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Bourjos' hard work leads to walk-off single
ST. LOUIS -- In a year where Peter Bourjos went from starting in center field to being buried on the bench, he has had to wait until September to see the payoff of the swing changes he made in June.
Limited playing time has left Bourjos to carry around the confidence generated from his early-summer work with the club's hitting coaches without much opportunity to show it off. Yet he parlayed a two-hit game on Tuesday into a rare start against a right-handed pitcher on Wednesday and ended that game with the second walk-off hit of his career, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 win over the Pirates.
"The last few days, I feel like I put some good swings on the ball and got rewarded," Bourjos said. "Things are starting to fall in."
Bourjos points to the Cardinals' visit to Colorado in June as the turning point for his season. Something clicked during his pregame hitting sessions during that stop. Over the next two months, though, he made only 12 starts, which meant limited opportunities to put the work into play.
"[Hitting coach] John Mabry has come up to me a number of times talking to me about how he really likes where Peter is and that he's making these improvements and always lobbying to try and reward these guys," manager Mike Matheny said. "It's just been hard to get him time. He thinks he has more to bring to the table, and I do, too. Now he's showing it and making it obvious to everyone."
Matheny's challenge remains finding time for four players -- Bourjos, Jon Jay, Oscar Taveras and Randal Grichuk -- to cover two positions. Bourjos' assignments have come mostly against left-handed pitching, though both of his hits on Wednesday were off righties.
"You have to go up there and have a real simple approach and not do too much, because you're going to get in trouble," Bourjos said. "I try to go up and execute early in the count. It's tough just overall to have timing and momentum in the batter's box [with limited at-bats]. You have to find a way to be comfortable when you do get in there and try to take advantage of it."
Jenifer Langosch has been a reporter with MLB.com since 2007, first covering the Pirates and now the Cardinals.This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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African Soul presents
Join master drummer Bortier Okoe for a once-in-a-life-time Ghanaian experience. Open your heart and immerse yourself in rich and vibrant culture on a four-week intensive cultural tour. You will live in the town of Nungua amongst the community, learn the traditional rhythms, songs and dances and develop your skills under the guidance of Bortier and local drum and dance masters.
Bortier's family will welcome you, share their culture, and cook for you their traditional and delicious food. Take part in live performances specially arranged for you, be entertained by renowned performers, learn to cook favourite Ghanaian food, witness traditional ceremonies, take part in weekend excursions and end your tour with a spectacular performance, showcasing your new skills for the whole community.
Though everyone's experience will be unique, feeling the rhythm of Ghanaian life and the joy of people around you is something everyone can experience on the Telema Tour.
Drum and dance workshops
Students will be grouped according to skill level and experience, catering for beginners to advanced levels. Your principle teachers on tour are all master drummers and dancers with experience.
Each day will consist of up to 5 hours of drumming and dancing. You will have options to choose from.
• a full day of structured workshops
• a split day of workshop & private tuition
• or you may choose to spend your time exploring the region
Accommodation and Food
Your accommodation will be at Akwaba lodge, a short walk to the beach in Nungua. All rooms are serviced daily and a laundry service can be provided at a small cost.
Every day, three delicious Ghanaian meals will be prepared for you. Vegetarians and special dietary needs can be catered for.
Students will be required to have one kpalogo and one djembe at the commencement of classes. Locally made drums will be available for purchase at great prices. You have the option of prepay or purchase upon arrival.
For $250 you receive
• 1 djembe
• 1kpanlogo
• 1 shekere
• 1 bell
Students will be responsible for freight costs for their drums back to their own country. We can arrange this for you.
Private tuition
If you want a one-on-one class in kpalogo, djembe, dundun, talking drum, xylophone, flute, thumb piano, or dance, this can be arranged with one of our Masters.
Excursions and Experiences
Learn about Ghana's slave trade on a special weekend excursion to historical Cape Coast and visit the rainforests of Kakum National Park, famous for its exquisite Canopy Walkway.
Do some bargaining at Mokola, Accra's busiest market, where you can buy anything from soap and sandles to beads and baskets, taste the local produce, buy some vibrant material and have some clothes made by a local tailor.
Visit beautiful beaches, peruse local cafes and bars, and have the chance to attend a spirited African Church.
Bortier Okoe

subset: commoncrawl


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New collectible from "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time"...
For a great selection of video game action figures and collectibles, check out BigBadToyStore.com, ToyWiz.com, PastGenerationToys.com, HobbyLinkJapan.com, and Sekaido.com.
For a great selection of video game t-shirts and apparel, check out TShirtGurus.com and 80sTees.com.
Following their sneak peek back in May, Hot Toys today pulls the covers off of their Prince of Persia: The Sand of Time Movie Masterpiece action figure. Featuring the likeness of Jake Gyllenhaal as Prince Dastan, this figure features two outfits: royal and battle, as well as a slew of weaponry including the Dagger of Time, two swords and two fighting daggers. The Prince Dastan MMS figure is scheduled to ship end of third quarter/ early fourth quarter.
The 1:6th scale MMS127 Prince Dastan Collectible Figure features:
- Newly sculpted head with authentic likeness of Jake Gyllenhaal as Prince Dastan in the movie Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
- Approximately 30 cm tall
- Over 30 points of articulations
- Multi-layered stereoscopic hair sculpture
- Movie-accurate facial expression with detailed wrinkles, skin texture and moustache
- Muscular upper body
- Three (3) pairs of interchangeable palms including:
- One (1) pair of relaxed palms
- One (1) pair for holding swords
- Two (2) extra gloved left palms, including one (1) relaxed palm and one (1) for holding sword
- Each piece of head sculpt is specially hand-painted
- One (1) pair of brown-color pants suitable for both styles of costume
- One (1) leather-like brown-color patterned armor vest with highly detailed accessories and two (2) sword sheaths at the back
- One (1) brown-color patterned jacket
- One (1) creamy white colored shirt
- One (1) black-color buckled belt where the dagger of time can be put, which is twisted three folds round the waist
- One (1) brown-color belt with three (3) buckles and two (2) dagger sheaths
- One (1) red-color long scarf
- One (1) pair of brown- and black-color arm gauntlets with accessories and ropes
- One (1) pair of leather-like brownish black colored boots
- Two (2) metal-like swords
- One (1) metal-like dagger of time
- Two (2) metal-like daggers
- Necklaces with pendants
- Leather-like and metal-like bracelets on right wrist
- Figure stand with Prince Dastan nameplate and movie logo


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Nhat Hanh
Thich Nhat Hanh (born 11 October 1926) is an expatriate Vietnamese Buddhist monk, peace activist, and prolific author in both Vietnamese and English. He is most commonly referred to as Thich Nhat Hanh, in which the Vietnamese title Thích (釋), derived from "Thích Ca" or "Thích Già" (釋迦) and applied to all Vietnamese Buddhist monks and nuns, means "of the Shakya (Shakyamuni Buddha) clan".
- When you understand the roots of anger in yourself and in the other, your mind will enjoy true peace, joy and lightness
- Teachings on Love (2005) Full Circle Publishing ISBN 81-7621-167-2
- When you feel anger arising, remember to return to your breathing and follow it. The other person may see that you are practicing, and she may even apologize.
- Teachings on Love (2005) Full Circle Publishing ISBN 81-7621-167-2
- Your first love has no beginning or end. Your first love is not your first love, and it is not your last. It is just love. It is one with everything.
- Cultivating the Mind of Love (2005) Full Circle Publishing ISBN 81-216-0676-4
- The quality of our life
depends on the quality
of the seeds
that lie deep in our consciousness.
- Understanding Our Mind (2006) Parallax Press ISBN 978-81-7223-796-7
- The present moment
contains past and future.
The secret of transformation,
is in the way we handle this very moment.
- Understanding Our Mind (2006) Parallax Press ISBN 978-81-7223-796-7
- Seeds can produce seeds
Seeds can produce formations.
Formations can produce seeds.
Formations can produce formations.
- Understanding Our Mind (2006) Parallax Press ISBN 978-81-7223-796-7
- One included all, and all were contained in one.
- Old Path White Clouds : Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha (1991) Parallax Press ISBN 81-216-0675-6
- The leaf and his body were one. Neither possessed a separate permanent self. Neither could exist independently from the rest of the universe.
- Old Path White Clouds : Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha (1991)
- Contemplating the bowl, it is possible to see the interdependent elements which give rise to the bowl.
- Old Path White Clouds : Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha (1991) Parallax Press ISBN 81-216-0675-6
- Freedom from suffering is a great happiness.
- Old Path White Clouds : Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha (1991) Parallax Press ISBN 81-216-0675-6
- The Buddha also counseled the monks and nuns to avoid wasting any precious time by engaging in idle conversation, oversleeping, pursuing fame and recognition, chasing after desires, spending time with people of poor character, and being satisfied with only a shallow understanding of the teaching.
- Old Path White Clouds : Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha (1991) Parallax Press ISBN 81-216-0675-6
- The same clouds that Buddha had seen were in the sky. Each serene step brought to life the old path and white clouds of the Buddha. The path of Buddha was beneath his very feet.
- Old Path White Clouds : Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha (1991) Parallax Press ISBN 81-216-0675-6
- Venerable Svasti and the young buffalo boys were rivers that flowed from that source. Wherever the rivers flowed, the Buddha would be there.
- Old Path White Clouds : Walking in the Footsteps of the Buddha (1991) Parallax Press ISBN 81-216-0675-6
- If in our daily life we can smile, if we can be peaceful and happy, not only we, but everyone will profit from it. If we really know how to live, what better way to start the day than with a smile? Our smile affirms our awareness and determination to live in peace and joy. The source of a true smile is an awakened mind.
- Peace Is Every Step : The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life (1992) Bantam reissue ISBN 0553351397
- The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk on the green earth in the present moment, to appreciate the peace and beauty that are available now.
- Touching Peace (1992), p. 1. Parallax Press ISBN 0-938077-57-0
- In order to rally people, governments need enemies. They want us to be afraid, to hate, so we will rally behind them. And if they do not have a real enemy, they will invent one in order to mobilize us.
- Quoted in Engaged Buddhist Reader: Ten Years of Engaged Buddhist Publishing (1996) by Arnold Kotler, p. 106
- To think in terms of either pessimism or optimism oversimplifies the truth. The problem is to see reality as it is. A pessimistic attitude can never create the calm and serene smile which blossoms on the lips of Bodhisattvas and all those who obtain the way.
- The Miracle of Mindfulness (1999)
- Reality is reality. It transcends every concept. There is no concept which can adequately describe it, not even the concept of interdependence.
- The Miracle of Mindfulness (1999)
- Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the whole earth revolves—slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future. Live the actual moment. Only this actual moment is life.
- The Miracle of Mindfulness (1999)
- It's wonderful to be alive and to walk on earth.
- Talk at Stonehill College (2002)
- You are a miracle, and everything you touch could be a miracle.
- Episode of the National Public Radio program Speaking of Faith : "Brother Thay: A Radio Pilgrimage with Thich Nhat Hanh" (2003)
- If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people.
- Quoted in A Lifetime of Peace : Essential Writings by and About Thich Nhat Hanh (2003) edited by Jennifer Schwamm Willis, p. 141
- We have more possibilities available in each moment than we realize. [citation needed]
- As quoted in Visions from Earth (2004) by James Miller
- Children understand very well that in each woman, in each man, in each child, there is capacity of waking up, of understanding, and of loving. Many children have told me that they cannot show me anyone who does not have this capacity. Some people allow it to develop, and some do not, but everyone has it. This capacity of waking up, of being aware of what is going on in your feelings, in your body, in your perceptions, in the world, is called Buddha nature, the capacity of understanding and loving. Smiling is very important. If we are not able to smile, then the world will not have peace. It is not by going out for a demonstration against nuclear missiles that we can bring about peace. It is with our capacity of smiling, breathing, and being peace that we can make peace.
- Being Peace (2005)
- Your true home is in the here and the now. It is not limited by time, space, nationality, or race. Your true home is not an abstract idea. It is something you can touch and live in every moment. With mindfulness and concentration, the energies of the Buddha, you can find your true home in the full relaxation of your mind and body in the present moment. No one can take it away from you. Other people can occupy your country, they can even put you in prison, but they cannot take away your true home and your freedom.
- Nhat Hanh, Thich, "Returning Home", Shambhala Sun (March 2006)
- Going vegetarian may be the most effective way to fight global warming. Buddhist practitioners have practiced vegeterianism over the last 2000 years. We are vegetarian with the intention to nourish our compassion towards the animals. Now we also know that we eat vegetarian in order to protect the earth...
- Nhat Hanh, Thich, "Letter from Thay", Blue Cliff Monastery (12 October 2007)
- Love is the capacity to take care, to protect, to nourish. If you are not capable of generating that kind of energy toward yourself — if you are not capable of taking care of yourself, of nourishing yourself, of protecting yourself — it is very difficult to take care of another person.
Quotes about Nhat Hanh[edit]
- He has immense presence and both personal and Buddhist authority. If there is a candidate for "Living Buddha" on earth today, it is Thich Nhat Hanh.
- Richard Baker
- [Thich Nhat Hanh's practices] do not have any affinity with or any foundation in traditional Vietnamese Buddhist practices.
- A. W. Barber and C. Nguyen, in "Vietnamese Buddhism in North America, Tradition and Acculturation" (1998), in The Faces of Buddhism in America (1998) by C. S. Prebish and K. K. Tanaka, p. 131, ISBN 0-520-21301-7
- A great spiritual leader whose influence can help us find a living peace in everything we do. Thich Nhat Hanh's words connect inner peace with the need for peace in the world in a compelling way.
- Natalie Goldberg, author of Wild Mind
- [Thich Nhat Hanh] shows us the connection between personal inner peace and peace on earth.
- Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama in "Anger", in Wisdom For Cooling the Flames
- Thich Nhat Hanh is a real poet.
- Robert Lowell
- Thich Nhat Hanh writes with the voice of the Buddha.
- Sogyal Rimpoche, author of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
Nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize[edit]
- Martin Luther King Jr.'s letter of nomination of Nhat Hanh for the Nobel Peace Prize (25 January 1967) at Hartford-HWP Archives
- This would be a notably auspicious year for you to bestow your Prize on the Venerable Nhat Hanh. Here is an apostle of peace and non-violence, cruelly separated from his own people while they are oppressed by a vicious war which has grown to threaten the sanity and security of the entire world.
- I know Thich Nhat Hanh, and am privileged to call him my friend...
- Thich Nhat Hanh offers a way out of this nightmare, a solution acceptable to rational leaders. He has traveled the world, counseling statesmen, religious leaders, scholars and writers, and enlisting their support. His ideas for peace, if applied, would build a monument to ecumenism, to world brotherhood, to humanity.
External links[edit]
- Profile at Parallax.org
- Profile at dharmamemphis.com
- Profile at Seaox.com
- Buddhist Masters and their Organizations
- SpiritSight.com - Excerpts from selected Thich Nhat Hanh books
- Questions and Answers by Thich Nhat Hanh
- ShambhalaSun Magazine (do a search on "Thich Nhat Hanh" for a list of previous articles)
- Speaking of Faith (Downloadable Public Radio broadcast about the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh)
Official websites for Thich Nhat Hanh and the Order of Interbeing
- Plum Village - Thich Nhat Hanh's main monastery and practice center, located about 85 km east of Bordeaux, France
- Deer Park Monastery - located in Escondido, California
- I Am Home - Community of Mindful Living; home of the "Mindfulness Bell" magazine with news, articles, and talks by Thich Nhat Hanh and other Order of Interbeing members


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Topic: TENS Unit for pain mgmt?
Has anyone used a TENS unit for pain management with their cancer? Have a lot of lower back and abdominal muscle pain from my body trying to overcompensate for the pain caused by my abdominal and rib age tumors. Ironically, though I'm on mscontin and msir for the cancer pain, those drugs do very little to help with the muscle pain, which I'm self-treating with Tylenol and Advil.
Anyway, for my birthday, my mother bought me a small TENS unit and we're still trying to figure out how to use it or if it will even be effective for helping with this muscular pain.
Has anyone out there used one of these things to help with pain management? Any suggestions for use? We've googled this from one end of the Internet to the next and have yet to find a resource that's human-readable for us non-medical types. And before I spend a lot of time trying to figure this out, I thought I'd see if anyone here had any experiences to share.
Many thanks!


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Experience luxury at its finest.
The Union Bank Inn ranks among the most outstanding romantic hotels in Downtown Edmonton.
As a stylish one-of-a-kind boutique Edmonton hotel, we welcome you to our lavish accommodations, elegant Banquet and Fine Dining- Madison's Grill. Ranked among the Top Hotels in Downtown Edmonton, the Union Bank Inn is dedicated to ensuring our guests experience Luxury and Comfort during their stay.
Located in the Business and Arts District in the Heart of Downtown Edmonton, with a short walk to Shaw Convention Center, Arena Ice District, Art Gallery, Citadel Theater, Winspear, Shopping, Spas and so much more. Plus LRT access directly outside the hotel. We join other Luxury downtown Edmonton hotels providing the most convenient access to the best that our vibrant city has to offer, In the Heart of it all!
We pride ourselves in the work we do to maintain the historical building we occupy, formerly the Union Bank of Canada- 1911, and share the rich history with our guests. (Click on the History Tab below and you will even find an Employee Handbook for the Bank circa 1914). Formerly housing the Union Bank of Canada, in 1997 the Union Bank Inn was created as a Boutique property striving to be amongst the best Hotels in Downtown Edmonton. Visit us today to experience the charm and Leisurely Life of Boutique Hotel Living .
Each of our 40 Designer Guestrooms and Suites feature Luxurious bedding, Bathrobes, Blue Tooth Radios and Flat Screen Televisions INCLUDED FREE: Evening Delivery of Wine and Cheese, In Room Coffee, Wi-Fi, and full Breakfast in Madison's Grill.
Our Contemporary Wing Guestrooms all offer Fridges and a variety of Rooms in both Wings offer Jetted Tubs. We also offer a small on site Fitness Room for your convenience as well as a fully equipped Business Center.
At the Union Bank Inn, we provide distinctive service, extraordinary Edmonton hotel experiences and the comfort and tranquility that will perfectly enhance your stay in the city. Escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and come enjoy exceptional luxury in close proximity to everything Edmonton has to offer.
Fine Dining Experience in Downtown Edmonton Hotels
Our signature dining experience is something everyone raves about when they experience it with us for the first time. This is why guests agree that the Madison's Grill and Vintage Room is the very epitome of haute-cuisine, customer service, and ambiance.
Our warm and inviting décor, along with our award-winning dining room welcomes you with Canadian cuisine prepared using the best seasonal and local produce, changing seasonally influenced by the Vibrant Food Scene in Edmonton. Indulge your taste buds with the delicacies crafted and prepared by our Executive Chef and the kitchen team.
Madison's Grill is amongst the best Dining rooms in Hotels in Downtown Edmonton. Often voted Most Romantic, we are fortunate to be a part of many engagements, Weddings and Anniversary Celebrations.
Enjoy casual dining and cocktails amid our inviting contemporary design or head out to the seasonal terrace to dine outdoors.
Private Luxury Events in our Premiere Downtown Edmonton Hotel
The Grill also welcomes groups of all sizes meeting for business or personal entertainment. Our in-house Vintage Room can accommodate parties of up to 14 guests and is ideally located at the side of the main restaurant. Book this wine-themed entertainment room today and wow your guests. You can also book Madison's Grill for a private event, it can seat up to 75 guests, or 90 guests for a cocktail reception.
Alternatively, you might want to consider booking our Elegant Devonshire Room for 60 people seated or Cocktail Reception. Offering a warm and inviting Fireplace and full audio visual capabilities. We offer some very unique choices for 3 sizes of Groups. WEDDING AND MEETINGS ARE OUR SPECIALTY! (Click on the Wedding Tab for further details and we would be happy to provide you a personalized tour and create the Event of your Dreams) we also have a convenient Request for Proposal form for your convenience. Let our luxury Edmonton hotel be a part of your next Special Event or other types of Corporate Meetings.
Be Original ~ Be Distinct!


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UFC Dana White action figure reveal inside...
Dana White, President of the UFC, action figure prototype
To insure your action figure collection, get in touch with our sponsor Collectibles Insurance.
For a great selection of sports action figures and collectibles, check out BigBadToyStore.com, ToyDorks.com, ToyWiz.com, and BriansToys.com.
For an amazing selection of original sculptures, statues, prints and DVDs be sure to check out ShiflettBrothers.com.
JAKKS Pacific announces that they will attending the first ever UFC Fan Expo this weekend, Friday April 29 and Saturday April 30, in Toronto, Canada. JAKKS, at booth #1513, will be offering attendees a look at the upcoming UFC Dana White figure (pictured above), as well as the debut of the TapouT Crew's first-ever action figures (sneak peek pictured below).
Also available for sale at the JAKKS booth will be the full set of Series 7 figures, "Best of 2010" figure assortment, UFC Big Gloves and Championship Belt.
For full details on this weekend's show, visit UFCFanExpo.com.
TapouT Crew sneak peek


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Several family members and friends as well as members of law enforcement and the San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office came together on a rainy Thursday morning to remember two people whose lives were cut short because of domestic violence.
Tania Villalobos was only 17 when her husband, Alejandro Hernandez Villalobos, attacked and killed her in 2010 in San Bernardino, authorities said.
Only a few days before Valentine's Day last year, 23-year-old Willie Wiltz, reportedly was gunned down by his girlfriend, Ebony Davis, as Wiltz attempted to leave their home in San Bernardino during an argument.
"Sadly, we see far too many cases in our county related to domestic violence," District Attorney Michael Ramos said at a news conference at Hermosa Gardens Cemetery in Colton, where both Villalobos and Wiltz are buried.
October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
In 2011, the DA's Office filed 127 murder cases in San Bernardino County. Nine were related to incidents of domestic violence.
"Unfortunately, domestic violence is still a common issue within our community," Carolina Zaragoza Flores, the local consul of Mexico, said in a written statement.
Domestic violence is an under-reported crime, but when the victim is male, the number of reports are even smaller, authorities say.
Out of about 100 cases, only about four involved male victims, said Traci Rediford, a victims advocate for the DA's Office.
"The police cannot stress enough the need for people to come forward and report domestic violence," said San Bernardino Police Chief Robert Handy. "So often we see a continued progression of violence where the abuse starts out being tolerable but ultimately ends in tragedy. We need victims, family members, friends and neighbors to stand united and report domestic violence."
On Thursday, the DA's Office released a video focusing on the myths in the Latino community about domestic violence.
"As a government of Mexico's office board, we believe that education is the most effective strategy to avoid this kind of violence," said Flores.
Authorities urge anyone who is a victim of domestic violence to reach out to any law enforcement agency or advocacy group.
909-386-3921, @IEBeatriz


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ORLANDO, Fla. - A gunman beat and robbed two employees who were closing up shop late Wednesday in Orlando, and he also fired shots at a witness who tried to follow him, according to deputies.
The robbery happened in the parking lot of the Dollar Tree in the 8100 block of John Young Parkway near the attractions.
According to Orange County Sheriff's deputies, two workers were leaving for the night when they were ambushed by a man who punched one of them and pistol-whipped the other.
After robbing the pair, the man drove off, but a witness followed him, according to deputies, who said the gunman opened fire on the witnesses' car. The witness was not injured.
The robbery victims were not seriously injured.
A detailed description of the gunman has not been released.
Watch Local 6 News and stay with ClickOrlando.com for more on this story.
Copyright 2013 by ClickOrlando.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Dr. Roger L. Simpson is a board-certified plastic and reconstructive surgeon and current president at Long Island Plastic Surgical Group, the largest and longest running private academic plastic surgery practice in North America. Dr. Simpson is known for his considerable expertise in facial paralysis treatment, serving as the director of Long Island Plastic Surgical Group's Facial Reanimation Center. He performs a range of procedures designed to help restore form and function to facial areas affected by injury, disease, or other factors and is also an expert in hand surgery in New York. Dr. Simpson is currently the Director of the Residency Training Program in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Nassau University Medical Center, where he also holds positions of Chief of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Chief of the Hand Surgery Service, and Director of the Burn Center. Roger L. Simpson, MD has been trained and educated at some of the most respected medical institutions in the world, and maintains a distinguished teaching and lecturing career in addition to his clinical practice.
Long Island Plastic Surgical Group (LIPSG) was established in 1948 and maintains its reputation as one of the premier plastic surgery practices in the United States. LIPSG doctors are committed to the safest treatment possible and quality patient care. The practice operates a fully equipped surgical facility that has been accredited by the American Association for Accreditation of Ambulatory Surgery Facilities, Inc. LIPSG oversees nine Centers of Excellence within its practice, including Breast and Body Cosmetic Surgery; Non-invasive and Surgical Facial Rejuvenation; Post-Weight Loss Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery; Breast Reconstruction Surgery; Skin Care and Age Management; Burns and Complex Wound Management; Facial Reanimation and Peripheral Nerve Repair; Microsurgery and Hand Reconstruction; and Pediatric Plastic and Craniofacial Surgery.
LIPSG embodies a philosophy of treatment designed to help you achieve your goals with a comprehensive choice of procedures, the highest standards of safety, advanced techniques, and compassionate care.
Garden City Office Location
999 Franklin Avenue
Garden City, NY 11530
(516) 504-3014
Americana Manhasset Office Location
2110 Northern Blvd, Suite 210
Manhasset, NY 11030
(516) 439-5500
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery; Facial Reanimation; Hand Reconstruction
Dr. Simpson and his staff are here to guide you through your journey every step of the way to ensure that you have a personalized and fulfilling experience. The consultation is an important first step giving you the chance to talk about your needs and goals and ask any questions you may have. Following an examination, you will receive an expert opinion on which surgical or non-surgical options may be a fit for you. You will also learn what to expect before, during, and after your procedure. At Long Island Plastic Surgical Group, our expert surgeons are dedicated to providing comprehensive and compassionate care with the highest standards of safety.
Garden City Office Location
999 Franklin Avenue
Garden City, NY 11530
(516) 504-3014
Americana Manhasset Office Location
2110 Northern Blvd, Suite 210
Manhasset, NY 11030
(516) 439-5500
Babylon Office Location
200 W. Main Street, Building A, Suite 101
Babylon, NY 11702
(631) 376-0656
NYC Office Location
1111 Park Avenue, Suite 1G
New York, NY 10128
(212) 879-8506
Flushing Office Location
136-20 38th Avenue, Suite 5E
Flushing, NY 11354
(347) 738-0225
Huntington Office Location
206 E. Jericho Turnpike
Huntington Station, NY 11746
(631) 683-5630
- American Board of Plastic Surgery 1981
- American Society of Plastic Surgeons
- Fellow, American College of Surgeons
- American Association of Plastic Surgeons
- New York Regional Society of Plastic Surgeons
- Association of Academic Chairmen of Plastic Surgery
- American Society for Surgery of the Hand
- American Association for Hand Surgery
- The New York Society for Surgery of the Hand
- Northeastern Society of Plastic Surgeons
- J. William Littler Society (Hand Surgery)
- The Hand Forum
- American Burn Association
- New York Academy of Medicine
- New York State Medical Society
- Nassau County Medical Society
- Arthritis Foundation, Long Island Division, Rheumatic Disease
- Regional Emergency Medical Services Council of New York- Burn Committee
- Nassau County Volunteer Firefighters Burn Foundation
- The Plastic Surgery Research Council


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Bucs mulling a move to first base for Alvarez
PHOENIX -- After another unfortunate night at third base for Pedro Alvarez, Pirates brass at least is considering the possibility that the hot corner may have gotten too hot for the defending National League home run co-king.
Before being pulled in the seventh inning of a tie game Saturday night, Alvarez had committed his 22nd throwing error of the season, and also threw two others balls into the dirt saved from errors by first baseman Ike Davis.
Manager Clint Hurdle said Sunday morning that club officials are "having conversations" about moving Alvarez across the infield to first base.
"I'm still involved in some discussions," Hurdle said. "Hypothetically, is [a position switch] something you entertain during a pennant race?"
Assistant general manager Kyle Stark is here in person, and Hurdle also spoke by telephone with GM Neal Huntington.
For immediate purposes, Josh Harrison has moved in as the primary player at third base, a position where he made his 14th start of the season on Sunday.
Hurdle was not prepared to project beyond Sunday, however.
"I can't get into that, because we don't know if Pedro has been unplugged (from the position)," Hurdle said. "Pedro aside -- Harrison is the best defender on our club now at third base."
It's not just the glove, of course. Alvarez last homered on July 11, while Harrison had five homers in the first nine games of the road trip that concluded with Sunday's game. Harrison also drove in 11 runs between Alvarez's last RBIs on July 11 and Friday night.
Tom Singer is a reporter for MLB.com and writes an MLBlog Change for a Nickel. He can also be found on Twitter @Tom_Singer. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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A Wobbly Complacency
Don't like the market? Just wait a few minutes. We have something for everybody, and the market's direction can change instantly with a political speech. As we teeter on the edge of the fiscal cliff, we keep being pushed toward and away from the precipice, yet the net progress is little or nothing.
Look at yesterday's posting on the S&P 500, below. An early drop was enough to break the small ascending trendline and suggest we were starting a down move, yet the later speech-induced rally erased the loss and posted a nice gain. Yet it could not push the average up through the 1425 level we have been watching. It still looks as though it is a level that is being refused, and it suggests being a seller....291 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
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THERE are just a few weeks left for you to nominate a young athlete who you believe deserves a grant from our Sports Stars of Tomorrow initiative organised with Devizes-based charity Bag4Sport Foundation.
The charity will hand out four grants to youngsters from the Wiltshire Times patch who need financial help to reach the top in their chosen sport.
Two winners will receive £500 each, with £100 each going to two runners-up. But your entry must arrive by July 31 to be in with a chance of winning.
One of last year's winners, Harriet Eyles from Rams-bury, was ranked in the top ten in the UK for U12s earlier this year.
An injured elbow means she is learning how to use her left hand when playing.
Mum Ros said: "Harriet's problem has recently been diagnosed as a piece of cartilage coming adrift.
Undeterred by her injury, Harriet is now ranked ninth in the UK at javelin at U13 level, winning the Wiltshire title and will represent the South West in August.
To be in the running to receive a grant of up to £500, get your parent, teacher or coach to fill in the form in this week's Wiltshire Times or go to the Bag4Sport Foundation website bag4sport.co.uk or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
All entries must be received by July 31. We will need to know why the nominated person needs help and their achievements to date.
Any youngster up to the age of 16 can be nominated but they must not already be receiving a Lottery grant.
We will pick two winners from the Wilshire Times area as well as two runners up.
Bag4Sport Foundation raises money to help grass root sport and talented individuals reach their potential.
July 13: London 10K August 2-4: Devizes to Paris cycle ride.
December 14: Santa fun run, Devizes.


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RIG Is a Short-Term Buy
Transocean's (RIG) settlement with the Department of Justice on Thursday changes my short-term view on the stock, if not my long-term one. But for the next few weeks there is a catch-up momentum that should drive shares higher and I am looking to buy even after the strong rally yesterday.
Off shore isn't in general where I want to be in 2013. As supplies on shore continue to increase while demand in the U.S. continues to slacken, there are simply better investments in scale on where to get crude oil. And I say crude oil specifically. There will be another slack year in natural gas prices making the specific quest for crude oil volume growth the most profitable play in the energy sector again. Offshore drilling continues to yield greater percentages of natural gas to crude and operations must take into account the production of both. Furthermore, off shore continues to not only get more and more expensive as it needs to drill more deeply and more horizontally, it also becomes more dangerous, as Macondo showed as well as the RDS Shell drill rig grounding in Alaska so recently reminded us. As priorities go for investing in energy, off shore is not currently on the top of my list. ...315 more words left in this article. To read them, just click below and try Real Money FREE for 14 days.
There's no substitute for a trading floor to get great ideas, so Jim Cramer created a better one at Real Money and blogs there exclusively. We then added legendary hedge fund manager, Doug Kass, with his exclusive Daily Diary and best investing ideas. Staffed with more than 4 dozen investing pros, money managers, journalists and analysts, Real Money Pro gives you a flood of opinions, analysis and actionable trading advice found nowhere else, and allows you to interact directly with each expert.
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The Mariners are active in community projects and fundraisers that benefit charitable organizations throughout our region. Through our fundraising program, eligible 501(c)(3) organizations receive discounted tickets, which they can then resell for any price (up to face value) and keep the difference. Even better, there are no up-front costs and you'll only pay for what you sell.
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If you have a large group, ask your Account Executive about our Group Manager, an easy online option for managing your fundraising campaign.
To request information online please click above.
To speak with a Group Sales Account Executive please call 206-346-4001.


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Precise Flow Control
Series 6A line of intelligent electro-pneumatic positioners offers precise flow control and advanced digital communications. For use with either double- or single-acting pneumatic actuators, they can accept an analog 4-20 mA input or HART, Foundation fieldbus or Profibus PA input. They're available with either waterproof or explosion-proof enclosures.


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Comp City
You Don't Have To Be a High Roller To Get the Perks from Vegas Casinos--You Just Have To Act Like One
"How much does a guy have to lose in this joint before they start taking care of him?" Max Rubin asks, dumping $3,000 worth of black $100 chips onto one of the MGM Grand Casino's blackjack tables. It is Fight Night at the MGM this evening, a few-times-a-year occasion for high rollers from around the globe to convene in a glamorous casino, where they can be seen and socialize and gamble and, if they get around to it, observe from a palpably intimate perspective George Foreman getting his face pounded.
Dressed in a casually rich track suit, accessorized by a Shadow Creek baseball hat usually worn only by the highest of rollers, Max Rubin could blend in effortlessly with the MGM's spiffy crowd of gamblers, if that was what he wanted.
It's not. "Damn! I've been losing my ass off in this joint since lunchtime, and I only find out just now they're having some sort of fight here tonight," Rubin announces loudly to nobody in particular. A harried pit boss, trying to attend to the needs of several dozen "preferred customers"--that is, wealthy suckers--approaches Rubin's blackjack table. "Something I can do for you, sir?"
"Hell, yeah," Rubin snorts, simultaneously slamming back a "shot" of apple juice and placing a $200 bet. "I've been playing my butt off all day, and this is all I have left," Rubin complains, gesturing toward his pile of chips. Knowing shifts have just changed at this pit, Rubin is certain the floor man, who has only been on duty 10 minutes, won't have the time or inclination to check up on his claim. If he did, he would discover that Max Rubin had only walked into the MGM five minutes ago.
The pit boss looks Rubin over. You can almost hear his mind working: Big player. A little drunk. The kind of loud loser that might alienate my other players. Better keep him happy. He shakes Rubin's hand. "How can I help you, sir?"
"I hear you got a fight here tonight," Rubin says, as if he were the last guy in the world to notice that 10,000 big shots, celebrities and Germans happened to have all showed at the same place this evening.
"That's right, sir. Would you like to see the fight?" the pit boss offers.
"Sure I would," Rubin says. "Could you do that for me?"
"Of course," the pit boss replies. "Just give me your name, and I'll call it in to the box office." As he turns to fill out the requisite paperwork, Rubin, who has stopped betting his black chips, calls the pit boss back.
"Hey, could you make that for two?"
The pit boss hesitates for a millisecond. "Sure I can."
"'preciate that, pardner." As the pit boss shuffles off, Rubin, dropping the Texas drawl and drunken slur, turns to me and smiles. "Got 'em!" he says, picking up his chips. "Is this a great town, or what?"
With $900 worth of prime-location fight tickets in hand, we shamble to the MGM Grand Garden Arena, where, along with Bruce and Demi, Arsenio and Montel, and thousands of other glittering VIPs, we'll see George Foreman slink away with one of the most undeserved victories in recent heavyweight history. And thanks to Max Rubin's knowledge of the casino business, it won't cost us more than a few dollars.
Nor do the limos, the suites, the gourmet meals, the show tickets, the booze or the afternoon of golf. It's all comped.
Max Rubin (a pseudonym) is the author of Comp City: A Guide to Free Las Vegas Vacations (1994, Huntington Press, 800/244-2224 or at any Borders Bookstore) the first book to reveal the inner workings of the Las Vegas comp system, a widely known but little understood marketing tool the casinos use to lure premium players to their tables. A former casino executive, Rubin saw firsthand how the casinos doled out over half a billion dollars in comps per year, solely to encourage their customers to gamble (and lose) more.
"The gambling business is a cat and mouse game," Rubin says, as we cruise down the Strip in our complimentary limousine. "Guess who's the mouse?"
Comp City is helping to change the game into one of cat and dog--and the dogs are beginning to chase the kitties up a tree. "The book contains information the general public was never supposed to find out," Rubin remarks. "These are the casino industry's most guarded secrets."
According to the author, the casino complimentary system is designed to give back to the player approximately 40 cents for every $1 in gambling losses. His book shows how to exploit numerous loopholes in the comp system to earn $1 back for every 10 to 30 cents in losses.
Casino expert Steve Forte (see Cigar Aficionado, Spring 1995), says Comp City is the most important gambling book to be published in the last 10 years. "I've always thought the subject of comps would make a great book, and nobody knows more about them than Max. Anybody who regularly gives casinos their action should read this book first."
Heeding Forte's advice, I devoured the 294-page book in two sittings and was surprised at how generous--and how vulnerable--the casinos can be with their freebies. Using a technique Rubin dubs ACES (Advanced Comp Equivalency Strategy), clever comp hustlers--those who can play a solid game of blackjack, convincingly represent their ability to lose a lot of money and have no fear of asking for unearned rewards--can enjoy the fabulous perks most people believe are reserved exclusively for the superrich.
Still, even after digesting Rubin's entertaining, revelatory investigation, which reads like a comical how-to primer in larceny, I was incredulous. Though the mathematical explanations in Comp City couldn't be clearer, and Rubin's writing has the comforting ring of true authority, I wondered if the book's techniques would work in the real world, with a pit boss breathing over my shoulder.
"The only way the techniques in this book don't work is if you have moral and ethical qualms about taking thousands of dollars in goodies from the casinos," Rubin claims. "Course, the casinos don't have any problem bankrupting you."
I decided to see for myself.
Following the advice in Comp City, I called six Vegas hotels to ascertain which was most eager for my business. Posing as a black-chip player anxious to "gamble it up" on the big fight weekend, I was connected with executive hosts, whose job is to attract--and then keep--well-financed suckers to the tables. I told them they could expect $100-a-hand-and-up action from me. What, I politely inquired, could I expect in return?
As Rubin's book predicted, the fancier joints were not particularly impressed. Mirage told me they couldn't promise me anything until they saw my action. The Treasure Island said I could expect to be comped into a minisuite but shouldn't count on meals above and beyond the coffee shop. Luxor said my action would warrant a Jacuzzi suite and maybe food and beverage, depending on my play. Golden Nugget promised me full RFB (room, food and beverage) for $150-per-hand action at four hours of play a day but said for a suite I would have to play $200 to $250 per hand. Still, with no deposit, no up-front money in the cage, nothing more than my name and a telephone number--and a faint promise of action--each property gave me a guaranteed reservation on nights that had been "sold out" for weeks.
The less of a name brand, the more willing the casinos were to treat me like royalty. At the Frontier Hotel and Gambling Hall, a mid-Strip hotel which had been plagued by striking dishwashers for over a year, I was put through directly to one of the shift managers, who said that black chip action would entitle me to full RFB, including one of the atrium tower suites. "If you give us that kind of play you can have the run of the place," the manager told me.
For the past nine months, the Lady Luck Casino Hotel, downtown, has been making an aggressive pitch at uptown players, taking out full-page advertisements in many of the in-flight magazines. The ads promise green chip ($25) players all the spoils of the big name joints: gourmet dining, spacious suites, fully stocked limos--the works. What, I wondered, would the Lady Luck do for a black chip player?
"Anything you want," a host told me. I could almost hear him drooling on the other end of the telephone. Completely unbidden, he offered me full RFB, show tickets and golf--"Anywhere you want to play!" For four hours a day of $50 bets, all this could be mine. For double the action, I might have a shot at the ultimate comp: tickets to the heavyweight title fight.
Using conversion tables contained in Comp City, I quickly calculated the expected cost of my high-roller weekend: approximately $40. I knew I could play the Lady Luck's single-deck blackjack game at about a 2 percent disadvantage. At $50 a hand, I could expect to lose around $5 an hour. Eight hours of required play would cost me less than the price of taking my wife to the movies and dinner.
So why would the Lady Luck--or any casino for that matter--be so eager to wine and dine such a meager producer? Because, as Rubin's book explains, they think you are losing more than you really are. The casino figures the average player gives up a two percent disadvantage when playing 21, but part of being a comp wizard is learning how to play perfect basic strategy blackjack. (It takes about 30 minutes to learn and is explained clearly in the book.) The casino figures 75 to 100 hands an hour rate of play; but the comp wizard effectively slows the game down to 50 hands or less, reducing the casino's total handle dramatically. The casino is prepared to give back almost half of the player's losses in comps; but the comp wizard knows how to squeeze out a 1,000 percent return.
Upon arrival at the Lady Luck, the afternoon before the big Foreman fight, I met Max Rubin at the casino's cage, where, under the watchful eye of an executive host, I deposited a bankroll of $10,000, most of which I had no intention of touching. The host immediately made dinner reservations for us that evening at the hotel's gourmet restaurant, the Burgundy Room.
After a brief meeting in my deluxe accommodations, where Rubin and I sipped complimentary Champagne and discussed playing strategy and tableside demeanor (pleasant but needy), we made our first play. Finding a table with several other patrons and a slow dealer, we settled into two empty seats, flashed a fistful of hundreds and ordered whiskeys and cigars .
A pit boss immediately gravitated to our table and made a formal introduction. With her hovering at my side, I made a few $200 bets, making sure my oversized action was duly noted. When she went to attend to other business, I scaled my wagers back to $50 and $75. An hour later, following a leisurely 10 minute break to "make a telephone call," three men in suits approached me with their arms outstretched. One was the director of this and the other was the director of that. They all wanted to tell me how pleased they were to have me as their honored guest, and, oh, by the way, anything I possibly might need please let them know.
One of them reserved the best seats in the house to the Lady Luck's long-running production, "Melinda: First Lady of Magic"; the other handed me a gold plastic card that entitled me to complimentary meals in any of their restaurants, complimentary room service and limousine transportation wherever I pleased.
"Not bad," Rubin said, laughing, "for only an hour's worth of play. Give them a few more hours and we can ask for golf and seats at the fight."
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Hey Nineteen!
1) Where would you retire to?
Colorado. Or maybe New Mexico. Anyway, someplace with mountains and low humidity.2) What are your best physical features?
My hair, and my feet.3) What are your best characteristics?
My strength, loyalty, and brain.4) What kind of books do you like to read?
I like plot-driven novels and historical non-fiction.5) What are you reading now?
All the Time in the World: New and Selected Stories, by E.L. Doctorow (ebook) ; The Ninja Librarians: The Accidental Keyhand, by Jennifer Swann Downey ; The Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck (audiobook) ; The Parthenon Enigma, by Joan Breton Connelly ; National Geographic Who's Who in the Bible: Unforgettable People and Timeless Stories from Genesis to Revelation, by Jean-Pierre Isbouts6) Where would you want to retire to?
WHAT? You asked!!
Uhhhhh..... ???7)What is your favorite time of the day?
I really love mornings.8) Where did you grow up?
Colorado.9) How far away from your birthplace do you live now?
From the hospital to my house is 1604.52 kilometers.10) Are you a morning person or a night owl?
I feel better when I do the morning thing, but I'm getting better at the night owl thing. I am up in the middle of the night for awhile almost every night, anyway.11) What inspires you?
Blue skies, babies, smart people, problem-solving.12) Can you close your eyes and raise your eyebrows?
Well...yes....? Can't everyone? I seriously didn't realize this was a thing.13) Do you have pets?
We have to guinea pigs: Ruka and Pintobean (we usually just say Pinto).14) How many rings before you answer the phone?
I'd say that over 50% of the time I don't answer the phone at all. Most calls are junk or doctor's offices. In any case, I always check caller ID.15) What are some of the different jobs that you have had in your life?
Babysitter, daughter, sister, library page, scheduler, disc jockey, wife, general dogsbody (conference staff), mom, Sunday School teacher, teen mentor, newspaper carrier, librarian, clerk of session, committee chair, waitress, receptionist, construction assistant....16) Any new and exciting things that you would like to share?
Every day brings something new, but I can't think of anything exciting and wonderful. Recovery, I guess. I hope.17) What is most important in life?
Sticktuitiveness.18) Did you dream last night?
I'm sure I did, but I don't remember anything in particular.19) Do you remember your dreams?
I do remember them quite often. But obviously not every day.


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A freind of mine wrote this book and I avoided reading it for quite a while. I have tended to be averse to Nietzche for completely uninformed and rather ignorant reasons. I have enjoyed it a lot and I think anyone who is interested in a comparative analysis of this philosopher and early Buddhist teaching and practice will get something out of it.
The Author who I know as Sagaramati is currently writing another edition to make some corrections but I dont know when that will come out.
If anyone does read it and would like to discuss aspects of the book I will check in from time to time.
Nietzsche and Buddhism: A Study in Nihilism and Ironic Affinities


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vinasp wrote:Dhamma also means nature. Some have translated that line as:
"Whatever is of a nature to arise, all that is of a nature to cease."
Do you want to compare different translations?
mikenz66 wrote:Personally, I think it's helpful to look at multiple time scales.
retrofuturist wrote:Time-scales are only deemed to be of relevance whilst there is the assumption that a particular dhamma exists over time.
If you remove that erroneous assumption, you remove the notion of time.
mikenz66 wrote:Anyway, I'll leave it to Vincent to defend his "20 year time scale".
mikenz66 wrote:Yes, I'm aware that's the erroneous from the point of view of some interpretations...
retrofuturist wrote:Even in Classical Theravada, dhammas only exist for an infinitesimal duration... not 20 years.
"It would be better for the uninstructed run-of-the-mill person to hold to the body composed of the four great elements, rather than the mind, as the self. Why is that? Because this body composed of the four great elements is seen standing for a year, two years, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred years or more. But what's called 'mind,' 'intellect,' or 'consciousness' by day and by night arises as one thing and ceases as another. Just as a monkey, swinging through a forest wilderness, grabs a branch. Letting go of it, it grabs another branch. Letting go of that, it grabs another one. Letting go of that, it grabs another one. In the same way, what's called 'mind,' 'intellect,' or 'consciousness' by day and by night arises as one thing and ceases as another.
mikenz66 wrote:On the other hand, the interpretation I posted in the OP is that a stream-enterer sees all formations arising and ceasing quickly...
vinasp wrote:What about a view, how long does that last?
pegembara wrote:Note that Kondanna's attainment did not occur during meditation but by penetrating to the truth through hearing the Buddha's discourse.
Ajahn Chah wrote: As he sat mindfully listening to the Buddha's discourse, Buddha-nature arose in him. He received a sort of Dhamma "transmission," which was the knowledge that all conditioned things are impermanent. Any thing which is born must have aging and death as a natural result.
This feeling was different from anything he'd ever known before. He truly realized his mind, and so "Buddha" arose within him. At that time the Buddha declared that Añña Kondañña had received the Eye of Dhamma.
mikenz66 wrote:You can dismiss this all as speculation if you like, but any statement about exactly what went on during that week (or the rest of the Buddha's life for that matter) is speculative. We simply don't have the details.
SN 56.11 wrote:That is what the Blessed One said. Gratified, the group of five monks delighted at his words. And while this explanation was being given, there arose to Ven. Kondañña the dustless, stainless Dhamma eye: Whatever is subject to origination is all subject to cessation.
MN 113 wrote:Whatever we imagine it turns to be otherwise.
I don't see anything in my speculation inconsistent with the Suttas.
What do you think it means?
Return to "General Theravāda discussion"
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Has anyone recenly been to the aids temple in Lopburi Thailand. Wat Phra Baht Nam Phu is the name, and the abbot accepts aids patients who are cared for until death, like a hospice.
website http://www.aidstemple.th.org/
Book by a French volunteer, very nicely written with some very sad stores, http://www.stylite.net/MMB/telech-chronicles.htm
My Thai wife wishes to go there, but i have seen some pictures on the net of the patients and feel it would be very stressful for me to see people suffering in such a way. i also have concerns that is disrespectful to the patients for hoards to tourists to be trampling through the centre interupting their treatments.


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What should worry investors who have some of their money in bonds? Marilyn Cohen, founder of Envision Capital Management, says we live in "extraordinary times" and by that, she means there are plenty of risks. She notes that the Federal Reserve has been keeping rates low, but that eventually "they have to stop buying so many securities and eventually let the market be the market." She says the result for investors may be "painful" when rates do begin to rise and bonds decline in price.
In the interview, Cohen says she advises clients adopt a "bunker mentality" where they "sacrifice yield in the short haul for preservation of capital."
You'll also hear a report from Bankrate's Janna Herron. She has some advice on how to make sure you get all the credit card rewards you are owed.
Bankrate Audio
Bonds 101: Do's and don'ts for fixed-income investors
Bond investors need to keep a "bunker mentality" while waiting for interest rates bound to rise.
Audio Transcript
Mark Hamrick: From Bankrate.com, this is Your Money This Week. Here, we connect the dots between what's happening in the world and your wallet. I'm Mark Hamrick, reporting from Washington.
Hamrick: Federal Reserve has kept benchmark interest rates as low as they can go for years now. What does that mean for fixed-income investors? We chat with Marilyn Cohen, one of the nation's best known experts on bonds. Bankrate's Janna Herron checks in with some advice on how to ensure you what gets what's coming to you when it comes to credit card rewards. But first, our look at bonds.
Stocks seem to get all the attention when it comes to day-to-day chatter. But there's no doubt investors of all ages should look at bonds for a portion of their portfolio. We spoke with Marilyn Cohen, founder in chief of investment strategy of Envision Capital Management. I began by asking her whether there's anything in particular investors need to be looking at these days in the fixed-income world.
Marilyn Cohen: Well, Mark, I think these are extraordinary times. And they are extraordinarily different than in the past. And no matter how sophisticated an investor is, either individual or an institutional investor, we've seen some things happen that have never happened before. For instance, in the municipal bonds space, a major city like Detroit filing for bankruptcy, a major territory of the U.S. like Puerto Rico in such dire distress that most of us can't see a way out. So I think that people have to rejigger their mindset both for the short term and the long term, and try to navigate around most of these sinkholes that look pretty deep.
Hamrick: Now knowing that you're particularly an expert on fixed income, we have an interest rate environment these days where rates, generally speaking, are thought to be as low as they possibly can go, and we're talking, obviously, about the U.S. environment. What is the risk for investors right now as it relates to fixed income and bonds?
Cohen: Well, the risk for investors are multifold. No. 1, the risk is higher interest rates. And we saw in the May/June bond market swoon that the most sophisticated of interest rate investors pretty much freaked out. Rates went up, prices went down, and we had a blood bath, really, and not to be a drama queen, in the muni market in which we saw mutual fund sales out of munis just continue relentlessly week after week. So I think one of the bottom lines is that you do have to go with the flow. You try to fight the Fed or fight the flow, we will be in even more of a pickle.
So rates look like they continue to be limbo low based on the Fed, and we had a big head fake from the Fed saying that they weren't in fact going to taper in their September meeting. And eventually you know that they have to stop buying so many securities and eventually let the market be the market. So I think that that is what's ahead of us, and I think it's going to be painful.
Hamrick: So when you say painful, does that mean you think the rise in interest rates and obviously, the correlating decline in bond price could be more significant than what people are looking at?
Cohen: I think that the rise in bond yields will freak a lot of people out. The reason why I say that is because a lot of people left equities during the credit crisis and said, "Get me the heck out. I'm never going back into the stock market." And they stampeded into bonds and bond funds thinking, "Phew, I'm going to stay here. I'm safe. I'm secure." And they were for many years until the economy started getting better. Until the Fed started moaning and groaning that they had to taper. And I think that that is what really put a kind of a crimp in everybody's appetite for bonds. I know a lot of people hate bonds and bond funds. But I think that you can't invest like you did in the past post-credit crisis. You have to be more prudent and look for less risk and less yield to wait out whatever is going to happen ahead of us.
Hamrick: Do you sense that people are retaining some of that risk aversion, even to fixed income these days?
Cohen: Absolutely. Absolutely, yeah. You have seen a lot of money flow into these floating-rate municipal bond exchange-traded funds and closed-in funds out of long-term bond funds. You have an aversion now to long-term municipal bond funds. Particularly those that are laden with Puerto Rico debt because people are worried about Puerto Rico. So there's a lot of moving parts and unfortunately, none of them are good at the moment.
Hamrick: So when you're trying to coach people to make the best possible decisions, how do you answer those concerns?
Cohen: I answer by saying, "Let's do the following: Let's have a bunker mentality," meaning that we will sacrifice yield in the short hall for preservation of capital and be able to be opportunistic once either everything hits the fan or once when the Fed starts to realize that the U.S. economy can stand on its own, and then rates will either drift up or spike up. When we were at a 3 percent yield on the 10 year during the debacle in May and June, I thought to myself, "Let her begin." Are we going to 3 ¼ or 3 ½? It will eventually choke off the U.S. economic muddle and growth and will go into a recession. So, you know, there's a cyclicality to it. It's not a 20-year cycle that we're talking about. But I think you have to have cut or dry, meaning money that's loose, and reduce your long-term maturities to shorter-term maturities, so you can take advantage of what's going to be out there for us.
Hamrick: So the masters of the universe in recent times, as it relates to bond buying, of course have been central banks. And we know the big headline in Washington these days is that Ben Bernanke is stepping away, and that if the Senate gives its OK, Janet Yellen will be the new Fed chair. Does that change the way that you look at that kind of an equation, or is that really more about the coach rather than the ball being thrown downfield?
Cohen: I think Janet Yellen will be more of the same that we have seen with Ben Bernanke, but I think the pressure from the regional presidents will be significantly louder. If the Fed is really data dependent like it says it is, then lo and behold, we will see the Fed taper its bond purchases because the economy, particularly certain sectors like automobiles, are doing quite well, thank you, on their own. So I don't think that we're going to see another five years of this kind of quantitative easing, bond buying, etc. I think that this will be part of the history books. Not shortly but in the intermediate term.
Hamrick: Marilyn Cohen, it's always a pleasure to catch up with you, and thank you so much for your time.
Cohen: Thank you.
Hamrick: Marilyn Cohen, founder of Envision Capital Management. She spoke with us from Los Angeles.
Hamrick: Next up, Bankrate's Janna Herron, who's our consumer advocate involving credit cards. In particular, she's looking at credit card rewards.
Janna Herron: Here is a word of caution for all you savvy consumers with rewards credit cards: You might not be getting the rewards you're owed if your card doesn't categorize your purchases correctly. Let me explain: All the payment networks -- that's Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover -- assign retailers codes to distinguish, say, a department store from a grocery store. Credit card companies depend on these codes to dole out your rewards. For example, one rewards credit card may give you 3 percent back on every dollar you spend at a supermarket. But if you do your food shopping at Wal-Mart your card may not recognize those grocery purchases because Wal-Mart is coded as a superstore rather than a standalone supermarket. Same thing with Costco, which is coded as a warehouse club. This is important to consider when you're shopping around for a rewards credit card. Especially if you're looking at cards that give extra rewards for specific types of purchases.
Consumers with credit cards that feature quarterly bonus categories should also pay attention. For instance, you may get 5 percent back for online purchases made with your rewards card this quarter, but airline tickets or hotels paid for online could be excluded. Of course, the best way to know the exceptions is to read the fine print of your credit card rewards program. And to check regularly to make sure you're getting the rewards you earned. I'm Janna Herron for Your Money This Week.
Hamrick: Finally, our look at this week in history. We go back to Oct. 22, 1907. Did you know there was a severe economic downturn at the beginning of the previous century? It began with the panic of 1907. The stock market fell about 50 percent from its peak. A panic filtered throughout the country, with many banks going bankrupt. A financial earthquake began with a failed attempt to control the stock of United Copper Co., leading to the failure of Knickerbocker Trust Co., which was New York's third-largest trust.
Hamrick: You have been listening to Your Money This Week. Our thanks to this week's guest, Marilyn Cohen of Envision Capital Management. If you enjoyed our podcast, please check us out on iTunes, and rate and subscribe to the program. We're hoping that you can help us to get the word out. Also, check out our other podcast, Special Report, with breaking news and special features. For more on this and other personal finance issues, visit Bankrate.com, and you can follow us on Twitter @bankrate. Thanks to producer Lucas Wysocki for his work in the studio. I'm Mark Hamrick. From all of us here at Bankrate, here's hoping you have a great week.


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If you're going to drive a vehicle so lengthy you need to plug back-to-back parking meters, so tall you'll make a running leap to hop inside, so powerful it gets just 14 miles to the gallon, it's nice to have a fueling option other than gas.
That's the scenario Ram is offering with its 2500 CNG, a heavy-duty pickup that lets drivers keep on truckin' using either $2-per-gallon compressed natural gas or $3.50-per-gallon 87 octane. The 2500 CNG first went on sale for fleet buyers earlier this year and is now available to retail customers, Ram announced in October.
Chrysler is the last of the Detroit manufacturers to offer a CNG pickup. But the first bi-fuel vehicle from the company's truck brand underscores the segment's shift toward alternative fuels in a way that's distinctly American. The 2500 CNG pairs one of the most meat-and-potatoes machines on the road with an energy source largely birthed from U.S. soil.
CNG is a fossil fuel sourced from the methane in oil and natural gas wells, as well as shale deposits and landfill biogas. More than 85 percent of the stuff is produced domestically. The Ram's CNG tanks carry a gasoline equivalent of 18.2 gallons – enough fuel to travel 255 miles. And if the tanks run out, there's a gasoline backup that kicks in seamlessly using the same 383-horsepower Hemi revered for its ability to haul entire herds.
Being an urban mom, the only livestock I keep at my eighth-of-an-acre L.A. spread are domesticated rodents. And while I needed to re-up my supply of timothy hay for my son's guinea pig collection, driving the Ram 2500 to do so felt like bringing a pitchfork to dinner.
Whatever projects I needed to accomplish in the week I drove the 2500 didn't exactly push the limits of its 1,580-pound payload or the nearly four tons it can tow. But it did come in handy hauling 14 years' worth of newspaper clips from the office of my former employer, and doing so with a lot less pain at the pump.
Like an increasing array of vehicles, the 2500 is available with mix-and-match drive trains. It can be had in gasoline, diesel or the CNG bi-fuel version, which, in the SLT trim, cost $40,165, $48,460 and $51,165, respectively.
Yes, you read that right. The bi-fuel version costs about 25 percent more. For that kind of cash, buyers might be inclined to stick with the gas-powered 2500 and use the $11,000 savings to buy a brand-new Nissan Versa for the missus.
At 14 mpg for both fuels, it would cost $2,205 to run the truck on CNG for a year vs. $3,581 for gas at current prices. Financially, it could take more than five years for the CNG version to pay off, presuming the U.S. average of 13,476 miles of annual driving.
Environmentally, however, the savings are immediate – and monumental. Depending on the source, burned CNG generates between 31 percent and 89 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than gasoline, according to the California Air Resources Board. And compared with regular gas, CNG generates 40 percent fewer carbon dioxide emissions, 87 percent fewer oxides of nitrogen and maybe even a pat on the back from your neighborhood greenie.
What allows the 2500 to run on gas as well as CNG using the same 5.7-liter V8 is its fuel delivery system. There are separate fuel rails for the gas and CNG. Firing up the truck, the engine uses regular gas, but it immediately switches to natural gas as long as both tanks are fueled.
The 2500 CNG has been in development since Chrysler went belly up and was bailed out by the federal government, which, as crises tend to do, got the good folks in Detroit thinking differently.
It was in 2009 when a natural gas trade group approached the company about building a truck that would support the droves of manly men dispatched to drill for the clear elixir flowing up from the ground at many points west of the Atlantic – a time that synced up with Chrysler's partial purchase by Fiat, which makes 80 percent of all CNG vehicles in Europe and helped engineer the Ram CNG.
The 2500 CNG is Ram's most recent foray into alternative drive-train territory. Some of its heavy-duty trucks are also compatible with biodiesel.
Chrysler's Ram 2500 CNG is the only bi-fuel pickup on the U.S. market that is engineered and built by the manufacturer. Ford has been offering CNG bi-fuel conversions of its F-Series super-duty trucks since 2009. Unlike the CNG Ram, which is built at the same Mexican plant as other Ram 2500s, Ford's conversions aren't done at the factory but, rather, at Ford-approved Qualified Vehicle Modifiers for an equally wallet draining $9,500 to $11,000 a pop. Earlier this year, General Motors began offering bi-fuel conversions of its Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra extended-cab heavy-duty pickup trucks that are up fit through GM suppliers for a $11,000 premium.
Honda, at least, offers a $3,000 fuel card to help offset the $5,650 price premium on its 2012 natural gas Civic – the only passenger sedan built by a major manufacturer that is fueled with CNG.
Because the 2500 CNG can also run on gasoline, it is not eligible for tax breaks or the California Department of Motor Vehicles sticker that allows pure CNG vehicles to drive in high-occupancy vehicle lanes.
Alluring as natural gas is for its at-the-pump savings, finding the fuel can prompt the same sort of sweaty-palmed range anxiety experienced by new drivers of electric vehicles. California is one of the few states with a serviceable network of CNG stations. Not that this is obvious to drivers of gasoline cars, but there are about 150 public CNG stations in California – a minuscule figure compared with the 7,200-plus gas stations in the state.
Personally, I'd never, to my knowledge, driven by a CNG station before testing the Ram. But using the online Alternative Fueling Station Locator run by the U.S. Department of Energy, I found three such stations within five miles of my ZIP code – all of them run by Clean Energy Fuels Corp., the country's largest owner of public CNG fueling stations.
Refilling the Ram's CNG tanks takes the same amount of time as it takes to fill a regular gas tank, and is done through a dedicated port located in the same driver's-side cubby that accesses the regular gas tank. It's just delivered through a pressurized hose that locks into place. And it smells. If I smelled the same thing at my house, I would've evacuated.
CNG is lighter than air and disperses quickly, so the delivery system needs to be sealed. It isn't likely to ignite when it mixes with air. Still, the station where I refueled warned against smoking near the pumps.
The biggest downside to the 2500 CNG is the tanks. They're encased in a steel box mounted to the vehicle frame and nested in the cargo bed, which has the side effect of hogging three of the bed's eight feet. It's unfortunate that so much of the 2500's bed capacity is compromised simply because it needs somewhere to put the fuel that's propelling it.
The 2500 is already so large it makes a Hummer seem small, with its high-set cab and mirrors the size of iPads. It dwarfs almost anything else with four wheels. Getting my macho on, as I powered down the road in my street-legal monster truck, I felt a little like Thor when he told his fellow Avengers they were tiny. From my lofty driver's-seat perch, I could see for miles – completely unobstructed except for the occasional city bus or semi.
About 80 percent of Ram's heavy-duty-truck retail customers have families who double duty their trucks for personal use, so the crew cab is outfitted with even more space than an average passenger car. It seats six without putting anyone in the cargo bed. And there isn't just an amazing amount of leg room; there's standing room – as long as you're shorter than 5 feet tall.
Further emulating the creature comforts of a modern car, the 2500's trucklike attributes are easy to use. This includes the four-wheel-drive, which is activated with the twist of a dashboard knob. In addition to being surprisingly quiet, the truck I was testing had, for a $1,200 premium, high-tech goodies such as Bluetooth streaming audio, Garmin navigation, a 6.5-inch LCD touch screen and a hard drive that lets drivers use their cars to showcase digital photo galleries or screen movies.
The cab is so cush, in fact, that I (almost) forget about the truck's cargo hold. In traffic, the 2500 is more nimble than I expected for its brutish dimensions, even though its turning radius is akin to an aircraft carrier. The 2500 wisely incorporates a backup camera, complete with sound effects, to prevent its drivers from the likelihood of parking on top of another vehicle.
Like the country it comes from, the Ram is big and sprawling and powerful. Having a CNG option just makes it feel less gluttonous.
Contact the writer: firstname.lastname@example.com or @OCRcarpenter


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barcsimalsi wrote:Monks and Nuns depend on lay people for food. How can they choose what food is really good for their health? What's the use of health insurance and medication if the monks kept getting sick again and again because of unsuitable daily nutriment. We need a healthy body to support our practice.
I acknowledge somewhere in the sutta that hints monkhood is not fit for the weak but even the strong and healthy are subject to impermanent.
The great Ajahn Chah suffered almost 10 years of severe diabetes before his death and i had met many monks who suffered various sickness for long periods which thoroughly cast negative impact on their daily practice. Not everyone has a divinehealth like Buddha Boy.
Appreciate anyone who has ordination experience to share their thoughts.
Ben wrote:My understanding is that there are large state financed monks hospitals in both Bangkok and Yangon.
kind regards
SITAGU AYUDHANA HOSPITAL, a one hundred bed project began in 1985 and the hospital was opened in 1989 for the monks, nuns, novices and poor people of Sagaing. The hospital is fully equipped with surgical and X-ray units, an optical surgical units, an in-patient ward and out-patient ward and has a permanent staff of doctors, nurses and non-professional workers.
James the Giant wrote:There was a western monk a few decades ago in the far north (north-west? Burmese border area?) of Thailand who went blind because the local people didn't know and didn't care to ask what he needed to eat. So they just gave him either white rice, or just instant noodles. I can't remember which.
So he gradually suffered from all sorts of nutritional deficiencies and finally went blind!
A supporter from another part of the country came to visit him one day and was appalled at what he was eating.
So the supporter told the village people to give healthy things, not just white rice. Fortunately the monk regained his eyesight.
Alobha wrote:As for Ajahn Chah: Diabetes in old age happens.
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My friend Lucas video taped some of my throws when i was in BG, they're done with a camera so the quality is decent and they show a plethora of shots from putter shots, roc shots, and big drives.
Let me know what you think, this is the first time i've ever seen myself throw. I noticed two things so far, #1 - I don't have a long reach back, this isn't necessarily bad on the short shots but I am incorporating a more pronounced reach back into my throw now (hopefully this will help, as I was getting outdriven by around 50ft consistently on my big drives in Kentucky).
#2 - my legs look pretty stiff, i'm not exactly sure how to "loosen them up" so to speak, but maybe if I loosened up in the hips/thighs I could get more body rotation and a faster armspeed.
One thing I do notice, I don't have a problem keeping that disc close to my chest! And I think my release times are really spot on.
Here are the videos,


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12 Forgotten Olympic Venues Fallen Into Disrepair
The philosophy of Green Speed, Nike's new soccer cleat debuting at the Olympics, is to offer a minimum of parts to reduce waste and excess weight, building a high-performance shoe from components with a low environmental impact.
The first step was finding new materials for the 5.64-ounce shoe, which is on a par with or lighter than the lightest soccer cleats in the world offered by Puma and Adidas. Big changes include using natural castor-bean oil in place of petroleum-based oils for parts of the shoe's plastics, recycled plastics for the shoe's upper layer (the portion that covers the side and top of the foot), and weaving kenaf-plant fibers into portions of the shoe.
About 50 percent of the slimmed-down traction plate—the shoe's main plastic piece that holds the cleats—is made of castor-bean oil, while the rest uses renewable materials. By reducing the plate to a "silhouette spine" that matches the natural, asymmetrical movement of the foot, Nike shoe designer Andy Caine says, the Green Speed delivers flex and agility while reducing material needs. "The less you build, the more you focus," he says. These changes alone make the shoe 15 percent lighter. The smaller shoe also mimics more of a barefoot playing style, which Nike says its athletes requested.
To reduce the amount of glues needed, the Green Speed moves the protective heel piece that rounds out the back of the boot to the outside of the shoe, eliminating layers of padding at the same time. "It puts exactly what you need where you need it and reduces the amount of material we put into the boot," Caine says. "All parts have recycled content, use no petroleum or are nonwaste. The excitement is in the small details and delivering performance. This is how the future will evolve."
As you watch LeBron James and the rest of the latest iteration of the Dream Team on the hardwood, they'll be playing in uniforms sewn together using 22 recycled plastic bottles.
The fabric of the men's jersey top is made with approximately 96 percent recycled polyester, and the shorts feature 100 percent recycled polyester created using former plastic bottles. Thanks to an engineered fabric that features mesh in some areas and fewer seams, the shorts weigh 14 ounces lighter than the average professional basketball shorts.
The recycled uniforms have ventured outside the basketball arena too. Brazil's breakout soccer star, Neymar, wears the Green Speed boot with a shirt and shorts made from fabric that comes almost entirely from recycled plastic drink bottles. The bottles are washed and chopped into flakes before they are melted down into thread and used to weave the fabric.
How Olympic Timekeepers Measure Fractions of a Second


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The family of Mexican-American music star Jenni Rivera has identified her remains from a plane crash Sunday in Mexico and the remains were returned to Long Beach Thursday night.
"We have received 100 percent confirmation that my sister Jenni is gone to be with the Lord," her brother Pedro Rivera Jr. said Thursday afternoon during a press conference at their mother's home in Lakewood. "She is in the presence of God now. They did show pictures to my brothers of the body; it is not the full body."
Three other brothers of Rivera, a Long Beach native, accompanied her remains on a Thursday night flight from Mexico to Long Beach Airport.
Escorted by police, her casket was then driven to a Long Beach mortuary, where dozens of fans waited.
Nuevo Leon state security spokesman Jorge Domene said DNA tests are still pending. The singer's remains will be given to the family once the tests are completed in coming days.
"They did show some pictures to where Juan (Rivera) said, 'That is my sister, I don't need to see anymore,'" Pedro Rivera Jr. said. "Gus (Rivera) saw them (and ) he said, 'That is my sister.' They didn't even have to wait for the DNA. They just said, 'This is my sister.'"
As the news spread Thursday of the certainty of Rivera's death, a crowd of 60 to 80 friends and fans gathered at the Lakewood home, where a memorial has grown this week.
Family friend Rogelio Macias said he had known Jenni Rivera since the late 1980s. The 43-year-old Rivera was born and raised in Long Beach.
"I am very sad," Macias said about hearing the confirmation of Rivera's death. "I am in shock right now.
"It was very tragic, very different from a terminal illness."
Longtime fan Nadia Magallanes could hardly contain herself, as she spoke of the singer's death.
"I'm feeling great pain in my heart. I still can't believe it," she said, crying uncontrollably. "I understand what the family is going through. I lost my father five years ago."
She said the family should "continue to keep (their) faith in God and stay united."
Victor Alvarez, manager of Rivera's backup band, said he was with Rivera the night of her death.
"We were with her at the concert in Monterrey (Mexico)," he said. "We flew to LA and she flew to Mexico (City) and that's when the tragedy happened."
Mexican authorities say the private plane went down early Sunday morning south of the northern city of Monterrey on its way to Toluca, a town near the Mexican capital in the center of the country. Rivera and six others were killed.
It plunged almost vertically from more than 28,000 feet and hit the ground in a nose-dive at a speed that may have exceeded 600 miles per hour, Mexico's top transportation official said Tuesday.
Secretary of Communications and Transportation Gerardo Ruiz Esparza told Radio Formula that the twin-engine turbojet hit the ground 1.2 miles from where it began falling.
Although Ruiz did not offer any explanation of what may have caused the plane to plummet, he was quoted as saying only that "The plane fell from an altitude of 28,000 feet ... It may have hit a speed higher than 1,000 kph (621 mph)."
Ruiz said the pilot, Miguel Perez Soto, had a valid Mexican pilot's license that would have expired in January. Photos of a temporary pilot's certificate issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration found amid the wreckage said that Perez was 78 years old.
The transportation department said Wednesday that he was flying on a U.S. pilot's license that had no limitations preventing him from flying the route in Mexico.
Ruiz said there is no age limit for flying a civil aviation aircraft, though for commercial flights it's 65. A pilot as old as 78 would be unusual in the United States.
Officials also said Thursday that two state police officers had been arrested on suspicion of stealing unspecified items from the scene of the plane crash.
The Nuevo Leon state government said authorities found images of the scene on the smartphone of one of the officers, who is 23, while trying to determine how the Mexican media got photographs of the secured site, including images of body parts and personal documents.
Rivera, known as the "Diva de la Banda," died while her career was peaking. She was perhaps the most successful female singer in grupero, a male-dominated Mexico regional style, and had branched out into acting and reality television.
"She was always happy, she was very nice to a lot of people. A lot of people depended on her," Alvarez said. "Her music will be remembered forever because so many people followed her. She had a lot of fans."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Fairfax County Expands Purchase of Wind Energy
Fairfax County Office of Public Affairs
12000 Government Center Parkway, Suite 551
Fairfax, VA 22035-0065
Contact: Merni Fitzgerald, Director of Public Affairs
703-324-3187, TTY 711, Fax 703-324-2010
Media Pager: 703-324-NEWS (6397)
May 3, 2007
Fairfax County Expands Purchase of Wind Energy
Assists County in Meeting Regional Clean Air Goals
Fairfax County has entered into a three-year contract with 3 Phases Energy to purchase more than 24 million kilowatt hours of clean, renewable wind energy through the Virginia Energy Purchasing Governmental Association. By the end of the contract term, wind power will account for 10 percent of the county's annual electricity consumption, up from the current 5 percent.
Under the contract, Fairfax County will purchase increasing amounts of renewable energy certificates each year to offset millions of pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. During the contract's third year, the purchase will prevent the release of more than 12.53 million pounds of carbon dioxides, with an equivalent environmental benefit of removing more than 1,200 cars from area roadways for a year or the amount of carbon annually stored in 4,175 acres of trees.
"Purchasing wind energy is one of the many tools Fairfax County is utilizing in our effort to reduce carbon-dioxide emissions," said Board of Supervisors Chairman Gerald E. Connolly. "Whether it is converting our fleets to hybrid vehicles, constructing green buildings or purchasing wind energy, we as local governments must take the lead in addressing the challenges posed by global climate change. Fairfax County is currently working with the Sierra Club and other partners on a national 'Cool Counties' initiative that will do just that."
In addition to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, the wind-power purchase will reduce emissions of sulfur dioxides, nitrogen oxides and organic mercury compounds like methylmercury, which is released into the air during the coal-burning process. The wind energy purchase continues the county's commitment toward meeting the region's air quality attainment of particulate matter and ground-level ozone pollution, both of which can cause haze and smog.
The wind power will be generated primarily at the Locust Ridge Wind Farm in Schuylkill County, Pa. The 13 modern wind turbines on this site stand close to 400 feet tall and generate clean, renewable electricity when the wind turns the turbines. Electricity from the wind farm is fed into the "power pool" supplying the regional electrical grid.
Wind-generated electricity is clean and inexhaustible. No fuel is burned to produce the power so no pollutants are emitted. Wind power displaces power from coal, oil, nuclear and gas facilities and therefore prevents their pollutants and radioactive wastes. Additionally, it marginalizes the impacts of drilling, mining, shipping, burning and storing associated with fossil fuels.
For more information, contact the chairman's office at 703-324-2321, TTY 711.
For more news and information, visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/news.


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October 11, 2011
Playoff Prospectus
NLCS Game Two: A Pujols Pounding
Every so often, we hear that a star player put his teammates on his back and carried them. Once in a while, there's even some truth to it.
Even the best baseball players famously fail more often than they succeed. What's more, some portion of the time that a player succeeds, his success won't matter. Even a superstar can occupy only one of nine spots in the lineup and the field, which might not be enough to overcome the shortcomings of his teammates, let alone the efforts of the other team. For the most part, baseball teams aren't permitted to draw up plays—a manager down by a run in the ninth with a man on third can't call a timeout, gather his players close, and announce, "Okay, we're going to give the bat to Pujols." He can only hope that Pujols happens to be up next in the order determined before the game, and that the rally doesn't have to depend on the equivalent of Adron Chambers. If he's not up next, the Cardinals might as well have Lyle Overbay at first base for all the good Albert does them. Yogi Berra summed this up in 1964, when asked what he would do after his team lost the first game of the World Series. "Not much," he said. "It ain't like football. You can't make up no trick plays."
The rules limit both the extent to which a team can benefit from a particular player's presence and the extent to which it can suffer from his absence. That's why when Adam Wainwright went down last spring and some declared the Cardinals dead, others observed that they still had 25 pretty good players in uniform. Still, at times the cliché seems to apply. On Monday night, Pujols had a team-on-his-back, what's-that-you-said-about-good-pitching-beating-good-hitting-in-the-playoffs kind of game, going 4-for-5 with a home run, three doubles, and a fine baserunning play. Even that standout individual performance owed a lot to others—those hits might not have meant quite as much had Jon Jay not gotten on in front of Pujols three times—but when one player equals the extra-base-hit output of the entire opposing team, he's usually given his club a good chance to win.
Brewers starter Shaun Marcum got off to a rough start, coughing up a pair of runs in the first on two hits and a walk. Allowing a home run to Pujols isn't a sure sign that a pitcher is struggling—sometimes it just means that he's run into the wrong hitter—but Marcum never really got in a groove. He retired the Cardinals in order in the second but got into more trouble in the third, giving up a soft fly to Edwin Jackson that fell in, Jay's second single, and Pujols' first double. In the fourth, he yielded a leadoff double to Yadier Molina and a run-scoring single to Nick Punto, and after escaping the inning without further damage, his night was over.
Jackson's early innings presented quite a contrast to Marcum's. Unlike the soft-tossing, kitchen-sink style Brewer, Jackson relied almost exclusively on his hard fastball and slider and kept Milwaukee off the board for the first three frames, including an impressive three-strikeout showing in the third. That run of success was interrupted by a Fielder double and Weeks homer to start the fourth. That was all the Brewers would get in that inning, though Ron Roenicke wisely let Marcum slink off into the sunset, sending up Casey McGehee as a two-out pinch-hitter. That McGehee didn't start was itself an interesting bit of sample-size theater. The righty entered the game 3-for-13 against Jackson, but those three hits were all homers hit in a game on August 3. Hairston, meanwhile, was 6-for-11, but the six were all singles. He also came into the game 8-for-20 since the start of the playoffs. Once the lineup cards were posted, we knew whose small-sample success was deemed to mean more. For what it's worth, McGehee grounded out, and Hairston finished 1-for-4.
The Cardinals answered quickly in the fifth. Jay led off with a double, and Milwaukee chose to pitch to Pujols with first base open. The Cardinals' best batter came through again, driving a ball into the gap in right-center to knock in Jay. He would come around to score on a wild pitch, making the score 7-2.
Hart walked to lead off the bottom of the fifth, and after Nyjer Morgan was retired on a fly to center, Ryan Braun crushed a ball to center. Jay got turned around and played it fairly poorly, though he might not have caught it even if he had played it perfectly. The Cardinals got a break when the ball bounced over the fence for a ground-rule double, keeping Hart at third. Tony La Russa chose that moment to make his first pitching change of the game, going to lefty Arthur Rhodes. Fielder swung at a 3-0 pitch from Rhodes down five runs, then took a strike on the outside corner, but the 3-2 offering was wide. That was another cue for La Russa, who went to Lance Lynn. Lynn induced a ground-ball double play—usually the Cardinals' Achilles' heel—from Rickie Weeks, whom replays revealed was safe (though he didn't argue the call). First-base umpire Sam Holbrook cost the Brewers at least a run there, and that was the last time they threatened.
With one out in the seventh, Pujols doubled again, this time on a weakly-hit ball that just barely fell fair before bouncing into the stands down the right-field line. That double was the opening salvo of six straight hits off Kameron Loe. Pujols scored on a single through the right side by Matt Holliday, and Lance Berkman, Molina, David Freese, and Punto completed the carnage to give the Cardinals the nine-run lead that became the margin of victory after the two teams traded solo homers.
St. Louis should be pleased with a split in Milwaukee, where the Brewers have been tough to beat all season. The Cardinals will attempt to take a 2-1 lead in Game Three tomorrow night in St. Louis, as Yovani Gallardo and Chris Carpenter take the mound in the first marquee matchup of the series.
Ben Lindbergh is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @benlindbergh
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