text:
Licenses, Trout Stocking, and O'Sullivan's Island
Aerial shot of O'Sullivan's [source unknown]
More Licensed Fishermen in '09
"Last year saw an increase of 1.6 percent, or 630,000 anglers in the U.S. Some believe the increase was spurred by the economic downturn that left many without jobs and therefore more time -- and perhaps need -- to fish."
Charles Walsh writing in CTPost.com
Good! We'll Use 'em for Bait
"The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is gearing up for the 2010 season. DEP's Inland Fisheries Division began its annual spring trout stocking on March 1st, and expects to have 389,000 trout stocked throughout the state by April 17, which is opening day of the 2010 Trout Season."
Housy Fishing Tough in March
Charlie W. says he was out a couple of times during that warm spell but since then it just been too cold. He also says they're getting keeper stripers up at O'Sullivan's, but it is strictly a night fishery with big yellow bombers. Some reports of schoolies moving down the river.
Don't forget, a saltwater fishing license is now required to fish the marine waters of Connecticut. You can purchase one from your local bait & tackle shop, such as Newtown Bait & Tackle, or at Town/City Hall.
Check these links for more information:
Connecticut Tourism;
Long Island Sound Resource Center;
Housatonic Valley Association;
Stratford, Connecticut;
Labels: Connecticut Long Island Sound Housatonic River fishing saltwater inshore light tackle striped bass striper bluefish fly fishing
Connecticut DEP Announces Some Bag Limits
Common Grackle [taken by Becky]
Under authority of Sections 26-25 and 26-159a of the Connecticut General Statutes and Section 26-159a-22 of the Regulations of Connecticut State Agencies, the Commissioner of Environmental Protection is authorized to establish or adjust, by declaration, closed seasons, length limits, creel limits, trip limits and trip limit adjustment values in order to meet the harvest level for efficient management and to comply with interstate fishery management plans adopted by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC).
In accordance with the aforementioned authority, the following changes in Department SPORT FISHING regulations will be effective during 2010:
Minimum Size: [12] 12.5 inches excluding the tendril (long filament on the tail).
Creel Limit: 25 fish. Open Season: [Year Round] May 22 through September 12.
SCUP ON PARTY/CHARTER VESSELS
Minimum Size: 11 inches.
Creel Limit: [10 fish from June 12 –Aug 31 and 45 fish from Sep 1 – Oct 15]
10 fish from June 8 through Sept 6, and
40 fish from Sept 7 through Oct 11. Open Season: [June 12 – Oct 15] June 8 through October 11.
SCUP ON PRIVATE VESSELS AND FROM SHORE
Minimum Size: 10.5 inches.
Creel Limit: 10 fish. Open Season: May 24 through September 26.
SUMMER FLOUNDER
Creel Limit: 3 fish. Open Season: [June 15 – Aug 19] May 15 through August 25.
WEAKFISH
Creel Limit: [6] 1 fish. Open Season: Year Round.
WINTER FLOUNDER
Creel Limit: [10] 2 fish/ Open Season: April 1 through May 30.
These adjustments are being made in compliance with the requirements of the ASMFC Fishery Management Plans for these species. Black sea bass, scup, weakfish and winter flounder adjustments have been made in coordination with either regional or coastwide partner states. Summer flounder are being managed on a state by state basis in 2010. A 35% increase in the coastwide recreational harvest limit, coupled with this state staying within its individual harvest target in 2009 made the 35 day expansion to the open season in 2010 possible.
Maybe He Thought It Was "Phil"
"PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. - Police file public drunkenness charge against Pa. man seen trying to resuscitate roadkill.
"Police say they charged a Pennsylvania man with public drunkenness after he was seen trying to resuscitate a long-dead opossum along a highway."
StarTribune.com
Waiting to Get the Boat in the Water
We've heard from some of our fisherfolk pals:
Don G. says he's working too much and hasn't been on the water in a couple of weeks. Was doing well on stripers up-River before that.
Val S. says he just lost a bunch of trees in the storm and the other bad news is that he's back to 5+ days at work instead of the somewhat reduced schedule he was on that allowed for more fishing time. [Work is the curse of the fishing man.]
Mal Y. is still in Florida and probably will be until the end of May; fishing on FL's west coast is still suffering from the effects of the cold spells this winter.
Connecticut Fishing Regulatory Issues
"The Department of Environmental Protection's regulatory package, which includes changes to marine regulations for fluke, weakfish, black sea bass and winter flounder, had not been made official as of this writing."
Bob Sampson writing in NorwichBulletin.com
Fishermen: The Sun Is Not Our Friend
" We fishermen know about the sun. It comes with the territory, because we tend to do most of our fishing either in the summer season or in hot, tropical locations in the winter. Unlike other sports that sometimes allow enthusiasts to participate indoors or in the shade, fishing, particularly saltwater fishing, seldom allows any relief from the sun. Unless anglers wish to do all their fishing at night,.."
DelMarVaNow.com
Fairfield: Robbers Called Bank for Money to Go
[You can't make up stuff like this...]
"Police in Connecticut say they had ample warning of a bank robbery because the two suspects called the bank ahead of time and told an employee to get a bag of money ready."
BostonHerald.com
That'll Mess Up the Fishing
Housy to Reach Flood Stage
"The National Weather Service is predicting that the Housatonic River at the Stevenson Dam will exceed flood stage later Tuesday morning. Flood stage at that point of the river is 11 feet, where it was at about 6 a.m. Tuesday."
GreenwichTime.com
Under-the-Sea Census
"Using tools ranging from musty 19th-century Massachusetts fishing logbooks to powerful new sensors able to illuminate large swaths of ocean at a snap, scientists are close to completing the first worldwide tally of marine creatures.
"Among other things, they have found tubeworms that imbibe crude oil; a crustacean so shaggy it might be answering a casting call for Broadway's "Hair''; and a sort of singles cafe for sharks where great whites cruise hungrily for sex."
Early Birds Already Out on the Water
Time to Scrape the Rust from Your Shoulder Joints
"Last week's spate of unseasonably warm weather stirred winter-weary hearts of area anglers. And I was no exception. With a May-worthy sun on my back Tuesday afternoon, who could not resist the temptation to drive up to a favorite spot on the lower Housatonic River to make a few casts?"
Extreme Kayak Fishing
[Ya don't gotta be nuts….]
"'It's an eerie feeling to be out that far in a kayak anyway,' said Shepard, a 25-year-old electrician. 'Even with the big boat shadowing you, it's kind of wild. And you can see these huge fish down below and a big hammerhead shark swims by.'"
HamptonRoads.com
Darwin Right Before Their Eyes
"They compared turtles in Chesapeake Bay to turtles in Long Island Sound, which does not have commercial crab traps, and older specimens from museums. The carapaces of Chesapeake female turtles were about 15% wider than those of the other females, the team reports in Conservation Biology."
Back in Connecticut...
Some things about the Keys we won't miss....
Car was about stuffed full....
Had more pix to post but the Blogger is running like a pig this morning.
We expect Shoo-Fly 3 will be splashed [put back in the water] this week, so if you want to fish...let me know.
Too Much Rain?
"Normally, the prospect of four days of rain would put a smile on the faces of hardcore anglers, who realize that the barometric pressure drop that takes place as a storm system approaches usually turns on fish…. There can be too much of a good thing,"
NorwichBulletin.com
SaltWater Sportsman Online
Fishermen Seek Help from Obama
[Don't hold your breath]
"The coalition emphasizes that there are available administrative actions that can be taken right away to address the concerns of the sportfishing and boating industries and the nation's 13 million saltwater anglers who depend on well-managed, healthy marine fisheries."
IGFA Approves 51lb 5oz World Record Striped Bass
"The 51lb, 5oz striped bass he boated on the fly at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel on December 17th, 2010 topped the existing 43lbs, 12oz record previously…."
[A man's castle?]
"Cheesecake in hand, the police commissioner personally apologized Friday for the 50 or so mistaken, door-pounding visits that police have made to the home of a bewildered elderly Brooklyn couple in the past eight years."
SeattleTimes.com
Islamorada Journal 2010...Day Last
Our "Day Next-to-Last" post had pix of people who made this year's Islamorada Journal a lot of fun to do. Here are some places and things that also helped:
[Click on any pic to enlarge]
Addicted to Striped Bass
"…anything that causes a man to abandon his wife, ignore his children, miss work and spend all of his free time chasing stripers should at least be in the same league as the aforementioned deadly sins. The arrival of braggin' sized stripers is still almost two months away but with the recent spate of warm temperatures (at least for a winter crazed New Englander) and bright sunshine fishermen are beginning to display abnormal behavior. "
Charlie Soares writing in HeraldNews.com
Sight Fishing for Stripers
"I picked out one fish and after seeing it several times surface on the count, I cast just ahead of where I thought it would be. It was almost like fishing for tarpon. Once the striper broke the surface about 12 feet from the fly, I began stripping the line in erratic way and that's all it took. The striper broke its cadence and crashed on the fly. I caught three more that evening with the biggest topping 38 inches."
Dave Souza writing in HeraldNews.com
Labels: Bay, fly fishing, Intracoastal, Islamorada, Key Largo, Keys, Waterway
Islamorada Journal 2010...Day Next-to-Last
Some of the People Who Made This Year's Islamorada Journal Come Alive
Labels: Bay, Florida, fly fishing, Intracoastal, Islamorada, Key Largo, Keys, Waterway
Islmorada Journal 2010...Day 75
Last Post from the Keys...for this Year
[Actually, there will be two more posts...of people, and then of places and things that have made this year's Islamorada Journal fun to do.]
Sunday is our last full day. Monday we'll be on the road by about 0700 on the way to catch the AutoTrain.
Saturday I took the boat back to the Marina for storage. Of course, it was blowing like mad out on the water. This first shot shows the difference in the color of the water in our canal compared to the water in Snake Creek. With the wind howling in over Florida Bay from the west, and then right up the Creek, the sediment is churned up substantially.
You can get a pretty good idea of the wind speed by looking at how a large flag is flying. If it stands straight out from the flagpole, as this one is, it means the winds are at least 20 mph.
The ride over went well enough...just got splashed on my right arm a couple of times when really big waves smacked the side of the boat.
Couldn't get a picture, but once again this year a dolphin came to say goodbye. That's two years in a row now that I've seen one on the day I take the boat back to the Marina.
Even the egrets were hiding from the winds [and in this case hanging around a bait shop hoping for a handout].
The guides' boats at World Wide Sportsman were all in the rack. No day today to take a small boat out on the water.
So, that's it for this year, folks. Our next post to this blog, God willin' an' the crick don't rise, will be from Connecticut as we get Shoo-Fly 3 back on the water to take on the mighty striped bass.
We're looking forward to seeing our family and friends.
Thanks to all of you who followed this blog and left comments for us.
Capt. Skip
He Wouldn't Dare!
"Today, ESPN's Outdoor Executive Editor apologized for how the story was presented, saying the article was actually a commentary.
"While it's not accurate to report the Obama administration is going to stop recreational fishing like this, it is true that the President has appointed an Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force. The task force is responsible for developing a national policy and strategy to conserve and manage our oceans, coasts and Great lakes."
KLTV.com
Islamorada Journal...Day 74
Did you ever see such a bright and shiny little boat?
I spent Friday morning cleaning Shoo-Fly 2.
She really wasn't that dirty; the fresh-water wash down we give her after each trip makes a world of difference.
There are environmentally safe cleaning products that work wonders on the mildew that tends to accumulate under hatches...but my favorite cleaning product is the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. If you don't know about this product, it's available at all major grocers...check it out.
So I got the boat ready for storage...and for potential buyers as we're putting her up for sale.
We went off to Lazy Days restaurant for early dinner. Had absolutely the best piece of blackened mahi-mahi I've ever eaten. The conch chowder was also terrific. My favorite Keys foods:
Conch chowder: Lazy Days
Blackened mahi: Lazy Days
Cole slaw: Lor-e-lei
KLP: Lor-e-lei
Dirty vodka martini: Snappers
It was a warm [74°] humid [98%] day which you can probably palpitate from the photo above which was shot from the back of the restaurant.
Click on any photo to enlarge.
Lazy Days's Bavarian Forest Cherry Cake desert.
Definitely a two-fork project.
Got back to the house and looked out on the dock! Oy vay!
Pelicans! All over my nice clean boat!
Shoo you rascals!
Did they do the maximum insult on the boat?
Arrrrgh!
Twice!
Chased the pelicans off. Rinsed the boat down.
Evening settled in for rain which fell off and on.
Two more days left...then we're off north to see how much the grandkids have grown.
Eagles Nesting on the Housatonic River
"Bald Eagles continue to solidify their talon-hold in Connecticut. A steadily increasing breeding population is centered on the Connecticut River watershed, but eagles now nest in the Housatonic and Quinnipiac river watersheds as well. They're widespread in winter, with concentrations on the state's two biggest rivers, but they can show up almost anywhere in winter. An eagle during any month of the year remains a majestic sight, but not an unexpected one."
Waterbury Rep-Am
Islamorada Journal 2010...Days 72, 73
Becky sent this weather map. Thought you'd enjoy it too.
Click on it to enlarge.
Wednesday Jer went fishing with Wayne and me. We went back country, got beaten up by the waves, and caught a bunch of small fish out of some muds. We got the feeling that the fish may be returning to Florida Bay now that the cold snap is, hopefully, finally over. Just in time, of course, for us to leave...and Wayne & Linda will be leaving in a few weeks as well.
On the other hand, there are scientific-types who are saying that it may take Florida Bay as long as five years to recover from the record low temps we had this season.
Pic shows Thursday morning's clouds; it turned out to be a better day than the early clouds had indicated.
Bridget and Jeremy left Thursday morning...got their planes all right and should be home as this is written. Was fun having them here.
Both Egbert and Pietro stopped by for a quick visit Thursday afternoon. Guess they know we're leaving soon, so they wanted to bid farewell [and see if there was any food I'd throw to them].
Things are sort of winding down here now. I started the clean-up/clean-out of the boat and began packing up some of the countless, accumulated fishing gear for the trip back home. Friday, will finish cleaning the boat. Saturday, take it back to the Marina for storage, and Sunday, apply all the ingenuity I can possible muster to pack all of our stuff into the car. Monday, we're out of here.
Fishing Show in RI
"The New England Saltwater Fishing Show will take place from March 19-21 and will be held at the Rhode Island Convention Center in Providence, R.I. Industry manufacturers, guides and seminar speakers will be on hand daily."
Report fromCharlie W. on the Lower Housatonic River
"Made my first trip to Smith's Point [1] yesterday as temps warmed to 57 degrees (chilly NE wind). Just thought you'd like to know The Point survived the winter.
"I guess it's been tough conditions down in Florida. My friend George up by Naples says he hasn't left his house since January.
"Heard a report that the DEP police [2] handed out $2000 in no-license fines at the Derby Dam recently.
"I'm going to give the spot below the Parkway Bridge a shot tomorrow just for the exercise." Charlie [3]
[1] a good spring fishing spot near the mouth of the Housatonic River where it flows into Long Island Sound
[2] Connecticut game wardens
[3] I'll be joining you soon; save a few for me
NOAA: Winter Colder than Normal
No! Really! You Coulda Fooled Me!
"For the winter season, 63 percent of the country experienced below normal temperatures. In contrast to this national trend, Maine experienced the third warmest winter.
"February's average temperature was 32.4 degrees F, which is 2.2 degrees below the long-term average."
NOAANews
Islamorada Journal 2010...Days 69...71
Don't Ask Me Where the Past Three Days Have Gone
"Today the hours seem like minutes, the days go by so quickly...."
I'm paraphrasing a song from a famous Broadway show here. Anyone know what show that was?
Dinner at Lorelei. Food was great…got a good waiter and all meals arrived.
Pelican attack.
Jeremy went parasailing.
Way up in the middle of the air.
Went to Shell World to get some gifties to bring home.
Jeremy caught a nice grouper and a bunch of mangrove snappers [grouper was put back; smappers came home for dinner].
Birds at the bar [click to enlarge pic].
Jer had a 70-100-lb shark on the line for about a minute and a half...shark spit out the hook.
...looked at clouds from both sides now.
Everglades: Florida vs. United States Sugar
"Efforts to restore the Everglades have picked up urgency in the last decade: the sprawling subtropical wetland, the only ecosystem of its kind, is dying for lack of clean water. Many environmentalists remain convinced that Mr. Crist's deal with United States Sugar, even in its downsized form, offers the Everglades its best hope.
"But documents and interviews suggest that the price tag and terms of the deal could set back Everglades restoration for years, or even decades."
New York Herring Fishery Could Close
"An interstate commission has told New York and 14 other states to outlaw herring fishing, a staple of the Hudson River and its tributaries, if they cannot prove the fish population is stable….
"New York moved to ban shad fishing in the Hudson River last fall after its population reached historic lows. Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island have already stopped herring fishing in their waters."
RecordOnLine.com
How to Catch Big Game Fish—From a Kayak
"If kayak fishing sounds like a surefire way to get a dunking, then check out the super-stable designs that allow men to catch 157-pound bluefin tuna from 12-foot, arm-powered boats."
PopularMechanics.com
Islamorada Journal 2010...Day 68


TRIX is a family of super-imposable mirrors in three different shapes and sizes. Boasting softly rounded corners and bevelled edges, TRIX features a portion with a unique decorative silk-screened pattern beneath the glass.
Create your own unique composition with the 3 versions. TRIX looks equally good attached to the wall either in a vertical or horizontal position.


Great interview was made in San Francisco with Ian Wright founder of Wrightspeed.
Not only that Mr.Wright invented completely new system that is used in Wrightspeed electric heavy trucks, but he was also one of the co-founders of Tesla Motors.
More you will see in documentary film..
In New York we made an interesting interview with visionary of new banking system Archie Ravishankar.
He told us how he sees the future and we realized that is very similar to what Nikola Tesla envisioned.
More you will see in Teslafy.Me documentary..
The interview with CERN's expert was an amazing experience and it opened a lot interesting subjects. From the God's particle and where this name came from to Boson field and scalar waves, to antimatter and hyperspace and from Big Bang to the question what was before the Big Bang..
CERN is doing a great job in education and if people would be more aware of the fact that we are connected with universe much more than we usually think we are, would maybe help us understand not only Nikola Tesla's dream for the future better, but also the meaning of all.
We are grateful to the PR of CERN and educational part of CERN to give us a great opportunity to make this amazing interview and give us more insides of what the biggest scientific experimental station is researching.
Director of our documentary movie Janja Glogovac made in two years more than 100 interviews in EU and US.
At the moment, she is in EU finishing the editing and she needs a support to finish the post production of the film and that is why the Indiegogo project is open for you to have a chance to be a part of this amazing discovery.
It is not rare that by the Numerology & Astrology they want to explain Nikola Tesla's greatness or why he was born so ahead of time…Julian Michael numerologist gave us a great explanations by the numbers of Nikola Tesla's birth. He also developed Tesla meditation that you can find on youtube..
Amazing job is doing Aaron Murakami in Idaho with his conference on science and technology, that is giving possibility to those who are thinking differently and researching Nikola Tesla's work to present each year their achievements. Great scientists and inventors and great interviews..
Amazing person and great knowlage about Nikola Tesla was shared to us through an interview with Velimir Abramovic. A writer of many books about Nikola Tesla.


The next question is why exactly she would hide her pregnancy. Many believe that Chyna is desperate for any kind of publicity she can get, and this may be a stunt she's cooked up (and so far, it's apparently working). After all, some people believe that she even leaked her own s*x tape, so it wouldn't be too far of a stretch for her to play up her pregnancy to stay relevant.
If she is pregnant, it's likely her 18-year-old boyfriend YBN Almighty Jay's child. The two reportedly met on Christian Mingle and he, again, is only 18 years old.
"Blac Chyna is a perfect example of how nobody cares when older women prey on little boys.. cuz that lil boy is a little boy.." wrote another follower on Twitter.


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text:
One thing for every team's fans to be thankful for
It's Thanksgiving! Gobble gobble, everyone. It's a bit of a sports writing trope, going all the way back to the turn of the century (no, not that one, the turn of the last century) when newspaper columnists would all sit around and write about what sports figures to be thankful for that Thanksgiving season. We are not immune to the charms of the Thanksgiving column trope. There is much to be thankful for!
So, as we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, here's something for every team to be thankful for. Whether your team is a champion or a cellar dweller, there is something to be grateful for.
Blue Jays: Vladdy Jr.
We've all been moved by Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani over the last few years, and for good reason, but let's not forget that the Blue Jays have a young superstar who almost won his own MVP in 2021, has a smile that light can up the sky, has a swing that will send fireworks from the sky and, oh yes, is the son of a Hall of Famer who is also one of the most fun players in recent baseball vintage. Don't take Vladimir Guerrero Jr for granted, folks.
Orioles: The fun is just beginning.
See, success is not a linear concept. You take a few steps forward and then one or two back. You break through, and then you struggle to take the next leap. Your young players are not doing exactly the way you want them to. It's not all rainbows and sunshine from now on. But one thing is clearly true: last year was proof that the worst is behind Orioles fans. This is a competitive team with an abundance of young talent that is far from going anywhere. You made it, Orioles. You deserve this.
Rays: The talent just keeps coming.
Remember when the Rays were blasted for trading this player, or that player? Remember when the Rays were "too analytical" and "too smart for their own good?" Well, guess what? They made the playoffs again this year, for the fourth season in a row. They have a lot of questions to answer this offseason. Guess what? They will probably answer them. They always do that.
Red Sox: Fenway is immortal.
You always know things aren't great in Boston when the "be thankful" thing ends at "Fenway," but seriously: there's nothing in the world like Fenway. You're going to see pictures of snow falling over Fenway this offseason, and it's going to remind you of what you're missing … and while 2022 was tough, we've learned that this team bounces back very quickly.
Yankees: They won 99 games last year and came one round away from their first World Series in 13 years.
Yankees fans were so frustrated at the end of the playoffs, and so nervous about Aaron Judge, that you have to say this out loud every now and then to remind them.
Guards: That building can be noisy again.
Those of us who remember how packed and wild Cleveland and its stadium were in its perennial sellout 90s incarnation took great delight in the wall of sound that place produced in their ALDS against the Yankees. Those fans are still there, and still great. Not every franchise can say that.
Royals: A transition that seems to lead in the right direction.
The Royals have made a lot of changes this offseason, and while it's certainly up in the air how they'll pan out, it sure looks like they're pointing in the direction of a franchise that has taken a good look at itself and is willing to try something new. When things don't work out, really, that's all a fan can ask for.
Tigers: The page has been turned.
Almost everything that could go wrong did go wrong for the Tigers last year. This team will go through some rough patches at times in 2023, sure, but there's reason to believe things will get better. Riley Greene's emergence in the second half is a good place to start.
Twins: The team, and the front office, don't stop.
Many teams, especially those in a small market like Minnesota, would pack their bags and start over if they lost 89 games, as the Twins did in 2021. That's not what the Twins did, even signing perhaps the best free agent on the brand, in Carlos Correa (who opted out and is a free agent again). It didn't get them into the playoffs, and now that player is gone, but it speaks of motivation: this team won't sit still.
White Sox: There is still so much young talent here.
Last season was such a disappointment that you can almost forget that, in addition to their solid rotation, the White Sox have so many excellent hitters under 30: Tim Anderson (29), Yoán Moncada (27), Luis Robert (25), Eloy Jiménez ( 26), Andrew Vaughn (24). There isn't a team in baseball that doesn't want that.
Angels: Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani are still here.
Look, it got pretty rough for a while last year. But every fan of every other team in baseball gets excited when they see the Angels come to town because it means they get to see these two play. And Angels fans can see them every night!
Astros: They just won the World Series.
There is no need to complicate this one.
Athletics: There are some pieces that make up the next good A team.
Yes, it's been a tough couple of years, but: Watching Shea Langeliers progress into a potential All-Star should be fun. Cristian Pache can come. Yankees fans could rue the day they included Ken Waldichuk in the Frankie Montas deal.
Mariners: They made the playoffs!
After a 21-year postseason drought, they did it. They even made it out of a round! And the best part: it's no accident. This is just the beginning.
Rangers: More and more good stuff is coming.
One might have argued that signing Corey Seager and Marcus Semien last year was a little ambitious, but there are far worse things you can say about your team than "they're ambitious."
Braves: So much young talent. So much!
Remember, you would have considered the Braves to be stacked with young talent before they had the top two votes in the NL Rookie of the Year this year. How many more of these guys are there?
Marlins: Your first Cy Young winner!
Sandy Alcantara is now the first Marlins pitcher with a Cy Young trophy on his shelf. And it wouldn't surprise anyone if the 27-year-old added another one at some point.
Mets: The vibes are back.
The Mets didn't finish their season quite the way they hoped, and the way many (including me) thought they would. But the LOLMets days are long behind them. This team is smart, stacked with resources and very committed to winning. They had the best record in New York City last year. That may stay for a while.
Nationals: The Padres trade package was super nice.
Yes, it's sad to see Juan Soto go. But CJ Abrams and Robert Hassell III will be essential pieces of this team for many years.
Phillies: They went to the World Series!
What an incredible run that was. You didn't imagine it. It really happened.
Brewers: There are so many pitchers here.
You've heard the same rumors about Corbin Burnes that the rest of us have. If he is not traded, this staff will be stacked. But if he does… this staff is still stacked! Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta are rotation mainstays, and Devin Williams anchors a bullpen that, ultimately, was pretty solid post-Josh Hader trade. Due to their pitching, the Brouwers are not going anywhere.
Cardinals: After one of the great byes in recent baseball memory, the Cardinals get to do it again.
Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina went out in glorious fashion. Now Adam Wainwright gets to do the same. Hopefully this time in a later playoff round.
Cubs: They stopped allowing runs.
Perhaps the Cubs will be active on the free-agent market, but even if they aren't, there are reasons for excitement. Thanks to the likes of Marcus Stroman and Adrian Sampson, they had a 3.30 team ERA after the All-Star break, which ranked fifth in the Majors. Additionally, there is a group of prospects (led by outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong) that will arrive very soon. With that talent and a chance to add via free agency, this dip shouldn't last forever. It shouldn't even take long.
Reds: Joey Votto is a treasure.
You don't need social media to know how wonderful Votto is. But, you know, it doesn't hurt.
D-backs: Corbin Carroll is your signature star.
They haven't really had one since trading Paul Goldschmidt, and Carroll appears to be one.
Dodgers: They are the Dodgers!
The postseason was a bummer…again. But any team in baseball would trade places with the Dodgers in a second.
Giants: A smart front office is about to make some noise.
Do you know how smart they were two years ago when they found talent in the most unlikely places? Now they feel they have something to prove.
Padres: They beat the Dodgers!
Sure, there are three MVP candidates on this team next year. But it's OK to enjoy that Dodgers NLDS win, you all earned it.
Rockies: Coors will be a great place to watch Kris Bryant hit 40 homers.
Incredibly, Bryant didn't hit a single homer at Coors Field during his injury-shortened 2022 campaign. But they will come. In bundles. soon

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Somebody wake me up and let's laugh together at this stupid dream.
This entry was posted in "Voices" in English, English, English News, South&Eastern Ukraine and tagged #RussiaInvadedUkraine, #SaveUkraine, Mariupol, trenches, Ukraine. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Still nothing?
Jesus. It's not even worth checking in with the teams in the NL East as so little has happened with any of them. But what else are we going to do here?
Braves : They brought back Nick "The Stick" Markakis who continues his "Wait, Him?" March to 3000 hits. The key for Nick is being one of the healthiest players in history. He's only missed more than 8 games twice in his career, his rookie year, where he "only" played in 147 games, and in 2012 where he had wrist surgery and then fractured his thumb on a HBP. The end result is playing 2000 games before the age of 34. That's pretty uncommon to begin with (only 50 players in the history of the game have done that) and it's really uncommon for a guy who started in the majors at age 22. There's only one other guy to do that - Pete Rose. Rose, would go on to do it for the next 5 years as well and 7 of the next 8, which is why he was able to get that hits record. Will Markakis get that chance? Well... I mean if he can play full seasons and hit .275+ and be a positive offensive player and be not an embarrasment in the field.. sure! But I don't think he'll be able to put that all together for 6+ years which is what it would take to get into the momentum of chasing history to then take over.
Good signing but Braves still need that 1-2 pitcher or else they need a guy who isn't an ace now to become one and unless I'm missing something a reliever would be a good idea.
They are presumably on the outskirts of Realmuto discussions but a longshot.
Phillies : Nothing. And again this is confusing as the Phillies 1) Need better players to be compete and 2) have a lot of money to spend. There is some talk of "Oh we'll just save our money and dig into NEXT year's FA class" - which has it's high points. I always hate moves like that because you don't know for sure what will be available, how your team will change from then to now, and how your division will change from them to now. They've seen a potentially fading Nats team keep chugging along by signing the best pitcher available and a potentially rebuilding Mets team sagely realize they aren't going to find themselves with this type of cheap great starting pitching but once in a couple generations, and buy back in. With luck by next year either of these teams, or a rebuilt Braves hoping a bunch of young starting pitching comes together to finish the deal, will look like a dominant team for 2020-2021. You know you have a chance now and Bryce and Manny out there in FA. But enough about that
In short, they still need at least one big bat and a starter wouldn't hurt.
Mets : Did we ever talk about Jed Lowrie? I think maybe we did in the comments. The Mets signed Jed Lowrie. He's a better bet than the Nats' Dozier .He's old but he now has two years in a row with strong production and he's average in the field - maybe better now that he'll be over at third. He should decline but next year is a good year to bet on and he'll probably nicely fit into the place that Asdrubal left. Of course, Asdrubal did surprisingly well last year so it's not much of an upgrade, but with Cano and Ramos also along there's a net plus to be seen at the plate. Along with that they've signed Justin Wilson. He's been competent over the past few years, and very good against lefties last year (though traditionally better against RHB). He should throw another quality arm in a bullpen for the Mets that might actually be a strength now. The Mets would be a sneaky bet to make it because if the starting pitching is healthy they have set up the rest to be good enough to have a very good year. But those words, "if the starting pitching is healthy", are the most fragile ones.
With Cespedes out, one more big bat would make them a true contender rather than an outskirt one depending on near complete SP health.
Unanimous
Color me surprised. (Is surprise a color? I see it as a bright yellow) I didn't think Mariano would get 100% but apparently the combination of
1) being the clear best at his position, like by leaps and bounds
2) having a heap of post-season success to point to
is enough to overcome the "closers aren't real players", "no one should be unanimous if Babe Ruth wasn't", "steroid protest vote" dumb voters. Good for Mariano
Of course this doesn't really matter in two ways. Getting voted in to the Hall of Fame doesn't mean you are better than some one else. It doesn't change - you know - the actual things that happened. Harold Baines isn't suddenly better than Fred McGriff. It's a popularity contest (as it should be - we're talking about opinions and feelings about players). And how many votes you got to get in doesn't matter. Bert Blyleven is no less in than Mariano Rivera. And if that bothers you I don't know what to say - the cut off has to be somewhere.
As for the players who got in
I always had a soft spot for Mussina. The consistently very good over a long period of time players tend to be underrated. Aging well is a skill too! I think Hallday and Mussina were obvious choices.
I've never been a fan of pure DHs getting in, and thrown in a limited time frame of success that was great but wasn't mindblowing, I never saw Edgar as a HOFers. But like I said before - whatever! It's not important! I mean it's important to them so great! But there's no reason to get angry about it.
Even Baines, he's clearly not a HOF, but he's in. I'll joke about it. I'll talk about it. But get angry about it? Nah.
Who didn't get in? Bonds and Clemens - for reasons. As other people note there's more to this than steroids, or at least there should be. We are talking about a likely wife beater and a likely statutory rapist, respectively. But if you do the "don't care about character, we can't throw out Ty Cobb" thing they should both be in. Schilling as well. He's not a slam dunk case, because the way his career unfolded, but he's good enough. But then again - keep them out if you want! It's your vote! We're getting your opinions on who should be in and out! If not, a computer would just pick it.
Otherwise - In my mind - Walker is good enough. McGriff, Manny, and Scott Rolen who excelled at a position that apparently it's very hard to. I'd listen to arguments about Kent or Sheffield . I think Berkman should have gotten a little more love but probably isn't a HOF.
Feel free to state your cases in the comments - this is the fun part. discussing without making it personal. Unless one of you are one of these guys, in that case feel free to make your own very personal case.
What if the Phillies got what they wanted?
Yesterday a rumor surfaced (from the less than reliable Bob Nightengale) that the Phillies had a plan to put that stupid money to work. Sign Bryce, then sign Kuechel and Kimbrel. Would that make them a super team? Would it even put them over the Nats... or Braves... or Me - ok yes easily over Mets.
As we discussed the Phillies were a sneakily mediocre team last year. Thanks to a strong start and some luck the Phillies maintained the sense of a team ready to make the next step. As late as the end of August they were relevant,sitting at 72-62 (though probably more of a 69-65 squad in talent - they had some luck) But in reality the offense was middling and the pitching staff slowly eroded as the season went on. when the wheels came off in September and they plummeted to their below .500 finish. They made some minimal changes, trading for As Cab and Ramos but it wasn't enough to make a difference.
Could even a drastic overhaul be enough to turn the tide in 2019?
They've already traded for Jean Segura , signed McCutchen, and inked David Robertson. These are all improvements but mild ones. Segura is the biggest plus, as his above average bat and solid D replaces a position of true weakness for the Phillies with a plus. That could be a 2 game swing. McCutchen is far more average in what he brings but what he importantly does is allow the Phillies to move Hoskins to 1B, set a guy who isn't terrible in the corner, and cycle through fewer of their AAAA talent OFs. Those guys, Williams, Altherr, Herrera, all these guys right now look like decent 3/4s bats with a little issue in the field. That's fine to have as one guy. It's a mess to have as all your guys, which it pretty much was last year (with "I'm a better bat than that but really a first baseman" Hoskins pitching in). It will help but in a "we brought in this middling innings eater 3rd starter" sort of way. Robertson helps strengthen the pen, giving it a depth that it never had last year as it basically seemed to always be relying on 1-2 guys, whoever that may have been. Robertson also helps out Kapler who didn't seem to handle the pen great last year and probably needs that "traditional closer" to anchor his decisions.
I see improvement. I see 4 maybe 5 games here. But that takes a Phillies squad out of the playoffs and makes them less out of the playoffs. What would these three do?
Bryce - Bryce would immediately replace a "hopefully average" bat with a "at worst above average" one. Defensively he was bad last year, but he probably pushes out the almost as bad Nick Williams. And if you take the 3 year look at it - as you probably should - it's likely he'd be an improvement over Williams. Nothing mindblowing mind you but Bryce is probably meh in the corner and Nick is probably worse than that. So right off the bat you have a 2-3 win boost. Then there's the side benefit of now only having the best Phillies OF prospect playing. Is it a reborn Herrera - who's probably the best fielder, manning CF? An Altherr proving 2017 was the real him - maybe in a corner with Cutch over to CF? Either way the Phillies don't have to stick with someone not giving them nothing like they do now. It's a 3-4 plus move easy. And note we're basically taking Bryce as a 130 OPS+ bat here. Consider a better bat and well sky's the limit.
Keuchel is a solid pitcher. He's not entirely reliable (145 & 168 IP in 2017 and 2016) but he's decent and the season he put up last year is about right. He's better than that middling 3rd. He's a solid #2 for nearly any team. Pitching signings are particularly effective because you aren't knocking out one guy, but the worst of 5. In comes Keuchel out goes one of not Arrieta or Nola. It's a win and a half at least. Plus it gives the Phillies a lefty arm they don't have now. It's a little harder finding that right pitcher to knock out but Eflin will likely get a chance to stick and there's a good chance legit prospect Sixto Sanchez could see the rotation for good toward the end of the year, so Pivetta/Velasquez will be pushed to prove they should stay.
Kimbrel will make Kapler's job even easier. The Phillies will have that set-up closer (and likely 7-8-9 assuming Seranthony's 2018 wasn't a fluke) and give Kapler the freedom to mess up in less crucial moments. Some managers thrive when trying to optimize pitching. I don't think Kapler is one of those guys. Give another win here.
So I have the Phillies 4.5-5.5 wins better at a minimum if these guys come in and are healthy. Now the 85 win-ish Phillies are 90-91 win team. That's right up there with the Braves and Nats. And again - if Bryce breaks out... forget it. So there's potential for this team to cruise to an East title.
I think looking at the above - if the Phillies are serious about competing this year they need Bryce (or Machado) and Keuchel (or a similar starter) The team was starting at a floor lower than you'd think and are facing two real threat to win 90+ games in the Nats and Braves. That's the minimum. Add more, like a Kimbrel and they may nudge into favorite status. But do less than that and the Phillies remain on the outside, hoping for busts and breakouts to go their way.
Ok - now to check and make sure no one has signed... Nope ok post!
Monday Quickie - Close
It feels like we are close on a Bryce decision, and a Manny decision for that matter. How these play out could be huge season turners. If somehow Bryce and Manny end up both on the Phillies - the Nats, despite the good offseason so far, have a 4 team fight on their hands for the NL East where they might not be the favorite*. If Bryce ends up back in DC and Manny somewhere not the NL East then the Nats are WS favorites and likely only have to hold off what was a slightly overachieving Braves squad who maaaaaybe are better due to off-season moves?, to get to the playoffs.
The mystery team speculation is fun, but primarily it comes down to 4 teams (not counting the Nats). The Phillies, who have talked about spending stupid money and getting one of these guys for a couple of offseasons. The White Sox, who seem prepared to follow the new trend of trying to capture success as soon as it gets here by spending now** And two of the three forever teams in the mix, the Yankees and the Dodgers. Both these teams were playoff squads last year. Both should be around as good based on their off-seasons so far. But both remain "I'll believe it when I see it" situations, in regards to laying off these potential future HOFers. The Yankees are pushed by the success of the Red Sox and the Dodgers by 30 years of failure. Neither fanbase would be happy with the status quo.
The best scenario for the Nationals, outside of Bryce back, would be both guys ending up in the AL. The worst is both in the NL East. I still like Bryce to the Phillies, but I'll shift Manny to the White Sox. I think he wants to be a Yankee, and the Yankees want him, but they seem to be pennywise, pound foolish here, hoping that Manny's heart outweighs his brain. I'l say the brain, and more dump trucks full of money, win out.
Personally I think the "Werth hates the Phillies" to be way overrated and I think the main thing Werth will tell Bryce is the same thing that drove him to DC in the first place. Follow the money.
*probably would still be but it's early. Will need to think about it more. Think there is a reflexive turn to the Nats that might pull away again by season's start.
**in general keeping costs down though for the window.
Why isn't it Dozy-er?
Just wondering. "Dozsher" is no fun. Brian "Dozy-er" - now that's a name I can get behind.
There are times when being a fan is better than being a souless automaton and the Nats recent signings is one of those times. I can look at Anibal Sanchez and Brian Dozier and see two players with pretty decent sized flaws, who are bigger risks than the Nats should be taking, who nonetheless should be projected to be pretty average in 2019. The number are the numbers. A fan can sit there and say with a straight face "You are judging Anibal Sanchez too much on past years. You gotta look what he did last year!" and "You are judging Brian Dozier too much on last year. You gotta look what he did in past years!", not see what you are doing, and come up with a super Nats team. (also a pessimist is fun for opposite reasons)
And it goes beyond these two. Yan Gomes could bust. Trevor Rosenthal could bust. And this is not in the "well anyone can bust" way but the "we just saw them bust over the past couple of years" way. I prefer a Gio - committing to the Nats motto of "be good enough to make the playoffs - then crapshoot" than this. It's kind of like trying to sneak into, rather than pay into, a super team. Give me more Suzukis and Barracloughs and a team that is expected to win 89-93 wins then these guys and a team that's expected to win 81-101 games. (Actually check that. Give me more Corbins)
Anyway Dozier. .235 25 HR decent defense. That was my take and that's what the projections say . Why am I so worried about a bust? Usually, for offensive players, that worry follows an increased K rate, decreased BB rate. He might not be able to hit certain pitches in the zone. He may be chasing off-speed pitches because he can't get around on the fastball. The eyesight and recognition might be gone just enough that he can't ID what's coming fast enough. The end result is the guy just isn't able to hit the ball anymore and there's no coming back from that. Dozier's numbers don't suggest this though. BB-rate and K-rate are stable.
What we do see is a drop in BABIP which usually indicates some bad luck. However it's coupled with a decrease in HR/FB rate which suggests a chunk of this is FBs staying in the park adding to the BABIP denominator not just hitting them where they are. That can also be fluky but it comes down a lot to what you believe. Dozier 2012-15 had BABIPs of .267 .278 .269 and .261. His .240 is low but not too much off that. It only looks bad in comparison to the 2016-17 combo of .280 ad .300. Dozier's HR/FB rate increased steadily 6.3% 9.9% 11.3% 13.1% 18.4%. In 2017 it took a little dip to 16.8% and last year down to 11.2%. Look at all this and you can see a player with a bad year if you like. But you can also see a player who got kind of lucky the past two years and is really a low average, mild homer guy. Peak Danny Espinosa with worse fielding, more power.
So right away I don't like the trends. I also don't like what I see from his pull numbers (2015 - 60.2% then 56.4% 50.4% 49.9%) His hard percentage has gone up... in fangraphs stats. But it's down on statcast and his exit velocity is down as well. It's just a MPH - which matters but isn't big. But as fangraphs notes - it's down much more on his FBs. This strikes me the way as a player who simply can't get around on the FB like he used to. The numbers from last year back that up. He used to crush FBs to the point you'd wonder why'd he get any. Last year he was only noticeably positive on changes. This is screaming that he can't generate that down the line power and thus can't do what made him the very productive MVP vote getting player - bash homers and pair them with kind of good defense.
That's another thing - what had been a good, not great, defender last year showed real decrease. He'll be an upgrade, simply because post-injury Murphy should not have been at second. But it may be that he won't offer a good fielding alternative, he'll just be better than the worst. His speed went down and he tied his career low in SB. Not a big deal, but it takes away from something else you say he can offer. There's injuries here, yes, and the 'back spin" on injuries is now he's an injury risk and as he went into the off-season suffering from them who knows how long it will take him to recover?
What's the positive spin? Well, if you want to blame it all on injury then I guess you can say he'll get better (this is the "forward spin" from injury) then repeat 2016 and 2017. That can certainly explain the fielding issues, and can be thrown into the power argument in a way all injuries can be. He'll be 32 which is on the cusp of "probably not coming back from that" but I'd say not there yet. Some guys can't do it, some guys can keep coming back until they get into their later 30s. If he is facing a true decline, which is what I think, he does have a keen eye that hasn't left him and he could make himself into more of a patient hitter. In 2014 he was very valuable at the plate because he walked 90 times even though he hit only .242 with a moderate number (23) of homers. That could be a plan 2019 Dozier. And of course there's Kendrick backing him up who should be fine. And he's better than Difo which was the alternative.
In the end you have to stick with the numbers and like I said .235 25 average-ish D is probably your best bet and that's fine. But ask me where I'd put my money between .215 18 poor D and .270 35 good D and I'm mortgaging the house to put it on the former.
The Nats are a good team. A very good team. They have been for years. In my mind you either do what they have been doing at different levels since 2014 - secure winning records by shoring up the bench and pen with decent players; or you go all in and try to secure, as much as one can, an even better expected record. This type of variability to try to get those extra wins, to me, just adds uneeded possibility of another missed playoff run season. All those guys could completely fail, Gomes, Rosenthal, Dozier, Sanchez, and it wouldn't be that surprising and the Nats could go down with them. Why go at it that way?
The off-season isn't over though. Another good starter, another good pen arm, a Bryce, and then the Nats have made themselves better enough with more of an all-in strategy and this all becomes window dressing. So I'll hold off judging the off-season, as we should, until the off-season is actually over. I don't like the current trend in signings but all it takes is one to break it.
There's a couple ways of looking at it. My take boils down to this :
I think there's a fair chance at a complete bust with Dozier. Therefore I think there's more risk here than a contending team needs to take on for that money. Also I think the cost is a little high. Therefore, I think there is more value for that money that the Nats could have come away with. At the same time if I project what I think Dozier will do in 2019 I'd say around .235 and 25 homers and slightly below average defense which would be perfectly acceptable.
This all needs the context of time. If the Nats close up shop today, I'll see it worse than if the Nats keep spending money or make smart trades. Get a reliever and a starter then who cares if I think Dozier was a risk worth 4-5 million. They got the pieces they needed anyway. Get Bryce and I'll see a commitment to going for it that includes overpaying to get best team, and Dozier fits into that in some way. If the 2nd base market remains high and LeMahieu and Lowrie and Asdrubal all go for noteicably more, and even the middling guys like Harrison and Walker get 3-4-5 million. I'll admit I misread the market and Dozier's contract was perfectly fine.
So it's a deal in limbo. It's not bad in itself. But in context it might be.
(and of course YOU CAN MAKE A BAD DEAL THAT MAKES YOUR TEAM BETTER. Those are two separate evaluations)
I'll have more tomorrow on why I feel the way I do about the risk.
Monday Quickie - impermanence
Apparently according to the comments, I both wildly overestimated and mildly underestimated how good the Nats are. I'd say that means I'm probably right becuase both side are unhappy, but it actually doesn't work that way. I think pythag is a good quick reference to a teams talent level for projecting forward. Anything other than W-L though, looking at the past year in review, is pointless. They may have had the talent of a 90 win team but they won 82 and in the end that's all that matters.
It'll be curious how this Nats team goes down in history. Generally you are made by playoffs and championships and nothing else. Think of all those great teams that might have been, crushed by the Yankees. From 1936-1964 (29 seasons) the Yankees won 16 World Series and lost 6 more. Great AL teams were obliterated. Great NL dynasties never came to pass
The mid 60s early 70s Orioles were a powerhouse - the team that started the idea of "the Oriole Way". They won 97 or more games 6 times in 11 years. They won one AL title pre '69 expansion, 5 AL East titles in 6 years, and made four WS. But as someone outside the region I only have a vague idea of how good they are, because they only won two WSs, three years apart. Who do we remember? The Chuck Finley A's. A great team, no doubt - 5 straight AL West titles. But not better than that Oriole run... except they won three WSs in a row.
The Big Red Machine almost got lost. They won the West in 72 (lost to A's in WS), in 73 (lost to Mets in playoffs), nosed out in 74 after winning 98 games, and nearly lost the epic 1975 WS to the Red Sox, before dominating that second title run. If they don't win back to back series do we care as much about them? Well, what's your feelings about the 70s Dodgers? They'd have a decade without a losing season from '69-'78. They'd tack on five more good seasons in the next 7. But we think as much about Gibson's HR, a blip season surrounded by mediocrity, as we do the Garvey-Lopes-Russell-Cey teams.
Did you know the Phillies had back to back 100 win seasons in 75 and 76 and won the East 6 times in 8 years from 76-83? Probably not. You may note the Royals WS win in 1985, but they had been a snake-bit winner since 76. We don't really get how big 1980 really was when the Royals finally beat the Yankees to make a series and the Phillies finally be the NL West team (this time the Astros) to do the same. And even then the Royals didn't get the memory cement until 1985 when they won a series of their own.
This is all history to me. At this point I start remembering things because I lived it. I But that's not the point - I bet the younger fans in general don't have those impressions bourn from watching these seasons play out. Just like I don't have the impressions I probably should about some of the teams I noted above.
What do 30 year olds think of the always there early-mid 80s Cardinals, who got into the series three times but only managed to win back in 82? Or the dominant mid-late 80s Mets who had a run on 98-108-92-100 but only got to and won that one WS? What do they think of the Bash Brothers A's - another dominant Athletics team that got to three series in a row, but unlike the Finley A's only managed to win one? Or the great Bonds/Bonilla run for the Pirates?
A 20 year old might think decently of the 90s Braves because the run was just so impressive (and honestly didn't end until they were into the game) despite only winning 1. But do they know how good those mid-late 90s Indians teams were? Ever think about the offensive powerhouse Texas teams of the late 90s or high quality Twins teams of the 00s (both crushed by the Yankees in playoffs)? The Killer B's Astros? I doubt it.
My point is - teams are defined by winning, not just in the regular season, but in the playoffs. Sure, there are going to be guys like me (and probably you) who dig into the game and see how good these teams really are but the dominant "mind-share" that are associated with squads comes down to making, and preferably winning, championships. In the old days, with only one round of playoffs before the series, you could just keep winning and eventually break through. Nearly all those teams before 95 had their moments in the sun through persevering. But now it's different. Another round makes it that much harder. The Nats have been great the past 7+ seasons but these Nats will ultimately be forgotten by those outside DC as soon as they stop winning. They best they can hope for is to be looked at like those late 90s Pirates teams - maybe vague memories of a great team with some great players that didn't quite get over the hump. Worst case is they are the 00s Twins - a team that's barely thought of or talked about in terms of baseball history.
This doesn't probably matter to you, but maybe it will in 20 years when you are trying to explain to someone how good the Nats of this time really were.
Robertson to Phillies - still not better than Mets who aren't better than Braves who I'm not sure
Let's understand again how last year ended
ATL 90-72
WSH 82-80
PHI 80-82
NYM 77-85
(we will ignore MIA because they are ignorable)
This paints a picture that suggests the Braves are a good team and the rest of the NL East is middling .500 types. But not only doesn't that feel right based on what we saw, we know this is not the best way to capture team talent. We know now, for example, that one-run losses tend to be random and occasionally teams lose a handful more than they should affecting their record.* What if we look at Pythag standings? This goes by runs scored and runs allowed to try to get a better picture of team quality.
This feels a little more right up top to me. The Braves and Nats were both good - though the Braves were a half-step better. The other two were noticeably less talented. But the Mets above the Phillies might feel wrong to you. If it does, I encourage you to look at the 2018 Phillies again. Not a single star on offesne and player after player ranging from below average to bad. Kingery got nearly 500 PAs and he was TERRIBLE. No one beyond Nola was good of the starters and there were a ton of bad innings there. The bullpen falls apart after 3-4 guys. It was not a good team.
Baseball Prospectus does an "Adjusted Standings" that tries even harder to pull luck out (though I'm unaware if it correlates any better with the next year standings than the pythag numbers - my guess would be not just because the variability of year to year rosters and performance)
The Mets are actually a half-win better than the Phillies but they both round the same way.
ATL :
Lost : Suzuki, Markakis, Anibal Sanchez - some limited good production from Duda, Brach (RP)
Gained : Donaldson, McCann
They lost some noticeable production. Even if it was unlikely to be kept up it needs to be replaced. But Donaldson could alone cover for Markakis, Suzuki, and Duda. The Braves have plenty of young arms to replace Sanchez. Kind of a push
WSN :
Lost : Bryce, Hellickson, Reynolds, Roark, Gio, Murphy, Kintzler, Holland, Herrera (I'm just sort of listing productive players for teams)
Gained : Corbin, Sanchez, Suzuki, Gomes, Barraclough, Rosenthal
There's a lot of change isn't there? Corbin and Sanchez should make up for Gio and Roark and Hellickson (if not do more) the bullpen might be ok. They aren't likely gaining much but they aren't losing much either. But there's a offense gap with no Bryce and Murphy that hasn't been filled. Sure that's a bump from catcher and some injury helpbut you'd probably give them a game less at least?
Lost : Mesoraco, Blevins, Flores, Cabrera, CESPEDES**
Gained : Cano, Edwin Diaz, Ramos
The Mets don't have a lot of decent players and they lost 3 solid bats (though one they only had for a limited time), but they replaced them with two guys who should be as good, if not better - at least in 2019. The pen got a lot better. They are likely better with the same injury status and if they get healthier maybe much? Still they were a below .500 team so they need definitely much to get into the playoffs picture. ** Someone reminded me Cespedes is unlikely to play this year - that's would be huge but he only played a quarter of the season. Still it's the equivalent of a very good back-up being gone, so I knocked the Mets down a peg across the board below...
Lost : Cabrera, Ramos,Crawford, Santana, Luis Garcia
Gained : McCuthchen, Robertson, Segura, Nicasio, Jose Alvarez
The Phillies didn't have many FAs so the guys they lost were guys traded for or traded away. There are gains offensively, and noticeable gains in the pen but I can't say they maybe much better unless something happens that we can't predict - like a break out star performance.
Right now I'd have the records at something like
NYM 86-76 85-77 (healthy)
Maybe I'm putting the Mets a game or two high? Phillies a game or two low? Mets 85-77 84-78 Phillies 83-79? The Nats have lost so much that even though they gained a lot they are treading water, so the also treading water Braves stay ahead. The Mets get alot better (again if healthy) but they still need something else to make the playoffs be a realistic goal and not a "if things go right" situation. The Phillies are looking like the odd man out.
What would a Bryce or Machado signing do? I'd move the Phillies to like 86-88. In the realm of the Mets "if things go right", fringy WC but also with less worry about health. Kuechel probably wouldn't be enough for me... maybe 85-86. But both? Then they are a 90 win team and right there with Nats and Braves. That would be fun (for me, not as much for you probably)
*Could it be something psychological? Sure! But we also have seen teams that are basically the same - same rosters, same coach - wildly swing in this. It's one of those things that certainly could exist, probably does for some teams over the years, but isn't reliably measurable and thus better put on a backburner for any projection analysis.
Wednesday Quickie - Transaction recap.
Hey everyone! Welcome back. Let's get our footing back by going over anything you may have missed (or really what I may have missed) over the break
The Dodgers traded Puig, Kemp, Wood, and Farmer to Reds for Homer Bailey and a couple of prospects
This is seen by most as a way to free some cash and definitely OF space for Bryce Harper. The Dodgers deny this, but of course they would deny this.
The Padres signed Ian Kinsler
The Rockies signed Daniel Murphy
The second base market is thinning out as teams see value here and are grabbing guys before they have to pay a lot for a player. Murphy and Kinsler were two of the top options. Paying now is a gamble of sorts because there will be someone available for super cheap who will do perfectly fine because of the glut of "should be about average in 2019" guys out there. You could save money waiting. The Nats seem to be focused on Josh Harrison. The only question is if they wait to see if they can get that deal or feel forced to pull the trigger earlier. Still it won't cost them much. Lowrie has been floated around but is still seen as unlikely as he's looking to get paid for a few years
The Cardinals signed Andrew Miller
The Brewers traded Domingo Santana for Ben Gamel
While we talked about the NL East setting themselves up for the next season with a lot of big moves, the NL Central hasn't been quiet. The Cardinals grabbed Goldschmidt earlier and with Miller are potentially ready for a big step forward with one more big move. The Brewers, on the other hand, are trying to fix the edges of a successful 2018 squad, trading for a better fit 4th OF in the high-average potential of Gamel (Santana is a better hitter but a poor fielder and had no starting spot) and earlier a decent bet for a good bullpen arm in Alex Claudio. The Cubs have been suspiciously quiet in the face of this and I wouldn't be surprised if they surprise. The Reds, long an afterthought in MLB off-seasons, seem to be looking to set up 2020 in 2019
There are a bunch of teams in these two divisions setting themselves up for 2019. The end result is two fold though. (1) Someone is going to be left out. This is what I keep talking about for the Phillies. No Machado, no Bryce and suddenly they are passing on 2019 and hoping things stay together and the FA market holds and they can lure guys NEXT year. That's never a good plan. (2) The NL West is going to set up very nicely for the Dodgers and potentially an easy WC for the Rockies
Padres traded Clayton Richard to Blue Jays
A's signed Mike Fiers
Angels signed Trevor Cahill and Matt Harvey and LuCroy
Did the Nats need to sign Anibal Sanchez? For that much? Well here are some pitching deals that took place in the face of the Nats move. Perfectly cromulent rotation filler Richard was traded for nothing. Mike Fiers, with less history of being good than Anibal* but more health, signed a cheaper deal to stay in Oakland. Two gambles who were decent last year and signed for less were picked up by the Angels (good luck with all that).. All this seems to say No and No were the answers but good luck to you Anibal. (Still - I can't say it's a bad deal. So don't try to read this as that)
Rangers traded Profar to the A's
This happened. Doesn't really impact the Nats but it is kind of a symbol of a "can't miss" rebuild that kind of missed. The Rangers rose to be a top level farm in 2010-2016 while being a playoff team that managed two WS appearances. The future looked very bright, but that pipeline of talent would translate into two LDS losses and four missed playoffs between 2013-2018. There's a young crowd still left there but the smart money is probably on a sell-off of the offensive talent as there is no pitching at all to back it up. Never buy into a great farm translating into a great team. There's too much variability in players. (This goes double for betting on not a farm but a handful of players - which is kind of what the Nats are doing currently)
*though Anibal's being good was like half a decade ago.
Robertson to Phillies - still not better than Mets...


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G. Michael Verden
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Emergency preparedness has four phases: 1) Mitigation; 2) Preparedness; 3) Response; and 4) Recovery.
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Emergency preparedness starts with the first phase, mitigation, including any activities that are preventative, reduce the chance of an emergency happening, or mitigate the damaging effects of unavoidable emergencies. An example of emergency preparedness is an emergency notification system to alert people of a security- or safety-related incident in real time. The next phase of emergency preparedness, details measures taken to prepare for an emergency. Training is at the heart of this emergency preparedness phase, and specific examples include a fire drill conducted to familiarize building occupants with emergency evacuation routes and the shelter-in-place stocking items of water, food, and blankets.
The response phase puts the emergency preparedness plans into action. A well-constructed plan outlines specific roles and responsibilities for designated personnel to perform once an emergency occurs. Common response activities include moving people to a safe room or assembly area and turning off utility valves in an earthquake scenario. The final phase of emergency preparedness is the recovery from an emergency by implementing actions to return to normal operations or to an even safer situation following an incident. Temporary housing, alternate work site, and individual counseling are all parts of this phase.
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Home/The Future Starts Here/Season 1/Episode 6: The Creative Process in 10 Acts
The Future Starts Here
Episode 6: The Creative Process in 10 Acts
Show Episodes (18) Listings
The Creative Process in 10 Acts
Failing big is part of the creative process for Tiffany Shlain, award-winning filmmaker, speaker, and founder of The Webby Awards. Through behind-the-scenes footage of her acclaimed feature documentary Connected, Tiffany shares the creative process she has developed over the years -- the hunch, the darkness, the breakthroughs, and everything in between. This episode was inspired by a piece her artist and writer sister Kimberly Brooks wrote in The Huffington Post.


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Danneels
Co-founder and CEO at Byteflies
Hans Danneels, PhD is Co-founder and CEO at Byteflies, a Belgian-American wearable health startup that built the Sensor Dot, a powerful platform for 24/7 generation of medical insights to augment (distributed) clinical trials with real-world evidence. He completed a PhD in micro-electronics at KU Leuven, focused on low power electronics for IoT, and worked at Nokia Digital Health in San Francisco. He was nominated by "De Tijd" as 1 of 50 innovators to watch together with co-founder Hans De Clercq.
Favourite song
Alchemy - Dire Straits Live
Favourite Book
What you do is who you are - Ben Horowitz
Shifts in Health
Corona has caused a huge shock on many aspects in our society, but it will be a catalyst for digitisation in healthcare.


One of the most powerful books I read as a preteen was Chernowitz by Fran Arrick. A young adult novel about bullying and anti-Semitism, I recently revisited it as I read it aloud to my own kids.
The story leads up to an episode of revenge on the anti-Semitic bully by his victim and a school assembly on the Holocaust led by the school principal as an attempted antidote to the incident. While the victim goes through tremendous personal growth as he realizes the limits of vengeance, his tormenter is portrayed as being blinded by bigotry and beyond redemption.
I wondered how the themes would hold up a generation later, and in the context of my own kids' lives. Given that, at the time I first read it, I attended Jewish day school and was surrounded by Jewish friends, I wondered how my kids – who are among the few Jewish kids at their large public elementary school – would react. I like to think that their Jewish identity is solid and their friendships nurturing enough to feel secure from the ignorance from which racism and prejudice stems. On this, time will tell.
The theme of revenge is also apt in today's political climate where cycles of violence are all too prevalent on a global scale. While it can taste sweet at the time, revenge – rather than justice-seeking – all too often leaves a bitter aftertaste. The book succeeds in mining this ethical complexity. I also appreciate the author's unvarnished treatment of bigotry, and the lesson on how important and sometimes challenging it is to keep parent-child communication open and flowing.
But the book's final scene of the school assembly where graphic Holocaust footage was shown left me wondering. Assuming empathy and awareness are good antidotes to all kinds of prejudice, including anti-Semitism, how much exposure is too much, particularly when it comes to images of Nazi atrocities?
My own kids know their paternal grandfather was a survivor of Auschwitz. They have heard of Hitler – his name is a common word in their vocabulary, for better or worse, and they know something of the Holocaust. But, as I read the final pages of Chernowitz to them, I found myself omitting much of the excruciatingly graphic imagery, which included references to Josef Mengele's victims.
When it comes to Holocaust education, the consensus now seems to be that graphic imagery should be used "judiciously," according to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. And "only to the extent necessary to achieve the lesson objective. Try to select images and texts that do not exploit the students' emotional vulnerability or that might be construed as disrespectful to the victims themselves," the museum advises educators on its website.
Julie Dawn Freeman, a professor of history at the State University of New York at Oneonta, has warned that exposing students to too much graphic imagery can backfire in multiple ways. It can desensitize students to the subject, it can provide students with a sense that classroom trust has been violated, it can unwittingly provide a voyeuristic experience, and it can dehumanize as well as stereotype the victims.
On all of these counts, the fictional principal's shocking assembly in Chernowitz, while well intentioned, probably failed.
For these reasons, many of us have tended to focus on individual perspectives. In this vein, Anne Frank's diary has, of course, had great impact. And many educators have made wonderful use of direct survivor testimony. When my father-in-law, Bill Gluck, was younger, he made a point of visiting Vancouver schools and community centres to share his tale of survival. And I have been fortunate to host Holocaust survivor David Shentow of Ottawa at my course at Carleton. But, as we know, and as my own family experienced first-hand this year with the loss of my father-in-law, Holocaust survivors will not be around forever.
In an upcoming column, I'll discuss an innovative education project on kindness being run in Ottawa schools by local educator and active community member Jenny Shinder.


When I found out our friends had chosen Jesmond Dene House Hotel as their wedding venue this September I was more than a little excited! Jesmond Dene House is one of our favourite hotels in the North East and renowned for their high end food, fantastic service and idyllic countryside house setting.
My husband Steve has known the Groom since they were 3 years old and was part of the wedding party (suit hire from Slaters Menswear). We were asked to be at Jesmond Dene House for 10am so he could take part in some pre-wedding shoots. Yikes! Not easy when you have a school run to contend with. We made it with plenty of time to spare though and watched as the Groom and Best Man arrived in style.
Guests continued to arrive including the happy couple's two boys who looked absolutely adorable.
It was 11:30am before we knew it and we were asked to take our seats in the Great Hall which is an absolutely stunning double height room with Gothic panelling and lots of light streaming through the beautiful windows. I was able to have a sneaky peek before the other guests arrived and it absolutely took my breath away.
It was time to stand for the Bride's arrival. I knew she would look like a Princess but she actually looked like she had just stepped out of a Bridal magazine. The Groom certainly is a lucky man! You could see the happiness in everyone's eyes and it was wonderful to be part of something so special.
The ceremony was personal, warm and romantic. The Bride's sister read a few words which was a lovely touch before the Bride and Groom were declared Husband and Wife and the room was filled with cheers and applause.
We were blessed with a glorious sunny day and headed out to the garden where beers, bucks fizz and canapes were served to guests as we posed for photographs in between sitting in the sunshine and catching up with friends.
At 2pm we were called back into The Great Hall to find it had been transformed. Again, absolutely stunning and such a beautiful space to enjoy the wedding breakfast.
The speeches had the room captivated and were all completely from the heart. There weren't many dry eyes as the Bride's Father talked about the fear you feel when you have a daughter and the Best Man's speech raised lots of laughs without being as risque as it could have been.
The wedding breakfast was up to the usual Jesmond Dene House standards with food being beautifully presented and full of flavour. Our whole table raved about the creme brulee dessert and the homemade fudge chocolates which were a real hit with everyone.
After coffee, guests filtered through to our private bar and relaxed whilst the team worked their magic and quickly turned the room around for the evening's celebrations. We were staying over so took this opportunity to check into our room. After spending all day eating and drinking I cannot deny maybe closing my eyes for 30 minutes. The bed was just so comfortable! We freshened up and then headed back downstairs to join the other guests for the evening celebrations.
The Great Hall again looked fantastic! The beauty of the room is it is so grand that it can probably work with any theme. I loved the romantic, countryside theme that the Bride had chosen though and think it is probably one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever attended. There is something really special about a candlelit room I think.
The Bride and Groom had set up a sweet shop in a little relaxation zone between the Great Hall and the bar area. I think it was supposed to be for children but the adult guests couldn't resist dipping in too!
The old saying 'time flies when you're having fun' certainly applied and before long it was 9pm and time for the Bride and Groom to enjoy their first dance. They were beaming with happiness and it wasn't long before everyone joined them. Dancing continued all night long and we all remembered how we used to do this every weekend. As the Groom mentioned in his speech, life does change as you grow older and you don't get to see old friends as often as you should. We had so much fun dancing, drinking wine and catching up and we really should all get together more often rather than waiting for another wedding!
The evening buffet was just what we needed to soak up some of the alcohol - ham and pease pudding sandwiches, hot pork stotties and chunky chips followed by wedding cake.
We certainly aren't as young as we once were and where as at one time we may have stayed until the very end, we were falling asleep by midnight so after dancing to a few more hits we headed upstairs where we slept soundly all night.
There is the option to order breakfast in bed at Jesmond Dene House which is something I always like to do whilst staying in a hotel. It really is such a treat. We made the most of it and ordered the full works - cooked breakfasts, toast and preserves, blueberry and lemon & poppy seed muffins, danish pastries, fruit and yoghurt, fresh orange juice, a pot of tea and a cafetiere of coffee. It was all perfect and I would recommend it to anyone staying.
Thank you so much to the Bride and Groom for allowing us to part of your special day at Jesmond Dene House. It genuinely was such a pleasure to be part of the day and we will remember it forever.
It was a beautiful Wedding, and thank you for the very kind link to my Website Sam! It's a great place for Wedding photographs and just in general I think :).
Beautiful pictures, I lived in Jesmond for over 10 years and never visited Jesmond Dene house which is a shame as it looks fabulous.
Wow, wow and wow!! What an amazing day. Love the photos!!
How beautiful! Everyone looked so smart and happy, and the venue is gorgeous!
Gorgeous venue and the wedding looked spectacular. I love weddings. Hope you had a lovely time.
Wow this looks like such a perfect wedding! Seems so romantic!
What a lovely wedding and venue. I love the idea of a sweetie bar for the children.
What perfect weather for a wedding! I love the bride's dress! The sweet shop is a lovely idea!
What a gorgeous wedding, the venue, the food ( especially the food!) and the bride and groom it was a truly magical sequence of photos.
So beautiful! Every last detail looked perfect. Stunning venue.
What a beautiful wedding - and how cute are the two boys!
What a gorgeous wedding! Dene House looks incredible.
This looks like a lovely venue for wedding. The wedding looks like a fairy-tail - Simply amazing.
It's awesome! Every girl is dreaming about something similar! Thank's for sharing!


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Best Zoo
Best Zoo Exhibit
Best Aquarium
Best Wildlife Park
Best Zoo (2020)
Fort Worth Zoo named best in North America
Winning zoo was established in 1909, making it the oldest in Texas
Note from 10Best: Someday, we'll all be ready to pack our suitcases again and head out on our next adventures. In the meantime, we'll keep supporting the places that inspire us.
Established in 1909, the Fort Worth Zoo is the oldest continuously operated zoo in Texas and home to more than 540 animal species from around the world. More than 100 of those species are part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan, and 68 are endangered or threatened. An international leader in Asian elephant conservation, the zoo recently opened the all new African Savannah – home to giraffe, zebras, hippos and black rhinos. An additional 10 acres of new exhibit space are in the works.
Photo courtesy of Fort Worth Zoo
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
The Cincinnati Zoo (one of the oldest zoos in the nation) brings visitors nose-to-nose with a range of exciting animals. Guests can view hippos underwater (including world-famous hippo Fiona), pop up in a bubble amid meerkats or watch cheetahs racing at top speeds. The multi-sensory Night Hunters exhibit hosts cats and other nocturnal predators, while Manatee Springs seeks the long-term conservation of the Florida manatee by encouraging guests to observe these gentle giants.
Photo courtesy of Michelle Curley
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
Omaha, Neb.
Continued investments have allowed Henry Doorly Zoo to continue to offer one-of-a-kind exhibits to guests, including the world's largest indoor desert where arid plants and animals – meerkat, peccaries, quail, gila monster, death adders, rattlesnakes and inland taipan, the wodl's most venomous snake – are visible inside a geodesic dome year round in the heart of the Midwest. The $73 million African Grasslands exhibit features 28 acres of habitats and exhibit spaces for giraffe, elephants, lions, cheetahs and sable antelope.
Photo courtesy of Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium
The Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs connects visitors with more than 750 animals representing 170 species from all corners of the globe. The African Rift Valley exhibit is home to the largest zoo giraffe herd in the world, as well as Red River hogs, meerkats, African lions and Colobus monkeys. Rocky Mountain Wild hosts regional species, like moose, grizzly bears, mountain lions, river otters, porcupine, Mexican gray wolves, bald eagles and lynx. A ski lift offers stellar views over Colorado Springs.
Photo courtesy of iStock / cumulus_humilis
Melbourne, Fla.
Brevard Zoo takes the zoo going experience to adventurous levels. Guests can kayak through the African savanna, zip line through the jungles of South America or paddle boat through a restored Florida wetland. The zoo is home to 880 animals representing 182 species from around Florida and the world.
Photo courtesy of Brevard Zoo
Situated in historic uptown New Orleans, the Audubon Zoo features a spectacular recreation of the Louisiana Swamp – an exhibit linking the region's distinct Cajun culture with the plants and animals of the surrounding habitats. Visitors get the chance to see black bears, alligators, red foxes, blue crabs, water snakes and a host of other animals with a view into the daily lives of those who rely on the swamp for a living. The zoo recently debuted a nocturnal bat house and a new troop of Western lowland gorillas.
Photo courtesy of Audubon Zoo
San Diego Zoo has been awing visitors for more than a century, and it continues to innovate. The world-famous zoo, along with its safari park, represents the largest and most diverse zoological collection in the world. Visitors at the zoo can explore seven zones, including the award-winning Elephant Odyssey with its one-of-a-kind Elephant Care Center (ever seen an elephant pedicure?). The largest collection of koalas outside Australia reside within the Australian Outback exhibit. The zoo's largest expansion to date – Africa Rocks – opened in 2017 with animals from six different habitats on the continent, like penguins, lemurs, leopards and a host of African birds.
Photo courtesy of AFP PHOTO / SAN DIEGO ZOO / TAMMY SPRATT
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson blends elements of a zoo, botanical garden, art gallery, museum and aquarium into a seamless and unparalleled look at the region's wildlife. Animals displayed along 2 miles of trails are integrated impeccably into the vast landscapes. Observing coyotes, peccaries, mountain lions and bobcats in their naturalistic enclosures is as close as most visitors will come to seeing them in the wild.
Photo courtesy of iStock / Monica Lara
The Dallas Zoo is the largest zoo in Texas with 106 acres. Founded in 1888, the zoo features 2,000 animals, representing 430 species (not including fish), of which approximately 150 are part of the AZA Species Survival Plans. The Dallas Zoo's world-renowned Giants of the Savanna habitat is the only one in the nation to mix elephants with giraffes and other savanna animals in the same habitat. The Dallas Zoo is dedicated to creating a better world for animals, and has a wildlife conservation mission that far exceeds Texas.
Photo courtesy of Dallas Zoo
Living Desert Zoo and Gardens
Palm Desert, Calif.
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens in California's Palm Desert educates visitors on the challenges desert animals face to survive, through exhibits housing African wild dogs, ball python, caracal, bearded dragon, warthogs, hyena, mountain lions and sand cats. Standout exhibits include a nocturnal display, walk-through aviary and the Tennity Wildlife Hospital and Conservation Center. Other guest favorites make an appearance as well – the zoo has habitats for giraffe and cheetahs, as well as a lorikeet aviary.
Photo courtesy of Greater Palm Springs CVB @visitgreaterps
North America is home to hundreds of zoological parks, including more than 200 facilities accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). Short of heading out into the world's wild places, nothing beats a visit to the zoo to foster an appreciation for the striking animal diversity of our planet. We asked our readers to vote for their favorite North American AZA-accredited zoos – facilities that excel in the fields of animal care and enrichment, while also facilitating meaningful interactions between animals and human visitors.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Zoo are as follows:
Fort Worth Zoo - Fort Worth
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden - Cincinnati
Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium - Omaha, Neb.
Cheyenne Mountain Zoo - Colorado Springs
Brevard Zoo - Melbourne, Fla.
Audubon Zoo - New Orleans
San Diego Zoo - San Diego
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum - Tucson
Dallas Zoo - Dallas
Living Desert Zoo and Gardens - Palm Desert, Calif.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to pick the initial nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote.
Congratulations to all these winning zoos!
Debra Erickson
Debra Erickson is President of the International... Read More
Debra Erickson is President of the International Zoo Educators Association. She is also the Marketing Director for San Diego Zoo Global, Executive Director of Atlantis Blue Project Foundation and Accreditation Chair for Atlantis, Paradise Island. She has been in the conservation, interpretation, marketing, communications, and education fields for 30 years and has worked for the San Diego Zoo, the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, Atlantis, Paradise Island, Atlantis, The Palm, SeaWorld San Diego, SeaWorld Orlando, S.E.A. Aquarium and Dolphin Island. Debra has held a wide variety of positions in the education and interpretation field including Education Director at San Diego Zoo Safari Park, SeaWorld Orlando, and Atlantis, Paradise Island. She has created interpretive plans for a wide variety of exhibits including Manatees: The Last Generation, Wild Arctic, and Tiger Trail which have all won the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums Top Exhibit Honors award. Currently she is leading the effort to provide San Diego Zoo Kids, a 24-hour, commercial-free television channel, to 300 children's hospitals and Ronald McDonald Houses around the world. Having worked in over 40 countries during her career and seeing the challenges that many developing countries face, Debra has a keen commitment to conservation. She worked as Executive Director and Conservation Director for Orangutan Foundation International and was responsible for developing and implementing the conservation plan for Tanjung Puting National Park. Debra continues her conservation work through the Atlantis Blue Project Foundation where she funds marine conservation projects and mentors conservationists in the field. Debra received her B.A. in Biology from Scripps College and her M.A. in Educational Technology from San Diego State University.
Preethi Harbuck
Preethi Harbuck is passionate about inspiring... Read More
Preethi Harbuck is passionate about inspiring curiosity and connection through family travel on her blog, Local Passport Family, and Instagram. Mother of five young children, she's traveled to 62 countries (43 with kids) and 49 states. She loves providing tips, tricks and itineraries to encourage other families to explore near and far, and loves writing about family travel and parenting.
Kyle McCarthy
Kyle McCarthy is the co-founder and editor of... Read More
Kyle McCarthy is the co-founder and editor of Family Travel Forum, the trusted resource for family vacation planners since 1996. FTF's award-winning publications (MyFamilyTravels.com, America's Most Popular Family Vacations, and The Family Vacationist) provide expert and user reviews of global family vacations ranging from eco-adventures to city breaks, multi-generational cruises, resorts, theme parks and more. Each spring, FTF runs a Teen Travel Writing Scholarship for students 13-18 who blog about their trips to win cash grants. Through FamilyTravelConsulting, she advises the travel trade on ever-changing family needs, smarter marketing and conferences. Ms. McCarthy, author of a dozen Frommer's guidebooks, also contributes to US News, CNN and other publications. She can be found on most social networks @familytravel4um.
Nicky Omohundro is the founder and editor of Read More
Nicky Omohundro is the founder and editor of LittleFamilyAdventure.com, the popular family travel & lifestyle website that inspires families to leave no child left inside. Since 2013 LFA has been providing inspiration to get families outdoors, eat well, and travel everywhere from their own backyard to around the world. Always up for a family adventure, she has traveled to 37 states and 6 countries to zip-line through a Costa Rican rainforest, see Finland's Northern Lights, and go camping throughout the US. Nicky is the co-founder of Tourism WorX a travel consultancy group. Connect with her Twitter and Instagram.
Alan Sironen
Alan Sironen is the owner of Zoo Consultants... Read More
Alan Sironen is the owner of Zoo Consultants International. Zoo Consultants International assists their clients in animal exhibit planning, zoo animal equipment development, exhibit blueprint review and animal transportation. Alan was employed for over 35 years at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. During his employment at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo he held positions as Zookeeper, Head Zoo Keeper, Assistant General Curator, Curator of Mammals, Curator of Mammalogy, and Curator of Large Mammals and Carnivores. Alan Sironen received a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Capital University in 1975 and a M.B.A. in International Business Administration from Baldwin Wallace College in 1986. Alan currently is a Professional Member of the Zoological Association of America and a Professional Associate Member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. He also serve on the Board of Global Conservation Connection.
Allison Taylor
Allison Taylor, owner and content creator of Read More
Allison Taylor, owner and content creator of Family Vacations U.S., is somewhat of a compulsive researcher when it comes to family vacations. Allison has two boys ages 8 and 10 whose antics keep her very busy, and being married to a firefighter adds a whole other element to the chaos. You can find her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Rob Taylor is the founder of 2TravelDads, the... Read More
Rob Taylor is the founder of 2TravelDads, the original LGBT Family Travel blog. Focusing on ecotourism and education, 2TravelDads inspires LGBT families (and traditional families also) to go beyond their usual getaways and use travel to learn about and be part of a bigger world. 2TravelDads blazes the way for other two-dad and two-mom families to travel to previously overlooked destinations or places we as gay people would normally avoid. We share the struggles we've faced and the surprising gems and welcomes we've had along the way. Traveling as a family is one thing, traveling as an LGBT family is completely something else.