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Results tagged ‘ Bud Norris ’

Astros talk about move to AL

Astros on move to the AL:

Bud Norris on his offseason and upcoming goals:

Game 8: Astros slug three homers, rally to tie Cards

What happened: The Astros came from four runs down, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, to earn their second tie of the spring, 8-8, against the Cardinals on Friday afternoon at Osceola County Stadium (boxscore).

“Just a great job by the whole group, just coming back and battling, battling, battling and getting into hitter’s counts and putting good swings on the ball,” manager Bo Porter said.

More on Porter in this video:

What we learned: OF George Springer has a hot bat. Literally. Springer, who homered twice earlier in the week, didn’t go deep Friday, but he gave his bat to OF Chris Carter and told him he’d hit a home run. Carter blasted a long blast to left field in the fifth, finally showing the kind of power we’d heard about when he came over from Oakland.

“It feels good to finally square up a ball,” Carter said. “The last few at-bats I’ve been struggling making solid contact. You want to impress early and quick, but you have to stick with what you’re doing.”

What we learned II: Porter is going to have some tough roster decisions to make. IF Brandon Laird is having a terrific spring and slugged his second homer on Friday — one day after hitting a grand slam — and OF Brandon Barnes homered for the second time this spring. Both are battling for the few roster spots, but they’re certainly helping their cause.

“As camp goes along, you want to make it to the end of camp and have tough decisions,” Porter said. “When you come into camp and have competition and one guys runs away with it, you say to yourself, ‘Wow, we must not have too much depth.’ The fact we have great competition for the roster spots going on in camp, lets us know from an organizational standpoint we have a lot of depth.”

What else: RHP Jose Veras, in his final performance before leaving for the World Baseball Classic, had a 1-2-3 fourth inning with two strikeouts. … The Astros bashed out 12 more hitters with a pair of catchers — Rene Garcia and Jason Jaramillo — having two hits apiece. … RHP Bud Norris looked strong, allowing two runs and two hits in three innings, but he had a pair of 1-2-3 innings. … Josh Zeid, Rhiner Cruz and Josh Fields each threw a scoreless, hitless inning.

What went wrong: For the second day in a row, an error opened the door for the opposition. The Cardinals scored two unearned runs in the fifth after a Brett Wallace error, and a Jake Elmore error at shortstop in the sixth led to three unearned runs with Paul Clemens on the mound.

“From a standpoint of it being Spring Training, these are teachable moments and you stress it to the ballplayers that cannot give up extra outs,” Porter said. “When get the ball, handle the ball, take care of the ball. The more men that get on base, the more opportunities they have to score.”

What they said: “I felt a lot better. It’s great to get your legs under you and you go out and compete. I’m still working on some things, just trying to stay back over the rubber and trying to find my delivery and all that. I felt good and I’m excited to keep it going.” — RHP Bud Norris on his second spring outing.

What’s next: LHP Dallas Keuchel gets his first start of the spring when the Astros face the Braves at Osceola County Stadium at 12:05 p.m. CT Saturday. Keuchel has a relief appearance under his belt, but he’s competing for a spot in the rotation. RHP Philip Humber will throw in the game as well as the Astros try to divvy up starts.

Who’s injured: RHP Hector Ambriz (ankle) continues to ease closer to game action. … C Max Stassi (sports hernia surgery) is out until early April.

Links of the day: Astros OF J.D. Martinez admits he put too much pressure on himself last year. Now, he’s trying to retool his swing and win a spot on the club. The Astros notebook has hitting coach John Mallee’s thoughts on the team’s hot start at the plate, Bo Porter talking about roster construction and RHP Paul Clemens’ thoughts on his career.

Tweet of the day:

The day in photos:

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Vince Coleman and Bo Porter

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Jimmy Paredes and Bo Porter

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Delino DeShields Jr.

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Tyler Greene catches up with old teammate

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Robbie Grossman, Jimmy Paredes, George Springer and Vince Coleman

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Dave Clark gets animated

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Rick Ankiel and Tyler Greene

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Jose Altuve

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Old friend J.R. Towles is with the Cardinals

Porter visits with veterans about leadership

Astros manager Bo Porter met with a group of players prior to Wednesday morning’s workout that he wants to take a leadership role on the club this spring. The meeting, which Porter dubbed “Astros Talk,” included Jason Castro, Carlos Corporan, Jason Jaramillo, Erik Bedard, Bud Norris, Philip Humber, Lucas Harrell, Wesley Wright, Jose Veras and Edgar Gonzalez.

“We talked about leadership, and there’s a reason why I picked those guys,” he said. “Some of those guys have been on other teams where obviously it hasn’t been the situation we have here where we have a lot of young guys, and a lot of times these guys have been on teams and they have been the young guys.

“They now find themselves in a situation they become the older spokesmen. Like I said to them, I want to make sure we’re all on one sheet of music and we understand what leadership is all about and how you can effectively lead. If they had any questions, I wanted to be available for them to answer those questions to make sure we’re on one accord.”

Most baseball names don’t have a captain as in some other sports. The Yankees are one team that has traditionally identified a singular captain. Porter doesn’t plan to do that in Houston. Instead, he’s giving the responsibility of leader the younger players to those with the most service time.

“I explained to them, we’re not looking for one leader,” Porter said. “We’re looking for a group of leaders, because I’m a firm believer that leaders have to exist in every area, every level of the organization if you want the organization to continue to grow and continue to thrive. And the leaders have to develop the next wave of leaders. We’re not looking for one; we’re looking for a group.”

The first injury of camp was reported Wednesday morning when catcher Max Stassi, acquired in last week’s trade with Oakland, was diagnosed with a strained oblique. He will be held out of drills Wednesday.

“We’re going to pull him back a little bit as far as his workload goes,” Porter said. “He kind of tweaked his oblique a little bit.”

Here are a couple of quick morning photos:

Third base coach Dave Trembley is always smiling as he is here talking with Dave Clark and Dennis Martinez.

Third base coach Dave Trembley is always upbeat as he is here talking with Eduardo Perez and Dennis Martinez.

Bud Norris stretches prior to workout.

Bud Norris stretches prior to workout.

Astros reach deals with Norris, Lowrie and Wright

The Astros reached agreements Friday with all three of their arbitration-eligible players, signing shortstop Jed Lowrie to a one-year, $2.4 million deal, right-hander Bud Norris to a one-year, $3 million deal and left-hander Wesley Wright to a one-year deal.

Terms of the Wright deal weren’t disclosed.

Friday marked the deadline for the teams and players to exchange salary numbers in advance of next month’s scheduled hearings, but the Astros were able to avoid going to an arbitration panel.

The 28-year-old Lowrie, who made $1.15 million last year, set career highs in games (97), at-bats (340), runs (43), hits (83), home runs (16) and walks (43) despite missing 52 games with a sprained right ankle and leg injury. He wound up hitting .244 with 42 RBIs.

Norris, 27, was 7-13 with a 4.65 ERA in 29 starts last year, allowing 165 hits and striking out 165 in 168 1/3 innings. He went 0-12 with a 6.34 ERA during a streak of 18 starts in the middle of the season while he battled injuries and inconsistencies. Norris had a 1.71 ERA at home and a 6.94 mark on the road.

Wright, 27, was 2-2 with a 3.27 ERA in a career-high 77 games last year, which led the Astros and ranked tied for sixth in the National League. His .226 batting average allowed ranked fifth in the NL among left-handed relievers.

“I’m happy to have it behind me and can focus on the upcoming season and going out and doing my best to help us win some ballgames,” Wright said. “It’s good to know that part of the situation is taken care of and we can focus on baseball activities.”

Astros face arbitration decisions

Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said the club plans to tender contracts to their four remaining arbitration-eligible players – pitchers Bud Norris, Wilton Lopez, Wesley Wright and shortstop Jed Lowrie. Lopez, of course, has been subject of trade speculation, but for now he remains with Houston.

The deadline to tender a contract is 10:59 p.m. CT Friday.

Norris, Lopez and Wright are all eligible for arbitration for the first time, and Lowrie is going through the process a second time. Each player will submit a desired salary for 2013, and the Astros will also submit their offer. That serves as the starting point for the negotiations, and both sides typically meet in the middle

If the sides can’t find common ground, they will take their case before an arbitration panel in February that will determine the players’ salary. In this scenario, this is no middle ground. The panel will side with either the player or the team, but negotiations can continue right up to the hearing.

Astros assistant general manager David Stearns is going to be spearheading the team’s arbitration process.

“He has some experience in that area, both from the labor relations side of Major League baseball, as well as the team side,” Luhnow said. “Our cases are nothing too complex at this point. They’re all first-year guys, with the exception of Jed, who’s a second-year guy. We went through preparing for a cast last year. We’re in pretty good shape, and I feel good about we’re going to get all our guys done.”

Here’s a closer look at each player:

— Jed Lowrie made $1.15 million in his first season in Houston in 2012 and was putting up All-Star numbers before a sprained right ankle suffered in mid July put him on the shelf for 52 games. He wound up hitting .244 with a career-high 16 homers and 42 RBIs. Lowrie could as much as double his salary from a year ago.

— Bud Norris had a strange year statistically, going 7-13 with a 4.65 ERA in 29 starts. He had 165 strikeouts in 168 1/3 innings, but went nearly three months without a win while battling various injuries and some inconsistencies. He was 4-1 with a 1.71 ERA at home and 3-12 with a 6.94 ERA on the road. He started strong, but was 0-12 with a 6.17 ERA in 18 starts from May 26-Sept. 20. He finished the season having not allowed a run in his final two starts, 13 1/3 innings.

Norris made $511,000 last season and should see a substantial bump based on his body of work, perhaps in the $2 million range

— Wesley Wright, who made $512,000 last season, is one of the longest-tenured Astros, having pitched parts of five seasons with the club from 2008-12. He made a career-high 77 appearances as lefty specialist last year and went 2-2 with a 3.27 ERA, including a 19-game scoreless streak. Lefties have hit just .170 off of him the last two years combined and he’ll remain a key cog in the bullpen.

The Astros got Wright in the Rule 5 Draft in 2007, and he’s had an unusual tenure in Houston. He’s been tried as a starter, had his arm slot temporarily changed and bounced between Triple-A and Houston so many times he could start his own shuttle service. But he appears to have entrenched himself in the bullpen and will be paid accordingly.

Wilton Lopez, claimed off waivers in 2009 by Ed Wade, has been a workhorse member of the Astros’ bullpen the past three years, going 6-3 with a 2.17 ERA last year in 64 games. He also had a career-high 10 saves after assuming the club’s closer role following the trade of Brett Myers and ineffectiveness of Francisco Cordero. He posted the lowest walks-per-innings ratio among all NL relievers (1.09) last season after setting the franchise record in 2010 by issuing only five walks in 67 innings pitched. He began last season by facing 78 batters without issuing a walk.

Lopez made $515,500 last season and could wind up around $1 million next season based on his workload and track record. That’s if the Astros don’t trade him.

Astros put Norris on DL

As expected, the Astros placed right-hander Bud Norris on the 15-day disabled list Sunday afternoon with a sprained left knee. The move is retroactive to June 12.

Norris, who is 5-4 with a 4.81 ERA in 13 starts, sprained his knee pitching against the Giants on Tuesday in San Francisco. He was scheduled to start Sunday against the Rangers, but the Astros called up left-hander Dallas Keuchel from Triple-A Oklahoma City to make his Major League Debut.

“I’m frustrated,” Norris said. “Nobody wants to go on the DL, but I know I need to get this thing right, because once I get it right I can pitch the way I was capable of pitching the first 10, 15 starts.”

Norris, 27, injured his hip flexor May 31 against the Rockies and wasn’t the same. He was 5-1 with a 3.34 ERA in his first 10 starts of the season, but was 0-3 with a 13.09 ERA in his next three starts as he dealt with leg problems.

“I’ve been trying to go out there and pitch at 80 percent and unfortunately I haven’t been helping the team much,” Norris said. “It’s frustrating in that regard. I want to be out there every fifth day, but I understand that short-term is more important than the long term and I have a whole second half to put it together to come back from this thing. I’m hoping it doesn’t take a long time.”

Astros manager Brad Mills said he didn’t want Norris to try to pitch through any discomfort.

“It’s something that we want to make sure he’s 100 percent when he comes back and that he’s not tentative when he’s putting weight on it,” he said. “We’ll get him back going as soon as we can and hopefully we can get him 100 percent.”

This is the second career trip to the DL for Norris, who went on the shelf in 2010 with biceps tendinitis.“You’re going to through some things, some bumps and bruises, where you’re going to have to go out there and pitch,” Norris said. “I definitely gave it everything I had and it didn’t go my way. I have to give my knee some time, the whole leg some time. I have 15 days to do it. I’m feeling a little bit better, and day in and day out I have to get treatment to get me back out on the field.”

Norris takes up for his teammates

Brewers second baseman Rickie Weeks was hit in the back by Bud Norris on his first pitch of Tuesday’s game in apparent retaliation for the Brewers’ Mat Gamel flattening Astros catcher Jason Castro at home plate on Monday. Norris said the pitch simply got away from him, but hinted it wasn’t on accident

“It kind of got away from me,” he said. “I’m going to go out there and stand up for my team. I think the umpires handled it professionally, our team handled it professionally and Rickie handled it professionally as well. Nothing personal against him. It is what it is.”

Castro and Gamel were was out of the starting lineup Tuesday, but Astros manager Brad Mills said Castro wasn’t scheduled to play anyway and, other than a sore neck, Castro was feeling fine.

Mills said Gamel would have had a good shot at being safe had he slid and said he didn’t have to bowl over Castro, who was knocked back and hit the back of his head off the ground and held onto the ball for a double play to end the sixth inning. He stayed in the game.

“My first thought was he must have the plate blocked and then I found out he didn’t have the plate blocked and I said, ‘C’mon, man,’” Mills said. “It was a situation he was trying to knock the ball loose, but I thought Jason did a great job.”

Veteran catcher Chris Snyder said it’s important for catchers to expose the plate to the runner to avoid violent collisions that occurred Monday.

“At this level, more times than no you see guys that know what they’re doing and the catcher is going to give them the plate,” Snyder said. “You see what’s happened over the year with guys getting concussions on both sides of it and what happened to [San Francisco’s Buster] Posey last year. It’s a reaction.”

Snyder said collisions are a lot more common in the Minor Leagues, where young players are for the first time able to collide with the catcher in an effort to knock the ball loose.

“I got lit up quite a bit in the Minor Leagues because there you have kids just out of high school and college and there have been rules against it and they’re just excited to be able to finally do it and they don’t know how to do it,” he said.

When asked specifically about Gamel’s leveling of Castro, Snyder thought it was unnecessary.

“I didn’t like it,” he said. “He had the plate. It’s a 6-2 ballgame. I didn’t like it.”

Norris ties to stop the Astros’ 3-game skid

The Astros will try to snap a three-game losing streak in the middle game of a three-game against the Marlins at 6:10 p.m. CT Saturday at Marlins Ballpark. Bud Norris will start against the Astros’ former NL Central nemesis Carlos Zambrano, who is 16-8 with a 2.72 ERA in 34 games (32 starts) against the Astros.

While Norris and Zambrano have only faced each other once in their careers, 1B Carlos Lee has seen Zambrano 75 times in his career and is hitting .358 (24-for-67) against the right-hander with five home runs and a .427 on-base percentage.

Here are some other tidbits:

  • Astros starters have posted a 3.57 ERA in the first seven games this season, recording four quality starts. Their starters rank seventh in the NL in ERA, while the staff as a whole ranks sixth (3.38 ERA).
  • The Astros have outscored their opponents 32-30 this season. The team’s .258 batting average is third in the Majors, while their .328 on-base percentage ranks fourth.
  • J.D. Martinez (.385) is the only Astros player to hit safely in all seven games this season (tied for the longest streak in the Majors). Chris Johnson (.346) has hit safely in his last six games, and Jordan Schafer has reached base safely via hit or walk in all seven games this season (.406 OBP).

Game 19: Astros pitchers stifle Nationals

The Astros sent the Nationals to their ninth loss in their last 10 games by riding strong pitching to beat Washington, 5-1, on Friday afternoon at Osceola County Stadium. Here is the boxscore.

Of course, the big news of the day at Astros camp was the announcement that Jimmy Paredes was being sent to Minor League camp to work at second base, meaning Chris Johnson is the likely starter at third base. Here’s a video package of Astros manager Brad Mills and GM Jeff Luhnow talking about the decision.

Here is the breakdown of Friday’s game:

What went right: Pitching, pitching, pitching. The Astros held the Nationals to three hits and didn’t give up a hit until Jayson Werth singled with two outs in the seventh inning off Brett Myers. Starter Bud Norris walked one batter in three hitless innings and Lucas Harrell retired all nine batters he faced. Then there was another strong outing by Myers, who pitched a scoreless innings while working in back-to-back games for the second time this spring. Brandon Lyon also had a scoreless inning.

Astros manager Brad Mills said early Friday he wanted to see the Astros tighten things up with only two weeks left before the start of the regular season, and the team did just that. Houston bashed 12 hits and didn’t make an error. Brian Bixler, starting in the outfield, strengthened his case to make the team by going 2-for-4 with a homer against his former team while starting in the outfield. Chris Johnson also belted a homer.

Carlos Lee also had a pair of hits and an RBI. Jed Lowrie, Travis Buck, Justin Ruggiano, Jose Altuve, Jack Cust and Brett Wallace also had hits. For Cust, his pinch-hit single in the third inning was his first of the spring, snapping an 0-for-24 drought. Cust still isn’t seeing any time in the outfield because of cranky left elbow.

What went wrong: Bud Norris was held to three innings because he woke up Friday with tightness in his triceps, but manager Brad Mills has no concerns and says Norris will be able to make his next start.

Other than a homer allowed by Fernando Abad to Jason Michaels, there’s not much that went wrong for the Astros. The only starting position player to not get a hit was Brian Bogusevic, but he walked and stole a base and scored.

What’s next: The race for the fifth spot in the starting pitching rotation will take center stage when Kyle Weiland takes the mound to face the Pirates at 12:05 p.m. CT in Bradenton, Fla. Weiland has allowed four hits and two runs in seven innings in his last two spring starts.

What they said: “He really had a tough time getting his arm loose and had a little tightness in his triceps. So when he went out there, [pitching coach Doug Brocail] was saying, ‘Let’s see if we can get 45 pitches out of you anyway and get some work in and get through three innings.’ Sure enough he did, and he threw the ball really well.” — Astros manager Brad Mills on starting pitcher Bud Norris.

Injury update: CF Jordan Schafer, who sprained his left hand making a diving catch in the outfield on Sunday, said he’s still a few days away from being able to return to the lineup. Schafer took some swings off a tee Friday but had to shut it down when he tried to hit live pitching. … LHP Sergio Escalona has hit a roadblock in his recovery from a hyper extended left elbow suffered swinging a bat early in camp. The Astros said he was set to be examined by a doctor. … OF Jack Cust was originally scheduled to start in the outfield in Friday’s B game, but was moved to designated hitter because of his balky left elbow. Cust has yet to make an appearance in the outfield during a Grapefruit League game this spring, but he came off the bench and delivered a pinch-hit in the third to snap an 0-for-24 spring drought.

Here are the pictures:

Brett Wallace reacts to a ball being hit while playing third base in B game.

Carlos Corporan trots into second base following a double in B game.

Jack Cust stands on deck while Brad Mills watches during a B game.

Ross Seaton fires a pitch in a B game.

Telvin Nash, Josh Zeid and Austin Wates sit in the dugout during B game.

Game 14: Early trouble dooms Norris, Astros

The Astros lost their third consecutive Spring Training game, 6-3, to the Yankees on Sunday afternoon at sunny George M. Steinbrenner Field, dropping their Grapefruit League record to 7-7 near the midpoint of the spring season. You can find the boxscore by clicking here.

Here’s the breakdown:

What went right: How about the relief pitching of Brett Myers? Those who were worried about Myers’ struggles early in the spring needed to remember he’s a veteran who’s working on arm strength as he prepares himself to be the closer. He pitched two innings Saturday for the first time this spring, allowing one hit and no runs and touching 91-92 mph on the radar gun. Astros manager Brad Mills said he would like to get Myers in consecutive games later this spring.

Myers wasn’t the only reliever to pitch well. Left-hander Xavier Cedeno pitched a 1-2-3 fourth inning, striking out Brett Gardner and Robinson Cano, and Fernando Rodriguez struck out two of the three batters he faced in the eighth. Right now, it’s hard to envision a scenario in which Rodriguez isn’t on the club when it breaks camp.

The Astros outhit the Yankees (9-7), with left fielder J.D. Martinez going 2-for-4 with a double and third baseman Chris Johnson going 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles. Johnson has done a nice job at the plate as he battles to make the club, and has raised his spring average to .348 with a couple of good swings of the bat Saturday. Martinez has looked strong at the plate all spring.

Jason Bourgeois, J.B. Shuck, Joe Thurston, Marwin Gonzalez (double) and Angel Sanchez each had a hit. Shuck had an RBI triple, and Sanchez came off the bench as a pinch-runner late in the game and subsequently singled to center.

The Astros were errorless once again.

What went wrong: Bud Norris was the second consecutive starter to get roughed up, giving up five hits, five runs and four walks in three innings in only his second Grapefruit League appearance of the spring. Norris needed 31 pitches to get out of the first, an inning which included two hits and two walks., He retired the first two batters he saw in the second before walking Brett Gardner and Curtis Granderson and giving up a three-run homer to Robinson Cano on an 0-2 pitch. He threw a clean third inning, pitching around a pair of walks, to finish at 73 pitches.

Rhiner Cruz, a Rule 5 pick from the Mets, hasn’t done much to help his chances of sticking with the club all season, never mind making it through Spring Training. He allowed a home run to Bill Hall — yes, that Bill Hall — in his one inning of work, giving him five earned runs allowed in 1 1/3 innings of work this spring.

At the plate, Jack Cust started at designated hitter and went 0-for-3, dropping him to 0-for-20 this spring. Cust has been limited to a designated hitter role and could be losing his grip on one of the backup outfield spots, especially with the way Travis Buck and J.B. Shuck have swung the bat from the left side.

Brad Snyder, Landon Powell and Brett Wallace each went 0-for-2 at the plate.

What they said: “I thought the guys did a good job of battling back [had the tying run at the plate to end the game]. That’s the second day in a row we got down five runs real early in the game, and it’s tough to come back. You see C.J. with those two doubles and J.D. had a couple of nice at-bats and Shuck smoked that ball [for a triple]. There was a lot of good things, too. We wish Bud would have gotten that 0-2 slider down in the dirt [to Cano], but that three-run bomb, when you look at the score, wound up to be pretty important.” — Astros manager Brad Mills.

What’s next: Veteran catcher Humberto Quintero, who’s missed the first two weeks of spring action because of a bulging disk in his back, will make his first start of the Grapefruit League season when the Astros meet the Mets at 12:05 p.m. CT Sunday in Kissimmee. Quintero, last year’s starter on Opening Day, is battling to make the club is a backup role. Right-hander Livan Hernandez will start for the Astros.

Injury update: Catcher Humberto Quintero (back) is scheduled to make his first start Sunday. … Left-hander Sergio Escalona (elbow) threw live batting practice Friday to hitters.

In lieu of St. Patrick’s Day, there are no photos today. The photos will return Sunday.

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Friday, January 18, 2013

What "Vanished Virtues"?
Posted by Jill | 8:26 PM

Text of actual letter in the Hackensack, NJ Record, January 15, 2013:
Regarding "Why do we love 'Downton Abbey'?" (Better Living, Page BL-1, Jan. 6):

I was once again engaged and enthralled by the opening broadcast of Season 3 of "Downton Abbey." Why do I enjoy it so much? Isn't it just a glorified soap opera with contrived crises and ensuing deus ex machina resolutions?

Yes, but the magnificent script, the perfect embodiments of the dramatis personae by every member of the cast, the settings and the costumes all combine to cast a magical spell. We are brought into this world of manners, dignity, an uncomplaining assumption of responsibility, a restrained but ever present sense of mutual respect.

Most know and accept their role in the Abbey and in society, yet elements of dissonance in these relationships within and without the Abbey are also skillfully expressed. It is a world of God, king and country, a stiff upper lip, soldiering on in the face of adversity.

In a broader context we know that this society embodied an obsolete and unfair class structure and, for the most part willingly and enthusiastically, participated in the senseless carnage of World War I. This conflict unwittingly rent the very fabric of Downton society in the postwar decades and sowed the seeds for World War II.

Most of the positive values that permeated the world of Downton Abbey have been cast aside. Millions are enslaved by the welfare state at the expense of their dignity and autonomy, the nuclear and extended family is on the decline, our popular culture is increasingly vulgar and anarchic. Is it any wonder that nostalgia for the vanished virtues of Downton touches us to the core?

Yes, most knew and accepted their role in the Abbey. Oh, for the good old days when the nobility had a birthright and the peons knew their place.

Now, I watch Downton Abbey as much as any red-blooded American, but even aside from the series' more ludicrous plot developments, such as the "Is he or isn't he" veteran with no face who may or may not be the supposedly long-lost heir, or the convenient death of Miss Lavinia Swire from the flu, or last week's jilting or the show's resident designated victim, poor Edith, at the altar by an old geezer who was no bargain anyway, at least I understand that Downton, just as Upstairs Downstairs was a generation ago, is FICTION. It no more represents bygone values than Gone With the Wind does the Civil War, or that Hair is a factual portrayal of the late 1960s.

But as today's Republican Party, with far too much acquiescence and active participation by the Democrats, is still trying to return us to those days when Lady Mary could sit around all day doing embroidery and poor Daisy could look forward only to decades of drudgery, and Mrs. Hughes could be touched with gratitude by the assurance by Lady Cora that if she does have cancer, she won't be thrown out in the street, it's worth looking at what real life was like for the Daisys and the Mrs. Patmores and the Mrs. Hugheses and the Carsons.

Alison Maloney, author of Life Below Stairs, cites a list of rules of behavior as put forth in a booklet produced by the Ladies' Sanitary Association in 1901 entitled Rules For the Manners of Servants in Good Families:
Always move quietly about the house, and do not let your voice be heard by the family unless necessary

Never sing or whistle at your work where the family would be likely to hear you

Do not call out from room to room and if you are a housemaid, be careful not only to do your work quietly but to keep out of sight as much as possible

Never begin to talk to the ladies and gentlemen, unless it be to deliver a message or ask a necessary question

Do not talk to your fellow servants or the children of the family in the passages or sitting rooms, or in the presence of ladies and gentlemen

Always answer when you receive an order or a reproof, either: "yes ma'am" or "I am very sorry ma'am" to show you have heard

Should you be required to walk with a lady or gentleman, in order to carry a parcel or otherwise, always keep a few paces behind

Do not smile at droll stories told in your presence or seem in any way to notice, or enter into, the family conversation, or the talk at table, or with visitors

More rules, and a typical day for Edwardian servants, here. In other words, do nothing to allow the ladies and gentlemen to have to acknowledge that you are a human being. Is this the "vanished virtue" of which the letter writer speaks? Shut up and serve your betters? "Know your place" and don't aspire to anything more? That hardly seems like the kind of virtue that an American would hold dear. Here's part of a recollection by one Jean Rennie, who spent sixteen years in service from 1924-1940:
I came to a grandly beautiful Highland castle, with towers and battlements and all, standing high on the hill on the shores of Loch Fyne. I don't remember the exact moment of arrival at the back door, but I do remember walking along a seemingly endless red-tiled corridor. I heard the sound of scrubbing as I went along and I saw a young girl on her knees scrubbing energetically, and seemingly enjoying it. I caught a glimpse of what I afterwards found was the scullery. It was down two steps, and it had the same cheerful redbrick floor. Rounding a corner, I saw the kitchen - a wide, gleaming place, with a long spotless white table down its middle, big windows, barred with railings, like parks, spiked at the top. It looked so clear and clean and friendly. And there was no one in it. I was taken along the passage, right to the end, where I was put into a room with two single beds.

Jessie and I went to our room and put on our caps and aprons again, and Jessie helped me put my few belongings away. Then I wrote a letter to my mother, and soon it was seven o'clock, the hour when I was to be initiated into the mysteries of being a house-maid.

I don't remember the exact way from our kitchen corridor into the house beyond. I can remember a narrow passage with a baize door at the end which led into the front hall, because it was on a shelf in that corridor where reposed the grog tray, from which the butler had taken the whisky he handed to me at six o'clock one morning to wake me up !

I don't remember how I got to the bedrooms, but here we were, and I followed Margaret meekly. We took a dustpan and brush with us, and a duster, into the bedroom belonging to the eldest daughter of the house. There was the laird and his lady, two daughters and a son, a lady housekeeper, and some visitors.

Margaret showed me how to pick up bits of ash and paper and things from the carpet, to draw the curtains and shut the windows. To shut the windows and draw the curtains on the glorious sunset over the purple hill seemed to me sacrilege, but it seemed that the 'gentry' didn't have time to look at sunsets.

We straightened the room and then Margaret moved to the massive wardrobe. She opened the doors wide, and there were hung dresses and coats and costumes, enough to take my breath away. She dug out a black lace dress and laid it across the bed. Then she looked at the other side of the wardrobe and chose from dozens of pairs of shoes a black satin pair, and put them on the floor beside the dress. She went to a drawer and took out a long black slip and some other black underclothes, and from another drawer full of stockings she selected a pair which she examined very carefully before she laid them, with the foot tucked in, across the bed with the other clothes.

I was full of questions, and some I managed to ask, but mostly I just wanted to touch and look at the lovely dresses in the wardrobe.

Why did she put out that dress? Why not another one? Why couldn't Elspeth - well, Miss Elspeth, then - pick her own dress? Suppose she didn't want that one, suppose she wanted a different colour - she'd have to get out all her own things then?

'You ask too many questions, Jane - we've got to do it - it's our job.'

We lit the fire and made sure it would burn up, and that was that room done. We had several more to do, and we had to hurry apparently. It seemed the dressing-gong would go soon, and we must be out of the bedrooms and be ready to go into the drawing-room and other rooms.

In each room we did the same things. Margaret did unbend sufficiently to tell me that you get used to what the ladies wear, especially when they're alone. When there were visitors, or very important visitors anyway, perhaps they preferred something different, in which case they usually told Margaret during the day. But usually it was the same old black frock . . .

Then I heard the deep reverberating tones of a gong just as we'd got back into the dining-room passage. Margaret and I stood with the butler, who was putting finishing touches to the dining-room table. He went through into the front hall, and after a few minutes he came back and nodded to Margaret.

'They've gone up,' he said.

Margaret gathered me up, dustpan and brush and duster and all, and we went into the drawing-room.

The same performance as the bedrooms - bits gathered up, papers and magazines straightened, cushions plumped up and put in their proper places. Firesides swept up and dusted, and fires made up. There were two fires in the great white drawing-room, both blazing high.

Then we went to the gun-room, but Margaret just looked in and said, 'No, that's all right. Come on, billiard-room.'

The billiard-room was just that, and nothing more. Two large billiard tables filled the whole length of the room, and stacked under the tables till they were almost pushing the tables up, were newspapers - I think every Glasgow Herald and every Scotsman that had ever been printed.

Here, too, there was a huge fireplace, with a blazing fire, and we had to tidy up here as well. The same in the front hall, curtains and windows to shut out the still loveliness of the evening.

We were still scuttling round when the gong rang through the house again, and we had to pick up our brushes and dusters and run quick.

Apparently we mustn't be seen. It was to be assumed, I suppose, that the fairies had been at the rooms.
Unlike the easy interactions that take place on Downton and that we remember from Upstairs Downstairs, most servants were terrified of their employers. At a time when the alternative was backbreaking farm work, life in a grand house was only a good deal by comparison, and again -- hardly representative of the society we in America have always claimed to want. Or in this age of talk of "makers and takers", perhaps we do, though one has to wonder about the special place of the landed gentry in the Downton era, who seemed to have little required of them beyond reading and a sizable social calendar, while their servants worked eighteen hours a day, six and a half days a week, with only a half-day off once a week -- hardly enough time to be an amateur CSI investigator, as Downton's Anna seems to have.

Perhaps it's about sexual restraint -- but only for women. In most Edwardian houses, fraternizing among the servants was frowned upon, and unlike Daisy's tragic wedding to the unfortunate William on Downton, more often than not both parties would be sacked, and the woman in the relationship blamed. Half of all children born out of wedlock in 1911 were born to women in domestic service, which makes me wonder for how many doing the master's bidding involved more than just polishing the silver.

So what is this "vanished virtue" about which this letter writer is so wistful? I'd like to believe that it's the sense of noblesse oblige that used to accompany great wealth; the understanding that with great wealth came great responsibility, as Andrew Carnegie noted in his 1889 essay The Gospel of Wealth:

What is the proper mode of administering wealth after the laws upon which civilization is founded have thrown it into the hands of the few ? And it is of this great question that I believe I offer the true solution. It will be understood that fortunes are here spoken of, not moderate sums saved by many years of effort, the returns on which are required for the comfortable maintenance and education of families. This is not wealth, but only competence which it should be the aim of all to acquire.

There are but three modes in which surplus wealth can be disposed of. It call be left to the families of the decedents; or it can be bequeathed for public purposes; or, finally, it can be administered during their lives by its possessors. Under the first and second modes most of the wealth of the world that has reached the few has hitherto been applied. Let us in turn consider each of these modes. The first is the most injudicious. In monarchical countries, the estates and the greatest portion of the wealth are left to the first son, that the vanity of the parent may be gratified by the thought that his name and title are to descend to succeeding generations unimpaired. The condition of this class in Europe to-day teaches the futility of such hopes or ambitions.The successors have become impoverished through their follies or from the fall in the value of land. Even in Great Britain the strict law of entail has been found inadequate to maintain the status of an hereditary class. Its soil is rapidly passing into the hands of the stranger. Under republican institutions the division of property among the children is much fairer, but the question which forces itself upon thoughtful men in all lands is: Why should men leave great fortunes to their children? If this is done from affection, is it not misguided affection?

The growing disposition to tax more and more heavily large estates left at death is a cheering indication of the growth of a salutary change in public opinion. The State of Pennsylvania now takes--subject to some exceptions--one-tenth of the property left by its citizens. The budget presented in the British Parliament the other day proposes to increase the death-duties ; and,most significant of all, the new tax is to be a graduated one. Of all forms of taxation, this seems the wisest. Men who continue hoarding great sums all their lives, the proper use of which for - public ends would work good to the community, should be made to feel that the community, in the form of the state, cannot thus be deprived of its proper share. By taxing estates heavily at death the state marks its condemnation of the selfish millionaire's unworthy life.

It is desirable ;that nations should go much further in this direction.

Compare this kind of wealthy man with, say, Willard Romney, whose wealth was obtained by driving ever more people into poverty, and whose philanthropy, such as it is, involves contributing to a church that baptizes dead Jews and seeks to block gay people from enjoying the privileges he takes for granted. Or like Donald Trump, who inherited $400 million from his father and has spent the last three decades strutting around like a self-made man. Or any of the various billionaires who have attempted to buy themselves a government that will take what little the lower socioeconomic levels have left and further line their pockets with it.

If that's the kind of "vanished virtue" to which the writer of that letter to the local newspaper was referring, I'm on board. But somehow I don't think it is.

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TD Bank

Chara, Gaborik, Hossa highlight Slovakian roster

Tuesday, 12.29.2009 / 5:39 PM ET / News
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Chara, Gaborik, Hossa highlight Slovakian roster -- Marian Hossa of the Chicago Blackhawks, Marian Gaborik of the New York Rangers and Zdeno Chara of the Boston Bruins are the big names headlining Slovakia's entry into the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver after the country announced its roster Tuesday morning.

Slovakia GM Peter Bondra has selected 13 forwards, 7 defensemen and 3 goaltenders for coach Jan Filc's team. Of the 23, 12 are currently on NHL rosters.

Aside from the big three, other NHL players who were part of Slovakia's 2006 roster who are returning to the team for the 2010 Games include center Pavol Demitra of the Vancouver Canucks, defenseman Milan Jurcina of the Columbus Blue Jackets (acquired from the Washington Capitals on Monday), defenseman Andrej Meszaros of the Tampa Bay Lightning and goaltender Peter Budaj of the Colorado Avalanche.

Miroslav Satan, who was with the 2006 team, is currently without a professional team but has earned a roster spot on the 2010 entry.

A slightly surprising omission is Avalanche right wing Marek Svatos, who was part of Slovakia's 2006 team and has a 30-goal season to his credit. But the 27-year-old has seen his goal totals dip from 26 in 2007-08 to 14 in 2008-09. This year he has just 6 goals in 34 games.

Bondra can still tinker with the roster up until Feb. 15, leaving open the possibility that someone like Svatos could be added to the team. Final rosters must be submitted to the IIHF that day and no changes, for any reason, can be made afterward.

Bondra also opted for Michal Handzus of the Los Angeles Kings, right wing Tomas Kopecky of the Detroit Red Wings, defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky of the Edmonton Oilers, defenseman Andrej Sekera of the Buffalo Sabres and goaltender Jaroslav Halak of the Montreal Canadiens from his NortH American options.

Rounding out the roster are forwards Lubos Bartecko of SC Bern in Switzerland, Branko Radivojevic of Spartak Moscow in Russia, Marcel Hossa of Dinamo Riga in Russia, Ziggy Palffy of HK 36 Skalica in Slovakia, Jozef Stumpel of Barys Astana in Russia and Richard Zednik of Lokomotiv Yaroslavl in Russia; defensemen Richard Lintner of Dinamo Minsk in Russia, Martin Strbak of HK MVD in Russia, and goaltender Rastislav Stana of Severstal Cerepovic in Russia.

Only Stana, who was drafted by the Washington Capitals in 1998, lacks some sort of NHL experience.

This team will be trying to improve on a surprising, yet somewhat disappointing, fifth-place finish at the Turin Games in 2006.

The Slovaks came into the Torino Games in 2006 as an underdog, with their sixth-place finish in 1994 representing their best Olympic showing since forming following the breakup of Czechoslavakia in 1992. But the Slovaks stormed through pool play undefeated, knocking off Russia, the United States and Sweden -- the eventual gold-medal winner -- before falling to the Czechs 3-1 in the quarterfinals and missing out on a medal that began to seem like a possibility following pool play.

The most interesting aspect of the 2010 team could be between the pipes. The battle for the No. 1 goaltender spot between Halak and Budaj could continue right up until Slovakia's first game against the Czechs on Feb. 17.

Budaj played very well for Slovakia in 2006, posting a 2-1-0 record and a 2.01 goals-against average. His career in the NHL has been middling, however, since that performance. The 27-year-old has appeared in just 10 games for the Avalanche this season while serving as a backup for Craig Anderson. In his limited time, Budaj has been effective, with a 4-3-1 mark to go along with a 2.22 GAA and .927 save percentage.

Halak, 24, is caught in a similar situation. He had a strong 2008-09 season, winning 18 games in 34 appearances and delivering a 2.86 GAA and .915 save percentage while Carey Price struggled during his sophomore season with the Canadiens.

This season has been a different story. Halak has played well (10-6-0, 2.56, .924), but Price has seen the bulk of the playing time despite putting up less-impressive numbers than Halak.

Author: Dave Lozo | Staff Writer
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5 BOS 82 41 27 14 209 201 96
6 FLA 82 38 29 15 198 213 91
7 TOR 82 30 44 8 206 257 68
8 BUF 82 23 51 8 153 269 54

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M. Lucic 81 18 26 13 44
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D. Hamilton 72 10 32 -3 42
R. Smith 81 13 27 7 40
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Does Kickstarter Raise New & Empty Hopes for “Firefly” or “Serenity?”

by on March 15, 2013

in Entertainment

Suspecting that FIREFLY fans are excited about a Kickstarter option, Joss Whedon was asked his thoughts on the matter.  Don’t hold your breath yet gang…

A week ago a Brusimm reader sent me a note about the Veronica Mars Kickstarter campaign saying

Looks like the fans came through. Now will WB?

Back when he sent that note, the Kickstarter fund raising campaign was at $2 million.  While I’m writing this, it’s broaching the $3.5 mark.  Wow!  And yes, with that kind of money in the bank, WB said they’ll go ahead with a movie.

That created all kinds of fervor amongst the fan bases of many different franchises, and as I fully expected, articles are popping up all over the place about this, that and the other thing.

The latest bit that sparked this bit of writing was a traffic-netting piece about Zachary Levi tossing out a Chuck movie, via Kickstarter.  And Pushing Daisies, or any title of a cancelled TV show you can think of.

But then I also saw a piece about Joss Whedon being asked about getting Firefly off the ground with a Kickstarter campaign.

First… more than likely, that would rock and would more than likely be a huge and successful campaign.

Even if he was considering it, it might be a while.  Yes, I said, even if he was considering it.

When asked about a Kickstarter campaign for Firefly, he had what fans might consider to be harsh words, from a harsh reality of it.  That being of several factors:

  • He’d love to make another movie.  (I had not thought of a new movie, but a new series.  That chosen phrase said a lot to me.)
  • He’s fully booked by Marvel for the next three years.
  • Priority commitments with Marvel have kept Dr. Horrible 2 stalled.

Due to the above points, Whedon said that…

“I don’t even entertain the notion of entertaining the notion of doing this, and won’t. Couple years from now, when Nathan [Fillion]’s no longer [on] Castle and I’m no longer the Tom Hagen of the Marvel Universe and making a giant movie, we might look and see where the market is then. But right now, it’s a complete non-Kickstarter for me.”

And that, dear Firefly fans, is the pragmatic perspective on the matter, from Whedon’s mouth.

It’s not what anyone wants to hear about the potential of a new Firefly or Serenity movie, but there it is.  The man is moving forward with his career and if there’s a moment where everything comes together for him, I am sure he will make a new movie.

But for the time being, we get the benefit of seeing what’s on his mind and having it committed to film for the Whedonverse to appreciate.

As far as Kickstarter goes, it could very well start a trend or bring to bear the fact that fans have more power these days than the studios are used to.

This Veronica Mars event has raised awareness to many potentials.  But this kind of $3+ million success doesn’t mean this will happen for many projects.  Mars was a well pitched campaign that was received well by a willing audience.

This shows studios that there’s an outsource well that can be tapped for what ever project.  And fans need to be aware of one thing, if I’m not mistaken, contributing is a one-way street.

And what if studios start to wonder if they can finance movies from various crowd-sourcing?  I’m not a fan of that idea, since fans already finance movies via a post-production function called movie tickets.  But then again, subscription services like cable TV used to promise no ads because we’re paying for them.  We see how that went.

But for now, Veronica Mars fans are probably ecstatic.  You can’t blame them.

Now, we need other movie makers to step up and offer their visions of other projects long dead but much appreciated.

Sources:  kickstarter, buzzfeed.

{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }

Peter Cawdron March 19, 2013 at 11:58 pm

Sorry, but Joss Whedon has rocks in his head… what is he thinking? He came up with a concept that became a cult following, despite being thumbed by the networks. Sure, he needs to make sure any sequel (series, please, not movie) out does the original, but the space western post-galactic-civil-war is a winner and is currently a vacuum with massive demand to be filled.

JOSSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHH…. get your $#!* together

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The 1985 Snow Bowl
The Buccaneers have played some pretty amazing games during their chequered history. And of course, for 27 years, there was the infamous statistic about never having won when the temperature was under 40 degrees. But in 1985, the Bucs played in the most incredible conditions of all in a December 1st game at Lambeau Field, one that has remained in a lot of players' memories since.

The defense tries to keep its footing
That is actually Leeman Bennett on the left of Steve Young
Someone either makes a tackle or the back slips over again
Punter Frank Garcia had trouble even seeing the snap back to him
Steve Young nearly suffocated when he was sacked into a snowdrift
Scot Brantley (52) probably wishes he had started his radio career earlier
1985 was the first year of Leeman Bennett's reign as head coach of the Bucs and his team were on their way to a 2-14 campaign. Steve Young had arrived from the USFL and had the previous week, beaten Detroit in his NFL starting debut. The Bucs were optimistic for the umpteenth time that this was the start of the corner being turned in Tampa. Not so fast my friends as Lee Corso would say.

Week 13 was a trip to Lambeau Field to play the Packers, not exactly world-beaters at the time themselves. And it was snowing in Green Bay. Hard. And getting worse. Six inches of snow fell the day before the game, six inches fell during the game and another foot and a half the following day.

It was the worst weather Lambeau Field had seen on a game day in 30 years. Total white-out conditions at times, grounds crew trying to sweep the lines between plays and coaches and commentators alike having difficulty in seeing on to the field. And the Bucs were in white.

The Bucs were outgained by the incredible margin of 512 yards to 61 and it was only two short missed fieldgoals by Al Del Greco of the Packers (basically because he couldn't stand up straight to kick them) and a pair of fumbles that stopped the game being a total annihilation on the scoreboard. A shade under 20,000 were in the stands to see the game although probably many more were unable to travel across snowbound Wisconsin to get to Lambeau Field that afternoon.

It was 30 first downs to five for the Pack and Lynn Dickey's passing performance was nothing short of unreal in the conditions. James Lofton had over 100 yards by half-time and Dickey's arm was every bit as good as Brett Favre who would follow him a decade later.

Steve Young threw one out pass that sailed on the wind and flew over the receiver's head. He tried again on the next play and the wind knocked it down to fall incomplete five yards from Kevin House's feet. Backs and linemen were slipping all over the place unless they had a Packer helmet on, in which case they seemed to be playing on perfect grass.

The 1985 Bucs were not a great team and they quickly realised that as soon as the Packers scored, any hope of success was beyond them. Thanks to a fumble recovery, they did get inside the Green Bay 20-yard line at the end of the third quarter but the incompetent Leeman Bennett didn't call a time out and hence had to attempt the kick at the other end of the field at the start of the fourth quarter when the teams changed ends. I don't know if Igwebuike missed left, right or short - you simply couldn't even see the ball flying off his foot.

The Bucs did get out of Wisconsin on a flight that evening but several of the players had staged a protest convinced it was not safe to fly. Eventually the pilot had to come out of the cockpit to convince them that he had a wife and family and wouldn't put them at risk by taking off in dangerous conditions. "Show us the pictures" LB and current Buc radio show host Scot Brantley remembers calling out. "You could hear a pin drop when we rolled down the runway" he added.

Of all the hundreds of games the Bucs have played, this one will go down as one of the most memorable. Images of the Bucs players huddled around the only heater on the sideline or the speed at which they ran off the field at half-time and the final gun. They probably would have lost if conditions had been perfect but at least this way, everyone got to remember a trip to Green Bay for something very special.

Click here for the game stats, details and starting line-ups


text:
Home > The Americas > US West

Buddhists gather to celebrate Buddha's birthday

By DEEPA BHARATH, The Orange County Register, June 5, 2009

For the first time, about 7,000 Buddhists will celebrate Saturday in Anaheim

GARDEN GROVE, CA (USA) -- For the first time, Buddhists from all over Southern California are congregating in Anaheim to celebrate Vesak or Buddha Day at the Convention Center Saturday.

<< Master Thich Chon Thanh inside the Lien Hoa Buddhist temple where monks pray for those who have passed away.

"This is Buddha's birthday," said Thich Con Thanh, abbot of the Lien Hoa Buddhist Temple in Garden Grove. "This is like Christmas for Buddhists all over the world."

Thanh is organizing the event, which he expects will be attended by at least 7,000 followers from Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego counties. The Buddhist population is Orange County and the rest of Southern California has grown exponentially in the last five to 10 years, Thanh said. Members of 15 Buddhist temples from Southern California will participate in the festivities, he said.

Vesak is the most important festival for Buddhists, said organizer Phat Ngiem.

"It's celebrated all over the world by followers of the Buddha," he said. "It's our way of getting the Buddha's blessings and showing our gratitude for his teaching. Our prayers on that day are to remind us of his venerable teachings and what we are supposed to do in our daily lives. We listen to our masters. It's a day of reflection and prayer."

The celebration will begin at 1:30 p.m. with a traditional Buddhist ceremony when abbots from different temples will give sermons and chant Buddhist prayers. Organizers are also creating several exhibits that provide information about Buddhism, their traditions and culture.

"It's more of a cultural exhibition," said Ngiem. "We'll have paintings, pictures, bonsai and other items that depict the culture and traditions that came from Buddhism."

Vesak is an annual holiday observed traditionally by practicing Buddhists in South Asian and South East Asian countries such as Vietnam, Nepal, India, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Indonesia. It is informally referred to as "Buddha's birthday," but it encompasses the birth, enlightenment and passing of Gautama Buddha.

On Vesak Day, most followers eat vegetarian food and participate in traditional chants and rituals, he said.

Follower Tom Truong said, for him, Vesak is a "happy occasion."

"It's great to see all the temples getting together and coming together as well to celebrate this happy time," he said.

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text:
Your version control system is not a file system

If you find yourself needing to check binary files into your Version Control System, something isn’t right. Your VCS is optimised for tracking changes to source files. When you have multiple revisions of a source file, the VCS has stored the original file and the changes between revisions. This is good.

When you check in a binary, it doesn’t really do that. Most systems just keep a separate copy of the binary for each revision. So if you store 10 revisions of a 100 megabyte file, you can kiss a gigabyte goodbye. You might argue that disks are cheap. Unfortunately the cost of storage isn’t the issue. It’s the downtime to upgrade the server, it’s the admin overhead and risk of moving all of your data to a new disk. Sure you can do it.

Or you could stop using your VCS as the most expensive file system in your organisation.

(image from D. Meutia’s photostream)

Update: I wrote this in response to a contractor putting a 325mb file into my previous employer’s Perforce repository. I should qualify some of the statements in the post – for example there’s every reason to put small binary files in as part of your app. I think most people choose to check in binary dependencies into their projects rather than take the Maven/Ivy route.

6 thoughts on “Your version control system is not a file system

  1. Douglas Squirrel says:

    Hear hear! See my response postfor a cautionary tale of woe caused by big binary files. But what are you supposed to do with Excel or Word files, which don’t have a plain-text form but still may need versioning?

  2. Fabrizio Dutra says:

    Excell and Word files are note derivate files and must be consider as source files and it is normal.
    The problem is versioning derivate filesâ€¦ (this can be also a JSP files in some systems)
    Versioning derivate files is a bad practice can leave your versions not-repeatable and with difficult to maintain.

  3. […] maintenance is carried out.  Deployable builds should be labelled, but big binary files like this should not be kept in version control. An ivy repository is an […]

  4. a visitor says:

    You’re an idiot. Do you know how many kinds of binary files exist in organisations that need to be worked upon by a team, with all the changes tracked over time? What about creatives with images like PSD’s? How do you propose tracking changes to these files? Create a new folder on the filesystem for each changed version? Oh no, wait – that’s exactly what you’re saying is a bad idea. Or how about just don’t maintain old versions… no whoops that won’t work either because then there’s no versioning at all. Or how about… you have a version control system that just uses the binary deltas to track changes in binary files? Wow, guess you never thought of that before writing an article and bothering to publish it.

  5. simpsonjulian says:

    Dear Visitor,

    I love comment and debate on my blog. If you’d only make a comment that wasn’t abusive, we’d talk about it and I’d probably update the post.

    Can I suggest that if you’re going to make abusive comments, you don’t do it from [presumably] your employer’s netblock?

  6. Claudio Bezerra says:

    Hi, first I’d like to praise a good iniative. I’ve not seen much material on the web about software building seen from a perspective of software engineering.
    I saw that one visitor, Fabrizio Dutra, mentioned that versioning derivative files is a bad practice and I agree. However not everyone at my office agrees. Do you know of books or articles that confirm this assumption?
    Thanks in advance!

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Latias (Dragon Vault 9)

From Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia.
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ラティアス Latias
Team Plasma
Illus. Hideaki Hakozaki
Evolution stage Basic Pokémon
Card name Latias
Type Dragon
Hit Points 100
retreat cost
English expansion Dragon Vault
English card no. 9/20
Japanese expansion Dragon Selection
Japanese card no. 009/020
For more information on this Pokémon's species, see Latias.

Latias (Japanese: ラティアス Latias) is a Dragon-type Basic Pokémon card. It is part of the Dragon Vault.

Card text

Colorless Energy Assist
Attach a basic Energy card from your discard pile to 1 of your Benched Pokémon.
FirePsychic Sky Heal
If Latios is on your Bench, heal 20 damage from this Pokémon.

Pokédex data

Latias - Eon Pokémon
No. Height Weight
380 4'07" (1.4 m) 88.2 lbs. (40.0 kg)
Pokédex entry
Its body is covered in a down that can refract light in such a way that it becomes invisible.
ひかりを　くっせつさせる　うもうで　ぜんしんを　つつみこみ　すがたを　みえなくする　のうりょくを　もつ。

Release information

This card was one of five promotional cards also included in the Dragon Vault Blisters. These five cards had a different Holofoil pattern than their in set prints and contained the Dragon Vault stamp on the artwork.

This card's Pokédex entry comes from Pokémon Black and White.

Project TCG logo.png This article is part of Project TCG, a Bulbapedia project that aims to report on every aspect of the Pokémon Trading Card Game.


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EDPS 935
Seminar in Qualitative ResearchCrosslisted as TEAC 935
EDUC 900K or permission
Seminar intended for doctoral-level students who have completed an initial qualitative research methodology course and who want to increase their skills in qualitative research. Data collection and analysis strategies and the application of those strategies to research problems.
Credit Hours: 3
Course Delivery: Classroom


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Buncombe County News

This news item expired on 10/31/2013, so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
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Buncombe Man Charged with 7 Counts of 3rd Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

Buncombe County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Thomas Aaron Fender, 31, of 1846 Brevard Road in Arden on October 1, 2013.  Fender is charged with seven counts of third degree sexual exploitation of a minor; he is currently at the Buncombe County Detention Center.  The investigation into this incident is ongoing.


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Browsing by Subject Machining dynamics

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2008Machining dynamics: Fundamentals, applications and practicesCheng, K


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vendor spotlight: waterwaif

necklace from Waterwaif on Etsy

Please welcome Tara of Waterwaif to the Sponsor Spotlight this week! What inspires you? My biggest inspiration has to be the sea. I grew up (and live)  near the ocean in Florida and I draw such immense strength from just being near it. The energy and the beauty of the ocean and the raw power […]

vendor spotlight: amanda pearl

purse loot

This week we’ve put Amanda Pearl under the sponsor spotlight! I’ve been a fan of Amanda Pearl’s bags and baubles ever since she came onto my radar. My favorite items are definitely from her crystal collection. If you look at my picture on my about page you’ll notice the earrings I’m wearing are from Amanda Pearl and […]

best new year’s eve party dresses

You’ve got the rest of the year to wear little black dresses – New Year’s Eve is all about the glitter and glam! I’ve rounded up some of my favorite sparkling party dresses for you and even picked one out of the bunch for myself. Sequins, glitter, and tulle; these frocks have got it all. […]

pennychoo greeting cards

Jazz Cats 2012

In an attempt to put a face to some of the wonderful businesses I’m working with, please welcome our first Sponsor Spotlight feature: Sue Lee of Pennychoo Greeting Cards! What inspires you? Generally, mid-century design, but more specifically, anything and everything from around 1920 to 1960! So, um, not very specific at all, actually. I’ve […]

my personal favs: 2012 holiday gift guide

bando heart clutch

Now that the holiday shopping season is here I thought I’d round up some of my all time favorite things! All of the items in this list are either things I currently own and adore or are on my Christmas wish list (someone please tweet this post to my husband @innovatespace). I hope it gives […]

moonrise kingdom

If you and your fiance are fans of Wes Anderson films, then having a Moonrise Kingdom themed engagement shoot or wedding is a perfect idea. What’s sweeter than running away with your beloved? Infuse the day with offbeat, quirky, rustic, and definitely 1960s retro touches and lots of burnt oranges, browns, and sepia tones. Ham […]

needy for neon

neon wedding

Neon is a bright and fun addition to any wedding palette. It can be fresh and modern, or have a 1980s twist, depending on how you use it. Either way, give your bridesmaids a neon gift they won’t forget: 1. orange ombre beaded necklace 2. neon arrows print poster 3. neon pink envelope clutch 4. gray pillow 5. […]

pink and black cameo wedding

Cameos are classic and beautiful and add a touch of old world charm to any occasion. Give cameo necklaces to your bridesmaids for gifts, send cameo themed save the dates, and incorporate pink and black into your wedding palette for a beautiful and elegant look! Love this cameo wedding inspiration board? Then you’ll probably also […]

think pink

pink wedding inspiration board

Always feminine and always lovely, you really can’t go wrong with a pink palette for your wedding. Color coordinate your bridesmaids gifts by giving them a pink hued thank you! pink bridesmaids gifts from left to right: 1. Kate Spade ‘all the girls are crazy’ bangle 2. étoile princess nail polish 3. teacup charm necklace […]


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Investing In Solar: Are These Solar Stocks Feeling The Heat Yet?

Tickers in this article: SCTY TSL

Chris Lau, Kapitall: Solar stocks rise and fall with the markets. But can investing in solar add a little shine to your portfolio?

Given the massive ups and downs in solar energy stocks over the last few years, it is hard for investors to believe things may be different this time. The solar energy sector previously looked to be in an unsustainable bubble.

[Read more from Kapitall about investing in solar: Should Value Investors Warm Up to These Solar Stocks?]

But generous and abundant subsidies, high demand, and high margins invited firms to supply more. When prices dropped for solar panels, weak players filed for bankruptcy and the lower supply helped stabilize the industry.

In the US, solar power generation is becoming a more significant source of energy. Coal and natural gas sources now need to compete with solar power, which may help explain why utility stocks are poor performers this year.

Investing ideas

SolarCity (SCTY) is on a tear. Shares rose 25% on the week, closing recently at $47.18 and not far from a high of $52.77 reached in May of this year. The company’s latest forecast is only slightly better than previous expectations, so should investors be considering SolarCity now or waiting for a pullback?

Only Trina Solar (TSL) is outshining SolarCity in the short-term. In the one year period, Trina and SolarCity are up more than two-fold:

Click on the interactive chart to see data over time.

Trina may be up because the Chinese government is giving a 50% value-added tax rebate to solar manufacturers for the next two years. China is also imposing a tariff of just 6.5% for most of the polysilicon suppliers coming from the US.

The lighter tariff suggests that trade between the US and China will not be hurt as badly as previously thought.


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Canadian real estate investors fret as housing blitz winds down

Toronto suffered a 36% decline in new condo sales in 2012 from 2011; resales dropped 10%, the first annual decline since 2008, Urbanation says.

Canadian housing market cool-down worries real estate investors

Herbert Crockett called Cairo, Geneva and New Delhi home in his four decades as a human resources executive with the World Health Organization. The Prince Edward Island native invested closer to his roots in 2005.

CMHC seeking to hide foreclosure information from home buyers

CHMC has been asking realtors to keep consumers in the dark about whether the properties it sells are part of a foreclosure, The Financial Post has learned.

Read our full report.

With Toronto on the verge of what turned into a colossal building spree, the 75-year-old retiree bought a $904,000 one-bedroom suite in the Trump International Hotel & Tower. Eight years later, the 65-story skyscraper is complete, exuding Manhattan-style glamour.

For Crockett, fellow investors and Canadians alike, the glow is fading as home sales tumble, Bloomberg Markets magazine will report in its April issue. They say they’re worried that Canada’s debt-fueled expansion will stall before a global recovery can revive exports — a slowdown that would blemish Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney’s record just as he begins his new job as head of the Bank of England on July 1.

Norm Betts/Bloomberg

“If the city is any indication of what’s going on in the country, it’s over-reliant on its housing sector,” Crockett says, pointing out a window of a downtown coffee shop to dozens of cranes swinging across the skyline. “I’m afraid of a condo crash, and then what will happen to all the investments?”

Toronto is awash in real estate. There were 144 skyscrapers under construction in late February, more than in any other city in the world, according to Proposals for new condos reached 253,768 units at the end of the fourth quarter, up 10% from a year earlier, Toronto-based research firm Urbanation Inc. says. Four luxury hotels, each featuring condos, have opened in the past two years.

Gehry Towers

The projects keep coming. Frank Gehry, architect of the landmark Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in Spain, plans three towers. The highest, at 85 floors, would be North America’s tallest residential building.

Crockett, who lives in Crozet, France, says he’s losing $7,000 a month amid the glut. He says his Trump suite, which guests rent through the hotel reservation system, is occupied about a quarter of the time. He’s suing Donald Trump and the developers for $2.9-million for misrepresenting investment returns. About two dozen other buyers have brought similar cases.

Crockett says in his lawsuit that a presentation by developer Talon International Development Inc., referred to in court documents, put returns as high as 27% a year and that the company wasn’t transparent about room fees and mortgage financing. Crockett adds that after he bought the suite, Talon declined to answer questions about his investment.

Economy Stalling

Val Levitan, chief executive officer of closely held Talon, denies the allegations, dismissing them as buyer’s remorse. He says sales documents outline risks to investing in a hotel suite. Alan Garten, personal legal counsel for New York-based Trump Organization Inc., says Donald Trump wasn’t involved in selling the properties, calling the allegations “completely without merit.”

The weakening property market is just one sign that Canada’s economy, which everyone from International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde to Carney himself has touted as a model of stability, is stalling.

As recently as September, the World Economic Forum ranked Canada’s banking system the world’s soundest for the fifth straight year. Canada’s bank stocks never fell as far as their U.S. counterparts during the financial crisis, with the Standard & Poor’s/TSX Composite Commercial Banks Industry Index first surpassing its 2007 high in early 2011 and setting a record on Feb. 20 this year.

‘The Best’

Such performances likely helped Carney, 47, land his new post. British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne called him “quite simply the best, most-experienced and most-qualified person in the world to do the job” in the surprise Nov. 26 announcement.

Now, as the former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. banker prepares to cross the Atlantic, Canada’s households are burdened with record debt, and third-quarter growth, at 0.6%, was the lowest in a year. Canada is scheduled to report fourth-quarter gross domestic product on Friday, with economists surveyed by Bloomberg News forecasting no change in growth. Moody’s Investors Service weighed in on Jan. 28. It downgraded six banks the WEF had lauded, saying debt and soaring home prices have left Canadians vulnerable to more bad news.

While Canada may get stellar marks for navigating the global credit crisis, it did so with a borrowing binge, says Benjamin Tal, deputy chief economist at the investment-banking unit of Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce.

‘Payback Time’

“We basically borrowed our way out of this recession,” Tal says. “Now, it’s payback time. We will be in for a period of long, slow growth.”

Canada’s property blitz is winding down just as U.S. housing perks up. Construction of new Canadian homes plunged 19% in January from December to the lowest number since the end of 2009; sales of existing homes fell 8.8% from a year earlier. Toronto suffered a 36% decline in new condo sales in 2012 from 2011; resales dropped 10%, the first annual decline since 2008, Urbanation says.

Home prices are for the most part still rising on average in big cities — except in Vancouver, where they fell 8% from their peak in May 2011 through January. In contrast, sales of new and previously owned U.S. properties rose 9.9% last year, the biggest annual gain since 1998.

Mortgage Changes

Hoda Seraji is experiencing Vancouver’s housing slowdown firsthand. A real estate agent, she took her own family’s two- story house in Canada’s third-largest city off the market after failing to get a single bite for the $2.39-million home overlooking the Pacific. Cutting the price for the five-bedroom, four-bathroom residence didn’t help.

Buyers are very skeptical, very hesitant because they think prices may go down

“Buyers are very skeptical, very hesitant because they think prices may go down,” she says.

Seraji blames fading interest from foreign investors, especially in China. Changes to Canada’s mortgage rules designed to cool the market have accelerated the sales drop, she says.

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty announced new regulations on home loans for the fourth time in four years in June, reducing the maximum amortization period on mortgages the government insures to 25 years from 30 years. It had been as high as 40 years in 2008.

Both Flaherty and Carney have campaigned against the perils of household debt, with Carney warning in June 2011 that valuations in some markets were reaching “severely unaffordable” levels.

Taxpayer Liability

Until the government’s latest tightening, however, Canadians weren’t listening. Carney slashed benchmark interest rates more than four percentage points to 0.25% during the recession, pushing five-year mortgage rates to less than 3%. That helped Canadians enjoy the lowest borrowing costs in the Group of 20 nations outside Europe, Japan and the U.S. Flaherty increased the stimulus with guarantees and tax credits for homeowners.

Encouraged by cheap money, Canadians couldn’t resist the housing market. The average price of homes sold jumped 82% during the 10 years through January, rising more than 30% from January 2009 alone, according to the Canadian Real Estate Association.

Tyler Anderson/National Post

The value of mortgages insured by the government’s housing agency swelled 98% to $575.8-billion at the end of September from the end of 2006, foisting a growing liability onto taxpayers. Meantime, Canadians became more indebted than Americans in 2011. The ratio of household debt to disposable income has continued to rise, hitting a record 165% in the third quarter of 2012, according to Statistics Canada.

Official Hectoring

The mixed message of borrow but save isn’t lost on economists.

“It did seem a little unusual to have every policy maker in Ottawa hectoring Canadians about their excessive debt levels and yet the economic incentive for the average Canadian was completely slanted to taking on debt and not saving,” says Douglas Porter, chief economist at Bank of Montreal.

“The realist in me would admit it was the only tool the Bank of Canada had. The reality was, they really could not lift interest rates.”

I don’t think the Bank of Canada is going to have a smoking gun to raise interest rates

With global rates so low, any independent increase would set off a surge in the Canadian dollar. Carney dampened expectations for higher borrowing costs at the end of January, saying rate increases were “less imminent” because of weaker- than-anticipated business investment and exports. He’ll be more than 18 months into his new job before his successor, who has yet to be named, raises borrowing costs again, some economists predict.

Exports Struggle

There’s little evidence exports will help Canada offset any drag from its housing-sparked debt addiction. In the third quarter, outbound shipments, including oil, plunged 7.8% from the second quarter and had dropped 8%age points to 30% of GDP since 2000.

Meantime, the share of GDP linked to housing, including construction and renovation, soared to more than 20%. A similar U.S. measure peaked at 18% in 2005. Canada’s share of construction jobs in total employment was 7.3% in January, above the 4.3% in the U.S.

“This heavy reliance is not healthy,” CIBC’s Tal says. “I expect to see some softening.”

Many of Canada’s construction workers have been toiling on Toronto’s condos. Lou Rivera wonders who will live in them. Rivera, 55, found out in November that property owner Mondelez Canada Inc., a unit of Mondelez International Inc. will close this year the Mr. Christie’s bakery where he has worked as a production mechanic for 14 years and sell the land. The factory, which employs 550 people to pump out animal crackers and other snacks, may be replaced with 27 condo towers, documents filed with the city’s planning board say.

‘Big Correction’

“What will happen, 550 people will be jobless,” Rivera says in the plant’s snow-covered parking lot, which already is hemmed in by new condo developments named Eau du Soleil and Ocean Club. “Will they work at the condos? No. Will they live in them? No.”

Steve Hennessey, a sales representative for Right at Home Realty Inc., Canada’s largest independent real estate brokerage, predicts Toronto home prices will tumble 20% during the next two years.

“We’re due for a big correction,” he says.

David Rosenberg, chief economist and strategist at Gluskin Sheff & Associates Inc. in Toronto, wonders what would trigger a slump. He expects rates to stay low.

Missing Ingredients

“I don’t think the Bank of Canada is going to have a smoking gun to raise interest rates,” says Rosenberg, who, as chief economist for North America at Merrill Lynch & Co. in New York from 2002 to 2009, was among the first economists to predict a U.S. housing collapse.

Canada is also missing ingredients that made the U.S. market so toxic — subprime borrowers and banks that lent with little diligence. With about 62% of mortgages issued by Canadian banks insured by the federal government, the nation’s six big banks are more sheltered from delinquencies than American counterparts.

What may push Canadian housing over the edge, however, is another slowdown in the global economy. This could further weigh on exports and jobs, prompting the country’s maxed-out consumers to cool their love affair with real estate.

“As an economist working for a Canadian bank, I can’t go into a client meeting and have someone not ask me about housing in Canada,” says Tom Porcelli, chief U.S. economist at RBC Capital Markets LLC, Royal Bank of Canada’s investment-banking unit, in New York. “For U.S. investors, they are still a little gun-shy about what happened in the U.S., and I think they worry the same fate will happen to Canada.”

Timely Escape

While Crockett’s case against the Trump hotel’s developers winds through the courts and the once-hot housing market sputters, Carney will be facing new hurdles at the Bank of England. Jens Larsen, chief European economist at RBC Capital Markets in London, says Carney is likely to come up short.

“He had tremendous press, and it was a huge coup for the chancellor to be able to land him,” Larsen says. “You look at the expectations, and you look at the challenge he has in front of him, and some disappointment is likely.”

There are already signs of how difficult Carney’s job may be. Because Britain’s economy shrank in the fourth quarter, he could find himself struggling with fallout from an unprecedented triple-dip recession. Yet, if Canada’s home sales keep sliding and household debt keeps rising, the banker who helped orchestrate his nation’s vaunted growth and stability may consider his trans-Atlantic move a timely escape.

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Restaurants Irvine, CA

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Pholicious Irvine
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Top Rated Restaurants - Irvine

"I had never ate at a brazilian steakhouse before ... the service was excellent, very creative, if you eat here, you should go in on an empty stomach, because you get what you pay for and then some." ...
"There is just something about their ultra tender udon noodles or their fresh soba noodles in the sansai broth." ..."LOVE the SOBA noodles!" ...
"Overall Experience = Good Food = Good ( but not great ) Service = Excellent" ..."great food, bad service : food was great service was so bad!" ...
"Offering the best of Indian cuisine, this restaurant has received many accolades for its outstanding food and service." ..."Just go to Mother India in Costa Mesa, you get tastier dishes, not really great service but you pay so much cheaper." ...
"I went to the movie theater and after wathcing a movie I walked next door and had the most pleasant surprise ... amazing authentic mexican food with exceptional service and first class decor ... what a combo!" ...
"It has great service and great food ( of course all restaurants screw up sometimes with how your food turns out, but they're great." ...
"The BBQ place is more a casual dining with fairly reasonable price ( inexpensive )." ..."It is a good mix between Americanized Chinese food and authentic Chinese dishes." ...
"As a self proclaimed CEO of the `` OC Indian Review'', this holds the # 1 spot for best indian in OC." ..."This restaurant makes an excellent tandoori chicken, moist and fragrant, and doesn't overdo the traditional red food coloring." ...
The popularity of the restaurants is computed based on number of Rahs and Boos and strength of sentiment expressed by the reviewers. E.g a restaurant that contains reviews such as "great ambiance and awesome service" would rank higher than another one that consists of reviews like "good food and decent service", though both of them are positive and rated a Rah.
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Airwalk Limited Edition Go Skateboarding Day T-Shirts

Better buy them fast, Go Skateboarding Day is tomorrow!

In honor of national Go Skateboarding Day on Friday, June 21 Airwalk has collaborated with NYC local designer Jon Contino to release two limited edition T-shirts. The shirts represent Contino’s distinguished NY style while grasping the feel of the skateboarding community.

The shirts are available at Airwalk’s online store for $19.99 and can be bundled with Airwalk’s Already Famous Airwalk Gist skate shoes for $54.99.

Remember to get out at Go Skateboarding tomorrow!


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Business & Heritage Clarksville
Local News, Business, Arts, Heritage – DAILY Serving the Clarksville, TN region.

June 3, 2014

Royal Building Products bringing PVC pipe production to Newbern

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Written by: News Staff Ed.
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Royal Building Products_logo

Royal Building Products officials were joined by Tennessee Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty as the company announced it will invest $24 million in new equipment to support PVC pipe production at its Newbern facility. Royal Building Products, a leading manufacturer and distributor of home remodeling, building and municipal construction materials, will create 85 new jobs in Dyer County.

“Tennessee’s performance strength and job growth is second to none, and this announcement by Royal Building Products simply adds to the momentum that has been building in West Tennessee since the start of the Haslam Administration. “In the past 12 months alone, 3,000 new jobs were created by 46 landed projects in West Tennessee, and I could not be more pleased to see yet another company expanding its operations in the region. I appreciate Royal’s decision to further invest in Tennessee and for the new jobs created for our citizens,”  Hagerty said.

“As part of our effort to locate product manufacturing near key markets, we recently added pipe extrusion to our Newbern facility in Tennessee, a former PVC siding facility,” Paul Czachor, vice president and general manager of pipe and fittings at Royal Building Products, said. “The Newbern location provided our PVC pipe business with an opportunity to establish a manufacturing presence near growth markets in the southern United States and take advantage of western Tennessee’s strength as a transportation and distribution center.

“Creating a PVC pipe manufacturing hub at our Newbern location also allows us to benefit from the skilled Royal workers who have accumulated decades of experience with building products and vinyl extrusion, which will facilitate a smooth transition to this new product line. We are excited to bring our PVC pipe products to the southern United States and look forward to a long relationship in Tennessee as we grow this important part of our business,” Czachor added.

Royal Building Products also has PVC pipe facilities in Woodbridge, Ontario and Abbottsford, British Columbia. The company’s pipe manufacturing legacy dates back to 1913, when the western Canadian plant began producing clay pipe.

“The city of Newbern is honored to have companies like Royal Building Products located here which are progressive and leaders in their respective industry. “For every product that leaves a Newbern industry, the pride we have in our town and workforce goes with it. Newbern has always welcomed the industrial sector. Newbern has the infrastructure to support them and the ability to provide a highly trained and skilled workforce.  I think this is reflective of Royal’s decision to operate a state-of-the-art company and manufacture a superior product in Newbern,” Newbern Mayor Olen Parker said.

TVA-logo“TVA and Newbern Electric congratulate Royal Building Products on its announcement to invest and create new jobs in Newbern, Tennessee. “We are pleased to work in partnership with the state of Tennessee, the city of Newbern and the Dyer County Chamber to assist growing companies like Royal, said John Bradley, TVA senior vice president of economic development.”

Interested persons can visit  to learn more about available positions.

About the Author

News Staff Ed.

TVA clearing right-of-ways continue in LBL near Lyon/Trigg County Line

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) contractor clearing electrical transmission line right-of-ways in Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area will be entering Lyon County, Kentucky next week.
by News Staff

TVA clears rights-of-way at LBL

The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) contractor clearing electrical transmission line right-of-ways in Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area will be entering the Wranglers Campground area in Trigg County, Kentucky thi...
by News Staff

clear land

TVA begins maintenance work at LBL

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) began maintenance work Monday on approximately 31 miles of electrical transmission lines that travel across Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area in western Kentucky and Tennessee.
by News Staff

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Cradle Of Filth
Tuesday, March 19, 2013 08:00 pm
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Cradle Of Filth - Get yours Today!

Our mission is to sell Cradle Of Filth Concerts March tickets, plus tickets for The Fonda Theatre, Warehouse Live and Club Cinema shows as well as tickets for all Wisconsin hot performances.You can now purchase Cradle Of Filth March tickets from ticketsinventory; moreover, we assure the availability of Endeverafter, Misery Index and Vixen major classical music concerts tickets including those taking place in The Rave and much more.No other site can provide cheap Cradle Of Filth The Rave March tickets in addition to Headbang For The Highway, Rotting Christ and Titans Of Tribute tickets at prices like those on our site; moreover, you can get Wisconsin major live band events tickets.

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Off The Air – New Vikings Head Coach Critiques Our Screw-Ups

Yes we’re human and do make mistakes from time to time, we just hope you don’t notice them. Fortunately for you we keep recordings of them. WARNING: This podcast is funny and embarrassing for all […]

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News & Events

Robert C. Helmer began his tenure July 1 as the ninth president of Baldwin Wallace University.
He succeeds Richard W. Durst, who was president since 2006.

Leading BW–Helmer Engages the Community

He shares ice cream with Stinger, jokes with faculty and staff, and welcomes thousands of alumni and students to campus. All with a smile and engaging personality that evokes pride in his new home.

Early in his tenure, BW President Robert Helmer already knows what YJ4L means and is ready to cheer on varsity athletes, delve into student research, and attend Conservatory events with his wife, Linda, and two daughters.

In Berea, he's already a familiar face to civic leaders, neighbors, and with local merchants and others. His calendar for the months ahead is quickly filling with meetings and appointments.

"Dynamic Leader with Demonstrated Strengths"

Helmer comes to BW after serving nine years as president of Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio. While there, he accrued an impressive list of accomplishments.

"Bob Helmer established himself as a dynamic leader with demonstrated strengths in curriculum development, enrollment, campus life, fund raising and facility development," said Paul Carleton, chair of the BW Board of Trustees and Presidential Search Committee.

A Visionary Who Fosters Community

He is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and The Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. Helmer received his doctorate from Marquette University and his J.D. from the University of Toledo. His scholarly interests include early Christian origins and apocalyptic literature.

His keen insight and willingness to move boldly have impressed higher education professionals and earned him praise as a visionary. In combination with his personal warmth and community-focused leadership style, he regularly demonstrates a special ability to engage students, alumni, faculty and staff, and others.

"We are confident he will continue the BW tradition of exceptional leadership as we enter the next phase of growth and development at Baldwin Wallace," noted Carleton. "We look forward to working with him to provide the finest opportunities for learning and personal growth for each student."

Posted 8/12

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