text:
t's a case of horses for courses out at Mishells Cross, just a few miles north of Bandon, where a 30-year old pristine family home on 3.5 acres has paddocks for the ponies, and a tack room which is, effectively, part of the house. It's apt, as horses appear to have been an integral part of the departing family owners' lifestyle for years.
Now for sale with family grown, and flown, Mishells House offers the chance to give the same outdoors pursuits passion to new occupants: it's listed with estate agent Brian Olden of Cohalan Downing, with a €675,000 price tag, and that's for a generous home of 5,000 sq ft, with suitable sweeping open tread staircase in hardwood and wrought iron, Aga in the kitchen, and a top-lit sunroom overlooking fields of green, in a strong, prosperous farm hinterland, about a 30-minute commute from Cork city and international airport.
Set up an attractive approach avenue, it's private but not isolated, and is close to some large farms, while its own private 3.5 acres is a mix of landscaped grounds, trimmed hedges and shrubs, planters, climbers lawns, patio and paddock, with enough grazing for a few horses or ponies.
The price equates to €135 per square foot, and that's the sort of sum that many one-off new builds are rising to over the past few years after a solid recovery in the building trades.
You might not get an eco or passive house for this sort of sum either, while elegant Mishells House gets a pretty reasonable C3 BER, about what you'd hope for at best in a mid-1980s build.
And, under its varied roof profiles and deep eaves and skirts of wings and wrap-arounds, it comes with considerable creature comforts, including a cream four-oven Aga in the country style kitchen with twin Belfast sinks, a range of reception rooms with part-vaulted or coffered ceilings. There are six bedrooms (served by no less than two staircases, too), of which two are en suite, plus there's a gracious balcony, with capacity for a baby grand piano on balcony or in the hall with a clever, tiled wall feature, all allowing Christmas carolling and soaring acoustics within.
Other rooms include a double aspect drawing room with sliding pocket double doors to a formal dining room with southerly aspect. There's a family room with stove set in a stone chimneypiece, a study, and that great, country-feel kitchen with units painted in creams and blues, and a stunning island with wood tops, and inlays: it's a great space in its own right, but add-on the attraction of access to the adjoining conservatory, and it's lifted to a higher plane again.
Decor's immaculately presented, but a tad on the dated side in one or two spots, though changes will be discretionary, by and large. Loos include a ground floor shower room, a main family bathroom, and two en suites, with the master bed's suite having a corner bath, double sinks, bidet, and shower.
There's also oodles of storage, great circulation space (over 5,000 sq ft, remember) and a handy tack room by the car-port. But, as of the moment, there's no stable block, so that's a simple project for the next horse-inclined inhabitants.
Impressive spread
Mishells House, Bandon, West Cork
Price: €675,000
Size: 475 sq m (5,110 sq ft) on 3.5 acres
Bedrooms: 6
Bathrooms: 4


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- {property.name}: {property.value}
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subset: commoncrawl


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Before the 2-1 triumph over play-off rivals Tranmere Rovers, I canvassed the opinions of fellow Bury supporters, as well as a few knowledgeable neutrals, as to the performances of every Shaker to have been given first team minutes in 2018/2019 across any of the four competitions. In some select cases, there has been scant chance to make a judgement of any kind, but I have included them for the sake of 'completion', for want of a better phrase.
I grouped the grades as Twitter only allows four options in its polling messages. A-B are good, C-D are okay, and E-F are poor:
Please note: none of the stats or judgements below include the 2-1 defeat to Mansfield Town on Boxing Day, as that was the first match of the second half of the league season.
1. Joe Murphy
Total Games / Total Minutes: 26 / 2,340
Goals Conceded: 28
Clean Sheets: 7
Assessment: One of the most difficult for me to classify. On the one hand, he has been ever-present outside of the EFL Trophy, which is not something I'd expected on the eve of the campaign. The reason I thought that is because of his injury record as Bury's #1 custodian, more than any damning of his talents. I can recall two big errors that have directly led to goals for the opposition – rushing out needlessly against Lincoln City with the scores level at 1-1, and being unaware of Danny Rose's presence in the box when he didn't have the ball in both hands during the home fixture with Mansfield Town.
The xCG (expected conceded goals) is not in his favour. You can see above he has allowed a touch more than one a game against him, whereas that specific metric is 0.9, meaning it ought to be the other way around. I'm not really sure what to make of that, especially when you couple that stat with having faced the fewest total shots on target. To me, it's likely to be indicative of when the backline are penetrated, it tends to be quite close to the 18 yard box, if not actually in it.
I also can't think of many situations where he ought to have done better when he has conceded. There will always be a sizeable contingent that bemoan his tendency to stay close to his line when crosses come in, particularly from dead balls. However, he's not the tallest of guardians, and I'd rather see him stay in situ than appear hesitant. He constantly communicates with his back three, and seems to have established a good understanding, owing to the same names lining up in front of him the vast majority of the time.
What Next: Almost certain to see out the season as the shot-stopper of choice, he will continue to study for his badges and learn from Brian Jensen, the current goalkeeper coach. At 37, and with his contract up for renewal in the summer, he certainly still has the ability to perform on a full-time basis, but I wonder if manager Ryan Lowe will opt either to move him on ahead of 2019/2020; I can see him choosing someone with more physical presence in the six yard area who can then combine that with quick distribution to set up counter attacks.
2. Tom Miller
Total Games / Total Minutes: 12 / 627
Goals Scored: 0
Goals Assisted: 0
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: The injury he sustained way back in August against Milton Keynes Dons has affected much more than his own loss of place and lack of minutes in the XI. Initially brought in as a conventional right back (i.e. 'defence first'), the shape of the backline changed in pre-season after successful experiments against Premier League opposition to accommodate wing backs. There's no doubt he can play that role, but lacks the raw speed and positive mentality to make that berth his own. Instead, he has had to play second fiddle to Nicky Adams in the league, replacing his teammate late on in games to preserve the latter's fitness or to shore up the flank a little more.
During EFL Trophy games, of which account for nearly half of his starts, he has filled in more centrally, which can partly be explained by a combination of the competition's rules concerning the number of changes a manager can make from one match to the next, the sheer abundance of right-sided defenders in the squad, and the absence owing to injury of highly-rated youngsters Saul Shotton and Morgan Sadler.
A steady but unremarkable presence in a white shirt thus far, he'll be hoping for some more minutes over a hectic Christmas schedule, and is still first in the queue to pounce if Adams faces a spell on the sidelines.
What Next: On a two-year deal, he would be my first pick from the current crop if the shape reverted to a flat back four, but for the time being, Lowe seems wedded to a formation that has brought the club no small amount of success, chiefly at Gigg Lane. Expect to see him remain on the bench for the time being, with the exception of the EFL Trophy game at Lancashire neighbours Accrington Stanley shortly into the New Year.
3. Chris Stokes
Total Games / Total Minutes: 27 / 2,222
Goals Scored: 1
Goals Assisted: 0
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: Much like Miller, he was brought to the club in the prime of his career to make up an important part of a backline of four, all of similar ages. Unlike his compatriot however, he has not suffered as a result of a change of emphasis, and has largely been successful in shifting inside to become the left-sided centre back of the trio. His understanding with Callum McFadzean could still use some work; the latter's propensity to bomb forward, coupled with the former Coventry City man's slowness, has often resulted in that flank being exposed, which cost the Shakers dearly in the derby with Oldham Athletic, and ought to have done last time out, were it not for a rare off day for James Norwood in front of goal.
Tends to get higher up the pitch in possession than Will Aimson, and has more to contribute in that sense, but isn't that much of a threat from set pieces. His only goal to date was a tap-in from less than a yard out at home to Cheltenham Town. His shorter passes hit their mark three quarters of the time, but predictably, that ratio drops off badly when hitting it longer down the channel, connecting just 39% of the time. This can hold the attacking efforts back, as well as bring about unwanted pressure in games Bury have been leading away from home.
What Next: Culpable against the Latics, he has nevertheless been a mostly reliable presence in a back three that whilst far from screams 'we are a formidable unit', they're not pushovers, either. The deepness of the unit has not caused as many issues with passing into midfield as I'd have expected, partly because the wider centre back on the ball has been given some licence to come forward with it. His experiences in the Sky Blues' successful bid to regain promotion through the play-offs to the third tier at the first time of asking in 2017/2018 could yet prove crucial to his current side in the months ahead.
4. Will Aimson
Total Games / Total Minutes: 26 / 2,227
Goals Scored: 3
Goals Assisted: 2
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: Another drafted in over the close season, he has usually been the go-to option to cover Nicky Adams' charges forward on the right flank, so much so that you'd be forgiven for thinking he himself was deployed as an auxiliary full back. I was surprised to learn when compiling this blog that his long passing has actually been more accurate than Stokes', as the punt down the channel, normally to Byron Moore, has failed so often as to almost become a running joke.
His principal attribute is in covering spaces, not just for Adams but for the rest of the defence, too. Before his arguably harsh sending off against Lincoln, he'd had the better of their deadly forward line, which is no small feat. He has also chipped in with important goals, providing the equaliser at home to Forest Green Rovers and the second in slightly comical fashion last month at Cambridge United.
What Next: The most susceptible of the current three to being dropped (which is not an assessment shared by fellow supporters if the poll is indicative!), he performs an important role in the setup; just like Stokes though, you wonder if a more reliable passer might not be a better bet in the medium term. From closely watching him, I think he could become a leader on the field in the next few years.
5. Adam Thompson
Total Games / Total Minutes: 30 / 2,557
Goals Scored: 1
Goals Assisted: 2
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: The pick of the main three centre backs to date. Having endured a horrendous campaign both at Bury and inexplicably on loan at then-division rivals Bradford City last time out, he has most often been the 'check and balance' in front of the goalkeeper, and is the only individual on this list to have featured in all 30 matches (at the time of writing). Whilst not necessarily the most imposing or dominant of stoppers, he nevertheless gives as good as he receives, and can be found sweeping up after his teammates across the field. A more accurate passer than either Aimson or Stokes, nearly half of his punts find a teammate, and his style of winning the ball in 50/50 challenges lends itself to leniency from referees.
What Next: He will surely be hoping his generally assured performances can catch the eye of Northern Ireland head coach Michael O'Neill in the not-too distant future, although being in the fourth tier might hinder his chances, at least temporarily. The consistency of his defensive partners in crime has helped him play with more of a smile on his face than had hitherto been apparent. He will probably remain the first name on the teamsheet in defence for a good while yet.
6. Eoghan O'Connell
Total Games / Total Minutes: 14 / 843
Goals Scored: 3
Goals Assisted: 0
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: A bit of an enigma amongst the fanbase. Some think him too slow, or disparagingly refer to him as a wannabe Franz Beckenbauer because of his propensity to play out from the back and opt for risky passes. There's certainly some merit in the suggestion that he dwells on the ball in order to decrease the risk of giving possession away cheaply, and has been found wanting for pace on several occasions. That said, when fit, he's the most intimidating of the centre backs in both areas, and has accrued three goals in all competitions in around a third of the time on the pitch as the other mainstays. His curling effort outside the area in the dying embers of the Stevenage game will live long in the memory; Lowe has experimented by utilising him from the bench in a defensive midfield role in several games recently, with the dual purpose of cleaning up any second balls from aerial challenges, as well as to offer a calmness on the ball others can lack under pressure.
What Next: Staying fit should be his short-term aim. His time at the club has been beset by several sustained lay-offs, and this term has been little different. Personally speaking, he'd by my pick to line up alongside Thompson in a pairing, but there's always that lingering feeling that his injury proneness will betray him at any moment. He has to shake that off somehow to continue developing.
7. Nicky Adams
Total Games / Total Minutes: 28 / 2,279
Goals Scored: 2
Goals Assisted: 7
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: Far from a stranger to BL9, his third permanent stint has seen him take on a role alien to him at Gigg Lane – wing-back. Thrust in at the deep end at Stadium:MK, he hasn't looked back since. No-one, including him, would pretend that tracking back and staying tight to his man to prevent crosses are his forté. What you do always get from him though is an undying desire to work hard for the shirt, but much more importantly, an end product. This is evidenced by averaging a touch under eight crosses per game in 2018/2019, by far the most numerous of any player in League Two when taken in totality. Also the chief set piece taker from indirect situations, this responsibility has helped him to nudge in front in terms of assists in the past two matches.
What Next: More of the same, with any luck. Sensibly only handed a one-year deal in the summer, owing at least partly to his age and recent injury record, he has barely missed a kick. His presence in the team reduces the reliance on Danny Mayor and the left flank in general to produce something, which spreads the threats in the arsenal to multiple fronts, both from open play and dead balls.
8. Stephen Dawson
Total Games / Total Minutes: 6 / 399
Goals Scored: 0
Goals Assisted: 0
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: What to make of him rarely featuring, even when available for selection? Stupidly handed a three-year deal in 2017 when already well into his thirties, he's not had a single performance this season where he's really appeared to assert himself on proceedings. A rash tackle in the most recent EFL Trophy game ensures he's unlikely to feature in the competition again, unless the club make the final at Wembley for the first time in their history. There have been more than several occasions when the ebb and flow of a match has cried out for his combativeness, but he's rarely even been amongst the substitutes.
What Next: Rumours of an impending move elsewhere refuse to disappear, and you'd think that it would be mutually beneficial if one was to transpire. The Dawson fans remember from a decade ago has not returned, even though someone of his mould (with time on their side) would be an ideal fit in a central midfield duo.
9. Jermaine Beckford
Total Games / Total Minutes: 1 / 13
Goals Scored: 0
Goals Assisted: 0
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: Hmm. After a year out injured, the veteran striker made an aborted comeback in the Carlisle defeat. It would be churlish to make any judgement based on 13 minutes, and even if he was fully fit with the undoubted ability he has, he wouldn't be assured of a starting berth. The current state of affairs is in stark contrast to the sense of doom that surrounded his first prolonged absence.
What Next: Should you believe the rumour mill, he is out for the season (again) after a significant setback during his rehabilitation. His contract is up in the summer, and, coupled with the abundance of forwards on the books, he might be persuaded to mutually terminate his arrangement with the club.
10. Danny Mayor
Total Games / Total Minutes: 24 / 2,031
Goals Scored: 5
Goals Assisted: 5
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: Put simply, his confidence is back. Free of injury and with a full pre-season programme behind him, he has flourished in the setup offered to him by Lowe, aided in no small part by the amount of freedom he's allowed to play with. Nominally in the left half-space, he can almost as often be found in central areas, creating space for the likes of McFadzean and Nicky Adams to run into. Some of his goals have had fans running out of superlatives to throw at him, and his presence on the teamsheet almost always strikes fear into the opposition. Whilst he can't be expected to maintain an extremely high level of performance every game, the danger he can give the side cannot be overstated, nor can his close control on the dribble to beat players. Successful four times out of five, his thrusts deep into the final third help no end in ensuring myriad chances are created.
What Next: The burning question. His contract expires at the end of the season, and he's now firmly in his prime years. The financial position of the club has been extremely well documented as of late, and despite the change in ownership, Bury need to reduce their outgoings. Interest in him is high as you'd expect, and as good as he is, I don't think it would be a disaster if he left. If there was a way to engineer it so that he could agree an extension on the proviso that the first serious offer that came the board's way was put to him, that would be ideal. But football rarely dabbles in scenarios like that. January could be a long, anxious month for fans.
11. Chris Dagnall
Total Games / Total Minutes: 18 / 1,046
Goals Scored: 3
Goals Assisted: 1
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: As a pressing forward, you're unlikely to be prolific in front of goal; instead, the focus is on keeping the ball as far away from your own goal for as sustained a period of time as possible. Dagnall was recruited by Lowe, having played alongside each other at Crewe Alexandra. The veteran striker began the season as the lone man up front, a role that it's fair to say didn't yield the best results.
The switch to a pairing has actually seen him begin most matches on the bench, and he's often brought on to make a lead more secure with his unselfish style, accurate short passing, good first touch, and willing running. His vital goal away at promotion rivals Colchester United demonstrated his finishing technique, often opting for placement over power.
What Next: With loanee Caolan Lavery back to fitness (and form) ahead of schedule, there's an argument to be made that he's now fifth choice. That said, if Bury are to maintain their tilt at least third place in the league, they will need to call upon his wealth of experience and game management, as matches are likely to get more tense and much tighter the closer to the conclusion they get. His contributions thus far cannot be discounted, and is a good option to have in the squad.
12. Callum Styles
Total Games / Total Minutes: 17 / 892
Goals Scored: 0
Goals Assisted: 0
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: One of the hardest to gauge on this list. As a self-described #8, any Barnsley fans reading his entry might look at the zero goals and assists (coupled with a lack of regular starts), and wonder whether their side has made a mistake in both signing him in the summer and entrusting at least the first half of the campaign to his old side. Whether by instruction or personal choice, he's not a player that will attempt to beat others on the dribble, normally opting to pass short to a teammate. He's certainly good at retaining possession and using the outside of his left foot to play chipped through balls down the channels, and has actually attempted 18 shots without reward, including a couple of extremely close efforts from outside the area.
Whilst not his strongest area, he has noticeably become much less easy to prise off the ball, and his lack of height actually helps make his centre of gravity comparatively low. Inevitably, that also means he's apt to win few aerial challenges, and I've even witnessed the ball simply bounce over his head on more than once occasion.
What Next: Daniel Stendel has a lot to ponder: is Styles likely to be immediately useful to the Tykes' promotion bid back to the Championship? Is his current arrangement with Bury working out as either he or the player in question would've anticipated? His loan deal is due to expire in the New Year, and I have a funny feeling he'll be recalled by the South Yorkshire outfit to be sent elsewhere. Some Bury fans question just how much he's grown as a player since his debut at an extremely young age, but I would simply say that his… style (pardon the pun) doesn't lend itself to easy analysis, and he still has plenty of opportunities to develop further.
13. Mathew Hudson
Total Games / Total Minutes: 4 / 360
Goals Conceded: 4
Assessment: Did little to convince a sizeable portion of fanbase often extremely quick to judge goalkeepers, having witnessed far too many don the jersey in the past five years. Whilst that 'roulette' is at its end, the Preston North End custodian's lethargic outings in pre-season friendlies and away at Rochdale in the EFL Trophy still colour perceptions. Exclusively used thus far in the derided cup competition, he has since been perfectly adequate, making some important stops at key times to aid progress to the Northern Section Quarter Final stage.
What Next: Like Styles, his parent club might have anticipated that he'd be more heavily used, but the life of an understudy goalkeeper is vastly different to their outfield counterparts. Alex Neil will need to carefully weigh whether the exposure to date has been sufficient for Hudson's fledgling career, as there are bound to be other sides that would make him their #1 immediately for the concluding half of 2018/2019.
14. Phil Edwards
Total Games / Total Minutes: 3 / 225
Goals Scored: 0
Goals Assisted: 0
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: A poster boy for all that went wrong defensively last season, his continued presence at the club has almost been forgotten outside of the EFL Trophy. I recall Lowe very early in the campaign claiming he was an option at centre back, which was enough to make many supporters shudder in fear. To date, that's where he's been played exclusively, with much quicker teammates getting the nod at right wing-back. Received the inevitable roasting from Zach Clough in the derby against Rochdale, but has looked serviceable since.
What Next: Not going to trouble the starting XI for league matches, his future surely lies away from Gigg Lane, and he might be able to use the upcoming encounter with Accrington Stanley to demonstrate his ability to prospective buyers. At 33, and already a ponderously slow right-back, you have to wonder just who would take a gamble on him now, rather than wait until the expiry of his contract in the summer.
15. Byron Moore
Total Games / Total Minutes: 21 / 1,243
Goals Scored: 7
Goals Assisted: 0
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: Upon his signature, I questioned just what he would bring to the squad, other than pace on the wing. Thankfully, he has contributed much more than that, albeit mostly as a striker. Launched into the unfamiliar role away at Swindon Town from the outset, he surprised many (including me) with his excellent first goal in that game, cutting in from the right flank and finishing emphatically from a long solo dribble, and the second of his brace showed the anticipation of a poacher. Since that turning point, he's been used as a foil for the likes of Nicky Maynard and Dom Telford, asked to cover plenty of ground up top to successfully press the opposition's defence, capitalising on the smallest of hesitancy.
A composed finisher, he's probably the best in the side at recovering the ball in advanced areas, but is apt to go down easily in and around the penalty area, which can draw the ire of both sets of fans.
What Next: Not at his stellar best as of late, his contribution cannot be ignored. I wouldn't have expected him to be one of the top scorers at the club so far into the campaign, amassing seven in five months from a position not familiar to him, as well as starting 2018/2019 from the bench.
16. Ryan Cooney
Total Games / Total Minutes: 3 / 270
Goals Scored: 0
Goals Assisted: 1
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: Handed his first pro contract during 2017/2018, only 10 minutes of his gametime to date over the course of the current term has come outside the EFL Trophy. He progressed through the academy system as a playmaker, but since breaking through to the senior setup, has almost exclusively been utilised as a wing back, usually on the right flank.
Every single dribble he has attempted in his four matches has come off, and he showed dogged determination to set up Dom Telford against Leicester City U23s.
What Next: Third in the pecking order for every position he has been picked as, and with over a year remaining on his contract I'd be asking the manager for a loan move in his shoes. There's little doubt that he has both sufficient ability and the correct mentality to progress as a footballer, but there's only so much that can be refined on the training ground. A five month spell elsewhere could do him the world of good.
18. Dom Telford
Total Games / Total Minutes: 25 / 1,116
Goals Scored: 8
Goals Assisted: 4
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: Has largely had to be content with appearances from the bench, as the minutes to games ratio above attests to. One of the few predominantly left-footed attack-minded players in the squad, it would be harsh to label him as a cup specialist, as over half of his haul has come from outside the league.
When he does get on the pitch, he usually starts as the right-sided striker of the pair, which actually helps when using your left to dribble directly towards goal. Generally, he's made the most of his opportunities, and to have 43% of your shots on target along with eight goals at this stage of the season augurs very well indeed.
Despite his short stature, he's no pushover in the air or on the ground, and his contribution to the side has been evidenced in more than just goals, laying on four for others, and building good relationships with an array of strike partners at the club. Most notably of all, the xG when he's on the pitch is 0.5 higher than when he's not.
What Next: Might have to be content with continued rotation for time up front, with at least four other serious competitors in the building until the end of the season. I think his efforts have gone a tad unnoticed and unheralded outside Bury, but that is a state of affairs that is unlikely to continue for too long. One of the major successes in Lee Dykes' recruitment to date, and I see little reason why that will change from hereon in.
19. Jamie Barjonas
Total Games / Total Minutes: 8 / 359
Goals Scored: 0
Goals Assisted: 0
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: One of the rare instances on this list that has been publicly criticised by Lowe, usually along the lines of "he's not yet up to the speed of our attacking play". When he has featured, the closest comparison I can think of is with Styles, and the stats bear that out. Rarely gives the ball away in any area of the pitch, but it hasn't always been clear other than that what he's been able to bring to the table.
What Next: Like Styles, his loan agreement ends shortly. With Steven Gerrard in situ at Glasgow Rangers, the relationship between the two clubs looks set to grow from the seeds planted during the pre-season friendly. However, the Liverpool legend must be a little disappointed with Barjonas' gametime, almost regardless of the reasons for it. I don't envisage it being extended.
20. Joe Adams
Total Games / Total Minutes: 3 / 107
Goals Scored: 0
Goals Assisted: 1
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: Not had many opportunities just yet to impress in the first team, but he did make the most of his first senior start of his career in the EFL Trophy against Leicester U23s, laying on a superb hanging cross for Telford of all people to head in. Still only 17, he's becoming a more important component of Wales U19s, and he's been recognised by the LFE as recently as November for his achievements on and off the field of play. A genuinely two-footed inside forward, he's the leading scorer for the youth side in the absence of a prolific main striker, reaching double figures from out wide already.
What Next: Should Mayor leave next month, he's the closest approximation to him in the squad. Of course, that doesn't mean he can be compared to the best inside forward (perhaps player) in League Two just yet, but he could be a very exciting member of the first team more regularly within 12 months. This is underlined by the club handing him professional terms just after Steve Dale's takeover; he's now the only player at the time of writing to have a deal until the end of 2020/2021, and this surely signals a shift in thinking with regards to how to develop promising academy players, retaining them as assets to the club for longer in order to hopefully maximise their eventual fee rather than hastily selling them to the first bidder.
21. Callum McFadzean
Total Games / Total Minutes: 27 / 2,088
Goals Scored: 0
Goals Assisted: 5
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: An enforced change in transfer policy following relegation, along with the appointment of Dykes as Sporting Director, had Bury looking for players in areas they'd hitherto left untouched for years; McFadzean was one of a triumvirate of additions in the close season who had been plying his trade in non-league. He had to be patient to earn himself a six-month contract, having been on trial for a number of weeks over pre-season. The deal marked a new era of relative prudence, and it's reasonable to suggest few fans expected the remarkable ascent he has undergone in such a short period of time.
Starting the campaign on the bench, injuries to O'Connell and Miller meant that the back five underwent a significant early reshuffle, and the self-confessed 'better winger than defender' was brought into the fold, and hasn't looked back since. There are still aspects of his game to improve, most prominently staying tight to his man to prevent crosses in dangerous areas coming in, but he must rank as one of the highest performers on the roster after an adjustment period.
He has linked up particularly well with Mayor down the left channel in a relationship that often evokes memories of the one the latter held with Chris Hussey. Though his crosses haven't been deadly accurate on a reliable basis, it would be wrong to take the threat he offers lightly, as his five assists to date illustrate.
What Next: Suitably impressed enough to earn an extension on his deal to the end of the season, he will probably be in a strong position to renegotiate once the campaign is done and dusted. He has completely ousted Stokes from the role, and is much more suited for what I believe is now the most important position on the pitch in modern football.
26. Jay O'Shea
Total Games / Total Minutes: 24 / 2,024
Goals Scored: 7
Goals Assisted: 3
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: A player I was so excited to see join the club at the start of 2017/2018, but then promptly got injured in the very first game. He did make a return during the annus horriblis, but often looked a shadow of the dangerous, versatile attacking midfielder seen in both Chesterfield's and Sheffield United's colours. In his wisdom, Lowe shoehorned him into a deeper role in a midfield two in the 3-4-1-2, which I didn't think he was really cut out for. With Danns for company, he has forged an effective partnership that occasionally borders on brilliance.
Moreover, he has rediscovered his scoring touch from a variety of situations: penalties, direct free kicks, and long shots in open play. He has won almost half of his duels in midfield, which when you consider tough tackling and aerial prowess are far from his top attributes, is nothing to be sniffed at. The assist he laid on for Maynard to complete the scoring against Cheltenham Town might rank as the best I've ever seen a Bury player make live – with a chipped through ball, he completely bamboozled the Robins defenders. It has to be watched to be fully appreciated. Deservedly won Player of the Month in November after heavily weighing in with both goals and assists.
What Next: He has belatedly gained the affections of supporters, having perhaps been a little unfairly lumped in with other under-performing, expensive signings under Lee Clark's insipid management. There are clamours for his deal to be extended, but that will probably at least partly depend on which division the club find themselves in for 2019/2020.
27. Gold Omotayo
Total Games / Total Minutes: 9 / 433
Goals Scored: 1
Goals Assisted: 0
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: Another who's on the trickier side to properly assess. The Nigerian-born Swiss target man popped up with the injury time winner on opening day to finally break nine man Yeovil Town's resistance, but has not since added to that tally for Bury. Acquired from Whitehawk in the summer, he has all the physical attributes to be a success, but not yet the close control to be an effective fulcrum of the team. His movement off the ball has demonstrated flashes of quality, and he performed reasonably during his loan spell at Maidstone United, a step above where he'd been successfully plying his trade last term.
What Next: Probably going to be restricted to bit-part appearances in the EFL Trophy whilst the coaching staff help him to work on the weaker aspects of his game. Another period in the National League with a patient manager could yield results for him, and I don't believe Bury fans should discount what he could potentially offer the side in the future just yet, especially if the playing budget is cut.
29. Callum Hulme
Total Games / Total Minutes: 3 / 91
Goals Scored: 0
Goals Assisted: 0
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: Given his first start against Leicester City U23s in the EFL Trophy, his rapport with Joe Adams was immediately apparent, as was his propensity to try some passes rarely attempted by more seasoned pros (in the best possible sense). One of these directly led to Bury's opener, splitting the young Foxes defence apart. Inevitably, he's not going to be regularly receiving gametime for the senior side at barely 18 and a playmaker to boot, but has had another fruitful year with the youth side, proving to be very dangerous from both open play and with his array of set pieces. Loves attempting shots from long range, and makes extensive use of his weaker foot.
What Next: Will hopefully follow in Joe Adams' footsteps and sign his first pro deal at the club. His talents are currently best used as the spearhead of a central midfield three, which is not a shape Lowe is likely to adopt whilst Mayor is at the club. That said, the competition for places could be about to get somewhat thinner for him – it's far from unlikely that Styles and Barjonas could be recalled by their parent clubs, and Dawson seeks pastures new. Definitely something (and someone) to keep an eye on.
31. Neil Danns
Total Games / Total Minutes: 25 / 2,091
Goals Scored: 2
Goals Assisted: 3
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: Completed one of the most remarkable turnarounds last season, being one of the few experienced pros to consistently appear to be putting 100% effort into every game. Under Lowe, he was rewarded for this with the captaincy and an extension on his deal, having pondered retirement earlier in 2017/2018. This season, he's been near ever-present, and his form has earned him more caps with Guyana. Notched an excellent brace away at Macclesfield Town, and his accurate passing and ability to offer an option in the right half-space during attacks has helped Bury get good numbers forward in most passages of play.
Nominally deeper than O'Shea, he's the more dynamic with his runs of the duo, and covers a lot of ground considering his advanced years. His lack of height can occasionally hinder his efforts to win second balls in midfield, but other than that, you have to look quite hard for any more negatives.
What Next: An integral part of the XI, he's bound to be sorely missed in March (when he's next scheduled to be on international duty), just as the season enters the home straight. You'd like to believe there's a plan in place for his absence already; at the time of writing, there are plenty of reasons to suggest the midfield contingent will be much slimmer by then. Should Bury gain promotion, he might decide to hang up his boots on a high, but the way he can still help to dictate the tempo of a match makes me seriously consider that he could just have one more campaign left in his legs.
32. Caolan Lavery
Total Games / Total Minutes: 7 / 250
Goals Scored: 4
Goals Assisted: 0
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: Almost completely forgotten about during his prolonged spell on the sidelines (such was the potency in front of goal from his teammates), the Sheffield United loanee arguably 'announced' his return in one of the worst ways imaginable by arguing with Telford as to who would take the spot kick in the EFL Trophy at Mansfield Town… and then seeing his effort saved. Since then though, he's added three goals in as many games; even if his brace in the 4-2 reverse against Oldham eventually counted for little, his efforts in the second half made some fans argue that he should be starting in place of Moore or Maynard. The winner over Tranmere Rovers demonstrated a cool head under pressure and no shortage of skill to fake a shot, creating the space for a low finish into the far corner.
What Next: Offers a little more physicality than most of the other strikers in the group. An xG of nearly 0.9, albeit from a limited sample size, lends credence to the belief that he can be yet another effective member of the squad in an attack-minded setup. There are bound to be further peaks and troughs in form amongst all five main centre forwards, and he looks to have all the ingredients to make his loan spell a success.
36. Nicky Maynard
Total Games / Total Minutes: 16 / 1,275
Goals Scored: 9
Goals Assisted: 4
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: Seemingly the latest in a line of one-time big star strikers that have found their feet at Bury after barren spells in front of goal; once upon a time, the opposite was often the case. Oxford United weren't quick enough to offer him a deal after his release by Aberdeen in the summer, and was drafted in by Lowe at the end of September. Understandably, it took a couple of games for him to get up to speed, but in Nicky Adams' own words, he then became the 'missing piece of the jigsaw'. An outstanding brace in an end-to-end encounter with Mansfield Town was massive – the first being an overhead kick, and the second being a remarkably cool finish in injury time to snatch a draw.
That initiated a scoring streak, and he was nominated for Player of the Month in October. Poor in the air by his own admission, almost every other aspect of his game demonstrates his class, from his first touch to his consistent knack of finding avenues to slip in teammates. His glaring miss against Cambridge United did prove costly in the end, but the main thing is that his services were secured until the end of the season around the same time as McFadzean's were. He is now a big cog in the machine.
What Next: Maintaining his fitness is imperative to any success Bury can achieve this campaign. His take and finish from O'Shea's dreamlike assist ranks as my goal of the season (if not ever), and to already be troubling the top end of the scorers' chart with far fewer minutes played than contemporaries at other sides battling for promotion. Even if he does falter, the lack of reliance on any one striker to produce the goods stands the club in good stead for the new year.
37. Dougie Nyaupembe
Total Games / Total Minutes: 1 / 90
Goals Scored: 0
Goals Assisted: 0
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: In a bit of limbo during his first year as a pro, the right wing-back has only had a solitary first team match thus far. McFadzean's dismissal on that game meant Lowe had to shuffle his pack, and he acquitted himself well by covering the left side.
What Next: The paciest of all the full/wing-back options at the club, but just like Cooney, his chances are going to continue to be severely limited in 2018/2019. A month loan at Hyde United only yielded one more match under his belt at senior level. Tactically, the style of play should suit someone with his attributes, but whether he's still in situ after June remains in the balance.
40. Aaron Brown
Total Games / Total Minutes: 1 / 22
Goals Scored: 0
Goals Assisted: 0
Most Common Position / Role & All Roles:
Assessment: Surprisingly given minutes in the EFL Trophy, the Northern Ireland U19 international has some fierce competition to contend with to gain any more during this campaign. Didn't look out-of-place during his brief cameo, but has not weighed in heavily with the goals at U18s level, which is one of the few things that Ryan Kidd's group don't have – an out-and-out potent striker.
What Next: Still in the first year of his scholarship, plenty of work is required to develop him into a player capable of cutting it with senior pros. By this time next year, we'll have a clearer picture of his future, and he'll have had more opportunities to improve physically, as well as a footballer.
Out on loan
17. Jordan Archer
The second of the two striker 'gambles' from non-league, he found goals desperately hard to come by with Maidenhead United in the fifth tier, but has had a much better time of it at struggling Southport back in the National League North, particularly in cup games. Just like Omotayo, it's difficult to foresee him featuring for Bury in 2018/2019. His loan agreement with the Soundgrounders comes to an end next month, but I'm sure Liam Watson will be keen to extend it to aid the Lancashire outfit in their fight to avoid the drop.
22. Chris Sang
Embarking on the third loan spell during his 18 months with the club, it's fair to say he's not had the best of times at either Southport last term or with Marine this, notching just once for both sides. The competition is far too stiff at home for him to feature, and although he signed from Wigan Athletic on Lowe's own recommendation on his release on the expiry of his scholarship, he has not progressed enough to be in the first team picture, despite being the only player on the roster to link midfield and attack without being a target man. With Altrincham for the short-term, I'd be amazed if he was still at Bury after the end of the season.
23. Joe Skarz
The sentiments above can be echoed with Skarz. Brought back for a second permanent spell at Gigg Lane last season, he badly lagged behind Greg Leigh for a left back berth even when fit, and his year-long loan with FC Halifax Town has been less than stellar. He has been utilised in three different positions with the Shaymen when named in the XI, including central midfield. Fans of the West Yorkshire outfit have told me that it appears as though his legs have gone, which is a sad state of affairs at just 29, and points more to a career recently beset with sustained periods watching on from the stands.
24. Tom Aldred
Certainly has a niche at the heart of Motherwell's defence, even though the SPFL find themselves in a disappointing position. A favourite of their fans and one of the first names on Steve Robinson's teamsheet, which only makes his disappointing displays in white and royal blue during 2017/2018 all the more puzzling. I could envisage a deal being arranged to make his switch north of the border permanent next month, such is the appetite with all three parties (including the player) to see it happen sooner rather than later.
33. Harry Bunn
Actually featured twice from the bench in the famous white and royal blue, the inside forward has since been an important part of Chris Powell's Southend United in the tier above, even if the campaign has been an odd one for both the club and him. Playing off Simon Cox or cutting in from the left flank, he has made a decent fist of things, scoring three times for the Shrimpers and being a good option to call upon when fit. Depressingly, he still has 18 months left on his Bury deal, and the investment in him has not had the desired results. Another deal could be brokered to cut that short, with his salary almost certainly in the top bracket at the club.
Yet to Feature
28. Saul Shotton
Another U18s centre back that has had to contend with a lengthy spell on the sidelines this term. Judging from his numerous first team appearances during 2017/2018's shambles, the main deficiencies in his game are aspects that can be worked on during training. Closest in style to O'Connell, he has the passing range of a centre-back that is becoming increasingly important from a tactical point of view. Comfortably fifth choice at present, don't be surprised to see him feature during the run-in when injuries and suspensions are likely to bite.
35. Scott Burgess
What has happened here? A vital cog out on loan during Macclesfield Town's unexpected National League title win, he was left out in the cold twice in quick succession – firstly, Lowe cast doubt on his readiness to feature during pre-season, and secondly, he was largely overlooked by then-Wrexham boss Sam Ricketts – so much so, his agreement was cut short. With his deal up at the end of June, another spell away from Gigg Lane is surely on the cards, with the stakes being raised to a fight to secure his professional future somewhere in England.
38. Sam Allardyce
In his second year with the U18s, the grandson of his more famous namesake is well thought of at the club, and is now an important part of a centre back trio alongside Bobby Copping and Shotton, a shift made to speed up the squad's transition into the first team picture. He'll have to contend with a bevy of others to be offered pro terms, which could hinge on how much new owner Steve Dale values the academy, just as much as it does on his own ability.
39. Aaron Skinner
A dynamic full back that can operate on either side, he has proven himself to be a capable member of the FA Youth Cup run to date, and possesses a good rapport with Femi Seriki and Oliver Patrick down the right most notably. Could be slightly hamstrung by the litany of others with his role ahead of him, but still has another season and a half left to continue enhancing his reputation.
41. Cameron Hill
A deep-lying playmaker, he was badly missed by the U18s during the four months he was out injured because of his versatility in midfield. Whilst normally playing behind the other two in the centre of the park, he's effective at attacking the second ball from corners outside the area, as well as being accurate from his long-range shots. Could yet be pushed back to prominence if the numbers are thinned out in the first team, as none of them are a natural fit to sit in front of the defence.
42. Femi Seriki
I remember hearing his name three years ago within the walls of the club… and he's only 15 now. Principally operating on the right side of a front three for the U18s, he has amassed five goals and seven assists during the course of the current campaign, and made the bench in the EFL Trophy at Fleetwood Town. Lends good support to Brown or Cedric Ondoa up top, often positioning himself fairly narrowly to accommodate the runs of Skinner or Edward Jones. Capable in the air, quick on the dribble, and skillful on the turn, his best attribute is finding space in the area, which goes some way to conveying why he's held in such high esteem.
43. Scott Moloney
Shipped out to Skelmersdale United to gain valuable experience in a first team environment (if not the minutes), he remains a long way off troubling Murphy or Hudson. Has had to battle Mark Edwards-Williams for the U18s, and neither have been convincing. This is illustrated by the fact that the academy held open trials for all of the age groups (including theirs) only last week. Both are in the last few months of their scholarships, and I'd be surprised if either will be offered terms based on the evidence I've seen.


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A distinctive violin by the American maker, Herman Macklett. Two-piece maple back with well-defined medium width grain, descending from the center joint. The top is of medium width straight grained spruce. Deep red varnish over a golden ground, with dramatic contrast due to constant use over the years, exposing layers. The violin is in a fine state of repair and preservation.
Herman Macklett, an upholsterer and amateur violinmaker, was born in Germany, immigrating to the United States and settling in Chicago. There, he met and married Elizabeth Kahlert, whose brother also made violins. Together they opened their shop in downtown Chicago, making instruments and rehairing bows between the 1860s and 1880s. Their shop was destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, but they were fortunately able to save their best violins. It is thought that Hermann Macklett made around 150 violins.


text:
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It's Time We Had a Word About Overdone HDR Photography… [Opinion]
HDR stands for High Dynamic Range, and in photographic terms generally produces an image with even highlights, midtones and shadows so the entire scene is balanced, and evenly exposed. Recently I've not been seeing much of this when it comes to HDR on the web. I'm talking about overdone, blown-out seizure-inducing "photographs" where each and every slider has been cranked up to 11. What happened? Did the novelty wear off or am I just a miserable sod?
It's time for a step back. Let's all reflect upon HDR, its overuse and what else is necessary to take a good photograph 12 Ideas On How To Take Better Photographs Here are some ideas for those of you who haven't got out with your camera in a while and made some photographs. Read More or become an accomplished photographer.
These two examples were both intentionally created to be bad but perfectly capture the essence of overdone HDR:
1. Learn How To Use Your Camera
So you've bought/inherited/won/found a decent camera. It's a digital SLR, it shoots RAW, has changeable lenses and a lot of modes and settings to play with. Before googling the sweetest "how to HDR the crap out of your back yard" tutorial, it's worth taking the time to master your camera.
Photography is an extremely accessible hobby these days, but also one that requires a bit of technical knowledge. This shouldn't put newbies off. Basic concepts that will vastly improve understanding of photography and how your camera works include aperture, shutter speeds, ISO settings, your camera's primary modes, metering and white balance (amongst others).
It might take you a week to get the basics right but months of practice are generally required before you're at ease with every function. Don't fret, it's a rewarding process with results you can admire as your technique improves.
Download: MakeUseOf Guide – Essential Guide To Digital Photography A Beginner's Guide To Digital Photography Digital photography is a great hobby, but it can be intimidating, too. This beginner's guide will tell you everything you need to know to get started! Read More
Read: How To Read Your Camera's Histogram And Take Perfectly Balanced Images How To Read Your Camera's Histogram And Take Perfectly Balanced Images Read More
2. Composition & Subject
Unfortunately, simply squeezing the shutter and firing off 3 bracketed shots is not enough to create an interesting image. What I'm saying here is Photomatix or Photoshop will not produce a particularly interesting photograph.
Composition is one of the most important considerations to make before taking a photograph. Sure, you can spruce up a dull photo in post but if the photo is dull in the first place it is likely that no amount of burning, dodging, masking or tonemapping will save it.
Learn about the rule of thirds. Hit up Amazon or head down to a good bookshop and pick up relevant guides on photography, other photographers work and do your research. When looking at a striking image ask yourself what it is about the image that makes it so powerful? For the most part subject and composition have far more value than darkroom or Photoshop tweaks.
Links: Digital Photography School – Composition Tips
3. Critique Or "You're Doing It Wrong"
Flickr doesn't count. Sorry, but I've seen plenty of badly overdone HDR shots on Flickr awarded all manner of dancing animated .GIF "Ur photo rox" awards – and it's really not helping anyone. Getting proper critique will improve your technique as you learn from your mistakes. Flickr is not the way to go.
Message boards are usually the answer. There are a huge amount of dedicated photo communities out there that encourage proper criticism. I can't help but feel endless lists of "this is amazing!" comments on uninteresting and gaudy tonemapped images are only fuelling the fire. Add to the fact that Flickr allows the deletion of comments….
Links: Photography Review – The Power of Photo Critique, Jim M. Goldstein – Top 10 Most Annoying Photography Critique Comments
4. Photoshop
All modern digital SLRs shoot RAW, which is an uncompressed image format that allows for some serious processing in Photoshop or other image editors. RAW files allow values such as white balance and exposure to be modified in order to save or enhance a photo. Learning how to tidy up non-HDR photos before diving into tonemapped HDRs bodes well.
There are also alternatives to HDR in some occasions, and it's probably worth learning about those too. Masking and precise adjustments require more work than selecting 3 files and moving some sliders about, but generally produce more natural and refined images. Check out our Photoshop articles and guides for some great advice.
Download: MakeUseOf Guide – An Idiot's Guide To Photoshop [Part 1] [Part 2 Learn Photo Editing in Photoshop: Get the Basics Down in 1 Hour Photoshop is an intimidating program—but with just one hour, you can learn all of the basics. Grab a photo you want to edit, and let's get started! Read More ]
Read: How To Edit RAW Photos In Adobe Camera RAW How To Edit RAW Photos in Adobe Camera Raw Read More , 4 Great Tools For Editing RAW Photos In Linux 4 Great Tools for Editing RAW Photos in Linux These days most digital SLR cameras include the ability to shoot in RAW, an uncompressed image format that gives you great control over a number of photographic variables. This can vary from the basics like... Read More
5. Using HDR Appropriately
I'm not saying all HDR is bad, and there is a time and a place for it. Graduated neutral density filters are great for exposing perfect skies for stunning landscapes, but unless your horizon is fairly straight you've got an issue. In these instances, sure – why not?
Try to resist the urge to jack everything up to 11. Consider your shot first. People generally look a bit alien in HDR, and if there are halos (glowing edges where exposures have been blended) appearing on the image then chances are you went a bit too far.
The best HDR shots I've seen were not obvious tonemapped images, and thus didn't scream "HDR w00t!" upon first glance. Just saying…
HDR is a technique designed to create balanced, evenly exposed images. Unfortunately it's been done to death, and much of the time is painful to look at. Of course this is my opinion, and we'd love to hear what you've got to say in the comments.
What do you think? Awesome neat-o technique or done to death? Do you use HDR?
Image Credits: densaer, Focal Intent, D700 + 24mm f1.4G by Fried Toast, The Rule of Thirds by fd, Rainbow Fuji (natural HDR) by Starfires
Affiliate Disclosure: By buying the products we recommend, you help keep the site alive. Read more.


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By Paul Krugman
The New York Times
Monday 24 September 2007
Last Thursday there was a huge march in Jena, La., to protest the harsh and unequal treatment of six black students arrested in the beating of a white classmate. Students who hung nooses to warn blacks not to sit under a "white" tree were suspended for three days; on the other hand, the students accused in the beating were initially charged with second-degree attempted murder.
And one of the Jena Six remains in jail, even though appeals courts have voided his conviction on the grounds that he was improperly tried as an adult.
Many press accounts of the march have a tone of amazement. Scenes like those in Jena, the stories seemed to imply, belonged in the 1960s, not the 21st century. The headline on the New York Times report, "Protest in Louisiana Case Echoes the Civil Rights Era," was fairly typical.
But the reality is that things haven't changed nearly as much as people think. Racial tension, especially in the South, has never gone away, and has never stopped being important. And race remains one of the defining factors in modern American politics.
Consider voting in last year's Congressional elections. Republicans, as President Bush conceded, received a "thumping," with almost every major demographic group turning against them. The one big exception was Southern whites, 62 percent of whom voted Republican in House races.
And yes, Southern white exceptionalism is about race, much more than it is about moral values, religion, support for the military or other explanations sometimes offered. There's a large statistical literature on the subject, whose conclusion is summed up by the political scientist Thomas F. Schaller in his book "Whistling Past Dixie": "Despite the best efforts of Republican spinmeisters to depict American conservatism as a nonracial phenomenon, the partisan impact of racial attitudes in the South is stronger today than in the past."
Republican politicians, who understand quite well that the G.O.P.'s national success since the 1970s owes everything to the partisan switch of Southern whites, have tacitly acknowledged this reality. Since the days of Gerald Ford, just about every Republican presidential campaign has included some symbolic gesture of approval for good old-fashioned racism.
Thus Ronald Reagan, who began his political career by campaigning against California's Fair Housing Act, started his 1980 campaign with a speech supporting states' rights delivered just outside Philadelphia, Miss., where three civil rights workers were murdered. In 2000, Mr. Bush made a pilgrimage to Bob Jones University, famed at the time for its ban on interracial dating.
And all four leading Republican candidates for the 2008 nomination have turned down an invitation to a debate on minority issues scheduled to air on PBS this week.
Yet if the marchers at Jena reminded us that America still hasn't fully purged itself of the poisonous legacy of slavery, it would be wrong to suggest that the nation has made no progress. Racism, though not gone, is greatly diminished: both opinion polls and daily experience suggest that we are truly becoming a more tolerant, open society.
And the cynicism of the "Southern strategy" introduced by Richard Nixon, which delivered decades of political victories to Republicans, is now starting to look like a trap for the G.O.P.
One of the truly remarkable things about the contest for the Republican nomination is the way the contenders have snubbed not just blacks - who, given the G.O.P.'s modern history, probably won't vote for a Republican in significant numbers no matter what - but Hispanics. In July, all the major contenders refused invitations to address the National Council of La Raza, which Mr. Bush addressed in 2000. Univision, the Spanish-language TV network, had to cancel a debate scheduled for Sept. 16 because only John McCain was willing to come.
If this sounds like a good way to ensure defeat in future elections, that's because it is: Hispanics are a rapidly growing force in the electorate.
But to get the Republican nomination, a candidate must appeal to the base - and the base consists, in large part, of Southern whites who carry over to immigrants the same racial attitudes that brought them into the Republican fold to begin with. As a result, you have the spectacle of Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, pragmatists on immigration issues when they actually had to govern in diverse states, trying to reinvent themselves as defenders of Fortress America.
And both Hispanics and Asians, another growing force in the electorate, are getting the message. Last year they voted overwhelmingly Democratic, by 69 percent and 62 percent respectively.
In other words, it looks as if the Republican Party is about to start paying a price for its history of exploiting racial antagonism. If that happens, it will be deeply ironic. But it will also be poetic justice.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Politics in Black and White
By Paul Krugman
Posted by Leslie A at 1:48 PM
Labels: Bush Administration, Elections, ethics, Politicians, politics, Social Injustice
2 comments:
- aboooooodbus said...
Funny Video Today
This is my 2nd football video
Cousin Sal from Jimmy Kimmel Live does a Hidden Camera Prank to a locksmith and several singing telgrams
a crazy cow
It is so funny Hidden Camera
George Bush Is Funny
bush breaks some wind
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- June 3, 2009 at 11:50 AM
Good Blog, Thanks
egold claick
- October 4, 2009 at 9:26 AM


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Exploring further afield
One of the major reasons we chose our little housing estate over the many others in the area was that it's surrounded on three sides by state-owned parkland. There are some pockets of undisturbed bush along the river, but most of the open space is reclaimed farmland. Parks Victoria have been working for years to turn the land into useable public space amongst quite large conservation areas.
On the weekend I discovered that the fenced-off conservation area that forms the largest part of the parkland has been opened for public access. Bike Boy now tells me it's been open for ages - I knew he goes mountain biking in there, but I just thought he was sneaking in....
So I went for a good old ramble and discovered a big lake, with at least six pairs of swans and a pair of cormorants, as well as the usual coots, mallards and other water fowl:
This is actually a disused quarry pit, but doesn't strike me as commercial-sized. The original property owner would most likely have been quarrying either bluestone or clay for bricks. I'm guessing bluestone for farm buildings.
I thought I'd walk around the lake, but it's pretty big and the terrain is hard going, so I ended up only going about a quarter of the way around. Another time...
The low-lying areas are natural wetlands and an extensive tree-planting program plus the addition of nesting boxes have turned these swampy areas into ideal breeding grounds for the birds.
....but those clouds look threatening.
I beat the rain home, but only just. The bonus was spotting the park's pair of resident wedgetail eagles soaring overhead as I headed back.
Next time I'll take my camera - I noticed the battery was flat a few days earlier but stupidly forgot to charge it, so the phone had to suffice for these pics. Maybe I can even catch a shot of the eagles with my telezoom, who knows?


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Here you'll find sermons, talks, and lectures that I have given around the Episcopal Diocese of Texas and other dioceses around the country. You can learn more about my weekly Bible Study here and my Amplified Church project here.
Thanks for taking a listen!
--C. Andrew Doyle, IX Bishop of Texas
May 2, 2013
Bringing some thoughts together on the future of the church and
what will be needed. With Shout outs to Bob Johansen, Brene
Brown, and Simon Sinek. See if you can spot the references.
A blog devoted to the podcasting of sermons by the Rt. Rev. C. Andrew Doyle, IX Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas. Blog is found at texasbishop.blogspot.com or you can connect through www.epicenter.org
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But when the buzz from those weekend events faded Monday, we awakened to a sport beset by more troubling issues than ever, a national past-its-time that continues as steady a decline as a dial-up server in a 4G world.
See how hip I am? 4g! No 3g for me daddio, LOL. I'm hifi with wifi, 23 skiddoo!
Now, what are these issues that are more troubling than rampant steroid use or throwing World Series?
Not until Saturday night did I even know the regular season had started -- what with Duke vs. Butler, the Tiger Woods debacle, Phil Loves Amy, the beginning of the NBA and NHL playoffs and this week's primetime debut of the NFL Draft.
There's this thing called opening day. All of the sports reporters in the world attend it. All of the radio personalities do remote broadcasts from it. All local media covers it to death. It was on April 5th. Maybe since you cover sports for a living you pay a little more attention. I here they even mentioned it on 4g.
I swear, it could be weeks before the masses pay much attention to baseball, as evidenced by stunning sections of empty seats in one-time hotbeds with formerly packed parks -- Baltimore, Cleveland, Toronto -- and equally shocking apathy at Citi Field, the second-year home of New York's non-championship team.
This is a good time to mention that baseball-reference.com is an amazing free resource and that everyone involved with it does a fantastic job. Why, you can even see attendance figures! In fact, you can look at the sum total of all 193 games played so far as compared to last year and learn that across baseball the average game has had 334 fewer people than it did last year. Considering the economy, weather in certain areas, and a bunch of other variable, that doesn't seem too bad to me.
And perhaps Camden Yards is empty because the Orioles are a hopeless franchise that recently told Cal Ripken to screw off. And perhaps Toronto is empty because they gave away their best pitcher and are in rebuilding mode, and everyone knows it. And perhaps people in Cleveland are currently more concerned with Lebron and Co. And perhaps Mets fans are disgusted by incompetent management and a last place start.
The first weekend of Fox's game coverage was down 16 percent from last year's ratings and down 27 percent from 2008. If not for the usual high demand in stadiums where the home team either is adored (Yankee Stadium, Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, Dodger Stadium, Citizens Bank Park) or breaking in a new crib (Target Field in Minnesota), baseball would be a niche attraction. Face it, your grandfather's sport and your father's sport is not your sport.
This is admittedly disconcerting, but it is also a problem for television in general. MLB has an excellent online presence and many diehards watch and listen online.
Now let's talk about some other teams besides these "adored home teams" and "new stadia". Attendance in Atlanta is up over 7000 people per game so far. It's up almost 4,000 per game in Cincinnati. For some reason it's up almost 3,000 per game in Kansas City. Milwaukee has also drawn almost 3,000 more people per game than last season. Pittsburgh, Washington, and St. Louis are both up 1500 per game. Finally, the Texas Rangers are drawing 6,000 more people per game than in 2009. I wonder why Jay didn't mention this. It's almost as if he's done no research at all.
"It's definitely different. I was here in the glory years, or whatever you want to call it, when it was packed every night. It's kind of a shame to see it the way it is now," mourned Blue Jays manager Cito Gaston, who now sees crowds of four figures at Rogers Centre in hockey-mad Toronto.
For the game to resonate in the future, the fuddy-duddies in charge must recognize the importance of making the product faster, younger, sexier and more streamlined.
You see, the Blue Jays aren't sexy enough. Maybe a name change is in order. Mounties, maybe? That's a sexy name. Perhaps they should just replace all the players with supermodels. Anyway, I'm sure their struggles have nothing to do with the fact that they're in a rebuilding year in a division with the Yankees, Red Sox, and Rays.
They simply don't do stirrup socks well. That must be it.
"I didn't hear anything -- just quiet," Orioles third baseman Miguel Tejada told reporters last week in Baltimore after a game attended by an announced 9,129 fans, the smallest crowd in Camden Yards history. "It's weird, because it's the big leagues, a major league game. I thought people would like to see it and see good players."
They probably would like to see good players, which is why they are avoiding Camden Yards. The Orioles are 2-12 and have been outscored by 30 runs. They've been this way for over a decade now. They are basically the Pittsburgh Pirates of the AL East. Oh, and recently when Oriole legend Cal Ripken expressed interest in joining the front office, the front office said this:
"According to his report, Angelos squashed the idea because he didn't want Ripken getting too much credit when the team started winning again."
I can't imagine why no one is going to Oriole games.
A dozen years ago, fans loved to see good players and returned to baseball in droves, wooed by the almighty home run. It turned out to be a fraudulent period, of course, and there's little doubt the Steroids Era turned off millions. Why waste money in a recession on a game that bilked and backstabbed the masses?
First of all, while the steroid era is a black mark, it did not boost baseball to new heights of popularity. It merely brought people back to pre-strike levels. Remember the strike, Jay? Have you been paying attention to the NFL and NBA labor negotiations? You might want to do that before you declare baseball dead. Just saying.
It's a good thing much of the season is played in the summer sun with beer taps aflow in fan-friendly destinations, or baseball could be on a death watch.
It's a good thing they play basketball in big urban arenas and not in poorly lit mold encrusted warehouses, otherwise the game would be on a death watch.
For the game to resonate in the future, the fuddy-duddies in charge must recognize the importance of making the product faster, younger, sexier and more streamlined. Football, more popular than ever, doesn't have those problems. Basketball, now the No. 2 sport nationally, doesn't have those problems. Even hockey is on an upswing in this country.
Maybe basketball is the #2 sport nationally. I don't know how you compare between different season lengths and different seasons and weather, and different TV deals. I grant that it's possible. And if basketball has cut into baseball, it's probably because the NBA is in one of their most star-heavy eras of all time with Kobe and Lebron and Wade and Melo and Durant and Nash and Bosh and Nowitski and a bunch of other guys who I don't really follow.
But basketball has a bunch of problems too. At least one of their former refs fixed games, and claims that this practice is widespread. And even casual fans hate NBA officiating. A bunch of small market teams hemorrhaged cash this year. Seattle actually lost their team. And most importantly, there is labor strife on the horizon. Let's not whitewash the other sports if we're going to pick on baseball.
Baseball is in a crisis period.
Long games! This is terrible. They're…long. They take long. They're longier than ever. Longerer.
And until someone other than Bud Selig (who turns 76 in July) is commissioner and influential owners like Jerry Reinsdorf (who turned 74 in February) aren't telling him what to do, I'm afraid the game has no chance to turn a corner into the 21st Century.
It wouldn't be Jay Mariotti if he didn't get in a dig at a Chicago team. Is Jerry Reinsford influential? Why would the White Sox owner be influential? I mean, I live in Chicago so I hear about him a lot, but he's not even the most influential owner here. Also his team recently won a World Series. Just sayin'.
And individual teams do far more in terms of marketing the game than the league office.
Selling the Great American Home Run as a video-game offshoot no longer can work. Nor are the powers-that-be investing their time in the right places when they pull stunts such as banning the hoodie of a rare character, Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon, because the pullover sweatshirt he wore last weekend in cold, rainy Boston wasn't OK'd by the league.
Managers wearing uniforms is stupid, but no one cares about Joe Maddon's hoodie. I doubt that this is distracting people from turning around baseball. Really.
"I have no idea why this is happening. For me, it's just a comfortable thing. I've always worn hoodies," Maddon said. "Go back to your collegiate days. I did a lot of football -- I don't know if they think it looks too football-ish. I have no idea. All I know is that it's a comfortable piece of clothing; I think it's attractive. If you're looking for younger fans, I think those are the people that really are attracted to something like that, too. Listen, I will state my case because I think I can, but I will follow the rules, too."
Young fans will not be drawn in by Joe Maddon's hoodie. Moreover, the NFL are absolute Nazis about this type of thing. They didn't even let Peyton Manning wear Johnny Unitas's shoes as a tribute to Unitas. They're complete assholes. And they seem to have plenty of time to market their sport.
Keep wearing the hoodie, Joe. Let them come and tear it off you. It'll be the most fun we've seen in baseball this month.
There was a no-hitter, and the Brewers blew like 37 games in the 8th inning and there are a bunch of good rookies in the league and on opening day Mark Buehrle made this awesome between-the-legs play. But no, you're right. Joe Maddon's hoodie. Awesome. Maybe the NFL owes all of its success to Bill Belichik's hoodie.
Meanwhile, too many games still run much too long. That's why I applauded Joe West, the veteran umpire, when he trashed the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox for turning what should be baseball's best ongoing attraction into unwatchable TV. While Selig and the boys have made a conscious effort to quicken the pace -- the average length last season was a tolerable 2 hours and 55 minutes -- the two behemoths insist on dragging the game into a fourth hour and often a fifth. Last year, their games averaged 3:40, with 11 of the 18 games exceeding 3:20, one nine-inning game going 4:21 and only one completed in less than three hours. In two of their first three games this year, they played in 3:46 and 3:48. For a decade, the Yankees and Red Sox have been right at the top each season in longest games played. Nothing has changed. And nothing will change.
This is because the Yankees and Red Sox do not create outs as frequently as most teams, because they are good at baseball.
"They're the two clubs that don't try to pick up the pace," West said. "They're two of the best teams in baseball. Why are they playing the slowest? It's pathetic and embarrassing. They take too long to play.
I would argue that they are "slow" because they are good. And by the way, measuring "slowness" by the length of a game seems stupid to me. If they combine for like 30 hits and the game goes 4 hours, that's not necessarily slow. Those hits take time, after all. I'd like to see batters/minute. Does anyone have that stat?
"The commissioner of baseball says he wants the pace picked up. We try. All of baseball looks to these two clubs to pick up the pace. The players aren't working with us. This is embarrassing, a disgrace to baseball."
Disgraces these days sure aren't what they used to be.
The players say the intensity of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry demands that a pitcher wait longer to calculate his pitch, or that a hitter step out of the box as part of his strategy. Naturally, rather than acknowledge that West might be right about dragging games into a molasses pace, some ripped him. "To call the Yankees and Red Sox, two of the best teams in baseball, 'pathetic' and 'embarrassing,' that's just ridiculous," Red Sox star Dustin Pedroia said. "If he doesn't want to do Red Sox and Yankees games, he should tell the umpires' union. Then when we're in the World Series, he'll be out of that assignment, too. ... What he doesn't understand is that when we don't do well in these games against the Yankees, we get killed [by fans and media]. So if I'm going to take a deep breath and focus before I get in the box, I'm going to do it. There are a lot of good hitters on both teams, a lot of pitches thrown. That's just the way these games are played."
Seems like a reasonable answer.
"It's incredible. If he has places to go, let him do something else," the normally non-controversial Mariano Rivera, legendary Yankees reliever, told the New York Post. "What does he want us to do, swing at balls? He has a job to do. He should do his job. We don't want to play four-hour games, but that's what it takes. We respect and love the fans and do what we have to do and that's play our game."
Then there was Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon, maybe the guiltiest party as a serial dawdler. "It is what it is, man," he said. "Can't please everybody. There's a life lesson for you."
Once again, a fine explanation.
Naturally, Selig toes the line, refusing to order the sport's two most powerful teams to quicken their act. "It isn't the time of the game, it's the pace of the game," he said.
Exactly! Entertaining games can go on for hours and hours. You want to avoid a 1-0 3.5 hour game, sure, but I'm not sure that's what we're talking about.
The best executive order would be to make umpires consistently enforce the pitch/hit count that already is in place -- if a pitcher or hitter violates the rules, he is penalized with a ball or strike. Alas, Selig doesn't have the gumption to enforce that solution, either.
And forget about the grandest idea of all: shortening the regular season to 140 games. That's 22 games in lost revenue per team. The owners are in it for greed, remember, not to satisfy the paying customers.
How on earth would eliminating games help? As if shortening the season is the same as shortening games? What would the point be? If you like baseball, why would you want less of it?
The fast start of the Yankees suggests a repeat championship in the Bronx, not a healthy happening for those -- namely, Selig -- who think the game has competitive balance. The Steinbrenners are subsidizing too many teams as it is in a revenue-sharing climate, and when the Yankees keep winning titles in spite of it, it almost causes a plantation effect that doesn't inspire hope in the vast majority of cities. The Yankees, at $206 million, again have the top payroll. The Red Sox, at $162 million, are second. No one else is close. Heck, the collective salary of the Yankees' infield -- Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira and Robinson Cano -- is $85.2 million, slightly more than the median payroll. Rodriguez alone will make almost as much, $33 million, than the 25-man payroll of the Pittsburgh Pirates. "I get it that the Yankees are good for baseball," Mark Attanasio, owner of the Milwaukee Brewers, told USA Today. "And they've done a great job getting new revenues with their ballpark. But we have to make sure the playing field is level, and it's not. The gap is getting bigger and bigger. How would you like to be Tampa Bay and have New York and Boston in your division? How do you compete with that?
Here's a neat paper that suggests that baseball is the most competitive sport:
In summary, we propose a single quantity, q, the frequency of upsets, as an index for quantifying the predictability, and hence the competitiveness of sports games. We demonstrated the utility of this measure via a comparative analysis that shows that soccer (FA) and baseball (MLB) are the most competitive sports. Trends in this measure may reflect the gradual evolution of the teams in response to competitive pressure [7], as well as changes in game strategy or rules [8].
Most people think that because they have a salary cap, the NFL is more competitive than baseball. That thinking is backward. MLB has been the more competitive sport for the entire salary cap era.
"We're struggling to sign [Prince] Fielder, and the Yankees infield is making more than our team."
The Yankees weren't amused. "I'm sorry that my friend Mark continues to whine about his running the Brewers," Yankees executive Randy Levine told ESPN.com. "We play by all the rules and there doesn't seem to be any complaints when teams such as the Brewers receive hundreds of millions of dollars that they get from us in revenue sharing the last few years. Take some of that money that you get from us and use that to sign your players. The question that should be asked is: Where have the hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue sharing gone?"
For the Brewers, it's gone back into the team. Sometimes unwisely, but generally, back into the team. And the fans have rewarded ownership by showing up in droves.
And when we aren't lamenting lopsided economics, slow games, nose-diving attendance and low TV ratings, there is the issue of race. The best young, black athletes aren't playing baseball anymore, which makes Jackie Robinson Day a bittersweet experience and leads some African-American players to publicly ask if franchises are participating in racism by not signing black players in the twilight of their careers, such as Jermaine Dye and Gary Sheffield. The most important player for the sport's future, it can be argued, is Jason Heyward (right), the Atlanta Braves rookie slugger who looks like the next great player and has embraced trying to promote baseball in the inner city.
Really? Ugh. Not true. Read. Here. Once again, Jay undercuts his own point with Heyward, a player who is actually attempting to sell baseball to the inner city.
Yet, for as dynamic as Heyward is, does America know anything about him? Baseball has no marketing arm, either.
I do. But he's a rookie. If he's as good as I think he is, everyone will know him soon enough.
The game's biggest name continues to be Rodriguez, he of the steroids scandal and irritating persona.
A-Rod isn't even the biggest name on his own team. Ever hear of a guy named Jeter?
So every time I hear about a no-hitter or a spectacular game, it's only a temporary salve for the monumental problems that ail baseball. The season will plod along, ebb and flow as always into October, but by then, the only people who will care are fans of the teams still playing. Be sure one will be the Yankees, and that their games will extend close to four hours and well past midnight.
But, hey, at least Joe Maddon isn't allowed to wear that darned hoodie anymore.
By adding the wild card (Bud Selig) more fanbases follow the sport for a longer period of time than ever before. If you don't like Yankee games going on forever, may I suggest a different team? There are 29 of them. And you can watch all of them on TV and on your 4g internet connection, and if one is boring you, you can flip to another! It's very 21st century. For some reason football hasn't caught on yet. You can only see their games through a cable monopoly that many people can't even get. Baseball has MLB.com and an Iphone/Ipad app, and the MLB package, and a deal with Roku…


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Ten days ago, Tim pulled me aside. "Jeff, there's the keyboard from Room 2," he said pointing at the trash. "When I pressed the 'z' key, I had to hit it three times for it to respond. I wanted to tell you first because I know it affects some of the experiments."
"Thanks, we'll deal with it," I said as that sinking feeling set in. The questions immediately came to mind. How long has this keyboard been bad? What data are compromised? What can we do to catch this sooner? Are our systems working? What the hell are we doing?
"Thanks, we'll deal with it," I said as that sinking feeling set in. The questions immediately came to mind. How long has this keyboard been bad? What data are compromised? What can we do to catch this sooner? Are our systems working? What the hell are we doing?
About five-years ago I had the good fortune of being on a nursing PhD committee. The candidate was applying the theory of highly-reliable organizations to the nursing setting in hopes of improving patient safety. As I read the characteristics of highly-reliable organizations in the thesis, I started making comparisons to my lab. We made mistakes in the lab, and although none had bitten us in the ass, perhaps we were more fortunate than good. And I knew my way of dealing with mistakes, asking people to be more careful, wasn't that effective. But the described characteristics of highly reliable organizations seemed abstract and not immediately translatable. They were for large-scale organizations like hospitals and air-traffic control, and they were for dangerous environments where people could die. My lab is small. Not only have we never injured anyone, it seems highly unlikely that we ever will.
But mistakes and other adverse events not only cost us time, they affect the trust other people may place in our data and analyses. We need to keep them at a minimum and understand them when they occur. So I began adapting the characteristics of highly reliable organizations for my lab. Making changes does take time and effort, but I suspect the rewards are well worth it.
Here are the characteristics of highly reliable organizations (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_reliability_organization) and our evolving implementations:
- Sensitivity to Operations. Sensitivity to operations in the context of a lab means enhanced attention to the processes by which data (and interpretations) are produced. We implemented the characteristic by (a) Defining a clear audit trail of lab activities via a MySQL relational database. This database has tabs for IRBs, experiments, experimenters, participants, and runs. (b) Automating many tasks so that smooth operation is less reliant on human meticulous. (c) Codifying a uniformity among different experiments and experimenters so that more people have a greater understanding of more elements of the operations.
- Preoccupation with Failure. My goal is to anticipate some of the mistakes that can be made and think of ways to prevent them. For me this has been achieved primarily in two ways: First, I am structuring the lab so computers do more and people do less. Examples include writing scripts that all experiments use to name files, add metadata, log demographics, populate the MySQL databases, and upload data to repositories. These steps have increased the accessibility and quality of the data and metadata we collect. It's still evolving. Second, we discuss near-miss mistakes a lot. Near-miss mistakes are things that didn't quite go right even though they had no effect on the integrity of the lab. Near-miss mistakes if not identified could be an experiment-ruining mistake next time around.
- Resilience. It is hard to define a resilient lab. For us, it means that we accept that mistakes will happen and we put in place procedures to deal with them and, hopefully, learn from them. We have an adverse-events tab in our MySQL database. All issues are logged as an adverse event without blame or shame. What's the problem? What's the short term solution? What are the long-term solutions and needed policy changes? Adverse events are discussed at lab meetings, perhaps repeatedly, until we can get some resolution.
- Reluctance to simplify interpretations. The simple interpretation of mistakes in my lab is that people occasionally make mistakes and hardware occasionally fails. We should be more careful where we can and live with the rest. We, however, are reluctant to take this stance. Mistakes are a failure (by the PI) to anticipate a certain constellation of conditions, and we should try to identify that constellation as we can envision and adapt where necessary.
- Deference to Expertise. All lab members have some expertise in data collection. Perhaps the most qualified experts are the graduate students and post-docs. They write the code, organize the undergraduates, and analyze the data. The undergrads are on the front lines. They are setting up the machines, briefing, debriefing, and interacting with the participants. I bring a long-run view. Together, with deference to appropriate expertise, we figure out solutions.
So, with last weeks' s keyboard failure, we can see some of these principles in action. I logged an adverse event, and typed up the problem. I asked Tim how and why he discovered it (he was changing an experiment in Room 2). We brought it up at the next lab meeting and divided our discussion into immediate concerns and log-term solutions as follows:
The immediate concerns were about the integrity of the data in a few experiments that use the "z" key. We had a record of which participants were run on these experiments. We also have a record of which room and computer they were run in. It is automatically logged. I had previously set up an environmental variable for each machine and in the start up scripts, this variable is read and outputted to the database along with other session variables. Therefore we know exactly which data is at risk, about 10\% of participants. Moreover, the bad "z" key was used for catch trials. The response times weren't analyzed so it is feasible that the failure is inconsequential to the integrity of the experiments. A bit of good luck here.
The long-term solutions were harder. Hardware will fail. Yet, the single-sticky-key keyboard failure is pretty rare in that it is so hard to detect. The two most common hardware failures are hard-drive and mother-board failures which are immediately detectable. We may go another decade without seeing a hard-to-detect hardware failure. So, with this in mind, we considered a few options. One option we consider was doing nothing. After all, the failure is rare and we were able to mitigate the damage. Another option we could do is make some hardware assurance protocol that could be run weekly. Yet, the idea of spending much time on such a rare problem that we could mitigate seemed was deemed wasteful of lab resources. So we settled on the following. When each of us develops a new experiment, we are required to run it on ourselves once fully to confirm the conditions appear as we intended, appear at the frequencies we intended, and that the data are analyzable as intended. We switch experiments say once-a-month or so, and so there is this check as often. Most experimenter run these checks in Rooms 1 and 4 or on their own machines. From now on, the checks are to be run in the lab and the machine the check was run is noted in the database. Experimenters are asked to see which machine was last checked and make sure all machines get checked now and again. In this manner, we can detect these failures more quickly without any additional time or effort. Another solution I thought of after our meeting is asking participants if they noticed anything strange that we need to be aware of. I will bring up this issue at the next lab meeting, to my experts, to see if it is helpful.


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Well, it took long enough! My apologies — I had no idea it would take so long to upload and process. Maybe the Internet slows down for snow days, too, huh? Please fine below our "Snow Day Bible Study" on the topic of "What Is the Fate of the Devil?" And, please, as mentioned in the announcement, do not share this on social media (Facebook, etc.). Let's keep it local, as if we were just all together.
Thanks, and enjoy the rest of your snowy Sabbath!
[EDIT, 2/27/2015: It's been a week, so the video has now been taken down. I hope those of you who used it to add to your "Snow Day" Sabbath benefitted from it! I am writing an LCN article on the topic which may be published in the near future. So, let's all pray that this was our last Sabbath with canceled services for the rest of winter!]