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A running discussion on the Cincinnati Reds and everything else in the baseball universe.
Saturday, August 1, 2009
The Scott Rolen Experiment
I like this deal.
I know I'm one of the few, but I like what the Reds have done here. It's not easy to restructure a roster, but the Reds have needed to do just that for years. They began the process last year by trading away Adam Dunn and Ken Griffey Jr., but finally completed it by trading away Edwin Encarnacion. He was the last player who obviously needed to go.
For far too long the Reds were built like a beer league softball team. As the new defensive metrics continue to develop, they reveal more and more the true value of defense. Unfortunately, the Reds have been locked into a 25-man roster that largely prevented them from being a good defensive team. The presence of Adam Dunn, Ken Griffey Jr., and Edwin Encarnacion gave the Reds no roster flexibility and no chance at fielding even a competent defensive club. Finally, with this trade, the Reds no longer have any significant defensive liabilities.
Completely restructuring a 25-man roster is a significant challenge and, at times, it can be painful, but this was a necessary move for the Reds and one that makes them a better team in 2010.
The Players
The Reds traded Edwin Encarnacion, Zach Stewart, and Josh Roenicke to the Blue Jays for Scott Rolen. I still haven't seen the definitive word on whether money is changing hands in the deal, but if the Reds can get the Jays to pick up some of the contract then it looks more favorable for them.
Of course, the hue and cry in the Reds nation is that the Reds overpaid. Frankly, I just don't see it, as that train of thought is based on fans 1) overvaluing Edwin, 2) the prospects we gave up, or 3) both.
As it stands, Edwin simply has no trade value. In fact, in light of his escalating salary, he may have actually had negative value. When rumors of this trade were first raised in the press, it was clear that the Jays had no interest in Edwin. It's a reasonable inference that the real value in this deal for the Jays came from Stewart and Roenicke. Edwin went along for the ride to give the Reds some salary relief.
Offensive Impact
Unfortunately, Rolen isn't quite the offensive player he was once. A shoulder injury has robbed him of some of his power, but in 2009 he has made the adjustments necessary to be an effective offensive contributor. On the season, Rolen is hitting .316/.366/.471/.837 and while he has a .342 BABIP, his performance is not the result of luck, as he has a stellar linedrive rate of 24.9%. On his career, Rolen has a slash line of .284/.370/.500. And, while the big power numbers are unlikely to return, his overall production should be solid.
As for Edwin, his career slash line of .262/.344/.449/.793 has been characterized by massive slumps and never ending inconsistency. He has always appeared to have good upside, but is no closer to reaching it than when he first arrived.
If he can stay healthy, Rolen should be an upgrade on offense.
Defensive Impact
In 2009, Edwin has sunk to a whole new level on defense. I didn't think it was possible to get worse at the hot corner, but he has managed to do so. I really don't think most people appreciate just how detrimental his defense is to the performance of the team.
In 2009, Edwin has a UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating in Runs Above Average) of -6.0 and a UZR/150 (UZR Runs Above Average per 150 Defensive Games) of -23.1. His career UZR/150 is -12.2.
He doesn't fare any better under John Dewan's +/- system. In 2009, Edwin has a -10 rating, which translates into -8 Runs Saved. In a mere 362.1 innings, Edwin has cost the Reds 8 runs more than the average third baseman. That ranks him 30th among third basemen. Basically, he's dead last among 3b, despite having missed a significant amount of time with injury.
On the other hand, Rolen is still stellar with the leather. He's not quite what he used to be, but he remains a strong defensive third baseman.
In 2009, Rolen has a UZR of 4.8 and a UZR/150 of 7.9.
Under the +/- system, Rolen is a +18, which translates into 14 runs saved. So, he's been 14 runs better than the league average 3b.
Defensive metrics still aren't without flaw, but when the findings of one are supported by another, then you can feel more confident in what they reveal. If you look at these measures, then it seems fairly safe to say that the Reds are going to save roughly 28-30 runs on defense by going from Edwin to Rolen. Give or take, Edwin is ~15 below average, while Rolen is ~10 runs above average.
As a general rule of thumb, a win is considered to be worth ~10 runs. That number is arrived by looking at all the teams throughout baseball history who have scored one more run than they have allowed per game, and finding that they have a .600 win percentage. In addition, the teams that have allowed one more run than they score have a .400 win percentage, which means that each additional run leads to .100 additional wins.
If Scott Rolen can stay healthy and play something resembling a full season, then speaking strictly from a defensive point of view the Reds are improving in the Win column by ~2.5 wins.
Departing Prospects
Most of the complaints about the deal focus on the loss of Zach Stewart, and, to a lesser extent, Josh Roenicke.
Stewart really opened some eyes this year, as he proved to be much more than a raw, live-armed college closer. He made 14 starts between high-A and double-A ball before being promoted to triple-A, where he was shifted back to the bullpen to limit his innings pitched.
For high-A Sarasota, he posted a 2.13 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, and a 32/8 K/BB in 42.1 innings pitched. In addition, Stewart had a stellar 2.42 GB/FB ratio. He was quickly promoted to double-A, where he kept on rolling. He posted a 1.46 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, and a 31/10 K/BB ratio in 37.0 innings. He also continued to pile up the groundballs, posting a 1.96 GB/FB ratio.
As for Roenicke, I like him more than most. He's got a very live arm, keeps the ball down, and gives up few walks. He's an intriguing power arm with the potential to work high leverage innings. In the minors, he had a 2.57 ERA and 32/6 K/BB ratio in only 28.0 innings. Roenicke also induced his fair share of groundballs, as evidenced by his 1.60 GB/FB ratio.
Not only did both prospects have good numbers, but they also have plus stuff. Neither relied on smoke and mirrors to post their production, so these certainly were legitimate prospects with value.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, I think Rolen will have a very positive impact on the Reds in 2010. His defense alone will be a significant improvement and he should also provide the type of quality righthanded bat that we have lacked in 2009. When paired with Brandon Phillips, a healthy Scott Rolen should work to counterbalance the lefthanded bats of Joey Votto and Jay Bruce.
Unfortunately, the Reds had to give up Roenicke and Stewart to acquire Rolen. I suspect that Roenicke had to be included to get the Jays to take Encarnacion. By including Edwin in the deal, the Reds save $4.75M in 2010, which effectively reduces Rolen's cost next year to $6.25M. Early reports are that the Jays are picking up the rest of Rolen's salary in 2009, so the monetary implications of the deal are fairly good for the Reds.
Of course, it would have been nice if the Reds could have acquired Rolen without giving up Roenicke or Stewart. However, given that the Reds already have a lot of good young talent on the team and in the rotation, it hardly seems unwise to deal away prospects for established veterans who can help at the MLB level. The purpose of the farm system is to support the MLB team, which can be done both by promoting prospects or by trading them away.
Stewart certainly exploded onto the scene in 2009, but to me his ceiling seems to be that of a #2 starter and he's no sure bet to reach that ceiling. In fact, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him top out as a #3 starter or even a closer. The idea that he's a future #1 starter or Cy Young winner based on a mere 14 start sample size seems more than a little overly optimistic. Personally, I wish we could have kept Josh Roenicke, as he is the more likely of the two to contribute at the big league level in 2010. Still, given the volatility of relievers, they are usually fairly easy to replace. However, I fear that may not quite be the case with Roenicke.
Ultimately, there is a great deal of inherent risk in pitching prospects and Stewart is more likely to end up a #3 starter or worse than he is a #1 starter. In addition, I still have a question or two about his mechanics, which may reduce his ability to handle a 200+ inning workload on an annual basis. To me, Stewart would have to develop into a legitimate #1/2 starter for me to lament his departure and I question his ability to do so.
Despite their recent struggles, the Reds seem rather close to being competitive. By adding a veteran righthanded bat and improving the defense at the hot corner, the Reds should be much improved in 2010. After the Rolen trade, the Reds seem to be an impact bat and a healthy pitching staff away from being a tough team to handle next season.
I'd be surprised if the Reds didn't extend Rolen's contract to keep him in Cincinnati beyond 2010, so if he can stay reasonably healthy over the next few years, then the Reds should be a much improved team. The Reds certainly gave up good talent in Roenicke and Stewart to do it, but a healthy Scott Rolen puts the Reds one step closer to a postseason birth.
8 comments:
Great post, im liking the trade more and more every time i think about it. I hated to lose stewart, but im with you that he probably wont be any more than a number 3 starter. But that does has value.ReplyDelete
It makes me laugh how many people out there are saying stewart was going to win a cy young. Very doubtful, id say that cueto and bailey were better prospects than stewart ever was and they havnt won a cy young, why would he?
Hey Smitty,ReplyDelete
Yeah, I think the hype on Stewart is getting a little bit out of control. I agree with you in that a good, homegrown #3 starter has value, but given the Reds young pitching in the majors and the minors, I think they could afford to deal Stewart.
One of the reasons I liked this deal was that it had a real chance to help them win in 2010. I'm tired of waiting for a winning team and the Rolen addition really left only 2 possible holes in the lineup. We would seem to be pretty well set everywhere except catcher and shortstop. The pitching staff looked pretty good and the defense would be much improved.
Unfortunately, between the time I started writing the post and now, Edinson underwent Tommy John surgery. So, now the Reds may need to scrounge up another starting pitcher, which only hinders their chances to compete in 2010.
Still, I think this team has a chance to be pretty strong in 2010...IF we make the right moves. One of the obvious moves is Willy T to the bench or the waiver wire.
Fortunately, the Reds still have Yonder Alonso in the mix, so he can be used as a trade chip to bring in a starting pitcher, shortstop, or catcher.
Ultimately, I think this deal hinges on Rolen's health. If he can play in 150+ games a couple times over the next few years, then the deal is just fine. I will, however, miss Josh Roenicke. He could be the more significant loss to the Reds, especially in 2010 and perhaps beyond.
Anyway, thanks for the comment.
you dont have left field as a concern? I see that as more of a hole than catcher. I think hanigan will do just fineReplyDelete
I also just seen that about volquez, thats not good at all. He was huge for the 2010 season and now he might not pitch in it at all. He might come back and never be the same.
I would love to trade alonso for a shortstop and a starting pitcher if we could i just cant think of anyone that we match up with. should be interesting to see
To be honest, not really. In the real world, Willy T is likely to be entrenched in center in 2010. So, that leaves Dickerson, Gomes, Stubbs, Heisey, Balentien, and Frazier as options in leftfield. Obviously, it was up to me, Willy T wouldn't be on the team, but even then I'd much rather have an outfield of Stubbs/Dickerson/Bruce. I'd be pleased with that, especially if we can get an impact bat at short or catcher (though, that may be tough to do).
I agree that Alonso is the big chip for trades this offseason. He could bring in a quality player to fill a need.
It'll be interesting to see what happens. Still, Edinson's injury hurts. A lot.
Good post, I agree with everything you wrote. I was watching the game on ESPN the other night Dodgers and somebody else. Joe Morgan said that since the steroids era was basically over teams were switching to or trying to find great defensive possible gold glove players rather than finding players with big bats as in the past. That makes this Rolen deal even sweeter.ReplyDelete
I would like to see us improve SS and either sign Gomes for LF or improve it and give Dickerson CF. Let WT backup all 3 for a year since he's getting paid. Hanigan catch
Yeah, the post steroid era sees teams gravitating back to the athletes over the sluggers. During the steroid era, the runs created by the hulking slugger were so much higher than the non-chemically enhanced production that it was easier to overlook the shoddy defense that those sluggers provided. In short, Barry Bonds more made up for the extra hits he let fall in with his 70 homeruns. That's not the case anymore.
The departures of Dunn, Griffy, and Edwin give the Reds a real chance to field a top notch defensive team. Rolen will certainly help, but they need to follow that up with another smart move or two to maximize the benefit.
I'm still waiting for the final monetary details to leak out, but I've read the Jays may even cut ties with Edwin after the season. So, Roenicke and Stewart were traded for Rolen AND the opportunity for the Reds to dump Edwin. If they got a hefty bit of money from the Jays, then the deal will likely be a bit more palatable for the dissenters.
Anyway, thanks for the comment!!
- AnonymousAugust 6, 2009 at 1:37 PM
i like the deal but its going to be a win for the blue jays if rolen only plays around 80 games next year and leaves after next yearReplyDelete
if stewart does reach the average #2 or great #3 pitcher
the one i didnt want to see go is roenicke because he would be a good setup man in 2010 and as good a closer as coco when he leaves for much less
Hey Anon,ReplyDelete
I agree that the key to the deal is going to be Rolen's health. If he can play 145-150 games, then I think the deal works out just fine for us. Hopefully, the Reds medical staff examined Rolen's shoulder and gave him a clean bill of health.
I'll be very curious to see what Stewart does. I don't think he's a future #1, but he does have the ceiling of a #2 starter. Still, I think the projections people are making based on 14 starts are a bit over the top. Maybe I'm wrong. Time will tell.
Stewart could reach his ceiling, but there's also significant inherent risk that he won't get there.
As for Roenicke, I agree with you. He's a reliever with the potential to work high leverage innings. Still, the system is producing relievers, so in theory he was expendable, especially if Jared Burton comes back strong.
Thanks for the comment.


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100 Years of Grand: The Grand Canyon Centennial Project
A digital archive celebrating the Centennial of the Grand Canyon National Park. A collaborative project of the Arizona State University Library, Cline Library, Northern Arizona University and the Grand Canyon National Park. Additional materials are available via the project website.
Mime Type
Resource Type
- 1 text
- 1 Public
- Automobile travel
- Tourism
- Camping
- 1 Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona.)
- 1 National parks and reserves
Date Range
1925 1925
- Tertiary History of the Grand Cañon District with Atlas
- History of the Grand Canyon National Park
- Stage Coach Trip to the Grand Canyon, 1895, by Josephine Frankenberg of Tempe
- Letter from A. E. Demaray, National Park Service to Carl Hayden
- Letter from Carl Hayden to J. R. Eakin, Grand Canyon National Park
Brochure describing hotels, camps and trips at the Grand Canyon under Fred Harvey Management.
- Contributors
- Rand McNally and Company
- Created Date
- 1925-02-25

subset: commoncrawl


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According to family lore, when my great-grandmother was 16, she walked right up to my very handsome great-grandfather and said to him, "Catch me, I'm a butterfly." It was a bold move for a short, shy woman who never drove a car or wrote a check in her life. (Though, she was sassy. She once got mad at AT&T and didn't use the telephone for a whole month.) But she saw something she wanted and went after it, nerves be damned. And she got it, too. My great-grandparents were married 59 years. The point is, love changes us. It makes us happy and brave and crazy—and it makes for a great story.
For this year's Love Issue, we tapped into the power of lore by teaming up with local monthly storytelling group Big Blue Door. Creators Joel and Jennifer Jones provided seven storytellers (two C-VILLE staffers included), and a theme of "crazy little thing called love" as a jumping-off point. The writers did the rest, weaving together tales of love, loss, and going postal. The best part of every experience, though, is in the sharing, because it means the story never dies. And, in that way, neither does the love.—Caite White
Hear for yourself
Don't take our (written) word for it. Head to Woolly Mammoth (1304 E. Market St.) on Thursday, February 20 at 8pm to hear seven more "Crazy little thing called love" stories from local storytellers. February's lineup features Lauren Ballback, Jamie Dyer, Charlie Gilliam, Clare Terni, Maggie Thornton, Debra Weiss, and Broocks Willich.
And, if you can't wait, listen to Ray Nedzel, Miller Murray Susen (34:40), and Tom Clay telling stories at past Big Blue Door performances.


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Saw that it was nice weather so drove out to Balmaha for the day and a nice walk around Loch Lomond...aw...okay, maybe taking a picture or two of this tree might have had something to do with the trip. It attracts photographers from miles around for the combo of loch, tree and distant hills and it did for me, too. Quite a long exposure, this one, around 20 or 30 seconds. Thoughts most welcome!Cheers,Stewart.
Really well done.Mike.


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|Herschel Gets Sneak Peak at Star Birth
The first scientific results from the Herschel infrared space observatory are revealing previously hidden details of star formation. New images show thousands of distant galaxies furiously building stars and beautiful star-forming clouds draped across our Milky Way galaxy. One picture even catches an "impossible" star in the act of formation.
Presented today during a major scientific symposium held at the European Space Agency in the Netherlands, the results challenge old ideas of star birth, and open new roads for future research. The mission is led by the European Space Agency with important participation from NASA.
"Herschel is a new eye on a part of the cosmos that has been dark and buried for a long time," said the mission's NASA project scientist, Paul Goldsmith, at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.
Herschel's observation of the star-forming cloud RCW 120 has revealed an embryonic star, which appears ready to turn into one of the biggest and brightest stars in our galaxy within the next few hundred thousand years. It already contains eight to 10 times the mass of the sun and is still surrounded by an additional 2,000 solar masses of gas and dust from which it can feed further.
"This star can only grow bigger," says Annie Zavagno, Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de Marseille in France. Massive stars are rare and short-lived. To catch one during formation presents a golden opportunity to solve a long-standing paradox in astronomy. "According to our current understanding, you should not be able to form stars larger than eight solar masses," says Zavagno.
Read more at http://www.esa.int/esaCP/SEM7N7KPO8G_index_0.html .
Herschel is a European Space Agency cornerstone mission, with science instruments provided by consortia of European institutes and with important participation by NASA. NASA's Herschel Project Office is based at JPL. JPL contributed mission-enabling technology for two of Herschel's three science instruments. The NASA Herschel Science Center, part of the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, supports the United States astronomical community. Caltech manages JPL for NASA.
|Last Updated ( Friday, 03 September 2010 )
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My folks had a yard that was big enough to turn some laps in the bag yard as long as you paid close enough attention to dodge the pine trees and our German Shepherd.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
It was that go-kart that with my Dad's tutelage taught me a healthy respect for the coil on a two-cycle engine. Yeah, Pop always had a sense of humor, and it tickled him to see me get shocked.
One street over from our family home was the remains of the abandoned high school football field. The grand stands and goal posts were gone, but what remained was a flat wide asphalt oval course that circled the old playing field. That asphalt oval made a perfect go-kart track. On the occasional Saturday, my Dad would allow us to ride the go-kart over there and turn some laps around the old field.
One such Saturday, I rode over to the old field and met some neighborhood kids that also had a go-kart and soon a race was started. The two go-karts seemed equally matched, so getting an advantage was challenging. Finally on the third lap, I dove to the inside of the asphalt track to get the advantage through the turn. Suddenly I saw a foreboding image in my line of sight - a huge fire ant hill.
Image source: www.antweb.org
With no time to change course, The belly pan of the go-kart sliced the top of the mound off hurling three-quarters of the mound of fire ants onto me and the go-kart. Suddenly fire ants were up both my pant legs. Both of my legs become a stinging inferno.
I slammed on the brakes, killed the ignition, and hopped of the go-kart. Abandoning all modesty for self-preservation, I kicked off my tennis shoes, unbuckled my belt, and shed my Levis in front of God and half of the neighborhood kids. Kicking, screaming, twitching, I am sure I looked like a combination of someone dancing the "Icky Shuffle" and having a seizure all at the same time.
Because my Dad was so overcome with the humor of the sight, he could do nothing to help me as he was paralyzed with laughter and tears. I eventually was able to rid myself of all of the stinging/biting devils, beat my Levis against a pine tree to get all of the fire ants out of them, and was able to put back on my pants and ride home.
image source: www.aboutpest.com
I lost that race that day, but gave it no second thought. It took a few weeks to live down the jokes at school about my pantless dancing. I learned to watch carefully for fire ant hills when riding go-karts.


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I had a very interesting comment on my post on Electricity and Vedas shared in Facebook.
The comment was to the effect that the information in the Indian Texts are so allegorical and descriptive that it is very difficult to sift Data from these.
My reply was that I have, with the help of references from the Internet and Books, have been positing articles and these may be found under
Astrophysics and Science.
Interpretations of the Vedic texts depends on the reader as well.
Apart from a good exposure to Sanskrit one has to have a grounding in Indian Philosophical systems, not only the Vedas and the subject matter he
wants to look for in the Vedas.
If one wants to find references to Quantum Theory, one should have a clear understanding of Quantum so that one knows what to look for.
I found an interesting interpretation of the Purusha Sukta.
Based on the first two lines a Prototype of an Electrical Motor was developed and it generated Power!
The Power Input was 126 Watts, Output 303 Watts.
This is achievement as there is an additional generation of Power from 126 to 333.
Quantum Theory states there is a Vacuum at the Sub-Atomic level, called the Quantum Vacuum Field.
Hinduism differs here.
It states that there is no vacuum but Ether that contains Electricity.
I recently delivered a Lecture on this subject.
I shall post an article and Video on this shortly.
Now Power from Purusha Sukta.
The first shlokha of purusha-sooktha reads as follows:
Sahasra sirsha purusha: | sahasraksha: sahasrapaa |
Sa bhUmim vishvato vRtvA | atyatishTad daSAngulam ||
If it is deciphered normally, we get the following meaning:
With Thousands of heads, Thousands of eyes, and Thousands of feet, he (the supreme god) moves, as all of creation verily is he uncountable. He is beyond the grasp of the hands of men.
Now let us see how Mr. Satish Chandra has deciphered:
Out of the ten directions, in 8 directions excluding earth and sky and by firmly installing 8 gadgets (alternators) on the circumference of a circle, which contains numerous positive and negative charges, such that each one will face their own charges i.e. positive to positive and negative to negative and by rotating a runner like earth in a cylindrical way (in the centre) in between them will generate energy.
Based on his interpretation, he has come up with a prototype (see the first picture below) where he has used four magnets (static alternators) and one motor (runner) in the centre.
The common runner and the static alternators are mechanically isolated from each other and are magnetically coupled.
Just by rotating the common runner all the static alternators generate power independently.
The common runner may be rotated by means of a diesel engine or water turbine or steam turbine or an electrical motor.
For the prototype model he has used a 126 Watts of motor. Using this he is able to drive power of 303 Watts power for 12 chimney bulbs and 8 tube-lights (See the second picture below).
Taking this concept further an Organisation has a Project for Power Generation.
However, his fascination with finding the "better way" of energy generation and inspiration by the theory that ancient Vedas are encoded knowledge of the mankind passed on through thousands of years in the form of religious prayers and rituals. pushed him into deep study of the sacred writings, especially the Purusha Sookta, which proved to be a treasury of scientific knowledge in energy generation.
For the past 29 years Satishchandra spends every free moment of his busy life pursuing the intellectual discoveries of our forefathers which he decrypted in deep meditation. And what rich and beautiful discoveries these are! After years of rebuking and ridicule, the scientific world is finally taking notice and recognizes that yes, Satishchandra was right by persisting in his pursuit of the ancient truths that we only are beginning to understand now, with all our advanced science.
His prototype of a static alternator built exactly as per instructions of the first Sloka of the Purusha Sookta gave further inspiration for further scientific research into the links between the Vedic and modern science. What is most fascinating, is that the principles of physics exhibited in Vedic alternator are the same as those of particle accelerators, electron storage rings, pulse lasers and other most advanced achievements of modern physics that concentrate and focus the magnetic field.
The Vedic static alternator has been patented as an offering at the lotus feet of Mother India.
Electricity Generated Using Purusha Sukta
Agragami Vedic Static Alternator
Related articles


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Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst gaveled in the chamber shortly after 2 p.m. and by 2:30 p.m. a recess was called.
The Senate began with Dewhurst warning that anyone making outbursts in the gallery would be removed.
Soon after, a short discussion was had after Sen. Royce West (D) inquired about parliamentary procedure regarding which clock in the chamber was the official clock and if there was a procedure for disputes about the actual time.
U.S. & World
West's inquiry was reducing to writing between Dewhurst, West and Sen. Kirk Watson.
Up next, Sen. John Whitmire (D) proposed a recess until after the July 4 holiday.
"Mr. President, I move that the Senate stand in recess until 11 a.m. Tuesday July 9, pending reciept of messages through reading and referral of bills and reciept of committee reports," said Whitmire.
There were no objections to Whitmire's motion and the Senate is now in recess.
Although there will be no further action on either floor until next week, committees will be in session this week. The chairman of the House State Affairs Committee said he'd cut off testimony on the bill at midnight Tuesday and expects the full House to get it next week.
The Senate gallery was full but calm as the session began after a boisterous demonstration outside.
Texas Abortion Bill Battle Reignites to Start Second Special Session
Round two of Texas' fierce ideological battle over abortion limits began Monday, with demonstrators filling the state Capitol and riot police on standby less than a week after a Democratic filibuster and hundreds of raucous protesters threw the end of the first special session into chaos.
The Legislature's Republican majority has vowed to pass wide-ranging abortion restrictions quickly and easily this time, even as opponents mobilize for more protests.
"The world has seen images of pro-abortion activists screaming, cheering," Republican Gov. Rick Perry said. "Going forward, we have to match their intensity but do it with grace and civility."
Hundreds of abortion-rights groups gathered on the Capitol's front steps hours before a rally was scheduled to begin, while horse-mounted state troopers and police from as far away as Houston watched. More than 100 state police, many carrying helmets and truncheons, staged inside the Capitol building and newly erected crowd control barriers funneled visitors away from the entrances to the House and Senate chambers.
Opponents of the proposed law restricting where, when and how a woman may obtain an abortion wore orange T-shirts and prepared for a rally with national women's rights leaders. Supporters wore blue and recited the Lord's Prayer outside the Senate.
Lawmakers finished their regular session on May 27, but Perry called them back immediately for 30 more days to approve, among other things, the tight new limits on abortion.
On the extra session's last day, however, Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis of Fort Worth was on her feet for more than 12 hours -- speaking most of that time -- as Democrats used a filibuster to help kill the sweeping abortion bill.
Since gaining national fame following her filibuster, Davis has admitted she has aspirations for higher office, but hasn't said when she'll pursue it.
As the midnight deadline loomed, Republicans used parliamentary technicalities to silence her, but hundreds of protesters in the public gallery and surrounding Capitol corridors cheered so loudly that senators on the floor weren't able to hear, and the bill died as the clock ran out.
The scene was chaotic enough that Sen. Donna Campbell, a New Braunfels Republican, called for the gallery to be cleared. With lawmakers now heading back, she said, "I believe more presence by law enforcement will help keep disruptive behavior from thwarting the democratic process."
She said more families may turn up to express their views and "every Texan's voice deserves to be heard. Not just the noisiest and unruliest."
Lainie Duro sat on the Capitol floor at 8 a.m. Monday with a stack of feminist literature and sex education books.
"I'm always part of the unruly mob. We refuse to be ruled," she said. "Poor women, women of color, rural women. If they need abortion they will not be able to get an abortion. Health care in Texas is already difficult for people in poverty to access."
How much work lawmakers will accomplish Monday is unclear. They need a quorum to open the session. After that, all they can do is refer bills to committees. But lawmakers from both parties are likely to use the opening day to give speeches to their supporters.
Perry said he expects lawmakers to get their work done more quickly this time, making it harder for a filibuster to talk any proposed legislation to death.
"I want the Legislature to be getting work done that actually that they had, by and large, finished," he said.
House Speaker Joe Straus and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who oversees the Senate, haven't revealed plans to do anything differently in the second special session -- but it's lost on no one that moving through the process faster, and ensuring both chambers carry out final votes long before the end of the session, will limit Democratic stall tactics and make any possible filibuster moot because too much time would be left.
The legislative process now starts over, with lawmakers filing bills, committees holding public hearings on each, then passing them to both full chambers to consider. That means reviving the proposals Davis and the protesters killed: banning abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, requiring that the procedure be performed at ambulatory surgical centers, and mandating that doctors who perform abortions obtain admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles.
Supporters say such limits will safeguard women's health, but opponents argue the requirements are intended to stop abortions through over-regulation. Only five out of 42 clinics qualify as ambulatory surgical centers and they are located only in major metropolitan areas. Dewhurst has acknowledged that the ultimate goal is to shutter abortion clinics.
Davis, who donned pink tennis shoes for the marathon speech that made her an overnight political sensation nationwide, hasn't said if she would try something similar again. And, calling more special sessions has squashed Democratic stonewall tactics before.
In 2003, House Democrats fled to Oklahoma to keep the chamber from making quorum and passing new redistricting maps that benefited Republicans. When Perry called a first and then second special session, Senate Democrats headed to New Mexico. But the maps were approved during a third extra session that year.
Even so, Gilberto Hinojosa, chairman of the Texas Democratic Party, vowed: "As this last week has shown, we are ready to fight."
The Texas Senate has convened for a new 30-day special session to take up contentious abortion restrictions bill and other issues.


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Accomplished actress/singer Alison Janes is new to Los Angeles. Known for her soprano voice and striking looks, Janes is making her mark in the city with film appearances and a new play based on the life of screen legend Marilyn Monroe.
"It's a very imaginative play that shows you sides of Marilyn Monroe that weren't often seen or appreciated," said Janes who stars opposite Adam Meyer. "The play is really about who she was underneath. That's what was important to me, finding her soul and her spirit."
With a little make up, some period clothing and a lot of attitude, Janes brings her inner Marilyn to the fore in the biographical play "Marilyn… MADNESS & ME," running now through Oct. 20 at the Monroe Forum at the El Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood.
The play tells the true story of a man who met Marilyn and became obsessed with her through his first-person account of her final days before her sudden passing from a drug overdose in 1963. The producers of Marilyn… MADNESS & ME say these accounts were verified in the late actress's own diary. "I always had a fascination with Marilyn and her myth, and I've read a lot about her life, so when I got this role I had a pretty good idea of what she was about," Janes said.
Janes dove head first into her character, picking up a number of books on the legendary star and the impact she had on the industry and the culture. Moreover, Janes watched a number of Monroe's films to pick up the essence of the quintessential Marilyn that movie goers came to love.
Written by longtime TV writer/producer Frank V. Furino, known for such programs as Flamingo Road, Dallas, Falcon Crest and others, the play is directed by Joe Leonardo whose work includes It's Better with a Band, Me and My Girl, and Grand Hotel among others.
For Janes, the role is part of a long journey that began as a small child when she sang and play acted in her room. "Singing was always a part of me. I've loved to sing ever since I was a small child. Acting came later. Deep down, I'm really shy, but I just loved performing. I knew back then that that's what I wanted to do with my life so I pushed myself to overcome that shyness," she said.
A New Hampshire native, Janes is known for her work in such films as Vox Lumiere's Phantom of the Opera, Morbid Minutes, Matters of the Heart and others, as well as such stage productions as It's a Wonderful Life, Sweeney Todd, Pirates of Penzance and many others.
Thanks to her gifted operatic voice, Janes has performed here and around the world with opera companies such as Vox Lumiere, Utah Opera and others. "Music is such a powerful means of communication, and having the opportunity to commune in that way with an audience has taught me so much about the human experience," she said.
A graduate of DePaul University, Janes found success on the Chicago stage rewarding, but her goal was to come to Hollywood and make her mark, and so far, so good. She has recently completed work on the films Louder than Words and The Deep End.
"Any performance career is a challenge, but there is so much more opportunity in Los Angeles. You can make your own career and pursue your passion."
Learn more about Alison Janes.


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Edgecombe County
The Town of Sharpsburg is located within the Southwestern tip of Edgecombe County North Carolina. Edgecombe County is where second largest portion of Town limits of Sharpsburg is located.
Within Edgecombe County lies Tarboro which is the county seat of Edgecombe County. History buffs will soak up the civil war history that Tarboro is known for.
Additional towns in Edgecombe County include the towns of Macclesfield, Pinetops and Princeville among others. US Highway 64 Bypass and NC Highway 42 all serve as major routes through and to the area. The Edgecombe County part of Sharpsburg allows easy access to Greenville, North Carolina which includes ECU and Pitt Memorial Hospital.


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US Army
Army Brigadier General Bryan T. Roberts.
Army Brigadier General Bryan T. Roberts, the Commanding General of the U.S. Army Training Center and Fort Jackson, located in Fort Jackson, S.C., is being investigated for adultery and for being involved in a physical altercation, the Army announced Tuesday. Roberts has been suspended from his duties.
The altercation allegedly involved Roberts and an unidentified woman he is now being investigated for having an affair with, a U.S. military official told NBC News. The two were apparently involved in a recent argument. While making up, Roberts allegedly bit the woman's lip, causing her to seek medical help.
The Command and Staff page on Fort Jackson's website showed a vacant spot under Commanding General on Tuesday evening.
While the investigation is ongoing, Brig. Gen. Peggy Combs, Commandant of the U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, will serve as the interim commander.
A screen shot shows Fort Jackson's senior leadership. The commanding general is notably no longer included on the page.


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Moderator: luciderous
Dragar wrote:When humans salvage a battlecruiser, they get the (worthless) 'Battlecruiser' tech. Wouldn't it make more sense to get the tech equivalent, Dreadnoughts (unlocking Battleship)?
PrivateHudson wrote:I've got an impression that anti-missiles during defensive fire don't consume ammo. Is this intended?
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Reviewed By Richard V (Short Hills, NJ) Reviewed for a 2009 Mercedes-Benz G-Class —5/6/2009 6:24 PM
I have been through quite a few seat covers and this by far is the best. Very well made, durable, comfortable material, and about as attractive as you are going to find in a canine cover. Yes, it is a bit pricey, but is definitely worth the money.


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Associated Press
NEW YORK - The sun will come out on Thursday. Bet your bottom dollar.
Moreover, the Earth will almost certainly still be spinning on its axis.
Even in Chicago, the city Oprah Winfrey is abandoning, life is pretty sure to continue as normal. Expect the pizza to be as tasty and the gusts off Lake Michigan to be as persistent on Thursday as they were the day before.
Photo Gallery: View images of Oprah through the years
This is not to say change isn't in the wind.
As everybody knows, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" is ending Wednesday after a spectacularly successful, quarter-century run, and the air is thick with "we-shall-not-see-its-likes-again" eulogies.
Understandable. After being a long fixture on daytime TV as well as in the national psyche, it may be hard for us to imagine how the 60-minute void Oprah is leaving can be filled. (Though it won't need to be filled until September. "Oprah" reruns will air on most stations throughout the summer months, helping viewers through their process of withdrawal.)
The closest thing to an heir apparent seems to be "Dr. Oz," the Winfrey-produced talk show whose star, Dr. Mehmet Oz, is one of Winfrey's proteges.
In many markets he's being rewarded with the 4 p.m. slot where "Oprah" reigned for so long.
But there is no clear consensus. In a few markets, the former "Oprah" station will forgo any syndicated replacement and instead launch an added hour of local news.
In short, these are big shoes to fill as Oprah Winfrey walks away.
Of course, her leave-taking has caught no one by surprise. She made it official in November 2009, declaring that "the countdown to the end of 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' starts now."
At the time, I invited Oprah fans to get an early start on the grieving process as they began planning how to deal with the loss. I noted that, for a generation, Winfrey "has been our moral arbiter, lifestyle coach and window on the world.
"How then," I posed, "will we manage without Oprah as a daily TV reference point? How will we know what to read, buy or think?"
On the other hand, as Oprah walks away, how far is she really walking?
Granted, she'll reside 1,800 miles from Chicago, in Santa Barbara, Calif. But she will not be silent nor invisible. Her 5-month-old cable channel, OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network, is meant to be a round-the-clock, always-open source of Oprah-nalia, with Winfrey its spiritual curator maintaining a constant presence, even from off-camera.
Since its Jan. 1 sign-on, the network has suffered from lower-than-expected ratings, and, early this month, fired its CEO. But it's just getting started, and, with the end of her syndicated show, Winfrey plans to devote her full energies to OWN.
As one of the network's future offerings she will star on "Oprah's Next Chapter," whose title signals how she views her ambitious new TV venture overall. And though most of OWN's programming won't be hosted by her, everything will be vetted by her to make sure the message fits into her live-your-best-life gospel.
So how much in the world is really changing?
A heart-tugging promo for this week's last three editions of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" taps into the collective memory the audience shares for certain other shows on the occasion of their passing.
Seen in the commercial are Walter Cronkite's last "CBS Evening News" broadcast (March 6, 1981). Mary Richards dimming the lights in the WJM newsroom ("The Mary Tyler Moore Show" finale from March 19, 1977). Johnny Carson's emotional "I bid you a very heartfelt good night," his last moments hosting the "Tonight Show" (May 22, 1992). Sam (Ted Danson) telling a would-be bar patron, "Sorry, we're closed," on the "Cheers" finale (May 20, 1993). A glimpse at the finales of "The Cosby Show" (April 30, 1992) and "M-A-S-H" (Feb. 28, 1983), which was viewed by just under 106 million people, an audience record that stood until the epic New Orleans Saints-Indianapolis Colts clash in the 2010 Super Bowl.
The "Oprah" commercial asks: "Where were you?" And its unspoken but obvious subtext elevates the Winfrey show's exit to the lofty ranks of those TV milestones. You will want to be there (it seems to be saying), gathered with your loved ones in front of the TV, where you are guaranteed an "I-was-there" memory for a lifetime when Oprah says goodbye.
The episodes airing Monday and Tuesday were taped last week in front of crowd of 13,000 at Chicago's United Center.
Tom Hanks. Michael Jordan. Tom Cruise. Madonna. Stevie Wonder. Will Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Beyonce. Even Winfrey's longtime but low-profile friend, Stedman Graham, was among the many luminaries on hand for the two-part "Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular."
Then Wednesday's show, being kept tight under wraps, is meant as a surprise for the viewers.
Sounds like fun, if you happen to catch it. But after that, you won't have to look hard to find Oprah. She pervades her new network.
The rest of the world? It will carry on as always.


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I finally decided I needed one of these for a project that's coming up shortly and didn't want to work on the ground any longer. Guess I'm getting old. Not completed yet, but it's getting there.
No announcement yet.
MC lift
new posts
All I did was some rough calculations. It's longer than I need by quite a bit, I wasn't really thinking it through when I figured 8' x 2'. I probably should have made it about 6.5' instead. The length of the 4 arms is 35", actual lift is about 30" when all the way up. It gets to the point where it won't go all the way vertical, anything more is just stressing the frame. It's way overbuilt for what I need but I figure if nothing else, I can sell it to a HD guy that wants a 8' lift. I don't see any reason why it wouldn't pick up 700+ lbs with any trouble. The other ones that are similar appear to be rated for 1000 lbs. I trust my welding, but I'm not an engineer, so I'm not going to say it's good for the 1000 lbs.
Off the top of my head, the leverage point at the jack is about 8" from the end of the lift, the bar across the jack is 10" away from there. It's got about 3.5" clearance to slide the jack into place, it just barely fits like I wanted. The jacking point would be about 18" from the front end of the lift, maybe 17". Everything else just fell into place. I built it without any real "plans" other than a scratched out drawing to get a good idea of what materials I'd need.
My dog only weighs 65 lbs, but the bike is a bit more at 400 lbs. I'm planning on building a full race exhaust for it. The easy way to do that is pull the frame off the bike, exposing the motor and stock exhaust. I'll end up making at least 2 sets initially but probably more later, so I'll make a jig after the first set, then build off the jig and check to make sure it all fits right. Bike goes back together after that and then I'll try catching up with other work.
It still needs some work, bracing across the top to support the deck plate, support bars and stops, stuff like that. Functionally, it does what I expected. Btw, that diamond plate is freakin expensive. The sheet was $145 and it wasn't a full sheet either. All told, I guess it's at about $400 so far. I trust it a LOT more than a HF lift though.
Nice lift for what you are doing. I need to make one, but mine will lift from the bottom of the frame so both wheels are off the ground too.
Did you do any base line performance testing first, 1/4 mile times, 0-60 times or the like? Just something to compare to when the mods are finished so you can see if the mods helped and by how much. That would be something nice to know. Be kinda bad to go thru all this and find out what you did didn't make any differance, or worse, that it detracted from what it was capable of to start with.
a raising flat spot in the shop! i imagine you'll come up with more uses for that thing then you ever imagined. it would be nice to have detachable sides so you could put a garden tractor or such onto it as well.
is there a safety mechanism in case the hydraulics fail?
I've been building slip-on systems for this bike for a couple of years, there was a dyno shootout done back in 2010 that 2 of mine took top spots, one for hp, the other for torque. In stock trim, it made about 122 hp. At the shootout, my high one was 138 hp, the other made a smidge more torque at 82 ft/lbs, more than anything else out there except for the factory full race system. The factory did a tune for mine, it made 143 hp on their bike, the full system makes 145+ on an otherwise stock motor. This setup makes more power down low for sure and doesn't feel like it lost anything up top either, I started riding it again last Friday. I need to dyno it again and see where it's at now. It was skipping the front wheel in 4th & 5th this morning on the way to work. Don't ask how fast that was, I ain't tellin.
The lift is actually a fair bit bigger than I wanted and it's waaaay overbuilt. There is a lock mechanism for 2 different heights but it's pretty ugly looking. I welded it out of position, so I'm not super happy with it. It works though. I'm thinking of selling it since it's too large for what I really wanted. I have about $430-450 in materials in it, plus time which I don't really expect to get back out of it.
Junior Member
- May 2012
- 3
Originally posted by d_adams View PostIt gets to the point where it won't go all the way vertical, anything more is just stressing the frame. It's way overbuilt for what I need but I figure if nothing else, I can sell it to a HD guy that wants a 8' lift. I don't see any reason why it wouldn't pick up 700+ lbs with any trouble. The other ones that are similar appear to be rated for 1000 lbs. I trust my welding, but I'm not an engineer, so I'm not going to say it's good for the 1000 lbs.
I trust it a LOT more than a HF lift though.
Junior Member
- Aug 2006
- 4
You could buy some plans from these guys - http://www.afabonline.com/cycle.htm
I built two of them for my son a few years ago.
Originally posted by Tricked-Up-Welding View PostGreetings D A, nice work on this lift. I would like to copy your version of a MC lift. One of my rides weighs 760# empty. In what way do you mean "stressing the frame"? What is it that you noticed? and what would you do to "correct" it? Any help is appreciated. Thx T-U-W


text: Movie of a polymerizing microtubule (originating in bottom left corner) encountering a static microtubule in middle of screen. During the encounter the polymerizing microtubule is bent by a fluorescently-labeled complex of end-binding protein 1 (EB1) and a kinesin motor. After being bent, the microtubule eventually snaps back to its original position and the EB1-kinesin complex continues to walk along the static microtubule. Time (in seconds) is shown at top right and scale bar is 1 micron. William Hancock/Penn State


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Paroles de la chanson Cut Up par Ludacris
Chanson manquante pour "Ludacris" ? Proposer les paroles
Proposer une correction des paroles de "Cut Up"
Proposer une correction des paroles de "Cut Up"
Paroles de la chanson Cut Up par LudacrisIt's 2 am in the morning and it...uhhh...light showers
and you're probably hooking up with that girl that's been 2wayin you all week
her baby daddy's out of town, so, uh, you can fuck around.
it's okay to check into that motel 6. $59.95 not a cent more for that dirty
ass hoe. yeah
stop by the convenience store and pick up them rubbers, magnum i hope
This is Faizon Love, and uh, i love hoes. i just don't pay em
Cut up, know we like to get that cut up
freaky things we be bout
get that cut up, oh ooh ooh oooh
cut up freaky things we be bout
Im kinda hopin that maybe we can kick it in the L A C
so later on we be rollin
drop tops i'm hittin your hot spots i'm top notch
my niggas never listen but i told 'em
when i catch you at the game runnin game at the AUC
that later on we be bonin
fat cats i'm ready to tap that, so back that
no wonder why you wakin up swollen
I'm feelin you Luda, smokin my buddha, coochie recruiter comin at the fatty in
the platinum caddy so back in the back
hit it an hour and a half, watch a spectacular splash on the back and leave it
drippin down tha crack of her ass
call me Mr. Magillicutty, chasin booty soft as silly putty
killa for money still a thug get buff
we'll start pokin the locamotion hittin buddies for threesomes, get your
buddies, when i'm feelin scummy i love to cut
skin so butter soft i'm rippin the buttons off your blouse
smell the aroma of a ding a ling king Ludacris when i'm in yo house
check tha ratio of men to women and women to men when down south
hot fallatio, hot jalapenos, holla while they in yo mouth
so we love that c-c-c-c-cut up
know we like to get that cut up, freaky thangs, we be bout
get that cut up, oh ooh ooh ooooh
cut up, freaky thangs, we be bout
now i got tha feelin we can cut tha hell out each other
and i hope we be the same thang, freaks
we can get the mattress goin er-er, er-er, handlin business
while i bang bang, skeet
wash tha dick off and kick off another session again, i can break 'em
off in the shower, kitchen floor or the outdoors
the pieces from the east is the shit and the flesh in the west is the best
but Twista love them Chicago or South hoes
come up out your neglege, freak em on a regular day, come 6 times
but it's 7 today, Ludacris in the back of your Chevrolet, Uh Uh
what's my name
so magical i come and touch the game, you muthafuckas really lust the game
nothin but hatin and a look of disgust so it's a must
they adrenaline rush wonderin why they don't be bustin the same
i'm clutchin my thang, stuffin it in, strokin it down, beat tha stuff up
uh uh, shorty don't run from it
she gimme tha booty, i'm breakin it off i can't tell her stop
by the way that she walks, fatty flickin like it has dubs on it
peep how this playa got skills, get 'em out the Gator high heels
Pull tha rubbers and swishers up out your powder bag
wanna smoke dro, i got a bag take a propa drag
people watch out cuz i love them chicks that got a lotta ass, so we luv dat
bubbles, bubbles, bubbles is in tha bathtub
makin you stutter from the bodie butters and back rubs
just killin me thinkin bout tha bottles the pop, tha models that swallow
willa, i'm under my pillow stayin strapped up
if it tickles in the middle from Mr Pickles, you try to escape
so gimme tha rope you gettin wrapped up
rooty tooty so fruity and fresh, so fresh and fruity your duties
to figga the bootie's gettin slapped up
i luv them chicks that be thick as a loaf of bread, long as i can still grab
her legs and push them up by her head
how i dip up in it, we could make a video, but i got the radio bumpin Jagged
Edge by the bed
when you wanna get up with your cutty buddie, come on and dip up through the
hide out with Twist
but after we do what we gone do, get your purse and get together, b, cuz now
you gots ta ride out, bitch
oh chris, can you, do it again, that's what they askin me
hit skins, causin catastrophe, get penned by me and my family
sip gin, fulfillin your fantasy
in your condition i'm wishin you'll take a lickin and keep on tickin for
thicker thighs
finger lickin never get sick and tired, just take a look in her eyes and you
can tell she's a figure five. so we luv dat...
cut up getting brains in the range
i love that cut up cuz we like them freaky thangs
i like it when you let me try anything
cuz girl i ain't got nothin but time
let a nigga get a little cut up girl
(repeat once)
I come from the 8th planet in the 19th galaxy
where the royal penis is clean your majesty
can it be, Sheila E, Appalonia, vanity all mad at me
i'm the prince dick of insanity
i'm good lovin, body rockin knockin boots all night long, we not stoppin
i don't care if the kids is watchin, i'll stir it like mutha fuckin coffee
brown suga, girls dem suga, world class lova, Karma Sutra porno music producer
tallywhacker is a rock hard storm trooper
with a purple helmet made for crushing pink cookies
goonie goo goo, we cut big foots and woogies
and fat women cuz they need love too
so go on big girl, whatchu gonna do?
Paroles.net dispose d'un accord de licence de paroles de chansons avec la Société des Editeurs et Auteurs de Musique (SEAM)


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Who was/is Albert King ? - CDs, Vinyl LPs, DVD and more
Albert King
I'll Play The Blues For You
Thanks in large part to Crosscut Saw and Born Under A Bad Sign, Albert King emerged as a powerful "new" blues guitarist in 1967, even though he'd been recording since '53 and had made plenty of great records for the St. Louis-based Bobbin label long before he signed with Stax. Young white rock fans were just picking up on his mile-wide upside-down string-bending and honeyed vocals as he shared bills with their long-haired rock idols, and luminaries such as Eric Clapton were incorporating King's trademark riffs into their own styles.
King posted two lesser hits, Cold Feet and (I Love) Lucy, in 1968 (the latter a tribute to his distinctive Flying V guitar), and he managed more chart appearances with the grinding Can't You See What You're Doing To Me in '70, an ironic Everybody Wants To Go To Heaven in '71, and 1972's pleading Angel Of Mercy. But none came close to the impact of I'll Play The Blues For You. This would prove a lasting signature song even though it was a major departure for the stevedore-sized southpaw. Composer Jerry Beach built in a lot of extra chords, and the overall feel is mid-tempo and mellow, especially when Albert hits on a young lady with a seductive monolog midway through (it's hard to tell whether he's successful).
"I was in the studio, searching for a tune to play," said the late King. "They came up with this 'I'll Play The Blues For You.' They already had the tune there. It was sent in by another guy. So we just got it together." He was backed by the reformed Bar-Kays, back in action after their ranks were decimated by the tragic 1967 plane crash that also killed Otis Redding. Only bassist James Alexander and trumpeter Ben Cauley remained from the ill-fated original lineup; guitarist Michael Toles, drummer Willie Hall, and keyboardist Allen Jones, the song's co-producer with Stax recording engineer Henry Bush, now filled out the rhythm section.
I'll Play The Blues For You rose to #31 R&B in the summer of '72, but that relatively unimpressive chart position doesn't fully indicate its importance in King's vast musical pantheon. His touring bus sported that song title on its side, and rightly so because that's exactly what he did: play the blues for his fans. To the end—he died December 21, 1992 in Memphis, where this song and so many more of his classics were cut for Stax—King knew the music that he'd done so much to advance would endure.
"The blues will be here as long as the world stands," Albert confidently predicted. "Won't be no change in that."
Various - Electric Blues - Plug It In! Turn It Up! Vol.4 Electric Blues 1970 - 2005 (english)
Read more at: https://www.bear-family.de/various-electric-blues-plug-it-in-turn-it-up-vol.4-electric-blues-1970-2005-english.html
Copyright © Bear Family Records


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February 17, 2009 Veterans History Project Recounts Drama of Helicopters, Ingenuity of Crews
Press Contact: Jeffrey Lofton (202) 707-6432; Jessica Souva (202) 486-1840
Public Contact: Veterans History Project (202) 707-4916
For nearly 60 years, helicopters have played an increasingly important role in American combat operations. Vertical takeoff and landing and the ability to hover gave helicopters a distinct advantage in the difficult terrains of Korea, Vietnam, Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq. The Library of Congress Veterans History Project (VHP), a program of the American Folklife Center, spotlights stories of skill and heroism in "Helicopters: The Multi-Mission Aircraft," a special Web presentation accessible at www.loc.gov/vets/. The presentation illustrates how helicopter crews have served their country with inventiveness as well as distinction, whether to deliver troops or firepower, rescue downed pilots, evacuate seriously wounded soldiers, or scout potential fields of battle. "This presentation spotlights helicopter crews, but reveals larger themes of creativity and courage during wartime," said VHP Director Bob Patrick. "We hope people will read these stories and be inspired to contribute their own unique narratives—or interview a veteran for the Veterans History Project." Among the 16 veterans profiled in the presentation is Vance Funkhouser, whose ingenuity saved lives and earned him a Bronze Star during his service in the Air Force during the Korean War—the first time helicopters were used to transport the injured to MASH (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) units. There was a need for the critically wounded to receive blood plasma in transit, and because the litters that carried patients were strapped outside the body of the aircraft, Funkhouser created a device that attached plasma bags to the litters, which provided injured GIs valuable in-flight treatment. The new online presentation also showcases the experience of Galen DeGraff, who began military service as a pilot in the 173rd Assault Helicopter Company (nicknamed the Robin Hoods) in Vietnam just before the Tet Offensive. DeGraff said of his experience with the Vietcong, "When they tried to kill us, they were more interested in disabling the helicopters than killing the pilots ... they never understood that it took a lot longer to make a helicopter pilot than a helicopter." Laura Jane Strickland Richardson is among the women who blazed a path in military aviation history. Richardson began her career by entering flight school at a time when women were not yet allowed to fly attack aircraft, and she later served in Operation Iraqi Freedom as commander of an assault helicopter battalion. After initial combat operations wrapped up, Richardson worked with local officials and citizens in the northern Iraq town of Mosul, supporting reconstruction and security. The Library of Congress, the nation's oldest federal cultural institution, is the world's preeminent reservoir of knowledge, providing unparalleled collections and integrated resources to Congress and the American people. Many of the Library's rich resources and treasures may also be accessed through the Library's Web site, www.loc.gov, and via interactive exhibitions on a new, personalized Web site at myLOC.gov. The Veterans History Project was created in 2000 by Congress to record the first-hand remembrances of American service personnel in major conflicts beginning with World War I, and it actively collects veterans' personal accounts of the Global War on Terror. There are approximately 60,000 individual stories in the collection to date. The project relies on volunteers to record veterans' remembrances using guidelines accessible at www.loc.gov/vets/. Volunteer interviewers may also request information at email@example.com or the toll-free message line at (888) 371-5848.


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by L.K. Madigan
Chapter One
I am born.
Okay, let's not go that far back.
I am the author of two young adult novels
FLASH BURNOUT and THE MERMAID'S MIRROR both published by Houghton Mifflin.
I find it boring to talk about myself, so I've included lots of links to other stuff writing tips, author interviews, favorite books and movies, and fun places to visit in Oregon. But I realize I have to tell you something, so here are the basics: I live in Portland with my husband, son, and two big black dogs. When I'm not reading or writing, I like to travel, ride my bike, and take photos.
Thanks for stopping by!


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(CNN) - The William J. Clinton Presidential Library on Friday released another batch of confidential memos, notes and other papers from the Clinton White House that had previously been sealed.
The documents open a window into the Clinton years and cover a variety of topics, including the office of former first lady Hillary Clinton, who's now considered the overwhelming favorite for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016, if she decides to run.
Follow @politicalticker
CNN is combing through the expected 4,000 pages of information and publish highlights throughout the day.
The library released a similar-sized bundle of documents in late February, which gave some insight into the health care wars of the 90s and showed how Clinton's administration was adjusting to this new technology called the Internet.
Clinton documents: Much has changed, but much still the same
Friday's documents cover a range of issues, including the 2000 vote count in Florida, terrorism, Rwanda, and even records related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
The documents are part of files that had been requested for public release over the years under the Freedom of Information Act, but were withheld by the National Archives due to their sensitive nature.
While the Presidential Records Act established public ownership of White House documents as far back as the Reagan Administration, it specified that documents pertaining to federal appointments as well as confidential correspondence between the president and his advisers could be withheld from the public for 12 years after a president leaves office.
Other documents that can be withheld include classified national security information, confidential business information and trade secrets, and unwarranted invasions of personal privacy. These types of documents will not be part of Friday's release.
RNC questions timing of Clinton document release
Clinton needs more 'discipline': Jerry M. Hultin, who later became Clinton's Undersecretary of the Navy in 1997, wrote in a memo dated December 1994 about how Clinton can win re-election in 1996.
Hutlin wrote the President is not perceived as a disciplined person and needed to be "personally disciplined." He pointed out the need for more discipline among the staff and Cabinet, as well, saying there's a widespread belief that the current staff is "adolescent and self-centered."
"Be personally disciplined and enforce discipline among White House staff and cabinet. Regardless of fairness or accuracy, the President is not perceived as a disciplined person. Average citizens want to know the President will do what he says he'll do—and that he will take action against people who fail to meet his standards or confuse his message.
"The President's request for Jocelyn Elders' resignation was impressive; yet, many of the people I've talked say they cannot be hopeful until they see a shake-up in White House staff. There is a widespread belief that the current staff is too adolescent and self-centered rather than mature and differentiated." (page 5)
"Nasty" Palace Politics: A September 1997 memo from Glyn Davies at the State Department to staff members discuses Hillary Clinton's upcoming trip to Princess Diana's funeral.
Davies writes about guidance from Robert Bradtke, deputy chief of mission at the American Embassy in London at the time.
"Bradtke says...(Hillary) will be the most prominent guest at the funeral and it is appropriate/expected that she make a brief statement but answer no questions (to avoid entanglement in what (Bradtke) describes as the increasingly 'nasty' Palace politics)."
In a separate file, State Department staffers have an undiplomatic exchange with Mara Rudman and John Caravelli in which Sophie Rhys-Jones - a British royal – is referred to as having married into the "screwed up royal family." Read the file (Page 66)
Send a Muslim: A handwritten note, which has no author and no date and was lumped under a group of files categorized under "Terrorism," suggests sending a Muslim to some unknown event to help ward off perceptions that link religion with terrorism.
"Send a muslim! This effort will get us to the real issue "terrorism" vs the perceived issue of religion (Muslims against us and vice versa)
"Recommend – tasking state to find a prominent muslim + associate directly and indirectly with the US gov."
Health care wars: When Hillary Clinton was making her initial push to sell health care reform to America in 1993, her staff set up long stakeholder meetings with both ordinary Americans and different industries affected by the reform.
In a 1993 memo, Clinton aides Alexis Herman and Mike Lux wrote a detailed description of what the White House hoped Clinton would accomplish in her March 12 – 13 health care hearing.
Herman (who would go on to become Clinton's Secretary of Labor) and Lux described the primary purpose of the hearings as "political inoculation."
"As we discussed, the primary goal for this two day hearing would be to inoculate ourselves from charges that we are refusing to listen to all those groups out there that want input," Herman and Lux wrote to Clinton. "It's important to understand that even with two long days of testimony, we will not be able to schedule everyone we want to schedule."
The "hearings" also included stories from regular Americans that were meant to sway the different stakeholders who were opposed to the bill.
"Some testifiers should be average people with horror stories, middle class families worried about the future, and senior citizens," the aides wrote. "These average people should testify during those periods when we believe more people will be watching."
"Don't have sex": An original draft of the 1995 State of the Union address included a line that read, "Don't have sex." The warning came in a section emphasizing a need to teach abstinence in schools.
The phrase was singled out in an edit, with advisers raising objections "because of how it sounds" and "because of how our opponents could use it."
"Let's try 'Stay in school. Practice abstinence,'" they suggested.
John F. Kennedy assassination files: One file shows internal deliberations among staffers about whether Vice President Gore and later Clinton should ask the Russian government for its file on Lee Harvey Oswald, which was at that point still unreleased.
Clinton first requested this file in 1993. But in 1998 the Assassination Records Review Board was about to wrap up its mandate and close shop without the Russian file.
The Russian file, by the way appears to have been ultimately delivered by President Boris Yeltsin to Clinton in 1999. But in the interregnum, there was much debate about whether the file should be a big issue in upcoming talks.
At one point in the files a staffer quotes another who said the JFK / LHO issue shouldn't be "on the front burner for POTUS." Neil Kingsley adds his own parenthetical imprimatur on the sentiment – "(no sh...t)"
There is a separate issue of whether more remaining JFK assassination files should be released. There is debate in generalities, but no specifics on what the files include.
But that discussion on releasing JFK documents tailspins into a discussion among high ranking staffers about whether a Clinton executive order declassifying some JFK documents would affect the principle of shielding documents and be applied to other subjects.
Lines removed: One file shows a draft by speechwriter Jordan Tamagni of Clinton's remarks to the Alfalfa Club one day before he was set to deliver the traditionally funny address.
Clinton's speech begins by saying he was surrounded inauguration week by people who wanted him to succeed, but now at the dinner he's surrounded by people who want to succeed him. Then the following line was removed: "Which reminds me, I can't stay too late. I'm starting to get nervous about leaving Al Gore at the White House." (Page 2)
Line removed: "I remember one conversation I had with Dick Morris about Bob Dole. I was amazed at Bob Dole's courage and durability. I remember telling Dick, 'That Bob Dole is Evil [spelled wrong] Knievil, man!'" (page 3)
"William Howard Taft weighed 340 pounds. 'Nuf said." (page 6)
"Bill Clinton is from a place called Hope. Lyndon Johnson hailed from a place called… 'Johnson.'" (page 7)
Opposing MLK plaque (at first): In the last year of the Bill Clinton's presidency, legislation was moving through the House and Senate that would have marked the spot on the Lincoln Memorial that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered the "I Have a Dream" speech on August 28, 1963.
According to documents released Friday, the Clinton administration – and in particular the Department of Interior – was initially against the proposed plaque.
In draft congressional testimony for April 27, 2000, John G. Parsons, the National Park Service's associate regional director for lands, resources and planning, said "The administration opposes S. 2231 and H.R. 2879."
"We have consistently rejected proposals that would mark this presidential memorial as the platform for issues or events that have or will occur there," Parson's testimony said. "A marker, as simple as it may be, of any design or to any subject or person, can only serve to blur the personal values that each visitor brings to and takes away from the memorial."
Parsons was supposed to go on to say that the memorial was designed in a careful "emotional sequence" and the addition of the MLK plaque would "severely compromise the design intent of the memorial."
In his actual testimony on April 27, 2000, Parsons said the Clinton administration "supports commemorating Martin Luther King's speech at the Lincoln Memorial" and only recommended certain "modifications" to the planned plaque.
Clinton eventually signed the legislation in late 2000 and the plaque now adorns the front steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
"The gay issue": Mary L. Smith of the Domestic Policy Council at the White House tells a White House speechwriter "our legislative strategy is stay away from the gay issue" in a draft of a radio address on Martin Luther King, Jr. day and civil rights issues.
Hillary joke nixed: One part of a draft of President Clinton's remarks to the 1994 Gridiron Dinner-an event known for its humorous speeches–talks about advice on getting along with the press.
"For starters, I apologized to (AP correspondent) Walter Mears for a crack I made last year at one of the media dinners, when I said I could go over the heads of the media because of Larry King. And Walter said, 'Big deal, Mr. President. We can go over your head to Hillary'."
The section had a large "X" through it, though it's not clear who crossed it out or if it was ever delivered. (page 20)
Another section of the draft read "one of the people at the White House sent me this note which really touched me. And if you'll allow me to be serious for a moment, I'd like to share it with you. It says 'this administration is doing things beyond my wildest dreams. I was just want to thank you for giving me this incredible opportunity. And it's signed, Andrea Mitchell".
Someone on the draft crossed out Andrea Mitchell, writing instead "Maureen Dowd."
"Another good dead person is…": Twice in 1997 members of the White House staff suggested noted astronomer, science promoter and educator Carl Sagan for a posthumous Medal of Freedom.
One note from the chief of staff to the chair of the President's Council on Environmental Quality noted "he was one of the very first to sound the warning on climate as well."
Moving on to others no longer drawing breath, Shelley Fidler writes "Another good dead person is Ansel Adams."
Continuing, "We're having trouble thinking up great living people. I guess that's everyone's affliction these days."
"Losing control": Adviser Benjamin Barber in a February 26, 1997 memo wrote to President Clinton "there is a real danger that" the President "may be losing control" of the April Summit on Service in Philadelphia to former President George H.W. Bush and Gen. Colin Powell.
Barber told Clinton it "risks becoming a showcase for an ex-President's private philanthropy approach to service and a four year national platform on which a prospective president (General Powell) can run against you and your Vice President on what should be YOUR issue".
He told Clinton in the memo "I understand and applaud the spirit of bipartisanship that led to involving President Bush and General Powell, but if the price of their involvement becomes too high, if they take over the Summit and what it stands for in the public eye, it will turn out to be a very bad deal."
He warned "the rhetoric in which the summit is being wrapped (and the way it is being represented in the Press) largely abandons this language in favor of privatistic talk about volunteers and overly optimistic rhetoric about outcomes".
What appears to be Clinton's handwriting wrote "agree" in the margin next to that comment, and in another section.
In another memo on March 5, what appeared to be Clinton's handwriting wrote "Barber has given a voice to exactly what I fear, and I have to know what options are to prevent this".
Read between the edits: At the Democratic National Convention in 2000, Hillary Clinton delivered remarks in support of Vice President Al Gore, who was the Democratic Party's presidential nominee.
One of the files shows how a draft of her remarks was watered down.
-The line "I was privileged to work with (Gore)" was removed and replaced to just say she watched her husband work with him as his trusted adviser in the White House. (page 3)
-The phrase that Tipper Gore would "warm our hearts" was scratched to just say Tipper will inspire all of us as First Lady (page 4)
– A couple of scratched changes throughout – articles, pronouns, etc. – suggest that they wanted her speech to reflect that Al, Tipper and team were simply continuing on the greatness of the Clintons and not necessarily adding anything special.
– A couple of references about her background in the 1970s in Yale and chairing the Children's Defense Fund were removed.
– A reference to her hope of being elected to the U.S. Senate was removed, but one toward the end remained.
Wag the Dog: In a January 6, 1998 memo from Paul Tuchmann to speechwriter Lowell Weiss–(about two weeks before the Monica Lewinsky scandal broke)–Tuchmann is preparing Clinton for a trip to New York. Tuchmann describes the host of a fundraiser, who was somehow involved in the movie "Wag the Dog."
"The movie is about a President who is accused of molesting an 11 year-old girl (in the Oval office) 2 weeks before an election), so his spin person hires a Hollywood producer to·fake a war in Albania to distract the public. For obvious reasons, we might want to be careful here."
Can you say that?: In preparation for the 1999 State of the Union address, President Bill Clinton and a few close aides were batting around how to describe the surplus that had occurred in 1998.
Clinton, in one of his more unvarnished moments, said, "Can't say an ass-pocket full of money, can you?"
Clinton's passionate plea for means-testing: During preparations for the 1999 State of the Union, Clinton has a dour outlook on his plans to reform Social Security.
"If you're going to do this, and spend 85 percent of this surplus on seniors, you have to say that one of the benefits of this will be that you're going to leave more money in the hands of their children to spend on their grandchildren," Clinton said. "And I don't know what other way to say that is."
Clinton also backs means-testing for Social Security during the January 13, 1999 exchange and frets about what would happen if the surplus was spent on children instead of seniors.
"I just want you to think about where you could be in America if you means-tested Social Security and did some of these more radical things, and pour all this surplus for 20 years and spend it on children," Clinton said. "You could hire a million teachers and increase their salaries by 50 percent and really do something."
Clinton noted that Republicans were right when they tweaked Democrats for "throwing money at people who aren't going to vote for them anyway, because of gays and whatever else."
"My own view is, we are giving too much money, and we should make people pay more for it," Clinton added.
Clinton ended up dedicating much of his speech on January 19, 1999 to Social Security reform. The president vowed to protect the program by committing 60 percent of the budget surplus for the next 15 years - an estimated $2.7 trillion - to Social Security.
"Last year, we wisely reserved all of the surplus until we knew what it would take to save Social Security. Again, I say, we should not spend any of it until after Social Security is truly saved. First things first," the president said during the speech.
Clinton's legacy: Shortly after President Bill Clinton won re-election in 1996, White House aide Gene Sperling drafted a 14-page memo to begin identifying "legacy goals" for the president on major policy issues.Sperling said to be considered, a policy must be "Important and Transforming … Achievable … Memorable and Identifiable."
Among the legacy issues Sperling suggested was "Reforming education … Restoring America's Fiscal Integrity."
"Metaphor for my luck": President Clinton, who was impeached by the House in December 1998 and then tried by the Senate in January and February 1999, still delivered a January 19 State of the Union address but the story of the day was not far from his mind.
During a January 11, 1999 meeting preparing for his big speech, the President at least twice referred to his political fortunes. Responding to a joke about whether they'd create "heart problems" by inviting a federal worker the Republicans had highlighted in 1996, the President responded "It would be awful if he died in the box, wouldn't it? (Laughter.) It would be a metaphor for my luck this year."
And at another point when discussing the popularity of the Americorps program, Clinton refers to the Republicans' dislike for the program and his impeachment: "And I don't know why it just pisses Republicans off because I did it. The next thing you know they'll be trying to impeach AmeriCorps."
Separately, discussing the possibility of including the Matthew Shepard murder in the speech as a way of illustrating hate crimes, politics is not far from the President's mind: "But you like the Shepard thing? Mark always said that every time I mention gays, my numbers go down in the State of the Union. It's the only thing that goes down."
rs, and Blue states and Cities are filing for bankruptcy
So we should take all that federal money that the freeloading red states are taking and give it to the blue states to help them out since they are provider states.
The two reasons Wal-Mart`s profits are down is the weather and the ACA.
No proof on the ACA- Wal-Mart doesn't do health care benefits, so it won't affect their bottom line at all.
@ Lizzie
I haven't heard of Minneapolis / St. Paul filling for bankruptcy from our local media. Is there an article you can reference because if so it would be a big deal and ought to become public knowledge here in Minnesota.
@rs-The ATF had no active investigation on the Waco compound under Bush. Your whole statement makes no sense.
@ Fair: "Mr. Fair and I recently bought new appliances (stove, fridge, diswasher, microwave) and we saved a few hundred bucks buying from the local guy than we would have using the big box store... and the service was far, far better. There's a lesson in there somewhere."
Same here: new stove and fridge for the cabin. Cost equaled that of big box stores, but the service was outstanding. New water pump and furnace to follow come spring thaw.
@rs-The ACA isn`t free, you have to pay all upfront cost which means people will have less money to spend.
The two reasons Wal-Mart`s profits are down is the weather and the ACA.
No proof on the ACA- Wal-Mart doesn't do health care benefits, so it won't affect their bottom line at all.
No whining for the Walton family Smith! Their profits (not gross) is always in the Billions (not millions). Slave labor camp corporations are doing great under the Obama administration thank you very much.
The two reasons Wal-Mart`s profits are down is the weather and the ACA.
So when the Chief Financial Officer cites cuts to SNAP as the reason, then you're saying he's wrong? I mean all that he has to do is look at what percentage of sales are made by what means, smith. You're flat out denying the facts.
That's all we need, another inept president that lies.


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Legendary Queen guitarist and founder member Brian May has auctioned a 1952 Jowett Javelin he bought for his father Harold to raise funds to support wildlife through his charity Save Me Trust at Barons' Connoisseurs Classic Car Collection sale at Sandown Park on July 18th, 2017
As a teenager, some years before Queen was founded, Brian was a member of a group called 1984, and his father would often drive him to rehearsals at a school in Twickenham in the Jowett Javelin he owned at the time. In 1982, in memory of that car, Brian bought this Javelin for his father, Harold.
The gold Jowett Javelin, that has sat in storage since Harold May passed away is offered complete with personalised registration number 'HWM 57'. With a guide price of £3,000-£6,000, it provides an opportunity to acquire a very special British car with a substantial history with a member of British rock 'royalty' and to support a good cause at the same time.
Brian May has signed 11 guitars made by Badger Guitars, owned by Mark Badger, which are to be made available to buy on the eBay auction website from Saturday 26th August. All proceeds will go to badger charities in areas around the country most affected by the cull policy, listed below, as well as May's own Save Me Trust. The guitars have been donated by Philip White, founder of Red Badger records, who proposed the auction as a means of benefiting badger groups in the UK and to support the work of charities who believe the government badger cull is ineffective and inhumane.
The eBay auctions get underway Saturday 26th August at 12 noon and continue through to September 5th. Each auction runs for 7 days