text:
Hi, welcome to GTA Wiki. Thanks for contributing to the Vinewood (Grand Theft Auto V) page, and for taking interest in the wiki. Please leave a message on my talk page if I can help with anything, or as alternatives, leave a post on a forum, or refer to the Help pages. -- Ilan xd (Talk) 03:36, November 8, 2012
why are you my questions my they are good questions Rigby2000 (talk) 03:21, November 21, 2012 (UTC)RigbyRigby2000 (talk) 03:21, November 21, 2012 (UTC)
I'm Sorry I didn't know Rigby2000 (talk) 03:52, November 21, 2012 (UTC)RigbyRigby2000 (talk) 03:52, November 21, 2012 (UTC)
Thanks For The Advice Rigby2000 (talk) 04:21, November 21, 2012 (UTC)RigbyRigby2000 (talk) 04:21, November 21, 2012 (UTC)
Hey Sasquatch can you check out my questions & see if i did okay http://gta.wikia.com/User_blog:Rigby2000/Grand_Theft_Auto_5_Questions? Rigby2000 (talk) 18:12, November 23, 2012 (UTC)RigbyRigby2000 (talk) 18:12, November 23, 2012 (UTC)
sasquatch can you talk Dodo8 he being hateful to me about my questions & you say i can ask questions on my blog right & he gets mad at me for no reason? Rigby2000 (talk) 20:30, November 23, 2012 (UTC)RigbyRigby2000 (talk) 20:30, November 23, 2012 (UTC)
hey sasquatch you are so right & i will stand up to dodo8 & he is not my boss & if he cuss me out again & i will cuss him right back? Rigby2000 (talk) 05:05, November 24, 2012 (UTC)RigbyRigby2000 (talk) 05:05, November 24, 2012 (UTC)
Help Me With Dodo8
Hey Sasquatch i can't take this anymore & i am giving up posting on here since Dodo8 threaten to? Ilan, the admin, about what you've done but i haven't done anything wrong have I. you need to do something about Dodo8 have him banned forever.
Thanks for the invite, Sasquatch, though I'm not really a Myths&Secrets fan. But, as for the Rumours page, ask Jeff. -- ILan (XD • Edits • Home ) 14:48, January 30, 2013 (UTC)
- PS I may come and help a bit with the GTA Myths Wiki, cleaning it up a little, checking grammar, overlooking, etc. -- ILan (XD • Edits • Home ) 14:48, January 30, 2013 (UTC)
Thanks, for the invitation, Sasquatch. I've already done some edits.
Catch you around, :)
Mikey Klebbitz (talk) 16:38, January 30, 2013 (UTC)
Yeah, well I'm not really into myths, but I'll do what I can to contribute. Happy to help!
Mikey Klebbitz (talk) 15:08, February 6, 2013 (UTC)
Hey there Sasquatch.
I'm semi-new here, and Im not getting any answers on my problems. I need to know navigation and how to navigate and follow my edits in a better way. Can you help? WM hasnt contacted me at all regarding my questions of help. Thanks for any solutions you can give me. UndeadMarston84 (talk) 07:29, February 2, 2013 (UTC)
Thanks. You're welcome, about the votes, I think you're a good editor and would be a good patroller.
Mikey Klebbitz (talk) 16:01, February 7, 2013 (UTC)
As per community vote, you're now a patroller. Any questions or help about anything you can either ask me, Jeff, Tom, or one of the Admins. Messi1983 (talk) 15:14, February 8, 2013 (UTC)
Hey Sasquatch! Congratulations on getting to be a Patroller! It's good to have you as one of our staff! Patroller Vault Boy (Message Me!) 17:08, February 8, 2013 (UTC)
Yeah congrats on becoming a patroller mate, good to have you on the staff. istalo (Talk to me) February 8, 2013
Thanks guys for voting for me, I'll try and do my best at keeping the wiki clear of vandals and running smoothly. Its great to be part of the team! Sasquatch101 (talk) 02:47, February 9, 2013 (UTC)
Congrats from Mikey here! Nice one. Welcome on-board.
Mikey Klebbitz (talk) 16:12, February 9, 2013 (UTC)
RE: Patroller
You have to talk to Ilan about all that and he'll sort it out. VaultBoy Tom (Talk to me this way) 08:31, February 10, 2013 (UTC)
- Sure! I'll make one ofr you and put it on the page. But... what image would you like to be used as your staff avatar? (must be a GTA-related) -- ILan (XD • Edits • Home ) 14:53, February 11, 2013 (UTC)
RE: Streets
hey what'sup this is Ray, i wanted to give you a hand on your street page building, by adding pictures to them so i can make them look more better (Ray boccino (talk) 03:53, February 13, 2013 (UTC))
Hey Sasquatch!
Is every thing good on the GTA Myths Wiki? Hope so.
I applied for admin here. Could you vote and comment?
Mikey Klebbitz (talk) 15:52, March 6, 2013 (UTC)
Thanks, Sasquatch!
I'll go to the GTA Myths wiki today, in the afternoon.
Mikey Klebbitz (talk) 07:56, March 7, 2013 (UTC)
I've been promoted. Thank you for voting "Yes"!
Later, Sasquatch!
Mikey Klebbitz (talk) 17:19, March 8, 2013 (UTC)
I hope so!
Mikey Klebbitz (talk) 18:40, March 9, 2013 (UTC)
Thanks, likewise!
Mikey Klebbitz (talk) 14:27, March 10, 2013 (UTC)
Thanks Sasquatch for voting yes on my patrollership request. I appreciate it. Boomer8 (talk) 04:15, March 11, 2013 (UTC)
RE: Admin
Hey Sasquatch!
I already voted. In fact, I voted even before I saw your message.
Good luck in you request!
Mikey Klebbitz (talk) 16:38, March 13, 2013 (UTC)
- Voted and voted no. But that will be a yes if you apply again in a few months time. Messi1983 (talk) 17:52, March 14, 2013 (UTC)
- Try to consolidate your patroller skills, then. Good luck!
- Mikey Klebbitz (talk) 18:08, March 15, 2013 (UTC)
Hi, Sasquatch, I like your page and you would be a nice patroller or admin, I saw your request in the GTA Wiki:Requests for Promotion, I would answer yes, but please, answer yes to me to by patrollership, it would be a big pleasure, thanks a lot.
Thomas0802 (talk) 13:24, March 16, 2013 (UTC)
Interaction ban
I am officially stating the following.
- Dodo8 and Sasquatch101 are banned from commenting on each other's edits or behavior, either directly or indirectly.
- Dodo8 and Sasquatch101 are banned from voting on each other's promotion requests
- Dodo8 and Sasquatch101 are banned from filing demotion requests against each other.
Discussion of this ban should take place on MY talk page, since this identical message has been left on multiple pages. Jeff (talk|stalk) 15:53, March 17, 2013 (UTC)
- I have warned Dodo and now I am warning you. If I see you two arguing again, I will be blocking you both for a period amount of time. Messi1983 (talk) 15:56, March 17, 2013 (UTC)
Hi and thanks!
Hi Sasquatch, I just came to thank you very much about the positive vote, it makes me very happy! Thomas0802 (talk) 21:10, March 17, 2013 (UTC)
24 hours, for this. Interaction ban means you stop talking about Dodo8. Jeff (talk|stalk) 11:52, March 18, 2013 (UTC)
I did not stick up for you. You may assume I "stuck" up for you, but I actually told an admin on you and Dodo in case the situation got out of control.
Mr. T. (talk) 22:52, March 18, 2013 (UTC)
Three days, for violating the interaction ban yet again.
An interaction ban means that you are not to discuss or interact with Dodo8 in any way, shape or form, with the very specific exception of reporting current violations. What part of that are you not understanding? Jeff (talk|stalk) 03:41, March 20, 2013 (UTC)
- Next time you mention Dodo, I am blocking you for a long time or for good. I'm fed up of this grudge you two guys have. This is your last warning. Messi1983 (talk) 04:23, March 20, 2013 (UTC)
Don't whine to me about it. As for you two's; for me trying to "prevent" it, it broke my chances of being an admin due to my "incivilty". Do NOT mention about this conflict again. If you don't know what to do, go talk about it to an admin.
Mr. T. (talk) 22:18, March 20, 2013 (UTC)
The conflict
Alright, Sasquatch, I went through your entire interaction with Dodo8 and, I know you feel like I'm against you because I've blocked you twice now, but I completely sympathize with you. You were right about him being uncivil at first, you helped the newcomer, and you were the one who stayed cool up until a couple weeks ago. In fact, I noticed he was the one who started with the insults with the "I don't know why you were promoted to patroller" thing. The only thing you did wrong until a couple weeks ago was start responding to him instead of either ignoring it or reporting it to Messi, who'd already warned him about incivility.
But when it comes to long running disputes, the first step to resolving them is to get the people in it separated from each other, and that's why I had to block you. I don't know why it is you don't understand the interaction ban and keep breaking it, and I'd love to be able to change my vote on your request for demotion if you'd only show you understand what you did wrong and start actually following the interaction ban.
If you can show me that you understand what the ban means and agree to follow it, I'll unblock you and change my vote on the RfD. Jeff (talk|stalk) 00:34, March 21, 2013 (UTC)
- Jeff, I understand what the ban means, and what it is. I ask that you give me another chance, and close the demotion request. I never intended it to get to this point. I feel deeply sorry for the what has gone on here, and would love nothing more than to continue being a patroller. Reading the time line you made makes me feel even more how I want to be apart of the GTA Wiki staff. I truely mean good. I have steped back and realized that I don't need to be involved in petty nonsense. I hope you can connect to what I'm conveying and close the request you authored. I'm sorry Sasquatch101 (talk) 04:08, March 21, 2013 (UTC)
- Alright, I'll lift the block early and I changed my vote to oppose, I'm going to leave the discussion open for the full 7 days though. Sasquatch, if you ever have any doubts about whether something counts as interacting with Dodo, it probably does count, but either way you can always ask me or Messi if you think it's important.
1,000 Edit!
Sasquatch101 (talk) 04:06, March 22, 2013 (UTC)
- Thankyou for giving me a second chance. I will never interact w/ dodo. Ever. I also compleatly understand why you blocked me. The fighting just had to stop. Thanks Sasquatch101 (talk) 03:31, March 22, 2013 (UTC)
Thanks for putting me on your friends page! Boomer8 (talk) 02:43, March 23, 2013 (UTC)
RE: Congratulations
Thanks Sasquatch! VaultBoy Tom (Talk to me this way) 08:47, March 24, 2013 (UTC)
RE: Linking the Wikis
Yeah, that would be a good idea. I'll have to ask one of the bureaucrats first though.
VaultBoy Tom (Talk to me this way) 08:58, March 28, 2013 (UTC)
I'm doing fine. Can't wait for GTA V!!! Boomer8 (talk) 02:43, March 31, 2013 (UTC)
Yeah, it's very complicated because if it isn't done in a certain way then it doesn't work. I asked Jeff to take a look at it and sort it out but, he hasn't got back to me on that.
VaultBoy Tom (Talk to me this way) 06:58, April 1, 2013 (UTC)
Spelling Corrections
Hey, man. I hope you don't mind, I made a spelling correction on your profile. I changed "Citys" to "Cities".
Just to help your profile be nice :)
PerseusDude (talk) 00:11, April 17, 2013 (UTC)
Sup dude, if you are not busy editing like I was before, we could talk on chat if you want ok. Cloudkit01 (talk) 02:26, May 14, 2013 (UTC)Cloud
Hey Sasquatch! It's been a while since we last spoke, eh?
Tell me how I can help and I'll see what I can do, as soon as I end up studying for the two final tests:
- Maths (tomorrow);
- Geography (Thursday).
Mikey Klebbitz (talk) 19:25, June 4, 2013 (UTC)
The tests are over as of 12:00 am today.
I won't be here in the weekend, so if you wanna discuss it I, I can only do it tomorrow, now.
Mikey Klebbitz (talk) 20:24, June 6, 2013 (UTC)
As long as the header ain't too big, you can add it.
But I'd recommend talking to one of the b'crats first.
Mikey Klebbitz (talk) 19:27, June 7, 2013 (UTC)
Sasquatch, if there's something I can't do, it's editing headers, and that sort of thing.
The thing is I'll be out of home till Monday. I'm leaving two hours from now.
Mikey Klebbitz (talk) 09:42, June 8, 2013 (UTC)
Thanks, Sasquatch, I did have a good trip.
Now, back to business, I DID know Dodo was the best person to ask for the header. But, if I recall correctly, you two have had a rough past...
But now I'm back, I'm happy to see you've overcome that argument of yours.
Also, the header looks good.
Mikey Klebbitz (talk) 20:22, June 10, 2013 (UTC)
Hey, Sasquatch. I could do that today.Dodo8 Talk
- Done. Now an admin has to update the main page.
All of the votes have the same weight.
Mikey Klebbitz (talk) 19:44, June 12, 2013 (UTC)
Making statements such as "You have a real pissy tone in your responce to the comment I made which is a sign that you are a very insecure person" are nothing short of a personal attack, as such I have issued a temproray ban as you have ignored the GTA Wiki Civility policy. JBanton (Talk | Contribs) 07:02, June 14, 2013 (UTC)
- In future I suggest that you do research before bringing points forward, because making and believing unfounded information will only lead you to be naive and believe in things that aren't true. Your recent display on the Community noticeboard shows this; in views towards things that aren't GTA, such as Watch Dogs. I am not here to argue, but only offer advice; research will help you present arguments for which counter-arguments are harder to produce. JBanton (Talk | Contribs) 07:18, June 14, 2013 (UTC)
I have to ask you something about the Alien picture background. It looks like a spaceship, or something like that. I would like to know where did you take this picture, and telling the public how to access that location, wherever it is. I am just curious, and I have never seen a location like it. And I think it might be a hoax if you cant explain how did you get to this location, and that other pepole cant access it.
DeltaWolf247 (talk) 13:17, June 14, 2013 (UTC)DeltaWolf247
Dear Mr. Sasquatch (funny title, isnt it?)
I have to ask you something about the Alien picture background. It looks like a spaceship, or something like that. I would like to know where did you take this picture, and telling the public how to access that location, wherever it is. I am just curious, and I have never seen a location like it. And I think it might be a hoax if you cant explain how did you get to this location, and that other pepole cant access it.
DeltaWolf247 (talk) 13:19, June 14, 2013 (UTC)DeltaWolf247
Community Noticeboard
Check out the GTA Wiki:Community Noticeboard. Boomer8 (talk) 03:54, June 17, 2013 (UTC)
Hi Sas. Where do you live in? I have a project to add our countries to the staff pages.Dodo8 Talk
- Mikey told me he heard you live in another country. I'm not speculating anything, but if it's true there's nothing to be ashame of.Dodo8 Talk
New MoS
After the plan that I talked on Ilan's talk page, I created it. Check out our new MoS - GTA Wiki:Manual of Style/Neighborhoods. I Hope you liked it. --Thomas0802 (talk-Edits) 17:48, July 21, 2013 (UTC)
Community Noticeboard
Check out my new idea at the Community Noticeboard. --Thomas0802 (talk-Edits) 19:46, July 23, 2013 (UTC)
GTA Wiki News
Hey Sasquatch.
Could you please check my new blog post?
Mikey Klebbitz (talk) 11:15, August 10, 2013 (UTC)
Inactivity notice
I just wanted to let you know, school starts on 16 September. Here, at the end of the year we will have to pass 2 exams with a grade as high as possible, this will decide our future. The higher the grade, the better the high school. Due to this I'll have to learn a lot and do a lot of homework, so I will become inactive. I'll try to check the wiki as much as possible, maybe even daily, but I won't edit that much. Cheers! Dodo8 Talk
- I'm still not sure if I'll get GTA V for Xbox, but if I will maybe we can play online sometime. See you soon! :) Dodo8 Talk
Bigfoot - GTA V
'sup Sas, how are you?
So, listen man, I found something you'll find to be very interesting:
Yes, this is NOT a mod, but an easter egg Rockstar added.
Happy GTAV celebration! -- ILan (XD • Edits • Home ) 19:21, September 18, 2013 (UTC)
I feel like you don't understand that the Bigfoot, Ghosts and UFO pages are allowed on here due to the fact that they do actually feature in the game. San Andreas Bigfoot and ghosts etc. were purely speculation and modifications. GTA V actually features them. Tom Talk 19:54, October 10, 2013 (UTC)
- The old text at the top of the page looked like it said "CLICK ME", it was too obvious and you couldn't concentrate on the info on the actual page. Now since The Tom added it on the bottom of the page, it's good.Dodo8 Talk
Demotion vote
GTA_Wiki:Requests_for_Promotion#Demotion_from_Administrator:_User:Winter_Moon Jeff (talk|stalk) 16:29, October 25, 2013 (UTC)
Hi Sasquatch! Do you have the Skylift on TBoGT? Where can you park it without any danger to disappear? I saw a walkthrough in this video but I don't like to use cheats. --Thomas0802 • (talk • edits) 11:46, December 2, 2013 (UTC)
- Ok, but however I don't think it is useful because it can't lift up anything hahaha. In TBoGT I have a purple Infernus (rarely found around Middle Park West) and a black/green Bullet GT from Drug Wars parked in Luis' house in North Holland. --Thomas0802 • (talk • edits) 06:32, December 4, 2013 (UTC)
- I searched in the internet (because my new keyboard where I play TBoGT doesn't take screenshots) and it's exactly like this one in this video. --Thomas0802 • (talk • edits) 10:49, December 6, 2013 (UTC)
I'll see what I can do. If I can get it I'll let you know. Boomer8 (talk) 01:02, December 6, 2013 (UTC)
Dodo8 Talk 11:08, December 25, 2013 (UTC)
Admin cases response
Please answer the 'case studies' I listed at User:McJeff/Admin cases and email me the responses at ***
When I have the responses of all four admin candidates I will post them and we will begin voting.
Please delete this message once you have seen it so my email doesn't fill up with spam. Jeff (talk|stalk) 23:36, January 3, 2014 (UTC)
Restricted Areas
I agree with you on that. Putting them in the Restricted Areas category will make it confusing. I'll help you Smashbro8 (talk) 03:30, January 6, 2014 (UTC)Smashbro8
Hey Sasquatch101. My bad for undoing your edit to the Turtle page. I didn't know there were two turtle pages. Smashbro8 (talk) 20:32, January 6, 2014 (UTC)Smashbro8
Bucaneer Way
Hey man! Smashbro8 here. I just noticed the Bucaneer Way page you made. Are you sure the street is named that and not "Buccaneer Way"? Smashbro8 (talk) 03:19, January 7, 2014 (UTC)Smashbro8
No problem. You want me to fix it for you? Smashbro8 (talk) 03:25, January 7, 2014 (UTC)Smashbro8
Done. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask me! Smashbro8 (talk) 03:31, January 7, 2014 (UTC)Smashbro8
No problem! Smashbro8 (talk) 03:34, January 7, 2014 (UTC)Smashbro8
Page images
Dude, not to be rude or whatnot, but when you add new pages, add template image if you don't have the image of them, so could you do that next them so I don't I have to spend all night adding them, you understand right? Cloudkit01 (talk) 03:37, January 7, 2014 (UTC)
Thanks dude. Cloudkit01 (talk) 03:42, January 7, 2014 (UTC)
Well, maybe though, but even I create new pages for voice actors, I always find the pics of them on IMDB, Wikipedia or their websites. Oh, when you make a new page about streets, could you add the words like avenue, drive, boulevard, street, .etc instead the period like Peachtree Ave., Smithion Blvd. .etc okay man. (P.S.: those streets are fake, so don't add them k) Cloudkit01 (talk) 03:52, January 7, 2014 (UTC)
Thanks a lot Sasquatch, but of course, I would have to thank you all because without the other candidate patrollers, I wouldn't be in this position. It's important to me to keep this position in an important and active Wiki like this. I hope when you have some time to help the Wiki, talk to me and we can work in few plans and projects together. You helped me too during the beginning. Thanks for the support. --Thomas0802 • (talk • edits) 09:34, January 12, 2014 (UTC)
New wiki
Today, a new subsidiary Wiki of the GTA Wiki has been created. The new, hereafter extravagant GTA Songs Wiki.
The Wiki is about all the songs around the radio stations in the GTA series, it's hard to me to build this Wiki alone, so I'm inviting you to help a little bit, step by step, brick by brick.
I'm trying to create a Wiki, bringing articles to an identical look-a-like method. They are actually very short. The songs infoboxes should contain the name, image (offcial album cover), size, artist, radio stations, game, year and genre. The header section should look like this: Example is a song performed by Artist Example featured in the radio station [[Example]] in GameExample. The sections are the following :
- Lyrics - you can pick one from the internet, include the <center> at the top and bottom from the section and don't forget the colons (:). Remember to keep 20 free lines between the header section and the lyrics section.
- Trivia (optional) - If the song can be listen during a cutscene (example : Arab Money).
- Video - The better video you can find about it on Youtube.
This is an optional invite, I hope the Wiki will turn up extremely amazing in few months, just like the GTA Myths Wiki did.
Anyways, I'll ask the bureaucrats if the Wiki can become an affiliate when stronger.
Cheers! --Thomas0802 • (talk • edits) 01:24, January 19, 2014 (UTC)
Marlow Drive
I have been in talks with Cloudkit01 about the articles Marlow Drive and Marlowe Drive. He claims that Marlow Drive does not exist, and that you are the curator of that page. I noticed that Marlow Drive and Marlowe Drive contain the same content, so I'm assuming Marlow is just a misspelling. If this is the case, I think we should delete Marlow Drive. Nebiksrazu (talk) 17:17, February 14, 2014 (UTC)
Thanks, Sasquatch! BTW, is that image from the movie with the haunted hotel or something?Dodo8 Talk 07:15, April 7, 2014 (UTC)
Ha ha ha! XD Thanks bro :) -- ILan (XD • Edits • Home ) 13:04, April 7, 2014 (UTC)
Can you list me several pages as examples? I'll check this as soon as possible. -- ILan (XD • Edits • Home ) 09:19, April 8, 2014 (UTC)
It in no way "breaking up the crowded skyscraper category". If it was you'd have created categories for all the skyscrapers with the "Skyscrapers" category being the main category containing numerous subcategories and no actual articles - I'm not suggesting that by the way. You've just created another semi-relevant category which has no real point and adds nothing to the Wiki. The skyscrapers category is only three pages, it doesn't need breaking up anyway. Tom Talk 09:35, April 19, 2014 (UTC)
Hey Sasquatch101. Thanks for what you said. I will tell The Tom about it and write my request. () 05:11, April 25, 2014 (UTC)Smashbro8
Hey Sasquatch 101. I finally wrote my second request for promotion on the Requests for Promotion page. Please give me a vote! Thanks! () 03:17, April 26, 2014 (UTC)Smashbro8
Hey Sasquatch101. Cloudkit has reported the bureaucrats about the user and I have reported ever admin possible. Thanks for telling me though! () 04:51, April 30, 2014 (UTC)Smashbro8
I agree with you 100%! I was editing on the Midnight Club wiki and got a message from Cloudkit01 saying he needs help. I came and found the wiki like this. I put as many pages as I can for deletion and messaged everyone but no one is awake at the moment. The vandal has too many pages and these pictures are far from inappropriate. Does he know how many people may be viewing this at the moment? He's also disrespected a ton of users including all the staff members, including me. He even wrote nonsense under my request for promotion which I undid and messed with mine, Cloudkit's and another user's talk page and profile page. () 04:59, April 30, 2014 (UTC)Smashbro8
Hey Sasquatch101. I can't leave a vote for you cause I'm not yet a patroller. However, if I could I'd definitely vote Yes for you! Sorry. () 21:55, May 1, 2014 (UTC)Smashbro8
Alright. I left you a vote! () 22:00, May 1, 2014 (UTC)Smashbro8
Welcome anytime! () 22:04, May 1, 2014 (UTC)Smashbro8
RE: Promotion
No problem Sasquatch. Good luck! RageQuit Talk 23:07, May 1, 2014 (UTC)
RE: Request for promotion
There are no Admin vacancies. One vandal hardly constitutes a spree, it was a hugely exaggerated incident and the basis for your request is just an extension of that overreaction. Your entire request is based around the fact that you're online at a certain time - the fact that people were willing to vote yes based just on that is pretty worrying - not that you'll actually make a good Admin. But none of that is even relevant because as you know, there is no vacancy. Tom Talk 23:20, May 1, 2014 (UTC)
- That vote didn't pass. I have no idea where you got the idea that some kind of resolution was found from. You've just displayed a complete lack of Admin qualities with that message, be careful with how you speak to other staff members. Tom Talk 23:28, May 1, 2014 (UTC)
- He is not a "senior vandal" he's a guy we've had an issue with before, and in fact blocked before, but blocks don't stop people from creating new accounts, there is no way to completely get rid of a vandal. He wants to get a big reaction and I don't think promoting an inexperienced user to attempt to deal with him if he chooses to come back at a certain time makes much sense. People like him need to be ignored, he'd be loving it if he saw how much of a reaction he had caused.
- I don't have an issue with you personally, I have an issue with how you disregared policy without consulting an Admin, I have many issues with your actual request, and I have an issue with how you responded to me removing that request. But I don't hate you.
- Please re-read the post, it failed; you suggested one or two new admins, it was rejected; one or two said maybe, but that is not enough reason to justify you ignoring the result of the vote. Staff then did not agree that another Admin would be good, hence why your suggesstion failed, and why would they definitely now? Jeff was always against rushing into promotions, he certainly wouldn't say yes, I doubt Messi or any experienced staff member would either. You're not stating what you know, you're stating what you think. Tom Talk 23:48, May 1, 2014 (UTC)
I know you're going to take this as an "attack", but it isn't. You've been talking to me in an unacceptable manner recently and I'm giving you a warning for it. You really need to calm down and read my comments more clearly, I'm not attacking you. Tom Talk 23:06, May 2, 2014 (UTC)
Quatch, you need to stop with your bitching and complaining over everything that Tom is doing, he's really getting annoyed that you accusing him of some shit that he never does for no reason alright, no more of that okay. Cloudkit01 (talk) 20:47, May 3, 2014 (UTC)
Don't you ever, ever latch out on me, I get personal when someone does that, you need to knock it off and cool it alright. Cloudkit01 (talk) 20:58, May 3, 2014 (UTC)
You're blocked. There will be a discussion as to whether or not to take this further. You need to grow up, you're the on that can't take criticism, and you're in the wrong here. The only thing I did wrong was show some degree of leniency with you. Tom Talk 21:14, May 3, 2014 (UTC)
It's one not on. BTW you should stop acting like a frat boy and grow up. I feel sorry for whoever has to put up with you. Sasquatch101 (talk) 21:17, May 3, 2014 (UTC)
- I have no idea what "acting like a frat boy" is meant to mean.
- Increasing the staff limit is a decision for the Bureaucrats, the vote of a Patroller such as yourself is invalid as you have a vested interest. I have no issue with allowing another Admin, as I've previously stated, but it has to be the right guy, not just someone active at a certain time - by the way, that shouldn't be a issue for much longer as Jeff and Wikia are working on a filter which blocks vandals automatically. I think you need to have another look at everything said over the last few days, read it carefully and hopefully you'll see how irrationally you've acted. Tom Talk 21:26, May 3, 2014 (UTC)
Sasquach I am blocked on myths wiki. I added GTA Wiki info to the pages that have "this article contains info from GTA Wiki" written on the top. Also about GTA SA Myths if a person refer to this category he may not find all myths in gta sa hence I added that category to pages having myths and legends in gta sa category. I was not poinsgaming. Also user myth hunter 007 also adds GTA SA myths but he is not blocked.Today he added over 8 such categories.I will not edit pages multiple times. Please unblock me.Myth hunter (talk) 10:56, July 31, 2014 (UTC)
Dude, I need your help! I can't add infoboxes on my Wiki! And don't tell me how to! Just come to my WIki and help me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When you reach my Wiki message me. Awesomeboy2222 (talk) 14:19, August 25, 2014 (UTC)Awesomeboy2222
My Wiki http://gta-3.wikia.com/wiki/User:Awesomeboy2222
Sorry sasquatch, but I didn't feel comfortable for voting "yes", forgive me but I agree with Leo. (talk) 11:41, January 20, 2015 (UTC)
- I decided to give you a positive vote. (talk) 23:05, January 23, 2015 (UTC)
- I have reccomended you take the three month probation if you are granted Patroller rights. It was a policy I set up recently for either users applying after two months of joining or special cases, such as demoted users. It wasn't around when you applied or when you were demoted. It was only applied when Tom made Bureaucrat. Leo68 (talk) 08:07, January 24, 2015 (UTC)
You have been granted rights for three months. On April 24, 2015 a vote will be set up for Bureaucrats and Administrator to determine whether or not you will keep your rights based on your behaviour, edits, activity and civility. Congratulations. Leo68 (talk) 18:50, January 24, 2015 (UTC) - The vote has been extended but it is currently positive. Leo68 (talk) 18:53, January 24, 2015 (UTC)


text:
The PALE Toast Contest has entered the voting portion. Go visit the Forums, login, and vote for your favorite toasts… You can vote for up to five (5). The Top Five will be read-aloud at the July 11th meeting, with … Continue reading
Just a reminder that the July meeting will NOT be held on the first Thursday of the month as that lands of July 4th. The meeting has been moved back a week to Thursday, July 11th and the Bolingbrook Golf … Continue reading
We wanted to get an updated schedule out for the remainder of 2013 and start of 2014. We are going to coordinate the PALE Project with the AHA club only competitions in order to send the winners on to the … Continue reading
Congratulations to the following PALE members who were winners at the recent Charlie Orr Memorial Chicago Cup Challenge! Paul Pfeifer 1st place in Smaller Stouts for "Paul's Stout" Dry Stout Nick Olson 1st place in Bigger Stouts for "Temhota" Imperial … Continue reading
From the desk of the PALE Vice President: PALE Drunk Monk Challenge results: Congratulations to our members! Mark Pannell (okay, not a current member, but one of our founders) 1st Place for Ed's Best Brown in Flight 16 and 3rd Place to Brandon … Continue reading

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Welcome to krazymofaux's Member Page
See my Clippings See my Journal See my trade list Send me an email
I live in: United States
My zone is: z5 MO
My favorite forum 1 is Garden Junk.
My favorite forum 2 is Landscape Design.
First registered on September 22, 2003 .


text:
Your Ballot Information | ||
Your Election Day Information | ||
Voter Registration Information How, deadlines, and more. |
^ |
DEADLINE: October 9 is the registration deadline for the 2012 General Election if you are not already registered to vote. REGISTER ONLINE: Register to vote online at the Secretary of State's Website by using the EZ voter registration service and your valid Arizona driver's license or nonoperating identification license. Register online here: https://az.gov/webapp/evoter/. PAPER REGISTRATION*: Blank voter registration forms, which can be filled out and returned to the Secretary of State's office or your County Recorder's office, are also available and can be obtained: 1.) From the Secretary of State's Website. Click here. 2.) By calling the Secretary of State's office at 1-877-THE VOTE (1-877-843-8683) 3.) By contacting your County Recorder's office or 4.) At other government offices and public locations throughout the state. * Paper forms must be received by your County Recorder or the Secretary of State's office BEFORE 5 p.m., Oct. 9, 2012. |
Election Contact Information | ||||


text:
And now, after months of independent lonely research, I present to you the BEST FREE ANTIVIRUS AND EVERYTHING ELSE combo!!!
And the winners are:
1. Avira AntiVir Free Personal PE Classic
2. COMODO Firewall PRO 3.0
3. Spyware Terminator
I have tested these on virus affected school computers ( LOL Don't ask)
Avira stands out the best after comparing with AVG and Avast!
( Avast came up 2nd and well AVG free seems not so good.)
Comodo Firewall is the best after comparing with the chunky ZoneAlarm Firewall
And Spyware Terminator is d bes comparing with Ad-Aware 2007, Spybot Search and destroy and Windows defender.
The best news is that they don't eat up your ram and cpu resource
But of course, you need to continuously update. The spyware terminator update is so slow, avira is okay, and the firewall doesn't update, unless you switch into future versions.
The firewall maybe a little paranoid but if you are an adverage user, change the settings.
And if you have a super pro pc that is still free with too much of idle ram, install windows defender or spybot S&D and update. Beware that spybot S&D might slow down the pc.
THe spyware terminator comes with the crawler toolbar and the web defender add on. My advice, don't install. YOu still can if you want, but i don't recommend it.
Instead, get the McAfee SiteAdvisor( its free) or the WOT add-on for Mozilla Users only. The Mcafee SiteAdvisor is for both IE and Mozilla Firefox, but you may have to download them seperately.
Till then, i hope this helps. Bye~


text:
Business Partners
Like her grandparents who founded the CYC company, our Managing Director, Mrs. Fong Loo Fern believes strongly that a good shirt is one which is not only comfortable to wear but also one that fits the body perfectly. This means that high quality workmanship must be maintained at all times. For example, checkered, printed or striped fabrics must match perfectly at the pockets, the shoulders, side seams, sleeves and cuffs.
Today, CYC has a customer base of more than 30,000 including our corporate clients. We offer the widest range of shirt fabrics with a choice of over 1,000 designs and colours to pick from, with at least 30 different designs in white alone. Many of these fabrics are from the same cotton mills which supply to top international designer brands such as Hugo Boss, Zegna, Armani and Prada. We bring in the latest fabric designs that are in vogue in Europe so that customers are always in line with the latest season's colours and trends.
At CYC the concept of a "custom-made" shirt and personalised service takes on a whole new meaning. Our experienced and knowledgeable staff are trained to offer expert advice to customers on cut, style and even colours that help to enhance their overall appearance and image. Customers can look through a dossier of over 50 collar styles, cuffs and pockets and seek advice on what looks best on them. Shirts can be personalised according to the customer's preference including having special monograms and labels bearing their names or initials. We also offer a large variety of designer touches on our shirts which most tailors don't, thus making our shirts unique.
It is this commitment which has won CYC legions of repeat and new clients each year, as well as industry recognition. In 2005, CYC was one of the winners in the inaugural SPBA (Singapore Promising Brand Award) Heritage Brand Award organised by the Association of Small and Medium-size Enterprises to honour successful home grown companies with a history of 50 years and more.
A shirt does make the man, especially a well cut one. No one knows this better than CYC, Singapore's oldest and most established custom shirt maker. Our meticulous attention to details, from the fineness of our stitching to the perfectly engineered cut and fit of the shirt, has won us legions of satisfied customers beyond our home base.
Currently, CYC markets its products overseas through retail stores in the UK, France, Australia, USA and through direct mail to existing clients.
Individuals or existing stores looking at expanding their product range in shirts are welcome to contact us for partnership opportunities.


text:
American Standard Version (ASV) | New International Version (NIV) |
9 as unknown, and [yet] well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; | 9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; |
The American Standard Version is in the public domain. (The American Standard Version Bible Online) | Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online) |


text:
...against someone other than Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
1. Philander to take his 100th test wicket.
...against someone other than Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
1. Philander to take his 100th test wicket.
Greatest Ever Test XI: JB Hobbs, L Hutton, DG Bradman (c), IVA Richards, BC Lara, GS Sobers, AC Gilchrist (wk), Imran Khan, RJ Hadlee, MD Marshall, SK Warne 12th man: M Muralitharan
Favorite XI: WG Grace, VT Trumper, IVA Richards, DCS Compton, FMM Worrell (c), AC Gilchrist (wk), CL Cairns, SK Warne, FS Trueman, SE Bond, T Richardson 12th man: H Larwood
"Neither of them will have an international cricket acareer past 2016."
Brocky on Martin Guptill and Ish Sodhi. 20/11/2014.
2. Philander to take his 400th test wicket.
Indians can't bowl - Where has the rumour come from as I myself and many indian friends arwe competent fast bowlers ?
With the English bid I said: Let us be brief. If you give back the Falkland Islands, which belong to us, you will get my vote. They then became sad and left
Taylor and Brownlie are far better than this thread implies.
"In 2009 he lost his old, faded India cap, when it was stolen from a ground. He was very, very upset about it. It was dear to him and he was extremely proud to wear it."
Vijeeta Dravid on her husband Rahul, March 2012
348 New Zealand batsmen to score half centuries.
NZ will board an aeroplane for the Caribbean.
John Buchanan wants them to go by boat so as to build character ftr
I don't think any NZ batsman will score a century in the Windies, tbh.
No matter how flat the pitches are or what bowlers they are facing, they willl get themselves out. Sick of the useless ****s, tbh.
Monty Panesar will score a Test century.
Monty Panesar will take a catch
"I am very happy and it will allow me to have lot more rice."
Eoin Morgan on being given a rice cooker for being Man of the Match in a Dhaka Premier Division game.
Flem will become a good poster.
The mark of the beast 666 and a cashless society.
Last edited by brockley; 26-03-2012 at 11:00 AM.
Williamson will score 99 and then...
So nothing happened, huh?
Apart from DoG making this silly thread, of course.
Nothing happened, but Monty should have taken a catch
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)


text:
Spend your late nights with The Alternate Side at 10!
We'll keep you company tonight with new music from some of our favorite kiwis, The Naked and Famous! We'll get to the latest Nine Inch Nails, Divine Fits, Daft Punk and Queens of the Stone Age, too. Count on some Modest Mouse, Violent Femmes, Ramones, Gorillaz a new Shuffle and Mix-Up and lots more.
This certainly looks good in print, but you can hear it all live tonight at 10. See you then!


text:
You forget that everyone hates paying for anything. And I imagine that BYOND is a great starting place for most developers - I can see why this would be a great beginning base, but I'm also impressed by the capabilities this engine does have for even more experienced programmers.
Honestly, I know I'd lose a lot of respect for BYOND and I'm sure so would plenty others. Why should you have to pay to help people out? You should have to pay to post or update your own library to help others, honestly? As well, making people pay for the developer tools - like I stated before, this community is a great place for beginners and experienced programmers alike. I came here to learn more, as I try to venture into C++. I see amazing similarities, and honestly enjoy this community. But if I came here with the expectation that to even really do anything, I have to pay? I'd probably never have considered the site at all.
Now, considering BYOND is in fact a business however and Tom does have to keep it running, there are a few things that should be kept in mind - it does need to generate revenue, but priorities regarding what is free and what is not should be stated. I like the idea of having games that aren't developed by members being given a hub, but not being given a spot in the search system. This way the game can still circulate without screwing up the search results for everyone.


text:
Sony MDREX10LP/GRN Fashion Earbud Headphones - Green
Item#: S396-0062 | Model#: MDREX10LP/GRNCurrently Out Of Stock!
You May Consider This Alternative
Sony MDREX10LP/GRN Fashion Earbud Headphones Product Details
Sony MDREX10LP/GRN Fashion Earbud Headphones
Get a combination of superb quality and great look in the Sony MDREX10LP/GRN Fashion Earbud Headphones today. These lovely headphones comes in a green shade and features the Hybrid silicone ear buds, securing it to the ears for a comfortable ear. It also comes with the wonderful 9mm driver units to deliver awesome music and the powerful neodymium magnets gives high resolution treble and mids with great bass enriching audio quality. The Y-type cord with slider does not get messed up and gives an upfront look. Try your hands on the Sony MDREX10LP/GRN Fashion Ear bud Headphones immediately!
What It Is and Why You Need It:
- Hybrid silicone ear buds; gives perfect fit
- 9mm dome type driver units; produces excellent audio
- High energy neodymium magnets; gives powerful bass sound
- Y-type cord with slider; gives a neat look
Manufactured by: Sony
Warranty provided by: Sony
Limited Warranty: 3 months parts; 3 months labor
Mfg Part No: MDREX10LP/GRN
UPC No: 027242815254
Box Size: ( Length:7, Width:2, Depth:1)
Shipping Weight: 0.1000 pound(s)
Dimensional Weight: 1pounds
What is Dimensional weight?
Click here for full warranty and support information - Limited Warranty: A full text version of the limited warranty
may be obtained by mailing a self addressed, stamped envelope to the
address below and requesting the warranty for item number: S396-0062
Warranty Information
7795 W. Flagler St. Suite 35
Miami, FL. 33144 - Sony logos are registered trademarks of Sony. All others trademarks and copyrights mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.


text:
Lowepro Flipside 400 AWFrom $ 114.40 Retail Price:$ 239.99 You Save: 52 % Options:
The Lowepro Flipside 400 AW gives you quick access to your gear with it's unique rear entry compartment system and All Weather protection. The Flipside 400 is a high-performance camera backpack designed with a large capacity and premium security. The Flipside provides all-day comfort, plus protection from the elements. Its unique back-entry compartment provides easy access to camera gear when setting up (keeping the harness off the ground and clean of debris), plus extra security when on the move. Adjustable dividers allow custom organization inside the roomy main compartment. Perfect for the traveling photographer or enthusiast who needs to keep expensive gear securely tucked away, yet close at hand to capture the shot in a moment.
Highlights of this bag:
Click here to view shipping rates for this product.
Great customer service is what we do best at AvidMax Outfitters. The proof is in the pudding as they say. Dont take our word for it though, take a look at what our customers say about us on eKomi, The Feedback Company. We have also earned the highest possible rating of"ELITE"by STELLA Service. This rating is achieved by just 4% of thousands of online businesses evaluated by the company. STELLA Service is an independent company that rates the customer service performance of online stores. They test more than 300 different elements of the online customer experience. We deeply appreciate you trusting us with your order and we promise that we will always strive to give you the best customer service that we can. So thank you in advance for being our customer, and we hope your buying experience is excellent. If its not, we want to know about it. Please feel free to call or email us anytime. Toll Free - 866-454-5523 firstname.lastname@example.com We want 100% satisfied customers. If you are not happy for whatever reason, we want to know about it. We want to earn your business, and that starts with taking care of every single customer. That is our commitment to you. |


text:
Balconette: Sexy and supportive, these are ideal to wear with low-cut tops or V-necks.
find the perfect: bra
The right bra works wonders: It not only supports and enhances your bust—it actually improves the way clothes look on your body. Here, we go undercover and discover that choosing the best bra for your body is as easy as ABC (and D).
The top of the cup should lie flat. Gapping cups are just as bad as those that runneth over—go down a cup size to fix the former, up to fix the latter.
All the support comes from the band. It should life your breasts, like they're sitting on a shelf.
The underwire gently hugs the breasts. If it digs in, go with a larger cup size.
The straps should feel invisible—no gouging, no shifting. If you have to shorten them significantly to lift your breasts, try a smaller band.
The back of the band should stay put. It shouldn't ride up or bulge out.
Size yourself up. Think you already know your bra size? You may be shocked. Start your search by taking new measurements—and don't assume that department-store salespeople will measure you correctly. Instead, go to a boutique that specializes in bras, like Intimacy (which has stores nationwide) or your local old-school lingerie shop. Or just do it yourself: To measure the band, tightly wrap a tape measure around your ribs, directly under your breasts. Then take a second measurement by wrapping the tape snugly around your back, under your arms and straight across the top of your chest. If the numbers differ, take an average of the two. To measure your cup size, place the tape measure on your sternum, between the breasts, and extend it out over the widest part of the breast to the point where it connects with your rib cage. Four inches is roughly an A-cup; five inches, a B-cup; six inches, a C-cup and so forth. If your breasts differ, go with the larger size.
Don't skip the dressing room. Bra sizes vary from brand to brand, so you really have to try them on. Use our tips beside the illustrations above to make sure you get the best possible fit.
Pour and shake! There is a right way to put on a bra—whether you're in the dressing room or your bedroom. We call it the "pour and shake" method: First put your arms through the straps, then lean forward while holding the sides of the band (or the closures, if it's a front-fastening bra) and let your breasts fall into the cups. Pull the band taut, then stand up and fasten it at the widest setting (if you have a choice), because it will stretch over time. Shake a little, then readjust as needed to settle yourself in. This will ensure that your breasts point outward, not downward, for the perkiest projection.
Don't hate on underwire. If you are a B-cup or bigger, an underwire bra is an absolute must, because it shapes the breasts, provides unbeatable support and slows down sagging. Underwire should comfortably surround the bottom and sides of the breast; if it is painful, go up a cup size. If you're still anti-wire, look for brands like Wacoal, which uses more flexible boning instead of underwire.
Pull a disappearing act. When it comes to materials, silky bras are the most versatile because they're not only smooth (we've all seen a bumpy lace bra under a body-con dress: disaster) but they're also the least likely to catch on your clothing's fabric and make it bunch or wrinkle. We like nylon-based fabrics because they're breathable yet slippery enough to be discreet. Just make sure you buy it in the right color. Which brings us to our next point:
Find your shade of "nude." Much like the peachy crayon formerly known as "flesh," the color "nude" does not translate for everyone. Unless you happen to be stark white or jet black, neither of these hues will disappear under sheer clothing. So if you're going for subtlety, opt for a tone that's closer to your actual skin color. Calvin Klein, Only Hearts, Eres, Wacoal and DKNY all carry a wide range of skin-tone shades. Interestingly, the closest we found to a hue that universally disappears under white or sheer clothing regardless of skin color is a purply beige called Maquillage, created by British lingerie brand Bodas. It's pretty miraculous.
Going strapless? Go smaller. Strapless bras play by their own set of rules. Lacking shoulder supports, they need to fit extra snugly so your breasts don't sag (or, worse, come flying out at an inopportune moment). For most women, the trick is to buy one cup size smaller than your normal bra size. Look for a strapless bra with underwire, a wide band and a defined space between the cups to separate your breasts—unless you want to become known as the Uni-Boober.
more on luckymag.com
Paris Hilton Cleaned Out Her Closet And It Was Incredible
Paris Hilton's closet is a sight to behold, and yesterday the star shared photos of her wardrobe clean-out efforts—trust us, you have to see the resul…
No More Bonne Bell? Say It Ain't So!
File this news under NOOOOOOOOO: Bonne Bell, the family-owned purveyor of Dr. Pepper-flavored lip balms and other beloved kiddy cosmetics, is closing…
Is Helen Mirren The Most Stylish Subway Rider Of All Time?
As captured in this sneaky photo (and confirmed by multiple tweets over the past few months), Helen Mirren isn't the kind of woman who's too posh for…
Balmain's Oliver Rousteing Speaks Out Against Runway Racism: 'It's Just Sad'
Ina recent interview with the Telegraph, the designer touched on the unfair discrimination black models face. Click through for his thoughts.
You Have To See This Amazing Selfie With Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Jay Z And Justin Timberlake
Earlier today, Taylor Swift posted a celebratory selfie in honor of her dear pal Justin Timberlake's birthday featuring some famous faces you might ju…


text:
Here comes 2014!
I love the arrival of spring, and all the hope it brings that a new year — even-numbered! — will cleanse the pain of the last one. (I also hope a good rainfall will come along for the cleansing, to end California's drought.) While 2013 was decidedly painful for the Giants, I see plenty of signs for a turnaround in 2014.
Pablo Sandoval is lean and motivated.
Tim Lincecum is ready to complete his reinvention as a crafty pitcher, instead of a fastball chucker.
Tim Hudson is here to help Lincecum — and he can still deal.
And those are the three and four starters, behind the horses Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner.
Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford keep improving; Angel Pagan and Marco Scutaro are healthy; Buster Posey and Hunter Pence anchor the meat of the order; and Michael Morse has arrived to make sure there are no weak spots. The bullpen is deep (love Sergio Romo!); the bench is capable (lurve Hector Sanchez!); Bruce Bochy is the best in the business.
And best of all: I have a new Giants book coming out!
The Giants Baseball Experience: A Year-By-Year Chronicle From New York To San Francisco will be published by MVP Books and will be available April 3. I'll set up a new Web site, and start planning events. The last time I had a new Giants book out — with Willie Mays on the cover, naturally — was 2010, and we all know what happened then!
Farewell to 2013
The Giants (and I) ended the 2013 season in fine fashion and high spirits, and I don't think either of us wants to wait too long for 2014.
In the case of the Giants, according to Mercury News beat writer Alex Pavlovic, "they went 20-14 after August 24 and finished with wins in 10 of the final 15 games."
In my case, I attended three games in the last week of the season. In my first, the Giants lost to the Dodgers, but they kept it close, they won the next two, and we were treated to the spectacle of Brian Wilson's ignominious return to San Francisco. I had the extra pleasure of attending with my friend Joe Konte, who is not only the man who has organized my season ticket group since Pac Bell Park opened in 2000, but is now also the author of the fabulous new book on the Giants and Dodgers and their long enmity for one another, "The Rivalry Heard Round the World."
With Rivalry Day approaching – wait, didn't you know that Oct. 3 was Giants-Dodgers Rivalry Day? On this date in 1951, Bobby Thomson hit his famed home run; in 1962, the Giants again won the capper of a three-game playoff against the Dodgers, this time when Stan Williams walked Jim Davenport with the bases loaded; and in 1993, the Dodgers beat the Giants on the last day of the season in what we know as the Salomon Torres game, and the Giants lost the division championship to the Braves. And on Oct. 3, 2013 – as in, tomorrow – Joe Konte will appear at Books Inc. in San Francisco's Marina neighborhood to regale the crowd with even more tales of the rivalry. (It will help put the latest sordid episode into context as well.) I saw Joe's event at Book Passage in Corte Madera, and he was a wonderful storyteller. (Buy his book!)
My next two games were Friday, Sept. 27, and Sunday, Sept. 29. The Giants beat the Padres in both. Friday night, Hunter Pence won the Willie Mac Award as the team's most inspirational player. Last season's winner, Ryan Vogelsong, turned in a strong effort. I hope he makes it back next year.
Then, after the Giants rewarded Pence with a big contract – yay! – he showed what he's capable of, turning in his first walk-off hit as a Giant as the team came from behind to beat the Padres on Fan Appreciation Day on Sunday. It was a glorious afternoon at the ballpark, highlighted by two moving displays: An ovation for Giants fan Bryan Stow, who came out to the ballpark, and an overdue ovation for Barry Zito, who shared his love of the fans. Three years ago, such mutual affection seemed impossible; fans chafed at Zito's poor performance under his massive contract. But Zito proved himself a class act, first accepting a sideline role in the 2010 playoffs, and then rebounding with a strong 2012 season and some series-saving performances in the postseason. Redemption is sweet, and Zito, with all his struggles, seemed less like a glamorous millionaire athlete and more like one of us as he doffed his cap and touched his heart.
I can't say enough about how optimistic I am for 2014. I love a pitching staff anchored by Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner. (Do I have to say it? Bring back Tim Lincecum!) I love that Buster Posey is locked up for years – he is our Derek Jeter. I love that Brandon Belt and Brandon Crawford emerged as bona fide big leaguers, and will continue to improve. I love that Pablo Sandoval showed, if only briefly, that he can lose weight and regain his stroke. I love that Sergio Romo can go a whole season as a closer. (Do I have to say it? Bring back Javier Lopez!) I love little things – the return of Angel Pagan, the emergence of Yusmeiro Petit (the next Vogelsong), the clutch hitting of Hector Sanchez, the willingness to spend big on Pence and possibly other free agents. And I love that the Giants never quit, and managed to escape the cellar and finish in third place, after all their struggles. Thank you, Bruce Bochy!
The Giants' failure to defend their World Series championship probably means the end of the line for my incredible run as the author of Giants Past and Present. I still have some of the 2012 World Championship editions to sell (email me for a signed copy!), but there won't be a fourth edition.
I have, however, put the finishing touches on a new Giants' book, the Giants Experience, which will be out in the spring. It will be a big, beautiful coffee table book that will sell for $35. I'll set up a new Web site for that! (You can get a sense of what it will be like by checking out Tyler Kepner's Phillies Experience.)
Thanks to the Giants, who in yet another season of Torture have reminded us how sweet those world championships really were, and to all of you, for reading and supporting me on this wonderful ride.
A Dandy Day with Juan Marichal
It barely seemed possible. MVP Books, publisher of Giants Past and Present, also published last year Juan Marichal: My Life From the Dominican Republic to the Hall of Fame. And now they had an offer: Would I like to do a book event with Juan Marichal?
It did not take me long to agree to that. We set it for this past Friday, following the Giants' home opener – 6 pm at the Barnes and Noble in Emeryville. And there was one more request: Could I give Juan a ride to the event?
The stage was set for a magical afternoon. I immediately bought three tickets for the opener, in the left field upper deck. I needed to figure out how I would connect with Juan. It would have to be in an area accessible to the public, since I do not hold a media credential that would get me to his seats. As it happened, I do have a favorite place to meet people outside AT&T Park, one far less crowded than the Willie Mays statue.
The Juan Marichal statue.
How many living people have statues erected in their honor? I had visions of posing for pictures with 75-year-old Juan Marichal, next to the statue of 25-year-old Juan Marichal. Juan with his feet on the ground, Juan with his leg virtually vertical.
Of course, I knew it couldn't happen that way, and Juan confirmed it: He said he couldn't go to the statue after the game, or the crowd would never let him get away from it.
Somehow, I maneuvered my car to the gate next to the statue (making a dubious left turn past a sleeping traffic officer at Parking Lot A), and waited. Juan and his wife, Alma emerged, along with Gaylord Perry and his wife. I was able to escort Juan into the car, and head into what I feared was going to be a traffic nightmare. But fortunately, we made it to the Bay Bridge easily enough and were in Emeryville in short order.
It was amazing how easy it was to talk to Juan. We asked him all kinds of questions, and he just let the stories spill out: About the 16-inning shutout he pitched against Warren Spahn, about his 54 shutouts, about his 244 complete games. About players in the steroid era, about modern five man rotations and deep bullpens and pitch counts.
Before I knew it, we were in Emeryville. About 60 people came to the store, and Juan fielded a wide variety of questions. His answers ranged from inside baseball stories, to poignant life lessons.
Some of the highlights:
• On the 16-inning game: "After nine innings, my manager, Alvin Dark, told me that's it, you're done. I said, I am not coming out of this game. After 14 innings, he said, that's it, now you're done. I said, 'Do you see that guy on that mound there?' He said, 'Yes.' I said, 'That guy is 42 years old. I'm 25 years old. I'm not coming out until he comes out. No one is taking that ball away from me.' That was really dumb!'"
Finally, after the 15th inning, Marichal said to Willie Mays, "Chico" – because Mays called everybody "Chico," Marichal called him that as well – "I don't know how much longer I can go!" Mays told him, "Don't worry, Chico, I'll win this for you." And then, with one out in the 16th inning, Mays blasted a solo home run to win the game, 1-0.
Marichal had thrown 227 pitches. After that game, he said, "That was the only time in my career I did not have to make my next start on three days rest. I got four days." A few years later, he said, he pitched a 14-inning shutout, only to lose to the Mets on a Tommie Agee home run.
• My friend Susan Hutcher asked a great question, and Marichal gave a tremendous answer. She wanted to know how a pitcher can remain calm, when all eyes are on him. Such pressure must be nerve-wracking. The answer: "Confidence," Marichal said. And he told this story. "When Barry Bonds played for the Giants, I used to see other managers walk him when there were no outs, or walk him with the bases loaded. They'd rather let one run score than four runs. If a manager ever told me to walk someone with no outs, or with the bases loaded, I'd have given him the ball and said, 'You do it.' I'm out there to try to get hitters out."
• The Giants fans at the bookstore, myself included, had a good time hooting and jeering a Dodger fan who showed up, but Juan calmed the crowd down. "I finished my career with the Dodgers," he said. When he joined the Dodgers, Johnny Roseboro called a press conference and told everyone to welcome him to the team. He told how he and Roseboro became lifelong friends, and Roseboro came to visit him in the Dominican Republic.
• Marichal thinks teams baby their pitchers today because they pay them so much money. "Justin Verlander signed a contract for $180 million. They want to make sure he doesn't get hurt." Why didn't Marichal get hurt? He felt that throwing so many pitches made his arm stronger. In his words: "I threw a lot of rocks as a kid."
• As a pitcher who claims to have hit .500 — 11 for 22 — with runners in scoring position — Marichal must hate the designated hitter, right? Wrong! "We had Orlando Cepeda and Willie McCovey, and had to trade Orlando because we couldn't play both of them, and he won the MVP," Marichal said. "I would have let one of those guys hit for me."
• When he was called up to the Giants, Marichal had just pitched a great game in Sacramento for AAA Tacoma, and was ready to go to the AAA All-Star Game, where participants would be given a watch. "I was excited to be called up, but sad that I wouldn't get the watch," he said. Orlando Cepeda introduced him to his new teammates. He couldn't believe he was shaking hands with Willie Mays. "It was my privilege to play with the greatest player of all time, Willie Mays," he said.
• As the event was winding down, and Juan signed the last of the books, a group of young men in green LOMA sweatshirts sidled over. It was the baseball team from Point Loma College in San Diego County. Juan graciously stood and chatted with them for 20 minutes. "Nothing is impossible," he told them. "I came from Laguna Verde in the Dominican Republic, to Santo Domingo, to Michigan City to Springfield [Mass.] to Tacoma to San Francisco to Cooperstown. If I can do that, anyone can do that. Nothing is impossible."
If I can somehow find a way to write a book about the Giants, and they win two World Series, and my book goes into a third edition, and I get to spend a day with the greatest San Francisco Giants pitcher of all-time riding around in my car, telling baseball stories and selling books alongside me, then I have to agree with him: Nothing is impossible.
New edition of Giants Past and Present coming next spring!
Lots of great news here at "Giants Past and Present" world headquarters:
I will be updating "Giants Past and Present" to include the great stories of the 2012 World Series Champions! The third edition of the book should be out by Opening Day 2013. I will organize some public events and look forward to celebrating another Giants championship.
If you have any ideas of photos that belong in the book, please let me know! My own favorite is the photo from this post of Marco Scutaro, joyfully drinking in the rain in the waning moments of the clinching seventh game of the NLCS.
In addition, I contributed a few articles to the San Francisco Chronicle's fabulous 72-page commemorative section on the champs that ran Sunday. My stories:
How do these Giants compare to other great Giant teams of the past? They may not be as great as the Willie Mays-Willie McCovey teams of the 1960s, but with two titles in three years, they may rank even higher. Bill Kent, the leader of the New York Baseball Giants Nostalgia Society, who has seen a few great Giant squads in his day, said this year's model had the most guts.
The Giants' success starts on the farm. The Giants managed to win a World Series without going out and signing a bunch of high-priced free agents, a rarity in the modern era. The biggest free agent on the team was Barry Zito, who we had come to think of as the biggest bust before #rallyzito won him a new place in our hearts.
Giant relics from 2012 World Series heading to Hall of Fame. And wouldn't you rather see the bat Pablo Sandoval used to hit two home runs off Justin Verlander, instead of that Barry Bonds baseball that some knucklehead branded with an asterisk?
And, not that this has anything to do with me or my book, but I had a lot of fun watching Ashkon Davaran's new Giants' video, "We Are the Champions" and thought I'd share it here. (Video is embedded below.) Ashkon's "Don't Stop Believin'" video defined the Giants' run through the 2010 postseason. Falling down the YouTube rabbit hole, I found another pretty funny Giants' song, "SF Giants Style," a parody of "Gangnam Style," the song that took over AT&T Park this fall. It is great to be a Giants' fan.
Speaking of songs at the ballpark, I was excited to learn that the Fist Pump Granny is actually Giant executive Mario Alioto's mother!
World Champions – again!
It is almost as hard to believe it now as it was in 2010. Did the San Francisco Giants really win the World Series? You'd better believe it.
If 2010 was a team of castoffs and misfits, at least it was a veteran club, and one with dominant pitching. The 2012 Giants seemed like a bunch of kids, and the arms all seemed to fade as the season lurched to a close. The word I heard the most from the Giants this year was "grind."
Even as the playoffs started, the Giants did not carry any air of inevitability, or invincibility. Falling behind the Reds, and then the Cardinals, the season could have ended at any moment.
Until, suddenly – dramatically – for the second time in the post-season, the Giants got their wake-up call. It was an unlikely time. Barry Zito, who had not looked good against the Reds, got the call as the stopper in St. Louis. He gave up three hits before the Giants had one.
And then Marco Scutaro and Pablo Sandoval singled, and with one out, Hunter Pence hit a weak dribbler back to pitcher Lance Lynn, and the Giants got the sort of lucky break that defined this entire post-season – and, I suppose if you believe in these things, defined the Giants as a Team of Destiny. Lynn threw to second base, and there was no one there. He tried to hold up his throw, and it hit the bag. Scutaro scored. Another out, another couple of singles – one on a beautifully planned bunt by Zito – and the Giants were on their way to a 5-0 victory. They would never lose again in 2012.
About those lucky breaks the Giants caught, whether it was Johnny Cueto leaving Game 1 of the Cincinnati series, or Angel Pagan's grounder hitting third base against Detroit (again with the base!), or Gregor Blanco's exquisite bunt, stopping incredibly inside the chalk. Include in those the sloppy defense by the opponents in every series, and then consider: the Giants made no such blunders.
And that's by design. The Giants are built around pitching and defense. It makes sense, when you think that pitching wins games, and defense is a big part of pitching. Manager Bruce Bochy could have played Xavier Nady or Hector Sanchez in a quest for more offense, but he knew the formula. If you keep the other team from scoring, you don't have to score too much yourself.
In building that type of team, General Manager Brian Sabean also built just the right lineup for AT&T Park. The best defenders are not necessarily sluggers in the Barry Bonds mold. Instead, Sabean acquired and promoted contact hitters, who can spray the ball into the gaps. Players like Melky Cabrera, Pagan, Blanco, and even Pence, Buster Posey, Scutaro, Brandon Belt and Sandoval all fit this model. With Scutaro in particular showing the virtue of taking pitches, and not striking out, the Giants were built for the modern post-season.
The Giants had one more ingredient: Heart. It sounds like a cliche. It is said of nearly every team. (Well, maybe not the 2009 Yankees.) But consider some of the stories on these Giants – and not just overcoming the Brian Wilson injury or the Cabrera suspension. Instead: Ryan Vogelsong, wandering baseball's wilderness for years before he came home to San Francisco and became a bona fide star. Scutaro, the very definition of a journeyman infielder, earning the nickname Blockbuster as he turned into Ty Cobb when he arrived on the Giants in July. Zito, never living up to his massive contract, but suddenly becoming a consistent winner. Tim Lincecum, losing his magic touch, but happily accepting a role as a middle reliever, and becoming unhittable once again. Posey, coming back from the most devastating (and unnecessary) injury this side of Joe Theisman to become National League MVP. And plenty of other players – Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner, Sergio Romo, Brandon Crawford, Pence, Sandoval – putting plenty of other struggles behind them for the sake of the team. I have to believe even having guys like Nady, Aubrey Huff and Ryan Theriot just in the dugout cheering (never mind scoring the winning run in the clincher, as Theriot did) had to help.
Without these guys, there's no parade in San Francisco on Halloween.
Nicely done. And thank you. Every one of you.
World Series, baby!
I almost did not recognize my San Francisco Giants when they started this postseason. And I'm not referring to the complete changeover in the starting eight from 2010 – with only Buster Posey remaining. (Pablo Sandoval rode the pine in that historic postseason.)
What I was wondering, less than one month ago: Where was the Torture? The Giants clinched the West so early, the world seemed upside-down.
But through the National League Division Series against the Cincinnati Reds, and the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Giants have shown that even though they have so many new cast members, they all know the script: Torture.
Having fallen behind two games to none against the Reds, the Giants managed to come all the way back. They proceeded to drop three of the first four games to the Cards, and once again won three straight to take the pennant.
Memo to Bruce Bochy and the boys: Please just win this next series early!
I had great fun the other day discussing this and other weighty matters on Michael Krasny's excellent program Forum on KQED. (Krasny graciously said that "Giants Past and Present" is "one of the best books about the Giants.") You can listen to the show here:
The show opened with Giants' President Larry Baer, and you could really hear how much fun he's having. Larry is a lifelong Giants fan in his dream job, and you can't help but smile every time you see him. Then Michael led a spirited discussion with me, KNBR's awesome Marty Lurie, and San Jose Mercury News columnist Mark Purdy. I sure learned a lot listening to those guys – especially when Marty told us that, however bad Pete Kozma played shorstop for the Cardinals in the NLCS, he was not as bad as the Washington Senators' Roger Peckinpaugh in the 1925 World Series, who made eight errors! (Another highlight: Marty let me try on his 2010 World Series ring – and it is a thing of beauty!)
One thought I had that I did not get to share: As we discussed the Giants, and beautiful AT&T Park, I wanted to give props to General Manager Brian Sabean for building a team perfect for its ballpark. Instead of going out and signing home run hitters, who only get frustrated with the park's wide open spaces, Sabean brought in gap hitters like Angel Pagan, Marco Scutaro and Gregor Blanco. You could put Melky Cabrera in there too (even though we don't really like to talk about him any more), and it looks like it'll be a good fit for the Brandons – Belt and Crawford. Need I say Buster Posey?
And maybe, if Hunter Pence hits more line drives like his famed "triple double" from game 7 of the NLCS – the ball that hit the bat three times – instead of swinging for the fences, the Giants will have the ingredients necessary to foil those big bopping Tigers.
After all, Marty Lurie viewed Pence's lucky-breaking line drive as karmic payback for Willie McCovey's smash that ended the 1962 World Series. No one could have hit that ball any harder, but it went straight to the Yankees' Bobby Richardson. Pence's ball curved away from Kozma, and the Giants were in business.
It's good to be good. But sometimes it's better to be lucky.
Even if it's a little Torturous.
Orange October
Once again, the Giants are roaring into October, and the diehards are ready for another magical run. I sure am. But I can't help but note that things feel different this time.
For one thing: Where is the Torture?
And for another: What happened to our lovable band of castoffs and misfits?
The Giants of 2010 knew how to break a curse. They took all the Torture of the past half-century-plus in San Francisco — all the second place finishes of the 1960s, McCovey's line drive, Jose Oquendo, Candy Maldonado, Dusty Baker and Russ Ortiz — and they owned it. When Duane Kuiper coined his slogan in May of that season, "Giants Baseball: It's Torture!," he gave the team a rallying cry that told the world, we don't care how many times we bring it to the brink, we can win.
No one personified Torture more than Brian Wilson. He became the face of the franchise, muscle-bound, and weird beyond words, stalking to the mound, throwing heat – and giving up the walks that would bring opponents tantalizingly close, only to slam the door on such Torture. And it all flowed from Wilson: His pal, Pat Burrell, donning the leather straps as the Machine; Burrell's pal, Aubrey Huff, donning the satin thong that assured the postseason; and the rest of the castoffs, midseason acquisitions like Javier Lopez, Ramon Ramirez, and Cody Ross, who was claimed off waivers and went on to author some improbably insane postseason heroics.
The Giants kept their team remarkably intact in 2011, and it got them nowhere. But they did learn something important that season: the importance of Buster. When Posey went down in May, the Giants were essentially done.
I've often felt that Posey could be the Giants' Derek Jeter. Like Jeter, he provided the missing ingredient to bring his team a championship in his rookie year. He is calm, poised beyond his years, confident and capable. I don't think anyone would argue with the Giants naming Buster their captain.
And that's where the big difference between 2010 and 2012 comes in. Instead of Buster quietly fitting in among the Freak, the Beard and the rest of the castoffs, he is the undisputed leader of this year's squad. The Giants have a much more understated, workmanlike approach, exemplified for me by three young, strong, silent Southerners – Posey, Matt Cain and Madison Bumgarner. I think (warning: armchair psychoanalysis ahead) this may be why Tim Lincecum is struggling; the free-spirited, pot-smoking, long-haired Freak is no longer at home in his own clubhouse.
One of the interesting things about this switch in team personality hit me in August, when Carl Steward, a fine columnist for the Bay Area Newspaper Group (aka the San Jose Oakland Contra Costa Marin Mercury Times News Journal), took note of the Giants hitting a real low point in the season. They had been swept by the Dodgers at home. They looked like they couldn't score runs. Steward wondered if Coors Field could prove a tonic (it did), and if Posey and Cain were too quiet to fire up the team the way Huff and Burrell did two years earlier. Steward wrote:
Good teams need strong, occasionally outspoken leaders. Leadership can't always be by setting a good example aka Cain/Posey. Sometimes you have to get in players' ears. Sometimes you need to throw a fit or berate one of us media types after a loss. Sometimes you have to remind teammates that it's baseball and it's supposed to be fun as you set off a cherry bomb in the middle of the clubhouse, or hide a four-day-old chicken neck in somebody's locker.
It may be Cain's team and Posey's team, but they're the strong, silent, stable types. The Giants need somebody right now to throw the cherry bomb. Make somebody laugh. Make somebody ticked off. Become the human defibrillator.
Not only did the Giants start hitting at Coors, but they got their cherry bomb two weeks later, when Melky Cabrera was suspended.
He was cast off. The Giants were misfits no more. And never mind Torture, they overtook the Dodgers and clinched the division with 10 games to spare.
I can't wait to see what they do in October.
Torture, again
Nearly two months into the 2012 season, I think we're getting a pretty good sense of what we've got in this year's Giants team. It both pains and pleases me to report that we are not yet ready to retire the label the Giants earned the past two seasons: Torture.
Yes, Torture with a capital T and that rhymes with B and that stands for Bochy…. And Brandon…. And Bad Hitting and Bungled Baseballs. Yet another season of stellar pitching is at risk of fizzling in a .500 rathole because the offense and the defense don't adequately support the aces on the hill. The Giants' staff is the envy of baseball, and if you doubt that, think of it this way: What manager wouldn't want his biggest pitching problem to be – Tim Lincecum?
Plus, injuries keep threatening to sink the season before it even gets rolling, whether it's Brian Wilson going down for his second Tommy John surgery, or Pablo Sandoval showing a new disadvantage to switch-hitting by breaking the same bone in his left hand that he broke in his right hand last year.
So while so many of my fellow fans sink into that funk of watching our version of the Mudville Nine rally only to lose again, I see the potential for another glorious 2010-type season. In fact, think of how torturous 2010 really was. For starters, 2010 was the year Duane Kuiper hung his sputtering Torture moniker on the orange-and-black after an endless supply of nail-biters.
That season's opening day lineup included names like John Bowker, Mark DeRosa, Aaron Rowand and Bengie Molina. (Good guys, but do any fans miss them?) In 2010, the Giants trailed the Padres nearly all year (and the 2010 Pads were a better team than the 2012 Dodgers, in my opinion – much better pitching, fueled by a lights-out bullpen). Pablo Sandoval suffered not only a sophomore slump, but threatened to become the Kung Fu Hippo. And remember August? Just when you want your team to make a stretch run, the Giants' pitching staff began to unravel. They led the league in walks. Lincecum went through the first prolonged struggle in his charmed career.
And we never really came to love Edgar Renteria until his very last game in a Giants' uniform.
Happy endings like 2010's enable us to forget all the struggles that comprise a baseball season. Before a game I went to last year, Giants' coach Tim Flannery addressed a crowd of Little Leaguers, telling them that the secret to baseball success is "tricking your mind into staying positive." In 2010, he pointed out, the world champion Giants lost 70 games.
Maybe I'm just tricking my own mind here, but I find a lot to be positive about in 2012.
- First, and foremost, Buster Posey is back and better than ever.
- To our great relief as well, Buster at last has a backup, Hector Sanchez, who can really hit. It feels fine whenever Bochy wants to give Buster a rest, or a day at first base.
- Melky Cabrera is a true major league superstar – and Pablo Sandoval is on his way there. Angel Pagan is solid, speedy, and a team leader. (I'm biased toward Angel, since I just wrote a story about him for the Giants magazine – look for it at the ballpark this summer.)
- Melky and Angel aren't the only great additions. Gregor Blanco is a revelation. Joaquin Arias fills the utility role nicely. Ryan Theriot is a great guy to have on the bench.
- Bruce Bochy is getting comfortable trusting his young guys, and Brandons Belt and Crawford are starting to come around. (By-the-By, what is it with the Base-Ball Giants and the initials BB? From Bobby Bonds to Barry Bonds, from Bob Brenly and Brett Butler to Bruce Bochy and Brandon Belt, we love shooting BBs here in Baghdad by the Bay. Then again, Brian Bocock couldn't carry the bat of old New York Giant Hall-of-Famer Beauty Bancroft.)
I love Giants fans, but I do find it funny that they complained so long to "Free Belt," yet they show as little patience with the miscues of youth as they used to accuse Bochy and Brian Sabean of having. You can't have it both ways. We are spoiled by guys like Posey and Sandoval, who hit well right from the start, but instead we ought to consider the example of Melky Cabrera, who struggled and bounced around for years until he found his stroke last year in Kansas City.
So don't get down. If the 2010 Giants could rally from 7.5 games back on July 4 – to say nothing of forbears like the 1951 team, which was 13 back on Aug. 11 –this year's model can certainly overcome a May deficit. It may take some more Sabean midseason magic. It may take some help in getting the Dodgers to fall to earth. It may require the folks at Dignity Health (cue Renel: formerly Catholic Healthcare West, the official health care provider of your San Francisco Giants) to restore both dignity and health to a team that needs both.
Whatever it takes, though, remember this: With a second wild card this year, it's easier than ever to make the playoffs. And once in the playoffs, pitching can carry you a long, long way.
Right Timmy?
RIP, 2011 baseball season
The funny thing is, we thought 2010 was "Torture."
We could laugh about Torture when the Giants managed to win the World Series. But in 2011, we became re-acquainted with our old friend Torture when the Giants suddenly stopped winning all those walk-off, one-run ballgames. It seemed they just stopped scoring runs, period, and the challenge of stringing together three hits in a row became an insurmountable obstacle.
And 2011 truly defined Torture, Giants-style, with a seemingly endless array of injuries. None hurt more than Buster Posey's season-ending loss in that eminently avoidable crash at home plate back in May. But it was equally painful to see rock-solid Brian Wilson go down, and Pablo Sandoval's fabulous comeback momentarily derailed. And of course it turned out Freddy Sanchez never did vacate his room in the Hotel Disabled, moving right back in on schedule. (Barry Zito and Jonathan Sanchez, those injuries I can forgive.)
I admire the way the Giants never gave up. I like that Brian Sabean brought in Carlos Beltran and Jeff Keppinger. (Orlando Cabrera, I was not so crazy about. I understand why Brandon Crawford couldn't stay – you don't want a rookie falling into a double digit batting average and thinking he will never hit big league pitching – but if you have to hire a shortstop who can't hit, couldn't you at least bring back Omar Vizquel?) I liked that the team stayed in the race til the final week.
Hey, I liked that the Atlanta Braves collapsed and the Diamondbacks never showed anything too dominant, enabling that race to linger.
But it sure has been Torture watching a postseason without the Giants, especially one in which the starting pitchers all seem highly inferior to Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Madison Bumgarner and Ryan Vogelsong. I have to feel our guys would be giving any team in the playoffs a good run once again, if they'd only gotten there.
So now I've tossed this year's Sporting Greens into the hot stove, and am ready to burnish my optimism for 2012. Re-sign Beltran. Get the Brandons – Belt and Crawford – into a big league boot camp all winter. Make Aubrey Huff and Brett Pill battle it out for first base in Spring Training. Sign Coco Crisp. (Let the A's have San Jose in exchange for some Moneyball mojo.)
The Giants are not too far from putting together another run at the title. I cannot wait until Spring!
A modest proposal
Under the rules of baseball, the statisticians the winning pitcher to be the guy who is in the game when the winning run scored. I would like to suggest, in this era of SABRmetrics, when the win has already been devalued (see Hernandez, Felix), that the rule be changed.
The clearest example of why this should be is last night's San Francisco Giants game. Madison Bumgarner pitched a beauty against a devastating Detroit Tigers lineup — 7.3 innings, 1 hit, 1 walk, 9 strikeouts, 1 earned run. But then in the eighth and ninth, Brian Wilson — and don't get me wrong, for all the torture, I love the guy — gets two outs and surrenders 4 hits, 1 walk and 2 earned runs.
Wilson gets the win, and goes berserk on a Gatorade cooler. What's wrong with this picture?
I would like to see baseball's official scorers empowered to decide who is the winning pitcher based on merit. Lord knows Brian Wilson is not looking to pad his stats with wins thanks to all the Giants' late inning rallies. When Bumgarner – and for that matter Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum and the rest of the Giants' aces – pitch deep into games, giving up next to nothing, they deserve a win, instead of the mediocre win-loss records that they carry around with them.
The Cy Young voters already know this. (See also Lincecum, Tim, and Greinke, Zack.) The fans know it. The players know it. When will Bud Selig and the big league statisticians figure it out?
(Footnote: I actually had to edit Lincecum's Wikipedia page to show his 18-5 record in his first Cy Young season of 2008.)
Next Page »


text:
Showing All "Martial Canterel" Posts
Mar 24th, 2011 69 Comments
It's not news that popular indie rock got a bit darker in 2010. Look no further than regular topics of conversation around here -- Zola Jesus, CREEP, Cold Cave, Salem, Tamaryn, Blessure Grave,…   Read Story »
Jan 5th, 2011 Comment
At the beginning of February, Martial Canterel, the veteran Wierd-imprinted Raymond Roussel-referencing solo project of Xeno & Oaklander's Sean McBride, is releasing one of my early '11…   Read Story »
Nov 19th, 2010 Comment
As mentioned last time, you might recognize Martial Canterel as the project of Xeno & Oaklander's Sean McBride. His "You Today" video was shot by Xeno bandmate Liz Wendelbo. Box Motion, who…   Read Story »
Nov 8th, 2010 Comment
Wierd's releasing great stuff in 2010 -- for those of you interested in dark, icy synthesizer music, the New York "post-wave" label's brought us Stereogum40 (and black metal enthused) BTW Frank (Just…   Read Story »


text:
Jagdish Singh, exec chef of India's Castle, on passing the ginger test
He cooked in London for a few years, and then a friend -- a man he says is "like family" -- encouraged him to come to Denver to open a new restaurant: India's Castle, where Singh is also a partner. "I've been here for eight years, and I love it here. What I love most about cooking," he notes, is that it "involves multiple human emotions and actions. I have to be patient yet precise, bold yet soft and, most important, creative yet practical, and learning to balance these emotions and actions has to be the best part of cooking."
In the following interview, Singh weighs in on the ginger test, explains why Indian food deserves more of a following and reflects on the day he felt like a celebrity.
How do you describe your food? My food is unique to the palate, authentic in origin, exquisite to the senses and bursting with flavors from the fresh ingredients and the blend of traditional Indian spices used during each preparation. My experiences throughout my life, from the smells of my mother's kitchen to the bustling restaurants in the U.K., to critics' reviews in the United States, have encouraged me to cook and innovate all while keeping every recipe as authentic as possible. It's true that the majority of Indian cuisine is curry-based -- curry literally means a dish that contains sauce or gravy -- but there are many dishes that aren't curry-based, like the tandoori specialties or the dry vegetables, not to mention the deep-fried fritters and stuffed naan breads. And regarding all Indian food being spicy, first do the ginger test: If you can put a piece of raw, peeled ginger in your mouth, chew it and tolerate it, then you can easily tolerate any type of Indian food. Ginger is always the spiciest spice added to the base of Indian curries, besides the actual chile peppers or the cayenne peppers, and if the ginger is too spicy for you, then just ask us to make your food mild.
Ten words to describe you: Hardworking, charismatic, honest, determined, adventurous, optimistic, friendly, kind, committed and generous.
What are your ingredient obsessions? Garlic and ginger paste is essential to an Indian kitchen, and I find it to be the most aromatic combination of fresh ingredients that a nose has ever smelled. This paste will blow your senses away -- literally. If you just take a few fresh cloves of garlic and fresh peeled, or even unpeeled, ginger and grind them to a fine paste and cook the paste in some vegetable oil, you'll realize why I'm so obsessed. Even after decades of cooking, I still look forward to that aroma every time I cook.
Favorite local ingredient and where you get it: Mint. My partner Jay grows mint leaves in his back yard, and because we make a significant amount of the mint chutney for our customers, we like all the fresh and organic mint leaves we can get our hands on.
What are your kitchen-gadget obsessions? Sharp, high-quality knives and high-quality nonstick pans.
< Previous>
Location Info
Sponsor Content