passed suddenly of natural causes after a seemingly ordinary day working for my friends at Brugge Brasserie in Indianapolis.
I have known Matt for more than thirty years, both a part of an exceedingly close-knit group of friends from the Broad Ripple neighborhood of Indianapolis which have come to be known as "The Old Dog Crew" or ODC. The moniker comes from our former fondness for Old Milwaukee beer, which was cheap and readily available back in the day before we knew or could afford actual good beer.
ODC in the Turks & Caicos
Matt, Kevin, Ted, Eli & Tim
As a group, we have managed to maintain an unlikely and rare strong bond despite the fact that many members such as myself have spread out around the country. Wherever we ended up, our hearts and many of the group remained in Indianapolis. Over the years we have managed to gather on a semi-regular basis, at holidays, weddings, mutual vacations and every year during the month of May for the Indy 500.
Tim, Ted & Matt
The Indy 500 is a part of the culture for those of us who grew up in Indianapolis and it was there where I last saw Matt this past May. We both shared a love of racing that went beyond that of the average fan. I would see Matt at the track regularly often with friends, but like me, he wouldn't hesitate to head out on his own. I can picture him now occupying his favorite spot in the top row of the Tower Terrace looking out of the beautiful expanse that is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that was one of his favorite places.
With Ted Miller and his kids in the Tower Terrace
It was our shared love of racing which prompted a somewhat rare phone call from Matt about ten days ago. He knew that we had attended the Indy Car race in Las Vegas that claimed the life of Indy Car champion Dan Wheldon and he wanted to talk about it… he always seemed ready to talk. We shared our thoughts on that tragedy and then spoke briefly about what was going on in his life. Little could I have realized that would be my last of many, many amazing conversations.
Speaking with Matt during that call makes his loss seem all the more tragic to me, because he seemed really, really happy with his life. When I spent time with him in May, he was mostly miserable. He was working selling cars, a job he despised but needed at the time after his beloved Northside News closed. Matt wasn't cut out for selling cars- he was far too honest and cerebral for that profession. Then our mutual friend and ODC member Ted Miller offered Matt a job working at Brugge, which was a perfect fit for both parties. I am not sure of what his duties were, but it involved working with the Brugge Brewery as well as at the restaurant and Matt seemed on top of the world when I spoke to him.
I could go on and on about what made Matt such an amazing person and friend but I think I will close by simply thanking him for his friendship. It has been an incredible privilege. His passing has made me really realize what a rare gift it has been to have such a close and beautiful group of friends that I have. I am distressed only that I was not able to immediately hop on a flight and head to Indianapolis upon hearing the news. I wish that I was there to share our mutual grief and offer some small comfort to my friends. Commitments here in Key West with Fantasy Fest and work have not allowed me to be there as soon as I would have liked. It has been a surreal experience being here in the midst of thousands of happy, partying people when I feel like an empty shell.
Kevin, Matt, Pat & Ted
Becky, Matt, Brian & Rick
Our love, thoughts and sympathy are with all of Matt's family and friends during this incredibly difficult time. I will miss you so much Matt, I know that every time I go to the speedway I will look up to that spot high above pit lane looking for you and wishing like anything that you were there.


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The beginning and end of the 2010 Chicago Bears' season look like complete opposites. And the defining change during the season took place during a week the Bears didn't play.
In some circles it's being hailed as an epiphany. Or perhaps it was an intervention.
True to his low-key nature, Bears coach Lovie Smith merely refers to the point when his team's fortunes changed as "the bye."
The real details of how it transpired remain murky because Smith and all involved would rather keep it that way, but there is no doubt that without this transformation during their week off at the end of October, the Bears would not be in Sunday's NFC playoffs as a second seed against Seattle. In fact, Smith, offensive coordinator Mike Martz, defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli and possibly even general manager Jerry Angelo might have been seeking employment.
"I think once our coaches had a little more time to evaluate our team, and not focus on the upcoming opponent, they saw some things that maybe we weren't prepared to do at that time," Angelo said.
Either Smith, famous for saying the team "gets off the bus running," imposing offensive line coach Mike Tice or someone with the worn-out Bears defense or possibly even common sense told Martz "enough already" with the Greatest Show on Turf imitation.
With a makeshift offensive line struggling to keep quarterback Jay Cutler upright, the Bears went back to their basic instinct of handing the ball to Matt Forte.
"We were pass heavy," Forte said.
Smith does not describe it as himself or Tice threatening Martz, but more a case where everyone involved came to a common conclusion to go forward on the ground.
"We just needed a little bit of time to grow and see exactly what we would be, a lot of new parts that we had," Smith said. "As far as change … we kind of figured out a little bit on what direction we wanted to go.
"But I think we're really the same team. You would like to see improvement from the early part of the season any year."
Improvement did occur, and it became most evident on the offensive line. It's not the same group that let Cutler get sacked six times by Seattle in a 23-20 Oct. 17 loss. After the bye, guard Roberto Garza returned from arthroscopic knee surgery to play the right side, where he had been earlier in his career. It was one of the few injuries suffered by a fortunate team that has only one veteran player on injured reserve, backup linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer.
Tackle Chris Williams made his NFL debut at left guard in the first Seattle game, with rookie seventh-round draft pick J'Marcus Webb playing right tackle. And the line stayed the same after the bye and gradually improved from one which regularly got Cutler stomped to acceptable, and then to one that made the offense capable of scoring 78 total points over two games. The two-game total was the team's highest since 1989.
The offense never consistently piled up gaudy numbers like New England or New Orleans, but made strides nonetheless. Forte rushed for 717 yards over the final nine weeks after scratching out 352 the first seven, and during an eight-week span the Bears were the only team to run more times than they passed.
With the ability to pick up more yardage on earlier downs by running, they went from last in the league at converting third downs (17.9 percent) after seven weeks to 27th (32.8 percent) by the end of the regular season. They stopped turning the ball over — yes, even Cutler — losing it only 13 times the final nine games after coughing it up 18 times the first seven.
"They're the reason we played so good the second half of the season," linebacker Brian Urlacher said of the offense. "They held on to the ball, they've converted third downs, we ran the ball, and they kept [the defense] on the sidelines and kept us fresh."
Whether the Bears advance to the NFC Championship Game likely will be due greatly to Urlacher, $91 million man Julius Peppers, Lance Briggs and a veteran defense with five 30-something players. It's a group that held Green Bay to 10 points at Lambeau Field when the Packers had their season on the line but the Bears had nothing to gain.
"This thing picks up, the pace and tempo are going to pick up now," Marinelli said about the playoffs. "That's a fun part of this thing. [The players] understand it. … We've got some elite players who play as a team."
Nevertheless, that defense won't be able to carry the Bears if Cutler morphs, during his first postseason start since high school, into the version of himself who threw four interceptions to Washington's DeAngelo Hall one week after the loss to Seattle.
"Sometimes, of course, we've lost some games and you'd like to have some things back," Smith said. "But Jay should be leading a playoff team because he does everything you want a quarterback to do. He can make every throw you want him to make.
"He's a tough guy. … He's run at the perfect time this year and we don't have any complaints."
They just can't fall in love with his arm in the playoffs. More than anything else — even with a special-teams threat like Devin Hester and the league's fourth-ranked scoring defense — the Bears can expect to go nowhere if they try to pass 45 times and hand it to backs 12 times, like they did in the earlier loss to Seattle.
Fortunately for their Super Bowl prospects, the Bears have the newer, more flexible Mike Martz making sure it doesn't happen.
"'Flexible' has probably never been a word that has been associated with my name," Martz pointed out.
It is now, regardless of who made it happen or how it really occurred.
Copyright 2010 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. STATS LLC and The Associated Press contributed to this article. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The Associated Press is strictly prohibited.


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Caulks and sealants are primarily used in building construction and transportation to bond surfaces together, fill gaps and serve as a physical barrier. Due to their use in bonding substrates with differing coefficients of thermal expansion, sealants are formulated to have higher elongation and paste-like viscosities to allow for gap filling applications.
Sealants offer important performance properties, providing many advantages to modern design. Putties and caulks serve another function - to take up space and fill voids. Taught by industry experts, ASC's two-day, technical short course will help you gain a better understanding of the functions and applications of caulks and sealants.
View the ATTENDEE LIST (PDF file) as of 3-7-17.
Get YOUR Questions Answered!
We look forward to welcoming you to Atlanta in April for the Short Course. In order to provide the best learning experience tailored for you, we are requesting two opportunities for you to provide input in the design of the course. Visit THIS LINK to give your input.
NOTE: Short course participants are invited to join ASC at the Welcome Reception Monday evening April 3rd and the Annual Spring EXPO and Reception on Tuesday, April 4th from 3:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. after the course ends at no additional charge to network with the industry and learn about the latest innovations in the industry!
Share your knowledge and expertise by presenting at this short course. For inclusion, contact Connie Howe at (301) 986-9700 x104 or firstname.lastname@example.com
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What is a Keloid Scar?
Keloid scars (or keloids) appear in genetically susceptible individuals following trauma to the skin, for example surgery, body piercing or any injury. With keloids, a persistent scar forms at the site of the trauma and aggressively outgrows the original boundaries of the wound, invading surrounding skin.
We have estimated that as many as 1 in 300 people in the UK could suffer from a keloid. Affected individuals often have to live with itchiness, pain and discomfort. They may also experience social anxiety, low self-esteem and intimacy issues.
Treatment issues
Recurrence is frequently seen in patients within 2 years of keloid removal. Because of the recurrence problem, patients with small keloid scars are usually given symptomatic treatment to reduce itching or pain, and keloid growth suppression may be attempted by cryotherapy, special pressure dressings or laser treatments. These can be ineffective, making keloids a constant burden on patient's everyday lives.
Despite the seriousness of the problem, keloid research lags behind that for other similar skin disorders. Part of the difficulty is that there aren't many resources available for research; but RAFT has a large historic keloid cell bank, which means new treatment methods can be tested in the laboratory.
How will RAFT's research help those that suffer from keloids?
RAFT is working on the development of a dermal scaffold intended for use after surgical excision of a keloid. A dermal scaffold is a type of treatment used by surgeons, which acts as a template to guide the growth of new skin at a wound site and avoid scarring. However, RAFT's scaffold for keloid treatment will be specifically designed to inhibit the recurrence of keloid scarring.
This novel treatment could allow surgical intervention while keloids are smaller and reduce the amount of time that patients would be burdened with the appearance and symptoms of a keloid. This has the potential to transform the lives of keloid sufferers, and deliver cost savings to the NHS by decreasing the time spent on follow up and aftercare.
Support the RAFT's keloid research
You can support RAFT's life-changing into the keloid scar prevention by giving a donation via the form below.
Your Donation
Keloid Scar Project Research Scientists
- Dr Elena Garcia
Research Partner and Collaborators:
- The Griffin Institute, Saint Mark's and Northwick Park Hospitals


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Tagged: Amaury Rivas
Minor League Free Agents – Brewers
Per the minor league watchdog Matt Eddy of Baseball America, the following players who finished 2012 in the Brewers' system are now minor league free agents. Their contracts expired and they have not (at least not yet) agreed to new deals with Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Brewers
RHP: Evan Anundsen (AA), Brian Baker (AAA), Josh Butler (AA), Mike McClendon (AAA), Amaury Rivas (AAA), Claudio Vargas (AAA)
LHP: Mitch Stetter (AAA), Philippe Valiquette (AA)
C: Humberto Quintero (AAA)
1B: Erick Almonte (AAA)
3B: Andy Gonzalez (AAA), Juan Sanchez (HiA)
SS: Domnit Bolivar (AA), Hainley Statia (AA)
OF: Jordan Brown (AAA), Corey Patterson (AAA)
The full post with all 30 MLB teams' minor league free agents from Eddy is available here: http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/prospects/2012/11/minor-league-free-agents-2012/
You can follow Matt Eddy on Twitter: @eddymk
Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers: #37 Mark Rogers
This installment in "Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers" marks the halfway point in the series.
I have written 23 parts, this is the 24th and I have 23 more to go before Opening Day.
It's truly a labor of love.
That's also what game of baseball at a professional level can be for many players. The passion is there but the breaks never go their way. The mind is willing but the flesh is weak. The body endures but the mind plays tricks.
It has been a career of miscommunication between body and mind for today's subject:
Mark Rogers.
The 2004 First-Year Player Draft has produced a member of the Milwaukee Brewers starting rotation. That starting pitcher, Yovani Gallardo, was drafted in the second round that year. The person drafted in the first round was Mark Elliot Rogers.
Drafted out of high school with the 5th overall pick in the draft, Rogers was described by Baseball America with the following scouting report:
"His fastball was so dominant against weak competition in Maine this spring that he struck out 99 in his first 38 innings, while allowing just three hits. Rogers' lean, athletic build with room to fill out and get stronger. His fastball generally sits in the 90-95 mph range, with natural, hard running action and occasional bore. Rogers' hammer curve has solid rotation with three-quarter break and excellent depth for his arm slot. He projects as a No. 2 or 3 starter."
The problem with projections is that they can all be rendered moot without health; and Rogers simply has been unable to stay healthy.
Rogers first began to feel shoulder discomfort while pitching for the High-A affiliate at Brevard County in 2007. The subsequent off-season saw Rogers undergo shoulder surgery to repair a frayed labrum. Rogers still wasn't healthy, however, and required a second surgery in 2008 to cleanup scar tissue around the site of the original surgery.
That second surgery had been put off for a while in part because Rogers was worried about needing a second surgery on the same injury. He may have felt his career was on the line. Fortunately the second surgery was a success and Rogers was finally able to begin to throw pain-free once his rehab was completed.
Rogers spent 2009 under a very restricted workload once again at Brevard County. He also threw in the Arizona Fall League after the regular season.
The next year began for Rogers in Huntsville at Double-A (he made one spot-start for the Triple-A Nashville Sounds during the year) and actually ended with Rogers' big league debut. A far cry from missing two seasons of development.
Rogers pitched in four games for the Brewers, including two starts. His results were pretty good but the accomplishment of making it there at all should be the focus.
Now, finally, let's take a look at Rogers 2011 season.
Following the trades for Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum, Rogers was resigned to begin the season in the minor leagues. An infamous pick-up game of basketball opened the door to a big league job.
Along with Amaury Rivas, Wily Peralta and, ultimately, Marco Estrada, Rogers' spring all of a sudden became about possibly heading north on the 25-man roster.
Any guesses as to what cost Rogers the opportunity that Estrada turned into a season-long MLB job? If you guessed "injury" you've been paying attention.
Rogers' Spring Training was slowed by shoulder stiffness early in camp so he wasn't ready to go by the time the team needed a fill-in. Rogers began the season in the minors after all, but that wasn't the worst of what would happen in 2011.
After that early shoulder stiffness, Rogers ended up battling dual carpal tunnel syndrome which would eventually require surgery to fix.
What else could go wrong, right? How about a 25-game suspension for using a banned stimulant?
Rogers has addressed the situation this spring saying: "I felt stupid. Obviously, I regret what happened, but it falls on nobody's shoulders but my own. I'm paying the penalty for it."
He also explained that he was trying anything to salvage his season saying that "I took a supplement that wasn't [approved]. I was surprised to get that phone call. But it's definitely my fault. I take full responsibility for everything I put in my body, and I let that lapse."
2012 was looking like it could be the end of Rogers' time with the Brewers. Normally he'd have been out of minor league options to begin the year. However, with all the injuries and missed time, the Brewers petitioned the league for an additional option which was granted last fall.
What that means is that even though (and especially because) there aren't any openings in the big league rotation this year, Rogers gets another season in the minors to hopefully stay healthy and refine his game so that when up to four jobs are available next spring, Rogers has the chance to compete and win one.
Rogers still has 6 games of his suspension left to serve, but should hopefully hit the ground running (or would that be hit the mound pitching?) once he's allowed to.
In other words, Rogers needs to finally have lady luck turn in his favor in his professional career. He feels "significantly different" in his wrists and expects his command to rebound as a result.
Believe me when I say that as Brewers fans we're breaking out the four-leafed clovers and rabbits feet.
Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers: #47 Amaury Rivas
For the first time in a while, the Brewers By the (Jersey) Numbers series brings us to a pitcher that has zero big league service time.
Today, 47 days away from Opening Day, the series takes a look at a pitcher who the Brewers signed as an undrafted free agent in February of 2005, when he was just 19 years old…
Amaury Rivas.
Amaury Keith Rivas (Keith? Really?) is a 6'2″, 217 pound right-handed Starting Pitcher who began and finished the 2011 season with the Nashville Sounds, Triple-A affiliate of the Brewers.
His numbers were not impressive at the highest minor league level, as he posted a season record of 7-12, backed by a 4.72 ERA in 150.2 innings pitched over 28 starts. Over the course of the season, Rivas allowed 151 hits, 88 runs (79 earned), 14 home runs, and 81 walks while striking out only 108 batters. He held opponents to a batting average of .260 and totaled a 1.54 WHIP.
Rivas was a highly-touted prospect in the system for a couple of seasons, in part because of the lack of pitching talent therein but also because of his impressive seasons at High-A Brevard County in 2009 and with Double-A Huntsville in 2010.
The 2009 season as a Manatee was probably Rivas' best and most encouraging as a professional. It led to the Brewers front office adding Rivas to the 40-man roster prior to the 2009 Rule V Draft.
Since then, however, Rivas appears to possibly be topping out in Triple-A. 2012 could be a very important year for Rivas as he has no real shot to make the Major League roster this season and that will result in his third and final minor league option being burned up. A sub-par year in 2012 could make the next step in Rivas' career one where he is subjected to waivers and a possible change of venue.
Rivas was the team's 10th best prospect heading into last season, according to Baseball America which had the following to say about him:
"Rivas' individual pitches don't blow hitters or scouts away, but he knows how to pitch and how to set up hitters. He understands the importance of location and works both sides of the plate. Rivas throws his fastball in the low 90s with some boring life and sink. His fastball can reach 95 but straightens out at higher velocities. He developed a feel for a changeup at a young age, and it grades out as his best pitch."
While not awe-inspiring, it does point out that there are certain talents with which Rivas has pitched himself to the Triple-A level. He was given the accolade of having the system's best change up and overall control as recently as 2010.
Unfortunately not everyone has the talent to compete at the highest level of the sport, but even those that do often don't make the proper adjustments to realize their potential. The path to the bigs is littered with the hopes and dreams of countless ballplayers.
If he doesn't show a significant improvement/rebound in his performance, he may never get an opportunity to ply his wares in Milwaukee as a Brewer.
The one caveat to writing Rivas off, other than that he's still in his mid-20s, is that there was speculation that an injury was contributing to Rivas' poor year. Rivas did end up having right elbow surgery to remove bone spurs. If he comes into camp healthy, as is expected, looking at 2011 with a grain of salt might not be a bad idea.
Then again, if he is deemed healthy and struggles into the season a bit, 2011's finish will only compound the fears that he might have maxed out and hit his ceiling.
Time will tell. All we can do it watch with an interested eye.


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Michael Pineda is maddening. I have a love-hate relationship with him. I've been collecting him since the 2011 trade, yet, I feel like I make fun of him more than stick up for him. From pine tar to injuries, he gives us a lot to laugh at. He teases us too; with brilliant performances, swing and miss stuff, and constant two out hits leading to run-scoring innings.
Yet, I keep picking up new Big Mike cards. But with homegrown guys I've been following for years now making an impact, how much longer will I go out of my way to pick up new Pinedas?
Big Mike.
Or is it Big Sike?
This is a tribute
To my PC guy.
With gobs of pinetar
You weren't so sly.
You were traded for Jesus
We had an ace in the making.
Then you got hurt for two years
Are you sure you weren't faking?
The first year back
You dominited when on the mound.
Then the next two years
That dominance was no where to be found.
Once you struck out
Sixteen Oriole batters.
Now your meatballs
Couldn't be any fatter.
With four weeks left
It's time to pitch like an ace.
If you still want me to PC you
It's time to make your case.
I collected baseball cards from the late '80s through 2002. Then I went to college and when I came out, I was lost. There were too many brands, sets, choices, relics, autos, parallels, variations. It was a turn off. However, I slowly made my way back. So here is my attempt to venture back into the hobby. I'll buy a few packs of cards here and there, comment on some cards I have, send out some TTMs, and follow the progress of my Topps Yankees Project.
Tuesday, September 6, 2016
A tribute to Big Mike
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