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Alex Avila has just 26 hits in 151 at-bats this season. (Robin Buckson / Detroit News)
No, I don�t believe Alex Avila�s circumstance -- his dad, Al, happens to be the Tigers assistant general manager -- has a thing to do with him remaining on the roster as he slogs through one of the uglier slumps a former All-Star Game starter has endured.
But fans are right to wonder if having family on the field and in the front office has made a difficult situation even less comfortable for the Tigers.
The latter point is probably irrelevant, apart from sensitivities that must be observed on the part of Avila, his boss Dave Dombrowski, and Tigers manager Jim Leyland.
Blood indeed is thicker than water. A father cannot divorce his relationship with his son from analysis of said son�s professional struggles. But blood doesn�t explain Avila�s ongoing role with a Tigers team that desperately needs him to shake a two-month lull and begin bashing the baseball with his old flair.
The Tigers are, well, caught -- for now -- with a player they cannot easily replace. And that reality, as opposed to a starting catcher�s DNA, is why Avila remains with the Tigers and has not been shipped to Triple A Toledo for work on his swing and on tweaks the Tigers staff has been trying to make.
Big-league catchers have a particularly complex and delicate role. They are partners in the pitching process. They must know the guy on the mound -- his strengths, his weaknesses, his idiosyncrasies.
They must also know the hitter who stands at home plate. They must have a sense for what pitch to call and for how that pitch feeds into the rhythms and psychology of the man throwing it.
And this is no assignment for a minor-league catcher who looks as if he would be a jim-dandy option because the guy in the bushes happens to be hitting at a decent clip.
In fact, even on offense the Tigers have no compelling options as Bryan Holaday endures his own batting chills at Triple A Toledo and as James McCann, who is only two years out of college, deals with a sometimes harsh apprenticeship at Double A Erie.
Brayan Pena, the Tigers back-up catcher, has done a remarkable job at handling platoon shifts with Avila. But there is a reason back-up catchers are back-ups. And the Tigers know that making Pena an everyday choice would wear him down and compromise the pluses they have realized from a man who, quietly, was one of Dombrowski�s best offseason acquisitions.
Just the facts
The facts, having nothing to do with father and son, are these:
Avila is batting .172, with a just-as-crazy on-base average of .270, and an are-you-joshing-me slugging percentage of .291. He has an OPS of .561 -- 200-300 points beneath the levels at which Avila at age 26 would have been estimated to produce in 2013.
This is serious offense for a big-league team to yield. And it is one big reason why the Tigers lose games such as Monday�s 3-2 affair to the Royals. They need their starting catcher to provide the occasional double, home run, or two-single night, which can alter the complexion of a low-scoring affair in which the Tigers starting pitcher (hello, Doug Fister) has done his customary noble job.
If he were any other player -- meaning, if he played any other position -- Avila by now probably would have been given a chill-out assignment at Toledo. At a less pressured venue he theoretically could incorporate the swing adjustments Leyland and his hitting coaches (Lloyd McClendon, principally, with Toby Harrah also sharing a voice) have been attempting to install during Avila�s long and tortured spring.
The swing adjustments, simply explained, are designed to make Avila�s once-short and fluid path to the ball more streamlined. He has been working to eliminate the front-foot toe tap, which is akin to abandoning the front-leg kick that became Austin Jackson�s nemesis until he and McClendon were able to overcome it during the 2011-12 offseason.
Here is where the process has gotten complicated. Here also is where there is disagreement among the parties involved as to how to fix a guy who two years ago batted .295 in 141 games, with 19 home runs and 82 RBIs.
On the plus side, there is nothing wrong with Avila�s bat speed. Fans who believe he has simply lost it at age 26 are mistaken. He turned last week on a 99-mph fastball from Fernando Rodney -- immediately after a Rodney change-up -- and rifled a single to right field. The bat is not slow. The swing, though, is not exactly where Avila or his bosses want it.
Psychological warfare
The question deep in Comerica Park�s offices is to what degree mechanics or psychology is Avila�s primary enemy. And this, too, is where tensions have naturally occurred.
Leyland made a point ahead of this season saying that Avila -- a picky shopper at the plate -- needed to be more aggressive, that he had been looking at too many good fastballs a hitter with his punch should be slamming.
Sound thought, it seemed, when Avila�s OPS last season fell from .929 in 2011 to .736 in 2012. In fact, Avila�s on-base percentage, which is a product of swinging selectively at pitches, remained a healthy .352 in 2012. It was his slugging percentage that tumbled 122 points as he hit only nine home runs and knocked 12 fewer doubles than in 2011.
Leyland wanted him crushing some of those fastballs Avila had ignored. And so now we have the possibility that Avila is caught in hitting limbo, worried about being aggressive, anxious about not swinging at low-percentage pitches, etc., and with numbers that are 100 points below his norm in all categories: average, on-base, and slugging.
Factor it into a swing the Tigers are trying, properly, to smooth, and you have, for now, anyway, a major mess in the back end of Leyland�s order.
The Tigers are hanging onto convictions Avila will snap out of this funk and return to more normal activity. There are signs it is happening. He has struck out only six times in his last seven games and has drawn four walks. Encouraging, given the rate at which he was whiffing during April and May.
June traditionally has also been Avila�s month. It was this way in the minors, and it has been pretty much the story since he was signed by the Tigers in 2008.
But he needs to begin hitting at his old clip if the Tigers are to get from their catcher the brand of offense absolutely essential to a playoff team. Until then, if the slump continues, opinions on what to do with Avila, and how to fix his offense, will be many and not always in unison.
In other words, it will be like any other baseball debate. With the exception, of course, that this also involves a relationship. We don�t have to go to a boxscore to appreciate the degree to Avila�s slump has made it rough on the Tigers. We need only consult the calendar. Sunday is Father�s Day.


text:
Monkey Baby Shower Girl or Boy 2 Options Digital Invitation YOU-PRINT
Product Info
Welcome to She's Tutu Cute!
This listing includes one DIGITAL file YOU-PRINT* (not actual printed invitations)
*thank you card is NOT included but can be purchased
in the PARTY EXTRAS section of my shop
Ordering is FAST and EASY!
1. Purchase and pay for your favorite design.l
2. Send an EMAIL to shestutucute[at]gmail.com with the following information:
- Childs name and Age:
- Party information: date, place, time, ect..
- Size choice: 4x6 or 5x7 (custom sizing also available)
- Photo (if wanted) Original raw image, non-edited (if template allows)
- Any other changes you'd like
3. Within 24-48 hours (usually faster) I will email you your invitation, if all is correct you can print that copy which will be high resolution.
4. Print your invitation at your favorite lab or print at home ect…
Thanks for looking at my listing and have a fantastic day!!!
*AVAILABLE in the PARTY EXTRAS SECTION OF MY SHOP :)
matching thank you cards, favor labels, cupcake toppers, candy wrappers, printable banner, water bottle labels, matching posters and more can be made at your request!
Envelope Information:
4x6 invitations use A6 envelopes which are sized 4 ¾ in x 6 ½ in
5x7 invitations use A7 envelopes which are sized 5¼in × 7¼in
If you'd like to have your invitations PRINTED, please convo me for a private listing :)

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|Bujrum, Dobrodošli!
|Bujrum, Dobrodošli!
Explore the help topics, and if you can't find your answer or just want to say 'hi', please come by the forums (which are filled with friendly folk, we promise!) or email us.
The app will display in your device's language. To change this setting:
Still need help? Contact a human


text:
Liens's BadgesFoursquareKeep Austin Weird
You're the star of the Lone Star State! You've got the sturdiest boots, smokiest bbq, rowdiest dive bars... and where else can you eat tacos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Catch a show at Stubb's, grab a bloody at Rio Rita, and look out for bats!
Liens unlocked the Keep Austin Weird badgeMarch 9, 2012
Download Foursquare for your smart phone and start exploring the world around you!


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Difference between revisions of "AppCafe®/9.2"
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=== Preferences ===
=== Preferences ===
If you click File ➜ Preferences, you
If you click File ➜ Preferences, you see the screen shown in Figure 7.1f.
'''Figure 7.1f: AppCafe® Preferences'''
'''Figure 7.1f: AppCafe® Preferences'''
Revision as of 11:21, 19 August 2012
(Sorry for the inconvenience)
PC-BSD provides a unique file format known as a PBI (push button installer). PBI files end with the .pbi extension and are self-contained installation programs. When a PBI is installed using PC-BSD's AppCafe®, even novice users can safely install and uninstall PBIs without inadvertently overwriting or deleting files needed by the operating system or other applications.
A PBI file includes all the runtime and library dependencies required by the application. This means that the initial download of a PBI is a large file, but this does not necessarily mean that same amount of space will be used. During installation, the PBI system compares the currently installed libraries and files with the ones contained within the PBI file and only installs the ones that are not already installed on the system. A hash database is used to eliminate dependency problems while allowing the computer to share libraries between different programs. Subsequent downloads to upgrade a PBI are significantly smaller as only what has changed in the new version will be downloaded.
AppCafe® provides an intuitive, graphical method for installing and managing PBI software. AppCafe® does not require the root password to install most of the applications that users require, such as web browsers, games, mail clients, and productivity software. This means that you do not have to give out the root password on multi-user systems. However, server applications, such as web servers or databases, will prompt for the superuser password. This is to prevent a regular user from installing server software.
When a regular user installs an application, they have the option to "add to desktop for all users", meaning that an application only needs to be installed once on a multi-user system.
If you prefer to install PBI's from the command line, see the section on using pbi_add.
NOTE: PBIs are the recommended software installation method on PC-BSD. Update Manager will automatically notify you when newer versions of software installed as a PBI are available. PBIs will also be preserved over system upgrades and system meta-package changes.
Installing and Uninstalling PBI Software
To install a PBI, start AppCafe® by double-clicking its icon on the Desktop, going to Control Panel ➜ AppCafe®, or by typing appcafe from a command prompt. The Browse tab in AppCafe® can be used to browse for available software, as seen in Figure 7.1a:
Figure 7.1a: Browsing for Software Using PC-BSD's AppCafe®
In the example shown in Figure 7.1a, 771 PBIs are available and 7 are currently installed on this system.
If you know the name of the application you would like to install, type its name into the Search bar. Alternately, you can click on a software category (for example, Archivers) to browse for available software. Use the back arrow or home icon to navigate within the browser. In the example shown in Figure 7.1b, the user searched for the "gimp" application then clicked on the Gimp search result.
Figure 7.1b: Browsing the Information Available for a PBI
Figure 7.1b shows an example of the information that is available for each PBI:
- Name and icon of the application; in this example, it is Gimp.
- A hyperlink to the application's website; in this example, clicking on The GIMP Team will open gimp.org in the user's default web browser.
- Either a Download icon (if the application is not currently installed) or an Installed icon if it is already installed.
- The version of the application.
- The platform (i386 for 32-bit applications and amd64 for 64-bit applications). If you are on a 64-bit system and there is only a 32-bit application, AppCafe® will install the 32-bit application and PC-BSD will still be able to run the program.
- The type will indicate whether the application is graphical or text (command line).
- Whether or not the installation requires the root (administrative) password.
- The license used by the software.
- The size of the initial download of the PBI.
- A description of the application.
Once you find a PBI that you would like to install, click on its Download icon. AppCafe® will automatically detect your PC-BSD version and architecture and install the correct PBI for you. When the installation is complete, the new PBI will be displayed in the Installed tab. Figure 7.1c shows a screenshot of this tab from a system with several PBIs installed.
Figure 7.1c: Viewing the List of Installed PBIs in AppCafe®
If you right-click an installed PBI or highlight it and click the More button, you can:
- View details: Figure 7.1d shows an example of a PBI's details. In addition to the information usually available for a PBI in the Browse tab, the details will indicate that the PBI is installed and a checkbox is added for Automatic Updating. Check this box if you would like Update Manager to automatically update this PBI, rather than just notify you that a newer version is available.
- Install Desktop Icons: will create a shortcut to the application on the user's desktop.
- Install Menu Icons: will add an entry for the application to the supported desktop's application menu.
- Install Menu Icons (All Users): will add an entry for the application to the application menu of every user.
- Uninstall: will uninstall the PBI. Once the PBI removal is complete, it will be removed from the Installed list.
Figure 7.1d: Viewing an Installed PBI's Details
Updating Installed PBIs
The Installed tab will also indicate if there are any newer versions available for the PBIs that you have installed. PBIs are created from the original FreeBSD package and automatically become available as an upgrade whenever the underlying package version changes. Figure 7.1e provides an example of a PBI that has a newer version available:
Figure 7.1e: Using the Installed Tab to Upgrade Installed PBIs:
In this example, the currently installed version of Firefox is 7.0.1 and version 8.0 is available. To upgrade this PBI, highlight its entry and click the Update button. The status of the update will be displayed next to the entry, indicating the status of the download. When the upgrade is complete, the entry will be updated to show the new version. The upgrade process will save all of the current version's settings; for example, when you upgrade Firefox, it will keep all of your bookmarks, history, and cache.
If you click File ➜ Preferences, you will see the screen shown in Figure 7.1f.
Figure 7.1f: AppCafe® Preferences
By default, an icon is added to the desktop (for window managers that support icons) whenever you install a PBI. Uncheck the box "Create desktop icons at install" to disable desktop icon creation. You can still elect to install a desktop icon on a per-PBI basis by right-clicking the PBI and selecting "Install Desktop Icons" as shown in Figure 7.1c.
If you click Repositories ➜ Configure Repository from within AppCafe®, you will see the screen shown in Figure 7.1g:
Figure 7.1g: Managing Available Repositories
This screen will list the known available repositories. AppCafe® reads this list, in order, when connecting to the software repository. You can use the up and down arrows to reorder the list. If you have created your own software repository of PBIs, use the Add button to add the URL of the repository.
If you have created your own .rpo file using the pbi_makerepo command, you can use Repositories ➜ Add Repository to browse to the location of the .rpo file. This is the equivalent of manually running the pbi_addrepo command.


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The Solaira Alpha Series H1 Patio Heater SALPHA15120S represents the evolution of engineered short wave heating technology for commercial and industrial applications. Alpha Series Heaters produce short wave length infrared that convert 92% of consumed energy to instant, controllable, directional heat. This heating technology is not affected by wind or draft as it warms people, objects and things and not the air. The modular design of the Solaira Alpha Series allows specifying engineers to adjust and direct specified heating loads based on area requirements. The modern, sleek design allows architects to integrate heating technology with clean un-intrusive lines. This heater is engineered to meet IP24 standard for water spray and may be installed in both wet (outdoor) or dry conditions (indoor or outdoor). Ideal for warehouses, shipping areas, hotel valet, restaurant patio, concierge service desk, driving ranges, security gate houses, arena seating, community center, place of worship, zoos or outdoor waiting areas.
Heater-Store or any of it's affiliates are not responsible for damages or injury caused by wrongful installation or application of this product.
Solaira Alpha Series H1 Patio Heater SALPHA15120S Resources:


text: Photos: Footwear fashions range from outlandish to bizarre Share this story email Share this story «Previous 15 of 24 Photos Next » « » Fashion Shoe Obsession This Feb. 11, 2013 photo shows a Christian Louboutin's shoe with googly-eye decorations, is displayed at the "Shoe Obsession" exhibit at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology Museum in New York. The exhibition, showing off 153 specimens, runs through April 13. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)


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Detroit � Miguel Cabrera�s prospects for playing at full-throttle in the playoffs are all but nil.
What we know by way of trainer�s statements and medical reports is this:
Cabrera is playing with a strained groin. It is not a sports hernia. It is not, at this point, an injury that will put him on the disabled list or knock him from the postseason.
But, as Tigers manager Jim Leyland said after Sunday�s 6-3 Comerica Park season-finale loss to the White Sox: �It is obvious he�s playing hurt. It is obvious he�s handicapped. It�s just kind of hit-and-miss.�
And nothing the training staff or doctors have said suggests, for a moment, that Cabrera will heal or be fully mobile until this baseball season ends and Cabrera can spend dedicated weeks, if not months, allowing his tender abdomen/groin region to recover.
This is not a healing process that can happen within seven days, or even a half-month, or the Tigers would shut down Cabrera and risk a poorer record and road-game imbalances in their upcoming playoff series.
But the essence of his injury is that it will take time � longer than Cabrera and the Tigers can yield � for him to regain his legs and power and become the 100-percent superstar he otherwise is.
Leyland is not the sole decision-maker on Cabrera�s status. It�s a consensus involving Cabrera, trainers, doctors, Leyland, and the Tigers front office. The priority is Cabrera�s health. The reality is that his career is not being jeopardized by playing with pain. Thus, it becomes a matter of how much discomfort and performance he can balance and endure.
�If he can play, I�m gonna play him,� Leyland said Sunday. �His presence in the lineup is worth an awful lot.�
That presence is nonetheless compromised in brutal ways.
Cabrera has one home run in the past four weeks. He has one double in that same span. That�s it: two extra-base hits since Aug. 26. His swing is limited. His power has subsided dramatically.
Saturday night, he ripped a drive to right that should have been a double. Cabrera was so conditioned to making the turn and boring toward second that he forgot he couldn�t run. He was an easy � almost pathetic � put-out as he never came close to beating Avisail Garcia�s throw.
This is what the Tigers are forfeiting. This is why October might be short-lived for a Tigers playoff team. Their superstar and offensive dynamo is all but crippled.
He will play. But anyone who doubts Miguel Cabrera is the league�s Most Valuable Player need only look at what the Tigers are with Cabrera performing at half his capability.
Playoff roster looming
The Tigers are moving closer to sealing their playoff roster. It looks as if it will unfurl in expected fashion, with only a couple of surprises.
Jhonny Peralta appears certain to win a spot as Leyland�s right-hand platoon bat in left field. In the event Cabrera is too hurt to play, Peralta could also fill in at third base.
Nick Castellanos will not make the postseason roster. And, unless Peralta messes up between now and next week, neither will Matt Tuiasosopo. Hernan Perez is a good bet to be carried as a 14th position player because of his speed and versatility in the infield.
The greater mystery is how Leyland will sort out his 11-man pitching staff. But it would be surprising if it doesn�t break down accordingly:
Justin Verlander figures to pitch in Game 1, which allows Max Scherzer to work a critical Game 2 if the Tigers don�t win their series opener. Leyland might decide otherwise. Critics can argue that Scherzer would be a better Game 1 and Game 5 choice. But the memory of Verlander and what he did in Game 5 a year ago against the A�s is likely to carry enormous clout with Leyland and the Tigers front office.
Rick Porcello will go to the bullpen, where his flexibility could become a huge weapon. Likewise, Bruce Rondon had a good bullpen session Sunday and is on track to become an essential back-end strikeout arm as the Tigers look to put more barbed wire into their late-innings gang.
It�s difficult to see Leyland carrying Phil Coke as a left-handed reliever even if Coke�s tender arm returns to full strength this week. For too long this season he has not pitched with even minimal reliability. It�s unlikely the Tigers are wild about Jose Alvarez, who is simply too hittable.
The guy who re-entered the picture this weekend is Darin Downs. He is finally healthy after a two-month hiatus. And he threw well in a couple of back-to-back appearances. Downs could be the answer. It would, in fact, be surprising if he doesn�t beat out Coke or Alvarez with a week to go in the playoff-roster auditions.
Good business
On Saturday the Tigers announced that they had reached 3 million in attendance for the fourth time in seven years.
Not many years ago, 2 million was the Tigers� gold standard. Now it�s 3 million. And because this team has learned that high payrolls and an elite product are also good business, I would expect little to change, even if a team that figures to be better in 2014 than it is today manages in the next 13 months to win a World Series.
Any idea that if you win, you cut back, doesn�t sound like the Ilitch family way, no matter who�s in charge.


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A fascinating brochure has been published outlining the story of the Onagawa nuclear power plant and how it withstood the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011. It is available here.
The report reviews the differences between what happened at Fukushima Daiichi, Fukushima Daini and Onagawa.
Onagawa faced a stronger earthquake and tsunami of similar height to Fukushima Daiichi, at around 13m. The earthquake disrupted external power supplies, but with a combination of one remaining external power line and six of the eight diesel generators the plants shut down and cooling systems started as planned - in fact Unit 2 was in the process of starting up as the earthquake struck and reached cold shutdown a few minutes later.
When the tsunami struck the damage caused to Onagawa was much less severe than at Fukushima Daiichi and Daini, because the Onagawa plant had been built at a height of 14.8m, higher than the tsunami waves. There was some disruption to unit 2 cooling, but all reactors achieved cold shutdown as planned.
The preparedness and efforts of staff at Onagawa were recognised when they were presented with a WANO (World Association of Nuclear Excellence) Award for Nuclear Excellence.
Onagawa staff whose combined efforts earned them a WANO Nuclear Excellence Award
Perhaps even more remarkable is how the Onagawa nuclear plant became a place of refuge for people from the area surrounding the plant, where many had died, and even more had been made homeless.
On March 11, 1,500 people working at the site were stranded, without any reports how their friends and family outside the plant had fared. From the devastated surrounding area 50 people sought shelter at the plant. Eventually the site would become a refuge for 364 people from the local community.
Local refugees offered shelter in Onagawa gymnasium
The article shows how robust nuclear power plants are when back up power supplies and flood defences are properly in place. Since the accident at Fukushima 'stress tests' have been carried out at reactors around the world to ensure that plants are sufficiently prepared. Even at Onagawa defences have been strengthened even more.
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China has launched a science and technology project to boost international cooperation on the development of renewables. Under the 'International Science and Technology Cooperation Program on New and Renewable Energy', China will develop new patterns for international exchange and cooperation, encourage countries to complement each other with respective technological strengths and set up a platform for technological cooperation.
The initiative was presented at an international forum in Beijing on renewable energy, organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Development and Reform Commission who will jointly implement the program:
The Program has great bearing on the energy restructuring, energy security, energy efficiency, greenhouse gas emission reduction, low-carbon economy, and sustainable development.
Government support will prioritize research into five types of renewables and energy forms: biomass fuels and biomass power, wind power, solar power, hydrogen energy and fuel cells, and natural gas hydrates, of which there is a large reserve in the South China Sea and which China recently succeeded in tapping.
Through international cooperation, China will demonstrate to the global community its determination to explore new and renewable energy sources, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build an environment-friendly society. – Cao Jianlin, vice-minister for science and technology
The announcement comes just a day after China hinted at the fact that it gives priority to energy security and poverty alleviation over reducing greenhouse gas emissions . In its latest World Energy Outlook published last week, the IEA warned that China's energy demand andconsequently its emissions of greenhouse gases will grow 'inexorably'. The People's Republic is set to become the world's top greenhouse-gas producer and will be accounting for 42% to 49% of global carbon dioxide emissions by 2030, more than the rest of the world combined (except India). That is, unless it aggressively invests in efficiency, renewables and conservation (previous post).
The program identifies six major tasks, namely basic research, commercialization demonstrations, scaling applications, 'phase-out' strategies for fossil fuels, international exchanges, and nuturing high-caliber professionals. The international cooperation could facilitate China's efforts to introduce advanced technology, innovate in energy technology, and set up a batch of industrial demonstration projects so as to meet the strategic goal of developing its new and renewable energy sector: