text:
Vegas Golden Knights Fire Gerard Gallant, Hire Peter DeBoer
Nicklas Backstrom Signs Five-Year Extension
New Jersey Devils Fire General Manager Ray Shero
Flames Sign Rasmus Andersson To A Six-Year Extension
Hurricanes Sign Justin Williams To A One-Year Contract
Nashville Predators Announce John Hynes As New Head Coach
Hoops Rumors
Pro Football Rumors
Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors
Hampus Lindholm
Pacific Notes: Kadri, Wright, Lindholm, Doughty
July 13, 2019 at 8:56 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 5 Comments
Before the Colorado Avalanche acquired Nazem Kadri from the Toronto Maple Leafs in a big deal involving Tyson Barrie, the Calgary Flames were close to acquiring the veteran center. However, Kadri refused to waive his 10-team no-trade clause that would have sent him in a deal that would have included defenseman T.J. Brodie.
The Calgary Sun's Wes Gilbertson writes that Kadri did admit that he rejected the deal to Calgary in hopes of convincing the Maple Leafs that he wanted to stay with the team.
"What happened is they had a deal in place and they wanted me to move my no-trade clause," Kadri explained. "Obviously, for me, it was no disrespect to Calgary or the Flames organization — I love their team and I love the direction they're headed. I just figured that had I declined, I would have had a better opportunity of being a Maple Leaf next year, and that's really what it came down to. "I wanted to play for the Leafs next year. I wanted to be a part of that. In declining that trade, I had aspirations of being a Leaf, and we know clearly that didn't happen."
Instead he did get traded to Colorado and now will take over as the team's second-line center in hopes of developing a powerful secondary scoring line after their top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog.
The Athletic's Daniel Nugent-Bowman (subscription required) delves into the drafting success of the Edmonton Oilers' new director of amateur scouting, Tyler Wright, noting that while the long-time executive with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings has had lukewarm success drafting in the first round, he has been successful in the later rounds of drafts, having nabbed several key players late in the draft, including Josh Anderson, Boone Jenner, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Filip Hronek and could provide value for Edmonton who hasn't had as much luck later in the draft.
In a mailbag piece, The Athletic's Eric Stephens (subscription required) writes that while defenseman Hampus Lindholm is a solid top-pairing defenseman, his offense still hasn't come around and at age 25, time is running out. The blueliner posted 34 points in his second season back in the 2014-15 season and hasn't reached that target since then. However, Stephens writes that Lindholm was never a big fan of Randy Carlyle's system and could thrive under new head coach Dallas Eakins and show off some more offense, potentially becoming a regular at 40 points.
Looking back at the recent history of signings by the Los Angeles Kings, The Athletic's Lisa Dillman (subscription required) looks at the best and worst deals handed out since 2009. Unfortunately for the Kings, the top bad contract is only kicking in this year as the eight-year, $88MM contract that star defenseman Drew Doughty signed a year ago is about to kick in at age 29. After a down season last year, the 29-year-old blueliner will be getting paid $11MM until he turns 37 years old. Not a good sign if people think that before he's even started getting paid.
Boone Jenner| Calgary Flames| Colorado Avalanche| Columbus Blue Jackets| Dallas Eakins| Detroit Red Wings| Drew Doughty| Edmonton Oilers| Filip Hronek| Gabriel Landeskog| Hampus Lindholm| Josh Anderson| Los Angeles Kings| Mikko Rantanen| Nathan MacKinnon| Nazem Kadri| Oliver Bjorkstrand| Players| Randy Carlyle| RIP| Toronto Maple Leafs
Anaheim Ducks' Randy Carlyle On The Hot Seat
January 12, 2019 at 9:31 am CDT | by Zach Leach 5 Comments
Mired in a nine-game losing streak, The Athletic's Eric Duhatschek wrote yesterday that this is a "critical time" for the Anaheim Ducks. While he notes that the Ducks have the unfortunate designation of leading the NHL in man-games lost this season, they were set to finally add top-pair defenseman Cam Fowler and first-line forward Rickard Rakell back into the lineup last night. The team hoped that the duo's return would finally spark a win for a team that is as close to full health now as they have been all year.
It didn't work out that way. Despite taking a 3-0 first period lead on the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins, the Ducks ended up losing 7-4 behind four unanswered Penguins goals in the third period in one of the more disheartening defeats that any team has faced this year.
Despite the optimism that injuries were the cause of their slump and a return to health would right the ship, Anaheim lost again last night for their tenth straight game without a win. The team has plummeted down the standings, now a whopping 12 points back of the final Pacific Division seed, held by the surging Vegas Golden Knights, and a point behind Minnesota for the final wild card spot, with the Wild holding two games in hand. The Ducks are one more loss away from being a .500 team and have slipped to a -27 in goal differential, not quite the numbers of a playoff-bound team. Anaheim is second-to-last in goals for per game, fueled by the fewest shots per game in the league on average, have an anemic 14.3% power play, and – despite the best efforts of starter John Gibson playing behind a porous defense of late – are a middle of the road goals against team.
Nothing seems to be working out for the Ducks and the early indications are that injuries are not entirely to blame. With a roster that has ample talent on paper, the blame then rationally falls onto the head coach, Randy Carlyle. Carlyle, in his third year of his second stint with Anaheim, has been unable to find the cure for what ails them this season. The team has struggled to score goals as well as prevent them, has not had success on special teams, and allows far too many shots, especially in light of how few they take themselves. The Ducks have lost three games in overtime during this stretch, as well as several more one-goal and two-goal games, as Carlyle has been unable to turn any game situation in his favor. Given the talent available for Anaheim – even accounting for the absences of Corey Perry and Patrick Eaves – the fact that Carlyle has not been able to get more out of the likes of Rakell, Ryan Getzlaf, Jakob Silfverberg, Hampus Lindholm, Josh Manson, and more is alarming – and it may just cost him his job.
Duhatschek noted, even before last night's embarrassing collapse, that change would be coming if the team could not get it together. He specifically refers to trades, as the team trends in the direction of "deadline seller" territory. Certainly, GM Bob Murray will need to consider moving impending free agent Silfverberg, as well as deal from his depth in goaltending and defense in the minors, but a roster move seems less likely to be the next big decision. Carlyle is absolutely on the hot seat and if he can't find a way to motivate his players, solve his situational struggles, and string together some wins, he will likely be fired long before the Ducks begin making trades. As the team begins a five-game road trip, it begs the question whether Ducks fans will see Carlyle behind the home bench again this season.
Anaheim Ducks| Cam Fowler| Corey Perry| Hampus Lindholm| Jakob Silfverberg| John Gibson| Josh Manson| Patrick Eaves| Pittsburgh Penguins| Randy Carlyle
Ducks Place Hampus Lindholm On Injured Reserve
November 18, 2018 at 5:06 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment
The Anaheim Ducks continue to deal with a rash of injuries, as top defenseman Hampus Lindholm has now joined the sidelined. CapFriendly reports that Lindholm has been placed on the injured reserve, a change also reflected on the team's official roster albeit not yet announced by the Ducks.
There has been no word yet on the type or extent of the injury that Lindholm has suffered, but Ducks fans will hold out hope that it is relatively minor. The team is already without Cam Fowler, on IR with a facial fracture, and have yet to see Korbinian Holzer this season due to a wrist injury. On top of a depleted back end, the team is also missing quite a few names up front, including core forwards Corey Perry and Patrick Eaves. A Lindholm absence of any length hurts, but Anaheim can ill afford a long-term hiatus.
Lindholm, 25, not only leads all Ducks skaters in ice time, but his 25:29 ATOI is seventh-best in the whole league. Lindholm is also tied for third in scoring for Anaheim with ten points, among the top scoring defensemen in the Pacific Division. Without Lindholm and Fowler, the Ducks are sorely lacking their regular leadership and top sources of production on the blue line. Although they have yet to announce this transaction as well, the team's roster shows that defensemen Jake Dotchin and Josh Mahura have been recalled and both could soon find their way into the starting lineup, with Luke Schenn clearing waivers and destined for the AHL's San Diego Gulls. Dotchin played in 48 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning last season, but has yet to make his Ducks debut, while first-year pro Mahura would be making his first NHL appearance. The two have performed well for San Diego this season, but face a tall task if asked to help make up for a long-term Lindholm absence in Anaheim.
AHL| Anaheim Ducks| Cam Fowler| Corey Perry| Hampus Lindholm| Injury| Jake Dotchin| Korbinian Holzer| Luke Schenn| Patrick Eaves| Waivers
Anaheim Ducks Sign Swedish Forward Anton Rodin
July 1, 2018 at 12:21 pm CDT | by Zach Leach Leave a Comment
The Ducks are importing some scoring help for the coming season. Sportsnet reports that Anaheim has signed Anton Rodin, a former Swedish Hockey League MVP and brief member of the Vancouver Canucks. Rodin finished the 2017-18 season with HC Davos of the Swiss NLA, but will now return to North America to join the Ducks. Contract terms are not yet available.
Rodin, a second-round pick back in 2009, has had trouble making his mark in the NHL. He came over to the U.S. for the 2011-12 season, but found himself playing in the AHL for next two seasons without a callup, prompting the Swede to return to the SHL, the next season, which is where he stayed for another three years. He returned to Vancouver and got into three NHL games, but spent most of his time with the Utica Comets before asking for his release in November of this season.
AHL| Anaheim Ducks| Anton Rodin| Brandon Montour| Cam Fowler| Clayton Stoner| Hampus Lindholm| Josh Manson| New Jersey Devils| NLA| Sami Vatanen| Shea Theodore| SHL| Swedish Hockey League| Vancouver Canucks| Vegas Golden Knights
Ducks Notes: Carlyle, Kesler, Henrique, Bieksa, Eaves, Vermette
April 21, 2018 at 3:40 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment
Despite suffering a sweep at the hands of the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks executive vice president and general manager Bob Murray gave a vote of confidence to coach Randy Carlyle today, according to Mike Coppinger of the Los Angeles Times. However, Murray also said he is looking for changes in the team's style of play.
The team made the playoffs despite being plagued by injuries. Carlyle, who has coached the team for the past two years after serving previously as the Ducks' coach for seven years from 2005-2012, had no players who played the full 82-game season. First liners Ryan Kesler only played 44 games, while Ryan Getzlaf only played 54 games. Even Corey Perry missed 11 games due to injury. However, with an aging offense, the team needs to increase its speed if it wants to compete in the same division as the Vegas Golden Knights or the San Jose Sharks.
Kesler admitted he struggled trying to get his way back this season after undergoing hip surgery last offseason. He was forced to re-learn how to skate. "Learning how to basically skate again, and coming back behind the eight ball when everybody is in mid-season form and you're in training camp mode, is hard. It's not an excuse. I'm way better off now than I was before the surgery." Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register adds that Kesler lost 20 pounds in the last month to increase his speed. He intends to play at his new weight next season in hopes of lengthening his career. Kesler, originally listed at 202 pounds, will be needed to return to full form next season if they want to continue with their playoff success. He is locked up for another three years at $8.625MM with a no movement clause.
Center Adam Henrique, who the team acquired back in November, has said he is interested in signing an extension with the team this offseason. The 28-year-old scored 20 goals in 57 games with the Ducks and 24 total goals. He has one more year at $4MM and is eligible for an extension on July 1.
Veteran defenseman Kevin Bieksa didn't leave the team on a positive note, suggesting that despite having a ruptured tendon in his finger, it was "very disappointing" that he didn't get more playing time in the team's playoff series. The 36-year-old played in just one game against the Sharks. "It didn't turn out to be a good-looking decision," said Bieksa. He will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
Stephens added veteran winger Patrick Eaves, who had surgery on his shoulder in March, will be ready this fall with an October timeline. Eaves, who scored 32 goals between Anaheim and Dallas last year, played in just two games this season.
Antoine Vermette says he believes he has more hockey left in him. The 35-year-old will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. He said he will discuss his situation with his family about whether he will return next season. "I've never been in this situation. I'll take my time to kind of see what we want to do here," said Vermette about his uncertain offseason.
The Ducks also announced that Hampus Lindholm, Rickard Rakell and Korbinian Holzer will each play for their respective countries in the 2018 IIHF World Championships.
Adam Henrique| Anaheim Ducks| Antoine Vermette| Corey Perry| Hampus Lindholm| Injury| Kevin Bieksa| Korbinian Holzer| Patrick Eaves| Randy Carlyle
2017 Year In Review: May
December 26, 2017 at 10:59 am CDT | by Gavin Lee 1 Comment
2017 has been quite a busy year in the hockey world. There have been several big trades, the first expansion team in over 15 years, and much more. Over the coming days, PHR will take a look back at the top stories from around the game on a month-by-month basis. Next up is a look at May.
Playoff Injuries Abound: As teams continued their chase of the Stanley Cup, their bodies began to break down. As each subsequent round was completed, and teams were eliminated from the playoffs, reports of surgery and rehab surfaced daily. Players like Patrice Bergeron, Tuukka Rask, Jason Zucker, Andrej Sekera and Ryan Johansen all went under the knife in May, with the Anaheim Ducks perhaps announcing the worst of the bunch. Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen would both require shoulder surgery, not only putting the start of their 2017-18 seasons in jeopardy but complicating the expansion process for the Ducks. A seemingly inevitable Vatanen trade was put on hold until just recently, when he was sent to the New Jersey Devils for Adam Henrique.
Toronto Bolsters Blueline: The Toronto Maple Leafs had some depth issues on their blueline in 2016-17, when Morgan Rielly was forced to log big minutes despite suffering from a high-ankle sprain for much of the season. They decided to add to that depth when they signed both Calle Rosen and Andreas Borgman out of the SHL, and locked up a key newcomer long-term. Nikita Zaitsev officially signed his seven-year, $31.5MM extension on May 2nd, ensuring he'd be part of the core for some time.
Big Ben In Big D: The Dallas Stars, coming off an extremely disappointing season, decided that something had to be done about their goaltending duo of Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi. The Stars went out and traded for Ben Bishop, almost immediately signing him to a six-year, $29.5MM contract. Because Bishop was set to become an unrestricted free agent and was coming off one of his worst seasons in the NHL, he cost the Stars just a fourth-round pick. An improvement in Bishop's play was one of the keys we identified recently for a potential Stars turnaround, after which he immediately posted a 24-save shutout against the Chicago Blackhawks.
Buffalo Gets Botterill: After canning their coach and GM the previous month, the Buffalo Sabres announced that Jason Botterill, formerly an assistant GM with the Pittsburgh Penguins, would be the new man to captain their ship. Botterill had some interim GM experience with Pittsburgh, but had never truly been the head man before and had a tough task ahead of him in Buffalo. The Sabres are once again one of the worst teams in the NHL, but have their star locked up long-term and several blue chip prospects on their way.
Vadim, Las Vegas: On May 4th, 2017 the Vadim Shipachyov era in Vegas officially began when the team announced a two-year, $9MM contract for the Russian star. Shipachyov was just the second player to sign with the Golden Knights, and was immediately penciled into their first line. Unfortunately, the rest of 2017 would not go as smoothly. Shipachyov was first left off the NHL roster to begin the season, and would eventually terminate his contract with Vegas in order to return to the KHL. He scored one goal during his brief NHL career, and has spoken quite candidly about the disappointing situation.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Andreas Borgman| Andrej Sekera| Ben Bishop| Buffalo Sabres| Calle Rosen| Dallas Stars| Hampus Lindholm| Jason Botterill| KHL| Nikita Zaitsev| Toronto Maple Leafs| Vadim Shipachyov| Vegas Golden Knights| Year In Review 2017
Ryan Getzlaf Leaves Game With Facial Injury
October 29, 2017 at 7:01 pm CDT | by Zach Leach 3 Comments
The already injury-riddled Anaheim Ducks have yet another health concern and possibly the most worrisome to date. The latest casualty was none other than captain Ryan Getzlaf, who took a shot to the face from his long-time partner in crime, Corey Perry, in the opening seconds of tonight's game versus the Carolina Hurricanes. Getzlaf was evaluated for an "upper body injury" before eventually being declared out for the game by the team.
Initially, the injury seemed far from serious (video). Getzlaf seemed only stunned by the shot, which lost much of its momentum after a deflection by the 'Canes Sebastian Aho. There was no blood nor any exaggerated reaction and Getzlaf skated off the ice without issue. However, when he did not return, things became somewhat more daunting for the Ducks. Getzlaf, without a doubt, is the leader of the Anaheim forward corps and plays an invaluable role for the team. Fortunately, the injury still does not have the appearance of anything major and Getzlaf's absence could be purely precautionary. At worst, a facial injury – even a bone break – tends to be a short-term loss. The Minnesota Wild's Marcus Foligno for example missed only a week with a facial fracture suffered in a fight earlier this season.
Yet, in the context of Anaheim's mounting losses, any extended absence for Getzlaf could be problematic. Ryan Miller finally made his ducks debut tonight and Hampus Lindholm and Ondrej Kase re-joined the team this week as well, but that still leaves an injured reserve that features Ryan Kesler, Patrick Eaves, Cam Fowler, and Kevin Bieksa and an active Sami Vatanen who still seems unprepared to resume play. The Ducks already have Korbinian Holzer and Jaycob Megna playing key roles on the blue line; the team can't afford the same lack of depth up front, particularly at center, where a long stretch with 35-year-old Antoine Vermette as the top option down the middle could spell disaster for the team. The Ducks need to get healthy, and suddenly that starts with avoiding any sidelining of Getzlaf (if possible).
Anaheim Ducks| Antoine Vermette| Cam Fowler| Carolina Hurricanes| Corey Perry| Hampus Lindholm| Injury| Kevin Bieksa| Korbinian Holzer| Marcus Foligno| Minnesota Wild| Ondrej Kase| Patrick Eaves| Ryan Getzlaf| Ryan Kesler| Ryan Miller| Sebastian Aho
Snapshots: Athanasiou, Dubois, Lindholm, Vatanen
October 20, 2017 at 8:50 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment
Although Andreas Athanasiou has now agreed to terms on a new deal with Detroit, it's still going to take some time before he rejoins the team. GM Ken Holland told reporters, including Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press, that the team will apply for a work visa for the winger on Monday morning. As we've seen in recent weeks, it can take a few days if not longer for that to be approved. Once that happens, he'll need some practices before being game-ready; while Holland wouldn't definitively rule out an AHL conditioning stint for Athanasiou, he did note that it's an unlikely scenario.
In the meantime, Holland will likely be busy working the phones as he looks to make a roster move or two to free up the cap space required to add Athanasiou to the active roster. A trade seems likely but if there is a significant injury between now and then, the Red Wings could use LTIR to get back into cap compliance in the short-term and give them more time to work out a trade.
More from around the league:
While Blue Jackets winger Pierre-Luc Dubois isn't lighting it up (just one goal through seven games), Aaron Portzline of The Athletic (subscription required) reports that there are no indications that the team is planning on sending him back to junior before he plays his tenth game next week. The 19-year-old isn't eligible to play in the AHL yet and the fact that he is playing a regular shift (he's averaging nearly 13 minutes per game) is a good sign for him to officially burn the first season of his entry-level contract. The focus will then shift to 40 games on the active roster when he will accrue a year towards UFA eligibility.
Although Ducks defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen have started skating with the team, both are out for tonight's game against Montreal, the team announced (Twitter link). Both players had been targeting November 1st as a return date and while they'll miss at least one more game, they still appear to be ahead of schedule in their recoveries from offseason shoulder surgeries.
Anaheim Ducks| Andreas Athanasiou| Columbus Blue Jackets| Detroit Red Wings| Hampus Lindholm| Pierre-Luc Dubois| Sami Vatanen| Snapshots
Afternoon Notes: Duchene, Chabot, Lindholm, Vatanen
October 8, 2017 at 2:40 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 6 Comments
While Colorado Avalanche's Matt Duchene remains with the team despite the constant trade rumors that have hounded the 26-year-old center all offseason and entering the preseason. In fact, despite earlier reports that general manager Joe Sakic still has high trade demands for Duchene, there are others who look at the situation differently. Long-time Avalanche great Peter Forsberg was a guest in-studio analyst for a Swedish of the Avalanche-New Jersey Devils game said the team needs to "bench and trade" the disgruntled center, according to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post.
Duchene, who has reportedly been visibly unhappy to still be with the Avalanche and has said very little to the press, was a target for Forsberg during that broadcast, who believes that while putting up points might be important to raise his value, the center is not going go all-out to help his team.
"Doubtful that he should be allowed to play (with Colorado)," Forsberg, whose words were translated by Expression reporter Robin LIndgren, said in the Swedish broadcast. "Put him in the stands. If I were playing with a player that I know doesn't even want to be in the team, it's not like he is going to throw himself on the ice and block shots with his head. It is mostly difficult to have a player like that in the team, although he is skillful and is doing his best. I would rather play with someone that wants to be there. I would put him on the bench and trade him."
CBS Sports reports that Ottawa Senators have recalled top defensive prospect Thomas Chabot Sunday to help fill in for their many defensive injuries. The team is currently without Erik Karlsson, who is still out after foot surgery this offseason, as well as Johnny Oduya, who is out with a lower-body injury. The team attempted to fulfil their defensive needs a couple days ago when they promoted Ben Harpur, who has two years of AHL experience, unlike Chabot who has just two games of AHL experience, but Harpur suffered an upper-body injury in last night's game against the Detroit Red Wings. The 20-year-old Chabot had a goal and an assist in his first two games with the Belleville Senators. The 2015 first-rounder was one of the team's final cuts, which surprised many, but he was held responsible for a poor preseason performance, a 9-2 drubbing to the Montreal Canadiens, in which he finished the game with a plus/minus rating of -5.
Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register tweeted that Anaheim Ducks' injured defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen were both full participants in practice today, suggesting the team may eventually be getting back their top defenders. They are not that close to returning, however, as they are both on LTIR, which requires them to miss 24 days and 10 games. Both required shoulder surgery at the end of last season.
AHL| Anaheim Ducks| Ben Harpur| Colorado Avalanche| Erik Karlsson| Hampus Lindholm| Injury| Johnny Oduya| Matt Duchene| Ottawa Senators| Sami Vatanen| Thomas Chabot
West Notes: Duchene, Ducks, Steen, Juolevi
September 29, 2017 at 8:00 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment
With the start of the regular season now less than a week away, Matt Duchene remains a member of the Avalanche and Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman suggested to 630 CHED in Edmonton (audio link) that things are currently pretty quiet on the trade front with Colorado. GM Joe Sakic has set a very high asking price and as of yet, no one has been willing to meet it so it appears there's a good chance that this will drag out into the season. Friedman notes that Columbus remains very interested in Duchene's services while a trio of Western teams, Edmonton, Anaheim, and Nashville have been in and out of talks at times as well. Duchene has two years left on his contract with a $6MM cap hit but aside from the Ducks, the other three teams all have the cap room to take him on without sending any money the other way.
More from the West:
Ducks defensemen Hampus Lindholm and Sami Vatanen are progressing well from their respective offseason shoulder surgeries, head coach Randy Carlyle told Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register. Both players have been skating in recent days, albeit in non-contact jerseys. Both rearguards are expected to miss all of October but have set a target to return to Anaheim's lineup on November 1st.
While Alex Steen's hand injury will keep him out for the first week of the regular season, Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the issue isn't expected to keep him out too long beyond that. Steen is going to be counted on to play a big role when he returns, especially with long-term injuries to center Patrik Berglund (out until December) and winger Robby Fabbri, whose season is over before it even started due to a torn ACL.
The Canucks have not yet decided where to assign defenseman Olli Juolevi. His agent Markus Lehto told Rick Dhaliwal of News 1130 (Twitter link) that a team in Europe could be a possible landing spot. The OHL's London Knights – where he has spent the past two seasons – seems to remain the likeliest destination for the 19-year-old for now.
Alexander Steen| Anaheim Ducks| Colorado Avalanche| Hampus Lindholm| Matt Duchene| Olli Juolevi| Sami Vatanen| St. Louis Blues| Vancouver Canucks
Nashville Predators Fire Peter Laviolette
Montreal Canadiens Sign Ilya Kovalchuk
Buffalo Sabres Trade Marco Scandella, Acquire Michael Frolik
Jake Guentzel Out Four To Six Months
Red Wings On Pace For Worst Record Of The Century
Nashville's Austin Watson Moved From Healthy Scratch To First Line
Snapshots: Williams, Tryamkin, Sorenson, Luukkonen
Central Notes: Kaprizov, Sissons, Ellis, Saad, Parayko
Florida Panthers Lose Goalie Chris Driedger For Weeks
Dallas Stars Activate Stephen Johns, Place Radek Faksa On IR
David Backes, Luke Schenn Placed On Waivers
PHR Mailbag: Rangers, Islanders, Coyotes Offense, Canadiens, Golden Knights, Midseason Surprises, Bruins, Draft Talk
Minor Transactions: 01/18/20
West Notes: Oilers, Raanta, Saad
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text:
A fun toy reveals Nagel is was with us
Posted by Fontana Labs
Via the Decembrist, this site allows you to check on your neighbors'-- or anyone else's-- political contributions.
This makes me feel a little better:
Thomas Nagel [donated to]...Wesley Clark [to the tune of] $1,000
Go to Main Page | Link | Comments (0)
Paging BAA
Posted by Ogged
David Brooks is supposed to be the guy who finds the telling detail that perfectly captures some true yet heretofore hazily noted feature of our society. Oh, how sweet it is.
Brooks wrote of his leisurely northward drive [to Pennsylvania's Franklin County] to see the other America across "the Meatloaf Line; from here on there will be a lot fewer sun-dried-tomato concoctions on restaurant menus and a lot more meatloaf platters."
[Brooks] spent the night [in Franklin County at the Mercersburg] inn. "For breakfast I made a goat-cheese-and-sun-dried-tomato tart," Sandy said. "He said he just wanted scrambled eggs."
Go home David Brooks, just go home.
AND: Ana Marie Cox, formerly the Antic Muse, now Wonkette, always my partner in thinking ill of David Brooks, has more.
Why I am lousy
I actually thought the Bush comedy routine was funny. Billmon's post is funnier, though.
Or Roosevelt doing "Battle of the Bulge" jokes ("Ethel Merman thought they were talking about her.")
I was musing to myself the other day that, since Richard Clarke is kicking Bushie butt up and down the block, it must be nigh pig-fucking time. Well, sure enough.
ROBERT NOVAK: Congressman, do you believe, you're a sophisticated guy, do you believe watching these hearings that Dick Clarke has a problem with this African-American woman Condoleezza Rice?
And from Ann Coulter,
Isn't that just like a liberal? The chair-warmer describes Bush as a cowboy and Rumsfeld as his gunslinger -- but the black chick is a dummy. Maybe even as dumb as Clarence Thomas. Perhaps someday liberals could map out the relative intelligence of various black government officials for us.
Welcome, folks, to pig-fucking time.
Help me think of an inflammatory post title so Instapundit will link to me, as if I'm channeling conventional wisdom. Or wait. Maybe I can come up with a really overblown title, link that to Instapundit, and then have Instapundit link back to me, as if I'm channeling conventional wisdom. I swear this will work.
Since even the perspicacious Taegan Goddard is now pushing the importance of the "August 6 briefing" in which George Bush is suspected to have been informed of intelligence about Al Qaeda's plans to use planes as missiles, let me call everyone's attention to Richard Clarke's answer to a question about that memo.
I think its importance has been overblown...In response to the drumbeat day after day of intelligence that there was going to be an al-Qaida attack, the president apparently said, "Tell me what al-Qaida could do." And in response to that the CIA went off and wrote a paper that listed everything possible that al-Qaida could do. It didn't say we have intelligence that tells us the attack will be here or there, the attack method will be this or that. It was rather a laundry list of possible things they could do.
That makes sense. We should lay off this one.
UPDATE: Taegan now notes Clarke's comment.
Leaner Already
The always readable, appropriately litigious, VW driving (when she's not walking) single sailor Scheherazade is giggling. You can too. This one took me straight to guffaw.
How integral has Google become? Well, it's a surrogate parent (the referrers are killing me today): what to do about a fight over a boy do you fist fight
Hell yes you fist fight. And you let all the other boys gather around and chant "fight! fight! fight!" until somebody really gets hurt and the crowd cheers. But be careful, if he likes both of you, you don't want to grievously injure the other girl, because then she might get sympathy from him. Best to either humiliate her, or get a little bit hurt yourself. 'k?
And really, what the hell kind of question is that from someone whose IP address traces back to Weber High, home of the Warriors? Fight! Fight! Fight!
Jacob Levy has a sagacious post on the Pledge of Allegiance that accords with Fontana's analysis and Mitch's comment. The Pledge is profoundly weird, and if it weren't a familiar ritual, there's no chance even in George Bush's America that we would institute it now. And I'll add just a little bit from personal experience: I always refused to say the Pledge, and Levy is exactly right that to do so I had to make a very uncomfortable spectacle of myself. And while I understand Eugene Volokh's point that Newdow is putting his own daughter in an uncomfortable position if she's associated with the overturning of the Pledge, Newdow's argument--that it's a hell of a lot to ask of a kid to refuse--remains valid for other cases and shouldn't be dismissed.
The unspoken blogger competition for best Google referrer search is over. Unfogged has won:
i am having real difficulty with the fact that a world class, american athlete, finds it perfectly acceptable to leave a sexless, loveless and homephobic women alone knowing that she is love starved?
I love the question mark at the end.
"When humans acquire power, how they trample others!"
Read this Body and Soul post on the anniversary of Archbishop Romero's murder.
Lithwick on Newdow
This is a nice blow-by-blow from today's oral arguments in Newdow, from Dahlia Lithwick.
O'Connor reminds Newdow that his daughter has a right not to pledge. He cites to the Supreme Court decision in the 1992 case Lee v. Weisman that found nonsectarian prayers at a public school graduation ceremony violated the Constitution because they coerce student participation.
"But that was a prayer!" snaps O'Connor.
Newdow replies by quoting a 2002 letter from President Bush to a Buddhist leader (appended to this amicus brief): "When we pledge allegiance to One Nation under God, our citizens participate in an important American tradition of humbly seeking the wisdom and blessing of Divine Providence."
"That does not constitute prayer," says O'Connor.
"President Bush says it is," says Newdow. Folks laugh.
Well. I'm no scholar, of course, but I admit to some sympathy to the Newdow side. What's odd about this case, it seems to me, is that the God clause is acceptable just in case it's contentless. This puts the pro-inclusion people in a bit of a dilemma: they win by denying the importance of their cause. Is that a cock crowing in the distance? To put it another way, their fervor betrays itself.
Annoying: "God" sometimes means God, except when it doesn't. Those of us without the Big Man in our ontologies really aren't just subbing in some other entity when we hear the G-word. What would that be, exactly? And why would I think that the term works that way? It's not only a dodge, it's a clear, transparent, obviously idiotic dodge.
Justice Stephen Breyer argues that neutral words like "Supreme Being" or "God" attempt to reach out and include believers in everything, and that, "maybe it even includes you." Newdow says he can't see how "under God" could mean "no God," and that the "government needs to stay out of this business altogether." Several times today Newdow seems poised to call an argument or question "stupid." You can almost feel him biting his tongue, then substituting "questionable."
At the same time, we can agree that this Newdow guy kind of sounds like a jerk-- Mr Village Atheist Knows Better Than You. We can also agree that he's very, very smart, so I'll only call him names behind his back.
The power of Christ compels you
I need an old priest and a young priest.
Thanks, IA
The wonderful Invisible Adjunct, of the eponymous blog, is closing up shop. If you've been a visitor there, be sure to leave her a few kind words.
Brawny follow-up
Ogged brings my attention to this review of the Brawny makeover (the ads are here). It's wrong from start to finish:
If ever anyone needed a Queer Eye-style makeover, it was the Brawny Man. Exhibit A: the risibly unfashionable denim shirt (open to midsternum). Exhibit B: the porn-star moustache. (And did they have to make the Web site brawnyman.com?) Exhibit C: the tufts of hair obscuring the ears (though the outdated look was much better than coifs past—the Brawny Man was still sporting a center part up until 1991).
It's a clone moustache, admittedly in need of a trim. He's got a rugged, outdoorsy look. So he hangs out with the bears sometimes-- is that so wrong? The original Brawny man is like the funny uncle of the Queer Eye crew. Show some respect, people.
Redemption: the ad critic more or less gets it right on one of my favorites, the Travelocity Gnome:
Lastly: At one point the gnome, in his cheery way, says that hot tubs might send bubbles "up one's woopsedaisy." I guess that's a cute little euphemism. But good heavens, must I be forced to consider the existence of the gnome's plaster anus? Is this what we've come to now? Will I soon be made to know that the Doughboy has pale and doughy genitalia? And what of Yao Ming? Where does it stop?
Garden gnome liberation details here.
Earlier today, Dan Drezner wrote that
[Richard Clarke] was extremely skilled in the art of bureaucratic politics. One official who saw Clarke in action -- and has no love for this administration -- described him to me as "smart, conservative, dedicated, insecure, and vindictive." I've heard stories from both friends and foes of Clarke, and they have one common thread -- you did not want this man for an enemy. He knows how to retaliate.
Now, insofar as this frames Clarke's actions as personal and vindictive, I think Dan should have qualified it a bit, but, lordy, Clarke really is good. Read the whole Salon interview; the first exchange goes like this.
You said on "60 Minutes" that you expected "their dogs" to be set on you when your book was published, but did you think that the attacks would be so personal?
Oh yeah, absolutely, for two reasons. For one, the Bush White House assumes that everyone who works for them is part of a personal loyalty network, rather than part of the government. And that their first loyalty is to Bush rather than to the people. When you cross that line or violate that trust, they get very upset. That's the first reason. But the second reason is that I think they're trying to bait me -- and people who agree with me -- into talking about all the trivial little things that they are raising, rather than talking about the big issues in the book.
That, friends, is perfect pitch. And he just keeps rolling.
Brooks: can I get a witness?
David Brooks' column is prompted by the Newdow oral arguments, which start tomorrow. As usual, he's either confused or irrelevant. (That's the inclusive 'or,' by the way.) His point: we need Biblical wisdom!
Whether you believe in God or not, the Bible and commentaries on the Bible can be read as instructions about what human beings are like and how they are likely to behave. Moreover, this biblical wisdom is deeper and more accurate than the wisdom offered by the secular social sciences, which often treat human beings as soulless utility-maximizers, or as members of this or that demographic group or class.
Bitchy point: a group or class like, say, bobos, the class that made Brooks famous? Less bitchy point: I'm no social scientist, but we've known this for a long time. That's part of why Daniel frickin' Kahneman won the Nobel prize.
Whether the topic is welfare, education, the regulation of biotechnology or even the war on terrorism, biblical wisdom may offer something that secular thinking does not — not pat answers, but a way to think about things.
To judge from its most public proponents, the Bible gives us exactly the wrong way to think about all of these issues. Of course, they could be misreading it, but so much the worse for the text as a practical guide, no?
For example, it's been painful to watch thoroughly secularized Europeans try to grapple with Al Qaeda. The bombers declare, "You want life, and we want death"— a (fanatical) religious statement par excellence. But thoroughly secularized listeners lack the mental equipment to even begin to understand that statement. They struggle desperately to convert Al Qaeda into a political phenomenon: the bombers must be expressing some grievance. This is the path to permanent bewilderment.
The same point applies here. It's been painful to watch Americans treat al Qaeda as pure evil without any kind of (explanatory, not justificatory) social or historical context. Painful, I mean, because I'd rather not get killed and so I'd like our response to al-Q to be an effective one. And this reading is all too common among religionists. Is that unfair?
The lesson I draw from all this is that prayer should not be permitted in public schools, but maybe theology should be mandatory. Students should be introduced to the prophets, to the Old and New Testaments, to the Koran, to a few of the commentators who argue about these texts.
Prayer is permitted in public schools. Brooks is either badly informed or misrepresenting the facts. It's the endorsement of a religious viewpoint by the public sphere that's constitutionally unwelcome.
From this perspective, what gets recited in the pledge is the least important issue before us. Understanding what the phrase "one nation under God" might mean — that's the important thing. That's not proselytizing; it's citizenship.
The irony here is that the historical/cultural study Brooks is advocating-- one that has absolutely nothing to do with the Newdow case, which, again, is about the endorsement of a religious viewpoint-- is one that's unfriendly to the people who are most exercised about the pledge. To treat different traditions in a neutral and fair way emphasizes, for example, that certain strants of Protestantism are recent developments, that the 'literal reading' of scripture is as well, and other facts that are in tension with the way some religionists understand what they're doing.
Shorter FL: Brooks is a doofus.
Academic life, redux
You've heard the sad news that another IA is closing up shop. This is poignant (as far as blogworld happenings are) insofar as her site (a) made me terrifically depressed about my profession and (b) led to my first encounter with Herr Ogged-- and then, of course, magic happened.
So farewell to the invisible adjunct. Something tells me your next career will be more fun than your past life.
Kaplan on Clarke
Fred Kaplan went to school with Richard Clarke, and then was a reporter when Clarke was in the government. Kaplan's judgement:
I have no doubt that Richard Clarke, the former National Security Council official who has launched a broadside against President Bush's counterterrorism policies, is telling the truth about every single charge.
Spin Bump Thump
Fantastic article by Ryan Lizza on the contradictory and untrue attacks on Richard Clarke (has anyone pointed out yet that all the administration flunkies always always call him "Dick Clark?"). Love this part. (my bolding)
The most intellectually dishonest performance was Dick Cheney's emergency interview on Rush Limbaugh's radio show. Limbaugh wondered how in the world Bush could have made this guy Clarke head of counterterrorism. "Well, I wasn't directly involved in that decision," Cheney said. "He was moved out of the counterterrorism business over to the cybersecurity side of things. That is, he was given the new assignment at some point there. I don't recall the exact time frame."
Who could be expected to keep track of such minor details as how long Clarke was kept as counterterrorism czar? Maybe some scenes from Clarke's book would jog the vice president's memory. Clarke was the guy standing in Cheney's office on the morning of 9/11 with Rice in the minutes after the first attack. He's the guy that Condi turned to and asked, "Okay, Dick, you're the crisis manager, what do you recommend?" Later in the day he was also the guy standing in between Rice and Cheney in the White House Situation Room. He was the one whose shoulder Cheney placed his hand on when he asked, "Are you getting everything you need, everybody doing what you want?" Cheney might also remember Clarke as the guy who asked Cheney to request authorization from Bush to shoot down any hijacked airplanes. He may also recall him as the man who briefed Bush when the president finally arrived back at the White House. In other words, Cheney neglected to inform Limbaugh's audience that Clarke didn't move to cyberterrorism until a month after 9/11.
Splat.
This cracked me up.
Not Tonight Babe, I Can't See or Speak or Walk
Times are tough for Colin Farrell, the Lusty Leprechaun. Not only was there the well-documented rebuff from the lovely Josie Maran,
She says she can't understand what he says, other than the F-word.
But now, even noted Blackberry user Courtney Love has said "no." That's gotta hurt.
Clarke's Case
Ok liberal buddies, time to wake up. There will be no knockout blows. Whatever Richard Clarke says, we have to make it stick. The line against Clarke is that he's bitter that he was "demoted." So far, the liberal response is that he wasn't personally demoted, rather, Bush didn't think counter-terrorism was cabinet level important. Sounds great for us. But there's already a response to this out there, and it's a massive lie that we need to rebut. (my emphasis)
national counter-terrorism coordinator, [is] a job that really no longer exists because strategy of the current admin is to eradicate al Qaeda, not merely to contain it with extraditions and prosecutions -- which means it is now in the hands of the NSC & DOD, where it should have been all along. When Bush II came in, among the first things he directed was an entire rethinking of the anemic Clinton anti-terror strategy (at the actual cabinet and NSC level -- meaning Veep, Rice, Rumsfeld, Powell, Tenet and their deputies), which demoted Clarke. BUT, rather than firing Clarke the prez kept him on with the understanding that he should continue doing his important work while the new strategy was being developed and implemented
This is obviously crap. There's no evidence that Clarke's position was demphasized because the Bushies thought terrorism was more important than did the Clintonites. There's plenty of evidence that the Bushies didn't care much about terrorism prior to 9/11 (and even after). They'll try to say that the NSC and DOD were taking the lead on terrorism; don't let them get away with it. UPDATE:Here's the White House release on Clarke.
am I hallucinating?
Ok. Go to the Onion's site, and click to read the Rumsfeld martial arts story. It's funny-- a take-off on 'Enter the Dragon,' which itself is really funny-- but that's not why I'm asking you to look at it. Move your mouse as if to click on the 'back' button. Do you hear anything? A mysterious asian voice as you move over the buttons?
I swear this worked the first time I read the story, and now I can't get it to repeat. If it's really there, it's funny as hell. If it's not, maybe we can add a "buy him some medication" button to the blog.
Why I should take early retirement
This is the best moral philosophy ever. Followed closely by this.
The Brian Leiter Gourmet Dating Service
Newly-single Ogged (shown here with the ex) wonders about this dating service for "single graduates and faculty of a select group of excellent universities and colleges."
But we can do better. I propose a new synthesis: Dawne Touchings [sic] and one of this blog's favorite targets subjects, ranker extraordinaire Brian Leiter. The dating would, of course, be subject to peer review:
This potential date has strong offerings in small talk and wardrobe. He's notable in foreplay, and there are generous funding opportunities. Applicants should worry, though, about the median time to completion.*
*Jokes about rigid designators omitted for the sake of our precious dignity.
Happy first day of Spring, Iranian New Year, and yes, my birthday, to everyone. I'm off to spend the day with family. Have fun!
Feel Me Dog?
I've always been a sucker for personals, but now that I'm single again (yes, I'm unengaged, though not bitter...yet) a question occurs to me that hadn't before: when someone is looking for a SWM, does that include or exclude Iranians? (Setting aside for the moment that I likely wouldn't respond to someone who specified a preferred race.) Of course, there's that business of Iran/Aryan, but I don't think that's top of mind when people post personals. I'm fairly light-skinned, but I tan instantly, so for a few months out of the year, I'm not so light-skinned. How else to decide?
By the way, do all you expensively educated folk know about this dating service? (What up with the hair? Dawne Touchings? Ugh.)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Hunter Barnes Tells How to Get Your Best Hair Color!
We do a lot of hair color at Michael Anthony Salon DC. Over time, we have learned that each client brings a unique situation to our job as colorists. We work with all our clients to make sure they leave the salon with the hair color they love. Here are some tips that will help you and your colorist give you the best hair color you can ask for.
The time of the consultation appointment is essential. If possible, an advance consultation before your first visit is recommended, but not required. Our stylists plan extra time for the consultation for first-time clients. During that time, it is important to show your colorist some pictures of what you are seeking – the color effect that inspires you. These images give them an idea of what products and techniques they will use to achieve the results you desire. Be realistic! The pictures you share should be a reference. Since the coloring was most likely not done by your colorist, he or she will be using their own experience and expertise to match the look.
During the process of coloring there is a chance that underlying warm tones in your hair will be exposed. Many people see this warmth as red even when no red exists. It is usually yellow or gold or, occasionally, brassy orange. If you want to avoid seeing any red tones, make sure that your colorist knows what you mean by "red." This information will help him when selecting the right tone to apply to your hair.
Not All Color is Equal!
If you have color in your hair, especially if you have been coloring your hair at home, you need to fess up and tell the colorist. Not all color products are made with quality ingredients. When professional color is applied to some drugstore box color, bad results can happen. You can avoid this uncomfortable situation by telling your colorist about your DIY coloring in advance. Remember that most professionals can detect color in your hair even if you swear there is not.
For color to work correctly the hair should be clean, but not too clean. Ideally you should shampoo your hair the day before getting color. If you are on a 2 to 3-day shampoo schedule, you are fine not shampooing your hair before your color service. But if you go 4 or 5 or more days between shampoos, please be sure to wash your hair on the day before your color service. This will guarantee predictable results. Color will not do its job if the hair and scalp are too dirty.


Whose crisis is it anyway?
At my daughter's ballet class the other day, I got talking with one of the moms about Haiti. She was telling me about some people at her church, people who go often out of the country and do volunteering and stuff, and what she said, basically, was that in Haiti, they're not being helpful to volunteers.
I'm afraid my response was a little too snippy to count as polite. "Well that might be because I heard that last week a bunch of volunteers showed up at the airport asking for water and supplies," I said, "and the first responders weren't exactly thrilled at having these folks expecting water when all these Haitians who had JUST BEEN IN AN EARTHQUAKE kindof needed it more than they did." Ok, well the second part of my response is more what I wish I'd said than what I actually said. But I did get the point across.
Lots and lots of people have been seized by the urge to do something and, perhaps unfortunately, because Haiti is so much closer to "us" than Sri Lanka, people really were just jumping on planes to the Dominican Republic and getting themselves to Port au Prince, all ready to help. Unfortunately they hadn't thought it through much further than that. Many didn't have their own supplies. Or a place to stay. Or contacts. Or facility with Kreyol. Or useful skills and expertise. Or, let's face it, common sense.
The impulse is understandable and even noble. But it's the kind of 'helping' impulse that not only gets people into trouble, but causes trouble for others. The urgency of doing something is hard to resist and there was a sort of massive surge of compassionate, anxiety and adrenalin-fueled energy that took hold of so many of us in the first week or two. In my heart I'm thanking the people who resisted that impulse and who recognized that their desire to help needed to be couched within a realistic assessment of their ability to actually be helpful.
That energy has ebbed a bit, the stories of Haiti have migrated first 'below the fold' on the front page of the paper, and now right off the front page altogether. The need has hardly lessened. Just the other day a message came through and someone observed that the streets are full of amputees. Somehow that image stuck with me with incredible force, because I realized that the streetscape of Port au Prince, and the entire nation, will be transformed for an entire generation not just because the skyline will never be the same, but because for the next few decades, the streets will be full of people with missing limbs, a living embodiment of the literal and figurative dismemberment that Haiti has suffered here.
← Mother, o Mother, where are you?
This entry was posted in Haiti Watch, Press Watch.


It's every landlord's desire to have a tenant who pays the rent promptly and who takes care of the rental property. But how can you tell that a person is a good tenant? The most significant step is to conduct a proper screening check before you sign the tenancy agreement.
There are a lot of signs that may indicate a problem tenant at first glance. When dealing with a prospective tenant, listen to your gut instinct or rely on your first impression. Here are some steps to screen your potential tenants and avoid the terrible ones ahead of time.
● How many will be living there?
● How long are they planning to stay?
● What's their employment status?
● Why did they leave their previous place?
● Do they have pets? If yes, how many?
At this point, tell your potential renters about your security deposit and advance rent requirements. Inform them of your background, credit, and previous landlord checks and man will withdraw because they have something to hide. Share any important facts about the rental that may make the prospect ineligible.
Keep in mind that anyone who's interested it will answer all these questions properly. If not, then you can scratch them out from your candidate list.
You can get a glimpse of the tenant's behavior during the viewing. Does the tenant arrive on time? Are they seem polite when looking at the property? If you have current housemates in your property, will they fit properly?
If the tenants don't show up on time then that's a signal that they may not also be punctual when paying the rent. Impolite behavior may warn you that they may not follow the rules. You should also consider the current housemates because if you think that the potential tenants won't fit in then chaos may occur anytime.
Besides the attitude and manners of the prospective tenant, be aware of their appearance. In most cases, serious applicants want to make a good impression so they dress neat and clean. If the prospect is untidy, then it's a telltale sign that he or she won't take care of the property.
When you're done showing the rental, don't commit just yet. You still need to check if the potential tenants have the right finances and credentials to pay you right, which takes me to the next step.
Now, it's time for the application process. The first thing you need to do is to create a written rental application. Ask everything that you need to help you choose the best candidate.
Let the potential tenants fill out the application and inform them that their application will be considered along with other candidates. If you see some missing information, be cautious because that could be a sign that the tenant may want to hide something.
Don't forget to state on the application that a background or credit check will be conducted if appropriate and that the potential tenant is giving authorization for a credit check.
At this point, you may want to ask for verification of their identity. There might be some people who seem to look professional but are using a false identity. You don't want to fall for false pretenses.
Ask for a copy of their valid photo identification card, then attach it to the rental application. If the person can't give you an identification card, then you need to give him or her a pass. You may also include a section that asks for their license number. Look the license number up to further check their identity.
Perhaps one of the most essential stages of the screening process is the credit check. Some state laws may let the landlord ask for a fee to do a credit check while other states don't. Either way, you need to check your potential tenant's credit to protect yourself as a landlord.
The credit check will show the credit history of the potential tenant including his or her credit rating. It will also present other essential information that may help you determine whether this person is financially capable to pay the rent or not. If you see some serious crimes, like bankruptcy, then that's your sign of letting go of that person.
The current debt is another thing that you should look for in a credit report. If you see a lot of unpaid balances and hefty loans, then the risk of late rental payments may be quite high.
To perform the credit check, ask the potential renter's Social Security Number and permission in writing. You may not do this check if you don't have their permission. Explain this process to the candidate so you'll avoid any impropriety allegations.
Sure, running a background check isn't fun but it's one way to make sure that the potential tenant won't cause any problems in the future. A background check will offer you a comprehensive report of a person's past. A few companies provide this type of investigative service for a charge and will give full details about a person's criminal history and eviction history. Usually, you can request these reports using a person's social security number.
● Eviction History: A recent eviction is a red flag that the person is a bad renter. To be fair, you can ask for further details about the eviction.
● Criminal History: You should give a pass to someone with a serious or lengthy criminal record. Accepting a serious criminal could put yourself and other tenants in harm.
● Public Records: Any legal disputes will be shown in this type of records. A person who has been sued in the past for unpaid rent or other financial matters could mean financial instability.
You can also get an amazing insight from the potential tenants' social media accounts. Seeing their unrefined behavior on their Instagram and Facebook accounts could give an instant red flag.
Remember the contact details of previous landlords and current employer provided by the potential renter in the rental application? It's time to call them. To get a fair idea on how the potential tenants are in paying rent, call their previous landlords.
● Does the tenant owe something to you?
● Does the tenant ever fail to pay the rent on time? If yes, how often?
● Has the tenant brought any major damage to the rental property?
● Did the tenant cause any problems in the neighborhood?
To verify the potential tenant's steady income, call his or her employer. Keep in mind that some employers won't tell you the salary details of their employee. In that case, ask for the potential tenant's recent payslip.
Once you've made up your mind on who to accept as a tenant, contact and arrange for the signing of the tenancy agreement. Instruct the tenant to bring the right amount of money and how you want to be paid (cash or check).
It's essential that you create a quality lease. There are a lot of people who would just sign a lease without reading through the details. Before signing, read the whole lease with the tenants. Clarify each term so both of you agree.
Now, this is where the final screening occurs. If the tenant keeps on disputing on each item and not cordial about late payment penalties, give him or her a pass. If not, then sign the lease together and hope for a good tenant-landlord relationship.
Need Assistance? Contact Real Property Associates Inc Today!
If you don't have the time for screening each potential applicant and managing your property, let Real Property Associates (RPA) do the tasks for you. RPA is a property management company in Seattle which helps manage commercial or residential properties, like condos, apartment buildings, and smaller office buildings.
With RPA, you'll feel secure that a professional property manager will take care of your rental property and tenants. For more information, call (206) 523-0300.


Nairn Book and Arts Festival (10th -15th September 2019) is a six day celebration of literature and the arts in the Highlands, set in the historic seaside town of Nairn. Now in its 16th year, it presents a packed programme of events in indoor and outdoor venues across the town.
The Festival offers talks and readings by well-established, nationally known authors, new and local writers, and simultaneously translated Gaelic language author events.
There is a lively poetry programme with an afternoon of readings by some of the country's best-known names at Nairn's stunning Little Theatre, and a roving poet popping up in unexpected places around the town. Visitors can enjoy live performances by first-class musicians, and talks on art, history, and heritage. The festival also offers drama, film, and visual arts exhibitions, creative workshops for people of all ages and an outdoors open mic session for teens.
The festival even has its own Fringe, with some local creative groups staging their own events in festival week.
We have an outreach programme for local schools, and the programme pre-launches with Kids' Day on Saturday 7th September, with free fun activities and storytelling for young people, performance from local drama and dance groups, and a street based food fair, showcasing local artisan fare.
The festival closes with a headline speaker – in 2018 we had a packed house for Chris Packham – watch this space to see who's coming this year!
Our 2019 programme will be announced on Tuesday 11 June, and tickets go on sale the same day.
The Festival is a charity and company limited by guarantee with four Directors, a Chair, Interim Treasurer, and Vice Chair. The festival has a newly established Governance group headed by the Vice Chair, which is reviewing and updating our procedures and processes as we move into a new stage of the Festival's future , and with a new festival Co-ordinator – cultural manager Elle Tyler, and Chair – Mavis Macdonald, who many will know as the owner of independent, recently expanded and wonderful Nairn Bookshop. Tanera Bryden looks after festival PR and marketing, assists the Co-ordinator with fundraising and has co-ordinated the visual arts programme since 2013. The festival organising committee is made up of a group of hardworking and experienced volunteers led by Mavis. They are: Paddy Maher, Kate Ashton, Elaine James, Mairi Main, Marion McOwan, Ellen Maxwell, Helen Wright, Ronnie Main, David Huggan, Laura Blaikie, Mary Helen Dewar and Alex Williamson. Additional support for the festival is provided by many people including the wonderful team led by Sam Morrison at Nairn Community and Arts Centre, volunteers at Nairn's Little Theatre, a group of fantastic exhibition invigilators, Nairn Rotary volunteers, curator Kirsten Body, sound engineer Iain MacDonald and Moray College UHI Fine Art tutor Shaun Macdonald.


text:
Global changes in insect populations reflect both decline and growth
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The widely reported "insect apocalypse" is far more nuanced than previous studies have suggested, according to a new study, which reports the findings of a meta-analysis featuring data from 166 long-term surveys across 1,676 sites worldwide. The results demonstrate that global insect population trends are highly spatially variable and reflect both decline and growth. Insects are among the most abundant and diverse animals on the planet and serve a critical role for ecosystem services and in the food web. Several recent case studies have reported drastic declines in insect abundance and species richness - with some global regions estimating biomass losses as high as 25% per decade. When extrapolated globally, such findings paint an apocalyptic picture for Earth's insects, a suggestion that has sparked serious concern among policymakers, scientists and the public. However, despite the alarm, insects are critically understudied and it remains uncertain just how widespread these patterns of decline are. To address this, Roel van Klink and colleagues evaluated a comprehensive dataset of long-term insect surveys from sites across the globe - what Maria Dornelas and Gergana Daskalova call "the largest and most complete assessment to date," in a related Perspective. The analysis by van Klink and colleagues revealed considerable variation in insect population trends, even among adjacent sites. Although highly variable, van Klink et al. report an average decline in terrestrial insect abundance of roughly 9% per decade, which, while lower than other published rates, confirms the general trend. On the other hand, their data also revealed an increase in the abundance of freshwater insects at a rate of nearly 11% per decade, perhaps partly due to successful clean water efforts. "As we continue to tackle challenges in disentangling different insect biodiversity trends, we will be better poised to predict their consequences for ecosystem function and services, such as pollination, decomposition and pest control," write Dornelas and Daskalova.
Science Press Package
scipak@aaas.org
@AAAS
http://www.aaas.org
http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.aax9931
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BETTER DAY 'A COMIN' is an ECMC concert CD recorded live on Friday, December 10, 2010 at The Church of the Blessed Sacrament in Manhattan, New York.
Join the Empire City Men's Chorus in this uplifting and exciting concert experience, as we celebrate an essential component of our uniquely American musical canon with works from African-American and Appalachian roots, including spirituals that often served as veiled forms of socioeconomic protest, rousing gospel favorites, and other traditional expressions of faith and hope. Featuring works by Dawson, Burleigh, & Hogan.


Connecting the affilinet API with myDash is pretty straight forward. Just follow the steps below and you are good to go!
Login to mydash and navigate to the settings page of the project you like to add affilinet to.
Select affilinet from the dropdown menu.
Copy your Publisher ID. You can find it in the top bar next to your URL.
Copy the Publisher Webservice(!) Password and paste it into the right field at myDash.
That's it. After you copied the keys to myDash hit "Create network". myDash will test the connection and tell you if it's working.


In the Middle School, our Limudei Kodesh curriculum builds upon the skills that our students gained in their Lower School years, and works to guide the students to higher and more sophisticated levels of analytical learning, while maintaining a focus on foundational skills.
Our Torah She-Ba'al Peh curriculum begins with a second year of Mishna instruction in which our students focus on Masechtot Brachot and Ta'anit, with a specific concentration on issues relating to Shemoneh Esrei. Our students solidify their understanding of the development of Torah She-Ba'al Peh during the period of the Mishna, and begin to compare related mishnayot to each other, thus preparing themselves to begin learning Gemara. Our Gemara curriculum in 7th and 8th grades is heavily focused on helping our students to develop reading skills and strategies, and to begin to appreciate the role of Rashi and other commentaries in explaining and deepening our understanding of the text.
In our Chumash curriculum, each year of Middle School introduces our students to different skill sets which complement those which they have already gained. In 6th grade, through our study of Sefer Bemidbar, our students encounter a variety of mefarshim and thus they learn how to carefully read the psukim in ways that support the varied views of the classic commentators. In 7th grade, our study focuses on the mitzvot in Sefer Devarim, and our students thus shift from learning the narrative portions of Chumash to learning the legal sections. Relevant portions of Torah She-Ba'al Peh, codes, and more contemporary material are brought in to help our students appreciate the development of halacha down to our day. Finally, in 8th grade we return to the study of Sefer Bereishit, with a specific focus on individual characters and their development throughout the Sefer.
In Navi, our students learn all of Sefer Shmuel and Sefer Melachim Alef during their Middle School years. The main focus in these classes in on the story line, the development of the central characters, and the overarching issues of leadership that emerge from the Navi.
Our 6th grade Ivrit program aims to shore up our students' reading and grammar skills, with a heavy focus on Eretz Yisrael. In 7th and 8th grade, our students utilize the NETA Ivrit program, an intensive, multi-media, staged program that demands that the students read, write, and speak in Hebrew on a daily basis.
Our 8th grade Jewish History program focuses on modern Jewish history, beginning with Chassidim and Mitnagdim, running through the era of enlightenment and emancipation, and reaching its most intensive heights in its in-depth study of the Holocaust, which culminates in a student-produced dramatic production about the Shoah. The year concludes with an introduction to Modern Zionism and the development of Medinat Yisrael.
We fully believe that tefilla is not merely something that is done in school, but that it also needs to be something that students learn about in order to appreciate and understand one of the most essential skills that will be a part of their lives as Bnei and Bnot Torah. To that end, we have developed a three-year course in Beur HaTefilla, which incorporates learning of original sources combined with opportunities for students to reflect upon and discuss their thoughts about tefilla. The course material combines explanation of tefillot, elucidation of the ideas behind the tefillot, and specific halachot of tefilla.
In addition to the halachot of tefilla, our Halacha curriculum also includes a focus on the laws of brachot made on food, as well as a survey of some of the relevant Hilchot Shabbat. Laws pertaining to the Chagim are reviewed in increasing depth by year in the weeks leading up to each holiday.


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by Ray Willington — Thursday, October 07, 2010, 10:14 AM EDT
Western Digital Delivers My Book Live Network Storage Drive
Is Western Digital's "My Book" line the most easily recognized out there in the external storage market? That's probably up for debate, but the range is still going strong years after it got its start. Today, WD is introduced a new connected My Book, the My Book Live. It's marketed at at-home, casual users who simply need a basic NAS solution that can also stream media to DLNA-compatible streaming devices. Devices like the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and many connected Blu-ray players.
It has a single Gigabit Ethernet port on the rear, and WD claims that it can deliver transfer rates as high as 100Mbps, or over 3x faster than USB 2.0. It also has a built-in media server that can move media to other servers, and users can use it as an iTunes jukebox as well. Customers can also securely access and share all the content and files stored on the My Book Live from any Internet-connected PC or Mac using WD's free remote access service, and the photos can be viewed remotely on the company's new iPhone 4/iPad-compatible "My Photos" app.
The device will ship this month in 1TB and 2TB sizes for $169.99 and $229.99, respectively.
WD® PROVIDES CONSUMERS FASTEST ACCESS TO THEIR CONTENT WITH NEW HOME NETWORK DRIVE
The My Book® Live™ Home Network Drive Enables Users to Easily and Securely Centralize, Share and Stream Digital Content at Home...or When Away
LAKE FOREST, Calif. - Oct. 7, 2010 - WD® (NYSE: WDC), the world's leader in external storage solutions, today introduced its My Book® Live™ home network drive (photo), which gives consumers the fastest storage of and access to their content among consumer-grade network drives and provides a seamless set-up for centralizing a home's digital media. The drives present an easy and secure way to consolidate movies, music, and photos in one location while providing convenient access to digital content from multimedia devices in the connected home.
WD has leveraged the latest processor technology to deliver transfer speeds up to 100 MBps, more than triple the speed of traditional USB 2.0 drives and at least double the speeds of other network drives in its class.
My Book Live home network drive's built-in media server makes it a fast, simple solution for users who wish to view videos, music and images on any Mac® or PC connected to the home network and stream digital media to a television set through a DLNA®-certified multimedia device such as WD TV® Live Plus HD media player, Blu-ray Disc™ player, Xbox 360® or PlayStation® 3 game console. Users can also play music and videos stored on their drive in iTunes®, as well as view their digital photos on their iPhone®, iPod touch® and iPad™ with the swipe of a finger through the included WD Photos™ application. Users can also securely access and share all the content and files stored on the My Book Live from any Internet-connected PC or Mac using WD's free remote access service.
"Network attached storage presents tremendous opportunity for families wishing to centralize all of their digital content and enjoy it on computers, TVs and smartphones around their home and beyond," said Dale Pistilli, vice president of marketing for WD's branded products group. "Our consumer research tells us that consumers need a simple way to set up a one-stop shop for their digital media. WD's My Book Live home network drive makes it easy for anyone to enjoy the benefits of network storage and delivers blazing read speeds to boot."
My Book Live Home Network Drive
My Book Live home network drive features:
* Simple set-up - ready in minutes;
* Seamless video streaming with a built-in DLNA media server;
* Automatic backup with WD SmartWare™ software for Windows;
* Apple® Time Machine® compatibility;
* Gigabit Ethernet technology for speeds faster than USB 2.0 drives; and,
* A 3-year limited warranty.
Capacity and Compatibility
My Book Live home network drive is available in capacities of 1 TB and 2 TB and is compatible with Windows® XP, Windows Vista®, Windows 7, Mac OS® X Leopard® and Snow Leopard®, as well as DLNA/UPnP® enabled devices.
My Book Live home network drive has a 3-year limited warranty and is now available at select U.S. retailers and online at the wdstore.com. MSRP is $169.99 USD for 1 TB and $229.99 USD for 2 TB.
Tags: Western Digital, NAS, My Book