text:
We invited Professor of Practice, Dr. Pekka Mattila to a suite to tell us why a luxury hotel resembles an art museum.
The signature drink inspired by Jylhä's sculpture is served in a bird-shaped glass with a glass straw. Photo: Touko Hujanen
Reetta Räty, 28.09.2018
Lue tämä suomeksi
Hotel St. George has two entrances. One is meant for hotel guests who check in at reception and hear about the hotel's art collection, history and holistic approach to wellbeing. The other entrance for those wanting to remain unseen in the hotel's public areas is used less frequently. Hotel management does not tell us who has entered through those doors, but apparently they have been in use. A possibility to remain anonymous is part of the hotel's services.
A possibility to remain anonymous is part of the hotel's services."
Today, we enter through the main doors of St. George. Instead of hiding, we are here to take a tour around the hotel with Pekka Mattila. He has researched luxury and is happy to spill the beans on what luxury-seeking consumers du jour are after. Representing so-called neo-luxury, St. George in downtown Helsinki is the perfect spot for a tour: it is advertised as luxury of a new era, born from a desire to redefine the vision of a luxury hotel. "St. George exudes a surprising, understated, elegant luxury", the hotel's very own traditional broadsheet-sized newspaper describes.
Mattila arrives with his dog Shurik in tow – a cute and gentle former rescue dog from St. Petersburg. The hotel's Marketing Manager Heta Kärki and General Manager Roni Huttunen assure us that bringing the dog along is "absolutely fine". Such luxury!
Two expensive hotels can be used to illustrate the difference between traditional and new luxury. Traditional luxury is something everyone recognizes for what it is: glamour, gold, velvet, caviar. The symbols are easy to read: golden chandeliers, attentive service staff, top-notch cocktail bar, à la carte restaurant with silverware.
A neo-luxury hotel is less pompous."
A neo-luxury hotel is less pompous. It is not keen on being a five-star hotel, but beyond the reach of star ratings. Instead of glitz and glamour, its uniqueness stems from tailor-made wellbeing services, individually chosen materials, and increasingly also art, which customers are expected to understand in order to appreciate. Experience take precedence over material goods – which does not mean that the material side has been overlooked, either.
Hotel St. George defines the difference between old and new luxury: "St. George does not shout: look at me, admire me. It says: be part of me. You will feel good here."
According to Pekka Mattila, choice of hotel reflects who is who within the circle that affords and wants to invest in luxury. "Whether you choose Kämp or St. George tells all there is to know about you. Which one is cooler? (Hotel Kämp is Helsinki's first luxury hotel and part of the same Kämp Collections Hotel group as St. George.)
Mattila mentions his aunty, who worked in the Finnish fashion industry and insisted on always meeting her international business partners in certain hotels to make the right impression. If the particular hotel in Milan was fully booked, they could always arrange to meet in the hotel restaurant.
"Choice of hotel is a statement."
"Luxury is connected with competition and social comparison", says Mattila. "When any bumpkin can buy themselves a pair of Gucci sunglasses or even a really expensive car, competition moves to the sphere of taste, just like nobility used to compete with etiquette." Competition could mean buying a new expensive car – which is also low in emissions. It can offer a way to set oneself apart and feel superior over those only interested in money.
The choice of hotel reflects who is who within the circle that affords and wants to invest in luxury."
Neo-luxury hotels have elements that enhance one's self-worth as someone who enjoys different things than the middle class or uncivilized wealthy people. St. George houses a Monocle store and computer-free café. Instead of digital devices, rooms are equipped with bookshelves with classics from second-hand bookstores.
Some time ago, a 24/7 Internet connection was thought of as a luxury service. Now the world's most exclusive railway journeys in South Africa pay homage to the 1930s, with passengers agreeing to stay offline.
"Identity has two sides: self-identity, which we work on by boosting who we are – and showing others who we are and what our status is", says Mattila. Many people will post pictures of their social media -free railway journey afterwards; otherwise no one would know about the achievement.
We set off on the tour, opening up our senses to luxury of a new era. The lobby or entrance gallery of St. George features the piece Tianwu by Chinese contemporary artist and activist Ai Weiwei. The silk and bamboo work of art was made using traditional Chinese kitemaking methods and displays many features of luxury. Firstly, it is a work of art, an experience in itself, but only for those in the know. Secondly, it is rare: Weiwei s artworks are rarely on display in public spaces and even more rarely in hotels, but only in art galleries and private art collections. A work of art with a story also goes hand in hand with luxury. Weiwei s Tianwu and other artists behind artworks at the hotel are presented in the Art of St. George magazine. A connection is made between art on display at the hotel and Helsinki s art and architectural history: we are in the city of Alvar Aalto and Eliel Saarinen and at the heart of a luxury trend.
Now luxury wants to attain the status of art."
Luxury and art have plenty more common denominators than merely being on show at this particular luxury hotel (some owned by the hotel, others on loan). Now luxury wants to attain the status of art – the value of a product or service being removed from its purpose of use. Studying luxury, Henrik Hagtvedt and Vanessa Patrick describe the relationship between luxury and art as follows: "Just as art has, luxury must de-correlate price and function. Although a handbag remains a bag, as a piece of art, its price must be totally independent of its function." (2008)
The premise of art is that materials and production costs do not correlate in the least with the price of the work of art. Luxury seeks the same: a night at a hotel can cost anything between heaven and earth, as it is intended as an experience for only a few – and experiences can cost anything. A hotel is not a place to sleep, similarly to the work of art by Ai Weiwei not being a kite.
Many luxury brands aim to systematically attain the status of art. Luxury stores are similar to art galleries. Objects are placed far apart from each other like paintings or sculptures, and boutiques arrange art exhibitions or classical concerts. The stores want to resemble art in the eyes of consumers. Head designers and founding families of luxury brands are coined as great artists rather than steely business people. Consumers who emphasize post-material values – or pose as doing so – can purchase and use art-packaged luxury without a guilty conscience.
The premise of art is that materials and production costs do not correlate in the least with the price of the work of art."
Researchers often talk about the artification of luxury. Intended to be rare, luxury cannot seek growth merely through volume, so guising itself as art is one way of increasing revenue. Hotel chain owners often aim for growth by including hotels of different standards and price levels under their belt. High-end versions are transformed into an experience far removed from the mundane and reaching for an artistic dimension.
The Wintergarden on the ground floor of St. George is seen as the living room of the hotel, dominated by sculptor Pekka Jylhä s six-meter artwork Learning to Fly. The space epitomizes new literacy required by luxury.
"Here, customers are expected to understand the meaning of quality. It's what it takes when creating a space that doesn't look like a traditional luxury hotel", says Pekka Mattila. He has met up with friends at the Wintergarden and even his dog slumbers as if – well, in his own living room.
Spaces of high-quality hotels are often open to locals, which according to Mattila is an important feature. "These days, it is essential that a quality hotel is of interest also to locals. Guests appreciate not being left alone only with other slightly lost tourists." The hotel's own bakery, restaurant and bars are inviting also to Helsinki residents. The hotel calls them meeting points even if Finns are still not necessarily used to "meet" new people at the bakery.
These days, it is essential that a quality hotel is of interest also to locals."
With an ambience akin to a culture salon, the mural-like wallpaper was designed by Klaus Haapaniemi. Lamps by Artek come in a green tone tailored for the hotel. Mismatched furniture is paired with chunky coffee table books on the surfaces. The rugs are from Turkey and the rocking chairs do not whisk to grandma's house but are distinctly "St. Georgian".
"Customers here are expected to realize that for instance chair legs are solid wood and the walls dotted with genuine graphic art rather than hotel pictures picked up from a wholesaler", says Mattila. "The fabric is premium quality and cushions dyed using sophisticated method. Guests need to master a certain register to recognize textiles, materials, lamps."
St. George has a creative director, Mirkku Kullberg, and several florists. The breadfruit tree, jade plant, ficus trees and calla lilies in the Wintergarden would be nothing out of the ordinary on their own but exude elegance and tranquility against their backdrop.
The Wintergarden has an inventive and fun drinks menu. The signature drink inspired by Jylhä s sculpture is served in a bird-shaped glass with a glass straw. There s plenty of material to post on social media wherever you look, but then someone competing in the sphere of luxury would go through the motions of whether enthusiastically hyping here we are would be cool at all or whether to pretend a drink served in a tailormade glass is just an everyday occurrence.
Mattila believes that neo-luxury is a very western phenomenon and philosophy. The Middle East and China value "luxury of the end result", which means putting money on show, wherever it comes from. "New money comes with a hunger to show off: big symbols, impressive purchases." For wealthy Asians, luxury is both about setting oneself apart and culturally blending in with a group. A phone needs to be the latest and most expensive model, while the brand (iPhone) still ties in with a group. In the US, it is fine to show one's riches, as they are thought of as God's blessing and a sign of working hard.
In the Nordic countries – especially Finland – those in the business of selling luxury need to acknowledge that showing off is not the norm. You can down an expensive drink as long as it is served in a "living room".
Neo-luxury is a very western phenomenon and philosophy."
Looking at the salon dedicated to poet Edith Södergran, a wealthy group of Indians comes to mind, who switched hotels in Copenhagen when they realized the five-star hotel had exposed beams on the ceilings. Who would want to stay in an unfinished hotel! Their level of literacy did not quite cover uncoding wooden beams. Similarly, free bikes provided to hotel guests did not do the trick when the group had private chauffeurs back home.
Luxury is a loosely used word. "What luxury to be at home again!" you might say after a long trip. Researchers separate luxury, fashion and premium. When a café or restaurant claims to be selling luxury, it is probably selling premium, i.e. top-quality coffee or food. Fashion and high fashion differ from luxury in that luxury is timeless, whereas fashion focuses on a new batch each season, and the more that is sold the better. Luxury is not interested in selling maximum volumes. Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Gucci, Rolex, Ferrari, Dior, Prada, Bulgari and Ritz Carlton would lose status if sold to too many. Luxury adheres to a logic of its special quality being recognized by as many as possible, but only few being able to enter its magic circle.
"Luxury is extraordinary for the normal and normal for the extraordinary", describes Pekka Mattila.
The business logic and advertising of luxury items is a world of its own, and often totally opposite to other types of business.
Luxury products are manufactured close to home rather than in low-cost manufacturing countries.
Luxury is not advertised by telling customers to buy. Unlike for regular brands, advertising is separate from the product itself. Browsing through a fashion magazine or Vanity Fair makes you wonder who can afford the diamonds and watches in the ads – but luxury is also advertised to its non-target group in order for it to admire the target group.
Luxury is not manufactured through licensing, and the brand is in full control of the production chain.
All customers are VIP, but VIP membership is not granted only based on money. A luxury brand may sell products to people of its choosing. People need to beg and queue for luxury: "Could I buy an expensive car from you?" A luxury brand decides who to invite to its events, defining the right celebrities it wants to be associated with.
The price must always go up, not down. Discount sales would reduce the value of the product. It is better to keep a hotel empty than dump prices.
The business logic in the world of luxury has shifted from a world of watches and bags to artisan cafés, hairstylists, b-to-b business, travel, and almost all service sectors. Availability is regulated by methods like becoming a client through recommendation or coffee beans gathered in exacting locations. Instead of diamonds, eco-friendly services and craftsmanship create a wow effect. Rarity can be created through high prices or limited sales. This creates a luxury experience: "Will you get to travel to Bhutan, seal a ticket to Burning Man or make a reservation to a restaurant open only for a limited period?"
Luxury adheres to a logic of its special quality being recognized by as many as possible, but only few being able to enter its magic circle."
Pekka Mattila recently celebrated his 40th birthday in Italy. Gifts came in envelopes – new, servitized luxury. "Almost everyone got me a gift card for places I wouldn't visit otherwise."
Examining old and new luxury makes one think that aren t people a little funny, as they create hierarchies between themselves and others by buying the right color bag for each season – not because they like the color but because they think enough people will understand that a bag in exactly this color is more expensive.
Is luxury just status-driven or a question of endless self-assertion?
The answer is no. Pekka Mattila reminds that along with identity definition, neo-luxury brings sensual pleasure. The servitization of luxury is linked to post-materialistic values and a rise in ecological consciousness.
"Luxury is a funny, irrational phenomenon", says Mattila. Especially neo-luxury is characterized by sensual pleasure instead of or alongside the material side. "This morning, I bought a new Frederic Malle scent, which has been made in a small batch. It has notes of pineapple and lavender. Sensual pleasures of this type shouldn't be undermined."
The servitization of luxury is linked to post-materialistic values and a rise in ecological consciousness."
In their publication Luksus – suomalainen osaaminen kilpailuetuna (2016) (Engl. transl. Luxury – Finnish expertise as a competitive advantage), Satu Väkiparta, Nina Broström and Kristiina Palmgren state that neo-luxury is appealing also to people who are not interested in traditional luxury brands. Hybrid consumers buy second hand clothes and luxury spa treatments.
We arrive in St. George's upper floor suite. Slipping into the silky sheets of the oversized bed is an appealing thought. The soaps, lotions and shampoos give off a luxurious waft, and no doubt the complimentary bar would offer sensual pleasures mentioned by Mattila.
At first glance, the suite at St. George does not rouse an immediate wow reaction. It is stylish of course. There are two balconies with views across the Old Church Park and over rooftops. The bookshelves are decked with books by Pentti Saarikoski, Eeva Manner, Friedrich Nietzsche and historical classics. The rugs have been brought from Morocco. The cushions and throws on the bed suggest that everything here has a story that can handle closer inspection by eco-conscious customers. The story behind the room itself is that it used to be part of the Finnish Club premises. (The gentlemen's club committed to fostering Finnish language and culture is still up and running.)
"Along with experiences and servitization, neo-luxury is the luxury of origin", Mattila points out. "The end product being luxury is no longer enough. Also the chain and story or origin need to be luxury."
The end product being luxury is no longer enough."
The importance of origin began to rise when it turned out that even many luxury brands manufactured products in sweatshops. The watershed moment for Hermès was the crocodile crisis of 2015. American animal rights organization PETA published videos showing crocodiles being skinned at farms claimed to be Hermès suppliers. Many celebrities including Victoria Beckham, who was estimated to own Hermès bags worth 1.5 million, stated they would boycott the label. Singer-actress Jane Birkin wanted her name off the Birkin bag due to the unethical killing and skinning of crocodiles. The price of a Birkin bag is in the range of EUR 20,000-130,000 and the waiting list is several years.
In a sense, the shortcomings of old luxury have cleared the way for a new type.
Mattila sits on the suite s sofa, while dog Shurik cozies up on the rug, sipping water from his bowl every now and then. This hotel is an interesting in-betweener: neither a traditional grand hotel nor a design hotel , says Mattila. Mattila travels a great deal for work, spending around 200 nights in hotels per year. There have been plenty of great experiences and disappointments. It is annoying for most when the light switch cannot be found, or the designer sink is so impractical that dirty wash water will not go down. No hooks for towels, and not knowing how to switch the lights on and off A stylish design hotel can also be really annoying.
Mattila describes St. George with the words understated elegance. "A new generation can be seen here. When Helsinki got its first luxury hotel Kämp, it had to look like luxury hotels around the world." Waldorf-Astoria in New York is its contemporary. Neo-luxury is not interested in imitating continental elegance but relies on the customer's ability to grasp contemporary quality and styles. "Even without glitz, customers are expected to understand that compromises haven't been made on quality, but even the backing of each cushion has been dyed in an exacting way", says Mattila. "Neo-luxury comes with the expectation that hotel guests know how to appreciate, rather than thinking that the lamp there resembles an ugly bucket."
Neo-luxury comes with the expectation that hotel guests know how to appreciate, rather than thinking that the lamp there resembles an ugly bucket."
When the opening of St. George was still months away and the exact date unknown, an event for introducing the hotel was arranged at Kunsthalle Helsinki. Also Mehmet Gürs, head chef of the new restaurant, was present. Born in Finland, raised in Sweden and trained in the US, Gürs has more than twenty restaurants, but is perhaps best known for Miklan in his hometown Istanbul. In his chef's gear, Gürs talked to the audience about spices and flavors from his home region of Anatolia that he would be introducing in his restaurant.
It's how stories begin – well before anyone has even tasted the food or smelled the spices.
"Luxury is tied with the sensual – and nothing is more sensual than food", comments Pekka Mattila on the importance of food in launching a hotel. Origin is significant also in the realm of food. "Customers aren't even allowed to eat in peace with the need to explain that the goat was milked at full moon and the berries picked from south-easterly slopes."
In the realm of food, competition focuses on quality over quantity as well as the customer's level of sophistication. Are bowls or beluga caviar out? Is the flavor of tea or yoghurt in a drink a sophisticated choice or faux-pas? Even a buffet can be luxury as long as it is "curated."
"Seemingly sparse, aesthetically pleasing, where everything seems to serve a purpose", describes Mattila.
St. George's restaurant Andrea claims to be fun dining rather than fine dining, separating itself from anything too posh. But it is of course just a promise – or can a meal be fun without good company, a luxury no restaurant can offer?
Jean-Noel Kapferer: Abundant rarity: The key to luxury growth.
Jean-Noel Kapferer: The artification of luxury: From artisans to artists.
Kong, Hyun Min & Ko, Eunju & Chae, Heeju & Mattila, Pekka (2016): Understanding fashion consumers' attitude and behavioral intention toward sustainable fashion products: Focus on sustainable knowledge source and knowledge types. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing 7:2.
Hietanen, Joel & Mattila, Pekka & Sihvonen, Antti & Tikkanen, Henrikki (2018): Paradox and market renewal: Knockoffs and counterfeits as dobbelgänger brand images of luxury. Marketing Intelligence & Planning.
Kim, Kyulim & Ko, Eunju & Lee, Mi-ah & Mattila, Pekka & Hoon Kim, Kyung (2014): Fashion collaboration effects on consumer response and customer equity in global luxury and SPA brand marketing. Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science.
Koivisto, Elina & Mattila, Pekka (2012): Brand Management of 'New Luxury': Case Saga Furs. Journal of Global Fashion Marketing 3:3.
Currently reading: Aalto Leaders' Insight: Luxury 2.0

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Dr. Andrew (Drew) Le of the Hope College music faculty has received a Steinway & Sons 2016 Top Teacher award.
Le is an associate professor of music at Hope. He was selected for the recognition by West Michigan Piano of Grand Rapids, which is a Steinway dealer, for his outstanding instruction and leadership in piano education.
It's the second time that Le has received major recognition through Steinway. He was also named a Steinway Artist by the company in 2013.
A member of the Hope faculty since 2005, Le began teaching professionally at a young age when he was invited to serve on the faculty of the All-State Program at Interlochen Arts Camp as an undergraduate student, teaching alongside tenured professors. Later, he was appointed Jerome Lowenthal's teaching assistant at Juilliard. He also served on the faculties of the Juilliard School Piano Minor Program, the Gilmore Piano Camp and the Gilmore Foundation's KeysFest, and at Friends Music Camp.
His students at Hope have received a variety of honors through the years. During the recent spring semester, for example, freshman Kennadi Hawes received Second Prize in the 2017 White Lake Young Artist Solo Competition, and Mark Cunningham of the Class of 2017 won the college's Concerto-Aria Competition and the opportunity to perform with the Hope College Symphony Orchestra.
As a pianist, Le has been hailed as "an impressive tour-de-force... a plenitude of poetic nuance" by the New York Concert Review, and lauded by Goleta Valley Voice for his "consummate piano virtuosity" and Mountain Tradition for his "pistonlike precision." In addition to his recognition in 2013 as a Steinway Artist, he was the first-prize winner of the 2004 Hilton Head International Piano Competition. He has also received recognition in numerous other competitions, including first prize in the 1993 Music Teachers National Association-Baldwin Competition, the Bronze medal in the 1997 Gina Bachauer Young Artists International Piano Competition and winning the 2004 Aspen Music Festival Concerto Competition. He released his debut recording on the Blue Griffin label in 2013.
Le is the founder and director of the Brown Bag Concert Series at the Holland Area Arts Council, an informal concert series designed to encourage and foster the accessibility of classical music to the general public. He and his wife, violinist Jennifer Walvoord, are the artistic directors of the Chamber Music Festival of Saugatuck, and he is a violinist in the Holland Symphony Orchestra. Passionate about serving his local community, he has also performed recitals as food drives, the last of which brought in close to 600 non-perishable items that were donated to the Holland Rescue Mission.
He is also an avid photographer. He has been capturing weddings, portraits and events since 2007, and exhibitions of his photographic work have been presented all across West Michigan. He has been a member of Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI), and is currently a member of Sony Pro Imaging Support and Canon Professional Services.
Born in Vietnam, Le holds a Doctor of Music Arts degree from the Juilliard School, where he studied with Jerome Lowenthal. His dissertation research focused on the performance and pedagogical traditions of Jerome Lowenthal and preserving the heritage passed down to him from his own teachers, Alfred Cortot, Eduard Steuermann and William Kapell. He is also a graduate of the University of Michigan, where he studied with Arthur Greene, and of the Interlochen Arts Academy, where he studied with Victoria Mushkatkol.


Cemeteries and Crematoria Fees and Charges approved for 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2019.
Note: R.S.A. Personnel: No charges are made for plots or niches for R.S.A. personnel in the R.S.A. section of the Takapau, Waipukurau or Waipawa Cemeteries but interment fees as below apply.
Note: The sale of reserve plots is restricted to one and then only in conjunction with the burial of a member of the same family. (With each application a standard form is filled out so that an accurate record of the reserve plot is kept. A copy of this form is also forwarded to the local Funeral Director.) Those persons who have reserved plots on behalf of another person or for family members cannot reserve a further plot until the original reserved plots are used. Pursuant to section 10 (4) of the Burial and Cremation Act 1964 the exclusive right of burial will lapse after sixty (60) years. All plots not used after 60 years will be offered for re-sale following deliberate effort to trace the purchaser or descendants thereof.
Note: The cost of general grounds maintenance in the cemetery including mowing plots in the lawn cemetery areas is carried out by Council and paid for in the Burial Plot Fee. However maintenance of headstones, fences, concrete-work, etc on any plot is the responsibility of the deceased's descendants and relatives.
Note: There are no additional charges for extra depth burial plots.
Note: With burials, including ashes and still born, where the grave has a concrete top additional charges are payable for concrete cutting and reinstatement.
Note: Every disinterment and/or re-interment shall be at a fee set by the Council based on actual cost plus 20%.


text:
Remembering William Burchell
by Ann Sylph on
This month we remember William Burchell as it is 150 years since his death, at the same time we feature some historic photographs to celebrate the opening of a special photography exhibition at ZSL London Zoo displaying the winning entries in the The ZSL Animal Photography Prize 2013.
William Burchell (1781-1863) an explorer and naturalist, began his career as an apprentice at Kew Gardens. In his early 20s he moved to St. Helena where whilst working as a school master, he described the flora, fauna and geology of the island. He then went to South Africa travelling thousands of miles and covering huge distances, collecting over 63,000 specimens. He named and described the first white rhinoceros known to science, named then as Rhinoceros simus, now Ceratotherium simum(Burchell, 1817). His account of his travels together with his illustrations are published in Travels in the interior of Southern Africa, London : Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1822-24.
According to BBC Wildlife magazine `contrary to popular belief, however he did not name Burchell's zebra. That was the work of John Edward Gray, keeper of zoology at the British Museum. Burchell had bickered with Gray over damage sustained to his collection, and Gray retaliated by naming a zebra Asinus burchelli (with `asinus' translating as `ass')'
These stunning photographs of Burchell's zebra are part of ZSL's historic photographic collections. The images were taken at ZSL London Zoo by T.J. Dixon circa 1885. Sadly this subspecies became extinct circa 1910. The subspecies is now renamed as Equus burchelli burchelli but sometimes also referred to as Equus quagga burchelli.
These images of Burchell's zebra are reproduced in London Zoo from old photographs 1852-1914 - 2nd ed / John Edwards, London : Published by the author, 2012. This book features many of the photographs in our historic photograph collections together with images from a wide range of sources. John's book is available from ZSL's Gift Shops and ZSL Library. It can be ordered online from ZSL's Online Shop *
Other references and further reading :
Mammal species of the world : Volume 1 - 3rd ed / edited by Don E. Wilson and DeeAnn M. Reeder, Baltimore : Johns Hopkins University Press, 2005
The man who was ... was luckier in science than he was in love: William Burchell (1781-1863) BBC Wildlife, 2013, Vol. 31, No. 7, p. 96
Burchell's original specimens of Rhinoceros simus by A.J.E. Cave, Proceedings of the Zoological Society, 1962, Vol. 139, No. 4, pp.691-700
Burchell's rhinocerotine drawings by A.J.E. Cave, Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London, 1947, Vol. 159, No. 2, pp.141-146
Review of the European perception of the African rhinoceros by L.C. Rookmaaker, Journal of Zoology, 2005, Vol. 265, pp. 365-376 DOI:10:1017/S0952836905006436
These historic photographs form part of the `special collections' in ZSL Library, you are welcome to visit and consult/view them but an appointment is necessary. Please email library@zsl.org or telephone 020 447 6293 to make an appointment.
Many resources are available in ZSL Library and no appointment is necessary to use these, however if you are a ZSL member please bring your membership card. Non-members will need proof of address and photographic ID if you are not already a member of ZSL.
Search our Library catalogue


text:
On December 1, 2020 December 1, 2020 By Nina Schor, M.D., Ph.D.In Initiatives, NINDS
Recent successes of therapies aimed at replacing, blocking, or changing the reading of genes—referred to as gene therapy—have made real the prospect of improving outcomes for people with rare diseases. In September 2019, NINDS held a workshop entitled "Next Generation Strategies for Gene-Targeted Therapies of Central Nervous System Disorders" to brainstorm with scientists, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and patient advocates about the best ways of getting these cutting-edge treatments into the hands of doctors and scientists to help improve the lives of patients living with rare diseases.
It is estimated that there are between 5,000 and 8,000 rare diseases, which are defined as diseases that currently affect fewer than 200,000 people in the United States. Collectively, these diseases affect roughly 400 million people worldwide, and one-third of rare diseases involve the nervous system—the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and/or the muscles
In recent years, gene therapies have emerged as a promising way to treat several of these rare diseases. However, there are a few hurdles that still stand in the way.
The cost of production, validation of safety and effectiveness, and approval by the FDA of these therapies threatens to be prohibitive.
We still need to determine how to package and deliver genetic or "antisense" blocking material to use for a given disease and patient.
Determining how to overcome immune (almost like allergic) reactions to the viruses used to deliver genes may prove difficult when so few people would get each virus-gene "drug" and scientists have not yet agreed on what exactly to measure to predict when such reactions are likely to occur.
It became clear to us from our workshop discussion that there were enormous disparities concerning access to the kind of personalized medicine gene therapy could provide to patients with rare diseases. We therefore began planning the Ultra-Rare Gene Therapy (URGenT) network to improve access to these therapies for patients and families with rare diseases and the physicians who care for them. The aims of the URGenT network are as follows:
Accelerate advancement of genetic discoveries into the clinic;
Provide resources and expertise not otherwise available to all scientists and doctors;
Make therapeutic options available to patients with ultra-rare diseases; and
Eventually create standards and guidelines for the development of gene-based therapies for ultra-rare diseases.
In February 2020, the concept proposal for the URGenT network was approved by the NINDS Advisory Council, and we were on our way!
To be sure, NINDS had been funding research on gene-targeted therapies for rare diseases for many years. In the 2019 funding year, NINDS funded 935 active grants on rare disease research. In the past 5 years, NINDS has awarded 31 new grants focused on gene-based therapy for ultra-rare diseases. This may seem like a low number, but it really highlights challenges we must address, as only a few institutions and communities are today able to support and sustain such research and the challenges it presents. The URGenT network will provide expertise, in-kind services, and funding to scientists and doctors on an application-based competitive basis. Those who have a good idea and a scientific compelling rationale for it will be given resources to bring that idea from the laboratory to the patients it could help. NINDS is excited to introduce the URGenT network in this era of heightened awareness around disparities in access to health and healthcare; the power and challenges of bringing advanced technologies to patients and families; and the need for building efficiencies and synergies through collaboration, and we expect to begin accepting applications from scientists and doctors sometime in 2021. We look forward to partnering with a diverse array of colleagues in using science to ease the burden of those in the rare disease community.


text:
Augocoris is a genus of shield-backed bugs in the family Scutelleridae. There are at least two described species in Augocoris.

Species
These two species belong to the genus Augocoris:
 Augocoris gomesii Burmeister, 1835
 Augocoris illustris (Fabricius, 1781)

References

Further reading

Scutelleridae
Articles created by Qbugbot

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Q: How to disable webRTC in electron? i'm writing a bot using nightmare.js with electron.js.
This bot is running in proxy and https://whoer.net shows my original IP because of webRTC.
Is any way to disable that webRTC in electron?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Home America US mid-terms latest: Cybersecurity fears ahead of crucial vote
US mid-terms latest: Cybersecurity fears ahead of crucial vote
The US mid-term elections in six days' time will help define the rest of Donald Trump's presidency.
Americans will vote for members of both chambers of Congress, as well as for governors in 36 out of 50 states.
Between now and then, we'll bring you updates and all the best analysis every weekday in this round-up.
Today's edition includes fears over vote hacking and a last-minute lawsuit.
One surprising number
Election experts remain concerned about the risk of foreign interference and vote hacking in the mid-terms.
Last month, hackers warned that voting machines posed a "serious risk" to US security.
They claimed that one ballot machine, which is used in 23 states, carries a cybersecurity flaw that was first reported more than a decade ago.
So are officials doing all they can to protect the election process?
Possibly not. Only 21 states have requested a free federal security review of their election infrastructure, according to ABC News.
The voluntary review is provided by the Department of Homeland Security and checks for cybersecurity vulnerabilities and trains officials to protect against hacking attempts.
Hackers 'targeting US mid-term elections'
Hacking the US mid-terms? It's child's play
"The first thing that every state should be doing… is to do a threat analysis to understand what the vulnerabilities in their systems are," one expert told ABC.
Fears over election meddling have risen since the 2016 presidential election, when US officials say Russia interfered to help Donald Trump win.
The justice department is continuing to investigate the claims, which Russia strongly denies.
One striking picture
Thousands of people gathered to protest the arrival of President Trump in Pittsburgh
Much has been made of the polarisation of US politics and how divided the country is going into the mid-terms.
In recent weeks, the tumultuous confirmation of US Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh and the heated debate around immigration has revealed a deeply split America.
This divide was on full display in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, where demonstrators held a protest against the visit of President Trump.
How the news divides America
Can chocolate tasting unite Trump's America?
Mr Trump was joined by First Lady Melania Trump, his daughter and son-in-law at the Tree of Life temple where 11 Jewish worshippers were shot dead at the weekend.
More than 70,000 people signed an open letter from Pittsburgh-based Jewish leaders saying that the president was "not welcome" in the city.
One last-minute lawsuit
Voter ID laws have long been controversial.
Civil liberties groups have challenged them in the past, arguing that they disproportionately affect minorities and poorer voters.
In North Dakota, people will need a provable residential address to be able to vote in next week's crucial Senate race.
This new requirement, civil rights groups say, will hit Native Americans particularly hard.
The Standing Rock Sioux Reservation in Cannon Ball, North Dakota
Many live on reservations and do not have a qualifying address.
On Tuesday afternoon, a lawsuit filed on behalf of one Native American tribe in the state alleged that the law violates the constitution.
"Eligible Native American voters including our clients may be denied the right to vote next week," a lawyer from the Native American Rights Fund said.
State officials argue that it is easy to get a residential address, but this is disputed within the lawsuit.
One piece to read
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
A draft of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, outlining the rights and priveleges of American citizenship
In yesterday's round-up, we reported on President Trump's pledge to end the automatic right to citizenship for children born in the US to non-citizens.
Mr Trump said that he could enact the change by signing an executive order, but there are major doubts over whether this would be possible.
But what exactly is birthright citizenship? And could Mr Trump actually scrap it?
We've put together this explainer covering what you need to know.
Depending who you asked in the Conway household, the answer to that question could be quite different.
George, husband of White House adviser Kellyanne, has written a column in the Washington Post in which he rejects the Trump argument.
Mr Conway, a top lawyer, points out that birthright citizenship was enshrined in the 19th Century as a way to right the wrong of slavery, and to overturn attempts to deny citizenship to freed slaves.
"Our Constitution is a bipartisan document, designed to endure for ages. Its words have meaning that cannot be wished away."
One video to watch
It's not always about Trump.
We asked voters from a dozen states what are the key issues for them. No-one mentioned the T-word.
And there were some surprising answers.
Media captionWhat do American voters care about?
Previous articleTunis attack: Suicide bomber was jobless graduate
Next articleJin Yong: The 'Tolkien of Chinese literature' dies at 94
Kevin Spacey: Massachusetts prosecutors drop sex assault case
Why are US bird attacks on humans on rise?
Electric car models to triple in Europe by 2021
Sports Desk: NM United excited about friendly; UNM WBB ready to...


During SappyFest 2012, RCE Tantramar coordinators Emily and Rob worked as heads of the Recycling Crew, educating and coordinating volunteers to facilitate the sorting of garbage into blue and green trash bags according to Westmorland Albert's wet/dry system. Sackville's Public Works supplied two dumpsters, one for green/wet and the other for blue/dry. Mary from the Westmorland Albert Corporation set up a booth among the SappyFest vendors, educating festival-goers about the wet/dry system. All in all, it was a slightly smelly, but very fun job! A HUGE thank-you to our volunteers, many of whom were the Mount Allison MASSIE students!


text:
I INTERVIEW, THE OPERA THE TALE OF LADY THỊ KÍNH, The Production Countdown
IU Opera Production (19) – Stage Director Vince Liotta to decode Lady Thị Kính (part 1 of 2)
Date: 7 Nov 2012Author: anvi hoàng 0 Comments
The Tale of Lady Thị Kính Production Countdown
—– Đọc bài tiếng Việt —–
The directing and staging of an opera involve the realization of numerous complicated concepts both concrete and abstract whose genesis starts with the stage director. Before any piece of wood is cut, any piece of fabric sewn, or any brush inked, stage director is one of the very first to plunge into the work. What is the story really about? What is the best rendition of it? What should the atmosphere feel like? Etc. It is the "etc." that intrigues any serious opera lovers. They enjoy the behind-the-scenes tour as much as they appreciate any communication the stage director is willing to 'reveal' before the performance. Now, you read here first: Stage Director Vince Liotta exposing "Lady Thị Kính."
What were your thoughts the first time you heard the story of Thị Kính?
From a brief summary of it, my thoughts were that it might be a really good idea for an opera because it is obviously a story to which Phan as librettist and composer feels a connection, and that was important. I also thought it was an interesting story – about this woman who disguises herself as a monk and the way she affects people's lives, and the whole story about her being abandoned and all of that. It's got a lot of operatic value to it.
Were you thinking about an American or Vietnamese audience when you found the story interesting?
I was thinking about American audience mostly. One of the things that interests me about the story is that it is wonderfully universal. My feeling about what I can bring to it (and what we need to do) is to make it a story that communicates a Vietnamese-flavored culture but to a non-Vietnamese sensibility. I don't want it to look like ethnography or cultural anthropology, because if we were going to do that we might as well do the hát chèo drama.
With this opera, you've got a composer who writes western-style music. So it's got to move somewhere between East and West, between Việt Nam and non-Vietnamese culture. And also in the way it is presented, I think it is important that you never lose the sense of the original play being a very old and both well-loved and very traditional Vietnamese theater piece.
So you are going to interpret the story for a global audience?
I think that is the only way you can interpret it. First of all, if we were going to do it in a completely traditional Vietnamese way, I'd say again, you might as well do hát chèo drama. Secondly, I have been to Việt Nam specifically to see hát chèo theater. But I cannot do that – I haven't got the training for that. So I've got to find a way of expressing the things that speak to me about this story, about what I've seen of Việt Nam, about what I've known of Vietnamese culture from my limited experience with it, and find a way to reinterpret that from my western point of view. If I can do that and if it works for me it will work for other people.
I was in an ethnic graphic museum in Việt Nam, there's a lot of info there, but you cannot just pick it up and put it on a stage, and you certainly cannot pick it up and put it on the stage for either the Vietnamese audience, interestingly enough, or the Western audience. So in that sense, as a director, I have to go about interpreting The Tale of Lady Thị Kính so that it does not look like cultural anthropology. The reason is that the Vietnamese audience has expectations of what this play is and they've known it as an audience culturally for a thousand years. So people even have an expectation of how it should look or how it should be presented, or a cultural sensibility that says, "This is the way we would do it."
An American audience, on the other hand, has no expectations, given the understanding most Americans have of Vietnamese culture. I am like an anthropologist already and I have a very tiny understanding, but most Americans have no understanding. So if you just throw it on the stage in a culturally and ethnographically correct way so that it looks exactly like the hát chèo play with the costumes, the gestures and everything, an American audience would be baffled. Then it turns around to the Vietnamese when you put it on the stage with a western-style composition, the Vietnamese audience will be baffled.
So the whole trick is to find something that references the Vietnamese cultural elements but still speaks in the language in which it is written which is really western music.
Photo: IU Opera Theater.
What about Erhard Rom that triggered your choice of him as a designer?
Erhard is an interesting designer in a sense that he is literal enough to be visually accurate, but he takes that literal quality and puts it into a more abstract vocabulary. The visual thing about this piece is that we want it to feel and to look Vietnamese, to have references to architecture, clothing, colors – but not in the literal museum-kind of way.
One thing that is true that I noticed as we were in Việt Nam watching the theater and looking at the costumes, is that if you don't have that information referenced, if what the audience sees on the stage, be they American or Vietnamese, doesn't reference what someone who would know it to be, then it's not going to work for anybody. Because the people who would know it are going to say, "But what has it got to do with?" The people who don't know it are going to say, "Well, it doesn't feel very familiar." That's the juggling act. And it is true whenever you do anything that has this kind of cross-cultural reference. Any play or opera in that style that is considered good is because you manage to get the cross-cultural part right.
The Tale of Lady Thị Kính is an American opera by a Vietnamese composer who writes in the Western music style based on a thousand year-old story that is telling basically the story exactly as it is. What I think is important is that you make the references to the original piece, the cultural background, but the way you express it is interpreted through the eyes of an American aesthetic sensibility.
Too often I think that cross-cultural comes to mean: pick up something and drop it down in another culture and expect it to somehow magically match together. I don't think it is that simple. I think what you choose, what you leave out, what you include, the images you use, the images you don't use, are always a balancing act so that you can speak to everybody and honor the piece, but do it in a way that an audience which doesn't have that cultural sensibility is going to understand, and hopefully in that way the audience that does, in this case the Vietnamese audience, will see it as an interpretation of a time-honored story and not as an abusing of it, or an ignoring of it, or a demeaning of it, or won't see it as a negative thing. That is the goal.
How are you going to teach the students the Vietnamese sensibility?
That is the point. You can't teach them the Vietnamese sensibility. What you have to do is make the whole play feel that it has a Vietnamese sensibility. There are certain things you can teach and certain things you can do – certain gestures, certain way of carrying yourself, for example. A simple one is coloration. People know that if they go see this piece performed by a traditional hát chèo group, there are colors that are associated with people, and the colors are all bright and all strong. Everything has a certain vibrancy to it – that is not Western. But if you use that as part of the language of your Western color iconography it is going to begin to feel more appropriate. You don't have to make the costume an exact duplicate but you do have to know something about the line of the costume, and the kinds of costumes that different characters wear. So they are equivalent but they are not as obvious as simply trying to mimic something. That is the problem that I've seen. When I see people trying to do things that cross cultures, very often the first thing they try and do is mimic something. Guess what, no more can I speak Vietnamese than I could mimic being Vietnamese. But I can make things that feel Vietnamese to the Vietnamese audience while still speaking to the Western audience.
Is there a concept in your direction of The Tale of Lady Thị Kính?
If you talk about a production, a production is ephemeral, it may have a life or it may not. If you're talking about a work that has life like La Bohème, I don't know so much that it's a concept as much as it's a work that is not so tied up in being specific that it can't become universal. And coming back to the whole conversation about mixing these cultures, if the opera feels too specifically Vietnamese, then it only speaks to the Vietnamese audience. There is a famous scene where the servant is hiding and the father comes in and kicks him around. The Vietnamese audience sees it and they know it is funny. The Western audience doesn't see it as funny – they see it as something hurtful. So that is not universal. Those are what you have to work through when you do a work like this, to make it really focus on the part that speaks to everyone.
The composer has his own vision of the production. You have your own. How does it work out between you two?
The idea is trying to keep them all universal. My particular vision for the piece is: I would hope that when the piece is done the audience doesn't see the acts of Thi Kinh as sacrifice; they see it as the greater good. And there is a difference in that to me. In my reading of Thị Kính, there is nothing that Thị Kính does that is a sacrifice. It is always something that is done because in the long run, it is for the greater good. So it is never that "I'm sacrificing my marriage life to enter the convent," "I'm sacrificing my life to protect the child." That's the wrong way around to me. What the audience has to come out saying is that she knew what she had to do and she did it. That's the way that, in the best of all possible world, people live – they do what they have to do for the good of the other, whether that's the many, or the few, or the one – but you do it for the greater good not as the punishment for yourself.
The Vietnamese version of this article has been printed and published online by the Viễn Đông Daily News. Read my online Vietnamese version.
–> Stage Director Vince Liotta to decode Lady Thị Kính (part 2 of 2)
Bio: Stage Director Vincent Liotta has been both a professional stage director and a dedicated educator for more than 40 years. He is currently chair of the Opera Studies Department in the Jacobs School of Music where he teaches stage directing, acting, and operatic literature. As a stage director, he has been involved in creating many world premiere productions. Most recently he conceived and directed the much-acclaimed premiere of Vincent by composer Bernard Rands and librettist J.D. Mc Clatchy for the IU Opera Theatre. Among other notable premieres in which he has taken a creative lead are Cayote Tales by Henry Mollicone; and Too Many Sopranos by IU composer, Edwin Penhorwood. His professional projects have been seen on four continents including Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream and Puccini's La Boheme in Seoul, Korea; the eastern European premiere of Bernstein's Candide for the Romanian National Opera in Cluj-Napoca, Puccini's Madama Butterfly for Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, as well as La fanciulla del West at the Canadian National Opera in Toronto. Mr. Liotta's operatic repertory covers the entire history of opera from Cavalli to John Corigliano. In 1993, Liotta co-founded the Utah Festival Opera. In addition to directing, Liotta has authored and translated works for the musical theater include a new libretto for Victor Herbert's operetta, Naughty Marietta, and Viva Verdi, an original biographical evening about the life and work of Giuseppe Verdi. He has done new English translations for The Merry Wives of Windsor and Orlando Paladino in addition to a new libretto for The Merry Widow. For many years, he has collaborated with Harold Prince on productions of Turandot and Don Giovanni as well as the world premiere of Willie Stark.
–> Back to The Tale of Lady Thị Kính Production Countdown
authenticitychèocross culturecultural interpretationMusicopera directionopera stagingpq phanthe tale of lady thi kinhvietnamese operavince liotta
Previous Previous post: Quá trình dàn dựng (kỳ 19) – Đạo diễn Vince Liotta 'giải mã' Bà Thị Kính (phần 1)
Next Next post: Ngày thường của một nhà soạn nhạc


Hey all, another user has informed me that some of you may not be able to register on the forums if you put your age as under 12 years old, but as of now (I haven't spoken to Jacob yet about it, although I'm sure he'd agree with me) we will allow anyone 10 or older to register, so to prevent the system from locking you out just put your age 2 years older (if you're 10), or 1 year older if you're 11.
No I think we should stick to 10+ because most 10 year old's are mature enough to know the difference between right and wrong and not break the rules really. And also a good majority of the people joining this forum will only be 10 or 11, if we say you have to be 13 it'll make quite a few kids upset.
I'm pretty sure you're actually supposed to put in your birth date to register you just choose to show it or not.
Subject: Re: QUICK READ THIS! IMPORTANT!!!!


text:
Toll Free 877.231.6673 or +1.407.831.5021
Shop Now OR Locate a Dealer
Cars & Light Trucks
Bell Product Families
Heavy Trucks & Equipment
Marine & Large Ships
Refinery & Terminal
Fuel Distribution
Workboats
Fuel & Tank Services (FTS)
Fuel Pulse - Fuel Testing
Fuel Tank Cleaning
Fuel System Preventative Maintenance
The Hybrid Approach
Fuel Quality Guarantee
Diesel Fuel Contamination
Terms, Conditions, & Return Policy
Biodiesel Application
Fuel System Preventative
Fuel Testing and
Fuel System PM
Stored Fuel Testing and
Commercial Resouces
Diesel Fuel Tank Corrosion: A New Culprit
Posted by: Bell Performance
Ever since the EPA mandated the introduction of ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD), fueling stations and stored fuel users have been consistently reporting new cases of corrosion in their storage tanks. According to the results of the latest surveys, ethanol contamination in diesel fuel may be to blame.
On June 1, 2006, the sulfur content of ULSD was reduced from 500 parts-per-million (ppm) in low sulfur diesel (LSD) to 15 ppm in ULSD. One consequence of the reduced sulfur content was the creation of a more favorable environment for microbes and bacteria to develop and thrive. This problem is in addition to other known trade-offs to ULSD like increased costs (a few cents more per gallon), 1- to 2-percent less energy, and decreased lubricity requiring the use of additives (or the addition of biodiesel). In addition, the refining process that removes the sulfur also removes high-energy aromatics, which corresponds to a 1- to 2-percent increase in fuel consumption. However, what surprised many analysts were the reported instances of accelerated corrosion in storage tanks and dispensing equipment in as little as six months.
The Findings of an Independent Study
In response to industry concerns about the unexplained accelerated corrosion, the Petroleum Equipment Institute surveyed the diesel fuel industry to identify the issues with systems storing and dispensing ULSD. Their survey revealed sporadic problems occurring in all regions of the country, regardless of the age of the equipment. As a result, the Clean Diesel Fuel Alliance (CDFA) was formed, which includes the American Petroleum Institute, Ford Motor Co., the National Association of Convenience Stores, the National Association of Truck Stop Operators, Petroleum Equipment Institute, Petroleum Marketers Association of America, Association of American Railroads, and Steel Tank Institute. The CDFA funded an independent research project by Battelle Memorial Institute to investigate corrosion in systems storing and dispensing ULSD.
The study's conclusions were announced Sept. 5, 2012, in a 146-page report entitled, "Corrosion in Systems Storing and Dispensing Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel (ULSD), Hypotheses Investigation." The Battelle study sampled six sites nationwide that reported accelerated corrosion in ULSD systems. Samples from the six sites were analyzed for the presence of a variety of contaminants and possible contributors. According to the report, among other contaminants, acetic acid was found at all sites from a variety of samples (fuel, water bottoms, vapor, and corrosion scrapings). In addition, the Battelle report stated that ethanol was unexpectedly identified and measured at five of the six sites, along with acetobacter microorganisms, in the majority of water bottom samples. The Battelle report hypothesized that the acetic acid is likely produced by acetobacter feeding on low levels of ethanol contamination. The report further identified this as the most likely cause of the corrosion. The report states, "The source of the ethanol is unknown; however, diesel fuel is often delivered in the same trucks as ethanol-blended gasoline. Also, some underground storage tanks for storing ULSD, which have been converted from gasoline tanks could have manifolded ventilation systems with gasoline tanks. Thus, it is possible that there be some cross contamination of ethanol into ULSD."
However, this hypothesis has drawn criticism from the ethanol industry. It points out that, under normal, everyday storage and handling conditions, ethanol should never come into contact with diesel fuel since ethanol is a gasoline additive. It also said that none of the six sites sampled included manifolded ventilation systems.
These critics also point out that Battelle's report drew its conclusions from a very small sample set. In addition, the Renewable Fuels Association (representing the ethanol industry) was not included in the investigation and not given an opportunity to provide feedback.
It is too early to draw definitive conclusions on how ULSD tanks are being contaminated with ethanol or why accelerated corrosion occurs in some ULSD tanks while other ULSD tanks remain largely unaffected. Some wonder whether the problem may be associated only with fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) tanks, since all the affected sites investigated have FRP tanks.
What's the Next Step For Diesel Users?
The CDFA is currently deciding whether to move forward with further research. The Battelle report recommends additional research be focused on samples from a larger, more diverse set of underground storage tanks over a period of time. The study would sample and monitor ULSD tank systems with and without accelerated corrosion events and investigate the possible source of ethanol contamination.
There continues to be many unanswered questions. More research by the industry is needed to reach a definitive conclusion. In the meantime, fueling stations and diesel users who are being impacted by this corrosion problem may need to turn to fuel stability additives like Dee-Zol Life and Dee-Zol to negate the performance issues that this problem will inevitably bring.
You may be interested in these other posts:
Guidelines For Long Term Fuel Storage of Diesel and Storage Tanks
This post was published on January 22, 2013 and was updated on November 17, 2017.
Topics: Diesel, Fuel Storage
If your business relies on fuel, you'll want to get our tips for storing fuel and cutting fuel costs delivered right to your inbox!
Other Posts on this Topic
New standards for diesel fuel maintenance
Today's diesel fuels and removal of sulfur: were the fears realized?
Removing Contaminants From Fuel in 2018: Essential Info for Diesel Storage
Diesel Fuel Storage Best Practices
Diesel Fuel Storage Guidelines: Things To Consider in 2018
Diesel, Fuel Storage
Explore your topics:
The fuel you use:
What your fuel powers:
Cars and Light Trucks
Small Equipment & Generators
The issues you are concerned about:
Fuel Policy
© 2019 Bell Performance, Inc. | 1340 Bennett Dr, Longwood, FL USA 32750 | Privacy Policy | Manufacturing Marketing by Top Line Results
Report a Site Problem


text:
RED SOX FAN IN NEBRASKA
Catching Up...Again, Also a Zippy Zapping
I have not posting very much lately. I have been very busy with work and Boston has been depressingly bad of late. But I need to catch up and I need to show off the latest Zippy Zapping.
Up first is some random stuff from a few packs, a small trade and Topps online exclusives. The first card is a Ted Williams from a Throwback Thursday release. These have not been as good to Boston fans as the Topps Now cards, this was the first Red Sox card to be released from it. The second card is another David Ortiz Topps Now, this one celebrating the home run that took him past Ted Williams.
These are some cards rounded up from some more trades. Nothing massively exciting. The Victorino is numbered out of 50. Andrew Benintendi remains one of Boston's top prospects. He could be called up soon given the struggles of Boston's other left fielders.
And next is the package from Kenny, the Zippy Zapper himself.
As usual, Kenny's package contained a little vintage, a lot of prospects, and some other randomness as well. Up first is another Benintendi, followed by a 1974 Topps card of Don Newhauser, who had a short career but was very good in his rookie season of 1972. Reed Reilly was the seventh round draft pick in 2014 but has already been released. Jon Denney too has been released after being a third round pick. Michael Kopech is rapidly becoming one of Boston's top prospects. His velocity has been clocked at over 100 mph as a starting pitcher. He needs to get his head on straight, but he could be a decent starter.
And here are some more cards from Kenny. Austin Rei was Boston's third round pick from last year and is an impressive defensive catcher, though not much with the bat. Manuel Margot was part of the trade for Craig Kimbrel. Rafael Devers is one of Boston's top prospects with the top power potential in the system. Finally, the best card from the package is an autograph of Boston's first round pick from 2014. Chavis has been slow to develop but is starting to come around now. I still don't personally see him as more than trade bait for Boston, but he is hitting.
Thanks for the package Kenny.
And next we have a pile of cards that were acquired in trades. Most of these were cards on my want list. It is nice to add some Travis Shaw cards as he has become a decent regular for Boston. A bunch of these guys are minor leaguers without a lot of chance at making it as big leaguers. But there is another Benintendi and Devers card in there. Rusney Castillo has become a very expensive bust. William Cuevas has actually been up and down with Boston this year, appearing in three games.
And some more from that trade, featuring another Shaw and some random holes in my collection. The final card in the scan is just the second Red Sox card to come out of the Throwback Thursday series, this one a 1959 Topps All Star design of All Star Game starter Xander Bogaerts.
And finally, we have one more trade featuring a nice rare Dustin Pedroia card, numbered to 88. And then a bunch of All Star Topps Now cards. I was hoping they would cover everyone named to the All Star team, because I have still been looking forward to my first Red Sox card of Steven Wright. I suspect he will show up in Topps Update. He better. It is about time.
Posted by Metallattorney at 11:58 AM 2 comments:
Labels: mailday
Cause for Concern for the Red Sox Future?
Over the last few years, the Red Sox have reaped the benefits of a strong minor league system that was initially developed by Theo Epstein, then strengthened by Ben Cherington. This system has produced Major League All Stars like Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts, and Jackie Bradley Jr. as well as impact players like Blake Swihart, Christian Vazquez, and Matt Barnes. But, over the last year, a number of things have happened that have me concerned about this continuing into the future. Here, I would like to look at those events that have happened and examine their potential impacts.
1. THE KIMBREL TRADE
Last year, Dave Dombrowski became Boston's President of Baseball Operations. Dombrowski has helped build good teams in the past, but has never been shy about giving up prospects. He arrived as advertized and made a big trade in the offseason for Craig Kimbrel to become Boston's closer. The price was heavy though: four prospects, two of whom were among Boston's top 10 and two developing into strong prospects.
Manuel Margot was a top young outfielder that could break through this year. He was blocked in the Majors and Andrew Benintendi was likely to surpass him as a prospect. Javier Guerra was a middle infielder with power. Carlos Asuaje was a similar player. Logan Allen was a pitching prospect that had just been drafted in 2015. The prevailing opinion is that Boston overpaid for Kimbrel. None of the prospects are devastating losses, but Boston should have been able to make the trade without giving up all four of them. They did not give up any of their top four prospects, but they just gave up too many for what they received.
2. 2016 DRAFT
On one hand, this year's draft was a success. It is not often that a team that does not get to pick until #12 is able to pick up a talent like Jason Groome. Groome was once considered a possibility to go first overall in the draft but dropped due to signability concerns and some other issues. However, due to the top-heavy draft class for Boston, most of their other draftees were uninspiring or risky. They were not able to sign many of their lottery picks and only signed one player after Round 10 for more than $100,000.00. There is likely only one impact player drafted by Boston this year, though that one could be very good.
3. INTERNATIONAL SIGNING PENALTY
Boston was singled out for some violations of international free agent signing rules earlier this year. It was determined that in order for Boston to get around signing restrictions, they made package deals between prospects. Lesser-rated prospects would sign for the maximum allotted, but part of their bonus would go to higher-rated prospects. It is important to note that Boston is not the only team to have engaged in these tactics, but they were perhaps a little more blatant about it. MLB investigated and then handed down a penalty. Five player contracts were voided and Boston was banned for signing anyone in the 2016-2017 international signing period. The timing was planned and the penalty came down the day before the signing period began. Meaning Boston had no time to appeal the ruling or fight the penalty and still be able to be active in the signing period. The players Boston lost were Albert Guimaro, Simon Muzziotti, Antonio Pineiro, Eduardo Torrealba, and Cesar Gonzalez. The first two were highly-rated prospects. So in addition to losing two top international signings, the team is not able to sign any international free agents for a year.
4. MINOR TRADES
Boston made a couple of trades to improve their depth within the last couple of weeks. The first was to send Aaron Wilkerson and Wendell Rijo to Milwaukee for Aaron Hill. The second brought Brad Ziegler from Arizona for Jorge Almonte and Luis Alejandro Basabe. Wilkerson looked to be ready to be called to the Majors to join the starting rotation. Basabe has emerged as a quality prospect over the last few months. Rijo had been a decent prospect in the past. Almonte was Boston's top international free agent in the 2012-2013 signing period. None of these losses were devastating either, in fact, none of the players were even as painful as the players lost in the Kimbrel trade, but yet again, four mid-range prospects were removed from the system.
5. THE POMERANZ TRADE
This is probably the best devastating individual event and occurred just recently. Boston sent top pitching prospect Anderson Espinoza to the Padres for Drew Pomeranz. Pomeranz is having a decent season and is under team control through the 2018 season. But in order to pick him up, Boston gave up their top pitching prospect since Jon Lester. Sure he is just 18 years old, but Boston's biggest problem has been the inability to develop good pitching. That problem just continues to be an issue when the team moves its best pitching prospect.
None of these events individually create problems, but combined together and added to the fact that Andrew Benintendi and Yoan Moncada are knocking on the Major League door means that Boston may be suffering organizationally in a few years with a lack of prospects. There are still good prospects in the system now that won't be quite ready in a couple of years: Jason Groome, Michael Kopech, Josh Ockimey, and Roniel Raudes come to mind. I am just concerned how the last year's events may cause the organization to suffer somewhat.
Posted by Metallattorney at 5:40 PM 1 comment:
Labels: prospects
The Red Sox Solo All Stars
Growing up in the early 1990's, the Boston Red Sox were not real great, so the All Star Game was one of my favorite events of the season. It was a chance to see some of my favorite players on a national stage. I am not as thrilled by the All Star Game as I used to be, but I still enjoy watching it.
One of the rules that I always thought was interesting was the rule that said every team had to be represented. I am not sure if all All Star Games have that rule, but it has always been an aspect that I have enjoyed. I think it is important so that all fans have someone they can watch. But it has lead to some bizarre choices at times. Players like Mark Redman, Derrick Turnbow, Mike Williams, and others have been their teams only representatives and were odd, to say the least. But not all sole representatives have been that regrettable. Some have been superstars that have been an All Star many times. Some have been players having great seasons for bad teams.
I thought it would be interesting to look at the Red Sox players who have been the only All Star for the team that game (some years there were two All Star Games). I have created four categories for the solo All Star: Superstars who have been frequent All Stars, fan favorites, players having one fantastic season, and players who did not deserve to be All Stars.
These are players who were terrific players and it is not embarrassing at all for them to be the sole Red Sox representative.
David Ortiz (2012)
2012 was a bad year for the Red Sox, as most seasons in which Boston had only one All Star were. But 2012 was especially bad. A number of high profile players were not producing, but Ortiz was. Ortiz of course was one of the best hitters in the game and has been an All Star ten times. He was on the verge of a terrific season, unfortunately he went down with an injury quickly in the second half.
Manny Ramirez (2001)
Manny came over to the Red Sox as a very high profile free agent prior to the 2001 season. He had been an All Star with Cleveland four times already. He would go to eight All Star Games with the Red Sox. He was really their only choice as Nomar Garciaparra and Pedro Martinez both went down with injuries for most of the year and Jason Varitek broke his elbow the month before, or he might have gone.
Nomar Garciaparra (1997)
It was Nomar's rookie season, but what a rookie season it was. Nomar had one of the greatest rookie seasons of all time, leading the league in hits and triples while hitting over .300, blasting 30 home runs, and stealing 22 bases. And all of this from the leadoff spot. It may have been his rookie year, but it was clear Nomar was a star. He would picked for five All Star games with the Red Sox, and one with the Dodgers. Mo Vaughn was injured for a big chunk of the 1997 season and Nomar was the only real choice.
Mo Vaughn (1996)
It is mostly forgotten now, but Mo Vaughn was a huge star at the time. He was coming off of an MVP season in 1995, and he was possibly even better in 1996, hitting more than 40 home runs for the first time and hitting well over .300. Vaughn was an All Star three times for Boston, but may have gone to more had first base not been such a loaded position in the American League at the time.
These are players that are good, occasionally great, but always favorites of the fans. These players are also not embarrassing.
Dwight Evans (1981)
I believe Evans belongs in the Hall of Fame. Even so, Evans was not really a superstar, particularly at this point in time, and he was only an All Star three times. The big Red Sox stars were Carl Yastrzemski and Jim Rice. Evans was en route to tying for the league lead in home runs and walks. He was always a good player and was known to hit 20 home runs and win the Gold Glove. Evans was Boston's best choice that season, but Carney Lansford should have gone, as he was on his way to winning the batting title.
Pete Runnels (1962)
Runnels won the batting title in 1960 and was on his way to winning it in 1962 as well. He was Boston's sole representative in the second All Star Game of the 1962 season. The early 1960's were bleak times for Boston. Ted Williams had already retired and Carl Yastrzemski had not fully developed into a star at the time. There were not really any better options that season. Runnels would be an All Star three times as well for Boston.
Bill Monbouquette (1962)
The first All Star game in 1962 did not go much better for Boston as only Monbo was picked. Monbouquette top starting pitcher in the early 1960's and went to three games for the Red Sox himself. 1962 was not his best year, but he did end up winning 15 games with a 3.33 ERA and pitched a no hitter. He also lost 13 but that can be more attributed to how bad the team was, rather than an indictment of Monbouquette.
Rick Ferrell (1933-1934)
Yes, Ferrell is in the Hall of Fame, but I will still not go so far as to suggest that he was a superstar player. Ferrell had been one of the first major acquisitions by Tom Yawkey after taking over the team. He was picked up during the season from the Browns and was Boston's first All Star, and their only representative in the first two games. Boston had been very bad for a long time and had no other real choices in 1933. Billy Werber or brother Wes Ferrell could have joined him in 1934 though. Ferrell was an All Star four times with the Red Sox and twice with the Senators.
ONE-YEAR WONDER
These players had a terrific season one time, but never again. Again, this is not an embarrassment.
Don Schwall (1961)
Schwall was the Rookie of the Year in 1961 and was the team's only All Star in the second game of the year. Schwall would win 15 games that season and have an ERA of 3.22. Again the early 1960's were kind of a black hole for Boston. Runnels could have been an All Star again, but there were not really any other choices to join Schwall.
These players were only named All Stars because the team needed a representative and the way the roster was constructed led to these players. It is kind of hard to be excited for these players being your team's All Star.
Brock Holt (2015)
It was some creative thinking that led to Brock Holt being Boston's only All Star in 2015. Holt is a decent enough player, and I really like him, but he is at his best when he is a utility player. He is a contact hitter that can play a number of positions. And that is why he was selected. Ned Yost, manager of the All Star Game, had to pick a Red Sox player and picked Holt for his versatility. He ended up playing in the outfield in the game. David Ortiz would have been a more reasonable selection.
Scott Cooper (1993-1994)
I have said before that Scott Cooper is one of the worst players to be named to the All Star Game multiple times. Cooper was picked by Cito Gaston to be Boston's sole representative in both seasons and it had more to do with a lack of third base options than anything. In both seasons Mo Vaughn would have been a better selection. Boston also had decent seasons from Danny Darwin and John Valentin in those years. Cooper was no more than an average hitter, hitting around .280 both seasons. His power picked up a little in 1994 as he hit 13 home runs that season, as opposed to 9 in 1993.
Mike Fornieles (1961)
And finally we have yet another solo All Star from one of two games in the early 1960's. Mike Fornieles had a terrific season as a reliever in 1960, but he was not nearly as good in 1961. He saved 15 games but had a record of 9-8 and an ERA that ballooned more than two full runs from what it was the previous season. Relievers frequently appear as the solo All Star for teams. This was the only year that that happened to Boston.
Posted by Metallattorney at 8:00 AM No comments:
Labels: all star, questionable all stars
Just a one-card mailday today and it is this jersey relic of Hanley Ramirez. Ramirez has been terrific defensively at first base, but he has not been the offensive force that Boston hoped they were getting when they signed him to a large contract prior to the 2015 season. Every once in awhile he shows flashes of getting it back. Hopefully he does in the second half, Boston could use his bat.
Posted by Metallattorney at 10:46 PM No comments:
Red Sox with No Cards: 1999
1999 saw a handful of players not receive cards. Only a couple of these players spent a significant amount of time with the Red Sox, but some of them were once well-known players.
KIRK BULLINGER
Despite being drafted in 1992, Bullinger did not make his Major League debut until 1998. That debut occurred with the Expos who acquired him in a trade back in 1995 for Ken Hill. Bullinger returned to the Majors with the Red Sox in 1999 but only appeared in four games in relief. He had a 4.50 ERA and did not strike anyone out. Bullinger would bounce around a bit for a few more years. The only year he came close to being a regular was in 2004 with the Astros. Bullinger does have some minor league cards with the Red Sox.
BRYCE FLORIE
Acquired at the trading deadline in 1999 from the Tigers for Mike Maroth, Florie was expected to help stabilize the bullpen. Florie had bounced around from team to team over the previous several seasons and was a serviceable reliever. He pitched in 14 games down the stretch for the Red Sox, starting two games and relieving in the others. He finished the season 2-0 with a 4.80 ERA over 30 innings. The Red Sox would hold onto Florie into 2001. In 2000, he suffered a career-threatening injury when he was struck in the face by a line drive. Despite spending parts of three seasons with the Red Sox, Florie has no cards with Boston, or even with any minor league affiliates.
CHAD FONVILLE
Fonville was a speedy middle infielder who never really seemed to be able to put everything together and stick in the Major Leagues. His best season was his rookie season in 1995 which he split between the Expos and Dodgers and stole 20 bases. He was given a chance to start the next season, but disappointed and never played in more than a handful of games the rest of his career. He surfaced in Boston in 1999 and played in three games. He walked twice but did not register a hit in four plate appearances, though he did steal a base. It was his last taste of the Major Leagues. Fonville does have some minor league cards with the Red Sox.
KIP GROSS
Kip Gross is a Nebraska native and fellow former Cornhusker. Unfortunately, he also has no cards with the Red Sox. Gross came up with the Reds in the early 1990's and was a decent relief pitcher for them in 1991. He was traded to the Dodgers the next season in the deal that also sent longtime Reds star Eric Davis to Los Angeles. He was a little disappointing there and was purchased by the Nippon Ham Fighters of the Japanese league during the 1994 season. He returned to the U.S. after signing a contract with Boston in 1999. Gross appeared in 11 games, going 0-2 with a 7.82 ERA. He pitched for the Astros in 2000 and never again appeared in the Major Leagues.
MARK GUTHRIE
Winning the award for most appearances with the Red Sox without appearing on a piece of cardboard with them in 1999 is this longtime Twins and Dodgers reliever. Guthrie signed with the Red Sox as a free agent prior to the season and appeared in 46 games with the Red Sox, picking up two saves and a 1-1 record. His ERA was a rather unsightly 5.83. Guthrie was sent to the Cubs at the August trading deadline along with prospect Cole Liniak in exchange for Rod Beck. Guthrie pitched a few more years for a number of other teams.
JON NUNNALLY
Once a top prospect with the Royals, Nunnally never quite reached his potential and ended up being a journeyman outfielder. He had a good rookie season, hitting 14 home runs for Kansas City in 1995. After a couple of disappointing seasons, he was traded to the Reds, for whom he flourished in 1997, but again disappointed in 1998. He was traded to the Red Sox prior to the 1999 season for minor leaguer Pat Flury. He played in just ten games for the Red Sox, hitting .286 with a double and an RBI. After the season, he was traded to the Mets for Jermaine Allensworth, who never appeared in a Major League game with the Red Sox. Nunnally does have a couple of minor league cards for Red Sox affiliates.
MARINO SANTANA
Santana is the most obscure player from this post. His Major League career spanned two seasons and just ten games. He first appeared in seven games for the Tigers at the age of 26 in 1998, but had an impressive 3.68 ERA. Boston picked him up prior to the 1999 season and he spent most of the year in the minors. He pitched in three games for the Red Sox in July but had an alarming 15.75 ERA. He did strike out four in four innings. He was out of baseball after 1999. He does have minor league cards with the Red Sox.
LENNY WEBSTER
Once a highly-regarded catching prospect for the Twins, Webster only once played in more than 100 games. Webster bounced around a lot, playing for the Twins, Expos (three times), Phillies, Orioles, and Red Sox. He had his biggest success in 1998 with the Orioles, hitting .285 with 10 home runs in 108 games. He started the 1999 season with the Orioles, but was released in July and picked up by the Red Sox. He played in just six games for Boston and never registered a hit in 17 plate appearances. He returned to the Expos for the third time after the season.
BOB WOLCOTT
Bob Wolcott was another formerly highly-touted prospect. Wolcott was 21 when he made his Major League debut with the Mariners. Unfortunately he never had an ERA below 4 and the Mariners eventually gave up on him. He was still young, just 25, when he appeared for the Red Sox but was with his third Major League team. He appeared in just four games with the Red Sox, with an 8.10 ERA and more walks than strikeouts. That was it for his Major League career. Wolcott does have one minor league card with Boston.
Most of the players appearing in this post are somewhat understandable. Mark Guthrie really should have appeared at some point, and Bryce Florie should have been able to appear once over the course of the three seasons he played for Boston. But the player I most wanted to appear on a card with the Red Sox is Kip Gross. Gross was one of just three former Nebraska Cornhuskers to play for Boston, and only one of them (Adam Stern) ever appeared on cardboard with Boston. Gross was also from Nebraska. It is disappointing to not be able to get Red Sox cards of a player from my home state.
Labels: no cards
One-Year Wonder Pt. 28: Jamie Moyer
Every once in awhile, the Red Sox pick up a veteran player for a year, or just the stretch run that was a star at one point that I become fascinated with. It's a player that is basically only a role player at that point in their career, but may show flashes of their old brilliance. It's so unusual to see them as a member of the Red Sox, that I try to find as many of their cards as possible. This series will be about some of those players.
Jamie Moyer had a career that spanned 25 seasons, an incredibly long time. He made his Major League debut in 1986 at the age of 23 with the Chicago Cubs. He appeared for the final time in 2012 with the Rockies at the age of 49. Very few pitchers were ever able to pitch to that age. In between, he spent time with the Rangers, Cardinals, Orioles, Red Sox, Mariners, and Phillies. He enjoyed his most success with the Mariners. It is often forgotten that he had spent some time with the Red Sox, mostly because it was so brief.
Moyer was signed as a free agent by the Red Sox from the Orioles prior to the 1996 season in order to help stabilize the rotation. Moyer was a crafty left-hander and was capable of starting and pitching out of the bullpen, and he did perform both roles well with Boston in his short time. He pitched in 23 games for the Red Sox, starting ten and relieving 13. He had a terrific record of 7-1 with a 4.50 ERA in 90 innings en route to leading the league in winning percentage that season. Unfortunately the Red Sox were not doing much by the time the trading deadline came around that season and Moyer was in high demand. Boston ended up shipping him to Seattle in exchange for young outfielder Darren Bragg. That ended up being a regrettable trade as Moyer was a very good pitcher for several years for the Mariners, while Bragg was merely a serviceable outfielder. Meanwhile Boston continued to have a dearth of pitching for several seasons.
Jamie Moyer was a memorable player due to the extreme length of his career. He had a very brief tenure with the Red Sox, but it was a successful one.
Posted by Metallattorney at 9:55 PM No comments:
Labels: moyer, one year wonder
Topps Now: June 23, 2016
I have been pretty busy lately, hence the lack of regular posting. Here is the latest Topps Now card to grace my mailbox. Xander Bogaerts hit a walk-off single in the 10th inning against the White Sox. Of course it was the only game in a four game set that Boston won. Xander is no longer leading the league in hits and batting average, but he is still having a very good season and was recently voted to start at shortstop in the All Star game. He is joining five of his teammates.
Posted by Metallattorney at 10:33 PM 1 comment:
Topps Now: June 17 and June 19, 2016
Things have been looking grim for Boston of late. They have been losing a lot, mostly due to problems with their starting rotation, though their offense has not been as impressive lately. The draft went well for the Red Sox, in particular getting Jason Groome at #12, but to this date they have yet to officially sign him. Then yesterday came the news that they violated the rules of the international free agency and had five contracts voided and were banned from signing anyone this year. Tough month.
Thankfully, a couple of Topps Now cards came in to remind me of good things. Up first is the June 17 card celebrating David Ortiz's 521st home run, which tied him with three legendary Hall of Famers: Frank Thomas, Willie McCovey, and Boston's own Ted Williams.
Then came the Father's Day card. Teams wore special uniforms to celebrate the day. I may have to find a Red Sox cap because I love the ice blue coloring. Mookie Betts appears on this card for the Red Sox after hitting a go-ahead home run in the 7th inning. Kenta Maeda of the Dodgers and Carlos Santana of the Indians also appeared.
Hopefully Boston will turn things around.
Posted by Metallattorney at 9:48 AM 1 comment:
Top 10 Wanted Red Sox Cards
1. 2013 Topps Archives 1989 All Stars Retail #WM Will Middlebrooks
2. 2013 Topps Turkey Red #52 Dustin Pedroia
3. 1966 Topps #558 Guido Grilli/Pete Magrini/George Scott RC
4. 2014 Topps Opening Day #19 Koji Uehara SP VAR
5. 1934 Goudey #75 Bill Werber
6. 2016 Topps Archives All Star Signature Edition Tom Gordon (any Red Sox)
7. 1972 Topps Doug Griffin IA #704
8. 1962 Topps Dick Radatz/McDowell/Taylor/Nischwitz/Quirk RC #591
9. 1965 Topps Rico Petrocelli/Jerry Stephenson RC #74
10. 2019 Topps Archives Retired Signature Lee Smith (any Red Sox card)
Red Sox Collection
My Wantlist
Statistics on My Red Sox Collection
Jason Varitek Have List (978 cards)
Tzu-Wei Lin Havelist (114 cards)
Collecting Sandy Alomar Jr.
Again? - Yep. This one was added because I tried to get the same one in years past. I absolutely love this action shot. And seeing Alomar's signature right at t...
Metallattorney
Disclaimer All opinions expressed herein are solely my own, and do not reflect the opinions of my current or former employers, or any other person or entity with which I am or have been affiliated. I am a small-town attorney with a passion for heavy metal music and baseball. This blog will be about those things and whatever the hell else I feel like. Nothing in this blog is intended as legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. All legal discussions are strictly informative, not advisory, and accuracy of the information is not subject to any warranty, express or implied. If you choose to rely on such information, you do so completely at your own risk. If you believe you may have a legal issue, an attorney licensed in your jurisdiction can provide legal advice which will take into account your own unique circumstances and the applicable law.
Kyndra Nakmoto Visits Section 36!
Sportscards From The Dollar Store
Mailbag: Night Owl
Tim Wallach
Chad Wallach 2021 Topps #593
A Pack To Be Named Later
2021 Panini Mosaic
The Junior Junkie: the Baseball Cards of Ken Griffey, Jr. and Beyond
The Big Shor(e)t: The Griffeys of Project 2020
Waiting 'til Next Year
Game Plan for 2022 and the Joy of a Completed Set
Swing And A Pop-Up
It's Not Always About The Hits V
"O" No!!! Another Orioles Blog
A-Z Music Challenge
Shoebox Legends
Weekly Round-Up - A New Endeavor & a Legend Takes a Break
Nolan's Dugout
Still here and still working through the world of collecting
Thoughts and Sox
Another White Whale
2 by 3 Heroes
Recent pickups
My Cardboard Habit
Can We Talk About the Price of Bowman Draft?
Thorzul Will Rule
Pull the Trigger 20.20 ($30)
all the way to the backstop...
Favorite Card(s) of 2018
Fantastic Catch
Shutting Her Down, BUT WAIT!
Pursuit of Red Sox
2017 Sainbury's Create the World Lego cards
Pursuit of Jacoby
Collecting Jacoby Ellsbury 2016 - Red Sox
The Cardboard Examiner
CARDBOARD PIZZA
Hot Corner Cards
Night Owl Strikes Back
Baseball Dad's ALL TRIBE BASEBALL
Come on Guys and Gals ! You Really Disappointed me !
Ride of the Ancient Mariner
#28 Vada Pinson, Hitting Coach
Emerald City Diamond Gems
I'm here, but not completely
Chipp 'n' Dale
Blog Update. Final Post?
The Pack Prodigy
Project Phillies
Cards from the Dark Side...and Nebraska
I Don't Know...3rd Base!
Happy Memorial Day and a Little Gypsy Queen!
Sports Card Blogroll
1932 1981 1991 topps team set 2011 2017 30 day challenge aardsma aceves adams agbayani aguilera alcs alexander alicea all star all time one year wonder all-underrated allenson alvarez andersen andrews aparicio aponte appleton arbitration armas arrojo arroyo atchison avery aviles awards baerga bagwell. hall of fame bailey baldelli bard barrett barrow baseball cards bay baylor beato beck beckett bedard belinda bellhorn beltre benjamin bermudez berry berryhill betts bichette bishop blog trade blosser boddicker boerner boggs bolton book review boudreau boxscore boyd bradley bragg brandenburg brasier brentz breslow britton brown brumley brunansky buchholz buckner buford bullpen burgmeier burkett burks busts byrd cabrera calderon cameron campbell canseco carp carrasco carrigan casey cash castillo catchers cepeda cerone chamberlain chance checo cherington chesbro cho ciriaco clark clayton clear clemens cole coleman collins colon cone conley connolly contest cooper cooperstown cora cordero corsi crawford crisp cronin cummings cuyler damon darwin daubach dawson de jesus de la rosa de la torre deer delcarmen delgado dempster diamond king roundup diaz dimaggio dinardo dlugach doerr donnelly donohue dopson doubront draft drew dropo duffy durham eckersley eckstein ellsbury embarassing embree esasky eshelman evans everett failed prospects fantasy team feature ferrell ferriss fisk fletcher florie floyd forgotten stars fornieles fossas fossum foulke fox foxx freeman frohwirth frye futures game gaetti gagne gallagher game summary garces garciaparra gardner gathright gedman giambi gilkey gomes gonzalez goodman gordon graffanino gray green greenwell group break grove hall hall of fame hammond hancock hanigan hanrahan hansack hansen hanson harper harris haselman hatcher hatteberg henderson henry hermida hesketh hill hillenbrand hof plaque hoffman holt hooper hot stove houk howard howry hoyt hughson hurst huskey iglesias impossible dream irvine jackson jarvis jefferson jenkins jenks jensen johnson jolley kell kelly kiecker kim kinder kinsler kline kotchman kottaras lackey lacy lamp lansford lansing lavarnway lee lemke leon leonard lester lewis leyritz lickert lillibridge lin linares litton living set lomasney lonborg loney lopez loretta lowe lowell lowrie loyalty and longevity lugo lynn lyon lyons macfarlane mack mahay mailday malave malzone manush marichal marshall martinez marzano masterson matsuzaka mays mccarthy mccarty mcdonald mcgee mckeel mcneely melvin mendoza merloni middlebrooks mientkiewicz miley millar miller mirabelli mitchell montgomery morales morgan mortensen moses mota moyer mueller murphy mvp nabholz naehring napoli nava nebraska nelson news and notes nichols nixon no cards nomo o'leary obsession oddball oddballs offerman ohka ojeda okajima olerud oliver one card wonder one game wonder one year wonder ortiz overbay pack breaks pack pulls padilla papelbon parnell parraz peavy pedroia peguero pemberton pena pennock penny perez pesky petrocelli pichardo pickering piersall plantier plawecki podsednik portugal postseason pozo pratt price pride project 70 prospects punto questionable all stars quinn quintana r.i.p. radatz ramirez random awesome photo random buys rangers rapp reardon red sox in cooperstown reed reese remy renfroe renteria rice richardson riles ripley riske rivera roberts rodriguez romine rose ross roster rowland royer ruffing russell ruth ryan saberhagen sadler saito saltalamacchia sandoval sands sandy alomar jr. saying goodbye schang schilling schoeneweis schrecongost scott scutaro seanez searching for bosox season in review seaver sele shaw shoppach shore showing off silver slugger sizemore slightly more than one year slocumb smith smoltz snow snyder song speaker spears spotlight sprague stahl stairs stanley starting lineup stats stephens stern stewart super collector suppan sutton tavarez tazawa team of the decade thank you thornton tiant timlin tinsley tomberlin top 10 wanted topps now torrez tradebait trades transactions trlicek tudor turn back the clock uehara underrated player of the year underrated season unknown heroes unknown heroes before my time upcoming releases urbina valdez valencia valentin valle van buren varitek vaughn vazquez veras victorino vintage red sox viola wagner wakefield walker watson webster wedge week in review wells werber westmoreland whiten williams wilson wood workman world series wright wyatt yankees yastrzemski year in review youkilis young ziegler zink zupcic


Synapse's Public Relations team placed Palmer for the show, which is sure to attract nationwide attention just three days before Easter. Synapse not only approached the show with the RM Palmer story to gain interest, but also worked with Rachael Ray's media relations team on concept development, product samples and publicity. The Rachael Ray Show is one of the highest rated daytime TV shows, averaging roughly 2 million viewers per episode.
"This is proof positive that smart, gutsy PR work offers a tremendous return on investment. I couldn't be happier for the Palmer team," says Bobby Deraco, CEO of Synapse.
Want BIG exposure for your brand? Start a Conversation with Synapse today!