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Confessions of a Dangerous Mind 2003
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
Rockwell is spot-on as Barris, and Clooney directs with entertaining style and flair.
Total Count: 165
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Game show television producer Chuck Barris (Sam Rockwell) is at the height of his career. His creation, "The Dating Game," is one of the network's top shows and he has just been given the post of hosting his latest brainchild, "The Gong Show." But what the public and industry big-wigs are unaware of is that Chuck Barris, game show pioneer, is also a covert assassin. He works for the C.I.A. and claims to have killed 33 people.
R (Sexual Content|Language|Violence)
comedy, drama, biography
Andrew Lazar
Release Date (Theaters):
Jan 17, 2003 wide
Box Office (Gross USA):
Mad Chance, Section Eight Ltd.
Sound Mix:
Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Scope (2.35:1)
CIA Agent Jim Byrd
Kristen Wilson
Actual Barris
Jim Lange
Writer (Book)
Charlie Kaufman
Writer (Screenplay)
Rand Ravich
Newton Thomas Sigel
Jim Bissell
Renée April
News & Interviews for Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
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Definitive Julia Roberts Performances
Critic Reviews for Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
All Critics (165) | Top Critics (43) | Fresh (130) | Rotten (35)
The film does not offer any explanations. Instead, it intrigues more.
January 3, 2019 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…
Though the real-life Barris has yet to confirm or deny his double life as detailed in his autobiography of the same name, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is an fascinating tale about an even more fascinating guy.
September 11, 2017 | Rating: A | Full Review…
Candice Frederick
Reel Talk Online
Brimming with slightly self-conscious directorial panache, the movie zips between nearly three decades, fantasy and reality without ever really deciding how seriously it wants to take itself.
June 24, 2006 | Full Review…
Bounces around like the smarter and weirder older brother of Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can.
Directing for the first time, Clooney turns out to be a natural when it comes to parody...
August 1, 2003 | Full Review…
Sandra Hall
There isn't an emotional connection to the people or actions taking place on screen, and while I was impressed with some of the performances and filmmaking the film as a whole left me cold.
June 19, 2003 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…
Kaufman's script, and particularly his dialogue, is pitch perfect.
September 5, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0 | Full Review…
Well-acted and well-written, for mature teens+.
Hollis Griffin
An intriguing, bizarre and challenging film that invites us into a world filled with larger-than-life characters and strange occurrences.
October 18, 2008 | Full Review…
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
Fact and possible fiction amble to a photo finish as one of pop culture's nuttiest milestones.
August 7, 2008 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…
Mark Halverson
Clooney wanted Kaufman's script delivered without corruption or softening. He has overcorrected and made a glum, almost listless movie.
July 30, 2007 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…
Rob Gonsalves
Directing a movie is no picnic, but I'll be damned if Mr. Clooney doesn't make it seem like fun.
July 14, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/4 | Full Review…
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound
View All Critic Reviews (165)
Audience Reviews for Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
Capturing the inherent tragedy and intrigue of the controversial autobiography, A Dangerous Mind is an adaptation worthy of watching. Directed by George Clooney, the film has a distinctive feel, almost surreal in parts, capturing the apparent erratic and strangely brilliant nature of its subject, TV producer and purported CIA assassin Chuck Barris. Starring Sam Rockwell, his performance envelopes the screen and the Barris persona. Liberties are taken, to be sure, but the heart of what the book was trying to get across was captured. Once more, the Clooney film added to the story what was otherwise missing--relatable relationship dynamics and even greater drama. Especially effective was the cut-ins with real-life interviews. 4/5 Stars
Jeffrey M Super Reviewer
Sam Rockwell has a way with flawed anti-heroes and his performance in "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" is a prime example of that. Directed by and starring George Clooney, "Confessions" follows the autobiographical (and somewhat contested) true-to-life story of Chuck Barris, best known for developing the concept for The Dating Game and The Newlywed Game. Where Barris' life comes into question is whether or not he was secretly a CIA agent on the side of being a television producer and songwriter. The film unfolds this story, with Rockwell playing Barris, right before our eyes, mixing in real life interviews with people that knew Barris, like Dick Clark and Dating Game host Jim Lange. Written by the ethereal Charlie Kaufman, working off the real life memoir of Chuck Barris, "Confessions" spans most of one man's entire adult life and speaks with such a distinct tongue that will not soon be forgotten. Drew Barrymore and Julia Roberts offer delicate performances, bringing to life these somewhat unbelievable women with a grace that forces you to take them seriously. You look forward to Barrymore's presence, as she garners a strong presence and strong sexuality that radiates in every scene. Rockwell, however, is the enigmatic force of the film that creates both a congenial and melancholy presence all at the same time. He's a playboy, but a drifter, a cold blooded killer yet an enthusiastic game show host. Rockwell covers all these bases with ease and constantly impresses. Whether or not the real life Chuck Barris is speaking the truth does not change the fact that his life makes for an entertaining jaunt in "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" and Clooney does an expert job at delivering this eccentric story to the big screen.
Christopher H Super Reviewer
Jim Byrd: You're an assassination enthusiast, a murder buff. "Some Things Are Better Left Top Secret" Confessions of a Dangerous Mind is an altogether interesting film from all angles. There's the life of Chuck Barris aspect, which is the story of the film, and if the CIA connection is actually true or not. Then there's the technical elements. It's George Clooney's directorial debut and it's written by Charlie Kauffman. There's also the great cast, including: Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore, George Clooney, and Julia Roberts. Overall, it's a fairly good movie, but in that sense it is also disappointing because I believe, given the source material and names attached, it should have been a lot better. This biographical film follows Chuck Barris as he works his way into television by coming up with game show ideas like, The Dating Game. In enters, Jim Byrd, who approaches Chuck about becoming an independent contract killer for the CIA right before he hits it big with his first game show. From their we see the supposed double life of Chuck Barris. On the surface he's just a trash television personality, but behind the scenes he's a lethal assassin. At the end of this one I was left wondering what could have been. The movie is extremely messy in spots and some scenes just don't work at all. Then there's the scenes that are just about perfect also. If only Clooney, Kauffman, and the cast could have found a happy medium between the absurd and the serious, this would have been a much better film. As it is, this is still a pretty good film. It's far from perfect and suffers from a variety of problems, but it's altogether entertaining and interesting. It's worth a watch for more than the fact that it's Clooney's directorial debut and a Kauffman script.
Melvin W Super Reviewer
George Clooney clearly had fun directing this movie, as there are all sorts of neat-looking details going on. Unfortunately, Charlie Kaufman's least daring script tries to sculpt the story into the usual psyche-study with unsubtle philosophical subtexts, but those elements sort of just flail around, leaving audiences with nothing much more than a wacky, slick-looking drama/thriller thing with a talented but underutilized cast, and not enough substance to complement the style.
Sam B Super Reviewer
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind Quotes
Patricia Watson: Leave the microfilm in, baby.
Chuck Barris: Whatever your hand finds to do , do it gladly , because there is no work, love, knowledge or wisdom in the grave.
Chuck Barris: Whatever your hand finds to do, do it gladly, because there is no work, love, knowledge or wisdom in the grave.


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https://www.barrons.com/articles/who-is-winning-the-trade-war-51565892210
Podcast: The Trade War Enters a More Dangerous Phase
Mette Lützhøft and
Alex Eule
Aug. 15, 2019 2:03 pm ET
It's the story that doesn't go away. For 18 months now, trade has hung over every conversation about the economy, politics, and Wall Street. The U.S. and China are jockeying for dominance—and stocks are caught in the crossfire, along with businesses and consumers. But now the trade war is entering a new phase that could hit consumers in a different way.
In the latest episode of The Readback, Avi Salzman joins host Alex Eule to talk about the ongoing trade war and where investors can find safety.
The Readback
The Readback is a financial podcast published every Wednesday. We'd love to know what you think of the show, so please take a moment to rate and review us in iTunes—or write to Alex Eule at alex.eule@barrons.com and Mette Lützhøft at mettelutzhoft.jensen@barrons.com.
It's the story that doesn't go away.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Justice for John
Hilary Torney
Monday 20th September 2010 will be 16 years to the day since members of the emergency services were called out to the family home of serving RUC officer John Torney in Cookstown. John's wife and two children were found dead from bullet wounds. The story made headline news around the world. John was subsequently charged and convicted of their murders via an investigation and trial which Hilary seeks to prove were fundamentally flawed.
From that date to this, the campaign to clear John's name has been tirelessly pursued by his brother Sandy and sister-in-law Hilary, whose personal story this is. From first waking to the news on breakfast television, through years of harrowing investigation and John's death of a heart attack in Maghaberry Prison in 2005, to today's campaigning for a judicial review, Hilary's single minded mission has been to get to the truth and ensure justice is done.
The campaign has propelled Hilary into the spotlight, gained cross party support and receives ongoing TV and Newspaper coverage both locally and worldwide.
Published On: 20 September 2010
Publisher: Hilary Torney
El Alamein 1942
Richard Doherty
Atlantic Linchpin
Guy Warner
The Roots of Ireland's Troubles
Robert Stedall
They Killed the Ice Cream Man
George Larmour


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Spa design collects water from fog for use on-site
An international architecture firm has released the design of a health spa in eastern Nepal that will capture moisture from fog and convert it into water
From Civil Engineering Magazine
U.S. Army Corps deconstructs nuclear facilities, carefully
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently decommissioned and dismantled a nuclear power plant onboard a ship — the first of a trio of reactors that must be deconstructed over the next several years.
Chase Center arena in San Francisco excels above and below ground
The opening of the Chase Center arena in San Francisco is the capstone in the transformation of the city's Mission Bay neighborhood. Located on reclaimed ground with weak soils and a high water table, the project works were innovative above and below grade.
Perseverance pays off: The Transatlantic Telegraph Cable
The design and positioning of the Transatlantic Telegraph Cable — the internet of its day — was a daring, costly endeavor
Part 1 of 2: ASCE's new code of ethics explained
In the first of two parts, general counsel Tara Hoke highlights similarities and differences between ASCE's new code of ethics and its predecessor
Cantilevers create sculptural office on difficult site in Chennai, India
A new office building in India features stacked, rectangular volumes, each cantilevering to create outdoor spaces at every level
Mapping, coordination streamline Saint Louis University's utility system upgrade
An extensive infrastructure upgrade took place at the 200-year-old campus of Saint Louis University.
USDA awards nearly $900 million for rural water and wastewater projects
The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded $891 million in loans and grants for rural drinking water and wastewater infrastructure projects in 43 states.
Duke researchers ask: Can soil temperature predict a landslide?
Duke University researchers are taking the temperature of landslides to help predict sudden, catastrophic failures of the moving land masses
Hydropower and environmental groups cooperate toward clean energy and healthy rivers
In mid-October, groups representing hydropower and environmental interests declared their intentions to promote hydropower to generate renewable energy and foster healthy rivers


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Category Archives: Jaden Schwartz Jersey
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Defines the crime of "notario publico deception" and makes a violation a class A misdemeanor.
Defines the term "advertise" as making a communication to the public in a written or broadcast medium, by the Internet, on a Web site or using any other form of electronic communication.
Defines the term "Notary designation" as representing oneself as a Notary Public, Notario or Notario Publico, or using a similar term indicating in English or a language other than English that the person is a Notary.
Defines the "notario publico deception" as advertising using the Notary designation without the Notary disclosure in an advertisement on the person's business card and letterhead, adver-tising or claiming to be an expert on immi-gration matters without being a designated entity as defined under 8 CFR 245a.1(1) or accepting payment in exchanged for providing legal advice or any other legal assistance, legal judgment or interpretation of the law.
Classifies notario public deception as a Class A misdemeanor and authorizes the Secretary of State to investigate a possible violation of the notario publico deception and revoke a Notary's commission for a violation related to the notario publico deception.
In one of the toughest foreign-language advertising laws to date prohibiting unscrupulous nonattorney Notaries from preying on unsuspecting immigrants seeking legal assistance, the state of Indiana has created a formal name for the crime: "notario publico deception." A violator of this new crime commits a Class A misdemeanor and incurs permanent revocation of the Notary commission.


It's been over a decade since we did our Deaf Filmmakers project (funded by Mediabox), where budding young media enthusiasts took part in workshops. With direct training from Deaf professionals, the participants learnt how to create a film. As a result of this project, we have seen some of the participants go on to be successful in the media field , including, to name but a few, Stephen Collins, who's been involved in acting in the recent 'Fingersmiths' and in New Wolsey's touring play Up 'N' Under, Brian Duffy and David Sands both whom are incredible actors, starring in the Deaf comedy sitcom Small World, which is currently shown on TV at the moment, and lastly, Rebecca-Anne Withey who starred as a fairy in Louis Neethling's film Tree Fairy and is also a talented signed-song artist, which is why she will be leading a workshop on that very topic at the Deaf Youth Film and Performance Academy this summer!
Loveless, Lonely and a Loser directed by Ramas Rentelis.
Never Trust an Interpreter directed by David Hay.
The World Today directed by Brian Duffy, David Sands and Simon Herdman.
We are hoping to launch a new training scheme, Deaf Youth Film and Performance Academy, a one-week residential course offering young deaf people an opportunity to learn about filmmaking, acting, dancing and signing songs. The training will be led by British Deaf Professionals and, together with the participants, they will create the UK's first sign-musical film!
Posted by Deaffest on April 18, 2018 in Uncategorized.


Instructions for copying calendar events from a secondary calendar to the default calendar using Outlook 2013 desktop client. Only events on the default calendar display free/busy times to others.
NOTE: If you are using Outlook Web App (OWA), please refer to Office 365 - Outlook Web App - Moving events from one calendar to another .
There are two methods for copying events to the default calendar in Outlook 2016.
2. Activate the source calendar and your default calendar (make sure the calendars are checked on the left so the events appear on the right).
3. Select the event you want to copy by clicking and holding.
4. Drag the event to the default calendar and drop. The system will place the event in the same day/time. NOTE: If the event is part of a series, you will be prompted to choose Copy series or Copy selected occurrences.
Use "Copy to My Calendar"
1 Open the desired calendar.
2. Open the event to be copied. If you are copying a series, make sure to select the entire series. Click OK. The event will open in a new window.
4. Click Yes to save your changes. A copy of the event will appear on your default calendar, thus blocking your time.
Don't have the desktop client?
Employees should find Outlook 2016 on their office computers as part of the Office Suite. Go to Start and search Outlook. Follow instructions as presented.
Employees and students may download Outlook desktop client to their personal devices through the Outlook Web App as part of their free Office license.


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Contrary to general perception, of Academics in a Residential School is lost in the rich socio-cultural life, The Assam Valley School has not allowed Academic to take a back seat.
Academics is the foremost concern of this growing school, as the Board results (both ICSE and ISC) have been soaring up the graph, year after year. Furthermore our University placements have successfully raised the eyebrows of the very nation.
This does not mean that AVS is a mark producing industry only. The all-round development of the growing child is our major concern. Academic is followed closely by cultural and sporting activities.
We believe that true education is the architecture of the soul awakening a sense of undying curiosity and the desire to achieve. Our primary concern is to prepare and equip young adults for citizenship of the 21st century.
Along with academic pursuits a child's communicative skills are honed through elocution, singing, extempore speaking and drama. A child's aesthetic sense is nurtured through Co-curricular activities such as Drawing, Painting, Pottery, Cane and Bamboo Craft and, Weaving. The students also have a choice between Indian and Western Music both in the instrumental and vocal disciplines, and classical dances such as Bharatnatyam & Sattriya.
The CISCE is a board for school education in India. It conducts two examinations: one for the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education and for the Indian School Certificate.
Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) Candidates appearing for the examination have to study seven subjects, with anywhere from 1 to 3 papers in each subject.
The Lower School that comprises Classes 5 to 8 of The Assam Valley School follows the syllabus of the new curriculum guidelines prescribed by CISCE.
English, Math, General Science, 2nd Languages (Hindi, Bengali, Assamese), Environmental Education, Computer Science, History, Geography.
Economic Application/ Indian Hindustani Music/ Indian Dance / Physical Education/ Computer Application/ Commercial application/ Environmental Application/ Art.


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The Backwards K
Get "caught looking" at The Backwards K
Player Props
Daily Notes & Analysis
Tag Archives: Jose Abreu
Betting: 2019 MLB Season Player Props – Home Runs (Part One)
Posted on March 15, 2019 by Jason
The 2019 MLB season is quickly nearing and that means it is season long player prop time! For the 2018 season, I logged winners on 44 out of 67 (66%) season long player prop bets on their over/under marks in statistical categories. Those bets are undocumented outside of my own records, but those who know me well know I am an honest gentleman, and they also know I have a bit of a knack on this baseball thing.
Laying down some of that hard-earned cheddar to have to wait over six months to see any potential return on these season long props can be quite a drawn out process, but hey, baseball is a drawn out sport that is not for the impatient or for the thrill seeking adrenaline junkies. So if you are one that can truly appreciate the thought, deliberation, skill, and strategy that goes into this game that most grown men can only dream of playing for a living, then you should have no problem waiting the six plus months to see your bankroll additions! But if you are one that thinks baseball is "boring," a.) I don't necessarily blame you and b.) then you can still read the analysis below, bet it and forget it, don't watch a single at-bat all season, then login to your account on September 30 for a pleasant monetary surprise.
These picks are based off my personal hand-crafted statistical player projections. ***Unless noted otherwise, all lines are from MyBookie.
The largest percentage of my player prop picks are on home runs, so the home runs category is going to be broken up into two parts. This post will focus on all picks that have a home run over/under of 24.5 or greater.
So let's get caught looking at these props!
Aaron Judge: Over 39.5 home runs (+105) – I am not too sure why we are getting plus odds here, but we will most certainly accept it. Last year, your honor was not quite on pace to repeat his monstrous 52 HR rookie season, but he did pop 26 HR in the Yankees' first 100 games before getting plunked with a fractured wrist in the 101st game. That only equates to a 42 HR pace before the injury, but that still would have eclipsed this 39.5 home run line. The drop in pace was also a byproduct of his flyball% dropping from 43.2% to 35.0%. He is still young and growing as a hitter, so I move for him to gain back some of those flyballs and I think Judge will oblige and grant the motion. The Backwards K projection: 43 home runs
Posted in Player Props	| Tagged Aaron Judge, Baseball, Cody Bellinger, Fantasy Baseball, Freddie Freeman, Gary Sanchez, Hunter Renfroe, Javier Baez, Joey Gallo, Jose Abreu, Josh Donaldson, Justin Upton, Khris Davis, Manny Machado, Matt Carpenter, Max Muncy, Mike Moustakas, Mike Trout, MLB, Player Props, Rhys Hoskins, Sports Betting, Travis Shaw, Trevor Story	| 3 Comments
2016 Fantasy Baseball First Basemen Rankings
We are on to a much more exciting position now, generally the one with the most power, and we all know that chicks dig the long ball, right fellas? So make it a point to get some power at first base, but know that it's not the end of your fantasy season before it even starts if you don't get power here.
Below are THE BACKWARDS K 2016 FANTASY BASEBALL FIRST BASEMEN RANKINGS. Included for each player is "The Backwards K Quick Take" and a self-produced player projection for 2016.
***Please note the following:
The player's names are color coded to signal different tiers at the position.
The rankings reflect standard 5×5 roto scoring settings (AVG/HR/RBI/R/SB) with position eligibility requirements as 10 total games played at a position in 2015, or 5 total games started at a position in 2015 (i.e. Yahoo! settings).
The numerical order is not necessarily a suggested order to draft them in, but it is the order that is calculated based on each player's listed projections, unless noted otherwise.
Noted in some players' "Quick Takes" is if they gain or lose notable value in points leagues that factor penalize hitter strikeouts and reward hitter walks.
Posted in Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes/Analysis	| Tagged Adam Lind, Adrian Gonzalez, Anthony Rizzo, Brandon Belt, Brian McCann, Buster Posey, Byung-Ho Park, C.J. Cron, Carlos Santana, Chris Carter, Chris Davis, Daniel Murphy, David Ortiz, Edwin Encarnacion, Eric Hosmer, Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Sports, First Basemen, Freddie Freeman, Joey Votto, Jose Abreu, Justin Bour, Kendrys Morales, Lucas Duda, Mark Teixeira, Mark Trumbo, Miguel Cabrera, Mitch Moreland, MLB, Paul Goldschmidt, Prince Fielder, Rankings, Stephen Piscotty, Victor Martinez, Wil Myers	| 4 Comments
Adrian Beltre Leaves the Ballpark on His Tri-Cycle (and other notes from 8/3/15)
Posted on August 4, 2015 by Jason
Inhabitants of the west coast of the U.S. have long been enjoying the tastings of In-N-Out Burger. Pretty much any highway or boulevard you drive down, you will at some point see the classic In-N-Out Burger logo to lure you in for arguably the best fast food burger that your lips will ever touch. Being a left coaster myself, I enjoyed a cheeseburger with grilled and raw onions and chopped chilis just last week (if you like your food with a little kick, then you have to get it with the chopped chilis off their "secret menu").
A while back, my brother went to In-N-Out Burger and did something that I wouldn't have thought possible out of a 145 lb. man with hardly an ounce of body fat on him. He ordered a cheeseburger, a double double, a 3×3, and a 4×4 — and he ate it all in one sitting. That is some ridiculous eating talent right there and we like to say that he "ate for the cycle."
On Monday, Texas Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre did something that is probably a bit more impressive than my brother "eating for the cycle," as he hit for the cycle (single, double, triple, and home run all in one game) for the third time in his career. Beltre became just the 4th player to hit for the cycle three times. He joined John Reilly (no, not the dude from the movie Step Brothers), Babe Herman (not to be confused with George Herman "Babe" Ruth), and Bob Meusel (I have no actual parenthetical blurb to say about him). Hitting for the cycle just once in a career is pretty nice, but to do it three times is quite the accomplishment, especially when you're like Beltre and don't have the wheels to leg out a lot of triples. Beltre's tripled just 34 times in his 18-year career, so he hits for the cycle 9% of the time that he gets a triple. That's a pretty high rate if you think about it.
With In-N-Out Burgers popping up all over Texas now, and there's even one in the city of Arlington where the Rangers play their home games, I now issue a public challenge to Mr. Beltre to eat for the cycle. And in the same vein, I also issue a public challenge to my brother, Kameron, to eat for the cycle two more times to bring his total up to three to match Beltre's number of cycles. What do you say, gentlemen?
Now let's take a look at the rest of Monday's action.
Posted in Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes/Analysis	| Tagged A.J. Pierzynski, Adrian Beltre, Baseball, Brad Miller, Brandon Belt, Brandon Crawford, Buster Posey, Carlos Correa, Carson Smith, Charlie Blackmon, Chris Davis, Christian Yelich, D.J. LeMahieu, David Peralta, David Price, DFS, Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Sports, Felix Hernandez, Freddie Freeman, Garrett Richards, In-N-Out, Jace Peterson, Jason Castro, Jason Kipnis, Jesus Montero, Joe Panik, Jose Abreu, Josh Donaldson, Kyle Seager, Lance McCullers, Luis Valbuena, Michael Conforto, Mike Fiers, MLB, Nelson Cruz, Nick Ahmed, Santiago Casilla, Tom Koehler, Welington Castillo, Yangervis Solarte, Yoenis Cespedes, Zack Godley	| Leave a comment
Happy 4th of July! (and other notes from 7/3/15)
Posted on July 4, 2015 by Jason
Happy 4th of July! Eat a lot of BBQ, enjoy a lot of fireworks, but most importantly… watch a lot of baseball! Here are the notes from Friday's games!
Jason Hammel – 7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K with the L. Hammel has pitched well enough to be an All-Star, but he's not even the best pitcher on his own team (Jake Arreita) and it could be tough to send both, if any, Cubs pitchers to the All-Star Game. But Hammel got stuck with a loss on Friday despite pitching pretty well. He should be able to keep up a nice performance in the second half, but he will see a bit of regression in his .256 BABIP. He is 5-4 with a 2.89 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 104 K/18 BB in 102.2 IP. Continue reading →
Posted in Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes/Analysis	| Tagged A.J. Ramos, Andrew Cashner, Anibal Sanchez, Baseball, Brian McCann, Buster Posey, Carlos Gomez, Carter Capps, Chi Chi Gonzalez, Chris Archer, Christian Yelich, DFS, Erick Aybar, Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Sports, Garrett Richards, Gerardo Parra, Gio Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez, Jake Peavy, Jason Hammel, Jose Abreu, Jose Altuve, Justin Bour, Kole Calhoun, Mark Teixeira, Michael Wacha, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Fiers, MLB, Tom Koehler	| Leave a comment
Rodney's Reprise? (and other notes from 6/26/15)
About six weeks ago is when I first began suggesting that Fernando Rodney be removed from the closer's role to make way for the young and more talented Carson Smith, and then I gave it a full rundown in the "BLOW-PEN Report" on May 23. Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon ended up giving Rodney a lot of leash because he likely didn't want to have to remove Rodney as his closer, but McClendon finally saw enough. On June 6, Smith recorded his first career save in perfect fashion.
Since Smith took over as the team's closer, entering Friday's game, he had converted 5 straight save opportunities by pitching 5.2 innings allowing 2 runs on 2 hits and no walks while striking out 8. So he has been having little issue in finishing games stress free.
Since Rodney lost the closer's role, entering Friday's game, he has done much better, only being scored upon once in 5 outings for 1 run in 5.2 IP with 4 K/3 BB. In that small sample, it hadn't been the best of performances, but clearly it was much better than what he had been doing in the 9th inning trying to close out games previously.
Friday night presented an interesting situation for the Mariners though as Smith was brought on in the middle of the 8th inning where he let Mike Trout and Albert Pujols reach base before getting a double play to end the inning for a total of 10 pitches thrown. And then Rodney was brought in for the 9th inning to try and close the game against the bottom part of the Angels order, and he successfully did so after allowing one hit.
Initially when I first called for the switch of closers in Seattle, I had said that Smith was the better pitcher but that McClendon would probably eventually give Rodney another opportunity to close if he proved that he was able to work out his issues in lower leverage situations. But then when Smith began to have so much success and displayed that he could potentially handle 9th inning duties with ease, I thought that Rodney would never be getting his job back. So the way things played out on Friday is a bit peculiar to me since Smith did nothing in the way of performance to give back the job.
However, in this game, the higher leverage situation was actually in the 8th inning with the Angels best hitters (and two of the best in the AL so far this season), Trout and Pujols due up. So the thought process for McClendon could have been that they really needed to get by Trout and Pujols before even thinking about seeing a save opportunity for the game, which meant that they needed to go to their best option. So then McClendon might have thought that once Smith got by the heart of the order, then Rodney could come in to a more ideal situation to face the weaker hitters and possibly instill some confidence in him should he finish the game cleanly.
So I am still going to have to believe that Smith is the closer until he blows some saves (fingers crossed that he doesn't). Maybe Rodney will snipe some opportunities away like he did on Friday, but I see little reason why Smith shouldn't remain the man for the job and I would be shocked and lose any faith I had in McClendon as a manager if he were to switch things back with no probable cause. But we will have to wait and see just what happens next.
Let's check out the rest of Friday baseball.
Posted in Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes/Analysis	| Tagged Adam Eaton, Alex Gordon, Anthony Rendon, Baseball, Ben Revere, Brandon Moss, Brandon Phillips, Brett Anderson, Brian Dozier, Byron Buxton, Chris Young, Corey Kluber, DFS, Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Sports, Fernando Rodney, Francisco Liriano, Gerardo Parra, Giancarlo Stanton, J.D. Martinez, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jake Arrieta, Jimmy Paredes, Johnny Cueto, Jose Abreu, Josh Phegley, Khris Davis, Max Scherzer, Mike Trout, MLB, Nick Martinez, Noah Syndergaard, Prince Fielder, Robbie Ray, Scott Van Slyke, Seattle Mariners, Taijuan Walker, Trevor May, Tyson Ross, Vincent Velasquez, Wei-Yin Chen	| Leave a comment
The Butler Did Do It, But Can He Continue To? (and other notes from 6/12/15)
Joey Butler of the Tampa Bay Rays has been the team's primary DH since being called up and he has been scorching as of late and with a 3 for 5 game on Friday night, Butler is now hitting .342 with 4 HR, 16 RBI, 14 R, and 3 SB in 34 games. Now I am all for riding hitters while they're hot, so by all means let the Butler service your team for now, but before picking him up you need to know that the Butler might start hitting like an old maid in short time.
Up to this point, Butler has been a career Minor Leaguer who is now with his third organization. Butler had received just 21 Major League appearances before this season, and at 29 years old he is not some emerging hot shot prospect who is taking the baseball world by storm. He has had some nice success as a Minor League hitter with a career .294 AVG, 15-20 HR power, and some sneaky double digit SB speed. So I am not meaning to say that Butler is a terrible player who doesn't deserve any consideration, but we need to see the reality in this fantasy situation.
The reality is that Butler should soon begin a swift downfall. His excellent batting average is being driven by an astronomical .456 BABIP, which would rank as the highest in the Majors if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. It is true that his 27.7% line drive rate would rank favorably as the 9th highest and his 10.8% soft hit rate would rank as the 11th lowest, but those rates are likely to trend in the wrong directions soon. But even if he does happen to keep up those rates, no player can sustain a BABIP like that and he has his strikeout rate working against him as another factor that should bring his AVG down. Butler has struck out 27.9% of the time, which is a pretty high rate. It's not quite in the territory of his teammate Steven Souza, but it's still up there and it is very realistic since his swinging strike rate of 16.3% would rank as the 5th highest in the league. To make things worse in the plate discipline area, his high strikeout and swinging strike rates are paired with a horrific 1.6% walk rate. Butler had a 11.1% career walk rate in the Minors, so he does have some upside to do better there, but it's not likely something that is going to change over night to make a drastic turn.
The fact of the matter is that Butler has been an extremely free swinger and while free swingers can succeed in the league, like Adam Jones or the retired Vladimir Guerrero, free swingers with high strikeout rates will have much more limited success in the long term, if any success at all. But like I said, using hitters in fantasy while they are hot is a fine strategy, but it's knowing when to cut them loose that is equally as important.
Let's take a look at the rest of Friday's action.
Posted in Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes/Analysis	| Tagged Alex Wood, Aramis Ramirez, Aroldis Chapman, Baseball, Brett Cecil, Brett Oberholtzer, Brian Dozier, Bryce Harper, Caleb Joseph, Carlos Correa, Chris Davis, Corey Dickerson, David Price, Drew Hutchison, Drew Storen, Dustin Pedroia, Elvis Andrus, Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Sports, Felix Hernandez, Gregory Polanco, Hector Rondon, J.J. Hoover, J.T. Realmuto, Jaime Garcia, Jake McGee, Joey Butler, Jordan Zimmermann, Jose Abreu, Justin Smoak, Kevin Correia, Matt Wieters, Michael Pineda, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Fiers, Mike Trout, MLB, Mookie Betts, Pablo Sandoval, Pedro Strop, Starlin Castro, Tampa Bay Rays, Todd Frazier, Tommy Milone, Tony Cingrani, Wandy Rodriguez, Wilmer Flores, Yordano Ventura	| 1 Comment
The Ya Ya Yas (and other notes from 6/10/15)
I am going to go ahead and say without any official report of it that the Diamondbacks/Dodgers game on Wednesday was the first game in baseball history that featured two players named Yasmani or Yasmany to homer in the same game, and that it was also the first game ever to feature three players whose names all start with "Yas" who all homered. This looks like another one for the Elias Sports Bureau to tackle and as stupid as it is, I think it is pretty remarkable. So let's take this opportunity to give a little bit of a rundown on the "Ya Ya Yas."
Yasmany Tomas of the Diamondbacks went yard for his 2nd HR of the season. The Cuban defect has for the most part produced well for the Diamondbacks, but I am sure that they were expecting and would like to see more power out of that beastly 6'2″ 255 lb. frame of his. So it was a very pleasant sight to see him deposit one over the fence on Wednesday. Despite the lack of power, Tomas has been getting it done with his batting average at .331 because of his wonderful ability to hit the ball to the opposite field and up the middle so often. This great skill that he has makes it incredibly hard for defenses to defend him, especially since opposing teams may not have great scouting reports on him in his first season. His high AVG is being supported by a BABIP that is currently well north of .400, but I am still optimistic about Tomas' outlook due to his opposite field approach and for the likelihood that his power numbers will increase as he gains more experience during the season. With 3B and OF eligibility in fantasy leagues and being a part of one of the top offenses in the league, Tomas is a quality fantasy option.
Yasmani Grandal had that huge breakout game earlier this season where he hit 2 HR with 8 RBI at Milwaukee, and up until Wednesday, that one game had accounted for approximately 40% of his power production all season long. But with a HR on Wednesday, Grandal is now hitting .277 with 6 HR and 21 RBI in 45 games played. Grandal was one of the main pieces that the Dodgers received in return for dealing Matt Kemp to the Padres in the off-season, so the team clearly believed in him and so far so good. He's not posting numbers that are off the charts, but he's been a rock solid option at catcher. However, it should be noted that as a switch hitter, Grandal is much more productive as a left-handed hitter. From the left side this season, he is slashing .283/.400/.492 with all his HR and RBI coming as a lefty, and a nifty ratio of 26 K/24 BB. So keep this in mind if you own him and set your lineup daily, and also note that he makes for a very nice play in DFS (daily fantasy sports) when he is up against a right-handed pitcher, particularly ones that don't throw too hard.
Yasiel Puig of the Dodgers ended up missing about 6 weeks with a strained hamstring, so he has a lot of time to make up for. Earlier this week, he came off the DL and has been making his return well known. On Wednesday, he had a perfect day at the dish, which included a 3-run bomb, to push his hitting streak to 4-games since returning (9 for 15 in those 4 games). But the sign of a true recovery from his injury might be when he steals his first base of the season. During his rehab of the strained hamstring, he suffered a setback otherwise he would have been back a few weeks ago. So he might approach it safely initially, but if he starts to steal bases like he is capable of then that will signify all systems are a go. Puig clearly has monstrous fantasy appeal and it's scary to think of how good the Dodgers offense could be with him back, considering how they obliterated a lot of pitching without him.
Let's take look at the rest of the hump day action.
Posted in Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes/Analysis	| Tagged A.J. Pollock, Andrew Miller, Baseball, Brad Boxberger, Brayan Pena, Carlos Martinez, Carson Smith, Charlie Morton, Chris Coghlan, Christian Yelich, Darren O'Day, Dellin Betances, Devin Mesoraco, Edwin Encarnacion, Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Sports, Fernando Rodney, George Springer, Ivan De Jesus, Joe Panik, Jose Abreu, Kevin Jepsen, Kyle Seager, Marcell Ozuna, Matt Harvey, Miguel Montero, Mike Pelfrey, MLB, Nori Aoki, Pat Venditte, Paul Goldschmidt, Rafael Soriano, Scott Copeland, Travis d'Arnaud, Trevor Bauer, Vincent Velasquez, Yasiel Puig, Yasmani Grandal, Yasmany Tomas, Yovani Gallardo	| Leave a comment
Bad Beat Baby (and other notes from 6/3/15)
Posted on June 4, 2015 by Jason
Being a former semi-professional online poker player back in the good ol' Party Poker days, I surely have had my fair share of bad beats, and I have given bad beats as well. But I don't think any of those bad beats I received will match up to the one I suffered on Wednesday on DraftKings.
In the $80K Guaranteed Moonshot tournament ($3 entry fee), I entered 6 lineups with all of them containing at least 1 player from the Coors Field game between the Dodgers and Rockies. Games at Coors Field obviously have increased total offense due to thin air, so hitters playing games there are going to be good guys to target. Three of my lineups were full 5-6 player stacks of either the Dodgers or Rockies offense, and in the other 3 lineups I had sprinkled in some of those players.
However, about 15 minutes before the first game was about to start, I got a notification of some inclement weather in Denver so there was a decent chance of the game getting postponed. After some deliberation, I told myself and a couple friends that I would chance it and keep all my lineups as they were. But then at the very last minute, I ended up switching just one of the 6 lineups where I substituted in Jason Kipnis and Mike Aviles for Martin Prado and Troy Tulowitzki.
As the evening progressed, I was in 1st place out of the 30,651 entrants around the 8:00 PM hour, but with Kipnis and Aviles not having done much, I knew that I was in for a sad night with Tulowitzki still on the slate as the Dodgers and Rockies game battled a couple of rain delays but the game would go on as scheduled. Tulowitzki ended up having a monster game and it turns out that if I did not edit that one lineup at the very last minute, then I would have ended up getting 1st place and taken down the $5,000 prize.
What is the most disappointing about it all is that it wasn't a bad beat suffered at the hands of another DFS player, it was a bad beat that I gave to myself. If I had just trusted myself then I would have been that much richer. But so it goes. Lesson learned to trust my instincts, and I'll take a tourney down one of these days.
Let's see what happened in Wednesday's slate. Continue reading →
Posted in Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes/Analysis	| Tagged A.J. Pollock, Baseball, Chris Carter, Corey Kluber, Eduardo Rodriguez, Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Sports, Freddie Freeman, Gerardo Parra, Jimmy Nelson, Joc Pederson, Jose Abreu, Jose Bautista, Lance McCullers, Mark Buehrle, Mark Teixeira, Masahiro Tanaka, Mike Bolsinger, Mike Leake, MLB, Rubby De La Rosa, Starling Marte, Taijuan Walker, Trevor May, Troy Tulowitzki, Yasmany Tomas	| Leave a comment
Robinson Cano? More like Robinson Can-blow! (and other notes from 5/30/15)
On Saturday, Robinson Cano went 2 for 4 and hit his 2nd HR of what has been a extremely painful season for the Mariners second baseman and his fantasy owners. But could the longball on Saturday be a sign of things to come? I definitely would not count on it.
I was very down on Cano entering the year and this is what I said about him in the pre-season: "It seems to me as if Cano is just in the decline phase of his career and I personally would not have him on any of my teams as his name value exceeds what I perceive to be his actual value."
If you thought the 1990's had a lot of bad trends with nu-metal music, frosted tips, and playing pogs at recess, then wait till you see Cano's laundry list of horrible trends this season that give him little hope of returning to fantasy stardom.
With 4 straight seasons from 2010-13 of ISO marks above .200, Cano's power suffered a severe decline last season to a .139 ISO, and this season it is even worse at .094.
Cano entered the 2014 season with a career ground ball/fly ball ratio of 1.54. Last season, he ended up with a ratio of 2.13 and also has the same 2.13 ratio so far this season. Hitting the ball on the ground more is an indicator of his loss in power.
The average distance on his HR + fly balls has declined from 292 feet in 2013, to 279 feet in 2014, to 272 feet this season. The loss in average distance here is also indicative of his loss in power.
After having walk rates of 8.8%, 9.5%, and 9.2% from 2012-14, Cano is walking only 5.9% of the time this year.
Even though last season Cano saw a big dip in his power, he still showed great contact skills with a 10.2% strikeout rate (2nd best of his career). However, along with a further dip in power this year, he is now striking out at a career high rate of 15.6%.
With a .323 career BABIP, Cano has long been able to be well above the average player in this regard. But he currently has a .297 mark this year, which would be the 2nd lowest of his career.
The low BABIP this year can be attributed to only going to the opposite field 18.8% of the time this year, which would be the lowest mark of his career and well below his career rate of 26.8%.
Not using the opposite field as much along with the career high ground ball/fly ball ratio and lower BABIP suggests that he is pulling the ball on the ground a lot into shifted defenses for easy outs.
With all this being said, if you're a sad Cano owner then it would be perfectly fine to bench him, or even better if you can find an owner hopeful of a Cano rebound to take him off your hands. For the rest of the season from May 31 onward, I will give Cano a very unexciting line of: .271 AVG, 8 HR, 47 RBI, 55 R, 3 SB, 68 K, and 30 BB.
So in homage to Cano's agent, hip-hop mogul Jay-Z, I leave Cano and his owners with this:
If you're having baseball problems, I feel bad for you son, you got 99 problems, and a pitch is one
Now let's see what else happened on Saturday's slate…
Posted in Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes/Analysis	| Tagged Albert Pujols, Baseball, Ben Paulsen, Ben Revere, Billy Hamilton, Brad Boxberger, Cameron Maybin, Carlos Frias, Chi Chi Gonzalez, Dallas Keuchel, Edwin Encarnacion, Erasmo Ramirez, Evan Gattis, Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Sports, Gerardo Parra, Giancarlo Stanton, J.T. Realmuto, Jean Segura, Jeff Francoeur, Jimmy Paredes, Jose Abreu, Juan Uribe, Justin Morneau, Khris Davis, Kyle Lohse, Mark Reynolds, Matt Adams, Michael Taylor, Michael Wacha, MLB, Paul Goldschmidt, Preston Tucker, Raisel Iglesias, Steven Souza, Williams Perez, Yasmani Grandal	| 2 Comments
What Would Doo Do? (and other notes from 5/27/15)
For anyone who owns Sean Doolittle in fantasy leagues, the question was going to be "What Would Doo Do (in his first game back from the DL)?" @whatwouldDOOdo also happens to be the Twitter handle of the Oakland lefty, and he does tweet some funny stuff and is worth the follow on Twitter if you're into that sort of thing.
Doolittle had been recovering and rehabbing from a shoulder injury that has had him on the DL all season, but he was finally activated on Tuesday and got into game action on Wednesday. Doolittle entered the 6th inning of Wednesday's game against the Tigers in a very low leverage situation with the team down 3 runs and the bottom of the Tigers order coming up. Doolittle caught Nick Castellanos looking on strike 3, got Bryan Holaday to hit a flyout, gave up a single to Dixon Machado, and then struck out Anthony Gose swinging through a fastball. So in box score terms that was 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K.
Looks pretty good, right? He should be back to closing games in no time? Well, it is possible but hold that thought. While he did finish his first outing back with a clean inning and even struck out 2 batters, let's not forget that 2 of the batters he faced are normally bench players and one of the other batters cannot hit lefties worth a lick. Then throw in the fact that Doolittle's fastball was sitting at just 89 MPH, which corroborates reports of his velocity being way down in his rehab appearances, and we could possibly have a tease situation on our hands if we were to just look at the box score.
Doolittle's fastball is a pitch that has regularly averaged 94 MPH on the gun over the last couple of seasons, so to be sitting at 89 MPH and topping out at 90 MPH does raise a decent level of concern. Coming back from a shoulder injury, it shouldn't be expected that Doolittle has the same type of velocity, but a 5 MPH difference is very discouraging. To look on the brighter side of things though, the fastball is a pitch that he throws 85-90% of the time, so he's not one to rely on changing speeds a whole lot. Instead, he is more about locating the fastball where he wants it to be. So he doesn't necessarily need the really good velocity, but it also is an extreme plus to have it and hitters may start to tee off on him if he's without good velocity.
Doolittle of course can regain the velocity as the season goes on and as his shoulder gets stronger. However, without any guarantee that happens, Doolittle may be in for some tough times. If I owned him, which I do, I would shop Doolittle around to owners that are looking for saves to see if you can get something that may be of good use to you. It won't be a star player, but a quality role player can go a long ways. There's a chance that Doolittle ends up being fine, reclaims the closer role after a couple more good innings, and goes on to be a quality closer the rest of the way. However, I would be fine taking my chances and getting rid of him if I can find the right deal.
Let's see what else happened on Wednesday! Continue reading →
Posted in Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes/Analysis	| Tagged A.J. Ramos, Addison Reed, Alex Guerrero, Alex Rodriguez, Alex Wood, Andrew Cashner, Baseball, Billy Hamilton, Brad Boxberger, Brad Ziegler, Carlos Carrasco, Carlos Santana, Carson Smith, Chris Archer, Chris Davis, Chris Young, Christian Yelich, Colby Lewis, Collin McHugh, David Robertson, Delino DeShields, Dustin Pedroia, Evan Gattis, Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Sports, Felix Hernandez, Gerrit Cole, Giovanny Urshela, Jason Kipnis, Jeff Samardzija, Joe Panik, Jon Lester, Jose Abreu, Josh Donaldson, Justin Bour, Leonys Martin, Lonnie Chisenhall, Lucas Duda, Max Scherzer, Michael Pineda, Mike Morse, MLB, Nelson Cruz, Nick Swisher, Noah Syndergaard, Nolan Arenado, Oakland A's, Ryan Vogelsong, Scott Kazmir, Sean Doolittle, Shawn Tolleson, Todd Frazier, Yoenis Cespedes, Zack Greinke	| 1 Comment
DONG-aldson Alert (and other notes from 5/26/15)
Josh Donaldson had an incredible night at the plate as he took the first offering that he saw from John Danks way beyond the left field fence for a solo dong in the 1st inning. Then he ripped a double off Danks in the 3rd inning, which put the fear in Danks to walk him next time in the 5th. Donaldson then came up in 7th and knocked a single up the middle off Jake Petricka. And for the grand finale, he took David Robertson deep to the opposite field for a 3-run walkoff DONG-aldson home run. Overall, Donaldson finished the night 4 for 4 with 2 HR, 4 RBI, 5 R, and 1 BB. The perfect night put him at a .315 AVG, 12 HR, 33 RBI, 40 R, and 2 SB in 48 games as he is proving to be a fantasy juggernaut in his first season as a Blue Jay.
Heading into the season, it was much assumed that the home park switch from Oakland to Toronto would give Donaldson a boost to his HR total, but he is on an absolutely torrid pace right now as he is hitting .380 with 9 HR and 21 RBI in 100 AB at the Rogers Centre. And not only is he obliterating pitchers when he is at home, but as I have mentioned several times, he also makes left-handed pitchers want to curl up into a ball and die in the corner of the dugout. Versus lefties this season, Donaldson is hitting .474 with 4 HR and 9 RBI in 36 AB. So Donaldson facing a left-handed pitcher at home is just about the most optimal situation for any hitter in the Majors.
At a .338 mark, Donaldson's BABIP may seem a little high at first, because his line drive rate is pretty low at 15.5%. However, his hard hit rate is up at a career best pace, and he is spraying the ball to all portions of the field instead of being primarily a pull hitter like in years past. Those are some great indicators that he is doing things differently and well, and it gives some hope that he will be able to have a BABIP that's higher than his career mark and subsequently hit for a nice average.
I think that we all knew that Donaldson would be able to put up some solid numbers this season moving to a hitter's park and being a part of one of the most powerful lineups in the Majors. But he is delivering so well on his potential that Billy Beane has absolutely got to be second guessing trading him away when he still could have been under team control for 3 more years.
For the rest of the season from May 27 onward, I will give Donaldson a line of: .284 AVG, 23 HR, 71 RBI, 71 R, and 4 SB
That means that I am projecting him to finish the season with a final overall line of: .292 AVG, 35 HR, 104, RBI, 111 R, and 6 SB. That is a fantasy monster.
Now let's check out the rest of Tuesday's slate…
Posted in Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes/Analysis	| Tagged Adam Warren, Adrian Gonzalez, Archie Bradley, Austin Jackson, Baseball, Brad Boxberger, Brad Miller, Brad Ziegler, Brandon Belt, Bryce Harper, Carlos Rodon, Carson Smith, Chris Rusin, Danny Salazar, David Price, David Robertson, Denard Span, DONG-aldson, Enrique Burgos, Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Sports, Fernando Rodney, Glen Perkins, Jacob deGrom, Jake McGee, Jake Petricka, Jason Kipnis, Jesse Chavez, Jhonny Peralta, Jimmy Paredes, Joey Votto, John Danks, Jose Abreu, Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson, Julio Teheran, Kris Bryant, Kyle Hendricks, Kyle Seager, Mark Reynolds, Mark Teixeira, Matt Adams, Matt Holliday, Matt Shoemaker, Michael Lorenzen, Mike Morse, Mike Pelfrey, Mitch Moreland, MLB, Nick Hundley, Odrisamer Despaigne, Preston Tucker, Prince Fielder, Sean Doolittle, Yasmany Tomas	| 1 Comment
Billy Burns the Base Paths (and other notes from 5/24/15)
Billy Burns was originally drafted by the Nationals but made his way over to the A's in an off-season trade after he just had completed an amazing season in the Minors in 2013. In that season, he split time between high-A and AA and compiled a .315 AVG with 0 HR, 37 RBI, 96 R, and 74 SB. Obviously the stolen base total was terrific, but maybe the more impressive thing was his feel for the strike zone as he walked 13.3% of the time while only striking out 10.0% of the time. So ever since then he has been someone that has been firmly on my radar as I tend to get enamored with players who have the capability to walk more than they strikeout.
However, 2014 season was a little bit of a different story. He split time between AA and AAA in his first year in the A's organization but didn't show the same hitting and on base skills as he had just a .237 AVG, 9.8% BB%, and 15.5% K%, but the speed was still there with 54 SB and all reports suggested that his speed would definitely be a factor once he reached the Majors.
As an outfielder, Burns did not have a clear path to everyday playing time for the A's to begin the 2015 season as Josh Reddick, Coco Crisp, Sam Fuld, Craig Gentry. and Rule 5 Draft pick Mark Canha all were ahead of Burns on the depth chart. So while Burns did crack the opening day roster, he was sent down to AAA after a couple of games where he could get everyday playing time. However, Burns was recalled on May 2 and ever since then I have been touting him and recommending him as a pick up in fantasy leagues. Crisp returned from the DL on May 6, which didn't look good for Burns' playing time outlook, but Crisp went back on the DL on May 20 to relieve any concerns for Burns on the playing time front.
So for the most part, Burns has been an everyday player since his recall, starting in 19 of his team's 22 games during that stretch and he is making a very nice impact for the A's and fantasy owners alike. On Sunday's first pitch of the game, Burns crushed the Erasmo Ramirez offering into the right field bleachers for the first home run of his Major League career and only the 3rd home run of his career as a professional. Burns later on added a stolen base to his box score line. The home runs will be few and far between for Burns, but it is his tremendous speed that is going to be his best asset and make him valuable for fantasy purposes. For the season, he has swiped 7 bags already in just 20 games played to go along with a .309 AVG. His walk rate currently stands at 5.7% and strikeout rate at 16.1%, so there is some to be desired in those areas considering what we have seen from him in the Minors, but as he gains more experience he may see improvements. Having a starting job and hitting atop the lineup for the A's is good enough for now, and being a switch hitter is certainly a quality that should help to keep him in the lineup on most days.
Heading into the season, Burns and the recently demoted Micah Johnson of the White Sox were my two strongest candidates to be this year's Dee Gordon to establish themselves as 50+ SB threats in the Majors. That's clearly not going to be happening for Johnson being back at AAA, but Burns could be on his way there (but he may have some competition in Delino DeShields). I do not think that Burns is going to go away, and he is definitely a player that needs to be owned in all 12-team leagues. There are only 3 players in the Majors who have more SB than Burns since he got called up, and those players are Gordon (9), Deshields (9), and Justin Upton (8). Barring injury, Burns will be near the top of the stolen base leader chart by the end of the season, and at just 6% ownership in Yahoo, fantasy owners need to wake up before they get "burned" by not picking up Billy.
Let's take a look at the rest of Sunday's action heading into the Memorial Day holiday…
Posted in Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes/Analysis	| Tagged A.J. Ramos, Aaron Sanchez, Addison Reed, Andrew McCutchen, Anibal Sanchez, Baseball, Billy Burns, Brad Ziegler, Brian Dozier, Chad Bettis, Coco Crisp, Craig Gentry, Dee Gordon, Delino DeShields, Edwin Encarnacion, Ender Inciarte, Enrique Burgos, Evan Gattis, Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Sports, Francisco Liriano, Gio Gonzalez, Hector Santiago, James Shields, Jason Hammel, Jimmy Nelson, Jose Abreu, Jose Quintana, Josh Hamilton, Josh Reddick, Justin Upton, Kyle Gibson, Kyle Seager, Leonys Martin, Luke Gregerson, Mark Canha, Martin Prado, Matt Carpenter, Micah Johnson, Michael Wacha, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Foltynewicz, Mike Napoli, MLB, Neftali Feliz, Nolan Arenado, Oakland A's, Paul Goldschmidt, Preston Tucker, Prince Fielder, Raisel Iglesias, Sam Fuld, Shawn Tolleson, Sonny Gray, Starling Marte, Taijuan Walker, Trevor Bauer, Wade Miley, Will Venable, Xander Bogaerts, Yovani Gallardo	| 1 Comment
Prince's Return to Royalty (and other notes from 5/23/15)
After suffering a season-ending neck injury last season that limited him to just 42 games in his first season as a Texas Ranger, first baseman Prince Fielder has not missed a game this season and has already surpassed last year's games played total this year by playing in his 43rd consecutive game on Saturday. Fielder actually has been sort of a modern day iron man, not like the Tony Stark version of Iron Man, but like Cal Ripken Jr. and his incredible games played streak. Nobody will ever come close to Ripken's amazing streak in this day and age where players are babied a lot more, but Fielder has played in all 162 games in 4 of his 9 full seasons and never having played less than 157 games in a season until the unfortunate neck injury from last year.
Given his nearly immaculate health history, it should come as no surprise that Fielder has roared back with a vengeance, but many (myself included) had doubts about his ability to. Here is what I said about him in the pre-season: "Players of his body type do not have a history of aging well as they reach 30 years old (see Cecil Fielder, Mo Vaughn, Ryan Howard), and Prince was already beginning a decline before he got traded to Texas before the 2014 season. Of course his 2014 season was a lost cause as he struggled out of the gate and then had a season-ending neck injury. A bounce back effort could be in store for the big guy, especially with a full season calling the Ballpark in Arlington his home, but I would also not be surprised if he never hits 30 HR in a season ever again."
Fielder is making me eat my words as much as he eats tofu burgers (which is likely a lot since he is reportedly a vegetarian), as he is on an incredible terror hitting .368 with 6 HR and 17 RBI in the month of May. The outburst has brought his season line to .351 AVG, 8 HR, 30 RBI, 20 R, and 0 SB, putting him amongst the top first baseman in fantasy baseball. His batting average is inflated due to a .364 BABIP, and his batted ball profile shows us that there is no significant differences to his career rates to tell us that he can maintain an batting average this far over .300. However, he is putting the ball in play at a career high rate as he has only struck out 11.1% of the time. Fielder has shown improvement in this area over the recent years, and in 2012 his very good strikeout rate of 12.2% allowed him to hit for a career high .313 AVG.
While there's no doubt that his BABIP will come down, with the excellent rate he is putting the ball in play, Fielder may have little issue hitting .300 for the second time in his career. His walk rate is also significantly down to 6.3% (compared to his career rate of 12.8%), but that's not too much of a concern when his strikeout rate is low as well. As for his power, Fielder's HR/fly ball rate has been on the decline since 2011, but his rate this season is right around 14.0%, which is very comparable to his 13.5% rate in 2013 with the Tigers and it is around that mark that I expect him to settle in at by season's end. It's not the 35-40 HR that was expected from him in his prime, but 25-30 HR for the season is still going to be quality and he is on pace for defeating most people's expectations of him for the 2015 season.
For the remainder of the season, I will give Fielder the line of: .294 AVG, 19 HR, 73 RBI, 60 R, 1 SB
Now let's check out the rest of the action from Saturday. Continue reading →
Posted in Fantasy Baseball Daily Notes/Analysis	| Tagged A.J. Burnett, Alex Rodriguez, Andrew McCutchen, Anthony DeSclafani, Baseball, Billy Burns, Brandon Crawford, C.C. Sabathia, Chris Colabello, Chris Sale, Cole Hamels, Corey Kluber, Dan Haren, David Wright, Delino DeShields, Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Sports, Jason Kipnis, Joc Pederson, Johnny Cueto, Jose Abreu, Jose Altuve, Josh Harrison, Kendall Graveman, Kyle Seager, Lance McCullers, Luke Gregerson, Maikel Franco, Mark Teixeira, Matt Harvey, Mike Napoli, Mike Wright, MLB, Nate Karns, Nick Martinez, Pedro Alvarez, Prince Fielder, Rubby De La Rosa, Ryan Howard, Shelby Miller, Shin-Soo Choo, Stephen Strasburg, Trevor May, Yasmani Grandal	| 3 Comments
Top 25 First Basemen for 2015 Fantasy Baseball
*The order of these rankings are based on a valuation system for a 5×5 roto scoring league with 5 games played minimum for position eligibility. This is not necessarily the order I would draft these players in, as different factors should impact which player to choose.
Posted in Uncategorized	| Tagged Adam LaRoche, Adrian Gonzalez, Albert Pujols, Anthony Rizzo, Brandon Belt, Buster Posey, Carlos Santana, Chris Carter, Chris Davis, David Ortiz, Edwin Encarnacion, Eric Hosmer, Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Sports, First Basemen, Freddie Freeman, Joey Votto, Jonathan Lucroy, Jose Abreu, Jose Bautista, Kennys Vargas, Lucas Duda, Miguel Cabrera, MLB, Paul Goldschmidt, Prince Fielder, Steve Pearce, The Backwards K, Todd Frazier, Victor Martinez	| 2 Comments
This Year's Jose Abreu Will Be Jorge Soler
Posted on March 8, 2015 by Jason
When preparing for a new season, fantasy baseball enthusiasts are always wanting to know who is going to be the next big breakout player. Drafting or picking up a player on waivers for his breakout season gives fantasy owners a feeling of superiority, a feeling of omniscience in some sense. Whether that feeling is justified or not is another question. But even if your team comes in last place, you can take ownership that you "knew" Jose Bautista would bust out for 54 HR, or that your hunch that R.A. Dickey would knuckle his way into a Cy Young Award panned out. So at The Backwards K, there is a series of posts titled "This Year's…" where I will tell you who I think this year's version of a 2014 breakout player will be, providing some background and analysis.
Around the internet I have seen White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu referred to as "El Dolor Grande," which is the Spanish translation of "The Big Hurt." For those who don't know, The Big Hurt is the moniker that long-time White Sox broadcast announcer and the most hometown biased announcer ever, Hawk Harrelson, gave to one of the premiere sluggers of the 90's, Frank Thomas. Although Abreu's plate discipline skills pale in comparison to Thomas' (though any player's would), Abreu certainly causes pain to many baseballs, so El Dolor Grande is a fitting nickname. But if Thomas is The Big Hurt and Abreu is El Dolor Grande, how come Paul Konerko never got a badass nickname? All he got was "Paulie" as if he was a talking bird or one of the worst "comedians" of the 90's.
Abreu had established himself as one of the top hitters in Cuba and he was able to defect from his motherland and he signed a 6-year/$68 million contract with the White Sox in August of 2013. That type of commitment in years and dollars to a player that had never seen a pitch in the Majors was very interesting, but clearly the Sox were heavily intrigued. There was no doubting that he had massive power potential, but there were questions if he could handle Major League pitching. Well, I don't think there are any more doubts about that as Abreu had one of the best seasons of any hitter last year as he took home the American League Rookie of the Year Award. Overall, Abreu hit .317 with 36 HR, 107 RBI, 80 R, and 3 SB.
Posted in Uncategorized	| Tagged Breakout, Cubs, Fantasy Baseball, Fantasy Sports, Jorge Soler, Jose Abreu, MLB, Sleeper, White Sox	| 2 Comments
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You shouldn't just kill a guy without asking. It's inconsiderate.
After reading Moore's Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story I had to continue through the series, so it was onto You Suck: A Love Story. I'm pretty sure I've said this 100 times so apologies for the repetition but I've read this one before. However, I didn't know who Christopher Moore was at the time or that this was the second in a series. I was drawn to the title and the description on the back cover, as well as the fact that it was in the clearance section of a bookstore and I was on vacation and out of books. I wasn't hindered by the fact that I hadn't read the first part of the story, but it was much funnier this second time around.
*You Suck picks up right where Bloodsucking Fiends left off, so if you haven't read that and are particularly worried about BF spoilers, you should probably just skip down to the quotes at the bottom of the post. Now that I think about it, there will probably be some spoilers about You Suck as well, so you're probably safest just ignoring this whole part. Why did I bother writing it then? Excellent question. Well, off we go then*
I was going to write the typical review of the book, but I thought that wouldn't be all that fun. I will, as way of intro, tell you I enjoyed this book even more than BF. It was published over 10 years later, and right between 2 other Moore books I love (A Dirty Job and Fool) and it feels like one of those latter works. The story is more focused on the characters and their development and less on the evil-vampire plot, which the first book focused on. The characters are really Moore's forte so instead of going on anymore about how much I enjoyed this, I figured I'd give you a description of the characters and let you decide if you think these guys would populate a book you would enjoy.
First, our returning cast
Jody - Our red-headed fledging vampire from the first book. She's learning to love her new sense of power, especially now that she can walk the streets at night without the fear she had grown so used to. Not only does she have someone to share the sound of shapes with, but she also has someone who figured out a way for her to get her (blood-laced) coffee.
C. Thomas Flood - The aspiring writer who has a lot more time to write now that Jody turned him into a fellow bloodsucker, with the body and mind of a nineteen year old. It's taking him some time to get used to his new condition, but he did find them a new minion using his knowledge of Byron, so that's something.
Elijah Ben Sapir - The vampire who originally turned Jody is encased in bronze as we last left him in BF and is making a killing both as the statue performance artist and of course, in the literal sense. Going from owning a million-plus dollar yacht to killing people for their track suits will make some people a bit annoyed.
The Animals - Tommy's old crew at the grocery store who helped catch Elijah in the first place. Stoners, slackers and in general good guys, though they don't have the best financial sense.
The Emperor and his men, Lazarus and Bummer - My favorite characters from the last book are back and helping to capture the vampires slowly taking over the Emperor's city of San Francisco. Unfortunately, these guys are not in the story nearly as much as BF but otherwise they're fun.
Rivera and Cavuto - The two detectives from the previous story are back to solve more suspicious murders happening around town as they watch their dreams of owning a rare bookstore and golf fly out the window. Why couldn't the vampires have just left the city?
Steve - A minor character in the first book, he shows up with more oomph this time. He's a biotech student that not only figures out a possible to solution to Tommy and Jody's condition, but also deduces a way to bring down the vampires, sun or no sun.
And our new editions
Blue - She's an escort the Animals picked up while in Vegas, spending the money that they got selling Elijah's extensive art collection. Why's she called Blue, you're asking? To distinguish herself from other hookers, she dyed her skin blue. Why'd the guys pick her up and give her the better part of $600k? Well, they decided they all wanted to bone a Smurf. She sees herself more as Snow White and now she just needs her seven dwarfs.
Abby Normal - Now that Tommy can no longer be Jody's bitch and do her daytime bidding (that whole bursting into flames when in sunlight is causing some trouble), the vampires have picked up a new minion. A goth teenager with regrettable moments of perkiness, her PoV make up chapters here and there. She would annoy the hell out of me in real life, but her chapters are hilarious.
*I kept that pretty You Suck spoiler free, so if you want to go back and read it, you're safe. Why didn't I just go back and amend what I wrote above? Another excellent question! Now onto some quotes to keep giving you the flavor of the book. I will keep these spoiler free!*
"I was going to be an awesome hunk of muscular man-meat."
"No, you weren't. You wanted to be a writer. You were going to have little stick arms and get winded when you hit the back-space key more than three times consecutively." (8)
"It turned out that superhuman strength came in handy when shaving a thirty-five pound cat." (29)
from the Abby Chonicles
"Even as I sit here at the Metreon Starbucks, writing this, the froth slaves seem to move like silver-eyed zombies and my nonfat, soy Amaretto Mochaccino has gone as bitter as snake bile. (Which is like the most bitterest bile you can get.)" (164)
"I am like the poor cabron in that book The Pearl, where by simply trying to take advantage of some good fortune, I have lost all that I care about. Okay, I did get drunk for a week and my pearl was a blue whore who fucked the chimichangas out of me, but still, pretty sad. He thought these things in Spanish, so they sounded infinitely more tragic and romantic." (208-209)
"unless Ninjas are also Japanese, in which case I will have to look some shit up for metaphors because the only thing Chinese I can think of right now is Dim Sum, and I believe it's disrespectful to refer to your soul mate in terms of finger food" (276)
I've already gone ahead and picked up the third book, Bite Me: A Love Story so this won't be the end of Moore's vampire tales.
Moore, Christopher. You Suck: A Love Story. Harper, 2008.
Labels: christopher moore, You Suck
christopher moore|You Suck|
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Despite the improvement on a quarterly basis, it can be argued the stock is still expensive. With a PE of 60, a Price/Sales ratio of 4 and a PEG of 2.6 Cree is no bargain at its current price of $22.84. So far, though, the stock has managed to hang onto its gains.
Today on Barron's Tech Trader Daily site, Eric Savitz may have offered a reason. Apparently, there are all kinds of rumors floating around about Cree. One is that IBM might make a bid for the company. Another is that Cree and Korean company LG are planning to set up a joint venture in China, to make LED backlights. According to Andrew Huang, an analyst at American Technology Research, the stories range from "makes no sense" to "unlikely".
In summary, Cree has exceeded Wall Street expectations but still seems a bit expensive. Based on future earnings potential as a prime supplier to many of the leading users of LED backlighting technology, the stock could tack on more gains if the tech sector rallies. Without that kind of rising tide, though, investors may allow the stock to sink back below its 50-day moving average.
As I usually recommend, it's always a good idea to put the Alert HQ stocks on a watch list and see what happens.


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Check out Creativebug's February Lookbook.
It's that time of year again... We should be showing the ones we love regularly just how much they mean to us. But sometimes it is nice to make a little more effort on Valentine's Day.
You don't have to go out and spend a fortune. These crafts are quick and easy to make. They also make good projects for children who want to do something for their friends.
These Hand Sewn Valentine's pouches are perfect to present little love notes in and are great for children and adults alike.
Children will love the simple design and with a little help they should be able to stitch them up themselves.
With a video tutorial to help along the way you can't go wrong.


Five years ago Sven Kacirek released his legendary album The Kenya Sessions. The drummer's collaboration with musicians from Kenya connected electronic, instrumental and field recordings in a unique manner and received kudos from various scenes between techno and world music. For the fifth anniversary Sven Kacirek delivers two more songs with previously unreleased material: The Kenya Encores.
"Siguera" on the A-side is a beautiful gem featuring the 80-year-old singer Ogoya Nengo. The song has been recorded in Rangala Village at the Viktoria Lake, the exact location where Kacirek had recorded her contributions to the original Kenya Sessions. In the course of her collaboration with Kacirek, Ogoya Nengo has established an international career herself and released two solo albums. The voice on "Siguera" originates from recordings for her first album which was released on the English label Honest Jon's. It has been produced by Sven Kacirek and Stefan Schneider (To Rococo Rot).
The B-side, "Gonda", is built upon a recording which Kacirek had made in the process of the "Kenya Sessions" five years ago. It was meant to be a part of the album but has found its final shape only now.
The original field recording for "Gonda" is also included in the digital release of this single. It elucidates Sven Kacirek's musical approach which he has developed over the past years. While the field recordings for the "Kenya Sessions" have been cut and edited to merge into the compositions, Kacirek meanwhile chooses not to change or process the source material at all. Similar to a live session he merely adds his own percussions to create a balanced dialogue. This artistic strategy has also been applied in his last solo album "Songs From Okinawa".


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Getting to the root of the issue: Hair structure and morphology in Mammoth and Woolly Rhino
Mammoth and woolly rhino are two iconic species of the ice age. Mammoth in particular is one of the most studied and perhaps best understood of the Pleistocene megafauna. In part this is due to abundant and detailed discussion of their skeletal anatomy, but also thanks to unique preservation of frozen carcasses from present day…
Modern humans adopted gene from Neanderthals to help protect from local diseases
A new study published in Journal of Biological Chemistry aimed to investigate the assembly of a protein molecule that helps the immune system identify threats and invaders. What initially sounds like quite a specialist biology/chemistry topic turned out to be of wider evolutionary relevance since they concluded that the receptor might have been inherited from…
Who let the hyaenas out? Do we mistake hyaena dens for hominin occupation sites?
Since the first discovery of Pleistocene mammal fauna with lithic tools, the role of carnivores as accumulators at archaeological sites, both modern and during the ice-age, has been well established. The analysis and identification of specific types of carnivore bone surface modification and accumulation patterns during the 1960-1980s advanced our knowledge and understanding of site…
The oldest handaxe industry in northwest Europe?
The earliest occupation of Europe is generally seen as having had two main phases. The first one relates to sites with simple core and flake assemblages (Mode 1) with no handaxes or other bifacial technologies (e.g. Pakefield, Orce, Pirro-Nord). The second phase relates to the spread of the Acheulean handaxe technology, seen as having reached…
Neanderthals knapped with cave bear bones at Scladina (Belgium)
Recently on GPN we have reported on a number of finds and papers detailing the use of organic materials at Palaeolithic sites. Indeed, a recent study from the site of Scladina has highlighted the further use of bone material as lithic retouchers. The cave itself is a multi-leveled site though from a single level, Layer…
Siberian Upper Palaeolithic genome links Europe and America
A team of researchers led by Maanasa Raghavan from the University of Copenhagen have reported in Nature on their sequencing of the oldest modern human genome to date. The sample comes from a 4-year old boy who was buried at the site of Mal'ta in south-central Siberia. It concerns an Upper Palaeolithic burial, ca. 24,000…


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Israel's rescue chief steps down over sexual assault claims
Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, head of Israel's renowned ZAKA rescue service. (AP/Richard Vogel)
(AP/Richard Vogel)
WhatsApp Email https://worldisraelnews.com/israels-rescue-chief-steps-down-over-sexual-assault-claims/
The allegations surfaced just days after Meshi-Zahav was awarded the nation's most prestigious honor, the Israel Prize.
The head of Israel's renowned ZAKA rescue service stepped down from his post on Friday and relinquished a prestigious national prize amid sexual assault allegations dating back to the 1980s.
Israeli media said police opened an investigation.
In a statement, Yehuda Meshi-Zahav, 61, denied the allegations detailed by the Haaretz daily a day earlier. The newspaper said it had interviewed six accusers and obtained evidence of sexual assault and exploitation going back decades, including of teenagers and younger children.
The allegations surfaced just days after Meshi-Zahav was awarded the nation's most prestigious honor, the Israel Prize, for his work in ZAKA, the search and rescue organization he co-founded.
The organization, drawing from thousands of volunteers, became internationally known in the 1990s when it responded to a wave of attacks by Palestinian militants.
In a letter addressed to ZAKA volunteers and released Friday, Meshi-Zahav rejected the allegations against him. He said that "these stories are unfounded, gossip and the settling of scores against me."
He said he was temporarily stepping down from his post because of concern over the "damage that may be caused as a result to this important organization." He said he was also relinquishing the Israel Prize.
sexual assaultYehuda Meshi-ZahavZAKA
I found a very interesting article on World Israel News! Click to read this: --> https://worldisraelnews.com/israels-rescue-chief-steps-down-over-sexual-assault-claims/


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Download Application Note
Pascal Bohleber1, Marco Roman1, Nicolas Stoll2, Carlo Barbante1,3, Yannick Bussweiler4, Martin Rittner4
1 Ca'Foscari University of Venice, Italy
2 Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Bremerhaven, Germany
3 Institute of Polar Sciences – CNR, Venice, Italy
4 TOFWERK, Thun, Switzerland
Feature Image courtesy of Tobias Erhardt, AWI, Germany.
Polar ice cores are invaluable to paleoclimate research, archiving a unique variety of proxies, including aerosol-related atmospheric impurities, over timescales from decades to hundreds of millennia. To reliably decipher the oldest part of the ice core impurity record, comprised in the deepest and most highly thinned layers, it is key to employ high-resolution analysis in concert with understanding the interaction of impurities with the ice crystal matrix.
Being a high spatial resolution, high sensitivity and micro-destructive technique, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) has unique potential in this regard and was recently refined for state-of-the-art 2D impurity imaging [2]. This revealed that many impurities in the deep ice are preferentially located in the interstitial volumes between adjacent crystals, the so-called "grain boundaries", which may have broad impact on the interpretation of LA-ICP-MS signals from deep ice [1]. Using a sequential-scanning mass analyzer, such as a quadrupole ICP-MS (LA-ICP-QMS), imposes fundamental limitations on the number of analytes that can be recorded within a single imaging run. In contrast, time-of-flight mass spectrometers (TOFMS) provide quasi-simultaneous acquisition of the entire mass spectrum.
Designed as a first proof-of-concept, we demonstrate the capabilities and advantages of the icpTOF in combination with a fast-washout laser ablation system for the investigation of elemental impurities in ice cores by LA-ICP-TOFMS.
An Analyte G2 excimer laser (193 nm) equipped with a HelEx II cell (Teledyne CETAC Technologies, USA) and a custom-designed cryogenic sample holder was used in the experiments [2]. An Aerosol Rapid Introduction System (ARIS) was used to achieve fast washout of the ablated material (< 20 ms signal duration from single laser pulse). The laser fluence was 4.0 J/cm2, the laser spot size was 35 μm, and the repetition rate was 80 Hz.
The special cryostatic sample holder in use for LA-ICP-MS ice core analysis at Ca' Foscari University of Venice was transported to TOFWERK's facilities in Thun, Switzerland and installed into the Analyte G2's HelEx II cell. Following closely the approach to LA-ICP-MS ice core imaging developed at Venice University [2], ice core samples were freshly decontaminated by scraping prior to analysis.
The TOFWERK icpTOF 2R was run in CCT mode (using a H2-He mixture in the collision/reaction cell) collecting ~ 21,700 mass spectra per second that were further integrated into one mass spectrum per pixel. Imaging was performed in spot-resolved mode, implying that each pixel in the image represents the signal from a single laser shot with minimal overlap of neighboring pixels [3]. Here, the laser was fired at a dosage of 2, so that neighboring pixels overlap by 50%, to increase spatial resolution in x-direction. Image acquisition was performed with TOFWERK's TOFpilot software, allowing real-time display of the images.
A sample from the Holocene period in the EPICA Dome C ice core in Antarctica was chosen for the pilot analysis. Interglacial periods in Antarctica are characterized by extremely low bulk concentration of impurities. The rationale was to select a sample with generally low impurity content to benchmark it against the sensitivity of the icpTOF 2R. In addition, samples from this core were already successfully analyzed by 2D impurity imaging with a quadrupole ICP-MS system in Venice [1].
Results/Conclusions
An image area of 4 x 7 mm was selected and imaged within 21 minutes. The image recorded by icpTOF imaging at a spatial resolution of 35 µm reveals clear signals for a broad range in analyzed masses, encompassing Na to Pb (Figure 1). The analytes Na, Mg, Sr, which were previously studied in LA-ICP-MS imaging, show the already known distinct localization along grain boundaries [1]. This feature also applies to K, Ca and Zn. In contrast, metals such as Al, Fe, Ni, Cu, Ba and Pb, also feature significant intensity from the grain interiors.
Figure 1: LA-ICP-TOFMS images of impurities spatial distribution in Antarctic ice (EPICA Dome C core) from the Holocene time period. The color-scale refers to the raw signal intensity recorded by the icpTOF 2R. Image dimension is 4 mm by 7 mm. The top left corner shows a mosaic of optical images taken with the integrated camera from the same region of interest, where dark lines correspond to the grain boundaries, large dark spots to air bubbles.
It becomes evident that the icpTOF 2R clearly provides sufficient sensitivity to detect signals in low-concentration polar ice cores, with the unique added value of providing a complete glacio-chemical characterization from a single image. Regarding the future target of employing LA-ICP-MS imaging in deep samples of polar ice cores, ice grains are expected to be substantially larger than in the sample analyzed here, potentially several cm in diameter. This will introduce the need to enlarge the size of the images and analyzed sample areas accordingly. Even with a fast-washout, high-repetition rate laser ablation system, the recording of such large images is expected to require a substantial amount of time (i.e., hours), and thus millions of fired laser shots. If more than a few impurity species are the target, analysis with a LA-ICP-QMS system would require several replicate runs of the same region of interest. Evidently such an approach has strong limitations with regards to practicality and feasibility. Eliminating these restrictions makes the icpTOF the natural partner of fast-washout, high-repetition rate laser ablation systems to truly capitalize on LA-ICP-MS imaging in the next-generation of ice core analyses.
The authors would like to thank Hubertus Fischer, Bern University, for his support by kindly providing the glycol chiller that was used in these experiments. This research has been supported by the H2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (grant no. 790280) and the H2020 Environment (grant no. 815384).
[1] Bohleber, P., Roman, M., Šala, M., Delmonte, B., Stenni, B. and Barbante, C., 2021. Two-dimensional impurity imaging in deep Antarctic ice cores: Snapshots of three climatic periods and implications for high-resolution signal interpretation. The Cryosphere, 15(7), pp.3523-3538.
[2] Bohleber, P., Roman, M., Šala, M. and Barbante, C., 2020. Imaging the impurity distribution in glacier ice cores with LA-ICP-MS. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 35(10), pp.2204-2212.
[3] Bussweiler, Y., Borovinskaya, O. and Tanner, M., 2017. Laser Ablation and inductively coupled plasma-time-of-flight mass spectrometry—A powerful combination for high-speed multielemental imaging on the micrometer scale. Spectroscopy, 32(5), pp.14-20.
Ice Core Analysis Applications


So far, what I think is great on Facebook's part is that they are not limiting this new experience to only those that buy an HTC First. Android users that currently own one of the five initially supported devices will be able to download Home from Google Play and immediately immerse themselves with status updates and pictures from friends. By taking this route, Facebook is truly trying to put this experience into the hands of as many people as possible. It may not seem that way yet, since the HTC First is an AT&T exclusive, but that was purely a business move.
With Home as your default launcher, you have the ability to access instant messages between friends no matter what you are doing on your device, look through your News Feed as soon as you unlock the device, and bookmark certain applications that you use more often than others. While Home does seem sort of like an extremely dignified widget, there are bound to be hundreds of thousands of users in no time at all.
Let us know down below if you plan on making Facebook's Home your default launcher of choice. As a bonus, feel free to let us know why or why not in the comments section below. Personally, I am dying to hear everyone's thoughts on this.
Going to switch over to Facebook Home as your launcher of choice?
I will at least give it a try.
No way. I hate Facebook.