text:
Cisco Chairman and CEO John Chambers
You know Web 2.0 has jumped the shark when a company that has built its fortunes peddling routers gratuitously doses its latest earnings call with Web 2.0 pixie dust. Which is what Cisco CEO John Chambers did at the company's third-quarter earnings call. Is Chambers really serious when he bandies about Silicon Valley's favorite buzzword? And what did he make of the job Sen. John McCain offered him last night?
- 2:30 p.m. PDT: Looks like we're clearing up the job-offer issue right away. Chambers is not interested in a position in the McCain cabinet. "Job offers are always nice, but I've promised my board I'll stick around for a while."
- 2:35 p.m. Chambers says Web 2.0 will drive collaboration for years to come. As a "plumber" of the Internet, he says, it's in Cisco's best interests to encourage that because it drives data traffic.
- What's Chambers's theory on cable boxes? He says Cisco's acquisition of Scientific Atlanta was one of the best acquisitions the company has ever done. "It changed the way the cable industry perceived us."
- 2:40 p.m.: Chambers says the network will become the platform for delivering goods and services. Kara asks for his thoughts on Apple TV, and he says he wouldn't be "surprised if Steve and I found a way to work on video together in the future."
- 2:45 p.m.: How will we get video in the future? Chambers says two ways: fixed and wireless. Kara notes the slow broadband speeds in the U.S. Chambers says the U.S. needs a broadband policy. He notes that in Australia, broadband is one of the top three issues in the upcoming elections there. Why isn't that true here? Kara asks, adding that it's not as if people were demanding slower broadband speeds. Do we need a "broadband president"? Chambers notes that broadband applications extend well beyond entertainment–health care, collaboration, etc. He says we need a leader who realizes how important broadband is to our future, someone "willing to step on a few toes."
- 2:50 p.m.: How does Chambers explain Cisco's acquisitions in the social-networking sector? The first generation of the Internet was about driving business, he says. We're going to see the exact same trend with social networking driving emerging-business technologies. Social networking is nothing more than how we will do business in the future.
- Cisco is changing its entire service model. It will deliver services virtually. It will bring experts into clients' businesses virtually, with telepresence technology.
- Cisco's greatest weakness? Poorly prioritizing resources, Chambers says.
- 3:05 p.m.: From the Q&A session …
- What's Cisco doing to get rid of spam? Chambers seems to think spam is an issue that customers need to resolve. He worries that deploying spam filters at the pipe level could set a dangerous precedent for filtering or monitoring other data that we might prefer be kept private.
- On broadband and Net neutrality: This country is behind in broadband. If we don't remove the roadblocks to our progress in that area, we will always be behind. So the question is what do we want the end result to be? Start at the answer and work backward.
More coverage at The Wall Street Journal.


text:
USCG print.
Taken directly from wartime original design, the print is specially applied using ink that best emulates vintage quality.
Made from a superior quality 'slub yarn' cotton, they are constructed as per the original in terms of cut, seam-style and shade. The neck aperture is the correct 'open' style cut, which is slightly bigger than most modern-day Ts, and the sleeves are of a reasonably short length, and not loose (but not gripping). The torso is slim, but also not gripping, and is long enough to be comfortably tucked in, and not come out, but still looks sensible if worn untucked.
Available in sizes 36 - 42
Measure your chest over a T-shirt; it is helpful to get someone to do this for you. Do not inflate your lungs, just relax and stand with your arms out. The tape measure should be run around your chest right up under your arms and held snug, but not tight - this is your chest measurement.
Measure the circumference of your hand around your 4 knuckles (obviously do not include your thumb). Correlate this measurement with size chart below to assess your glove size.
Measure the circumference of your head.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Dog Training
- Join Friends For Life Dog Training LLC
Puppy Training Classes create life long bond with your puppy.
Dog Training Classes positive training techniques that work.
Private Training Classes one-on-one expert training.
Tellington TTouch Training understand and influence your dog with your heart and hands.
Canine Good Citizen Program Earn an AKC certificate with your dog.
Pet CPR First Aid Training learn critical life saving skills that could save your dogs life.
Choose Friends for Life Dog Training
Please read below. We are doing limited group classes for puppies and adult dogs. CORONA VIRUS UPDATE!!! I am still accepting new private clients.
We have a great opportunity to be able to do limited group classes for puppies on Thursday mornings at 11 am and for adult dogs Friday mornings at the Redmond Fairgrounds. Please call 541-350-2869.
We are also starting new basic manners classes for a limited number of dogs on Friday May 29th at 6 pm and June 1st at 6 pm. Class size is limited 4 dogs.
Choose Friends for Life Dog Training for all your Dog Training Needs
The reasons are simple! Friends For Life Dog Training is where we celebrate the power of positive training, and love training dogs. We are a local business in Redmond Oregon highly recommended by veterinarians, groomers, pet sitters, and professionals in the Pet care industry. We are Professional Certified Dog Trainers with many years of experience and are strongly committed to continuing education in the field of dog behavior and training by attending many seminars and workshops throughout the year.
Join Friends For Life Dog Training! You will love our small class sizes and the individual attention you and your dog receive. Our training will prepare you and your dog or new puppy for all the necessary life skills for the real world. We offer day and evening puppy training classes, dog training classes as well as private dog training services. We are the only in-door pet training facility in Redmond Oregon with over 2600 sqft of training space so we have plenty of room for you and your best friend! Ask us for our references, see our testimonials, and we welcome you to come and watch one of our classes in action. Besides our dog training classes we offer a wide variety of healthy treats, training equipment including harnesses, training pouches, and the best quality hard to find dog toys. Join Friends for Life Dog Training where we celebrate the power of positive training.
Todays Poll
Positive dog training works because?
Dog Trainer Spot Light
- Dog Trainer Dennis Fehling
- Dog Trainer Pam Bigoni
Dennis Fehling Certified Professional Dog Trainer
I am a nationally certified professional dog trainer CPDT(KA) through the council of certified professional dog trainers CCPDT. Dedicated to helping you and your canine companion enjoy a lifelong relationship built on trust and positive communication. I have many years of experience teaching clients and their dog's positive training methods that work. About Professional Dog Trainer Dennis Fehling
Professional Dog Trainer >>
Pam Bigoni Professional Dog Trainer
Pamela Bigoni has had years of experience working with many types of dogs and is the only certified K9 Nose work instructor in Central Oregon. Pam brings a unique set of skills to teaching the sport of K9 Nose work because of her mastery of understanding air flow which was learned over many years as an aeronautical engineer. Pam makes nose work fun for the dogs and owners by challenging them with different set ups.
About Professional Dog Trainer Pam Bigoni
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Puppy Training
Behavior Adjustment Training or BATBehavior Adjustment Training BAT was founded By Grisha Stewart MA, CPDT(KA) CTP. BAT uses Functional rewards as a way of teaching dogs other more acceptable ways of dealing with Fear and aggression. "...Full Story
What would you like me to do instead?Instead of telling your dog no, give your dog another job to do.Full Story


text:
Male Portrait With Green Background
Stockphoto ID: 2222092
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text:
Qt 3.3.4 Release and Qt 4 Schedule Adjustment
Trolltech has announced the release of Qt 3.3.4 which is a maintenance release including many bug fixes and optimizations. The final Qt 4.0 release is now anticipated for late second quarter of 2005 with two
Re: Language bindings
"I think dynamic languages like python, perl and ruby work particularly well with Qt and all have very good bindings - PyQt, PerlQt and QtRuby. So I wouldn't wait for trolltech to tell you what to do - if you master the Qt api in one language you can easily switch to another because they are all pretty similar."
mastering is i big word, but i use the Qt api in C++. Yet i wait for officialy supported bindings before decide to go and master an other language than C++.
By ac at Thu, 2005/01/27 - 6:00am
Re: Language bindings
Maybe, but the documentation for Pyqt is not so great, that's why I want Trolltech to support it.
By matt at Fri, 2005/01/28 - 6:00am
Re: Language bindings
PyQt is the only Qt binding that's got a book written about it... Okay, so I didn't have time to keep the text updated, what with Krita and writing a novel and so on, and the publisher failed to get it available through Amazon which meant that it might as well not have been published at all, but I still have got a few copies for people who cannot find it in the bookshops.
By Boudewijn Rempt at Fri, 2005/01/28 - 6:00am
Re: Language bindings
I do not agree with your statement on the documentation.
For one thing, you can just take the C++ documentation and work with it. The few cases that do not map exactly the C++ are documented in one html page on Phil's PyQt site and that has proven to be very sufficient to me.
The other thing is that the support of Phil is great and very reactive (I wish TheKompany could have the same level) so I doubt that you will run into any problem. And there are a lot _less_ problems when programming in python than in C++.
And since Trolltech has license agreement that allows TheKompany to sell PyQt, you can consider that like an officiel support, no ?
By Philippe Fremy at Sat, 2005/01/29 - 6:00am
How is this going to affect the schedule of kde 4.0?? is there going to be one more release in kde 3.x series...
By kp at Thu, 2005/01/27 - 6:00am
Re: KDE 4 ??
I don't think so. Two reasons: Qt4.b1 was not too bad and since its release a lot things already improved in the snapshots. Second reason: It was not even clear if there should be a KDE 3.4.
By anon at Thu, 2005/01/27 - 6:00am
Re: KDE 4 ??
So when will we start porting to Qt-4?? We don't wanna wait until qt-4 final is out do we??
By performa 300 at Thu, 2005/01/27 - 6:00am
Re: KDE 4 ??
If there will be no 3.5 (what I think) porting will start pretty much as soon as kde 3.4 is out the door.
By anon at Thu, 2005/01/27 - 6:00am
Re: KDE 4 ??
Assuming there will be no 3.5, how long is KDE 4 estimated to take? A year?
By matt at Thu, 2005/01/27 - 6:00am
Re: KDE 4 ??
No, we wanna help/influence qt-4 final.
By Anonymous at Sat, 2005/01/29 - 6:00am
Re: KDE 4 ??
don't expect it before December 2005.
By jambo at Thu, 2005/01/27 - 6:00am
Re: KDE 4 ??
Warning, personal opinion only: After the release of 3.3 we start with KDE 4.0. That will be taking a while and will be rather end of Q4 than end of Q2, if not later. The Qt betas should be good enough to start the porting to Qt4 (are they?) KDE 3.3 will be the last release in the KDE 3.x series, apart from the occasional KDE 3.3.x bugfix releases.
By Waldo Bastian at Thu, 2005/01/27 - 6:00am
Re: KDE 4 ??
You mean 3.4, right?
By matt at Thu, 2005/01/27 - 6:00am
Re: KDE 4 ??
Indeed :-\
By Waldo Bastian at Fri, 2005/01/28 - 6:00am
Re: KDE 4 ??
s/3.3/3.4/g :-)
By Anonymous at Thu, 2005/01/27 - 6:00am
Re: KDE 4 ??
If we wait until Qt4 is out we probably won't see kde-4 until first half of 2006 at the best.
By performa 300 at Fri, 2005/01/28 - 6:00am


text:
Chobani Greek Yogurt Flips - These portion-controlled cups of fat-free or low-fat Greek yogurt are accompanied by sidecars of decadent goodies, and they still manage to be guilt-free! In Key Lime Crumble, Strawberry Sunrise, Raspberry Choco Fix, Honey Bee Nana, and Vanilla Golden Crunch, each 5.3-oz. container has 150 - 170 calories, 1.5 - 4g fat, 50 - 200mg sodium, 18 - 25g carbs, 0 - 2g fiber, 14 - 19g sugars, and 10 - 12g protein (PointsPlus® value 4*). There's also Almond Coco Loco with 230 calories and 10g fat per 5.3-oz. container (PointsPlus® value 6*). Currently available in the Northeast US. Find 'em, and flip out! Gardein The Ultimate Beefless Slider - WOWZERS. With these frozen li'l meatless burgers, a delicious fast-food-style snack is just a quick pop in the microwave away. One slider (bun included!) has 150 calories, 3g fat, 310mg sodium, 21g carbs, 2g fiber, 4g sugars, and 9g protein (PointsPlus® value 4*). Whether or not you avoid meat, you'll LOVE 'em. Click to see where Gardein products are sold. Fiber One Protein Chewy Bars - Fact: Protein bars that taste like candy bars are pretty awesome. Add some fiber (5g!) and amazing flavors (Caramel Nut and Coconut Almond!), and you've got a hit on your hands. Each of these bars has 130 - 140 calories, 6g fat, 115 - 180mg sodium, 16 - 17g carbs, 5g fiber, 7g sugars, and 6 - 7g protein (PointsPlus® value 4*). The Coconut Almond REALLY ROCKS!!!
Lisa (a.k.a. Hungry Girl) is hittin' the road yet again to meet up with HG fans! First she's heading to Richmond, VA, for the CBS 6 Healthy Lifestyle Expo at the Greater Richmond Convention Center on Saturday, February 2nd. Come by to meet Lisa, check out her two speaking sessions, eat HG-friendly snacks, get your books signed, and more! Back on the West Coast, Lisa's taking a jaunt down to Orange County, CA, for a book-signing event! Thursday, February 7th, is the date to visit the Ralphs on Jamboree Rd. in Tustin, CA, for snacks, Q&A, and prize giveaways. CLICK HERE for all the details on both events. Hope to see you soon! P.S. Tune in to see Lisa on a new episode of the Dr. Oz Show this Wednesday (January 16th). And she'll be hangin' with Anderson Cooper on his live daytime show this Friday (January 18th). YEE-HAA!
What's gonna be hot in food and fitness this year? Experts everywhere have been weighing in! Here are a few of the trends we're most excited about...
Greek Yogurt: Not Going Anywhere. 2012 brought us many products with Greek yogurt in 'em, like hummus, salad dressing, and cream cheese. This year, expect soda (yes, SODA) and cheesecake made with the creamy stuff! We've been making cheesecake with Greek yogurt for more than a year now, so clearly we're ahead of the game...
Veg Out! Vegetable boxes -- cartons of fresh veggies delivered to your door -- are popular in the UK and have been picking up steam here on our side of the pond. Often provided through community-supported agriculture (CSA), the boxes are generally packed with a surprise assortment of seasonal local produce. Click to see what's available near you!
Fit 'n Far from Home. Be it in-room equipment or outdoor workout resources, hotels will continue to offer fun and creative fitness options. San Francisco International Airport even unveiled its very own yoga room last year -- way to take some of the stress out of flying!
Snack Attack! Snacking is increasingly popular in the American diet, so we're not surprised to learn that restaurants will be adding more appetizer and small-plate options to their menus. It's also predicted that supermarkets will sell more pre-portioned snack items... NICE.
It's that time again! U.S. News & World Report, with help from a panel of diet and nutrition experts, has released its annual Best Diets rankings! In terms of the best overall plan, the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet came out on top. Weight Watchers won out in three categories: best for weight-loss, best commercial diet, and easiest to follow. Nicely done, WW! Read up here on all the rankings. ***Wanna add something new into your food rotation? Consider gazpacho! Results of a new study have linked eating the cold veggie-based soup to lower blood pressure. Researchers suspect the association is due to the combo of compounds in the various veggies. This may be the first time we wished a scientific study came with a recipe! ***Think you can't get a smart snack at a convenience store? FALSE! Continuing its efforts from the past year, 7-Eleven is serving up more fresh foods and offering smaller portions of indulgent snacks. A new item reportedly hitting shelves? The under-400-calories Bistro Snack Protein Pack, with pita rounds, cheese, hummus, veggies, and grapes. Think it sounds a lot like the Bistro Boxes sold at Starbucks? You're not wrong. ***Speaking of the 'Bucks, the coffee chain is making some changes as well... to its packaging. Starbucks is going nationwide with the $1 reusable plastic cups it debuted last year in the Northwest. Every time you use one, you get a dime discount on your java, so the cup pays for itself after ten refills. Environmentally and budget friendly -- we like it! And that's all we've got. HG out!
Your friends want to know the latest guilt-free food news too. So be a pal, and pass along today's email -- click "Send to a Friend" now!
Today, January 14th, is National Hot Pastrami Day. Turkey breast pastrami is delicious and surprisingly guilt-free -- around 70 calories and 2g fat per 2-oz. serving. That's hot!
SmartPoints® value not what you expected? Click here for more info on how the values are calculated, plus more FAQs about PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® values on our website.


text:
Gareth Bristow-Roc Rotary Compact Cycle Pump
At Design Interviews
(Excerpt) Interview with Gareth Bristow : Frank Scott: What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?. Gareth Bristow : At the core of the ROC is a recently patented mechanism that converts rotational action into multiple linear movements. During the design development of the mechanism numerous applications and potential uses including fluid and air displacement, mechanized actuators and gate valves were identified. Due to the simplicity and the anticipated low production costs of the mechanism, it was determined that it could be initially utilised to ideally create a compact and highly efficient hand pump. The internal function and the cranked means by which the pumping action is driven defined the external form of the pump, resulting in an opportunity to create a truly unique hand pump design. .Frank Scott: What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?. Gareth Bristow : Pumped Ltd aim was to develop the new technology for commercial uses and to initially create a pioneering range of rotary cycle pumps with a number of innovative features:- • smaller hand pumps with large pumped volumes, giving quicker inflation times • better ergonomics making tyre inflation easier and less chance of breaking valve stems • focus on design and use of high end materials making the pump a desirable object to own and use. .Frank Scott: What are your future plans for this award winning design?. Gareth Bristow : Pumped plan to refine the mechanism to increase the volume displacement potential and it is anticipated that those improvements will be used to design even smaller hand pumps with greater efficiency. In addition to the range of hand pumps, Pumped are currently developing concepts and designs to employ the mechanism in a unique range of electrically driven hand pumps, ball inflation devices, irrigation pumps and are closely looking at utilising the core pumping technologies for other leisure sectors including marine. .Frank Scott: How long did it take you to design this particular concept?. Gareth Bristow : Design of the various reiterations of the mechanism started in 2006, resulting in several patent applications between 2007 and 2012, with patents granted in Europe, the US and pending in the Far East. The base design of the ROC hand pump started in 2010 and has evolved over the last two years to incorporate the improved design of the internal mechanism into the current ROC design. .Frank Scott: Why did you design this particular concept? Was this design commissioned or did you decide to pursuit an inspiration?. Gareth Bristow : The idea for the initial mechanism derived from a few abstract thoughts relating to how a simple device, such as an actuator, could be designed to achieve a trebling its initial inert length with minimal rotational activation. A search was then undertaken to ensure that no prior art for the mechanical design existed. After a favourable patent search the early designs were then refined and improved to provide the basis of several granted patents. At an early concept stage it was concluded that the mechanism could be manipulated to produce several linear actions for a single rotation of 360 degrees and that this ability was entirely suited to pumping applications or operations requiring efficient pistons. With numerous markets and industrial sectors that would benefit from such a highly efficient and compact pump, it was decided that Pumped Ltd's initial focus would be on a segment of the leisure market they know very well. Drawing upon their years of experience as cycling enthusiasts, Philip and Gareth were only too aware of the time and effort that is required to inflate a cycle tyre even with the best hand pumps presently on the market. Currently the top selling small pumps require at least 8 pumping actions to achieve 1 psi of pressure and the worst requiring 20 or more pumping actions. With a mountain bike tyre requiring a pressure of 50 psi, it can take considerable time and effort to inflate a tire. Preliminary modelling and analysis of the new pump demonstrated that a pump utilising the new technology could halve the current time it takes to inflate tyres. To support their initial ideas for a more efficient hand pump, there were discussi.[ End of Excerpt: Read complete interview with Gareth Bristow on Roc Rotary Compact Cycle Pump at design-interviews.com ]
Gareth Bristow-Roc Rotary Compact Cycle Pump Images:
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text:
Diaphragm Pumps
Multiple Variants
Starting at: $475.52Diaphragm pumps built for a variety of high and low-pressure spraying applications. Available in many configurations, specifically tailored to fit your needs. Learn More
As a precautionary measure against the spread of COVID-19, we have decided to temporarily close our storefront to the public. In-stock shipments will go out as usual; however all in-store pick-ups will be treated as curbside pick-ups, so be sure to confirm over the phone or on your order when and where you plan to do so.
For more information, please give a us a call: (800)634-5557
Starting at: $475.52


text:
M & N Firearms Training
basic, Advanced, Concealed Carry Training
basic, Advanced, Concealed Carry Training
Contact Information
36607 Longleaf Dr
P.O. Box 51 Tickfaw, LA 70466
Independence, Louisiana 70443
United States
- Phone: 985-520-7589 Send Message Visit Website vCard
Other Information
Firearm Instructors » Louisiana Firearm Instructors
Related Listings:
WI Tactical Firearms Training
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Firearms Training Of Western New York
T.H.E. Firearms Training
GTD Firearms LLC
By: Michael
This instructor takes the time needed to help each shooter feel confident in shooting. Great instructor
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Brain Dead 13
What do you need help on? Cancel X
As Lance, the world's hippest computer repair guru, you're called to the mysterious castle of the disembodied brain, Dr. Nero Neurosis. You learn of the Doctor's master plan... There's no turning back now! Race through the evil playground of the demented Doctor's twisted castle and battle the ultimate mishaps of science: Moose, Vivi, and Fritz, the half-human half-pet of Dr. Neurosis.
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text: The blue blubber jelly actually ranges in color from white to light blue to dark purple. Its bell pulses in a distinctive, staccato-like rhythm. Did You Know? In Asia, this venomous jelly is considered a culinary delicacy. Diet Zooplankton Size The blue blubber's bell can be up to 16 inches wide. Range Coastal waters of eastern and northern Australia. Population Status In the past, jelly populations were kept in check by predators like sea turtles and jelly-eating fish. Due to the reduction of their predators, jelly populations are growing at alarming rates. Predators Sea turtles and other jelly-eating animals, such as tuna, sunfish, butterfish, and spiny dogfish, keep the jelly populations in balance. All seven species of sea turtles include them in their diets. The largest sea turtle species, the leatherback, depends on jellies for food. Because jellies are more than 90% water and an adult leatherback can weigh more than 2,000 pounds, one turtle can consume a lot of jellies! Back to the Top


text: National Aquarium film, Wounded Warriors, is a finalist for the Blue Ocean Film Festival "Best Short" award! The film documents nine wounded soldiers from the Walter Reed Army Medical Center who were able to live a dream and dive at the National Aquarium, Baltimore as part of their rehabilitation programs. National Aquarium's mission is to inspire conservation of the world's aquatic treasures, a cause that is congruent with the Blue Ocean Film Festival's mission is to promote, honor and share films that inspire people to protect our ocean and the life within. The festival is held every two years in Monterey Bay, California to honor the best in ocean filmmaking and is the largest of its kind. It is led and attended by leading ocean filmmakers, photographers, scientists, explorers, entertainment executives as well as the general public. Among many others, this year's festival will feature speakers such as Dr. Sylvia Earle, the Cousteau family and Maryanne Culpepper (president of National Geographic TV). James Cameron will be on hand at their Legacy Awards Dinner to accept a lifetime achievement award for his contributions to underwater filmmaking. The National Aquarium team is honored to participate in such a prestigious event alongside these big names in the business. The National Aquarium team was nominated once before for a film highlighting the Animal Rescue program. Tags: baltimore-aquarium, blue-ocean-film-festival, dr-sylvia-earle, james-cameron, monterey-bay, national-aquarium-2, national-geographic, wounded-warriors Categories: Animals, News Previous Post Next Post


text:
Orange Chiffon Cake
Friday, May 29, 2009
Read more...
One of my favourite flavours, orange! The tang just feels.... awakening!
From Alex Goh's basic recipe, I adapted it into any flavour I want. As long as I maintain the ratio of ingredients.
Iris, hope this step by step Chiffon cake will be of help to you.
All the best in ur chiffon cake adventures.
Step-by Step Orange Chiffon Cake Recipe
115ml fresh orange juice
4 egg yolks
75ml corn oil
100gm sugar
150gm flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 Tbsp orange zest
4 egg whites
90gm sugar
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1. Combine egg yolks, oil, orange juice and sugar. Mix well.
2. Sift flour with baking powder and put into (1)and combine.
3. Stir in orange zest. Set aside
4. Place egg whites into a clean bowl and beat on low speed until it froths. Add in cream of tartar and continue to beat at high speed until soft peaks.
5. Put in sugar at 3 intervals and beat until stiff peaks.
Hmmm...not stiff at all
Stiff..... not not stiff enough
6. Lift up beaters.Ok.. see... It's stiff, very stiff and pointy. But the peaks are fat, not short and thin. If they are short and thin, you have overbeaten them, and you cake might fall out from the pan when you overturn it.
7. Put in 1/4 of egg whites into (3). Fold the egg whites into the batter. Repeat step (7).
8. Pour the whole of batter onto remaining egg whites and fold well.Please don't stir, must fold.
9. Pour (8) into a (22 or 25cm) ungreased clean tube pan. Lightly shake it left and right to level cake
10. Bake in a preheated oven at 170/180C for 40 minutes.
11. Invert pan immediately after removing from oven. Leave cake to cool down totally this way.
12. Overturn the cake.
13. Remove cake from pan. (Method in picture)


text:
Nobody seething with rage should get behind the wheel of a car, but how could they be stopped? In the future, the car itself may be able to make that call.
EPFL's Signal Processing Laboratory is collaborating with PSA Peugeot Citroën to develop a special infared camera that will be aimed at a driver's face.
"The goal," the researchers explain on their project site, "is to develop a software framework that supports realtime face tracking and that will enable a series of applications on top of it, such as fatigue detection."
If successful, the car could essentially read what's going on in your mind and adjust settings to help ensure your safety.
What can the camera do so far?
"The researchers say they can read facial expressions and identify which of the seven universal emotions a person is feeling: fear, anger, joy, sadness, disgust, surprise, or suspicion," KurzweilAI reports.
They're still working on recognizing things like irritation and distraction, and developing a fatigue detector that would work by tracking how open your eyes are.
If the camera picked up on anger, for example, the car could be prompted to play soft music, while "detecting fatigue could lead to launching energetic music or more aggressive lighting of the dashboard," one of the researchers told KurzweilAI.
The car of the future
Volvo, meanwhile, is working on a dashboard-mounted sensor that would monitor driver alertness and attention. The system could respond by adjusting the lights or making sure the car doesn't stray out of its lane.
Volvo calls the technology "driver state estimation," and it has already been installed in some test vehicles. But if you cede control to a machine, will "being in the driver's seat" soon be irrelevant?
"This will enable the driver to rely a bit more on their car, and know that it will help them when needed," Per Landfors, an engineer at Volvo Cars explained in a statement.
Eventually, all cars may be driverless. But until then, such futuristic technology could help keep drivers safer.


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Reviewed By Johnnie C (LAKELAND, FL) Reviewed for a 2008 Chevy Corvette —5/1/2014 5:35 AM
The stock rotors and calipers (with race pads equipped) were not providing enough stopping power for the Corvette Z06 on the Sebring raceway. The StopTech kit comes with street pads, so I ordered StopTech's SR32 race pads to use although the pad shape is a common one available from many different vendors. Regarding slotted vs. drilled rotors: The StopTech engineer said that drilled is for show; slotted is for the track. It's like I am driving a different car! Very happy!


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Consumer advocates and businesses are fuming over a provision tucked into the state budget bill that would allow natural-gas utilities to charge customers for a potentially wide array of environmental cleanup expenses.
June 28, 2013
Consumer advocates and businesses are fuming over a provision tucked into the state budget bill that would allow natural-gas utilities to charge customers for a potentially wide array of environmental cleanup expenses.
Republican legislators inserted the plan following a push from Duke Energy and Columbia Gas of Ohio. It is now part of the budget bill awaiting Gov. John Kasich's signature.
Lawmakers sought to ease concerns by agreeing to a series of changes to the proposal. But a miscommunication with Statehouse staff members means that the revised version is not the one that passed.
As a result, almost everyone agrees that the plan that sits on the governor's desk is too broad in what it allows and will require a follow-up measure in the next few months.
"When you talk about environmental remediation of properties that the gas companies own, God knows what that includes," said Dave Rinebolt, executive director of Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy, a group that works on behalf of low-income consumers.
Also among the critics of the provision as it stands is the Ohio Energy Group, a coalition of some of the state's largest businesses.
Sen. Bill Seitz, R-Cincinnati, a key supporter of the plan, confirmed that the wrong version ended up in the budget, and said he will work to fix it when the Ohio General Assembly reconvenes.
"We will be looking to make those changes as soon as we can," said
Natural-gas utilities initially asked for the proposal because they want the law to clearly allow the companies to charge customers for cleanup of certain polluted sites, subject to a case-by-case review by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. The companies say the law is not clear enough on this point.
Specifically, Duke Energy wants to charge customers $65.3 million to clean up two " manufactured gas" plants. The gas plants are a remnant of a time when companies would make natural gas from coal and use it to produce electricity. The plants date back to the 1800s and have long since stopped being used. They left behind about 200 polluted sites across the state.
However, the version that passed does not limit the changes to manufactured-gas sites. It says the new rules may be applied to any "real property" that "is or was used in the provision of public utility service." That could cover just about any gas company asset.
While some critics say the plan is too broad, electric utilities have suggested it is not broad enough. They would like the new rules to apply to them, but found little support, Seitz said.
The proposal, less than a page long, is part of a budget bill is hundreds of pages.


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4 Claw Princess Diamond Pendant Compass Set
Created with a perfectly square diamond, this Princess cut diamond solitaire pendant has a contemporary 4 claw setting and can be fully customised.
4 Claw Princess Diamond Pendant Compass Set
Created with a perfectly square diamond, this Princess cut diamond solitaire pendant has a contemporary 4 claw setting and can be fully customised.
Compass set Princess cut Diamond Solitaire Pendant
Set in a modern North-East-South-West compass setting, this Princess cut Diamond solitaire pendant is sure to compliment any outfit. The Princess cut Diamond is set in a secure yet dainty 4 claw setting and is available in a range of different Diamond Colour, Clarity and Carat weight options in the drop-down menu above. We can craft your pendant in a number of precious metal choices, including 18ct White Gold, 18ct Yellow Gold and 950 Platinum. We are also proud to offer this design in our fully ethical 18ct Fairtrade Gold options too. Your pendant is also complimented with an 18-inch Curb Chain, which is presented with the pendant. Once we have crafted your pendant in your desired precious metal choice, it will be delivered straight to your door by a secure courier, presented in our luxurious Serendipity Diamonds packaging.
Ireland and 100% Ethical Fairtrade Gold?
Across Ireland, we now ship commissions crafted in responsibly sourced, fully traceable Fairtrade Gold. This ethical precious metal choice is a more expensive option to regular 18ct Gold but at Serendipity Diamonds we do not charge any extra, making this choice even greater value for money. We ship Fairtrade Gold across Ireland each week, in the form of engagement rings, wedding rings and other diamond jewellery. As licensees with Fairtrade Gold we can also create bespoke commissions for our Irish clients in this responsible precious metal choice.
Delivery to Ireland
Upon completion, your diamond pendant will be exquisitely packaged in a gloss white presentation box, with accompanying documentation, delivered within our large outer box, within an outer plain wrap for discretion. We post using International Signed For Delivery by Royal Mail. We deliver daily across the Republic of Ireland covering most areas, with deliveries taking around 2 days to arrive. Once your parcel leaves our care, we email you tracking details and your parcel remains fully insured until is signed for upon arrival.
View our packaging below and read more on packaging and delivery
Diamond Quality
At Serendipity Diamonds we offer exceptional value for money with an amazing combination of exceptional service, incredible quality and an outstanding price, all beautifully presented with the very best experience we can create from your first experience with us to the arrival of your diamond pendant. All diamonds possess the same high standard that our jewellery carries. We provide a minimum of a very good cut grade and only work with 100% natural diamonds, provided with conflict-free assurances. All diamond solitaire pendants weighing 0.30 carats and above, selected in grades above J colour and SI2 clarity will include full certification for your reassurance.
For clients in Ireland, for reassurance we provide...
Courtesy before and after-sales support
60 days returns
Free insured courier delivery with luxury packaging
Free valuation in Euros
Lifetime warranty
Trustworthy diamond certification
Minimum 'Very Good' diamond cut grade assurance
18 inch chain (contact for us for alternative sizes)


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exponential diophantine equations - correction!
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg62952] exponential diophantine equations - correction!
- From: Andrea <andrea at radargift.com>
- Date: Fri, 9 Dec 2005 05:10:33 -0500 (EST)
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
Correction. In the example below, I had typed +7. It should have been -7. I'm trying to find out how to use Mathematica to find solutions to exponential diophantine equations like the following: (5x)^2 - 2^k * 3 * (5+k)^2 - 131 * k - 7 = 0. I want to obtain solutions for x and k. (One solution is x = 31, k = 6, but I didn't find this using Mathematica!) I'm not very skilled in Mathematica. I tried Solve and Reduce but I just get either The equations appear to involve the variables to be solved for in an essentially non-algebraic way. or This system cannot be solved with the methods available to Reduce. I'm trying to find a way to get at least one or two solutions. Is there a way in Mathematica to do this? I know that exponential ones are not easy... Thanks for any help. Andrea


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Gardeners every year wrestle with whether to start seeds or buy transplants. The answer is simple: It depends.
Gardeners every year wrestle with whether to start seeds or buy transplants. The answer is simple: It depends.
Transplants continue to increase in price. They are grown in heated greenhouses, and a lot of their cost is for fuel. That's not getting any cheaper.
Seed prices are up too, mainly due to demand. More people garden in tough times. Park Seed and Burpee are reporting banner profit years.
The economics of seeds over transplants still is compelling, despite the "some assembly required" of seeds. For about 2 bucks, you can get enough seed to produce $25 worth of transplants.
Still, even transplants are a great deal. Last year, I produced at least $45 worth of tomatoes on $3.75 worth of plants.
Not all seeds need to be started. Cold-weather lovers such as peas, lettuce, beets and radishes should be seeded directly in the garden. The same is true for fast growers such as corn and beans. Good for early starting are warm crops including tomatoes, peppers and squash.
Despite the economics, a primary benefit of seeds is you can grow stuff not available in stores. Greenhouses grow for the masses. If I want to try a Parisian pickling gherkin cornichon, I'll need seed.
Remember the requirements of starting seeds: Water, warmth and sunlight.
1. Buy or recycle plastic plant cells. If recycling, wash and sterilize them in a 10 percent bleach solution (1/2 cup bleach in 5 cups of water). Or use peat pods. You can plant them directly with no transplant shock. Use plastic trays to hold your containers.
2. Buy "starting" soil. This is sterilized to prevent plant damp off, the sudden death from fungus. It is nutrient optimized.
3. Buy seeds. Be sure they will grow in our USDA climate zone, which is No. 5. Seeds often are on sale marked for last year's crop. Note you may lose 15 to 20 percent germination here.
4. Find a warm, sunny place. Southern windows are good. Move trays off sills at night to prevent cold damage.
5. Plant according to directions on the seed packet. The seed depth is the same for inside or outside. Plant two seeds per cell. Thin to one when the seedlings emerge.
6. Seedlings will tell you how they are doing. If they are spindly, they need more light. If they droop, they need moisture.
7. Check moisture each day. Water from the bottom by pouring it into the tray. The starting soil must remain moist but not saturated, which can rot the seed. Use slightly warm water to prevent shock.
8. Don't start too early. If plants outgrow the container, transplant to larger pots. If you want to transplant in late May, the seeds should be started in mid-March.
9. On warm, sunny days in April, move your trays outside. Bring them in before the night chills. In May, increase the time outside to weather-harden the plants.
Send gardening questions to email@example.com


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Battlefield 3 (PC) review
"More than any other graphics engine today, it's a complete package, featuring scale, scope, spectacle, on-foot detail and in-airplane elbow room, multiplayer, meaningful destruction, and absurdly good animation. Absurdly good. The animation is so good you probably won't even notice it. Of course the characters move this way because that's how real dudes move. What's the big deal? You almost have to go back to another game with the usual animation to appreciate what Battlefield 3 does."
Freelance review by Tom Chick (November 06, 2011)
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Healing meters have to be taken with a grain a salt. Or rather with a whole block of salt, iceberg style. What do I mean? Well, the overall effective healing done page on WoW stat tools like World of Logs does give us some useful information, but the bulk of the usefulness is hidden below the surface.
In other words, I was a bit concerned by the meters in our Putricide attempts last Monday. I started tearing them apart, trying to figure out the problem(s). As I was having the time of my life (I love, love, love stats!), it dawned on me that I should share how I go about exploring poor performance.
In this case, one healer, Rykga, has much lower output than the others. Lets investigate a bit more to figure out why and what we could suggest for improvements.
Rykga is my paladin, so no worries, no feelings will be hurt in the making of this post! She's a Holy Light (HL) paladin with about 2.8k spell power, 700 haste and 36k mana, unbuffed. "Other" is the other holy paladin in the raid. He's a bit of a hybrid right now, making the transition from a HL build to a Flash of Light (FoL) build. His spell power is significantly higher than Rykga's, his mana is lower and his haste and crit are about the same. Both paladins use similar Holy/Prot specs.
If you are confused by this whole HoL/FoL build thingy, please check out this post.
Note as well that both Rykga and Other were assigned to heal the main tank.
To save on internet space, I'm not going to do the most in-depth analysis in the world, but I will try to cover all the elements I consider when mulling over a poor performance.
1- Active Time
Active Time refers to the amount of time spent casting. I picked this particular attempt because it was the most extreme. Rykga spent far less time casting than the other healers, to the point where she was outhealed by a ret paladin. How embarassing! The cause of a low active time is generally one or more of the following:
a) Early death
b) Standing around, looking pretty
c) Frequent range/LOS issues
Lets look at the survivability page for this particular fight.
Rykga lived through 47.6% of the fight. If you subtract her active time from that, you get the percentage of time she was alive and not casting. It comes out to 0.8%, which is about a second. Going by how imprecise WoL is and how much movement is required for Putricide, this is neglectable.
But just for kicks, lets ask her about her impressions. Did she feel like she was just standing around, did she have range issues?
Rykga: As a matter of fact, I did feel like I had range issues for the first attempt. My assignment was the main tank. I had missed our 10 man Putricide attempts that week so I wasn't sure of our strategy. I had trouble following the tank during that first attempt but once I got the moving rhythm down, it all fell into place.
2- Overhealing
Rykga has quite a bit more overheal than Other. Even considering their different healing styles (HL vs FoL), Ryk's overheal is still noticeable.
Overhealing isn't a big deal. I don't worry about it. However, a high overheal might hold some clues as to why a player is performing poorly. While high overheal can just mean that a healer is spamming, it may mean:
- Lag
- Poor reaction time
- Low haste
Ryk's high number of casts despite an untimely death shows that she is indeed a spell spammer. We know her and Other have similar haste, so lets look up her Judgements of the Pure uptime.
I used the Judgement of the Pure uptime associated with the attempt in the Overheal/Spell Breakdown image. She did kept it up 66.9% of the time, which is identical to her active time on this attempt, meaning she kept it up the entire time she was alive. So haste is a non issue.
As for lag and poor reaction time, lets see what she has to say.
Rykga: I don't notice any lag, but I do run with 300-500 latency most of the time, which may affect my output. I don't know about reaction time, although the number of times I stand in the fire might say something about that! I am a spell spammer, I only stop casting when I'm running or when I'm dead.
3- Choice of Spells
Other is clearly a FoL spammer and does well. Rykga switches between casting HL and FoL. Paladins from other guilds who've performed well on this fight seem to stick with HL or HL/Beacon.
Sacred Shield is notably underused by Rykga. Perhaps not enough to make a huge influence, but it's an easy spell to cast and should be kept up as much as possible. Word of caution, though, when you run with 5 paladins in a raid, SS is constantly being overridden.
Judgment of Light – JoL deserves a special mention here. While it didn't affect Other's overall healing much (out of 5 paladins in the raid, 4 judge light), the constant raid damage in the Putricide fight makes this spell very, very, very strong. I've seen it count for 20-35% of a paladin's effective healing. Since JoL is constantly getting overridden and since it doesn't matter who in the raid is judging light, effective healing done from JoL should be subtracted when comparing two paladins.
4- Standing in the Fire
The deaths page is quite useful in check how a player died. It has to be considered carefully since we don't want to blame someone for dying after a wipe is called. Still, if someone frequently dies early, we can see where some weaknesses are.
Dying to Malleable Goo on Putricide is a no-no.
Dying exclusively to Mutated Transformation means Ryk needs to pay more attention to her own health and heal herself as needed.
Dying to Ooze Eruption, Expunged Gas, Gaseous Bloat may or may not be her fault.
Lets ask her about her self-impressions.
Rykga: I have to admit, I was making a lot of stupid mistakes and my reaction time was slower than usual. I was pretty exhausted that night and was just coming back from a trip so I was a bit rusty. I must have stood in every piece of crap on the floor.
Conclusions, recommendations
What can Rykga do to improve?
- Familiarize herself with any range/kitting/movement strategies before the raid
- Favor Holy Light over Flash of Light : Holy Light seems to be the spell of choice for her considering her build, the amount of tank damage, the usefulness of the Holy Light glyph splash healing and the fact that her partner is mostly Flash of Light style.
- Be creative with Sacred Shield: Keep it up, preferably somewhere it won't be overridden.
- Use Divine Sacrifice/Divine Guardian more often: Not mentioned earlier, nor will affect stats much, but with all the constant raid damage, Divine Sacrifice used on cooldown would be helpful to everyone.
- Hit the BGs: Working on that situational/self-health awareness can prevent stupid deaths.
- Get some rest before the raid when possible: A pre-raid power nap can help with situation awareness and improve reaction time.
And there we have it! That's the jist of how I evaluate myself after a pathetic performance.
I hope my awesome teammate "Other" doesn't mind that I gave him a bad nickname and used him for comparison purposes. I don't know if he reads this or not, but if he does…um…hi!!Explore posts in the same categories: Teh paladin, World of Logs
Tags: evaluating, healing, icecrown citadelle, Paladin, putricide, stats, world of logsBoth comments and pings are currently closed.
10 Comments on "Lets help this Holy Pally not suck at Putricide"
January 21, 2010 at 3:23 am
One tip about range issues is that Beacon of Light has a *60* yard range, whereas most of your other heals have a 40 yard range.
So, if you're assigned to heal a target that occasionally goes out of range, Beacon them, and heal people closer to you.
January 21, 2010 at 12:17 pm
What a useful post!
I've been following your blog for a bit and really like your writing style. I play a HL paladin on The Scryers server and while my guild isn't yet to the 25 man encounter for this, we are working on the 10 man version. Got him down to 8% before we had to call it last week. Hopefully he's going down this week.
I'm not sure how much of a difference there is between the two fights, but I definitely did notice a range issue, as well. And boy did I feel hella embarrassed the couple of times I got hit by Goo. Having to say over Vent 'Somebody cover the tank for me, I suck' is not a fun experience.
I'm looking at my own logs and I, too, am saddened by my performance. We 3-heal it at this point, and with all three of us having to pump out 3-4k HPS I don't see it dropping to 2 healers any time soon, though we did discuss it because we were hitting the enrage timer.
I'm noticing on the log I have, I've only got 87% healing time, which begs the question… what the hell was I doing 12% of the time? The druid has 100% uptime which isn't surprising – his HoTs were rolling through the stun. But two stuns does not account for 12% of the battle, and I don't remember dying. I do remember not having much to heal until green slimes got missed or gas caught up with someone, then healing like a crazed monkey for a few seconds, then back to trying to not stand in stuff.
P3 was a different beast, of course. I don't remember having time to do anything (aside from healing!) but strafe out of ooze during that phase. I'm going to try popping a LoH on one of our tanks during that phase to give them the damage buffer, see if that helps keep them alive longer. Unfortunately there's not much I can do about the berserk. At least… I assume there isn't.
Curious to know your thoughts on this, and if you have a moment I'm happy to link a log for you to look over.
January 21, 2010 at 12:20 pm
Yikes, make that 5-7k HPS. I thought the other number was a bit low…
January 21, 2010 at 3:54 pm
Yeah, logs make me cranky. I cannot figure out how the other druid out heals me so much. I haven't looked as extensively into it, because I'm Miss Emo-Pants druid but from a glance, I think that stupid legendary mace is whopping my ass. 😡
I know healing meters aren't the most accurate, but they still make me cranky and not want to heal.


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eCommerce Carts Ready for a World of Shopping
(Vivian Wagner @ E-Commerce Times) E-commerce is a global enterprise, and shopping carts and checkout procedures must cater to customers from around the world. That's the word from companies that help e-tailers customize the shopping experience for consumers, no matter where they are doing the scrolling, pointing and clicking.
Shoe shoppers from Antigua to the United Kingdom, when visiting the Jildor Shoes website, can click a link for the "International Website" on the homepage and enter their country and currency. Immediately, the prices, shipping costs, duty fees and taxes for every pair of boots, pumps, and slippers on the site adjust automatically.
From the sales pages to the shopping cart, the site essentially becomes customized for that shopper's country.
It's all part of making international e-commerce seamless, streamlined, and easy -- all goals for businesses that sell their wares around the world.
"It's an excellent way to go," Gil Levy, a managing partner with ECommerce Partners, which provides consulting services to Jildor Shoes, told the E-Commerce Times. "It's good to put it on the homepage: 'We ship internationally.'"
Shopping For the Details
A variety of companies, such as FiftyOne, International Checkout, and Bongo International provide international checkout and fulfillment services for e-commerce businesses that want to sell globally.
These companies convert currencies, calculate shipping costs, and figure duty fees and taxes in order to simplify the process of selling -- and buying -- internationally.
"Bongo provides the API Technology to display an accurate, full, landed cost to the international customer in the checkout environment in real time, or an estimate given through the duty/tax calculator on our website," Jennean Morrison, product manager with Bongo, told the E-Commerce Times.
"Additionally, we offer fraud protection, full export compliance, shipment repackaging and consolidation to drive down shipping costs, a localized customer experience and several payment options for the international customer."
Creating a localized, accurate, and user-friendly international shopping experience can be a challenge, and companies that specialize in global checkout can make life easier for e-tailers by attending to all the myriad details that surround international sales.
"Localization is one of the biggest challenges in e-commerce," noted Morrison. "Displaying website information in the customer's native currency and language can be very expensive and time-consuming to integrate. Other hurdles to consider are denied party screening, specific country restrictions, and product classifications."
Duties and taxes are commonly inflated by a customs department when assigned in-country, if items aren't classified to the full 10-digit Harmonized Commodity Description, she added. "This can equate to chargebacks for a merchant to deal with, or a decline in repeat business."
In addition to all the complicated calculations and other considerations, some of the features of an internationally friendly site are deceptively simple.
"Simple changes, like instead of just 'state,' using 'province/state' and 'postal code' instead of 'zip code,' can streamline the checkout process," Jimmy Rodriguez, chief technical officer with 3DCart, told the E-Commerce Times. "3DCart allows internet retailers to completely customize their site, (which) is key when optimizing your online store for international markets, in order to adjust the elements on your site to accommodate international visitors."
Playing on a Global Field
Customized site designs, shopping carts, and checkout pages make all the difference when it comes to international sales, since no two e-commerce businesses are exactly alike.
"Our modular approach enables us to create a custom international solution for all types of U.S. retailers," said Morrison. "We offer a wide range of benefits from export compliance to payment processing. Our solutions were created to fit the needs of the full spectrum of online retailers interested in expanding globally."
Bongo International does not outsource its operations or customer service, and all technology was created in-house, she added. "This provides the most flexible solutions in the marketplace."
E-commerce businesses, if they want to stay ahead of the curve, must accommodate international sales. Global-friendly site designs and checkout procedures are fast becoming necessities.
"Though e-commerce in the U.S. has been around for many years, the growth in popularity in other countries, including Europe and Latin America, is hitting double digits every year and doesn't seem to be anywhere near leveling off," said Rodriguez. "Most online stores receive international visitors on a daily basis, and by not being able to deliver to these markets they would be at risk of missing opportunities."
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Feb. 11 webcast in response to concerns about aging water infrastructure
As America's water infrastructure ages, many water professionals must consider new maintenance and disinfection methods to keep their pipelines and storage facilities safe and reliable.
In response to high demand for information in these areas, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) will offer a webcast at 1 p.m. EST on Feb. 11. titled "Advanced Disinfection of Pipelines and Storage Facilities."
The webcast will cover AWWA Standards, ozone as an alternative process for pipeline disinfection and much more. Presentations will benefit utility operators, disinfection contractors, manufacturers and public health agency professionals.
Webcast presenters include:
• Betsy Reilley, Ph.D., senior program manager of water quality assurance at Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, where she has worked for 11 years;
• Christopher R. Schulz P.E., BCEE, vice president at Camp Dresser & McKee, Inc., with 25 years experience in planning and design of drinking water treatment systems; and
• Paul Mattausch, director of the Collier County Water Department since 1998.
For more information on the seminars and registration details, go to www.awwa.org/education/webcasts.


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Sand Hollow Reservoir
With its warm, blue waters and red sandstone landscape, Utah's newest state park is also one of its most popular. Boat and fish on Sand Hollow Reservoir, explore and ride the dunes of Sand Mountain
The sprawling 20,000-acre park, which rests mostly on USDI Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, rivals Utah's two largest state parks – Wasatch Mountain and Antelope Island. Sand Hollow already one of the most visited destinations in the Utah State Park system, with recreation opportunities for nearly every user from boaters to bikers, and OHV riders to equestrians.
A favorite destination for local off-highway vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts, Sand Mountain provides 15,000 acres of perfectly sculpted dunes. The red sand is an incredible backdrop for Sand Hollow reservoir. At nearly twice the size of nearby Quail Creek Reservoir, Sand Hollow offers boating and other water recreation in a spectacular setting.
Sand Hollow is located approximately 15 miles east of St George and seven miles east of the I-15 Hurricane Exit. Visitors should exit I-15 at Exit 16 (Highway 9), travel east for about four miles and turn right on Sand Hollow Road, travel south for about three miles and turn left at the park entrance.
Opened to the public as a state park in 2003. Park Elevation: 3,000 feet Park Acreage: 20,000 Surface Water Acreage: 1,322 Sand Mountain OHV Acreage: 6,000
I-15 to Exit 16- Hurricane and you are on your way to 3351 South Sand Hollow Road off of SR-9 in Hurricane Utah. (435) 680-0715. Located about 20 minutes away from Best Western Coral Hills. If you are pulling a boat the hotel has a lot of parking next door in our large dirt lot or in the back of the property if you want to avoid the dirt.


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А сега де.
Среща между старото и новото.
След една седмица пояснявам, но дотогава ще сте разбрали това което искам да кажа.
Winemaking at High pH
by Clark Smith
In this section, we consider the winemaking terrain above pH 3.6. Since the standards for most California wines that exist today (though not necessarily tomorrow) make it difficult to produce commercially acceptable white wines, this is essentially a discussion of red wine production. Consumer expectations for red wine differ from whites in several salient ways:
• More tolerance of browning
• Less emphasis on clarity
• Less emphasis on fresh fruitiness
• More value placed on complexity, less on cleanliness of aroma
• Greater ageability requirements
The dominant theme of low pH winemaking is focused on prevention and control. In high pH winemaking, we often acknowledge that we have given up on prevention, and try instead to direct the inevitable to a stable and agreeable outcome.
The microbiological triangle considers the three requirements of Inoculum, Nutrients, and Inhibitors. Any one of these elements may be addressed to control an organism's growth, as long as the ecology of a specific organism is understood. When blending, it is important to consider that two stable wines, when combined, may supply missing elements required for spoilage. The utility of these elements in the high pH realm is entirely different from the low pH environment.
I. Inhibitors:
In low pH winemaking, we have stressed the role of molecular sulfur dioxide to control the growth of microorganisms. Since its effectiveness as a inhibitor is greatly lessened at high pH, it is more sensible to speak in terms of free and total SO2.
Free SO2, which is substantially all bisulfite, should be maintained to inhibit oxidation and to combine with aldehyde as it is formed through chemical oxidation of EtOH and by the action of film yeasts. When oxygen enters a red wine, it reacts with phenolics and promotes their polymerization. A side product of this reaction is hydrogen peroxide, which may be damaging to wine flavor and can oxidize ethanol. Its reaction with SO2, however, occurs much faster, so a small amount (say 10 to 30 ppm) bisulfite is extremely effective in scavenging peroxide. Since SO2 is depleted by this action and by aldehyde binding, it must be measured by aeration/oxidation and maintained at a reasonable level throughout ageing.
A desirable consequence of sulfite oxidation to sulfate is the liberation of a titratable proton, with the effect that over time, very high pH wines tend to experience increased TA and decreased pH. This effect is proportional to the sulfite concentration, which is ten times higher at pH 4.0 than at pH 3.0, and can thus be ignored below 3.6, but can, during extended barrel age at pH 3.9, result in an increase of as much as 1 g/L in TA and in sulfate concentration (see below for flavor effects) and a reduction of 0.1 or more in pH.
Total SO2 should be measured to assess flavor impact (a soapy finish can be detected at about 200 ppm) and because of its inhibitory effect on malolactic bacteria at about 100 ppm.
Addition of SO2 to young wine will be observed to bleach monomeric pigment. This is a reversible reaction, and actually stabilizes red color by maintaining a pool of monomeric pigment, which is restored to the wine as it ages and the pigments polymerize.
Since at high pH, SO2 is not very effective in inhibiting spoilage organisms, other means must be found to prevent spoilage. A low temperature cellar is one possibility, as many types of organisms such as film yeasts and Brettanomyces do not grow well at 55F. Cool cellars are not, however, a good strategy if the intention is not to sterile filter prior to bottling, since activity in the bottle may ensue, resulting in unpredictable results and bottle variation.
II. Nutrients:
Organisms which require oxygen for respiratory metabolism may be controlled by eliminating it from their environment through the use of inert gas and, preferably, by maintaining wine in full containers. These include film yeasts and Acetobacter. Frequent topping, however, has been argued to introduce more oxygen than it prevents, since it breaks the vacuum which builds in a well made barrel. Many winemakers therefore prefer to bung and roll wines which have completed fermentative activity.
Cool cellars, while they inhibit the growth of many organisms, also increase the solubility of oxygen in wine. Oxygen control is not effective against fermentative organisms, including Saccharomyces, Brettanomyces/Dekkera, and malolactic bacteria.
Oxygen is not the enemy of wine. Low oxygen winemaking, while useful for microbial control, is not always desirable from the point of view of phenolic management. Young reds often benefit from large amounts of oxygen to facilitate polymerization and complexation of harsh tannins. Older reds are generally fed oxygen in much lower levels to assist textural and aromatic development without encouraging oxidative microbiology or tannic dryness.
Fermentable sugar
Complete fermentation is an aid in the suppression of fermentative organisms such as Brettanomyces/Dekkera. Dextrocheck or Lane Eynon analysis for residual sugar is not sensitive enough for this determination, and enzymatic glucose + fructose should be run.
Malic acid
Malic and lactic acids can be tracked non-quantitatively (present/not present) by paper chromatography to monitor the onset and finish of malolactic by the simple and inexpensive method of paper chromatography. Enzymatic malic analysis requires a spectrophotometer, but is a wonderful method to monitor progress of malolactic, and is one of many reasons for even small wineries to consider the purchase of an inexpensive "spec," (around $1500). Please refer to the conclusion of the article on urease for a more complete discussion of this notion.
Because it is not microbially stable, I cannot conceive of a situation in which one would consider addition of malic acid to high pH table wine.
III. Inoculum:
Introduction of commercial organisms
We have already discussed the introduction of malolactic bacteria, so I want to confine my comments here to choices about yeast.
Inoculation for primary fermentation with commercial organisms is widely but not universally practiced. Commercial yeasts differ greatly in their fermentation vigor, and slow fermenters such as Pasteur red are popular for red wines since they allow prolonged fermentation on the skins at elevated temperature.
"Wild" or "natural" yeast fermentation simply means that we have not inoculated and do not know what characteristics the fermenting yeast may possess. Some wild fermentations are prone to foaming, sulfide production, vinegar production, high total SO2 metabolism, and sticking. Advocates point to the advantages of sluggish fermentation and the complexity of flavors which occur in these wines.
An idea which has gained recent credibility is that the advantages of both methods may be obtained by reducing the size of inoculum of commercial yeasts. The resulting delayed onset of fermentation allows natural non-alcohol tolerant yeasts such as Hansenula and Kloeckera to add complexity at the beginning of fermentation, still allowing the commercial yeast, with its predictable characteristics, to finish the fermentation. This strategy may be of particular interest to organic winemakers.
Wineries are not sterile environments. Spoilage cannot be prevented by maintaining an environment free of microbes. Most wineries of any age have indigenous populations of Saccharomyces, Brettanomyces, film yeast and malolactic bacteria. Care to minimize populations by reasonable sanitation procedures is nevertheless the policy of most California wineries. Less so in European cellars, where indigenous microbial populations have stabilized and a "gout de maison" or house flavor profile, which has developed over centuries and whose evolution and control has been empirically incorporated into cellar practices, may be a valued element of the wine.
Since no human pathogen can live in wine, winemakers can afford to be much more blase about sanitation than other food producers. In high pH winemaking, the goal is often to allow the wine to undergo all potential microbial activity at the winery , and sanitation should be considered in this context. For unfiltered products, a warm cellar (60-65F) which promotes potential activity, may be a wise choice.
Because of its alcohol and acidity, even high pH wine is an unusual environment, and most organisms cannot grow in it. Contact with sewage, for example, is less of a threat to wine spoilage than contact with pockets of spoiled wine. The importation of bulk wine, used barrels, and wine containing equipment should always be focused on as an event which might introduce a virulent strain of spoilage organism such as a particularly active film yeast or Lactobacillus.
I like to define winemaking as "the art of intelligent compromise." Filtration decisions balance flavor loss against in-bottle spoilage in the context of a particular wine. Some wineries filter their cabernet but not their pinot noir, for example. Some decisions, such as sweet wine bottling, are pretty straightforward: filters are better than sorbate and cheaper than high-tech pasteurization.
In high pH winemaking, the key to bottling without filtration is to eliminate the nutrients listed above from the equation by provoking microbial activity at the winery.
Red wines are distinguished from whites, more or less, by the introduction of several hundred species of phenols during primary fermentation on the skins.
Monomeric phenols contribute to aroma, while polymeric phenols (tannins) are responsible for astringency.
Winemaking philosophy has progressed considerably over the last twenty years regarding texture goals. It is now clear that gross amounts of tannin per se do not promote long ageing, since the reaction of tannin with oxygen is very slow. Wines thought to be soft and wimpy in the 70's, such as the early Jordan and Veedercrest cabernets, have aged magnificently, while their "bigger" counterparts remain harsh and unappealing. At the same time, the expanding red market has reflected its desire for less tannin in burgeoning sales of merlot over cabernet. California winemakers are now less obsessed with trying to extract "guts, feathers and everything," paying more attention to the French notions of quality. At the same time, full extraction strategies are learning to incorporate sophisticated cellaring techniques to manage texture.
The Bordolais speak in terms of ripe, short chain "soft" tannins as a goal for red wine texture, and also assert that these should form complexes with anthocyanin pigments to produce stable color and soft rich mouthfeel. Adequate tannin extraction to promote this complexing is thought to require fermentation at elevated temperature (over 80F), and may be enhanced by extended maceration for up to several weeks post fermentation.
Ripe fruit is essential for this kind of wine, and in many California vineyards may only be maximized at elevated brix as in France, and green tannins are a particular problem for uneven ripening varieties such as zinfandel. For this reason, many wineries are now allowing extra ripening, then removing excess alcohol with spinning cone and reverse osmosis technologies.
Layers of soft tannins may be encouraged by blending and even by co-fermentation of complementary varietals. Selective extraction strategies, those that attempt to extract the maximum monomer and leave behind the gross tannins, can be implemented at several production stages. Choices include crusher design, cap management technique, yeast selection, fermentation temperature and duration, press type and method of operation, fining regimen, and barrel manufacture.
The French notion of elevage (to "raise" the wine as one raises children) includes many approaches to enhancing tannin structure which include micro-oxygenation (to build structure, round tannins, integrate aromatics and quench reductive proclivities), periodic macro- oxygenation (to open and advance the wine's ageing) and lees contact. The timing and levels employed are critical to success with these techniques.
The rich finish of a classic bordeaux is not entirely attributable to phenols. Potassium and sulfate both contribute the back palate mouthfeel, and are natural by- products of high pH winemaking. Sulfate is the product of sulfite oxidation, which occurs much more rapidly at high pH. Potassium is the counter-ion in the highly buffered solutions typical of this genre. High pH wines are typically not cold stabilized since this results in lowered potassium and higher pH.
Cold stabilization may be useful, however, to reduce high TA in wines of the central coast, whose acid taste creates the impression of harsh mouthfeel. It should be kept in mind that while cold stabilization lowers pH if it takes place below pH 3.6, in the high pH realm it always raises pH.
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text: Korean Job Discussion Forums :: View topic - How does Korea compare to other Asian countries? Speak Korean Now! Korean Job Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in How does Korea compare to other Asian countries? Korean Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> FAQ View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message fatboyJoined: 18 May 2003 Posted: Wed May 21, 2003 12:16 pm Post subject: How does Korea compare to other Asian countries? I�m thinking about teaching in Korea, but frankly everything I�ve heard sounds pretty scary, crappy or both. The phrases "work you like a dog" and "English teaching factories" crop up a lot. How does working in Korea compare to working in other countries such as Thailand or Japan? Back to top SquaffyJoined: 25 Feb 2003Location: All over the place Posted: Wed May 21, 2003 1:10 pm Post subject: Simply put - in SoKo you can save alot of money. In Thailand you get paid in peanuts and LSD. In Japan you work to stay alive. Fatboy - you must learn to take things with a pinch of salt - do what you want to, but have the conviction to do it. Don't believe everything you read here - we're just a small minority of the bigger picture. The pleasantly happy teachers here don't even know this forum exists. Nuff said. Back to top teachernativeJoined: 04 Apr 2003 Posted: Wed May 21, 2003 6:01 pm Post subject: it's b*****ks!!! Go to Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, India, Nepal and get yourself a life. You must be mad or stupid or desperate to come here. Back to top chi-chiJoined: 15 Jan 2003 Posted: Thu May 22, 2003 12:01 am Post subject: mods you may deleteLast edited by chi-chi on Sat Jul 30, 2005 8:41 pm; edited 1 time in total Back to top ZyzyferJoined: 29 Jan 2003Location: who, what, where, when, why, how? Posted: Thu May 22, 2003 4:23 am Post subject: Squaffy wrote: The pleasantly happy teachers here don't even know this forum exists. Nuff said. So that's what happened to me! Makes so much sense now...*tries to push further and further away from internet* Back to top HomerGuest Posted: Thu May 22, 2003 5:54 am Post subject: Must agree with the mouse here... The content teachers in Korea are largely silent. What you hear more of is the discontented minority on boards. Its just normal. As for you choices...squaffy the mouse explained them very well. But Korea can be about more than money and teachernative's demented rant aside, it's a good place to live. You just have to put some effort into your job searching to void the bad schools... Back to top desultudeJoined: 15 Jan 2003Location: Dangling my toes in the Persian Gulf Posted: Thu May 22, 2003 4:48 pm Post subject: I really think that one major difference in people's experiences here is the kind of job they have. I have had the fortune to not have worked in a hogwan- those jobs sometimes sound awful. I have also met people who liked their hogwan jobs and earn decent money. The university where I teach is great. The students are wonderful, if not hardworking, and most people in the city are warm and helpful. Which brings me to the second major difference- the city you live in. I sometimes envy those who live in Seoul, because it seems more exciting and urbane. But I hear the biggest complaints from there. I'm in Daegu, and the people tend to be mostly warm and friendly, except for the occasional bitchy ajuma or drunk old man. The city is big and grey and not very interesting, but the campus is in the hills, with park-like grounds and good hiking trails, and it is easy to go to other cities from here. Sometimes people stare, but that doesn't really bother me- it mostly happens when I travel to places where there aren't white people. And there are rude people all over the world. If I were working in a hogwan- split shift, long hours, abuse from the owner, abuse from moms and the little ones, and living in a place I didn't like, I might be on the board loudly complaining, like some other people. On the other hand, I would probably be looking for a better situation and moving on. I save money, enjoy my students and my work, and feel well treated, in general. I suggest that you do your research, go to a city that meets your needs, and find a decent job. Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Korean Job Discussion Forums Forum Index -> FAQ All times are GMT - 8 Hours Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Forums:----------------FAQJob-related Discussion ForumGeneral Discussion ForumOff-Topic ForumTravel ForumCurrent Events ForumTechnology ForumBuy/Sell/Trade Forum You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Contact Dave's ESL Cafe Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved. Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group TEFL International Supports Dave's ESL Cafe


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|Courtesy: MILB.com
If you have followed the Reds for any appreciable amount of time, then the organization's ability to continually restock the farm system is remarkable. The organization's efforts on both the international market and via the draft have been highly successful and a major reason for the organization's MLB success, as they ensures both a steady flow of cost-effective talent for the major league roster and the availability of surplus assets for use in trade. Despite trading away three top prospects last offseason, the organization has yet to even feel their loss, instead continuing to methodically stack the farm system with impact talent.
Jesse Winker is next in line in this flow of talent. Winker is a bat-first player whose offensive upside made him one of the most sought after amateur players in the country and which could, ultimately, make him an impact hitter at the highest level of the sport.
The Reds selected Jesse Winker with the 49th over pick in the compensation round of the 2012 draft out of Olympia High School in Florida. The Reds received the pick as compensation for the loss of free agent Ramon Hernandez. Winker joins the growing ranks of Reds players selected from the state of Florida. After landing two top 5 prospects in the first three rounds of the 2011 draft (Stephenson and Cingrani), the Reds land two 6-10 ranked prospects in the 2012 draft (Travieso and Winker).
At Olympia High School, in his senior season, Winker hit .488 with an OBP of .649, 19 extra-base hits, including 3 homeruns, and 30 RBI in 30 games. Winker also played both ways at Olympia High School, pitching and playing 1b/OF. During his senior season, his primary defensive position was centerfield. Between the summer of 2010 and the summer of 2011, Winker improved his athleticism, transforming his projected professional profile from that of a mediocre defensive 1b/lf into a solid defensive rightfielder with a strong arm. Winker's brother, Joe, also an outfielder, was selected by the Dodgers in the 28th round of the 2011 draft, so baseball is obviously in the family genes.
While talking to the media about the selections of Winker and 57th overall pick Jeff Gelalich, senior director of amateur scouting, Chris Buckley, stated that "Although one is from high school and one is from college, they're kind of similar. They're corner outfielders, advanced hitters, and have solid tools."
For me, one of the more interesting aspects of selecting similar players with back-to-back picks is that both seem to have very good plate discipline, posting very good OBPs in their amateur careers. If both players reach their respective ceilings, then the Reds could have two valuable, disciplined hitters in the organization.
Winker's play in 2012 made him a Rawlings 1st Team All-American. In addition, Winker played on the USA National 18U team that won the gold medal at the 2011 Junior Pan American Games Tournament. A shortage of pitching pressed Winker into service and he was ultimately named the top pitcher at the Junior Pan Am Games.
Winker has had substantial amateur experience, both national and international, and has performed well at every stop. That experience obviously served him well as he hit the ground running in his professional career in 2012.
Winker signed his first professional contract quickly, forgoing his commitment to the University of Florida and giving him time to get his feet wet in the professional ranks. The Reds sent him to the rookie Pioneer League where he logged 62 games for the Billings Mustangs. Winker's advanced approach at the plate proved to be too much for the level of competition.
In 228 ABs, he posted a .338/.443/.500/.943 slash line with a 50/40 K/BB ratio, 16/3/5 2b/3b/HR totals, and 1 stolen base in 4 attempts. He hit line drives at a strong 22% clip, which, while good, probably wasn't enough to support his .410 BABIP, so some regression would be expected.
Winker's performance was strong enough to earn him a spot on the Topps Short Season-A/Rookie All Star team and set him up nicely to likely start out at low-A Dayton in 2013.
Winker stands with a slightly a wider than shoulder-width stance with a small pre-pitch bat waggle. As the pitch is delivered, he utilizes a one piece stride, drawing his foot back and bringing his knee up before striding forward. While the distance covered by the stride is short, the stride itself is lengthy. It operates as a timing mechanism, effectuates his weight transfer, and enables him to cock his hips to generate load in the swing.
When Winker's stride foot lands, he fires his hips, generating power in the swing. Winker's hip rotation is fast, supplying good power to the swing. When his stride foot lands, he firms up his front side, which acts as an anchor around which the force generated by his hips can rotate. He maintains good balance throughout his swing and gets good extension, finishing high with a picturesque one-handed follow-through. Winker makes consistent, hard contact and has the ability to barrel-up the pitch and drive the ball to all fields. His ability ranked him among the very best high school hitters in the 2012 draft class. Despite the strong and efficient lower body action, his initial upper body action arguably works against the generation of force by the lower body.
When his stride foot plants, Winker actually drops his back elbow and brings it forward, a move which is illustrated in photos 1 and 2 below:
The hitting position in the 2nd photo is somewhat unorthodox, as his upper body leans forward towards the pitcher and the early extension of his hands gives him the appearance of opening up early and coming over the top. A more traditional position is demonstrated in the John Olerud photo below:
|Courtesy: Unknown
Of the two, Olerud's position makes it easier to envision him staying back and letting his hips work before the upper body rotates. Winker's swing, on the other hand, involves an earlier upper body rotation, as it's more top-hand driven, likely an attempt to drive the swing with his dominant arm. Whenever I hit a golf ball or a baseball, my swing thought is always one of pulling with the lead hand. Obviously, both baseball and golf swings effectively utilize both hands, but I always get into trouble when I focus on the back hand, as it creates too much "push" in my swing. Winker's heavier top-hand action gives his swing added length in the back and the appearance of some push.
This heavy top-hand action creates a swing that potentially suffers from a measure of "bat-drag", as his back elbow gets out almost ahead of his back-hip. As you can see in the second Winker photo above, one of the consequences of bat-drag is that the front arm straightens out into an arm-bar.
As a result of Winker's early upper-body move, the differential between the shoulder and hip rotation is greater in the Olerud photo than in the Winker photo for the simple reason that Olerud hasn't opened up his front shoulder. This differential is largely what generates power in the swing. Further, the early top-hand action, and the arm-bar it creates, forces Winker to extend his arms earlier than is ideal, which can act as a drag on the rotational force created by the body.
To date, this top-hand heavy swing hasn't been a hindrance. In fact, he excelled in his first taste of professional ball. So, the other components of his swing may have developed in such a way as to effectively offset the drag on the force created by the lower body action. And, it's important to note that a mechanical issue isn't a flaw until it demonstrably impacts a player's performance level. That hasn't happened yet with Winker, though I wouldn't be surprised if it proved problematic in the future, but for now it's just something worth watching. However, bat-drag has other possible consequences for which he may be less able to compensate.
Bat-drag adds length to the swing, which is likely to move the hitter's contact-point forward. Instead of letting the pitch travel deep, the hitter is frequently forced to make contact with the pitch farther in front of the plate. In addition, bat-drag can impact the timing of the swing, changing when the bat head begins to whip through the zone. As a result, pitchers with better velocity may be able to exploit the longer swing, as the hitter will likely struggle to reach the contact-point in time to meet the pitch. To compensate, the hitter will have to start his swing earlier, which, in return, could make him more susceptible to good offspeed pitches.
Below is a photo of the hand position that potentially creates bat-drag in Winker's swing:
It'll be interesting to see if Winker's bat-drag causes problems against more advanced competition or if he has built a swing that effectively compensates for this issue. In short, it doesn't matter if his hands get into an unusual position early in the swing just so long as gets them into proper hitting position when needed. Years of repetition and muscle memory may have refined his swing to the point that this is a non-issue. No two hitters swing the bat the same way and potential mechanical issues may never even become detrimental to a hitter. For example, Todd Frazier has an arm-bar swing that only a mother could love, but he tamed his arm-bar to the tune of 19 home runs and a .273 batting average at the MLB level. As the sample size increases and the competition gets tougher, the same may prove true of Jesse Winker.
Here's a look at Winker's swing to see how he gets from the unusual hand-position (top photo) into good hitting position (bottom photo):
In the bottom photo, Winker is in solid hitting position, as he (1) uses a firm front side, (2) has strong hip rotation that generates enough force to drive his back foot up onto the toe, and (3) has his back elbow in fairly good position. In the second photo, the bat angle is pretty steep and the front arm is really straightened in an arm-bar position, extending the hands away from the body. This extension could reduce the ability of the hands and upper body to work in proper sync, creating inefficiency in the swing. All the movement occurring between the first and second photo is hand movement (the upper body maintaining a largely static position until the third photo), which is necessary to compensate for the earlier unorthodox hand position. Regardless of the need for this compensating movement, as long as he can consistently get into good hitting position at the point of contact, then the unusual early hand action will likely prove inconsequential. If, however, it takes him slightly longer to get from the top photo to the bottom photo because of his unusual hand-action, forcing him to move the point of contact forward, then it could prove problematic as he faces more advanced pitching.
Just for comparison sake, here's a photo the best hitter in baseball at a similar point in his swing:
|Courtesy: Unknown
In comparison to the second Winker photo above, you can see more flex in Votto's lead arm, the back elbow farther off the hip, a slightly less severe bat angle, and better synchronization between the upper-body and arms.
Part of what could drive Winker's success is strong pitch recognition and an advanced approach to hitting, which when combined enable him to both effectively utilize the entire field and control the strike zone. Getting a good pitch to hit is the most important aspect of hitting and far too few hitters do it well. Winker's selectivity will increase the probability of a successful outcome to his ABs. He should also be able to consistently supplement his batting average with strong on-base percentages, increasing the chances that he'll be a well-rounded, impact hitter at the MLB level.
If you watch Winker's swing, it's actually very fluid and easy on the eyes. It's only closer study that reveals the usual top-hand action. Still, "unusual" doesn't necessarily equate to "detrimental". And, to date, Winker has had a great deal of success at the plate, so, taken in total, his swing may prove to be effective and productive against even the most advanced competition, though I wouldn't be surprised if he struggles as a direct result of his unusual hand-action.
Here's a look at Winker courtesy Baseball America:
And, here's his draft video, courtesy MLB.com:
Overall, there are a great many things to like about Winker's swing and approach at the plate. Whether the early, unorthodox hand-action creates bat-drag for which he is unable to compensate remains to be seen, but the early professional results do nothing to dispel the high baseline performance level he established for himself in the amateur ranks.
The sample size is too small to make any determinations about the quality of Winker's defense, but in some respects he reminds me of a wealthy man's Danny Dorn. I was, and am, a fan of Danny Dorn, so that comparison isn't a criticism, but the cautionary tale I learned from Dorn's career path is that a player who is average (or less) at a defensive position that resides at or near the bottom of the defensive-spectrum REALLY needs to have a special bat to carve out an MLB career. If your defensive value is neutral or negative, then you have to be a highly productive offensive player in order to create enough total value for your team.
Based on early reports, it sounds like Winker may have enough ability to be an average or better rightfielder. If true, that would slightly lessen the need for his bat to carry him to the majors. There are, however, questions about his foot speed and range, which could relegate him to leftfield down the road, reducing his overall value. On the other hand, if he reaches his offensive ceiling AND provides solid defense, then he could become a true impact player at the MLB level.
To date, Winker has done nothing but hit everywhere he's gone. His swing is fundamentally sound, and while he has an unusual component to his swing, it has worked very well for him to this point. Until it doesn't work, there's no real cause for concern. Still, it's worth watching and if he begins to struggle on a consistent basis, then it might be the root of the problem. But, there's a great deal to like about his offensive game (including a disciplined approach that should significantly raise his projected floor) and reason for optimism going forward. For now, he slots in at #7 on the list.