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A detailed look at the Giants
Posted By Jeff Fletcher on March 31, 2011 10:06 am
Happy Opening Day. Now that I've given my picks for the standings and the individual awards, it's time to take a really hard look at the Giants, and how good they might be. (I'll do the A's on Friday, since that's when they open.) This is all very scientific, as you'll see.
First, let's ignore the fact that the Giants won the World Series last year. As Billy Beane so famously said, the playoffs are a crap shoot, and that applies when you win as well as when you lose. (How different might things have been if they hadn't benefited from a bad call in Game 1 against the Braves and Brooks Conrad in Game 3?) Anyway, let's just say they were a 92-win team that actually should have been a 95-win team based on their runs scored and runs allowed.
The Giants allowed only 583 runs last year. I think it's going to be pretty tough to expect them to do better than that. About the only personnel change is having Madison Bumgarner for a a whole year instead of starting with Todd Wellemeyer. But Wellemeyer only made 11 starts last year, so if you combine Wellemeyer's starts and Bumgarner's starts, you get a No. 5 starter who had a 3.67 ERA over 30 starts. Yes, Bumgarner had a 3.00 ERA last year, but it doesn't seem reasonable to think he'd do that over 30 starts. Only 10 pitchers in the majors started 30 games with an ERA of 3.00 or below. If Bumgarner's ERA goes up to, say, 3.50, then the difference between Bumgarner '11 and Bumgarner/Wellemeyer '10 is not that much. Let's also not forget that Bumgarner went way over his previous innings limit, so it would not surprise anyone if he struggled or got hurt. Truth to be told, all the starters threw a lot of innings, so they're all candidates for problems.
Then there's the bullpen. I've been harping on this for months, but I think there's no way the Giants' bullpen repeats 2010. Everyone in the 'pen had a career year. Even Brian Wilson, who is a top-notch big league closer, had a 1.81 ERA after having a 2.74 ERA the year before. His career ERA is 3.18. So, which way do you think he's likely to go? And, oh yeah, he's hurt.
All the other relievers are typical, inconsistent big league relievers. They are sometimes good and sometimes not so good. I call it LaTroy Hawkins Syndrome. The following chart shows what I mean. These are the Giants top setup relievers, with their 2010 ERA (with the Giants) compared with their career numbers.
You want to tell me now you believe the Giants bullpen will repeat that?
Now, the offense could be a lot better. That's where the hopes of improvement really lie. The Giants scored 697 runs last year, which ranked ninth in the league. Here's how they produced, by position, last year.
|as C
|as 1B
|as 2B
|as 3B
|as SS
|as LF
|as CF
|as RF
So, where's that going to be better? First place you look is third base. I don't know if Pablo Sandoval is going to get back to his .943 OPS in 2009, but it should be a helluva better than last year. Split the difference and give him .830. That's a big improvement. Catcher is widely assumed to be a plus this year because of the whole year of Buster, but it's the same logic as the Bumgarner-Wellemeyer thing. Buster's OPS was .862 and the Buster/Bengie combo was .762 (also because some of Buster's production was as a first baseman). Over the past 20 years, only three catchers have posted an OPS better than .862 in one of his first three seasons. So, sorry to say, I'm putting my money on Buster getting a little worse, OPS-wise. Maybe .820, which would still make him one of the top offensive catchers in baseball.
A whole year of Andres Torres should be better, right? I'm a little skeptical about Torres, seeing as he didn't become established till he was 32, and he still hasn't done it for a whole year, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. I won't give him all of last year's .823, but I'll give him .800.
Right field should also be better. Their .708 OPS out of the position was pathetic. Cody Ross certainly won't be the NLCS Babe Ruth Cody Ross, but he'll be an improvement. His career OPS is .788, so I'll give him that. Now, he's going to miss a little time at the beginning, but we'll just assume it won't be much and Aubrey Huff will perform about the same as him in his absence.
So, I'm giving the Giants a plus of 108 points at third, 62 points in center and 56 points at catcher and 80 points in right field. I am going to say Freddy Sanchez does the same, so we'll leave second base alone. That's a net gain of 306 points.
Now, what about first, shortstop and left?
You all love Brandon Belt and think he's going to be a star, but do you think he's going to reproduce what Huff did? Giants first baseman — Huff and the sizzling June Buster Posey — combined for an .815 OPS last year. Belt's a good hitter, but I don't think he's ready for that. Maybe close, but a little worse. I'll give him .800, which would still be very good for a rookie.
At shortstop, the Giants got .736 out of Juan Uribe and Edgar Renteria last year. Miguel Tejada's OPS was .692 last year, and it was .739 over his past three years. He's going to be 37 in May. Odds are, he's more likely to get worse than better at this age. Looks like .700 would be reasonable.
In left, the Giants got insane production out of Pat Burrell for half the year. Their .850 OPS was their highest from any spot on the field. Now they've got Burrell and then presumably Huff after Cody Ross comes back. Burrell's OPS over his last three years is .799 and Huff's is .837. They are both 34 this year. Sorry, but that won't be as good. Let's call it .820, which I think is generous.
So the Giants are losing 15 points at first, 36 points at short and 30 points in left, for a loss of 71 points.
That's a total gain of 235 points. (Also assuming the pitcher's spot hits the same.) If you divide that by nine, that's a total improvement of about 26 points in OPS from 2010 to 2011. And it's really less than that, since I've just used the starters, and they won't play 100 percent of the games. There will be injuries and days off, when inferior players play, so let's lop about 20 percent off that, and say that the Giants OPS will be 20 points higher in 2011. That's maybe 40-50 more runs, based on last year's NL rankings.
Of course, I've overestimated on a just about everyone because, frankly, I'd been feeling that maybe I was a little hard on the Giants in my analysis so far this winter. Really, I think it's very possible that Andres Torres and Aubrey Huff could have big declines. It's possible that Brandon Belt isn't ready at all (John Bowker anyone?). It's possible that Miguel Tejada won't even be as good as he was last year, which happens to 37-year-olds a lot. It's possible that Buster Posey will be merely good, and not great. It's possible that Pablo Sandoval's weight-loss won't make him instantly good again. (He was fat when he was good in 2009.)
So when you add all of that up, I think the Giants will allow more runs than last year and they will score more than last year, but I feel more confident in the former than the latter. If you assume people will get worse with age (Burrell, Huff, Tejada and even Torres, Sanchez and Ross are over 30) and that people will regress to their career averages at any age, then I just find it hard to buy that the Giants offense is going to be that much better. In reality, I wouldn't be surprised if it's about the same, given the personnel.
And there's no way the pitching, especially the bullpen, will be as good. They won't be bad, just maybe a notch below last year.
Last year they should have won 95 games, according to their runs, so I'll give them 91 this year. Is that good enough for a return to the playoffs? Maybe, maybe not.
I'm saying not.
One Response to "A detailed look at the Giants"
The Giants sure did not play like champions tonight. 3 errors is unacceptable. That said, it's opening day and they can always improve!!!


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Jerry Kroth, Ph.D.
Jerry Kroth, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the Graduate counseling psychology program at Santa Clara University. He teaches psychotherapy and personality theory, research methods, and dreamwork and depth psychology, his flagship course. Jerry is a licensed MFT, and has an abiding interest these in working with dreams, personal oracles, and the applications of dream theory to psychohistory. One such journey involved looking at unconscious mechanisms and symbols in the 1938 radio broadcast of Orson Welles called War of the Worlds which set off a mass panic throughout the country. Many of these studies were published in his last book Omens and Oracles: Collective Psychology in the Nuclear Age [Praeger, 1992].
In toto, Jerry published five books in the areas of counseling psychology, child sexual abuse, learning handicaps, metapsychology and research methodology as well as numerous articles on anxiety, child development, mass psychology, psychoanalysis and psychohistory. Jerry is a member of the International Psychohistory Association and is currently working on his iconoclastic Underground Psychology: From Politically Correct Orthodoxy to a New Century of Inquiry. Some of his more recent contributions to SelfhelpMagazine including Childhood, Fear and Trust, are adaptations from this emerging text. Jerry lives in Cupertino, is married to his wife, Anya, and has two daughters, Anya and Maya.

subset: commoncrawl


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Easy-care and easy-wear workwear from Crocs will add a splash of color and a whole lot of function to your work wardrobe.
Crocs medical apparel women's scrub pant. Elastic waist, drawstring front. Two front pockets, one Croc-Pocket. Side slits at legs. 31 or 33" inseam. Cotton, polyester, spandex.
So cute & comfortable fit!
Really cute. A little tighter in the thighs and butt than I would prefer.
Love these pants as well. The tops and bottoms match up very nicely. The material is soft and long inseam is perfect.


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Baseball: Sandburg holds off Lincoln-Way East
By Pat Disabato email@example.com April 29, 2014 8:48PM
Updated: April 29, 2014 10:33PM
Matthias Dietz generally is a starting pitcher for Sandburg.
But with Lincoln-Way East mounting a rally in the seventh inning Tuesday, Dietz was called on to make his first relief appearance of the season.
The 6-foot-4 right-hander delivered, retiring three straight hitters to preserve a 4-3 Sandburg win in a SouthWest Suburban Blue battle.
"I'd much rather start, but I like to pitch, no matter what," Dietz said. "I just tried to stay calm and stay focused."
Starter Sean Leland took a 4-1 lead into the seventh. However, he hit Tyler Krause with an 0-and-2 pitch to start the inning and Brandon Skopick reached on an error. Evan Sandmann then lined a 2-and-2 slider to the gap in left-center for a double, cutting the lead to 4-2.
With runners on second and third base and no outs, Dietz entered the game. He was able to get Aaron Perch and Aaron Donald to ground out, which allowed Skopick to score to cut the deficit to 4-3.
With the speedy Sandmann at third base, Dietz struck out Kenichi Haynie to end the game.
"It's never easy," Sandburg coach Jim Morsovillo said. "Matthias came in and did the job. He pitched a lot in relief for us last year, but he's more mature now and he made his pitches (Tuesday)."
The Eagles (13-4, 5-0) broke a 1-all tie in the fifth inning. Ben Gresla led off with a walk against starter Brett Watson and scored on a double to deep center field by Dan Santiago for a 2-1 advantage. A fielder's choice by Jim Roche scored Santiago for a 3-1 spread.
Sandburg tacked on another run in the sixth, compliments of an East error (its fifth of the game), that made it 4-1.
With the way Leland was cruising along, the lead appeared safe. To East's credit, though, it made things interesting.
"You never underestimate a team that won't quit," East coach Paul Babcock said. "No matter what the situation, this team has guts and will come after you."
Roche's sac fly in the third, after East (8-9, 2-3) committed two errors, gave the Eagles a 1-0 advantage.
After wasting a scoring opportunity in the fourth, the Griffins had better success against Leland in the fifth. Skopick reached on a fielder's choice, Sandmann singled and Perch laid down a perfect bunt to load the bases. A fielder's choice by Donald allowed Skopick to score to tie the game 1.
Leland allowed five hits, didn't walk a batter and struck out five over six-plus innings. His counterpart, Watson, allowed three hits, walked one and struck out two.


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you can be a member of 5 guilds in total. However most "demand" loyalty. I demand nothing of that calibre, just that you help out other members when you can
You can be a member of more than one guide... I think.
you can be a member of 5 guilds in total. However most "demand" loyalty. I demand nothing of that calibre, just that you help out other members when you can
Played with ZeroHour last night but couldn't persuade him to join the guild
The game that is... although he did give me his ring (of mara)
Last edited by jaminben; 2nd April 2014 at 01:47 PM.
I made a Khajiit Templar last night. On Ebonheart Pact, will pop into voice chat tonight. Still setting out my playstyle...want heavy armour and heals but not sure if I go one hand and shield or something bigger for a cleric-style spec.
1 hand and shield is what I've gone for, but I'm going for blacksmith/damage dealer
i see i accept the challenge of the mudcrabs to lvl 50
I am slightly miffed that if you do not go on every day your guild dissolves! Lots of complaints about that!
when did this get introduced?
since the end of the beta...I missed a day, came back to a notification that the guild has been dissolved because the guild leader wasn't online.
hmmmm strange i was on most of the time from monday (ill) and only notice that the guild wasnt there last night when they disabled all guild activies
Bugged quests are beginning to frustrate the hell out of me.
May need to take a break before i lose it.
possibly what it was then...as guild leader I may have gotten a different message.
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Posts Tagged: praying mantis
What's Peering Over the Petals?
There are many reasons why honey bees don't come home at night.
One of them: a stealthy praying mantis.
If you like to photograph flowers, odds are that some day you'll see more than one insect on a blossom.
Look closely and you may see a praying mantis peering over the petals, watching a bee's every move.
It's not like a proud parent watching an offspring perform at a dance recital or lead a marching band or pitch in a Little League game. The look is fiercely intense, but for a different reason.
Such was the case yesterday at the Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven on Bee Biology Road at the University of California, Davis.
A honey bee nectaring on a zinnia turned to poke its proboscis deeper into the blossom, unaware of a hidden predator silently emerging from its stakeout.
Breakfast? Lunch? Dinner? Late night snack?
Not this time. The honey bee sighted the mantid and quickly buzzed off.
Honey bee nectars a zinnia, unaware of a predator eyeing her every move. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Coming up empty, the praying mantis stares at where the bee had been. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Pray Thee Well
When I last met up with a pipevine swallowtail, it wasn't faring well.
In fact, I didn't recognize it as a pipevine swallowtail (Battus philenor), no thanks to it being in the clutches of a hungry praying mantis.
Mantids have to eat, too, but I'd prefer they express an culinary interest in pests such as spotted cucumber beetles instead of beneficial insects.
On his website, butterfly expert Art Shapiro, professor of evolution and ecology at the University of California, Davis, calls the pipevine swallowtail "the signature riparian butterfly of our region, occurring along streams in foothill canyons and on the Central Valley floor, essentially everywhere where its only host plant, California pipevine or Dutchman's pipe, Aristolochia californica, occurs."
If you head out to the Storer Garden in the UC Davis Arboretum, you might see a pipevine swallowtail catching the breeze, stopping here and there to nectar a plant.
Maybe this time a praying mantis will catch something else.
Pipevine swallowtail visiting the Storer Garden, UC Davis. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Praying mantis devouring a pipevine swallowtail. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The Waiting Game
When you visit the Häagen-Dazs Honey Bee Haven, the half-acre bee friendly garden planted next to the Harry H. Laidlaw Jr. Honey Bee Research Facility on Bee Biology Road, UC Davis, don't expect to see just pollinators.
There are predators there, too.
Plant a garden and the pollinators and predators will come.
We spotted this immature praying mantis perched on top of a spiked Cleveland sage blossom, aka blue sage (Salvia clevelandii), waiting for a take-out dinner.
This little camouflaged insect looked like part of the plant.
Which is the plan!
No insects were harmed in the making of this photograph. We can't vouch for what happened after we left, though.
If you want to visit the bee garden, it's open from dawn to dusk. Admission? Free.
Praying mantis on Cleveland sage (Salvia clevelandii). (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Shutterbug or Shudder Bug?
But have you ever seen them frying flies over a kitchen stove?
You will when you take a look at an Oklahoma photographer's work.
An interesting article in The Daily Mail Online from the UK plainly shows what Scott Cromwell did with praying mantids. He created scenes of the insects doing such things as not only frying flies on a stove, but taking the baby (mantis) for a stroll, soaking in a bathtub (a claw bathtub at that!) and reading the Daily Mantis news while answering nature's call.
Cromwell, a 40-year-old television repairman, said he buys assorted species of praying mantids online and he purchases many of the miniature props (miniature dollhouse props) on eBay.
The article, showcasing several of his photographs, has drawn widespread reactions, from "amazing creatures" (mantids) to "horrid man" (Cromwell).
A true shutterbug? Or shudder bug? Or someone expressing creativity and innovation?
Most of us who photograph insects never pass on an opportunity to capture images of a praying mantis in its natural habitat. They are amazing. They pounce quickly. They show no fear. They stare at you as if you're their next meal.
Still, I'd rather see a praying mantis in nature's dew than in a bubble bath.
Camouflaged praying mantis having lunch. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
What's That Bug?
If you don't know what it is, don't kill it.
That insect in your garden could very well be a beneficial insect.
If you operate on the "shoot-first-ask-questions later" or "the only good bug is a dead bug," no telling how many insects--and generations--you'll be destroying.
Butterfly expert Art Shapiro, professor of evolution and ecology at UC Davis, tells this story that's worth remembering.
"Last week I was walking across Capitol Park in Sacramento when I observed a smartly dressed young woman in her 20s stomp a praying mantis and grind it into the sidewalk. She exclaimed to her phenotypically similar friend: 'Did you ever see such an ugly, icky bug?'"
And, many years ago, Shapiro encountered a man in College Park, Davis, in the act of stomping a Tiger Swallowtail.
Shapiro asked him why he was doing this.
The man replied: "This is the bug that has the big green caterpillar that eats my tomato plants!"
When Shapiro told him it wasn't, the man told him to check his information, and that "I'm right and you're wrong."
There is indeed a lot of misinformation and misidentification out there.
Tabatha Yang of the Bohart Museum of Entomology at UC Davis relates the story about an avid gardener who absolutely loved ladybugs (aka lady beetles) because of their voracious appetites for aphids. But when our avid gardener came across "some weird black and orange bugs," she promptly killed them.
Little did she know that she was killing immature ladybugs.
Then there's the story about a UC Master Gardener who encountered a "green-eyed golden bumblebee-like" insect that frightened her because it buzzed so loudly around her flower beds. So, she killed it. Turns out it was a pollinator, a male Valley carpenter bee, also known as a "teddy bear."
And, can you imagine what goes through people's minds when they meet up with a Jerusalem cricket in the mud after a rain? Whoa! Bug-o-mania!
Here's where the Bohart Museum, 1124 Academic Surge on California Drive, UC Davis campus, can help. If you live in California and see an insect and wonder if it's beneficial insect or a pest--or just want to know what it is--take a photo of it and email it to the Bohart. Lynn Kimsey, director of the Bohart Museum (home of more than seven million specimens) and professor of entomology at UC Davis, identifies insects in between research, teaching, administering the Bohart Museum, and other duties. Her email address: email@example.com.
In fact, if you go to the UC Davis Department of Entomology home page and scroll down to the bottom you'll see:
"Do you have an insect question? Ask It Here!"
Maybe, just maybe, this will save a few praying mantids, ladybugs, Valley carpenter bees and Jerusalem crickets./span>
Praying mantis with remnants of a meal. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
This is an immature ladybug (aka lady beetle). (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
This male Valley carpenter bee is a pollinator, not a pest. The female Valley carpenter bee is solid black. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Jerusalem cricket is often mistaken for a pest. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)


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Gray line: Standoff starts another Waco disaster?
By 08/23/2000 00:00:00
Special to the Ellis County Press
TRINIDAD - Concern over media misinformation on outstanding warrants and a court order is keeping the John Joe Gray family secluded on its property.
That has set up a standoff with authorities - one some observers say is similar to the Branch Davidian disaster outside Waco. Because of the Grays' distrust of the legal system, especially in this area, and the publicity surrounding the case, the family is afraid justice will not be served. They point to many similar examples.
To help counter media distortion, an Ellis County Press representative has talked with the Gray family at their home and offered an opportunity to tell their story. Gary's wife, Alicia, provided a press release which supplied excepts for this article. The full text is online at EllisCounty.com.
First, the basic facts:
John Joe Gray has a warrant out for his arrest from Anderson County for assault and disarming a peace officer. Gray contends the charges are bogus.
Following an incident last December, the Grays have refused to leave their property.
Joe's daughter, Lisa, has custody of two children a court decision court has given to the father, Keith Tarkington. Lisa says she has never been served papers to yield the children.
The Grays have said again and again they simply want to be left alone to live their lives peacefully. Those who know them say the Grays are not the type of people portrayed by some media. They have stated a willingness to negotiate on matters not concerning constitutional rights and Biblical Law.
Here are excepts from the press release written by Alicia Gray:
'On Dec. 24, 1999, an individual with whom we're acquainted, named Curtis Hartin, arrived at our house and suggested we take a ride to Palestine to look at a cabin which Joe had built for a friend,' Alicia said in the press release.
'During the trip, Curtis continued to exceed the speed limit, and Joe cautioned him. Curtis insisted he had the latest anti-radar gear.
'As they approached Palestine, Curtis sped past a DPS car with two officers inside. The officers turned around, followed and stopped the vehicle in which Joe was a passenger. After being told to get out, Curtis quickly exited the vehicle and said, 'Sorry, Joe.'
'The other officer went around to Joe's side, opened the door and asked Joe if he was armed. Joe sat there quietly and replied he was. After the officer asked if he had a concealed carry permit, Joe replied he didn't need one, that it was a God-given right and confirmed by the Constitution,' Alicia said.
'The officer shouted it was not a right, drew his pistol, aimed at Joe and screamed for him to get out of the car. As Joe reached down to move the automatic seatbelt so he could exit, the officer started shouting, 'He's going for his gun; he's going for his gun!'
'Joe calmly replied he wasn't going for his gun and sat back down with his feet on the ground as the officer continued to shout.
'The other officer at this time jumped in the back seat, grabbed Joe's arm and handcuffed it. As the officer started pulling on Joe's arm and trying to get his other arm, Joe pushed back against the officer,' Alicia said.
'At some point Joe was hit in the side of the head by one of the officers. Following that, both Joe and an officer ended up on the grass with the officer's arm around Joe's head and face. At that moment, Joe bit down. The officer started yelling, and the other officer started spraying Joe with pepper spray. Joe then quit biting the officer.
'After first aid from an EMT, who had arrived, Joe was taken to the county jail in Palestine. He remained in jail for two weeks without any charges being filed.
'During the time he was in jail, they attempted to inject Joe with a white fluid, saying it was a TB test. Joe described the needle and syringe as the kind intended for large livestock. Joe refused and was kept in solitary confinement much of the time. Joe was not allowed any phone calls for the first three days.
After two weeks, during which I paid my locally obtained attorney $1,000 to file a writ, Joe had a hearing, which he assumed was related to the writ. No writ was ever filed. The hearing was a bond reduction hearing,' Alicia said.
'Originally, Joe's bond was set at $300,000 despite not being charged with anything. After Joe's bond was reduced to $52,000, again no charges. We used a rent house we owned as collateral and bonded Joe out.'
Alicia's statement also commented:
'Other contributing factors included Joe's distribution of constitutional information to local judges and police departments and sheriff's departments. None seem to have any interest in real law. By their very actions, they are outlaws -- outside the law,' Alicia said in the press release.
'So I guess we're known as some of those weird people who still believe in the constitution as well as the Bible.
'God's Word is the sole guide for our family. We are not members of the Kingdom of Heaven Church. We believe in God's Word as it is written. We also believe the constitution is the law of the land as it says, and we believe and will follow it as it is written and as our founders wrote and intended it to be.
'Our faith in God is strong and unbending. Our resolve is without compromise.'


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2012 Resolution Recap - How Did I Do?
Last year I wrote a list of resolutions and I thought I'd check in and see how I did keeping them:
1. Lose weight. I'm happy to say that since I started working with my trainer, Kris at Starting Line Fitness I am down several pounds and several inches.
2. Be kinder to the Hubs. I'm sure he would argue with me, but I think I've been fairly agreeable this year.
3. Clean the house for 5 minutes every day. I quickly realized that 5 minutes doesn't do shit and so I stopped.
4. Make enough money to have a cleaning lady come every week. I've got her coming twice a month. I'm halfway there!
5. Be a better mother. I did Yes Day, I took my kids to Disney and a water park where we all learned what "jorts" were, and I had two elves this Christmas to move around! I would say I aced this one this year. I am freaking Mother of the Year.
6. Write a book. Done and already working on the next one.
7. Fold laundry as soon as it's done drying. Yeah, that never happened.
8. Call my friends. I really tried harder this year, but I need to keep working on it.
9. Don't do drugs - recreational or pharmaceutical. I'm still unmedicated, although I'm sure there are many around me who wish I was.
10. Learn something new. This was the easy one I threw in at the last minute so I could say I at least kept one of my resolutions! I learned all sorts of new things this year, but the funniest one was how to shoot a gun and I found my apocalypse buddy.
How about you? How did you do? Did you keep your 2012 resolutions?
5 comments:
I truly don't try to make resolutions, because I knowI am going to break them or follow through, especially weight and such like that. Sounds like you did a greta job and kudos to you!!ReplyDelete
I usually try to make one, very simple resolution (like 'drink more water' or 'hang up my coat instead of throwing it on the couch') but this year I decided to run 20-12mile runs in 2012. And I did it!! For 2013 I think I will go back to the 'drink more water' kind of resolutions.ReplyDelete
Looks to me like you did pretty well in the resolution department!ReplyDelete
I did OK.ReplyDelete
1. Declutter my house. I worked and worked and worked. I only need another year to totally declutter.
2. Finish my $ project and sell on Teachers pay Teachers
3. I threw in another in July, get the laundry under control--did it!
4. Lose weight--Ahh crap, I gained 20 lbs. instead. That means I've set myself up for success in 2013 right???
My resolution was to have a baby so I could send out photo Christmas cards. I had the baby in October...still working on birth announcements. The photo card is getting moved to the 2013 list.ReplyDelete


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Cutting in at the Copier
By Peggy Post
Special Offers
QuestionI do a lot of Xeroxing at our local library, and often end up waiting behind some massive jobs. When is it permissible to ask the person using the photocopy machine if you can jump in and make just one copy?
AnswerObviously, if the other person is coming to the end of his task, you might as well wait. But if he's in the middle of a big stack, it's fine to ask, "Would you mind if I copied this one page?" Just be sure you've got your act together first. To ask for a favor and then fumble around for the right page or wrestle off a staple can be most annoying.
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The Ark Before Noah – Decoding the Story of the Flood
by Irving Finkel (Hodder & Stoughton) Some of us may have been considering building an ark over the past few weeks as heavy rain and storms continously battered our coasts, so if you are looking for instructions on how to do so, you might just be in luck. Dr. Irving Finkel joined Sean from the British Museum to discuss how a 4,000 year old clay tablet, brought to him by a member of the public, provided a radical new interpretation of the Noah's Ark myth. Dating from 1850BC, the tablet is a copy of the Babylonian Story of the Flood, ...http://www.rte.ie/radio1/today-with-sean-o-rourke/programmes/2014/0219/505301-today-with-sean-o-rourke-wednesday-19-february-2014/?clipid=1421296


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This is the last of a three-part series in Marketing from the Inside Out. In the first article, I offered four guidelines for marketing: express your passion, honor your values, use common sense, and find a need and fill it. In the second article, I laid out a fundamental marketing analysis, which included the importance of examining core values at a corporate and personal level. Now we will explore how to create a values-based marketing plan.
The biggest obstacles in my life were usually put there by me. To quote the cartoon character Pogo, "We have met the enemy, and he is us." As a life coach, one of my jobs is to help people get out of their own way. In their hearts, they know what they want to do. They know right from wrong. They know when they are lying to themselves. They know they have choices. But sometimes they forget. Instead, they get in the habit of reacting to external demands, or following the herd, instead of listening to their own inner wisdom.
Clarity &
Hopefully the earlier articles in this series helped you gain some clarity about your product, your marketplace and your most authentic style of communicating your message. You also had an opportunity to explore your core values and to see where they were aligned with how you do business. Now it is time to put it together in order to gain some traction in today's mercurial marketplace. Begin with a situational analysis. This includes an external analysis as well as a self-analysis.
The external analysis includes:
- Customer analysis: What are the market segments, motivations and unmet needs?
- Competitive analysis: Identify who your competitors are and their relative strengths and weaknesses.
- Market landscape: This includes an industry analysis, the regulatory climate, etc.
The self-analysis includes:
- Performance analysis: What is your ROI, expected growth, etc.?
- Cost analysis: Define your sustainable advantage, experience curve, etc.
- Financial resources and constraints
- Strengths and weaknesses: Include distinctive competencies, assets and liabilities
- Strategic questions
- Identify your core values and where in your business you best honor them as well as where you would like to more fully honor them.
You are now ready to identify strategic alternatives based on your company strengths and core values. The goal is to develop a sustainable competitive advantage (SCA), which has three components:
2. The advantage needs to be substantial enough to really make a difference. This can be challenging in a saturated market, but becomes easier when one focuses on a specific niche.
3. It needs to be sustainable in the face of environmental changes and competition. This also speaks to how the company defines itself. The classic example is the railroad industry. Were they in the business of running trains or in the business of moving people and goods? How you define your business will have an impact on your ability to adjust to external factors.


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Coal Lilly Pom Beanie - Women'sView Larger Image
Timeless pom styling for the truly refined.
Pull on the Coal Women's Lily Pom Beanie and slide into your favorite rocking chair with a hot beverage in hand on a chilly fall morning. A thick, rolled brim keeps your ears toasty-warm from Jack Frost's bite while the lightweight top helps the top of your head stay comfortable without overheating.


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Heart disease health centre
Myocardial infarction - Recovering from a heart attack
Recovering from a heart attack can take several months and it is very important not to rush your rehabilitation.
During your recovery period, you will receive help and support from a range of healthcare professionals, which may include:
- nurses
- physiotherapists
- dietitians
- pharmacists
- exercise specialists
These healthcare professionals will support you physically and mentally to ensure your recovery is conducted safely and appropriately.
The recovery process will usually take place in stages starting in hospital, where your condition can be closely monitored and your individual needs for the future can be assessed. After discharge, you can continue your recovery at home.
There are two important aims of the recovery process:
- to gradually restore your physical fitness so you can resume normal activities (known as cardiac rehabilitation)
- to reduce your risk of another heart attack
Cardiac rehabilitation
Your cardiac rehabilitation programme will begin when you are in hospital.
A member of the cardiac rehabilitation team will visit you in hospital and provide detailed information about:
- your state of health and how the heart attack may have affected it
- the type of treatment you received
- what medications you will need when you leave hospital
- what specific risk factors are thought to have contributed to your heart attack
- what lifestyle changes you can make to address those risk factors
Once you return home it is usually recommended you rest and do only light activities, such as walking up and down the stairs a few times a day or taking a short walk.
Gradually increase the amount of activity you do each day over several weeks. How quickly you can do this will depend on the condition of your heart and your general health. Your care team can provide more detailed advice about a recommended plan to increase your levels of activity.
You may also be invited to a cardiac rehabilitation programme at your local hospital four to eight weeks after leaving hospital. The programme consists of one to two hour exercise sessions, once or twice a week.
The type of exercise can vary depending on the programme, but should mainly be aerobic.
Aerobic exercises are designed to strengthen the heart, improve circulation and lower blood pressure. Examples of aerobic exercises include riding an exercise bike, jogging on a treadmill, and swimming.
Returning to work
Most people can return to work after having a heart attack, but how quickly will depend on your health, the state of your heart and the kind of work you do. If your job involves light duties, for example if you work in an office, you may be able to return to work in as little as two weeks.
However, if your job involves heavy manual work and /or your heart was extensively damaged, it may be several months before you can return to work.
Your care team will provide a more detailed prediction of how long it will take for you to return to work.
According to the British Heart Foundation, you should be able to safely have sex once you are fit enough to walk briskly up two flights of stairs without getting chest pains or becoming out of breath.
This is usually about four weeks after having a heart attack. Having sex will not put you at further risk of having another heart attack.
Following a heart attack, about one in three men have erectile dysfunction which may make having sex difficult.
This is most commonly due to anxiety and the emotional stress associated with having a heart attack.
Less commonly, erectile function is caused by a side effect of beta-blockers.
If you experience erectile dysfunction, speak to your GP. They may be able to recommend treatment.
For example, you may be prescribed medication that stimulates the flow of blood to your penis which makes it easier to get an erection - read more about treating erectile dysfunction.
If you drive a car or motorcycle and you have a heart attack, you do not have to inform the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).
However, the DVLA strongly recommends you stop driving for at least four weeks after a heart attack. After this, you will be able to drive provided you do not have any other condition or complication that would disqualify you from driving.
If you drive a large goods vehicle or passenger carrying vehicle, you must inform the DVLA if you have a heart attack.
Your license will be temporarily suspended, for a minimum of six weeks, until you have adequately recovered.
Your license will be reissued if you can pass a basic health and fitness test and do not have any other condition that would disqualify you from driving.
Having a heart attack can be frightening and traumatic, and afterwards it is common to have feelings of anxiety. For many people, the emotional stresses can cause them to feel depressed and tearful for the first few weeks after returning home from hospital.
If feelings of depression persist, speak to your GP because you may have a more serious form of depression.
It is important you seek advice because serious types of depression often do not get better without treatment.
Your emotional state could also have an adverse effect on your physical recovery.
Reducing the risk
Reducing your risk of having another heart attack involves making lifestyle changes and taking a long-term course of different medications.
Lifestyle changes
It is recommended you eat two to four portions of oily fish a week. Oily fish contains a type of fatty acid known as omega-3. Omega-3 can help to lower your cholesterol levels.
Good sources of omega-3 include:
- herring
- sardines
- mackerel
- salmon
- trout
- tuna
If you are unable, or unwilling, to eat oily fish your GP may recommend that you take an omega-3 food supplement.
Never take a food supplement without first consulting your GP. Some supplements, such as beta-carotene, could be potentially harmful.
It is also recommended you eat a Mediterranean-style diet. This means eating more bread, fruit, vegetables and fish and less meat. Replace butter and cheese with products based on vegetable and plant oil, such as olive oil.
For more dietary information and advice, see changing your diet after a heart attack.
If you smoke, it is strongly recommended you quit as soon as possible. The NHS Smokefree website can provide you with support and advice.
Your GP will also be able to recommend and prescribe medication that can help you give up. See treatment for quitting smoking for more information.
If you drink alcohol, do not exceed the recommended daily limits (no more than three to four units a day for men, and two to three units a day for women). A unit of alcohol is roughly half a pint of normal strength lager, a small glass of wine, or a single measure (25ml) of spirits.
Regularly exceeding the recommended alcohol limits will raise your blood pressure and cholesterol level, increasing your risk of another heart attack.
Avoid binge drinking (drinking more than three alcoholic drinks in one to two hours). Binge drinking can cause a sudden and large rise in your blood pressure, which could be potentially dangerous.
Research has found that people who have had heart attacks and continue to binge drink are twice as likely to die of a serious health condition, such as another heart attack or stroke, compared with people who moderate their drinking after having a heart attack.
Contact your GP if you find it difficult to moderate your drinking. Counselling services and medications can help you reduce your alcohol intake. See treatment for alcohol misuse for more information.
Weight management
If you are overweight or obese, it is recommended you lose weight and then maintain a healthy weight using a combination of exercise and a calorie-controlled diet.
Read more about treating obesity.
Regular physical activity
Once you have made a sufficient physical recovery from the effects of the heart attack (see cardiac rehabilitation, below, for more information about how long this usually takes), it is recommended you do regular physical activity.
Adults should do at least 150 minutes (two and-a-half hours) of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (such as cycling or fast walking) every week.
The level of activity should be strenuous enough to leave you slightly breathless.
If you find it difficult to achieve 150 minutes of activity a week, start at a level that you feel comfortable with (for example, 5-10 minutes of light exercise a day) and gradually increase the duration and intensity of your activity as your fitness begins to improve.
There are currently four types of medication widely used to reduce the risks of heart attacks.
These are:
- angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors
- anti-platelets
- beta-blockers
- statins
ACE inhibitors
ACE inhibitors are often used to lower blood pressure. They block the actions of some of the hormones that help regulate blood pressure. By stopping these hormones from working, the medicine helps reduce the amount of water in your blood and also widens your arteries, both of which will reduce your blood pressure.
ACE inhibitors have been known to reduce the supply of blood to the kidneys, which can reduce their efficiency. Therefore, blood and urine tests may be carried out before you start taking ACE inhibitors to make sure that there are no pre-existing problems with your kidneys.
Annual blood and urine tests may be required if you continue to use ACE inhibitors.
The side effects of ACE inhibitors can include:
Most of these should pass within a few days, although some people continue to have a dry cough.
If ACE inhibitors are taken with other forms of medication, including over-the-counter medicines, they can cause unpredictable effects.
Therefore, check with your GP or pharmacist before taking anything in combination with ACE inhibitors.
It is usually recommended that you begin taking ACE inhibitors immediately after having a heart attack and, in most cases, continue taking them indefinitely. In some individuals who prove intolerant of ACE inhibitors, a related alternative medication, an angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB), may be prescribed.
Anti-platelets are a type of medication that can help prevent blood clots. They work by reducing the 'stickiness' of platelets. Platelets are tiny particles in the blood that help it to clot.
It is usually recommended you take low-dose aspirin, which has blood-thinning properties as well as being a painkiller.
You may also be given an additional anti-platelet medication such as clopidogrel, prasugrel or ticagrelor. These can also be used if you are allergic to aspirin.
Side effects can include:
- diarrhoea
- bruising or bleeding
- breathlessness
- abdominal pain
- indigestion
- heartburn
As with ACE inhibitors, treatment with anti-platelets usually begins immediately after a heart attack. The amount of time for which you are prescribed these medications can be anywhere between 4 weeks and 12 months, and depends on the type of heart attack you have had and the other treatment you have received.
It is usually recommended you take aspirin indefinitely. If you experience troublesome side effects due to aspirin you should contact your GP for advice. But do not suddenly stop taking the aspirin as this could increase your risk of another heart attack.
You may occasionally also be put on another blood thinning medication, warfarin. This is usually only if you have remained in an irregular heart rhythm (atrial fibrillation) or have sustained severe damage to your heart.
Excessive bleeding is the most serious side effect of warfarin. Seek immediate medical attention and have an urgent blood test if you experience any of the following side effects:
- passing blood in your urine or faeces (stools or 'poo')
- passing black faeces
- severe bruising
- prolonged nosebleeds (that last longer than 10 minutes)
- blood in your vomit
- coughing up blood
- unusual headaches
- in women, heavy or increased bleeding during your period or any other bleeding from the vagina
Immediate medical attention must also be sought if you:
- are involved in major trauma (an accident)
- experience a significant blow to the head
- are unable to stop any bleeding
Beta-blockers are a type of medication used to protect the heart from further damage after a heart attack. They help relax the heart's muscles so the heart beats slower and the blood pressure drops, both of which will help reduce the strain on your heart.
It is usually recommended that you begin treatment with beta-blockers as soon as your condition stabilises and continue taking them indefinitely.
Fairly common side effects of beta-blockers include:
- tiredness
- cold hands and feet
- slow heartbeat
- diarrhoea
- feeling sick
Less common side effects include:
- sleep disturbances
- nightmares
- inability to obtain or maintain an erection (erectile dysfunction or 'impotence')
Beta-blockers can also interact with other medicines, causing possible adverse side effects.
Therefore, check with your GP or pharmacist before taking other medicines, including over-the-counter medication, in combination with beta-blockers.
Statins are a type of medication used to lower your blood cholesterol level. This will help prevent further damage to your coronary arteries and should reduce the risk of another heart attack.
Statins block the effects of an enzyme in your liver called HMG-CoA reductase, which is used to make cholesterol.
Statins sometimes have mild side effects, including:
- constipation
- diarrhoea
- headaches
- abdominal pain
Occasionally, statins can cause muscle pain, weakness and tenderness. Contact your GP if you experience these symptoms as your dosage may need to be adjusted.
It is usually recommended that you take statins indefinitely.


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Aug 24
Natalie Gulbis has committed to play in the 2011 Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia.
In what appears to be Natalie's self proclaimed "worst year" in the ten years she has been a pro, Natalie Gulbis will try to improve her game and play well at this event. At the tail end of 2011 it would be excellent for Natalie to turn things around and gain some momentum going into 2012.
Natalie played well in this event last year finishing in a tie for 12th place. Having won only once in an LPGA Tour event, hopefully Natalie can break through at an event outside of the US again as she did winning the Evian Masters several years ago.


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Phone: (254) 697-6461
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Give a Pre-Paid VISA® Debit Card as a great gift for college students or special occasions all year-round!
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(original text from cadorf.org – thanks)
Follow MarioPiperniDotCom on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
(original text from cadorf.org – thanks)
Follow MarioPiperniDotCom on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.
Great Mario! You hit the nail on the head!
Excellent, Mario.
Yep…that's pretty good…
People have been getting professional help about the Tea Party crazies and soon their demise will be confirmed by the electorate for the House change
So Conservatives,get help from Obamacare and see the light at the end of the tunnel
Sounds very logical to me.
Dems and the majority of sane Americans keep predicting the eventual demise of The TeaNuts but from what I see and hear it still won't be easy to do.
While we were all amused by the Ted Cruz Clown Show the other day – reports are, that he made millions from his zombie supporters, but mostly from the rich special interests groups that support Tea Party's goal of destroying our government.
If fact it seems that establishment RNC donations have been gone down and the money is now going to the crazies such as Organizations like Jim DeMint's Heritage Foundation and the many affiliated groups that back Tea Bag ideology.
In fact MSNBC has named Jim DeMint as the real leader of Republican Party. And don't forget the propaganda wing of the party were assholes like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck (Beck reported to have made 80 million) have profited immensely for their part of the tearing down of our country.
If you think that is nothing to worry about just remember that those creepy anti-Obamacare ads where "Uncle Sam" was in the doctor's office when a woman was getting her exam (and similar ads) was the work of just one rich guy who threw in $600 thousand of his own money to air those ads done thru some PAC or other he created and which he was the only member of.
The fight to keep our system of government is no longer just Dems against Republicans but fundamentally the poor and middle-class against the multi-billionaires that would rule our country using the GOP and affiliated right wing and I suspect some DINO'S out there.
It going to be a very critical mid-term election next year and we can't waiver in our fight against the selling of our country to corporate special interests.
My understanding about the ad with the woman getting an exam was funded by the Koch brothers. I'm writing an article about it presently myself.
I cannot understand why ObamaCare matters to someone with billions; you'd think they'd have better things to do with their lives than trying to block health insurance from those who have none.
Dear Fidlerten you are correct. My info had Bryan Slater of "Generation Opportunity" organization as running the ads but they are indeed funded by the Koch Bros. See Maddow video at –
(starting about 3:17 of video)
I think I heard it from Maddow in the the first place, since I watch her regularly, then again on Lawrence O'Donnell and then again on Chris Matthews, and then again on Chris Hayes: I watch the reruns late night at work.
The Koch brothers are also the real grass roots of the Tea Party with their funding the buses to haul Tea Party people to town hall meetings so that they could shout everything down, which was at the beginning of that movement.
Koch Bros and their ilk is why we should enforce our treason laws. We use to hang traitors that conspired to destroy our system of government.. now they just join the GOP!
It mattters to them because it impacts their business model. Their money comes from a loyal base of mindless consumers. John Dean had a book a while back in which he discussed the conservative obsession with authoritarian leaders. Fox and Rush and their ilk have done their best to condition their zombie audience to trush no-one but them, to believe only what they're told, that everyone else are part of the "other".
That's what the matter with Kansas, that's why the Tea Party folks protest against tax increases as their taxes go down, that's why they demonstrate against government involvement in health care while they have Medicare paying their bills.
The billionaires are zealous in imposing message discipline. They know that they could start to lose their hold over the masses if the masses start figuring out that they've been lied to for decades. They know that people will like ObamaCare once they get it, and won't want to give it up. They know that health care costs will come down. This scares them, since it will create a reality that will make some of their followers waver.
Imagine a dam that springs a couple of small leaks….
Like other rich billionaires who have used their money to grease the palms of Congress, so that they could get away with selling a poison to a nation and promoting it to kids too; the tobacco industry that is, their money used to promote false information and lies, falls uselessly to the ground when our electorate grows enlightened and too wise to be fooled by their tricks.
The Koch brothers, like several other millionaires and billionaires, lost millions trying to unseat Barack Obama. Their money fortunately is only so effective in a democratic nation that has a strong free press. Still, they are a clear and present danger, when there is no limit on how much money they can pour into influencing an election.
I'll have to investigate how much the Koch Bros are involved with Health Care. They do protest too much
Comments are closed.


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Final Fantasy 11 is Getting a Huge Update This Month
May 12, 2014 - New missions, battlefields, and more to spruce up the decade-old MMO.
The Most Brutal Boss Fights of All Time
April 25, 2014 - Ancient gods. Death himself. Mike Tyson. This is a collection of the most brutal and most terrifying video game boss fights of all time.
Who is the Greatest Final Fantasy Character of All Time?
March 11, 2014 - There has been nearly 30 years of fantastic Final Fantasy storytelling. Which characters are the best of all time?
When Did You Become a Grown-Up Gamer?
January 13, 2014 - We decided to take a look back at when we knew we had finally become grown-up gamers. The answers may surprise you...
Final Fantasy: A Visual History of the Warriors of Light
September 11, 2013 - See how the designs of all the classic 8-bit Final Fantasy heroes have persisted through a quarter-century of video game advancements.
Building the Perfect Final Fantasy
August 28, 2013 - We took all of the best moments from all the best Final Fantasies to create what might just be the ultimate hypothetical RPG experience.
Should We Be Paying To Play MMOs?
January 16, 2013 - With Tera being the latest MMO to jettison its sub fee, we ponder if it's time for the last few to follow suit.
Final Fantasy XI Producer Leaves Square Enix
June 25, 2012 - Final Fantasy XI producer Hiromichi Tanaka has left Square Enix, citing health problems and a desire to make his own game.
The Most Profitable Final Fantasy of All-Time Is…
June 24, 2012 - Square Enix CEO Yoichi Wada discussed which Final Fantasy game has made the most money. The answer may surprise you.
Final Fantasy XV: Retro Reasoning
October 27, 2011 - Do you miss character sprites? World maps? We do, too. An argument for why Square Enix should go retro with Final Fantasy XV.
Final Fantasy's Music Comes to Life
September 9, 2011 - Composer Nobu Uematsu's thoughts on music, Final Fantasy, and how composing is like making spaghetti.
Which MMO Should I Play?
April 22, 2011 - Massively-multiplayer games can be huge moneymakers for the developers who make them, and like with anything that has huge moneymaking potential, there are a lot on the market. As a gamer, you might be wondering if, somewhere out there, there's an MMO that's just for you. Some magical, virtual world where you'll feel right at home hitting a boar with a mace so you can give it's spleen to a pixie. We've done the legwork to bring you a soon-to-be-comprehensive list of all the major (and probably some of the minor) MMOs of the past, present and future. Hopefully with this list you can, at a glance, figure out if there's an MMO that is calling your name.
Japanese Games Industry Affected by Crisis
March 14, 2011 - MotorStorm Apocalypse delayed and Disaster Report 4 cancelled in the wake of earthquake and tsunami disaster.
Final Fantasy XI, XIV Co-Creator Hiromichi Tanaka to Give Keynote at GDC China
November 23, 2010 - Square Enix senior vice president Hiromichi Tanaka is set to give a keynote at the third annual GDC China on building Final Fantasy XI and XIV, as the latter is poised to become the first-ever official Final Fantasy title to debut in China. The three day event will take place December 5-7, 2010 at Shanghai International Convention Center in Shanghai, China.
Latest on FFXI and FFXIV at VanaFest
March 1, 2010 - Final Fantasy XI was the main topic at this year's VanaFest event, with details on a level cap increase and new add-ons. But Square Enix also provided first details on a beta for FFXIV.
Final Fantasy XIV Beta Detailed
March 1, 2010 - Square Enix has been keeping quiet on Final Fantasy XIV since the Tokyo Game Show, with only occasional updates on jobs and gameplay systems. But it looks like the silence is going to end shortly -- whether they like it or not.
Three Battle Area Add-On Scenarios for Final Fantasy XI Launching in 2010
March 1, 2010 - The first of these three battle area add-on content packages, titled "Vision of Abyssea", is scheduled to launch early in the summer of 2010, and will be followed by two additional releases, "Scars of Abyssea" and "Heroes of Abyssea". These content packages will be available via the PlayOnline Viewer, at the price of $9.99 each, with content available immediately upon purchase.
Ranking the Final Fantasy Series
December 29, 2009 - If there's one series that completely embodies the charm of the Japanese role-playing game, it's Final Fantasy. This legendary series, which is now more than twenty years old, has grown into a virtually universally recognizable entity, spawning spin-off action games, movies and more. With a heavy emphasis on character-driven stories and elaborate battle systems, it's easy to see why Final Fantasy has such a devoted following.
Square Enix Announces Final Fantasy XI Ultimate Collection
October 14, 2009 - Square Enix, Inc., the publisher of Square Enix® interactive entertainment products in North America, today announced that FINAL FANTASY® XI Ultimate Collection will be released on November 10th in North America, in time for the holidays.
IGN Presents the History of Warcraft
August 18, 2009 - Very few have ever been able to match what Blizzard Entertainment has done. In less than 15 years, they went from a small independent developer to partners in one of the largest publishing houses in the world. What's more, they did it not by doling out a hot first-person shooter to compete with Quake or releasing a fighter to take a bite out of Mortal Kombat. Instead, they took niche genres and brought them to the mainstream in ways no one would have ever thought possible. We might all be anxiously awaiting the latest news on Diablo III and Starcraft II, but we'd like to take this opportunity to look back at the greatest Blizzard franchise of them all, Warcraft. From its humble beginnings as one of the first games as its kind, to the biggest online game in the world, Warcraft has stayed one step ahead. With BlizzCon just around the corner, we take a look back at the series that catapulted Blizzard to international fame.


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Girls Basketball: Mount Assisi aiming for memorable finish
By Tony Baranek firstname.lastname@example.com February 17, 2014 7:58PM
Mary Kate Wetzel (left), of Mount Assisi, and Sarah Mogensen (31), of Lisle. | Jon Cunningham/For Sun-Times Media
Updated: March 19, 2014 6:25AM
Mount Assisi coach Kelsey James got the effort she was looking for Thursday when her Eagles battled host Lisle to the wire and prevailed in a 54-52 Class 2A regional final thriller.
On the bus ride back to school, she got the answer she was hoping for in a conversation with junior Jess Moriarty.
"I asked Jess if it made the transfer worth it," James said. "She had a huge smile on her face and said, 'Yes.' That was great to hear."
Moriarty, who transferred to Mount Assisi before this school year, will be transferring again after Mount Assisi closes its doors in June. She and the other Eagles, however, are trying to make the final season memorable.
Mount Assisi (13-17) will meet Westmont (12-17) at 6 p.m. Tuesday in a Class 2A Harper Sectional semifinal. In the other semi, Seton (17-8) faces Hope (14-6).
The postseason has seen the best of the Eagles, who advanced to the semifinals in the GCAC White Tournament, then beat Harper and Lisle to capture the Lisle Regional.
In the title game, they rallied from a five-point third-quarter deficit to survive behind five straight free throws by Moriarty over the final 1:46.
"Words can't even describe how satisfied they were," James said. "I have been telling them all year that their hard work would pay off and you could see Thursday they finally believed it.
"The season has had its ups and downs, and at times it was hard to motivate them to want to work hard and win, but Thursday they all bought into the idea that if they just give everything they have, they are a very tough team to beat."
Mary Kate Wetzel is closing out her high school career in double-double fashion (10.8 ppg, 11.3 rpg). Moriarty (9.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg) is shooting 43 percent from the three-point arc while Terri Dearth is averaging 3.1 assists.
"I have been saying to them and anyone who has asked that I'm just waiting for it to click, and it is now," James said. "Monica Tadros (7 points) stepped up big in the (title) game and is continuing to get better, Mary Kate has had a good season, but is really improving her game offensively, Terri and Jess are working great together, so it's just the right time."
Westmont captured the Cristo Rey Jesuit Regional with a 40-27 victory over Tilden in which Annie Carlson had 16 points and Mara Casper 12. Carlson and Casper are the top two scorers for the Sentinels, who had a rash of injuries early in the season and lost their first nine games.
Seton advanced by winning its own regional as GCAC White Player of the Year Ebony Bailey scored 18 points in a 56-30 rout of Illiana Christian.
Hope's path was a lot more dramatic. In the U-High Regional final, the Eagles trailed by 10 points with a little more than five minutes left to play before outscoring Bowen 16-4 for a stunning 52-50 victory. Danisha Maggette had 27 points for Hope.
In Class 1A, Morgan Park Academy (14-10) will meet Hinckley-Big Rock in a Harvest Christian Academy sectional semifinal.
The Warriors claimed their sixth regional title in seven years behind double-doubles by Gabby Ogbevire and Brittney McKnight in a 54-38 win over Universal. Hinckley-Big Rock won its own regional as Lauren Paver scored 30 points in a 62-35 win over Harvest Christian Academy.
Player of the Week
Casey McMahon, of Stagg, is the SouthtownStar Girls Basketball Player of the Week.
McMahon, a senior guard, helped the Chargers to victories over Joliet Central and Joliet West. Against Central she had 21 points and surpassed the 200 mark for three-pointers in her career. Against West she was 6-of-8 from three-point range and totaled 22 points. She added nine rebounds and six steals in the two games.


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Tonight's club is discussing Tea Obreht's "The Tiger's Wife"
We meet the third Monday night of each month at 6:30PM unless there is a scheduling conflict, as there was this month.
If you've read the book and aren't able to make it to the discussion, you can post your thoughts here. Those who wish to can respond and comment on your thoughts or add their own.
The consensus after our meeting Tuesday night leaned more towards unsatisfied with the book versus, loved the book. The main issue was how difficult it was to get into the story because of the author's use of the short story. Each chapter seemed to bring about a new tale that was, in my opinion, quite good, but brought more confusion as the reader had to try and figure out how the author meant to connect each tale to the others. "It was just really hard to get into," would be a statement to sum it all up.
Interestinly, this book did seem to bring out a good discussion as we spent a large part of the hour working together to figure out what so many of the character's and events meant to each other. Overall, most of us were left with a feeling that this young, twenty something author has a little more maturing to do in the literary field. We praise her for her attempt and some of us are interested in seeing what she is capable of in a few more years.
Next month we read our first non-fiction title: Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art by the husband and wife team Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo.


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the chakra conversation we started a few weeks ago
One way of thinking about chakras, continues Dr. Jeff Migdow, who teaches Prana Yoga teacher training at the Open Center in NYC and also trains at Kripalu, is to remember that we all know what energy is intuitively. We can all recall the sensation when energy travels through our bodies, and conjuring up that feeling might help make chakras become more tangible.
"Each one of us," he says, "has had experiences we've felt really good in. It's that tingling, champagne feeling in the body when we're excited or engaged in something. This is energy flowing into the nervous system. We've all felt it at one time or another, even though we may not know exactly what it is. We may not be able measure it with medical equipment – it takes place on a subtler level."
I like this explanation. I can get on board with this, I think. Most people, myself included, have felt the almost-indescribable swell of energy during happy times, and the low contraction of heartbreak. These types of energy shifts, and other varieties, can be felt at different physical points in the body. Maybe thinking of these points as related to the chakras isn't a bad way to look at it.
Equally helpful was another person's take. I asked my teacher, and YogaGlo's own, Elena Brower
The shift in attention that Elena talks about is so fundamental, and seems to be the key to a lot of things – like mindfulness, and its many accompanying physiological changes. To figure chakras as points in the body to which to attention can be shifted makes a lot of sense to me. It finally makes the concept relevant and valuable.
In the end, it may not be about "proving" whether or not chakras exist. It may be more about how we sit in our own bodies, and connect to the energy that we already know is moving around within it. And if focusing attention on specific points in the body helps our minds let go of the roadblocks and quiet the chatter, then maybe that's all the proof we need. Maybe we had it all along.
Alice G. Walton, PhD is a health and science writer, and began practicing (and falling in love with) yoga last year. She is the Associate Editor at TheDoctorWillSeeYouNow.com and a Contributor at Forbes.com. Alice will be exploring yoga's different styles, history, and philosophy, and sharing what she learns here on the YogaGlo blog. You can follow Alice on Twitter @AliceWaltonFacebook.com/alicegwalton
Want to learn more about chakras through asana and meditation? Our seven week What the ChakraFirst ChakraSecond ChakraThird ChakraFourth ChakraFifth ChakraSixth ChakraSeventh Chakra
Beginning a yoga practice can feel a little like entering a play already in progress. You can pick up the general storyline pretty quickly, but there are some integral plot details you really need to go back for in order to get the full experience.
By the same token, there are terms used in yoga classes which are a little bit elusive to the beginner. Namastes and Ohms are easier understood, but there is a wealth of vocabulary that reflects trickier concepts. The idea of chakras is one that can be harder to grasp, especially for Westerners (or for me, at least). I've kind of avoided delving into the chakra question, but figured I should give it a go, since clearly, having been around for millennia, it isn't going anywhere. Understanding chakras in the most sciency way was, of course, my goal, since this is generally what makes things tangible and come alive.
What I found in my search, however, surprised me. Of the many people I polled, from doctors to researchers and everyone in between, not many wanted to comment. Some said there was too little research, some said the question was too large to get into quickly, and some just declined to comment. Scientific literature searches didn't reveal much.
A couple of people did volunteer to "go there." One was Jeff Migdow, MD, who has taught yoga and headed teacher trainings at Kripalu. He first explained that chakras are typically thought of as "swirling spheres, or spinning vortices of energy. The faster they spin, the more energy is sucked into energy body."
I told him that I was having a hard time wrapping my brain around that. I wanted to know how they can exist in the physical body – if you could measure them with equipment, or if they were more philosophical in nature.
Migdow suggested that while the concept of chakras is an ancient one, there are some biological links that have been suggested more recently, which may help Western minds feel a little less skeptical. One idea is that each of the chakras corresponds to a nerve plexus in the body – points where nerve bundles branch off to innervate different parts of the body. For example, the root chakra might correspond to the coccygeal plexus, the heart chakra to the heart plexus. Another theory is that the chakras correspond to the endocrine glands of the body: the crown chakra to the pituitary gland, third eye chakra to the pineal gland, the root chakra to the adrenal glands, and so on. Communication within the nerve fibers or fluctuations in the endocrine (hormone) system might correspond to the shifts in energy that some experience as chakras.
While these theories seem logical on some level, they seem to be just that – theories. In the end, I'm not sure there is much empirical Western evidence that the chakras exist physically. But I'm also not so sure that this matters much. It may be more about subtler changes or movements of other particles throughout our bodies. Even more, it may be about how we choose to conceptualize chakras for ourselves that's the real evidence. As I discovered from researching further, their existence is, quite possibly, larger than the literal.
Stay tuned for more on chakras. In the meantime, please tell us your own thoughts: How do you conceptualize chakras? How do you feel them, experience them, and relate to them, both in class and outside of it?
These are the last classes in our What the Chakra series and we hope you enjoy your exploration of the final chakra.
These classes, taken together, will help you shift your view of yourself, others and the world around you. Enjoy!
Explore you unique voice and all that brings to your life.
a deeper look at different ways to work with the chakras in your body
Go forth and get your fourth chakra on!
chakra goodness
Have you had a chance to take these classes and work with your third chakra yet? It is powerful stuff! Let us know how your chakra practice is coming along and if you have any questions. We're all learning so it's a safe space to ask away!
What the Chakra?
Second Chakra Meditation with Harshada Wagner
Second Chakra Practice with Elena Brower
Enjoy this exploration of the second chakra and let us know if you have any questions along the way.
Ever wonder what chakra represents what? Or where it's even located in your body? Some of you may be well-versed in all things chakra (bravo!), but many of us aren't. To help us sort out what the heck it's all about, we're launching a seven part series of asana and meditation this week to provide more insight into each chakra. Each week, Harshada WagnerElena Brower
This week's chakra is the Root chakra, represented by the red flower in the illustration above:
Join us for the next seven weeks as we explore the chakras together and please let us know if you have any questions along the way!


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VMware Images:
The Perfect Server - Debian Squeeze (Debian 6.0) With BIND & Dovecot [ISPConfig 3] - Page 6
Submitted by falko (Contact Author) (Forums) on Tue, 2011-08-09 17:52. ::
19 Install ISPConfig 3
To install ISPConfig 3 from the latest released version, do this:
cd /tmp
The next step is to run
php -q install.php
This will start the ISPConfig 3 installer. The installer will configure all services like Postfix, Dovecot, etc. for you. A manual setup as required for ISPConfig 2 (perfect setup guides) is not necessary.
root@server1:/tmp/ispconfig3_install/install# php -q install.php
The installer automatically configures all underlying services, so no manual configuration is needed.
Afterwards you can access ISPConfig 3 under http://server1.example.com:8080/ or http://192.168.0.100:8080/. Log in with the username admin and the password admin (you should change the default password after your first login):
The system is now ready to be used.
19.1 ISPConfig 3 Manual
In order to learn how to use ISPConfig 3, I strongly recommend to download the ISPConfig 3 Manual.
On about 300 pages, it covers the concept behind ISPConfig (admin, resellers, clients), explains how to install and update ISPConfig 3, includes a reference for all forms and form fields in ISPConfig together with examples of valid inputs, and provides tutorials for the most common tasks in ISPConfig 3. It also lines out how to make your server more secure and comes with a troubleshooting section at the end.
19.2 ISPConfig Monitor App For Android
With the ISPConfig Monitor App, you can check your server status and find out if all services are running as expected. You can check TCP and UDP ports and ping your servers. In addition to that you can use this app to request details from servers that have ISPConfig installed (please note that the minimum installed ISPConfig 3 version with support for the ISPConfig Monitor App is 184.108.40.206!); these details include everything you know from the Monitor module in the ISPConfig Control Panel (e.g. services, mail and system logs, mail queue, CPU and memory info, disk usage, quota, OS details, RKHunter log, etc.), and of course, as ISPConfig is multiserver-capable, you can check all servers that are controlled from your ISPConfig master server.
For download and usage instructions, please visit http://www.ispconfig.org/ispconfig-3/ispconfig-monitor-app-for-android/.
20 Additional Notes
20.1 OpenVZ
If the Debian server that you've just set up in this tutorial is an OpenVZ container (virtual machine), you should do this on the host system (I'm assuming that the ID of the OpenVZ container is 101 - replace it with the correct VPSID on your system):
20.2 SquirrelMail
Lots of people have reported problems (such as getting 404 Not Found errors) using the SquirrelMail webmail package in their web sites created through ISPConfig 3. This guide explains how to configure SquirrelMail on a Debian Squeeze server so that you can use it from within your web sites (created through ISPConfig).
SquirrelMail's Apache configuration is in the file /etc/squirrelmail/apache.conf, but this file isn't loaded by Apache because it is not in the /etc/apache2/conf.d/ directory. Therefore we create a symlink called squirrelmail.conf in the /etc/apache2/conf.d/ directory that points to /etc/squirrelmail/apache.conf and reload Apache afterwards:
cd /etc/apache2/conf.d/
Now open /etc/apache2/conf.d/squirrelmail.conf...
vi /etc/apache2/conf.d/squirrelmail.conf
... and add the following lines to the <Directory /usr/share/squirrelmail></Directory> container that make sure that mod_php is used for accessing SquirrelMail, regardless of what PHP mode you select for your website in ISPConfig:
Create the directory /var/lib/squirrelmail/tmp...
mkdir /var/lib/squirrelmail/tmp
... and make it owned by the user www-data:
chown www-data /var/lib/squirrelmail/tmp
Reload Apache again:
/etc/init.d/apache2 reload
That's it already - /etc/apache2/conf.d/squirrelmail.conf defines an alias called /squirrelmail that points to SquirrelMail's installation directory /usr/share/squirrelmail.
You can now access SquirrelMail from your web site as follows:
You can also access it from the ISPConfig control panel vhost as follows (this doesn't need any configuration in ISPConfig):
If you'd like to use the alias /webmail instead of /squirrelmail, simply open /etc/apache2/conf.d/squirrelmail.conf...
vi /etc/apache2/conf.d/squirrelmail.conf
... and add the line Alias /webmail /usr/share/squirrelmail:
Then reload Apache:
/etc/init.d/apache2 reload
Now you can access Squirrelmail as follows:
If you'd like to define a vhost like webmail.example.com where your users can access SquirrelMail, you'd have to add the following vhost configuration to /etc/apache2/conf.d/squirrelmail.conf:
vi /etc/apache2/conf.d/squirrelmail.conf
Make sure you replace 220.127.116.11 with the correct IP address of your server. Of course, there must be a DNS record for webmail.example.com that points to the IP address that you use in the vhost configuration. Also make sure that the vhost webmail.example.com does not exist in ISPConfig (otherwise both vhosts will interfere with each other!).
Now reload Apache...
/etc/init.d/apache2 reload
... and you can access SquirrelMail under http://webmail.example.com!
21 Links
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October 2003
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U.S. Sensor Corp.'s product guide offers a wide selection of surface-mount and leaded thermistors, as well as RTDs and an array of probes and assemblies for use in demanding temperature sensing applications. Calibrated thermistor probes with NIST-traceable calibration certificates, glass-encapsulated interchangeable thermistors, and epoxy-coated ultra precision interchangeable thermistors are some of the new products featured.
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Title: Chou no Doku Hana no Kusari
Original title: 蝶の毒 華の鎖
Developer: Aromarie
Rating: 18+
Length:Medium (10-40 hours)
Yuriko's a noblewoman in the Taisho Era and has a big party on her birthday. She then discovers her father is trying to find her a rich husband at the party, but she doesn't want to have that fate. Suddenly, some rogues break into her place and start trashing the place. She grabs a wooden sword so she can fight them, but a man saves her...
CG Sample
Shibaaaa~~~ HURHUR
I think Majima's the only standard bishounen in this game @_@
Download Link
/h code
I couldn't find a good thread in AGTH, back then when I played I couldn't find a code either, had to link two threads together. I hear /HWN-4*14:-4*0@5136F4 works, but haven't tested it. Ganbatte~
Wheeee~~~Done :D I've already finished all the routes and 100% CG, so holla if you have any probs playing it.
I love this pic~~


text: Independent and Eric Koston collaborate to design a superior truck for all-terrain destruction! Introducing the Eric Koston II Stage 11 Forged Trucks. Sizes: 129mm Axle 7.75" fits deck sizes 7.5" to 7.75". 139mm Axle 8" fits deck sizes 7.75" to 8.25". 149mm Axle 8.25" fits deck sizes 8.25" to 8.75". Set of two trucks. Other features: 356 T6 Aluminum hanger. Forged Aluminum baseplate increases strength. Hollow steel kingpin and axle reduce weight.