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Experience how simple it is--once you know how--to undo your regret, guilt, or self-doubt. Try it for yourself, as Shawn walks you through these three simple steps around your own painful situation.


Are you the blessed Godparents to a child? Are you looking for a gorgeous thank you keepsake for some special Godparents? After lighting their candle they are left with a keepsake that can be treasured forever.
These candles also make the perfect thank you for special Godparents.
We have our new foiled writing available in gold, rose gold, silver and blue. They are just stunning!
We customise all our designs to suit.


Suhana's grandmother was slowly forgetting the names of her grandchildren and recent happenings. At first, everyone thought that it is an age-related problem. But, when the test results showed Alzheimer's disease, it left everyone in a state of shock. Yes, we all have heard about the diseases or incidents but we somehow feel that it cannot happen to us. Alzheimer's disease is one such disease which we keep reading about a lot these days.
What is an Alzheimer's Disease?
Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurological disorder that destroys the memory and other vital mental functions. This loss is caused primarily due to the death of brain cells and is the most common form of dementia (a group of brain disorders that results in the loss of intellectual and social skills).
Various medical studies have shown that the cause of Alzheimer's disease could be a combination of environmental factors, genetic and lifestyle on the brain over a period of time. This disease slowly kills the neurons or brain cells and also decreases which leads to brain shrinkage.
Plaques- The protein called beta-amyloid forms clumps in the brain that can damage the brain cells by causing a disruption on the cell-to-cell communication. A huge collection of beta-amyloids on the outside of brain cells is one of the main culprits of Alzheimer's disease.
Tangles– Another protein called tau helps in the transport of nutrients throughout the long extensions of the brain cells. In Alzheimer's disease, the threads of tau proteins twist into abnormal tangles inside the brain cells. Thus, causing a failure in the transport system and death of brain cells.
Family history and genetics- Scientists have found out that a person's chances of getting Alzheimer's disease increase if an immediate relative like a parent or a sibling has Alzheimer's disease. The strongest risk gene is apolipoprotein e4.
Age- As the age increases, the chances of getting Alzheimer's also increases and the risk greatly increases after the age of 65. Researchers have also found out that the rate of dementia doubles after every decade after the age of 80.
Gender- Women are more prone to developing Alzheimer's disease than women.
Lifestyle- Some of the lifestyle factors that can affect the development of Alzheimer' s disease are high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, lack of exercise, obesity, smoking, a diet devoid of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Head trauma- Individuals who have had head trauma in any form in the past have a greater risk of Alzheimer's.
Let's have a look at the symptoms of Alzheimer's now. The initial symptoms include forgetfulness and mild confusion. Over a period of time, the person's memory starts to fade off especially the recent ones. The ability to function at work and home starts declining. It may also cause the problem in thinking, reasoning, making judgments, decisions, planning and performing tasks. Some of the changes in the personality/ behavior are depression, wandering, changes in sleep pattern, mood swings, distrust, delusions, social withdrawal, and irritability.
As they say' Prevention is better than cure', taking care of one's health can help prevent the risk of Alzheimer's disease later on in life. Bagdara Farms has come up with a product called Nuramin which is loaded with the strong, yet organic curcumin and turmerone which have great therapeutic properties.
The aggregation of amyloid beta plaques is reduced by the anti-amyloidogenic properties of curcumin. It also prevents the aggregation of tau protein in Alzheimer's disease.
The anti-inflammatory property of curcumin and turmerone helps to decrease the inflammation in the brain, thus protecting it from degeneration of neurons.
Curcumin has a neuroprotective property that protects the cells as well as cognitive function.
The cognitive functions in elderly are protected by curcumin by enhancing the memory.
Turmerone and curcumin are natural epigenetic agents which act as inhibitors of an enzyme that increases the chances of Alzheimer's disease.
Since curcumin has antidepressant property it helps to relieve depression in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
Take ½ tsp of Nuramin, a pinch of black pepper and boil it with a glass of water. Once boiled, add a dash of honey and consume it twice daily.
½ tsp Nuramin, 2 cups of water, ¼ tsp black pepper and 70 ml edible oil. Boil these together and make a paste. Store it in a jar and add ½ tsp of this paste to a cup of hot milk or tea and consume it once daily.
Take ½ tsp of Nuramin, 1 tsp of raw honey and a pinch of black pepper. Boil 1 cup of milk with Nuramin and black pepper. Once boiled, add honey to it and drink this concoction twice a day.
It is generally advised to start the dosages in small quantities and gradually increasing it over a period of time. Buy a Bottle of Nuramin, to see its magical advantages.
How to Get Rid of Pimples at Home?
Is Your Dog Suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome?


text:
Q: Using $_GET and $_POST in custom WordPress plugin I'm new to developing plugins for WordPress, I've been doing it for Magento 2 and thought it would be similar, so here I am.
I'm consuming a RESTful API to display information about some courses, it retrieves me the info on all courses so now I have to filter some attributes, for example "city", for this my user has an HTML form to select which city he is in, but when I try to use the "city" field from the form it returns as null, it doesn't matter if I use post or get method.
Which one is the correct form of getting this attributes in WordPress?
this is an example of the form page:
    <?php
/*
 * Formulario de filtros
 */
// create curl resource

require_once('../../../../wp-config.php');

$ciudad = $_POST['ciudad'];

var_dump($ciudad);

$accessToken = '---';
$apiUrl = 'url';

$curl = curl_init($apiUrl);
curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, ['Authorization: Bearer '.$accessToken]);
curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
$json = curl_exec($curl);
$cursos = json_decode($json);
$arr = 0;

foreach($cursos as $k => $cur)
{
    $sede = $cur->Sede;
    if($sede === 'MEDELLIN' ){
    $codigo[] = substr($cur->Programa, 0, 4);
    $programa[] = $cur->Programa;
    $precio[] = $cur->Valor_Contado;
    }
}
$cod = array_unique($codigo);
var_dump($cod);
foreach ($cod as $c){
    echo "Programa: ".$c."
";
}

?>

    <form class="filtro-cursos" method="post">

                    Metodología
                    <select name="metodologia" id="metodologia" class="metodologia">
                        <option selected>--Seleccione--</option>
                        <option value="PRESENCIAL" required>Presencial</option>
                        <option value="VIRTUAL">Virtual</option>
                    </select>

                    Ciudad
                    <select name="ciudad" id="ciudad">
                        <option value="none" selected>--Seleccione--</option>
                        <option value="MEDELLIN" required>Medellín</option>
                        <option value="BOGOTA">Bogotá</option>
                        <option value="BARRANQUILLA">Barranquilla</option>
                        <option value="BUCARAMANGA">Bucaramanga</option>
                        <option value="MANIZALES">Manizales</option>
                        <option value="CALI">Cali</option>
                    </select>

                    Programa
                    <select name="programa" id="programa">
                        <?php
                        if($ciudad === "MEDELLIN"){ ?>
                            <option value="none" selected>--Seleccione--</option>
                            <option value="none" selected>PreUdeA</option>
                            <option value="none" selected>PreUnal</option>
                            <option value="none" selected>PreICFES Saber 11°</option>
                            <option value="none" selected>PreMédico</option>
                            <option value="none" selected>PreUdeA</option>
                       <?php }else{
                           echo $ciudad;
                       }
                                ?>
                    </select>

                    ¿Cuando presentarás el examen?
                <select name="semestre" id="semestre">
                        <option value="none" selected>--Seleccione--</option>
                        <option value="2019-1" selected>2019-1</option>
                        <option value="2019-2" selected>2019-2</option>
                    </select>

                        Jornada
                <select name="jornada" id="jornada">
                        <option value="none" selected>--Seleccione--</option>
                        <option value="SEMANA" selected>Semana</option>
                        <option value="FINDE" selected>Fin de semana</option>
                    </select>

                <button type="submit" name="submit" value="Filtrar">Filtra tu programa</button>

</form>

A: After some research and trying several ways I tryed out the code all together in the main PHP file of my custom plugin instead of using the require_once.
I had the next estructure:
wp-content>>plugins>>myplugin>>myplugin.php
and in said php file had a require_once for:
wp-content>>plugins>>myplugin>>php>>form.php
it seems you can't use $_POST, $_GET, not evev cookies in the files outside the main php file so I had to work all my code in there and forget about mu php folder and eny MVC structure.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Passes Away Following a Massive Cardiac Arrest
Former President A P J Abdul Kalam passed away, he was admitted to a hospital following sudden illness.
Published: 27th July 2015 08:43 PM | Last Updated: 27th July 2015 10:58 PM | A+A A-
SHILLONG: Former President A P J Abdul Kalam passed away, he was admitted to a hospital following sudden illness.
Kalam, From India's Missile Man to 'People's' President
Popularly called the "Missile Man" of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam rose from humble beginnings and earned the reputation of being the "people's President" who endeared himself to all all sections, especially the young.
Kalam (84) took ill at a function here and was rushed to the hospital, M Kharkrang, SP Khasi Hills, said. The former President collapsed during a lecture at the Indian Institute of Management here at around 6.30pm and was taken to the hospital.
Meghalaya Governor V Shanmughanathan and Chief Secretary P B O Warjri visited Bethany hospital where Kalam has been admitted.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Upgrade from AE-1 Program - A1 or T90?
Discussion in 'Photography Equipment' started by Ana, Nov 30, 2015.
I currently use a Canon AE-1, and had been using it as if it had aperture priority...which I later realised it doesn't, though my images have been coming out well exposed!
That aside, my lens has been stuck on f1.8 (maybe has something to do with the "aperture priority" exposure?...) and instead of buying a new lens, I am considering just buying a new camera, seeing as I would like to be able to use aperture priority anyway.
I've heard a lot about the T90, and it sounds like a great camera, I'm just a little weary of it breaking down (have also heard this is fairly common), and quite like the more mechanical features of the AE-1/A1 - less reliable on electronics?
Does anyone have any suggestions? Am I better off buying an A1? Are they less likely to break down?
Manual focus cameras; about the X-700 and the T90?


In 1930, as District Attorney of Alameda County, Warren successfully prosecuted Sheriff Burton F. Becker for corruption, despite the sheriff's support from a deeply-entrenched local chapter of the Ku Klux Klan.
On July 29, 1939, California Attorney General Warren personally oversaw a coordinated raid on four gambling ships anchored off the coast of Santa Monica. They had been operating for more than a year, three miles from the coast. One ship, the S.S. Rex, managed to keep law enforcement from boarding for eight days, by the use of a firehose.
In a June 1943 speech at the National Governor's Conference in Ohio, Warren cautioned: "If the Japs are released, no one will be able to tell a saboteur from any other Jap. [...] We don't want to have a second Pearl Harbor in California." In his memoirs decades later, he noting having "since deeply regretted the removal order and my own testimony advocating it, because it was not in keeping with our American concept of freedom and the rights of citizens."
Was Thomas E. Dewey's running mate in 1948.
Bitterly denounced in 1961 as pro-Communist by the John Birch Society, which in a nationwide campaign purchased billboards emblazoned with the slogan "Save Our Republic! Impeach Earl Warren" alongside an American flag.
In Robinson v. California (1962), the Court ruled that drug addiction was an illness, and therefore struck down a California law which had made it a crime to be addicted to a controlled substance.


text:
What Is Hergiswil?
Hergiswil is in the Nidwalden canton of Switzerland. It is a municipality there. It has a population of nearly 5500.
Hergiswil was first described in the early 1300s.
Hergiswil is served by Hergiswil Matt station and the Hergiswil station.
Hergiswil has a total area of nearly 5.5 square miles. Out of this area, almost 30% is reserved for agricultural uses, while 44% is covered in forest. Out of the remainder of the land, close to 10% is settled (roads or buildings) and the rest of it (nearly 17%) is non-useful land (mountains, glaciers, or rivers).
The municipality is situated between Lake Lucerne and the base of Mountain Pilatus.
Hergiswil has a population of almost 5500. Almost 15% of the population is composed of foreign nationals. In the past ten years the population has been going up at about a 11.5% rate. The majority of the population speaks German (more than 91%), and Italian is the 2nd most common (2%) and French is the third most common (1.1%). The gender distribution of the people living there was about 52% male and 48% female.
There were a little over 2200 households in 2000, and a little over 1600 households (or nearly 74%) have just one or a couple people living in them. About 4% are big households, with a minimum of people living in them.
The most popular party in the municipality is the FDP, which earned almost 90% of the vote. The majority of the other votes were for local right-wing groups (about 9%).
The whole Swiss population is pretty well education. In Hergiswil, roughly 78% of the population (of adult age) have done either upper secondary education or further higher education.
The unemployment rate of the municipality is about 1.24%. When it was measured in 2005, there were about 90 individuals employed in the main economic sector and roughly 35 businesses that were involved in it. 666 individuals have employment in the secondary area and there are over 70 businesses in this area. Over 2000 individuals have employment the tertiary area, with over 380 businesses in this area.
The most important sights to see in Herginswil include an old clergy house, an old chapel, the church, and a glazier's museum and workshop. The workshop was created in 1817, and even though it burned down once, it is still working now.
Hergiswil Photo Gallery
Hergiswil: 01 photo


Interested in Department of Art, Art History and Visual Studies? Admissions officers are waiting to hear from you!
Duke University / Department of Art, Art History and Visual Studies is located in Durham, NC, in a suburban setting.


text:
Page 1 of 2 pages 1 2 >
1. Darren Posted: February 05, 2020 at 01:57 PM (#5922013)
I mean, Boston traded for a pitcher, and that usually means we're only 4 months away from a season-ending injury.
:) Thanks for the laugh today. Much needed.
2. PreservedFish Posted: February 05, 2020 at 02:01 PM (#5922015)
An even-headed and thoughtful take. Thank you.
3. The Yankee Clapper Posted: February 05, 2020 at 02:38 PM (#5922031)
I think the Red Sox fault lies with trading Betts without ever having moved beyond the $300M/10 year offer they reportedly made after 2018. Lots of people here and elsewhere thought there was a middle ground between the two camps that might have got a deal done. Unless all the reporting is wrong, Boston only wanted Betts if they could underpay him.
4. Nasty Nate Posted: February 05, 2020 at 02:40 PM (#5922032)
I think the Red Sox fault lies with trading Betts without ever having moved beyond the $300M/10 year offer they reportedly made after 2018. Lots of people here and elsewhere thought there was a middle ground between the two camps that might have got a deal done. Unless all the reporting is wrong...
All the reporting that said they never moved beyond that offer? I'm sure you can gladly supply us a link to all that reporting.
Is there any reporting indicating that the Red Sox made another offer? Haven't seen it anywhere, and you'd think such news would eventually leak as part of the "We Really Tried To Sign Mookie" defense.
Let's start with all the reporting. First, there's Merloni who says the Sox offered $300M and Mookie wanted $420M, with nothing really further. Then there's what?
I'm not sure what you are asking. I thought you already saw the reporting? I was just asking for a link.
8. villageidiom Posted: February 05, 2020 at 04:05 PM (#5922054)
I generally wouldn't hang my hat on the notion that we have perfect information. There's no reason why we would have it.
The only leaked information on the offers came from Lou Merloni, who had what YC called the "We Really Tried To Sign Mookie" defense, as well as the counteroffer that's widely been interpreted as a top-of-FA-market-but-pretty-fair-for-Mookie contract. If Boston is leaking both of those then they're not really mounting a defense. If Mookie is leaking both of those he's mounting not just a defense for not having signed, but he's offering a hint at what it would take for any team trading for him to sign him. If a source is leaking both sides' offers, the motivation for leaking both of them comes sooooo much stronger for Mookie than it does for Boston. But hey, people looking for Serious Concerns to express gotta lean toward the one that causes the most concern.
(I think it's unlikely the two leaks came from different sources, since it's damn unlikely that Lou F'ing Merloni was the only one who was able to get negotiation details from either side, let alone both independently. At a minimum he was the only one who was willing to share it, which means basic journalism stuff like confirmation from independent sources probably didn't happen here. Caveat emptor, res ipsa loquitur, et cetera.)
Just as a shorter version of what I wrote in #8, "Unless all the reporting is wrong" translates to "Unless Lou Merloni is wrong". That kinda says it all, doesn't it?
10. jacksone (AKA It's OK...) Posted: February 05, 2020 at 04:29 PM (#5922068)
I don't think any additional leaks about what the Sox offered or what Mookie was willing to sign for will come until AFTER Mookie signs an extension with LA or signs as a FA somewhere. There's no benefit to either side for anything to come out early.
Unless I am forgetting #### we didn't learn about Lester's lowball offer until after he had signed with the Cubs, correct?
11. Chip Posted: February 05, 2020 at 05:25 PM (#5922092)
There's also the factor that Trout not going the FA route may have prompted the MLBPA and other agents to stress even harder to Mookie and Veltman how important it is for the second best player in the game to hit the open market—and set a new top end for everyone else to aim at.
12. What did Billy Ripken have against ElRoy Face? Posted: February 05, 2020 at 06:24 PM (#5922102)
I assume people would be just as outraged by this type of collusion as they were when free agents weren't getting enough money the last couple years, right?
13. Darren Posted: February 05, 2020 at 06:51 PM (#5922107)
No, why would they?
14. Chip Posted: February 06, 2020 at 12:21 AM (#5922168)
It's quite the troll.
15. Darren Posted: February 06, 2020 at 08:46 AM (#5922192)
One criticism I will make of this trade without enough information to back it up: the Sox may have overplayed their hand here. Who knows what offers looked like 3-4 months ago, but I wonder if they could have done something quite similar to this back in, say, December, but waited in hopes of someone getting more desperate. If they had pulled the trigger then, they could have used some of this payroll savings to add another starter like Gibson or Gio, and another/better 1B or 2B like Shaw or Flores.
16. jmurph Posted: February 06, 2020 at 11:02 AM (#5922247)
I'm (non-facetiously) confused about a lot of this. Why are Price's future wins not accounted for in years 2021+ of this exercise? Or are they, and I'm missing them somewhere?
For these additional wins they are paying around $48 million of Price's remaining salary, let's say $25 million for Verdugo through his cost-controlled years, and $22 million for Graterol, or $95 million in total, versus the $123 million for Betts and Price had they retained them. Ten more wins and a $28 million savings. Not even counting tax savings and draft pick benefits from staying under the threshold, that's a great trade on paper.
It should also be clearly stated that, for some reason, we're assuming in this exercise that there is no scenario in which Betts would have been on the team accounting for wins in future years at some unknown cost, and I'm not sure why it makes sense to do that. I'm reading this as you crediting all of the future years of Verdugo but none of the future years of Price/Betts.
(While one might still prefer to have Betts with this team because he's awesome, fan service is a business decision, not a baseball decision.)
This is also day two of this framing being extremely irritating to me (sorry, I know it was all in one day for everyone else but I ended up having to be out of the office for lame work reasons mid-firestorm yesterday).
Keeping the 2nd or 3rd or whatever best player in baseball on your team is not fan service, and reacting negatively to your team trading said player is not (just) emotional or sentimental or whatever else. Having the best baseball players on your team is excellent, baseball-wise! Always. Adding in the homegrown factor, fan favorite status, historical place within the franchise, etc., sure, that's more on the emotional/sentimental side of things.
18. PreservedFish Posted: February 06, 2020 at 11:25 AM (#5922260)
It does credit Price through 2022:
2020 -4.9 (Verdugo+Graterol-Price-Betts)
2021 +2.4 (Verdugo+Graterol-Price)
It only credits one year of Betts, because that's what was traded, not Mookie Betts himself, but rather exclusive rights to exactly one year of Mookie Betts. The only additional value that might be appropriate to consider is the exclusive negotiating window you get for the next 9 months, but as it seems clear that Mookie intends to test the market, that window is probably worthless, or nearly so. Possibly if you think the trade poisons the relationship with Betts and it is now impossible to sign him as a FA, you could assign some (impossible to quantify) negative value to that.
Ahh, thanks on the Price bit, I misread that entirely.
20. Fancy Pants Handle struck out swinging Posted: February 06, 2020 at 11:36 AM (#5922267)
I went and had a bit of a google. Best I can tell, when the betting lines came out at the start of December, the Red Sox opened at around 94.5 wins, and around 11-1 to 12-1 to win the World Series. Now they are at 84.5 - 85.5 wins, and around 33-1 to 40-1 to win the World Series.
This trade is absolutely, entirely, totally indefensible on baseball grounds. And people need to stop pretending it is. You don't punt mid-90s win seasons under any fucking circumstances.
It's possible to think both that
1. The Red Sox are absolutely, absolutely awful for trading Betts;
2. They made a pretty good trade here.
But you don't seriously believe the reason that people are upset about this is the return, right? Has the entire past 36 hours on this website happened because there is confusion on that front?
You don't punt mid-90s win seasons under any ####### circumstances.
I think this is a good rule of thumb but not an absolute. A very smart and disciplined team could reasonably decide to "re-tool" in a year where they might have otherwise won 90+ games if they are confident that it will make them much better in Years X+1, X+2, X+3, and so forth.
I have no idea if this is what the Red Sox are doing or not. Certainly the other decisions this offseason have not seemed smart and disciplined.
Of course not. Why do you think I think that? I didn't say that.
I will echo a comment from yesterday. There's a repeated pattern in these threads:
Person A: This trade is totally unjustifiable!
Person B: I get why you hate it, but actually I think it is justifiable. Here is why.
Person A: Don't talk to me about stats and dollars!!
25. villageidiom Posted: February 06, 2020 at 11:47 AM (#5922275)
Keeping the 2nd or 3rd or whatever best player in baseball on your team is not fan service, and reacting negatively to your team trading said player is not (just) emotional or sentimental or whatever else. Having the best baseball players on your team is excellent, baseball-wise!
"Excellent" does not mean "can't be improved by changing".
Setting aside the cap-specific financial motives for the moment, the Red Sox are, baseball-wise, worse off for 2020 than they were before the trade. They are also better off for 2021 through 2025, and in total, than they were before the trade. They went from "excellent" to "better". The cost, in baseball terms, of this improvement was to be worse in 2020. If we're not bringing emotion into it, that's what happened here.
Any argument that says the team is worse off after the trade - that doesn't rely on sentiment or emotion to make the case - has yet to be made. Feel free to start.
Yeah this is definitely something you and others have said (repeatedly) but it's also not a thing that's really happening.
I co-sign #25 as a rebuttal to #20, "You don't punt mid-90s win seasons under any ####### circumstances."
So I genuinely don't get the commitment to being antagonistic in a community of people who have engaged in these conversations for more than a decade. What gives? This has been you and Darren throughout these threads (and PF, who is also a prince among men but not a Red Sox fan so whatever).
The only baseball case to be made is to assume that preemptively taking themselves out of the business of employing Mookie Betts is not part of the baseball case. I think your post here is great. It doesn't say this, that's fine, but yes, if you assume that it doesn't make sense to pay Mookie market-value into the future, then they have likely made a solid baseball move with this transaction. But you're handwaving that decision away, and pretending it's not part of the baseball-side of this discussion.
29. villageidiom Posted: February 06, 2020 at 12:00 PM (#5922279)
Best I can tell, when the betting lines came out at the start of December, the Red Sox opened at around 94.5 wins, and around 11-1 to 12-1 to win the World Series. Now they are at 84.5 - 85.5 wins, and around 33-1 to 40-1 to win the World Series.
The average MLB team in the opening betting lines was going to win 82 games.
30. jmurph Posted: February 06, 2020 at 12:01 PM (#5922281)
Christ at this point I can't even tell if the second half of that makes sense. Here's my point: preemptively taking yourselves out of the Mookie Betts discussion is a terrible baseball move. Like, nearly without precedent terrible (as we went through yesterday in the other thread).
Once that decision was already made? Sure, this looks like a decent move. But I don't think that point was really broadly being argued (there are a couple comments here and there to that point, I acknowledge).
31. PreservedFish Posted: February 06, 2020 at 12:05 PM (#5922282)
It doesn't say this, that's fine, but yes, if you assume that it doesn't make sense to pay Mookie market-value into the future, then they have likely made a solid baseball move with this transaction
No, what the case actually assumes is that the trade has zero impact on Mookie signing with the Sox for 2021. It assumes that what Mookie does in 2021 is immaterial, because the Sox never had an inside track to signing him, and so this trade doesn't change anything.
32. SoSH U at work Posted: February 06, 2020 at 12:07 PM (#5922283)
I won't make any baseball arguments.
Mookie Betts is the single-greatest combination of skill and appeal in a player the Red Sox have developed in my lifetime, and several lifetimes before me. I would have had no problem with either the Sox or Mookie if, after the end of the 2020 season, he opted to test the market and went elsewhere. I'd wish him good luck (unless he signed with the Yanks), and look forward to what came next for him and the team.
But dealing him away a year before that happens absolutely sucks. And I'm less interested in the Sox because of it. Sure, it may be irrational, but rooting for grown men in pajamas I've never met and probably wouldn't like to outscore similarly clothed men in a totally frivolous pursuit is inherently irrational anyway, so that's not much of an argument.
And I don't see any reason to make those assumptions. A. By at least one account, he's put out a counter-offer (perhaps that is total BS, I can't know). This would show a willingness to talk longterm contract, and they would have been the only team with the ability to have those talks. And B. If the Red Sox were committed to doing what they could to keep him, they wouldn't have made themselves significantly worse in 2020 before doing so.
#32 - Absolutely fair and well-state.
#33 - We're all just guessing on this factor. The reporting is not much to go on. But this is why I point to Henry's history as an exemplary owner in multiple sports - perhaps Henry does know something. He could know two things: he could know that the Sox will never sign Betts. He could also know that the Sox have a terrific chance of signing Betts, and that trading him in the meantime doesn't reduce that chance in any way.
I mean there's guessing and there's guessing. Do you agree that it's more likely than not that making a trade that will probably make them worse in 2020 is a pretty strong signal they're taking themselves out of the Mookie sweepstakes?
36. Nasty Nate Posted: February 06, 2020 at 12:45 PM (#5922299)
Do you agree that it's more likely than not that making a trade that will probably make them worse in 2020 is a pretty strong signal they're taking themselves out of the Mookie sweepstakes?
You weren't asking me, but I'll respond. Trading Mookie at all means it is very likely that they will not be signing him for 2021 and beyond, especially with the trade return being a guy who plays the same position.
But trading him in a way to duck under the luxury tax this year makes it sliiiiiiightly more likely they take a run at him than if they traded him in a way that did not duck under the threshold.
But you're handwaving that decision away, and pretending it's not part of the baseball-side of this discussion.
I'm not pretending it's not part of it. It's expressly part of it. Like, the team has admitted all along the financial motivation for even considering trading Betts, let alone actually doing it. The financial motivation is not in dispute.
But that's not the only motivation. If it were, they could have made a move months ago. Back then I was saying that the reason they hadn't made any move was that they were holding out for the best baseball deal available. Because while they were clear this was a business decision, they were also clear that they want to compete; and this deal helps them to compete next year and beyond. To demonstrate that, I had to set aside the obvious financial motivation to see if there is an actually sensible baseball deal here, which there is.
And therefore, while I acknowledge there are a lot of angles from which one can look at this, one way to frame it is that one of the richest teams in baseball has (likely!) preemptively taken themselves out of the bidding for a guy who will be the best and youngest free agent to actually hit the open market since maybe ARod.
EDIT: And I think we would all be pretty upset about the Red Sox doing that even if the guy in question wasn't Mookie.
That's not the only motivation for making this specific trade among many other options, but it is the only motivation for trading him at all. I think that you think I'm just making a pedantic point, and maybe I'm just doing a bad job of articulating it, but I think that decision (to trade him, period) was a very bad baseball decision.
Well, you should remove the word "preemptively" because they already were in the bidding.
Edit: So either they did bid (unsuccessfully) on a guy who will be the best and youngest free agent to actually hit the open market since maybe ARod. Or, if he 100% wouldn't even listen to offers, then we can throw out the assumption that they won't bid on him as a free agent.
I think the Occam's Razor is that the new Red Sox administration has realized that, although the fans will understandably hate it in the short term, there are better baseball ways to allocate around $400 million than to tie it up in one player until he's approaching 40, no matter how good he is now. The history of these types of contracts is abundantly and depressingly clear on this. Yes, you can argue that Mookie is and will be one of the very few exceptions -- and there is some support for that position -- but one of the most fundamental principles we "enlightened" baseball fans have espoused here for years is that it's smart to operate probabilistically, and teams benefit from it overall.
To the first part, I am understanding contract negotiations to be an ongoing thing until they are resolved one way or another. So I look at this as them saying uncle and bowing out.
But yes, your second sentence might be true. I don't have access to Clapper's many sources so it's possible the offer/counteroffer report is not at all accurate and he was never willing to talk. If that's the case, I suspect we'll hear about it in the press relatively soon.
jmurph, I guess I don't understand why it's worse to bow out from contract negotiations now as opposed to one year from now. Either way he wouldn't be on the team from 2021 onwards. Or do you think Mookie was bluffing and would have accepted some big extension in March of this year?
And let me take this chance to reiterate that they should have kept him for 2020 (or at least until mid-summer) even if it was 100% set in stone that he was gone afterwards. And that the trade is stupid.
A. Because of your last paragraph, and B. because, yes, I think keeping him on the team would have given them the best possible shot to sign him long term. They shouldn't have been outbid by a rival team next winter anyway, and this would have given them 9 or however many months to try to get out ahead of it. (So no, not "bluffing," but if there was a number that they could get to to make it work, yes, I see no reason to think he wouldn't have signed).
Thank you for the reply.
46. The Yankee Clapper Posted: February 06, 2020 at 02:36 PM (#5922374)
I think keeping him on the team would have given them the best possible shot to sign him long term.
How many teams would the Red Sox be bidding against? While many of us think more teams could handle at least one mega-contract, the fact remains that only a few teams have been willing to venture into that territory. Some of them won't want to take on another mega-contract, and/or don't have that much need for an outfielder. With another Mookie-level season, the Dodgers are presumably going to make an attractive offer, but who else? The Yankees seem unlikely, based on their current contracts and what Judge, Sanchez & Torres will add in the coming years. The Angels already have Trout & Rendon, would they really be in on Betts? The Cubs now seem reluctant to spend money. If Boston had offered something in the midpoint range between its reported offer and Betts' counter-offer, which many here pegged as fair market value, that would have been awfully difficult for Betts to turn down.
47. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) Posted: February 06, 2020 at 02:46 PM (#5922380)
The Yankees seem unlikely, based on their current contracts and what Judge, Sanchez & Torres will add in the coming years.
Torres should be signed for 10 years tomorrow.
But I'd much, much, much rather sign Mookie Betts for ages 28-37, than sign Judge for ages 31-37, or Sanchez for ages 30-36. The Yankees control Judge and Sanchez through the 2022 season already.
If Boston had offered something in the midpoint range between its reported offer and Betts' counter-offer, which many here pegged as fair market value, that would have been awfully difficult for Betts to turn down.
Stop being so stingy with the reports that have all the negotiation details. Share them with us!
Is there the slightest indication from the behavior of any of the parties that the Red Sox moved past their reported 2018 offer? I realize many here are still in the denial phase, but it seems clear the Red Sox prioritized getting under the threshold this year to retaining Betts. They said as much, and then acted.
Who needs indicatons? You have reports based on sources. I'm curious to read them, all I've gotten to see are the vague Lou Merloni quotes. Why won't you link to them?
How many teams would the Red Sox be bidding against? While many of us think more teams could handle at least one mega-contract, the fact remains that only a few teams have been willing to venture into that territory. Some of them won't want to take on another mega-contract, and/or don't have that much need for an outfielder. With another Mookie-level season, the Dodgers are presumably going to make an attractive offer, but who else?
The top 30 biggest baseball contracts in history have been signed by:
Other than a whole lotta Yankees, not much of a pattern there. No A's or Royals, to be sure, but I think it's clear that random mid-market teams will almost invariably emerge as suitors for major FAs.
Again, there are no reports that Red Sox Ever upped their offer. Those fantasizing that Mookie rejected a long-term, fair market offer are the ones with the burden of proof here. Given what they've said and done this off-season, the Red Sox priorities seem pretty clear, but I would be willing to revise my opinion if any new information turns up.
Sorry for the confusion, I'm not claiming anything about the Sox' offer(s). I'm asking about all the reporting that you refer to in post #3?
I find it hard to believe that someone would make up a thing like that. If someone actually took the time to go on a baseball message board and make up facts about rumored contract offers, it would certainly be very concerning.
but I would be willing to revise my opinion if any new information turns up.
You wouldn't, you would just shift the terms slightly, that's your deal.
Ahh, equilibrium. If there's one thing Red Sox fans here can agree on it's that it's lame that Clapper is constantly trolling Red Sox threads.
Making themselves worse in 2020 is about making themselves better beyond 2020. Signing Free Agent Mookie is also about making themselves better beyond 2020. I wouldn't rule it out.
That said, acquiring _______ instead of signing Free Agent Mookie could also be about making themselves better beyond 2020, depending on how the blank is filled. It's entirely possible they don't sign him. Hell, it's entirely possible they never get the chance, as the Dodgers have 9 months to prevent Free Agent Mookie from happening. That's the part I find second-most disappointing. (Most disappointing, of course, is that Betts is not on the Red Sox this year.)
Again, there are no reports that Red Sox Ever upped their offer.
Absence of evidence is evidence of absence? Huh. You're an imbecile. However, I would be willing to revise my opinion if any new information turns up.
58. pikepredator Posted: February 06, 2020 at 04:01 PM (#5922458)
That's the part I find second-most disappointing. (Most disappointing, of course, is that Betts is not on the Red Sox this year.)
there is plenty to be disappointed about. I just read about Verdugo's possible involvement with/presence at some sort of assault. Details appear somewhat hazy in part because "alcohol was involved" but it just makes it that much harder to root for him if he's a total #########.
He looks like an #######
Really? You seem to be desperately holding out hope that the Red Sox made another offer to Mookie after 2018, and criticizing me for noting that seems like an unlikely scenario. There's no reporting suggesting that there was another offer, and the Red Sox actions don't seem consistent with that either. Apparently, that's a sensitive point here, but I think everyone will be surprised if Mookie turned down something in the midpoint range between the reported offers and it didn't leak given how thoroughly the story has been covered.
and criticizing me for noting that seems like an unlikely scenario
I'm not criticizing you at all, merely asking for you to pass along all the reporting you alluded to. Was it Robothal? LA Times? Cafardo? I don't understand the secrecy.
Managers, GMs, stars all come and go, but some things never change:
--Yankee fans coming to Sox Therapy to troll
--Every Red Sox transaction has to be dragged out beyond all reasonable expectation
BBTF has always had fans of many teams, it's not a private club for sensitive fans who don't wish to deal with other views.
Crucially, no one is accusing snapper, PF, or ElRoy, the first three other non Red Sox fans posting in this thread, of trolling. Just you.
65. Dock Ellis Posted: February 07, 2020 at 09:18 AM (#5922583)
This story is very disturbing.
The unspoken problem with the Mookie Betts trade - Alex Verdugo was credibly implicated in a sexual assault. Why doesn't that seem to matter?
Delightful.
67. snapper (history's 42nd greatest monster) Posted: February 07, 2020 at 09:57 AM (#5922591)
Ugh. Talk about pouring salt in the wounds. Now I hope he has a career ending injury in the first game of Spring training.
68. Nasty Nate Posted: February 07, 2020 at 10:00 AM (#5922593)
Yeah. At this point, it would have been better if the Sox had just configured the trade to have the Dodgers eaten more of the Price contract and gotten nothing in return. It was a salary dump anyway.
Also convenient that John Henry owns the Boston Globe so Alex Speier isn't exactly going to be in a rush to mention it.
So because we're mean, you were afraid to label your views as your own, and had to invent "reporting" to attribute those opinions? Is that what happened?
71. J. Sosa Posted: February 07, 2020 at 10:42 AM (#5922607)
I really, really, really hope they did due diligence on Verdugo. If not... I have been critical of the "distressed asset" mindset infecting front offices across sports for a long time. It is ugly.
People talk about not watching if Mookie's gone, I understand it, but for me rooting for laundry always end up winning out when it comes to losing players. But stuff like this, yeah, not watching if it is true.
Hey fans, we may have downgraded from a superstar, but at least his replacement is a scumbag!
I really, really, really hope they did due diligence on Verdugo.
I sort of hope they didn't? Because this seems pretty straight forward. So if they were okay with these allegations, rather than merely incompetently negligent in their research, that might be worse?
Also, to circle back to one of the main defenses of ownership put forth by people:
Do people think Henry and co. turned into tone-deaf idiots all of a sudden?
Turns out, maybe?
No, poor phrasing on my part, I mean the only way I see any competence or morality involved is if they investigated and found the allegations were not as described. The alternative, that they either didn't care or didn't bother is disturbing.
I understood Sosa, was just turning the phrasing on its head. In no way did I suspect you were minimizing or anything like that.
78. J. Sosa Posted: February 07, 2020 at 12:04 PM (#5922632)
There has been a reckoning coming on front office ethics for a long time and it is long overdue.
What *should* team policy be? If you are ever accused of sexual assault you cannot play in MLB? Do you have to serve a suspension? What if no charges are ever filed? When is a team allowed to sign a player who's got that on their record? Never? 5 years? 1 year?
I am not in any way trying to minimize sexual/domestic assault, I just want to push a bit and think more on this. "he did that, he is a scumbag, I don't want him on my team" is such an easy, shallow reaction. It's pretty easy to bury some random prospect, but what if it's Kobe Bryant and he's played a huge role on the team before and after the accusations? Were LA fans ever able to cheer for him without cringing?
The assault claims against Verdugo were 5 years ago, he was 18-19 years old, is there any consideration that this was a drunk teenager, not some middle-aged man drunkenly hitting his wife?
Yeah, it's shitty to feel icky about the guy replacing Mookie Betts, I get that, guess I think people can have a tendency to pearl clutch a bit too hard.
And I apologize in advance, that probably came out poorly, not trying to stir #### up, or dismiss anyone, just think you've got to step past that first reaction sometimes. How would you want your cousin, brother, son, nephew viewed if they ###### up once? How *should* they be viewed?
I struggle with this to a degree. I would have to be very, very certain that the person was truly remorseful and had changed and was unlikely to commit another offense. It would also involve a sliding scale of "badness" of the offense. But truthfully? No I am not hiring the guy that watched a girl get sexually assaulted and beaten and did nothing if that's true.
There are a lot of guys that worked hard, deserve a shot, and didn't participate in such an activity. In the abstract yes, forgiveness and reform is lacking in our society, but in practice, I would not want to be the one to make the leap in an organizational setting. Some mistakes have lifelong consequences. Doesn't mean the guy can't go on to be a good human and do great things, but it does mean it will always be a part of his life.
Where I also have a rather large issue is how often the relative talent of the offender is determinative. Distressed asset morality. Is his present character representative of our organization, yes or no, should be the question. Not yes, he committed this act, isn't really sorry, but is unlikely to commit such an act again and represents value for money.
"Credibly implicated" is an interesting choice of words. The linked article states Verdugo was present when another person is alleged to have assaulted a woman. There is no mention of any charges ever being filed, much less a guilty finding, as to to that other player, which may suggest that it could have been the accuser with the credibility problem. The article also appears to stretch the law quite a bit in an attempt to paint Verdugo as an accessory to the apparently uncharged assault. Unless there is more info, might want to put the lynch mob on hold.
82. karlmagnus Posted: February 07, 2020 at 05:30 PM (#5922754)
Clapper, I agree. In addition, it is immoral to prevent non-felons from pursuing their normal business to the best of their ability.
I personally look forward to watching Verdugo and Graterol -- they sound like interesting players.
In addition, it is immoral to prevent non-felons from pursuing their normal business to the best of their ability.
No one is obliged to hire him if they think he's a despicable person.
84. Tom Goes to the Ballpark Posted: February 07, 2020 at 05:51 PM (#5922762)
Hiring despicable people that other teams won't touch was actually the Astros's strategy.
85. Fancy Pants Handle struck out swinging Posted: February 07, 2020 at 05:54 PM (#5922764)
It's pretty easy to bury some random prospect, but what if it's Kobe Bryant and he's played a huge role on the team before and after the accusations? Were LA fans ever able to cheer for him without cringing?
Kobe Bryant should have been in jail for 10+ years. The details of the case are absolutely sickening, and the amount of evidence is frankly overwhelming. That he managed to use the press and a horde of sycophantic fans to bully and harass a 19 year old victim into no longer being willing to testify... well that's probably the best defense he played in his career.
As for Lakers fans, they have no shame, so cringing was never in their repertoire.
86. Jose is an Absurd Sultan Posted: February 07, 2020 at 05:59 PM (#5922767)
At what point should teams not employ players? That's a rhetorical question. We've seen it from all 30 fan bases, they are content to ignore pretty much anything if it makes the team better. Marlin fans rooted when Ozzie Guillen was manager and he praised freakin' Fidel Castro. Do you understand how hard it is to say something nice about Fidel Castro in Miami and NOT get beaten to death?
Red Sox fans cheered Steven Wright after his incident.
Robbie Alomar spit on an ump and got cheered.
Aroldis Chapman, Roberto Osuna, etc...etc....etc...
There's a line (I hope, I think) but so far fans have indicated that they only care about transgressions when it's the other team's guys. I'm not sure what should be done. I suspect there are a LOT of bad people playing professional sports and that's not even getting into people who have viewpoints we might find reprehensible but just talking about people who have acted badly.
I don't know what the right answer is of what SHOULD be but I do know with some certainty that with the exception of murder fans have so far demonstrated they are willing to rationalize all manner of horrible behavior* if the player is good enough.
* except kneeling during the national anthem. That of course is unforgivable.
"Credibly implicated" is an interesting choice of words. The linked article states Verdugo was present when another person is alleged to have assaulted a woman.
I agree, that's a terribly misleading description. The story is that Baldwin and the teen were in the room alone when the sexual assault happened. From the account I read, Verdugo was in the room when the teen vomited on the bed, then was forcibly removed by two other women, who punched and kicked her while doing it.
None of this is to excuse anything, just clarifying.
There have always been organizations and coaches that think running a guy up some stairs is enough punishment if the talent is there to win some dadgum games. But at some point this seems to have metastasized with the rise of hedge/ analytics sports management strategies. There doesn't appear to be much consideration at all given by some organizations to ethical concerns.
Process thinking, with ethical concerns only being worth derisive mocking. This isn't limited to American sports. Liverpool's head of analytics recently did a Q&A with some lower league personnel. One lower league guy said his club had an don't bring in an ####### policy. The Liverpool analytics guy's response was to say your competitors will be obtaining the ########, the implication being that the don't bring in ######## strategy is for rubes.
Now obviously an "asset"can just be an #######, or maybe the "asset" is a rapist or a murderer. Maybe the Liverpool guy really did just mean ########. Like Jose said the line can be hard to define. But for more and more organizations there doesn't appear to be a line. *
* I have been careful to say "if true" about Verdugo. If The Red Sox checked it out and he wasn't involved or the incident didn't occur that is obviously different.
Since this trade will never, ever be resolved, let's get back to arguing about whether the offer to Mookie was some kind of lowball. I tried to find some other examples of players who were recently locked up before reaching FA. Here's the list (I'm sure I've missed some.):
Name Age Years Amount Pre-FA FAYrs Yr1WAR Yr1
Acuna 21 8 100 5 3 4 2019
Yelich 23 7 49 5 2 3.8 2015
Albies 22 7 35 5 2 4.3 2019
Bregman 25 6 100 4 2 5.4 2019
Mookie 24 6 100 4 2 5.9 2017
Ramirez 25 5 26 4 1 3.3 2017
Trout 23 6 144 3 3 9.6 2015
Trout 27 12 426 2 10 5.4 2019
Stanton 25 13 325 2 11 5.4 2015
Mookie 26 10 300 2 8 6.7 2019
Arenado 28 8 260 1 7 4.5 2019
Bogaerts 26 6 120 1 5 3.8 2019
Damn, that's an ugly table. Sorry, friends.
My takeaway is that the reported offers to Mookie doesn't look out of place here. Only Stanton and Trout were offered more.
More importantly, perhaps, there's so much we don't know about the negotiations:
--When did they take place, exactly? Early enough in the offseason that people were still talking about Machado and Harper getting $400 million? Or later when people were saying that they had overplayed their hands and would not get $300 million? Or after they both did? Or after Trout got $420 million?
--What was in the Red Sox offer? Were there opt outs? A deal that pays 4/$140M in the first 4 years followed by an opt-out is a lot different than a 10/$300M deal with no opt-outs.
--How was Mookie's counteroffer made. Was it, "we're looking for 12/$420M" or "unless you're willing to go 12/$420M, we're going to FA"?
Paging VI, cleanup on post 89!
My takeaway is that the reported offers to Mookie doesn't look out of place here. Only Stanton and Trout were offered more
Wasn't that long ago that many were arguing that only Trout was better than Betts (so far).
I'd guess the Stanton deal was something like the equivalent of 13/$360M-$400M in pre-2019 dollars. As for Trout, yes, I think that was the consensus. Mookie was beneath Trout but ahead of others.
94. Mayor Blomberg Posted: February 08, 2020 at 03:27 PM (#5922894)
FA Yrs WAR Signing
Name Age Yrs $ Pre Post Yr1 Year
....................FA Yrs WAR
Name Age Yrs $$ Pre Post Yr.1 Yr.1
Thanks Mayor Bloomberg! It's amazing what a couple billion dollars can do.
Late, but cleaned up nonetheless.
Trade back on. Verdugo and Jeters Downs for Betts and Price. Maeda for Graterol may happen as a separate deal.
100. Fancy Pants Handle struck out swinging Posted: February 09, 2020 at 06:11 PM (#5923039)


The company believes that the role of the Project Supervisor for Design stage as required should be pro-active, bringing value to a project to provide clients with safe and effectively maintainable buildings and installations. We believe that the Health and Safety file may be developed beyond the minimum requirements of the Health and Safety legislation to create a comprehensive management of Health & Safety issues.
All Engineering staff carry 'Safe Pass' cards.


text:
Q: Syncing renamed files without copying I've renamed a bunch of files and moved some to other folders. Now I want to sync all these changes to another filesystem, that already contains the original files. Something like rsync with --delete. However, I would like the renaming and moving to subdirectories to take place locally on the other filesystem. Thus, files that are already there should not be copied, just moved/renamed.
Does rsync support this behaviour? Or is there another tool that does?


text:
Will Derek Hough return for DWTS following COVID scare?
Signs do point to yes
October 10, 2021 - 17:13 BST Ahad Sanwari Derek Hough was forced to sit out the last episode of Dancing with the Stars, but will the judge and dancer be present for week four?
Derek Hough was forced to temporarily vacate his seat for the latest episode of season 30 of Dancing with the Stars.
MORE: Derek Hough makes surprise revelation about future role on DWTS
The former ballroom pro-turned-judge chose to not attend the taping for episode three due to possible exposure to COVID-19.
Host Tyra Banks acknowledged Derek's absence at the very top of the episode as she welcomed the judging panel.
WATCH: Dancing with the Stars season 30 trailer
"Due to a potential COVID exposure, and although he's fully vaccinated and tested negative, Derek will sit out tonight's show out of an abundance of caution," Tyra said.
As a result, contestants were scored out of 30 instead of 40, using the critiques and scores of the other judges, Carrie Ann Inaba, Bruno Tonioli, and head judge Len Goodman.
MORE: Derek Hough makes candid comment about engagement plans with Hayley Erbert
However, since then, while Derek has tested negative, there has been no official word on whether he'll be returning to the show for the new episode.
Derek's absence meant that the contestants were scored out of 30 instead of 40
The performer has been flying back and forth between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, where he has been headlining his own show at The Venetian.
We do know that he's safe and has been out and about since the scare, as evidenced by his sister Julianne Hough's latest social media post.
The dancer shared pictures of her out with Derek and their father on her Instagram Stories, captioning them "Family Night."
MORE: DWTS judge Derek Hough's overnight health scare resulted in emergency surgery
MORE: Derek Hough's chic love nest with girlfriend Hayley is out of this world
The 36-year-old wasn't the only one affected by COVID this season, however, as Cody Rigsby and his partner Cheryl Burke were forced to perform virtually and separately due to both testing positive for the virus.
The dancer has been able to safely spend time with family recently
Their performance to Britney Spears' Gimme More received a mixed response from the judges due to the extenuating circumstances, garnering a score of 18 out of 30.
But on the flip side, both Cody and Cheryl have since then been cleared to head back to the studio and will be making their return to the live stage for Disney Week as the show goes to Disneyland for week four.
More about dancing with the stars
Strictly's Shirley Ballas reveals best thing about becoming Dancing with the Stars judge
DWTS dancers Val Chmerkovskiy and Jenna Johnson welcome first baby - see their sweet reveal
Derek Hough & Hayley Erbert share distressing details of 'scary' car accident
Tyra Banks marks special milestone with dazzling transformation photo
Exclusive: Dancing with the Stars' Peta Murgatroyd shares details of new Peta Jane Beauty launch
The winner of Dancing with the Stars season 31 is…


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Twin Cities Daily Planet (https://www.tcdailyplanet.net/opinion-green-line-back-transit-future/)
OPINION | The Green Line: Back to the transit future
By Conrad deFiebre (Minnesota 2020) | January 23, 2014
Sixty years after the end of rail transit in Minnesota was celebrated with a streetcar blaze in the St. Paul Midway, it will return to the heart of the Twin Cities on June 14 with the grand opening of the Green Line light rail. Free rides on all Metro Transit routes and daylong festivities will mimic the hoopla that marked the final switch to bus service in 1954.
With six decades worth of hindsight we can wonder what the heck they were thinking back then. But there should be little doubt that the new trunk rail line sets the stage for a full regional transit network unlike anything we've seen since the heyday of the streetcars. Despite recent setbacks on the long journey to that goal, the Green Line (nee Central Corridor LRT) gives us tangible hope it will be achieved sooner or later.
"Seeing two vibrant downtowns, numerous job, education and medical centers, and tens of thousands of people connected by this project is the exciting part," Metropolitan Council Chair Susan Haigh said Wednesday. "This transit investment is finally on the verge of paying off for so many business owners, customers, students and many others."
The project is on budget and on track to be completed nearly six months earlier than required for federal funding that covered half the $957 million planning and construction cost. Workers came from more than 60 Minnesota counties to fill 5,445 construction jobs with $252 million in payroll, and operations and maintenance will add another 177 permanent positions. Already, $1.7 billion in new development has been attracted to the route, much of it formerly a blighted graveyard of long-gone auto dealerships.
It's no mystery why so much money is flooding the corridor. Official projections call for 40,000 riders each weekday by 2030, many working at 90,000 new jobs expected by then. Don't be surprised if, as with the Hiawatha Blue Line rollout a decade ago, the ridership goal is reached much sooner.
"The Green Line will re-twin the Twin Cities and move the regional transit system forward for everyone," said Peter McLaughlin, chairman of the Counties Transit Improvement Board, which supplied much of the local funding through a metro sales tax. "This will become the impetus for investment in other lines critical to the east metro."
For starters, a new bus route 83 on Lexington Parkway will also inaugurate June 14, filling a 2-mile gap in north-south transit connections to the LRT between Snelling Avenue and Dale Street in St. Paul. Route 65 on Dale will stretch to Grand Avenue. A new arterial bus rapid transit line could launch along Snelling and Ford Parkway by late next year. Long-term plans call for extending the Green Line as far east as the Wisconsin border via LRT or bus rapid transit along Interstate Hwy. 94.
Right now, though, the focus should be on the western extension of the line to the jobs-rich southwest suburbs.
But with the Southwest LRT still mired in routing controversy, Gov. Mark Dayton omitted a hefty eight- or nine-figure line item for its planned 10 percent state match from his capital investment bonding requests last week. While noting that the long-sought project isn't shovel-ready, he also questioned the viability of state funding for any of the Twin Cities' future rail transit dreams.
"The cost of these projects is prohibitive, unless you want to start excluding $125 million of very worthwhile projects elsewhere in the state," MPR News quoted the governor last week.
Is this the death knell for the Southwest, the Bottineau and all of the other possible light-rail enhancements sketched out on the Met Council's 2030 planning maps?
The TwinWest Chamber of Commerce, the voice of business in the Southwest corridor, hopes not. Days before the Minneapolis and St. Paul chambers hailed the Green Line launch, the TwinWest bemoaned the Southwest delay.
"The case to build Southwest light rail is so compelling, and we do trust that … the political differences will work themselves out," the chamber's Deb McMillan told MPR News. Positive arguments include road congestion relief, a significant increase in the entire region's transit network utility, tens of thousands of new jobs projected along the line's suburban route and greater access to those jobs from impoverished north Minneapolis.
None of this seems persuasive, however, in the face of fierce opposition from NIMBYists in St. Louis Park and the Minneapolis lakes district, conservative policymakers in general and even the southwest suburbs' own supposedly business-friendly representatives in the Legislature. On top of that, supermajority votes may be hard to muster from Greater Minnesota legislators for a bonding bill that includes light rail.
A long-term solution could be a boost in the Twin Cities' skimpy quarter-cent transit sales tax, which has Dayton's backing but, as he noted, weak prospects in an election year. And by 2015, hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid slated for the Southwest may have gone elsewhere — probably to a different Southwest, the light rail-friendly American Sunbelt.
Conservatives have jumped on the current impasse to renew their jihad against "deficit-ridden" rail transit and push for BRT — bus rapid transit — instead. If your focus is on cutting ongoing deficits, however, BRT should not be your first choice. LRT, with up to 600 passengers per three-car-train driver, easily beats other transit modes for covering operational costs in the handful of busy corridors where it is makes sense. By some measures, it's even less dependent on operating subsidies than roadways. So downgrading from LRT to BRT on the Southwest line, for example, would not be fiscally responsible over the long term.
In the absence of light rail bonding, Dayton proposed a $10 million jump-start for the first of the Met Council's planned network of arterial BRT projects, the Snelling line from Rosedale Center to the 46th Street Blue Line station in Minneapolis. This is an affordable, sensible improvement for smaller-bore routes than the LRT trunk lines that would make up the backbone of a complete transit system.
But we shouldn't give up on building out the LRT backbone, even if it takes decades. In the meantime, we can see whether conservatives are serious about their newly professed love for the riblets of BRT.
Conrad deFiebre


text:
Q: How to compare two dataframes, and add the rows and columns which one of the two doesn`t have I have a small dataframe with fewer rows and columns than a bigger dataframe.
How can I add the rows and columns which are in the bigger dataframe, and populate them with zero? Basically I want to add the cells in red in the picture below:

A toy example is below. I have tried with pandas.concat, but I end up with all the values from the bigger dataframe.
import numpy as np
import pandas as pd
df_big = pd.DataFrame(index=["a","b","c","d"])
df_big["x"] = np.arange(4)
df_big["y"] = df_big.x * 2
df_big["z"] = df_big.x * 3

df_small=pd.DataFrame(index=["a","b"])
df_small["x"]=[8,10]
df_small["y"]=[30,40]

out = pd.concat( [df_big, df_small] , axis=0)

A: This looks like a good use case for DataFrame.align:
_, out = df_big.align(df_small, fill_value=0)
out

    x   y  z
a   8  30  0
b  10  40  0
c   0   0  0
d   0   0  0

You can also use DataFrame.reindex_like on df_small:
df_small.reindex_like(df_big).fillna(0, downcast='infer')

    x   y  z
a   8  30  0
b  10  40  0
c   0   0  0
d   0   0  0

A: Using mul with notnull
df_small.mul(df_big.notnull(),fill_value=0).astype(int)
Out[275]:
    x   y  z
a   8  30  0
b  10  40  0
c   0   0  0
d   0   0  0
#df_small.mul(df_big.astype(bool),fill_value=0).astype(int) # change to astype will achieve the same

A: Late answer, but you can also use pandas.DataFrame.update, i.e.:
df_big[:] = 0
df_big.update(df_small, join='left', overwrite=True)

      x     y  z
a   8.0  30.0  0
b  10.0  40.0  0
c   0.0   0.0  0
d   0.0   0.0  0


Streetlight in die-cast aluminium with a very efficient optic. Body and adjustment support in die-cast aluminium. Grey metalized painting made by means of polyester powders. Flat transparent tempered heat and shock-proof glass of 5 mm thick. Silicone gaskets. Multi-facetted street optic in pure brite 99,85% and high-efficient aluminium. Cut-off emission. Ratio height / interdistance of the poles 3,8. In accordance with the most restrictive laws for the reduction of the lighting pollution.
Comply with the current Italian and European regulation related to the photometric performances of the street lighting fittings ( UNI 11248; UNI EN 13201-2-3-4).


Even though what I WAS working on before what I am working on now isn't even what I started working on in the beginning — but at some point I must have given up trying to remember what THAT thing was and started working on something else.
Which is a shame, because I almost always start working on what I'm supposed to, only to end up working on and finishing something else entirely.
It makes me wonder if I shouldn't simply start on something completely random with hope that my multitasking will be a more direct path to finishing the thing I really wanted to get done in the first place.
Yeah, that's how I feel when I multitask.
Maybe I shouldn't do that no more.


text:
FFA defends moving grand final to Sydney
By Ed Logue 22/01/2008 07:06:04 PM Comments (0)
Newcastle Jets' fans would be second class citizens if the Football Federation of Australia (FFA) move the A-League grand final to Sydney, the club's chief executive says.
The club would oppose such a move if they qualified to host the grand final after the FFA's decision to relocate the season's finale to Sydney, Newcastle's chief executive John Tsatsimas said.
But FFA chief executive Ben Buckley said the FFA wanted a venue where most fans, particularly away supporters, could attend the grand final.
Tsatsimas said the FFA mentioned this only to the clubs in December after it was agreed at the season's start that the first team into the grand final had earned the right to host it.
The Jets are against playing the grand final in Sydney, he said.
"We believe it is not the right thing to do," Tsatsimas told AAP.
"If we knew from the start of the year, if everyone knew that was the case, we'd accept the referee's decision but obviously it has been mooted for future seasons.
While understanding the commercial motives involved, Tsatsimas said it displayed a lack of respect to Newcastle fans who have supported the club all season.
"We've got the third or fourth biggest crowds in the league in terms of average yet you're treating them like second class citizens, you can't do that," he said.
"It's (FFA) changing the goal posts at the last minute.
"We haven't been formally advised of it at this point."
Buckley said the FFA had the right to schedule finals matches as they see fit.
"We are not being heavy handed," he said.
Buckley said the most important factor was a venue that could allow the most fans to attend the A-League marquee game, which limits EnergyAustralia Stadium in Newcastle with 26,000 capacity and the 20,000 seater BlueTongue Stadium in Gosford.
"If we were to play in Newcastle or on the Central Coast the stadia size there wouldn't allow away fans to come and support their team," Buckley said.
"We think that would be a real disadvantage to people who have come out and shown support for their team for the whole year."
"We don't believe it's a major disadvantage for them to play on a neutral venue."
Newcastle's opponents in the first leg of the major semi-final on Sunday, the Central Coast Mariners, are focused on the match in Newcastle instead of where the grand final may be held, chief executive Lyall Gorman said.
"It is too dangerous for us to be contemplating where we might be playing the grand final until we qualify for it," he said.
"We nearly lost the premiership because we might have got our vision a little bit further than we should have."
Meanwhile Sydney FC's marquee player, Juninho, queried the decision to move the club's first leg of the minor semi-final against Queensland Roar to Sydney due to concerns over the potential state of the pitch at Suncorp Stadium following a Police concert there on Tuesday night.
"It's a bit strange, we finished third, we should have the advantage, so that's the way it should be," Juninho said.
"It doesn't matter if there is a concert in Queensland, we finished third, we should play the second leg at home."
Mariners win A-League minor premiership
Italian veteran Vignaroli to join Jets
Stan Collymore could be guest with Jets
Newcastle Jets coach may be facing axe
Newcastle Jets cancel games over Xmas
Newcastle stadium to get $20m upgrade
Jets jump Glory 1-0 in Perth
Cricket releases MCG for AFL grand final
Jets down Sydney FC in spiteful clash
Jets claim A-League championship
Jets coach gives call to arms after loss
Jets fire to see off Adelaide 1-0
Storm making their mark in Melbourne
Young soccer players chance to impress
Rest for Sydney as Victory smashed
Burraston gone, Tinkler after a new Knight
World Cup delivers A-League member boost
Griffiths to play semi boosts Newcastle
Sydney, Newcastle in scoreless draw
No evidence on spitting claims: Jets
Mariners stay top after 0-0 draw
Adelaide wins A-League soccer opener
Sydney FC claim 1-0 victory over Jets
NRL clubs not sold on midday kick-off
Glory draws 3-3 with Jets
NRL says Knights inquiry is routine
Mariners into A-League preliminary final
Demons please league with crowd
AFL shifts grand final curtain raisers
Rodriguez goal keeps Jets' hopes alive


The Internet is no longer a luxury; it is an essential feature of the modern world, especially with its latest applications and the ever-increasing demand for data exchange. As we in Iraq intend to catch up with advanced technology and use its instrumental benefits in economics, security, and services, we need to have a highly efficient infrastructure that can support a large network with sufficient capacity to meet the needs of internet data transfer. Hence, the Iraqi National Backbone project .
The aim of the project is to establish an advanced national digital platform that will run on a fiber optics network infrastructure of enormous capacity and enable Iraqi government institutions to connect through a safe network that is destined to become the foundation of an effective E-government. The project also aims to make high-speed internet available at low cost to all Iraqis, while connecting digitally with the world by opening a new transit path for traffic through Iraq.
The Iraqi National Project is intended to put Iraq up among the ranks of the developed countries by providing the right environment for the production of data and information and enabling Iraq to become a country that produces knowledge rather than one that just consumes it.
The Ministry of Communications of Iraq will be running the project represented by SCIS in partnership with two private companies (Earthlink and Symphony), not to mention Cisco which provided the project with cutting-edge devices, technology, and support.
The partnership is also proud of the 100 percent Iraqi team responsible for the planning, design, and implementation of this giant undertaking. They provided the staff of the SCIS and the staff of the investment companies with the benefit of their combined expertise in engineering, administration, and other disciplines and performed outstandingly, keeping to the work schedule and completing the project in record time while implementing about 93 percent of the work despite facing obstacles and constraints designed to impede their progress.
Through the Ministry of Communication, the Iraqi government will collect 17 percent of total revenue (not the profit). In addition, 20 percent of total revenue will be collected by the Ministry of Finance as sales taxes, with another three percent as income tax. The total amount will then be 40 percent of the total revenue, which represent about 80 percent of net profit.
The project will contribute to the development of Iraq's industry, retail, and service sectors, providing the backbone for projects connected with fiber-optic access, E-governance, and data centers, and opening thousands of job opportunities for young Iraqis—directly by working on the project, or indirectly by preparing the ground for new kinds of business to thrive, enabling Iraq to keep pace with developments around the globe thanks to its super-fast internet and competitive pricing.
The project will generate considerable revenue and thus strengthen the Iraqi economy. With the international portal for large data capacities passing through the country, Iraq will benefit from a new economic resource for the first time ever – previously, the Internet's fiber optic cables traveled under the sea to the Persian Gulf then to the Red Sea and Egypt, or they could be extended around Africa. These cables are very hard to maintain and take a long time to fix when they break because they are located on the bottom of the sea—sometimes it can take weeks to repair underwater cable, but this new network is about to add new land paths to the current submarine network, and it will increase the number of paths that link Europe to the Middle East and then to the Far East.
Enhancing Iraq's position as a leading country in the technology market by activating international traffic transit is also a valuable addition to Iraqi national security because it is now in the interest of all the world's countries to protect Iraq and the security of the data path that connects economic interests around the globe.
Providing full infrastructure for establishing and activating egovernment, which will help simplify government procedures and connect all the state institutions within one secure network, which is what the country currently lacks.
Building a secure infrastructure for the national defense and security sectors through six dedicated fiber-optic filaments measuring 4,000 km, completely separated from the devices of the project, which will provide the infrastructure for security surveillance system cameras and reduce the cost of the system by 70 percent.
The project will establish a series of giant data centers that will enable Iraq to start producing information and knowledge.
Local traffic capacities and the internal metro network, which will open the door to many applications in healthcare, education, and E-government, in addition to having a refreshing effect on commercial applications.
Provide the basic infrastructure for mobile phone operators, enabling 3G and next-generation technologies.
Increase Iraq's GDP and income per capita in proportion to the increase in internet speed. According to many studies and to data from the international bank and other organizations.
The project uses state-of-the-art technologies in the field of fiber optics networks, in partnership with Cisco, the world's leading company in the field, thus guaranteeing the highest level of quality standards, and the largest capacity of data transfer with DWDM technology.
A total of 109 transmitting switches distributed around the country to ensure the service is delivered to all the cities of Iraq.
Cables placed three meters underground—twice as deep as in other parts of the world—for greater protection and to prevent potential disruption caused by work on other sections of the infrastructure.
Employing the world's finest fiber optics products, provided by Corning Inc., the leading provider in the field.
The latest electricity generators, designed to work perfectly under Iraqi weather conditions. High capacity DC power supply ensures that devices operate for 10 hours at a stretch in any location—including in emergencies—with no need for external source and with auto firefighting systems installed in all important locations to ensure the safety of devices and to keep them running under extreme conditions.
The project's data centers were implemented with fireproof inflammable materials in accordance with US and European specifications.
High standards of protection and safety.
An alternative device provided for each phase of data transmission.
Multiple paths of fiber optic cable, to ensure the stability of the services in the event of concurrent cuts.
Integration with the international access gates of the Ministry of Communications.
Fiber optics technology is considered the most environmentally friendly technology, unlike electromagnetic waves, as currently used with wireless data.
For more information, visit the Iraqi National Backbone website at www.iqbproject.com.


text:
Top 5 Candidates to fill the vacant Phillies manager role
By Matthew C
Matt Klentak and Pete Mackanin of the Philadelphia Phillies (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 28: Manager Matt Williams /
NUMBER 5: MATT WILLIAMS
Matt Williams previously served as the manager with the Washington Nationals for two years and was let go following the 2015 season. He could be the next manager, but it's a long shot.
Under Williams, the Nationals finished the 2014 season with a record of 96-66. They went onto the postseason but lost 3-1 in the National League Division Series.
He was brought back for his second season with the club in 2015. The Nationals finished in second place, failing to make the post season with a record of 83-79.
Williams' career managerial record is 179-145.
After the 2015 season, he was fired as the Nationals manager and returned to the Arizona Diamondbacks where he served as their third base coach. He was later fired when their coaching staff was gutted and is currently on the market awaiting a phone call.


text:
Flying J ist ein US-amerikanisches Unternehmen mit Firmensitz in Ogden, Utah. Das Unternehmen betreibt Tankstellen in den Vereinigten Staaten und ist der größte Anbieter von Dieselkraftstoff. Des Weiteren bietet das Unternehmen im Rahmen seines Tankstellennetzwerkes Serviceleistungen in den Bereichen Versicherungen, Telekommunikation, Finanzgeschäfte und Fahrzeugreparaturen an. Gegründet wurde das Unternehmen von O. Jay Call 1968. Der Gründer starb 2003 bei einem Flugzeugunglück. Im Unternehmen sind rund 15.900 Mitarbeiter (Stand: 2009) beschäftigt. Das Unternehmen gehört nach Angaben des Magazins Forbes zu den 20 größten, nicht börsennotierten Unternehmen in den Vereinigten Staaten.

Das Unternehmen hat am 22. Dezember 2008 einen Insolvenzantrag nach "Chapter 11" gestellt. Die Realisierung der in Deutschland (u. a. an der A 7 bei Evendorf im Landkreis Harburg) geplanten Autohöfe ("Travel Plazas") ist damit fraglich.

Im Jahr 2010 ging die Firma in Pilot Flying J auf.

Einzelnachweise

Weblinks
 Flying J

Ehemaliges Unternehmen (Utah)
Mineralölunternehmen (Vereinigte Staaten)
Ogden (Utah)
Organisation (Weber County)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
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10 Common Estate Planning Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
By Jamie Hopkins
People plan on having a good day, a good year, a good retirement and a good life. But why stop there? Why not plan for a good end of life, too?
End of life or estate planning is about getting plans in place to manage risks at the end of your life and beyond. And while it might be uncomfortable to discuss or plan for the end, everyone knows that no one will live forever.
Estate planning and end of life planning are about taking control of your situation. Death and long-term care later in life might be hard to fathom right now, but we can't put off planning out of fear of the unknown or because it's unpleasant. Sometimes it takes a significant event like a health scare to shake us from our procrastination. Don't wait for life to happen to you, though.
Full article on Kiplinger
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