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Written by Bad English on 17.12.2012 at 19:40
Just tryd it and I love it its french version about Opeth
even free download link somewhow didnt show up like MS news said but its exelent album, awesome, mix whit clean vox and growls, one day I will read a lyrics
but I enjouy muisc, pretty good for one man
Written by scapeplan on 18.12.2012 at 00:37
Very good album, reminds me of Opeth mixed with Death (specifically, The Sound of Perseverance.)
Written by Guest on 25.12.2012 at 16:13
Illegally downloaded this (sorry, man) and will give it a listen tonight.
Written by Derelict Earth on 27.12.2012 at 03:28
Well you can have it for free legally on bandcamp if you press "buy now" and put 0 but I don't really care, just enjoy the music
Written by Derelict Earth on 27.12.2012 at 22:04
Thank you ! I'm not sure to understand concerning the production ? Do you mean it is not well done ? I'm still learning so the next one will most certainly be better on that part !
And you are probably right concerning the vocals I tend to hate my cleans so I'm going to take some lessons. For the bass it's cool that you liked it, I also enjoy very present basses and switching to a fretless really helped making it roar through the mix
Thanks for your feedback, now I have to check Mirrorthrone !
Written by NocturnalStalker on 16.01.2013 at 16:53
Pretty good album. Reminds me of Opeth (middle period) at times. The only thing I didn't like about this album is clean vocals (sorry). Other than that, thumbs up!


text: Associate Professor of Psychology On Faculty since 2011 Office: BGC M221 Phone: (630)752-7051 Fax: (630)752-7033 Email: email@example.com Education Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, Fuller Theological Seminary, Graduate School of Psychology, 1999 Pre-Doctoral Internship in Clinical Psychology, Boston University Medical Center, Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology, 1999 Post-Doctoral Fellowship in HIV/AIDS Research, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, 2000 Licensed Clinical Psychologist (Illinois) # 071.008115 M.A., Theology, Fuller Theological Seminary, School of Theology, 1996 B.A., Psychology & Religious Studies, New York University, 1993 Licensure & Certifications Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Illinois Department of Professional Regulation, 2011 About Ezer Kang The microbe is nothing; the terrain everything" (L. Pasteur, 1895). HIV/AIDS discriminately proliferates in socially and economically disadvantaged terrains. How does a broadened understanding of such terrains help inform interventions and guide policies aimed to redeem the humanity of marginalized persons living with the virus? This question has guided Dr. Kang's work with undocumented Asian immigrants, perinatally HIV-infected children and adolescents, adults triply diagnosed with HIV, psychiatric illness, and substance dependence in Harlem, NY, and families affected by iatrogenic pediatric HIV in rural China and Kazakhstan. In addition to his teaching and current research in Chiang Mai, Kigali, Delhi, and Chicago, Dr. Kang continues his clinical work with adolescents living with perinatally acquired HIV at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago (Division of Infectious Disease), and adults with HIV/AIDS at Lawndale Christian Health Center. In his personal time, Dr. Kang enjoys running and traveling with his wife and two daughters. Personal Webpage Courses Taught Class, Race, Gender, Religion, & Sexual Identity in Clinical Psychology Community Psychology Multivariate Statistics HIV and Global Cities: Applied Community Psychology Membership in Professional Societies American Psychological Association Society for Community Research and Action (APA Division 27) American Academy of Religion Research Dr. Kang's research broadly examines how individual, family, and structural factors interact to influence socioemotional functioning among the urban poor - with a focus on persons living with HIV in resource-limited settings. His research to date has focused on disparities in access to HIV care and stigma among undocumented Asian immigrants, protective and risk behaviors among adolescents with perinatally acquired HIV, faith-based and public health partnerships in HIV prevention and care, and influences of urban poverty on childhood neurocognitive and behavioral outcomes. Dr. Kang works collaboratively with students, community-based organizations, and researchers on these issues in the Community Health and Justice Lab at Wheaton College. Grants Kang, E. (2016). Fulbright Specialist Grant, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Kang, E. (2015). HIV Stigma and Social Distance: Application of Conflict Transformation Intervention Principles in Rwanda (in partnership with CARSA). GW Aldeen Grant & Graduate Faculty Research Grant. Kang, E. (2014). Neuropsychological functioning and quality of life outcomes in youth living with perinatal HIV in Thailand. Global Experiential Learning Faculty Global Research Grant, Wheaton College. Kang, E. (2013). Primary care "placed" brief assessment of neurocognitive and behavioral functioning in older children with perinatally acquired HIV. Fulbright Specialist Award (Project #5280). Council for International Exchange of Scholars. Chiang Mai University, Faculty of Medicine Grant, Department of Pediatrics. Kang, E. (2013). Sustained influences of the 1994 genocide on transmission of inter-ethnic division in Rwanda. Society for Community Research and Action Community Action Grant (#2013-01) Kang, E. (2012). Exploratory collaborative with faith-based HIV/AIDS programming in West Delhi with Emmanuel Hospital Association. GW Aldeen Grant, Wheaton College. Chin, J.J., Mantell J., Weiss, L., & Kang, E. (2007 - 2012). Organizational change toward HIV involvement in immigrant religious organizations. National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD). Chin, J.J., Weiss, L., & Kang, E. (2006 - 2007). Needs assessment of Asian immigrants living with HIV in New York City areas. US Health, Resources, and Services Administration (HRSA) HIV/AIDS Bureau. Kang E. & Remien, R. (2003-2004). HIV stigma and health promoting behaviors among Asians and Pacific Islanders (APIs) living with HIV. Columbia-Rockefeller Center on AIDS Research. Kang, E. & Remien, R. (2001-2002). Determinants of medical adherence among APIs living with HIV Disease. National Institute of Mental Health, Office of AIDS Research. Kang, E. & Rapkin, B. (2000-2001). VOICES: Narratives of Asians and Pacific Islanders living with HIV/AIDS. HRSA. Refereed Publications Kang, E., Delzell, D., Mbonyingabo, C., & Ngendahayo, S. (in press). Exposure to the 1994 genocide and survivor attitudes towards génocidaires: 20-year post-script. Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology. Kang, E., Delzell, D., McNamara, P.E., Cuffey, J., & Matthew, S. (2016). Poverty indicators and mental health functioning among adults living with HIV in Delhi, India. AIDS Care 28(4), 416-422. Kang, E., Delzell, D., Chhabra, M., & Oberdorfer, P. (2015). Factors associated with high rates of antiretroviral medication adherence among adolescents living with perinatal HIV in Thailand. International Journal of STD and AIDS, 26(8), 534-541. Kang, E. (2015). Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) stigma: Spoiled social identity and Jürgen Moltmann's trinitarian model of the imago Dei. International Journal of Public Theology, 9(2015), 289-312. Kang, E., Delzell, D., Chin, J.J., Behar, E., & Li, M.Y. (2013). Influences of stigma and HIV transmission knowledge on member support for faith-placed HIV initiatives in Chinese immigrant Buddhist and Protestant religious institutions in New York City. AIDS Education and Prevention, 25(5), 445-456. Kang, E. (2013). Stigma (pp. 393-396); Orphans (with Kang. C., pp. 315-318); Christianity (with Arute, D., pp. 137-140). In S. Loue (Ed.) HIV/AIDS Reference for Mental Health Professionals. New York: Springer Press. Bauermeister, J.A., Elkington, K.S., Robbins, R.N., Kang, E., & Mellins, C.A. (2012). A prospective study of the onset of sexual behavior and sexual risk in youth perinatally infected with HIV. Journal of Sex Research, 49(5), 413-422. Kang, E., Mellins, C.A., Dolezal, C., Elkington, K.S., & Abrams, E.A. (2011). Disadvantaged neighborhood influences on anxiety and depression in children with perinatally acquired human immunodeficiency virus: How life stressors matter. Journal of Community Psychology, 39(8), 956-971. Kang, E., Chin, J.J., & Behar, E. (2011). Faith-based HIV care and prevention in Asian immigrant communities in New York City. Rhetoric or reality? Journal of Psychology & Theology, Special Issue "Faith in Practice: Reflections on Community Psychology in Action" 39, 268-279. Chin, J.J., Li, M.Y., Kang, E., Behar, E., & Chen, P.C. (2011). Civic / sanctuary orientations and HIV involvement among Chinese immigrant churches and Buddhist temples in New York City. Global Public Health, Special Issue "HIV and Religion" 6(S2), S210-S226. Brackis-Cott, E., Kang, E., Dolezal, C., Abrams, E., & Mellins, C.A. (2009). The impact of perinatal HIV infection on older school-aged children's and adolescent's receptive language and word recognition skills. AIDS Patient Care and STDs, 23(6), 415-421. Brackis-Cott, E., Kang, E., Dolezal, C., Abrams, E., & Mellins, C.A. (2009). Brief report: Language ability and school functioning of youth perinatally infected with HIV. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 23(3), 158-164. Humphrey, N. & Kang, E. (2009). The role of the psychologist in a medical setting: The multidisciplinary team approach. In S. Davis, P. Giordano, & C. Licht (Eds.). Your Career in Psychology: Putting Your Graduate Degree to Work. New York: Wiley Blackwell Publishers. Kang, E., Mellins, C.A., Ng, WYK, Robinson, L.G. & Abrams, E.A. (2008). Standing between two worlds in Harlem: A developmental psychopathology perspective of perinatally acquired human immunodeficiency virus and adolescence. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 29(2008), 227-237. Kang, E. & Rapkin, B.D. (2008). Why tell? Serostatus disclosure and HIV stigma among Asian and Pacific Islander Men Who Sex With Men living with HIV illness in New York City. In S. Loue (Ed.) Health Issues Confronting Minority Men Who Have Sex with Men (p. 197-218). New York: Springer Press. Kang, E., Rapkin, B.D., & DeAlmeida C. (2006). Are psychological consequences of stigma enduring or transitory? A longitudinal study of HIV stigma and psychological distress among Asians and Pacific Islanders living with HIV illness. AIDS Patient Care and STDs, 20(10), 712-723. Chin, J., Kang, E., Kim, H.J., Martinez, J., & Eckholdt, H. (2006). Service delivery for Asians and Pacific Islanders living with HIV/AIDS: Challenges and lessons learned. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 17, 910-927. Kang, E., Rapkin, B.D., Remien, R.H., Mellins, C.A., & Oh, A. (2005). Multiple dimensions of HIV stigma and psychological distress among Asians and Pacific Islanders living with HIV illness. AIDS & Behavior, 9(2), 145-154. Kang, E., Rapkin, B., Springer, C. & Kim, H.J. (2003). The "demon plague" and access to care among undocumented Asian immigrants living with HIV disease in New York City. Journal of Immigrant Health, 5(2), 49-58. Kang, E. & Rapkin, B. (2003). Adherence to antiretroviral medication among undocumented Asians living with HIV disease in New York City. The Community Psychologist, 36(2), 35-38. Mellins, C.A., Kang, E., Leu, C.S., Havens, J.F., & Chesney, M. (2003). A longitudinal study of mental health and psychosocial predictors of medical treatment adherence in mothers living with HIV disease. AIDS Patient Care and STDs, 17(8), 407-416. Kang, E. (1997). Group psychotherapy for Asian Pacific Islander men with HIV disease: Clinical considerations. Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 19(2), 176-177. Presented Scholarship Kang, E., Delzell, D., Yu, A., Chin, J.J., Behar, E., & Li, M.Y. (2013, March). Mobilizing HIV care and prevention among Chinese religious institutions in New York City: A necessary return to basics. Poster presented at the 5th Annual Health Disparities Conference, Teachers College, Columbia University. New York. Banks, A., Chacko, R., Kang, E., Miller, S., Torres, K., & Dayton, B. (2013, March). Integrated HIV care and prevention in urban African American and Latino communities: A faith-based setting and approach. Poster presented at the 5th Annual Health Disparities Conference, Teachers College, Columbia University. New York. Kang, E., Mellins, C.A., Dolezal, C., Santamaria, E.K., Gramadzka, O., & Elkington, K. (2012, July). What's supportive about social support? A meditational model for social support and health related quality of life for mothers living with HIV in New York City. Poster presented at XIX International AIDS Conference. Washington DC. Kang, E., Chin, J., Chen, P.C., Li, M.Y., & Behar, E. (2011, November). Ethnic churches, Chinese immigrants, and HIV in New York City: Inconvenient but necessary bedfellows. Paper presented at the Annual Academy of Religion Conference. San Francisco, CA. Kang, E., Humphrey, N., Rapkin, B., Licht, C., Robinson, L. G., Chiriboga, C. A., & Abrams, E.A. (2010, July). Residential poverty, AIDS diagnoses, and psychiatric illness: Potential influences on neurocognitive functioning in older children with perinatally acquired HIV in Harlem. Oral Presentation TUAX0102, XVIII International AIDS Conference. Vienna, Austria. Schlecht, J.S., Kang, E., Brown, K., Knight, J., Robinson, L.G., & Alao, O. (2010, July). Transitioning HIV-positive youth to adult medical care in Harlem. Poster Presentation, XVIII International AIDS Conference. Vienna, Austria. Kang, E. (2009, June). Pediatric HIV disclosure preparation in families with a child living with nosocomial HIV infection in South Kazakhstan Oblast. Almaty Oblast AIDS Center, Kazakhstan. Kang, E. (2007, June). HIV prevention and mental health risk factors in HIV perinatally infected adolescents: Research-based implications for intervention. 3rd Annual NIMH-MRC. Durban, South Africa. Kang, E. (2007, January). Serostatus disclosure to newly diagnosed HIV-positive patients in Yunnan: Necessary challenges and dilemmas. Invited lecturer at Dali Medical College, Yunnan, China. Kang, E. (2006, February). Keep your head high: All grown and living with perinatal HIV in Harlem. Invited lecture at Fuller Theological Seminary, Graduate School of Psychology 40th Annual Integration Symposium, Pasadena, California. Kang, E. (2004, April). Mountains beyond mountains: Considerations (complications) of working with perinatally HIV-infected children and adolescents in an urban medical clinic. Invited lecture at the 10th Annual Student Alliance for Multicultural and Mental Health Issues (SAMMI) Multicultural Conference, Seton Hall University, New Jersey. Kang, E., Chin, J.J., & Terada Ports, S. (2001, February). Linking research, programs, and policy for an integrated response to HIV disease among Asian and Pacific Islander undocumented non-citizens. Symposia program presented at the 18th Annual Teachers College Winter Roundtable on Cross-Cultural Psychology and Education, New York. Kang, E., Rapkin, B., Murphy, P.D., Muñoz, M.A., Valentin, A. (2000, August). Families affected by HIV/AIDS: Problems presented during a family-based intervention. Poster presented at the 108th Annual American Psychological Association Convention, Washington, D.C. Kang, E., Bjorck, J.P., & Watts, M.S. (1999, August). Optimism, coping, and psychological distress among HIV-seropositive and AIDS-diagnosed men. Poster session presented at the 107th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, Boston. Ezer Kang 2015 CV

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Health Care Reform's Tax Implications
by Mitchell Freedman
The recently passed health care reform bill levies new taxes that are intended to help offset the cost of expanded access to care.
Taxpayers who have significant unearned income and those who have significant income from various sources can very well be looking at—aside from income tax changes—an additional 4.7% of tax. That's a hefty bite.
The most significant impacts I have seen at this point are for married couples whose modified adjusted gross income MAGI exceeds $250,000 and individuals whose incomes exceed $200,000. Taxpayers above these thresholds will pay a higher tax on dividends and interest and other types of income that are not wage income. The capital gains tax will be higher as well. As a result, I think this will impact individuals who have significant portfolios.
Before providing detail on the new taxes, I want to state that there still remains a high amount of uncertainty about how the law is going to impact final tax regulations. Even though the bill was debated for a long time, it was rushed through. As a result, the government is going to revisit a number of issues related to the legislation, and it is difficult to predict what kinds of changes are going to be incorporated into the tax regulations.
New Unearned Income Tax
Starting on January 1, 2013, married couples whose incomes are above $250,000 will be assessed an additional 3.8% federal tax. The threshold for married couples filing separately would be $125,000 per person. Unmarried individuals filing as single or head of household will face a threshold of $200,000. To reiterate, this is a new, additional tax. The 3.8% levy will be on the lesser of the individual's MAGI above those threshold amounts or their unearned income.
For example, assume a married couple had $300,000 worth of MAGI, $75,000 of which was unearned income consisting of dividends and interest. The couple calculates how much of their MAGI is above the $250,000 threshold, which is $50,000. Therefore, only $50,000 would be subject to the 3.8% tax because it is a 'lesser of' calculation. (The $50,000 of MAGI is less than the passive income of $75,000.)
Since this is a separate and complete tax, my understanding at this point is that the new tax will have no impact whatsoever on the alternative minimum tax (AMT), although we will have to wait to see how the IRS forms are prepared. My suspicion is that the tax will be over and above the AMT that a taxpayer might find themselves owing.
Irrevocable trusts are subject to the new tax above the threshold amounts. (Living trusts are separate because they do not file their own returns; instead the creators file those returns as individuals.)
Rental income is also subject to the additional 3.8% tax. The actual amount subject to the tax would be net rentals, which is rentals reduced by any business expenses.
An Additional Tax
There will be another new tax levied as of January 1, 2013. This tax is 0.9% on salaries and wages that exceed $250,000 for married couples filing jointly, $125,000 for married individuals filing separately, and $200,000 for unmarried individuals. This is an additional tax, over and above the 3.8%, and it is strictly based upon amounts of salary that you have. This is going to be an additional Medicare tax in a sense, but it will not be assessed on the employer. Rather, it will only be assessed on and withheld from the employee.
Unlike Social Security, where there is a certain income limit at which one stops being taxed, Medicare taxes continue to be taxed on earned wages, regardless of the income level. The new law says that the extra Medicare tax is going to be assessed on couples whose wages exceed $250,000 and individuals who earn over $200,000. To be perfectly clear, this is on top of paying extra Medicare premiums for those already covered by Medicare because these high wage earners are getting paid more money too.
Retirees and Deferred Accounts
Distributions from deferred accounts—whether they are pensions, traditional IRAs, or defined-contribution plans—do not enter into the calculation for the 0.9% tax because it is only assessed on earned income. I did read that in the calculation of modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) the amounts distributed from deferred accounts were not included.
The distributions from deferred accounts—whether they are pensions, traditional IRAs, defined-contribution plans or 401(k)s—do not enter into the calculation for 3.8% tax either, which is based on modified adjusted gross income. As a result, required minimum distributions (RMDs) will not push a taxpayer above the threshold for the additional tax.
There is nothing else that I came across that I thought might be earth-shattering in particular to retired investors or those approaching retirement. However, the one thing that could hit taxpayers big is realizing capital gains, because they would be included in the calculation of unearned income. The thresholds factor in dividends, annuity income, royalties, and rents gained from disposition of property. These would all be considered a type of passive income that would be subject to the new taxes.
IRS Regulations Forthcoming?
It is not uncommon in complicated areas of the tax law for the Internal Revenue Service to issue regulations as to how the laws are applied. In highly complex areas, sometimes it can be years before the IRS actually comes out with definitive regulations on application.
There have been times when the IRS issued regulations that are temporary for four, five or six years until they finalize them, and even then sometimes the final regulations are different from the temporary regulations. There are a lot of gray areas in the tax law and a lot of uncertainties, and sometimes taxpayers just have to make informed decisions as to how to proceed and evaluate their risk tolerance to certain treatments in the event that the treatment is not exactly as the IRS says it should be.
In other words, with complex issues questions always come up that were never anticipated by the drafters of the legislation. What we typically see are "technical corrections" to tax laws. When something not intended results, the language is changed so that application of the law is as Congress intended it.
In this case, we are dealing with the fact that the President has stated and Congress has indicated an intent to revise the law. So there's a lot of uncertainty.
Impact on Portfolio Decisions
When the Bush tax cuts were enacted several years ago, the dividend tax came down to 15% and the tax on long-term capital gains was reduced to 15%. These cuts prompted a lot of investors to more readily realize their capital gains because the tax bite for doing so was not so onerous. They also started buying dividend-paying stocks and moved out of such things as certificates of deposit or bonds where the interest was taxable at their highest incremental tax rate. So I would suspect that informed elders and informed retirees are not going to just sit and take the bite. They are going to reposition their portfolios in such a way as to minimize their tax burden.
For example, as I understand the tax law at this point in time, municipal bond interest will not be subject to the higher tax rates. Therefore, we are likely to see individuals moving from dividend-paying stocks and from other interest-bearing types of investments into municipal bonds because they will not—at least at the current time with the current legislation—be impacted by the higher tax rate.
Tax Legislation in Question
Outside of the health care reform bill, investors also have to contend with the expiration of the Bush tax cuts. If there are not any changes to the tax laws, beginning in 2011 we will go to back to the old laws from the start of last decade.
Due to the inherent unpredictability of Congress, I have found that it is very difficult to do tax planning ahead more than a couple of years.
Tax laws change because so much of taxation deals with issues having to do with social problems and other non-economic reasons. Therefore, I would caution against making irrevocable decisions purely on the tax issues because taxpayers could find that two years later there's a new administration, things change and all of the sudden there is an entirely different tax environment.
I always caution people to think about taxes when making decisions, but not to let taxes be the tail that wags the dog. Rushing to realize capital gains might not be the right thing. Though I've illustrated some issues related to the health care bill, these issues are not cast in stone. Tax issues are always evolving over time.
Health Care Reform's New Taxes
The health care reform law will enact two new taxes on January 1, 2013:
- An additional 3.8% tax: Assessed on couples with modified adjusted gross incomes above $250,000 and unmarried individuals with incomes above $200,000. The 3.8% levy will be the lesser of the individual's modified adjusted gross income above the threshold amounts and their unearned income.
- An additional 0.9% tax: Assessed on couples with wages above $250,000 and unmarried individuals with salaries above $200,000. This will be on top of the 3.8% tax and it is strictly based upon the amounts of salary that you have.
Distributions From Deferred Accounts Are Exempt
Distributions from deferred accounts—whether they are pensions, traditional IRAs, or defined-contribution plans—do not enter into the calculations for either the new 3.8% tax or the new 0.9% tax.
Ron from TX posted over 4 years ago:
Well the Dems have done it again. Rob the well off who have worked, saved, and invested wisely. I this doesn't get people off the a-- and to the polls in November they deserve all they get. You can be sure that the people reaping the benefits will be at the polls to get Obama re-elected so he can give them more.
Pete from NJ posted over 4 years ago:
How ironic that snake oil salesmen Obama for a year claims that his legislation is not a tax and VOILA, it is upheld by a conservative and very bright Justice because it is a tax. I fear that Obama may have just doomed our economy to a second recession.
Gary from TX posted over 4 years ago:
I recall a year of so ago reading about congress eyeballing taxes on Muni bonds. If the European contagion drags us down again, it will come up again. They want it all... never cut back.
Fear and loathing in the US of A!
Jay from AZ posted over 4 years ago:
It's about time the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy are repealed once and for all. The 4.8% combined Medicare tax on the wealthy is only fair. I welcome it.
James from NJ posted over 4 years ago:
Thank you Mitchell Freeman for helping us understand about all this tax legislation. Your article is clear and concise, unlike what we hear from the politicans and the media (just a bunch a "Talking heads").
It is obvious the politicians and media are doing their best to control the outcomes and manipulate us for thier own self interests. For politicans - their obsession to get re-elected and continue to feed at the trough. For media - throw fuel on the fire and hype the news to keep us glued to the tv set, to boost their ratings and sell more advertising, generate revenue. Just compare the quality of the debates on FOX, MSNBC vs CSPAN. Thanks again Mitchell!
Don from FL posted over 4 years ago:
Excellent info....keep us posted on the roll out. It is sad that Obama and his senate had to lie to the American people to pass this collosal document/law. Can we ever trust this current gang in Washington?
Bruce from MI posted over 4 years ago:
Mr Freedman fails to mention that the important tax hike that will be levied against all of the free riders who get free care on our dime. This is some 55 billion dollars a year in health care costs that those of us who pay for health care pay in higher premiums. Sorry free riders.
Dick from TX posted over 4 years ago:
If we want the benefits we have to pay the price!
In a democracy, the majority rules (except the US Senate). The additional taxes are a pittance in comparison with the benefits to our fellow citizens who are in need.
Emile from CT posted over 4 years ago:
Thanks for a clear, concise and timely tax update. The current recovery, hindered by lack of demand-business is saving, consumers lack funds-requires gov, all levels, spend including resuming fed funds to states . To keep deficit to minimum, tax increases on wealthy (who don't spend/invest all funds) required. This was learned in the thirties and, as the saying goes, ignorance leads to a repittion ( The cost of the health plan would be covered by eliminating only a third of Romney's proposed tax reductions-which reductions would only aggrevate the recession/depression/deficit) Tax rates were much higher for decades, prosperous decades.
Booker from MD posted over 4 years ago:
I really do appreciate your thorough ,concise update. There is so much uncertainty and the unknown creates a tremendous amount of stress. Keep the analysis coming!
Eugene from TN posted over 4 years ago:
This Law, that was passed by hook or crook, by lies (using 6 yrs of cost against 10 yrs of revenue) so it could get a positive CBO "score," and by the legislative slight of hand of "reconciliation" that even Robert Byrd (D-WVa) said should NEVER be used to pass "major" laws will eventually bring the United States to it's financial and healthcare knees.
It pains me to say this since I have grandchildren but we will be Greece in 30 years! We will be broke but still have people rioting in the streets because someone else is still supposed to pay their bills for them.
As on of the anchors on CNBC said - "Health care but will become a right but no one will be able to get in to see a doctor."
If it weren't so sad for the country it would be a joke the way Pelosi-Obama-Reid pulled this thing off on the American people.
Jim from WI posted over 4 years ago:
A lot of this garbage could be easily fixed with one simple change - if you don't pay taxes, you don't vote to decide how tax revenues are distributed.
Fred from PA posted over 4 years ago:
I have worked since is was 13 years old and saved and invested throughout the years even during difficult times.
Now the government is looking to strip the savings of the "boomer" generation to support their enormous social agenda.
I cannot help but believe the politicians have been keeping an eye on the growing baby boomer accounts in IRA's and 401K's and trying to figure out how to best take control of these funds.
Marni from MO posted over 4 years ago:
What the banks didn't gamble away the The government taketh. The message being sent to the small investor is not positive.
Mary j. Hubbard from FL posted over 4 years ago:
Dave the Brit from MI posted over 4 years ago:
There is nothing in this bill that deals with the high cost of medical care - just distributing the high cost of many to a few. The history of governments trying to control costs is strewn with unintended consequences - like lower quality, higher costs and debt, higher taxes, declining supply of good practitioners, lower standards to allow less qualified employees into system, longer wait times, bloated bureaucracies, less incentive to try new technologies, widespread corruption and a huge voting block that depends on government. After spending $trillions and sacrificing millions of lives to fight Communism/Socialism for 100 years, I am astonished that you Americans seem to now be embracing these discredited forms of coercive control. The rest of the sensible world thinks you have all fallen asleep (or gone mad). Wake up and save yourselves so that you can continue being the world's beacon of liberty.
Anthony Harris from CA posted over 4 years ago:
Thank you Mr. Freedman for your clear and concise review of the changes in taxes as a result of the Affordable Care Act.
This was not an article on politics or medical public policy.
I appreciate that the AAII is here to help individual investors like me with clear and nonpartisan financial guidance.
I further appreciate the validity of the partisan political opinions of many of those above. As a decorated military veteran, I pledged my life and honor to protect our freedom of speech. However, I'm sorry that you have polluted THIS investment forum with your partisan politics. I suggest you call into your political talk shows and Fox News as a more productive forum for sharing those views.
Norm from U.S. posted over 4 years ago:
I'm old, so this really won't affect me that much, but I really fear the consequences to my children and my grandchildren for the cost of paying for those who will not pay their own way.
We work all our lives saving all we can and the government takes it to pay the way for those who will not pay their own way in this life.
This is socialism at its worse.
Charles Clark from IL posted over 4 years ago:
Thankyou for a very concise summary of a very complicated piece of legislation.
I note lots of comments about the fairness of these higher taxes, and I think Eugene from Tennessee makes a very poignant comment as regards tax fairness. It may be proper for those who make more to pay more, but it is absolutely wrong that any citizen (with the possible exception of those serving in the armed forces) pays nothing. Even the very poor who live on welfare should have to pay a nominal tax, because then there is a common shared sacrifice. Citizens who only receive will never be concerned with the need for limited government because their is no cost to them in the expansion of government. If the very poor paid a nominal tax amount and then they were at risk of having that nominal amount increased in order to provide a new social benefit, they might begin to reconsider whether the new benefit was indeed necessary.
J Cleland from MI posted over 4 years ago:
Before this law I was well on my way to turning over my entire nest egg to my health insurer and a few pharmaceuticals if I managed to make it to full life expectancy. The gov't will nevr take as much as those guys would have.
Victor from CO posted over 4 years ago:
Never underestimate the power of an advertised free lunch supposedly paid for by somebody else's borrowed money. The free lunch may not be well-prepared, though, but it's "free."
Dr. Richard Corcoran from CA posted over 4 years ago:
Gee, when did the slim of Fox news eek over to AAII. Is AAII going to advise intelligent individual investors, or is this organization full of the bigoted, self absorbed, propaganda pushing ilk of the pathologically lying crowd at Fox? I hope AAII has some open minded, kind, well intentioned people, and far better politically informed people than the folks above, or its time for me to boycott this group.
Dr. Richard A Corcoran
Gordon Gillesby from MN posted over 4 years ago:
First, thank you Mr. Freedman for your wonderfully intelligent and apolitical analysis. I would wish more of this sort of real information was easier to access.
As to the bulk of the comments posted, while I agree that the Law of Unintended Consequences is the biggest thing to be feared, I must confess a general loathing for much of what has been said. Assuming I understood Richard Cocoran correctly, I have to agree that these attitudes seem highly ignorant, arrogant and bigoted.
None of us made our money alone. We ALL stand on the shoulders of giants . . . If society is to be just, it needs to recognize that there are those who cannot help themselves and that it is no fault of their own.
I have no objection to reasoned discussion and making attempts to limit fraud -- so long as the poor are not made the 'straw-man' argument justifying abuses for which they have continually been victims rather than perpetrators. I welcome attempt to end corrupt at ALL levels of society including the government and the corporations which enslave people in order to build the extreme wealth of a relative few.
I have no problem paying reasonable taxes for services which have helped me build our wealth over the last generation. I do not see the reason that people cannot share some of what benefits they have gained with those who have been denied those same benefits and opportunities.
Norman Nicholas from FL posted over 4 years ago:
I find your article very informative. Keep us posted.
Vern Andrews from CA posted over 4 years ago:
I want to thank Mr. Freedman for his understandable analysis of the Health Care Bill that our Congress failed to read while they passes it into law. I think we should make a great effort to eliminate these Congressmen that passed this law and replace them in November with more responsible Congressmen and Congresswomen. I also think that the current bill will significantly increase costs because someone will have to pay for all the free stuff and that means you and me. This bill should be repealed and replaced with a bill that includes the good features of the current Tax bill and that ideas to reduce health care costs be included by allowing insurance to be procured across state lines and other means to make health care more affordable to all.
David Thompson from CA posted over 4 years ago:
I tend to think that most of those making comments have not had any health problems to be concerned about. They will, however, get older and need to seek finance for the health care issues they will encounter. Although the new health care law is far from perfect, I expect changes to be made to more closely align it with the needs of all.
Dick Baskin from TX posted over 4 years ago:
I grew up in the 40's and 50's before most families had private or employer sponsored insurance. My family paid for their health care from their savings. By today standards we would have been considered part of the working poor. I was 28 before I was covered by health insurance. I paid for the birth of my children and other health care costs from my savings.
I truly believe that individuals should be responsible for the majority of their health care expenses and insurance should be for catastrophic illnesses. If individuals would take responsibility for their health care cost, we would not need the health care act or these new taxes.
Richard Berg from CO posted over 4 years ago:
Thank you Mr. Freedman for your article on the taxes in the Afordable Care Act. You did leave out one change to the tax code that will have an added tax on some people who have high medical expenses. The amount that you can deduct for medical related expenses has been changed from 7 1/2% of adjusted gross income to 10%. As a retired person with a wife that requires more than average medical costs, I see my tax liability going up $200 to $300 on our moderate income.
I am upset with those who posted comments that there is anything political about telling the truth about a new law. This is the first real information on the tax consequences of this new law.
Philip Bashook from IL posted over 4 years ago:
I agree fully with Gordon Gillesby. As a retiree who is working part time and not making $250K, but living off social security, medicare and my pension plus saving my investments for when I can work I think it is time the rich, meaning those making over $250,000 per year, pay their fair share. Seems like whenever these same people are asked to support the common good they use the excuse that they did it alone. Did they not use the federal highways to get from town to town and certainly the same is true for those who supplied them with goods and services? If received food and supplies flown in who paid for and manages the airports before the goods were shipped via truck or car for purchase? What about the water systems and sewer systems they use that our taxes support for the common good. What about the health care facilities they use that get tax exemptions? And the emergency rooms they expect to be available when they need them, supported by tax dollars? I guess if they don't want to pay taxes to help others they should move from this society and not use our public facilities or services. If I recall there was someone like them who refused to pay the fire service tax and when his house was burning down he decided he now wanted to up for the service. Too late, He is the sort I am speaking. The fireman let his house burn down, and deservedly so. So those who don't believe they live in an community dependent on each other, get with the program in our society and pay your fair share like the rest of us who play by the rules.
Stephen Levinson from CA posted over 4 years ago:
I guess when the upper 1% of income pay 39% of income taxes, the 1% are not paying their fair share and are not playing by the rules. So what percent of income should "the rich" (i.e. those with income above $250K) pay to be fair and to play by the rules? I guess the answer is 4.7%. That number will stand until some enlightened individuals decide that we should raise taxes by another 4.7%, and another, and another. Soon, there will be no more rich people. I guess that's the goal.
Victor Bradford from CO posted over 4 years ago:
Thanks for the article, and for helping explain a complicated issue.
Regardless of the proposed or existing medical delivery system, we can be grateful that so many health care practitioners are trying to care for patients. Perhaps, too, we should ask ourselves, "what can we do to make things better," and not just, "how can I (or someone else) get the proper share of what's available."
Larry Seekman from MI posted over 4 years ago:
Richard Berg from Colorado should read "Atlas Shrugged". Perhaps that would help him understand? But then again, perhaps not.
George Alexander from GA posted over 4 years ago:
What exactly is a fair tax? What exactly is my fair share? What determines one's fair share? If I provided jobs for 20 people making $50,000 a year, what portion of my profit should I pay? Perhaps I should buy them all houses and pay for their kid's education as well and pay my "fair" share of taxes. One day guys like me will stop providing good jobs for people like Mr. Berg. At that point he can become a ward of the state.
Peter Yogman from UT posted over 4 years ago:
How many months do we work for the government, state and federal, before we begin to work for ourselves. Is working for the government through June before I work for myself "fair"? This word is way overused and abused. I agree with Mr. Alexander.
Second point. Why does our government borrow its own currency from private sources. We exist in a private debt money system. It was no accident that the income tax and the Federal Reserve Act were passed at about the same time. We can create our own money without the debt attached. The key is creating too much or too little leading to inflation or deflation. But we have given this Constitutional right up to private interests who charge us for our own currency and get us all at each other's throats.
Sam Ramani from CA posted over 4 years ago:
About time we stopped being selfish and think about the unfortunate people who are hurting.They are about 40 million of them with children who do not have healthcare and who will drain the hospitals and other services for which we will have to pay more. So I don't mind paying a few bucks more to get all these unfortunate people insured so that they do not drain the healthcare services which will cost us more in the long run. It is really a shame on the richest country in the world and we cannot even give the basic need of healthcare for the unfortunate poeple who are hurting.
Edw Prather from CA posted over 4 years ago:
Thanks for some clarity on these taxes, however I heard that the Medicare Part B deduction from SS will initially double then in a later year triple. Is this a fact?


text:
Quick thoughts on 2012 with the relief pitchers up next. Coming up, position players. Click here for the starting rotation. Phillies Nation will also have a more thorough breakdown of each player coming later this month.
-Let's begin with the highest paid relief pitcher on the team, and in baseball, Jonathan Papelbon. I've struggled with what to think about his season, but much more negative stands out for me. I guess that's because the Phillies were not a winning ballclub, so the negatives overshadow the positives.
Focusing on Papelbon, you can't help but notice his inabilities in non-save situations. His 3.90 ERA in those games with four losses, some of them crushing, were tough to swallow. No pitcher is going to be perfect, but he was asked to keep games tied or close and couldn't do it some of the time. In normal save situations, he was one of the best relief pitchers in baseball, sporting a 0.87 WHIP and a 1.49 ERA. Papelbon was able to save 39 games this year, so he did more right than wrong. But when you're the highest paid guy that anchors an overall subpar bullpen, failures stand out. He's gotta' be a little better next year.
-I'm really excited about the youthful explosion in the pen this season. Players that maybe wouldn't have been utilized had it been a "normal" Phillies season saw plenty of action, which can only serve them well for the near future. Let's start with the lefties:
–Jeremy Horst, Jake Diekman, and Antonio Bastardo could provide the Phillies a stable of quality left-handed pitchers for a long time. Horst was perhaps the Phillies best relief pitcher this season. His minuscule 1.15 ERA stands out, as does his 11.5 K/9 rate. Horst still needs to work on walks, but he looks like an absolute steal in the trade with Cincinnati for Wilson Valdez.
Diekman has had his struggles with command, but you can't teach 97 mph. Diekman has a power arm but needs to hone his skills. I think he wins a job next season. Keep in mind that it was merely a year ago that Bastardo emerged out of nowhere to become a filthy reliever. Who's to say that can't be Diekman next year?
Bastardo will obviously be out there in 2013. After some wild moments from him early in the season, he reshaped his year with a dynamic second-half performance. Opponents hit just .188 against him after the break, and he owned the lefty/lefty matchup: they hit just .169 against him. Can't wait to see if these three can continue to toy with lefties in '13, with Diekman having much of the work to do among the three.
-Some others gave a glimpse of what could be in the bullpen. Justin De Fratus pitched some big innings down the stretch and finally overcame a bum elbow. He, too, throws hard and looks to make a bigger impression in 2013.
–Phillippe Aumont was the most surprising of the bunch. He struggled mightily with command in Triple-A this year, but was summoned to the bigs and pitched very strong at times. Walks are certainly an issue with him, but he dominated, at times, with a heavy sinker and an upper-90's fastball. The sky is the limit for the big Canadian.
-The jury is still out on Josh Lindblom, but again, he's got a pretty good arm. The Phillies are expecting big things from him since they gave up an all star to get him.
–Raul Valdes was a diamond in the rough. Not sure how he fits for 2013, but he impressed at times, as well. His 0.742 WHIP in 31 innings proves it's tough to get on base against him. As a situational lefty, Valdes killed it.
-Remember Chad Qualls. Yep.
-Don't forget, there are still guys like Stutes, Schwimer, Herndon, and Rosenberg that will be vying for a few spots next year.
0 Comments
The Phils still need a proven set-up reliever, like Ryan Madson once was. There must be somebody out there who can pitch the eighth inning with consistency and effectiveness. Also, someone who could close if Papelbon gets hurt. Did I hear Ryan Madson's name?
I wouldn't be opposed to Madson if he could be had at a reasonable salary, but he might still be able to get $7+ million on the market.
The bullpen certainly looked better in the 2nd half:
1st half: 4.76 ERA (15th in NL),
2nd half: 3.03 ERA (5th)
3.03 is not bad for essentially "free".
Do those numbers include the highest paid reliever in the NL? Maybe the rest of the guys are essentially free, but it all averages out. I would think we still had a BP that was at least middle of the road in terms of payroll.
Unfortunately I already know you'll come up with numbers to dispute that. 🙂
I won't even try. Good point – "free" other than Paps.
Lefty, one has to realize that when Amaro did make that "foolish" statement, Martinez had a broken bone, Utley had shown no signs of progress, Polanco was struggling, and Fontenot hadn't been signed yet. It would look foolish to anyone to have traded away the only versatile infielder left standing.
I'm sure that in retrospect, Amaro now believes his statement about the trade was the real foolishness; he probably wishes he'd kept his mouth shut.
I don't trust Lindblom. IMO- He's no set up man. 6th or 7th inning guy maybe, but not protecting a lead in the 8th.
And by the way, there was a point in the season where I clearly remember RA Jr. saying (paraphrase, not a quote) that he regretted the Valdez trade. I can't find the link, but he said it one day when sitting in the dugout talking to reporters. I find it ironic that Horst may have been the best bullpen move he made.
Oh I found it, he said trading Valdez was foolish.
Ah yes, but – thank God – at least he kept Michael Martinez.
The only shortcoming here – and maybe that's why Ruben had second thoughts that probably keep him sleepless to this day – was that, in the 19th inning of a tight game (OK; I know – if you're in the 19th inning, what kind of game could it be OTHER than tight?), whoya going to bring in from the pen?
Agreed — very good move.
Just for kicks, here are two batting lines from this year:
The first is Valdez. The second is Martinez. Sure, Valdez hit a lusty .206, but it's an empty .206, with only 4 doubles for extra base hits, and 8 walks in 208 plate appearances. If you project both of them to a 650-PA full season, you get these numbers:
Valdez ..: 13 doubles, 0 triples, 0 HRs, 25 BB, 113 SO
Martinez: 16 doubles, 0 triples, 11 HRs, 27 BB, 112 SO
lol Martinez and Valdez. Lusty numbers there, fellas. Good job. Good effort.
Shmenk, in carefully going over your numbers, I was impressed by the SO differential, Valdez vs. Martinez. As one can see, comparatively speaking, Valdez was swinging for the fences while Martinez showed far greater plate discipline.
I may have to reconsider my entire thesis.
An empty .206? That's an oxymoron, no?.
Hmm, or not- Here's a full .204 (204/.333/.468/.800) Note those two 2012 season bold marks. He joins a very exclusive club there. (Babe Ruth, Jim Thome, Mickey Mantle, Mike Schmidt, Dale Murphy etc.)
Huh – very interesting (for those not clicking through, Adam Dunn led the AL in both walks and strikeouts). And he just missed (by one) tying Mark Reynolds' single season strikeout record.
That certainly is a full .204. Any average can be either empty or full, IMO, depending on whether it overstates or understates a hitter's overall performance.
Adam Dunn is an interesting guy. He's got 402 home runs at the age of 32, and is coming off a 40+ HR season. It should be pretty easy for him to hit 500, and 600 might not be out of reach if he stays around for a little while, provided his awful average doesn't scare too many teams away.
But boy is he ever the quintessential three true outcomes guy (HR/BB/SO)
Yup, and any time you have a 129 point difference in you avg/obp, that's pretty damn good, but especially with that kind of pop.
The other thing about Dunn that was amazing is that he hit exactly 40 home runs 4 years in a row.
Then there was the complete debacle of a year he had last year (.159/.292/.277) in an otherwise very respectable career.
I remember prior to the season when Valdez was traded for over a week all this group talked about was these two "clowns". Are you starting on them again?? Their not even worth the thoughts. It didn't matter as neither helped or could have changed anything on the Phils. I guess the best thing out of the two of them is predictably MiniMart made the last out of the season and probably his MLB career.
I'm not sure I trust Lindblom even for the 6th or 7th. Maybe I'd only use him on the road, and only in certain stadiums, where some of those fly balls he gives up might actually stay in the park.
I hope that the Phils find a better bat than Martinez', despite the fact that the little guy can play everywhere. I do not understand that a player with little power and some speed does not become a great bunter. Doesn't Juan Pierre set a great example of this? Why don't guys like Rollins (he still has the speed) and Martinez take note and emulate Pierre. Rollins would become a .280 hitter and Martinez would perhaps break the Mendoza (or Martinez) line in batting average.
Perhaps some players lack the ability to be coached?
Pierre never had any power, so just in order to survive as a major leaguer, he's had to develop other parts of his game. If he had power, like Rollins does, he would not be trying to leg out infield hits.
For his career, when he bunts (excluding sacrifices), he has been successful 34.3% of the time, so his batting line is .343/.343/.343 for a .686 OPS.
More recently, probably because he has lost a step, he's only been successful 28% of the time, so his line is this: .280/.280/.280 for a .560 OPS.
So even if Rollins somehow managed to be as good a bunter as Pierre, that's probably as good as he would do when bunting for a hit.
When he's not bunting, he had this line this year: .249/.316/.429 for a .745 OPS.
According to the stats, he's tried to bunt for a hit 10 times this year, and was successful 3 times. There might be the occasional situation where it makes sense, but in general I would not want him to try to bunt any more than he already is.
For Martinez, it certainly makes sense, especially if his MLB career depends on it.
I don't think Martinez has anywhere near Pierre or Rollins' speed. Just because he's little doesn't mean he's all that fast.
And I think we underestimate just how hard it is to hit a baseball. If slapping the ball through the infield or just over their heads was that simple hundreds of guys would do it. It's not. For his career, Juan Pierre has one of the lower strike-out rates in baseball. You absolutely cannot do that without being extraordinarily gifted. As much as I make fun of guys like Pierre (for the noodle-arm and anemic power and BUNTING), he's probably in something like the top .001% of all people in terms of athletic ability.
I think the reality of it is that Martinez just isn't that talented (although, again, he is, by far, much more athletic than the average person)
"If he had power, like Rollins does, he would not be trying to leg out infield hits."
You really don't have anything substantial to back that statement up do you?
I think Pierre does exceptionally well with the bat. Moving the runners over, either by sacrifice or a hit is vital and I would love to see his atbats increase substantially in 2013.
Jimmy seems to be rooted by Cholly in the leadoff spot. I would not mind seeing Juan hitting second for an entire season. Like I have said before about Kevin Frandsen, let him play himself out of the position.
Just common sense. Since he mostly hits singles when he swings away, he doesn't give up much when he tries to bunt. If it was more likely that he would hit an extra base hit, that opportunity cost would mean it would not be worth trying to leg out a bunt single (with what's recently been a 28% success rate).
Martinez simply cannot bunt. I don't know why but he can't execute. For this reason alone we should move on. Who ever heard of a utility infielder (and he is a great fielder) who can't bunt?
A lot of successful hitters used the bunt to bring infield in so they could slap the ball past fielders. Or, they surprised the defense with a drag bunt or a bunt down the line. It is a tactical play that would indeed benefit a player like Rollins. He should be trying to bunt at least 25 to 50 times a year. A drawn-in infield or a surprised infield would add to his batting average, his on-base-percentage and his success as a lead-off hitter. That is my opinion and I am sticking to it. I love Rollins, I am glad he is a Phillie, but this is an area that could have made a difference in his overall offensive success and HOF balloting.
Jim Thome is a great player and a great man. However, we have zero evidence of his ability to teach.
I'm glad the Phils have promoted Ryne Sandberg to a coaching position. Moreover, I think it is a good idea to have a hitting coach PLUS a hitting assistant coach. Mike Sweeney would be really good at that post because he is extremely likeable and has a .297 lifetime batting average and has been a true student of hitting throughout his career. I would not complain about Matt Stairs taking this position either. Jim Thome would be great as well. Overall, a good move the Phils.
Off season wonderings…
I wonder how the Oakland A's fate would have turned out had the pre trade deadline rumors, unrealistic or not had acquired Jimmy Rollins. Never one to attract unanimity in reaction, had Jimmy gone there, and played as well as he did here the last couple months, which was pretty good, I can just imagine the uproar anti Rollins people would be in over why he didn't do that in the first half with the Phils.
Some names you think of in any walk of life, and are blown away by the time elapsed since you were concious of their exsistence. Just as an off the head contrain example, for whatever reason, it just feels like Eric Bruntlett played with the Phils 3-4 years ago. But way, way different is the name Ben Fransisco. Can you believe it's almost a year to the date since he became a temporary folk here in ripping a playoff homer against the Cards in Game 2. Bennie Fresh moved on twice, and it feels like an eternity since he was here.
Moved on three times, actually. The Rays acquired him from Houston on 9/1. Tough year for him, aside from playing for three different teams, he hasn't hit very well for any of them – hope he puts it together one of these days.
yea ken i probably would've been one of those guys you are talking about! i bashed rollins for his lackluster play for almost 1/2 to 3/4 of the season! however mr rollins shut me up with an excellant 2cd half! i'm still not crazy about him, but my hats off to him for redeeming his season stats wise. i still would like to see stats like that over a full season but spread out a little more with consistancy. that's been my biggest beef with him he'll do nothing for three weeks then go on a tear! werth was the same way. i can't stand when players do that! and it's a shame but there are a lot of player that are just like them! give me a guy like chooch this year he had a career year! his numbers where great for ( him!) they weren't great numbers, they were good numbers. B.A was great for any player. but what stood out more than anything else with chooch was his total consistancy, and how he hit smart! he hit the ball where it was pitched and played within himself. and when he got his pitch in a good count he crushed it! to me he was our MVP last year. oh and i'm not forgetting tha his numbers would have been even better if he didn't injure his foot.
Out of all players with 400+ plate appearances, Chooch was the 6th best hitter overall in the NL this year, sandwiched between McCutchen and Melky. I don't know if that's "great", but it's pretty damn good.
BA .325 (5th)
OBP .394 (4th)
SLG .540 (7th)
OPS .935 ( 6th)
And second best hitting catcher, ahead of Yadier Molina.
Now that short stop in Tampa having escaped my memory, that sets Bennie up joining the list of most likely baseball records never to be broken…
1/ A quick web search to see if anyone played for 4 clubs in a year was fruitless, and a specific seacrh of former hot prospect Mike Morgan led to the shocking revelation that intra season, he was pretty stable. But 13 teams in a career probably had U Haul stock in it's own bull market during Morgan's career..
2/ Another record set this year that is going untouched is most brothers hitting their 100th career homer in 1 night. I don't even think the Upton's record gets topped.
3/ I didn't realize how historic it was at the time, but I recall listening to the Phils game around 1978 when Joel Youngblood got a hit for the Expos. Earlier in the day, he had a hit at Wrigley, I think for the Mets. Any player getting 3 hits for 3 teams in 1 day ain't happenin.'
I thought four in one year had been done once, but it's been done a surprising number of times.
It's beyond me how so many teams could be wrong on Joey Bats. I guess they truly do develop at different ages.
hey ken you probably know this. a few years ago i was working on the midnight shift at my workplace and a few of us baseball lovers would have trivia games on stats and stuff. the winner got free coffee all night by the losers. i asked the question "what brothers" hold the record for the most combined HR's in baseball history? much to my caffinated glee did anyone get the answer! the answer was the Aarons! hammerin hank 755, his brother tommy 1. cool huh?
Ryne Duren mentioned the Aarons holding the brotherly record for dingers. I wonder if Sadaharu Oh had a brother. But anyway…
Here's a question intended solely for Ryne Duren. With purpose that will be explained later. There's a reason for that which I'll explain once he answers. The year is 1964, and the sun is shining 24/7 in the City of Brothers Love, as they say in North Philly. Phils are in first place, and it's Fathers Day. Jim Bunning warms up for the Ed Sullivan show that Father's Day night by tossing a perfext game against the Meet the Mets. In the 4th inning of that first end of the doubleheader, a Phillie defender made an unassisted double play to save the perfecto. Who was he?
Get 'em, Ryne.
I'm going to provide the answer to the question I asked specifically for Ryne without waiting. And explain why I asked it of Ryne. I'll add that it seems like a trivia question with a specific answer, but it's not. It's really a question that taps the emotion of Phillie fans, particularly those that were young when Bunning thre his perfect game.
That' 64 year was a brief respite from select successes the Phils enjoyed over the previous severalecades. And perfect games (like no hitters were extremely uncommon then. Course a year later, Sandy Koufax threw 1 against the Cubs Bob Hendley who threw a 1 hitter, but perfect games were no annual occurence. So imagine yourself emotionally caught up in the Phils being in first place 3 years after losing 23 in a row enroute to a 47-107 season before lasts to firsts ever exsisted, and your team's star pitcher throws a perfect game.
Nowadays, with the internet and advancement of the disection of the game, the emotion, or fan part of things has been backseated to all the analysis. But that was a gripping capitulation, and as he's told us he's 62, Ryne is 2 years older than me, so I would think he would have been a candidate for equal enthusiasm for that day.
As is usually the case with a perfect game, there's 1 play that stands out. That game was no exceoption. In the 4th inning, Met catcher Jessie Gonder hot a screaming liner that Tony Taylor caught on a dive, and Bunning's perfect game was still in place. That play is frozen in the minds of those of us that watched it, and maybe even more so if you were in your yon teenager years, and baseball could easily be the most important thing in your responsibility free, or minimized exsistence. I guarantee you that play would spark instant memories to any that watched it, even fair weather Phillie fans.
But as intense as that play was, as the years rolled on, the emotion of that play was crystal clear in our collective fan mentality, but people's exact memories of it faded a little.
Going back to the original wuestion of who made the unassisted double play to save that game, I asked that exact question of a wide range of people over the next 5, 10, 15 , maybe 20 years. The one common denominator of anyone I asked was I knew they'd remember the game. And the ratio iof people that answered the question wrongly was unanimous. And the reason was because they got swept up in the emotion of the play.
If you asked one of these 25-30 year old modern day baseball fan marvels that question (which I haven't), I'd guess an overwhelming percentage would answer quickly that you can't have a double play in a perfect game. But to the Ryne Durens, and Ken Blands of the world, that watched, or heard about that game with unique intensity, the spectacularness of the play takes you out of accurate memory, and pictures Tony Taylor diving because you knew there was a great defensive gem that the question must be about. So I was curious if Ryne would fall trap to this fun question that no less a baseball guy like Bill Conlin did when I asked him that very same question. In my mind, that proved the image of Tony Taylor, a very popular player, diving was completely engulfing.
John Stephenson looked at a 1-2 curve to seal the Senator's accomplishment, and 18 year old Rick Wise beat the Mets, 6-0 for a Phillie sweep. Good night nurse.
What about Schwimer? If Aumont and Diekman can gain better control they could be very good. However you can say that for a lot of pitchers. Valdes might be a good choice for call up duty. Valdes did a pretty good job in his short call up duties. With Papelbon eating up the budget for bullpen the Phils will have to rely on these young guys. It doesnt make much sense for Rube to bring in another Qualls, Willis or Baez type of guys. Although im sure he will.
bacardipr agreed! and i hope he doesn't.
i was looking at you post and i've seen your handle a lot but tell me if i', wrong or if it's any of my business but is your name on hear short for bacardi puerto rican rum? if it is it's a good one! you don't have to answer, i was just curious.
Schwimmer is done with the Phils. You can't be an ass about being sent down. He has to move on. Expect him to be thrown in with some trade.
Yes Ryne you are correct. lol..Thanks…
Possibly Bob but who knows. Wasnt it proven that he indeed was correct?


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My 4 month old and I went for a checkup for his eczema. It was extreme and oozing and I was afraid of it being infected. So I went on a frantic search for a pediatrician. Unfortunately, there were no pediatricians that were accepting new patients, taking medicaid, AND is on my side of vaccinations and parenting. So I just randomly picked one from my medicaid booklet of doctors. Seeing a pediatrician is better than doing nothing. and using natural home remedies were not working at all.
Well, we got to the pediatrician's office. They weigh him and all that and stuck us in a room for what feels like an hour. The pediatrician finally comes in with her laptop and says "well, I'm worried about his weight. He has only gained 1 pound." I looked at her as if she was lying because I weighed him at home and he was gaining just fine. It didn't make sense to me. But he was way off the chart so she says. She then brings up the conversation about his vaxes and I told her that it wasn't the right time right now. She kept saying that he needed it and I kept saying no not now. DH was in the room too so she kept asking him about his health decisions. I felt bad because he is the one who is ALL for vaccinations but we can't talk about that decision because it would be one ugly fight. Anyways, because the ped thought he needed to see medical attention, she called up the children's hospital to save a bed. She then told me it was so urgent that she will call CPS if I don't go up there. I felt scared and cried. It felt like I was starving my child and didn't know. DH cried too and we both held DS tightly. DH gave me a pep talk and after that, I don't think he trusts me solely making the health decisions for DS.
We got to the hospital and they do tests upon tests. The doctors, nurses, lactation consultants, social worker, and feeding specialists all wondered what I did when I was feeding him. I told them I was EPing about every 3-4 hours, which yielded about 4 ounces at most. He was also sleeping through the night from 10 pm to 5-7 am (whenever he wakes up) Very rarely he would wake up around 2-3 am for a night feed and that's when I give him the boob. They saw that I was underfeeding him, especially with the sleeping through the night. (and I thought STTN was good ) But the doctor thought it was acid reflux (he spits up a lot) so she had him on zantac. Then, they also put 2.5% hydrocortisone cream and aquaphor for his eczema (it was indeed infected). I was gritting my teeth with all the lovely chemicals they're putting on him BUT I was hoping it was only temporary. They also put me on a schedule to feed him ever 3 hours with 5 ounces of milk. 5 ounces???? I can never pump that much. I saw no hope for my breastfeeding and I talked to the LC there. She said "well, there is nothing much you can do. It's either give him some formula mixed with the breastmilk or starve him." and she handed me a sheet a paper that said what to do to produce more milk. I've already done everything on that list before and I never saw anything significant. DH said plain and simple "we're doing formula". I told him "okay fine... but it's going to be mixed in with the pumped breastmilk." i didn't feel like arguing, as I was already stressed. I was only able to pump 3 ounces (somehow my supply dropped an ounce when I was there and stayed that way ever since). So I had to mix in 2 ounces of formula with it. DH gave him 1 full-formula feed during the night. He gained weight and the hospital staff were happy.
Well, the stress doesn't stop there. DH doesn't trust my eating habits either. He picked at every little thing I eat and says "you're not getting enough [enter vitamin or mineral here]" The big one was on protein. I have been on the vegan diet (mostly 75% raw) and don't eat meat or animal by-products. DH is a big omnivore and I swear, his food pyramid consists of meats, cheeses, pizzas, and pastas and the usual little debbie snack cakes. I eat protein but it's in unusual ways like beans and nuts. Then, he claims I need to eat more. Okay, that I can agree with. He's SO worried about my breast milk production and what DS is getting in nutrients. As you can tell, we're VERY stressed on getting him to gain weight. And I'm afraid my breast milk production will go down for it. I feel like a failure. He has me doing a list of what I eat daily.
*sighs* So, I was wondering is it really possible to pump 5 ounces of breastmilk at one time every three hours? Should I be worried about my protein intake? I wish I could go back to nursing him but I am in the middle of school and I am soon to be doing an internship next week (which is like a work schedule). This internship is 2 hours away from my house and it will only last for a month. Is it possible to go back to nursing after my school and internship is done? I'm graduating this May. But I don't think this new pediatrician will approve (the doctors assigned me a new pediatrician for followups).
I'm very very lost at what to do.. I'm at the brink of just doing formula and give up. It's effecting my grades and my relationship with DS and DH. I want a normal breastfeeding relationship but at this point, I feel like it's impossible. I need some word of advice.


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7 Stocks Under $10 Moving Higher
Stocks making large moves like these are favorites among short-term traders who jump into these names to try to capture some of that massive volatility. Stocks that are making big-percentage moves either up or down are usually in play because the sector is becoming attractive or they have a major fundamental catalyst such as a recent earnings release . Sometimes stocks making big moves have been hit with an analyst upgrade or an analyst downgrade .
Regardless of the reason behind it, when a stock makes a large-percentage move, it is often just the start of a new major trend -- a trend that can lead to huge profits. If you time your trade correctly, combining technical indicators with fundamental trends, discipline and sound money management, you will be well on your way to investment success.
>>Related: 5 Trades to Take After the 'Obama Crash'
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at a several stocks under $10 that are making large moves to the upside Thursday.
Zynga (ZNGA)
This company operates as a social game developer with 232 million average MAUs in 166 countries. This stock is trading up 5.8% to $2.26 in recent trading.
Today's Range: $2.12-$2.30
52-Week Range: $2.09-$15.91
Volume: 10.53 million
Three-Month Average Volume: 17.35 million
From a technical perspective, ZNGA is ripping higher here right off some previous support levels at $2.10 to $2.09 with decent volume. This spike is coming after shares of ZNGA have dropped in the last three months from $3.40 to $2.09. This action Thursday is now moving ZNGA within range of triggering a near-term breakout trade. That trade will hit once ZNGA manages to take out some near-term overhead resistance levels at $2.37 to $2.62 with high volume.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in ZNGA as long as it's trending above that near-term support level at $2.09 and once it sustains a move or close above those breakout levels with volume that hits near or above 17.35 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then ZNGA will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $3.24 to $3.40.
Any high-volume move above $3.40 would then give ZNGA a chance to re-fill some of its previous gap down zone from July that started at over $5. ZAZA data by YCharts
ZaZa Energy (ZAZA)
This company is a privately held independent exploration and production company focused on the exploration and development of unconventional onshore oil and gas resources in the U.S. This stock is trading up 1% to $1.98 in recent trading.


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A look around Ardrossan
Ardrossan is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in south-western Scotland.
The name Ardrossa" describes its physical position - ard from the Gaelic àird meaning headland, ros a promontory and the diminutive suffix an - headland of the little promontory. Ardrossan is becoming an affluent commuter town with a population of roughly 11,000 and is in a three-towns corroboration actwith the nearby towns of Saltcoats and Stevenston.


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Related Reading
Incident Response
This is the first in a series of excerpts from chapter 7 of Incident Response, published in August 2001 by O'Reilly. This excerpt covers two tools used by hackers to detect weaknesses in your network. You can use these tools to detect these same weaknesses before hackers get a chance to.
nmap, the Network Mapper, is both free software and a superb low-level network port scanner. Although not a vulnerability scanner per se, the value of nmap's output cannot be overrated. This is a must-have in any incident response team's bag of tricks, and can usually spot things that other commercial products might overlook. See www.insecure.org/nmap for more information from the author, Fyodor.
More on nmap
Fyodor describes nmap as follows:
"nmap is a utility for port scanning large networks, although it works fine for single hosts. The guiding philosophy for the creation of nmap was TMTOWTDI (There's More Than One Way To Do It). This is the Perl slogan, but it is equally applicable to scanners. Sometimes you need speed, other times you may need stealth. In some cases, bypassing firewalls may be required. Not to mention the fact that you may want to scan different protocols (UDP, TCP, ICMP, etc.). You just can't do all this with one scanning mode. And you don't want to have 10 different scanners around, all with different interfaces and capabilities. Thus I incorporated virtually every scanning technique I know into nmap. Specifically, nmap supports:
Vanilla TCP connect( ) scanning
TCP SYN (half open) scanning
TCP FIN, Xmas, or NULL (stealth) scanning
TCP FTP proxy (bounce attack) scanning
SYN/FIN scanning using IP fragments (bypasses some packet filters)
TCP ACK and Window scanning
UDP raw ICMP port unreachable scanning
ICMP scanning (ping-sweep)
TCP ping scanning
Direct (nonportmapper) RPC scanning
Remote OS Identification by TCP/IP Fingerprinting
Reverse-ident scanning
nmap also supports a number of performance and reliability features such as dynamic delay time calculations, packet timeout and retransmission, parallel port scanning, detection of down hosts via parallel pings. nmap also offers flexible target and port specification, decoy scanning, determination of TCP sequence predictability characteristics, and output to machine parseable or human readable log files."
His description is accurate. nmap's usefulness during incident response operations is enormous. It can be used to rapidly scan a series of hosts for possible back door or malicious network-level software, for example, and is probably the fastest network scanner that you'll find anywhere. What's more, the individual scans can be chosen and tailored to a great degree by means of its command-line parameters. Admittedly, it takes some time to learn all of the command-line options, but it is time well spent. Further, nmap comes with a rather complete set of documentation by way of a Unix standard manpage.
Graphic frontends to nmap do exist and are readily available. Several pointers to these frontends are available on the previously mentioned web page. Frankly, for the purpose of incident response support, we've found the command-line interface to be the most flexible and powerful, once learned. Following are three screenshot examples of nmap's output. Figure 1 is in an X command-line session on a KDE 2 Linux desktop, and Figure 2 and Figure 3 are examples of two of the different GUI frontends to nmap.
Ethereal (pronounced ethee-real) is a feature-rich protocol analyzer that runs on a variety of Unix and Unix-like operating systems including Linux, BSD, Solaris, AIX, HPUX, and Irix. It is open source software released under the GNU General Public License. Further, as of this writing, it is still officially considered beta software. See Figure 4 for sample Ethereal output.
That's good news as well as bad news. First, it is freely available, so the cost of acquiring it isn't a factor for those cash-strapped teams out there. It runs on Unix and Linux, meaning it is well suited for analyzing large amounts of incident data. Also, several of the Unix (and similar) platforms supported are freely available, which further reduces the cost of an analysis system. Due at least in part to being open source, Ethereal's list of features reads like a "Wouldn't it be nice to have this?" list, since it is constantly being updated and upgraded. In fact, among the project's original stated design goals is to "create a commercial-quality analyzer for Unix and to give Ethereal features that are missing from closed-source sniffers." The fact that it is still officially beta software, however, could diminish its usefulness in a courtroom situation.
Some of the more useful features from our standpoint include:
Return to ONLamp.com.
Copyright © 2009 O'Reilly Media, Inc.


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North Central College
Campus News
Strategic Plan
Pride Search
search website
North Central friend and faculty member dies
Mary Lou Cowlishaw, who represented Naperville in the Illinois House of Representatives for nearly 20 years and has been an adjunct professor of education at North Central since 2003, died June 23 after a long and courageous bout with cancer. She was an architect of the Chicago school reform of 1995, the parent of two North Central graduates and a recipient of an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters Degree from North Central in 1999. Visitation is Friday, June 25, from 4 to 8 p.m. at Beidelman-Kunsch Funeral Home, 516 S. Washington St., Naperville. The funeral service is Saturday, June 26, at 10 a.m. at Wesley United Methodist Church, 21 E. Franklin Ave. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to North Central College in memory of Mary Lou. In 1999, when presenting Cowlishaw with the College's honorary degree, President Wilde said, "How do you say 'thank you' to someone whose career as a journalist and public servant has for so long embodied what North Central College at its best seeks to teach—leadership, ethics and values? In a world of political power-brokers and deal-makers, you have never abandoned the commitment to our young people and democratic principles which brought you into public service in the first place, or the humanity and decency that have characterized your every action, public and private. Quite simply, we're proud that you represent us." She is survived by her husband Wayne, daughters Beth McDaniel and Paula '92 Rader, and eight grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her son John '95, who died in 2005, and in whose memory the John Miller Cowlishaw Music Scholarship was established.
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[Update – March 7, 2013: The report scheduled for discussion on March 13th has been posted here including some very interesting fall 2012 survey data here in Attachment 2 pf the report showing that more than half of Edmontonians already cycle, and that many would ride more with better facilities, including bike lanes.]
Last week the effort to increase cycling opportunities in Edmonton hit some bumps.
Read more


text:
Jun 16, 2011 0
Fantasy Guru Daily: 6/16/11
Even though the lockout remains intact, rumors of player movement continue to swirl despite teams being unable to (legally) discuss contracts or trades. In an effort to be on top of any potential moves once the lockout is lifted, we've continued to monitor player workouts, reports, and rumors from around the league, a few of which we'll pass along today.
Benson shows interest in returning to Bengals … after working out with the team at the University of Cincinnati on Wednesday. Benson, who is technically a free agent, has reportedly attended multiple player-led workouts, which he called "an opportunity to get some real good football work in." After voicing frustration with the offense and his role during and after the season, it didn't appear that he'd return to the team for the 2011 season, but with the firing of OC Bob Bratkowski and subsequent hiring of Jay Gruden to take over the offense, Benson looks interested in returning to the black and orange. Gruden talked with Benson in February, explaining that his vision for the offense, a West Coast system, would feature a commitment [...]


text:
Submit News
Lockheed Warns Foreign Cyberattackers are Targeting Its Contractors
Jason Mick
November 13, 2012 6:33 PM
Recipient E-mail
Sender E-mail
RSA was not the only contractor to suffer a major breach, warns Lockheed
Amidst a mix of
public testimony
leaked intelligence reports
suggesting persistent cyber attacks on U.S. institutions
by Iran
and China
, the top supplier to the
U.S. Department of Defense
(DOD) is issuing a strongly worded warning. Lockheed Martin Comp. (
), whose annual revenues eclipse $47B USD, warned Monday of a rising number of so-called "advanced persistent threats", noting that many of these sophisticated attacks were linked.
According to Chandra McMahon, Lockheed vice president and chief information security officer, her firm has been targeted by a number of serious attacks. She
, "The number of campaigns has increased dramatically over the last several years. The pace has picked up."
All eyes are on Lockheed, after the company was selected to support the Pentagon's
Cyber Crime Center
(DC3), beating out previous contract holder General Dynamics Corp. (
If you believe the gospel according to Lockheed, so to speak, the weakest part of the security chains at present are contractors. In a discussion Lockheed executives revealed that EMC Corp. (
) subsidiary RSA, makers of the titular cryptographic standard was only one of
two major contractor breaches
. Like RSA, the other contractor's info was used in an attempted second-wave attack on Lockheed.
Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor [Source: Lockheed Martin]
Lockheed says it is
working with both suppliers
, as well as other potentially vulnerable partners, to shore up their security.
Charlie Croom, Lockheed's vice president of cybersecurity solutions remarks, "Suppliers are still a huge problem... the adversary has been very significant and tenacious and has really been targeting the defense industrial base."
Lockheed says that some of biggest dangers come from so-called spear phishing attacks, tailor-made attacks which target a specific company and are designed to lure employees to malicious websites or to download from an email files containing malware. Lockheed also reports seeing a new wave off attacks over social media platforms.
The supplier says that it is aware of many potential
cyber-spies creeping around its networks
. It says it had been tracking the spies who hacked RSA for a few years. While the RSA information gave those parties a ticket to advance their efforts, Lockheed claims it ultimately stopped any significant data loss from occurring via in-house detection, monitoring, and network lockdown capabilities.
"The whole principle [of censorship] is wrong. It's like demanding that grown men live on skim milk because the baby can't have steak." -- Robert Heinlein
Related Articles
Move Over China, Iran May Have Been Source of Latest Cyberattacks on the U.S.
October 16, 2012, 4:25 AM
NSA: China is Destroying U.S. Economy Via Security Hacks
March 28, 2012, 7:06 PM
China Continues to Gleefully Hack U.S. as Gov't Efforts Sunk by Partisanship
March 2, 2012, 1:47 PM
RSA Offers New SecurIDs in the Wake of Lockheed Martin Cyberattack
June 7, 2011, 6:36 PM
RSA -- the Firm Founded by Encryption Standard's Creators -- Gets Hacked
March 18, 2011, 2:14 PM
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The CG10 was the first wedge i've every owned as a golfer. i bought the 56 and 60 degree satin wedges. the CG10 is a SOLID wedge. while there's nothing incredibly fancy about this wedge. the weight, build, and simply great overall feel to these clubs make these excellent for all players. i can only see a few con's to the CG10.1. it doesn't have the grinded sole found in the latter releases in the CG series.2. it doesn't have the laser milled grooves found in the latter CG wedges3. no longer conforms to the new PGA groove rule.Overall: if you're just a casual golfer looking for great performing wedges from reputable maker, for a cheap price, the CG10 is an absolute steal.
Very Nice


text:
A Little Thursday Afternoon Theology
In life there are two topics one should never discuss in polite company: Politics and religion. Well, I think you'd be hard pressed to find someone willing to refer to the blogosphere (god I hate that word) as polite company so it seems kind of odd that this is the first time that RSBS has managed to stray into such contentious territory. Apparently there are quite a few baseball loving Catholics out there.
Now, I don't think that either Jeff or myself have attempted to hide our obvious political and religious leanings. Even our nonstop chatter during last year's election season didn't bring about quite the same amount of vehement commentary as did my friend's entry yesterday.
But, despite the risk involved with wading back into that fray, I have to say that I think he hit it right on the head. Why should the Tigers not play their home opener on Good Friday at 1:05? As one commenter noted, there's basketball on Christmas Day and some sort of sporting event pretty much every other day of the year. Why not Good Friday, too?
Here's how it breaks down. I used to live in New York City and on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, half the city didn't show up for work. But you know what, they all took personal days. The hundreds of thousands of Muslims who live in this country receive no preferential treatment during Ramadan when they are fasting from sun-up to sun-down. Have you gone 12 hours without eating or drinking while trying to work a full day? For a month? Yeah, I didn't think so.
Why should it matter if the Tigers play their game at noon or 7PM? If you want to go to church, do like the millions of people in this country who aren't Christian and make that choice and the accompanying sacrifice.
Here's the theology part of it. The Jesus of the Bible took almost sinful delight in ridiculing the Pharisees and their incredibly strict interpretation of Abrahamic law. At every possible opportunity he poked holes in their ostentatious piety and continuously pointed out that he had come to show a new way to god. It was no longer about rigid doctrine and observance of the law. Instead, Jesus focused on a personal relationship that also prescribed personal choice. It wasn't about showing up for services. It was about showing who you were in your daily life. The freedom from orthodoxy meant that religion became a personal choice and free will took over from blind observance of laws and traditions.
And that leads us right back to the decision that Tigers fans will have to make in a little over a week. Do they go to Good Friday services or go to the game? For some people, that might be a really tough choice. But you know what, you're going to have to make that decision for yourself. And that probably also means you're going to have to make a sacrifice. But when you think about it, that should sound kind of familiar.
11 Comments
Well said. Churches (especially traditional) are seeing their memberships errode. They are squeezing and seeing the faithful slip through their hands. Guilt and rules no longer work. The churches that are thriving are the ones that do focus on the personal relationship with God and how to grow as a person. I don't believe people go to hell for choosing a game over church. Especially, if you are going to church out of compulsion instead of real joy or gratitude for the sacrifice made.
I was raised Catholic, but it's not really my thing to say the least. I'm "exploring" but I am plenty content with Redsoxism. Anyway, the church has no right to dictate the Tigers' playing schedule. There is such a thing as the first amendment, which barely applies here lol.
Maybe baseball needs an amendment. Separation between church and baseball. Although, Christy Mathewson would of had something to say.
The church should not be meddling with baseball schedules. Is it probably a bad choice for the Tigers? Maybe. But it's their choice. I am very christian, not catholic, but christian. This is not the church's jurisdiction. It's baseball. You choose what you want to do. For me, it is actually better to have it at 1:05 because then it's probably over by the time Baptist services start at 7:00 or so. Maybe earlier so we can eat too. This is no joke it is fact: You put Baptists together there needs to be food.
The Tigers are in no way disobeying God by having the game then, in my opinion. I don't really know a whole lot about Catholicism and its traditions so I don't know if there is like a time on Good Friday when you aren't allowed to do anything but the Tigers aren't a Catholic Institution and should not be forced to make their decisions based on Catholic doctrine.
Honestly I usually don't agree with y'all on your political posts and things but today you are absolutely right.
At the end of the day, I still love me some stained glass Jesus.
I don't recall them moving Game One of the 1965 World Series. For those who don't remember, that was when Sandy Koufax refused to pitch, because it was Yom Kippur. Instead, Don Drysdale got the mound instead of the ace, and after giving up seven runs in 2.2 innings, he came up with one of the best quotes I've ever come across: "I bet right now you wish I was Jewish, too."
I won't pretend to know how Good Friday compares to Yom Kippur in terms of Catholic doctrine, but it doesn't get any bigger than Yom Kippur for us. People crucified (pardon the expression) Koufax for his decision… until G-d favored him with complete-game shutouts in games 5 and 7, and a series ERA of 0.38, giving up just one run in game 2.
My point is that the Tigers need a lot of help in their rotation, and may eventually have to start plucking people from the stands. If they choose you, you'd better hope you skipped Opening Day, so that you can throw a shutout like Koufax.
Yet another great post by one of the RSBS guys. You hit it right on as well, Allen. I wish most Catholics thought more like my friends who honestly don't care when the game is played, whether they're Tigers fans or not. They'll do what's right by them, which is what people in Detroit need to do. They know what's more important, and that's what they need to focus on. Not what a professional baseball team plans.
Baseball IS my church :O) Go there every Sunday… Seriously, I agree; people need to lighten up. I was raised Catholic and even forced to go to a Catholic school (eekk!) but I grew up and made up my own mind about these things. I am pretty sure that even if I go to games on Sundays or holidays, God will not strike me down. As long as I am living my life in a positive way and not hurting other people, I think I am good to go. :O) Of course, I've been wrong before…ha!!
Well said, Allen. I think this is what Jeff was trying to say, but you put it a little more eloquently (and nicely).
I honestly don't get this whole issue. Haven't there been baseball games played on Good Friday forever? In my lifetime, anyway. And Trolleydodger makes a great analogy to Yom Kippur. Bottom line? People should have the freedom to make the choices that are right for them, and baseball in Detroit should go on as planned. (Jeff: I loved your fire and brimstone!)
I heard that, Erin😉
Nice essay on religious tolerance, but as a practical matter, all thirty teams are playing on Good Friday and there hardly seems to be a genuine religious controversy in Detroit – just a private concern (MLB) appealing to a wide customer base amidst a few hand-wringing individuals.
A generation or two ago, the private concern might best appeal to that Detroit base by scheduling around traditional Catholic rites and customs, but again I see that as more a function of business than "religion", and have no objection to it. It makes sense for private institutions to respect prevailing custom, whether that be in Lahore, Detroit or Tel Aviv. Gives the world some of its charm. Detroit just doesnt have a predominant orthodoxy to cater to anymore. Play ball!
Oh, and I hate the word 'blogosphere' too – too close to bathysphere🙂