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Frances White suffered from debilitating migraine headaches for 51 years and her husband can attest to her suffering.
The costs of migraines
A collective 112 million workdays a year are lost.
An estimated $14 billion in lost productivity.
The total annual cost to treat migraines is between $13 billion and $17 billion.
Source: Archives of Internal Medicine and American Journal of Managed Care
"I've seen her cry for weeks with migraine headaches," says Floyd White.
Migraine symptoms
Before the pain starts
One or two days before a migraine, you may notice subtle changes that signify an oncoming migraine, including constipation, depression, food cravings, hyperactivity, irritability, neck stiffness and uncontrollable yawning.
Aura may occur before or during migraine headaches. Auras are nervous system symptoms that are usually visual disturbances, such as flashes of light. Sometimes auras also can be touching sensations (sensory), movement (motor) or speech (verbal) disturbances.
Most people experience migraine headaches without aura. Each of these symptoms usually begins gradually, builds up over several minutes, and then commonly lasts for 20 to 60 minutes.
Examples of aura include visual phenomena, such as seeing various shapes, bright spots or flashes of light; vision loss; pins and needles sensations in an arm or leg; speech or language problems (aphasia).
When untreated, a migraine usually lasts from four to 72 hours, but the frequency with which headaches occur varies from person to person. You may have migraines several times a month or much less often.
During a migraine, you may experience the following symptoms: pain on one side or both sides of your head; pain that has a pulsating, throbbing quality; sensitivity to light, sounds and sometimes smells; nausea and vomiting; blurred vision; lightheadedness sometimes followed by fainting.
The final phase, known as postdrome, occurs after a migraine attack. During this time you may feel drained and washed out, though some people report feeling mildly euphoric.
Source: Mayo Clinic
But after they saw a segment on the TV show "The Doctors" about a nerve decompression surgery for the relief of migraines performed by plastic surgeons, they sought out Dr. Marcelo Hochman of Facial Surgery Center in Charleston.
She had the surgery on Aug. 20, and the 70-year-old hasn't had a headache since then.
"It's like a miracle," says Frances. "It's just marvelous."
The hot zones
The surgery works, in theory, by relieving the irritation of the peripheral branches of the trigeminal nerve, caused by the compression of the nerve by muscles and blood vessels.
Basically, the surgery involves removing the muscle that constricts the nerve and replacing it with fat removed from the patient's abdominal region. The fat not only helps fill in the area lost from the muscle but provides a cushion for the nerve.
Hochman says those nerves surface in one of four areas of the head, the frontal area in notches within the eyebrow, the temporal zone within the hairline near the temples, the occipital zones at the back of the head and/or in the nasal cavity.
The zone Hochman targets for nerve decompression is based on where the migraines start, along with the severity and frequency.
"Universally, patients with chronic migraines know exactly where they start and every single place where they start is related to those four zones," says Hochman, who has performed surgeries on about 25 people in the past year.
Not everyone suffering from migraines gets a green light for the procedure, says Hochman, noting that patients must be diagnosed with chronic migraines by a neurologist in order to have it.
Caution urged
With media reports of plastic surgeons performing surgeries on migraines surfacing after limited studies, the American Headache Society has urged caution in using "surgical intervention in migraine treatment."
"Unfortunately, there is no cure for migraine. Many therapies, including medications, alternative therapies and surgical interventions, are aimed at reducing migraine frequency or stopping the pain and associated symptoms after they've begun, but none are 'cures,' " the society said in a statement issued in 2012.
"In our view, surgery for migraine is a last-resort option and is probably not appropriate for most sufferers. To date, there are no convincing or definitive data that show its long-term value. Besides replacing the use of more appropriate treatments, surgical intervention also may produce side effects that are not reversible and carry the risks associated with any surgery. It also can be extremely expensive and may not be covered by insurance. Most importantly, it may not work for you at all."
The statement concluded that the "hallmarks of good therapies" include proven results in randomized controlled trials with adequate numbers of subjects, data reviewed and published in established peer-reviewed publications, reproducible results by other investigators, regulatory approval where appropriate and endorsement by key opinion leaders and professional organizations in the field of headache medicine and migraine.
Hochman chalked the Headache Society's position up to "push back to early acceptance" of the procedure and that medicine generally takes a cautious approach to new therapies "before you have the definitive study."
Proof to date
Hochman says his interest in migraines has been long-term because many of his family members suffer from them. When the literature started coming out that a plastic surgery technique was showing signs of relieving migraines, he naturally started following it.
A study, published in the February 2011 American Society of Plastic Surgeons' journal, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, followed 100 people five years after receiving the surgery. The incidence of a positive response, meaning at least a 50 percent reduction in migraines, was 90 percent. More than 70 percent showed complete elimination of the headaches.
"That was an important piece of information for me," says Hochman, saying the study prompted a trip to visit the study author and developer of the technique, Dr. Bahman Guyuron, in Cleveland and to train to perform the surgery.
"It wasn't a far reach from what I do on a day-to-day basis in terms of anatomy, exposures and approaches," says Hochman, noting the similarities between a brow lift and the migraine procedure.
Guyuron originally started investigating the procedure after a surgeon's wife had a browlift and then said she had not had a migraine since the surgery.
Too new for insurance
As expected, most insurance plans have yet to start covering the procedure, despite the fact that in an another study Guyuron demonstrated the cost benefits of the more permanent relief for migraines over medications and hospitalizations.
The study, published in the April 2012 edition of the same journal, found that five years after surgery, the median cost reduction for migraine medication expenses was nearly $2,000 a year and that patients, because of less lost time at work, gained a median of $1,525 in annual income.
Hochman estimates the out-of-pocket expenses of the surgery, if all four zones are operated on, at between $10,000 and $12,000.
Floyd White says of the expense, which he did not detail, "It was the best money I spent in my life."
New lease on life
Much like Frances White, 52-year-old John Halajcsik of North Charleston has experienced a life-changing event. He has been suffering from migraines since he was a child and still gets choked up when he recalls how his father used to help him overcome migraine headaches as a child.
"He would tell me to sit on the floor and tell me relax my neck, because it would get so tense and stiffen, and he'd massage it for often more than an hour," says Halajcsik, noting that his father was a big man with wrists the size of two-by-fours.
"He knew I was in so much pain and eventually I would fall asleep."
The debilitating, recurring migraines continued to plague Halajcsik, like so many of the estimated 36 million sufferers in the United States, through his youth and early middle age. Like some chronic migraine sufferers, his headaches were usually triggered by changes in the weather and the resulting shifts in barometric pressure.
Despite that, he managed to work as a master painter at a Porsche car facility in North Charleston for 17 years and, more recently, on airplanes at the Boeing plant.
Over the years, he tried a litany of medications, many of which left him feeling loopy. The drug known commonly by its trademarked name, Imitrex, provided him relief, but the job change, and subsequent insurance change, limited it to nine pills a month.
Botox injections later gave temporary relief.
On Nov. 5, Hochman performed surgery on Halajcsik and it provided the relief he needed.
"The pain is gone," says Halajcsik.
Reach David Quick at 937-5516.
John Halajcsik of North Charleston (left), who suffered from migraines since childhood, chats with Dr. Marcelo Hochman during a follow-up visit. Hochman performed nerve decompression surgery on Halajcsik last November.×
Dr. Marcelo Hochman of the Facial Surgery Center of Charleston.×
Plastic surgeon Dr. Marcelo Hochman shows where he mkes the incision, along the crease of the upper eyelid, to access the frontal nerve zone located in the eyebrow in patient John Halajcsik of North Charleston.×


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Fernandina Beach, Fla. – Led by a strong finish from senior Ryan Ashburn, the Stetson University women's golf team held on to tie with Xavier for eighth place in the JU Amelia Island Collegiate on Tuesday.
Ashburn fired a two-over par round score of 74 in the final round of the tournament, earning a tie for 16th place in the tournament with a total score of 224.
For most players, including the tournament leaders, Tuesday's final round saw scores inflated from the first two rounds. FIU's Camila Serrano had a commanding lead following play on Monday, but closed with a 75 in the final round and had to survive a four-hole sudden death playoff with Daytona State's Tiffany Chan to earn medalist honors. Serrano posted four consecutive pars on the par four 18th hole to win the playoff.
The Panthers (859) did come back to earth as a team on Tuesday, posting a final round score of 300, but won the team title by 12 shots over Kennesaw State (871), which was only able to make up one shot in the final round.
Only KSU (299) and North Florida (296) were able to break 300 on Tuesday after Monday produced 13 team scores of less than 300.
Daytona State (890) finished third as a team, followed by Jacksonville (894) and Winthrop (895). James Madison (904) and UNF (910) finished in front of the Hatters and Musketeers, as both team finished with scores of 914.
Stetson's Sammi Smith, who led the Hatters on Monday, fell back on Tuesday with a 79 to finished tied for 23rd with a score of 227. Mallory Viera also struggled in the final round, posting an 81 to finish tied for 35th with a 230.
Claudia Redinger (241) finished the tournament tied for 61st while Jenna Hoecker (242) finished 64th. Freshman Alessandra Kutz, who was playing as an individual, shot an 84 on Tuesday and tied for 67th with a total score of 245.
The Hatters will have some time off before their next scheduled tournament. Stetson will play in the JMU/Eagle Landing Invitational in Orange Park, Fla., March 13-16.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Stetson women's basketball team found itself in the rare position of facing a halftime deficit in the Atlantic Sun Tournament quarterfinals Tuesday night. The Hatters scored just 26 points in the opening 20 minutes, and none came from the league's Freshman of the Year Amber Porter.
"I thought (Amber) struggled in the first half and therefore our team struggled in the first half," Stetson head coach Lynn Bria said. "I sent her some encouraging words (at halftime), and she really responded in the second half."
Porter scored all 15 points of her points after the break, adding 12 rebounds and eight blocks to lead Stetson (25-6) to a 73-56 victory over Kennesaw State (6-24) at the Edmunds Center.
With their school-record 25th victory of the season, the second-seeded Hatters advance to play third-seeded USC Upstate in the A-Sun semifinals Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. in Fort Myers, Fla. The winner will play for the A-Sun Championship Sunday at 3 p.m.
What were Bria's words of encouragement to Porter?
"We won't share that," the Hatters coach responded to a reporter in the postgame news conference. "We like you but we are not going to share that."
The Hatters had only trailed once at halftime in their previous 18 games, but after shooting just 27 percent in the first half, Kennesaw State jumped to a 31-26 advantage at the break.
"I wasn't surprised that (Kennesaw State was) playing so well, but I just felt that our energy defensively wasn't very good," Bria said. "We were letting them do whatever they wanted to do. Once we started to turn them over and get easy baskets, then we started to flow better. We picked it up, we played harder, and we played more aggressively."
Stetson opened the second half on a 10-0 run, highlighted by fastbreak baskets from C.J. Coddington and Brianti Sanders.
"Coach told us we had to push the ball in order to get our energy up, so as soon as Jama (Sharp) got the ball, I just sprinted to the lane," Saunders said.
Kennesaw State was able to push back and reagin a 44-43 lead following a basket from Gratia Brooks, but the Hatters outscored the Owls 18-2 over the next five minutes to break the game open.
Porter was 7-for-11 from the field in the final 20 minutes and recorded six of her school-record tying eight blocks after the break. She now ranks second all-time in A-Sun history with 118 blocks on the season.
"We knew our season wasn't going to end here so we just picked it up (in the second half)," Porter said.
Joining Porter in double figures for Stetson was Saunders (16 points), Myeisha Hall (14 points), and C.J. Coddington (11 points). Sasha Sims added seven points, bringing her to within nine of breaking the school's all-time scoring record.
The Hatters outscored Kennesaw State 47-25 in the second half and shot 55% from the floor. Stetson hit just three three-pointers for the game while the Owls dropped in 10 shots from long range.
With FGCU's victory over Lipscomb, the top-seeded Eagles will host the A-Sun tournament's "final four" with Stetson, USC Upstate, and Mercer making the trip to Fort Myers. The Hatters swept the season series from the Spartans.
Saturday's semifinal games will be broadcast live on ESPN3.


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Serves 5 |
Prep Time 20 minutes |
Cook Time 15 minutes
2 Tbsp Eden Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
15 ounces Eden Rice & Caribbean Black Beans, 1 canor any Eden Rice & Beans
16 ounces Eden Refried Black Beans, 1 can
1/2 cup organic salsa
5 leaves romaine lettuce, leave whole or shreddedor any leaf lettuce
1 avocado, pit removed, peeled, sliced
10 organic whole wheat tortillas
Preheat the oven to 300°. Place the tortilla shells in a tortilla warmer or covered casserole dish. Heat until warm.
Heat oil in a large skillet and sauté the onions and green peppers for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the rice & beans and refried beans. Mix thoroughly, cover, reduce the flame to low and cook until hot, stirring frequently.
Place an equal amount of the rice and bean mixture on each warm tortilla shell. Top each with salsa, a lettuce leaf and 2 or 3 slices of avocado, or any other favorite toppings. Roll up and serve whole or slice in half and serve.
Beans, Good/High Fiber, Good/High Protein, Macrobiotic, Main Course, Mexican/Spanish, No Sweetener Added, Oils, Vegan, Whole Grain


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Surveying Producers
Contact: , 308-697-3486;
The winter Producer Attitude Survey, a nationwide survey of 1,200 beef and dairy producers conducted by the independent firm Aspen Media & Market Research, is in the field now through mid-January. Results from the survey will be released during the 2013 Cattle Industry Convention in February. Click here to view past survey results.
The Beef Checkoff Program was established as part of the 1985 Farm Bill. The checkoff assesses $1 per head on the sale of live domestic and imported cattle, in addition to a comparable assessment on imported beef and beef products. States retain up to 50 cents on the dollar and forward the other 50 cents per head to the Cattlemen's Beef Promotion and Research Board, which administers the national checkoff program, subject to USDA approval.


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on May 17, 2013 - 12:06 AM
, updated May 17, 2013 at 11:27 AM
WASHINGTON – Three men from Buffalo, one absent and two present, were the targets of grilling from Republicans on a Senate committee Thursday over matters that sometimes seemed personal but in the end are profound for every working person in America.
The absent man was Thomas E. Perez, President Obama's nominee for secretary of the Department of Labor, which oversees everything from unemployment insurance to job training. The men who were there, Mark Gaston Pearce and Richard F. Griffin Jr., serve on the National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency that adjudicates workplace disputes, and are up for reconfirmation.
Republicans and Democrats disagree sharply on how the Labor Department and the NLRB ought to approach their duties, and those disagreements became clear during Thursday's hearings before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.
That panel sent Perez's nomination to the Senate floor on a party-line 12-10 vote, but not before Republicans portrayed him as an aggressive attorney who went too far in cases before him as assistant U.S. attorney for civil rights and who would likely do the same as labor secretary.
Meanwhile, the committee postponed until Wednesday a vote on the Pearce and Griffin nominations after Republicans attacked Pearce for leading the NLRB in a pro-labor direction and questioned – as federal courts have – whether Griffin is legally serving on the board.
Democrats defended the three men as well-qualified public servants, but the hearings seemed to be proof that these days, the definition of a well-qualified public servant is different on the two sides of the partisan divide.
Witness, for example, the sharply different view of Perez offered by the top Republican and top Democrat on the HELP Committee.
"I will oppose voting Mr. Perez out of the HELP Committee for two reasons: Number one, my view of his record raises troubling questions about his actions while at the Department of Justice and his candor in discussing his actions with this committee," said Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, the panel's top Republican.
"Number two, congressional committees have asked for relevant and specific information that hasn't been provided yet by the nominee or the administration."
Meanwhile, the chairman of the committee, Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, could not have offered more lavish praise for Perez.
"Perhaps most importantly, Tom Perez knows how to bring people together to make progress on even controversial issues, without burning bridges," Harkin said. "He knows how to hit the ground running and quickly and effectively become an agent of real change. That is exactly the kind of leadership we need at the Department of Labor."
While Democrats praised Perez's record at the Department of Justice and as Maryland's labor secretary, Republicans focused mostly on one incident in which Perez persuaded the city of St. Paul, Minn., to withdraw a housing discrimination case that it could have appealed to the Supreme Court and that could have potentially led to a result that would have made it harder for the government to file such cases.
In return for that agreement, the Justice Department vowed not to join two whistle-blower cases against St. Paul that, Republicans said, could have saved $200 million for U.S. taxpayers.
Perez has said the whistle-blower cases were bad ones for the Justice Department to get involved in, but Republicans said he overstepped his bounds in striking the deal.
"Mr. Perez's involvement in this whole deal seems to me an extraordinary amount of wheeling and dealing outside the normal responsibilities of the assistant attorney general over the Civil Rights Division," Alexander said.
But to Harkin, the Republican opposition to Perez is about something far larger than some obscure court cases from Minnesota.
"In short, Mr. Perez did his job at the Department of Justice, and he did it well," Harkin said. "When it comes down to it, I think that fact is the source of most of the controversy surrounding his nomination: Some people don't like Tom Perez precisely because he is passionate about enforcing our civil rights laws and has vigorously pursued such enforcement in his current position."
The debate over Perez's nomination now moves to the Senate floor, where Sen. David Vitter, R-La., has vowed to block the nomination.
"The Senate has plenty of reasons to be suspicious of Thomas Perez's record," Vitter said Thursday.
"But a major focus of mine is DOJ's clear inconsistency around which part of the National Voter Registration Act should be enforced at the expense of Louisiana voters. I'll be demanding a 60-vote threshold now that his nomination comes to the full Senate."
All of which causes Democratic senators to, figuratively if not literally, roll their eyes.
"I'm the only one here who actually knows Mr. Perez," said Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., who praised Perez as a leader on labor issues and noted that the Maryland Chamber of Commerce had praised him, too, as a public official capable of bringing competing interests together.
Competing interests also seemed to dominate the committee's debate over the Pearce and Griffin nominations.
While the nomination of Pearce, a former Buffalo labor lawyer, to a full five-year term proved to be the least controversial of the three, he endured tough questioning from both Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., and Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., about whether the labor board had made it too easy for unions to organize. They said they were especially concerned that the board was sanctioning the formation of "micro-unions" that include as few as two employees.
"The NLRB should be a neutral arbitrator, an impartial and unbiased board protecting the rights of both employers and employee," Scott said. "But instead, the board has become an activist board, from my perspective."
Griffin contended that the board was merely enforcing the law as it was written in approving those unions.
Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., said something larger was at play in all the Republican criticism.
Labor rights "have been under prolonged attack" for 30 years, Murray said.
Meanwhile, Griffin – a Buffalo native – was questioned about how and when Obama originally appointed him.
Obama appointed Griffin and Sharon Block, another labor lawyer, to the labor board on Jan. 4, 2012, while the Senate, though not in town, was technically in session. Nevertheless, Obama deemed them to be "recess appointments" that didn't need to be approved by the Senate.
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals recently disagreed, ruling that Griffin and Block were appointed illegally. While the Obama administration is appealing that decision to the Supreme Court, the lower-court ruling has thrown into question 910 decisions that the labor board has made since Griffin and Block joined it.
What's more, their original appointment – and recent renomination – enraged Republicans.
"Not only has the president shown a lack of respect for the constitutional role of the separation of powers and the curb on the executive branch that Article One provides, but I believe these two individuals have as well" by continuing to serve, Alexander said.
Asked to defend his appointment, Griffin said the president had no choice but to make those recess appointments at the time.
"The board could not function; it was down to only two board members," Griffin said.
"So in order for the board to function, it was necessary for the president to act."
Despite that argument, Republicans are expected to unanimously oppose Griffin's renomination in committee and perhaps try to kill it on the Senate floor as well.
email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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People are lining up at the San Diego Zoo's Safari Park to watch Ruuxa the cheetah cub and Raina the puppy play.
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Good JavaScript Habits
- Speakers: Elijah Manor
Right click "Save as…"Slides
It seems that far too many people come to JavaScript thinking that their previous knowledge with object-oriented languages like C# or Java will help them be successful at client-side scripting. In many cases, you can be successful with this approach, however, the more JavaScript you write you will inevitably find yourself uncovering strange bugs because you didn't take time to learn JavaScript properly. This session is targeted for developers that want to use JavaScript or frameworks like Query, but haven't invested adequate time to learn some of the foundational JavaScript concepts that differ from C#. If you would like to avoid some of these common mistakes when bringing your existing expertise to JavaScript, then please join me as I try to explain some of the differences.
Note: due to a technical issue at the event location the quality of the recording is not as it should be and we would like to apologize for that.
The slides of this session are available on http://elijahmanor.github.com/talks/good-js-practices/index.html.
Elijah Manor is a Christian and a family man. He develops at appendTo as a Senior Architect providing corporate jQuery support, training, and JavaScript consulting. He is an ASP.NET MVP, ASPInsider and specializes in jQuery development. He has written several articles for the MSDN Script Junkie website and enjoys blogging about the things he learns. He is also very active on Twitter and Google+ providing daily up-to-date tech resources.
Twitter: http://twitter.com/elijahmanor
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On being Broadway babies:
For the stage version of Am-erican Idiot, "there are people in the audience who would contemplate diving off the balcony into a mosh pit," says Armstrong, 38.
On pleasing the parents:
Mike Dirnt's parents are "very supportive of what we do — but they've got their own lives, too," says the bassist, 38. "I'll ask them to come out and see something, and it'll be, 'I'm not getting on a plane!' "
On starting a Rock Band:
The group just launched its own version of the popular video game.


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So much more frequently these days we see many suggestions to practice the traditional fine art and science of meditation. For eons past those that came prior to us have actually spoken quantities concerning this wonderful gift we all posses however today at times, we forget to use.
We all are participating either unaware or mindful. in a quantum shift bringing sometimes, troubled adjustments in all areas of our society and global frameworks. Nobody is excused from the impacts these quick modifications bring. While widely seasoned, these trans-formative energies are processed and separately one-of-a-kind differently depending on a person's outlook. With a little self-control and practice we can use this present of reflection to assist harmony stress levels, minimize mind-movies which seem to play continuously to bring raising levels of delight, quality and purpose in to life. Singing Bowls help aid in this process. Find out more about classes, courses, and workshops at VibrationalsoundAssociation.com.
While it's true that contemplative methods are known by several labels in essentially all cultures each with numerous forms of method, finding one that will certainly help you is quite easy. Most importantly, this carefully leads us eventually to an unique place we commonly desire and desire- greater understanding and acceptance to life's mysteries.
We will certainly discover reflection allows you in the purest feeling, to produce your own life's encounters. For now, think about that throughout mind-calming exercise you can switch out, and clear out undesirable ideas with life affirming versions getting- a true, enduring peace of body, soul and mind. Meditation is your entrance supplying all that and more … you can also produce some miracle in your life with this basic process! Himalayan Singing Bowls give that calming effect.
As you might have listened to or if you are already a specialized professional, people report extensive emotional, physical and spiritual well-being as they practice reflection daily. What after that is mind-calming exercise actually all regarding?
Record to this day
According to many archeologists, reflection pre dates composed documents. Along with expanding profession, cultural exchange was likewise carried westward and mind-calming exercise practice was quickly installed in eastern thought and spiritual techniques.
They are everyday individuals like you and I. Of course progressing via time, the lengthy record of reflection is no longer only credited to the Hindus and Buddhists. Not to be left out, Christianity, Islam and Judaism additionally get involved in the perpetuation of reflection each with its very own take on the practice. The best singing bowl is from Tibetan Arts.
In times past these religious beliefs do not dominate in their teachings and practices a culture of meditation when compared to the Oriental customs. Mind-calming exercise finds its location here in our Western society in the early 1960's in to the '70's. This was a time when considerably of our society was being examined, demanding to be redefined. Reflection found fertile ground in which to flourish and broaden. Some can claim it was the "hippie" change which encouraged to welcome acceptance of foreign ideas yet just one that had genuine substantive worth. When the Western clinical and clinical community began to carry out research and studies on reflection, it was not long after that. And what did most studies otherwise all, to varying degrees locate?
You guessed it- substantial health and wellness perks. Among the most vital aspects of mind-calming exercise is just how it launches tension from our bodies. This is obtained by bridging the gap in between our un-conscious and conscious selves, scenarios or non-justified thoughts that ferment tension become much less considerable and actually lose their energy. With meditation, it does not take lengthy prior to you feel a lot more serene and relaxed regarding every little thing. What took place to trigger this virtually amazing adjustment? Researches have shown that meditation raises serotonin levels which directly impact our habits and emotional character. On the other hand, low degrees of serotonin bring about misery, hassles also insomnia. All symptoms connected with tension.
Today, our western civilization with all our "advanced" expertise has actually re-affirmed the ancient understanding and understanding of reflection's healing power to assist alleviate psychological and bodily conditions. And this was simply the infancy of revelation or should we claim re-discovery of endless powers available inside each of us. Today, intercession without question is an universally medically accepted type of alternative recovery used worldwide. Reflection could be summarized as an organic system within each of us that makes it possible for the spirit within, the higher, true self to link the interaction gap into our bodily aspects basing us in genuine passion.
With a little self-control and practice we could use this present of meditation to aid balance tension degrees, lessen mind-movies which appear to play continuously to bring raising degrees of happiness, clearness and objective in to life. Crystal Singing bowls can also be used. See how here CrystalVibes.com
As you may have heard or if you are already a devoted professional, people state extensive mental, spiritual and bodily welfare as they engage in reflection daily. Along with expanding field, social exchange was also held westward and meditation method was quickly embedded in eastern thought and spiritual practices.
Not to be left out, Buddhism, Islam and Hindu additionally get involved in the perpetuation of mind-calming exercise each with its very own take on the method.
In times past these spiritual beliefs do not dominate in their trainings and practices a culture of meditation when reviewed to the Asian practices.


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Entertainment Photos
Photos: Jennifer Hudson and Alicia Keys sing pregame, Beyonce rocks halftime at Super Bowl
Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images
NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 03: Singer Beyonce performs during the Pepsi Super Bowl XLVII Halftime Show at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on February 3, 2013 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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About the Event:
Let the people who revolutionized hair extensions teach you how to apply a full head of hair extensions in under an hour! Learn how to add volume, length, & color effects by utilizing our seamless, 100% Remy Human hair extensions.
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Soriano by the Pitches
Hoping to understand Alfonso Soriano's hot and cold streaks this year, I turned to the incomparable Fan Graphs to break down his present and historical success against different pitches. The results suggest that Soriano is losing the skill that made him one of the more feared hitters in the game, but that he might have found a method to compensate for this loss. Below is a chart showing the percentage of fastballs Soriano has seen each year since 2005, with 2009 broken down per month. It also shows his ranking among hitters seeing the fewest fastballs, his "runs above average" number on fastballs, (wFastball) and how high he ranks among all hitters, and his overall OPS. (As in, not specific to fastballs) The most important thing to notice here is his wFB rank.
|FB% Rank
|wFB Rank
|April 2009
May 2009
|June 2009
|July 2009
|August 2009
You probably have noticed a couple of striking trends going on here. First, Soriano has progressively moved from being one of the most effective hitters in baseball against the fastball to being quite pedestrian. Second, pitchers have not noticed and adapted to this change: They contiue to avoid throwing fastballs to Soriano as if he were the same hitter he was in 2005. He's not.
So how do we explain Soriano's April and July, when he hit like the hitter for whom the Cubs offered that premium contract?
Finding that answer requres looking at Soriano's results swinging at sliders.
|Slider %
|SL % Rank
|wSL Rank
|April 2009
|May 2009
|June 2009
|July 2009
|August 2009
It makes sense that if pitchers fear Soriano's ability to hit the fastball, they would throw him an inordinate number of sliders, and indeed the table indicates Soriano consistently sees among the most sliders in the game. Throughout his career Soriano has proven to be one of the weaker hitters against sliders.
This potentially could be a toxic combination: A fastball hitter who no longer can hit fastballs, and still doesn't see any fastballs to boot. But then look at the two months this year that Soriano has hit: April and July. The numbers indicate that Soriano's output isn't due to hitting fastballs with the authority to which he is accustomed; instead he's hitting sliders in a way that he previously did not. Well.
Of course, other factors might be at work as well, but if so I have yet to find an obvious candidate. Such marked changes do not appear when looking at Soriano's results against other pitch types. Neither does plate discipline seem to be the issue. Soriano is both swinging at fewer pitches outside of the strikezone this year, and making more contact when he does swing - both at pitches inside and out of the zone, and it shows no meaningful fluctuation from month to month in 2009. His BABIP shows severe fluctuations from month to month, but that appears to be driven by corresponding changes in his line-drive percentage, so there's nothing unusual there.
Assuming that these stats do reveal a truth about the real world (I know, I know), there are several questions to consider going forward. Most obvious, what is the cause behind Soriano's diminish returns against fastballs? Is it that he now has a "slider speed bat"? Is it a matter of approach at the plate, where he has stopped guessing fastball in order to better hit the breaking stuff? The latter can be fixed, the former, not so much. Looking at how consistent the downward trend is, my hunch is that it's the former, a slow erosion in the speed of his bat. If it's the former, and Soriano is losing some quickness in the swing, will we see him move away from his preference for heavy bats? And will he be able to compensate by consistently hitting sliders with the results found in April and July? Then, there are questions concerning how pitchers resond. At what point will pitchers adjust to the fact that Soriano does not hit fastballs with the authority he once did, and adjust their pitch selection? There may be a lot riding on these questions.
Update: I was unaware of it as I wrote, but less than a month ago R.J. Anderson at Fan Graphs wrote about how few fastballs Soriano sees. He doesn't mention either Soriano's historical trend of diminishing results on the fastball, or the weird fluctuations this year on the sliders; instead he reaffirms the notion that Soriano is a good fastball hitter and the problem is in the dearth of fastballs he sees. I think he may be wrong there, but I should at least try to be a good scholar and cite the work.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
soriano has always played at the plate (and still does) standing at the very front of the box.
this lets him takes hacks at offspeed stuff before/early in the break.
he swings a bat damn hard/fast for a guy with this frame. this has allowed him to stand in the front of the box and still catch up with those fastballs rather than so many blowing by him.
as far as if his bat speed really is diminishing or it's some kinda hand/eye contact issue...i dunno. a guy that Ks as much as he does is expected to take some ugly swings, but in some of these foul-off-fests he's making contact with stuff he'd drive in years past only to find himself poking it foul being late.
i blame larry rothschild and the assistant groundskeeper.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Excellent piece, Trans. I'd think the declining bat speed hypothesis is correct. Soriano's almost a pure reaction hitter, placing a heavy burden on his athleticism. Now that he's on the wrong side of 30, his reliance on see ball-hit ball becomes a liability.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Decision on BJ coming soon too?
from sun-times notes:
Lefty B.J. Ryan, the former All-Star closer the Cubs signed when Toronto released him last month, pitched another scoreless inning for Class AAA Iowa, striking out one and walking one. He hasn't allowed a run in five appearances, including three of the last four days.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Neat. Call him up. Then Hendry just needs a couple more lefties and his nefarious plan to convert the bullpen to all lefties will be complete. Bwah-ha-ha-ha... *wrings hands together menacingly*
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
No seriously, though, another effective or semi-effective lefty in the pen would be nice.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Wow. Really interesting post, Trans, and written at 1am, it ascends to the rank of superb. (Like a well executed dive with a high degree of difficulty.)
I wonder to what degree moving to a lighter bat allows an older player to compensate for loss of bat speed. If I had to guess, it would be some, but less than one might imagine (or, in Soriano's case, less than Cub fans would hope). And he has all of those years still left on that contract.
Additionally, I have this suspicion that Soriano would no more readily move to a lighter bat--and thus concede his aging--than Lou was willing to move him out of the leadoff spot.
Thanks again for the piece.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Moving back in the box might make him more vulnerable to breaking pitches, but it would also give him that extra split second to recognize a breaking pitch (something he clearly has trouble doing).
I wish we lived in the future and had some kind of supercomputer to model these hypotheticals for us (like taking an ounce off his bat and moving him a foot back in the box).
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
When Soriano heats up, you might as well throw the numbers out. As late as this April Soriano was crunching any kind of pitch... slider, fastball, changeup, it just didn't matter.
When he's slumping though (and his slumps are as inevitable as his hot streaks) he'll wave at a slider no matter how far off the plate it is.
I think he'll put to rest this talk of declining bat speed very soon.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
I'd wager ye be a bit overly-optimistic.
Clearly Soriano, has a history of streakiness, but Trans is looking at long term trends. He's been streaky over the course of individual seasons. But the trend over the last several seasons is that he does less and less with the fastball.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
670 WSCR will be interviewing Randy Wells "soon" (which in radiospeak could be anywhere from 4 minutes to 30 minutes from now). Here's a link to the Internet radio feed.
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Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Aww SANP!
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Isn't this all just Billy Beane-speak for saying the dude got a lot bigger contract than he should have gotten?
Seriously, nice analysis. If he can't hit sliders as he gets older he is totally fucked cuz most hitters past a certain age (they all have different peaks) can't turn on good fastballs at some point. He's got such good wrist movement though I'm a bit surprised by this. Hmmm, now that I think about it maybe his wrists are a little less Ernie Bankish this year.
Pitching Stats
"Average slider from the Chicago Cubs' Angel Guzman(notes): 90.2 mph."
"[The league b]est slider is Ryan Dempster, whose 15.6 runs-above-average pitch is well ahead of second-place Zack Greinke."
Re: Pitching Stats
I'm not a big stats guy (in fact, I barely understand them), but that article had some pretty cool stuff in it, like this:
"19) Hitting a fastball is not imperative. Just ask the Pittsburgh Pirates.
You figure that during the Pirates' fire sale they would manage to upgrade offensively from their former shortstop, Jack Wilson(notes), whose anemic 11.2 runs below average on fastballs personified the franchise quite well. But no. They replaced him with Ronny Cedeno(notes), who in just over 200 at-bats is 17.9 runs below average. His 3.46 runs below per 100 fastballs is the worst in baseball, and scouts recognize it: Cedeno sees almost 70 percent fastballs because he can't touch them."
Re: Pitching Stats
I don't even care, I'd take Jack Wilson and move the riot back to 2B in a heartbeat. Talk about a guy that gets after the ball... He's one of my favorite active SS. Sure, he'll never be on my fantasy team, but he's a human highlight reel.
Re: Pitching Stats
What a great article.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Can we label Prince Fielder as crazy now?
nice article Trans...I find the disconnect between April and August though to be most concerning. If he really did figure out how to hit slider betters, I find it hard to believe he figured it out, forgot for 2-3 months and then figured it out again.
In the meantime, I'll enjoy him not sucking.
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I think explanation and Soriano are allergic to each other.
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Wow, what were they thinking.
Here is another head line that is more of a happy coincidence than inappropriate.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Heh. Click through to the original article (Richardson's link) and see the bland headline they hurriedly put up in its place.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
This all could be due to "the age 33 effect on great hitters" described by Bill James.
Maybe Soriano just needs to work through it. But if I were Jim Hendry I'd get his eyes checked especially for farsightedness which would cause the ball to go out of focus the closer it gets to the plate.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
farsightedness which would cause the ball to go out of focus the closer it gets to the plate.
reading glasses?...shhh, don't tell him it says "Rawlings" when they give him the reading test.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Mechanical problems can also contribute to being unable to hit fastballs. It's not necessarily a symptom of aging.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
When you did your doctoral thesis were you allowed to present evidence like the difference between 2006 and 2007 as significant?
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
There was also the change in leagues between 2005 and 2006, which could explain that variation.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Every single post I make equals the effort I put into every single paper I wrote in grad school.
[edit] Maybe that's why my job sucks.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Darryl Strawberry waves 'hi'.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
No, that doesn't make any sense.
What I am suggesting is that if you learn something in school, you apply it to things outside of school. For instance, when you come to a sign when you're driving that says 'Stop', you don't drive through it thinking "well, I learned to read at school, they certainly can't expect me to apply those lessons to everything else in my life, reading is only for school". Your excuse here is as likely to get by me, as it is to get you out of a moving violation citation.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
OK Trans. I will turn on my psychic antenna so that I know which things you say you don't really mean.
To recap:
1. People are assuming correlation is causation, based primarily on the data in the article.
2. I point out that correlation is not causation.
3. Trans says 'but yeah, it's really correlated'
4. I point out that it's not really that correlated, and wonder why trans thinks it is, when he should know better.
5. Trans' panties get twisted, and it changes the argument, and constructs a strawman
6. I point out the flaw in Trans's 2nd argument
7. Trans says 'I wasn't really arguing the first thing, anyway, quit picking on me', and presumably unwinds his panties.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
And don't you dare bring up the Chicago Bears!!
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
There is a right way and a wrong way to disagree or make a point and TCR posters vary in their level of tact.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Fuck you, Ryno.
(Joking. Someone had to.)
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Just to clarify, is it beyond the pale of what's acceptable in Parachat? If so, I'll need to go back to my comedy writing team and have them redo some of my material for tonight.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Just so you know, I had a doozy of a joke that tied your professional acumen to a midget gay witch with cancer and a mustache.
Back to the drawing board.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
I don't know, he seems pretty proud of the Skinny Dick thing.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Whereas you can't seem to get thoughts of it out of your head.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
I see what you did there. Classy, as per.
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Nice to see a correction to Lhose's and Piniero's ERA now that the slipper has fallen off of Wellemeyer.
Ankiel's going to be an interesting FA this off-season.
0.5 up (three in the loss column)
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Well, I know I judge Dr. Hecht's skills at practicing medicine by whether or not I agree with his views on Ryan Theriot.
Heh, this is fun.
...that's not fair, it's much harder to reply in a timely manner to snarky remarks while I'm scrubbed in surgery. At any rate, my Theriot views are less important than my dislike for Heilman when it comes to evaluating my surgical skills.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Bringing this discussion full circle, Do World Class Surgeons start to lose it at age 33?
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
How would Cubster know?
Ya burned!
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Muskat sees Aaron Miles at the GABP... Seems like Stevens must be headed back to IA... Any other guesses?
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
makes no sense...stevens has had a week off, he's ready to pitch again.
24 man roster is hell...they should let the cubs have 25 men like the rest of baseball.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Cubs just released BJ Ryan according to Gordon Wittenmyer. His Twitter says:
"Ryan asked for his release and was granted it today. Felt his velocity and sharpness wouldn't get there."
Now that I read it again, I assume he's talking about BJ and not Theriot or Dempster.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
good luck finding that september callup bj...have fun with that 86-88mph fastball and lack of control.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
per the next wittenmeyer twitter:
Miles gives Theriot day off. Lineup: fuky, miles, lee, rami, milt, sori, font, hill, harden
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Sweet mother of Allah, how can Miles be back here? I know he was being a good sport and sticking at Iowa, but he couldn't even hit down there. I had a bad feeling we would see him back ASAP once Blanco got his mystery injury.
Miles hit .253/.267/.299 in 87 ab's at Iowa.
That's worse than Neifi Perez' last year with the Cubs....
.254/.266/.343 against far better pitchers than Miles was facing down there.
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theriot got NAILED on the wrist early in yesterday's game...it led to later lobbing a throw without strength to 1st on a play he got an error on.
no SS to be had and miles is up out of necessity. he's batting 2nd because only dusty does that and dusty is the manager of the cubs forever and ever.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
The release of BJ Ryan seems weird to me. The Blue Jays originally released him because his velocity was down and he wasn't getting hitters out.
He must have thought he still had something to contribute because he signed a minor league deal with the Cubs and set out to work on his mechanics. Cubs officials fell all over themselves to say that Ryan was intent on working things out "the right way." At one point, someone with the Cubs said Ryan's problems were more mental than mechanical, which made it sound like he could get things turned around pretty quickly.
In short order, Ryan went from Mesa to AAA and he was apparently pitching well. Reports were that he would be joining the big team soon if he continued on the path he was on. Instead, he asks for his release. Seems weird.
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There are a few Cub/former Cub players that make me physically ill - warranted or not - it just is what it is:
Aaron Mild
Will Oh-Man!
As far as I know, not one beat reporter has pressed Hendry on why the hell he thought Aaron Miles was a "bargain" at $2.7MM for two years - or whatever the actual amount is.
This is a player that should be on the bench of the Padres in their current form, or the Nats, or even the Reds. NOT on a team like the Cubs in a pennant run.
How Tony LaRussa got the numbers he did out of Miles continues to proliferate his mythic proportions in my mind. Astounding.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Royals DFA'd Ryan Freel.
.244/.306/.289 in 18 games this season.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Lou on pregame said Lilly had an excellent bullpen session and is well ahead of schedule.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
MLB Network has picked up Saturday night's Cubs/Rockies game.
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*sees Aaron Miles on the lineup card*
*punches wall*
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Fuck you, Ryno.
At least buy me dinner first.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
gregg had a decent outting at least.
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Cubs hitters get two days off. Should be well rested for Colorado.
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Shut out by Justin Lehr? Who? With the only extra base hit coming by Rich Harden?
That's embarrassing.
Ah well, on to Colorado this is a pretty big series, need at least a split to at least have a .500 road trip.
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it's pretty pathetic. guy was getting the cubs to swing at bad stuff not even on the plate (and stuff on the plate) without doing much with it. 70-87mph stuff all night...yeesh.
that low 70s curve fooled almost everyone.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Lehr's a nice story, one of those prospects who never got any hype and just got promoted by simply doing his job every time out.
I wonder how different things could've been for this team if they'd taken AZ Phil's advice to trade/nontender Harden and keep DeRo.
Re: Lehr's a nice story, one of those prospects
Lehr's a 32 year old AAAA BUM who should have retired years ago.
That was an absolutely pathetic performance by the Cubs offense yesterday. Shameless!
Re: Lehr's a nice story, one of those prospects
It is not unusual for any MLB team, frankly.
Unless a team has superior advanced scouting (which the Cubs do not seem to have), these things happen more than you would think. The Astros AAA pitcher last week is an example when he pitched against the Cards, I believe.
In watching the Cubs since 1968, I'd have to say that when they face a "no-name" or AAA pitcher for the first time, more than not it seems as if they have problems.
And, particularly with junk-ballers.
Re: Lehr's a nice story, one of those prospects
I think SHAMEFUL is the overly melodramatic word you're looking for.
Re: Lehr's a nice story, one of those prospects
Re: Lehr's a nice story, one of those prospects
that team got shutout by some nobody rookie.
that guy's name?
Jeff Pico
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
I blame Miles.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Why is Aaron Miles still a big leaguer?
2009 numbers:
... it's the PCL, folks. He can't hit in the PCL league. AAA Iowa was probably glad he was called up just to get him out of the lineup.
Maybe Aaron Miles contributes in other ways...
Cubs record...
When Aaron Miles starts...
I hate this signing... I hate him as a player... I hate that the Cubs front office hasn't cut him yet. He is the worst player the Cubs have had since Enrique Wilson. Yes, he's even worse than Neifi!
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
It is really weird that early this AM, when struggling to get up, I wondered what the Cubs record was with Aaron Mild starting. And you printed it!
Another LaRussa mystery.
Maybe LaRussa secretly tortures players that do not perform well?
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
I'm in your head.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Or, I'm in yours.
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Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Brad Snyder back in the lineup for Iowa tonight. His previous game was May 18.
Esmailin Caridad livened up the box score tonight with 12 K's in 6 innings.
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livened up the box score tonight...
John Gaub added another scoreless inning (with 2 K's) to his already miniscule ERA now below 0.66. Anyone who's seen him pitch for the I-Cubs care to assess how close he is to being the extra lefty out of the pen now that BJ Ryan's out of the picture?
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no idea what this is for, but some funny moments with Rollins and Howard...
6th Round Pick Raley Signs...
Re: 6th Round Pick Raley Signs...
750K? damn.
cubs now got their 1st 12 picks signed. sweet.
i hope bj dail (17th round) signs. he's had a rough time the past few years, but his stock is low enough to make him a deal.
he's behind his childishness (hopefully). he's made 2 seriously stupid mistakes with his life the past few years (with many more minor ones) and it seems he's got a little more respect for his own life now.
nevermind...just noticed he was signed, but his contract was voided. no f'n comment...the stupid kid.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Harden not pleased with team effort yesterday, from Sun Times-
''That's the key: bring some intensity out there. That's just what we lacked today. We just didn't have it. Guys were taking a day off a little too early.''
I jumped off parachat before Sori got picked off, when it happen Bob said to Len "you know what I said about having a feel for the game?" Implying Sori doesn't.
Bob is right.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Submitted by Jace on Wed, 08/05/2009 - 4:24pm.
Saying that not only was BJ Ryan released, but so was Jason Waddell. Also, Stevens is the one going back down to AAA. So, we're minus two lefties for the day... Seems pretty odd to me...
JACE: The Jason Waddell release had nothing to do with his performance on the field. Think about when he was placed on the DL for "non-baseball related issues" a couple of months ago and then it might not seem so odd that he suddenly got released for no apparent reason.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
The Trib said it was for "violating team regulations."
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
He was DLed for non-baseball medical reasons and then released for violating team policy. So we still have no idea what the DL stint was for, but he recovered and was optioned to Iowa, and then didn't give up a run in 11 innings and then was released for violating team policy. My guess: he's a drunk, got in a bar fight the first time and got injured, then wasn't supposed to do that shit again and was caught.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Did he bang Cindy Sandberg too?
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Thats Gold Jerry! Gold!
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Does anyone know why Jay Jackson was demoted to Daytona?
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Jay Jackson was demoted for disciplinary reasons. Bruce Miles mentioned it in one of his blogs or comments in his blogs. He didn't have any details. That's Bruce Miles of the Daily Herald for the out of towners.
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Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Yous donts haves to call him Jay....
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I think one thing yesterday's game proved is that Mike Fontenot does not belong in the major leagues. That he's the regular second baseman for a team that calls itself a contender is embarrassing.
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In sad news:
Rest in peace John Hughes. I don't know if he was a Cub fan but he certainly had the right idea in send Ferris Bueller to Wrigley Field.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Thanks to all for the Jackson update.
John Hughes must have been a Cub fan. Several of his movies had Cub references, i,e, Sixteen Candles, Family Vacation, Ferris Buehler. I know he lived in Lake Forest for awhile and may still have been.
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I think Hughes lived in NY, but still owned a farm somewhere in Northern Illinois. I know he was in NY when he died.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
The NY Times .com article said he "lived on a farm in northern Illinois"
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
I thought he lived in a van down by the river.
Kevin Hart Watch...
5 ip so far, 2 ER, 4 K, 0 BB versus Dbacks and Scherzer...
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Fontenot isn't the only subtraction Hendry (or hopefully new ownership/management) needs to make this off-season. Here's my cheat sheet for Jimbo or the new GM:
GONE -- Heilman, Harden, Gregg, Chad Fox (please, no more), Koyie Hill, Miles, Baker, Bradley, and Reed Johnson. Some are FA's, the rest trade, non-tender, waive outright..........I don't care as long as I don't have to watch them in Cubs pinstripes anymore. I would re-sign Johnson at a reasonable salary ($3-4M per year - limit 2 years), and I would keep my mind open on Grabow if he finishes the season strong.
Next years roster if I was GM:
P--Zambrano, Lilly, Dempster, Wells, Gorzelany, Grabow, Marshall, Marmol, Guzman, Samardzija, Stevens, and Gaub.
C--Soto, Clevenger
IF--Lee, Theriot (2b), Castro (ss), Ramirez, Barney, Hoffpauir
OF--Soriano, Fukudome, J. Fox, Snyder, Fuld
Payroll would be between $115-120M (room to add at trade deadline), yes Castro would be a gamble but read Daytona's manager's report on him, NTC contracts still make up most of the payroll hence the bench/bullpen number of rookie/non-veterans, and if they have to eat the $22.7M owed to Bradley and Mills then all the more reason to kick Hendry to the curb.
For the record, I don't hate Hendry or wish him gone. However, the mistakes in his track record demonstrate he needs senior management oversight from someone who knows baseball better than Crane Kenney.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
I mostly agree with you on the moves but Samardzija has to go. At the very least he needs to go to Iowa and pray he finds control. He's another train wreck that doesn't belong on a major league roster.
I doubt Castro will be ready to hit major league pitching that soon.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
it would really suck to see Rich Harden strike out 10+ guys per nine innings again for the Cubs...that would be terrible.
Pretty strong feeling that Wells won't be this good ever again and I hope you have something on Gorzelanny past one good start against a horrible offensive team.
Glowing reports in Daytona does not equal major league quality player...at least not yet. He's got 34 errors already this season at SS, let's make sure he can actually play the position before handing him the job.
And for all the hand-wringing over Milton Bradley, he's getting on-base and last I checked scoring runs is as important as driving them in. He's having an off-year, no one is doubting that, but tossing $20M+ down the drain is borderline insane. But I assume you had Fukudome's bags packed last season as well...
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Of course, Harden also leads the staff in HR allowed, has a 4.41 ERA, and is not real consistent..
Agreed on Bradley....so hit him 2nd instead of 5th, and let him get on base to his heart's content. If he's going to hit 5th...try driving in some runs.
Castro might be a good idea...in another season or 2...
Most of us would have driven Fukudome to the airport after last season..
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
I don't think Harden should be resigned just because of the injury risk, but if he accepts arbitration. I'd be more than fine with it.
When you can strike out 10+ per 9 innings, you have something special, the HR's rate this year seems like an outlier for him. And he's been amazing in the second half.
But saying I don't ever want to see him in a Cubs uniform sounded kind of ridiculous.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
I've noticed more often than not, comments made in the heat of an argument tend to be almost invariably the person's true feelings. When Lou told Bradley, "...you're not a ballplayer, you're a piece of shit!" I believe Lou really believes that; and with Lou having over 40 years in professional baseball I'm inclined to agree with his assessment of Bradley. Lou didn't want Bradley, he wanted Ibanez and that's pretty well documented. Bradley wasn't brought here to dazzle the lineup with his OBA, he was brought here to drive in runs in the middle of the order preferably against right-handed pitching. How's that working out? He was a mistake, Rob, albeit a $30M mistake but a mistake nonetheless. So, yes, I would pull the plug and try to trade him (best case) or release him. It looks like some combination of Fox/Fuld/Snyder would produce as many runs as Bradley has or would.
Fukudome -- I thought after the second half of 2008, the Cubs might have over-estimated his potential (yeah, that doesn't happen too often...does it?). Here again, Lou doesn't get the credit he deserves by (first) moving him to CF, (second) batting 2nd, then leadoff after moving Fonzie to 6th, and (third) putting him in pitching matchups where he can best succeed. Also, give Kosuke some credit for working on his game this off-season. The Cubs might have a CF who can hit .275 with a .350/.375 OBA and 15 HR/ 70 RBI who's a damn good defensive outfielder. $12M is a little high for that production but a lot of CF's with those numbers get $7-9M/year.
Castro -- yes, it's a reach to move to the show next year. I'd be fine with Blanco at 2B until help is ready at AAA or AA. I can't watch people who offend my baseball sensibilities over 162 games again (i.e. Fontenot, Miles, etc.).
Harden -- you can't build an effective starting rotation around a guy you know at Opening Day will only start 25-28 games a year. He has a shoulder that could blow at any point and the Cubs medical people and Hendry know this. After the playoffs, goodbye Rich......good luck.
Wells/Gorzelany -- short answer: who knows? Based on contracts and performance these guys probably come back: Z, Lilly, Dempster, Wells, Marmol, Guzman, Marshall, Samardzija ($2.5M whether he plays in Chicago or Iowa). I would re-sign Grabow if he continues to perform this well and the money/length work. Stevens, Gaub, Gorzelany, Atkins probably are in the mix for the final spots.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Here again, Lou doesn't get the credit he deserves by (first) moving
him to CF, (second) batting 2nd, then leadoff after moving Fonzie to
6th, and (third) putting him in pitching matchups where he can best
Probably not getting credit because it's the same Lou that batted Fuku 5th for a good part last year and won't move Bradley out of the middle of the order.
So, yes, I would pull the plug and try to trade him (best case) or
release him. It looks like some combination of Fox/Fuld/Snyder would
produce as many runs as Bradley has or would.
Fox might do as well with the bat, but you have to play defense. Fuld and Snyder is quite a helluva reach there...kind of an absurd reach.
Bradley's having a tough season, I'm not going to argue that, Alou had a tough season his first year with the Cubs (as did some other FA signings with the Cubs) but at least Bradley is still doing things to help the team. He's not driving the ball the way they wanted him too, but a .389 OBP is not easy to come by. Hopefully Lou realizes that batting him 2nd is the right thing until he shows some power. Trading him is fine, maybe even eat a few million, but releasing him is downright retarded.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
Not that there is any danger of this happening, but I don't think sending Castro to the majors in 2010 will yield good results immediately or in the future.
I think about it a bit like training singers. There are some people out there with voices so beautiful you want to immediately have them singing arias. But proper training would help to prevent them from forming bad habits (harmful to the vocal chords, etc.) and, frankly, if they don't have the training in vocal control, intonation, etc., they're going to run into problems. He's already being rushed through the minors. Let's not have him skip AAA altogether. It'd be best if he spends a full year at AAA at some point, or at least a full year at AA and a partial year at AAA.
It's not like he's demolishing the minors, either. We're mostly excited about him because of his potentials. He's been caught stealing a bunch and while his rate stats are good, they aren't amazing. He's still learning from his time down there, and I don't think he'd outperform either Theriot or Blanco at this point.
Re: Soriano by the Pitches
So he was a little like Kyle Farnsworth the only difference
being Farnsworth would have hurt someone else
Recent comments
j.buchanan with a nice start...5ip 2h 1bb 3k, 0r/er
zobrist with 2HR and a double through 8
heyward 0-4 :(
Mark Gonzales @MDGonzales
Soler likely to return Sunday, Maddon says
Right now, I'd like to see the Mets first, Giants 2nd.
I believe that since most of the team from last years' NLCS is on the squad this year, they will really amp their game up even more to kick their ass in payback for 2015.
The Giants just do not have the depth in years past, and I think all things equal - and at Wrigley - they could handle them.
I do not want to see the Cards, period. Or their fans, media, or Joe Buck.
I don't want to play Braves in the first round. Any friggin team in the league can win 3 of 5..I hate the first round. Furthermore, I wanted to play the Marlins in 2003 and the Mets over Dodgers last year.
With that said in reverse order:
3. Cardinals: It will be devastating to lose in the first round, but even worse to their main rival. It is increased incentive for the Cardinals, especially after last year. Cards would have nothing to lose, Cubs have everything to lose.
2. Giants: Rotation in the playoffs scare me a bit, but what a lousy team.
1. Mets--because of the losses in the rotation
2. Giants--because they're not the team they were BUT they maybe have bullshit even-year magic?
3. Cardinals--because rivalry and not making the playoffs hurts them more than losing in the NLDS plus getting eliminated by them in the playoffs would make for horrible sports commentary next throughout next season.
Who's asking?
CLE/DET rained out last night already, possible rain-outs in New York (vs. Baltimore), Boston(vs. Toronto) and Philly(vs. Mets) this weekend too.
Not only games involving playoff spots that would need to be played, but any that involve home field advantage.
I got the first one! Second one I'm not even sure what even/odd betting is.
any opponent preference for NLDS?
Mets are down to 1 great pitcher instead of 4. Syndegaard may pitch Sunday which means if Mets win the WC game, he'd be set up for Game 1. There's a chance they clinch a spot by Sunday so he'd pitch the WC and then we'd probably get Colon for Game 1. They've certainly had the hottest bats over the last week and month out of the WC options.
A couple of Cub related puzzles.
Can't teach height and thinness
Hopefully Pirates don't call up A. Lincoln.
j.buchanan going friday...should be...baseball...or something like it.
Wow. I didn't know they could do that.
Nice for Willson, not so much for Addy.
Game is officially called...also officially a tie.
Stats count, no make-up date of course.
Yeah -- seeing the weather -- I hope KB and Rizz are inside, wrapped in blankets and drinking hot chocolate.


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Dartmouth Graduate Studies
Online recruitment fair for potential graduate students: Wednesday, November 18, 1-3pm EST. Find out more at dartgo.org/dartmouth-fair
Read More
Online recruitment fair for potential graduate students: Wednesday, November 18, 1-3pm EST. Find out more at dartgo.org/dartmouth-fair
Read More
A new ice core shows the rise and fall of environmental mercury over a 600-year period.Read More
To help answer a reader's question posed on The New York Times "Ask Well" column about the levels of arsenic found in rice vinegar and rice crackers, the newspaper's Deborah Blum turns to Dartmouth's Brian Jackson for hisRead More
Professor Carl Renshaw and 11 students just completed an unanticipated venture into the flood-ravaged canyons of Boulder, Colo.Read More
In a story about arsenic and whether any level of the naturally occurring element might be safe to ingest, Discover magazine speaks with a number of Dartmouth scientists who've done research on arsenic in drinking water and in food products.Read More
Bloomberg writes about a study linking above-normal amounts of naturally occurring radiation in a Pennsylvania creek to hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in the area of the creek, which flows into the Allegheny River.Read More
Nature points to a new study co-authored by Dartmouth's Mukul Sharma, a professor in the Department of Earth Sciences, that links the impact of a comet or meteor striking the Earth to the dramatic global climate change that occurred 12,900 years ago.Read More
In a new study funded by the National Science Foundation, Dartmouth researchers and their colleagues report that for the first time, a dramatic climate shift that has long fascinated scientists has been linked to the impact in Quebec of an asteroid or comet.Read More
On June 18, Erich Osterberg left Alaska's Denali National Park, where a collaborative Dartmouth-University of Maine-University of New Hampshire team had chronicled 1,000 years of regional climatic history.Read More
Scientific progress has transformed Darwin's simple evolutionary tree of life into a bush with a myriad of branches, representing phylogenetic relationships.Read More


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From Mirror reports
Seven area high school senior softball players will hit the field one more time and eight former players - including three from Philipsburg-Osceola and two from Claysburg-Kimmel - will be inducted at this year's Pennsylvania District 6 Softball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Game tonight.
The game will be held at Lock Haven University and pits a team of District 6 seniors against one from District 4. The 10-inning contest is scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m.
Halfway through the game, an intermission will be taken to induct the 2013 Hall of Fame class, among which are Claysburg's Marissa Leslie and Amber Claar and P-O's Mackenzie Gonder, Abby Peangatelli and Brittany Murphy. Gonder and Peangatelli were elected last year but could not attend.
Lewistown's Angela Rocco, Indian Valley's Amanda Wilson and Southern Huntingdon's Tia Whitsel round out the hall class.
Bellwood-Antis' Taylor Payne, Claysburg's Kala Brumbaugh and Philipsburg-Osceola's Kate Burge might join them in a few years, but for now those area players will participate in the game itself to round out their scholastic careers. Bellwood's Kelsey Decker, Claysburg's Courtlin Holland and Central Cambria's Kandace Long and Lexi Murin also made the 20-player District 6 roster.
Taylor Boyer (Mifflin County), Kala Brumbaugh (Claysburg-Kimmel), Kate Burge (Philipsburg-Osceola), Kelsey Decker (Bellwood-Antis), Erica Devinney (Bellefonte), Paige Dickey (Central Mountain), Megan Dudish (Bald Eagle Area), Johnna Garbrick (Central Mountain), McKenna Garlock (Southern Huntingdon), Kayla Glossner (Central Mountain), Courtlin Holland (Claysburg-Kimmel), Kelsey Jenkins (Southern Huntingdon), Brit Koch (Central Mountain), Morgan Kunes (Central Mountain), Kandace Long (Central Cambria), Jess McClenahan (Bellefonte), Lexi Murin (Central Cambria), Taylor Payne (Bellwood-Antis), Madisyn Sharer (Penns Valley).


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Exploiting?!?! Please. That's a stretch.
It's not as if every single hockey player in the NHL wasn't making far more than the average Joe. I have a very difficult time feeling much sympathy for either the players or the owners.
How long does the average NHL career last? Most players aren't superstars making 7 figure salaries for 15 years or more. The vast majority play only a few years. Not to mention, the players put themselves at risk every time they step on the ice. Look at Patrick Eaves, will he ever be "normal" again and live without pain? Keith Primeau probably will never live without the effects of his repeated concussions. Same for the Lindros brothers. Most players will likely have some sort of lasting physical or mental ailment as a result of playing in the NHL. What risk do the owners put themselves at? Are their careers over at 25?


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|Welcome to the MANGA Forum.
|You will have to register before you can post: log in or sign up at the top of the page to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
hi im new here i don't know how this works :D please i will apppreciate any support from mangas fans!!!!my name is loubna!
Welcome and I hope you have a great time! Enjoy your stay! We can be good friends! >.<
You will really like it here and make many, many friends.All you do is pick a topic in the forums that interests you and post away... We're all pretty cool here and a lot of fun -- right peoples? --In fact I'm going to add you to my buddies list ^_^ Hope to see you around all of the different forums... be sure & explore them all. Dewa Mata,Niji-Hana"Innoscence Activate" http://view.playlist.com/13500951819
What an interresting name. I'm YUICHIGOTH!
nice to see now fan.s you will have fun loubna lol http://www.playlist.com/user/40349380BUG THEM ALL############
greatings loubnaaurore
Your name that is The path to conquest leaves nothing else to be desired!!!!


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Family time done right.
Upgrade time with those who matter most onboard the TAHOE® 195!
At 19' 11" (6.07 m), it provides plenty of room for a crew of eight, and plenty of storage for all their gear! Plus, it has fore and aft casting/swim decks. Both with fishing seat base(s) for casting the day away, and a non-skid surface for surefooted dives.
Other great features to enhance your family time include the NEW upholstery for luxurious relaxing, removable table, Bimini top, refreshment center and the NEW stereo system for providing a custom soundtrack to all your fun!
Have a question about the 2014 Tahoe Deck Boat 195?


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Top Definition
someone who is clueless
'what are you, new?!'
de HM 17 Decembrie 2003
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
Acting as if you have no clue of what is going on. Either intentionally or unintentionally.
I DID call you yesterday.Why you acting all "new"?
You know that you were supposed to call ME yesterday. You can act "new" if you want to.
You know that you were supposed to call ME yesterday. You can act "new" if you want to.
de MsDanielle 26 Aprilie 2006
That which is not old.
de Eric 04 Noiembrie 2003
Used to denote somone who suddenly begins to act differently for whatever reason (i.e. job, girl/boyfriend)
Yo, man, Albert is actin' real new.
de Rob 23 Octombrie 2004
Synonymous with Hell
I just spent fourteen hours straight at N.E.W. Kill me, please.
de The Alyx of Troy 22 Septembrie 2007
short for tooheys new an australian beer brewed and bottled in NEW south wales
schooner of new thanks love
de coxy1987 04 Februarie 2010
A breast enhancement. A convenient way to refer to a woman's breast job.
Her chest looked new. In fact they look so new that the wrapper is still on them.
de Cliff 31 Martie 2004


text: Located in a castle built in 1790, the Le Locle Watch Museum houses one of the most beautiful watch boxes one can ever imagine. Visitors are delighted at the ticking of the clocks as they walk through the exhibition rooms. Mysterious time in a magical place. Discover the fascinating world of inventors, artists and thinkers. Share the passion and the enthusiasm of large clock and automata collectors. Immerse yourself in a journey through the centuries to the time of earlier civilizations while at the same time daring to step into the future.


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Top Definition
a device use for flying around...
back in my day a hot air balloon was a flying device, but wtf is it now?!?!
লিখেছেন- Young Reezie 31 de জানুয়ারি de 2008
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?
Photos & Videos
A conveyance consisting of a sturdy large basket that can hold 4 or more people & is propelled up into the air by a gas burner. They go over 10,000 feet in elevation!
That hot air balloon was really thrilling to ride in & they're awesome to see!
লিখেছেন- Starchylde 28 de মে de 2016
When one person blows up a balloon inside another persons anus.
Tommy performed the hot air balloon on his gay lover before it popped and damaged his butthole.
লিখেছেন- big al 69 4 de মে de 2013
1. A sexually act in which a man stands slightly bent over with a woman kneeling behind him. She will purse her lips tightly around his anus. She then tugs on his flaccid member from between his legs as he releases a preferably hot fart in her mouth, thus expanding her cheeks much like that of a hot air balloon. Aviator goggles and scarf are optional.
Friend #1: I was able to talk Nichole into letting me give her a hot air balloon last night.
Friend #2: I don't know what that is, but it sounds fucking sick.
Friend #2: I don't know what that is, but it sounds fucking sick.
লিখেছেন- The Taste of Lemonade 7 de নভেম্বার de 2009
farting into an open vagina while lighting it on fire.
I blind folded my girlfriend and said "open up" but instead I bent over and lit my lighter and gave her the hot airballoon.
লিখেছেন- jomo85 11 de এপ্রিল de 2006
Performing oral sex on a woman in 69 position and she farts into partners nostrils during act.
I was eating my girlfriend out in a 69 and she fired up a hot air balloon in my nose.
লিখেছেন- oneaze 6 de সেপ্টেমবার de 2011
Verb. The act of farting in an open vagina.
Heather jumped on Snowbird's back and was riding him just as he gave her a hotair balloon. She nearly rose to the ceiling.
লিখেছেন- Svendervittle 23 de অগাস্ট de 2010


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The Equalizer Series eye glasses features a modern sport frame design thats ideal for work or play. This pair of eye glasses come in a Gun Metal Frame with Clear Lens. Also features soft rubber nose pads for superior comfort and fit, sport grip temples to elimnate slippage and a micro-fiber carry pouch that doubles as a cleaning cloth. Perfect for the work place, shooting range or outdoors.
The high performance polycarbonate lens provides 99.9% UV protection and exceeds the "High Impact" level of the ANSI Z87.1 Industrial Safety Standards.


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Pet Lit: Check out these kids' doggy books for Halloween
Welcome to the first installment of Pet Lit, a new regular weekly feature on the Dallas Life Blog for people who love pets, love books and love combining those two loves. We'll explore the huge, entertaining world of books about dogs, cats and exotic animals, as well as recipes and costumes for your pets, pet psychology, animal-related fiction, you name it.
To kick things off, check out Chihuawolf: A Tail of Mystery and Horror by Charlee Ganny (illustrated by Nicolas Slater)Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, $6.99, and Sally's Bones, by MacKenzie Cadenhead (illustrated by T.S. Spookytooth — a pseudonym, do ya' think?), Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, $6.99.
Both are aimed at the independent-reader, 9-and-older set (hey, I'm older), and both are hilarious, not-very-scary Halloween tales. In Chijuawolf, innocent little Paco, a Chihuahua "with the heart of a lion (or at least a dandelion)" goes all were-woof when his beloved goes missing. No more being called "Munchkin," "Furry Fajita" or "Miniature Snoozer" for this little dude. Kids will love the deliberate mild naughtiness — the word "poop" appears on the first page, and a memorable skunk is called "Pewy."
In Sally's Bones, heroine Sally Simplesmith's life changes forever when she comes face-to-face with death … in the form of a darling little dog she calls Bones (he bears a small resemblance to Frankenweenie). When Bones gets accused of a crime he didn't commit, Sally goes all out "to fetch a thief." Again, there's a kid-agreeable "gross factor" here — vomit is mentioned in the first line.


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One week after the joyful arrival of her son Tennessee James, Reese Witherspoon is "back at home" with her little man, a source tells PEOPLE. "They are both doing well."
Witherspoon, 36, and husband Jim Toth, 42, who is a first-time father, are settling into their roles just fine.
"Everyone is bonding with the baby," explains the source. "And Jim has had a lighter workload and has been spending a lot of time at home with the baby as well."
Adds a family friend, there were minimal nerves for Toth. "He was just over the moon and really excited to become a dad."
Already up on her feet, Witherspoon was out and about Wednesday in Santa Monica, Calif., stopping into local eatery Huckleberry with her newborn.
Soaking up every minute with her new family is number one on Witherspoon's priority list. "She definitely feels settled in her family life with Jim and her kids [Deacon, who turns 9 this month, and Ava, 13]," says the pal. "They can't wait to start life with their new baby."
Reporting by PERNILLA CEDENHEIM
Reese Witherspoon Home with Baby and 'Doing Well,' Source Says