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A 7-point summary of the year 2018 in the world of communication
When it comes to communication, last year was vibrant, highly challenging and very surprising. We saw new trends and developments, some of them positive, others controversial. We became more aware that efficient communication determines the fates of businesses and people. Many people have come to experience the growing complexity of media relations. Forced to compete with the flood of information dished out by social media, the conventional press faded in comparison. In internal messages, we made bolder inroads into non-verbal communication, using all the advantages of video. The bottom line is that communication professionals had a lot to learn last year. They had good reasons to take pride in their work, but not without occasional frustrations. Without a doubt, the industry is changing rapidly, driven by advancing technologies, social evolution and disruptions to business. Shown below is a selection of 7 pronounced trends that were both debated and experienced by the communication industry in 2018.
1. Everyone is involved in communication
Automation, robotization, artificial intelligence – these were some of the key buzzwords last year, in the world of communication, too. What did they mean to us? For sure, many of us have pondered pessimistic scenarios in which chatbots and apps take over desk jobs and displace human workers. While disputes on how badly automation will harm the creative industries, marketing and PR are unlikely to be settled any time soon, last year showed new kids on the block, competing with communications professionals for influence over target groups and generating messages. The new arrivals are, in fact, members of the target groups themselves. Their operation is made possible by technology which is increasingly easier to use and more powerful. Other professionals can now use the smartphone, a mobile app or a blog to influence opinions on products, companies and co-workers. Communications experts realized they are gradually losing their monopoly on narratives. For many of us, this is a new development, forcing us to double our efforts. The competition from members of target groups who share opinions amongst one another (mainly on social media), is bound to get stronger. I think that last year was a milestone in realizing how irreversible this process really is.
2. A picture is worth a thousand words
2018 brought further technological breakthroughs making state-of-the-art communications all the more accessible. Video continued to rise in both external and internal communications. This applied to instructional videos, image spots, and videos that promote workers, build loyalty and popularize ideas. Videoblogs won the hearts of audiences, both teenage and managerial. Multimedia tutorials proved to be more effective than conventional presentations.
Facebook provided a tool that enables practically anyone to report live from any place on the planet. Video streaming got bigger on Instagram – it is ideally suited for genuine and rapid communication. I think that this form of communication is set to grow further in the immediate future.
3. The dangers posed by fake news
The term "fake news" was on the lips of the entire world in various configurations. It was immediately etched into the minds of journalists, politicians, entrepreneurs and regular content consumers. It was often used (alongside "post-truth") as an umbrella term to excuse poor decisions by politicians and business people. All across the world, fake news became a huge challenge for communications professionals, whether they represented companies and institutions or individuals. The key reason for this is that they broke the trust of many target groups in public messages of all kinds. We asked ourselves how to tell true information from false, and how to persuade our audiences that we stood "on the right side of history", and that the information we were spreading was credible, accurate and trustworthy. Many of us found that daunting. It was just as difficult to respond quickly to unfair opinions from consumers threatening to tarnish company reputations. Unfortunately, in our efforts to resolve the issue, we face one formidable adversary: technology. Technology allows all content, no matter whether it's true or false, to spread at lightning speed. It appears this problem will haunt us for years to come.
4. Influencers joining the game
The ease with which one can set up a blog provokes people simply to do so and then write on anything that strikes their fancy, from business to pastimes, to passions, ideas, products, companies to politics. Master bloggers have grown more articulate – they make more money and have become more influential. Their videos are more appealing, persuasive and easier for the general public to absorb. A single eloquent blogger can rapidly rise in popularity to a point where he becomes the go-to expert and ultimate authority on any given topic. That blogger can then do wonders for a brand. The industry knows fully well that staying on the good side of influencers is key for anyone trying to promote an idea, product or service. Influencers increasingly shape the views of present-day consumers. They are the ones that customers trust when making purchasing decisions. The previous year certainly bolstered their position.
5. Communication as a full service
For a number of years now, the line between advertising and public relations has been increasingly blurred. Agencies that once specialized in a single form of communication are now doing the whole shebang from media planning to PR to integrated marketing campaigns to social outreach. The previous year saw the trend grow even stronger. This can be simply chalked up to the general realization that the customer and all of his needs come first. That is why we have been offering maximum benefits, services and products. Will the trend last? It is hard to say.
6. #metoo – the power of a single hashtag
This hashtag, whose popularity peaked in late 2017, did not lose any of its momentum last year. Just when all of the bad characters seemed to be well identified, new reports sprung up on outrageous behavior by widely-respected people with previously untarnished reputations. A single hashtag (a hashtag being a keyword that is spread in social media and that at times packs a highly emotional message) speaks volumes of today's communication. It shows that communication can be unpredictable and spontaneous. It can instantly spread ideas across the world and powerfully affect people's lives. In this way, deliberately-fashioned or spontaneously emerging content may significantly influence politics, social standards and the formal actions of companies and institutions. I wonder whether "metoo", which swayed public opinion in the last two years, will find a counterpart in 2019.
7. Facebook's damaged credibility
In recapping 2018, I could not possibly leave out the furore that broke out over Facebook. 2018 put an end to the uncritical perceptions of this social network, prompting people to renounce their confidence in its endeavors and realize that it served evil just as much as it served good. The Cambridge Analytica scandal, which laid bare leaks of the personal data of over 80 million Facebook users, showed that Facebook management had, for years, neglected to ensure their security. As it turned out, people's personal data was easy prey for any third parties which, once harvested, could be processed as they pleased. To make things worse, Cambridge Analytica used the data in a political campaign to influence the US presidential elections. This led to the questioning of Mark Zuckerberg and the release of a statement by Facebook management. For image reputation repair professionals, this was an enlightening spectacle. Known for proclaiming its care for the world, Facebook was a big letdown. The company failed to realize the implications of both its neglect and what, at times, was deliberate wrongdoing.
The previous year showed that rapid changes in the world immediately affect local communication. People still need to learn how to react to the technological revolution. We all saw spectacular events unexpectedly erupt and heavily impact the status quo. Spontaneous trends in communication tempted many of us, prompting us to wonder whether we too could invent and trigger an equally powerful avalanche from behind our desks. To our dismay, we found that today's communication tools can be used to distort reality. All in all, the last two years were a turbulent and interesting time for the world of communication.
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3 Major Types Of Social Media Advertising To Consider In Your Online Business
Social media is dominating the market, especially the digital landscape to a wide extent. Not just because of its amazing features and marketing opportunities, it has turned to be an advertising partner for every online business. There are different types of social media advertising.
Are you interested in advertising your products and services on social media? That's a wonderful technique to make brand exposure. The handful of social media advertising channels contribute a lot to this, helping the business to spread brand awareness across a wide audience.
People wondering to advertise their business across online channels often choose social media to promote their brand and connect with the target audience. This is when SMO services companies in Delhi or Mumbai come into the picture.
Here in this article, we are going to spread the limelight on the social media advertising types that every online business should consider.
Let's have a look.
3 Major Types of Social Media Advertising
1. The popular, Facebook:
Facebook is the widest social media network that carries 2 billion monthly users on its channel. The uncompetitive platform always remains the first priority for the advertisers to reach the target audience and improve brand visibility.
Facebook ads are mostly used by eCommerce businesses. They use a bundle of products to advertise and drive home a huge number of leads and earn huge conversions. Usually, Facebook allows advertisers to customize their bidding strategy and create one that supports the budget. However, the picture says, the more you spend, the better your ad performance is, according to Facebook's ad algorithm.
According to the study done by AdEspresso, the average CPC of the Facebook ad in 2016 was .28 cents and the cost per 1000 impressions was $7.19. Hence, budget-friendly tactics.
Facebook ads are easy to create. It allows users to filter out the audience based on demographics, locations, gender, interest, and so on to get the exact audience. It helps in building brand awareness. Here you can even use different emojis to drive higher CTRs and perform A/B testing to get a better ad performance in the end.
2. The trending, Instagram:
After Facebook, it's time for Instagram. 500 million monthly users are now currently active on Instagram. Thus, triggering high engagement rates in social media. Studies have shown that Instagram has the power to build engagement 58% higher than Facebook and 2000% higher than Twitter. So you can use Instagram to do web marketing.
The reason behind its high engagement is the more use of visual elements that include videos and images. Unlike Facebook, Instagram accepts more image content and video content and support ads in such formats.
While creating Instagram ads, you need to consider a few things:
First of all, Instagram takes hashtags seriously. Hence, choosing hashtags properly for your ad content is very important. It is a great way to connect with the right audience, searching for brand products or services.
Instead of using stock photos, use real images to attract potential buyers. In this way, you can take the business to its next level.
Like Facebook, Instagram also allows you to customize your audiences and build engagement. You can find your audiences through pixel tracking, email list, follower list, and other methods.
Instagram ads are displayed on IG stories and news feeds. Choose the platform where you want to feature your ad and expose your business.
3. The bluebird, Twitter:
Looking for a platform to connect with both niche and mainstream influencers? Twitter is the right platform to access. It boasts over 328 million monthly active users, making it one of the popular advertising platforms for marketers.
Twitter highly supports organic engagement. This implies, advertisers no need to pay for gaining followers and potential clients. Even if someone runs paid ads on this platform, this organic way of generating customer engagement adds value to the platform.
If you consider Twitter ad cost stats, the cost per 1000 impressions is between $9 and $11 whereas the cost per click is 25-30 cents. Twitter ads are growing in demand in recent times. Maybe because, you get the freedom to set up multiple varieties of ad campaigns like promoted accounts, promoted tweets, promoted trends, and website cards.
Use an attractive and compelling image along with a powerful CTA and target the products and lead magnets that you want to promote. Take the advantage of the ad campaign and build a direct connection between your brand and consumers.
Unlike traditional advertising, social media advertising is cost-friendly, resource-friendly, and has great potential in promoting brand products and services across the right audience. The best thing about these platforms is you can choose any of them to make advertisements and meet different business objectives from generating leads to amplifying business sales.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


There is a prestige that comes when a student holds the responsibility of being an athlete to represent their educational institution. Though it is an honor to be an athlete as the school does give high regard and extra credentials as you finish your studies, there is a level of accountability that the student has to maintain. As a student-athlete, there are many elements you have to maintain.
In this article, we tackle on the importance of having an athletic acknowledgment form in a school athlete's life, why it is important to have one, and what are the elements of an athletic acknowledgment form.
Health – The athletic acknowledgment form allows for the protection of the athlete's well-being due to the fact that there is pressure to gain success through sports. Being an athlete often allows the individual to push the limits and capabilities of their bodies in order to achieve their goal of winning as athletes are compelled to adhere to regular after-school training and practices.
To Inform Regarding Risk Factors – There are many common injuries that athletes are at risk to especially when involved in contact sports. It is important for both the athlete and their parent, especially if the athlete is not yet of legal age, to be aware of certain injuries that are more prominent among athletes, as well as give signs and symptoms of certain injuries or even organ failures.
Student Duties – This is to remind the athlete that although sports can improve their academic standing in school, they must also do their part in keeping up with their studies. In most institutions, they can only allow their athletes to compete in their field as long as a certain grade point average is achieved to ensure that their athletes continue to be academically focused.
Responsibilities as School Representation – Most especially when an athlete is competing in an interscholastic event or is wearing their athletic attire outside the premises of the school grounds, the athlete must be reminded that they are a continuous representation of their institution. Therefore, proper conduct must be observed at all times as they are a reflection of the training that the school has enforced in them.
Accountability – There are other responsibilities that athletes will be liable for especially in terms of maintaining gym and sports equipment. The acknowledgment form allows for the athletes to be aware that they will be accountable for the things that they use.
Awareness of Responsibilities for Athlete and their Parents – There are many components that an athlete must be aware of and responsible for and their parents must also have an understanding of these responsibilities to scaffold them when they are at home.
Prerequisite Medical Certificate – This is further proof that the athlete is of excellent health and that it has been proven by a medical professional. They may also use physical health forms to ensure this. Though athletes are more susceptible to common sports injuries, and the likelihood of concussions or organ failures are high when athletes go beyond what their bodies can handle, when athletes are proven to be of impeccable health, the less worry and liability the institution holds.
Consent of Parents or Guardians – Along with other activities that athletes have, the consent must also be included in the athletic acknowledgment form, especially for those athletes who are not yet of legal age. This is fundamental as there are many youth members who still need guidance from adults, especially during decision making. You may attach a separate consent form for parents and guardians or also include it in the athletic acknowledgment form.
Eligibility to Become an Athlete – Not including an individual's athletic abilities, there are more characteristics that make a person to be part of an athletic team such as a maintaining grade point average, diligence in training and practices, participation in related school activities, etc. Mention this explicitly in order for the athletes to continue managing their school works and extracurricular activities.
Rules and Regulations of the Team – Different institutions have different rules. Add in empirical rules that the athletes must adhere to in order to maintain peace and order for the entire team. Some rules may include the management of equipment, possession of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana and other illegal drugs, etc.
Expectations as School Representatives – The athletes must understand that they are the delegates that represent their educational institution, therefore that they must present themselves in a respectable manner, and must have good moral character.
Fact Sheets for Sport's Related Injuries and Diseases – The athletes must also be aware and knowledgeable regarding the risks that come with conducting regular strenuous activities, especially with contact sports. It would be helpful for the athletes and their parents to be informed regarding symptoms and treatments regarding common infections, diseases, and illnesses that athletes may get during their activities. A cardiac arrest acknowledgment form and concussion acknowledgment form may also be attached along with the athlete acknowledgment form.
Agreement to Adhere to the Sign Form – Before joining the team, all athletes and their parents must acknowledge and hand out the agreement form to their coach to ensure that they have understood the terms and conditions of the agreement.
In order for an institution or even a coach to maintain the peace and order of an athletic team, rules and guidelines must be followed. Though it may not be an easy task to search for talent that can boost a team of talented athletes, making sure that the team, their guardians, and the institution must make sure that they have come to an agreement regarding matters that may only come up a few months into the season. This is only to protect not only the school but also make sure that the athletes understand the responsibilities that they must manage, as well as the physical and health risks that come with being an athlete.


The new era of Green Lantern continues to unfold throughout the month of June and this week Green Lantern: New Guardians gets the spotlight as writer Justin Jordan and artist Brad Walker step up to provide the further adventures of Kyle Rayner. With Kyle's original team scattered across the universe the new creative team continues Rayner's journey by coupling him with the Templar Guardians who find themselves strangers in a universe that despises them for what they represent. To prevent them from repeating the mistakes of the past they plan to set out across the universe so that they get a better understanding of the intergalactic community at large. Think "Hard Travelling Guardians" and you get a sense for the direction that the new creative team are going.
Kyle's role in all this is one that comes not by choice but by a preconceived notion that the Templar Guardians need watching. It's understandably the last thing Rayner wants to do considering what the Templar Guardians symbolize to Kyle, who's still grieving over the loss of Ganthet and coming to terms with the actions of the former Guardians. But in conversing with Hal Jordan while Kyle takes out his frustration on space sharks Kyle comes to the conclusion that Hal is right about the new Guardians needing some oversight, something which takes a visiting Carol Ferris by surprise when Kyle returns to Earth.
Jordan does a nice job of handling the larger issues while still making this Kyle's personal journey. Kyle's often been a character who's greatest strength could be found in his earthbound adventures, but if this first issue in any indication Kyle will have some great opportunities in his interactions with the new Guardians as they travel about the cosmos. If this is "Hard Travelling Guardians" then Kyle will be the Ollie Queen of the journey.
I also like how Justin handles the Hal/Carol dynamic even though the two don't share a panel in the issue. The relationship has always been about the wanting being better than the having and they dialogue between Carol and Kyle is another indication that the new teams have done their homework and have a good understanding of the characters they are taking on. While Geoff Johns has prophesized that somewhere down the road Hal and Carol will break the cycle they've been locked in for so many years we have time before that happens.
After spending some time on Earth Kyle finds himself and the Templar Guardians unwelcome visitors deep in space when they arrive to investigate an anomaly that has left them troubled for eons. The reactions of the beings at the site of the cosmic cyst underscores the perception of the Guardians by the universe at large, but before that issue can be addressed Kyle's White Lantern ring triggers the release of Relic, the new cosmic threat of epic proportions that the new creators are unleashing on the Green Lanterns as a new major foe.
Artistically the issue looks great with Brad Walker's pencils looking particularly good on the space sequences. The arrival of Relic looks awe inducing and the panel design throughout the issue reflects the idea that this is a fresh new take on the series. Hal and Kyle look perhaps a little less bulky than we've seen them in the past in some panels but they never looked uncharacteristically spindly. To Walker's credit I only found one panel where a power ring was absent from a hand and never did I find it on the wrong hand! He even goes out of the way to show that the ring is still on Kyle's hand when he's wearing gloves, so he's passed the initial phase of my fanboy litmus test!
Putting Kyle in charge of the both guiding the Templar Guardians while keeping an eye on them is a great creative decision that allows Jordan to use Kyle's strengths while putting him in a position that will continue to challenge his use of the White Lantern ring. The other thing it does is allow for the introduction of even more elements to the Green Lantern universe as the creative team flexes their creative muscles while still being tethered to the established mythology. By positioning each of the four Earth lanterns as stars of their own series DC is creating a dynamic that will allow each of them to shine and not be in the shadow of someone else while continuing to build on the universe that Geoff Johns spent nearly a decade re-defining.
Green Lantern: New Guardians #21 reads very much like a first issue, establishing the focus of the series and the motivations for our protagonists. With the introduction of Relic we've got the first big threat in the post-Johns era and he will no doubt wreak havoc at every turn on a Green Lantern Corps that no longer has a vote of confidence from the universal community. Issue twenty one is a fun read that sets the series up for a bright (white) future. Four out of five lanterns.


As all smartphone lovers out there, one would know about Vertu, the luxury mobile phone retailer. And as what we know about these smartphones, they cost way more than we would care to pay for. Their new Signature Touch smartphone has a price tag of $11,300. With such a price tag, what would you get for it?
The Signature Touch will be made of a whole piece of titanium going around its frame. Its screen will be made of 118 carat sapphire crystal 5.1 inch long diagonally which will protect the 1080p 4.7 inch screen having 473ppi.
The back of the luxury smartphone can either have leather or lizard skin, whichever you may like. It will also have a 13 megapixel camera along with symphony speakers by Bang & Olufsen and a 2.1 megapixel front camera.
Inside it has the usual Bluetooth, Wifi, 4G that supports practically the whole world, NFC support, and easy Qi wireless charging. Powering it inside is a Qualcomm Snapdragon quad-core 2.3GHz processor, with 64GB of available storage.
On the software and services side, you will also see some interesting things other than just having Android KitKat 4.4 on it. Well you should, considering the price you pay for it.
Vertu has placed an easy to access concierge service on the Signature Touch to help you with whatever you may want to ask for. There is also the Vertu Life Package which gives you access to exclusive events. You phone calls are also encrypted by Silent Circle, which is called the Vertu Certainty.
iPass, a broadband company has also made a deal with Vertu giving you access to free Wi-Fi all around the world.
If you are interested in buying the Vertu Signature Touch, and can spare just $11,300, then this is the perfect smartphone for you. It should be available this month of June, 2014.
That's one ugly phone. Reminds me of that old Blackberry smartphone around 2009. This one just looks so dated. I'd even take an iPhone over this.
Hi.wanted to know about the signature touch wireless charger.


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Nostalgic 1980's Preston revealed in pictures (Final part 10)
Posted on - 18th April, 2015 - 12:00pm | Author - Gill Lawson | Posted in - History, Nostalgia, Photos
Ormskirk Road and Ringway from Bus Station Car Park, Preston December 1987: No longer seen today is the Saul Street Baths building in the background and also gone are the Moor Lane flats in the upper centre of the photo.
In 1982, Culture Club sang "Do you really want to hurt me?", believe us though, we really don't want to hurt you at all, but for now, we are sad to say that our nostalgic journey is at an end with this final selection of 80's goodies making it that you have seen 150 photos in all. Reading all your comments on the blog here and on our Facebook page has been absolutely fantastic and has made posting these pictures very worth while indeed.
It's not all bad news though as there will be a new series of 1960's and 1970's pictures starting next week and should be ideal for jogging the old memory banks for some memories and reminiscences. So polish up those memory cells and get ready for yet another way-back trip down memory lane and see what you can remember from all those years ago.
Junction of Church Street (south side) and Grimshaw Street, Preston April 1980: The shop premises on the right became another jewellers shop, can anyone thing of the name? I am told that Richard Marsden and Son Ltd. was a Mecca for electronics enthusiasts; anyone know what else they sold?
Entrance to New Cock Yard, Fishergate (south side), Preston May 1985: This underpass to New Cock Yard no longer exists; however, the yard remains to this day. When the new Boots chemist store was constructed, it was built across the location of this underpass and the New Cock Inn; anyone recall this old place?
Somic Ltd Alliance Works, New Hall Lane, Preston, 1985: This one time cotton mill premises remains to this day and to the right and out of sight is the premises of a former cinema, anyone know what that was?
Next, Whittles and Halifax Building Society, Fishergate (north side, Preston 1989: Whittles Jewellers has moved about somewhat in Preston but where was the original premises from which they operated?
St Oswalds Church, Harewood Road, Deepdale, Preston, 1987: Not a stained glass window or brick to be found of this former 1930's church. There is however, a much smaller building which is the replacement St Oswalds and St Lukes Church (St Lukes on St George's Road was also demolished some years ago). There is however, a small memorial garden at the rear of the new church which has a stone with an inscription dedicated to the former churches.
War Memorial (Cenotaph), Market Place, Preston 1986: The only real difference as compared with the present day scene is the completely remodeled base area of the War Memorial.
The Old Blue Bell and shops, Church Street (south side), Preston, 1985: One of Preston's oldest pubs here which is undergoing some renovation work at present. In 1881, Ann Ratcliffe, the 15 y ear old daughter of the landlord of the Blue Bell, was murdered in the Sir Walter Scott Arms by her lover, John Aspinall Simpson.
Haslam Park Baths, Ashton, Preston June 1988: Anyone ever go to this place, I'm sure that many of you will have some great memories of this swimming pool.
Preston Royal Infirmary Deepdale, Preston August 1987: Well at least the gates and some of the buildings remain to this day, though most of the former PRI was demolished to make way for a retail park.
Shops on Church Street (sorth side), Preston December 1989: A number of shops have subsequently been demolished to the left of Bhula's Bargain Centre; however, the cobblers shop remains to this day.
Garrison Snack Bar, Fleet Street, Preston July 1987: The premises of the Garrison Snack Bar has been under a few different names in the past; can anyone recall any of the former guises?
The Old Black Bull Inn & Dallas Inman Gallery, Friargate (south side), Preston April 1987: Nowadays, this old hostelry takes up the former premises of the art shop. Anyone remember Dallas Inman's Gallery?
The Old Dog Inn, Church Street (south side), Preston May 1988: Is it me or does this part of Church Street look much cleaner and neater in this picture?
Miller Arcade & Lancaster Road From Church Street, Preston September 1989: Finally, one more picture of the Miller Arcade. The travel shop on the corner extending into Lancaster Road was originally The Kings Head Hotel and since the early 1900's.
We hope that you have enjoyed looking back twenty-five to thirty years ago and hopefully, in the future, we will be able to show you more great 80's pictures of good old Preston. Don't forget to share your reminiscences and thoughts on any of the pictures, after all, this is what this series is all about.
Next week we start our new series of 60's, leading to the 70's pictures of Preston in those times.
Nostalgic 1980's Preston revealed in pictures series: Part 9 can be viewed here
Also see our Preston in the 60's and 70's series starting here.
Our grateful thanks go to the Preston Historical Society for kindly providing these images.
Did you recall any or all of the scenes in these images? Let us know in the comments below.
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Захари Начев е свещеник в Ловеч през 1850-те години.

Спомоществовател за изданието на 7 книги (1852-1858), вкл. на "Евангелие поучително" на Софроний Врачански.

Източници
 Енциклопедия. Българската интелигенция..., С. 1988, с. 448

Български просветни дейци
Ловчанлии
Български духовници

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Does a Sheriff Department's Air Trauma Transport Qualify for Public Aircraft Status?
As you may know, aircraft owned and operated by a state government entity may be considered "public aircraft" under 49 USC §40102(a)41. To be considered a public aircraft,49 USC §40125(a) and (b) require that the governmental entity's operation of the aircraft be in furtherance of a "governmental function" such as national defense, intelligence missions, firefighting, search and rescue, law enforcement etc. and the aircraft may not used for commercial purposes or to carry an individual other than a crewmember or a qualified non-crewmember.
Why might that be important? Well, one of the primary reasons is public aircraft are not required to comply with the FARs. Thus, public aircraft operations are not required to comply with the operational limitations or maintenance requirements of the FARs nor are they subject to FAA enforcement for failure to comply with these FARs during public aircraft operations.
The FAA Office of the Chief Counsel recently issued a Legal Interpretation responding to an inquiry regarding whether a county sheriff department's performance of an air trauma transport of a civilian victim from either a trauma scene (e.g. a motor vehicle crash) or an inter-hospital air trauma transport would fall within the operating scope of a public aircraft. The Interpretation initially observed that the issue was whether the trauma victim being transported is viewed as someone other than a qualified non-crewmember that would cause the flight to lose its public aircraft status.
The Interpretation stated that helicopter search and rescue is considered a governmental function that qualifies for public aircraft status. Since the trauma victim being transported is the reason for the operation, the patient being transported becomes a qualified non-crewmember under 49 USC §40125(a)(3)(B). Of course, this presumes that the sheriff's department does not collect any sort of fee, which would be considered compensation and would give the flight a commercial, rather than a public aircraft, status.
With respect to transportation of a trauma victim between hospitals, the Interpretation cautioned that "inter-hospital air trauma transport, does not appear to be a category of search and rescue operation and thus would not qualify as a public aircraft operation under the statute." Although it might be possible that such an operation could be conducted as a governmental function given the proper circumstances, without an explanation of those circumstances the Interpretation was unwilling to say that such operations would qualify as a governmental function.
As a result, since the status of public aircraft operations are determined on a "flight by flight" basis, in order to ensure that the FAA will recognize their public aircraft status, public aircraft operators will need to ensure that they comply with the applicable statutory requirements and with the FAA's policy on public aircraft operations.


My name is Jim Owen. I have worked in various areas of hardware development and am currently a datacenter engineer and network administrator for a multinational corporation. I have a wife and three kids that occupy most of my time not consumed by work. I still chase performance, though most is in storage and virtualization for work.


So what sort of so called crafty Mom would I be if I let Valentine's Day pass without doing something crafty with my kiddos?! So with little man by my side, we dug into making watercolor hearts, using my favorite crafting medium… Coffee filters. Yup. Coffee filters. They absorb water wonderfully and are durable. I love to use them as backgrounds for mixed media stuff and make flowers and snowflakes with them… And, and, and… But I digress.
To make the hearts, we used white coffee filters and watercolor Neocolor crayons and Faber Castel gelatos. Basically, we used watercolor a in crayon form. Any water soluble coloring agent will work though, including water washable markers, dot-a-dot markers, the filled watercolor kids paint sets, water color pencils. You get the idea.
*FAIL* I tried this with a set of markers that weren't water soluable and it sooooo did not work!
Start by folding the filter in half and cut half a heart shape. Then, you can fold again if you like for color variation sake. If using a liquid water color, load up the brush with lots of pigment with a little water and color your folded heart, turning it over to get all white areas seen. If you are using markers or water color crayons, color as you normally would. Coloring doesn't have to be perfect as the next step will help it all bleed together. When satisfied with coverage, dip one end of the folded heart into a small amount of,water and let it absorb up into the filter. Do not soak. *FAIL* we tried that and it turned a lovely muddy color and fell apart!
When just about covered in water, ball up the filter in your hand to blend the colors. Squeeze out any excess water. Then, carefully and gently open to reveal your creation! So cool!
This task took all of 10 minutes to do and provided many spontaneous teachable moments. When I started doing the activity, the little man really wanted to watch Spongebob instead. I said, fine, but was going to make a heart instead. He watched as I did it and I think it was my showing him my first heart and saying, "Hey! Look what I made!" that made him enticed enough to try himself. It was a great chance to review colors with my son, to help him to realize the joy of using more than one color. (His pre-k teacher is always telling me… He only uses blue!) We talked about getting it wet, but not too wet, about how the colors blend to make new colors, about what absorbing means. His wonder was amazing to see as we revealed the creations! Best of all? He loved giving his newly created "beautiful" heart to his grandmother for Valentines Day.
I hope you had a wonderful family filled Valentine's Day too.


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New vacation rental fines to be imposed starting Saturday
WAILUKU – The Maui County Planning Department's amended rules relating to fines for unpermitted transient vacation rental operations will take effect on Saturday, Dec. 27, 2019.
After the 2018 election, Section 13-10 of the County Charter was updated to specifically state, "the penalty for the operation of a transient accommodation without a necessary permit shall not exceed a civil fine of $20,000 plus $10,000 per day for each day the unlawful operation persists, unless a higher fine is authorized by State law." The prior version of the Charter limited penalties to $1,000 initial and $1,000 per day.
In addition, the Maui County Code was updated on Oct. 7, 2019, by Ordinance No. 5001 to be consistent with the Charter Amendment.
The amended Rules for Administrative Procedures and Civil Fines for Violations of Chapter 16.13 and Title 19 of the Maui County Code are the last step in implementing the new fines.
Some minor procedural changes are also included in the adopted amendments. The new rules are online at the Planning Department's homepage at www.mauicounty.gov/121/Planning-Department.
"We are pleased to finally be able to implement the community's wishes with imposing these higher fines on illegal vacation rentals," said Mayor Michael P. Victorino.
In related news, the mayor recently expressed his full support to the Maui Police Department for its enforcement of a new state law to crack down on illegal aerial fireworks.
"Even before New Year's Eve, many of our residents are frightened when they hear a 'BOOM' from someone nearby setting off illegal fireworks," Victorino said. "This unnerves our residents, scares children and family pets. This has got to stop!
"I am in full support of the Maui Police Department enforcing a new law that, among other things, establishes criminal liability for a homeowner or renter who allows others, while on their property, to set off aerial fireworks. I hope this measure will help prosecute people using illegal aerial fireworks. There are legal ways to celebrate New Year's Eve without being a neighborhood nuisance."
It is illegal to import, transfer, sell or use aerial fireworks without a permit. Using aerial fireworks without a permit or license can be prosecuted as a Class C felony. Licensed applicants must have a pyrotechnics license from the State of Hawaii, among other requirements.
Maui Police Chief Tivoli Faaumu said, "Thanks to new legislation, the department has been given new tools to address this community concern."
Signed into law by Gov. David Ige on July 5, 2019, Act 248 strengthens Hawaii's laws against illegal aerial fireworks.


text:
Tagged: Yasiel Puig
The Good and The Great
The difference between a good team and a great team is on display in the World Series. Both the Dodgers and Red Sox had talent laden Opening Day payrolls at or exceeding $200 million. Manny Machado, Clayton Kershaw, Justin Turner, and Kenley Jansen are not overmatched by the talents of Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Chris Sale, and Craig Kimbrel. The difference is execution.
Manny Machado's defensive skills are unquestionable, but he has checked out at the plate. He is hitting .222, 4 for 18, obviously a small sample size. However, it is how Machado has looked, not what he has done. He turned a double into a single, is blowing bubbles while running down the line on close plays, stepping on the first baseman's foot again, and just looks like he wants the World Series to end so he can hit free agency. Players should show emotion when they get a big hit in the World Series. Yasiel Puig watching his home run while Eduardo Rodriguez slams his glove was amazing. Both players showed their emotions on the biggest stage in the game. Machado acted like he hit the ball 20 rows deep, yet it hit maybe halfway up the wall costing the Dodgers a base, maybe more. Machado's behavior is likely costing him millions in free agency as teams lose interest, thus reducing competition to sign him. Puig launched the ball, he celebrated the moment knowing the ball was gone.
Remember to celebrate a home run only if it clear the fence. (AP Photo/ Mark J. Terrill)
Nathan Eovaldi has done his best Madison Bumgarner impersonation. Heading into free agency his value has done nothing but rise. Eovaldi has pitched 8 innings with a 1.13 ERA and a 0.500 WHIP in the World Series. His 6 innings of relief in Boston's Game 3 loss saved the Red Sox pitching staff for the entire series. Eovaldi's effort prevented several members of Boston's bullpen from working multiple innings. The Red Sox have a commanding series lead after winning Game 4 in part because their bullpen was not exhausted from Game 3.
Walker Buehler got the Jacob deGrom treatment. He pitched 7 outstanding innings, and the Dodger offense scored one run. Los Angeles wasted Buehler's performance by allowing the Red Sox to hang around. A single bad pitch by Kenley Jansen to Jackie Bradley Jr. forced extra innings; obviously no one though the game would go 18 innings. The Dodgers wasted their chance to get back in the series without exhausting their pitching staff. They won Game 3, but at what cost?
Nathan Eovaldi pitched 6 innings of relief in Game 3 before giving up Max Muncy's walk off home run in the 18th inning. Despite the lose he may have saved the World Series for the Red Sox. (AP Photo/ David J. Phillip)
The tough luck award of the World Series goes to Ryan Madson. Technically he has allowed 1 earned run in 2 ⅓ innings. However, he has inherited 7 Red Sox runners and all 7 have scored. His pitching did not allow them on base, but his pitching has allowed them to score. Madson has pitched in the first four games, Game 3 was his only clean outing. He threw only two pitches. Madson inherited 14 runners in the regular season, only 4 scored. Terrible timing for a rough stretch.
It is much easier to lose a game than to win a game. Winning comes down to execution. The talent of the Dodgers and Red Sox is fairly even. Los Angeles has failed to execute in some key moments. Boston is one win away from winning the series and sending the Dodgers to their second consecutive World Series defeat. The opportunity to win the World Series is rare and the Dodgers' window may be closing. The Texas Rangers lost the 2010 World Series and were one strike away from winning in 2011. They never got that strike. Is this as close as Los Angeles will get to lifting the Commissioner's Trophy for the first time in 30 years.
Written by Derek Jones Leave a comment Posted in Derek, Uncategorized	Tagged with Andrew Benintendi, Boston Red Sox, Bullpen, Chris Sale, Clayton Kershaw, Commissioner's Trophy, Craig Kimbrel, Dodgers, Eduardo Rodriguez, Free Agency, Jackie Bradley Jr., Jacob deGrom, Justin Turner, Kenley Jansen, Los Angeles Dodgers, Madison Bumgarner, Manny Machado, Mookie Betts, Nathan Eovaldi, Opening Day, Red Sox, Ryan Madson, Walker Buehler, World Series, Yasiel Puig
Joey Bats: Bat Flipping Pitchers
As we approach the end of May it's the perfect time to canonize the one of the rarest feats in baseball — the pitcher bat flip. Even with the increase in bat flips around the game, pitchers rarely flip even refusing to make the most of the few times they do get a hit, let alone a home run.
To encourage more of this glorious celebration of triumph, below is a definitive ranking of all pitcher bat flips found during an exhausting 40 minutes of googling. Each bat flip is ranked on a Joey Bats Scale, with a maximum of 19 points overall and 3.8 points in each category:
Tom Lawless Meter – Game situations matter
Bill Butler F@ck You Meter –
The lead up to the bat flip
The bat flip
James Shields – Spring training Bat Flip
James Shield's bat flip
Frozen Rope – Dinger Scale: Full Dinger (3.8)
Yasiel Puig Hit Admiration Ranking: Flamboyant (3)
Bat Drop – KBO Bat Flip Scale: KBO-esque (2.8)
Tom Lawless Meter: Spring training (0)
Billy Butler F@ck You Meter: Angry at the ball (.5)
Joey Bats Score: Disqualified
In the highlight of their season, then Padres pitcher James Shields uncorked an impressive bat flip, but it's immediately disqualified for coming in spring training batting practice. Kudos for being the only highlight real I've seen from the 2016 Padres.
Matt Harvey Game 1 2015 NLCS
Frozen Rope – Dinger Scale: Sac bunt (0)
Yasiel Puig Hit Admiration Ranking: None (0)
Bat Drop – KBO Bat Flip Scale: Bat fling (.25)
Tom Lawless Meter: During the NLCS but a sac bunt in the NL (.2)
Billy Butler F@ck You Meter: Extremely boring play(0)
Joey Bats Score: .45 or 0 Batmans
During a standard NL small ball play, Matt Harvey pulled out a bat flip halfway up the first base line. Given he is a worse base runner than Bartolo Colon (confirmed by in-person scouting), it's possible that he forgot the bat was in his hand and was desperately flinging it away. His Dark Knight moniker should have been revoked after this flip.
Zack Greinke – 2015 versus Brewers
Frozen Rope – Dinger Scale: Frozen Rope-esque Double (1)
Yasiel Puig Hit Admiration Ranking: Robotic (1)
Bat Drop – KBO Bat Flip Scale: Solid bat flip (2)
Tom Lawless Meter: Midseason against Da Brew Crew (.2)
Billy Butler F@ck You Meter: Sighing on 2nd base (0)
Joey Bats Score: 3
A bat flip is acceptable on any decent hit by a pitcher, but the low-stakes combined with the lack of intensity from Greinke and the crowd makes this unmemorable to anyone but the MLB intern who posted it on YouTube. Loses additional points for not having Vin Scully call the play.
Zack Greinke – Dodgers vs Reds, 2015
Frozen Rope – Dinger Scale: Dinger (3)
Yasiel Puig Hit Admiration Ranking: Peyton Manning-esque (.75)
Bat Drop – KBO Bat Flip Scale: Less Solid bat flip (1.70)
Tom Lawless Meter: Reds won at most 2 games that year (0)
Billy Butler F@ck You Meter: No sigh! (.5)
Joey Bats Score: 5.55
Greinke here looks like a Peyton Manning robot doing his best imitation of Puig. Despite hitting a home run, even the MLB intern passed over this one. It also came during in an August game against the Reds, who, I am sure, were awful outside of Votto in 2015 (I refuse to look this up).
Jeff Samardzija – 2017
Frozen Rope – Dinger Scale: Solid Double (3)
Yasiel Puig Hit Admiration Ranking: Alright, Alright, Alright (1.7)
Bat Drop – KBO Bat Flip Scale: Nut seeking (2)
Tom Lawless Meter: 2017 Giants (0)
Billy Butler F@ck You Meter: The facial always says f' you (1)
Joey Bats Score: 6.7
I am amazed he didn't hit himself in the nuts with this bat flip. That's some impressive spin, but next time he may want to flip it a little further out to avoid any issues on the bounce back. Pretty impressive, with the '70s creeper vibe adding to the cockiness of bat flipping on a double.
Hyun-jin Ryu – 2014 Bat Flip
Frozen Rope – Dinger Scale: Double (1.8)
Yasiel Puig Hit Admiration Ranking: Standard (1.2)
Bat Drop – KBO Bat Flip Scale: Great rotation (2.9)
Tom Lawless Meter: Summer game against the Rockies (1)
Billy Butler F@ck You Meter: Low-pressure (1)
I am now thinking that the Dodgers (and Puig) must encourage their pitchers to flip bats. Still only the 2nd best bat flip by a Dodger pitcher, though.
Hung-Chih Kuo – 2007
Frozen Rope – Dinger Scale: First Home Run in MLB Dinger! (3.1)
Yasiel Puig Hit Admiration Ranking: Vin Scully Admired the Flip (3.7)
Bat Drop – KBO Bat Flip Scale: Great range, great rotation (3)
Tom Lawless Meter: 3rd of 3 dingers (2)
Billy Butler F@ck You Meter: That flip screamed hell yeah! (2)
Joey Bats Score: 13.8
Easily, the best bat flip by a Dodger pitcher, even got Vin Scully to admire it.
Some Kid – 2016
Yasiel Puig Hit Admiration Ranking: Puig and then some (3.8)
Bat Drop – KBO Bat Flip Scale: Sharp shooting, full KBO (3.7)
Tom Lawless Meter: 5-year old playing wiffle ball? Full Lawless in his mind (3)
Billy Butler F@ck You Meter: Surprised he didn't flip the bird (3.8)
This is a bat flip. I have no idea if he is a pitcher or not, I am assuming yes, but MLB pitchers could learn from this kid. Hope to see him in the show in 17 years.
The bat flip that will never be
The best pitcher bat flip is the one we can only dream of, the one that broke our hearts when its chance at life was squashed this offseason. The one from the sexist pitcher playing today – the Big Sexy bat flip.
The man who gave us one of the most improbable home runs, followed by what has to be the longest home run trot done in earnest, and the only reason for watching the Mets from 2014-2016 selfishly signed with an AL team this offseason. At 45, it's likely he will never bat again, but we can dream.
Just picture this man, who once carried his bat to 1st base after nearly losing his helmet and the most memorable home run by a Met ever flipping a bat. Watch those video again, there is no doubt in my mind that this would be the bat flip we need. The sheer sexiness of it would result in Colon having at least 3 more families to feed.
We'll update as the rankings as more pitchers flip more bats in 2018.
Written by Derek Jones 1 Comment Posted in Kevin, Uncategorized	Tagged with A's, Arizona Diamondbacks, Athletics, Bartolo Colon, Bat flip, Bat Flips, Billy Butler, Billy Butler F@ck You Meter, Blue Jays, Brewers, Bunt, Cardinals, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Giants, Hung-Chih Kuo, Hyun-jin Ryu, Indians, James Shields, Jeff Samardzija, Joey Bats, Joey Bats Scale, Joey Votto, Jose Bautista, Los Angeles Dodgers, Matt Harvey, Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, National League Championship Series, New York mets, NLCS, Oakland Athletics, Padres, Rangers, Reds, Rockies, Sac Bunt, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Spring Training, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Tim Lawless Meter, Tom Lawless, Toronto Blue Jays, Vin Scully, Wiffle Ball, Yasiel Puig, Yasiel Puig Hit Admiration Ranking, Zack Greinke
The Best Team Money Can Buy
Teams with large payrolls are not guaranteed to win championships. In sports the more talented the player, the more expensive their services become once they reach free agency, thus teams with large payrolls are filled with players who are, or at one time were, extremely talented at their chosen profession. The road to a championship requires a commitment to excellence, and for the 2013 Los Angeles Dodgers that journey was just beginning.
The Best Team Money Can Buy by Molly Knight explores the transition of the Dodgers from the disastrous ownership tenure of Frank McCourt to the new ownership of Mark Walter. Knight explores the team on the field, in the front office, and the world around them. Major League Baseball understood the value of ensuring the transition from McCourt to Walter went smoothly and acted in the best interest of baseball.
*Spoilers beyond this point.*
Knight does an excellent job of examining the players on and off the field. The Dodgers to securing their ace, Clayton Kershaw, for the long term was critical to the health of the team. If Kershaw was able to walk away from the Dodgers, like Zack Greinke eventually did, the immediate future for the team would have been about building towards division not World Series titles. Los Angeles' front office knew their fans would turn on the team if Kershaw was allowed to walk. Resigning Kershaw was as much a baseball move as it was a public relations move. Contrasting the focus and dominance of Kershaw was the explosion of Yasiel Puig. The willingness to sign a relatively unknown talent was a risk, however the excitement Puig brought with him to the Dodgers out weighed the risk in the eyes of the fans. Puig's experience with his teammates and the insight Knight provides shows the difficulty many Latin American players have in adjusting to life in the United States, especially Cuban players. Puig's near instant success meant he found some of the pitfalls that caused other superstars stumble. While electrifying on the field, Puig's antics off the field and in the clubhouse rubbed many of his teammates the wrong way. This left manager Don Mattingly with the delicate job of keeping Puig happy while not alienating the rest of the team. This challenge was made even more difficult as the Dodgers showed little faith in Mattingly, who never felt secure in his job while in Los Angeles. This constant balancing act in the clubhouse made performing on the field more difficult than normal. The internal drama was overshadowed as the ownership regime of Frank McCourt came crashing down all around Dodger Stadium.
The Best Team Money Can Buy: The Los Angeles Dodgers' Wild Struggle to Build a Baseball Powerhouse (Simon & Schuster)
Prior to owning the Dodgers, Frank McCourt owned a parking lot in south Boston. He attempted to buy the Red Sox and move them to a new stadium that he would construct on his parking lot. When this plan failed he turned his attention to the Dodgers. McCourt had bigger dreams than bank accounts, but was able to purchase the Dodgers with loans he secured by putting the parking lot up as collateral. Eventually the loans went unpaid and the parking lot was seized. Ultimately the Dodgers were sold to McCourt for a parking lot in south Boston.
McCourt ran the Dodgers into the ground. He had little interest in the team beyond how they could make him richer. As his personal life went up in flames he attempted to hold onto the Dodgers through a television deal that would pay him enough to remain owner after his divorce was finalized. Major League Baseball was forced to step in to prevent the deal. His divorce turning nasty and dragging on, McCourt was ordered to sell the team. The Dodger fan base was skeptical of new owner Mark Walter. However, Walter was only interested in winning. Signing fan favorite Andre Ethier to an over priced contract was more of a public relations deal than a smart baseball deal. Walter understood he had to win back the fans after many had rightly walked away under McCourt. Winning was the most important thing, money would solve some problems but not everything.
The early building blocks of the perennial contender the Dodgers have become were laid in 2013. Molly Knight examines the circumstances surround the team during this critical time, yet she also helps the reader understand why the rebirth of the Dodgers is so important to baseball. She does an excellent job of exposing the personalities on the team that made the team successful and struggle. Sports teams are often not seen as being made up of people, but Knight makes you see the quirks and craziness that each player brings to the Dodger clubhouse. Molly Knight's work in The Best Team Money Can Buy is as critical to the understanding of baseball's current state as Michael Lewis' Moneyball. Money does not guarantee championships, as baseball cannot be bought and sold, but it does not hurt.
Written by Derek Jones Leave a comment Posted in Derek, Uncategorized	Tagged with Andre Ethier, Boston, Boston Red Sox, Clayton Kershaw, Cuba, Dodger Stadium, Dodgers, Don Mattingly, Fenway Park, Frank McCourt, Latin America, Los Angeles Dodgers, Major League Baseball, Mark Walter, Michael Lewis, MLB, Molly Knight, Moneyball, Red Sox, The Best Team Money Can Buy, World Series, Yasiel Puig, Zack Greinke
The Winning Run is back again with another attempt at predicting the outcome of the upcoming MLB season. The last two seasons we have tried and failed miserably to accurately predict what would happen. We have failed much more than we have found success, much like in real baseball. These predictions are not designed to jinx particular players or teams. These are honest predictions, designed to predict how we collectively see the 2016 season playing out. We can say without a doubt that our only perfect prediction is that reality is better than fiction.
Carnac the Magnificent knew what was going to happen, The Winning Run not so much. (The Tonght Show with Johnny Carson)
Here's the breakdown of how we each think the divisions and playoffs will end up. Our final standings, based on the average placement between the four of us, will also include a brief scouting report from Bernie, as to what he sees in each team heading into the 2016 MLB season. His personal predictions were close to the collective predictions, and we have noted where they vary greatly.
Let us begin with the Senior Circuit.
*Note* An exclamation point (!) after a team name denotes a Wild Card berth.
East Derek Jesse John Bernie
1 New York Mets New York Mets New York Mets New York Mets
2 Washington Nationals – ! Washington Nationals Washington Nationals Miami Marlins
3 Miami Marlins Miami Marlins Miami Marlins Washington Nationals
4 Atlanta Braves Atlanta Braves Philadelphia Phillies Atlanta Braves
5 Philadelphia Phillies Philadelphia Phillies Atlanta Braves Philadelphia Phillies
New York Mets:
The Mets shored up their interior defense by getting Neil Walker and Asdrubal Cabrera. If you watched last season's playoff games, the Mets' rotation always seemed to get beaten up the middle. Those guys will also likely provide a lot more consistent offense than Wilmer Flores or Daniel Murphy. The Mets are looking to play deep into October and I think they could do it.
2. Washington Nationals:
The Nationals are really the team equivalent of their star player, Bryce Harper; supremely talented, but mentally dysfunctional. There is a serious lack of team discipline and I don't think Dusty Baker is the one to bring it. This is the major hurdle to the Nationals winning the division.
The question is will Dusty baker help the Nationals reach their potential. (Logan Bowles- USA Today Sports)
3. Miami Marlins:
Giancarlo Stanton's contract has me believing that the Marlins are in it to win it now. They've always been good at developing talent so Manager Don Mattingly should have something to work with and collect some wins.
4. Atlanta Braves:
The Braves did some house cleaning, clearing the way for the wealth of talent in the minors. I've got to question whether they can generate any more runs this year than they did last year though. But they won't be in last place.
5. Philadelphia Phillies:
I really shouldn't have to say anything about this. No real change to expect anything better this year.
Central Derek Jesse John Bernie
1 Chicago Cubs Chicago Cubs Chicago Cubs Pittsburgh Pirates
2 Pittsburgh Pirates St. Louis Cardinals – ! Pittsburgh Pirates – ! Chicago Cubs – !
3 St. Louis Cardinals Pittsburgh Pirates St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis Cardinals
4 Cincinnati Reds Milwaukee Brewers Cinncinati Reds Cinncinati Reds
5 Milwaukee Brewers Cincinnati Reds Milwaukee Brewers Milwaukee Brewers
Chicago Cubs:
Let's be honest, they're the Cubs. If they're going to win it, it's as Cinderella (Bernie has them going into the playoffs as a Wild Card). Chicago needs that storyline. I really like their rotation and bullpen but they overworked Jake Arrieta because they didn't trust enough of their other players. That's got to change.
Pittsburgh Pirates – !:
I liked the way AJ Burnett found himself in Pittsburgh and I think Jonathon Niese may very well have the same sort of fortune in the Steel City. Michael Morse was a fun guy to watch in Washington, I'm going out on a limb to say he finds himself again and becomes a solid 1B for the Pirates this season. I'm still puzzled how these guys didn't win the division last season.
St. Louis Cardinals:
Last year, El Birdos found the fountain of youth for their stars. If it happens again this year, then the zombie apocalypse has started with Matt Holliday and Yadier Molina. Or maybe they need to be checked out for cybernetic implants.
Kris Bryant is heping lead the strongest Cubs team since those uniforms were not retro. (Jonathan Danil/ Getty Images)
Cincinnati Reds:
The Cincinnati Reds may have done some house cleaning having traded away Todd Frazier and Aroldis Chapman. They still have some talent that I wouldn't count out. What they definitely aren't doing is wallowing.
Milwaukee Brewers:
Speaking of wallowing…you've got to wonder about the Brewers' pitching. Like at what point do you ask whether you'd have better luck regularly shuffling up from your AAA squads just to give you opponents less time to scout out your pitchers.
West Derek Jesse John Bernie
1 San Francisco Giants Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles Dodgers San Francisco Giants
2 Los Angeles Dodgers – ! Arizona Diamondbacks -! Arizona Diamondbacks – ! Arizona Diamondbacks – !
3 Arizona Diamondbacks San Francisco Giants San Francisco Giants Los Angeles Dodgers
4 San Diego Padres San Diego Padres San Diego Padres San Diego Padres
5 Colorado Rockies Colorado Rockies Colorado Rockies Colorado Rockies
Los Angeles Dodgers:
I'm not sure what the Dodgers were thinking during the off-season. What I am certain of is that letting Zack Greinke go and shuffling the management is not a good thing to do for some of the young guns on the team like Joc Pederson and Yasiel Puig. If they had kept everything the same, I would have put them in first place for the division. (Bernie predicted the Dodgers to finish 3rd)
San Francisco Giants – !:
I don't really think pitching was their weakest issue last season but I think they are going into 2016 with one of the most enviable rotations a manager could ask for. I'm not completely sold on Santiago Casilla and bullpen. If Denard Span can stay healthy, he's a great addition to a strong lineup that is capable of getting the ball in play and moving around the bases.
Arizona Diamondbacks:
Zack Greinke and Paul Goldschmidt. Shelby Miller will get the run support he needed in Atlanta. But I don't see enough depth here to remain consistent through the season. The bullpen can probably step in to help out the back end of the rotation. The lineup is young. Maybe they're more disciplined and hungry than I think and could be a definite Wild Card contender.
Were the Dodgers Crazy to let Zack Greinke leave Los Angeles? (Rick Scuteri- USA Today Sports)
San Diego Padres:
The only reason I'm putting the Padres over the Rockies is that they made some interesting pushes last season that indicate to me they could get it together. Doesn't mean there's enough talent here to make the playoffs though.
Colorado Rockies:
The worst team ERA in 2015 and that's with a pretty talented defensive infield. I'm surprised the fielders have enough gas in the tank to swing a bat when they've got to run around chasing hits all the time.
1 Toronto Blue Jays Toronto Blue Jays New York Yankees Toronto Blue Jays
2 Boston Red Sox – ! Tampa Bay Rays Boston Red Sox Baltimore Orioles – !
3 New York Yankees New York Yankees Toronto Blue Jays Boston Red Sox
4 Tampa Bay Rays Baltimore Orioles Baltimore Orioles New York Yankees
5 Baltimore Orioles Boston Red Sox Tampa Bay Rays Tampa Bay Rays
The American League East was the hardest division to predict, as an argument could be made for each team winning the Division. Here are Bernie's thoughts.
Toronto Blue Jays:
Biggest run differential of the 2015 season. Picking up Drew Storen was a great move to support their starting rotation. This team has what it takes on paper.
New York Yankees:
There's no point in having three of the best relief pitchers in the league when you don't have a strong enough rotation to have them shortening the games. Lots of experience but not the cohesiveness you see in the Cardinals. But these predictions are supposed to go wildly wrong and, in this case, I sincerely hope I am. (Bernie has the Yankees finishing 4th)
Boston Red Sox:
Ugh…I feel sick doing this. The Red Sox needed some serious pitching help. Clay Bucholz simply isn't an ace. So they got one in David Price. They also picked up Craig Kimbrel so they've a good bullpen punch with him and Koji Uehara. As David Ortiz will be riding into the sunset this season, the Red Sox will be a good team to watch.
Can David Ortiz deliver one last magical run into October? (Elsa/ Getty Images)
Baltimore Orioles:
There's a lot of great talent on this team. They've got a great rotation and bullpen with two highly competent catchers. I would somewhat question their interior defense but with Adam Jones, Manny Machado, and new addition, Mark Trumbo, the Orioles have got a lot of heavy bats to knock in runs.
Tampa Bay Rays:
This is a well-balanced pitching and defensive team but nothing exciting enough to write home about on the offensive side.
1 Kansas City Royals Kansas City Royals Minnesota Twins Kansas City Royals
2 Detroit Tigers – ! Cleveland Indians – ! Kansas City Royals – ! Cleveland Indians – !
3 Cleveland Indians Minnesota Twins Detroit Tigers Detroit Tigers
4 Chicago White Sox Detroit Tigers Cleveland Indians Minnesota Twins
5 Minnesota Twins Chicago White Sox Chicago White Sox Chicago White Sox
Kansas City Royals:
They're the champs so it's sort of needed to give them the nod for their division. Plus, the 2015 squad wasn't made up of veterans in the twilight of their careers reaching deep down for that extra something to win it all. They're young and agile. They get on base. They aggressively move around the bases. No one's yet figured out how to stop them or slow them down.
Cleveland Indians – !:
These guys have a surprisingly good rotation with Corey Kluber, Danny Salazar, Carlos Carrasco, and Cody Anderson. When I say surprisingly, I'm saying that how did they not win more? Francisco Lindor is young and if he's coming into form, then we could be seeing a Wild Card contender here.
Francisco Lindor could help the Indians win a tough American League Central. (www.cleveland.com)
Detroit Tigers:
Jordan Zimmermann is not David Price and I'll let you figure out whether that's a good or bad thing. I actually think Justin Upton was a good pick up for the Tigers but I'm not convinced they can make the jump from bottom of the division to much higher.
Minnesota Twins:
I want to put this team higher but I think their second place divisional finish last season was more due to mishaps from other teams than their own solid play. Don't get me wrong though, they're on the right track. Just not this season.
Chicago White Sox:
The addition of Todd Frazier will help them generate some more offense. But is the increased offense a wash after losing the veteran leadership of Adam LaRoche to early retirement (more on that later)? Whenever issues involving a front-office exec doing something about the locker room make the news, you just know there's some serious dysfunction going on.
1 Houston Astros Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Houston Astros Houston Astros
2 Texas Rangers Houston Astros – ! Texas Rangers – ! Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
3 Seattle Mariners Seattle Mariners Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Texas Rangers
4 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Oakland Athletics Oakland Athletics Oakland Athletics
5 Oakland Athletics Texas Rangers Seattle Mariners Seattle Mariners
Houston Astros:
I was really impressed by how the Houston Astros finished off the 2015 season. Something clicked and I think they're going to ride this wave. Adding Ken Giles to the backend of the bullpen already featuring Luke Gregerson makes up a dangerous one-two punch to shorten games.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim – !:
I think the bigger reason I'm putting the Angels here instead of the Rangers is more on Rangers. I think Albert Pujols will still be remarkably dangerous in the batter's box. Something about the balance on this team with Mike Trout's hustle gives me a good feeling.
Can any one challenge Mike Trout for AL MVP? (www.nbcsports.com)
Texas Rangers:
The Rangers are not going to take the proper steps to recover. I'm calling that they're going to try starting the season hot and aggressive. By the All-Star break, this team will be on life support and need some serious therapy. But in reality, they look a better version on the Angels and since this prediction will be wildly off, they may very well win the division again.
Seattle Mariners:
Nori Aoki was a good pick up to strengthen their outfield and improve getting on base. They're going to rely too heavily on their rotation to go deep to win games and that's not good for Felix Hernandez nor Hisashi Iwakuma.
Oakland Athletics:
If Marcus Semien were a better fielder, I'd have more faith in this infield. On paper, this team would be a solid 2nd place team in the division. I just can't make that call.
October is special, as the best baseball is on display and tensions continually grow throughout the month. The playoffs begin with the Wild Card games, which are a one game winner take all showdown. Wild Card teams better bring everything they have, or they will be on vacation.
NL Winner NL Loser AL Winner AL Loser
Derek Washington Nationals Los Angeles Dodgers Boston Red Sox Detroit Tigers
Jesse Arizona Diamondback St. Louis Cardinals Cleveland Indians Houston Astros
John Pittsburgh Pirates Arizona Diamondbacks Kansas City Royals Texas Rangers
Bernie Chicago Cubs Arizona Diamondbacks Cleveland Indians Baltimore Orioles
The Winning Run Pittsburgh Pirates San Francisco Giants Cleveland Indians Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
In the National League, the Pirates will finally get out of the Wild Card round. Gerrit Cole will have carried the pitching staff throughout the season, so why not one more game. In the American League, the Indians strong starting rotation will have saved the Cleveland bullpen and allow fresh arms to come out of the pen and dominate the Angels hitters when the pressure is on.
Garrit Cole will lead the Pirates charge into the playoffs. (Peter Diana- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
ALDS 1/4 Winner ALDS 1/4 Loser ALDS 2/3 Winner ALDS 2/3 Loser
Derek Houston Astros Boston Red Sox Toronto Blue Jays Kansas City Royals
Jesse Kansas City Royals Cleveland Indians Toronto Blue Jays Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
John Minnesota Twins Kansas City Royals Houston Astros New York Yankees
Bernie Cleveland Indians Kansas City Royals Houston Astros Toronto Blue Jays
The Winning Run Toronto Blue Jays Cleveland Indians Houston Astros Kansas City Royals
NLDS 1/4 Winner NLDS 1/4 Loser NLDS 2/3 Winner NLDS 2/3 Loser
Derek San Francisco Giants Washington Nationals Chicago Cubs New York Mets
Jesse New York Mets Arizona Diamondbacks Chicago Cubs Los Angeles Dodgers
John New York Mets Pittsburgh Pirates Chicago Cubs Los Angeles Dodgers
Bernie San Francisco Giants New York Mets Pittsburgh Pirates Chicago Cubs
The Winning Run Chicago Cubs Pittsburgh Pirates New York Mets Los Angeles Dodgers
In the National League, the Pirates will not be able to overtake the Cubs. The Pirates are a great team, but they have the misfortune of playing in the NL Central where the best team in baseball, the Cubs, also plays. The young arms from Queens and a more predictable offense will lead the Mets past the Dodgers who will miss Zack Greinke more in October than during the regular season. In the American League, the Astros will continue to play complete baseball and overcome the Royals, who after back to back trips to the World Series will finally run out of gas. While Cleveland's pitching led them to the playoffs, it will be no match for the offensive power of the Blue Jays. Josh Donaldson is the reigning AL MVP, and yet he is most likely not the chief offensive threat for Toronto, as Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Bautista can launch a baseball with the best in the game.
Byron Buxton and the Twins could make some noise, potentially even make the playoffs. (Scott Kane- Associated Press)
ALCS Winner ALCS Loser
Derek Toronto Blue Jays Houston Astros
Jesse Toronto Blue Jays Kansas City Royals
John Houston Astros Minnesota Twins
Bernie Houston Astros Cleveland Indians
The Winning Run Toronto Blue Jays Houston Astros
NLCS Winner NLCS Loser
Derek Chicago Cubs San Francisco Giants
Jesse New York Mets Chicago Cubs
John Chicago Cubs New York Mets
Bernie San Francisco Giants Pittsburgh Pirates
The Winning Run Chicago Cubs New York Mets
A rematch of the 2015 NLCS. Two great teams, but the Cubs finally get over the hump and return to the World Series for the first time since 1945. The Cubs are a year older and wiser and have extraordinary talent at bat and on the mound. The Mets are a great team, but they lack the offensive prowess to overcome the Cubs. In the American League, Toronto will find out that teams cannot rely on power to guide them to a championship, there has to be a backup plan. The Blue Jays are not flexible enough to meet this challenge. The Astros have built a potential juggernaut in Houston, which relies on power, pitching, speed, defense, and hustle. Houston wins by the sum of its parts.
World Series Winner World Series Loser
Derek Toronto Blue Jays Chicago Cubs
Jesse Toronto Blue Jays New York Mets
John Chicago Cubs Houston Astros
Bernie San Francisco Giants Houston Astros
The Winning Run Houston Astros Chicago Cubs
Sorry Cub fans, you will have to wait until next year…again. The Astros win it all in 2016. The speed of Jose Altuve, the power of Evan Gattis, the starting pitching of Dallas Keuchel and Collin McHugh, the bullpen of Ken Giles and Luke Gregerson, the all-around ability of Carlos Correa, not to mention George Springer and Carlos Gomez puts Houston over the top. The Cubs have everything to win. The young core of Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo, Addison Russell, Kyle Schwarber, plus Javier Baez all can continue to grow with a solid rotation of Jake Arrieta, Jon Lester, and John Lackey. However, the Cubs are missing that it factor. Joe Madden will get the Cubs o click eventually, but in 2016 they will come one game short of that ever elusive World Series Championship.
It will be time to celebrate in Houston this October. (Houston Chronicle)
So there they are, the 2016 predictions by The Winning Run. Are we right about all our predictions, doubtful. Only time will tell how right or wrong we were with these predictions. Welcome to the 2016 MLB season, enjoy another great season of baseball.
Written by Derek Jones 1 Comment Posted in Bernie, Derek, Jesse, John, Uncategorized	Tagged with 1945 World Series, 2016 MLB, A's, A.J. Burnett, AAA, Adam Jones, Adam LaRoche, Addison Russell, Al, AL Central, AL East, AL MVP, AL West, Albert Pujols, ALCS, ALDS, All Star, American League, American League Central, American League Championship Series, American League Divisional Series, American league East, American League West, Angels, Anthony Rizzo, Arizona Diamondbacks, Aroldis Chapman, Asdrubal Cabrera, Astros, Athletics, Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox, Braves, Brewers, Bryce Harper, Cardinals, Carlos Carrasco, Carlos Correa, Carlos Gomez, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Clay Bucholz, Cleveland Indians, Cody Anderson, Collin McHugh, Colorado Rockies, Corey Kluber, Craig Kimbrel, Cubs, Dallas Keuchel, Daniel Murphy, Danny Salazar, David Ortiz, David Price, Denard Span, Detroit Tigers, Diamondbacks, Dodgers, Don Mattingly, Drew Storen, Dusty Baker, Edwin Encarnacion, Evan Gattis, Felix Hernandez, Francisco Lindor, Garrit Cole, George Springer, Giancarlo Stanton, Giants, Hisashi Iwakuma, Houston Astros, Indians, Jake Arrieta, Javier Baez, Joc Pederson, Joe Maddon, John Lackey, Jon Lester, Jonathon Niese, Jordan Zimmermann, Jose Altuve, Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson, Justin Upton, Kansas City Royals, Ken Giles, Koji Uehara, Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Los Angeles Dodgers, Luke Gregerson, Major League Baseball, Manny Machado, Marcus Semien, Mariners, Mark Trumbo, Marlins, Matt Holliday, Mets, Miami Marlins, Michael Morse, Mike Trout, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, MLB, MVP, National League, National League Central, National League Championship Series, National League Divisional Series, National League East, National League West, nationals, Neil Walker, New York mets, New York Yankees, NL, NL Central, NL East, NL West, NLCS, NLDS, Nori Aoki, Oakland Athletics, October, Orioles, Padres, Paul Goldschmidt, Philadelphia Phillies, Phillies, Pirates, Pittsburgh Pirates, playoffs, Queens, Rangers, Rays, Red Sox, Reds, Rockies, Royals, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Santiago Casilla, Seattle Mariners, Senior Curcuit, Shelby Miller, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, The Winning Run, Tigers, Todd Frazier, Toronto Blue Jays, Twins, Washington Nationals, White Sox, Wild Card, Wilmer Flores, World Series, Yadier Molina, Yankees, Yasiel Puig, Zack Greinke
A New Day in Havana?
The Tampa Bay Rays and a host of dignitaries from Major League Baseball were part of the thawing of tensions between the United States and Cuba on Tuesday. President Obama became the first American President to visit Cuba since Calvin Coolidge when he visited the island in an attempt to build relations between to two nations. Baseball provides some distraction from the real events taking place. The embargo on Cuba is receding and for the first time under either Fidel or Raul Castro's rule, Cuba is slowly opening itself to the United States and the rest of the world. Sports, especially baseball, have played an integral part in the process and the game between the Rays and the Cuban National team was as much ceremonial as it was competition.
It was a packed house in Cuba to watch the Cuban National Team face the Tampa Bay Rays. (Yamil Lage/ AFP/ Getty Images)
Sports can act as a bridge when traditional diplomacy runs into a wall. The past is littered with examples of how sports have overcome seemingly impassable obstacles in domestic and international relations. The thawing of the relationship between the United States and Cuba is just the latest chapter. The embargo on Cuba has meant increased isolation for Cubans, who were left to live their lives under a repressive regime that concerns itself with control over everything else. This repression has led thousands of Cubans, if not more, to risk their lives to leave the island through any means possible. As Dan Le Batard, the son of Cuban exiles, of the Miami Herald wrote,
"The ocean between our countries is filled with the Cuban bodies that tell the story, lives literally thrown to the wind in desperation, hoping to reach America's possibility-soaked shores on boats made of old tires and wood and poverty's debris."
The pain and anger for Cubans, both in and out of Cuba, is real. Families have been indefinitely separated through no fault of their own. Countless lives have been lost when boats and rafts, ill suited for crossing the Straits of Florida, sink or capsize. Their human cargo like flotsam in the water floating miles away from land. Cubans have gone to desperate lengths to escape their homeland. Le Batard makes it crystal clear that the pain Cubans who have made it out is not self inflicted. They are not immigrants, rather they are exiles. The difference between willingly leaving your home and being forced to leave. Cubans want to reunite with their families, but the Castro regime continues to prevent this.
Hope remains, no matter how long it takes, that some day all Cubans can be reunited. The politics of Cuba and between Cuba and the United States begin at the foul lines during the Rays game. The game on the field is only a piece of the larger diplomatic puzzle. Normalizing relations between the two countries does not bring back the lives lost in the Straits of Florida, nor do they replace the years of separation between families. Yasiel Puig, Orlando and Livan Hernandez, and numerous other prospective baseball players endured harrowing trips in pursuit of freedom using human smugglers. Jose Abreu took a boat with other members of his family to the Dominican Republic. Aroldis Chapman defected while in the Netherlands for a baseball tournament. Every story of defection is about starting a new life, but it is also about the life the players leave behind.
Cubans have used everything they can to escape to freedom. (AP Photo/ Hans Deryk)
Several Cuban players were reunited with their families this week. Jose Abreu was reunited with his five year old son this week after a three year separation. Do you think that weighs on his mind more than striking out? Imagine having to leave your family when your child is two years old and not seeing them again until they are five. What about leaving on a boat in the middle of the night and not knowing if you will ever see your parents again? The dangers are real for Cubans fleeing oppression both for personal safety, but also losing part of who you are.
There is no easy, plausible solution to the the situation. Cuban exiles want the Castros out of power and the Castros want to remain in power. The oppression in Cuba is real. If it was not, it is doubtful that so many would risk their lives to find freedom. The American presidential campaign season has brought xenophobia to the dinner table. However, at our core, I believe, America remains the refuge for the oppressed. The Cuban Adjustment Act, or Wet Feet, Dry Feet Policy, remains in place only for Cubans. The Cuban embargo is a remnant of the Cold War, but the United States remains a safe haven for those who seek peace and justice. President Obama is using Major League Baseball in an attempt to invite Cuba to play nice in other political dealings.. Baseball is a tool that can be used given the passion for the sport in both nations. While this excursion in Havana may not bring down the Castro regime and create a free and open Cuba, at least the United States has changed its stance and is probing for an opening to help end the suffering of all Cubans.
How long will Cuban baseball players have to risk it all to reach freedom to play the game they love? (Lisa Shires, Your Shot, National Geographic)
Cuba, its politics, and its love of baseball are alive and well in south Florida. The Miami Marlins may not set records with their attendance, the good ones at least, but there is a reason Marlins Park is situated in the middle of Little Havana. Ownership hopes to draw more fans, especially Cuban fans. The stadium rises high above the working class homes that surround it. The big apartment buildings, shops, and restaurants have not followed the team just yet. The neighborhood is still its own. Last September during a trip to Miami and the Florida Keys, my girlfriend and I dutifully stopped by just to see Marlins Park. The Marlins were out of town, so there was only so much we could see.
On the advice of one of the men working inside the team gift shop we went to lunch at Morro Castle. It is a non-descript building with bars on the windows of the dining room instead of glass. The open air cafe sits about a mile down the street from the stadium. Everything inside is in Spanish, but distinctly Cuban. Not reading or understanding Spanish, I ordered through pointing and hand gestures. The food was as amazing as you would hope. The authentic feel of being the visitor to not only Morro Castle, but also Little Havana, transported us the roughly 100 miles south to Cuba.
Little Havana feels and tastes like Cuba, but the exiles living there know they are not home. (The Winning Run)
No matter how much the Little Havana neighborhood of Miami feels like Cuba, it is not Cuba. The neighborhood is full of exiles, not immigrants. People who want to go home, who want to be reunited with family and friends, people who want the Castro regime to live only in the history books. The politics of Cuba exists in Little Havana and throughout south Florida. Jose Fernandez is a fan favorite, he is a phenom on the mound, and a Cuban exile like so many in Little Havana. Fidel and Raul Castro, and their regime, are the devil incarnate for these Cuban exiles. Understandably, they do not have time or sympathy for anyone who disagrees with the experiences they have personally lived through. Ozzie Guillen's tenure as the Marlins Manager was not destined to last long when in 2012 he spoke of his respect for Fidel Castro. Regardless of the point that Guillen, a Venezuelan, was trying to make, invoking Castro in a positive light meant he was a supporter in the eyes of the Cuban exiles. Guillen was suspended five games for his comments by the Marlins and was fired at the end of the 2012 season. A solid manager, but his comments on his respect for Fidel Castro has meant he has talked his way out of American baseball. No Major League team has been willing to hire him with this sort of baggage, among other reasons. The Cuban community, especially in south Florida, does not waver in its collective hatred for the Castros nor their desire for the regime to become a painful memory of the past.
Baseball may be the tool necessary to create better relations between the United States and Cuba. The dialogue between President Obama and Raul Castro could lead to a breakthrough decades in the making. Baseball diplomacy could also fail to change anything in Cuba, and simply provide a brief glimpse into life of the island. Only time will tell if the game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Cuban National Team helped to change policies designed to isolate the communist regime. Baseball, and all sports, allow political battles to be fought on the athletic field instead of the battlefield. The passion for baseball remains strong in both countries. The personal toll on the Cuban community both on the island and in exile continues to mount as more Cubans are dying trying to reach freedom and families continue to be separated from one another due to politics. Sports can work to unite people, let's hope that baseball can start the path towards reunifying the Cuban people and ending the suffering of so many.
Written by Derek Jones 1 Comment Posted in Derek, Uncategorized	Tagged with Aroldis Chapman, Calvin Coolidge, Castro, Cuba, Cuban Adjustment Act, Cuban Embargo, Cuban National Team, Dan Le Batard, Fidel Castro, Florida Keys, Havana, Jose Abreu, Jose Fernandez, Little Havana, Livan Hernandez, Major League Baseball, Marlins, Miami, Miami Herald, Miami Marlins, MLB, Morro Castle, Obama, Orlando Hernandez, Ozzie Guillen, President Obama, Raul Castro, Rays, South Florida, Straits of Florida, Tampa Bay Rays, Wet Feet Dry Feet, Yasiel Puig


China advises US government to invest in infrastructure.
Practically, it makes sense to have these funds investing in US infrastructure. Consider that the American Society of Civil Engineers said in 2009 that the US needed $2.2 trillion worth of investment to bring basic infrastructure into a level of good repair. But, I'm sorry to say, politically and socially, it just seems far fetched at this point.


Armored Recon in the Post-World War II Army – the M114 ACRC, the M113 1/2 Lynx, and armored cars.
A look at American heavy howitzers (and guns), particularly the M1 240mm howitzer.
M41 Walker Bulldog light tank.
Artillery! Starting with the First World War.
Producing the French 75 in the U.S.
Past, Present and Future of Army Tactical Radios.
The first – introduction to the Army tactical radios.
Part two covers World War II radios.
A follow up discussed the AN/PRC-150 and 152 radios in the GWOT.
A look at tactical communications support in a regional command of Afghanistan.
Part 2: Testing fast attack jets!
XBrad's Follow up on the LAARA.
Touring Battleship USS North Carolina.
Touring the Cruiser USS Olympia.
Patriot's Point with focus on the PBR gunboat display.
We've had a bit of an "arms race" at Bring the HEAT, with posts about the USS Intrepid and USS Alabama from Roamy.
Look at the Army's landing craft and decision to give up the JHSV.
Army Problem Acquisition: A historical perspective looking at artillery of the 1800s.
You must walk the Battlefield.
Libya and the Powell Doctrine.
Make Fort Monroe a National Monument.
American coast defense: As exhibited at Fort Moultrie, SC.
Army "Walking Truck" of the 1960s.


It's been less than a week since National Hot Dog Day, but it's already time to celebrate National Chili Dog Day! National Chili Dog Day is always observed on the last Thursday of July, which is also National Hot Dog Month. Chili dogs are hot dogs that are usually topped with chili con carne (sans the beans), and other optional ingredients like cheese, onions, or mustard. When the National Sausage and Hot Dog Council ran a pole in 2005, they discovered that chili was the third most popular hot dog condiment, receiving 17% of the votes tallied. The chili dog's popularity has spawned many variations, like the Coney Dog (actually from MIchigan) with added onions and mustard, and the Texas Hot Dog (actually from Pennsylvania!), which is topped with hot sauce. Chili dogs are particularly popular in the western U.S., with several restaurant chains featuring them on their menus. Arizona is home to the Sonoran dog, a chili dog that's also topped with bacon and salsa. Mmmm…hopefully I'll get to have one when I'm out there next month!
I can probably count the number of chili dogs I've eaten in my lifetime on one hand. It's not that I don't like them — they're delicious! It's just that they seem to require about three times the work of a regular hot dog, and four times the calories! In fact, it's not often that I eat chili at all, mostly because I never think about making it. But memories of the delicious chili Chris made on National Chili Day have been making me crave the comfort food again. And our giant crockpot told me it's been feeling neglected lately, so maybe it's time for us to get in the kitchen and start cutting some onions.
Unfortunately, although some homemade chili would have been superb on our chili dogs, we'll have to save our cooking exploits for another night. Chris had a company softball game this evening, so we didn't have the opportunity to enjoy our chili dogs until he returned home quite late. And though we'd considered going out to Hard Times Cafe to take advantage of the free chili dogs they were giving out in celebration of National Chili Dog Day, instead I called Chris and asked him to pick up chili dogs from Checkers on his way home. I actually spent a year in my early twenties living within walking distance of the same Checkers he stopped at this evening, and I'm almost positive I'd never had one of their chili dogs! By the time Chris arrived home with the food it had cooled off a little, but it was still pretty good. Very, very messy, but good. There's one thing I have to say about chili dogs though: a little bit goes a long way! Chris barely finished his and I could only finish half of mine. I guess I'll have to practice some more before I seek out that Sonoran dog.
Maybe tomorrow I can draw everyone's attention away from my stuffed, bloated belly by wearing some bright red lipstick. After all, it will be National Lipstick Day!


While technology advances have helped us understand and learn concepts faster, these advancements could have a direct effect on the brain's frontal cortex – which controls executive functioning, including impulsive control – in exactly the same way that cocaine does. They are a form of digital drug.
By now, Hiba knew that reading was a better idea than tinkering with a phone. She enjoyed the company of books and asked for more. After the Phonics classes helped her read, she was now doing her homework all by herself. The Speed Writing classes improved her handwriting and she was able to finish her class works and tests neatly within the given time frame. Her communication improved with the Spoken English classes.
This transformation was made possible for Hiba by implementing strategies around her learning abilities and EQ. Hiba is an auditory learner. She was constantly appreciated encouraged and rewarded for every effort she took. Her craving for more encouragement made her work hard towards perfection.
A digital detox helped this struggling child to overcome gadget overuse. Don't let your child slip into the online world. Don't let smartphone lodge firmly into their hands. Model the behavior we'd like to see in them by reducing your own screen time. So hide your phone from yourself. Lead by example. Put that phone down!


The Association for the Sustainable Financing of Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas (M2PA), is issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) to design a Mediterranean Conservation Trust Fund and to develop operational guidelines.
Please click here to see the RFP and Terms of reference with all the necessary information for interested Offerors.
Deadline for submission : March 24th 2019.
The Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas program (M2PA) launched a request for proposals (RFP) for a study on Mediterranean marine protected areas financial needs assessment and management effectiveness monitoring. This RFP is funded by the GEF as part of M2PA's project "Long term financial mechanism to enhance Mediterranean MPA management effectiveness." The results will inform, among others, the capitalization targets and the financial structure of the environmental fund and will be used to monitor the impact on the grants awarded to MPAs.
The deadline for receiving proposals is November 16th 2018. The request for proposals and terms of reference are available for download in French and English. Please share this request with your professional networks.
The Association for the Sustainable Financing of Mediterranean Marine Protected Areas – or M2PA for short – held a series of related events on Friday April 13th at Monaco Ocean Week with the participation of the CFA's new Executive Director, David Meyers. The main goal of the M2PA association is to establish a Conservation Trust Fund to provide targeted financing for Mediterranean protected areas with an initial focus on projects in Morocco, Tunisia and Albania. The Mediterranean has over 1000 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) but is in need of increased investment in the creation of new MPAs and in improved management and sustainable financing for many existing reserves. It is hoped that the M2PA will succeed in becoming a strong advocate, source of financing, and fountain of knowledge for these important MPAs.
The first conference event was a series of panels and presentations on Conservation Trust Funds with an initial talk and session moderation by the CFA. Conservation Trust Fund experiences and best practices were shared by a range of CTFs and partners including BaCoMAB, PONT, MarFund, and RedLAC. Other partner organizations presenting included CI's Global Conservation Fund, Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), Fonds Français pour l'Environnement Mondial (FFEM), Agence Français de Développement (AFD), MAVA, MedPAN, and others. The session was followed by the signing of the FFEM grant agreement with the Prince Albert II Foundation for the M2PA project. The afternoon session was the launch of the GEF financed part of the project (with support of CI-GEF) and was followed by an evening session where 12 museums and aquariums showed their engagement in the project. The Monaco Oceanographic Institute pledged a percentage of their entrance fees for the aquarium to the M2PA.
More information on the workshops is available here.
The "Association for the Sustainable Financing of Mediterranean MPAs" (M2PA) launches a call for application for the position of Association's coordinator. This position is a full time and for a permanent contract. The Coordinator will be in charge of facilitating, managing and supervising the Association's general operations. Further details on the position are available here in both French and English.