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text:
package org.apereo.cas.adaptors.redis.services;

import org.apereo.cas.services.AbstractServiceRegistry;
import org.apereo.cas.services.RegisteredService;
import org.apereo.cas.services.ServiceRegistryListener;
import org.apereo.cas.support.events.service.CasRegisteredServiceDeletedEvent;
import org.apereo.cas.support.events.service.CasRegisteredServiceLoadedEvent;
import org.apereo.cas.support.events.service.CasRegisteredServiceSavedEvent;
import org.apereo.cas.util.LoggingUtils;

import lombok.ToString;
import lombok.extern.slf4j.Slf4j;
import lombok.val;
import org.springframework.context.ConfigurableApplicationContext;
import org.springframework.data.redis.core.RedisTemplate;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Collection;
import java.util.Objects;
import java.util.Set;
import java.util.stream.Collectors;

/**
 * Implementation of the service registry interface which stores the services in a redis instance.
 *
 * @author Misagh Moayyed
 * @since 5.2.0
 */
@Slf4j
@ToString
public class RedisServiceRegistry extends AbstractServiceRegistry {

    private static final String CAS_SERVICE_PREFIX = RegisteredService.class.getSimpleName() + ':';

    private final RedisTemplate<String, RegisteredService> template;

    public RedisServiceRegistry(final ConfigurableApplicationContext applicationContext,
                                final RedisTemplate<String, RegisteredService> template,
                                final Collection<ServiceRegistryListener> serviceRegistryListeners) {
        super(applicationContext, serviceRegistryListeners);
        this.template = template;
    }

    @Override
    public RegisteredService save(final RegisteredService rs) {
        try {
            LOGGER.trace("Saving registered service [{}]", rs);
            val redisKey = getRegisteredServiceRedisKey(rs);
            invokeServiceRegistryListenerPreSave(rs);
            this.template.boundValueOps(redisKey).set(rs);
            LOGGER.trace("Saved registered service [{}]", rs);
            publishEvent(new CasRegisteredServiceSavedEvent(this, rs));
        } catch (final Exception e) {
            LoggingUtils.error(LOGGER, e);
        }
        return rs;
    }

    @Override
    public boolean delete(final RegisteredService registeredService) {
        try {
            LOGGER.trace("Deleting registered service [{}]", registeredService);
            val redisKey = getRegisteredServiceRedisKey(registeredService);
            this.template.delete(redisKey);
            LOGGER.trace("Deleted registered service [{}]", registeredService);
            publishEvent(new CasRegisteredServiceDeletedEvent(this, registeredService));
            return true;
        } catch (final Exception e) {
            LoggingUtils.error(LOGGER, e);
        }
        return false;
    }

    @Override
    public long size() {
        try {
            return getRegisteredServiceKeys().size();
        } catch (final Exception e) {
            LoggingUtils.error(LOGGER, e);
        }
        return 0;
    }

    @Override
    public Collection<RegisteredService> load() {
        try {
            val list = getRegisteredServiceKeys()
                .stream()
                .map(redisKey -> this.template.boundValueOps(redisKey).get())
                .filter(Objects::nonNull)
                .map(this::invokeServiceRegistryListenerPostLoad)
                .filter(Objects::nonNull)
                .collect(Collectors.toList());
            LOGGER.trace("Loaded registered services [{}]", list);
            list.forEach(s -> publishEvent(new CasRegisteredServiceLoadedEvent(this, s)));
            return list;
        } catch (final Exception e) {
            LoggingUtils.error(LOGGER, e);
        }
        return new ArrayList<>(0);
    }

    @Override
    public RegisteredService findServiceById(final long id) {
        try {
            val redisKey = getRegisteredServiceRedisKey(id);
            val ops = this.template.boundValueOps(redisKey);
            LOGGER.trace("Locating service by identifier [{}] using key [{}]", id, redisKey);
            return ops.get();
        } catch (final Exception e) {
            LoggingUtils.error(LOGGER, e);
        }
        LOGGER.trace("Registered service by identifier [{}] cannot be found", id);
        return null;
    }

    private static String getRegisteredServiceRedisKey(final RegisteredService registeredService) {
        return getRegisteredServiceRedisKey(registeredService.getId());
    }

    private static String getRegisteredServiceRedisKey(final long id) {
        return CAS_SERVICE_PREFIX + id;
    }

    private static String getPatternRegisteredServiceRedisKey() {
        return CAS_SERVICE_PREFIX + '*';
    }

    private Set<String> getRegisteredServiceKeys() {
        return this.template.keys(getPatternRegisteredServiceRedisKey());
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Children at Radley Primary have access to a range of sports activities, as well as 2 hours of quality PE teaching per week.
After school clubs start from Year 1 and can be seen on the Clubs page.
Pupils may take part in various cluster school or county sports tournaments throughout the year including Cross Country, Hockey, Athletics, Netball, Tennis, and Football. Reports from recent sports tournaments can be found under Class News.
Cherwell (Year 2 only), Isis (Year 3/4) and Thames (Year 5/6) take it in turns to have swimming lessons at the Radley College swimming pool on a Monday afternoon. Each group gets ten weeks of swimming lessons per year. For the 2016/2017 academic year, due to the temporary closure of the swimming pool in April 2017, each group will get eight weeks of swimming lessons.
All children take part in the annual Celebration Day races to support their house, and the FSU has their own sports day in the summer just before Celebration Day.


Thread: Carbon bar on your rigid SS?
Have you guys used a carbon bar on your single speed? Were you afraid of it cracking.
All I've ever run on my SS's has been Carbon. Both of the SS's bikes have had Easton Monekeylite Risers.....why would you assume they'd break? I have a hard time believing I could create enough leverage with the side to side motion on the SS. Of course if you cash......all bets are off.
I've run a carbon flat bar on one of my SS's for about 2 years now, no breaks, more than several good falls, and probably the best "feel" of any of my bikes. I too was cautious about using carbon fiber, but am now sold on it. Just need more money to swap out the rest.
Sweet! I'm probably going to get the Easton Monkeylite SL.
Do you think it's to light?
Or should I just go with the XC?
I know I'm counting grams.
What kind of grips do you have? Are they Ourys? I'm assuming lock on grips are okay on carbon bars.
I am running carbon bars on both my trek hardtail, and also turner, and I love carbon for the looks, weight, and also the dampening qualities. I plain on getting a carbon bar for my ss eventually. Also to metion, I have had some pretty spectacular crashes on both those bikes and the bars were fine.
running low rise Monkeylites on my rigid Niner ss with no issues. I have been running Monkeylites on all of my rides for the past six years. One set was on my Turner and ridden hard for four years without a single problem.
i ran easton carbon bars on my rigid surly for over a year with no issures. i now have easton flat bars on my rigid 29'er and again, not any problems.
i had carbon bars on 3 different bikes, 2 mtb's and 1 road at one time. the carbon bars on the mtb's, over a couple years, had many abrupt meetings with trees and the ground and the bars kept on shining.
the carbon bars on the road machine have hit the earth only 2 times, but very hard, over about 5 thousand miles and again, no issues.
i HAD a pair of carbon bars on my SS, until they broke. i walked away, but it could have been really, really ugly.
the scary thing about carbon is that when it fails, it fails suddenly and catastophically. metal bends, rather than leaving you on the ground holding the left side of you handlebars with no bike attached.
Yeah, if carbon bars break, it will be instant. Then again, I snapped some aluminum bars. That was pretty instant. Mine could also have been ugly but wasn't, thankfully. Just think of it this way: any part on your bike, including a carbon bar, could fail catastrophically at any moment, but the bar isn't any more likely to fail then anything else.
I just swapped the fork on my Salsa for a rigid Cro-moto fork, so now I am running a carbon bar on a rigid Singlespeed. I liked it. It seemed to provide a little extra damping.
But it was probably just my imagination.
I used to be a little more weight conscious, so I've been using carbon bars for about 6 years, and haven't had a problem.
I'm completely sold on Eastons DH carbon Monkey bar. Super solid, and great width for SS use at 28". It's pretty pricey though and offers zero compliance. I'm not sure about xc weight carbon bars on a rigid though. I've done it but it always worried me. As for xc aluminum bars, I found they flexed a lot which was very noticeable on a rigid. It did offer some compliance but almost to the point of where I thought I'd rip it in two on tough climbs.
I put carbon bars on my ss full rigid and could never get over the fear of them breaking. I could feel them flexing all the time. I went back to aluminum and now I can't get over the pain in my elbows. So it is back to the carbon bars for me. They are downhill carbon bars with the large diameter clamp area. It is worth the risk for me. Hopefully I will still be saying that a year from now.


Between Beduoin desert weddings in Arab Africa and avoiding arrest in China (solo travellers were considered suspect), her multicultural immersion was always motivated by a desire to understand herself and the human condition. It was only on her return to South Africa that she had an epiphany of her life's true calling. Ever since, she has contributed to more than 67 publications, including vegetarian restaurant reviews for Top of the Times (CapeTimes) and Longevity magazine. Spare moments are spent dreaming of making her own film, thinking up ways to implement her rose-tinted visions for a happier humanity and chilling to the sounds of local jazz.


Chia seeds are everywhere these days! Known for their abundance of Omega-3 fatty acids, these tiny seeds can improve your heart health and cholesterol levels, and can be helpful in losing weight. The gel that is formed around the seed with the help of water has no calories and makes you feel more full. Chia seeds are abundant in antioxidants, as well as complete protein. Here are 6 fabulous and fascinating ways to use this superfood.
Chewy, hearty, and dense—this Super-Power Chia Bread isn't your average slice of bread! Gluten-free, nut-free, oil-free, soy-free, and sugar-free option, this recipe is by Angela Liddon.
This Chia Breakfast Bowl by Christina Cavanaugh is just as easy as to make as pouring a bowl of cereal, more nutritious and tastes even better!
Green smoothies are all the rage, and are that much better with the addition of chia seeds, as in this Chia Green Super Smoothie by Wayne Coates, PhD.
In these Seed-Crusted Tofu (or Tempeh) Cutlets, slices of plant protein are bathed in a tangy marinade and then coated in a three-seed blend, including sesame, hemp, and of course, chia seeds. Another tasty treat by Chef Beverly Bennett.
Enjoy this super easy 5 minute Awesome Almond Chia Pudding as a salute to super easy healthy recipes made in a blender, by Blender Girl Tess Masters.
These delicious Vegan Chia Banana Muffins by Sharon Nazarian of Big City Vegan get a nutritional boost from the all mighty yet tiny chia seed.
Learn more in Chia Seeds: Frequently Asked Questions.
I recently made some Chia Seed Crackers in my dehydrator! LOVE them!
I'm really looking forward to trying Angela Liddon's chia bread, which is part of this round-up! Thanks for your comments today, Jennifer.
Saw your recipe for chia bread, went into my kitchen, threw it together… it turned out great! I had to sub sesame seeds for the pepitas, and it tastes really yummy! Can't wait to try it toasted with my breakfast tomorrow.
Chia is great and it has numerous health benefits. I mostly consume it with my morning smoothie. Miranda Kerr's smoothie recipe is my favorite one. But of course it can be cooked in many other ways. I'm going to try the Super-Power Chia Bread recipe.
I thought Chia seed had to be eaten raw to get their benefits. What say u on this?


Peterson has, for many years, been a champion of blues in its original form and is an essential part of today's thriving blues scene. With over 30 albums to his name since his debut in 1969, Peterson is one of the genres true living legends. A rare visit to the UK, and Bristol in particular, is highly anticipated and will also feature, as support, many of the South West's blues musicians at this special concert.


text:
Q: Formating the display of a post's date, outside the Loop I'm using this function to be able to retrieve several data, from outside the Loop:
function get_post_data($postId) {
 global $wpdb;
 return $wpdb->get_results("SELECT * FROM $wpdb->posts WHERE ID=$postId");
}

... and then, this to display the date a post was published:
<?php
global $wp_query;
global $thePostID;
$thePostID = $wp_query->post->ID;
$data = get_post_data($thePostID);
echo $data[0]->post_date;
?>

wich displays something like "2010-06-14 22:36:03" in my sidebar, but I'd like to format it like just "June, 2010"
Can it be done?

A: I'm using something like this:
date('F, Y', strtotime($data[0]->post_date));

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Audubon Trace, Townhomes or Condos? Its a great place to live!
The Audubon Trace Condos are located in Old Jefferson between Jefferson Highway and the Mississippi River Levee. They are townhouse condos. Town homes are the particular style of home and condos mean common areas and maintenance are shared. This is not your typical apartment conversion to condos but rather a designed community of attached townhouses with plenty of common grounds. Its a little different lifestyle over your typical condo in Jefferson.
The townhouses are spread out over 15 acres with townhouses spread out in units of 8-10 condos. Almost all are two bedroom townhouse style unit. The townhouse style is where the bedrooms are up or down.type of condos. The larger units do have garages but parking is very easy and plentiful.
What you do not get at Audubon Trace is the normal apartment feel of being on top of your neighborhoods like so many condo complexes in Metairie. You have plenty of room for walking the pets as well as yourself. If you like being out doors Jefferson Playground and tennis courts are right out the back gate. There is a large playground, full size track, and the Mississippi River long a favorite of bicyclers and Rollerblades. There two large pools on the grounds of Audubon Trace Condos for residents.
Prices will be from 175k-200k for the most common floor plans. These will be units from 1250-1400 sq. ft. of living. These will have open parking. The prices will vary depending on the style of the unit, square footage and the amount of updates that have been done. They are almost 25 years old so almost all the units will have varying degrees of updates.
The Audubon Trace Townhouse Condos will have some some sort of private outdoor area for your own plants and outdoor furniture. The condo association is very strong. Its staff of workers do a very nice job of maintaining the exterior of the units and the common areas. The two swimming pools, large amount of trees, shrubs and grass make it its own special neighborhood. That why you have many long time residents!
This entry was posted on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 6:41 pm	and is filed under Jefferson Parish. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


text:
The iPhone doesn't spy on your conversations, Apple tells lawmakers
Chris Smith @chris_writes
August 8th, 2018 at 7:35 AM
Of all the companies you'd suspect might want to listen in on the things you say, or record parts of your conversations with their devices, it's Apple that told lawmakers that iPhones don't do it. Representatives Greg Walden, Marsha Blackburn, Gregg Harper, and Robert Latta cited reports that smartphones could "collect 'non-triggered' audio data from users' conversations near a smartphone in order to hear a 'trigger' phrase, such as 'Okay Google' or 'Hey Siri,'" asked both Apple and Google CEOs to comment on the matter.
Top Amazon Prime Day Deals: The best-selling over-ear Bluetooth headphones on Amazon's entire site are back down to $28
Apple sent a letter in response, seen by Reuters, saying that iPhones do not record audio while listening for Siri commands and Siri doesn't share spoken words. The company added that it requires users to approve microphone access explicitly and apps need to display a clear signal that they are listening.
It's unclear whether Alphabet, the parent company of Google, replied to US lawmakers, but a spokesperson House Energy and Commerce Committee said "both companies have been cooperative thus far. The Committee looks forward to reviewing and analyzing the responses as we consider next steps."
Google, of course, has a smart voice-enabled Assistant available on Android phones, but also Home-branded intelligent speakers. Apple's Siri is also found on the HomePod. But, of the two companies, it's Apple that's more likely to protect the user's privacy, voice interactions included.
What's interesting is that the lawmakers only focused on smartphones, but they should widen their scope to encompass smart speakers. After all, there's one huge elephant in the room that's missing in here. That's Amazon, which doesn't make any smartphones of its own, but whose Alexa assistant is the best-sold voice assistant for home. And we all remember how, only a few months ago, some Echo speaker users discovered their devices recorded a piece of their conversation and then sent that audio file to a contact. All that happened without the explicit consent of the users.
Getting back to Apple's response to Congress, it's interesting to note that Apple said that it removed apps from the App Store over privacy violations, but declined to say whether it ever banned any developers and said that it's up to devs to tell users why the app has been removed.
Furthermore, Apple addressed customer data usage as well, saying that it "does not and cannot monitor what developers do with the customer data they have collected, or prevent the onward transfer of that data, nor do we have the ability to ensure a developer's compliance with their own privacy policies or local law."
Image Source: YouTube
Tags: Apple, iPhone, Siri
Why you should be excited about the Galaxy Note 9 even if you don't plan to buy it

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Target Pip
Entertainment , Celebrity News, Fashion, Celeb Style, Music News
Hairstyles For Girls
Where to Watch Every Are You the One? Season
January 13, 2021 targetpip
If you feel like you've suddenly started hearing a lot of people in your life (and online) talk about Are You the One?, it's probably because you have. Seasons 1 and 2 of the MTV dating show — also known around these parts as the anti-Bachelor — were recently added to Netflix, which is awesome news, because AYTO? is awesome. But did you know that there's more out there than just those two seasons? (There are eight, to be exact!) Seeing as it only gets better as it goes on, the rest of the show is definitely worth your time as well.
While Netflix is only streaming the first two seasons, you can also check out Seasons 1-6 on CBS All Access. MTV is streaming Seasons 4, 6, 7, and 8 directly on its website, all of which you can watch with a cable login. You can also rent or buy the entire series on Amazon or Vudu.
Are You the One? is the special kind of dating show that actually manages to flip the standard format on its head. The show uses a matchmaking process involving psychological tests, surveys, and interviews with contestants' family members and exes to determine the most compatible match for each contestant, but the twist is that it's up to the contestants to figure out their match themselves. If each contestant identifies their match, the group wins and splits $1 million.
While the first seven seasons cast exclusively heterosexual, cisgender people, Season 8 featured an entirely sexually fluid cast, meaning there were no gender limitations for perfect matches. The contestants, whether they identified as trans, non-binary, pansexual, bisexual, gay, lesbian, or queer, successfully shined a spotlight on a community not typically represented on dating shows, and widened the possibilities for potential matches in the process. Even if dating shows aren't typically your thing, this is certainly one worth checking out.
← Bliss Trailer Traps Owen Wilson & Salma Hayek in a Mind-Bending Matrix
Teen Mom Reunion →
Best New Shows and Movies on Netflix This Week: The Lovebirds, Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich
May 21, 2020 targetpip
7 Shows Like Netflix's Sweet Magnolias You Should Watch If You Like Sweet Magnolias
7 Shows Like Vikings That You Should Watch if You Like Vikings
June 12, 2020 targetpip
Selena Gomez's soft, romantic makeup in her "De Una Vez" video was made using Gomez's Rare Beauty line, of course,
I Tried a Bioadaptive Skincare Routine—Here's What That Means
All Your Questions About The COVID-19 Vaccine and Facial Fillers, Answered
Here's How Maya Rudolph deals with Stressful News
Target Pip participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.
Copyright © 2021 Target Pip. All rights reserved.


text:
Yankees Top 30 Prospects
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River Ave. Blues » Zach McAllister
Mailbag: Zach McAllister
December 31, 2014 by Mike 96 Comments
(Jason O. Watson/Getty)
Travis asks: Zach McAllister throws hard and did well in a short stint in relief with Cleveland. If they don't believe in him anymore, could the Yankees take a shot at hoping he is a failed starter who can be a weapon out of the bullpen?
The 27-year-old McAllister was New York's third round pick in their tremendously productive 2006 draft class, though they traded him to the Indians as the player to be named later for Austin Kearns at the 2010 deadline. McAllister has been an up-and-down arm with the Tribe the last four years, pitching to a 4.38 ERA (3.93 FIP) in 363.1 big league innings, almost all as a starter.
McAllister really struggled in the rotation this year, posting a 5.67 ERA (3.80 FIP) with mediocre strikeout (7.40 K/9 and 18.5 K%) and walk (3.21 BB/9 and 8.0 BB%) rates. Cleveland stuck him in the bullpen late in the season and he was much better, pitching to a 2.77 ERA (1.44 FIP) with excellent strikeout (9.69 K/9 and 26.9 K%) and walk (1.38 BB/9 and 3.9 BB%) numbers in 13 innings, so small sample alert. His ground ball rate (42.1% overall) was about the same in both roles.
I don't remember where I saw it, but a few years ago I read an article detailing traits that helped identify middling starters who would be good bullpen candidates. I don't remember all of the traits, but I do remember one of them was effectiveness early in starts — the first time through the order, etc. — before a big drop off later on. Here's how McAllister has done each time through the order and within his first 25 pitches of a start throughout his career (via Baseball Reference):
1st PA in G, as SP 585 42 117 28 3 11 39 127 3.26 .217 .271 .341 .612 .262 62
2nd PA in G, as SP 562 85 148 42 2 10 50 93 1.86 .295 .357 .447 .804 .341 113
3rd PA in G, as SP 374 64 107 26 1 18 30 64 2.13 .316 .374 .558 .932 .344 144
4th+ PA in G, as SP 10 1 4 0 0 1 1 1 1.00 .444 .500 .778 1.278 .429 233
Pitch 1-25 423 28 88 21 3 7 18 93 5.17 .220 .255 .340 .595 .267 57
Pitch 26-50 428 52 98 27 0 7 46 81 1.76 .260 .338 .387 .725 .312 93
Pitch 51-75 389 60 109 26 3 8 33 60 1.82 .314 .371 .476 .847 .354 124
Pitch 76-100 298 52 83 19 0 17 20 54 2.70 .303 .356 .558 .914 .324 138
Pitch 101+ 45 2 11 4 0 1 5 11 2.20 .275 .356 .450 .806 .357 113
Those are some pretty significant splits, no? McAllister has been considerably better the first time through the order and within his first 25 pitches throughout his career. It's a big, big drop off the second time through the lineup and after pitch 25. That suggests he might be best used as a short reliever who doesn't have to turn the lineup over multiple times.
Furthermore, while McAllister does throw four pitches, he is very fastball heavy. He threw 64.5% four-seam fastballs back in 2011, and that has gradually increased to 69.7% in 2012, 73.1% in 2013, and 73.6% in 2014. McAllister's thrown his changeup, cutter, and slider roughly 8-10% of the time each over the years. Unsurprisingly, his velocity ticked up noticeably in relief this past September (via Brooks Baseball):
During his 13 innings in relief, McAllister scrapped his changeup and cutter and became a fastball-slider pitcher. The swing-and-miss rates for his fastball and slider went from ~8% and ~10% as a starter to ~11% and ~27% as a reliever, respectively. That's a really big jump. But, of course, we are talking about only 13 innings, so we have to take it with a grain of salt. The velocity uptick definitely makes sense though, and there's a pretty strong correlation between velocity and whiffs.
McAllister hasn't showed a platoon split in the big leagues — .332 wOBA and 3.96 FIP against lefties, .329 wOBA and 3.90 FIP against righties — so he's not someone who has to be hidden against lefties. (I'm pretty sure one of the traits that suggested a starter would be better off in the bullpen was a big platoon split.) If he were to go straight fastball-slider as a reliever, his platoon split might grow because sliders are typically reserved for same-side hitters. It's not guaranteed to happen, but it could.
The increased effectiveness early in outings, the uptick in velocity, and his performance as a reliever in September (albeit in a small sample) all suggest McAllister would be much better off in the bullpen going forward. It would be better for him — above-average reliever pays better than disposable back-end starter, or at least it pays comparably with more job security — and better for his team as well. Now here's a really fun comparison:
HR/FB%
Wade Davis as a SP
4.57 4.49 16.1 8.5 38.2 9.7
McAllister as a SP 4.44 4.03 18.6 7.8 39.6 9.1
Those two pitchers are really similar! Davis moved into the bullpen and became an absolute monster, basically a Dellin Betances who doesn't give up homers. (Davis allowed zero homers in 2014.) That little table doesn't mean McAllister will turn into an otherworldly reliever because Davis did, I just thought it was interesting. Some guys are just better off in the bullpen like Davis and Betances. McAllister might be one of those guys.
Based on all of this, I really like the idea of the Yankees bringing McAllister back and sticking him in relief. He is out of minor league options but New York does have two open bullpen spots, so there's room on the roster for him. McAllister will be in his final pre-arbitration year in 2015, so he'll be cheap, and he'll remain under team control as an arbitration-eligible player through 2018. Obviously the team knows him too, so there's some familiarity there.
The Indians have plenty of starters — McAllister is eighth on their rotation depth chart — so he might be considered expendable. I'm not quite sure what it would take to acquire him, but Ross Detwiler cost the Rangers two okay prospects a few weeks ago, guys in the 20-30 range on a prospect list. It's not a perfect comparison — Detwiler's a year away from free agency and was a former top prospect (sixth overall in 2007) — but it's what we have. I'm very intrigued by McAllister as a reliever. If all it takes is two 20-30 range prospects to get him, I'd pull the trigger and see what he can do in a one-inning role.
Filed Under: Mailbag Tagged With: Zach McAllister
Mailbag: Traded Prospects
October 12, 2010 by Mike 142 Comments
Here's a special one-question edition of the RAB Mailbag, but don't worry, we'll definitely get to some more throughout the course of the week.
Hey! Since many, many moves were made both prior to the season and during the season concerning movement of prospects, it doesn't seem to have affected the farm system too much. Contrary to this, the farm system as a whole seems to have taken a giant leap forward, especially with the development of our young pitching corps. But I still wonder, how much better (in terms of subjective quality or actual 'ranking') would our farm system be if we still had all the players pre Javy-trade.
The Yankees have made several trades involving prospects over the last twelve months, most notably for Curtis Granderson, Javy Vazquez, Boone Logan, Lance Berkman, and Austin Kearns. As far as we know right now, the Kerry Wood trade only involves money. Here are the prospects that were dealt away in those moves, in no particular order: Austin Jackson, Arodys Vizcaino, Mike Dunn, Mark Melancon, Jimmy Paredes, and Zach McAllister. Ian Kennedy surpassed the rookie limit of 50 big league innings back in 2008, so technically he wasn't a prospect at the time of the trade.
The best overall prospect with the highest long-term value traded away is Vizcaino, who posted a 2.22 FIP (2.74 ERA) in 85.1 innings split between Low-A and High-A this season before being shut down with a small ligament tear in his elbow that did not require Tommy John surgery. During one stretch from early-May to mid-June, he went 44 innings between issuing a walk. Baseball America ranked him the sixth best prospect in the South Atlantic League two weeks ago, saying he "shows a 92-94 mph fastball that touches 96, a hammer curveball and excellent control … [h]is changeup continues to improve and could give him a third plus pitch." It's a frontline starter package, for sure. If he was still with the Yanks, he'd almost certainly be their top pitching prospect if healthy, but I'd probably dock him a bit for the injury and the uncertainty it brings. For sure, The Killer B's (Manny Banuelos, Dellin Betances, and Andrew Brackman) would have another running mate, so perhaps we'd be calling them The Killer B's Plus V.
The best immediate impact guy they traded was Jackson by far. He had a 3.6 fWAR season for the Tigers thanks to a slightly above average .333 wOBA combined with a strong +4.2 UZR in center. I have a hard time believing that Jackson would have made the Yanks out of Spring Training had the trade never gone down, simply because a starting outfield of Jackson, Brett Gardner, and Nick Swisher would have been very questionable back in April. He likely would have returned to Triple-A for at least a few weeks, and the Yanks would have brought in another outfielder, probably Johnny Damon now that I think about it. If he was still a Yankee prospect, he'd be their second best position player prospect behind Jesus Montero, but he'd only be in the middle of their top ten prospects behind Montero and The Killer B's.
The other four guys were all second tier prospects with similar value. Melancon is the best of the bunch as an MLB-ready strikeout reliever, and sure enough he pitched to a 3.19 FIP (3.12 ERA) with 9.87 K/9 and 4.15 BB/9 in 17.1 innings for Houston after the trade, good for 0.3 fWAR. Dunn spent most of the season in Triple-A but came up late in the year to post a 3.60 FIP (1.89 ERA) in 19 innings for the Braves, though his impressive 12.79 K/9 came with a hideous 8.05 BB/9. Paredes was one of the system's better sleepers, a slick fielding middle infielder with some pop (.130 ISO this year) and lots of speed (50 steals, 82.0% success rate).
McAllister took a big step back before the trade, getting surpassed by several of the higher upside arms in the system throughout the summer. Before the trade he posted a 4.73 FIP (5.03) in 132.1 Triple-A innings after never having an FIP higher than 3.26 at any level in any season of his career. He also become exceptionally homer prone, giving up 19 in 24 starts after surrendering just 17 in the first 74 outings of his career. The numbers after the trade are from too small a sample to draw any conclusions from (4.08 FIP, 6.88 ERA, 17 IP).
There's no question that the Yanks' system would be considerably stronger had all of those trades never gone down, and that's mostly thanks to Jackson and Vizcaino. Melancon and Dunn are solid depth pieces, Paredes and interesting low-level guy, but frankly McAllister had no place on a team like the Yankees and trade bait was almost certainly his ultimate future one way or the other. The Yanks certainly have a top ten system right now, but if you add a high upside arm like Arodys and a solid everyday centerfielder in Jackson (thanks to the benefit of hindsight, of course), it jumps into the top five, maybe even top three. Their depth would be improved greatly, and the cache of arms would be even deeper. For fun, here's a rough top list of the ten best Yankee prospects had those trades never gone down…
Jesus Montero
Arodys Vizcaino
Manny Banuelos
Andrew Brackman
Gary Sanchez
Slade Heathcott
Hector Noesi
Quibble about the order if you want, but the names are generally correct. No matter how you slice it, that's a monster top ten.
Remember, prospects serve two purposes: the plug into the big league roster and trades. They were able to trade Vizcaino because of all the other high-upside arms they had in-house, and the reason they were able to acquire a power hitting centerfield with top notch defense like Granderson is because they had someone like Jackson to deal away. The other guys are just the cost of doing business, potentially useful pieces for almost certainly useful pieces. The farm system would be stronger with them, no doubt, but the big league team is stronger because they traded away, and that's what matters.
Photo Credits: Jackson with the Honolulu Sharks of Hawaii Winter Baseball in 2007 via Kyle Galdeira, Jackson with the Tigers in 2010 via Mark Duncan, AP.
Filed Under: Mailbag, Minors Tagged With: Arodys Vizcaino, Austin Jackson, Jimmy Paredes, Mark Melancon, Mike Dunn, Zach McAllister
Indians select McAllister to complete Kearns deal
August 20, 2010 by Benjamin Kabak 37 Comments
The Yankees announced tonight that the Cleveland Indians have selected right-handed pitcher Zach McAllister to complete the Austin Kearns deal. After rocketing through the Yanks' system, McAllister could not get outs efficiently at AAA this year. The 22 year old is just 8-10 on the year with a 5.09 ERA and a 4.59 FIP. He's struck out just 88 in 132.2 innings while walking 38 and has given up 20 home runs.
Both Baseball America and our own Mike Axisa ranked McAllister as the organization's fifth best prospect in the preseason lists, but as Baseball America said, his stuff just isn't that overpowering. Calling him "trade bait," the magazine said, "Only McAllister's slider grades as a plus pitch, and his fastball sometimes sits in the upper 80s. He must be precise with his fringy curveball and changeup." In his post-draft organizational rankings, Mike had McAllister ranked 18th. His star has fallen, and the Yanks will likely not miss him.
Filed Under: Asides, Transactions Tagged With: Austin Kearns, Zach McAllister
AAA prospects: a status report
May 16, 2010 by Benjamin Kabak 13 Comments
Photo Credit: Cataffo/ Ny Daily News
Mike does a great job compiling all of the stats and happenings across the Yankees' minor league system in his nightly Down on the Farm series. From Staten Island to Scranton, we have a pretty good sense about how our players did, even if we mostly only care about Montero, Romine, ManBan, Ramirez, Warren, Z-Mac, Stoneburner and a handful of other players.
But after a while we sometimes get "stuck" in the numbers — we forget how the guy that's just gone 0-5 with 4 K's during last night's game is very often the same guy that went 4-5 with two home runs the night before. So I'm going to be doing a recap of how some of the AAA farmhands have performed thus far, all of which came from milb.com or minorleaguesplits.com. Many of the players on this list are on Mike's Preseason Prospect List, where you can get a better look at their long term prospects. In this AAA installment I chose to recap players that are actual prospects, most of which will likely (if they haven't already) see major league action this year. Not too many are interested in seeing Amaury Sanit's progress, though I'm betting we'd all love to find out if Kei Igawa sleeps with those awesome sunglasses on (I'll do some digging and try to find out for you all).
Next week we'll take a look at how some of the AA guys are looking. Also, because there's a Montero Watch present in the sidebar and most DotF are comprised of MonteroTalk, we're going to leave him out on this one.
AAA Scranton-Wilkes Barre
Kevin Russo, 2B: With the big league club having apparently suffering a pandemic of Mets-itus, a few AAA players have seen some promotions. Chief among them, and for good reason, is utility player Kevin Russo. Russo, a former 20th round draft pick out of Baylor in 2006, had hit .302/.383/.425 as Scranton's second basemen before jumping to Massachusetts after Robinson Cano was hit by a Josh Beckett fastball. He got only two plate appearances but Russo's versatility – he can at least play three infield spots and man the corner outfield positions – defensively, his solid on-base skills, and good contact ability make him a good candidate to stick in the big leagues for a long time. With Ramiro Pena's mounting struggles with the bat (which was inevitable, really), Russo may take him over as a super-utility guy at some point. He'll have to show he can at least play SS passably, though, and there's no guarantee of that. Bonus: if there are minors fantasy leagues that exist (I'm hoping they do), he'll soon have CF eligibility, too. He's played there of late.
Season line in AAA: .301/.388/.416
Last ten games: .310/.383/.405
Time in New York: .000/.000/.000
Eduardo Nunez, SS: Most people saw this coming. Nunez got off to a torrid pace, as Greg Fertel and even RAB's own Mike Axisa have noted in his DotF postings. Consequently, Nunez has really tailed off, displaying why we shouldn't fall in love with early season small sample sizes. With a few middle infielders ahead of him in the pecking order and poor defensive skills (albeit with a great arm), Nunez is unlikely to see any big league action this year. If he does it will because of ghastly circumstances. Poor defense, weak power, unrefined on-base skills with very good contact ability, plus speed and a wonderful arm. That may translate to some modicum of minor league success, but I don't see it happening on the major league level for a middle infielder (and really one in name only).
Season in AAA: .321/.371/.400
Juan Miranda, 1B: Miranda was a big-money IFA signing of the Yanks from Cuba back in 2006. You may remember he was once considered the future first baseman of the Yanks. While that doesn't look like it's going to happen, Miranda, in his final option year, is playing for a contract for a big league club next year. The book on him was that though he really nails right handers, he struggles with lefties and his defensive play is by no means great, even for a first baseman. Last year he took positive steps in correcting those problems, hitting lefties with a triple slash of .291/.367/.507. So far, in AAA, he's continued that pace, hitting .313/.389/.563 in 33 plate appearances (note: this is according to minorleaguesplits.com, which is a bit behind in their stats). Oddly, he's struggled against righties, hitting .222/.354/.364 in 66 plate appearances. He's been in New York for a few games, and with Nick Johnson possibly out for a few months, Miranda may stay in New York as a DH. Considering Johnson's injury history, the team couldn't be caught too surprised by that. This may be make or break for Miranda.
Last ten games in AAA:.250/.357/.417
Photo Credit: Mike Ashmore
Ivan Nova, SP
Nova's rocketed up Yankee top prospect lists over the last two years as he's finally started to harness his very good stuff. He's been up in New York after the injury bug hit and he's largely impressed, though he's probably the guy sent back down with Park coming back from the DL. In his first appearance, Nova, signed by the Yanks and returned after being selected as a Rule V from the Padres, came in and threw two scoreless innings and in today's game he again looked fairly good. With a likely ceiling as a back-end starter in the AL East (which really isn't all that bad when you think about it), Nova is very likely to be the first guy up again with another injury, first because he's already on the 40-man roster, and second because a groundball pitcher with good stuff is always a valuable commodity. He also has an outside shot at a rotation spot next year depending on how things shake out.
AAA season: 37 IP, 2.43 ERA, 35 hits, 32 K, 12 BB, 1.78 GO/AA
Last two starts: 13 IP, 3.84 ERA, 17 hits, 7 K, 4 BB
Time in New York: 3 innings, 0.00 ERA, 4 hits, 1 K, 0 BB
Zack McAllister, SP
Z-Mac has had an up-and-down in his first run at AAA. Arguably the Yankees' top pitching prospect, McAllister ran into some issues in late April, early May, giving up over 6 runs in two of three starts. Still, he's sprinkled in some good games and has strung two consecutive 7-inning performances of good ball. A polished groundball pitcher, McAllister may wind up trade bait or perhaps in the rotation as early as next year. He, like Nova, has back rotation or possibly #3 starter potential, but he's going to need to get that groundball rate up again. A 34% GB ratio is not going to work at the big league level for a guy with his skill set. It wouldn't hurt to develop a true out pitch, either.
Season in AAA: 45 IP, 4.40 ERA, 52 hits, 32 K, 9 BB, 0.52 GO/AA
Last two starts: 14 IP, 2.14 ERA, 14 hits, 8K, 1 BB
Romulo Sanchez, SP/RP
The last of the famed "Fat Sanchezes," Romulo has been very impressive in his time in Pennsylvania and also in New York. Sanchez has a great fastball, occasionally hitting the high 90's with his 4-seamer, but he likely profiles best as a reliever in the future due to his erratic control and fringe-average off-speed pitches (a changeup and slider). If he can locate that big fastball and keep hitters off balance with one of the off speed offerings, he could definitely stick with the big club over the year. His numbers in Scranton are a bit misleading. In April he gave up 10 earned runs in only 2.1 innings. Otherwise, he's been among the better pitchers in the upper minors.
Last 2 starts: 14 IP, 1.42 ERA, 9 hits, 17 K, 2 BB
In New York: 3.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1 hit, 3 K, 1 BB
Mark Melancon, RP
The final name on our list, Melancon entered last season with high expectations and didn't live up to them in limited action. I recall his propensity for hitting opposing batters (along with old favorite Mike Dunn). It was probably just jitters because he returned to AAA and fell right back where he'd been before his callup. He came back up again briefly and showed signs of life, causing many of us to think he'd be up in the Bronx to start the year. Well, hasn't happened yet but it seems like just a matter of time. Melancon has again been very good in Pennsylvania in 2010. A look at his splits reveals some quirks, though. You might look at his numbers against righties and say, "Wait a second, this doesn't look right." And to some extent, you'd be right. But aha! Along with a BABip against righties of .462, he's also giving up a line drive rate of 26.2%, yet checking in with an FIP of 3.05. Look a bit further over and you see why. He's striking out 16.55 righties per nine innings this year. Wow, that's strange data. Against lefties he's getting lots of groundouts, another promising sign. I'd be fairly shocked if we don't see Melancon in the Bronx very soon.
AAA Season: 23 IP, 2.74 ERA, 21 hits, 31 K, 8 BB, 1.71 GO/AA
Last 4 appearances: 5.2 IP, 0.00 ERA, 4 hits, 13 K, 2 BB
Filed Under: Minors Tagged With: Eduardo Nunez, Ivan Nova, Juan Miranda, Kevin Russo, Mark Melancon, Romulo Sanchez, Zach McAllister
Is Zach McAllister a prospect worth holding on to?
January 5, 2010 by Joe Pawlikowski 50 Comments
At The Hardball Times, Harry Pavlidis writes an article titled, "Pitching prospects who might be keepers." With that title, it's tough not to read. Harry examines minor league players using four criteria: strikeout rate, walk rate, groundball rate, and home runs per fly ball + line drive. Since those represent four important pitching skills, you might imagine that Harry's analysis spits out the very best in minor league arms. Alas, this does not appear to be the case.
To get the most contextual look at each pitcher, Harry weighs each stat against the pitcher's league average. This way he can compare someone pitching in AAA to someone pitching in A ball — or, just as important, comparing someone pitching in the International League to someone pitching in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He puts everything on a scale of 100, like OPS+ and ERA+, so you can see how far each pitcher ranks above league average in each category.
Among the 29 names on Pavlidis's list sits Zach McAllister, the 22-year-old sinkerballer who figures to start the season in AAA. Despite the label, however, McAllister didn't induce many more groundballs than a league average Eastern League pitcher. That means more fly balls and line drives than other sinkerballers, but this is where McAllister registers well above league average. He keeps balls in the park on hits in the air, no small accomplishment. He also ranks well above league average in walks.
While McAllister does have some impressive numbers, his inclusion on this list does not necessarily mean he'll find success in the big leagues. Of the 29 on Pavlidis's list, 13 have seen major league action and none have overly impressed. Lenny DiNardo stands out. His walk rate ranks well above league average, but in the majors he walked way, way too many hitters. His just above average strikeout rate translated into well below league average in the majors, and even his home run to fly ball plus line drive ratio dipped.
Still, given McAllisters numbers, both in this analysis and in more general analyses, the Yanks could get use out of him in the back of the rotation. He's not the kind of pitcher who will win a job during Spring Training — not with the Yankees, at least. But if the team faces an injury or two, he could certainly get his chance in the rotation. Perhaps his skills in throwing strikes and keeping fly balls in the park will translate into major league success. At this point, I think that's a better gamble than trading him in for a major league spare part with much less potential future value.
Filed Under: Minors Tagged With: Zach McAllister
Montero, McAllister among EL's best
October 9, 2009 by Mike 22 Comments
After ranking as the second best prospect in the High-A Florida State League, Jesus Montero followed that up by placing fifth in the Double-A Eastern League, according to Baseball America. Zach McAllister came in at #19, while old pal Jose Tabata checked in at #15. In the subscriber only report, one AL scout said of Montero: "When he shows up to play, it's pretty good. I don't think he'll get away with showing up every other night in the big leagues, especially behind the plate, but it could just be youthful mistakes." This is the first I've heard of him "taking days off," but if he hit .317-.370-.539 as a 19-yr old in the EL playing every other day, imagine what he could do if he actually applied himself.
As for McAllister, one EL manager said he "competed and threw four pitches for strikes, and both the breaking balls were tough to handle." It also notes that he's mostly upper-80's with the fastball, knocking his ceiling down to a back-end starter. Such is life.
Filed Under: Asides, Minors Tagged With: Jesus Montero, Prospect Lists, Zach McAllister
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The purpose of this notice is to solicit public comments on the proposed modification to the California Department of Transportation's Mokelumne River (I-5) Dual Bridge, mile 22.9 over the Mokelumne River. The General Bridge Act of 1946 requires approval of the location and plans for bridges over navigable waters of the United States, prior to commencing construction. A Coast Guard Bridge Permit Amendment will be required for this project.
Public Notice (11-146), dated April 3, 2018, is being published on the Coast Guard Navigation Website. The public notice contains a detailed description of the proposed bridge modification project and includes location maps and bridge drawings with navigational clearances. Interested parties may access Active Public Notices for Bridge Projects for the Eleventh Coast Guard District at the following web site https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/D11BN. The public notice may also be obtained by calling the Eleventh Coast Guard District Bridge Office at (510) 437-3516, by writing to Commander (dpw), Eleventh Coast Guard District, Coast Guard Island, Bldg 50-2, Alameda, CA 94501-5100, by email at Carl.T.Hausner@uscg.mil, or by facsimile at (510) 437-5836.
Mariners are requested to comment on the proposed modification project and navigational safety issues. Interested parties are requested to express their views in writing. Comments will be received for the record at the address given in Public Notice (11-146) through May 2, 2018.


text:
Don't even talk to Bryan Jacobs about banning smoking in bars or restaurants. The 16-year Wilmington bartending veteran, who pours drinks and slings pithy remarks at venerable downtown watering-hole-in-the-wall Lula's, says the mere mention of any kind of ban is "totally ludicrous. It'll make more bars suffer, and we're already suffering as it is."
"There are smoke-free bars," he says, mentioning the smokeless Percy's as a patron puffs away nearby. "You have that option. It's there for people who don't smoke."
Nevertheless, forcing bar and restaurant owners to go smoke-free is becoming a national, and perhaps worldwide, trend. The issue was jump-started in 1995 when New York City banned smoking in bars and restaurants. Since then, a slew of states, including California, Florida and Massachusetts, have followed suit. In January, even Ireland instituted a contentious smoking ban that inspired outrage among some long-time pub-goers.
Earlier this year, the issue hit closer to home than ever before when the Charleston, S.C., city council (less than four hours down the Atlantic coast) considered passing a smoking ban that would've been one of the nation's toughest, prohibiting smoking practically everywhere indoors besides private homes. (Smoking bans come in all shapes and sizes. Some prohibit smoking in all workplaces, others in all workplaces but bars and restaurants, and yet others in restaurants but not bars.)
And even locally, there's a new movement to get restaurants to voluntarily go smoke-free.
But could such a ban ever occur in Wilmington, located as it is in a state culturally, economically and historically steeped in tobacco? And how could that affect the city's bars and restaurants?
The Charleston measure, which had bipartisan support on the council, including the backing of popular mayor Joe Riley, was being pushed by a group called Smoke-Free Charleston and spearheaded by Jeffrey Wigand. Mr. Wigand is the tobacco industry whistleblower whose story - he leaked information to the media that proved tobacco companies knew of smoking dangers as early as the 1960s - was used as the basis for the film The Insider, starring Russell Crowe. (Mr. Wigand used to own a home in Hampstead, and his brother lives in the Wilmington area.)
"In Charleston, (the smoking ban) was moving along," Mr. Wigand says. "Then all of a sudden it became a dead issue."
Beset by opposition from bar and restaurant owners, the ordinance was sent to a 25-member study committee in June. At this time, the committee has yet to be appointed.
"The mayor and other people felt uncomfortable that they wouldn't get re-elected if they supported public health and safety," Mr. Wigand says. "They sold the population and public health down the river for political gain."
In North Carolina, smoking bans aren't just a local issue. A 1993 law passed by the General Assembly barred local governments from passing new anti-smoking standards that are stricter than the state's. And the state doesn't restrict smoking in bars or restaurants. It's a policy that's been dubbed "preemption."
In New Hanover County, restaurants must designate at least 25 percent of indoor seating as non-smoking, though no separate ventilation or barrier is required. Bars must post one of the following signs: "We Do Not Provide a Nonsmoking Section in the Bar," "Nonsmoking Section Available in Bar" or "No Smoking."
As a result, whether local bars or restaurants are smoke-free is voluntary, and many see that decision as an economic one. One of the few smoke-free bars in Wilmington is Percy's, part of a smoke-free complex on Second and Dock streets that includes The Wilmingtonian hotel and The City Club.
Greg Matheson has tended bar at Percy's for a year, and he says it's helped the business. "It's brought in people who wouldn't frequent bars (that allow smoking)." He admits "a few people have walked in who said, 'No smoking? We'll never be back.'"
"Everyone said we'd be closed in four months because we don't allow smoking," Mr. Matheson says. "Here we are a year later."
Justin Smith, general manager of downtown bars Level 5 and The Blue Post and co-owner of Wrightsville Beach restaurant and pub Fibber McGee's, sees allowing smoking as an economic advantage. When told that some studies have shown that bar and restaurant revenues in New York and California have not declined since smoking bans were implemented, Mr. Smith notes that "we have a non-smoking section at Fibber McGee's, and I can tell you, the smoking side is always busier."
Meggen Lyon was enjoying a cigarette in Lula's while Mr. Jacobs went off on smoking bans. "I'd go out less" if smoking was banned in bars and restaurants, she says. "That's if I don't quit. If I do quit, I guess I'd go out more."
Stephanie Wallace, who was hanging out at the Blue Post, says she used to avoid establishments that allowed smoking, but eventually gave up.
"I like to hang out with friends, and there aren't many non-smoking bars," she says. "I've kind of felt for a while that Wilmington needs something like a bar but with a coffee shop atmosphere, with alcohol, but clean. It's just more comfortable."
For people who complain about the health issues associated with second-hand smoke (the Environmental Protection Agency estimates that secondhand smoke causes about 3,000 lung cancer deaths and 35,000 heart disease deaths in nonsmokers each year), one local group is doing something to help.
Carrie Snell is the Tobacco Prevention Coordinator for Project ASSIST, a branch of the New Hanover County Health Department that tries to educate the public on the dangers of tobacco. She says an effort is underway to get local restaurants to go smoke-free voluntarily.
The group invites restaurants to discuss with them just how to do so, providing health statistics and how other restaurants have thrived after becoming smoke-free.
Project ASSIST has partnered with other agencies in a statewide survey of restaurants. In 2002, the N.C. Heart-Health Survey found that of 3,161 restaurants surveyed in 28 counties, 36 percent were smoke-free, 31 percent allowed smoking anywhere, 29 percent had non-ventilated smoking sections and 5 percent had ventilated smoking sections. (Data in New Hanover County is currently being collected, and will be complete by early next year.)
To Mr. Wigand, smoking bans are a matter of life and death. "There's been a litany of robust scientific organizations corroborating the knowledge that second-hand smoke is something that kills people," he says. "The overriding concern of any elected official (should be) to protect innocents from harm. Quite frankly, when you have a North Carolina or a South Carolina preemption law, you fail to recognize that duty as an elected official.
"How do you change it? I think you change preemption by having grassroots activities in the state that actually force the state legislatures to reorient their thinking."
Most local politicians, when asked about the possibility of a ban, sensed a third rail and chose to ride the fence, saying that while smoking is bad, they respect the right of people to smoke, especially in a bar setting.
One of the most outspoken politicians on the issue was outgoing mayor and restaurant owner Harper Peterson, who said a potential ban "would be worth the discussion. (Smoking has) been a demonstrated health hazard." Still, incoming mayor Spence Broadhurst said he believes bars and restaurants should make that call.
But while some local officeholders such as New Hanover County Commissioner Ted Davis agree with this, Mr. Wigand, currently a visiting professor of ethics at the University of Houston, sees it in black and white: "Where it is written - what law, what constitution - that there is a right to smoke? There is no right."
Probably the strongest pro-smoking quote came from City Councilman Jim Quinn, a former smoker who has since quit, who said, "Going to bars is not a necessity, and I don't know that a non-smoker has a right to go into a bar and say, 'You can't smoke.' "
Bill Saffo was elected to Wilmington's City Council in October. He says a ban or more restrictions on smoking in bars and restaurants is "something the electorate is going to have to let politicians know (how they feel) about.
"I think it's going to be an issue we're going to have to deal with in the future," he continued. "But I would say that North Carolina is probably the last place it would be an issue."
Six states have blanket workplace smoking bans that include bars and restaurants: New York, California, Delaware, Connecticut, Maine and Massachusetts. Other states regulate as follows: * Alaska: (restaurants but not bars) * Arizona: Tempe and Guadalupe ban smoking in most public places, and Tucson and Mesa ban smoking in most restaurants. * Colorado: Bars in Boulder must have separately ventilated sections for smokers. * Florida: Smoking banned in all workplaces. Stand-alone bars and smoking rooms in hotels exempted. * Hawaii: Honolulu bans smoking in restaurants but not bars. * Indiana: Fort Wayne enforces smoke-free restaurants, and Bloomington will have smoke-free bars and restaurants starting in 2005. * Maryland: Montgomery County allows smoking only in bars (if a restaurant has no bar, there is no smoking). * Montana: Helena bans smoking in all public venues, as does Missoula (which exempts bars and casinos) and Bozeman bans smoking in bars and restaurants where there is no separation. * Oregon: (Eugene and Corvallis have bans) * South Dakota: (bars and casinos exempted) * Texas: A number of cities have bans, some that include all public places and some that have exemptions. * Utah: Smoking banned in most public places. * Washington, D.C.: Smoking banned in all public places except Congress. Sources: The Boston Globe and Smokefreeworld.com, which includes a listing of smoke-free establishments in each state.
What other states and cities are doing


To what degree is your health impacted by the educational resources at your community's disposal?
As a spinal physician, I work closely with patients during the most difficult times of their lives. The social contract I sign with those I serve dictates that I not only work to remedy their bodies, but that I also provide a level of guidance and support where appropriate for a patient's overall wellbeing.
It is these combined tenets of my profession that have taken me from speaking with young adults in the juvenile detention centers of Newark through clinics as far off as Sub-Saharan Africa and South Korea, as I try to better understand the nexus between health, education and community.
Throughout these journeys, in so many regions of the world, what's struck me the most in my time providing specialized health services is that while the underpinnings of detriment and conflict certainly vary in degree, the pillars of therapeutic success are universal.
While no amount or standard of learning could ever thwart, say, a spinal injury, there are important corollaries between one's health and access to education and a nurturing cultural environment. The path to a wholesome life lies in not only a provision of health care, but the tutelage that comes with it.
One of the most striking examples of the need to marry health care with educational resources to achieve real impact can be found in the city Bukavu of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Bordering Rwanda at the Congo's eastern border, Bukavu is the capital of the South Kivu province with a population of more than 800,000. Rife with poverty, the area suffers from a lack of health care and educational resources, human conditions that often go hand-in-hand.
Bukavu is also home to the Panzi hospital, an important regional health institution not rare in its continual shortage of resources. During a trip there in 2008 I was shocked by the lack of protocol for spinal injuries, despite having an alarmingly high rate due to dangerous working conditions (mining is among the prevalent industries there) compounded by ongoing strife and conflict.
Besides contributing a technical expertise, I found it even more pertinent to establish training for medical personnel and for building awareness around the importance of hygiene and access to clean water. It is with this perspective that I established the Spine Africa Project, a non-profit organization that works with the Panzi hospital to provide key training and resources that will give the region a stronger opportunity to help itself. Beyond providing medical assistance, Spine Africa does something even more important: it provides an educational resource and a beacon of hope and resilience in a dangerous part of the world.
Whatever caused the many injuries or lifelong ailments of those individuals I assisted, performing surgery or specialized care would only address the most immediate concerns. Of greater long-term importance was putting in place a system allowing the citizens of Bukavu to achieve progress that will set them on a safer, healthier life trajectory.
Spine Africa seeks to do just that. Updating medical equipment and facilities will benefit the entire medical community, not just spinal practices, as will the implementation of proper sterilization and safety methods, improvements for a safe water system, reliable electricity and capable communications systems.
With the improvement of certain resources, tied to medical training, medical professionals who call Bukavu home will be enabled to provide expanded expert care. In the next few years, as we continue to establish a stronger hospital system, outside surgeons, including myself, will continue to visit the area to not only perform spinal surgeries using the latest and most effective technologies, but to also participate in clinics so that others might learn as well.
What's being done in Bukavu can be replicated in other parts of the world and the Spine Africa project will seek to expand into other cities in Africa. We invite other health and development organizations to join us.
Beyond providing health services alone, improvements in education and community offer even greater opportunity to save lives.
Dr. Richard Arjun Kaul is the president and founder of the Spine Africa Project, a 501(c)(3), and is the medical director of the New Jersey Spinal Rehabilitation Surgical Center in Pompton Lakes, NJ.


 The lactational amenorrhea method (LAM) is a pregnancy-prevention approach that focuses on the body's natural link between breastfeeding and infertility. LAM significantly reduces a woman's risk of becoming pregnant during the first six months after giving birth, before you stop breastfeeding. However, for LAM to effectively prevent pregnancy, women must practice this method correctly.
Breastfeeding the first six months of a child's life changes the way the mother's body works. The lactation process stops a woman's ovaries from releasing eggs. Without an egg, pregnancy can't occur.
According to Planned Parenthood, if a woman practices the lactational amenorrhea method correctly–which means she's breastfeeding exclusively and hasn't gotten her period–the risk for pregnancy is about 1 percent.
After your child reaches six months of age, back-up protection is needed to prevent pregnancy. Also, if you stop breastfeeding during any time, lactational amenorrhea method isn't recommended, and alternative contraceptive is necessary.
It works immediately after childbirth.
It's a natural method of contraception, which is appealing to many women.
LAM doesn't require a prescription or device.
Breastfeeding can be difficult for new mothers. Some babies have latching problems, which can be exhausting to an overly tired new mom. Mothers who want the benefits of LAM should consider consulting a lactation specialist right away, to ensure lactation isn't interrupted.
Breastfeeding may also reduce vaginal lubrication and make breasts seem less sexual to a woman. Once your period starts again, the effectiveness of the lactational amenorrhea method isn't reliable. If you stop breastfeeding exclusively, you're more susceptible to pregnancy. Women in these situations should discuss other forms of contraception with their doctors.
In addition, LAM doesn't provide protection against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Consider using either a male or female condom if you plan to engage in potentially risky sexual behavior.
Center for Young Women's Health Staff. (2010). Lactational amenorrhea method (LAM) for women who are breastfeeding. Retrieved February 9, 2010 from the Center for Young Women's Health Web site: http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/lam.html.
La Leche League International Staff. (2010). The lactational amenorrhea method (LAM): Another choice for mothers. Retrieved February 9, 2010 from the La Leche League International Web site: http://www.llli.org/ba/Aug93.html.
Planned Parenthood Staff. (2010). Breastfeeding as birth control. Retrieved February 9, 2010 from the Planned Parenthood site: http://www.youngwomenshealth.org/lam.html.