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Indiana Cashman And The Search For Fossils
All Star Game, Award Winners, CBA, Cy Young Award, Draft, Fantasy/Roto, Free Agents, Games, Hall Of Fame, History, Management, Media, MiLB, MLB Trade Deadline, MLB Waiver Trades, MVP, Players, Playoffs, Politics, Prospects, Spring Training, Stats, Trade Rumors, World Series
When asked about the Yankees putting out a feeler for Chipper Jones, Derek Jeter wondered, in his typical dark deadpan sense of humor, if they'd also contacted Mike Schmidt.
That got me to thinking of other options for the Yankees in their archaeological dig for dinosaur fossils hoping to unearth a corner infielder. Here are some of the names I came up with and they're almost as ludicrous as Jones.
Mike Francesa
For a week he's been pushing for the Yankees to get Justin Morneau from the Twins. Not "pursue," but "get," period. Naturally ignorant of the fact that the Twins are in a similar position to the Yankees in that they have to at least put forth the pretense of placing a competent product on the field at the start of the season to sell a few tickets that they're not going to sell when they're heading towards another 90+ loss season and that Morneau, if healthy, will have significant value at mid-season, Francesa expects the Twins to just give him up for whatever scraps the Yankees deign to provide simply because they want him.
It's not going to happen, but during his vetting, perhaps Francesa should pull a Dick Cheney who, while running George W. Bush's vice presidential search looked into the mirror, saw the epitome of what Bush needed in his vice president and selected himself. Sure, they'd have to get a muumuu for him to wear and he'd have to stand on first base to prevent every runner from beating him to the bag on a groundball, but with the court striking down New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's ban on extra-large sodas, Francesa's Diet Coke predilection will move forward unabated. When returning to the dugout after a long half-inning, he can scream at the clubhouse kids like a real-life Les Grossman, "DIET COKE!!!!!"
In the tradition of players who didn't work out for the Mets, Vaughn would fit perfectly into what the Yankees are trying to create. It adds to the intrigue that he's also a former Red Sock and he hates Bobby Valentine. That he's probably far past 320 pounds and could barely move when he was still playing is irrelevant. Pinstripes are slimming and maybe no one would notice his girth, plus all the balls hitting him in the stomach because it's extended so far beyond the plate would send his on-base percentage into the stratosphere.
No, he's never picked up a baseball and he's far too thin-skinned to last one day in Yankeeland without crawling into a fetal position and sobbing uncontrollably, but he scammed his way into a front office position with the Blue Jays on the heels of the Moneyball revolution; he parlayed that into a job at ESPN as an "insider expert" by regurgitating terms he's heard from scouts; and he has an inexplicable following based on his stat savviness and that people think his resume denotes credibility in some sort of circular and wrong "if this, then that" manner.
Maybe he can imitate an athlete just as effectively as he's aped actual scouts.
Bear in mind that his throwing style will replicate what we see below.
I have deep psychological concerns about someone who places a ginormous picture of his own face on the back cover of every one of his books, but that can also be a positive. A level of arrogance that geometric leads a person to believe he's capable of things he's universally acknowledged as being incapable of. Look at it this way: people think that because he wrote Moneyball, he knows something about baseball when he doesn't.
Worst case scenario, he can write a book about his adventures, present it in a twisted (and skillful) fashion so the masses believe it and they'll make a movie about it. He can be played by Aaron Eckhardt—a man with some athletic skills—and it'll sell, man!! It'll sell!!!
If it doesn't work, the epitome of evil lurks in the shadows of the world as a fugitive and is ready to be blamed for the experiment (disguised as evolution) failing: Art Howe.
Dead for 72 years? Try resting and waiting for his opportunity!!!
Truth be told, how much more absurd is it than thinking Jones will come out of retirement for the "privilege" of playing for the Yankees?
Billy Beane/Brad Pitt
True, Beane was an awful player and Pitt is an actor who played an awful player on film, but if people bought into the "genius" aspect when Beane was simply exploiting analytics that no one else was at the time and has been alternatingly lucky and unlucky in his maneuverings since, maybe putting him in uniform would hypnotize the fans long enough not to realize the Yankees are in deep, deep trouble.
Here's the reality: Jones is not coming out of retirement and if he was, it would be for the Braves and not the Yankees. He's injury-prone and he's old. He's also fat. Considering the Yankees decisions over the past few months, he actually fits. But why, in a normal and logical world, would anyone believe that Jones would tarnish his legacy with the Braves to play for the Yankees? Not only did he win his championship in 1995, rendering meaningless the long-used desire on the part of certain players like Roger Clemens to gain that elusive title, but he was with the Braves his entire professional life and the 2013 Braves are far better than the 2013 Yankees. This concept that everyone "wants" to be a Yankee is one of the biggest farcical examples of "world revolves around us" egomania in sports today and was disproven by Cliff Lee and even such journeymen as Nate Schierholtz who decided to go elsewhere.
The Yankees looked into Derrek Lee, who's a good guy and a good idea if he's healthy and wants to play, but if he does, he has to get into camp immediately. They signed Ben Francisco, which is a case study of the bargain-basement strategies of the 2013-2014 Yankees with self-evident on field results. They're desperate and they're short-handed. As a result, you get nonsense and panic. This is just getting started. It's only March and there's a long, long, looooong way to go. It's getting longer by the day.
March 12, 2013 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Art Howe, Ben Francisco, Billy Beane, Bobby Valentine, Brad Pitt, Chipper Jones, Chipper Jones Yankees, Cliff Lee, Court strikes down Bloomberg soda ban, dad and son playing catch Volkswagen, Derek Jeter, Derek Jeter Chipper Jones, Derrek Lee, Dick Cheney, Dick Cheney selects himself as VP, George W. Bush, Justin Morneau, Keith Law, Les Grossman, Lou Gehrig, Mets, Michael Bloomberg, Michael Lewis, Mike Bloomberg soda ban, Mike Francesa, Mike Schmidt, Minnesota Twins, Mo Vaughn, Moneyball, Nate Schierholtz, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Red Sox, Roger Clemens, Twins, Volkswagen Passat commercial, Yankees, Yankees Ben Francisco, Yankees options for first base	Leave a comment
Beware the Rejuvenated Rays' Castoffs
The Orioles are said to be considering signing Casey Kotchman.
What they're going to do with him is a mystery since they just signed Wilson Betemit, have Mark Reynolds and Chris Davis for first and third base. None are defensively adept at any of the positions although Reynolds occasionally makes a spectacular play to make it appear as if he's better than he is. It's similar to a weekend in which he'll hit 6 home runs—many of the "ooh" and "ahh" variety in distance and hangtime to make it appear as if he's better than he is. Then he reverts to hitting .200 and striking out every 2.6 at bats.
Kotchman is a very good defensive first baseman and had his career year at the plate for the Rays in 2011 with a slash line of .306/.378/.422 and .800 OPS.
That's what should concern any team making a serious investment in Kotchman.
Considering the lateness of the date and that spring training is approaching along with the availability of better hitters on the market like Derrek Lee, it's doubtful the Orioles or anyone else is going to overpay for Kotchman, but a team considering a former player for the Rays who had his best season with the Rays needs to examine history and look at the decline of Jason Bartlett, Scott Kazmir, Rafael Soriano, Akinori Iwamura and just about every scrounged screapheap salvaged detritus from their patched together bullpen who's been used for a brief time and dispatched only to revert to the performance that led them to winding up on the scrapheap to begin with. Sometimes, as with Lance Cormier and Carlos Pena, they wind up back with the Rays.
Is Kotchman as good as he was in 2011?
History proves he's not. Even when he was at his best with the Angels and Braves in 2007-2008, he wasn't a force at the plate. He was useful if surrounded by a few power bats and has always been a good fielder, but teams tend to want better power production from first base than what Kotchman provided. If they can make up for it in other areas, then fine; but setting a limit on the amount of money they're willing to pay Kotchman is a wise move.
Was the issue with his eyes that Kotchman referenced in this NY Times piece and its repair the genesis of his struggles in 2009-2010?
Clearly.
But that doesn't make a Rays' castoff any more of a guarantee to continue the work he did with the Rays as he reestablished his value. They seem to know which way the wind is about to blow and how to judge a player and determine whether he's "figured it out" or is enjoying his career years in Tampa. That's a reason for interested teams to look at these players with a jaundiced eye and wonder if they're getting the pre-Rays or post-Rays player and if they'll be overpaying to do it.
January 30, 2012 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Akinori Iwamura, Carlos Pena, Casey Kotchman, Chris Davis, Derrek Lee, Jason Bartlett, Lance Cormier, Mark Reynolds, NY Times, Orioles, Rafael Soriano, Rays, Scott Kazmir, Tampa Bay Rays, Wilson Betemit	Leave a comment
Quality Moves, Under the Radar
All Star Game, Ballparks, Books, CBA, Cy Young Award, Draft, Fantasy/Roto, Free Agents, Games, Hall Of Fame, History, Hot Stove, Management, Media, MiLB, MLB Trade Deadline, MLB Waiver Trades, MVP, Paul Lebowitz's 2011 Baseball Guide, PEDs, Players, Playoffs, Podcasts, Politics, Prospects, Spring Training, Stats, Trade Rumors, Umpires, World Series
While the Marlins and Angels have garnered the headlines with their spending sprees; the Nationals by their overreaching trade for Gio Gonzalez; the Red Sox with their front office and off-field controversies; and Billy Beane for being Billy Beane and therefore worthy of attention just because, two teams have made drastic improvements amid questions, criticisms, ridicule and camouflage.
The Rockies and Indians are poised to leap into serious contention in 2012 because of said acquisitions and they've done it relatively cheaply and without fanfare.
Still needing help with their starting pitching, the Rockies are one of the suitors for the underrated and mean Hiroki Kuroda; if they get him, I'll like their off-season all the more.
Here are the Rockies moves so far:
Signed OF/1B Michael Cuddyer to a 3-year, $31.5 million contract.
I went into detail about the match between Cuddyer and the Rockies in an earlier posting. In short, his defense in right field won't be an issue because of the Rockies pitching staff's penchant for getting ground balls; his hitting will improve markedly playing in Coors Field; and he might see substantial time at first base with the recent injury history of Todd Helton. He's a better player than Seth Smith and will hit and hit for power.
Traded RHP Huston Street to the Padres for minor league lefty Nick Schmidt.
The Rockies sent $500,000 to the Padres (for Street's 2013 buyout) and cleared the rest of his $7.5 million salary.
Street was not reliable as a closer, gave up too many hits and homers and was expensive; the Rockies dumped him and his paycheck and have Rafael Betancourt to close and Matt Lindstrom to back him up.
Schmidt is 25 and still in A ball. This was a money spin for an organizational warm body and it was a smart thing to do.
Traded C Chris Iannetta to the Angels for RHP Tyler Chatwood; signed C Ramon Hernandez to a 2-year, $6.4 million contract.
Iannetta has pop and gets on base, but he was never able to put a stranglehold on the everyday catching job; Chatwood was one of the Angels top pitching prospects who had an up-and-down season in Anaheim. He's a ground ball pitcher who should do well in Colorado.
Hernandez is fine with being a part-timer, has power and throws well. He'll be a perfect tutor to young prospect Wilin Rosario.
Traded INF Ty Wigginton to the Phillies for a player to be named later or cash; signed 3B/1B/OF Casey Blake to a 1-year, $2 million contract.
Wigginton was a fiery player and hit a few homers, but he's terrible defensively and limited offensively. They're paying $2 million of his $4 million salary and signed Blake to a 1-year contract for $2 million—basically they traded Wigginton for Blake and it's a great trade…if Blake is healthy.
Blake missed most of the 2011 season with multiple injuries and required neck surgery.
His health is the key. He's versatile and is a good fielder; he has power; and Blake is plainly and simply a professional baseball player who goes unnoticed but is a key component to a winning team—the other players, coaches and managers will tell you how good a player a healthy Blake is.
If they add a Kuroda or Roy Oswalt to go along with the package they got last summer for Ubaldo Jimenez, it equates to a strong top-to-bottom club that has repaired the holes that caused their underwhelming 2011 record of 73-89.
The Indians have done the following:
Acquired RHP Derek Lowe from the Braves for minor league LHP Chris Jones and $10 million.
There's no defending Lowe's performance for the Braves, but the Indians got an innings-eater and will only pay $5 million of his $15 million salary. When a durable sinkerballer like Lowe is pitching so poorly, the issue is generally mechanical; if the Indians can fix whatever was preventing him from getting the proper movement on his pitches, he can again be effective; perhaps he just needed a change-of-scenery.
Either way, you can't go wrong for $5 million. With Jimenez, Justin Masterson, Fausto Carmona and Josh Tomlin, the Indians have a formidable rotation backed up by a strong bullpen.
Re-signed CF Grady Sizemore to a 1-year, $5 million contract after declining his option.
Sizemore was a budding star before microfracture surgery derailed him; he's worked very hard to come back and it took Carlos Beltran (whom the Indians pursued but lost to the Cardinals) a full season to return to relative normalcy after a bone bruise. Although Beltran didn't need microfracture surgery, the injuries and recovery times are similar. If Sizemore can be 75-80% of what he was, he's a bargain.
The Indians finished ninth in the American League in runs scored and are looking for another bat, but with full seasons from Jason Kipnis and Shin-Soo Choo along with some semblance of production from first base (they need to sign someone, perhaps Derrek Lee) and Travis Hafner, they'll score enough to contend in the winnable AL Central.
The Rockies and Indians need to be watched closely in 2012 because they're legitimate playoff threats without having spent $300 million as the Angels did or hoodwinking their local government to get a new ballpark as the Marlins did.
They did it with under-the-radar acquisitions, bold and clever.
And they're going to pay off.
I'll be a guest tomorrow with former MLB player Les Norman on his baseball show Breakin' the Norm on the ESPN affiliate 810 WHB in Kansas City. I'll link the appearance and post it here.
December 26, 2011 Paul Lebowitz Tagged 810 WHB Kansas City, Angels, Billy Beane, Breakin' the Norm, Carlos Beltran, Casey Blake, Chris Iannetta, Chris Jones, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Derek Lowe, Derrek Lee, ESPN affiliate, Fausto Carmona, Gio Gonzalez, Grady Sizemore, Grady Sizemore microfracture surgery, Hiroki Kuroda, Huston Street, Huston Street unreliable, Indians, Jason Kipnis, Josh Tomlin, Justin Masterso, Les Norman, Los Angeles Angels, Marlins, Matt Lindstrom, Miami Marlins, Michael Cuddyer, Nick Schmidt, Padres, Paul Lebowitz radio appearance, Phillies, Radio appearance, Rafael Betancourt, Ramon Hernandez, Rockies, Rockies 2012 additions, Roy Oswalt, San Diego Padres, Seth Smith, Shin-Soo Choo, Todd Helton, Travis Hafner, Tyler Chatwood, Ubaldo Jimenez, Washington Nationals, Wilin Rosario	Leave a comment
Pirates Need To Accentuate The Positives
Draft, Fantasy/Roto, Free Agents, Games, Management, Media, MLB Trade Deadline, Players, Prospects, Trade Rumors, Umpires
The same qualities that Pirates manager Clint Hurdle used to get his club to overachieve into late July and be buyers rather than sellers is what he'll need to use to keep the club focused and positive as they've hit this horrific stretch of losing 10 straight and 11 of 12.
An easy explanation to their current woes is the emotional hit they took by first losing that 19-inning marathon to the Braves on a horrifically blown call at the plate and then losing in 10 innings the next night.
Would the subsequent games have gone differently had they won those games?
No one can answer the question of momentum and whether they would've ignored the all-encompassing—some would say inevitably negative—aspects of being the Pirates.
Did they run into hot teams? Did their pitching, fielding, hitting fail them? Was it a combination?
Hurdle's main attribute as a manager is that he doesn't take crap.
And it worked for the Pirates until recently. There was no logical statistical explanation for their success other than a superlative bullpen of scrapheap pickups; a good defense; and parity among the National League.
It caught up to them just as people were getting excited over the possibility of a playoff race in Pittsburgh for the first time since Barry Bonds played for them and was thin enough to pass for a background dancer at a New Edition concert.
They did make some aggressive—but smartly conservative—moves for Derrek Lee and Ryan Ludwick. They surrendered a negligible prospect, Aaron Baker, for Lee; a player to be named later or cash (which means they gave up nothing) for Ludwick.
I'd said that the Pirates should go for the deep strike and try to win now when the opportunity presented itself without giving up prospects they'd regret losing. They tried, failed and played it safe with Lee and Ludwick. It was the intelligent thing to do.
The key for the 2011 Pirates is how they rebound. If Hurdle can coax them to finish at or above .500, that could be a key to their future; toward recruiting free agents who want to go to Pittsburgh as a choice rather than a last resort.
Hurdle has a sense of when to flip the post-game spread and light into his players and when to give a pep talk to uplift the club. Now's the time for the pep talk.
As the bandwagon empties, it's more important now than ever in the efforts to change the culture of a dying franchise. Hurdle's done a great job of that so far and it's up to him to accentuate the positives.
August 10, 2011 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Aaron Baker, Barry Bonds, Clint Hurdle, Derrek Lee, MLB Trade Deadline, MLB Trade Rumors, MLB Trades, New Edition, Pirates, Pittsburgh Pirates, Ryan Ludwick	1 Comment
The Dugout's Not Alright For Fightin'
Media, Players, Spring Training, Uncategorized
It's spring training and the Cubs are in mid-season, dysfunctional form as Carlos Silva, irritated with the shoddy defense that sabotaged his start—perceived as a slightly important one because he's fighting for a rotation spot—got into a dugout scuffle with third baseman Aramis Ramirez.
Comparisons were immediately made to the Carlos Zambrano–Derrek Lee near fight last June. It was that incident that appeared to be the true beginning of the end for Lou Piniella's managerial tenure; the one thing that made him say, "that's it, I can't deal with this anymore".
It's a bit of a stretch to equate one with the other.
Zambrano is an emotional volcano; he and the Cubs were in the midst of a disastrous season and it was known that big changes were on the horizon; frustration had mounted to a point where such a confrontation was inevitable.
The Silva-Ramirez dust up stemmed from a generally mild-mannered pitcher who needs his defense to help him as much as possible not getting said assistance and losing his composure due to pressure of fighting—literally—for his role in the rotation.
Manager Mike Quade was impressive in his interim stint last season especially in tamping down the lackadaisical play and silliness that had grown prevalent in Piniella's waning days.
This was nothing to get upset over in terms of it actually happening. It's better that players are passionate and caring enough that they get so immersed in a game—in spring training!—that they react so powerfully to fight about it in public.
The public part is where my issue would be.
Teammates get into scuffles probably 50 times over the course of a season and my rules (if such a thing can be governed) regarding this would be: A) don't do it where there are cameras present; B) make sure it's over a baseball-related issue; and C) get all the bad blood out and shake hands afterward.
Fighting in the dugout creates this.
People are talking about it; asking questions; making allegations and snide comments about the Cubs being the same mess they've been in past years. It's March 3rd; it's a little early to utter broad-based, definitive determinations for any club.
If the fight is about baseball, then fine; if it's over a girl or salary or immature boys being immature boys, then I have a problem with that and it can't happen anywhere.
As long as there's an understanding and mutual respect after the fact, then this isn't a bad thing. It's better to have players getting their feelings out in the open—even if it's physical—than to have the linger, fester and create factions.
The Cubs would've been better off if it had happened out of the public eye, but in the grand scheme it's no big thing.
March 3, 2011 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Silva, Carlos Zambrano, Chicago Cubs, Cubs, Derrek Lee, Lou Piniella, Mike Quade	2 Comments
Silent And Achy
As opposed to "silent and deadly"…
Teams have made acquisitions that aren't earth-shattering; nor are they the final piece in a championship puzzle; but as a means-to-an-end, they're not all that bad when put into full context.
In short, they're like a pinch or a pinprick—it hurts, but not a lot and if you have a bunch of them, you slowly start to feel the effects.
Don't laugh.
Orioles sign 1B Derrek Lee to a 1-year contract; RHP Kevin Gregg to a 2-year contract; acquire SS J.J. Hardy and 3B Mark Reynolds in trades.
No, the Orioles have no chance of competing in the American League East; in fact, they have little chance—Buck Showalter or not—to escape the cellar in the division; but these acquisitions at low cost will make the team viable again.
The combination of Showalter's regime, discipline and organization and the leadership of Lee and Reynolds will make the clubhouse more agreeable.
Gregg is what he is; he has trouble throwing strikes and gives up too many homers, but for the most part, he'll get the saves; they'll be of the heart-stopping variety, but he'll close the games out. Mostly.
Showalter prefers having lesser name closers so he doesn't have to answer questions about why he doesn't adhere to the "he's the guy no matter what" nonsense that managers use as their security blanket to absolve themselves from thinking in the ninth inning.
Both Mike Gonzalez and Gregg will be competent at the back of the bullpen and, worst case scenario, they have trade value as the season moves along.
I'm a fan of neither Hardy nor Reynolds, but considering what they're replacing, both are giant steps up and the Orioles didn't give up much to get either.
You can't reel in the big fish until there's stability; the new manager and players will bring that stability to a once-storied franchise that has been rudderless for far too long.
Mets sign LHP Chris Capuano and RHP Taylor Buchholz to 1-year contracts.
The Mets are desperate for pitching and while this can be seen as flinging darts at a dartboard while wearing a blindfold, it's a win-win with both pitchers.
Capuano went 18-12 in 2005 and 11-12 in 2006. In both years, he pitched pretty much identically. He pitched similarly through July in 2007 and then started getting raked all over the lot.
After undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2008, he missed the entire 2008-2009 seasons and pitched respectably in 2010 as a starter and reliever; he was very good in the minors on the way back up to the bigs.
If the Mets can get something close to what Capuano was from 2005 through the first half of 2007, they'll be thrilled.
Buchholz also had Tommy John surgery and it cost him the entire 2009 season; he pitched briefly for the Rockies and Blue Jays in 2010. While he was mediocre as a starting pitcher with the Astros in 2006, he found his niche as a reliever with the Rockies in 2008.
The epitome of the failed starter who makes his way as a relief pitcher, Buchholz was excellent in 63 games for the Rockies that year. He's got a good fastball and a great curveball; his stuff appeared to translate better going once through the lineup; he's on a non-guaranteed contract and is a fine representative of how to properly build a bullpen by finding scraps, signing them cheaply, using them, maximizing them and dispatching them when they grow too pricey.
These are both good signings.
Blue Jays sign RHP Octavio Dotel to a 1-year contract.
Dotel's about as good (or bad) as Kevin Gregg; the Blue Jays got 37 saves from Gregg last year and now they're taking a similar approach by signing Dotel.
Dotel gives up too many homers, but his strikeout numbers are still better than one-per-inning and, again in the worst case scenario, someone always seems to want him in a trade to bolster their bullpen late in the season; hypothetically the Blue Jays could get something for him if he's pitching well.
Much like the Orioles, the Blue Jays are building for the future; they're a year ahead in their development and the club is teeming with pitching; Dotel's a stopgap; everyone knows that, but there are worse ones out there; plus he's cheap.
Viewer Mail 1.5.2010:
Dave writes RE the NESN column—2011 Red Sox Will Challenge 1927 Yankees for Title of Greatest Team in Major League History:
Articles like these are actually going to make people root for the underdog Yankees in the AL East. As messed up as that sounds. If the Yankees don't sign Pettitte, they will even have a lower payroll than Boston. Strange days.
I'm certainly not rooting for the Yankees, but I understand what you're saying. Much like the Jack Zduriencik double-dealing in the trade for Cliff Lee, there were head shakes at what he did because it was wrong and shrugs because it was the Yankees to whom he did it. Sometimes the lesser of two evils is difficult to distinguish, so it's best to steer clear and watch it happen with rampant disinterest.
That said, when it came from the Yankees, it was this type of arrogance that provoked Red Sox fans for all those years. This ridiculous column wasn't coming from the Red Sox themselves, but many of their players—Josh Beckett, John Lackey, Kevin Youkilis, Jonathan Papelbon—aren't exactly likable and this will fuel the implication of smugness and condescension from the organization.
It's not the beaten down and abused Red Sox against the Evil Empire anymore.
Joe writes RE the Rangers, Adrian Beltre and Michael Young:
I actually suggested a while back that Young could be moved to first if they were to sign Beltre. Because the reality is, the Rangers 1st baseman were awful last year. Maybe Chris Davis learns how to hit this year? Maybe. But letting him figure it all out in the Minors is a better idea, seeing how they can't really risk him being horrendous while they are fielding a competitive Big League team. Young is being paid regardless, so they might as well use him somewhere until all those positions are occupied by someone even better than Young is.
I can't imagine Davis cutting his strikeouts to the point where he can be trusted to get 500 at bats, but he does have power. Mitch Moreland was competent in a part-time role; he's also hit well in the minors.
I have never understood why people ridicule Young to the degree that they do. He delivers 180-200 hits a year; 60 extra base hits; and is a leader on and off the field. He's not great defensively, but so what? He can play every infield position for the short-term in case of injury.
He's making a lot of money ($48 million through 2013); his numbers are way better at home than they are on the road as most Rangers players tend to be, but the difference isn't glaring as it is with some players.
In the short-term, the team is better with Young and Beltre; if they're thinking of clearing the Young salary for some pitching, they could conceivably do that as well.
Jane Heller at Confessions of a She-Fan writes RE Jon Miller, Vladimir Guerrero and the Rangers:
I'm gonna miss Jon Miller on Sunday nights. But I digress….Why wouldn't the Rangers re-sign Vlad? He had such a good year for them and I'd be willing to bet he's not asking for the moon. Why do they even need Beltre with Young at 3rd?
Guerrero had a great year and he, like Young, showed he could hit at home and on the road; he's probably not going to settle for a 1-year, incentive-laden deal again after the year he had, at least not to go back to the Rangers. I think you're right; his leadership and watchful eye over the young Latin players (along with Vlad's mother doing the cooking) was a major part of their success this year. I'd be reluctant to dismiss that as meaningless especially with such a weak manager in Ron Washington.
Young is a far inferior fielder to Beltre and Beltre would hit in Arlington.
Jeff at Red State Blue State writes RE pro wrestling, Scott Boras and Michael Young:
Oooooooooooooooooh yeah, brother! *Snaps into a Slim Jim*
Ask me if I feel sorry for Michael Young and his $16 million a year. I WISH I had such hard times at the office.
Scratching my head on the Rangers/Beltre thing, for the same reasons you are… I think they'd be better off saving that money til mid-season, to see where they are, and maybe go out and make some noise then.
Michael Kay and Scott Boras doing a pro rasslin' interview with Jayson Werth strutting around in the background and primping like Ric Flair would get me to watch.
January 5, 2011 Paul Lebowitz Tagged Adrian Beltre, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chris Capuano, Chris Davis, Derrek Lee, J.J. Hardy, John Lackey, Josh Beckett, Kevin Gregg, Kevin Youkilis, Michael Kay, Michael Young, New York Mets, Octavio Dotel, Orioles, Rangers, Red Sox, Ric Flair, Scott Boras, Taylor Buchholz, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Vladimir Guerrero	2 Comments


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Biosocial Criminology and the Lombrosian Paradox
Samuel Forster
Last October, Quillette published an article by Hal Conick, crisply abridging Robert Sapolsky's biologically based argument for criminal justice reform. Sapolsky, a neurobiology professor at Stanford University, has spent his career researching a range of topics including neuronal degeneration, infraspecific dominance hierarchies, stress, and violence, especially in relation to the behaviour of primates. Over the years, Sapolsky has found that much of the antisocial behaviour we see and criminalize in human beings manifests similarly, biologically speaking, in our hominid relatives. Coupled with his extensive training in neuroscience, Sapolsky has used the findings of this simian research to argue for shifts in criminal justice policy—from the current system, which relies on an esoteric conception of 'free will' that can be needlessly retributive, to a system emphasizing public safety. In his 2017 book Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst, Sapolsky argues that "you can't begin to understand things like aggression, competition, cooperation, and empathy without biology," a caveat he quite rightly issues, "for the benefit of a certain breed of social scientist who finds biology to be irrelevant and a bit ideologically suspect when thinking about human social behavior."
Despite receiving overwhelming support in the neuroscientific community, the ethological approach proposed by Sapolsky has failed to permeate throughout the softer side of academia. This paucity of biosocial discourse in the discipline of criminology stems not from a lack of consensus among the Sapolskys of the world; any neuroscientist worth their salt would agree that human behaviour can ultimately be reduced (if one is so inclined) to neurophysiological processes. In order to understand why such research fails to infuse the relevant social scientific fields—chiefly, penology and criminology—it is necessary to consider the lowly history of biosocial thought. Centuries of pseudoscientific drivel has resulted in a ubiquitous attitude of skepticism within social science departments; criminology is no exception to this phenomenon. Rather, it is arguably in this field that such theories are championed most precariously.
In most first year criminology courses, students receive a lecture on Cesare Lombroso, the founding father of the Italian school, colloquially dubbed "the laughing stock of criminology." Generally, these lectures paint Lombroso as a charlatan who advanced a racist sociopolitical agenda under the thinly veiled guise of legitimate science. To an extent, these descriptions are warranted. Lombroso advocated many practices that are now recognized as utter quackery.
Phrenology (the study of skull shape) and physiognomy (the study of facial features) were both integral to Lombroso's understanding of criminal behaviour. In his 1876 book L'uomo delinquente (The Criminal Man), Lombroso introduced a revolutionary idea: some people are simply born criminals, displaying certain physical traits that reflect a reversion to our primitive ancestors. These primitive, savage types—atavistic men, as Lombroso referred to them—were characterized by their jaws, the lines of their palms, and, among other attributes, a marked protrusion of the lower face. These were some of the physical qualities that Lombroso used to argue for the political marginalization of certain ethnic groups and the biologically engrained racial superiority of caucasians. For many students, and even for many professors, this unnerving freshman introduction to Lombroso constitutes their sole exposure to biosocial theories of crime. It is, therefore, unsurprising that the prefix 'bio' has come to breed such cynicism and derision within the field.
There is, however, an important glint of truth to be extracted from Lombroso's work. Despite his pronounced methodological faults and glaring motivational impurity, Lombroso was one of the first people to conceptualize criminality (perhaps better thought of here as antisocial behaviour) in biological terms. Of the criminal man, he wrote: "As the seat of all the greatest disturbances, this part [the head] naturally manifests the greatest number of anomalies, which extend from the external conformation of the brain-case to the composition of its contents." Yes, Lombroso had his obvious flaws, but the prescience of his work cannot be denied. The effect of Lombrosian thought on future developments in the discipline is best described as countervailing, which is to say, the magnitude of his errors was somewhat offset by his push towards empiricism. On one hand, he ushered in a way of thinking about crime that can now be understood in scientific terms. On the other hand, the grotesque product of his 'research' made it nearly impossible for scrupulous minds to engage with biosocial theory. Because of this paradoxical legacy, the biosocial sub-discipline has become one of the most promising areas in criminology, while at the same time being the most routinely proscribed and abhorred.
In an earlier Quillette article, Saint Louis University professor Brian Boutwell detailed the professional obstacles and isolation associated with life as a biosocial criminologist:
There is a special twist for biosocial criminologists, though. We are forced to work with the shadow of eugenics hovering above us like a pestering poltergeist. Our colleagues insist that we acknowledge all of the evils that our work could spawn. We are asked to anticipate all the musings of some yet to be identified 'anti-Christ' and properly ward off that impending malevolence by prostrating ourselves in atonement for the sins of twisted "scientists" with whom we have no affiliation.
Professor Boutwell's research has predominantly focused on understanding crime in genetic and evolutionary terms. He has published on a range of topics, investigating the hereditary and environmental underpinnings of deviant behaviour, for which he is celebrated as a leading thinker in the field of biosocial criminology.
Another academic who has made bold efforts to affix biosocial criminology within the social scientific orthodoxy is Adrian Raine, the Richard Perry Professor of Criminology & Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. Originally educated as an experimental psychologist, Professor Raine has developed a reputation as the patron saint of neurocriminology, a pioneering brand of biosocial theory that focuses on understanding antisocial behaviour through the use of neuroimaging technology. One particularly interesting finding of Raine and his colleagues is that there are pronounced anatomical similarities among certain stripes of violent offender. Specifically, their research has used structural magnetic resonance imaging to show that individuals with psychopathy display bilateral volume reductions of over 17 percent in the amygdalae—regions of the brain that modulate emotion and impulsivity.1
But not all progress in this branch relies on expensive technology or prohibitively specialized scientific knowledge. Perhaps the most attractive quality of the neurocriminological approach is the simplicity with which many of its proposed solutions can be implemented. Another one of Raine's studies found that merely providing young people with developmentally enhancing omega-3 supplements is associated with a significant decrease in antisocial behaviour later on in life.2 In a related study of prison inmates, a test group given omega-3 supplements was found to commit 26.3 percent fewer offences than a nutritionally deprived control group.3 Not only are these dietary solutions medically harmless, they come at almost no cost to the taxpayer, something that can be said of few other large-scale social interventions.
Upon reflection of such impressive results, purely sociological theories of crime and antisocial behaviour become difficult to defend. The question must be asked: when will the mainstream give science another hearing?
The great peculiarity in all of this is obviated by the rarity with which other disciplines are crippled by the missteps of centuries past, the infrequency with which they are haunted by closeted skeletons. Indeed, nearly all scientific disciplines have been preceded by a long, lamentable development—histories that would widely be considered depraved and pseudoscientific in retrospect. Nevertheless, it is unusual for an entire discipline to be perpetually shackled by the chains of a failed supposition. Consider, by analogy, how foolish it would seem if we allowed medieval practices like bloodletting to constrain the scope of modern epidemiology. Surely, no serious physician has been influenced by the tenets of humoralism in recent history. What would be the state of modern neurosurgery if the shortcomings of António Moniz and his sensationalized lobotomy had prevented us from developing modern stereotaxic techniques? Similar comparisons could be drawn for nearly all empirical areas of study.
Obviously, the work of Lombroso was deeply flawed—and undeniably motivated by racial animus—but this does not mean that his model should be categorically dismissed. There is, as it turns out, a baby in that outdated and unfortunate bathwater. Lombroso inaugurated a discourse of biological positivism in an age when little significance was attributed to the relationship between biology and human behaviour. For this, he deserves some amount of intellectual praise, if only out of our begrudging ambivalence.
We now know that nearly all measurable human traits (yes, even those of which are behavioural and temperamental) have some genetic component. The work of people like Professors Boutwell and Raine is helping to expound how these traits manifest in human behaviour and how they might one day be relieved through benign, therapeutic intervention. In the coming years, our understanding of human neurophysiology will only become more precise, resulting in a clearer understanding of the causal chain that precipitates human action. It would be highly imprudent to allow the Lombrosian legacy, shameful as it may be, to forestall what are perfectly reasonable scientific inquiries.
As the indefatigable Sam Harris has insisted on so many occasions (most recently, in a cringeworthy conversation with Ezra Klein), there is serious danger in ostracizing scientists who investigate uncomfortable topics:
What I am noticing here, and what I've called a moral panic, is that there are people who think that if we don't make certain ideas, certain facts, taboo to discuss, if we don't impose a massive reputational cost in discussing these things, then terrible things will happen at the level of social policy. That the only way to protect to our politics—again, this is a loaded term, but this is what is happening from my view scientifically—is to be intellectually dishonest.
Alas, it is this very intellectual dishonesty, this reputational cost, that has had such an inhibitory, obscuring effect on the development of biosocial criminology.
1 Yang, Y., Raine, A., Narr, K. L., Colletti, P., & Toga, A. W. (2009). Localization of Deformations Within the Amygdala in Individuals With Psychopathy. Archives of General Psychiatry, 66(9), 986-994. doi:10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2009.110
2 Raine, A., Portnoy, J., Mahoomed, T., Liu, J., & Hibbeln, J. (2014). Reduction in behavior problems with omega-3 supplementation in children aged 8-16 years: A randomized, double- blind, placebo-controlled, stratified, parallel-grouptrial. Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 509-520. Retrieved May 9, 2018, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4336833/
3 Gesch, C. B., Hammond, S. M., Hampson, S. E., Eves, A., & Crowder, M. J. (2002). Influence of supplementary vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids on the antisocial behaviour of young adult prisoners. British Journal of Psychiatry, 181(01), 22-28. doi:10.1192/bjp.181.1.22
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This Humbsblog.com recalls Buhari said at the presidential rally of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Ekiti yesterday.
"I am very pleased the vice-president is here and the chairman of the National Economic Commission [sic] has told you in detail what we are doing, especially that affects your state.
"I assure you what the minister of transportation said Amaechi because he's in charge, he told you what we're doing about the railways from Lagos to Kano through the states along the line; that we're very conscious of the promises we made when came in 2005," Buhari had said.
However, many Nigerians, particularly those in the opposition, have taken the opportunity to attack the President.


Steve Nash is NBA Most Valuable Player Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns was named the winner of the Maurice Podoloff Trophy as the NBA's Most Valuable Player for the 2004-05 season, the NBA announced today.
The 6-3 point guard, who returned this season to Phoenix where he spent the first two years of his career, totaled 1,066 points to narrowly edge out Shaquille O'Neal (1,032 points) of the Miami Heat in MVP voting. The 34-point difference is the fourth-closest voting margin since media began voting on this award in 1980-1981. Rounding out the top-five in voting for MVP were Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki (349 points), San Antonio's Tim Duncan (328 points) and Philadelphia's Allen Iverson (240 points).
By electing Steve Nash the NBA's Most Valuable Player, the pro basketball media made the day of everyone who plays hoops on Friday and protests the US war machine on Saturday.
First and foremost, Steve Nash deserved this award. He averaged a league leading 11.5 assists a game and shot 50% but that doesn't even begin to explain his value to the Phoenix Suns. Comprehending Nash's season with stats alone is like judging the merit of a deep-dish sausage pizza by its calorie content: it's just more complicated than that. Beyond statistics, the six-foot tall Canadian point guard led the Suns to one of the great turnarounds in NBA history. After signing as a free agent from the Dallas Mavericks, Nash grabbed the Suns and yanked them from a terrible 29 wins to an NBA-leading 62. He took a horrible squad and made it a great one with an Energizer Bunny style of play that led Phoenix to score more points than any NBA team in a decade: over 110 points per game. Nash's "most valuability" was perhaps most clearly demonstrated during one five game stretch when Nash was injured. Without him, the Suns limped through five straight losses scoring just 97 points per contest. NASH'S play seems inspired by his first athletic love, soccer, and not coincidentally, Nash showed the world that basketball could also be "the beautiful game."
Nash barely won the MVP, edging out Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal in a squeaker. His victory shocked some observers because it's Shaq who fits in with the NBA's marketing strategy of pushing forward individual superstars at the expense of team play. Nash, on the other hand, invited all of his Phoenix Suns teammates up to the podium with him when he accepted the MVP.
On Sunday, Steve Nash became only the 2nd international player, and first-ever Canadian, in the history of the NBA to earn the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award. In one of the closest votes since the media started determining the winner in the 1980-81 season, Nash edged out Miami Heat Centre, and perennial MVP candidate, Shaquille O'Neal.
As a Canadian National Team player, Nash competed in 99 international games. A consistent leader in points, assists and minutes played, Nash's contributions have lifted Canada to tremendous international success, including a 7th place finish at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. In 2003, Nash was named MVP at the FIBA America's Olympic Qualification Tournament, where Canada competed to a 4th place finish.
After six years with the Dallas Mavericks, Nash's presence on the Phoenix Suns this year helped to launch them into a first place regular season finish, improving their record from 29-53 to 62-20. Averaging 15.5 points per game and a league best 11.5 assists on the regular season, Nash has kept similar stats in the post-season thus far with 15 points per game and 11.3 assists.


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April 11, 2020 · 11:00 pm
INCIDENT AT PHANTOM HILL (1966): MOVIE REVIEW
INCIDENT AT PHANTOM HILL (1966) – With the massive Frontierado Holiday just a few months away let's start getting in the mood with a review of this 1966 western directed by Earl Bellamy.
In the closing days of the U.S. Civil War the Union Army was transporting a million dollars in gold through northern Texas only to have it stolen from them by Confederate forces at Phantom Hill. The gold was not recovered.
Barely two months after the end of the war a former Confederate named Joe Barlow claims to have been part of the southern unit which hijacked the gold shipment AND claims to know where it is buried. In exchange for a pardon for his many pre-war crimes Barlow agrees to lead a U.S. Army detachment to the fortune in gold.
A major complication: The desert region where the bullion is buried is located in the Staked Plains, which were recently ceded to the Comanche Indians in the latest treaty. If uniformed troops are spotted poking around in the area a fresh Comanche war could break out.
An undercover Army detachment is sent in plain-clothes to recover the gold with the shifty Barlow as their guide. And so the stage is set for this underrated second-tier western that I like to call Beau West due to its entertaining blend of French Foreign Legion desert epic appeal with traditional western grittiness.
The Characters:
CAPTAIN MATT MARTIN (Robert Fuller) – Fuller made the jump from television to the big screen as the U.S. Army Captain in charge of this mission. His masculine good looks make up for what he lacks in acting ability, as usual, but he makes a perfectly serviceable hero. With another actor in the lead role Incident at Phantom Hill might have had a higher profile and a better reputation.
JOE BARLOW (Dan Duryea) – Duryea is in top form as a sleazeball who was a career criminal before the Civil War broke out and who enlisted in the Confederate Army just to get out of prison. Needlesss to say he has plans to grab all the gold for himself. With sociopathic cunning he plays the members of the expedition off against each other, heightening tensions and jeopardizing not only the mission but the very survival of the group.
MEMPHIS (Jocelyn Lane) – Lane is a dead ringer for Jessica Alba in this movie and that's no exaggeration. I actually checked to see if the two were relatives because of the uncanny resemblance Lane bears to Alba in this role. Jocelyn plays Memphis (no last name), a saloon girl who is forced upon Captain Martin's undercover unit by a Kansas sheriff who is exiling her from his town. Memphis is gorgeous, tough and can shoot a rifle like a pro.
KRAUSMAN (Claude Akins) – Akins plays the regulation hate-crazed soldier whose wife and young daughter were slain by Comanches, leaving him with a desire to wrack up his own body count of those tribesmen. His fiery vendetta threatens to blow the unit's cover on more than one occasion.
O'ROURKE (Noah Beery Jr) – The man forever remembered as Jim Rockford's dad plays the broadest Irishman imaginable in one-dimensional "sure and begorrah" style. The villainous Barlow uses O'Rourke's stereotypical weakness for whiskey to manipulate him.
DOCTOR HANNEFORD (Linden Chiles) – Chiles shines as an Army surgeon who has been left burnt-out and disillusioned by the butcher-shop operations and amputations he was often called upon to perform during the war. He was the only member of Captain Martin's unit that I wanted to know more about. Barlow shrewdly prods at the good doctor's emotional scars.
ADAM LONG (Tom Simcox) – Long is the sole surviving Union soldier from the detachment that was ambushed by Rebs at Phantom Hill. He served under Captain Martin's older brother, who was the officer in charge of the ill-fated Union troops.
HUNTER (Denver Pyle) – Pyle portrays the thoroughly despicable leader of an outlaw gang. He senses something big behind Captain Martin's supposedly "civilian" band of travelers and leads his men in an attempt to steal the gold once it's been found.
COMANCHES – Bands of Comanche warriors are largely to this movie what the pursuing posse would later be to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid – faceless, menacing, relentless figures in the distance. The Comanches hover stoically on the outskirts of the expedition, picking and choosing moments of weakness to launch their attacks. This actually works out well cinematically since we are spared the over-exposure to them that would yield the typically distracting Hollywood stereotypes. Namely, obvious white extras dressed as Indians and inane dialogue like "Ugh," "How," "Many moons ago"and "White-Eyes speak with forked tongue."
Incident at Phantom Hill minimizes its use of rear screen projection and, from the opening attack on the gold shipment onward the action scenes are very well done. The desert survival elements are rendered nearly perfectly and a viewer can almost feel themselves growing thirsty and hot just watching the film.
If you enjoyed the Charles Bronson western Breakheart Pass then this movie will be right up your alley, especially with the undercover mission elements. +++
Filed under FRONTIERADO
Tagged as American West, Balladeer's Blog, blogging, film reviews, Frontierado, glitternight.com, Incident at Phantom Hill, movie reviews, westerns
16 responses to "INCIDENT AT PHANTOM HILL (1966): MOVIE REVIEW"
I got to check this movie out!
I hope you like it!
I hate westerns.
Robert Fuller looks good in this!
I watched this movie based on your review and you were spot on. This deserves a higher profile!
Thank you for saying so!
Shante
She really does look like Jessica!
This is one of my favorite westerns!
She does look like Jessica Alba.
McE'
Interesting western. I never heard of this one before.
I'm always glad to share the information!


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Category Archives: reviews
Criterion Channel is celebrating the new year with '70s Sci-Fi, which is right up my alley. It's even more fascinating to realize that these futuristic movies are fifty years old. How far have we come over the decades, how much do we have to overcome? But, also, how close are we to the self-destruction that these movies prophesied?
I've seen some of the eighteen movies presented this month before, but they were the obvious choices like A Clockwork Orange and Mad Max. I didn't start my viewing in chronological order, instead beginning with 1975's A Boy and His Dog.
The movie takes place in the ruined, desert landscape of the old world and the first thing I noticed was how trashy that landscape is. This isn't the barren desert of the Mad Max films. This is a garbage desert, with cans and plastic and debris everywhere. It really is a gross place to live.
Which is actually fitting, because A Boy and His Dog is a pretty gross movie. The "boy", Vic (or Albert, depending on the dog) looks like he's in his late twenties. And he's as low as you can get. His only goal in the movie is to find a lady and get laid, with permission or not. And his dog, Blood, is there to help him achieve the goal. After all, they share a psychic connection, with Tim McIntire voicing the dog, and with quite a bit of dialog, throughout.
Though the only sex in the movie comes across as consensual, Vic has plenty of other qualities that make him unpleasant. He's an idiot, for one. And he's a jerk to the dog, but maybe that's the point. The dog is so loyal that he stays with this dumb, grotesque man-child through thick and thin. There's no redemption arc for Vic. It's not that type of movie.
Blood actually has a character arc. While Vic is too dumb to truly change, Blood has to make some hard choices. Does he stay with Vic as they go underground, even though it's hard to defend and possibly the home to radioactive mutants? Does he stay with Vic as he brings his newfound girlfriend, Quilla, into their lives? Does he stay with Vic as he seeks revenge from his newfound girlfriend's betrayal? And, when Vic goes "Downunder", will Blood stay and wait for Vic to return? Even if Vic might not return?
Vic's adventures Downunder are where the movie started to look it's low budget. A desert is a desert and looks the same no matter the cash on hand. But, the same goes for a high school auditorium and a golf course, for mostly ill effect. No amount of lighting or prop placement will make them look any different. Maybe that's the point, thought? After all, the society Downunder is a strange one. Everyone is in mime makeup and follows strict behavior rules, but outside of that, it doesn't look like there's too much going on down there. I guess they have robots?
Vic's lust gets the better of him as he was led down there by Quilla to help repopulate the Downunder, though not the way he was hoping. I think I could have lived my whole life and ten more without ever seeing that semen extracting scene and been all the better for it. When Quilla becomes dissatisfied with life Downunder, she frees Vic and the two make their way to the top. But, they also fight a smiling mine robot.
The ending, with Blood's choice over waiting or not for Vic, should hit most dog lovers. Even as dumb as Vic is and as fed up with him as Blood gets, a dog can't leave his boy, no matter how old they are (we're talking Chris O'Donnell as Robin old-boy here). And, while still a gross idiot, Vic must decided if he'll show the same loyalty or go off with Quilla.
The big issue I have with the movie, besides the general grossness of it all, is that no one is worth rooting for. Oh, sure, a dog is a dog. But, when Blood talks, he's a bit too much of a curmudgeon. Though that might be endearing to some, coming from a little shaggy dog like him. But Vic is loathsome. Maybe we should cheer for him at the end, but I couldn't care less if he lived or died out there in the wastes.
And, like I said, it's not that type of movie anyway. I can't say I liked A Boy and His Dog. But, it's weird and obscene and held my attention. I won't say it's a bad movie. But, like Quilla, it's an acquired taste. You can see the origins of The Road Warrior in it. The first half shows some gonzo society that enslaves people to dig for canned food, but also still has a working grindhouse theater. That's our future.
Posted in movie review, movies, reviews
Tags: 70s scifi movie, 70s scifi movie review, a boy and his dog, a boy and his dog 70s movie, a boy and his dog criterion collection, a boy and his dog review, criterion channel, criterion channel 70s sci-fi, criterion collection, movie reviews
Favorite Games of the Decade (2010s)
It's a new decade, blah, blah, blah.
Like my post about favorite books of the decade, the games list also suffers from the fact that I rarely play games as released. I'm incredibly behind on all the games I have to play, let alone want to play. Wait. Are those different?
My favorite games of the 2010s, be year published!
What a game. I didn't grow up in the arcades in the 80s or 90s, but I do love a few arcade classics. Pac-Man, obviously, has always been a lot of fun. However, it wasn't until I watched a friend stream Pac-Man Championship Edition DX that I realized how fun the game could be.
It's reminds me of Burnout 3: Takedown in it's unrelenting speed. It's like a rave inside a Lite-Brite. It's pure adrenaline when being chased and taking those turns and it's all euphoria when the tide turns and start devouring trains of ghosts. It's one of the few games I've ever score chased. It helps that the maze has patterns and systems that are understandable but also quite vicious if you make a mistake. It's too good not to stand out in the decade.
Runner ups
Alan Wake is the game I would have picked without Pac-Man. It really clicked (ha) with me and I thought the structure, setting and flashlight-based combat were brilliant.
VVVVVV is a little joy of a game that's all teeth. Starcraft 2 is great, but I haven't finished it yet. Same goes for Red Dead Redemption. Mass Effect 2 was a lot of fun, but I'm not as in love with that series as others.
I played through Limbo in one sitting, in the dim light of my living room, while my wife napped. It was melancholy, it was dark, it was depressing. But, the need to move forward was there the whole time. The simple, shadowy graphics had personality to spare and they worked to pull out little, eight-legged surprises at the most inopportune time. The puzzles might not have been the hardest, but they left me feeling smarter than I am.
Luckily for my wife, she work up for the last hour of the game and now I have someone to share the burden of the ending with. The last moments left me with questions, but not ones I necessarily need answered.
Indie games with impactful endings were the name of the game in 2011, huh? To The Moon is one of the very few games to ever make me cry. Bastion looked and sounded gorgeous and had very cool, somber ending. The Binding of Isaac should gross me out, but it's a lot of fun with a cool, Danny Baranowsky soundtrack. Portal 2 was no Portal, but it had some very high moments. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a seizure of a fighting game at times, but there's not enough X-Men. And Jurassic Park: The Game would be a biased pick and wasn't really a game anyway…
A lot of games fighting for this year but no other game became such an obsession to me in this decade like XCOM: Enemy Unknown. I mean, how many times did I lose and then just restart? What games prompted me to choose Iron Man mode so quickly? It was addictive, yes, but unlike League of Legends or Hearthstone, it was fun the whole way through, even when merrily destroying all my hopes of victory.
The gameplay is what kept me coming back, but the world building and atmosphere were wonderful. It's a universe I could keep exploring and I love that modern take on 50s science fiction throughout. And, goodness, did I let a lot of soldiers with my loved one's names die. Maybe the sequel has taken most of the replay time from the first, but it's not an either/or situation. I could go back to this first one, just like Roller Coaster Tycoon, Starcraft or Balder's Gate, in a heartbeat.
Telltale's first season of the The Walking Dead is another of the rare games to make me cry at the end. Maybe I'm becoming softer as I get older. Plague Inc. is one I've played through on the app and on PC just to relax, which makes me think I need counseling. FTL: Faster Than Light is near-perfect and is probably still my favorite rogue-like. It's design is wonderful and I own the soundtrack. I wanted to start a new game of Mark of the Ninja as soon as I was done, which is a bit rare for me. It's also one of the only stealth games I enjoy. Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP was cool and weird, Dishonored was stylish and Spec-Ops: The Line was as interesting as it's reputation claimed.
Thomas Was Alone is another single-sitting game that grabbed me by the heart and didn't let go. The puzzles were never too difficult and the story dragged a bit at the end, but it was like an indie science fiction movie in game form. Bouncing around as a square was weirdly satisfying.
And it has to be said how effective Thomas Was Alone is at giving these basic blocks and shapes personalities. It's almost Pixar-level. The fact that I cared so much for Thomas and his friends, and how upset I was near the end and how excited I was during the credits, says a lot about Mike Bithell's creation.
Metro: Last Light, and it's previous title, are games I would have eaten up as a teenager. As it stands now, they're still well made games with an interesting world to explore. Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons didn't make me cry but it did effect me quite a bit and it's single player coop structure was interesting more often than frustrating. I liked Batman: Arkham Origins more than Arkham City. And the 2013 Tomb Raider was mostly fun except for when it was tearing Lara up to shreds.
I've played a few NES-inspired games, Alwa's Awakening, The Messenger, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon, Necrosphere, ect. ect. But Shovel Knight does it best. Fully aware that technology and gameplay styles have moved on, Shovel Knight plays like how we remember the original Nintendo. More fun than difficult, more forgiving than relentless. More rewarding than fleeting.
The graphics do things the NES could never have dreamed of but it always looks right perfectly in line with the tone. The level design is great, harking back to the best of 8-bit platformers without ever feeling derivative. And it's story is charming too, helped along by a pitch-perfect soundtrack.
I think I enjoyed the actual combat and gameplay options of Transistor more than Bastion. Shadows of Mordor was what I had thought the original Assassin's Creed was supposed to be. Ultra Street Fighter IV is awesome. Wolfenstein: The New Order is a fascinating game, but hits a bit too close to home these days.
There's some cynicism to be had with Rocket League and it's microtransactions. And the fact that I'm not great at it. But, it's such a pure, arcade concept that, at it's core, it's almost the truest concept of video games. It's soccer with race cars, what else do you need?
It feels like that very concept would have been right at home on the NES, with the Super Dodge Balls and the Punch-Outs. It helps that the matches go by quick, that my skill really seems hindered by my time with it and the more I play it, the better I get and the more fun it becomes. It's never a slog, it's always colorful and it's just a hilariously high-octane game.
Ori and Blind Forest would be the more traditional winner this year. And it was gorgeous and exciting. Crypt of the Necrodancer is a lot of fun but I suck at it. I was addicted to the campaign of Prison Architect but haven't returned to it much after. And SOMA has an ending that will stick with me until the day I die.
Oh, DOOM. What a beast. I don't love gore and overly brutal violence…I used to be able to say. No matter how many times I was horrified by DOOM's glory kills, I still laughed like a maniac after every one and went on to the next as quickly as I could. I've spent so many years ducking behind corners and crouched behind various forms of cover, I had forgotten the pure joy of running circles around an enemy, unloading clip after clip, until he was dead in a glorious mess of guts and health drops. And that beautiful double jump made me feel like Mario with a chainsaw.
I never once was bored with DOOM and I wanted to start it all over again as soon the credits rolled. This game is so shark-like in it's focus to keep moving, to keep feeding, it can't help but become the new apex predator of first person shooters.
Firewatch was as good as it was probably because it was as short as it was. For pure Dungeons and Dragons brutality, Darkest Dungeon is a game I feel surprisingly competent at…until a complete party wipe. Stardew Valley sort of wrecked me as a person. Overcoocked is another little game that knows what it wants and how to get it. Part of me also wanted to give the award to XCOM 2, but, as good as it is, it didn't have the same effect the first game had on me. And, if this was an award for most time spent with, Civilization VI would take home the gold.
I haven't played Dark Souls or any game by From Software, but I doubt I'll enjoy them as much as Nioh. It's not just that the game is brutal and mean, it's that it's big and dumb as well. It's all the messy samurai films we love, with a dash of Onimusha and a whole lost of dodging.
It might be more style over substance in some places, but I do so love the style. It wasn't a short game, it took me quite a while to play through the main campaign. But, I always looked forward to starting up a new session. The heartbreaks of losing all your orbs can be too much to bear, but that's why we fall. So we can learn to pick ourselves back up again and kill a whole bunch of demons until we have all their orbs.
Another Souls-like game, Hollow Knight which has one heck of an oppressive atmosphere that became a bit to claustrophobic as I went on. Other runner ups to the runner ups are Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, for being the first Mario Kart since Double Dash that I've enjoyed and Alwa's Awakening for that last dungeon.
I sort of hate giving Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon the win because I already gave it to Shovel Knight and the do a similar thing. They both recreate the 8-bit NES games of my youth, but how I remember them as opposed to the brutal reality of it all.
And, yet, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is a different game with different goals. The character switching is fun and adds a new dynamic to each level. The bosses are annoying and I am filled with a justified rage when I destroy them. The music is sweeping and romantic in it's chiptune purity. It's more of an adrenaline rush than Shovel Knight and I was so addicted to those endorphins that I started the higher difficulty immediately after finishing the first playthrough.
I didn't think you could update the real time strategy genre until Northgard brought in 4X-elements and slowed things down a bit. Leaving early access and officially coming out in 2018 was Dead Cells, which is great and one I'm going to be playing for a while. And, like Civilization VI, Jurassic World: Evolution gets and award for time played. But, again, I'm biased.
So, this is what I mean by behind the times. I didn't play a single game that was released in 2019. And, even knowing myself, I'm a little shocked. No indie games, no quick little arcade titles. I didn't play anything!
And there's so much I want to play! Outer Worlds, Outer Wilds, Disco Elysium, Control, Star Wars: Fallen Order, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Void Bastards, A Plague Tale: Innocence, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, there's so many…
OH WAIT! Fell Seal: Arbiter's Mark officially came out in 2019! I played that! Hey! It wins by default!
Also, I replayed The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past this year. Any year that game is played it's the best of the year.
Posted in reviews, video games
Tags: best video games of 2010, best video games of the decade 2010s, bloodstained curse of the moon, doom 2016, favorite video games of 2010, favorite video games of 2010s, fell seal arbiter's mark, limbo video game, nioh game, pac-man championship edition, rocket league, shovel knight, thomas was alone, top video games of the decade, Video game, video game history, video game review, video games, video games of 2010s, xcom enemy unknown
Book Review – I Kill Giants
I've been having issues lately when trying to read Young Adult books. I don't love teenage protagonist, in books or movies. I find the range teenage characters have for drama, when written for a young adult audience, to be limiting or, more often than not, dull. It's very relationship based, which I don't mind a sampling of, but, when it's the main course, I'd rather skip it all together. And the teenage introspection! The narration! I can't do it! Not anymore! Adults writing teenagers think they're so darn clever and relevant because they mention last years movies or say "legit" or something like that, I can't do it anymore and I won't!
This has been a quick review for John Green's Turtles All the Way Down.
Here's the twist, though. Graphic novels fix this for me. There's less inner monologues and more visual cues. Blankets or This One Summer nail the melancholy existentialism because they create mood in the art, not just through dated dialog. When we see how young a character is, they feel more real as a teenager because we're not being told by a thirty-five year old how "legit" young they are. Also, I'm not sure if "legit" is something I've read people writing or just a new thing I'm doing now?
Also, I should stop judging, because the book I wrote has teenage protagonist and they're mopey and monologuey and now I'm legit worried I can't stop saying legit…
I Kill Giants is written by Joe Kelly, whose always been one of the better writers in the world of Marvel comics. It tells the story of a girl who doesn't fit in at school, who's going through some heavy stuff in her family life and who might also fight giants. The giants thing is up in the air, but there's a good chance it's real. Or maybe it's all in her head. Or real.
This self-contained graphic novel is sneaky. You go in expecting a certain type of story, maybe similar to Anya's Ghost or In Real Life and, while there's fantastical elements, you get something more akin to This One Summer. I Kill Giants is lighter on it's feet than Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki's novel, all while dealing with loneliness and loss without bringing down the party. J. M. Ken Niimura's art could be described as big, similar to Ed Mcguinness' style of comic art, but the black and white illustrations stand without the need of bold colors. The lack of color even makes the beach seem more lonesome and magical. There's a pacing in this book, with the writing and art, that matches superhero comics, but this is completely accessible to people who dislike capes and masks.
It's hard to talk about I Kill Giants without giving away important moments. The ending is reliant on the book's whole concept of truth vs. fiction, of dealing with problems or ignoring them. I could tell you about the book's bullying or the friendship that forms, or the only guidance concealer that I've ever wished was real, but there's too much that should be read without knowing the truth out the gate. I will say this book made me cry, and it might have been a while since a young adult title had that effect on me.
This seems to me like it's been a badly written review. Take it as more of a recommendation wrapped in some rants. This book is great and should be considered essential reading for the young adult graphic medium. With a movie coming out this year, hopefully more will discover this book, because it shouldn't be missed.
Posted in book review, books, comic books, reviews
Tags: book review, comic books, comics, graphic novels, i kill giants, joe kelly, review, ya graphic novel, young adult, young adult books, young adult reading
All the Books Show: Episode 129 – All the Books Anticipation 2018!
This episode, we talk about the adult books coming out in 2018. But, we still have the excitement of young readers. You got to feel young to stay young, you know?
Lots of books coming out this year, but not a lot catching me eye. On the podcast, I point out that I'm never very up-to-date on books released during the year. Sometimes, if something really grabs my attention, like The Girls or Exit West, I'll give in. But, it's rare.
Anything you're looking forward to? Let me know, and maybe you convince me to be excited too!
You can follow us on Soundcloud, Youtube or iTunes and even Twitter! I'm sure there's another, cool platform I'm forgetting but you can follow us on that too!
See you next week, podcats!
Posted in All the Books Show, books, reviews
Tags: 2018, anticipated books, author, book news, book podcast, book review, library, marvel comics, new books, new york times bestsellers list, podcast, scooby doo, woman in the window
All the Books Show: Episode 128 – YA Book Anticipation 2018!
2018 is a new year with new possibilities! Like books!
Normally, Nic and I will do one episode covering the most anticipated books of the year. This year, however, there seemed to be too many to cover in just one episode. So, we split it up and here's our look at the young adult books coming to shelves this year.
My most anticipated is the YA Jurassic World prequel novel about Claire and her rebuilding the park. That's the only book I want to read this year.
Tags: 2018, 2018 books, all the books, anticipated books, anticipated books 2018, author, book news, book podcast, book review, jurassic world, library, new books, new york times bestsellers list, podcast, YA, young adult, young adult books, young adult reading, Young-adult fiction
Book Review – Annihilation
I had my wife read Jeff VanderMeer's Annihilation and report back to me if it was worth reading before the movie is released. She loved the book and suggested I pick it up, as it would be a quick read. This was a fortunate turn of events, because had I read the book first, I would have told her that she wouldn't enjoy it and to just wait for the movie.
The book tells the story of the twelfth expedition into Area X, a weird part of the country that's been abandoned by civilization and taken over by plant life and bizarre new species of animals. The narrator, referred to only as the Biologist or Ghost Bird, records her findings and past experiences into her journal, which makes up the book.
Before the Biologist began her journey, her husband had been part of the previous expedition and he may or may not have returned. The Biologist is travelling, not just for scientific understanding of Area X, but to also discover the fate of her husband.
For a short read, this book took me a long time to finish after I started it. It was dense with descriptions of the bizarre Area X, in an almost Lovecraftian level of detail. There wasn't much of a narrative push to keep me reading, as the story is moved along by one strange finding after the other. However, the odd environment is never explained, nor are many of the findings put into context, which means much of this book is the narrator saying, "Isn't this weird" and me just nodding my head.
The book is written in a dreamy sort of way and none of the characters act like people. Everyone seems out to kill everyone, right from the beginning and we're never allowed to grow attached to anyone. The dialog doesn't read like real human speech but aggressive robots. The narrator freely admits to being aloof and preferring to be alone. However, in the context of the other members of the expedition, this doesn't pack any punch as all the characters are eerie non-humans.
I think this is why I preferred the flashback scenes between the narrator and her husband. There was no science fiction in these chapters, but against an actual human, the narrator becomes more interesting. Her husband is more outgoing and a people-person and this shines a light on the narrator. She's frustrating but not a cold monster, she's solitary but has heart for nature. Watching her marriage strain against the clashing personalities, alongside the husband's departure to Area X, makes for an interesting read that the science fiction parts of the book fail to replicate.
I think, when it comes to science fiction, I either need believable science or interesting characters. Annihilation had neither. VanderMeer's writing is too abstract while also being too detail oriented, with descriptions down to the measurements but with zero context. The characters are like ghosts of people and maybe there's artistic merit to that style that I'm missing. I'm sure I've read books with characters like this before that I enjoyed, but it wasn't the case with Annihilation. I'm still excited for the movie, but that's more to do with Alex Garland directing it, as Ex Machina was great. My wife will continue this trilogy of novels and, maybe, she might convince me to keep reading as well. But, unless such prompting happens, I personally have no interest left.
Posted in book review, books, reviews
Tags: alex garland, annihilation, annihilation book, annihilation movie, book review, jeff vandermeer, Natalie portman, review, science fiction, scifi
Let's Play – Dead Space
Dead Space, both the first game and the series as a whole, is one I figured I would ignore forever. I don't love horror, especially horror based on gore and gross monster designs. I prefer creepiness without the gore. But, for five dollars, and a better understanding that the games might be pretty good, I decided to try out the first entry.
I still wasn't thrilled with the body horror, especially…the babies. However, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Most things are enshrouded in shadow and I was so busy shooting anything that jumped out at me, I didn't have too much time to get grossed out. It still happened, mind you, but I made it out alive.
One thing I learned is that people have strong feelings about these games. I met fans of the series, of the lore and backstory. It almost seems like a modern Doom to some people, though the gameplay is nothing like that series in terms of speed and action. I doubt my own experience will ever go past the games, but it's interesting to hear from the other side.
The weapons are interesting and definitely unique. Of course, I found two that I tend to stick with throughout the game. There's little in the way of ammo, though, which I'm not a fan of. I get the suspense that supposed to come with that, but I'd prefer to have the ability to defend myself. My skills at these games are a handicap enough!
Unlearning the head-shot is tricky. I know it should do the most damage, but in Dead Space, you're supposed to remove the limbs of the monsters. Suddenly, I'm aiming for arms to stop attacks, legs to slow them down, the head is the least of my worries. One thing I did appreciate is how scary the boss fights were. Either they were massive or just plain vicious. Plus, there was often a creative way to take them out, such as freezing them where they stand.
So, despite my misgivings, I will be playing the second game at some point. I hear it's more action over frights, and that might be better for my tastes. Give me ammo and targets, I'll do the rest!
Poorly.
You can find this stream and other videos here or watch live at my Twitch channel!
Posted in let's play, reviews, twitch, video games
Tags: blind run, dead space, dead space 1, fps, horror, let's play, playthrough, scifi, twitch, video game review, video games, Visceral Games, walkthrough
All the Books Show: Episode 127 – Edgar Awards 2018
Second catch up post! It's about mysteries!
Speaking of mysteries, someone on Twitter refered to me as a clever clogs. Apparenly, it's an "UK informal disapproving someone who shows that they are clever, in a way that annoys other people." What that has to do with mysteries, or the Edgar Awards, which are given to mysteries, I don't know. Why'd you bring it up?
Posted in All the Books Show, books, podcast, reviews
Tags: 2018, all the books, book news, book podcast, book review, edgar awards, mysteries, mystery, new york times bestsellers list, nominees, podcast
Let's Play – Batman: Arkham Origins
Batman: Arkham Origins was a pleasant surprise. I had heard mixed things about the game, especially since it was made by a different developer. Some critiqued how scaled down it felt from Batman: Arkham City or the lack of marquee villains, like the Scarecrow or Poison Ivy. What I found, instead, is a game that was closer to what I liked about Batman: Arkham Asylum, both is size and tone.
Arkham Asylum had a focused story with a dark atmosphere, that also made the player feel claustrophobic. Batman wasn't trapped per se, but he had to go deeper into the worst place in the world, sort of like the aggressively lonely catacombs found in Tomb Raider Anniversary. With it's mixture of eclectic villains, crumbling architecture and plot twists, Arkham Asylum had all the makings of a classic Batman story, in any medium.
I found Batman: Arkham City to be bloated and nowhere near as intriguing as the first game and I thought I was done with the series. But, Arkham Origins brought the scale back and refocused the story, with villains that work well in the same plot. The smaller scale of Gotham City means less flapping around with no purpose. The streets themselves are emptier than in Arkham City, but the game is set during Christmas Eve and it helps contribute to the feeling of being alone on the holiday. In fact, I played it over the Christmas season for that reason, as the snow and frequent use of Christmas tunes makes this game one of the best holiday titles out there. Combine this with Batman Returns and you have a pretty great Christmas lined up!
The stealth, gadgets and combat all function as they have in previous games. Detective mode is a bit dull, as it has been throughout the series. But all the different gameplay elements work together to make something easy to play and enjoy. I'm not great at big fights in the game, but I can feel great with the mechanics. And, I'm left to wonder why Batman doesn't have those electric gloves all the time.
I know not everyone enjoyed this entry in the series, but I found it to be my second favorite of the three I've played. It has real boss fights against villains I was happy to see, such as Firefly, Deathstroke and Deadshot. Heck, this game even reminded me of why Bane is such a great foe for Batman, as the character and his troupes are accurately translated from the comics, much better than in The Dark Knight Rises. Plus, I'm a big sucker for a strong Batman/Joker conversation.
In fact, I enjoyed this prequel so much, I finally purchased Batman: Arkham Knight, a title I have been avoiding due to my lackluster response to Arkham City and the PC port in general. We'll see how that fares to my disdain of large open worlds, as Arkham Origins reminds me of how much I prefer focused, story driven games. And the viewers that stopped by all seemed to have a soft spot for this title, many of them feeling this game get's underrated. I'm right there with them now.
Posted in comic books, let's play, reviews, twitch, video games
Tags: arkham asylum, arkham origins, bane, Batman, batman game, blind run, christmas, DC, DC comics, deathstroke, joker, let's play, playthrough, review, streamer, streaming, super hero, superhero game, the Joker, twitch, walkthrough
All the Books Show: Episode 125 – Book Clubbing
Second quick update as I try to get current with the episodes on the blog.
We talk about book clubs, the benefits and such. What books the library has on the schedule and what have been favorite reads in past clubs. Mine, personally, is Station Eleven. I was worried I wasn't going to want to talk about that book, because I loved it and I didn't want to hear any critiques. Luckily, the club was a great discussion and I think I like the book even more having done it. Join a book club!
Tags: book club, book news, book podcast, book review, doomsday key, new books, new york times bestsellers list, podcast, reading time, review, station eleven


Some more 'little packages' made for a Christmas Present Evening recently held at a friend's house. These boxes hold a larger tealight and were made with some current products as well as some retired ones.
The two boxes at the top were made in a 'drawer' style and the bottom two were made in a slightly different style (the lid is lifted up to reveal a fixed box). The candles were decorated with strips of DSP to match the boxes. I don't have any measurements for you as I just measured the candles and made the boxes to fit!!


Home Uncategorized Do You Think its Time to Get an Efficient Booking Software For Your Hotel Business? We Can Help!
Who doesn't love to travel around the world and explore localities in the name of 'vacation', 'holiday', 'outing' or whatever you call? If they are planned well, will surely help to keep your mind and body relaxed. In order to make a travel safe and peaceful, there are several factors to look on, with the first important thing being 'booking the right hotel'. Hotel Booking happens to be one of the fastest growing businesses these days. One major reason for this is customer has full control over reserving rooms on their required date, with just a few clicks on your website.
This article will be of most interest to entrepreneurs who are looking forward on building their own niche marketplace for online hotel reservation business. How do you think the hotel booking industry should work in this era efficiently? The answer is Quick and Easy. Nowadays, looking for a hotel to spend the night has become scary stories for the kids. Thanks to mobile apps, travelers can now easily find nearest and most comfortable hotels.
It's really not that tough as it seems to be. To develop a hotel booking software, first you either need to have your own website or hire someone to develop it from scratch. From my own perspective, I would choose to utilize any of the open source (a software with source code that anyone can inspect, modify, and enhance) platforms to develop my website. To develop a reservation website using open source platforms has its own advantage. It provides quality, reliability, flexibility and lower cost.
More than 55% of the customers pay with credit cards and rest of the population pays with online banking, digital wallets, promo codes and similar payment modes. Hotel booking and vacation rental booking websites require secure payment gateways that can accept payments in any foreign currency and convert them into native currency as desired by the admin.
Simplified one step checkout to help consumers pay quickly with more convenient features to drive more sales and revenue. It also asks for the bare amount of information that is necessary to process the payment. You can accompany this with the auto-fill feature, and it can save consumers time and effort leading to quick conversions.
When the users land on the homepage, it takes him one look to decide whether to utilize the service or head on to a competitor. This is the reason you have to go all out when it comes to homepage design.
The success of an online hotel booking website depends upon the user experience of the site and information it provides. The user-friendly design layout is very important in the hotel booking business. It also holds true for listing page, which displays all the results elegantly including hotel location map, prices etc.
iScripts ReserveLogic is a ready-made eCommerce platform which helps to start your own online hotel booking website in a short while. It's a cost-effective solution, and it also helps to grow your hotel booking business efficiently. This online hotel booking module is designed with beneficial features for setting up a well competent online hotel booking system. It also helps in handling the rooms of a hotel or other lodging facilities.
iScripts ReserveLogic takes away the pain of building your best hotel booking website. The script gives you the benefit of market-readiness. There is no coding & programming experience required, except for additional customization to make your online hotel booking website look and feel unique.
If you are planning on creating an online hotel booking website and looking for the best eCommerce solution to start your online hotel booking business? Keep in touch with us sales@iscripts.com or call us at (312) 423-6728 for instant support.
If you have any query about building an online hotel booking website, you can visit iScripts. Furthermore, you can do a live chat with our team to get more details about how to make online hotel booking website using iScripts ReserveLogic eCommerce solution!
Ready to create your own multi-hotel booking platform? Try it out for yourself right now See the Free Live DEMO: iScripts ReserveLogic. Experiment with the demo to get a better feel for the site you could own and market. You control the backend of the site and choose the way it will function for your users.


text:
412 South Clinton Street
Historic Designation +
Calhoun County Historic Preservation Plan, 1975
Report of the Historic District Study Committee, 1976
State Register Listed, February 18, 1982
Albion Area Historical Architectural Survey, 1985
National Register Listed, February 8, 1988
National Register of Historic Places +
Robertson, Eugene P., House, ID Number P22690
Photo Information: The Eugene P. Robertson House, photo c. 1985
Significant Dates: 1865-1870
State Register Listed: 02/18/1982
National Register Listed: 02/08/1988
Narrative Description
The Eugene P. and Carrie L. (Torrey) Robertson House is atwo-story, brick-clad, Italianate residence resting on coursedashlar fieldstone foundation. The hipped roof house is roughlycruciform in shape with the fourth, rear "arm" slightly lowerthan the other three and covered by a separate, hipped roof.Three chimneys, two in the front section and one in the rear,pierce the roofs of the house. The Italianate style of the house isapparent in its broad eaves with paired ornamental brackets and"flattened" arch windows surmounted by incised hoodmolds.Bay windows project off of the front and one side facade.Immediately adjacent to the front bay window is a small, flatroofedporch supported by square, wooden posts. The porch andbay windows are notable for their bracketed eaveslines.
A well-preserved example of Italianate architecture, theRobertson House was constructed between 1865 and 1870 forprominent Albion civic leader Eugene P. Robertson. Robertsonwas elected mayor of Albion in 1890. He organized the AlbionState Bank in 1895 and remained president until his death in1916. Robertson also served on the local School Board and wastreasurer of the Board of Trustees of Albion College. The onlyknown exterior alteration to the structure was the replacementof the original front stoop by the present front porch in the1920s. The house is currently a private residence.
Source: Michigan's Historic Sites Online, Downloaded 2003.
gabled overdoor
Philadelphia Chippendale
arcaded attic story


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