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A top of the line trainer for the neutral runner, the Saucony Triumph 9 features maximum cushioning and a soft ride.
The Saucony Triumph 9 is now lighter and faster thanks to Saucony's new PowerGrid technology. The lightweight, responsive grid works to absorb shock and propel you forward, while the added cushioning provides ultimate underfoot comfort. Now with an 8mm heel-to-toe drop instead of the traditional 12mm, this shoe encourages a more forward foot strike and provides a smoother heel-to-toe ride on the road. Built for high mileage and everyday training, the Triumph 9 will take you further than ever before.
Model Number:
Weight: 10.7 oz (size 9)
Stack Height: Heel (28mm), Forefoot (20mm)
Available Widths: D=Medium
How It Fits (based on width D)
The Triumph 9 is a maximum feature, moderate neutral shoe designed for daily training and high mileage.
Comments: This is a great update. Positive changes are the lower heel rise, slightly more cushioned, and redesigned ankle collar. For me, the fit was identical to the 8's, so no +1/2 size. Also, for me, no road noise issue; these are quieter, not louder than the 8's. Altogether, a very good update that makes a very good shoe even better.
I am a 57 year old lifetime serious runner who still competes in track and road races. I use a 3 or 4 shoe rotation in my training and run 35 to 45 miles per week. I liked the Triumph 8's because they were fairly firm, resilient shoes -- they were my number one shoe for long training runs. With these updates, they will stay number one!
The redesign of the top two eyelets and what I call the ankle collar -- the top of the shoe that grips around your ankle bones -- is really excellent. In the 8's, I simply didn't use the top eyelet because it could put too much pressure on the tendons around the ankle, leading to inflammation. This resulted in a slightly looser fit that could cause issues with the foot sliding around on steep downhills. This update solves that. I use modified lacing with a loop through the two eyelets and a single cross-lace, and it is like magic. Just firm enough to eliminate any foot sliding (I've tried them on a very hilly run) but zero issues around the angle. Very nice.
They are a little softer than the 8's, but still in the firm category. Cushy shoes bother my ankles (a support thing), and these don't.
I am glad to see the lower heel rise. It's really hard to go from 12mm in a training shoe to zero on a racing flat!!! This is really true for the older runner, many of whom can no longer use true flat shoes, an issue that I believe is caused by training in shoes with higher heel rise. For me, getting used to the lower rise took zero time. I ran 6 miles the first time I used them, and everything was fine. However, I run a few times a week barefoot in grass or on the beach, and I run at least once a week in 0mm rise racing shoes. So getting used to the lower heel rise might be easier for me than for someone who never does this.
From: Basil, Kapaa, Hawaii, USA
Comments: After running around on these shoes for a week now, I can say these are the most comfortable I've worn. I was previously in the Asics Nimbus 12's, which I absolutely loved and was considering the 13's, but decided to try the Triumphs. The 8mm drop took a little getting use to at first, but I don't think I'll buy another pair of shoes unless they have it. Love the room up front and the way your foot feels locked in. Plus, I don't feel foot fatigue at the end of the day. This will probably be the shoe I buy from now on.
From: Jon, Virginia, MN, USA
Comments: Really great shoe. The 8mm offset is perfect. Even though it is a more cushioned shoe, it feels faster with the low profile and light weight. It is wider up front, that may be why there are mixed reviews. A runner used to narrow shoes may not like it.
From: Rajesh, Omaha, NE, USA
Comments: If you have a wide foot, these shoes are excellent -- I own them in a 2E size, but often wear 4E in other brands. The cushioning is excellent, and the 8mm drop works well for forefoot strikers like me.
From: Jeremy, Tenafly, NJ, USA
Comments: First, the shoe runs 1/2 size too big. Thanks to the feedback here, I ordered them in a size 9.5 (I usually take a 10)and the fit is excellent. The stretchy laces work fine, although I don't know if they are an improvement over the standard laces. I can see where these laces are worth it for those that have fit issues on the top of the foot. The 8mm heel/toe is very nice and works well for mid-foot strikers (I consider myself in this category). For a forefoot striker, you might want to consider the Cortana. Note, I also run in the Cortana and Kinvara with the 4mm heel/toe. Although not as light as the Cortana, these shoes are light enough to not interfere with the run. The new Powergrid in the Triumph provides plenty of protection and this shoe is great for long runs. However, it is a firm shoe and because of this (I believe), they are noisy. As Loopus mentions, they make a clip clop sound. So, Saucony, I think you need to soften the midsole up a bit (not too much). Finally, I ordered the black and yellow which is nice overall. But - wow, the yellow is really, well, yellow!
From: Greg, NY
Comments: I agree with all three previous posts...I feel loopuus is correct on the shoe running larger in size...which I think attributed to "noisy run" ..something I noticed the first couple of runs, too. I concur with Dave from Tempe regarding forefoot cushioning and lightweight feel...and regarding Nate's comments..I think upper is flimsy but I think part of that, in my case, is that I do feel it runs half size large, so the shoe can't support the foot properly..Despite all these observations , I like the Triumph and will probably downsize from my normal 9 to an 8.5. The drop in heel to toe is noticeable but not as difficult to get accustomed to as I imagined..about a week and a half...
From: Derry, Potsdam, NY USA
Comments: I'm a runner that loved firmness of the triumph 8's combined with the fit. For me, the upper on the 9 felt a little flimsy and didn't secure the foot well enough to my liking. The cushioning was quality but not as firm as the 8. The 8mm heel/toe drop was nice, and I think that's a feature for the future. Hopefully, in the next version they keep this but refine the fit and the upper. Overall, a good shoe but probably not the same category as the shoes with the Triumph name before it.
From: Nate, Iowa, USA
Comments: Flexibility is great in this new update to the high mileage triumph. Cushioning is abundant and the new heel drop of 8mm while noticeable is not too off-putting for those used to a traditional 12 mm drop shoe. However, the fit of the new triumph 9 is truly awful. The toe box is huge and I've had a couple of blisters and hot spots already from first couple of runs in them. The length of the shoe also seems off by +1/2 size on my normal running shoe size of 10.5. I think I should have come down to a 10 in these. They are also the noisiest shoes I've ever run in...they sound like a couple of horses clip clopping along when midfoot striking in them. A lot of "slap" sound in the transition that is extremely annoying! Overall, an interesting new direction by saucony for a mainstream high mileage trainer but they need to iron out the fit in the next update to be taken seriously with it.
From: loopuus
Comments: Wow, what a major improvement! The forefoot cushioning is now literally like running on a cloud, but not mushy. A much, much lighter shoe and even the heel cushioning feels excellent. Have only taken an initial 6 mile run, however, it's very flexibilbe and responsive. Would seem to be also an excellent choice for those wanting to improve their forefoot running technique? This is no longer a heavy or supportive shoe, but a lighter weight long distance option!
From: David, Tempe, AZ USA


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Bernanke told lawmakers that the job market has made some progress since the Fed began buying $85 billion a month in bonds in September, as part of his mid-year economic report to Congress. And he repeated his belief that the Fed could slow that pace later this year if the economy strengthens.
But Bernanke cautioned that the Fed wants to see substantial progress in the job market before scaling back the bond purchases. If conditions worsen, the Fed could maintain its current pace or even increase it. The bond purchases are intended to keep long-term interest rates low and encourage borrowing and spending.
"Because our asset purchases depend on economic and financial developments, they are by no means on a preset course," he told the House Financial Services Committee. It's the first of two days of testimony this week on the Fed's semi-annual report.
Bernanke said that a number of factors could influence the Fed's thinking. U.S. economic growth could be restrained further by a weaker global economy or federal spending cuts and tax increases. Inflation could remain well below the Fed's 2 percent target. And the unemployment rate could drop because people are leaving the workforce - not because they are getting jobs.
Investors reacted positively to Bernanke's remarks. The Dow Jones industrial average was up 30 points in the first hour of trading. And the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note fell from 2.55 percent to 2.50 percent minutes after the text of his comments were released as investors bought government bonds.
Paul Dales, senior U.S. economist for Capital Economics, said Bernanke's comments did not alter his view that the Fed would likely start reducing its bond purchases in September and end them completely by the middle of next year. But Dales said this would be contingent on how the economy performs.
"We don't think this forward guidance could be much clearer," Dales said.
Bernanke's remarks expanded on the views he and other Fed officials have made in recent weeks to try and calm turbulent markets.
The Dow Jones industrial average plunged by 560 points in the two days after Bernanke's initial comments at a news conference following the Fed's June meeting. Since then, various Fed officials have tried to assure investors that the Fed's timetable is based on economic performance - and not a calendar date. That's helped to restore investor confidence and the Dow and other market indicators have climbed to new highs.
Hiring has improved since the Fed's bond buying began. Employers have created an average of 202,000 jobs a month this year, up from 180,000 in the previous six months.
Still, unemployment remains elevated at 7.6 percent, and economic growth has been modest the past three quarters.
In his testimony, Bernanke again said "a highly accommodative monetary policy will remain appropriate for the foreseeable future" because unemployment remains high and inflation is below the Fed's target of 2 percent.
Bernanke also repeated that the Fed plans to keep its benchmark short-term interest rate near zero as long as unemployment is above 6.5 percent. But Bernanke said the Fed could hold the rate lower even after it falls below 6.5 percent, particularly if unemployment falls because more people are leaving the workforce. The government counts people as unemployed only if they are actively looking for a job.
Bernanke said the economy is growing at "moderate pace" despite the adverse effects of tax increases and federal spending cuts. He noted that the housing market is rebounding and the job market has gradually improved.
"Despite these gains, the job situation is far from satisfactory," he said.
The economy grew at a subpar 1.8 percent annual rate in the January-March quarter. Many economists think growth in the April-June quarter weakened to an annual rate of 1 percent or less. That would make the third straight quarter of a growth rate below 2 percent.
Many expect growth will rebound in the second half of this year.
The Fed forecasts that the economy will grow between 2.3 percent and 2.6 percent this year, which is more optimistic than many economists predict. The pickup in economic growth that Fed officials expect is based in part on an assumption that the adverse effects of the tax increases and government spending cuts will diminish over time. And it assumes that the overall risks to the economy are lower now than they were when the central bank began the latest bond-buying program.
But he said threats remained. The federal budget policies could restrain growth for longer than expected. Or a congressional battle later this year over raising the government's borrowing limit could once again rattle investor and consumer confidence.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Got Soft hackle?
Remember the catch phrase from the advertisements of the American Dairy Farmers Association..."Got Milk?" Well now...
I read the Fishing reports and talk to quite a few fisherman, and all I hear about are nymphs and dries. Some of your more "technical" fishermen prefer the latest rage emerger patterns tyed up with the latest innovative synthetic dubbing blends and such.
My question is: How many of you fisher people are flinging the ole soft hackles and classic wet flies? If you are, like myself, you are probably catching fish!
I talked to quite a few fishermen yesterday on the little river (Sun., 4/2/06) and all had tryed to dries and nymphs with very little success. None had even tied on a soft hackle! Some had fished a few wooly buggers to no avail. Now I admit, I had a tough day too, but 3 respectable Bows and a Brownie were brought to hand on sz 14 gold ribbed hares ear softie (fished double tandem) and prince softies sz 12 respectively.
I find when there are bugs, but no risers, and nymphs ain't gettin it done, fish varying levels of the water column with a soft hackle (or two) and I will usually get into fish. The ties are fairly simple, the materials for them are cheap. Why not fish them The english "spider" type flies have been around for some 500 odd years, ie. Partridge and Orange, and they still catch fish!
Who else out there can share a success story fishing wet flies? Ya'll can come out of the closet now...
Re: Got Soft hackle?
This is a great topic. I love fishing soft hackle flies. I have used them with good success from #10 or #12 on down to the smaller sizes. I often fish them in the Smokies just like a normal nymph pattern, often tandem with a GRHE or Prince. I have also fished them with the traditional downstream swing and have done well. Earlier this spring on Abrams comes to mind. I had fished for a few hours without much luck, only a couple small fish to hand. I was about to leave when I decided to try one last riffle. I tied on a softhackle and the fish started nailing it on the swing and even as I was stripping it back up. I brought several fish to hand in just a few minutes on the pattern. Last summer, I had some really good luck using larger softhackles to imitate the ISO nypmhs on Little River. I generally fished them deep with split shot "highstick" style and caught some of my larger fish of the year that way. Soft hackles are definately a lot of fun to fish and the fish love 'em so I will keep tying them onto my line8-)!!!
David Knapp
"Then He said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.'" Matthew 4:19
The Trout Zone Blog
Trout Zone Anglers Guided Fly Fishing
contact: TroutZoneAnglers at gmail dot com
Re: Got Soft hackle?
AA, there were a group of us up there this weekend. Sunday ended up being the day for me. I caught quite a few from 10:45-2:30 on a bhcj, and a black softhackle. Saturday was a bit slower, but the softhackle was really doing its thing on Sunday. Had my best luck with the dead drift and high stickin the deeper water
Re: Got Soft hackle?
I was one of the ones in the group with Stretch this past weekend. I started off the weekend fishing dry's and nymph's. By Saturday afternoon I had switched over to assorted soft hackle fly's and midge patterns. I finished up Sunday with a flurry of action and kept with the same patterns that I had fished Saturday afternoon. Granted I made a move into less pressured water, but I still think it was a change of bugs that helped put me on trout.
Like Stretch, most of my luck came from high sticking behind boulders and dead drifting deep pocket water.
Petey *8-)
You can't depend on your judgement when your imagination is out of focus. - Mark Twain
Re: Got Soft hackle?
I fished Lynn Camp prong on tuesday. Couldn't get many strikes on the Pheasant tail softie with down and across/swing techniques. Started pitching the same fly (no split shot or indicator) up into the head of the plunge pools, letting it drift down and rise back up naturallly with stick held high and...Bam! Kept fishing that fly through the pools and it was very productive! Most of the takes were probably somewhere in the middle of the water column. I don't know what you call the method...Flymphing
Re: Got Soft hackle?
That is sort of what I found out too AA. I fished Lynn Prong very much the same way on Saturday. I approached it a little different but came up with the same answer more or less. I tied on a size 12 wooly booger and tied a soft hackle about 8" to a foot behind it without an indicator. I fished from the top of pools though. Usually hunkered down behind a boulder in the stream or from the bank. I would high stick as much of the run as I could the allow the fly's to swing toward the surface. Nearly all of my hits came on the swing towards the surface. That is a sweet little piece of water.
Petey 8-)
You can't depend on your judgement when your imagination is out of focus. - Mark Twain
Re: Got Soft hackle?
All you soft hackle fans, there is a bulletin board /organization called "The international brotherhood of the flymp" It has a lot of members from europe and it has a lot of reads from there. Just do a google search.
Re: Got Soft hackle?
Out of all the flies in my box, I'd have to say that I've had the most success using soft-hackles, wet-flies, flymphs, and all the many variations on classic patterns such as the Spider and Patridge and Orange.
Then again, I'm an upper-level- novice at best
http://www.troutanon.com rrainshaker at comcast dot netrainshaker at comcast dot net
Re: Got Soft hackle?
Applachacian Angler wrote:[Most of the takes were probably somewhere in the middle of the water column. I don't know what you call the method...Flymphing]. Actually, the method is called the Leisenring Lift as described by James Leisenring and Pete Hidy in their book "The Art of Tying the Wet Fly".
Like of all of you I also love fishing softhackles (hence my screen name). Softhackles have worked very well for me in the driftless area of SW Wisconsin. Last year I tried softhackles for the first time on the West Prong of the Little River. It ended up saving an otherwise very slow day.
Unfortunately, living in the Chicago area I don't get that much of a chance to fish the Smokies but, swinging softhackles on the streams inside the park is definitely something that I want to do again.
Just out of curiosity what your favorite softhackle patterns to use inside the park?
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Tags: detroit, monument, statue, icon, landmark, spirit of detroit, seals, offices, government, building, architecture, downtown, u
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spirit of detroit monumentby ann horn
- Medium
- Photography
- Artist Notes
- The Spirit of Detroit monument with its landmark bronze statue is located outside the Coleman A. Young Municipal Building, where government offices of the city of Detroit, Michigan are housed. Above the statue are seals of the City of Detroit and Wayne County. © 2012 Ann Horn. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This copyrighted image does not belong to the public domain and may not be reproduced, copied, altered or manipulated in any way without the written permission of Ann Horn.
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More about ann horn
- Location
- michigan, united states
- Artist Biography
- Ann Horn, avid photographer and sometimes published poet, is always watching for visual images for photo and/or word, ever intrigued by light, color, pattern, people... and surprise, always hoping to see the world with greater clarity, deeper understanding, and ceaseless wonder. You will find ...


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When Davis is playing, everything changes. Just because he was "cut", got signed for a "vet min" and played for some **** teams recently...I think our perception naturally isn't as "YES! WHAT A PICK UP!", as it should. This is on par with us bringing back Felton, IMHO, and with more upside in the playoffs especially.
Fields really **** the bed after Melo deal, and while Melo himself played a part, the dramatically altered (and slower) tempo of Billups was not a good thing. Baron is a high tempo leader, and not one with a major ego attached to that, who wants to act like a "Big Brother" to a fellow start player (*COUGH COUGH, Billups*). He also actually wanted to come play for us.
The hardest thing for a young guard to do is be a real distributor, leader, and have crunch time savvy.
Shumert & Co. will not be asked to do this with Baron at the helm.
Shumpert/Douglas/Fields is suddenly a three-headed beast of a rotation to be rotating in the SG slot, while also giving Baron some backup when it's not Bibby. Hell, we will prolly see Shumpert and Fields play some 3 this year to when it's advantageous to matchups!


text:
Faille Peplum Dress
Style: 570053989
Out of Stock
Slim black sheath softly ruffled with a peplum at the hips. Cap sleeves mimic the look of a shrug, while a triangle cutout shows off a little back. Shell: 65% Rayon, 33% Cotton, 2% Spandex. Lining: 93% Polyester, 7% Spandex. Dry clean. Imported.
- Contour fit.
- Removable belt; thread loops at waist. Keyhole back closes with a covered button. Hidden back zip with hook-and-eye closure. 7" slit at center back.
- Fully lined in amethyst charmeuse; silky side rests against the skin.
- Length: 41".
Read more… Read less…


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Bluefield Consortium Professional Development Schools Receives $30K Grant Award from WV Department of Education
CreatedThursday, September 02 2010
Created byJim Nelson/Media Relations - (304) 327-4103 email@example.com
(Bluefield)—A $30,000 grant award from the West Virginia Department of Education & the Arts will provide a valuable and substantial boost to the Bluefield Professional Development Schools (PDS) consortium. The Bluefield PDS focuses upon enhancing the preparation of teacher education candidates, enhancing instructional services to students, and providing collaborative professional development activities.
"I am so pleased to receive this grant as it provides timely support for our PDS and will underwrite a variety of initiatives involving members of our consortium," observed Dr. Betsy Steenken, BSC Teacher Education Program Director and the grant's project director. Consortium member schools include Montcalm Elementary, Montcalm High, Whitethorn Elementary, Bluefield Middle, Bluewell Elementary, Princeton Primary, and Bluefield Intermediate schools and BSC.
Ashley Pettus Shaw, a teacher at Montcalm Elementary School, is the public schools' chair of the PDS Consortium. Sandy Puckett, a retired school administrator, serves as the consortium's liaison, visiting each school and sharing information throughout the year.
"Our leadership is intent on making the most of PDS opportunities and constantly being aware of new possibilities." Steenken explained. "The mission of developing quality educators is the focus through communication and increased understanding between BSC and its public school partners. There is an important sense of collaboration and optimism as we begin a new year."
"This grant sustains that momentum," Steenken added. "We will continue to offer mini-grants to member schools this year. Our PDS schools are the primary sites for the field experiences of our teacher education students. Placing BSC teacher education students at partner sites ensures continuity and collaboration between the school and college. Partnering with local schools is one of the primary ways that students and our faculty learn of latest educational initiatives and current technology. We are grateful to our partner schools for helping our students receive the best possible training".


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The College will host a special Campus Coffee on Feb. 21 that will focus on the rich history and longtime connections between Japan and North Central College.
Faculty and staff who attend the Campus Coffee on Tuesday, Feb. 21, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. in Smith Hall, will enjoy authentic Japanese cuisine, interaction with students from Japan and those learning Japanese, and learning about the College's connection with Japan.
The first Japanese students came to North-Western College in 1873 and the College built ties with Japan through missionary work of the Evangelical Church more than 100 years ago. The College's international study and exchanges and Japanese language major have their origins in this early missionary connection. North Central is one of the few liberal arts colleges of its size that has a Japanese major.
The idea to feature Japan and the Japanese program began with the Sesquicentennial Committee's efforts to acknowledge aspects of the College's history, including its international connections. During Homecoming 2011, a reunion was held of alumni from Japan and those who studied in Japan. An outcome of that reunion was the desire of members of the Japanese program, College Archives, and the offices of Development and Ministry and Service to share North Central's history related to Japan with the campus community during a special Campus Coffee.
Featured during the coffee will be history boards, which were prepared by Archivist Kimberly Butler with students' assistance, for display at the Homecoming reunion. The history will highlight North Central's direct exchanges with colleges in Japan, the many students and alumni from Japan who came to study here, the development of the Japanese and East Asian Studies programs, and alumni who were and still are missionaries in Japan.
Visitors will be able to sample Japanese cuisine—including rice crackers, sushi, gyoza, vegetable tempura, agedashidofu and fried rice—and Japanese students will serve and explain the different foods. American food will also be available. Kimonos and ornamental items that are gifts to the College from Mrs. Shige Masaki '54 Nagamura will be on display, and faculty and staff will be invited to share their experiences about Japan. Using Post-it® notes, visitors can write out and post to a display board their connections with Japan, either through study abroad opportunities, family or professional connections, and more.
Photo, l. to r.: Speaking at the Japanese reunion during Homecoming 2011 are Fukumi Matsubara, professor of Japanese, and Jack Shindler, professor of English and director of international programs


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Some people on Twitter turned to humor as the partial federal government shutdown went into effect on Tuesday. The hashtag #ShutdownPickupLines was one of the trending items on Twitter. See some of our favorite #ShutdownPickupLines tweets.
What's trending on Twitter? #ShutdownPickupLines
Published On: Dec 24 2013 04:26:44 AM HST Updated On: Oct 02 2013 04:23:44 AM HST
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text:
Council Bluffs man gets 3 years for copper thefts
A Council Bluffs, man who admitted to stealing copper from farm irrigation systems from Sioux City to St. Joseph, Mo., has been sentenced to three years in federal prison.
Jonathan Dale Campbell, who is 32, has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property
The Sioux City Journal reports he was sentenced to 37 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution of $174,000.
Campbell admitted in a plea agreement with federal prosecutors that he and three other men stole copper from irrigation systems and sold the copper to an Omaha scrap yard.
Earlier Charles Douglas Nichols was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison and Joseph Daniel Falknor was given a one-year sentence. Both are from Council Bluffs.
Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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"Hey Mike, when is BrikWars 2010 done? I really need to know!!" - Dürer, 2016
Moderators: Killer Karetsu, Zupponn, Moronstudios
Zupponn wrote:(Image)[/img]
I'd like to see more of this guy.
Natalya wrote:Wtf is going on in this thread?
stubby wrote:
The Real Uplink by legovaughan, on Flickr
Quantumsurfer wrote:I'd like to do more of my own builds but, unfortunately, a lot of my Lego were stolen.
Killer Karetsu wrote:Quantumsurfer wrote:I'd like to do more of my own builds but, unfortunately, a lot of my Lego were stolen.
mr.duckie wrote:SirCheese wrote:I will be neutral. (Cuz I don't want to make enemies)
Get Him!!!!
Silverdream wrote:Gaze upon my cyan complexion
And fall in love with my flying perfection
I am a pegasus of awesomeness shaped by sonic rainbooms
Sonic Rainbooms
All over my sky.
TheGreatSethinski wrote:Though I have to admit that scrolling through Flickr was a bit tedious, so much thanks would be in order if you posted it here.
Killer Karetsu wrote: stolen??
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District® Juniors Tri-Blend V-Neck Tee. DT242V
A triple dose of softness and heathered style.
Tri-Blend fabric infuses each garment with unique character. Please allow for slight color variations.
Juniors Sizes: S-4XL


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Elite Blu-ray 3D™ Disc Player with Dual HDMI Output, Stream Smoother, PQLS, and DVD-Audio/SACD Playback
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Beverly J. MathiesenBeverly J. Mathiesen
Administrative Assistant
Office of the Chancellor
Bev serves as manager of the Chancellor's office, handling correspondence and other communications, monitoring deadlines, and responding to requests for information. She manages the schedule of events and follows up on all the details associated with each event, including necessary travel and accommodation arrangements.
Bev also is an effective liaison with the public, greeting guests, and welcoming them to UNK in a friendly, professional manner. She regularly deals with chief executives of businesses and agencies, and handles communications with such national groups as the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, and the American Council on Education
Pictured: Chancellor Gladys Styles, Regent Ryan Hatt, Bev Mathiesen and her husband Roger.


text:
Like he had done hundreds of times before, Mark Peterson headed to work in the early morning hours of October 24, 2012. Little did we know that day could have been his last.
"He likes to have things to do, so we were making pizzas and he was holding babies and all sorts of things that morning," KXLY photographer Eric Larsen said.
Larsen was with Peterson that morning at a Papa Murphy's franchise in Post Falls, Idaho, getting ready for the Good Morning Northwest broadcast. But that morning was unlike any other as Peterson started feeling ill.
"Towards the very end, I'm not feeling quite right, I'm dizzy, maybe hungry, you know how you get a little shaky when you haven't had something to eat," Peterson said.
"He was sweating and not feeling well," Larsen recalled.
"It was just a sharp pain right there, then I drank the water and it went away," Peterson said.
"While he was having his moment, he had to do a weather cut-in. So, he did the weather cut-in a little bit doubled over," Larsen said.
"I did the cut-in at 7:25 and got through that. Right after that, I felt like I was gonna throw up," Peterson said.
"If Mark's not high energy and talking and enjoying himself, then he's not Mark. And, we thought, something's not right here," Larsen said.
"I said, 'I'm gonna lay on this floor until someone comes and gets me.' And that's exactly what I did. That's when everything really started happening. I started feeling it in my chest," Peterson said.
"He was conscious through all this and talking, so we were like 'It's probably a heart attack, but its just a mild one, he's doing okay,'" Larsen said.
"I told George, 'Call EMS … we're gonna need 'em," Peterson said.
"It was very long, especially because he was struggling to breathe, and clutching his chest. He was in some real pain. He was obviously distressed," Larsen said.
Mark could hear the sirens approaching in the distance, but it felt like forever for them to get to him. In reality it was just two and a half minutes. The paramedics worked with him on the floor, hooked him up to a monitor straight away to figure out what was happening.
"This is when I knew the guys who come to help you really want to help you, when you see your shirt, ripped and tattered and torn so they can get in there and save your life," Peterson said.
The paramedics confirmed what everyone feared: Mark was having a heart attack.
"Even before Mark got there, we knew he was coming," cardiologist Dr. Keith Kadel said.
"I don't remember having five people working on me in an ambulance, but I remember the ambulance ride. I remember being pulled out of the ambulance in a bay at the hospital. Don't remember coding," Mark said.
The term "coding" refers to a medical event happening in a hospital. "Code Blue" generally refers to a patient suffering a cardiac event, requiring resuscitation.
"I started wandering down to the ER, there was a whole lot of attention," Dr. Kadel said. "I guess Mark kinda likes attention, but he got a lot of attention because his heart stopped completely in the emergency room."
"The crew was right on top of things, they started his heart back up instantly and I guess that's about when i walked in," he added. "He woke up right away -- scared -- which is pretty appropriate, and I said 'You're having a heart attack, we're gonna fix it' and he said OK."
Doctors began working on him and found that one of his arteries was totally blocked. Kadel was able to put a wire down across the artery where it was blocked to get the blood flowing again.
"We were pretty fortunate, we got it open really really fast. So fast, that even though if things hadn't happened that fast, he would no longer be with us," he said.
"I said 'What is so fascinating in the chart?' And he said, 'You understand you had a widow-maker, right?' And I go 'What?' They said, 'It's huge; most people don't live through it," Peterson said.


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Hawaii's doctor shortage has long been a problem. But there is now hard data that show just how severe the shortfall is. According to the report findings from the 2012 Hawaii Physician Workforce Assessment project, the shortage is predicted to only get worse.
Hawaii right now is in need of 600 doctors, when compared to communities of the same size on the mainland.
And if changes are not made soon, Hawaii's shortfall will double by 2020.
The good thing is the shortage hasn't increased in the past two years.
"Maybe the economy has kept people practicing longer or maybe we're just keeping doctors better, but we're still about 600 short," said Dr. Kelley Withy, UH Manoa John A. Burns School of Medicine professor.
Data complied from licensed physicians show 65 percent of Hawaii's doctors are in solo practice or small groups, which is higher than on the mainland.
And 20 percent of local doctors are full and not taking new patients.
Although there is a significant need for doctors in specialized fields such as cardiology and neurological surgery, the greatest shortage is for doctors who provide primary care service.
With said the solution to the shortage requires the help on multiple levels. She said steps are being made to solve the shortfall, including creating a coordinated care system and making changes to malpractice laws.
"By having more of a discussion on what happened, not blaming. So we're doing small steps in that area," said Withy.
That alone, can be enough to deter future doctors from entering the field.
"That's a tough thing, especially with the piling student loans and the realities we have to face as future health professionals," said Thomas Gill, first year UH medical student. "It's a lot to thing about."
But the need for doctors may be a good thing for current UH med school students.
"I think that it's good that we as students will be able to fill that void in the future, because there are 60 of us who are really aspiring to be really good doctors," said UH medical school class of 2014 student Sean Matsuwaka.


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A Frederick County couple is at the center of what's believed to be a first of its kind civil court case in Maryland involving what pet owners can collect in damages if something happens to their pets.
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The Sheridan-Johnson County chapter of the Wyoming Archaeological Society will meet Thursday.
Commencing at 6 p.m. in the Le Gourmet Room at the Sheridan Holiday Inn, the meeting is free and open to everyone.
Dinner can be order from the menu but is not required to attend.
At approximately 7:15 p.m. Forest Service Archaeologist Pat Bower will give a presentation regarding his archaeological work on Easter Island.
Reservations are not required to attend.
For more information call Scott Burgan at 673-5997.
The Holiday Inn is located at 1809 Sugarland Dr.
The Friendship Club of Sheridan (formerly the Sheridan Newcomers Club) will host a Get Acquainted Tea on Feb. 7.
From 10 a.m. to noon at the Inner Circle in Sheridan Fulmer Public Library women of all ages are welcome to enjoy punch or tea and cookies.
The tea is a chance to get to know the group, which meets for lunch the fourth Thursday of every month and offers subgroups including a book club, a Bunco group, a Pinochle group and the potential for future additions like a walking group.
For more information call Elaine Burke at 673-7321.
Local artist Brent Spink will present his art throughout February at Sheridan County Fulmer Public Library beginning with an artist's reception on Saturday.
The reception will be in The Inner Circle from 1-3 p.m.
Spink is originally from Missoula, Mont. and his primary medium is oil paintings.
He currently lives and works just north of Sheridan in the Wolf Teeth Mountains.
For more information call Kevin Knapp at 674-8585 extension 29.
The library is located at 335 W. Alger St.
The Sheridan Artists' Guild, Et al (SAGE) will host an artist's reception and gallery talk on Thursday.
From 5:30-7 p.m. the public is welcome to visit the gallery and enjoy refreshments as SAGE presents "Cowboy Country: Photographs by Mary and Arthur 'Pete' Dailey" which is on display now.
The SAGE Exhibit Gallery is located inside Sheridan College Main Street at 171 N. Main St.
The exhibit will run through the end of the month.
For more information contact SAGE at 674-1970 or email@example.com.
The national Alzheimer's Association is hosting a rally for its Wyoming volunteers and the general public on Feb. 15.
The event will take place at the Historic Plains Hotel at Central Avenue and Lincolnway in Cheyenne from 9 a.m. to noon.
Participants will be treated to a complimentary breakfast, lunch, give-aways and door prizes.
There will also be a support group offered during the event so caregivers, their loved ones, and volunteers from throughout the state are encouraged to attend.
Agenda topics will include the Alzheimer's epidemic in Wyoming,, the latest research findings, services and support the association offers, public policy and special events in local communities and the association's future plans for the state.
Attendees are asked to RSVP by Monday to Glenda Berry at firstname.lastname@example.com or to Anne Aquin at 550-3618.
The disease affects 10,000 people in Wyoming and its impact extends to additional thousands of friends and family members.
The Brinton Museum, Science Kids and the Big Horn Audubon will present the next monthly "Birding at the Brinton" on Saturday.
This free morning of bird watching will run from 9-11 a.m at The Brinton Museum.
All ages and abilities are welcome to join.
Participants are encouraged to bring binoculars if they have them.
For more information see www.thebrintonmuseum.org. The museum is located at 239 Brinton Road, Big Horn.
The Sheridan County Historical Society will host Veronica Hagemann on Wednesday. Hagemann will discuss the archival project at the Wyoming Girls School. The program is free and open to the general public. The event will commence at 7 p.m. and coffee and cookies will be served. The meeting will be held at the Downtown Sheridan Association Community Room located at the corner of North Main Street and Coffeen Avenue.
The Sheridan chapter of AARP will host a meeting Friday. The program will include a potluck, a summary of the Soup-er Bowl Food Drive, a proposal of a new summer outreach activity to be organized by the chapter and bingo. The event is free and open to everyone. Attendees are asked to bring their own place settings and a covered dish to share, and the chapter will provide fried chicken. The meeting will commence at 5:30 p.m. at the Sheridan Senior Center. For more information contact Helen Mitchell at firstname.lastname@example.com. The senior center is located at 211 Smith St.
The Big Horn Historical Society will host a potluck and program Sunday. The free meeting is open to all members of the community. The potluck will begin at 1 p.m. at the Big Horn Woman's Club clubhouse. Attendees are asked to bring a dish to share. At 1:50 p.m. Helen Laumann will present a program on the CCC Camp and guests can arrive at this time if they choose not to participate in the potluck. The clubhouse is located at 314 S. Second St., Big Horn.
A new art exhibit, "Back to the Drawing Board" by Christie American Horse, will open at the Martinsen Gallery on Tuesday, commencing with an artist's reception. On Tuesday from 4-5 p.m. the public is invited to the free reception at Sheridan College. American Horse, who was born cross-eyed but overcame the condition, has worked in many mediums including oils, pastels, acrylics, watercolors, charcoal and graphite. The exhibit will focus on her drawings, which she states is her favorite part of the painting process. She is the daughter of fellow local artist Fred Goehring and a graduate of Northwest Nazarene University in Idaho. The exhibit will run through April 8. The gallery is located in the Whitney building of SC located at 3059 Coffeen Ave.
Photographs taken in the Cloud Peak Wilderness area will be on display in The Inner Circle at Sheridan County Fulmer Public Library during the month of March. Local representatives of the US Forest Service will be displaying the photographs as a part of their celebration of the 50th anniversary of the signing of The Wilderness Act. A reception will be held on Monday from 5-7 p.m. to mark the opening. All members of the community are invited to attend this free event. For more information contact Kevin Knapp at 674-8585 extension 29. The library is located at 335 W. Alger St.
Jentel Artist Residency Program will host their March "Jentel Presents" on Tuesday. "Jentel Presents" is a free community outreach event open to everyone which features visual presentations and readings by artist in residency. The event will take place from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Sagebrush Community Art Center and refreshments will be served. This month's presenters include playwright Barbara Lindsay, mixed media artist Laini Nemett, metal smith Lori Swartz and printmaker Junko Yamamoto. For more information see www.jentelarts.org or call 737-2311. The art center is located at 201 E. Fifth St.
The Sheridan-Johnson County chapter of the Wyoming Archaeological Society will meet Thursday in the Le Gourmet Room of Holiday Inn. All members of the community are invited to this free event. At 6:00 p.m. attendees may order dinner off the menu, but no purchase is required to attend. Following dinner at approximately 7:15 p.m. Forest Service archaeologist Bill Matthews will present an update on his fieldwork in the Big Horn Mountains over the past three years. Attendees not desiring dinner may arrive at this time. Matthews and a group of volunteers recorded over 30 prehistoric sites as well as a turn of the century mining district, specifically in the Cloud Peak Wilderness. Reservations are not required to attend. For more information call Scott Burgan at 673-5997. The Holiday Inn is located at 1809 Sugarland Dr.Le Gourmet Room of Holiday Inn
The Parent Partnership will meet next Monday at Sheridan High School. On March 10 at 6 p.m. topics will include teacher appreciation in May, expanding the adoption of technology, the Graduation Task Force Executive Summary and an overview of "where we've been, where we are and where we are going," at SHS. The meeting is open to all members of the public and their ideas or suggestions. For more information call Dirlene Wheeler at 672-2495 extension 3108. The meeting will be held in the SHS library, located at 1056 Long Dr.
The Trail End Guilds will meet Tuesday.
The meeting will commence at 7 p.m. at the Trail End State Historic Site.
TEG sponsors at least one major event each year, the Holiday Open House during the first weekend of December.
Membership dues start at $5 a year and meetings are typically held monthly on the second Tuesday.
Guests are welcome and encouraged to attend the meeting.
The Trail End State Historic Site is located at 400 Clarendon Ave.
For more information call 674-4589 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
A show of original paintings in a variety of media created by local artist Tom Randazzo will be presented on the mezzanine of Sheridan Fulmer Public library. "Balance and texture" will present a wide variety of mixed media including wax and motor oil. An artist's reception will be held tomorrow from 5-7 p.m. The public is welcome to attend this free event. The library is located at 335 W. Alger St.
Throughout the month of March the SAGE Exhibit Gallery will feature life-long Sheridan area resident and colored pencil artist Dean States. "Seven Years Plus" will exhibit his drawings at the gallery located inside Sherian College Main Street. An artist's reception and gallery talk will be held Thursday from 5:30-7 p.m. The public is welcome to this free event and refreshments will be served. The gallery is located at 171 N. Main St. More of States' work can be viewed at the Dean States Studio located at 637 W. Loucks St.
The Sagebrush Community Art Center's Invitational Gallery will host Buffalo artist Jenny Wuerker's exhibition "Painting the Expanse" today through April 12. The exhibit is an artistic view of the iconic American landscape of the west on large canvases. An artist's reception and talk will be held Friday from 5-7 p.m. at the gallery. The public is welcome to this free event and refreshments will be served. For more information call the gallery at 674-1970. The gallery is located in the Historic Train Depot at 201 E. Fifth St.
The Seventh biennial Big Horn Elementary All-Student Art Show at The Brinton Museum will open Thursday.
A reception will be held by the BHE Home and School Association on Thursday from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
All members of the community are invited to this free event.
The show will run through March 30 with no admission charged.
For more information call the school at 672-3497 or the museum at 672-3173.
The museum is located at 239 Brinton Road, Big Horn.
The Sheridan Chapter of the AARP will hold a meeting Friday. Commencing at 5:30 p.m. the community is invited to a potluck and bingo night at the Sheridan Senior Center. The event is free and open to everyone. Attendees are asked to bring a covered dish to share and their own place settings. The senior center is located at 211 Smith St.
The Cloud Peak Backcountry Horsemen will hold a meeting Tuesday. The meeting is open to all and will commence at 7 p.m. at the Forest Service office in Buffalo. Planning for the 2014 rendezvous will be discussed. For more information call Dwight French at 674-8239. The office is located at 1415 Fort St., Buffalo.


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Goldman Sachs board samples a new guard
Goldman Sachs has stepped up its efforts to groom a new generation of leaders, as it broadens the list of executives who could eventually run the Wall Street firm.
As part of those plans, Lloyd Blankfein, Goldman's chairman and chief executive, has been arranging private dinner meetings between younger managers and the firm's directors, according to people familiar with the matter. The gatherings, which began last year, are designed to showcase the executives' expertise on a variety of topics that fall outside formal reviews of their businesses and share the firm's views on important issues, the people said.
The dinners also aim to give the board a better understanding of the firm's managerial talent as members help assess who among them should advance to bigger jobs, the people said. While Goldman has long sought to cultivate its best and brightest, the firm has added to its efforts as it stepped out of the triage mode management faced as it weathered the financial crisis and the Wall Street backlash that followed.
The push comes as Blankfein, who took over in 2006 when Henry Paulson became Treasury secretary, has shown no interest in stepping down soon. "A job like this is hard to come by," Blankfein, 59 years old, said in November at an industry conference. "I'll be slow to get out of it."
Were Blankfein to retire suddenly, Gary Cohn, the firm's 53-year-old president, remains the board's choice for the top job, people familiar with the matter said. But the open-ended nature of Blankfein's commitment increases the chance that Cohn's window to run the firm will close before a successor is needed, current and former Goldman executives said.
"Goldman has always worked to develop a deep bench of talent across all of our businesses, but speculation about succession planning is inevitably ill-informed," a Goldman spokesman said.
The next wave includes chief financial officer Harvey Schwartz, 50, investment banking co-head David Solomon, and Michael Sherwood, a vice chairman and co-CEO of Goldman's European business. Solomon was 52 years old and Sherwood was 48 as of earlier this year. A rung below them are managers such as Stephen Scherr, 50, the recently appointed chief strategy officer, according to people familiar with the bank.
Schwartz was co-head of the securities arm until his appointment to chief financial officer in 2013. Solomon, as a co-head of investment banking, helps oversee a division that has expanded in importance as the long-powerful trading business encounters regulatory and other challenges.
Sherwood is one of three vice chairmen at the firm. He has been co-CEO of Goldman's European business since 2005 and was put in charge of the firm's initiatives in emerging markets in November.
Both Messrs. Blankfein and Cohn have outlasted most of their counterparts at other big banks. While the stability in Goldman's top echelons has helped the firm navigate the financial crisis, the top executives' longevity also has slowed the upward progress of the next wave of leaders, compelling Goldman to find ways to keep them, people familiar with the matter said.
Some Goldman executives have cautioned against counting out Cohn. The onetime commodities trader has had a seat on Goldman's 13-member board since 2006 and has worked to raise his profile with clients, investors and regulators. Cohn is about six years younger than Mr. Blankfein.
Of course, any firm with a long-tenured CEO has to handle some of the same management issues that Goldman is encountering. Goldman has faced several high-level departures since the crisis, including finance chief David Viniar; vice chairman J. Michael Evans and co-president Jon Winkelried. (Viniar joined Goldman's board after leaving as CFO.)
The board dinners thus far have featured leaders of the firm's major divisions, including Pablo Salame, co-head of Goldman's securities arm, as well as others such as Paul Russo, co-COO of equities, and Anthony Noto, a technology banker who left the firm in June and was recently named finance chief at Twitter Inc., a former client, the people said.
Goldman's succession plans have been fluid in the past. In the early part of the last decade, the two executives once viewed as Paulson's most likely successors, John Thain and John Thornton, left the firm amid Blankfein's ascent to the top job.
Still, the move to give more of a spotlight to Goldman's management depth has been gaining ground. In February, the firm added five executives to its management committee, raising the total to 34 members: Russo and his co-head, Michael Daffey; credit-trading chief Justin Gmelich; Sarah Smith, chief accounting officer; and Craig Broderick, Goldman's top risk manager.
--write to Justin Baer at email@example.com
This article was first published by The Wall Street Journal


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Center fielder Shane Victorino has completed his rehabilitation assignment and was activated from the 15-day disabled list, the Phillies announced today. To make room for him on the 25-man roster, outfielder John Mayberry Jr. was optioned to triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Victorino, 30, originally left the game on May 14 in Atlanta in the bottom of the eighth inning with right hamstring soreness and was placed on the disabled list on May 20 (retroactive to May 19) with a right hamstring strain. While on his rehabilitation assignment he played in two games each for double-A Reading and single-A Lakewood, going 2-for-13 with a home run and four RBI.
Mayberry, who made his first Opening Day roster, batted .231 with three home runs and 12 RBI in 45 games. The 27-year-old made 23 total starts, including the last 13 games in a row.
Tough to swallow for Mayberry, who hadn't been swinging the bat well, but had been playing awesome defense in center in the absence of Victorino. He will be back soon.
Apparently, the Phillies are in love with a Rule 5 kid with no experience above Double-A that really shouldn't even be in the majors. That is Michael Martinez. And that's no knock on Martinez, he seems like a hard working utility guy, but they just don't have room for him right now. It really makes no sense. They have the same guy in Pete Orr in Triple-A. Odd choices being made here, but the silver lining is, they are getting healthy.
0 Comments
Thats cold. Michael Martinez must have some pretty interesting pictures of RAJ in the company of few teenage runaway girls.
The Dipsy
Naked pictures of Charlie Manuel and ownership.
I completely agree with u, send Martinez back to the Nats and bring either Orr or Mayberry back to the show. Let Martinez grow in some other system, vice our big league level.
Wow- Shocking.
Oh wait I get it, -we need Martinez to run for the other guy that can't field or run.
Doh! Even though we knew this move was coming it still irks. Do they really think any team, Nats included, would take Martinez if we sent him down? If we win th WC this year it will be in spite of management not because of it.
Wild Card words for me.
This is ridiculous. Why not DL Gload? Why not end the Martinez experiment?
Mayberry is great bench player. Excellent defense, excellent speed, good power. It's not like the other two are lighting the world on fire…
I'm so sad this is the end of the Brown-Mayberry combo that looked so good batting 7th and 8th. Victorino better BRING IT.
This is tragic and stupid. They could have DLed Gload, and got rid of Martinez., Keep Mayberry and bring back Orr. You still have the LH bat with Orr and you have your 2nd best defensive OFer in Mayberry.
Martinez is a AA hitter at best. Gload is hurt and can't play in the field.
Because Martinez may be the next Herndon.
I cant wait till Ledge comes back and they option Halladay for him.
I am reading all these comments and can't believe that noone has even considered outright releasing Ben Francisco and keeping Mayberry here… Then when Gload is put on the DL they can bring back Orr and hang onto Martinez ….. Francisco's bat is no better than Mayberry … His defense is adequat and his arm is no better than a 12 year olds …. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE dump Francisco
I am teetering on the edge of my seat. I cant wait.
Install Ledge as the closer and demote Madison to the Senators.
It has been a long time since I agreed with most if not all poster on here. But this is just stupid. Mayberry can play all three outfield positions as good if not better then the starters we have out there now. He has shown an ability to come off the bench cold and get some cutch hits as a PH. I am not saying he should be a starter but to send him down just is not right. I would rather him then Brown who still needs a lot of work defensivly. And has shown in the past not to be great PH which he will be most of the time. He is the one that needs consistant AB more then Mayberry. And do not get me started on Martenez, he is a pitch runner best, a bad defensive outfielder. Do you really need two weak hitting back up infielders? I usually trust the managment and have faith in what they are doing, but I do not get this move and I do not like it
Hold the phone
The Phils just signed Crash Davis and his 311 homers
He has to be on the roster till 2014 just like Mikey Martinez
Mayberry deserved better. Trade him somewhere that he can play.
Preferably not a team with Michael Martinez holding a roster spot.
2010 you hold David Herndon for a whole year.
It wasnt enough. 2011 you can have Martinez. for a year.
Building for a future of David Herndon and Mike Martinez.
It makes even less sense when you realize that every single game we will start with 1 or 2 "below-average" outfielders –either Raul or Francisco, or both when Brown sits (from what I've seen from Brown so far, he's average at this point). So Mayberry would always be a great, late-inning, defensive replacement for those close games when we're leading by a run or two (aka the typical 2011 Phillie game).
CHUCK – I agree with you my friend and respected poster. BenFran is not a starter in the major leagues and he is also not that good defensively. In fact, he is barely adequate. I like Mayberry better that BenFran AND, unless I'm wrong, BenFran has an option left. I hate this move in every way. If BenFran keeps playing he is going to kill any trade value he may have as a throw in.
The Dipsy
As I see it the issue is how many utility infielders you need. Usually you can get away with one. We have that in Valdez, he can play all three positions, can't hit but that is not unusual with a utility infielder. So why do we need two now? I think that Amaro/Manuel are thinking that they have three individuals who they cannot assume will be healthy (Utley, Polanco, Rollins). By definition Utley will not play every day. So Valdez will be playing one or two days a week at 2nd base. So obviously they are concerned that Polanco and Rollins will also go down.
Martinez is more versatile than Orr so IF you accept that you need two utility infielders this makes sense. For me I don't see the same level of risk. If someone goes down they can call up someone to fill in. I would have preferred to risk losing Martinez and keep another bat on the bench.
Nothing here is irreversible and Mayberry has not shown that much to date.
Are we counting Rollins and his .694 OPS and Utley and his .647 OPS as utilty?
Because thats right in there with utility infielders.
Utley's BABIP will not stay at .179, although it would be fair to note that his line drive rate is in the toilet right now at 10%. I doubt that will stay low either though. He's only had 39 PA coming off of an injury. Just give him some time.
thank you for making me laugh.
Missed you guys.
Is Mayberry going to rake in lehigh?
While Mayberry has shown he can play an adequate OF position, he STILL lacks consistency with the bat. He was given the opportunity to play regularly during the month of May while filling in for Victorino. However, to the disappointment of Phillies management, Mayberry hit just .194 in 17 starts in May. Apparently, the Phillies saw something in Martinez to want to keep him. He is young and has raw talents that will later be refined in the minors next season. He is versatile on dsefense playing both infield and OF positions. He has speed and a good arm. The question that remain to be answered obviously, is will he be able hit consistently. We don't know since he has so few ABs in the majors.
The Phillies thinking may be to protect Martinez and do see the need for TWO all purpose utility infielders (including Valdez Wilson) when considering their cautious approach in using Utley, and periodic rests to Rollins and Polanco. Plus, Gload is unable to play defensely. I don't understand the complaints on Francisco, a veteran with a proven track record of offensive production. The Phillies will need his Righthanded bat when he has one of those hot streaks he so often displayed in his career. Obviously, Charlie Manuel intends to platoon Brown and Francisco against righty/lefty pitching. When Brown can show that he can hit against all types of pitching, then that scenario will change.
Martinez is 28, he's not young. He can't hit either, he's just bad. Most of these Rule 5 guys are Rule 5 eligible for a reason: they've hung around as organizational filler and didn't even merit a spot on the 40 man roster.
How can Brown show what he can do against lefties when he get's benched every time we play them !? This move blows, Martinez is awful. Most of the posters on here could contribute as much as him.


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Monday, April 30, 2012
I Owe the Hubs a New Shirt
Day 26 (Last one!): Zombies
Rate on the scary scale from 1-10: 10!
I wonder how many posts will be on zombies today.
Funny thing, I'm terrified... and I mean piss my pants terrified of zombies... but I can't stop watching zombie shows (and loving them).
The scariest zombies (for me) are in 28 Days Later. Any zombie that I have to have super advanced cardio in order to survive? Ya, no thanks!
The Walking Dead freaked me out because of the lack of music in that show. I never knew when to expect a zombie (or walker) or when not to. And when things did happen that made me jump, I would also scream and tear my hubby's shirt. (Yeah, I ripped the buttons off once and bit a hole in the back of it.) But show was addictive and freakin' awesome, so I will endure the zombies for that one.
Zombieland cracked me up, but still scared me.
Same with Shaun of the Dead.
Speaking of... Dawn of the Dead I watched for a whole ten minutes before I shut it off and had nightmares for a month. Whenever the boy would come in the middle of the night I'd freak thinking he was there to eat me.
Resident Evil... ya, I won't even go there. Games and movies alike.
I've told everyone I know whenever the zombie apocalypse comes up in discussion (and in my awesome circle of friends, it comes up quite a bit) I let them know I'm letting myself get bit. Here's my logic.
1. I hate running for my life and living every second waiting to be pounced on.
2. There's the whole thing about if zombies actually have souls and whatnot. If I'm a zombie, guess I'll have that figured out.
3. I'm not a vegetarian, so eating meat no matter what kind won't be totally against my moral code.
4. I'm terrified of guns, so there's no way I'd be able to use one.
5. If I were given a weapon, I'd probably end up hurting myself by falling on it or trying to do some super ninja move.
On a side note, do you think that zombies have any other desires besides hunger? I mean, there's vampire and werewolf love stories. Why not a zombie one? Or is that too close to Necrophilia?
30 comments:
Zombie romance? Hmmm. It just might work. Who knows, the next blockbuster romance might just feature a pair of undead lovers. I know I'd definitely put down money to read that. :))ReplyDelete
Zombie romance? Now you want them breeding as well?ReplyDelete
In the event of a zombie apocalypse, I think I'd be one of the first ones dead (or, um, undead). I'm not stealthy, I'm not particularly tough, and I can't run worth a damn. I can swing a baseball bat pretty well, but that will probably only take me so far.ReplyDelete
Haha, AWESOME choice. We overcrossed a lot on this one.ReplyDelete
It's been a lot of fun reading your posts during this challenge. Looking forward to going head to head with you some more in the cinema trivia!!!
Zombies lack the brain function necessary for lust. Just saying.ReplyDelete
Although now you have me wondering about zombie rigor mortis, and I really wasn't planning on thinking about zombie penis this morning.
Read "The Serpent and the Rainbow"...it's about true life zombies, and yes, they had feelings.ReplyDelete
(Honestly, I read this in high school and enjoyed it...haven't read it lately)
have to say i scanned this post! i hate horror flicks! blech!ReplyDelete
awesome job on admitting your alphabetical fears!
Bleh, those pics turned my stomach! I'm not a zombie fan AT ALL. I tried reading Dearly, Departed, a YA zombie-kinda-love story where the girl actually DOES fall for a hot zombie guy (or so I think--I never finished it). But I didn't get far into the story, partly because the author kept switching POV's and it was hard to follow, for me.ReplyDelete
Zombies cool. If the apocalypse comes though, I'll use a gun. My legs are not that fast.ReplyDelete
So sad to see A-Z ending. I'll miss going to your blog everday.
Ok, so I'm a little creeped out by zombies myself. I didn't actually read this post. I saw the title, scanned the pics, shrieked, and am leaving a comment to say...ReplyDelete
I'm so glad I've gotten to "know" you this month! I look forward to reading your blog, just a little less frequently since I won't be online every day ;)
Gawd I love zombies. They totally creep me out no doubt but I heart them all the same.ReplyDelete
Zombie romance?... how interesting. But I do not think it's possible. The body rots and parts fall off. Do you get where I'm going with this. Not a good thing. IMO!
So if the apocalypse does come - I'm shooting you first. Just saying. And that's before you turn. I don't need you chasing me and I definitely don't need you trying to breed.
Ew on the pictures. Not a fan of zombies but love Forest of Hands and Teeth series. Anxious to read This Is Not A Test. Congrats on finishing A to Z.ReplyDelete
I definitely draw the line at zombie romance.ReplyDelete
I too am terrified of zombies but I can't stop watching The Walking Dead. Also, Shaun of the Dead is one of my favorite movies.
And if the zombies are anything like those in 28 Days Later, I won't survive long. Although, there's a goo chance the same will be true even if they're the really slow kind.
Um, there IS a zombie romance! It's called "Dearly, Departed" by Lia Habel, and you HAVE to read it, because the main zombie guy is HOT and the book itself is freakin' awesome.ReplyDelete
I had to cover some of the pictures you posted... I will have nightmares. It's a lot easier to read about zombies than to watch them. Ten on the scary scale for sure.
I will survive the zombie apocalypse. Oh yes I will.ReplyDelete
Funny you should mention it, but I've seen a bunch of zombie romances in YA over the past year, so someone is on that...ReplyDelete
Ugh, Zombie Romance. Just. Can't. Do it! LOL. I'm not too crazy about Zombies. I LOVE the zombies in Carrie Ryan's books. But they're just not my thing.ReplyDelete
So if their is a Zombie Apocalypse I should stay near you because you'll make a good sacrifice so I can run and get away?
I LOVE Zombieland!ReplyDelete
The rest...not so much. LOL.
They terrify me. :D
It's interesting how Zombies have morphed over the years from the slow moving but focused creepy things in the 1950s to some seriously ominous and much cleverer and faster moving today.ReplyDelete
Ew! Those pictures are so gross!!!!!ReplyDelete
I'm so glad that fear month is over... Cass, I don't know how you live with so many fears... Please say you didn't miss any??? *titter* ;)
So zombies aren't that scary for me. Which is weird because every other monster is terrifying. But zombies make me laugh.ReplyDelete
Back from the dead... we were on a "stay-cation."
Only you would want to have the Zombies hook up and get it on... what would you call the offspring?
ZZ Top?
Michael: Apparently, there's some out there. I'm gonna go google these books and see if they can pull it off!ReplyDelete
Tara: Ignore the pictures and the post isn't that scary :)
Ilima: I haven't heard of either. The only zombie books I've read are The Walking Dead GN, which are awesome, btw. :)
Darci: I think I have to read it to find out how a zombie is hot, lol.
I can't do zombies EXCEPT in Carrie Ryan's trilogy. But the shows and movies - not a chance.ReplyDelete
seriously had to stop watching Walking Dead because I couldn't go to sleep after. Found Shaun of the Dead very amusing though!ReplyDelete
Yeah I totally agree Zombies rate way up on the scale probably a 20 for me.ReplyDelete
Okay ... I had to skim through this because I can't look at the pictures. Yeah - I'm that big of a wuss. I don't even watch zombie shows really because I can't watch scary shows any more! The hubs is out of town too much and I can't take it alone! lol.ReplyDelete
I did watch LEGEND. Does that count?
...Don't you dare bite me during the zombie apocalypse, Cassie! :PReplyDelete
HAHA. I'd probably hurt myself with a weapon too :)ReplyDelete
I watch zombie movies and love The Walking Dead comics, TV series,and video game.ReplyDelete
With that said, I get freaked out!!! I jump, dig my nails into my hubby's hand (not on purpose), scream, shield my eyes with my hand and peek through. So why do I keep watching? I have no idea. LOL


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"Number Crunching"
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Topic: "Number Crunching" (Read 3438 times)
Enjoying Retirement
Editor Emeritus
Posts: 9911
"Number Crunching"
May 31, 2011, 05:52:26 PM »
I read Rob's editorial. Anyone else read it? I much enjoyed it, esp. cuz I like me some math.
My thoughts:
1) the problem isn't numbers (whether too few or too many). The problem is *always* hidden numbers. Which, if you're really freaking bored, you can approximate for yourself by testing something over and over (making sure you know as many possible factors as you can, esp if against different enemies with different attributes).
2) this idea on reverse-engineering a true hit/miss approximation is something we can take back to sports and their "Fantasy" equivalents. I am reminded of the opening chapters of Stephen Johnson's "Everything Bad Is Good For You," wherein he compares D&D to some of his favorite sports approximation statistics-games. Also, this:
(be sure to read alt-text)
3) This statement needs further scrutiny:
Suppose we have a 5% chance to miss. Firing four times, we have a chance of missing all four shots equal to:
Needless to say, that's an exceptionally small number. And yet these odds can happen repeatedly in games like Diablo and the aforementioned Fallout 3.
Outside of the very possible "hidden numbers" problem, this observation on Rob's part needs to be weighed heavily against human nature: that is, our ability to blow out of proportion the frequency of times things don't "go our way" compared to how often they do. How *repeatedly* in those games? And is it really so statistically unlikely as what you're expressing? Be sure to listen to the Radiolab episode on Stochasticity (that is, Randomness):
You flip a coin seven times and get eight heads in a row. OH MY GOSH! CRAZY! The likelihood of this (and, technically, any combination of eight that takes order into account) is 0.5 ^ 8, or 0.00390625. That's still about 200 times as likely as the scenario Rob lays out (.05^4). In any case, the eight in a row is a big deal if that happens on your first eight. You might think the coin is weighted. But out of 100 flips, how likely is it to get eight of the same thing in a row? How about out of 1000 flips?
And how many attack attempts do you make in any given game? 1000? 10000? 50000?
It's just important that we tend to focus on the frustrating aspects, when it feels like the numbers are "against" us.
I know people rant and rave on this when they have accuracy approximations in Strategy RPGs like FFT or Fire Emblem. But that's the thing about randomness: it's *random,* and unless you have a sufficient sample size, you can't very well go about disproving the odds displayed to you.
(I'm a HUGE fan of numbers!)
Posts: 4276
Some guy
Re: "Number Crunching"
Reply #1 on:
May 31, 2011, 06:46:35 PM »
I thought about starting a topic saying exactly what you said, Ramza. But you beat me to it.
By the way, I've played D&D for years and there actually was an occasion when I rolled 4 natural 1s in a row on a d20. That's the exact same probability the editorial mentioned. But if you game enough something like that is bound to happen eventually. Keep in mind that you're really looking at a much broader category that's "the probability of something unlikely happening that will stick in my head". Rolling 4 natural 20s would have been remembered just as well, albeit in a different light. And really it could have been anyone in the group, not just my rolls.
Even so, my bad luck is now legendary in my D&D group...
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ee yan~☆
Re: "Number Crunching"
Reply #2 on:
June 01, 2011, 09:57:45 AM »
Quote from: Ramza on May 31, 2011, 05:52:26 PM
1) the problem isn't numbers (whether too few or too many). The problem is *always* hidden numbers.
Play The Last Remnant and you'll see why hidden numbers are complete bullshit. If that game had xp bars or semi-sensical happenings, it would have been a much better game. Instead, they tell you to go back to the kids table and let the math.random() sail the boat.
Last Edit: June 01, 2011, 09:59:41 AM by Annubis
RPGFan Editor
Posts: 3950
Code Monkey Like Fritos
Re: "Number Crunching"
Reply #3 on:
June 01, 2011, 10:13:03 AM »
I'll say here what I said in the editor forums when we were discussing this particular editorial:
In this day and age, why play games that have an element of randomness if you don't like randomness? At this point there are so many games that borrow storytelling and character building elements from RPGs that if you don't want to ever miss something if you have enough skill to line up your shot, then you can play those games! They exist in abundance!
Same goes for D&D really. Why, games like Sorcerer, Dogs in the Vineyard, etc. - these are games built by people who enjoyed the storytelling and creative elements of D&D but hated the randomness. They were built to cater to exactly the audience Rob is representing here. So why not play those instead?
I think that the point of view is perfectly valid (even if I think the math in the editorial is terribly misleading for reasons already pointed out) - the author likes games where SKILL is rewarded consistently. There are a massive pile of games like that. It seems strange to me to criticize a game for having an element of randomness when it was designed specifically to have randomness.
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I Mean Bismuth
Re: "Number Crunching"
Reply #4 on:
June 01, 2011, 10:15:45 AM »
Quote from: dyeager on June 01, 2011, 10:13:03 AM
It seems strange to me to criticize a game for having an element of randomness when it was designed specifically to have randomness.
I hate eating strawberry ice cream because it doesn't taste of mint. :[
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Re: "Number Crunching"
Reply #5 on:
June 01, 2011, 10:25:35 AM »
A little bit, yeah. :-)
As for the math - the human brain is notoriously terrible at interpreting randomness. I particularly recommend the book
The Drunkard's Walk
for anybody interested in the topic. The human mind is actually SO bad at randomness that typically when you are doing it EXACTLY right, you will be accused of doing it WRONG. I remember way back when iTunes had to release an update to its shuffle algorithm to make it LESS random because people were accusing it of playing the same songs too often!
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Re: "Number Crunching"
Reply #6 on:
June 01, 2011, 10:44:04 AM »
Good posts thus far. What are the benefits of randomness in a game?
To me, it opens the possibility of unexpected things happening. Skill becomes more about predicting rather than planning. You run probability of failure and do everything possible to ensure you succeed. Honestly, the most entertaining moments are when things don't go as planned and something awesome or terrible happens.
Thoren: Astronomers fucking love stars and shit. Whitman was a bitch.
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Re: "Number Crunching"
Reply #7 on:
June 01, 2011, 10:55:15 AM »
It's certainly true that numbers can be used to validate nearly any argument. Pat's analysis of my math is 100% valid. This is more of a minor annoyance in video games that causes me to roll my eyes. I can live with it. It may piss me off on occasion, but I understand that it can happen.
My bigger issue is when the numbers present a completely insurmountable obstacle for me as a gamer. There are points in Borderlands that I simply cannot get through until my character has reached a certain level. It doesn't matter that I can beat Modern Warfare on veteran. My skill as a gamer is not going to get me through some of the hardest battles. I love how one fat, bald, overweight guard at the end of Witcher 1 can kill me in three hits simply because his numbers behind the scenes are designed to crush me. At least Zeus looks intimidating in God of War. This guy looked like a white Carl Winslow, and he was strong as a titan.
One of the things I pointed out on the editor's board is my love of character development. This was an aspect almost exclusive to RPGs for years. This type of gameplay has found its way to shooters, survival horror games, action titles, etc. The best RPGs allow me to completely customize my character and style, while the worst force me to play a certain way to overcome the design of the game. Dragon Age was brutal when I tried to play the game as a JRPG and focused on damage. It wasn't until I played the game the way the designers intended that I was able to succeed. Is that proper player choice and character development? Am I supposed to follow what the designers intended or should I be able to succeed in other ways? Why offer choice if there's only one correct way to play? My favorite games offer choice and success, even if the choice is a simple one between a shotgun and a sniper rifle.
I'm glad people enjoyed the article and it has created some awesome discussion. That was purely the intent. I love to talk and debate games from a scientific and analytical standpoint. I think that's the only way the medium advances.
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Re: "Number Crunching"
Reply #8 on:
June 01, 2011, 12:07:58 PM »
The wrong numbers lead to the wrong conclusions. The right numbers, properly interpreted, lead to correct conclusions. Poorly interpreted, yet more wrong conclusions.
So from a "scientific" or "analytical" perspective, you of all people should know that the notion "you can use numbers to prove anything" is the purview of the person who doesn't actually want to give the numbers their full critical analysis.
Outside the bounds of what we're talking about here, but let's just say computers wouldn't work and ergo video games wouldn't exist if you could "use numbers to prove anything". From the perspective of the software designer. ;-)
As to the design issue of artificial barriers based not on skill but on time commitment, which now that we've discussed it farther seems to be the real crux of the matter: I think it is perfectly okay for these things to be a matter of taste, but these design decisions often come down to very real cost issues. Perhaps dollars are not a legitimate excuse, but in the end it's a business and sometimes you need to make decisions on where you want your money spent.
Finally, as for wanting to play the game in ways aside from the way the designers intended - the difference between video games and other media is that there is a limit to how much FREEDOM one has to explore. You can let your imagination wander past those hills on the horizon for example, but if a designer didn't build anything beyond them to actually see yourself, you can't actually go there. Same thing with a boss battle. If a battle is designed a certain way (and the more complex the battle and AI, the more money required), trying to do things a different way may in fact prove frustrating (or ridiculously easy or otherwise unbalanced). That doesn't always mean it's a failure on the part of the devs or the designers. Your choice between the sniper rifle and the shotgun still had to be put there and accounted for in some way by the devs to even be possible, let alone fun.
Dragon Age is actually a really good example of what you are talking about. As a story, I thought Dragon Age: Origins soared. As a GAME however, something I play within the bounds of tactile input and mechanics, I thought it was pretty awful precisely because of the way choice was such a transparent illusion, exacerbated greatly at higher difficulty settings.
In the end internet forums are probably the most imperfect place possible to have a conversation like this. It would be better to discuss it with a bottle of cognac and some cigars.
Last Edit: June 01, 2011, 12:17:21 PM by dyeager
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Re: "Number Crunching"
Reply #9 on:
June 01, 2011, 12:41:36 PM »
In the end internet forums are probably the most imperfect place possible to have a conversation like this. It would be better to discuss it with a bottle of cognac and some cigars.
Totally agree!
Video games are all about illusion. You have the illusion of choice, but you can never work outside of what the designers program.
Last Edit: June 01, 2011, 12:44:53 PM by PaleRobbie
RPGFan Editor
Posts: 3950
Code Monkey Like Fritos
Re: "Number Crunching"
Reply #10 on:
June 01, 2011, 12:55:59 PM »
I don't know that I necessarily agree that video games are entirely about illusion of choice though. I think games like Pac Man for example are still great (especially the Championship editions), but they do not weave any kind of illusion of choice. You control a yellow thing that eats dots and stays away from ghosts. The only choices you have are where to turn. That's not illusion of choice. That's legit choice but in a very very tiny box.
Despite this the game is still ridiculously fun. Nobody ever criticizes Pac Man for the things we criticize RPGs and other games for. Granted the goals of RPG design and Pac Man are very different, but they are also more complex and loftier - in many ways unattainable.
EDIT: Also I apologize as that may have been an incorrect reading of what you meant by "video games".
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Re: "Number Crunching"
Reply #11 on:
June 01, 2011, 01:16:29 PM »
You end up working within in the confines of the rules set and structure provided by the designers and programmers when you play a video game. Pac Man turning left or right at the fork in the road is certainly one example of player choice. I was more speaking to the "freedom" developers talk about in current generation games. The illusion of freedom comes from the restrictions put in place by the game makers. Bethesda RPGs offer a great deal of choice in where to go and how to carry out missions. But I'm never given an option like, say, challenging the leader of the super mutants to one-on-one combat, skinning him alive and wearing his head as a crown and testament to my unholy army of death raiders. The developers lay out several options and choices for me to make, but I have to work within the confines of what they dictate. Now, I'm not suggesting that this is problem in video games or something that needs to drastically change (not to mention the fact that it would be practically impossible to give total and complete freedom within the structure of a video game). I'm merely pulling back the curtain a little bit so I can see The Wizard and understand how the game works and how these choices and decisions impact my own personal experience with the game.
*puffs cigar*
Enjoying Retirement
Editor Emeritus
Posts: 9911
Re: "Number Crunching"
Reply #12 on:
June 01, 2011, 06:16:54 PM »
Cigar-puffing aside, I think this forum, unlike so many others, is a great place to discuss this sort of thing.
Read all. Love it all.
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