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This is the list of "Demands" for future employers.  This isn't meant to be an inflexible list-- missing a few of these could be ok.  All of them are meant to be red flags that an employer doesn't sufficiently resect employees, or isn't going to be around long enough for equity to pay off.

Never work...

0. where you're not getting equity along with a paycheck, or where you can't ask the CFO how many shares are outstanding on a fully diluted basis, and get an answer, during your interview.

1. for a manager who is not an engineer, unless you're the CTO.

2. Think twice working for any "tech" company where the CEO is not an engineer, or technically proficient.

3. in an open office plan.

4. for a company that shows disrespect for employees in other ways. Companies try to hide so you have to look close.

5. for a company that uses cult behavior, eg: "magic phrases" like Amazon's "Today is Day One!!", or that has a management book that all employees are supposed to read (if said book is of the pop-management variety)

6. for a company that doesn't provide you a convenient parking space at their expense (you should be working remote anyway!)  Or, given your situation, a transit pass.  You shouldn't be spending an hour each day looking for parking spaces and walking to-from your space.

7. for a company that doesn't provide flex hours.
 Flex needs to really mean flex. Midnight to 8AM should be an acceptable work schedule. Company should be operated as asynchronously as possible.

8. for any company with standup meetings, or other pointless meetings.
  (yeah yeah, all of the previous "SCRUM" teams have been "doing it wrong", so that just means nobodies doing it "right")  You can have daily status, just make it asynchornous.

9. on a team where mandatory meetings happen more than twice a year.
  If the meetings are worthwhile, you don't need to make them mandatory. Mandatory is short for "I am going to be wasting your time, and ratehr than have nobody show up, I'm going to force you to show up."  Mandatory safety meeting? Ok, that's one of your 2.

10. for less than 3 weeks of vacation a year

11. for a "starter" salary that will be "made up later", unless this is a startup and you're getting a significant chunk of equity- eg: shares valued at most recent round of investment, or a $1M valuation if no investment, EXCEEDS the lost income.

12. for equity with a vesting schedule with an initial cliff longer than 90 days, (30 days is appropriate)

13. for equity with a vesting schedule over 4 years (and only 4 for > %5 equity)

14. for a company that has taken money from dishonest or unethical VCs (I know a lot of the bad ones but check "the funded" for reviews)

15. for a company that doesn't hire ops engineers, but expects developers to be "on call"

16. for a company that has a lot of restrictions about vacation and doesn't treat it as real (eg: you don't get all your days when you leave, bad PTO policies, etc)

17. in any office without adequate bathrooms, this includes any buildings where people are packed like sardines.
Combine the gender ratio of tech companies with more than %100 occupancy and the bathrooms are insufficient

18. in any setup with less than a dual thunderbolt display, or single 35" 4k monitor.

19. on [windows, or other undesired operating system] on a regular basis

20. where my development machine can't be a [of the operating systrem of my choice]

21. for a company that does drug testing on employees, or even reserves the right to do so

22.  for a company with an employee handbook that is all about protecting and absolving the company while imposing an undue burden of petty rules on the employees, including interfering with things that are none of the companies business such as alcohol consumption outside of work.

23. For a company that uses stack ranking in any form.

24. for a company that doesn't put time and attention into the benefits they offer employees.  EG: if your 401k only allows expensive index funds, or the health plan sucks, etc.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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er four online video series featuring effective teaching strategies, children's authors, reading experts, and professional development webcasts — plus a robust library of video clips organized by topic.
Unable to watch or listen online now? Download our video and audio podcasts.
Go inside real K-3 classrooms from across the U.S. to see examples of best practices in teaching reading and writing in action.


Southwestern Interior Entrance Ideas are in natural designs of this interior category that we are doing complete series post now its time to see some entrance decor ideas.
Southwestern interior is been our focus from last week we have shared almost everything from inside of the southwestern homes.Today will be the outside home entrance that will drag you inside your guest will love coming in this type of interior.
Entrance of home is the first impression on anyone coming to meet you the person who have never been inside of your house will love the way how your outside decor is done in a classic way.This category of interior provide every type of luxury feel in your exterior.
Basically entrance ideas should be designed in a way that it has the preview of what people can expect inside of your house they should expect more of that design after they see the exterior.Just like the products and other materials their packing will give you a hint about what's inside.
Home entrance is used in same manner to give the preview of the interior to person looking at your house that person will surely wants to visit again and again after he/she sees from inside.Southwestern is one of those designs that modern design lover will also love.
Because of the use of concrete,wood and other materials these designs are loved by nature loving and natural environment lovers.We have already given you intro about this design in our previous southwestern interior posts this design can also be used with modern designs.
Images you will see in the gallery are combined with modern interiors this is the trend now a days to combine vintage designs and modern into one form so people liking both of them likes to have that design.Just like Southwestern Interior Entrance Ideas you can see other southwestern interiors from following.


text:
Buy Full Flight History (N6899R)
FlightAware will conduct a full history search for N6899R and send a report to your e-mail address within one hour. The report will be available via a link in the e-mail.
Approximate number of flights for N6899R (by year)
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
< 50 50 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 75 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 < 50 50 < 50
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Cumbria Police are appealing for missing person, Marian Page to get in touch.
Marian Page aged 57 from Southwaite, has not been heard from since Friday 10th January 2014.
Sergeant Kim Kidd said: "We are appealing for Marian to get in contact with the police, her family or friends to let us know that she is safe and well. We are very concerned about her because this is out of character.
"The last contact with Marian was on Friday with a friend and she has not been seen or heard from since. Marian's car has been located in Castle Carrock and police have commenced a search in the immediate area but so far have not located her.
Marian is described as approximately 5 foot 4 inches in height, average build with short dark brown hair.
Anyone who knows of Marian Page's whereabouts or anyone who as seen someone matching her description, is asked call Cumbria Police on 101 and ask to speak to the on duty Sergeant at Penrith Police Station, quoting reference CP-20140112-0108.


It's not cool enough to have Mega Man fight Iron Man anymore. No, we need a story to explain why all the coolest characters from the 1990s are beating each other up. And now, Marvel and Capcom have given us just that with this new story trailer for Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, alongside a proper release date for the game.
It turns out the common point between the two universes is that they both feature a mean, ultra-powerful robot villain. On Marvel's side, it's that guy Ultron, while Capcom offers up Mega Man villain Commander Sigma. The two have decided that stuff isn't allowed to live anymore, and are teaming up to make that a reality. The Infinity Gems everyone in the Marvel Cinematic Universe wants so badly are used to merge the two worlds together. Ultron and Sigma merge together, too, to become Ultron Sigma.
It's so goofy and perfect.
Along with that new trailer is a batch of fresh screenshots and a short list of some of the faces we can expect to see. From the Marvel side, we've now been promised Thor, Hulk, Ultron, Hawkeye, and Rocket Raccoon along with previously-seen characters like Captain America, Captain Marvel, and Iron Man. Capcom, meanwhile, is adding Chun-Li, Strider Hiryu (the guy named after the act of walking), and Resident Evil's boulder-punching special agent Chris Redfield on top of Street Fighter stalwarts Ken and Ryu and Darkstalkers' Morrigan.
These games tend to have gigantic rosters, so we can expect a bunch more to be revealed in the coming months.
The game is up for pre-order right now. The Deluxe Edition, priced at $89.99, includes six unannounced post-launch DLC characters including Commander Sigma himself and six premium costumes. A Collector's Edition of the game will be available for both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and includes a four-character diorama featuring Mega Man X, Chun-Li, Captain Marvel, and Iron Man along with replicas of the Infinity Gems, and that'll go for $199.99.
All of these are set to release on September 19, 2017, on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.


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Baseball By Paul
Easily the greatest sport ever…
2013 Starting Pitcher Guide
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Tuesday: 01.20.2009
Top 24 First Basemen: 12-1
Here is the completion of my top 24 first basemen for 2009.
12. Carlos Pena, 31, Tampa Bay Rays – There was a group of people that believed Pena would be a flop after his huge 2007 season. After his first half, they were looking spot on, but he became a catalyst for the Rays' second half run en route to a 20 home run performance. Pena is your regular WYSIWYG kind of guy and you can just about bet on .250/30/100 for the foreseeable future. OBP leaguers give Pena a boost with his stellar walk rate increasing his value markedly. Pena is the kind of guy that is skipped over round after round because there isn't much perceived upside with him, but 2007 proved that he can get on a roll and have a top tier season.
11. Derrek Lee, 33, Chicago Cubs – EVERY capsule about Lee this season immediately references 2005 and I'm afraid I can't break the trend. That season is now clearly an outlier that will never be reached again. He might still have another 30-home run outburst in his bat, but realistically he's a mid-20s home run hitter with big average and big runs & RBIs totals. He used to be a perennial double-digit basestealer, but his past two full seasons have yielded just six and eight, respectively. Still, you like the added steals from an unexpected source. Lee's name usually combines with memories of 2005 to take him off the board well before he should so make sure you avoid that pitfall and don't pass up better production with lesser names.
10. Joey Votto, 25, Cincinnati Reds – He had a Derrek Lee-lite season last year with depressed totals in runs scored & driven in thanks to his spot in the lineup and a lesser lineup than Lee's Cubs. He actually bounced all around the lineup, but the 7-hole was his home most often. He will assuredly move up this season which will allow him to be the full version of Lee, but likely cheaper since he isn't as well known… yet. What makes him better than Lee is that he is on the upswing while Lee has plateaued. With a great home stadium, he should still manage the mid-20s power despite such a high groundball rate (44%). The upside is a .300-90-30-100-10 season so don't be afraid to go the extra dollar to get him.
9. Adrian Gonzalez, 27, San Diego Padres – Can you imagine if he was still in Texas? Instead he's stuck in the anti-Coors which severely caps his ceiling. After hitting 21 home runs through June, he managed just 10 across July and August as the Padres played 32 of their 55 games at home. That said he is still a bankable 30-100 hitter with a nice batting average. He has dropped yearly against lefties which keeps him from a perennial .300, but his .280 is still quite useful. It appears as though the fences will be moved in at Petco which can only help Gonzalez in his quest to tame the stadium, but pay for 30-100 and if you get the 2008 bonus again, enjoy it.
8. Kevin Youkilis, 30, Boston Red Sox – Here is why I don't think the 13 home run increase from Youk was a fluke: his walk rate fell by 3% and I believe a lot of that was him going for solid pitches that he ended up being able to do a lot with earlier in the count. Known as the Greek God of Walks, I think in past seasons he was waiting for the perfect pitch or just taking a walk. To wit, he had 15 home runs after a 1-0 count against just seven in 2007. I feel like another 25+ home run season rests on Youk's shoulders as he decides whether or not he wants to take that approach again this season. As part of that lineup, his counting stats will be excellent as well. He's one to chase.
7. Justin Morneau, 28, Minnesota Twins – The home runs per flyball rate dropped well off of his career norms so it cut into the home run totals, but the 97 runs, 129 RBIs and .300 batting average helped alleviate the sting. This is a guy that is getting better and becoming an elite producer at first base as seemingly no one notices. With three straight seasons of 590+ at-bats owners can have confidence that he will always be out there for them. With a correction in the hr/f rate, he could repeat the 2008 season with six or seven extra home runs.
6. Prince Fielder, 25, Milwaukee Brewers – The 50 home runs from 2007 was supported by an unsustainable hr/f rate (24%). The 46% clip at which he hit flyballs was unprecedented before and unmatched after which also aided the drop in home run output. Even still, Fielder is a legitimate power source nearly guaranteed for a mid-30s home run output with a real shot in any given year to get back to 50. To have full seasons of 28, 50 and 34 home runs entering your age 25 season is truly remarkable. It is not unrealistic to imagine sustainable growth, but set your expectations for 35-110 to prevent yourself from overpaying.
5. Lance Berkman, 33, Houston Astros – Don't bring up Berkman's name around head-to-head fantasy players. He had a disgusting .365-72-22-68-12 first half of the season followed by a dismal .252-45-7-38-6 second half. That enormous drop-off prevented Berkman from reversing a declining home run trend that started back in 2006. Don't buy the 2008 speed for 2009, but this is still an excellent skillset capable of .300-30-100. He will offer 6-8 stolen bases and should score at least 100 runs with Carlos Lee and Hunter Pence behind him. The second half might have left a sour enough taste in your league to depress Berkman's value relative to other studs, bid accordingly if you're in such a league.
4. Mark Teixeira, 29, New York Yankees – He has plateaued at 30-100 since the monster 43-home run season back in 2005, but combined with a reliable .300 average and a ton runs makes him an elite commodity. Heading to New York should bode well for both the runs scored and runs driven in totals, while the new Yankee Stadium remains an unknown in terms of its affect on home runs. His new residence is likely to drive the price up, but don't get caught up in the hysteria and treat like anything but the 4th-best first baseman in the league. It doesn't get much more reliable than Teixeira so there is nothing wrong with making a part of your team's foundation.
3. Ryan Howard, 29, Philadelphia Phillies – Howard is as elite as it gets when it comes to power production. The batting average has left something to be desired since the MVP campaign, but when you are getting those home run and RBI totals, it is hard to complain. A sharp drop in walk rate didn't help much when he was in prolonged slumps, but that should return in 2009. He is quite streaky so H2H-leaguers beware when bidding. The fact of the matter is he has 58, 47 and 48 home runs in his past three seasons with a ton of RBIs and about 100 runs scored per as well. All of that without being a complete liability in batting average helps make Howard one of the best of the game.
2. Miguel Cabrera, 26, Detroit Tigers – If I put Cabrera ahead of Albert Pujols, it would look like little more than homersim, so I avoided the temptation. Well that and I'm not entirely sold that he belongs there so I wasn't going to do it just for the sake of doing it. He absolutely dominated the league in the second half of 2008 and it clear that he is fully acclimated to the American League now. What is the ceiling for this guy? He has increased his home run and RBI totals yearly since 2006 and he could be headed for another jump after last year's 37/127 effort. Make no mistake; he is a late first round talent for 2009.
1. Albert Pujols, 29, St. Louis Cardinals – Who can you say about Pujols that hasn't been said? He is just so amazing year after year. He hasn't put up especially gaudy home run and RBI titles the past two seasons, but the insane batting average he posts yearly separates him from the pack. He hasn't hit below .330 since 2002 including last year's .357. I love Hanley Ramirez as much as anyone else, but I have no qualms with making Pujols the #1 overall pick in a scratch draft. It is frightening to think that he could actually improve on last year and get back to 2006 levels. Letting him go any deeper than fourth overall is a crime and at fourth, that owner is getting a steal.
Posted in 2009 Fantasy Guide, All BbP Originals, Data & News, Fantasy Baseball, Off-Season, Top 24 | 2 Comments »
Tags: Albert Pujols, Data & News, Fantasy Baseball, Mark Teixeira, Miguel Cabrera, Ryan Howard
Friday: 01.2.2009
2009 Top 100 Outfielders Part 1: 100-51
A four part series covering the two most vast positions in fantasy baseball will begin today with part 1 of the outfielders. There will be an accompanying piece finishing up the outfielders over the weekend and then a two-part series on starting pitchers later in the month. Both iterations will have updates in the rankings throughout the rest of the off-season done in a "rankings-only" format, that is just the pasting of an excel shot like Top 10 & Honorable Mention lists had that I did back in October. I strongly encourage feedback on the rankings and look forward to hearing what you think about them, so please utilize the comments section below. And now, the bottom half of the top 100 outfielders:
100. Rajai Davis, 28 years old, Oakland A's – He managed 30 stolen bases in 218 at-bats despite just a .248 average and awful .278 on-base percentage. Imagine what 20-25 points of on-base percentage could do for that speed!? Betting on over 300 at-bats is risky, but the fragility of Oakland outfielders (Travis Buck & Ryan Sweeney specifically) add to that potential and you have to love him as a single-digit option or reserve round material for your ballclub.
99. Brandon Moss, 25, Pittsburgh Pirates – It seems like Moss will be the everyday guy in right field for the Pirates and with a full season's worth of at-bats, he could be one of those unsung guys that gives you a decent line when you check back in October. It's doubtful he will excel at any one thing, but he could deliver upwards of 15 home runs with handfuls of runs scored, driven in and stolen bases.
98. Carlos Gonzalez, 23, Colorado Rockies – Obviously Coors Field is significantly more beneficial to hitting than McAfee Coliseum, but there is a lot to work on for Gonzalez. After the Matt Holliday trade, there were rumblings that Gonzalez might be flipped again soon but those rumors have tempered and now it looks like he will vie for a spot with the Rockies. There is talent for a 12 and 12 type of season, but any investment in Gonzalez is likely one for the future.
97. Travis Buck, 25, Oakland A's – As mentioned earlier, Buck has had trouble staying on the field. He doesn't have an overwhelming skillset even when fully healthy, but he is another guy that doesn't hurt you anywhere. The Oakland offense stands to improve with the addition of Matt Holliday and health elsewhere so Buck's runs scored & driven in could see a boost, too. The downside is another year riddled with nagging injuries that prevent him from taking a step forward.
96. Nate Schierholtz, 25, San Francisco Giants – I can't think of any reason for the Giants to not play Schierholtz for 350-400 at-bats, but by the same token I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if he ends the season on the wrong side of 300. He should join Fred Lewis and Aaron Rowand in the San Francisco outfield, but it's likely that he will have to battle Randy Winn and Dave Roberts for his chances. He is a free swinger with a solid power-speed combo, but uncertainty around opportunity should limit how high you go on draft day.
95. Josh Anderson, 26, Atlanta Braves – The outfield is wide open in Atlanta giving Anderson a great shot at locking up 400+ at-bats. It remains to be seen how much else is there with Anderson, but a bankable category like speed will earn a roster spot in just about any format that finds him in the player pool. His price will be determined by certainty around playing time. Earlier drafts/auctions will see Anderson go at a bargain price.
94. Steven Pearce, 26, Pittsburgh Pirates – Again, the Pirates outfield appears wide open meaning guys like Pearce and Moss should be given ample opportunity to establish themselves as viable major leaguers. With a full season of at-bats, Pearce is someone that could easily find himself notching double digits in home runs and stolen bases. Pay for 300 at-bats because the Pirates are the type of team that would needlessly sign Garret Anderson and run him out there for 400+ at-bats.
93. Rocco Baldelli, 27, Free Agent – How can you not root for this guy? After everything he has been through, he continues to come back time and time again. Now just 27, he's available on the free market with the Pirates, Rays and Red Sox all in the mix at press time. He will not be able to go everyday with his medical condition, but he can be a cheap source of power with regular playing time. For now, wait and see where he goes and what kind of role he will have for 2009… even then, he might be best left as someone else's headache.
92. Chase Headley, 24, San Diego Padres – I think we all expected a full season of at-bats last year, but Scott Hairston and Jody Gerut emerged as viable options which left Headley with only 331 at-bats by season's end. Headley is penciled in as the left fielder with 31-year old Gerut as the odd man out right now, but don't be surprised if the three split two spots regularly. Headley projects as a bona fide run producer suited for the middle of the order, but Petco saps power like no other and could relegate him to the teens in home runs.
91. Ryan Spilborghs, 29, Colorado Rockies – He was great in 233 at-bats last year delivering across the board production, but I was surprised to see that he was 29 years old. With Matt Holliday and Willy Taveras both gone, only Brad Hawpe holds a secure spot in the outfield coming into the season meaning Spilborghs has a shot at 500 at-bats. A double-double (10+ home runs and steals) is a pretty safe bet with that kind of playing time.
90. Mark Teahen, 27, Kansas City Royals – Traded the 2007 speed and average for power, a trade that would be vetoed in most leagues. His walk rate has slid year-over-year since 2006 and in turn sunk his on-base percentage all the way to .311 last year. At his age, he's not toast, but temper your expectations for this classic "what you see is what you get" guy.
89. Marcus Thames, 32, Detroit Tigers – He simply doesn't play enough to warrant a higher ranking, but he is a reliable power source that is good for 20-25 home runs even if he doesn't top 350 at-bats. Another negative tied to the lack of playing time is low totals in runs scored and runs driven in. Mix in a weak batting average and you have 4th/5th outfielder fodder.
88. Michael Cuddyer, 30, Minnesota Twins – Injuries stole 2008, but it opened the door for the likes of Denard Span who showed he's worthy of several hundred at-bats even if at the expense of Cuddyer. The 2006 season is the clear outlier now and a return seems highly unlikely. If he's not squeezed out by the youthful trio of Span, Carlos Gomez and Delmon Young, then he will offer a 2007 redux.
87. Aaron Rowand, 31, San Francisco Giants – More valuable in "real" baseball terms than he is for fantasy because of how well he handles the glove. Anybody that expected 2007 numbers last year was only fooling themselves and status quo in 2009 would be a good outcome here. He has lowered his stolen base totals yearly since 2004 making that category a non-factor at this point. A sprinkle of everything here, but nothing more.
86. Marlon Byrd, 31, Texas Rangers – Many were skeptical of a 30-year old breakout from 2007 and Byrd's first half of 2008 justified those skeptics, but he rebounded with a blistering second half that included a .327 average and seven home runs in 280 at-bats. Invest in 450 at-bats approaching a double-double with plenty of runs scored & driven in thanks to a stout Texas lineup.
85. Ben Francisco, 27, Cleveland Indians – Teams that picked him up off of the scrap heap had to be happy with the returns from Francisco as he emerged into a full-time player. He's been a double-digit thief throughout his minor league career, but went just 4-for-7 last year. Like the others in this tier, he's got strong double-double potential with decent offerings in runs scored & driven in without killing your batting average. Don't assume the speed in your bid, but power approaching 20 home runs should make up for it.
84. Jody Gerut, 31, San Diego Padres – Wow, where'd that come from? Don't discount Gerut's rebirth. After two years off, he's a young 31 and still has plenty left in the tank for a fourth outfielder-type. He does most of his power damage away from home, but he still managed a healthy .295 average with 17 extra-base hits in the cave that is Petco Park. As it stands right now, Gerut is the odd man out in San Diego, but he will get a fair number of at-bats to work with this season.
83. Juan Rivera, 30, Los Angeles Angels – There was so much promise after he made good on a full complement of at-bats in 2006, but 2007 was lost to injury and 2008 was just bad. He re-signed with the Angels and Garret Anderson is now out of the picture so Rivera can log 450-500 at-bats of cheap power in the middle of the lineup.
82. Brian Giles, 38, San Diego Padres – A pending legal case hangs over the head of Giles and it could feasibly alter his status with the Padres depending upon how it plays out, but for now I'll operate under the assumption that he will be available to and in the lineup for the Padres come April. Two down years in batting average seem linked to his performance against left-handers as he went from .217 and .241 in 2006 and 2007 to .301 last year boosting him 35 points in overall average from '07. OBP leaguers love the guy, but otherwise he doesn't do a ton. He has shaved a home run a year since 2005 when he had 15 and has just 51 and 63 runs batted in the past two seasons.
81. Ryan Sweeney, 24, Oakland A's – A prototypical Athletic with a very appealing skillset that can't seem to stay on the field all season. He struggles mightily against lefties, but at worst he would be the good side of a platoon so if he's healthy, he'll play. His nine stolen bases last year were his highest yet and being part of Oakland doesn't lend itself to many opportunities so temper your expectations there. A full season of at-bats could yield a .300-70-15-70-8 line.
80. Scott Hairston, 28, San Diego Padres – He came up as one of Arizona's brightest prospects, but was shipped to intra-division rival San Diego for a song and he has shown flashes of what made him such a hot commodity years ago. He spent most of his time leading off which helps explain the low RBI totals despite 17 home runs (12 solo shots). In fact, he posted a .958 OPS and .294 AVG with 12 HR as a leadoff hitter; he hit just .199 otherwise.
79. Franklin Gutierrez, 26, Seattle Mariners – I got this one wrong big time last year. I scooped up Gutierrez wherever I could last year in hopes of a season approaching 20-20. Upon further review, I was overly optimistic in the first place. I won't be making the same mistake again despite a clear opportunity for playing time in Seattle. At 26, hope isn't completely lost but it's hard to see development in Gutierrez right now. I'll pay for a low end double-double with a middling batting average and accept anything more as bonus.
78. Josh Willingham, 30, Washington Nationals – A back injury derailed the beginnings of a career season for Willingham and he never really got going again. He was hitting .345 with five home runs in 108 at-bats when he was shelved for all of May and most of June. I think the Nationals' lineup is starting to come together a bit which should allow Willingham to add some substance to his bankable power in the form of RBIs and runs scored. At worst, you've got 25 home runs.
77. David Murphy, 27, Texas Rangers – One of a bumper crop of rookies who was well on his way towards a 20 homer-100 RBI season until a knee ended his season prematurely. He wasn't a grade A prospect, but the results weren't overly surprising given his home environs. He joins Byrd, Brandon Boggs, Nelson Cruz and Josh Hamilton for the three outfield spots, but there is nothing to suggest that his rookie season was smoke & mirrors meaning he'll get a fair shot at repeating.
76. Jose Guillen, 32, Kansas City Royals – It's hard to find takers for sub-.300 on base percentages these days, just ask Dayton Moore. The Royals have dangled Guillen on the market but nobody appears interested and it's tough to blame them. His 20 HR/97 RBI season looks usable on the surface, but the lack of any patience whatsoever and a horrible second half creates a dim outlook. If the second half carries over into the spring and/or early part of 2009, he could be pushed to the bench by Mark Teahen. Proceed with caution.
75. Adam Lind, 25, Toronto Blue Jays – Had virtually the same amount of playing time in both 2007 and 2008 and the skills displayed didn't vary much: 11 in 290 AB for 2007, 9 in 326 last year, a 4.1 K:BB ratio in 2007, 3.6 last year and 36% XBH (extra base hit) rate in 2007 against 32% last year. With some more selectivity, he can be a .280-20-80 player in 2009, but pay for .270-15-80 and accept anything better as a bonus.
74. Nelson Cruz, 28, Texas Rangers – He finally translated his minor league success into the majors albeit in just 115 at-bats. However, he is now in a group of five vying for three spots… one of which is guaranteed to Josh Hamilton without question. Then it's he, Byrd, Murphy and Brandon Boggs for the other two spots. The power stroke is legit and it is of course enhanced by playing in Texas. Meanwhile, he has stolen double digit bags in three of the past four seasons meaning a full-time gig would likely yield a robust power-speed combo in the neighborhood of 25-15. Playing time is the key here and I'm not certain he has it locked in.
73. Michael Bourn, 26, Houston Astros – The second player in our bottom quartile that managed a ton of stolen bases (41) despite an outright disgusting on-base percentage (.286). In his 594 major-league at-bats, Bourn is hitting .182 against lefties. If only the problems stopped there. Teammate Kaz Matsui scored one more run than Bourn in 92 fewer at-bats; Bourn needs an on-base percentage at or above .320 or he may start losing playing time. His lack of contributions elsewhere makes him a cheap speed option and right now there isn't anything to suggest he will be anything but…
72. Jack Cust, 30, Oakland Athletics – Another category specialist, but Cust combines his massive power with an excellent eye that adds to his run scoring opportunities despite a .233 batting average. A friendlier home park could see him hit 40 home runs and become the American League's Adam Dunn (though Dunn could move to the AL and be the AL's Dunn himself!). For now, he's a bargain bin home run hitter and he's unlikely to veer from that distinction. His value skyrockets in OBP leagues, but standard leaguers are paying for 80-30-80 and you should be able to absorb the batting average hit as long as you don't add Dunn, Jason Giambi or Mark Reynolds to your roster, too.
71. Cody Ross, 28, Florida Marlins – It was an up & down year for Ross. He posted a .415 OPS in April while failing to hit a home run and drove in just two. Then he blasted 10 home runs with 18 RBIs en route to a 1.259 OPS in May. He had another down month in June before evening out for the rest of the summer. The sum of it is that Ross is a legitimate double-digit home run hitter, but struggles mightily against righties (.249 in 317 AB) and could be robbed of playing time because of it. Playing as a 28-year old on a team in a perpetual youth movement doesn't help either. Buying into a season with more than 400 at-bats is risky.
70. Jeremy Hermida, 25, Florida Marlins – After a disappointing season for a once-promising prospect, Hermida isn't yet behind the eight ball because he is still just 25. That said, paying for 2007's numbers is a mistake at this point even though it can be achieved. Until further notice, he is a dime-a-dozen outfielder that gives you mid-teens power and underwhelming numbers the rest of the way.
69. Ryan Church, 30, New York Mets – This one hurt on a personal level. I've always been a fan of Church and I pegged him for a big season last year. Things started off swimmingly, but then collapsed under the weight of two severe concussions. Completely healthy and ready to go, Church should be a 20 home run hitter with nice returns in runs scored and driven in thanks to that star-laden lineup for the Mets.
68. Eric Byrnes, 33, Arizona Diamondbacks – An amazing 2007 had Byrnes' stock at its peak, an injury-riddled disaster last year has now bottomed out that same stock. Even 100% health on those hamstrings won't facilitate a return to the 50-stolen base mark, but a double-double in the high teens with 75 runs scored and driven in is a fair expectation. The signing of Felipe Lopez hasn't squelched all rumors of Byrnes being dealt to Boston. A move there would dent his value significantly as he'd move from starter to 4th outfielder.
67. Randy Winn, 34, San Francisco Giants – How is his speed improving at this advanced age?! Don't bet on another 20+ stolen base season, but a double-double season with .285+ average is what you are buying here. He's logged 600 plate appearances since 2002 so you know you can count on him. This team has made some great moves this off-season and they could hang around in the west deep into the summer with Winn playing the role of veteran leader with Randy Johnson for an otherwise very youthful team.
66. Jeff Francoeur, 25, Atlanta Braves – When it was all said & done, Francoeur was probably my biggest mistake of the 2008 season. I loved him for a big season. Everything went wrong for him. It started with him falling apart against lefties. They had never proven difficult for him since his arrival into the majors and then all of a sudden he hit .210 against southpaws in 2008. At the break, it was clear that 2008 was a washout, but I thought Francoeur might make some adjustments and have a reasonable second half to build upon for 2009. He didn't. At 25, there is hope, but the leash could be short given the stable of young outfielders in the Braves' system. An 80-20-80 would be a success as he re-figures it out.
65. David DeJesus, 29, Kansas City Royals – He doesn't wow you with his fantasy contributions, but the sum of a .290-85-10-85-10 line is quite nice. It's not going to overwhelm opposing pitchers, but that Kansas City lineup will be improved from 2008 and DeJesus will be the leader there even if he relinquishes the leadoff spot to newly acquired Coco Crisp in favor of the 2-hole. If you play in a league that uses individual outfield slots, enjoy DeJesus' triple eligibility.
64. Hideki Matsui, 34, New York Yankees – The Yankees might not be done making moves this winter and Matsui could be on his way out if they can find a taker. A move could be really good or really bad for Matsui. Right now, he's penciled in as the designated hitter, but that leaves Nick Swisher on the bench. Thus, if he stays in New York he might not garner a full season's worth of at-bats and a move out to a team that would play him daily would be welcomed.
63. Juan Pierre, 31, Los Angeles Dodgers – He could be on the outside looking in for playing time right now, but I can't envision the Dodgers going with Andruw Jones for any regular amount of time given how bad he has been over his past 781 at-bats. That doesn't mean that they won't look into the trade or free agent market for a better option, though. Pierre has always been reliable for runs, speed and batting average, but last year with just 375 at-bats he was unable to reach the usual 90+ runs scored. With regular playing time, look for a return near previously established norms: 80 runs, 50 steals and a .290 average. Otherwise, a 2008 redux.
62. Cameron Maybin, 22, Florida Marlins – Nice sip of coffee for the youngster with 16 hits in 32 at-bats over the course of eight games, but it's insignificant in determining his 2009 value. He had an .831 OPS in 108 games in AA with 21 stolen bases and 13 home runs. He's a five-category threat without a doubt, but at such a young age there will likely be several peaks and valleys throughout the season. The lack of options in the outfield for Florida suggests that Maybin will be the guy in center all year long. A year similar to Delmon Young's 2008 with more stolen bases and less batting average is what I'm expecting.
61. Carlos Guillen, 33, Detroit Tigers – To see Guillen walk, let alone run, you'd never believe that he'd be a stolen base threat. Hobbled by nagging injuries nearly all year in 2008, he still managed nine after seasons of 20 and 13. Double-digit SB days are behind him, but the power and run production abilities remain. He will still qualify at 3B for 2009 where holds more value, but if you take care of your corner infield and need a solid 3rd/4th outfield option good for 15-18 home runs with a boatload of runs scored & driven in, then Guillen's a good choice.
60. Luke Scott, 30, Baltimore Orioles – A tale of two halves for Scott, but the power was prevalent throughout. There is 30-home run power in that bat. Combining that with a budding lineup should yield a solid 85-30-85 season or thereabouts. Likely older than most realize at 30, but his primary skill, power, ages well so hitting the pivotal age isn't worrisome.
59. Carlos Gomez, 23, Minnesota Twins – Given his age, it's hard to pile on despite how he was in 2008. He was a key return for Johan Santana so the expectations to perform well and quickly were astronomical and thus he may've been rushed into duty. He has a long way to go before being anything more than a stolen base specialist with a bad average and little else residing in your 3rd or 4th outfielder slot.
58. Fred Lewis, 28, San Francisco Giants – This relatively unknown speedster burst onto the scene with a very impressive first full season. Whiffed way more than you want a leadoff hitter to do (91 times hitting 1st), but still managed a .350 on-base percentage from the top spot. Horrible supporting cast suppressed RBI total, even for a leadoff hitter. Lineup should improve with Lewis as the table-setter, but temper your expectations of growth. A repeat could be the ceiling here.
57. Kosuke Fukudome, 32, Chicago Cubs – Though he didn't live up to the hype (who can these days?), Fukudome wasn't all bad in his major league debut. He had a bit of power and speed with a great eye that made him a gem in OBP leagues. The biggest concern is that his batting average and OPS virtually dropped month-over-month all season (the OPS raised slightly from August to September but was still at .577). With such a sharp eye and really good raw skills, I foresee legitimate improvements for 2009. A line in the neighborhood of 85-15-70-15 is more befitting of someone with his skills.
56. Nick Swisher, 28, New York Yankees – The raw power remained, but not nearly to the degree expected with his move out of McAfee Coliseum into U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago. He has been a batting average anchor for years, but last year's .219 was just downright awful. After back-to-back seasons of .291 average against left-handers, he hit just .197 off of them last year. A correction will bring his average back into the .250s where he normally resides. He moves over to New York where he should fall into 90 runs and 80 RBIs as long as they play him. My favorite thing about Swisher in 2009 is that he will no doubt be very cheap to roster.
55. Willy Taveras, 27, Cincinnati Reds – Those justifying his signing with the Reds are saying, "At least he's better than Corey Patterson." Sure, but is there a player about whom you can't say that exact phrase? Anytime someone swipes 68 bases, they are going to be a fantasy baseball asset even if it's paired with NOTHING else of legitimate value as was the case in Taveras' 2008 season. The only time he has topped a .321 on-base percentage was when he hit everything in sight and went off with a .320 AVG/.356 OBP. It's pay-n-pray with Taveras, pay for 35 stolen bases and pray for 80 runs and a batting average above .280.
54. Jason Kubel, 26, Minnesota Twins – His march towards fulfilling his promise continues in the right direction with his best season yet. At 26, there is more to come from this slugger though lefties continue to be a problem for him. This could be the season that sees him hit 30 home runs, but 2010 is more likely for that. With four options in the Minnesota outfield, he could be relegated to DH for majority of the season, but that won't impact his 2009 eligibility.
53. Adam Jones, 23, Baltimore Orioles – A further along version of Cameron Maybin, Jones is the kind of guy that will have a month that makes your entire league start requesting him in a trade followed by a month that will make you regret not pulling the trigger on one of those trades. By season's end you should be happy with the net results of this budding star. He should bring a double-double with high 70s in runs scored and runs driven in.
52. Coco Crisp, 29, Kansas City Royals – His 2007 and 2008 totals were virtually the same despite the fact that he had 165 fewer at-bats last year. A trade to the Royals gives him a full-time role again, but simply extrapolating last year's numbers into 550-600 at-bats would be dangerous. I'd be more willing to bet on 30+ stolen bases than 10+ home runs. For now, a 2007 repeat feels right.
51. Mike Cameron, 36, Milwaukee Brewers – He enjoyed a power spike despite missing a month due to suspension. Three years of declining stolen base and RBI totals may scare some, but the suspension played a large role in continuing that trend for 2008. This skill set is one of the more reliable ones in the league so you can expect an 85-25-75-15 line with a poor batting average. Trade rumors have put him in center for the Yankees which would only help his value, but for now he is part of a solid lineup in a neutral park.
There it is. I'll have the second part ready this weekend and then a visual breakdown of the list including an echelon-divided list, a by team list and a by age list. Again, feedback is strongly encouraged.
Posted in 2009 Fantasy Guide, All BbP Originals, Analysis, Data & News, Fantasy Baseball, Off-Season, Top 100 | 8 Comments »
Tags: Data & News, Fantasy Baseball, Matt Holliday, outfielders, Top 100
Monday: 10.8.2007
2007 Potential Free Agents, Part I: The Hitters
Here is a look at the notable potential free agents for this winter. Notable basically means 200+ at-bats or some worthwhile statistics in fewer than 200. Options and potential opt-outs are noted as well:
Catchers	2007 Stats
Brad Ausmus HOU	.235/.318/.324 in 349 ABs
Michael Barrett SD	.244/.281/.372 in 344 ABs
Ramon Castro NYM	.285/.331/.556 in 144 ABs
Jason Kendall CHC	.242/.301/.309 in 466 ABs
Paul Lo Duca NYM	.272/.311 /378 in 445 ABs
Jorge Posada NYY	.338/.426/.543 in 506 ABs
Ivan Rodriguez DET	(option).281/.294/.420 in 502 ABs
Yorvit Torrealba COL	.255/.323/.376 in 396 ABs
Javier Valentin CIN	(option).276/.328/.387 in 243 ABs
1st Basemen	2007 Stats
Sean Casey DET	.296/.353/.393 in 453 ABs
Tony Clark ARZ	.249/.310/.511 in 221 ABs
Jeff Conine NYM	.254/.317/.383 in 256 ABs
Ryan Klesko SF	.260/.344/.401 in 362 ABs
Kevin Millar BAL	(option).254/.365/.420 in 476 ABs
Mark Sweeney LAD	.260/.350/.382 in 123 ABs
Mike Sweeney KC	.260/.315/.404 in 265 ABs
2nd Basemen	2007 Stats
Luis Castillo NYM	.301/.362 /.359 in 548 ABs
Damion Easley NYM	.280/.358/.466 in 193 ABs
Marcus Giles SD	(option).229/.304/.317 in 420 ABs
Tony Graffanino MIL	.238/.315/.390 in 231 ABs
Tadahito Iguchi PHI	.267/.347/.400 in 465 ABs
Jeff Kent LAD	(option)	.302 /375/.500 in 494 ABs
Mark Loretta HOU	.287/.352/.372 in 460 ABs
Kaz Matsui COL	.288/.342/.405 in 410 ABs
Shortstops	2007 Stats
David Eckstein STL	.309/.356/.382 in 434 ABs
Juan Uribe CHW	(option)	.234/.284/.394 in 513 ABs
Omar Vizquel SF	.246/.305/.316 in 513 ABs
Third Basemen	2007 Stats
Pedro Feliz SF	.253/.290/.418 in 557 ABs
Mike Lamb HOU	.289/.366/.453 in 311 ABs
Mike Lowell BOS	.324/.378/.501 in 589 ABs
Alex Rodriguez NYY	(opt-out?).314/.422/.645 in 583 ABs
Outfielders	2007 Stats
Bobby Abreu NYY	(option)	.283/.369/.445 in 605 ABs
Moises Alou NYM	(option)	.341/.392/.524 in 328 ABs
Barry Bonds SF	.276/.480/.565 in 340 ABs
Milton Bradley SD	.306/.402/.545 in 209 ABs
Mike Cameron SD	.242/.328/.431 in 571 ABs
Adam Dunn CIN	(option)	.264/.386/.554 in 522 ABs
Darin Erstad CWS	(option).248/.310/.335 in 310 ABs
Kosuke Fukudome JPN	('06 stats).351/.438/.653 in 496 ABs
Luis Gonzalez LAD	.278/.359/.433 in 464 ABs
Shawn Green NYM	(option)	.291/.352/.430 in 446 ABs
Torii Hunter MIN	.287/.334/.505 in 600 ABs
Geoff Jenkins MIL	(option).255/.319/.471 in 420 ABs
Andruw Jones ATL	.222/.311/.413 in 572 ABs
Corey Patterson BAL	.269/.304/.386 in 461 ABs
Aaron Rowand PHI	.309/.374/.515 in 612 ABs
Sammy Sosa TEX	.252/.311/.468 in 412 ABs
Brad Wilkerson TEX	.234/.319/.467 in 338 ABs
I'll post the pitchers tomorrow sometime.
Posted in Analysis, Data & News, Off-Season | 3 Comments »
Tags: Alex Rodriguez, Andruw Jones, Data & News, free agents, offseason, postseason


text:
Portugese - Brazil
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Commander Stops Noisy Vibrations, Improving Customer Experience at Bowling Alley
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Axxa LTD's client All Star Lanes in Bloomsbury London, experienced noisy vibrations from their ventilation system, disturbing diners in the restaurant.
Srdan Stojiljkovic, All Star Lanes Technical Manager, says: "Behind the seating area in our restaurant we have a wall, made of Perspex panels, which divides our bowling lanes from the restaurant area. With our old ventilation system, the panels would shake constantly from the fan motor, making an offputting noise for diners."
Being underground, the bowling alley needs to have a constant flow of fresh air. This was the job of the current fan system. All Star Lanes had two objectives: bring clean air in from above and extract fumes from the kitchen.
Axxa LTD worked with All Star Lanes to come up with a suitable solution, they supplied the drive and enlisted, locally based, APS Engineering to install it into the system. The newly-launched Commander drive proved to be the best product for the task.
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Commander delivered big benefits for the bowling alley. First, the NEMA bracket provides safe mounting onto the wall. It protects all the cables going in, ensuring the safety of the general public. Furthermore, the new drive is half the size of the original one, creating extra space.
Previously, the system ran continuously at 30 amps. Commander runs at a much lower rate of 10-15 amps, generating significant savings of 50%, resulting in a better flow of air.
The old system had too much vacuum. This caused buckling of the ducting and made it vibrate like a drum. By tuning the drive to a lower level, not only does it use less power, but it also stops the noisy vibrations going through the ducting.
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Appreciating and supervising the activities carried out by the Administration, pronounce and deliberate on all matters of interest to the parish are some of the powers of the Arroios Parish Assembly.
The Assembly also has the power to approve the plan options and budget proposals, as well as its revisions, to authorize the Parish Council to borrow and to open credit; approve the rates and prices of the parish and set the respective value; authorize the acquisition, sale or encumbrance of immovable property in excess of the limit set for the Parish Council and define the respective general conditions, and may determine the recourse to the public auction; approve the personnel map of services of the parish; to approve the creation and reorganization of the services of the parish, to monitor and supervise the activity of the Parish Council; to pronounce and deliberate on all the subjects that aim at the continuation of the attributions of the parish; pronounce and deliberate on all matters of interest to the parish, on its own initiative or upon request of the Parish Council.
The ordinary sessions are open to the public and everyone can attend and / or intervene with questions of public interest about the parish. Those interested in participating with some intervention need only make a previous registration, which can be done from the moment the announcement is made public through the usual means of the Parish Council such as the "muppies", the website and Arroios TV. They can also register face-to-face at the Parish Council's headquarters and office branches, via email to the general@jfarroios.pt contacts or the freguesia@jfarroios.pt adresses, or on the same day, minutes before the start of the session, at the entrance of the ordinary session's chosen location.
The Parish Assembly is the parish's representative body with decision-making powers through a voting system on the part of each constituent member. It is composed of 19 members, since the number of voters exceeds 20 thousand, and is marked by diversity, which enriches the dialogue between the various political positions.
Its constitution is elected by universal, direct and secret suffrage of the voters registered in the respective area, according to the system of proportional representation. Thus, in the municipal elections of October 1, 2017, the Partido Socialista was the most voted political force, having elected nine members, followed by the Partido Social Democrata with three. The Partido Comunista Português, the Bloco de Esquerda and the CDS-PP elected 2 members each and the PAN elected 1 member.
In addition to the applicable legal norms, the functioning of the Arroios Parish Assembly is governed by a statute that was approved in the meeting of the Parish Assembly of June 30th, 2014. With the election of the autarchic organs for the years 2017-2021 and the respective inauguration on October 25, 2017, the statute of the Arroios Parish Assembly of currently in force will be subject very soon to a review.
You can consult the statute in the documents area.
A native of Lisbon, from the S. Sebastião da Pedreira parish, Anabela Pires currently resides in parish of Arroios. With a degree in History from the Faculty of Letters of the University of Lisbon, she has been a member of the Lisbon City Council since 1991, working in the cultural area and currently working as coordinator of the Office of Olisiponense Studies. Between 2006 and 2010, she was a member of the Board of Directors of the National Railway Museum. Elected to the Pena Parish Assembly by the Socialist Party, ahw was President of this same Assembly from 1993 to 1998, integrating from 1998 to 2001 the Administration of this Parish Council. Anabela also served as President of the Arroios Parish Assembly between 2013 and 2017.
With a degree in History from the Faculty of Letters of the University of Lisbon, Vítor Carvalho's professional career has been exercised in the area of Human Resources and Training. He is currently the Executive Director of APG – the Portuguese Association of People Management and a member of the Editorial Board of the "Pessoal" magazine. He is the Portuguese representative in the European Association for People Management (EAPM). He was born in the old parish of São Jorge de Arroios where he still resides, having participated actively in various groups of the parish church (scouts, acolyte, choir, theater group). From 2009 to 2013 he was a member of the São Jorge de Arroios Parish Assembly and, in the mandate of 2013-2017, he held the position of 1st Secretary of the Board of the Parish Assembly of Arroios, always elected by the Socialist Party.
Maria Gonçalves has a degree in Social Work from the Higher Institute of Social Services in Lisbon and a degree in Urbanism at the Universidade Lusófona, as well as in the area of Migration, Ethnic Minorities and Transnationalism, at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Superior Technical of Local Administration since 1989, Maria Gonçalves works in the area of Housing, Urban Planning and Urban Rehabilitation. From 2009 to 2013 she was a member of the Parish Assembly of the former parish of Santa Isabel (Lisbon), elected by the Socialist Party.
Frederico Pereira was actively involved in young associations: was a Salesian scout from the CNE for a decade, a volunteer at the Food Bank and practiced rugby. Professionally he worked as a financial manager in multinational companies such as Xerox and Bayer, first in Portugal and later in Barcelona, where he lived and worked. He is a National Councilor for the CDS and the national leader of the Popular Youth, where he currently holds the position of Vice-President of the National Congress Bureau.
Ana Filipe was born in Setúbal in 1989 and lives in Lisbon since 2007. She is an Architect, having graduated in 2013 by the Faculty of Architecture of the Universidade Técnica de Lisboa. After a two year experience abroad, where she began her activity as an Architect, working as an intern at the Federal University of Viçosa and as an Architect at Atelier Alephzero, she returned to Lisbon where currently lives and works. At present Ana Filipe is an Architect and adviser in the area of urban planning.
A retired Insurance Professional, Maria Fernanda Lacerda has been living in the parish for 40 years. Has a degree in Accounting and Financial Control, with a postgraduate in Audit and Accounting of Management of Financial Institutions. Is also a Certified Accountant, a Chairman of the Fiscal Council of the Mútua dos Pescadores, Mútua de Seguros, and CRL. Beginning Course / Improvement of concertina execution techniques.
Graduated in Law from the Universidade Lusíada de Lisboa, Vítor Fernandes lived and worked as a lawyer in the Arroios parish for 17 years. He has been a lawyer on his own since 1992 and has been a member of the Legislative Revision Groups on Social Housing and supported by the Office of the Deputy Secretary for Health and Social Affairs of the Government of Macao, having also worked as a juror at the Macao Housing Institute and the Technical and Legal Office of Macao Public Administration and Civil Services. He currently works as a law firm in his own office, being a member of the International Bar Association and TEN – The European Network of Law Firms.
Graduated in Civil Engineering from the Universidade do Algarve, António Valente began his professional activity in 2001 at SOMEC, S.A., where he worked on works management. In 2004 he joined the staff of Águas do Algarve, S.A., in the Department of Infrastructures Management. Since 2014, he has been working in Logistics of the Águas de Portugal, S.A . company.
With a degree in Banking Management, equality and social justice have always been priorities for Maria Eugénia da Gama e Silva. Therefore she has been linked to institutions that aim at these same ideals, such as the Portuguese League Against Cancer or the Portuguese Association for Victim Support, where she has volunteered. In terms of equality, she was a member of the Workers' Committee, the Banking Union and the General Consumers Union where she still works. Her journey, together with the fact that she was born, and has lived to this day, in the Parish, will allow her to be an asset to the Parish Assembly, where she will fight for justice, equality and respect, and for a better Arroios Parish for all.
Maria José de Matos has a degree in History from the Faculty of Letters of the University of Lisbon and in History and Geography from the University of Salamanca, with Postgraduate Studies in European Studies and Human Rights, and a Master's Degree in Sociology-Social Trends of Our Time at UNED, Madrid. She was Director of Services at DSAC / SCML. She volunteered, and was part of the Directorate of the Portuguese Center for Refugees for 12 years. She was also the founder of an IPSS in Zambujeira do Mar, municipality of Odemira. Militant of the PS, was Town Councilor of Odemira between 1993 and 1997, member of the Council of Jurisdiction of the PS and the Department of Socialist Women.
Has a degree in Geography and Regional Planning from the Universidade Nova de Lisboa. Between 1979 and 2016, he was an employee of the Lisbon City Council, where he held the position of Head of Division (1993 to 2010) with responsibility for image, animation, promotion / dissemination of Lisbon markets, promotion of associativism and training /renovation of traders. Retired since 2016, he collaborates on a voluntary basis with the Community Center of Carcavelos.
Graduated in Political Science and International Relations, Maria Margarida dos Santos is finishing her Masters degree on the subject of Participative Democracy. In professional terms, she currently holds the position of Senior Technician in the Quality Management Service of COFAC. She assumes management positions in different Parent Associations, having been linked for more than 10 years to the Portuguese Cooperative Movement.
A native of the S. Sebastião da Pedreira parish, Lisbon, Carla Cristina da Silva has a degree in Communication Sciences – Cultural Management, and a Master's degree in Political Science – Citizenship and Governance, at the Lusophone University of Humanities and Technologies (ULHT). Her professional career has been carried out in the administrative and assistant areas, as a secretary in a law firm and, for more than ten years, as assistant administrative assistant and pedagogical in the direction of the Faculty of the ULHT.
With a background in Banking Management Course of the Banking Training Institute, José Manuel Rodrigues worked for the Banco Português do Atlântico and the Banco Comercial Português (currently Millennium bcp) in the financial and commercial areas. He was also responsible for the Private Banking in Angola. He left the Banking at the end of 2012, and is currently an entrepreneur in the financial branches of consulting and real estate. Director of the Camões Scholastic Club, which has a strong social responsibility dimension, encouraging young people to practice sports as a base activity for leisure time and to promote healthier lifestyles.
José Eduardo Vera de Matos holds a Master's degree in Economics from the Universidade Nova de Lisboa and has developed research projects in the same institution as well as in the Ministry of Economy and the Ministry of Finance, as a trainee. He has been living in the Arroios parish for more than twenty years, where he participates in volunteering activities for the benefit of the community since joining the Dona Luísa de Gusmão High School, where he was also a representative of the students in the Pedagogical Council between 2010 and 2012. He is also militant of the Socialist Youth since 2016.


Ty Beanie Babies have a brand new collection to add to the hugely popular range - Paw Patrol! 6 of your favourite characters are available as a cute, high quality cuddly plush toy. Collect the Paw Patrol gang - Chase, Rubble, Marshall, Skye, Rocky and Zuma (each sold separately).
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Written by Robert W. Welkos Thu Feb 16, 2017 Actors, Directors, Fiction, Film, Oscars, Screenwriters, Short Story Leave a comment
OSCAR FICTION PACKAGE: An actress thinks the Academy Awards are all about her. 2,991 words. Illustrations by John Donald Carlucci.
The party is swirling and Eleanor Gautier is already drunk.
Charles Dumont had been silent throughout the long drive from Malibu to the Hollywood Hills and silence is rarely a good sign for the moody French director. He's wearing that brown silk shirt that Eleanor absolutely abhors. She wonders why so many items in his closet resemble the result of an intestinal virus. He's also smoking, another way to irritate this year's Oscar-nominated actress who stars in Oscar-nominated Charles' gritty cop drama Brutal Norms, which received a standing ovation at Cannes and the Palme d'Or.
Tonight's hostess, Liz Fontaine spots the gloomy couple from across her living room and quickly makes her way around knots of party guests. "You made it!" Liz exclaims as she air kisses the pair. "I wasn't sure you'd come. As you can see, everyone is here and they adore you both. You're the buzz of Hollywood, you know."
"She knows," Eleanor says as the stir of her vodka martini punctuates her statement. When she's drunk, she refers to herself in the third-person.
Liz introduces the couple around. Eleanor's eyes stray and then narrow. "Is that Melanie Milapeed?" she asks Liz.
"Yes, how thrilling I have the two leading Best Actress nominees here at my party," Liz replies.
"Are there any Oscar voters present?" Eleanor asks, her eyes tick-tocking between her rival and Liz.
"The place is overflowing with them," Liz winks and lowers her voice to a vaporous whisper. "I'd estimate there are at least thirty votes within these walls. All dying to meet you."
Eleanor keeps looking across the room at Melanie and thinking what a most unlikely Best Actress nominee, perhaps the most unlikely ever. Wasn't Melanie waiting tables in some diner two years earlier before she dazzled at Sundance? And look at her. As American as peach cobbler and a glass of whole milk. The moon-pie face. The Darla Hood bangs. Her breasts receding where they should be inciting public interest.
Yet as Hollywood, and more painfully Eleanor, now realize, Melanie is not what she seems. She's a bundle of talent — a dual threat to be sure, for not only has she been nominated for Best Actress in her very first film, but also an Academy Award nominee for Best Original Screenplay. She's that good. In fact, her indie film, Weathervane, was made for peanuts and has been compared to Oscar winner Annie Hall.
"Eleanor must meet her," she tells Liz, nodding in Melanie's direction. Midway across the room, Eleanor sees heads turn but ignores the stares. The focus of her attention remains on Melanie, who at this very moment is regaling famed film critic Maxwell Chambers with a story from her movie set.
And Maxwell, dubious of all things Hollywood, is laughing until his sides hurt. "You're the genuine article," he tells Melanie. "So refreshing." Immediately, Maxwell's phoniness antenna goes up as he swivels to greet Eleanor. "Ah, Miss Gautier!" he says, lifting a glass filled only with ice.
Eleanor quickly air kisses the critic and chit-chats, her mascara-deepened eyes darting to Melanie every chance they get. "Monsieur, would you mind if Melanie and Eleanor — we girls — speak in private?"
The question seems to hover for a second before Maxwell relents and takes a stiff bow. "I'll catch up with you both later," he says before strolling away.
"This is truly an honor, Miss Gautier," Melanie gushes and attempts a clumsy curtsy. "Let me just say that I was blown away by Brutal Norms. If anybody deserves an Oscar, you do."
"So, we finally meet," Eleanor replies to the younger woman. "Tell me, darling, how did you ever write such exquisite dialogue? You have extraordinary talent in this regard."
"Well, to be honest, I just sat down and began typing what came into my head. That movie is really my life unspooled. You see, I was once that dumb ol' sassafras of a waitress living in Dubuque. But enough about me, Miss Gautier—"
"Call me Eleanor."
"Okay…Eleanor it is. Anyway, if it wasn't for my mom, who raised us kids all by herself working two jobs after Dad died, I wouldn't be here now. I just know it. Tell me, Eleanor, how does it feel to win an Oscar?"
"But Eleanor has not yet won an Oscar."
"Oh, please," Melanie chuckles, "I've seen enough movies in my life to know that your performance is a winner. I mean, the way you play an undercover cop who is brutalized by that mob and spends months trying to get up her nerve to put on the badge again — why, that's one of the most mesmerizing acting jobs I've seen since Sophia Loren in Two Women."
"You are so kind." Eleanor nods and looks away.
"How do you do it?" Melanie asks.
"Do what?"
"How do you just go and morph into a character that you're not remotely like? I mean, my part came naturally. I knew her inside and out. But you're always taking on new and challenging roles. You were a countess in one film, a prostitute in another, a woman who commits treason in that spy thriller. How do you do it?"
"We women are all of these things inside."
"People are saying that it's only a matter of time before you get a fireplace mantel lined with Oscars and Golden Globes and SAG Awards."
Eleanor pats Melanie's hair. "Yes, people are saying this, aren't they?" But now a frown greets Melanie as Eleanor explains, "Eleanor doesn't think she will ever play a waitress in Dubuque. The French accent. It would give her away, no?"
The two women dissolve into laughter.
"So, tell me," Melanie asks, "what are you going to say up there?"
"Up where?"
"Up on stage. The acceptance speech. What are you going to say before all those millions of television viewers? Doesn't it unnerve you?"
"Oh, that. Who gives such things much thought?" Eleanor says as her expression grows serious. "Certainly not Eleanor Gautier. Should she be fortunate enough to win, then she will thank her team."
"Your team?"
"Her agents. Her manager. Her lawyers. Her stylists. These are all important to her."
"Not your director?"
Eleanor sighs. "Of course. Charles Dumont. How can she forget him? After all, he has given her this rare opportunity to shine, no? At least, that is what he tells all the magazines. But he has his own worries."
"Worries?"
"Charles so desperately wants to marry Eleanor."
Melanie shrieks, prompting nearby partygoers to stop their chattering and turn their heads toward the two actresses.
Eleanor lowers her voice to a cathedral whisper. "Darling, please do not repeat a word of this." Then, with a girlish pout, she explains. "Eleanor is inclined to reject Charles' proposal."
Melanie's eyes widen.
Eleanor touches Melanie's elbow with two fingers. "Please, this is a very painful time. You see, darling, Eleanor Gautier is at a crossroads in her career ambitions."
"Is that right?"
"Charles wants her desperately to star in his next film, but right now she has her sights set on the next projects of Iñárritu or, maybe, Fincher. She can't decide which."
"Now, they have not actually offered her the roles yet. But should she win the Academy Award, then she is confident that these cinematic geniuses will seriously consider her."
"What about Charles? What if he wins Best Director?"
"Trust me, he won't. All the Oscar buzz around him has long since… What do you call it when the water goes up in the air?
"A geyser?"
"No, the other way."
"Rain?"
"No, like it is nothing. Back to the clouds where it was born."
"Evaporated?"
"Yes. And why is he back to the clouds? Because that's where his head is. Behind his back, he is being called — how you say in America? — the one-time wonder."
"One-hit wonder."
"Yes, that is it."
"Pardon me for saying this, Eleanor, but I think you might be selling Mr. Dumont short."
"He was born short. He just does a good job of stretching himself out." Eleanor laughs. "Look, let's keep this between the two of us — especially the marriage proposal. Eleanor would be very upset to see this news find it's way to Harvey."
"Harvey?"
"TMZ." The French star stares directly into Melanie's eyes. "Understand, darling?"
"Sure," Melanie replies uncomfortably.
A new thought strikes Eleanor. "You are such a great writer. Not many so young and sweet and from the middle of nothing have what you have. Why, Eleanor Gautier would die to have a skill like that." She suddenly grasps Melanie's hand. "You want to have some wicked fun?"
Melanie looks puzzled. "As long as I don't have to skinny dip in the hot tub with Maxwell Chambers."
"What would it take for the two of us to achieve a little Oscar history?"
"I don't understand."
"Darling, a thought has just struck. What if we each take a stab at writing each other's acceptance speeches?"
'You write one for Eleanor Gautier, which she would deliver if she wins, and Eleanor writes yours. Why, just think: she could provide you with the kind of speech that would give you international flare. It would prove so attractive to European directors that you could instantly become much more than this waitress who wrote a movie about her life."
"Come again?"
"Oh, don't misunderstand what I'm saying. You can still thank your school drama coach. But you do not yet have the global experience that Eleanor Gautier has."
"So, you really want me to write you an acceptance speech?"
"Exactly. And I would be flattered to write yours. And it would be truly memorable. Just think. Should the news ever get out that two Best Actress nominees wrote each other's acceptance speeches, it would be talked about for years to come. Why, we would go down in Oscar lore."
Melanie looks up at the ceiling. "I bet I could write a damn good acceptance speech for you, Eleanor."
"She knows you can, darling. After all, you are being hailed as the best female screenwriter of your generation. Eleanor would be honored if you wrote her speech. That way, even should you lose, you win. Don't you see? Should the news ever leak out that you wrote a fantastic speech for Eleanor Gautier, then people would applaud you, too."
Melanie snaps her fingers. "I'll do it! When should we get started?"
"Right away!"
They shake hands and double over laughing at their audacity.
Ah, the joys of Blue Curacao!
A week later at their Malibu rental, Eleanor is savoring the smooth taste of her preferred drink as she watches Charles slip off his leather sandals, remove his loose-fitting white pants, and stand buck naked beside the deep end of the pool. She appreciates his sinewy physique, admires his dyed-blond buzz cut which reminds her of the first time she saw him. It was in St. Tropez. He was canoodling at a bar with his wife at the time. And two nights later, Eleanor was nibbling Charles' same earlobe in a hotel room. By the completion of their movie Brutal Norms, she had reeled him in and the wife was sent packing back to Lyon.
Eleanor takes another sip of Blue Curacao and returns to the task at hand. Stretched out in her thong bikini atop a towel-covered chaise lounge, the actress studies the screen on her tablet and recites the words she intends Melanie Milapeed to utter should the Dubuque waitress pull off the stunner of all stunners and is named Best Actress. An absurdity to be sure, Eleanor thinks, given the competition arrayed against her, but a possibility nonetheless.
Eleanor bursts out laughing and, in mocking tones and butchered Midwestern dialect, says, "Oh, wow!… This is so darn amazing! Thank you, folks! And thank you, Academy! And I also want to thank my producer… and my agent… and my manager… And I'd like to thank the screenwriter but that's me!"
Eleanor stares blankly at the pool and notices that Charles has disappeared underwater.
She googles famous Oscar speeches and comes up with Sally Field's. "I can't deny the fact that you like me, right now, you like me!" Eleanor howls. Her smile dissolves. Melanie and her mama probably know that speech by heart. She scrolls down to other memorable Oscar acceptance speeches. Gwyneth Paltrow's. Jared Leto's. Roberto Benigni's.
A few minutes pass. What would a Melanie Milapeed say at the biggest moment of her life? "When I was a little girl growing up in Kansas, I could only dream of one day becoming as great an actress as Catherine Deneuve! Juliette Binoche! Marion Cotillard!"
Eleanor erases all those names and then types: "Eleanor Gautier!" Pleased with herself, she gazes nonchalantly at the pool and another thought strikes her. Poor Charles. Little does he realize that right after the Oscars, she plans to let him return to his silly wife, who keeps calling him at all hours threatening suicide. Let her have him back. Besides, Charles is becoming such a conceited bore. He thinks Brutal Norms is a success because of him. The truth is he had no clue how to direct Eleanor Gautier. Yet he takes all the credit.
"Did you say something to me?" Charles asks from the far end of the pool. His shadow beard sparkles like crushed ice in the mid-day sun. His skin glows like spiced rum. Eleanor blows him a kiss. In the meantime, there's Blue Curacao.
Her cell beeps. A text from Melanie: Done.
Eleanor quickly texts back: Excellent! Finishing now!
"Who are you wearing?" the Entertainment Galore TV reporter asks Eleanor on the Red Carpet of the Academy Awards amid a blizzard of camera flashes and the din of Dolby Theatre arrivals.
"Givenchy. Isn't is chic?" the French actress replies.
"How does it feel being here tonight, Miss Gautier?"
"It's a dream – and more! And to see all these great actors gathered here in one place… Truly amazing."
"And Miss Gautier, do you have a speech prepared in case your name is called tonight?"
Eleanor laughs. "Oh, yes, I have a few words. Not many."
"Well, thank you so much and good luck!"
A publicist guides Eleanor with Charles in tow along the Red Carpet. The actress becomes annoyed when Charles steps into the pictures and flashes a "V" for Victory sign.
A few steps behind them, Melanie Milapeed is leading an older full-figured gray-haired woman who is wearing a cheap and ill-fitting dark blue sequined gown. Melanie catches Eleanor's eye and calls out, "My mom's here!"
Once inside the Dolby, Eleanor takes her seat besides Charles who leans over and whispers, "Excited?"
"If my name is called," she deadpans.
The show begins. Wild applause at a litany of Trump jokes. Presenters. A message from the Academy president. In Memoriam. Finally, Denzel is at the podium to announce the winner of Best Performance By An Actress In A Leading Role. The camera zooms in on Eleanor, who applauds for herself.
"And the Oscar goes to…." There is a pregnant pause as tension rises. Backstage, journalists stare at the TV monitors. Twitter readies to unleash 140 character commentary. Who will it be? "…Melanie Milapeed!"
Eleanor is stunned. The theatre erupts in wild cheers.
Melanie's mom nearly faints. Melanie mouths from her seat, "ME?" Hand over her heart, she bursts into tears and trembles as she attempts to stand. Then she leans down and kisses her mother and heads toward the stage.
Denzel kisses Melanie on the cheek and hands her the golden Oscar. When she steps to the mic, the audience grows quiet.
That's when Eleanor notices Melanie is holding a slip of paper. It must be the acceptance speech that Eleanor Gautier has written for Melanie Milapeed. She's going to fulfill their secret pact, Eleanor thinks.
"Thank you—" Melanie begins, wiping away tears. The media send her words to their readers and listeners. Melanie basks in the adulation of the moment. The waitress from Dubuque, against all odds, touches the heartstrings of the masses.
"It is a beautiful speech, no?" Charles whispers to Eleanor, who is silently seething.
"She didn't mention my name," Eleanor mutters as her lips tremble in anger.
"What are you talking about?" Charles asks.
"Why didn't she give the speech I wrote for her? The speech that praises Eleanor Gautier as her more accomplished idol."
"Are you crazy?" Charles laughs as everyone around them continues cheering Melanie. "She is a writer. You are but an actress. She doesn't need you to write her lines."
Eleanor turns and slaps Charles across the face. Then she bolts from her seat and storms backstage where she confronts Melanie who is gripping the heavy Oscar with both hands. "Eleanor, how did I do?" Melanie asks.
Eleanor slaps Melanie and grabs the statuette out of her rival's grip. "Give this to me!"
"Like hell I will!" Melanie shouts back.
The actresses begin yanking the award back and forth before tumbling to the floor. "You ungrateful little amateur!" Eleanor shouts as they roll around. Melanie yanks Eleanor's hair. Eleanor raises the Oscar menacingly above Melanie's head. Melanie screams as the statuette comes crashing down against her forearm. Eleanor sees a crumpled piece of paper on the floor beside Melanie and grabs it.
At that moment, security intervenes. Her Givenchy gown in tatters, mascara smearing her makeup, her coiffed locks askew, Eleanor is led away and bundled into a limo with Charles and driven away. The stage manager yells for everyone to resume their places. Melanie picks up her Oscar and looks as if she's just survived a Midwest twister.
It doesn't take long for the headlines to hit the internet. OSCAR CHAOS! MELANIE-ELEANOR DUKE IT OUT! BEST ACTRESS WINNER ATTACKED BACKSTAGE BY JEALOUS RIVAL! PUNCHES THROWN! HEATED WORDS! OSCAR HISTORY MADE! ELEANOR AND CHARLES FLEE IN LIMO!
The next day, Eleanor is sulking and refusing to get out of bed. She unfolds the crumpled piece of paper she found on the floor backstage near Melanie. It's the Oscar acceptance speech that Eleanor had written for her. But it's X-d out and in its place are three words penned in Melanie's own hand:
"Thank you, Mom."
Oscar®, Academy Award®, and AMPAS® are registered trademarks of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, ©AMPAS.
Robert W. Welkos
Robert W. Welkos is an award-winning journalist who covered the film industry for 15 years for the Los Angeles Times. Before that he was an assistant city editor for the paper's Metro section. He previously was an AP correspondent in Reno. This excerpt is from a second novel he's writing. His first, The Blue Poppy, was published in 2012.
About Robert W. Welkos
Robert W. Welkos is an award-winning journalist who covered the film industry for 15 years for the Los Angeles Times. Before that he was an assistant city editor for the paper's Metro section. He previously was an AP correspondent in Reno. This excerpt is from a second novel he's writing. His first, The Blue Poppy, was published in 2012.	View all posts by Robert W. Welkos →
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Hillary Clinton claims that Russia hacked the Democratic National Committee's emails to help Donald Trump in the 2016 race, but a NSA whistleblower disagrees with her assertion.
Former NSA official William Binney, an architect of the agency's surveillance program, says that it is more likely that a disgruntled member of the U.S. intelligence community leaked the emails.
On "Fox and Friends" this morning, Binney said that accusing the Russians is a way of diverting attention from the actual issues that the emails bring to light.
Binney also revealed some information related to the Clinton's highly controversial private email server: the NSA has a database that likely has all of Clinton's deleted emails, and the FBI could access them if it wanted to.
He explained that the agency has access to "sophisticated, searchable databases" to track down terrorists, which essentially means that they can track everyone's emails.
That means that not only do they have access to Clinton's emails - deleted or not - but they could find out who hacked and leaked the DNC emails, if they actually wanted to.
"All of that is available in the network log," Binney said. "All they'd have to do is go in the network log and see who was accessing it. The IP addresses and all the MAC numbers coming in tell you the devices and where they are in the world."
"So, you can look around and see who really did it. And that's what they need to prove. They haven't done that yet. That's the point."


As health care costs continue to rise and individual health needs change, your costs for Medicare will likely change from year to year. As a Medicare beneficiary, you may need to pay certain out-of-pocket costs, such as premiums, deductibles, copayments and coinsurance. These costs are generally standardized under Medicare Parts A and B. For Medicare Part D, your costs may vary by plan.
Knowing what these costs are projected to be every year can help you to plan ahead and eliminate out-of-pocket spending.
The first step in budgeting your Medicare payments is determining your specific Medicare expenses. Your Medicare out-of-pocket costs will depend on whether you have Medicare Part A, Part B, or both. Moreover, these costs can change from year to year.
Part A Premium: Most beneficiaries over 65 don't pay a monthly premium for Medicare Part A coverage if they or their spouse paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years (or 40 quarters) while working. If you don't qualify for premium-free Part A, your monthly premium will be up to $437 in 2019. The exact amount will depend on how long you worked and paid Medicare taxes. If you need to pay a Part A premium and didn't sign up when you were first eligible, you may have to pay a late enrollment penalty. The penalty is a 10% higher premium for twice the number of years you were eligible but didn't enroll in Part A.
Part A Hospital Inpatient Deductible: $1,364 in 2019 for each benefit period.
Day 101 and beyond: You are responsible for all costs unless you have a separate insurance policy that covers these costs.
Medicare Part B covers ambulance services, inpatient and outpatient care, partial hospitalization, clinical research, and durable medical equipment.
You aren't currently receiving retirement benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board.
You're a dual eligible (have both Medicare and Medicaid), and the Medicaid program pays for the cost of your premiums. If you qualify, your $135.50 premium is paid by the Medicaid program.
You're billed directly for your Part B premium.
Your Part B premium could be higher than $135.50 if your income is higher than a certain amount.
If you waited to enroll in Part B, your premium could be 10% higher for every 12-month period that you were eligible for Part B but didn't sign up. Your premium may also be higher if you make above a certain income level.
Part B Deductible: The annual deductible is $185 in 2017.
Part B Coinsurance: You pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for medical service, durable medical equipment, and outpatient therapy (i.e., physical therapy).
Premium: Your monthly premium will vary depending on the plan you choose. Your monthly premium could include a late enrollment penalty if you didn't sign up for Part D when you were first eligible and didn't have creditable prescription drug coverage for 63 or more consecutive days.
Copayments/Coinsurance: Many Medicare plans providing prescription drug coverage put covered medications into different benefit tiers, with higher or lower copayments/coinsurance depending on the tier. How much you pay will depend on which prescription drugs you are taking and the tiers they fall under.
Annual Deductible: The annual deductible for a standard Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan is a maximum of $415 in 2019. Plans may have a lower deductible than that or even have a $0 deductible.
Medicare supplement plans are offered by private insurance companies in order to help you pay for out-of-pocket costs for services under Medicare Part A and Part B. If you have a Medicare supplement policy, the coverage is completely standardized by the Federal Government. However, the costs may vary by plan, even if the benefits are exactly the same.
Medicare cost-sharing requirements can change from year to year, so budgeting for Medicare payments should be adjusted annually. You should carefully read your plan's EOC (Evidence of Coverage) and ANOC (Annual Notice of Change) documents every year in order to decide whether your current plan meets your health needs and if projected costs are still within your budget.
Medicare doesn't cover everything. You will still be required to pay your deductible, coinsurance, and copayments out of pocket for all Medicare-approved expenses.
Medicare will cover most of your medical services at Medicare providers. Your exposure will be a deductible for Medicare Part A, a deductible for Part B and possible 15% excess charges (though rare nowadays). Your biggest threat is the 20% coinsurance you'll be responsible for on medical expenses after you meet your Part A and Part B deductibles.
A Medicare supplement policy is a private insurance plan that helps cover such things as the Medicare Part A deductible, Medicare Part B deductible, 20% coinsurance, and excess charges. Medicare supplement plans are completely standardized by Medicare and are offered as plan letters with each plan offering different coverage for the different areas of exposure.
While the most popular Medicare supplement plans are Plan F, Plan G, and Plan N, there are many plans available. Compare those plans and coverage here.
GoMedigap is an independent Medicare supplement insurance agency, representing over 30 of the top providers to ensure you have multiple options when it comes to choosing your supplement. If you'd like our professional team of experts to review your coverage options and provide guidance on which plan would work best with your individual health needs, please give us a call at (800) 310-2550.


Join us at our monthly coffee mornings, held in our sales office on the last Wednesday of every month, 10am until 12pm.
Come and see us at The Chase Dales , our exclusive development in Ross-on-Wye for over 55's. Visit the show home and have a chat with our Sales Advisers. We will be serving delicious complimentary cake (supplied fresh from our local tea shop Pots & Pieces in Ross-on-Wye) alongside tea and coffee. If the weather is good, we'll even put out some lawn games including croquet and hoops for you to enjoy.
Our next coffee morning will be on Wednesday 28th October at 10am and will be held in the sales office, which is also the delightful summerhouse for the development. Everyone welcome!
For more information, please call us on 01989 567900.


We are initiating coverage of Emerson Electric at Neutral with a $47 fair-value estimate.
We believe Emerson 's (ticker: EMR) shares will outperform in a "flight to quality" scenario, but think expectations are broadly too high for the industrial universe at this point. A group-wide correction could underestimate Emerson's earnings resiliency and create an entry point, all else equal.
We believe well-capitalized process customers will continue to invest, while limited downside in climate and secular trends in network power should bolster results in a recession scenario.
The company's portfolio upgrade and emerging-market exposure should prove more defensive in a potential non-2009 downturn. Emerson's emerging-market footprint is farther along than most of its multi-industry peers', at 34%, and a pause in activity there is likely to be more muted and, based on the company's product mix, resilient than for more at-risk sectors (e.g., construction).
While they were not core components of the portfolio, motor and appliance divestitures should reduce cyclicality.
The bar has been lowered, and there will be fewer surprises if orders decelerate. Tougher comparisons have been a big driver of the downtick in order pace; however, Chief Executive David Farr has also clearly signaled slower macro growth and has been planning accordingly.
Between foresight and a natural mid- to late-cycle lag on activity, Emerson appears better prepared to us than earlier-cycle peers who have yet to see weakness. Should the economy fall into recession, we expect the litany of "I told you so"s to ignore Emerson.
The company's network power segment is on the mend. We believe pricing weakness in computing and power is largely behind us and merger and acquisition (M&A) skepticism has cooled.
We view the strategy around M&A as either necessary (Chloride [now an Emerson unit]) or justifiably strategic (Avocent [now an Emerson unit]).
Our $47 fair-value estimate assumes 13.5 times fiscal 2012 estimated earnings per share, which is consistent with the stock's average multiple during 2008-2009 and is bound by other normal valuation parameters, which include its five-year average price-to-earnings and premium versus peers.
Emerson Electric (EMR: NYSE) By MKM Partners ($44.


text:
Jobs Go As AIC Steel Heads into Administration
A total of 101 people have been made redundant following the entry of the steel contracting business AIC Steel Limited into administration in recent days.
The company is based in the city of Newport in south Wales and had employed a total of 130 people at locations in the area prior to administrators being appointed on October 4th 2016.
The appointed administrators are David Hill and Huw Powell from the business recovery specialists Begbies Traynor, who have said that just 29 employees are being kept on to assist in the running of AIC Steel while its financial position is analysed, with 101 redundancies already confirmed.
AIC Steel was only created in 2013, when it was established specifically to acquire the business and the assets of Rowecord Engineering Ltd after it had been entered into administration.
The purchase of those assets was completed by AIC Steel in March 2014 but it has now found itself facing an apparently insurmountable series of financial challenges over the course of recent months.
Administrators appointed to AIC Steel have said that they are "currently investigating the viability of continuing trading", with efforts already being undertaken to try to find a new owner for the south Wales steel business.
The steel industry in the UK and particularly in Wales has been hit by a number bad news stories in recent years with major employers struggling to avoid large-scale job cuts, facility closures and business administrations.
In January 2016, Tata Steel announced that it was cutting its UK workforce by as many as 1,050 people, with 750 jobs lost as a direct result in the Welsh town of Port Talbot.
There was better news in April though with Tata Steel revealing that the sale of several of its British businesses would secure in the region of 4,000 jobs.
Nevertheless, the past few years have been unusually challenging for steel production companies and associated businesses across the UK, with the ready availability of cheap imports from overseas generally given as the key reason for the downturn in activity and profit-making as far as British steel operators have been concerned.