text:
Nobu is great for sushi. The atmosphere is very Zen although it gets very loud in the restaurant. The service was good although the server was kind of snooty which annoyed me. However, when we expressed that we weren't fond of one of the things we ordered he removed it from our bill. The yellowtail sashimi with jalapenos was very delicious!
Best Japanese food that I have ever had. My review would have been lower if I, rather than my company, had to pay for my meal though. The cost per person was over $100 -- I could have 2 or 3 dinners at great Japanese restaurants for that much.
The atmosphere is a matter of taste. As a male, I am not a big fan of guys in t-shirts as waiters. Nobu's atmosphere reminds me more of a nightclub than a restaurant. It was very hard to hear anyone that was not next to me and we were packed in like sardines.
we eat at this restaurant every time we go to vegas. we wouldn't miss it when we're in
town. we've always had exceptional service. and the food...well, it goes without saying.
the last time we were there, we had a great dessert platter and the best coconut sake.
we are normally too full for dessert, but it was a very special occasion so the server
brought it to us. it was the perfect ending to a phenomenal visit.
Ate at the sushi bar on a Thurs nite. Adequate sushi. We order about 7 items and a couple of beers a piece which came out to about $100 for 2 people including tip. Service was commendable. Very attentive. Watching the sushi chefs here was interesting because some items called for a cold preparation of unusual dishes.
My wife and I eat sushi about once per week and we were excited to go to Nobu, being it's suppose be the best sushi in the US.
First of all it's totally over priced for what you get. Small pieces of fish, though very fresh, snotty servers and very loud. Just like the hotel it's in.
Overall, a good experience. Food was real good. However services was something left to be desired. Waitress was clueless about the knowledge of the food and when dessert came, my friend got into an argument with her because he wanted the a dessert he had before with the green tea ice cream. She replied they didn't have an ice cream dessert. Finally, he realized it was a dessert that was on the menu which stated "Green Tea Ice Cream" - So hard finding good help these days, I guess.
I always enjoy eating here. The food is not good, it is excellent! I look forward to this dining experience every time I am in Las Vegas. I wish he would open one in Phoenix! I would be there at least twice a month.
We ate at Nobu for New Year's Eve Dinner and had one of the tastings they had prepared for the night, a seven course dinner. The food was outstanding, and the service matched.
Unless your children are sushi lovers, I would say the flavors are more to the adult taste. Nobu is a pricey (about $100 & up per person, but these are the way to go) but you can taste the quality in every thing.
If you like sake, try the Jinay Danginto, very nice, Nobu imports it special from Japan.
Sushi is my favorite food and my favorite style of dining is at an authentic sushi bar. Nobu's is like this... You walk in, whereupon you are greeted by a snotty 20 something who knows less about sushi than I forgot last week. Then you are brought to your table or place at the bar and given the "guidelines" for ordering (as if I am some rube who just fell off the turnip truck). You are then asked if you'd like something from the bar or some sake. I asked for a brand of sake that I normally drink and was told in a condescending tone that they don't have it but suggested some non-traditional, trendy sake that I might enjoy.
I ordered omakase (chef's choice) and was disappointed. The dishes were small, somewhat westernized and others were not sushi at all. The chefs were obnoxious and sour-faced. What I ate was not bad, but certainly not what I would have expected at one of the most highly regarded sushi bars in the country. I have eaten at Nobu's twice with similar results.
I have eaten in dozens of sushi bars across the country. This was not in the top 10. Highly overrated!
To any other true sushi lovers, such as myself, who might be reading this: save your money and your precious Vegas time and find another place. It's VERY expensive, even for sushi. If you care about being seen and eating trendy psuedo sushi, then this is your place!


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Description: The fact that Eternaleds are selling eco-friendly bulbs gave a clear direction in terms of use of colors. A light nuance of green was the natural choice to go with. Why ? Because it suggests freshness, new life and it transmits a feeling of comfort. In order to express the eco-friendliness I decided that the chosed color had to be seconded by a graphic element which will help to transmit the message, so I included a leaf in the bulb. The rays of light around it come to talk about the function of the bulb. This version of the logo is the end of a long road: I presented several concepts and many versions of this logo until, with the kind assistance of my client, I came to this version of it.
As seen on: ReLogoDesign.com gallery
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Tags: Respiro Media • green • eco-friendly • Eternaleds • Sebestyen Zoltan
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44 posts tagged with father by Anonymous.
Displaying 1 through 44 of 44.
After the Accident
My father committed a serious lapse in judgment and now wants to act like nothing's changed. What do I do? [more inside]
Does he do what Daddy did to Mommy to get me?
My same-sex partner has been asked to father a child - how do we make this decision? [more inside]
Is it as simple as saying, "Please leave me alone"?
Just trying to live a peaceful and functional adult life beyond the reach of a controlling, emotionally abusive parent. But I was tracked down by a PI and I'm worried that it's only a matter of time before I have to face this awful person again. What do I say to make clear that I have no intention of reestablishing ties and that I wish to be left alone? [more inside]
Have I been emotionally abused? If so, how do I begin to recover?
I've admitted my father may be kind of a monster. Is he really, or is it me? [more inside]
So Much Anger-Don't Know What To Do
For the single year that my brother was alive, my Dad ran off and left our family. Now my Dad insists on sending the family notices on the anniversary of my brother's death. This is so painful, how can I make it stop? [more inside]
My dad uses meth and I don't know what to do.
I just found out my dad does meth and I don't know how to approach him and/or his fiancé. [more inside]
Should I contact my biological father?
We've been completely out of touch since I was about twelve. I have a kick-ass step dad, so no old resentments or difficult questions in regard to my biological father, I'm mostly just curious about his life. He has recently turned 70 and I feel like if I decide to get back in touch, I should do it sooner rather than later. But should I? And if yes, how to best approach this? More details inside. [more inside]
Setting parental boundaries
My father and I have a complicated history that colors our present relationship. Help me figure out how to set compassionate boundaries. [more inside]
How to stop my father's rages (or at least their effect on me)?
Throughout my life, my father has had anger issues, typically directed at me. Although he isn't violent, he will become extremely (almost uncontrollably) angry whenever I do anything 'wrong'. Now that I'm an adult and no longer financially dependent on him, I want to stop this cycle. However, I'm having trouble figuring out how to do this. [more inside]
Stranger in a Strange Land
I'm considering confronting my father with the threat of estrangement. What should I know before initiating this kind of "break" with family? (Snowflakes abound, but general guidance helps too!) [more inside]
My son's biological father has friended me on Facebook. What next?
My 8 year old son has never met his biological father and would like to do so. I don't want his heart to break if his bio-father doesn't want contact. I'm only assuming that he doesn't want contact because apart from the befriending we haven't actually said anything to each other via voice or email for about 6 years or so. What is the best way to approach this? [more inside]
father daughter exposure limits
Is it necessary for a father or step father to completely avoid exposure of private parts (penis) to a 5 year old daughter? [more inside]
How can my family bar my bipolar father from access to credit?
My bipolar father will go on crazy consumer debt fueled sprees of spending / gambling. What can we do on a severely limited budget to ensure he doesn't end up homeless or otherwise in major trouble? [more inside]
How much touch is appropriate between father and 6/7 year old daughter?
My wife and I disagree strongly over how much touch is appropriate between myself and my almost-7 year old daughter. [more inside]
Father's groups in Philadelphia
I'm looking for father's groups in Philadelphia. I have a pre-K child. I'm more interested in a hang-out-and-chat sort of group. University City or Center City would be great. Thanks! [more inside]
Helping a child cope with an absent parent
Daughter's father no longer in our lives, unexpectedly, after some sad times. Daughter (5) now a stressed little kid. Therapy coming up, but… ? [more inside]
What can I do to help my aging alcoholic father?
Is there anything I can do to help my alcoholic father? He is retired, getting older, and the issue is getting progressively worse. [more inside]
How can I support my adult son whose father has turned on him?
How can I support my adult son whose father has turned on him? [more inside]
How to navigate crazy daddy issues?
How do I deal with an emotionally charged email from my (semi-estranged?) father? Is it time to cut ties? Crazy snowflake wall of text inside. [more inside]
How do I communicate better with my dad?
I need some advice on how to communicate better with my dad and hopefully improve our relationship. [more inside]
Being realistic about paternal relationship
How do I become comfortable with how my father chooses to be involved in my life (minimally, not of his own initiative) as an adult? What are the limits between healthy and compassionate effort on my part and a realistic acknowledgment of both of our limitations? [more inside]
Alcoholism, parents and dealing with both.
My dad is 63. He's been diagnosed with pancreatitis, but there are a whole host of complicating factors, for that and for everything else. I'm at pretty much the end of my tether. Some advice? [more inside]
Move into my dad's basement suite?
My parents are splitting up after 36 years. My dad will be buying a house of his own. If he gets a place with a basement suite and I move into it, what pitfalls should I be aware of? I'm 30. [more inside]
What's causing my dad to act this way? What can I do to help him?
For several years now, my father, in sporadic bursts, has been acting very strangely. I'm not sure what is causing him to act like that, and I'm not sure what to do about it, so I'm looking for advice. [more inside]
How to tell my dad about my abortion?
How to tell my dad about my abortion? It seems like the time has come and gone. Do I tell, and if so, how? [more inside]
Can therapy help me?
I'm a well-adjusted person plagued now by anger and disappointment re: her absentee father. Should I pursue therapy, or go about this a different route? [more inside]
She must have Daddy Issues.
How do I overcome my severe trust issues with men? Very long backstory inside, be warned. [more inside]
How do I start over?
How do I overcome this crushing sense of regret at my "lost 20s" and how do I build a life from scratch? [more inside]
How to deal with a hurtful aged father?
How to deal with a hurtful aged father at an upcoming family event? [more inside]
I think my elderly father is thinking of taking his own life...
My father recently intimated without saying outright that he was thinking of ending his life. He's 77, has been living with the after effects of strokes for about 15 years or more and has lost his ability to enjoy pretty much all of his passions. [more inside]
Am I My Brother's Keeper?
My parents are divorced; my father has custody of my younger brother, but is leaving the country for a few years for work. He wants me to live with and take care of my 16 year old brother until he graduates from HS. I love my brother, but I have some objections and I'm not sure how to handle this. (long explanation inside!) [more inside]
I miss the little guy.
Help. Help help help. My (ex?) girlfriend has taken our six day old child to her parents house and is barricading herself there. [more inside]
Do daddy's girls own a negotiation power that I do not?
30 years after my father is gone, I wonder what intangibles he denied me. How do I get a sneak peak into the world of a daddy's girl? [more inside]
how to write a letter to an insecure and abusive father
How to write a brief email to a disrespectful parent who stole money to try to get it back? [more inside]
Dad's a drunk.
My ex is a drunk, so I threw him out. However, we have a young child, and I'm having a hard time figuring out where to go from here. [more inside]
Should I be creeped out by my dad's relationship?
Last year my dad and my step-mother divorced after 20 years of marriage. It was not an easy break-up, and my dad was pretty devastated in its wake. While it was wrenching for me to think of my dad being alone in his mid-sixties, I cheered myself knowing that my dad, being a very smart, handsome, together guy with a whole lot of awesome qualities, is definitely a catch and would almost certainly end up with someone terrific. I always pictured him being with some fun, free-spirited woman, probably a widow, someone who could match his intellect, stand up to his occasional bull-headedness, and win the hearts of his kids. He's now with with someone, alright, but not at all what I'd imagined or hoped for. [more inside]
Paralyzed With Resentment
How can I stop thinking about my father's bigotry, hatred, and intolerance? [more inside]
Who the heck's my pop?
How can I determine, with access to limited biological data, if my father is not who I thought he was? [more inside]
Working with my father is killing me. What can I do?
Working with my father is a nightmare. Should I quit? How do I deal with the repercussions? [more inside]
How to contact my estranged father for documents required for Irish Citizenshp?
I recently learned I am eligible for Irish citizenship because my grandparents were born in Ireland. I need to obviously prove my relation to them, which is where things get sticky. I am related to them by way of my somewhat estranged father. [more inside]
How do I confront my parents about my mother's undiagnosed mental illness?
Seeking advice about how to confront parents about mom's mental illness. [more inside]
How do I handle my mentally unstable father?
How do I handle my mentally unstable father? [more inside]
How can I break the ice with my dad?
I think my dad is too shy to really talk to me. How can I break the ice? [more inside]
I need information about how to parent when raised by abusive parents.
I was raised by an abusive father. Now in my early 30's I am looking ahead to the future when I may become a father. I am determined not to recreate the family environment I grew up in but know how these things sometimes turn out -- that people determined not to recreate something sometimes wind up doing so in an unforseen manner. I was in therapy for 2 years in my 20's to work on the issues but therapy is not an option now because of money. I have worked hard not to be my father, but part of me is afraid that I will wind up being like him as a parent. (In particular, I worry about being a father to a son because of my history). I am looking for information about the father-son relationship as well as information about how to be a good parent when you have a background like mine. Please offer advice, books, suggestions - anything that can help.
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Perrella, Sharon L.*; Hepworth, Anna R.*; Simmer, Karen N.†; Geddes, Donna T.*
Objectives: The aim of this study was to validate 4 sonographic methods of estimating stomach volume for the purpose of monitoring changes in gastric volume over time and to describe the echogenic characteristics of milk feeds.
Methods: Twenty-four infants were monitored during a single intragastric tube feed, with 2 ultrasound images of the entire stomach and an image of the antral cross-sectional area (ACSA) before, during, and after the feed. Raw measurements, 3 stomach volume calculations, and ACSA were tested for intra- and interrater agreement. Calculated stomach volumes and ACSA were compared with delivered feed volumes, and characteristics of stomach image echogenicity graded at each time point.
Results: Spheroid calculation of stomach volume was the most reliable and valid measure of stomach volume. Fortified breast milk feeds were more echogenic than unfortified breast milk feeds. Residual stomach volumes (median 2.12 mL, range 0.59–9.27 mL) were identified in 18 of 24 infants.
Conclusions: Direct ultrasound stomach measurement (spheroid) will provide a useful research tool and a potential clinical tool for assessing gastric emptying and feeding intolerance in preterm infants.
© 2013 by European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition and North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology,
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A little perspective never hurts. And in rare instances, it's actually positive perspective . . . you know, the type that makes you feel better about things.
This was one of them.
One of the local elementary schools brought some fourth-graders to the News-Journal today for a field trip. Sure, not as much fun as, say, an aircraft carrier or the fire station, but still, it beats the classroom.
It was a group of about 20, give or take, and they all seemed to be into it. A handful were snapping pictures, taking videos, acting generally excited.
The rest of us, not so much. When it's your place of employment, you only get wide-eyed if you enter the building and discover that someone in the Accent Department tried out a new cookie recipe.
Anyway, it's good to know that our newsroom looks exciting to some kids (I'm sure, however, that the press room, with all of its huge machinery, had them doing cartwheels). It's also good to know that newspapers are on the radar of kids that age.
It all kinda took me back to when I was their age. I would read the sports section of both N-J papers nearly every day — the Morning Journal and the old Evening News. My daily reading included the dispatches from Brad Willson, Benny Kahn, Joe Biddle and, of course, Godwin Kelly.
Yes, I'm kidding about Godwin, but trust me, not by too many years.


text:
Rose is Rose by Don Wimmer and Pat Brady
- December 14, 2012
- From Beginning
- Previous feature
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Comments (19) (Please sign in to comment)
Go to YouTube, "Rose is Rose" readers, and find "The 12 Pains of Christmas" (the first thing thereof is finding a Christmas tree).
we used to get a real tree until 1959.
a 1957 set of lights took the tree and a tacky 50's parlor set with it.
As a kid I never enjoyed the buying of the tree. It was always in the evening after Dad got off work. The temperature was always below freezing and it was always breezy. Dad knew the owner and they would chat, out doors, for what seemed like all evening. For some reason, I've always preferred the artificial trees.
I miss having a Christmas tree.
So far, the past two weekends have been really rainy. We put up the artificial tree this year.
Followed by rigging lights. Bring a flashlight, I blew a fuse!
"Maybe" – The Chantels
He can't see the forest for the trees!
Or, as they say in that nether world between England and France, bring a torch, Jeannette Isabella…
truecanadianliberal: Nor was Jesus, he was a Jew.
Granted, I have used an artificial tree, but I have also considered trees with root balls. Our neighbors have done this for years and have many beautiful trees. Considering the Global Warming problem the future generations may breathe easier with more trees. An attractive living oxygen giving CO2 absorbing tree of equal cost is better in an abandon lot than an expensive dead tree in the city dump.
Root ball trees are all well nd good if you have enough yard, not really an option for most renters either. That's why we use the recyling program in town that turns old trees into mulch. They use it in the city parks and from what I've been told, it actully saves them quite a bit of money (the have free curb side pick up for the trees on certain dates for that very reason.) I'd suggest looking into in your area.
why do you need a tree? how about something else? maybe a modern art sculpture?
I thank the Baby Jesus I was.
Metallic trees were real!? I thought Schultz just made them that way to represent artificial trees. I was only a little girl in the 60's & we always had a real tree.
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|Welcome to The ICWF Forums. Home of the Intense Championship Wrestling Federation. We hope you enjoy your visit.
You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections such as the Locker Room where you can view profiles of the ICWF's talent, ICWF press clippings along with viewing past role plays, our weekly Monday Nite Dyn-O-Mite shows and pay per views not to mention using many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls.
If you're not ICWF talent, so what? Come on in and let us know what you think of the shows, chat up e-wrestling with us and enjoy some good conversation. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.
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|Flash Flood reactions; 8.21
|Tweet Topic Started: Aug 24 2009, 06:37 PM (645 Views)
|Aug 24 2009, 06:37 PM Post #1
Vingvitational Winner
Good to see RPs for ICWF..
I like the Dez character it was a good starting RP...
Man that Colt guy sucks.
Shiro looks interesting looks to be a good future character.
Payne and PPD delivered as they usually do. Good stuff from both sides.
Good face promo from Megalos. Never can have too many solid face work in a fed.
Thought both Eraser and Nextwave came through maybe top work in the packet.
Souza continued the really good packet and I thought this was one of his better RPs in awhile. I liked where it went.
Okay we saved the best PPV for last. Great work by VVV!
Anyways I thought top to bottom the packet was really darn good and glad to see ICWF running strong through all the round bumps!
|Aug 26 2009, 02:21 PM Post #2
ICWF President... the good one.
Thanks for the compliment Bell, and for starting this thread. Your effort to get some action going on this board is not unnoticed.
I was a little disappointed by the notable absents that were Alex Adams, Will Geddings, and Tex Colorado. But everyone else brought it in spades...
-Carter did everything he needed to, taking the time to hype up a match with Rancheros, while working on a side self-contained storyline introducing his manager. Not a bad showing at all, considering he's up against an NPC jobber.
-Reading anything Bell writes is a treat (PVW plug) but I especially mark hard for Daniels. Basically set up as we've been less than consistent for the last three months, so let me remind you what's going on: my life is in ruins, I'm wrestling Colorado, and I hate Adams. Poetry. Tim & Devon's comedy is unparallel, but Bell is hands down the best writer in the fed, and this short piece highlights the effortless way he writes drama without it becoming mellow.
-I enjoy Shiro, and his IXWA stuff was rock solid, but if OAA had RPed this wouldn't have cut it. Too short, and not enough character development. I like him working the IXWA into his OAA trash talk, but as this would be a first glimpse at the character, it needed more.
-Damian Payne! Neil does a good job of selling his history with Souza, talking a mean game, putting the match in perspective of the bigger picture... and all the while there's a hint of bitterness about the Eraser loss to Souza's Walters victory. This man was my sidekick for a reason (though Neil should have put the world strap on me during his recent tenure, so now we're mortal enemies) still rock solid.
-Sensuous Sam gone!? NO!!! First she takes Chad away, now removes herself. Damn you Sam. Definitely feeling the frustration at yet another contenders match, while the rest of the pretty boy characters have left, the best still remains. PPD/Nextwave continues to give ICWF one of the best tag divisions going (even if they're the only ones).
-Comparing Megalos physique to Jay... Steve just oozes character. One of the more substantial RPs on the flash show is dedicated to pimping a DVD that has little to do with wrestling. Is that an indictment on the flashshow, booking, or a testament to Steve's awesomosity? Give this man the IC title... wait... no.
-I have a hard time judging OD's work. I'm definitely more descriptive passage than dialog, which he's quite good at. He has some of the best trash talk around, certainly in ICWF, but the set-ups always seem lacking. I'd like to see him give it a try. Still, this trash talking was good, and he definitely put Geddings in place (if only Geddings had RPed). The Rancheros stuff was funny... but I question the locker room leader claim, if it comes right after teasing a jobber for dressing in a broom closet.
-NEXTWAVE – Zeromus is a bitch. I miss the SNES version, where I can beat him. That is also my favourite James Bond theme... primarily for Anna Farris singing it in a karyoke bar in LOST IN TRANSLATION.
-RJ references the Lynch Mob trying to get him to join~! Yay! I like the story that RJ is building (second to Bell, and isn't it the only story we have?) and he does well with the character interactions. The main problems with this were the ending dialog followed by what felt like a throwaway ending descriptive. I would break the last monologue up (have a few standalone sentences to make it punchy) and maybe beef up the conclusion. That's just me, but I think it would have helped. Otherwise, yeah, RJ is a player.
-VVV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ...So Tim, you like my Shattered Dreams props?!
|Aug 26 2009, 04:32 PM Post #3
Vingvitational Winner
You are too kind my friend. I am far from the best writer in this fed. However I do feel I have some good material lined up for Colt. It's interesting taking a lovable face that's so easy to root for and tear apart his world and see how he deals with it.
Hopefully that doesn't happen in the real world to anyone.
And what's with this PVW plug? I've been told that fed was yesterday news!
|Aug 27 2009, 08:31 AM Post #4
Television Champion
For longer-time ICWFers, they might notice I'm scaling back on the Serious Eraser stuff, and making him the cocky, trash-talking, pop culture riffing smark - mainly so he doesn't sound quite so much like Patterson, but also because that style has worked better for him anyway.
Eraser's never really had descriptions of his surroundings or what he's doing, because what he's saying is the important part, especially because he's such a motormouth - Patterson, on the other hand, is half an half.
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The Krystal Co., a regional burger concept, has named Bob Marshall chief financial officer. Marshall, who has served as Krystal's vice president of development since early 2008, replaces as CFO James Bear, who is retiring, the company said. Before joining Krystal, Marshall served as president of the Livingston Co., a private merchant bank that provides growth capital to small and mid-market companies in the southeastern U.S. Previous experience includes stints at Chattem Inc. and ...
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When Isaac's mother starts hearing the voice of God demanding a sacrifice be made to prove her faith, Isaac escapes into the basement facing droves of deranged enemies, lost brothers and sisters, his fears, and eventually his mother.Read full description
"I don't see myself putting it down until I hit that magical 100% completion mark, which is hours and hours away at this point. This is one trip that I recommend to everyone open-minded enough to give it a chance." - Destructoid.com
"One may play for an hour or two, but they're constantly tempted to go back in and uncover the scads of remaining secrets. It's a style of game that really intrigues me, and one I want to see more of" - Gamecritics.com
When Isaac's mother starts hearing the voice of God demanding a sacrifice be made to prove her faith, Isaac escapes into the basement facing droves of deranged enemies, lost brothers and sisters, his fears, and eventually his mother.
The Binding of Isaac is a randomly generated action RPG shooter with heavy Rogue-like elements. Following Isaac on his journey players will find bizarre treasures that change Isaac's form giving him super human abilities and enabling him to fight off droves of mysterious creatures, discover secrets and fight his way to safety.
Key Features:
Randomly generated dungeons, items enemies and bosses, you never play the same game twice.
Over 100 unique items that not only give you powers but visually change your character.
50+ enemy types each with the ability to become "special" making them extra deadly but they also drop better loot.
Over 20 bosses.
4 full chapters spanning 8 levels
3+ unlockable classes
Multiple endings
Tons of unlockable items, enemies, bosses and more.
User score
I first picked up this game as my first steam game considering its price was $5. In the binding of issac, you are a child who must escape, to an extent, the dark depths that you have fallen down to. You must defeat enemies and collect items to ensure your survival as you encounter greater threats the farther you explore. Basically, its a rogue like dungeon crawler with a decent amount of replayability. The controls are very unique as both your hands have to use the keyboard. In most games, when a player faces a certain way, they must shoot in that direction. BUT not Issac! You can 360 his head with no end in sight. This could probably be the reason why most players fail at the beginning with trying to control both movement and shooting. Heck, I was unable to figure it out too, despite my years of gaming. Anyways, get this game and play it like no one was watching!
The Binding of Isaac is a top-down dungeon crawler with a twist - you play as a baby lost in a dungeon filled with biblical monsters. To defeat them, you'll have to shoot your own tears at them. To progress you'll also have to explore and collect power-ups. Permadeath and level randomization give the game endless replayability. A must play.
My favourite indie game ever. I used to love games like Smash TV back when I was a child, and as a grown up I started loving those rogue-like games with permadeath and lots of randomize elements that makes the games almost infinite. The Binding of Isaac is so addictive I have the urge to install it and play it again (for the 6th time). I've been playing it a lot of hours (about 100) and I haven't unlocked everything it has to offer. Every time you start a new game it will have nothing to do with the previous one. As difficult as pleasant, the Binding of Isaac sums up why the indie games are having so much importance in the past and incoming years. The proof that a good idea is more important than the means to get it done.
The Binding of Isaac is an indie, roguelike, action RPG shooter (talk about a mish mash of genres) with incredibly high replayability value and oozng with massive amounts of originality and ingenuity, not to mention various references to other games included. This game is not for the weak of heart. I personally consider it one of the most difficult games I've ever played, and that is saying a lot. Especially for completionists/achievement getters, TBoI can be a nightmare (of course, if you're good at this type of game, it might not be so bad; for the rest of us, be prepared to invest hundreds of hours and die countless times if you want to obtain everyhing the game has to offer; be aware that luck is a deciding factor alongside skill, since the levels are randomly generated, thus the high replayability value). For a very cheap price, this game is a must buy for any gamer with self respect. Those that want more of the Isaac experience can try the sequ.. err, pseudoremake Rebirth.
This game is a fantastic, highly addictive dungeon-style game. The game goes through several floors where the player must clear a path to the boss(es) in order to go down to the next level. The games levels are randomly generated which can lead to very interesting item-pickups which can either ruin a run or make it much better. The music in this game is fantastic so I'd recommend buying the OST on iTunes as well. I'd also recommend picking up the sequel, BoI: Rebirth. Rebirth is good once you've become a veteran in the original as it can be much harder and implements many more items/enemies.
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Mixed Media Tags with Vivian Keh
May 7, 2014 by Core'dinator
Filed under Core Blog, Sizzix, Tim Holtz & Ranger Distress collection
Hi there, Core fans! Vivian Keh here today excited to share with you a pair of mixed media tags crafted on Core'dinations' 110 lb Smooth Cardstock.
I really love this stuff – it holds up to a lot of media work, as you will see in my stepped out tutorial today.
Step 1: Pour a bit of mist onto the Core'dinations 110 lb cardstock. While it is wet, blow onto the media through a straw. This will create the dramatic streaks above on your project.
Step 2: Once the streaks are dry, mist your cardstock with water, then pour or spritz your choice of mists. Spritzing onto a surface pre-moistened with water allows your colors to blend freely and spontaneously with each other.
Step 3: While the surface is wet, unscrew the cap to an intensely hued mist, and tap the color into the puddle. Instead of creating the typical splatter of mist which happens when you work on a dry surface, the colors will move a bit and create a watercolor effect something like Stained Glass.
Step 4: Add some stamping using Distress Inks. Lightly mist your stamping with water to further the feeling you are looking through the softening lens of stained glass.
Step 5: Add die-cuts, text, and other desired embellishments. To complete my organic look, I added my vascular hot glue effects (for which I have many videos available on my youtube channel). To make the die-cuts pop, you can use a marker along the edges – while still wet, blend in the pigment with decoupage medium.
Thanks so much for visiting with me here on the Core blog today!
Core'dinations – 11o lb Smooth Cardstock
Sizzix: Asian Dragonfly Thinlits Set #658801, Tag & Bookplates Die L Die #656938, Bigz Mariposa Die #658530
Lindy's Stamp Gang – Mists
Hampton Art – nature stamps
Inkadinkado – bird stamp
Ranger – distress inks
Clearsnap – Mix'd Media Inx
Hot Glue
Hemp twine


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How is it that City Hall and the City Council can give away millions of dollars to pay for concerts, boxing matches, car races, chamber of commerce and the people out at Chase Field, and then they turn around and charge ordinary, hard-working people a dollar for a parking fee and the same for a fire fee and a waste administration fee? I don't doubt that these fees may be needed, but it doesn't make sense that they give away all that money and then turn around and nickel and dime the poor people in this community. Does this make sense to anyone else?
I didn't vote last time for my city councilman, but I promise you that next time I will, because I am mad about how they can't take care of our money.
Blandina Moreno


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Economics Departments, Institutes and Research Centers in the World
Department of Finance
John Molson School of Business
Concordia UniversityLocation: Montréal, Canada
Homepage: http://www.johnmolson.concordia.ca/en/faculty-research/departments/finance
This link seems to be broken. We welcome a better address.
Handle: RePEc:edi:dfconca
Areas or Functions: Financial Economics, Risk and Insurance
Additional details:
People who have registered with RePEc and have claimed to be affiliated with this institution:Find all publications of all authors listed below conveniently compiled on IDEAS. Authors with publications are listed below with . We have lost contact with authors marked with ?, and they do not count towards the ranking of this institution.
People who have registered with RePEc and have received their terminal degree from this institution according to the RePEc genealogy:Find all publications of all alumni listed below conveniently compiled on IDEAS. Alumni with publications are listed below with .
- Cueto, Diego C. (2009)
This listing is provided to you by EDIRC at the Economic Research Department, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis.
Please send additions and corrections to Christian Zimmermann.


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Calcium, Magnesium & Vitamin D Liquid
Helps in the development and maintenance of bones and teeth. Calcium intake, when combined with sufficient vitamin D, a healthy diet and regular exercise, may reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis.Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body and it is an essential factor in maintaining strong bones and teeth. Daily stress and pollution deplete our calcium levels and most diets do not provide us with adequate calcium. This may be part of the reason that one in four women as well as one in eight men over the age of 50 develop osteoporosis, leading to fractures and often permanent disability. SISU Calcium, Magnesium and Vitamin D Liquid is a convenient way to supplement your diet with those essential nutrients and vitamin D to prevent bone loss and improve bone density.
Product Information
- High-potency formula of calcium carbonate, magnesium oxide and vitamin D2
- Calcium carbonate is the highest potency form of calcium, it is less gritty and has a smooth texture
- Magnesium improves vitamin D activity and decreases the risk of developing osteoporosis
- Vitamin D is essential to calcium absorption and helps support bone density and reduce fractures
- Vitamin D2, the vegetarian form of this nutrient, has been proven equally as well-absorbed as the animal-sourced vitamin D3
- A daily dose of two tablespoons provides 480 mg of elemental calcium, 360 mg of elemental magnesium, and 200 IU vitamin D
- Can be taken before bed to help promote relaxation and sleep
- Available in three natural flavours: vanilla, strawberry and mint
SISU Advantages
- All-natural flavours and sweeteners
- Great-tasting liquid that can be taken by the spoonful or added to a blender drink
- Shellfish-free calcium carbonate
- Contains no ingredients that are a source of gluten
- Suitable for vegans
- Good Manufacturing Practices standards
- Tested for guaranteed purity and potency
- NPN approved


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Humankind must have a death wish; how else are we to account for our continuing failure to confront the gravest threat to our species since the last ice-age? Even the staunchest defenders of the status quo no longer doubt the reality of global warming. But we remain paralysed, unable to generate either the moral or political will to convert the concerns of a growing minority into action to save the planet for future generations.
The scale and nature of change necessary to counter the accelerating threat to our planet's capacity to sustain life is enormous; and here perhaps lies the root our paralysis. We know what needs to happen, but we have little idea where to start. Politicians fail to give any leadership and the most powerful nation on earth is led by an administration which cares more about the short-term privileges of a small minority of its citizens than the long-term well survival of humankind.
It is understandable that as people become more aware of what is happening to the planet they resort to a steadfast denial of reality. This psychological defence mechanism has long been employed by humans in the face of problems which they feel powerless to overcome. But global warming is the make or break issue for our civilisation. It is clearly not a challenge which can left, with any confidence, in the hands of those who currently wield power and determine policy. The present system of global political and economic management is based on the promotion of national interests, the defence of minority privilege, and the creation of an economic system which endures mainly by appealing to the basest of human drives and desires. We should not be surprised that such a system is unable to tackle the environmental threat.
Global warming provides the ultimate test of the moral maturity of humankind. It is the climax of a historical struggle between two key aspects of cultural change: moral progress and economic advance. We have now reached the point where the moral progress of the last two thousand years can no longer be reconciled with the scientific, technological and economic progress of the last two hundred. The accelerated moral progress that began with the Enlightenment is foundering badly, and it must be rapidly rekindled if the planet is to be saved.
Before we can outline an effective strategy for addressing global warming, we need an explicit statement of what the outcomes should be; a statement which says more than simply 'saving the planet'. We also need a clear definition of a social morality which is up to the challenge. Most importantly, we need to understand the content and source of the values which shape that morality, and we further need to understand how those values inform and direct individual behaviour and collective social action through political and economic structures.
So how are we to know what is needed to save the planet? We must look to science, but science is a slowly evolving tool. If it is to help us better understand reality, it will need proper investment, and it will need to be applied towards providing essential intelligence in the battle to save the planet. It is through science that we know of the reality of global warming, and of our contribution to the factors which cause it. Science can tell us the extent to which we need to cut emissions of greenhouse gases and other harmful pollutants which accelerate the process of global warming. Accurate science will also be vital in monitoring progress. It is a learning process: we will need scientific reassurance that our efforts are delivering the required outcome in terms of reducing the quantity of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and that this is having the desired effect of temperatures. If it is not, science will have to set us new targets, or identify new strategies for reducing global temperatures. A self-aware, intelligent species like our own has never - to the best of our knowledge - tried to save a planet from the effects of its own excesses. The process will require constant evaluation and recalibration.
Science also helps predict the consequences if global warming were to continue unchecked. The principal effect is the destruction of previously viable human habitats. The process by which such habitats are lost is also responsible for the massive increase in the extinction rates of other species over the last century, so by taking steps to protect habitats which support human life we also address the problem of shrinking biodiversity. We must reverse global warming as much as is necessary to prevent the continued destruction of such habitats; again science can help us determine what steps are required to attain this goal. In a nutshell, the outcome of our strategy to combat global warming should be to prevent the further destruction of viable human habitats. If we succeed in this we will at least provide future generations with a planet capable of sustaining human life in large numbers, and all life in considerable diversity.
A social morality is a set of principles which govern relations between individual human beings as well as those between different groups; but unlike human-made laws, which force a degree of social cohesion through the threat of punishment or ostracisation, a social morality draws on no such sanctions. Its efficacy relies entirely on the capacity of people to recognise its validity, to live according to its principles and to work towards its acceptance among the wider population. We need a clearly defined and understandable social morality because of shortcomings in our systems of democracy, law-making and international relations which make it is impossible to legislate solutions to problems like global warming or poverty and inequality. Nobody can be forced to adopt a particular social morality; that process has to be voluntary. It is possible to imagine an ultimate social morality which, if adopted by all, or nearly all people, would deliver outcomes which served the best interests of the entire global population. But such a social morality would only be useful if large numbers of people adopt it because they want to, because they perceive it to be in their best interests, and because they have come to identify their interests with the best interests of all human beings.
The only social morality adequate to the task of combating global warming is that which is sometimes referred to by philosophers as 'universalism'. Universalism argues that the interests of all human beings are equal and therefore should be treated equally. It also implies that the social structures by which we live: cultural, political, economic and judicial should acknowledge and encourage the equal treatment of the interests of all people. Our present social structures clearly do not reject this core value, and this is why, despite the individual desires of many people for a more just and inclusive world, millions suffer social exclusion, poverty and hardship, while the rest of us devour, ever more rapidly, the planets resources to the point of exhausting it of the capacity to support life.
The complete failure of prevailing social structures to deliver an 'equality of interests' society strongly suggests that this universalist social morality is currently understood and applied by too few people. It also raises questions about the relationship between the adoption of such a morality at a personal level by large numbers of people, and bring about change to the social structures which currently constrain the moral ambition of so many.
A society based on equality of interests is also the only kind of society in which the enduring problems of poverty and growing inequality can be addressed. While it may appear possible to counter tackle global warming without addressing poverty, the moral ambition necessary to counter either is derived from the same values - the same determination to build and just and inclusive world. It is impossible to combat global warming without as part of the same process finding a permanent solution to poverty and inequality. If we do not care sufficiently and in sufficient numbers about our fellow human beings to bring an end to poverty, where will we ever find the moral and political will to take steps to improve conditions of human beings as yet unborn? Only if we are more ambitious for the present are we likely to care sufficiently about the future to make the necessary changes in individual behaviour and to social and economic structures.
Our universalist social morality needs further work if its going to help us combat global warming: the principle of equality of interests needs to be extended in scope to include future inhabitants of the planet. We cannot avoid the fact that at some point in the future our planet will cease to make a viable home for humankind, not as a consequence of our own avoidable neglect, but because cosmological forces beyond our control will inevitably come into play. Nonetheless, there is no reason why we should not set our sights high and aim, for example, to put in place measures to assure the life-sustaining capacity of the planet for another ten thousand years - the same period as has passed since human culture began to flourish in the aftermath of last ice-age.
If the interests of all human beings - present and future - are to be treated equally, then we can make a number of statements which must be true. These statements describe the component values which go to make up our social morality. They are derived from what we known to be the crucial ingredients for any human being to live a happy, healthy and fulfilled life.
First and foremost is the belief that every human life needs to be economic viably. Each person needs to be able to find the economic opportunities necessary to obtain adequate food, clothing and housing, for without these life is impossible. As infants and children we require those life-sustaining essentials to be provided for us by parents or other adults. We also need to be provided with a degree of security from physical danger, be they attacks from wild animals, or the consequences of wandering across a busy road unaccompanied by a responsible carer. All of us require access to adequate health care, and the evidence of our recent history suggests that access to education of a certain standard is key to a fulfilled life. Time for leisure and relaxation is also important, as are opportunities to explore our apparently innate desire for creative expression, along with the chance to be involved in collective activities. Freedom of thought and expression are crucial as is the capacity to organise politically. Finally, the freedom and opportunity to practice and follow any spiritual or religious belief. This list is not exhaustive, but it covers the all that is most important in living a full and fulfilled life. If we are serious about treating all people's interests equally, then integral to our belief system must be an acknowledgement that everyone has an equal right to each of these things. These are the things we value most, so these are the values which we are prepared to defend and promote in respect of all human beings, now and far into the future. Of course, if these values are truly universal, it means that no individual or group can take action in pursuit of any of these ends for themselves in any way which denies access to the same for others.
Clearly, a world which has become so polluted and ravaged by the effects of global warming is not going to provide either an ecological or economic platform in which these opportunities will remain available to any but a small minority of human beings. This might seem obvious, but it does no harm to remind ourselves precisely what we are fighting for as we struggle to find an effective strategy to reverse global warming.
We have a social morality, we know the essential values that shape it, but on its own, this understanding is not enough bring about the required change. Next we need to consider the source of those values, and the means by which they can help inform and direct individual behaviour and promote the necessary changes to social and economic structures.
Philosophers have argued about the source and merit of human values for several thousand years. In the early days of human civilisation, it was generally accepted that the values which encourage equality, justice and coooperation must be derived from some non-human source. As much early individual and collective behaviour seemed to demonstrate a complete absence of such values, a minority of learned and enlightened souls concluded that the only chance of persuading the masses to show more concern for their neighbours was to suggest that a higher power - - one endowed with ultimate power and authority and not afraid to use it - required us to take some account of the interests of others. To love thy neighbour as thyself. The invocation of gods, and ultimately a single God, as the source of moral authority and values clearly played a major role in 'civilising' human culture, although more recent evidence suggests the 'God' strategy to be rather limited in its capacity for progressive social change.
Certain thinkers among the ancient Greeks were less persuaded by the arguments for an external source of moral values, and set about constructing a secular basis for ethics: a way of understanding how human beings came to articulate their understanding of right and wrong which allowed for the possibility of moral values not being derived from an extra-human source at all, but instead being constructed by humans individually, or as a consequence of social interaction and cultural advance. This began a debate which has been the staple diet of moral philosophers ever since. Since the Enlightenment, rationality or human reason has begun to win out in the argument over the source of moral values, but while the debate has remained illuminating and ever fresh, it has remained frustratingly limited.
So much attention has been paid to determining the source of moral value, that it goes seems to go unnoticed that the considerable improvement in the moral awareness and understanding of many people, seems to have little impact on reality. The argument between those who argue for a traditional religious or extra-human source of moral value, and those who argue for a secular or rational source ramble on as if there are only two alternatives. Little mention is made of the role of individual human emotions and feelings or the role of empathy in shaping values. And there is certainly no place for a third source of moral value, a source that many people would call spiritual. In the industrialised world, where highly educated population is no longer convinced by argument for a religious source of moral value, and is all to aware of what happens to society when rationality becomes the principal driving force for change, the effect has been to alienate many millions of people from the processes by which social decisions are made.
If polled, a large and growing proportion of the population would state that neither religion or rationalism adequately explain the phenomenon of moral value on human culture or the individual psyche. They might not be able to tell you with intellectual conviction what that source is, but their many and varied prescriptions would, I believe, fit loosely under the umbrella of what has come to be known as spiritualism. Growing numbers of people are motivated by what they perceive to be a spiritual force, the source of which is not identifiable in rational of scientific terms, but which enables them, instinctively or intuitively, not only to make decisions about right or wrong, but also to make judgements about the moral rectitude of statements about what it will take to transform the world into a just and equitable home for all human beings, and to preserve it as such for the next several millennia.
There is also frustratingly little debate about the process by which values shape and drive the process of change in society and culture, and none at all, as far as I have been able to discover, about the relative merits of differently sourced values in respect their efficacy in bringing about change. This is an important question. Many of the values outlined above are held by many people, and each can be derived religiously, rationally or spiritually. It is possible that the key to promoting the kind of change necessary to combat global warming is sufficient numbers of people holding the right values, regardless of people's perception of the source of those values. But what if the perceived source does make a difference?
It is not easy measure moral progress within a society, and even harder to compare the moral progress of one epoch with that of another. Huge advances in moral awareness occurred during the 19th century in the wake of the Enlightenment, yet the twentieth century gave us the two most devastating wars in history as well as the holocaust. There certainly seems to be a trend for increased moral aspiration over time: as society advances, more people seems to believe in the possibility of a better world, but there seems to be no correlation between this increased ambition and reality. This observation finds its most worrying example in the case of global warming.
So what is the link between values and change? And are spiritually sourced values more or less likely to bring about change that religiously or rationally sourced values? Surely it is time that spiritual values were given a chance. The track records of religiously sourced values up to the Enlightenment and of rationally sourced values since, are both very poor. Neither seem up to the task of reversing global warming, not least because of the global nature of the problem and the need for action now. Organised religion once provided the means by which a privileged minority were able to maintain power and keep society reasonably stable. Today religion serves a quite different purpose, providing a collective voice for the huge swathe of humankind which with some justification perceives itself to be to be economically excluded, exploited or oppressed. This is progress of a sort, but it is unlikely to help combat global warming.
Rationality alone is not sufficient a force for the rapid and transformational change required because it does not appeal to instinct, emotion or empathy. It is too cerebral to trigger conscience in the individual. Moral philosophy still has depressingly little to say about social conscience, the means by which the scope of moral concern in individuals is extending to include all human beings.
There is only one vehicle through which the values held by individuals can be translated into social change: our system of democratic politics. The current failure of democracy failing to provide solutions to the problems of poverty and global warming does not mean that democracy itself is at fault, only that our democracy has been corrupted by the defenders of minority wealth and privilege in pursuit of quite different goals. If spiritually sourced values offer the only hope of saving our planet and civilisation from the ravages of environmental breakdown, we need to understand why spiritualism is failing to influence the democratic process. It fails on two levels. First it fails to appeal to sufficient numbers of people, and second, among those for whom it has become central to their belief system and world view, too few are sufficiently involved in the democratic process to make a difference.
Both failings will be difficult to remedy, but we have no choice given the urgency of the situation. How are we to get more people to identify with and adopt spiritualism in their lives? Given the importance of spiritually sourced values, spiritualism becomes not just a lifestyle choice, but the key factor in the survival of our planet. What distinguishes spiritualism from other belief systems or ideologies is that it has no fixed creed, it requires the practice of no particular forms of prayer, contemplation or meditation; it requires the following of no particular god, guru or leader. It is a way of life which is usually embraced by individuals voluntarily, rarely as a consequence of prosletysation or of social or peer pressure. This suggests that spiritualism offers more hope than traditional religion based belief systems and more recent secular-driven political ideologies, although it does present problem in respect of the need to get many millions of people to take up spiritual values quickly enough to address the immediate crisis.
This is not the place to debate the meaning or content of a spiritual life. There are almost as many descriptions of what it is to lead a spiritual life as there are advocates of spiritualism. What we do know, many of us having experienced a non-spiritual lifestyle before embracing spiritualism, is that given the choice, we would never return to a non-spiritual form of existence. Perhaps the essence of the spiritual existence is the sense of oneness with nature and all of life that the sense of spirit embodies. This sense provides so powerful a feeling that it is hardly surprising that spiritualism has for so long concerned itself with questions of the survival the planet and our species. It is a sense which makes those of use fortunate enough to experience it uniquely aware of how lucky we are and how wonderful it is to be alive. What must motivate us now is the determination to make that experience available to all of humankind in perpetuity,
But if the rest of humankind is to benefit from the insights and understanding of those of us who consider ourselves spiritually guided, then some form of political organisation is necessary. The principal criticism of those who pursue a spiritual lifestyle is that we tend to be isolationist. We gather ourselves into groups of like-minded individuals. It is very rewarding and quite natural to enjoy the company of people who feel as we do, but it will not help to save the world as long as our numbers remain so small. The only way to do that is to generate a platform for the promotion of our often misunderstood spiritual values through democratic politics.
Politics is seen by many as a complete turn-off; not only is it dull, it seems unable to address many of the problems which most people would like to see resolved. It is ignored and avoided because people are increasingly unable to relate what goes for politics to the reality of their daily lives. One of the reasons people detest politics is because it is deeply aspiritual, and this deters everybody, because politics does not even try to appeal to the spiritual side of people's lives, even those yet to discover their spiritual side.
It seems unlikely that any of the established political parties could provide a platform for a new spiritual politics. Even the Green Party is struggling under the burden of involvement in a largely unchanged political landscape. It has had some notable successes, but seems little closer to power, or to persuading the longer established parties to adopt policies which will give us a serious chance of saving the planet.
A new political party is required as a vehicle for people who care passionately about their fellow humans and about the fate of the planet. A party which will be founded and shaped by spiritual values and spiritual people. It will be a party which will be open to anyone who shares those values, passions and concerns, and its mission will be to use the mechanisms of democracy to encourage greater understanding and adoption of spiritual values and to bring about the changes in individual behaviour and social and economic structures to save the planet.
Without spiritual values there is simply no hope of effectively addressing the current crisis of values or the threat to our planet. But the spiritually inclined and motivated will have to get their hands dirty - we will have to engage with the rest of humankind in ways which will at times be uncomfortable and will often cause us to doubt our resolve. If the human spirit is to survive, then the planet must remain a viable home for current and future generations, and this demands a new spiritually guided politics, one which must challenge ignorance and inaction, and bring about conditions in which the power of spiritualism, rather than the dry and emotionless ethic of secularism becomes the driving force for progressive social change.


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December 2008
In least than 12 hours, Eastern time…
It will be 2009.
I really hate to see 2008 go, or at least the part of it that involved my Phillies going all the way for the second time in the organization's 126 years history. But, I'm also looking forward to the year as the Phillies try for their second divisional threepeat in the team's history as well as trying to become the first National League team since the Big Red Machine of Cincinnati did it back in 1975-76.
As for me, sorry about the lack of content but at the moment I just do not have the time to write. But, next week I should be able to continue my year-by-year look at the team's long history with a look at 1886, year 4, as well as my new feature, which will be a look at the players, owners, managers who have contributions to the team's history. Also, I hope to put up a new report on Charlie Ferguson, seeing if I am right about my ending comment in the short bio that I'd wrote about him actually getting into the Hall of Fame if not for his early death after four years of pitching for the Phillies. I have already finished putting together a projection to see how he would have done after being in the majors for 10 and 15 years if he was not converted into an everyday player, as Babe Ruth would be after he has started hitting monster home runs in the late teens of the 20th Century. I just need to make a comparison between him and other Hall of Fame pitchers from the same period of time and I should be set. Keeping my fingers crossed.
With all that, have a Happy New Year, folks, and may 2009 be a whole lot better for you than 2008 ended up being.
Christmas is almost upon us.
Well, Christmas is almost here. Anyway, I'm going to keep this short.
A very Merry Christmas to everyone out there who reads my blog.
As for my Christmas wish? Please, as if there would be any doubt. My Phils doing a threepeat as the NL Eastern Division Champs next year, as well as repeating as the NL and World Series Champs.
Yeah, yeah, I know, I know, there's already rumblings coming from New York City that either the Yankees or the Mets are going to do it next year, thanks to whom they have just gotten because of their money, but, I going to just sit back and let the players decide things on the field and not listen to folks who just might, when things are all said and done, be getting out the salt and pepper shakers and the codiments packets and getting ready to eat their words if they end up being wrong.
Anyway, once more Merry Christmas every one.
Phillies has just signed Gary Majewski to a minor league contract, may invite him to spring training for chance at a job in the bullpen.
The Phillies has just signed former Cincinnati Reds' reliever Gary Majewski to a minor league contract. The five years veteran finished the 2008 season with a 6.53 ERA in 40 innings of work for the Redlegs. Majewski, a former second-round 1998 pick of the Chicago White Sox, who has a mid-90s fastball and a slider, has a current career ERA of 4.61 from 240 1/3 innings of work. Majewski, who seems to work best with men on base, will probably be invited to Spring Training to fight for a spot in the relief corps, which was the best in the National League in 2008 with a 3.22 ERA.
Majewski, who may not be part of the team at the start of the 2009 season, is more than likely being brought in as a possible insurance policy in case one of those who do make the team inside the bullpen gets injured during the regular season. If that is the case, then this will hopefully end up being a good move on the Phillies' part, if Majewski can continue working well with men on base, something that the Phillies will probably be needing during the regular season.
Anyway, welcome aboard, Gary. Wish you luck trying to make the team in 2009.
Philadelphia Phillies – The Players: Charlie Ferguson, the Phillies' unknown first star.
I'm sure that most Phillies fans have probably never even heard of Charlie Ferguson, or if they have, know very little about him. Well, to be rather frank, I was among those who have never even heard of him, until I'd started doing my year-by-year look at our loveable losers and discovered him for the very first time, while also discovering that before his untimely death in 1888, at a very young age, from typhoid fever, he was developing into the team's first true pitching star, way before the more well known Hall of Famer Grover Cleveland Alexander.
Ferguson was born on April 17, 1863, in Charlotteville, Virigina, the home of American Presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe, and located near the strategic Shenandoah Valley, an area that during his youth would be constantly fought over by Northern and Southern troops during the country's Civil War, while the city would itself be spared. Going to the University of Pennsylvania for his college education, where he would learn to play baseball, Ferguson would come back home after graduation and proceed to play for the Virginia member of the Eastern (now International) League in 1883. His team would win the Eastern League pennant that year, while his pitching would catch the eyes of the Philadelphia Quakers (now Phillies), who were preparing for their second year as a member of the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or the NL. After signing a contract, he would make his Major League debut on May 1, 1884, pitching against the Detroit Wolverine in Philadelphia at Recreation Park. He would be the game's winning pitcher, as the Phillies would trounce the Wolverines 13-2. During his rookie season, he would pitch in 50 games, starting in 47 of them, and completing all but one of his starts, while finishing up three more. His record would be 21-25, thus becoming the franchise's first twenty-game winner, as well as saving one other game, and throwing two shut outs, as he ended the season with an ERA of 3.54. Ferguson would pitch in 416.7 innings that year, giving up 297 runs, 164 of which would be earned, on 443 hits, as he struck out 194 batters while walking only 93 and giving up 13 home runs. In his rookie season he would be among the NL leaders in games (6), games started (6), complete games (6), games finished (3), wins (7), loses (2), saves (2), shut outs (10), innings pitched (6), strikeouts (7), hits allowed (6), walks (7), earned runs allowed (1), home runs allowed (7) and walks (7).
After helping lead the team to a 6th place finish in 1884, he would lead them to a third place finish in 1885, as he would have his second straight twenty-win season, as he would go 26-20 that year, with an ERA of 2.22. Ferguson would this time pitch in only 48 games, starting and completing 45 of them, of which five were shut outs, while finishing three other games. He would pitch in 405 innings, giving up just 197 runs, only 100 of which would be earned, on just 345 hits, as he would rung up 197 strike outs while walking just 81 batters and giving up only 5 home runs. On August 29, 1885, in Philadelphia, he would pitch the first Phillies' No-Hitter, as he would blank the Providence Grays, 1-0. In his second season as a Phil, he would be among the league leaders in games (8), games started (9), complete games (8), games finished (1), wins (5), win/lost percentage (8), ERA (7), shut outs (6), innings pitched (7), strikeouts (6), hits allowed (10) and walks (10). He would also hit .306 for that year, in which he would play 15 games in the outfield for a grand total of 61 games.
1886 would be his breakout season, as he would become the Phillies' first thirty-game winner as he would go 30-9, with a 1.98 ERA, in 48 games pitched, of which 45 would be starts, completing 43. He would also pitch four shut outs that year, while he would finish two other games, and collect two saves. In 395.7 innings of work, he would give up just 145 runs, of which 87 would be earned, on only 317 hits, while striking out 212 batters and walking only 69, while giving up 11 home runs. In his junior year as a Phil, he would be among the leaders in games (7), games started (9), complete games (7), games finished (7), wins (6), win/lost percentage (2), saves (1), ERA (2), shut outs (2), innings pitched (7), strikeouts (8), and home runs allowed (6). Although his efforts would help to improve the team's overall record, the Phillies would end the year in fourth place in the National League.
In 1887, his pitching record would drop as he would end the season going only 22-10 with an ERA of 3.00, in just 37 games, of which 33 would be starts, he would complete 31 of them, with 2 of them being shut outs, while he would finish four out other games, collecting a save. In only 297.3 innings of work, he would give up 154 runs, of which 99 would be earned, on 297 hits, while he would strike out 125 batters, while walking only 47 and giving up 13 home runs. In his fourth season as a Phil, he would be among the league leaders in only games finished (2), wins (8), win/lost percentage (3), saves (1), ERA (3), shut outs (5) and strikeouts (5).
The main reason for his pitching drop was because the Phillies' manager, future Hall of Famer Harry Wright, an early strategist of the game, had decided to place Ferguson's strong bat into the Phils' regular lineup for the pennant run, as Ferguson would end up playing six games in the outfield, five games at third base, and twenty-seven ballgames at second base, playing that position for the final eight weeks of the season, as he would replace the bats of a couple of second baseman who were hitting a combine total of only .214. In 72 games, Ferguson would hit .337, going to the plate 264 times, knocking in 85 runs on 89 hits, while scoring 67 runs, Ferguson would hit 14 doubles, 6 triples and 3 home runs, while stealing 13 bases. He would walk 34 times while striking out only 19. He would miss out being the team's leading batter for that year, because he would not have enough plate appearances. He would, though, end up leading the team in RBIs. Ferguson's strong bat would help the Phillies end up a strong second to the Detroit Wolverines.
The Phillies' strong finish at the end of the 1887 season, going 16-0-1 in their last seventeen games, would make the team confident of being able to challenge for their first NL pennant when the team entered spring training in 1888. Sadly, it was not to be as they would be struck an early blow in camp as Charlie Ferguson would be struck down by typhoid fever, dying to the dreaded disease on April 29, at the young age of 25. Ferguson would be sent back home to Charlotteville, Virginia, where he would be buried in Maplewood Cementery. During the 1888 season, in which the Phillies would drop to third place in the standings, the Phillies, the Giants, the Beaneaters and the Washington Nationals would all commemorate his passing by wearing a black crepe on their left shoulders of their team uniforms.
During his four years as a Phil, Charlie Ferguson would pitch in 183 games, starting in 170 and completing 165, while finishing 12 others. He would have a winning record of 99-64, with a winning percentage of .607, having 13 shut outs and four saves. In 1514.2 innings pitched, he would give up only 793 runs, 450 of which would be earned, on 1402 hits. He would strike out 728 batters while only walking 290, while giving up only 42 home runs. His career ERA would be 2.67. His career batting average would be .288 in 257 total games played, getting 191 hits in 963 at-bats, knocking in 157 runs while scoring 191. He would have a career total of 37 doubles, 13 triples and 6 home runs, while stealing 22 bases. Ferguson would walk 113 times while striking out 119. His 99 wins would land him in 8th place on the all-time Phillies' win lists, trailing the likes of Hall of Famers Steve Carlton, Robert Roberts and Alexander, as well as Chris Short and possible future Hall of Famer Curt Schilling, while his 64 losses would have him tied for 24th place on that list. His ERA would place him 6th. Ferguson would also be 17th in games started, 4th in complete games, 11th in innings pitched and strikeouts and tied for 14th in shut outs, as well as be among the top 50 in several other pitching categories.
With Ferguson's death, the Phillies would lose a chance to win a NL pennant before the turn of the century. Although the team would remain a member of the first division, except during the period 1895-97, they would not reach second place again until 1901. His early death would also deny Ferguson a place among baseball immortals at the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, N.Y., as it would be more than likely he would have won enough games, based on his winning 99 games in just four years with a then good Phillies team, to get the nod via the Veterans Committee, if not for his being stricken down by typhoid.
Main sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Ferguson_%281880s_pitcher%29 – Wikipedia page
http://www.19cbaseball.com/players-charlie-ferguson.html – Biography at Baseball History: 19th Century Baseball.com
http://www.baseball-reference.com//f/ferguch01.shtml – Stats at Baseball-reference.com
http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Obits_F/Ferguson.Charles01.Obit.html – Charlie Ferguson's Philadelphia Inquirer obit – TheDeadballEra.com
Other sources: Wikipedia, Baseball Almanac.com, Baseball-reference.com, Phillies.com: Team History, Baseball History: 19th Century Baseball.com
Chase Utley's quick thinking throw to home plate in Game 5 of the 2008 World Series is voted the 2008 Postseason Moment of the Year by the fans in the This Year in Baseball Awards.
Chase Utley's faking a throw to first and then throwing home to nail the Rays' Jason Bartlett for the final out in the top of the seventh inning to keep Game 5 of the World Series tied has been voted the 2008 Postseason Moment of the Year by the fans in MLB.com's annual This Year in Baseball Awards, receiving 35.6 percent of the votes, beating out fellow Phil Brad Lidge's striking out Erik Hinske in the top of the ninth to clinch the Phillies winning of the 2008 World Series, 4 games to 1.
Congratulations on winning the fan award, Chase.
Philadelphia Phillies – Year 3: Finishing in the first division for the first time, at third place.
With Harry Wright still the team's manager and with second-year pitcher Charlie Ferguson becoming a rising star, the Quakers/Phillies would begin 1885 attempting its first serious run at the National League pennant, with a chance to meet the winner of the other recognized major league, the American Association, in a post season playoff system, which would be a precusor to today's World Series, which was first established in 1884, where the National League Champions Providence Grays would end up defeating the American Association Champions New York Metropolitans, 3-0, in a best of three games series.
The Phillies would face a National League that would be slightly different from the one that they had joined in 1883, as the Cleveland Blues franchise would fold early in the year, while the New York Gothams would change their name to the Giants, based on a comment that was suppose to have been said by their player/manager Jim Mutrie, after a victory over the Phillies in the previous season: "My big fellows! My giants!" The franchise that would replace the Blues in the NL would be the best team from the failed third major league of the previous season, the Union Association Champions, the St. Louis Maroons. Along with the Maroons, the Giants and the 'World Champions' Grays, the Phillies in 1885 would face the Beaneaters, the Bisons, the Wolverines and the White Stockings.
The Phillies would begin the 1885 season with a twenty-three games home stand that would cover all of May and their first game in June. During this long home stand, they would play a game with the league champs Grays, followed by two with the Beaneaters, another game with the Grays, then two more with the Beaneaters, before playing eight straight two-games series with the Wolverines, the White Stockings, the Wolverines again, the White Stockings again, the Maroons, the Bisons, the Maroons again, the Bisons again, and then a single game with the Giants. The Phillies would start the season off on a sour note as they would lose their first three home games by scores of 8-2, 2-0 and 9-8, before going on a six-games winning streak, which would include a 15-5 crushing of Boston, followed by 10-3 and 17-8 drubbings of the Wolverines. After dropping two straight games to their western nemesis, the White Stockings, they would then win two straight games against the Maroons, winning the second game by the lop-sided score of 12-1, before losing the first game in their two-games series with the Bisons. The Phils would then go on a five-games winning streak, thus ending May with a winning record of 14-8, the team's best start in its short history.
The Phillies would start off June, and end their home stand, with a lost to the Giants, giving them a 14-9 home stand. This game would be the start of a four-game, Philadelphia to New York and back again series between the two clubs. After defeating the Giants in New York, the Phillies would drop their second home game with New York, before dropping the second game in NY. The Phils would then go on an eight-games road trip to the east coast, meeting the Grays for two-games, the Beaneaters for two, and then going to Providence, Boston, Providence and then Boston again for the last four games of the trip. The Phillies would lose both of their games with the Grays, before finally breaking their four-games losing streak with a victory over Boston. After losing their second game with Boston, they would defeat the Grays, before losing the next two games in Boston and Providence. They would then end their nine-games road trip with a victory over the Beaneaters, thus ending their Eastern trip with a 3-7 record. After splitting another Philadelphia to New York series with the Giants, losing at home and winning in New York, the Phillies would go on their first trip to the west, planning to meet the White Stockings, the Maroons, the Bisons and the Wolverines for several four-games series, for the rest of June and the start of July. After losing the first two games, the Phillies would end their visit to Chicago with a series split, as they would win the last two games. Going to St. Louis for the first time in the organization's existance, their would lose the first three games of the series, thus ending the month with a sour record of 7-14, while having an overall record of 21-22 for the season.
July would begin with the Phillies winning the final game of their first road series in St. Louis. After losing the first game of their series with the Bisons, the Phillies would sweep a July 4th doubleheader from them by the scores of 10-5 and 7-2, the first doubleheader sweep in the franchise's history. The Phils would then lose the last game of their series with the Bisons, then lose their first two games with the Wolverines, before splitting the last two games, thus ending the road trip with a 6-10 record. The Phillies would then come home to play a twenty-games home stand for the rest of July and early August, in which they would play seven straight two-games series with the Beaneaters, the Grays, the Wolverines, the Maroons, the Wolverines again, the Maroons again, and the White Stockings, before playing a single game with the Bisons, followed by two more games with the White Stockings and then three more games with the Bisons, before they would go on another east coast road trip. The Phillies would start the home stand by splitting their series with Boston, before being swept by Providence. After splitting the next two series, they would sweep their second two-games series with Detriot, including a 19-2 rout, before being swept themselves by both the Maroons and the White Stockings, with the later two games being 2-0 and 9-0 shut outs. The Phillies would thus end July just as badly as they had ended June, with a 9-14 record, while their overall record would now be a somewhat respectible 30-36.
After starting August by defeating the Bisons, the Phillies would be swept once again by the White Stockings, before ending the home stand by winning two of their three games with the Bisons, thus ending the home stand with an 8-12 record. The Phils would then visit Boston, Providence and New York for three straight two-games series on the road. The Phils would sweep the Grays, then spilt their series with the Beaneaters, before being swept by the Giants, to end up with a 3-3 road trip. They would then participate in a six-games home stand with the Beaneaters for two games, the Grays for three and the Giants for one. After splitting the series with Boston, the Phillies would then proceed to sweep the Grays, starting it with a 2-0 blanking in the series' first game, and ending it with Charlie Ferguson pitching a 1-0 no-hitter against the Grays on August 29, the first no-hitter in the franchise's history. The Phils would then end their home stand by losing to the Giants for a 4-2 home stand and ending the month with an 11-11 record. The team's overall record would now be at 41-47.
The Phillies would start off September by visiting the Giants, before playing against them at home for two more games. After losing the game in New York, the Phillies would sweep New York at home, which would be their last home games of the year, as they would now spend the rest of September and all of their October games on the road. With their two wins over the Giants, they would end the year with a 29-26 mark at home, while their overall record at this point would be 43-48. Their long twenty-games road trip would include two straight two-games series with the Grays and the Beaneaters, before ending with four four-games series with the four western teams, the Bisons, the Wolverines, the Maroons and the White Stockings. After splitting the series with Providence, they would sweep the two-games series with Boston. After losing the first game in Buffalo, they would win the next three games against the Bisons, before going to Detroit and losing the series with the Wolverines, 1-3. The Phillies would then go to St. Louis, where they would win their last game in September, to end the month with a 10-6 record, and an overall record of 51-53, now just two games under .500.
The Phillies would start October with a 3-3 tie against the Maroons, before sweeping the next two games to take the series at 3-0-1. In their last series of the year, against Chicago, after losing the first game, they would win their last three games of the season, to end the month with a 5-1-1 record, and the road trip at 13-6-1, as they would end the season at 56-54-1. This would land them in third place for the first time in the team's history with a .509 winning percentage, three games ahead of the fourth place Grays, 28 games behind the second place Giants and 30 games behind the 1885 NL Champs, the White Stockings. The team's road record would end up being 27-28-1.
The Phillies would meet the other teams in the National League sixteen times each, except for the Grays, whom they would meet fifteen times. They would have winning records against five of those teams (Beaneaters, Bisons, Wolverines, Grays and Maroons) with their best record being against the Bisons at 11-5. Their worst records would be against the White Stockings and the Giants, both ending up at 5-11. The Phillies would be 10-9 in shut outs, 13-12 in 1-run games and 17-19 in blowouts. The Phillies would play 55 games at home before 150,698 fans.
In 111 games played, Phillies batters would end up being second in doubles (156), fourth in walks (220), fifth in at-bats (3893), runs scored (513) and home runs (20) and sixth in hits (891), triples (35), strike outs (401), batting average (.229), slugging percentage (.302) and on-base percentage (.270), while also having 327 rbis. Among pitchers, the team ended up second in hits allowed (860), third in ERA (2.39), wins (56), complete games (108), shut outs (10), runs allowed (511), home runs allowed (18), walks given up (218), fourth in innings pitched (976), fifth in saves (0) and strike outs (378) and sixth in loses (54), while also finishing three games, giving up 259 earned runs, throwing 63 wild pitches and being called for three balks.
Individually, the team leaders in offensive categories would be Joe Mulvey at Batting Average (.269), Slugging Percentage (.393), Hits (119), Total Bases (174), Doubles (25), Triples and Home Runs (6 each) and RBIs (64), Ed Andrews in on-base percentage (.318), runs scored (77) and singles (94), Sid Farrar and Jim Fogarty in games played (111), Jack Manning in at-bats (445), total plate appearances (482) and walks (37) and Charlie Bastian in strikeouts with 82. Among pitchers, Charlie Ferguson and Ed Daily would be tied for the team lead in wins with 26, becoming the first pitchers to win 20 or more games in the same year in franchise's history, while Daily would become the team's second twenty-games winner. Daily would also lead the team in ERA (2.21), games pitched (50), innings pitched (440), home runs allowed (12), walks (90), hits allowed (370), loses (23), earned runs allowed (108), and wild pitches (40), while Ferguson led the team in strikeouts (197), shut outs (5) and games finished (3).
The Phillies' third place finish would, for the moment, place them among the league's elite, while they prepare to compete for a league pennant in 1886.
Sources: Wikipedia, Baseball Almanac.com, Baseball-reference.com, Baseball History: 19th Century Baseball.com
Brad 'Lights Out' Lidge has been voted Closer of the Year by the fans in MLB.com's This Year in Baseball Awards.
Lights Out Lidge has been voted the Closer of the Year by the fans at MLB.com's This Year in Baseball Awards, after going 41 for 41 in save opportunities, and adding seven more saves in the post season, thus going 48 for 48 for the year, before striking out the Rays' Eric Hinske in the ninth inning for the final out in the fifth and final game of the 2008 World Series won by the Phillies 4 games to 1. Lidge would win the award in a land slide, receiving 44 percent of the votes cast to Mariano Duncan of the Yankees 22.7 percent.
Anyway, congratulations to Brad Lidge, and the Phillies in general, on winning another award, this time by the fans.
Charlie Manuel voted Manager of the Year, Pat Gillick voted Executive of the Year by fans in This Year in Baseball Award Voting.
While finishing second in the National League Manager of the Year voting by the Baseball writers, Charlie Manuel has been voted Manager of the Year by the fans in MLB.com's This Year in Baseball Award Voting presented by State Farm, as he beat out Joe Maddon of the American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays, getting 36.3 percent of the overall total of 12 million votes cast in all categories. Maddon would receive 20.5 percent of the vote.
Pat Gillick, the recently retired General Manager of the Phillies, who help to develop the team that would win the Phils second World Championship in the team's 126 years history, has been voted the Executive of the Year by the fans, receiving 31.8 percent of the vote, beating out Boston Red Sox General Manager Theo Epstein.
Congratulations, guys. The fans obviously knew who were the best men this year in both categories.
Ibanez passes physical, is now officially a Phil. Pat Burrell more than likely out.
Raul Ibanez is now officially a Phil as he passes his physical and has just officially signed his three-year deal with the Phillies for $31.5 Million dollars. With his signing, Ibanez will become the Phillies new left fielder, replacing Pat Burrell, whose lead off double in the bottom of the seventh inning in the rain suspended fifth game of the 2008 World Series would lead to the game's winning run and the Phils winning their second World Championship in the team's 126 years history.
Goodbye, Pat. Thanks for the nine years of helping the team become World Champs and I really do wish you luck in joining a new club. Just don't sign with another team in the NL East, okay?😉
Well, Jamie has finally re-signed with the Phillies, and for two years. What was the hold up, Ruben?
During the 2 pm progress report on Chase Utley's right hip, Phillies General Manager Ruben Amaro announced that the Phillies have re-signed veteran pitcher Jamie Moyer to a new two-year contract. The 22 years veteran went 16-7 for the Phils in 33 starts, with a 3.71 ERA in 2008, being the team leader in wins. In a two plus month period, from June 6 to August 21, he would give up three earned runs or less to opposing team. The soon to be 47 years old, has a record of 246-185 in 637 games (548 starts) with a 4.19 ERA, tied for 47th place on the all-time Major League wins list, while being presently third among active starters, with the recent retirement of Mike Mussina of the Yankees and Greg Maddux of the Padres/Dodgers. Since joining the Phillies in mid-2006, he has gone 35-21 with a 4.33 ERA in 74 starts, with the team going 46-28 (.622) in his starts, while pitching the divisional pennant clinchers in both 2007 and 2008, and having a good start in Game 3 of the World Series which the Phillies would win in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the ninth.
Moyer's re-signing means that the first four spots in the Phils' starting rotation (Cole Hamels, Brett Myers, Joe Blanton, Moyer) is now set, with the fifth and final spot now being an audition between Kyle Kendrick, J.A. Happ, prospect Carlos Carrasco and Chan Ho Park. Whether the Phils will continue to go after free agent Derek Lowe after signing Moyer and Park is a good question, especially when they should be looking out for a right handed power bat to help counter balance their recent signing of Raul Ibanez, and the obvious departure of Pat Burrell, to counter the presently loaded left-handed power of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. But such a signing would serve notice to the rest of the National League East, after the Mets' signing of free agent closer Francisco Rodriguez and their trade with Cleveland for J.J. Putz to be Rodriguez's set-up man to better their weak bullpen, that the Phillies will be looking to repeat as the National League Champions with a very strong starting rotation.


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Malaysian carrier AirAsia's proposal to set up a new low-cost airline in a joint venture (JV) with the Tata Sons and Telestra Tradeplace Ltd's Arun Bhatia won approval from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) on Wednesday. A senior Finance Ministry official, who attended the meeting, confirmed that development saying that the government cleared the proposal as it was in line with the FDI policy, which allowed foreign investment of up to 49 per cent. read more
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