text:
BP Comment Quick Links
|Strength of Schedule Report
January 10, 2013
Manufactured Runs
What Hall of Fame Voters are Doing to the Hall of Fame
The writers struck out looking. They were lobbed a fat pitch over the heart of the plate and they failed to even take a swing at it. Defenders will note, correctly, that it isn't the ninth inning. But it was the last at-bat of the eighth, and they face an exceedingly difficult challenge in coming back to win this thing.
The biggest takeaway is that there is a sizable contingent of voters who will refuse to vote for any player, no matter how qualified, if there's the barest taint of steroids on him, up to and including "playing the majority of his career after 1993." Many will cast this as a referendum on Bonds and Clemens, two of the sports' greatest stars who ended up in legal hot water over the use of performance-enhancing drugs. But a litany of deserving players, including Biggio, Bagwell, Piazza, and others, have been punished too, with little more than hearsay to incriminate them. This was a well stocked ballot, filled with newcomers with impressive resumes and a handful of players (like Raines and Trammell) who have been sadly overlooked. It's easy for even a seasoned analyst to find himself having to trim his list to meet the 10-player limit established by the voting process.
And the ballot crunch is only going to get worse over time. In 2014, the ballot will grow to include Greg Maddux, Frank Thomas, Mike Mussina, and Tom Glavine. In 2015, they'll be joined by Randy Johnson, Pedro Martinez, Gary Sheffield, and John Smoltz. In 2016, throw Ken Griffey and Jim Edmonds on the pile. That's potentially an entire ballot's worth of players coming onto the ballot in the next three years. Already, nearly a quarter of voters who have published their ballots individually are using the full 10 votes (according to this invaluable guide), and many of them are saying even 10 votes were not enough for this year's ballot. And yet only two players receiving significant vote percentages (Jack Morris and Alan Trammell) are set to come off the ballot during that time period. If the writers do not begin electing a significant number of players, they will quickly encounter a flood that threatens to overwhelm them.
To be sure, sorting out what did and did not happen in baseball during the past decade and change is a tremendous challenge. Figuring out who has and hasn't used steroids is a difficult task. We know that not everyone who used has been caught, either in the Mitchell report or through the testing program. What we do know, based upon players who have been caught, is that the stereotype of who juices is not very representative of the typical juicer. As I've written previously:
[I]f we look at players who have actually been identified as taking steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs—either through the Mitchell report or suspension by MLB—they aren't any bigger than the average player. The average PED user was 73 inches tall and 193 pounds. The average MLB player over the same time span was 74 inches, 195 pounds. If you cherry-pick a handful of examples (Barry Bonds, for instance), you can get an impression that PED users are larger than the typical MLB player. But considering the entirety of the available evidence, there's no support for the idea that larger players use PEDs at a higher rate than smaller players. Players that used banned substances during the "steroids era" came in all shapes and sizes.
What if [we consider not] body type, but position? Designated hitter has different offensive requirements than shortstop and no counterweighting defensive responsibilities. But let's look at changes in home runs per plate appearance between the two positions in the pre- and post-"steroids" era:
That's right, folks—the increase in home run rates for shortstops and designated hitters was essentially identical. DHs do hit more home runs than shortstops, but that's always been the case. This suggests one of two things:
Of course, both could be true - they're not mutually exclusive.
We also find, based on the record of known users, that hitters are not vastly more likely to use PEDs than pitchers. The litany of players who are known users of PEDs looks like a cross-section of MLB, not a profile of any particular kind of player.
What of the notion of guilt by association? Consider this Hall of Fame ballot from Pat Caputo of the Macomb Daily:
Bagwell and Biggio present more interesting cases. They get much more benefit of the doubt from writers, and not without some justification because their names haven't shown up on lists or in a book.
But look at all their connections to the Astros of that era — Ken Caminiti, Clemens, Andy Pettitte.
Bagwell's body had an incredible amount of muscle given his frame. It was like Barry Bonds' head in 2001 — it just didn't look normal.
Biggio is far less suspected because of his smaller frame, but he was on those teams, and reportedly close to those players, and his power numbers did suddenly and magically rise at one point of his career (not just home runs, but doubles), and before the Astros moved into a more hitter's friendly ball park. Again, I am very skeptical about there being any "magic" involved.
We can give Caputo some credit, in that he seems to recognize that not all steroid users look the part. (In some sense, he's paid more attention to the history of the steroid era than those who assert that Biggio is clean beyond a shadow of a doubt.) But the "evidence" he wields here is awfully flimsy.
Past Bagwell's body type and home run numbers, the case for either of them using PEDs is an increase in power and playing on the same team as some confirmed PED users. Let's take a look at Biggio's career, along with the percentage of teams who have had a player who was implicated in PED usage (either in the Mitchell Report, a positive test in MLB's program or some other source):
So what you can see here is that if you're using "played on a team with PED users" as your criteria for suspicion, you're casting a very wide net indeed.
But what about the boost in power? Let's look at home runs per plate appearance, before 1993 and after 1993, over the length of Biggio's career. The average player (weighted by playing time) saw his HR/PA increase by .007, or nearly 5 home runs in 650 plate appaerances. 76 percent of players (weighted by playing time) saw their HR/PA increase between those two samples.
The simple fact was that baseball saw rising offense during Biggio's career, and a host of factors (from stadiums to equipment) played into that. (Consult Jay Jaffe's chapter in Extra Innings for a thorough discussion). And if association with cheaters is your standard of evidence, there probably isn't a potential Hall of Fame hitter or pitcher from this era you couldn't cast aspersions on. (How many PED users has, say, Derek Jeter played with in his career?) It's a license for out-and-out witchhunts.
The troubling truth is that we don't know who used and who didn't, not completely. And we never will. And what's more, we will undoubtedly learn more about players after the induction process has run its course; one way or another, voters are almost assuredly going to make decisions that look worse with the benefit of hindsight.
So nobody should envy voters the challenge in front of them. But the writers of the BBWAA have accepted this responsibility, often are full-throated in their defense of their role in the process, and occasionally very protective of their role in the process. So this challenge is in front of them, and it's up to them to handle it.
Let's take a step back and reflect on the mission of the Hall of Fame:
The Hall of Fame's mission is to preserve the sport's history, honor excellence within the game and make a connection between the generations of people who enjoy baseball. Likewise the institution functions as three entities under one roof with a museum, the actual Hall of Fame and a research library. With these parts working together the Museum is committed to fulfilling its mission by:
Collecting, through donation, baseball artifacts, works of art, literature, photographs, memorabilia and related materials which focus on the history of the game over time, its players and those elected to the Hall of Fame.
Preserving the collections by adhering to professional museum standards with respect to conservation and maintaining a permanent record of holdings through documentation, study, research, cataloging and publication.
Exhibiting material in permanent gallery space, organizing on-site changing exhibitions on various themes, with works from the Hall of Fame collections or other sources, working with other individuals or organizations to exhibit loaned material of significance to baseball and providing related research facilities.
Interpreting artifacts through its exhibition and education programs to enhance awareness, understanding and appreciation of the game for a diverse audience.
Honoring, by enshrinement, those individuals who had exceptional careers, and recognizing others for their significant achievements.
At first blush, only the last item seems relevant to the matter at hand. But that's how the Hall fulfills its mission, not what its mission is – the Hall is dedicated to preserving history, honoring excellence and connecting generations of baseball fans.
The debate over the latest slate of players focuses on the second point, and focuses on the idea of honoring rather than the idea of excellence. Writers seem reticent to honor players who they believe engaged in questionable conduct, and that's understandable and, to an extent, admirable.
But that narrow focus ignores the other parts of the Hall's mission. Leaving out a single player, or even a small handful, may still allow the Hall to preserve history. (Although Barry Bonds, as the greatest player the game has ever seen, may in fact be the single player who challenges that notion.) But by refusing to induct hitters like Bagwell and Piazza who are so far merely tainted by association with this period in baseball history, voters would be rendering the Hall incapable of fulfilling that part of its mission fully. And in terms of connecting generations of baseball fans, leaving aside the stars of an entire era of play is actively detrimental to that goal. Fans who grew up watching those players will not forget their accomplishments; the Hall is incapable of conferring fame, merely recognizing it. A Hall without them, without the greatest players of an entire generation, simply delegitimizes itself.
Because for the Hall to continue its mission to connect generations of baseball fans, it needs to bring them there. Last year, roughly 20,000 fans showed up for induction weekend, and that was hardly a high-water mark for them (three times as many fans showed up in 2007). Induction weekend turnout like that could represent nearly 10 percent of the Hall's annual attendance – those induction crowds are a big driver of visitors to the Hall. And attendance figures have been slipping dramatically in recent years.
This is not a new phenomenon. In 1939, with the world going into war, the writers en masse made that critical decision that forever shaped the Hall of Fame -- they decided that players were getting into the Hall of Fame much too quickly. I suspect they were worried that if they kept voting in players EVERY YEAR, well, they couldn't trust themselves to keep the pristine standards of the Hall of Fame that they had just invented. They feared that the Hall of Fame could become watered down, filled with mediocrities, men unworthy of being in the same room as the Iron Horse and the Georgia Peach. No, they didn't want the unexceptional in their Hall of Fame -- I'm pretty sure that's how they saw it. Their Hall of Fame. A place with only -- ONLY -- the true immortals.
Well, you know how such efforts usually end up -- by having precisely the opposite happen. The writers did hold to the "true immortal standard" -- from 1940-1946, they elected exactly ONE player into the Hall of Fame. One. Rogers Hornsby. That was it
But here's the thing -- and we writers should be aware of this now too: The Hall of Fame didn't just stand still while the writers put on their shining armor and attempted to bar the doors. No, it doesn't work that way. Nobody wants a stagnant Hall of Fame. Nobody wants a Hall of Fame so exclusive that LEFTY FREAKING GROVE isn't good enough to get in. Starting in 1940, visitors to the Hall of Fame dropped dramatically. Obviously, World War II was by far the biggest reason, but with the writers locked in righteous inaction, the Hall of Fame stopped moving.
And of course the Hall could not and would not stand for this. We got a succession of second chances like the Veteran's Committee, which did elect people like Lefty Grove. But they also elected a succession of most of the Hall's worst players. Far from keeping the Hall more exclusive, by refusing to engage with the ballots in front of them, the writers indirectly led to a larger and less elite Hall of Fame instead.
Similarly, the Hall of Fame can not and will not allow the entirety of the modern era of baseball to be overlooked. Writers who are sending in blank ballots or one-player protest ballots (there are at least nine who have committed to doing so publicly) aren't being clever, they are being obstinate. Voters like Jon Heyman and Troy Renck who want more time to think about the candidates on this ballot… après Bonds, le déluge. The choices only get harder from here on out. And a lot of deserving guys, like Kenny Lofton, are going to get entirely overlooked as a result of this kind of a ballot crunch.
Journalists are said to write the first draft of history. Baseball journalists, through the Hall, have been given the rare opportunity to write the second draft. But they don't get to write the final draft, and their influence on it may not always take the shape they expect. Nobody will deny that the writers had a difficult task placed in front of them. But that shouldn't stop anyone from recognizing that they failed abjectly at it. Of course, journalists failed at the first draft, too – it took the likes of Jose Canseco to expose the use of PEDs in baseball, while the bulk of the BBWAA reported on them via press release and media scrum, not enterprise reporting. Our nation's baseball writers have moved from failing to ask tough questions to failing to answer them. The most likely outcome at this point is that the Hall will be forced to step in later and clean up the wreckage that results. And if history is any guide, they'll leave their own messes, ones much harder to fix.
Yes, there's another chance next year, but the task gets harder, not easier, from here on out. And right now, the members of the BBWAA seem to be too busy grandstanding to take advantage of it.
Colin Wyers is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @cwyers
46 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
A great article, thanks for the analysis. I agree that it is unfortunate there were not selections this year and the "guilty by association" implications of this ballot are a little disturbing. I hope this is a one off year for the journalists who are making a statement to Bonds and Clemens, more than anything else. The all powerful journalist has decided to make everyone sweat a little and we minions can just bask in their life lessons and thank our local newspapers for the lessons we are being taught.
Jan 09, 2013 12:58 PM
On another post I advocated getting the baseball writers out of the voting because they have no unique qualification to be gatekeepers. They may had in the 1930s but they no longer do. My position is the fans, by the nature of their emotional and financial support, and the players, by the nature of their abilities, are in the best position to decide who should be in the Hall of Fame. I recommended a process to allow them to vote on who should be enshrined.
Jan 09, 2013 13:14 PM
As an Englishman who only went to his first baseball game on holiday in Boston 15 years ago and fell in love with the game immediately maybe I just don't get it. But this whole debate is overwrought - bordering on the hysterical. Calm down.
Jan 09, 2013 23:49 PM
Awesome article, love the Joey Pos reference. I also love this sentence: "Our nation's baseball writers have moved from failing to ask tough questions to failing to answer them..." Has everyone forgotten that these same writers never seemed to notice this rampant steroid use while it was happening? And now they want the privilege of adjudicating on the character of all these players? It's too convenient. Hopefully after a year or two they realize the futility of trying to keep steroids issues out of the hall and we can start celebrating unarguably great players that we had the privilege of watching play baseball.
Jan 09, 2013 13:35 PM
If you argue you have to vote for someone because of his stats, some of which are "unreal", because there is no smoking gun evidence of steroid use, then how do you convict journalists, saying "they knew"? Where is the proof they knew? Maybe they feel like: This was an usual period. I don't believe we should celebrate cheaters and put them in HOF--let's not let sports become like everything corrupt institution in this country. We have around 15 years to sort this out. It probably won;t take that long but there is no need to rush." I vote for no one.
Jan 09, 2013 17:26 PM
Dear baseball writers: If you didn't vote for Piazza, Biggio, Bagwell and Raines, you DO NOT KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT BASEBALL TO HAVE AN OPINION THAT MATTERS. God, the stupidity!
Jan 09, 2013 13:47 PM
So many times i read about people needing to have an open mind instead of name-calling. Try this: No , you need to consider why they voted how they did. Maybe they saw no need to rush to judgment, especially in the PED era/ Look there are 14 more years to figure this out.
Jan 09, 2013 17:35 PM
There is a difference between being open-minded, and being unable to recognize something that is obvious and in plain sight within five years.
Jan 09, 2013 19:18 PM
Colin, with regard to your comparison between SS and DH. Didn't HRs by SS's increase by over 50% and DH's by under 25% so the increase by the SS's was actually double that if the DH's!
Jan 09, 2013 13:59 PM
Sure, that's one way of looking at it. But I'm not sure that it's the right way. The question really is one that I don't think anyone has the answer to: how exactly does steroid use affect home run production? If you have a shortstop that hit 2 HRs in Year 1 and 3 HRs in Year 2, he increased his output by 50%. If you have a DH who hit 30 HRs in Year 1 and 37 in Year 2, he increased his output by just under 25%. However, do we really think it's obviously steroids that made the SS hit ONE additional home run?
Jan 11, 2013 05:22 AM
Jan 09, 2013 14:41 PM
I mean, maybe his numbers add up but that's the first I've ever heard of Lofton in a serious HOF discussion.
Jan 09, 2013 14:43 PM
Dan W.
Then you probably don't listen (or read) enough.
Jan 09, 2013 19:35 PM
Ironic that Canseco gets blackballed for steroids and, a decade later, Lofton gets overlooked because of steroids.
Jan 09, 2013 14:46 PM
On the subject of other snubs... If Jack Morris is getting so much support, David Wells should've gotten more than 5 votes.
Jan 09, 2013 15:54 PM
This is just sad. The BBWAA has become a laughingstock. And if that point weren't abundantly clear at this point, look no further for evidence than that someone actually voted for Aaron Sele. Wow.
Jan 09, 2013 14:53 PM
Um, of all the courtesy votes and non-votes the BBWAA have done in the 36 years I've been alive, Aaron Sele is nowhere near the worst vote/nonvote.
Jan 09, 2013 15:11 PM
What were some egregious examples?
Jan 09, 2013 16:27 PM
Jim Deshaies' campaigning comes to mind right away. He may have ended up with more than one vote even, I honestly don't remember.
Jan 09, 2013 17:31 PM
Pick someone who spent most of their career in the Negro Leagues, for starters and didn't get a single vote because of the color barrier.
Jan 09, 2013 20:30 PM
No argument there, it just floors me every time I see one of these though.
Jan 10, 2013 08:31 AM
Great read. Im done with Hall of Fame to be completely honest. I don't care what the writers do. Theyve made it about them and not the players and I'm not taking part in that.
Jan 09, 2013 15:37 PM
Good. I disagree with you on today's vote but you are absolutely correct. It matters not one bit to us Joe Sixpacks who is in the BBWA HOF. When will fans realize this? We have lots of baseball sites on the internet where we can disagree with the "conventional wisdom"and we can write our own articles and books to make our cases. yes I responding to all this angst too but i find it fascinating that so many sabr type fans are tossing their cookies over this. Get a life!
Jan 09, 2013 17:30 PM
This is a great article. I wonder what percentage of players who played at least five years (as in appeared in at least one game in five separate years) were on a team with a "steroid user" (Mitchell Report or suspension). I bet it would be close to, if not actually, 100%.
Jan 09, 2013 15:38 PM
Great piece. Thank you, Colin.
Jan 09, 2013 19:01 PM
One thing no one has commented on (or, perhaps, that I have not seen commented on) is that the Directors of the Hall of Fame have been silent through all of this. They define the electorate. They define the criteria. They could say, "We're going to reconsider who is eligible to vote on Hall of Fame membership. Restricting it to 10-year members of the BBWA no longer makes sense." They could say, "We have sifted the evidence and have concluded that Players A, B, C,...will be omitted from the list of players eligible for election to the Hall of Fame." They have done neither of these things. Someone want to discuss that at as much length as we seem to want to discuss the shortcomings of the voters?
Jan 09, 2013 19:36 PM
The Macomb daily? How in the heck do some of these windbags get to vote for the Hall of Fame? The standards for the BBWWAA are obviously infinitely lower than that which these guys are holding the players to for entrance to the Hall.
Jan 09, 2013 20:08 PM
Link for the evidence on Piazza please.
Jan 09, 2013 20:36 PM
Jeff Pearlmen wrote about it in his book on Roger Clemens.
Jan 09, 2013 20:45 PM
Well, I guess if Reggie Jefferson and one unnamed veteran say so, what more proof could there possibly be??
Jan 09, 2013 22:29 PM
Paraphrasing a comment of mine from another thread:
Jan 09, 2013 20:34 PM
Jan 10, 2013 03:39 AM
Kyle Vester
Re: Jeter
Jan 10, 2013 07:01 AM
Great article, Colin. Hope you will consent to allow us to share it with non-BP subscribers. It needs to be disseminated as widely as possible.
Jan 10, 2013 09:20 AM
Colin Wyers
BP staff
It's outside the paywall now, thanks to Joe Hamrahi. So send the link around as much as you like.
Jan 10, 2013 09:36 AM
Three modest proposals to help fix the Hall of Fame.
Jan 10, 2013 14:42 PM
Not a subscriber? Sign up today!


text:
"Thank You, you have restored my faith in health insurance!"—Plan Participant
"I've had to deal with many customer service representatives in my years, and I really appreciate the time and consideration your Care Coordinators took in helping me. Never did they make me feel rushed, or feel uneducated… Heck, I'm a nobody, but even a nobody knows what it feels like when someone treats them like a somebody!" —Plan Participant
"You guys are great. You have saved me from a million headaches!" —Plan Participant
"I wanted you to know that your Care Coordinators are the most helpful people I have ever dealt with. This is a wonderful program and I really appreciate it. I am chronically ill and have had three surgeries and they made everything run so smoothly. You have taken so much pressure off of me and this is the best program I have ever experienced!" —Plan Participant
"Let me be the first one to tell you today, Thank you. You are the greatest thing since pockets on a shirt, right up there with sliced bread."—Plan Participant
"My Care Coordinators are so far ahead of me, they think of the answer before I even know the question."—Plan Participant
"Unfortunately, my husband and I have had to use the health plan a lot this year. I wanted you to know that I have called the Care Coordinators quite a bit and everyone I speak with is friendly, helpful, and solves my problem or answers my questions every time. Customer service in most companies is bad but you guys go above and beyond and have the best customer service I have ever experienced."—Plan Participant
"I've been working on this stuff on my own and didn't know I could call you guys for help! Thank you (so) much for taking the time to talk with me this morning. It was a tremendous help to have someone who could answer questions and not use all the medical jargon. Thank you for your kind words and thoughtfulness. They mean a great deal to my family and me. We will make it through this hurdle!" —Plan Participant
"Providing a service such as Coordinated Health/Care is wonderful because I can recuperate instead of having to deal with issues out of my control that I don't understand. I can't thank you enough."-Plan Participant
"I just spent 45 minutes on the phone with one of your Care Coordinators. She walked me through my benefits. She was patient, simplified everything, and offered me so many options. I cannot begin to tell you how thoughtful and considerate she was."-Plan Participant
"I just want to tell you that the Care Coordinators have been so helpful. It's really a pleasure to call."-Plan Participant

subset: commoncrawl


text:
This section describes how the
plugin performs logging and the system variables that control
how logging occurs. It assumes familiarity with the log file
format described in Section 22.214.171.124, "The Audit Log File".
audit_log plugin can also control whether
audited events are written to the audit log file based on the
account from which events originate or event status. See
Section 126.96.36.199, "Audit Log Filtering".
When the audit log plugin opens its log file, it checks whether
the XML declaration and opening
root element tag must be written and writes them if so. When the
audit log plugin terminates, it writes a closing
</AUDIT> tag to the file.
If the log file exists at open time, the plugin checks whether
the file ends with an
</AUDIT> tag and
truncates it if so before writing any
<AUDIT_RECORD> elements. If the log
file exists but does not end with
</AUDIT> or the
</AUDIT> tag cannot be truncated, the
plugin considers the file malformed and renames the audit log
file to
This can occur if the server crashes or is killed with the audit
log plugin running. An new empty
file is used for logging.
The MySQL server calls the audit log plugin to write an
<AUDIT_RECORD> element whenever an
auditable event occurs, such as when it completes execution of
an SQL statement received from a client. Typically the first
<AUDIT_RECORD> element written after
server startup has the server description and startup options.
Elements following that one represent events such as client
connect and disconnect events, executed SQL statements, and so
forth. Only top-level statements are logged, not statements
within stored programs such as triggers or stored procedures.
Contents of files referenced by statements such as
INFILE are not logged.
To permit control over how logging occurs, the
audit_log plugin provides several system
variables, described following. For more information, see
Section 220.127.116.11.4, "Audit Log Options and Variables".
To control the audit log file name, set the
audit_log_file system
variable at server startup. By default, the name is
audit.log in the server data directory.
For security reasons, the audit log file should be written to
a directory accessible only to the MySQL server and users with
a legitimate reason to view the log.
The audit log plugin can use any of several strategies for log
writes. To specify a strategy, set the
audit_log_strategy system
variable at server startup. By default, the strategy value is
ASYNCHRONOUS and the plugin logs
asynchronously to a buffer, waiting if the buffer is full.
It's possible to tell the plugin not to wait
PERFORMANCE) or to log synchronously,
either using file system caching
SEMISYNCHRONOUS) or forcing output with a
sync() call after each write request
Asynchronous logging strategy has these characteristics:
Minimal impact on server performance and scalability.
Blocking of threads that generate audit events for the shortest possible time; that is, time to allocate the buffer plus time to copy the event to the buffer.
Output goes to the buffer. A separate thread handles writes from the buffer to the log file.
A disadvantage of
PERFORMANCE strategy is
that it drops events when the buffer is full. For a heavily
loaded server, it is more likely that the audit log will be
missing events.
With asynchronous logging, the integrity of the log file may
be compromised if a problem occurs during a write to the file
or if the plugin does not shut down cleanly (for example, in
the event that the server host crashes). To reduce this risk,
audit_log_strategy to use
synchronous logging. Regardless of strategy, logging occurs on
a best-effort basis, with no guarantee of consistency.
The audit log plugin provides several system variables that enable you to manage the space used by its log files:
audit_log_buffer_size: Set this variable at server startup to set the size of the buffer for asynchronous logging. The plugin uses a single buffer, which it allocates when it initializes and removes when it terminates. The plugin allocates this buffer only if logging is asynchronous.
audit_log_flush: These variables permit audit log file rotation and flushing. The audit log file has the potential to grow very large and consume a lot of disk space. To manage the space used, either enable automatic log rotation, or manually rename the audit file and flush the log to open a new file. The renamed file can be removed or backed up as desired.
By default,
audit_log_rotate_on_size=0and there is no log rotation. In this case, the audit log plugin closes and reopens the log file when the
audit_log_flushvalue changes from disabled to enabled. Log file renaming must be done externally to the server. Suppose that you want to maintain the three most recent log files, which cycle through the names
audit.log.3.xml. On Unix, perform rotation manually like this:
From the command line, rename the current log files:
mv audit.log.2.xml audit.log.3.xml mv audit.log.1.xml audit.log.2.xml mv audit.log audit.log.1.xml
At this point, the plugin is still writing to the current log file, which has been renamed to
Connect to the server and flush the log file so the plugin closes it and reopens a new
SET GLOBAL audit_log_flush = ON;
audit_log_rotate_on_sizeis greater than 0, setting
audit_log_flushhas no effect. In this case, the audit log plugin closes and reopens its log file whenever a write to the file causes its size to exceed the
audit_log_rotate_on_sizevalue. The plugin renames the original file to have a suffix consisting of a timestamp and
.xmlsuffix. For example,
audit.logmight be renamed to
audit.log.13792588477726520.xml. The last 7 digits of the timestamp are a fractional second part. The first 10 digits are a Unix timestamp value that can be interpreted using the
mysql> SELECT FROM_UNIXTIME(1379258847); +---------------------------+ | FROM_UNIXTIME(1379258847) | +---------------------------+ | 2013-09-15 10:27:27 | +---------------------------+


text:
Get Out And Vote Today!
Local, local, local! That is the theme of the issues on the ballot today and here is what you will be voting for or against:
In Kent County there is a transit millage that would increase your taxes to help revamp The Rapid bus system.
There are also two seats up for grabs on the Grand Rapids Board of Education. Eight candidates are vying for the four-year term.


text:
BP Comment Quick Links
|Strength of Schedule Report
December 28, 2012
In A Pickle
Slugger Off
When you do an article search on this site for the phrase "Silver Slugger," you get 57 results, the first of which, by Gregg Pearlman, is apparently the 18th article ever written for Baseball Prospectus and the most recent of which is Geoff Young's piece about the Padres throwing their heft around the N.L. West this offseason. (That's #19056.) Young's Silver Slugger mention came because Jason Marquis won one. Pearlman was writing about Barry Bonds. (Or really about sportswriters' relationship with Bonds. This was October 1997. We were innocent once, and young.)
By contrast, when you search "Gold Glove," you see just a smidge over nine times the results. (The first of which, hilariously, is another Gregg Pearlman article -- this one includes a lamentation of the J.T. Snow trade—which is numbered "1" in our content system.)
Now that I've mentioned both phrases in this piece, I'm not actually righting the imbalance, but since I'm going to actually discuss the Silver Slugger but not the Gold Glove, at least the scales will be tipped a tad bit more in favor of the batting award in terms of mindshare and Q Score.
So. The Silver Slugger awards are decided the same way that Gold Gloves are: coaches and managers vote and they're not allowed to write in someone who plays on their own team. The website describing the award actually mentions batting average, on-base, and slugging, which is interesting, and says nothing about RBI, which is heartening, but then also includes the "general impressions of a player's overall offensive value" as a criterion, which is pretty vague.
Two things I can't tell, though I'll take your input, Dear Reader, if you have thoughts on the matter: (a) whether the awards are meant to value level of production as long as the player achieved a reasonable amount of playing time (as opposed to a cumulative-offensive-value approach) and (b) whether baserunning is considered part of "offensive value." Glancing at the history of the American League winners and noting that Rickey Henderson was out-Sluggered in his career by such players as Gary Sheffield, Albert Belle, and Juan Gonzalez, I think it's fair to suppose that baserunning is not at the fore of voters' minds when they mark their ballots. (Then again, maybe it shouldn't be—our Baserunning Runs shows Henderson being 170 runs above average for his career, compared to 598 Batting Runs Above Average. For context, those 170 runs are the most in our database and it's not particularly close (Henderson doubles up the ninth-best runner, Paul Molitor, which is astounding), yet Henderson's batting dwarfs his historic running in terms of contributions to his overall value as an offensive player.)
The intriguing thing to me about Silver Slugger voting is that we as outsiders have a much better handle on offensive value than we do on defense and pitching. Without downplaying the amount of research there still is to be done on hitting and hitters, the question of offensive value in the sabermetric realm has essentially been settled for decades—as Jim Albert and Jay Bennett describe in their book Curve Ball, George Lindsey published what we would now describe as linear weights for offensive events all the way back in 1963. While it took a while longer for researchers like Pete Palmer to fully develop the methods (and add elements like park factors), when we talk about True Average or Weighted On-Base Average, we're talking about offensive value metrics that, despite the "new-fangled" and "new-age" and "WAR WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR" descriptors with which they're saddled, were discovered/invented before Ruben Amaro was born and solidified around the time Billy Beane was struggling to hit in Double-A.
Given all of this, even if, say, Bob Melvin doesn't mark his Silver Slugger choices by consulting our humble website, the ideas of what makes good offense have probably seeped into the baseball establishment to a fair degree. (Contrast this with, say, evaluating pitchers by strikeouts, homers, and walks alone, which, I mean, who can blame teams for not buying up pitchers by fWAR when a million nerds on Twitter can't even agree on whether that's the right approach.) It also doesn't hurt that, while the Moneyball A's as a team had stellar pitching, Moneyball as a book was in no small part about offense and the characteristics of good offensive players.
All of this is a roundabout way of posing a hypothesis that I won't fully test in this piece but into which I will make a brief examination. That hypothesis is that Silver Slugger voting will conform better to sabermetric understandings than other awards do. (And in particular than the Gold Gloves, though as to the knotty question of what "sabermetric understandings" of defense are in a world where some metrics have significant uncertainty and others have significant data problems (and uncertainty), let's just wave our hands and mumble something about how voters value looking smooth in the field over the nerd ideal, which involves actually making more plays than one's competitors.) Like I said, no big formal or even informal tests are coming in this article, but here's a review of the 2012 awards with some BP metrics (True Average (the hitting-value rate stat), Batting Runs Above Average (the hitting-value cumulative stat), VORP (the total-value cumulative stat that includes everything—including position—but defense)), league ranks therein (minimum 502 PA), and commentary on the general state of things as far as we can tell from the winners:
Posey was a slam-dunk. It doesn't take much balls or sabermetric cred to give the catcher Silver Slugger to the guy with a .408 OBP and .549 SLG. Pierzynski, on the other hand, is not a slam-dunk on the pure numbers, but likely benefited significantly from the fact that Joe Mauer got half his starts at first or designated hitter, and Carlos Santana played 48 games at those spots himself. Pierzynski was easily the best hitter among "pure catchers," with the next-best being Matt Wieters.
First base
Fielder was nearly as dead easy a choice as Posey, with the second-best American League first baseman being Albert Pujols, who helped matters along by not only having a year that was clearly secondary to the large Tiger's, but doing it in a way that aroused the Narrative Machine to whisper about him being kaput as a superstar player. One suspects that had the two tied in TAv by splitting the difference and finishing at .317, Fielder would have won anyway, but one's suspicions aren't fair to the voters—the whole point here is to figure things out, not to cast the same old aspersions.
LaRoche is thornier. He was 3rd in TAv, but Allen Craig was one of the players ahead of him, and Craig started only 86 games at first (and played 119 overall), so this is where cumulative vs. rate value comes in: Craig outhit LaRoche in his time on the field, but not by enough to make up for the at-bats he lost to injury, as LaRoche beat him by about three runs of BRAA.
The leader in BRAA was Paul Goldschmidt, but he topped LaRoche by less than half a run, which is hardly a difference about which we can have supreme confidence. Goldschmidt, as it happens, has been an above-average baserunner for his career, while LaRoche has not. In 2012, that difference contributed to Goldschmidt finishing almost seven runs above LaRoche in VORP. That LaRoche won the Silver Slugger anyway could be evidence that baserunning doesn't matter, evidence that Goldschmidt's baserunning is underappreciated, or evidence of nothing at all. (Speaking of the Narrative Dragon, LaRoche having a comeback season, his best since 2009, on a suddenly nationally prominent team may have played a bigger role than any of the individual differences between the top candidates.)
Second base
Cano was a legit MVP candidate and his closest challenger, Dustin Pedroia, finished 37 points of TAv behind him, with that difference reflected equally as well in their raw slash lines. Cano also had more plate appearances than any second baseman but Ian Kinsler (who had a down year with the bat).
While Hill didn't pull away from the pack the way Cano did, the gap between his basic stats and Neil Walker's are blindingly obvious. These picks should not have been close. I'd even bet that Cano was unanimous (excepting the Yankee manager/coach votes for reasons of ineligibility. I hope they voted for Jemile Weeks in protest).
Jeter vs. Erick Aybar is a tough call for a sabermetrician, but not tough at all for someone who's just going to look at the basic stats. The Yankee not only won by 186 PA, he also beat Aybar's OPS by 51 points. Where Aybar pulls himself into contention is the massive difference in offensive environment: our personal park factors for Aybar and Jeter were 93 and 104, respectively. That does not represent the biggest gap among positional peers (that would be Dexter Fowler's 115 to Cameron Maybin's 92), but that's still a sizeable gap, one that makes Aybar a defensible choice to you or me, especially if we're rewarding rate over accumulation, but might not to someone who doesn't realize that the A.L. West is simply a brutal place for a hitter to play ball.
Desmond, as you might guess from the rankings listed above, had playing-time issues. He destroyed Jimmy Rollins (the VORP leader) in TAv and edged Jose Reyes (the BRAA leader), but was topped by more than 150 plate appearances by each. Desmond's .511 slugging (compared to Reyes's .433 figure or Rollins at .427) may have won the day. Overvaluing slugging as compared to on-base ability or other aspects might be considered a hallmark of non-sabermetric thinking. Just for what it's worth.
Third base
While both Cabrera and Headley were the "right" choices, it should be noted that the gap from them to their nearest competitors was not like Cano-to-Pedroia: Cabrera beat Adrian Beltre by 16 points of TAv, not nearly 40, and Headley topped David Wright by 12 points. These are still large enough differences to qualify, in the context of top major leaguers, as running away with it, but voting for Wright would not have looked insane, especially since he actually out-OPS'd the Padre by nine points. The difference is made up and then some by, as you'd expect, Petco Park. In contrast to Anaheim's stadium, however, Petco's run-suppression ways appear to have penetrated mainstream thought, so Headley likely benefited from an upward mental adjustment even if the voters were not applying mathematical changes to his numbers. (To me, the key distinction these days between sabermetric thought and non- on park factors is whether they're quantified and, relatedly, whether non-obvious parks are recognized as being outside of the norm. Anaheim, as has been noted many places, does not look particularly cavernous or feature very obviously ball-suppressing weather, for instance.)
Procedural issues! First, based on Hamilton-Trout-Willingham (i.e. no right fielder) as well as some past results, I believe the voting for Silver Slugger is as the Gold Glove used to be: three outfielders from any position, not a left, center, and right, despite the fact that a left, center, and right is exactly what we ended up with in the National League. Second, I've not counted Ben Zobrist as an outfielder here. I don't know what to count him as, but I suspect the voters don't know, either. Third, I've omitted VORP from the discussion because among the outfielders, a substantial difference is going to be on the positional adjustment—comparing Jay Bruce (we'll get to this in a minute) to Michael Bourn leaves Bourn dominating Bruce in VORP. Most of this is baserunning, actually, but a not-insignificant part is the difference between center field and right field, which difference should not be relevant if the question is hitting (or offensive value) by an outfielder. This question obviously does not arise between two full-time shortstops, which is why I felt fine using it in the previous sections.
Substantive issues! Braun, Trout, and McCutchen were obvious choices, MVP candidates all. As with Cano or Cabrera or Fielder above, we're not going to be able to distinguish between an enlightened electorate and a Dark Ages one based on these choices. Josh Willingham was not an MVP candidate, but his raw stats look just as obviously deserving as his advanced ones, so he fits into the same category for these purposes.
On the other hand, Josh Hamilton prevented Yoenis Cespedes from taking home the shiny bat that should rightfully have been his by virtue of finishing ninth in baseball in TAv and second among A.L. outfielders. Park effects probably come into play again (Cespedes's personal factor was 95, Hamilton's 109), though there's always a lingering possibility of rookie bias, a "he'll get his if he keeps earning it" mentality. There are a variety of possible explanations, as always, but none are terribly flattering.
But I've saved the most egregious for last: What on earth is with Jay Bruce's award? The Reds right fielder had essentially an identical line to Jason Kubel, of all people. I wonder if Kubel got any votes. What really jumps out from Bruce's line is the magic "5" that begins his slugging percentage. Outside of McCutchen and Braun, the players ahead of Bruce by TAv topped out at a .497 slugging (Matt Holliday). The tougher parks (Angel Pagan, Andre Ethier), significantly higher on-base percentage (Holliday), hell, the better batting average (everybody) —none of this apparently mattered. Jay Bruce gets hardware and Jay Bruce had a pretty slugging percentage. I'd like to think that something else went on, that there's some secret value the voters are attempting to suss out, but you just can't justify an outfielder with a .327 on-base percentage winning an offense-only award with an explanation other than a fetish for power.
(It has occurred to me that some voters might take "slugger" in the name of the award overly literally, but given that the description, which presumably reflects the voting instructions, explicitly mentions on-base percentage, I'd say that "overly literal definition of 'slugger'" and "overly sexual feelings toward power" are just symptoms of the same disease here.)
Tell you what, the results above do not suggest what I expected they would suggest: there appears to be less of a focus on the things stat-savvy baseball fans appreciate (on-base ability, park adjustments) and more of an emphasis on dongers than I anticipated/hoped. It isn't clear, from this review, that the voting for Silver Slugger is any closer to our understanding of the offensive game than the Gold Gloves are to our ideas of defense. It's just one year, sure, but the Cespedes and Holliday omissions (and to a lesser extent those of Aybar at shortstop and maybe Goldschmidt at first) have shaken my confidence that the concepts of offense we by now take for granted are being appreciated by the men on the field.
Jason Wojciechowski is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @jlwoj
9 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
As a Reds fan, I find it sad to see no mention of Joey Votto, despite the fact that in just 475 PA, he blew away the field at 1B in cumulative production in the NL. In fact, he had more BVORP than any other 1B, including Fielder and Pujols. So, despite producing far and away the most runs as a hitter among NL 1B, he doesn't even get mention because he failed some arbitrary threshold that really only matters in conversations of rate stats?
Dec 28, 2012 11:31 AM
I completely missed Votto.
Dec 28, 2012 11:47 AM
On Hamilton vs. Cespedes - when one player hit 43 HR and drove in 128, while the other hit 23 HR and drove in 82, and their respective OBP's were .354 and .356, the choice of Cespedes over Hamilton would be treated with general derision by most people. Unless they change the name of the award to Silver Offensive Performance Based on Contextual Production, this was an easy one.
Dec 28, 2012 11:33 AM
Considering that I, as a rabid AL fan, was totally unaware until now that Edwin Encarnacion DHed in 82 games this year, I can imagine the same is true of many if not most AL managers and coaches who voted for the award. I thought Encarnacion was primarily a position player.
Dec 28, 2012 11:52 AM
At the end of the day, these are still subjective awards. If they hew closely to what we are currently looking at as 'objective criteria', great, but I don't think we need weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth over slight variations. Other than Bruce, not one of the not-clearly-first-but-still-won group was a *bad* choice.
Dec 28, 2012 12:43 PM
Your personal park factors for Yankee stadium are because it is a great home run park for lefties. BP needs to get a lot more sophisticated about park factors. They are irrelevant for advancing Aybar over Jeter in a silver slugger argument.
Dec 28, 2012 22:44 PM
Isn't that the issue Colin addressed recently?
Dec 29, 2012 01:10 AM
Not a subscriber? Sign up today!


text:
Your Trusted Brand for Over 35 Years
SODzyme® with GliSODin® & Wolfberry
90 vegetarian capsules
Item# 00961
Your Price:
$21.00 Save 25%
Combats oxidative stress
90 vegetarian capsules
Item# 00961
Retail Price: $28.00
Your Price: $21.00 Save 25%
Your favorite Life Extension® products can be delivered to you automatically. Just look for the "AutoShip" button. Select AutoShip, and choose your preferred ship-out date. It's that easy!
Quick Navigation:
Internally produced antioxidants — including the enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase — are the body's primary defense against free-radical assault, offering significantly more protection against certain free radicals than dietary antioxidants.
The body's supply of youthful antioxidant enzymes rapidly decreases with age.1-5 Fortunately, SODzyme® with GliSODin® & Wolfberry combines three ingredients that help to replenish the body's supply of SOD, vastly enhancing its natural antioxidant defenses.
The suggested daily dose of three capsules provides 2,000 mg of SODzyme®, a proprietary plant-based extract. In a study of 12 middle-aged volunteers of both sexes who took 2,000 mg of SODzyme® daily for two weeks, SODzyme® boosted serum SOD levels by 30% on average, and reduced hydrogen peroxide by 47%.6
The SODzyme® formula also contains GliSODin®, a patented, plant-derived form of SOD. In an animal study, small amounts of orally administered GliSODin® raised blood levels of SOD by 89% and increased catalase levels by 171%!7
SODzyme® with GliSODin® and Wolfberry supplies 100 mg of a standardized wolfberry (Lycium barbarum) fruit extract. Wolfberry is found to have one of the highest ORAC values of all fruits, and is effective in scavenging superoxide radicals and inhibiting their formation. When given to patients aged 64–80, wolfberry increased blood levels of SOD by 48% and lowered blood lipid peroxides by 65% in only 10 days!8
|Supplement Facts
NBT† corresponds to the melon extract quantity inhibiting 50% of NitroBlue Tetrazolium reduction. Isocell SA, France is the owner of US Patents Nos. 6,045,809 and 6,426,068B1 and registered trademark of GliSODin®.
|Dosage and Use
Do not take this product if you are allergic to wheat or gluten.
Product reviews are provided for informational purposes only and reflect solely the views and opinions expressed by the contributors and not those of Life Extension. We do not verify or endorse any claims made in these reviews. Please read the full product reviews disclaimer.


text:
Guns. Cars. Artwork. Statues.
And an album full of photos of former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Odd as that may sound, what appears to be something of a keepsake about Rice — who Moammar Gadhafi once referred to as "my darling black African woman" and of whom he said, "I love her very much" — was found by opposition fighters as they searched and ransacked the Libyan leader's compound in Tripoli.
MSNBC has posted a gallery of photos from the album. They appear to be official photos taken at various public events where Rice appeared.
"Rice and Qadhafi are no strangers — the two shared an intimate, late-night dinner together three years ago, as Qadhafi broke the Ramadan fast. 'The strong scent of incense hung heavy in the air,' wrote The Washington Post in September 2008. 'His [Qadhafi's] face lit up when he saw Rice ... Gaddafi simply placed his right hand over his chest, a traditional and respectful welcome.'
"At the time of their 2008 meeting, Rice was the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Libya since then-Vice President Richard Nixon visited in 1957."


text:
This game was classified by the community with the following category scores - Violence=0/3, Sex=0/3, Mature Content=0/3. Welcome to Rate My Avatar V1.1! - the only app that lets you share your avatar with users from around the world! Put your style in the spotlight and see what others truly think of you - do you have what it takes to enter the prestigious Hall of Fame, or should your next accessory be a paper bag?! (Xbox Live Gold account required for online functionality)
Buy Xbox content on Xbox.com. Your Xbox 360 console will automatically download the content next time you turn it on and connect to Xbox Live.Learn More


text:
Virtual Press Room 2006
The APS March Meeting is the biggest physics meeting of the year anywhere. It is a showcase for cutting-edge research results that frequently lead to new electronic, communications, computer, and medical diagnosis products that have done so much to shape modern science and culture.
> For more information, read the general press release (PDF).
March meeting press events took place at the Baltimore Convention Center.
> Read more about press conferences at the 2006 March Meeting (PDF).
> See also additional meeting topics (PDF).
Author-Written Summaries
- The healing mechanism for excited molecules near metallic surfaces, A29.1
- Impact of Helicobacter Pylori on Mucus Rheology, B29.8
- Self-guiding of 100 TW Femtosecond Laser Pulses in Centimeter-scale Underdense Plasma, N43.12
- Some Thoughts Regarding Practical Quantum Computing, W40.15
- Magnetic Fields Create Artificial Gravity Chamber for Microorganisms, B29.3
- The Dynamical Evolution of Seizures: Discriminating Spatiotemporal Patterns in Neurons, Z7.3
- How to Distinguish between Cancer and Normal Cells: a Physicist's View, V26.1
- Towards the Fountain of Youth: Recovery of Elasticity of Aged Epithelial Cells, C1.131
- Abundance of Pseudoknots in the RNA World, B26.9
- Electrical Properties of Atom Wires Unraveled, B9.1
- Vortex-like light states help create a new kind of qubit for quantum information processing, B43.13
- Fluorescence microscopy studies of the antifreeze proteins, K29.11 and K29.12
- The Scaling Laws of Human Travel - A Message from George, Z28.4
- Large interaction between two light pulses traveling at equally slow velocities, N43.1
- Elucidating the nature of the Bose-Einstein condensate observed in cold fermionic gases when fermionic atoms are strongly paired, A43.3
- STM Manipulation of Nanoscale Biological Molecules, D9.5
- A Device for Tracking a Single Nanometer-Sized Particle in 3D with Nanometer Resolution and Millisecond Response Time, G26.8
- The Structure of Parasites in Food Webs, R28.9
- Energy Dependence of Biological Systems Under Radiation Exposure, G29.6, G29.7, and G29.9
- A Snake's Perspective on Heat: How to Reconstruct Imperfect Detection of Infrared Radiation, Y26.3
- March Madness in Quantum Gases: New Phases and Exotic Fractal Behavior of Atoms in Optical Lattices, R43.6
Contact Information:Media Relations
American Physical Society


text:
Christopher de Bellaigue is the correspondent for the Economist in Tehran. He studied Persian and Indian Studies at Cambridge University and has spent the last decade living and working in the Middle East and South Asia. He writes for the New York Review of Books, Granta and the New Yorker.
In the Rose Garden of the Martyrs: A Memoir of Iran (New York: HarperCollins, 2005) is his first book.
Christopher de Bellaigue was in New York for a Meet the Author program at the Asia Society. This interview took place prior to the event.
Go to AsiaStore and purchase In the Rose Garden of the Martyrs: A Memoir of Iran.
Your writing in the book, In the Rose Garden of the Martyrs: A Memoir of Iran is a mixture of many genres: travel writing, the essay form, journalism, reportage, personal memoir. Did you have a particular genre in mind when you were writing?
No, it really just came out like that. I had in mind to write a history, through the eyes of "normal Iranians" as it were. But I really had little idea, other than that, when I started to write. I also thought that it would be interesting, and perhaps enlightening from my own experiences as a foreigner living in Iran, to be included in the book, to include myself in the book, that is. So it sort of came out that way. I don't know quite how it did: some people like the fact that it's a mix, others are a bit confused, and don't like it. But I didn't have a plan for the book, in terms of genre, it just came out that way.
Given the place of Iran in the present global configuration, how, if at all, did you want your book to participate in the larger public dialogue on European or American foreign policy towards that country?
I don't think my book is aimed particularly at policymakers. It's aimed at people who are interested in finding out more about a country that is the subject of "megaphone" diplomacy. When you have people addressing Iran from other capitals - particularly from the US - you have this sense of enormous clarity of vision that I don't think is warranted, because things are just simply so much more complicated than they are portrayed. So I suppose if I could perform some modest service to these people, it is to say just that: things are much more complicated, the situation is not as black and white as people here often suggest. You cannot apply all-enveloping adjectives to the Iranian people and say, "They all think like this," or "They all want this and we are going to help them achieve it" or whatever. They are obviously very complex and sophisticated people; that is also what I discovered, what was confirmed to me, when I was writing this book.
The title of your book is taken from the name of the cemetery where those killed in the Iran-Iraq war are buried. To what do you attribute your interest in this war and is there anything in particular in your interpretation of the historical and political context of the conflict which you would like to emphasize at the moment?
Well, the reason that I chose the war is because it seemed to be a horrendously under-reported and misunderstood conflict, and one that has been effectively glossed over and forgotten in the West. This would be the same as forgetting the First World War when you are examining the political landscape of interwar Europe!
The Iran-Iraq war was a huge, huge enterprise that scarred people horrendously, on both sides. The fact that it was the embodiment and the culmination of all that revolutionary fervor means that it's absolutely vital to look at it and at its effects if you want to understand Iran now. Iran isn't a country that had a revolution, and now is watching the revolution unravel, or run out of steam. It's a country that had a revolution, and then engaged in an absolutely horrific war, an absolutely traumatic experience, for eight years. So it's very important that people try and understand a bit more about that.
And what is it, in particular, that you wanted to bring out in your descriptions of the context in which the war began and how it continued?
Well, the first thing that I wanted to bring out was the zealousness, the zeal and fervor with which many Iranians - perhaps millions of Iranians, or at least hundreds of thousands - went to the front. The second is the fact that this war was prolonged far longer than it should have been, and that was a result of both erroneous politics and erroneous tactics. But the third thing is that the war created this sense of trauma, both in the survivors of the people who fought, but also in their families. That endures, to this day and it helps to explain this ambivalence that you find in Iran now, in relation to their own past, in relation to outsiders. It is very enlightening to use the war as a prism through which you can see the Iran of today.


text:
We are All Connecdted
by, 12-17-2013 at 12:05 PM (2710 Views)
As you Drive through the city of Tottori on the north shore of Japan's Honshu Island just before dusk, you see Squid Fishermen preparing their boats equipped with huge Arc lights that attract the squid, to set sail for a night of work. Ten or fifteen miles down the road you stop and set up camp and before long it is pitch black except for a few million glittering stars and the glow on the horizon from a hundred or so of those fishing boats moored together two miles off shore in the Japan Sea. Imagine lying in your tent close to the beach, a gentle breeze causing waves to lap at the shoreline and the constant low drone of the boat's generators which power the lights. Once in a while, you catch the soft refrain of the fishermen's voices singing karaoke.
During this adventure it is not difficult to appreciate the concept of the butterfly effect. How an infinitesimal movement of wings can set up a ripple that is heard/felt around the world. There is a tale about the Deva Indra who has a net reaching every corner of the entire universe. At each intersection of the strands in this net is a jewel assigned to each and every dharma in creativity, including every being; for example, you and I. With the proper angle of perception/reflection each of these jewels sparkle with light. But, the essence of this analogy is that we are all connected.
Once every year ( or as it was recently suggested, every full moon) we get out our books to review and study our Bodhisattva precepts. Or perhaps, we recite the Heart Sutra along with our daily zazen; and maybe even the Kaikyoge:
It is very fitting and beneficial to have such a ritual. It is difficult to explain why in words but, it is something that reminds us of the depth and mystery of the Dharma we share and connects us with all things. The thing I like to do every so often is to change my angle of reflection to optimize the sparkle of my jewel. It helps to keep me grounded.The incomparably profound and minutely subtle Dharma
Is hardly met with in a hundred, thousand, million eons.
We now can listen to it, hear it and hold it.
May we completely understand the Tathagata's true meaning.
仁道 生開 - Jindo Shokai "Open to life in a benevolent way"
Just another itinerant monk; go somewhere else to listen to someone who really knows.


text:
Results mixed for Rockies pitchers vs. A's
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Early in spring and nearly two years after Tommy John surgery on his left elbow, Colorado's Jorge De La Rosa is still struggling to find his form.
De La Rosa was on the disabled list from May 25, 2011, through Sept. 20, 2012, and he made three starts upon his return last season, posting a 9.28 ERA in 10 2/3 innings. In two Cactus League starts so far this spring, the 31-year-old southpaw has a 7.36 ERA in 3 2/3 innings, capped by a rough outing Sunday when he faced 11 batters in 1 2/3 innings. He allowed two hits while walking three and hitting a batter to force in a run in a 7-2 loss to the A's.
"We'll have some patience with Jorge, because he hasn't been out there much in the last year and a half or so," manager Walt Weiss said. "He's a guy we're counting on, and he knows that. We got another month here, so we're not going to get too carried away. It wasn't real pretty, but he's got some time to figure some things out."
De La Rosa has won 39 games for the Rockies in five seasons, three cut short by injury, and Colorado is counting on him to be a top-of-the-rotation pitcher in 2013.
At the other end of the rotation, Tyler Chatwood is vying for a fifth starter's slot, and his outing epitomized a mixed bag following De La Rosa for three innings Sunday. Chatwood faced nine batters in his first inning, loading the bases with a walk and two singles, then forcing three runs across the plate with two hit batters and a walk. As he noted, he was ahead in the count with "all the guys I hit," but any time three runs score as a result of four free passes, something is off.
Chatwood adjusted beautifully, however, retiring seven in a row and striking out five on the day, demonstrating a resiliency essential for Rockies pitchers throwing half their innings at Coors Field.
"As a starter, if you have a bad inning, you can't really dwell on it," Chatwood said. "You have to go back out there for five or six more innings. It's something to build off and try to eliminate those long innings."
The determination was not lost on Weiss.
"It was nice to see him battle back," the skipper said of Chatwood. "The first inning looked like he wasn't going to be able to give us three, but he battled back and was able to do that. That's part of who he is. He'll go out there and grind and do whatever he needs to compete.
"That's got to be our identity: to compete, regardless of the circumstances."


text:
Address 126 Martin Lane
Alexandria, Virginia 22304
United States
Alexandria, Virginia 22304
United States
|Most recent firm
|Robert A. Ades & Associates, P.C. Springfield, VA
|Relevant Jobs
Associate General Counsel
Associate General Counsel The candidate will develop and maintains specific subject expertise and advises businesses management; interacts with relevant third parties as the company's advocate. Has...
Apply now
Vice President, Assistant General Counsel, Litigation And Claims
Vice President, Assistant General Counsel, Litigation and Claims The candidate for Claims and Litigation, serves in the capacity of legal expert for matters pertaining to contractual disputes, and fo...
Apply now
|+ View more jobs
A. Harrison Barnes is a well-known attorney throughout the United States. As a member of the Malibu community, Harrison is committed to serving the needs of Malibu residents and businesses in legal matters.


text:
Fintray Fine Framing
Framing Services UK
Digital Photography
Event Photography
Re-sizing Pictures Free Tutorial
Scottish Landscapes
You will find our exclusive range of panoramic photography of Scotland's finest scenery along with a range of Limited Edition Giclee prints. All of our imagery can be purchased online either as a photograph, or as beautifully finished ready to hang image enhanced by one of our natural handcrafted timber frames. In the Framing section learn more about our handcrafted picture frames made from new and reclaimed locally sourced timber such as oak, ash, cedar, Scots pine (with a Royal connection!). Have a bit of fun with our animated framing tool to see how our natural timber frames will add beauty to your choice of photograph, We have beautiful photographs of, fintray, Bennachie, Pennan, Aberdeen, Aberdeen Harbour, Dunnottar, Dunnottar Castle, Glencoe, Buachaille Etive Mor, Forth Bridge, Forth Rail Bridge, Falkirk Wheel, Ben Nevis, Caledonian Canal, St Andrews, Lochnagar, Deeside, Royal Deeside, Collieston, Gardenstown, Kintore, Glen Muick & Loch Muick.
Come and see us. more...
Happy New Year more...


text:
How SUBWAY Uses Music Events to Drive Relevance, Store Traffic, and Sales
July 13, 2010
Representatives from SUBWAY and Univision Radio discussed an ongoing partnership between the two organizations, which has allowed SUBWAY to better connect with Hispanic consumers.
Restricted Content
Access to this content item is restricted to:
- ANA Corporate Marketer Members
Please login below or create an account.
You may already be a member. Find out if your company is already an ANA member.


text:
Hey Bro just a question which SMACKDOWN do you want me to reviewed because there are two
clear inbox for promo
Bruv, my inbox is waaay full, and I need the last few for some promos that Zapph is gonna be sending me, so i'll reply here.
Yeah, just be ready for when Sau PM's you asking for a promo for this weeks SD!
He'll be contacting you soon.
If no ones contacts you, it's because they are waaay busy trying to JBW in order so we can post the shows, not because we're ignoring ya
Now, have a read up of the show, and post your thoughts in the JBW discussion thread. It's nice for people to see you posting there.
Maybe do an in character post, to let people know who you are
hey, did you start the EWA creative group, if so can you invite me in it, or ask the person that created it to let me in, thanks
Dude, clear your whole inbox, I got to talk to you about something, get on Gmail chat asap and let me know when you do.
Can you clear your inbox please
Clear your inbox, we need to go over stuff!
i never sent a promo in the first place dude
ill send my first one tonisght
also clear youre inbox
@Samoan619 Tell me what I need.
Clean out your mailbox so I can send you what's needed for the show..
The Trinity
Black Ninja!
Moderator "The Trinity"
Normal Member
© 2011 eWrestlingNews, All Rights Reserved.


text:
Home & Garden
Updated 12:00 am, Saturday, December 8, 2012
Holidays in Bloom: The botanical garden is celebrating the holidays with colorful annuals and decorative garden settings. Visit the Chrismas tree behind the Carriage House and stop in for cocoa and cider. Through Dec. 31. San Antonio Botanical Garden, 555 Funston Place. www.sabot.org or 210-207-3270. $5-$8.
Gift wrap: The staff at the Container Store will offer ideas on gift-wrapping and bow-making for the holiday season. 2-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 23. 333 NW Loop 410. www.containerstore.com or 210-341-7848. Free.
Holiday decorating: Authors Pat and Kat McMillan will hold a show-and-share of decorating ideas for the home. 2 p.m. The Twig Book Shop, 200 E. Grayson St., Suite 124. Reserve a spot at 210-826-6411 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Free.
Lifestyle Channel
Christmas Bird Count: The San Antonio Audubon Society will hold its annual bird count on Dec. 16 beginning at 8 a.m. Novice and expert birders are needed to count birds in individual areas. After counting, participants will meet to tally results at Furr's Fresh Buffet, 7863 S. I-35 at Zarzamora Street. To participate, contact Sheridan Coffey at 817-798-3989 after 6 p.m. or email at firstname.lastname@example.com. www.saaudubon.org or 210-308-6788. Participation in the bird count is free; everyone must pay for his own meal at the restaurant.
Essentials of gardening: The Gardening Volunteers of South Texas will hold their monthly gardening workshops. Speakers include the Perennial Potter, Patrick Murphy and Cal Eichler of the San Antonio Cactus and Xerophyte Society. Murphy and Eichler will discuss container gardens and cactus care, respectively. Noon-3 p.m. Dec. 17. San Antonio Garden Center, 3310 N. New Braunfels Ave. www.gardeningvolunteers.org or 210-251-8101. Free.
Email event notices to firstname.lastname@example.com at least three weeks before the event. Fax: 210-250-3405. Mailing address: Home & Garden Calendar, c/o S.A. Life, P.O. Box 2171, San Antonio, TX 78297-2171.


text:
Groene at the Legislature: Teacher absences, substitutes
Mail: Southern statues symbolize suppression
More opinion
Senate: Vote no on Graham-Cassidy health care plan
Fall: Good time to spray musk thistle in rosette stage
More Ag News
Larry Campbell, who has waited since the last city council meeting to discuss the amount the city donates each year to the North Platte Chamber and Development, got his chance Tuesday.
Councilman Tim Barrett seconded.
Andrew Lee disagreed.
We need to support the system we have for promoting and growing North Platte or find alternatives, Lee said. I think we need to keep it at $100,000.
Councilman Jim Carman agreed with Lee.
It is the method we have, Carman said.
However, Carman said that DEVCO, as it was formerly known, has had some failures.
I think a lot of the councils frustration with DEVCO comes from not seeing much get done there, he aid. For example, not too long ago a young lady came in here, with DEVCO backing, and asked us for money to start a business incubator company. We gave her money, and in a little over a month she was out of business. The city ate the loss and inherited a bunch of expensive office furniture.
Councilman Tim Barrett also expressed concerns about DEVCO.
I dont support the Chamber and DEVCO because we have seen nothing come from it lately, he said.
Chamber and Development Executive Director Dan Mauk urged the council to look at the successes DEVCO has had in the last four years, citing the Greenbrier railroad wheel plant near Hershey.
Before I came to the chamber here, only one small call center was brought to North Platte and the city provided $125,000 per year (for Chamber and Development) then, Mauk said. If this is cut in half, along with the $20,000 the county has cut, I dont know where I can make up the difference.
In 2011, the Lincoln County Commissioners decreased the county's annual contribution to the Chamber and Development to $20,000, half what they donated two years before.
Mauk said he is already understaffed and has moved a Chamber employee over to the Development side to fill a position that was left when an employee quit.
I assure you we are working on some things that will make a difference, Mauk said. Right now we have six projects going, but I cant disclose many details (because of confidentiality agreements.)
Campbell asked Mauk, You have lost two key employees, right? Mauk responded, Yes, but they did not leave because they were unhappy.
Campbell reminded Mauk of a going-away gathering for an employee who left felt Mauk did not show much respect for that employee, only making a brief appearance at the gathering.
I dont know, it just was not right. You just came in briefly and left, Campbell said.
Councilman Glenn Petersen moved to amend Campbells motion and change the amount for the Chamber and Development office to $75,000 instead of Campells $50,000. The council voted 53 to pass Petersens motion. Barrett, Brook Baker and Campbell voted no.
Flatrock Publishing, Inc.
1300 E 4th St., Suite F
North Platte, NE 69101


text:
Here's the link.
Interesting stuff. He looks to be highly thought of. Nice to get a real player working for the Pacers, especially for someone who is a real fan.
Also, it's nice to see he posts here and takes suggestions.
Remember, most of us hated Boomer when he first came around-we just didn't know what to make of him. Paul is on his way to becoming a regular fixture at Pacers games.


text:
Lee Min Ho And Suzy Bae Reportedly Expecting Their Baby
There seems to be no stopping to the many rumors and speculations about the different things surrounding the relationship of the celebrity couple, Lee Min Ho and Suzy Bae. This is because new rumors have just came in suggesting that they are expecting to be wed really soon, as well as the rumor that they are expecting to have a baby.
There is a large number of news that point out to the possibility of the couple being married soon. This is after Lee Min Ho has been interviewed by Cosmopolitan, and asked a few things on how he sees love.


text:
A Drug Interaction Study Investigating the Effect of Rifabutin on the Pharmacokinetics of Maraviroc (RIFAMARA)
This study has been completed.
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: June 19, 2013
Last updated: March 2, 2015
Last verified: March 2015
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Healthy volunteers are being recruited for this pharmacokinetics study. The objective is to characterize the pharmacokinetic properties of maraviroc alone and when administered with rifabutin and to assess rifabutin and 25-O-desacetyl-rifabutin pharmacokinetics compared to the literature.
|HIV Infection HIV-1 Infection Mycobacterium Avium Complex (MAC)
|Drug: Rifabutin Drug: Maraviroc
|Phase 1
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
|Official Title:
|A Drug Interaction Study Investigating the Effect of Rifabutin on the Pharmacokinetics of Maraviroc
Resource links provided by NLM:
MedlinePlus related topics: Drug Reactions
Drug Information available for: Rifabutin MaravirocU.S. FDA Resources
Further study details as provided by Ottawa Hospital Research Institute:
Primary Outcome Measures:
- pharmacokinetics [ Time Frame: 15 days ]Maraviroc pharmacokinetics AUC, Cmax and C12 with and without rifabutin Rifabutin and 25-O-desacetyl-rifabutin AUC, Cmax and C24
Secondary Outcome Measures:
- safety/tolerability of the treatments [ Time Frame: 30 days ]description and frequency of adverse events for all participants during the study.
|Study Start Date:
|June 2013
|Study Completion Date:
|February 2015
|Primary Completion Date:
|December 2013 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
|Assigned Interventions
Experimental: Maraviroc
Two period pharmacokinetic drug-drug interaction Period one -Maraviroc alone; Period two -Maraviroc and Rifabutin
Substance: Maraviroc (Celsentri, MVC) tablets, 300 mg; dose: oral, 300 mg (1 tablet) twice daily
Substance: Rifabutin (mycobutin, RFB) capsules, 150 mg; dose: oral, 300 mg (2 capsules) once daily
Drug: Rifabutin
Substance: Rifabutin Daily dose: oral, 300 mg once daily (8:00 am) for 10 days
Other Name: Mycobutin, RFBDrug: Maraviroc
Substance maraviroc daily dose 300 mg twice daily (8:00 am and 8:00 pm) for 15 days
Other Name: Celsentri, MVC
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years to 65 Years (Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Able and willing to sign informed consent prior to any study-related activities.
- Male or female participants between 18 and 65 years of age inclusive.
- Body Mass Index (BMI) of 17.5 to 30.5 kg/m2; and a total body weight >50 kg (110 lbs).
- Healthy, i.e. not suffering from an acute or chronic illness and not using medications.
- Acceptable medical history, physical examination, and 12-lead ECG at screening.
- Acceptable laboratory values that indicate adequate baseline organ function at screening visit.
- Willing to stop using any herbal or natural health products for 2 weeks prior to and during the study including: Grapefruit, grapefruit juice, St. John's Wort.
- Willingness to abstain from alcohol use for 3 days prior to and during the study.
- Participant must practice a reliable method of birth control while they are participating in the study; for instance an intrauterine device (IUD), condom with spermicidal gel or foam, diaphragm with spermicidal gel or foam, vasectomy, tubal ligation, hysterectomy or abstinence or female must be post menopausal for at least one year.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Have serological evidence of exposure to HIV
- Female patients of childbearing potential who has a positive urine pregnancy test at screening
- Participants not willing to use a reliable method of barrier contraception during the study.
- Is breastfeeding.
- Inability to adhere to protocol.
- Use of any medications (2 weeks prior to or during the study) other than occasional use of acetaminophen.
- Participants taking oral contraceptive medications.
- Any condition possibly affecting drug absorption (eg, gastrectomy).
- Patients may be excluded from the study for other reasons, at the investigator's discretion.
Contacts and Locations
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01894776
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01894776
|Canada, Ontario
|The Ottawa Hospital -General Campus
|Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1H 8L6
Sponsors and Collaborators
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
|Principal Investigator:
|Donald W Cameron, MD
|The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa
More Information
Keywords provided by Ottawa Hospital Research Institute:
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017
|Responsible Party:
|Ottawa Hospital Research Institute
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01894776 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|June 19, 2013
|Last Updated:
|March 2, 2015
Keywords provided by Ottawa Hospital Research Institute:
healthy volunteers
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Communicable Diseases
HIV Infections
Mycobacterium Infections
Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare Infection
Lentivirus Infections
Retroviridae Infections
RNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases
Actinomycetales Infections
Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections
Bacterial Infections
Mycobacterium Infections, Nontuberculous
CCR5 Receptor Antagonists
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Anti-HIV Agents
Anti-Retroviral Agents
Antiviral Agents
Anti-Infective Agents
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Antibiotics, Antitubercular
Antitubercular Agents
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


text:
Euro Poms
Item #: 454287 |
Free delivery
Non-members pay 10% surchargeJoin now!
- Free Pickup
Available delivery dates are based on item stock, time to transport items, and availability of florist/courier.
About this itemCheck your local club for availability.
Sam's Club Floral offers high quality Chrysanthemums (Pompons) for your personalized arrangements. Flowers may vary by club.
All floral items will vary by season and come in a variety of assortments and colors.
Flower Care and Conditioning :


text:
And, of course, the fine print:
Get free shipping on your next order when you spend over $100. The discount will be automatically applied to your purchase; no promo code required. The subtotal of your purchase must be $100.01 or greater after any promotional discounts have been applied. Additional fees such as tax or shipping and handling do not apply toward your minimum subtotal requirement of $100.01. Offer applies to standard shipping only. Certain items that require additional shipping and handling are excluded from this promotion and do not apply towards your $100.01 subtotal minimum. Offer subject to change.
These quince marmalade fruit preserves might not be exactly like the ones you're used to. They're fruit forward with great structure -- a result of being slow-cooked in small, single-variety batches to bring out all the flavors of the particular variety of orchard fruit. They're soft and spreadable, without any pectin at all. These sweet preserves only rely on the magic of fruit, organic cane sugar, time and evaporation. So, you can expect a heck of a lot more fruit. This marmalade is a nod to the 'first fruit' and the origin of marmalade, historically made with only quince. It boasts notes of honey and earth, making it bright, unique and highly swoon-worthy.
- Includes 2 jars
- Each jar is 6 oz.
Ingredients: Organic Quince, Organic Cane Sugar, Organic Lemon Juice
This product ships from the maker within 7 days, via USPS
Unused and unopened items may be returned within 14 days


text: So Dunleavy might be back late next week. If so, I definitely think he should be back with the team and probably should go back to the starting lineup when he's ready because PG hasn't been very good since he's been in the starting lineup and the bench has lost a lot of it's punch without him. Paul will also have his number called more with the bench players and there will be less pressure on him to perform.


text:
Cut through the noise and get your story heard!
Have you hit a wall with your church, your ministry, or your nonprofit organization? In spite of a genuine calling, an exceptional team and solid investment in the vision, has your spark never caught fire? If so, your story may be drowning in the sea of messages in our media-saturated culture. We are more connected than ever, but all of this connectivity comes with a price - the most cluttered and distracted culture in history.
You may be a pastor, a ministry or nonprofit leader, or an entrepreneur, filmmaker, writer, or artist. Whatever your story or message, Phil Cooke reveals the new rules for communicating that message in the 21st century. He shares his road-tested strategies for getting noticed in a media-driven culture. Regardless of the size of your vision or organization, Phil's remarkable insights will give you the tools to tell your story, be heard, and truly connect with a changing world.
©2012 Phil Cooke (P)2012 Oasis Audio Ltd
"Performance gets in the way of Content"
Content might be good, but the author/narrator is reading so fast with no pauses I can't appreciate the content. For a book on effective communication, this is disappointing.
Avid Audio Book listener. Usual suspects are Leadership, Business, Philosophy, Biographies, and Random Fiction. But once every couple of months I choose a book I might not have picked...ever...but with good reviews.
"Good but not great"
The best part was the simple explanation of branding. It was straight forward for the newbie but enough information for more advanced branders.
Least like the over focus on Christianity instead of keeping it about nonprofits and religion institutions in general.
Used more examples in other nonprofits and religious institutions. Understand his basic beliefs and life focus is Christianity but with more examples, it would have felt more applicable to everyone
Yes if you can get past the constant Christian references. This can sometimes be a turnoff in a book when they over focus on one belief system. This came close but walked a fine line.
The books basic branding and change recommendations can have value for almost anyone.
Report Inappropriate Content
If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.


text:
Posted 5 years ago
(76 items)
This is a pale yellow Model 500 telephone made by Western Electric and distributed by Bell Systems starting in 1949. They were the most common household telephone at the time, some models were made to hang on the wall. The model evolved somewhat over time, I believe this is a 70's model based on the style of the dial. The cord is not original, the original would have also been pale yellow. Although it is not uncommon today to see two toned models, they were not originally distributed that way.


text:
Whatever the regular season trends might suggest, there's one MLS Cup playoff bet that's relatively safe — don't go against Dom and the Dynamo.
Despite entering Wednesday's preliminary round game as the Eastern Conference's bottom seed and without a victory on the road in more than three months (and that was at bottom-feeding Toronto FC), the Houston Dynamo flipped their postseason switch once again at Chicago's Toyota Park.
Second-year forward Will Bruin scored twice, including a back breaker mere seconds into the second half, and coach Dominic Kinnear's side held on late for a 2-1 win over the host Chicago Fire. It was the Dynamo's third road playoff triumph in the past two years — a period during which they won five regular-season matches combined away from home.
"We're almost in the same situation as we were last year, backs against the wall. And this is kind of where this team has always prided themselves and done well," midfielder Brad Davis said this week.
That proved to be the case again Wednesday.
Bruin was a sensation early in his rookie season — four goals in his first six weeks as a pro — but couldn't sustain that pace. By the time Houston entered the 2011 playoffs, the former Indiana University player was a reserve.
He came into his own, however, progressing from Dynamo legend Brian Ching's heir apparent to the club's leading scorer (12 regular-season goals). Bruin had a quiet run-in once again (one goal since the end of August) but continued working hard, kept his spot and was rewarded Wednesday.
The first goal came in stereotypical Dynamo fashion — off a set piece taken by Davis. The playmaker's 12th-minute corner kick fell to Bruin about 7 yards out from the Fire goal. Chicago defender Jalil Anibaba had slipped, Bruin was free and his header beat goalkeeper Sean Johnson at the near post.
It was Davis' 13th assist of the season; his 26 set-piece assists since 2009 are the most in MLS. Chicago knew it was coming but couldn't stop it.
Less than 20 seconds into the second half, Houston was on its way. Midfielder Ricardo Clark tackled the ball from Chicago's Gonzalo Segares, and Calen Carr set Bruin free at the top of the penalty area. As Fire defender Arne Friedrich closed in, Bruin hammered a shot that Johnson got his hand to but couldn't keep out.
It's hard to imagine that there isn't still the occasional moment when Dynamo players and fans wonder what might have been at last year's MLS Cup final. Houston, playing without the injured Davis, lost 1-0 after holding off the favored L.A. Galaxy for most of the match. Davis is the engine that drives the Dynamo, and he was a key difference maker Wednesday.
It wasn't just the corner kick that led to Bruin's goal. Except for an uncharacteristic giveaway in the opening minutes, Davis was a thorn in the Fire's side — and down the middle — all evening. He did well drifting between central midfield and the left flank, hit smart passes and tested the Fire back four with multiple crosses that resulted in Dynamo shots.
None of the hosts could match Davis' creativity or impact.
"Come out to practice and watch this guy," Kinnear told Sporting News in early October. "He's one of the most naturally talented players I've ever been around on a daily basis. You don't really appreciate him until you see him every day. He does things other players can't do and he does it consistently."
Questions will be asked about the way MLS scheduled the final weekend of the regular season. With games kicking off at different times across Saturday and Sunday, the Dynamo were aware before Saturday night's match in Colorado that they would finish fifth. So hours after Chicago played a difficult 90 minutes against D.C. United, Kinnear was able to rest nearly all his starters in a meaningless game.
Fire coach Frank Klopas won't want to make excuses — Houston simply was better Wednesday — but the difference in the teams' relative energy level was clear. Fire players were sluggish, appeared to lack urgency at times and struggled with their timing (forward Sherjill MacDonald was whistled offside four times). The only sustained Chicago threat came courtesy of winger Patrick Nyarko, who troubled Houston's outside backs but wasn't able to convert until late.
The goal finally came in the 82nd minute, shortly after Friedrich found Nyarko with a long ball out of the back. The Virginia Tech product fed substitute midfielder Alex, who finished with a low shot inside the right post. It made the final score more respectable, but likely won't leave Chicago feeling better about its performance.
The Dynamo (15-9-11) advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals and a two-game series with Sporting Kansas City (18-7-9). Houston will be host for the first game Sunday at BBVA Compass Stadium (3:30 p.m. ET, NBC), where the Dynamo were 11-0-6 this season. Throw in Houston's increasing comfort on the playoff road — it beat SKC in last year's Eastern final at Livestrong Sporting Park — and this series is no gimme for the top seed.
Chicago (17-12-6) made significant strides this season, returning a winning culture to Toyota Park and adding several key players. But it faded down the stretch, finishing the regular season with one win in five games, and was neither fit nor in form when facing a playoff-seasoned Houston team. Defeat was in the cards Wednesday.
— Thursday: Los Angeles Galaxy at Vancouver Whitecaps, 10 p.m. ET
— Friday: Seattle Sounders at Real Salt Lake, 10 p.m. ET | Eddie Johnson injury update
— Saturday: New York Red Bulls at D.C. United, 8 p.m. ET | Sides flip dates in wake of Hurricane Sandy


text:
The apocalypse came last week, as predicted years ago not by the Mayans, but by me. I looked at the calendar with dread because I knew that in December 2012, I would be turning 50. The big 5-oh.
A half-century may be a mere grain of sand in the Mayan calendar, but on my calendar it's a huge boulder trying to crush me.
I could write one of those wistful columns about how lucky I am to be 50, but that would be a lie. I can't write that I'm in the prime of life. I'm not the same person I was at 20 or 30 or even 40.
I won't go for a fast six-mile run, as I did on my wedding day. I won't stay up to watch the sunrise just because we have a keg. I won't eat a one-pound hamburger or a 32-ounce porterhouse just so I can get my picture on the wall. I won't act on any dare thrown my way, such as "I'll bet you can't run to the middle of the bridge and jump off before the train gets here."
Now, instead of staying up till sunrise, I wake up before it — even when I'm not going fishing.
That's not the only nagging thing that reminds me I just turned 50. I don't drink as much because the hangovers seem to last longer. The house fish taco record of nine seems farther and farther away every year. Mount Shasta, which I climbed in my 30s, seems a lot higher.
Then there are little things that become big things. I had to sit out softball season this year. My rotator cuff was shot. I could throw a backhand Frisbee just fine, but when I tried to crank up an overhand softball throw, I'd double over in pain.
It hurt twice as bad when I'd think about the not-too-distant past. I've always had the best arm. I could stand out in right field and gun a runner down at the plate — on the fly, no hops. And before that, as a kid, I could always throw the rock the farthest across the river.
Now I couldn't even throw from first base to home.
I'd complain. People would say, "You're at that age" and frown. I would wince.
I didn't want surgery, so I didn't go to the doctor. I let it rest, then worked with weights. Now I think I can throw without injuring myself. But I'm waiting till softball season just in case.
Things don't work like they once did, and it extends even to work. This will sound odd, but maybe people who type all day will understand: When I was young, I could sense it when I made as typo. I'd stop, backspace, and correct it without slowing down. Now I have to read everything twice because I can't feel myself making the typos. And some slip thruogh. See.
But there are some advantages to being 50. For example, I can act as if my hearing is bad when my wife reminds me that you are supposed to schedule a colonoscopy when you turn 50.
Maybe, if I try hard, I can think of a few things I do better at 50 than I did at 20 or 30. Such as fishing. And hunting. And driving. I'm a better husband. I'm a better father than I would have been at that age. Anything that requires patience, I'm better at it. I'm probably smarter, too, even if I can't catch my own typos some of the time.
I shouldn't complain about being 50. Heck, it's only been a few days. Maybe I'll get used to it.
But I would sure like to throw a runner out at home plate, go home and eat 10 fish tacos, then stay up till dawn. Just once more. Just because I could.
David Little is editor of the Enterprise-Record and Oroville Mercury-Register. His column appears each Sunday. Follow him on Twitter, @ER_DavidLittle.


text:
In Texas, everything is bigger—and that's not just at the University of Texas.
The Texas A&M Aggies joined forces with the big boys of the SEC and they aren't looking back. This week, artist renderings turned into a real live plan. Kyle Field will expand to 102,500 seating capacity, making it the largest in the SEC.
The entire project comes with a price tag of more than $450 million. Renovations begin in November and are expected to be completed by August 2015.
Neyland Stadium, home of the Tennessee Volunteers, currently the largest in the SEC with a seating capacity of 102,455.
"It's the largest? I didn't know that," said a smiling Texas A&M chancellor John Sharp at a press conference Wednesday. "That was the recommendation from the architect: 102,500…I didn't argue with that recommendation."
Credit a lot of this to quarterback Johnny Manziel and the momentum he has brought to the program. However, as Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany points out, no one player is bigger than a university.
"If Johnny Manziel was playing Arena football tomorrow, what is (his) uniform worth?" Delany asked during a conversation about pay-for-play.
Manziel could—maybe, should—leave after this season, which leaves someone else on Kevin Sumlin's roster left to fill those seats. Last season, the Aggies were 11-2. In the previous three seasons, A&M won seven, nine and six games respectively.
Across the nation, regular-season attendance on the major college football level averaged a mere 45,274 fans, the lowest since 2003. According to the Birmingham News, Florida was down 2 percent in attendance; Auburn declined 4 percent; Tennessee saw a 5 percent drop.
The SEC averaged 75,444 fans, but even that was the lowest since 2007. Meanwhile, a face value ticket at an SEC game was up to $100 for the first time.
"As we have seen with Texas A&M's transition into the Southeastern Conference, athletics can play a key role in increasing the visibility of the entire university," said Texas A&M President R. Bowen Loftin in a school press release. "The Kyle Field project is yet another element of enhancing Texas A&M's profile."
Kyle Field's current capacity is 90,000 and it is on Saturdays a loud and rocking place. The new field will be lowered to increase fan noise, if that's possible in College Station.