text:
McLouth believes he can handle facing lefties
ANAHEIM -- Orioles outfielder Nate McLouth, who has been on an offensive tear, hopes there will come a time this season when he can get some consistent at-bats off left-handed pitching. It's an option manager Buck Showalter has thought about, but -- so far -- has largely shied away from, choosing instead to work in right-handed hitters Nolan Reimold and Steve Pearce.
"When you see guys spitting on balls a couple inches off the plate … you can tell he's seeing the ball good and letting it travel," Showalter said of McLouth, who entered Thursday batting .432 (16-for-37) with 14 runs scored and seven walks over his last 10 games. "He's not missing pitches when he gets them.
"Do you expand what you are doing with him or do you say this is part of the reason why he's doing so well? There's also from a team standpoint, things you want to keep in the flow with everybody."
McLouth, who is batting .329 through the first 27 games of the season, said he's never had a stretch during his Major League career where he was this good for this long. The key so far? Slowing down each at-bat, which McLouth feels enables him to be more selective.
"I feel like I've been able to control at-bats well and get in counts that I want to get in and swing at pitches I want to swing at," he said. "That's the most important thing. It's harder to do at times than it seems like it should be. It kind of sounds stupid, but if you swing at good pitches, the likelihood of doing something good, or hitting the ball good, is much better. I feel like that's what I'm happiest about, is the way I've commanded my strike zone."
McLouth, a left-handed hitter, owns a career .222/.302/.348 line against left-handed pitching in 773 plate appearances versus a .260/.350/.449 in 2,307 appearances against righties. He is 2-for-11 against lefties this season, with a homer and two RBIs.
"I'm not scared to hit lefties, I don't shy away from it," McLouth said. "But hopefully there will be a time where I get back to I can hit lefties OK and hold my own against them. Hopefully there will be a time where I can get more consistent at-bats against lefties. But this is a team, and Buck is going to put the best lineup out there every night that he thinks is the best lineup to win that game."
The thought on getting Pearce and Reimold in against lefties is that it will help get them going. The Orioles' bottom of the lineup struggled in the season's first month, and Reimold in particular -- who entered Thursday's game hitting .203 -- has shown flashes of being able to carry the team offensively.
Brittany Ghiroli is a reporter for MLB.com. Read her blog, Britt's Bird Watch, and follow her on Twitter @britt_ghiroli. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
How to make a certification
- // Menu » Close Menu »
So you've got your certification … now what. Personal trainers have so many options to choose from when getting started in the fitness business. It's important to have a broad view of what opportunities exist, the pros and cons of each and a clear picture of what position will best suit your talents, your passion and your expectations for the fitness industry. Let's take a look at some of the common options+ you'll want to weigh when looking for and accepting your first job.
There are many ways you can approach being a personal trainer: independent contractor or employee; inside a health club, private studio or in a home; full time or part time; exclusive or multiple positions. Each one has its own advantages and disadvantages, but it truly comes down to what environment suits you best.
Full Time or Part Time
This is the ultimate question and a personal one, for sure. I had a great mentor back in my early 20s that was frank with me and said if you want to make it in this business, you have to need it. Doing it part time will give you part-time results while doing it full time will give you full-time results. Because of where I was in my life (stable, had a bit of savings and no children depending on my money), I took the leap and the net appeared. He was right: I worked SO hard and did my homework to make sure being a trainer was going to be sustainable and profitable enough to maintain (or increase) my lifestyle.
Understandably, money is a consideration. Depending on where you are in your life, the decision to go full time or part time can be dramatically different than mine. One important thing to consider, regardless of the hours you want to work, is that you have to be 100% committed to the position and all the extra WORK you'll need to do to get started (setting up business practices, prospecting, marketing, practicing, planning). Be prepared to work longer hours in the beginning and know that, eventually, the return on your investment will be there. Save some money before you get started, set aside extra time, get a support system and DO IT!
Contained or Not Contained
As a new personal trainer, I am a big believer that the health club setting is usually the best place to get started. Depending on the club, you may be part of a team of trainers working as employees or you could simply be paying rent or a percentage of what you bring to the table. Regardless of the employment type, in a health club you are surrounded by other fitness pros to learn from and there is typically some type of structure and motivation because they need you to be effective. The club has a vested interest in your success is already an established business, which allows you to concentrate on being effective by using their built-in support. There are prospects waiting for you to turn into clients. The pay scale, however, may be a bit lower compared to other options as they have to take a percentage for their side of the business to cover administrative costs and overhead. Check out the percentages and remember, what they take may be worth helping you to get a start.
Of course, working in a private studio is also an option. Private studios are dedicated to training, for the most part, and can operate in several different ways. They usually ask for rent or take a percentage of each client you train. Depending on how the studio is set up, they may funnel you leads or (in most cases) you're responsible for generating your own business. The upside is a more private space, less 'competition' and the potential to (usually) make a bit more money. The downsides are isolation, at times, from co-workers and the extra work you have to do to build a client base. If you're great at working solo and love the marketing and business side, this may be
a great fit! But, build in extra time for getting your name out there and factor in costs associated with marketing.
Keep it at Home
In-home training has some of the same upsides as private training … you make your hours, you choose your clients, you answer to yourself and you set the rates! However, those same upsides can also be downsides. Your hours tend to be dictated by when people can have you in their homes (typically early morning or evening) and you have to factor in travel time from place to place. You may want to consider setting an area for your clients, but be aware that may limit your income in the beginning. Choosing your clients is great … but you'll have to be creative with your campaigns to find clients. An individual must trust you WAY more to bring you into their home, so the sales cycle may be slower. Most in-home training stems from a strong relationship built initially at a club or private studio where you can establish trust. You'll also need to consider equipment; your workouts will change based on what your clients have at their homes or you'll need to supplement and purchase your own small equipment to take with you.
Employee or Your Own Business
I'm no tax attorney, so we'll keep this conversation on the surface. There are many upsides to being an employee, but several bonuses to being independent. As an employee of a health club you'll make commission on sales; and have a 'floor rate' or base rate when you're doing comps, working the floor or cleaning. Before you commit to an employer, find out how the pay works. Are you incentivized for reaching production goals? How does your pay rate increase? Do you ever top the scale and quit growing? And, most importantly, what should you realistically expect when you're getting started and don't have any clients?
In some clubs, you may start with some type of a 'draw' that allows you to receive a steady income, and then you 'pay it back' over time once your client list grows. It's great to work for a club that has a bonus structure and the most important perk, BENEFITS. Benefits are extremely hard to come by in the fitness world. If you can find a club that does this for you, it may be worth exploring.
The flip side is the independent contractor route. Paying a percentage to a club or studio or, better yet, a fixed rent rate, always seems like the best option since the money you retain is higher. However, you'll need to research the tax implications of collecting all the money you make with no taxes withheld by an employer. It's important to understand this RIGHT away so it doesn't come back to haunt you at the end of the year. You can probably charge higher rates, but make sure the taxes you'll pay in the end will not reduce that rate considerably. You'll need to get savvy with your business expense tracking and work with an accountant to help you understand the ins and outs of being a 1099 contractor for a company or how you should set up your own business with a TAX ID number. A huge downside is the lack of benefits that typically come with being a contractor, including factoring in paying for insurance and setting up retirement.
If fitness is your passion, you can certainly make a living as a personal trainer. There are just so many things to consider so that you come into the career with a clear picture of what makes you happy, how much you need to earn to be comfortable and the time you are willing to invest. Do the math and make it work. Seek out mentors in the field to help you explore each of these ideas a bit deeper. Based on our history, we all have our opinions about what works and what doesn't. It's best to get as many viewpoints as possible and walk into this career armed with a strategy to stay a long time. WE NEED YOU! Good luck.Source: www.acefitness.org
Category: Insurance
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Are we talking nose down relative to the forearm/palm or to the angle of ascent?
It seems to me that if it's relative to palm then as it rotates through the fulcrum you will get OAT?
Then again it seems to me that if it's relative to ascent angle then you are exposing the flight plane at release which according to
Blake (my unseen/met master) is a no no.
Seems then that it's relative to forearm and the wrist rotates with the nose down relative to that?
what do I not get?
I know what nose down looks like on a push putt. I am having some success with tweaking nose angle to get my disc to fly down into the chains (maybe not the best approach, but it's very satisfying when it works). But with a power/fork/what have you grip, my wrist just won't bend that way.
My form isn't perfect, but I can line drive 350 with an Orc with little to no fade and I've grazed 450 with a Valk on high apex lines on occasion so I think that I can get more with d with this.
Enlighten me please!


text:
BP Comment Quick Links
|Strength of Schedule Report
May 16, 2013
Overthinking It
The Mystique and Aura of the Other 29 Teams
There's a strange thing that happens to normally rational baseball writers when discussing the Yankees. People who would normally question every assumption and demand to see some empirical proof blindly believe that the Yankees have mastered the dark art of picking up past-their-prime players and restoring some of their former success. The only evidence is anecdotal, so we know we're being naughty and going off the reservation, sabermetrically speaking. But like Luke Skywalker, we've searched our feelings, and we know it to be true. And we're only kind of kidding.
When the Yankees traded for a struggling Ichiro Suzuki last July, The Great Grant Brisbee—after acknowledging the absurdity of what he was about to say—wrote this:
I read that and nodded. Ichiro went on to hit .322/.340/.454 and finish with some big playoff hits. (Actually, he was the only Yankee whose bat touched the ball in the ALCS.)
Here's Grant again, in March:
He then went on to list a series of increasingly improbable events that he figured could keep the Yankees in contention, culminating in an Austin Romine appearance on the cover of Sports Illustrated. And in retrospect, most of those tongue-in-cheek predictions were no more outrageous than, say, Lyle Overbay slugging .496, or Vernon Wells hitting like it's 2006, or Travis Hafner also hitting like it's 2006.
Joe Posnanski got in on the act earlier this week, writing about the "Yankees School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," specifically Wells, its star pupil. Posnanski, whose "faith in the science-based baseball world" has been shaken by Wells, passed on a list of examples of "Yankees sorcery" kept by formerly suffering Red Sox fan Michael Schur (of Parks and Recreation and FireJoeMorgan fame):
Shawn Chacon, 2005
It's really hard to construct a study that would reveal whether the Yankees have a higher rate of turning struggling veteran players into useful parts. (For one thing, the success stories have little in common other than exceeded expectations; Chacon was 27 when he went to the Yankees, and a reliever, while Ibanez was a 40-year-old outfielder.) Of course, there are some potential explanations for why it might be true, even aside from a deal with the devil or the brilliance of Brian Cashman's front office. Suzuki, Overbay, and Hafner (not to mention Ibanez and Chavez) are all lefties, so it's not a shock that they hit more homers playing half their games in Yankee Stadium. And as Sam Miller, Carson Cistulli, and I discussed on Effectively Wild today, it's not inconceivable that the intensity of playing for the biggest-market team in a pennant race could help refocus a player who was previously languishing in some baseball backwater (or, alternatively, screw up an Ed Whitson, Javier Vazquez, or Carl Pavano who supposedly doesn't have a big-city constitution). Plus, the Yankees, as perhaps the only team for whom building through free agency has been a model for sustainable success, have had more veterans than most other teams, so it stands to reason that they'd also have had more veterans who did something surprising.
But much as the primitive part of my brain rebels at the thought of attempting to explain Yankees magic away, I suspect it's mostly selective memory. Recent history is full of players who went to the Bronx with their careers on life support and continued to flatline for the Yankees. Lance Berkman, for instance, was traded to New York at the deadline in 2010 after a down first half for Houston, then proceeded to hit .255/.358/.349 as a Yankee. (His renaissance came with the Cardinals.) Or on that same 2010 team, Austin Kearns and Randy Winn, and Dustin Moseley and Chan Ho Park. Or over the past several seasons, Chris Dickerson, Casey McGehee, Chad Qualls, Angel Berroa, Brett Tomko, Morgan Ensberg, Richie Sexson, Sidney Ponson, Ivan Rodriguez, Josh Phelps, Craig Wilson, Terrence Long. Or this very season (so far), Ben Francisco, Brennan Boesch, and Chris Nelson.
You might not remember that some of those players were Yankees, because they were bad (at least compared to previously established standards) both before and after their time with the team, and quickly moved on. But had any one of them had a hot half-season, he would've been trotted out as an example of the rejuvenating power of the pinstripes. We tend to remember the ones who worked out, just as people tend to remember a so-called psychic's correct calls and forget about his or her misses.
There's also the perennially high profile that makes anything that happens to the Yankees seem more significant. If Jason Bay, James Loney, or Ervin Santana were having the seasons they're having with the Yankees instead of their actual teams, it would be chalked up to Yankee magic. But the Yankees don't have a monopoly on surprising seasons. So, in an attempt to exorcise the idea, I decided to look up recent players for all 29 other teams who fit the "Yankee magic" mold.
All of the benchmarks Ryan Lind and I used to pinpoint these players are completely arbitrary. But here they are anyway:
You can see the full results here. The query returned something like two players per team per season. I'm not going to talk about all of them, because that sounds like it would be less like an article than a really boring book. Instead, I'm going to pick the most "Yankees Magic" player for each franchise and hope you'll enjoy the reminder about a bunch of seasons that had no business happening. Debate in the comments is encouraged.
Blue Jays
Randy Ruiz' 2009 and Alex Gonzalez' 2010 are also strong contenders.
Here are Wright's career ERAs broken down by team (in descending order):
Padres, 8.37 ERA (47 1/3 IP)
Leo Mazzone! Maybe! Or small sample size or something.
Eli Marrero gets an honorable mention for the same season. Marrero hit .238/.295/.390 in 1577 PA for St. Louis from 1997-2003, then hit .320/.374/.520 in 280 PA for Atlanta at age 30. Sure, why not.
That narrowly beats out Carlos Baerga's 2003. From 1996-2002, Baerga hit .267/.303/.375 in almost 2000 plate appearances. But as a 34-year-old Diamondbacks, he had his best season with the bat since he was 26, hitting .343/.396/.464 in 105 games.
Also of note: Henry Blanco's small-sample .540 slugging percentage in 2011.
Honorable mention goes to a 34-year-old Jose Hernandez' .289/.370/.540 2004.
Honorable mention goes to Elmer Dessens' 2009-2010. Particularly his 2010, when, at age 39, he struck out 16 and walked 16 in 47 innings, recording a 2.30 ERA. He retired after the season rather than attempt the impossible again.
Red Sox
White Sox
Thanks to Ryan Lind for research assistance.
Ben Lindbergh is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @benlindbergh
9 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
I love the long list reminding me of all my favorite former Marlins that had a great season and then went nowhere and we all forgot about them. Quite surprised not to see Gregg, Todd Jones or Alfonseca, (enjoyed seeing Borowski) but maybe they just stunk more than I realized back then.
May 16, 2013 11:51 AM
Yeah but come on. You still don't believe what you just wrote. Admit it.
May 16, 2013 12:05 PM
Just checked your standings... The Yankees are almost +5 relative to their 2nd and 3rd order winning pythagorean %'s. That's the real story so far this year, not the individual performances but the chasm between the record and the lack of performances justifying it.
May 16, 2013 12:19 PM
Could some of that difference be due to tremendous job done by a bullpen (25 scoreless innings in a row prior to last night) that had some questions entering the year (Rivera?) and its share of injuries thus far?
May 16, 2013 12:51 PM
Ben Lindbergh
BP staff
I think both things are part of the story. We talked about it on the podcast, and Sam said the Yankees are 1/3 lucky individual player performance, 1/3 lucky team performance, and 1/3 simply a good team. (Those percentages were approximations, of course. The point was that there's a bit of all of that going on.)
May 16, 2013 15:15 PM
You want evidence?
May 16, 2013 22:11 PM
Nathan Aderhold
Fun stuff.
May 17, 2013 17:21 PM
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text:
Surrounded by Douglas firs, the covered picnic shelter is within walking distance of the Visitor Center, where restrooms, a bus stop and parking is available. This easy to access, yet secluded and serene shelter is available for full-day rental.
Rental Fees for 2017
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All park Rules and Regulations apply to use of the Picnic Shelter.
Rental Venues inside the Arboretum
Stevens Pavilion Picnic Shelter
Surrounded by Douglas firs, the covered picnic shelter is within walking distance of the Hoyt Arboretum Visitor Center where restrooms and a bus stop are located.
This rustic, wooded glen is located 1/3 mile from the Visitor Center and main roads and offers the feel of wilderness without the 75-mile drive.
Nestled amongst redwoods and sequoias, this natural wood deck offers a serene getaway for intimate gatherings.
Located in the Hoyt Arboretum Visitor Center this pleasant room is ideal for meetings, retreats and small events. Large windows look out upon colorful plantings and distant evergreens.


text:
Concerning unique neighborhoods...What came into mind is from my home town of Denver. Many things are developing and on the board for advancement and growth within the city. One of the projects proposed lately is the Interstate-70 realignment project. Starting as of 8 years or so ago, the City of Denver and CDOT proposed to clean and expand the main East-West Corridor along Denver. Causing a stir among the unique neighboring neighborhoods, the people have voted against the re-alignment to shift the freeway North from where it is now and cutting through 177 units and that is only the start of a proposed I-70 project. Now with the new Mayor on board, what effect is this project going to have and why is this such a problem from what it is now? Is there and can there be a better solution for the neighbors of Elyria/Swansea/Globeville? If this freeway is to remain where it is as a main artery through the city, why can it not become developed into a better future of design, infrastructure, community, unique urban situation? Is it just more stirring of the human soup when large infrastructure bullies the people of the community?
Are you sure you want to block this user and hide all related comments throughout the site?
This bLOG talks about Urban (and possibly suburban) Architectural situations and conditions which are unique to the context they are associated. Using this bLOG to find unique and interesting Urban neighborhoods which have been exposed to re-getrification and re-developing of the individual community enclaves and the effect it has on the community and architecture/design either for the good or bad. bLOG consists of posts on the Urban context and the unique-ness of those neighborhoods.


text:
Here is a bit of footage from the 2013 Pro Worlds:
Folks interested in a collection of video from the tourney on DVD can find more information at http://www.pdga.com/2013-pdga-world-cha ... 495c832dce. The footage includes action from the whole week, either a 2-dvd highlight set or the full monty 6-dvd set. Each day's shooting includes action from a variety of divisions across the unique Lemon Lake complex.
Best regards,


text:
Submit News
Lawyer: Constitution Requires Taxpayers Pay for Wikileaker's Sex Change
Jason Mick
August 22, 2013 9:01 AM
Recipient E-mail
Sender E-mail
Some think Bradley "Chelsea" Manning is a "gay hero", as this poster reads.
(Source: Truth Dig)
Manning's lawyer says gender issue is medical treatment, to deny request would be unethical
been convicted
one of the biggest leaks of confidential government information
in the history of the U.S. He's been
sentenced to 35 years in prison, with the possibility of parole in 6 and 1/2 years
, with time served. But even as the debate over the young former U.S. Private First Class (PFC) continues, Mr. Manning has issued a statement triggering a brand new debate.
I. Manning: Call Me Chelsea
At a press conference after the sentencing, David Coombs, Manning's lawyer remarked, "[And we are looking into] ensuring that a soldier who is in confinement who has gender dysphoria gets treatment."
That subtle comment might have been lost amidst the interest in his flashy comments about Manning's innocence and his bid for a presidential pardon. But on Thursday Mr. Coombs read a statement from Manning revealing just how serious the leaker is about his desire to undergo gender reassignment.
His attorney read
the letter
, which read in part:
I am Chelsea Manning. I am female. Given the way that I feel, and have felt since childhood, I want to begin hormone therapy as soon as possible. I hope that you will support me in this transition.
I also request that, starting today, you refer to me by my new name and use the feminine pronoun (except in official mail to the confinement facility). I look forward to receiving letters from supporters and having the opportunity to write back.
He signed the letter "Chelsea E. Manning"
Convicted leaker Bradley Manning, asked to be refered to as Chelsea and want taxpayer funded sex change surgery while he/she is imprisoned. [Image Source: BradleyManning.org]
It should be noted that Mr. Manning, openly gay since his teen years, was bullied over his sexuality in the military and at the time of his 2010 arrest was reportedly pursuing sex change options. He cited the bullying and his gender confusion as part of his motivation for leaking military secrets in a February plea deal, while asserting that his primary motivation was a belief that the leaks would help change the world view on U.S. public policys. He admitted in an apology on Wednesday that his actions were naive and had unintentionally harmed the nation he vowed to serve.
II. Does Eighth Amendment Require Taxpayer Funded Sex Changes for Inmates
To say that Mr. Manning's request is controversial is an understatement. Even some transgender advocates are decrying the request, as it would give the dishonorably discharged convicted criminal privileges that the U.S. military denies those who are serving and are honorably discharged.
Currently, the U.S. Military's policy is not to pay for the actual operative part of gender reassignment. It does provide discrete sexuality counseling, and since President Obama's rollback of "don't ask don't tell" has allowed gay/transgender individuals to enlist. The Department of Veterans Affairs additionally provides hormone treatments for honorably discharged soldiers -- an elective procedure not offered to to active servicepeople.
But in the general U.S. prison system there's some momentum to force taxpayers to pay for inmates sex reassignment surgeries. With some experts claiming it's a simple matter of medical ethics, the fight is likely to eventually be taken up by the Supreme Court. The
4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
, which sets precedent for South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and West Virginia in January
a decision by the
U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia
to toss Virginia inmate Ophelia Azriel De'Lonta's lawsuit seeking gender reassignment.
Ophelia De'Lonta, a Virginia inmate who was born male and identifies as a female, won his/her case to have a Viriginia Federal Court reconsider overturning a state ruling that sex reassignment should be taxpayer funded. [Image Source: AP]
A state judge had previously order that the inmate -- who threatened to seriously injure himself/herself otherwise via self-castration if sex reassignment was not provided -- receive the requested surgeries/therapies. But the federal court tossed the case. Now it will be forced to debate the issue on the grounds of the finalclause of the Eight Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which states:
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
De'Lonta is
being represented by
American Civil Liberties Union
According to
The Encyclopedia of Surgery
a male to female sex reassignment costs between $7,000 to $24,000 USD, while a female to male sex reassignment costs over $50,000 USD. Other expensive inmate surgeries have been paid for by taxpayers for over two decades,
such as plastic surgery
The U.S. is number one in imprisonment. [Image Source: Prospect.org]
Any new treatment allowance to inmates is a big deal from a taxation and federal budget perspective, as the U.S.
imprisons a higher percentage of its citizens than any other nation
in the world.
Bradley "Chelsea" Manning
NBC TODAY Show
"Folks that want porn can buy an Android phone." -- Steve Jobs
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text:
Mark Davis chose Reggie McKenzie, who chose Dennis Allen, who chose his staff, who all combined to choose the schemes and players for the Raiders' 2012 season.
And somewhere along the line, I think it's safe to say, a mistake or 20 was made.
That's how you go from 8-8 last year to the current 3-8 record and four consecutive losses by a combined 90 points.
Of course, none of these men inherited a great situation — empty draft slates, horrendous salary structure, fraying talent.
But, in the post-Al Davis era, none of the Raiders' new leaders has come close to maximizing what they have here.
So we get back to the chain of command: Davis to McKenzie to Allen to the assistants to the players to this dismal point, so far below even the bleakest expectations.
Realistically, the only tangible goal left is to figure out how this happened and where to begin the re-reclamation project.
Lucky them, I have a five-step plan, and the Raiders' head honchos can borrow or make fun of it as they will ...
· Step 1: No rash decisions or firings.
You screw up any possible long-term benefits — and I think some good foundation work has been done by McKenzie and Allen — by trashing everything when things go poorly early.
I think Mark Davis is furious at the results so far, and he has every right to be.
But I also believe he has entrusted McKenzie to get it right, and Davis will give McKenzie at least another year to fix the operation.
It's not McKenzie's fault that the Raiders gave up a pick that could've netted Colin Kaepernick (a rumored favorite of Al D.) or Andy Dalton in the 2011 draft É in order to acquire Richard Seymour in 2010.
I could go on and on with these short-term, shortsighted recent trades, but you get the point ...
· Step 2: Decide — QUICKLY — if Allen remains the right coach.
So much of this depends on the coach — more than the Raiders have ever depended on a coach.
If the Raiders are headed down the wrong road with Allen, McKenzie has to see it and react quickly.
And if this is just an early stumble before the start of better times, McKenzie needs to make a judgment on that quickly, too.
I think Allen deserves another year — and a decent run to end 2012 would guarantee that; but if the collapse continues, McKenzie has every right to second-guess the biggest decision of his Raiders tenure.
· Step 3: If Allen is the guy for 2013, he has to figure out what's going wrong with the game plans and how that will be corrected.
Something's wrong, and if offensive coordinator Greg Knapp or defensive coordinator Jason Tarver — or both — are weak links, Allen has to make some moves.
He came to the Raiders late in the NFL hiring cycle last winter, which hurt the process. If quick calls are made this time around, we'll see if Allen has the juice and network to land stronger coordinators.
· Step 4: Hammer out a post-Carson Palmer, post-Darren McFadden plan.
The rough part for the Raiders is that McFadden and Palmer are two of their best players, and they won't be done with the trade that got them Palmer until Cincinnati gets the Raiders' second-round pick next spring.
But it's hard to see how either McFadden or Palmer — due to age or injury or the accumulation of both — will be anywhere near their peaks by the time the Raiders are good again.
I don't know if either has much trade value, but I do know the Raiders have to find credible replacements.
Terrelle Pryor probably isn't a strong QB candidate, but it wouldn't hurt the Raiders to see what he can do at some point this season, which Allen now seems open to.
· Step 5: Complete the roster purge that started last offseason and reload the roster.
How many true "keepers" are on the Raiders' roster? Maybe 12, possibly 14, but no more. Everybody else can go, and maybe many of them should've already been cut loose.
At least McKenzie and Allen don't have to make gestures toward winning immediately; they can move on from Seymour, Tommy Kelly and maybe Rolando McClain.
And then McKenzie has to hit on his draft picks, and keep hitting, and add some wise free agents.
One or two superstars can always change everything, the way Von Miller (a high draft pick) and Peyton Manning (free-agent signing) transformed Denver.
But Denver was primed for the turnaround, because everything else was lined up.
With the Raiders, nothing seems lined up yet, and nothing at all is guaranteed, except that there will be changes and that changes are absolutely necessary.
Tim Kawakami is a sports columnist for the San Jose Mercury News.


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Pacers travel to Miami next Wednesday. What changes will the Heat try to slow down Roy? They made us look silly with their quick double teams in the first 18-20 minutes. Are they just going to stick that in their back pocket until the playoffs?
I was a little disappointed in our guys trying to dribble out of those traps and we stood around and watched a lot. That will need to change ASAP.
The main thing in our favor? We aren't just a "Big Three". Miami can try and take away Roy or Paul but they can't take away everyone. This is where Hill, Lance and West have to bring their A games.
It will be an interesting game.


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We Can! challenge Week 3: Two hours of screen time per day
September 27, 2012
It is not a secret that the TV has become a free babysitter and a major source of inactivity. Sitting in front of the TV may also be causing us to gain weight. TV and munching on snacks go hand and hand, and this unconscious type of eating is not only unhealthy but also uncontrolled.
Next week's challenge is to not watch more than two hours of TV per day. The challenge also includes playing video games on the TV or the computer. Doing school work on your computer is fine and necessary (sorry, kids, no excuses to not do your work); playing video games and watching Internet video, etc., are not allowed for more than two hours per day. Depending on the kid, this could be easy or nearly impossible. Help your kids accomplish this task, get them to read, be active, anything that gets them away from their screens. Things to do that don't involve a screen: ride your bike, garden with your family, go for a swim, walk, etc., read, talk to somebody (in person, not via texting), sing and dance.


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My family came up with quinoa dish and most of its flavour comes from the dressing. Made with my grandmother's homemade garlic butter, the dressing evens and rounds off the few ingredients to make their flavours come alive for a filling and satisfying meal. Not only that, it can be quickly and easily pulled together in practically no time.
Broccolini, Corn, and Shrimp Quinoa with Olive Oil Lemon Garlic Dressing
Serves 4-6
- 2 ½ cups Quinoa
- 4 ½ cups Water
- 1 bunch Broccolini, sliced (including stems)
- 1 tin Corn, sugar- and salt-free
- About 1/2 (400 grams/14-ounce) bag frozen, cooked Shrimp, thawed
- Olive Oil Lemon Garlic Dressing (recipe follows)
Put the quinoa in a medium or large pot with the water and bring to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, covered. As soon as the quinoa is cooked, remove pot from heat and fluff quinoa with a fork. (You may also cook the quinoa in a rice cooker, if preferred.)
Meanwhile, steam the broccolini for about 15-20 minutes, or until bright green and tender. (My family uses an electric steamer for this, but you can also do this on the stove top. Place the broccolini in a steamer basket and fill a pot with some water; the water shouldn't touch the steamer basket or broccolini. Bring the water to a simmer and cover, steaming broccolini until done.)
Gently stir the steamed broccolini into the cooked quinoa and add the corn. Stir in the cooked and thawed shrimp last.
Serve the quinoa with the dressing and serve. Enjoy!
Olive Oil Lemon Garlic Dressing
I usually make this dressing by feel, so these measurements are only approximate.
- Garlic butter (recipe follows for homemade version)
- Olive oil
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice
Put about 2 tablespoons garlic butter in a small vessel and add 4-6 tablespoons olive oil. Stir together with a fork until completely blended. Mix in a good squeeze of lemon juice, about 1-2 tablespoons. Adjust to taste.
Homemade Garlic Butter
This is how my grandmother makes garlic butter, and it is much stronger than store bought. Optionally, you may roast the garlic for a milder flavour. The addition of olive oil keeps the butter at a spreadable consistency, even straight from the fridge.
Using a head of garlic, peel garlic cloves and place in a food processor. Cover the cloves with olive oil and whiz until liquid. Add an equal amount of butter, adjusting to taste as needed or suited to personal preference. Store leftovers in the fridge.
Zoe of Z'sCupofTea started cooking and baking gluten-free, dairy-free, and Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) friendly foods for her brother recovering from autism when she was a teen, which eventually prompted her to start her blog where she shares her own recipes and those that she's adapted from other sources including cookbooks and other food blogs with photos and videos. In addition to her blog, you can also follow her on Twitter (@zscupoftea) and be a fan on Facebook (www.facebook.com/zscupoftea).


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"Those people, they hate us no matter what," he says. "And you know, we started the fight, so let's finish it. You can't just walk away with your back to them, because they gonna stab you."
But don't get excited, Republicans. He's for Hillary:
"She's so smart," he says. "And with her, you're getting two with one. You know I love women, because I owe my success to women. To me, it will be the biggest reward. I would love for the first time to have a woman president."
And with Hillary in charge, he says, the Iraqi insurgents better watch out. "When a woman gets pissed off at you," he says, "she's going to get you, you know?"
(Link via Memeorandum.)


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Trawling for Dirt-Cheap Large-Caps
A couple of years ago, a few of us gathered in Manhattan for a spirited round of cocktails and conversation. In addition to basics -- such as the inherently evil nature of the Boston Red Sox -- one of the major discussions centered on a search for the cheapest large-cap stocks in the world, based on price to tangible book value. With the help of a laptop and a bartender who was generous with the Wi-Fi password, we found that large banks in Europe and Japan were the cheapest stocks in the world, with Mitsubishi UFJ (MTU) taking ultimate honors as the very cheapest.
That conversation centered around stocks like Royal Bank of Scotland, Japanese bank Mizhou Financial (MFG), Bank of Ireland (IRE) and Dutch insurer Aegon (AEG). A few folks at the table bought some of these stocks. I was lucky enough that my inner cheapness won the day, and I bought them all. Since then, they have all risen somewhere between 50% and 100%....623 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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BWW Reviews: STOMP Tour Brings Lots of Noise, Lots of Funk
What kind of stage show do you get when you take random everyday objects—from plastic bags and basketballs, to brooms and garbage cans—and strike them every which way to create a symphony of percussion? Well, unless you've been buried under a giant scrap heap for the past few decades, then you'll no doubt know about (or at least have heard of) the show STOMP, that odd, hyper-kinetic novelty act that combines non-stop percussive beats with light choreography and G-rated humor. Its latest touring company is currently bringing in the noise—and, yep, the funk—to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts' Segerstrom Hall in Costa Mesa through October 14.
Set in what I can only adequately describe as a very tidy, bi-level bohemian junkyard, STOMP showcases the rapid-fire talents of a troupe of manic, rhythmically-blessed performers that, in a span of 90 minutes, create improvised-sounding "musical" compositions by banging objects with other objects. Sometimes—as the title suggests—they even stomp their heavy-booted feet and clap their hands in specific rhythms to add to a multi-layered aural mix. Of course, it's all a not-so-cleverly-disguised visual metaphor that preaches the notion that musical beats can come from the sounds of everyday urban life: broomstick scrapes, taps on aluminum cans, and whipping rubber tubes—all are individual musical instruments that create a symphony of funky sounds.
While not as theatrically-adventurous or as visually-impactful as the boys of the Blue Man Group, STOMP's army of super-talented urban percussionists do manage to genuinely entertain with their astonishing abilities to take a myriad of objects and create their various soundtracks from them. Each successive musical vignette highlights a different set of ordinary objects—at times as simple as a piece of paper or an empty plastic grocery bag; other times, a gigantic rubber inner tube or a large metallic barrel. It's very easy to be completely mesmerized by their clever physical interplay and their super-precise, well-timed, coordinated syncopation.
The cast, for the most part, works as a fine-tuned ensemble, allowing just one or two cast members to stand out. By virtue of his Billy Idol-like looks, bulging biceps, and a de-facto role as the tough-guy "leader" of the troupe, long-time STOMP-er John Sawicki is a hulking presence, barking orders silently and sneering with equal veracity at both fellow cast members and uncooperative audience members. His less-serious opposite is funny man Andre Fernandez, whose wickedly rebellious persona, droll dance moves, and massive afro-puffed coif easily steals the show and the audience's heart. His final gag at the end of the show, as expected, drew the loudest cheers of the night (another cast member also sporting a huge afro, gentle giant Andre Meggerson, manages to swipe the spotlight a few times as well).
But the real treat of STOMP is anticipating—then seeing—what the whole energetic cast will use next, as well as the many funny facial expressions and body movements they take on to whip the crowd into a frenzy. Since they don't speak or sing a single word, the limber cast leap, slide, even—hilariously—gyrate to earn applause. They are all certainly blessed with a great sense of timing and rhythm, so it's really quite remarkable watching every single performer literally "hit" their marks at precise intervals. Also fun: the show's uncanny use of audience participation.
But, honestly, after a while, most of the "music" they produce just starts to sound the same, like it's all part of an endless soundtrack with no real distinguishing highs and lows. Though definitely much more enjoyable than watching an ad-hoc drum circle in the street, the show's set pieces could have used a bit more variety in terms what their inventive machinations actually produced. Their formula, naturally, has stayed true to what has drawn droves of audiences to their shows all over the world for decades now, but it would have been slightly more awesome if, perhaps, they had incorporated their beats into a familiar song or two. Still, it's a minor gripe to an otherwise fun, rousing show that audiences of all ages will appreciate.
The return engagement of STOMP, created and directed by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, continues at Segerstrom Center for the Arts through Sunday, October 14, 2012. Ticket prices start at $20 and can be purchased online at www.SCFTA.org, by phone at 714-556-2787 or in person at the SCFTA box office (open daily at 10 am). Segerstrom Center for the Arts is located at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa.
For tickets or more information, visit SCFTA.org. Follow this reviewer on Twitter: @cre8iveML.
Photo Credit: Oleg Micheyev


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Nailed it, TJ. Nice work!
I'm excited!
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Nailed it, TJ. Nice work!
I'm excited!
Really excited to see Danny play. We need a better bench, and we'll be getting one.
There needs to a video montage on his return, and a scene of all the Starters standing up on their chairs saying "Oh Captain my Captain!"
You can't get champagne from a garden hose.
Sounds like he's close, and I think the Bobcats would be a nice opponent to bring him up to speed without throwing him into a melee.
The article's just the same quotes we've already heard, how Danny hopes to play Friday, needs to get back into game shape and all that. But didn't stop the intern that runs the Star twitter account.
Guess who's returning to the court? @Pacers forward Danny Granger. http://t.co/fft5k9HCXM— Indianapolis Star (@indystar) December 10, 2013
sound a little under the weather to anyone else? just worn out maybe.
I think he just came straight off the court to answer questions. Wanted to get the Q&A over with and didn't bother to catch his breath first.
We need him tonight!! Can't be any worse than OJ
Being unable to close out a game in which you have a comfortable lead in the 4th Q = Pulling a Frank Vogel
Wow, a reasonably healthy Granger is without question a net addition to this team. He has the air of someone who's feeling healed and ready to get out there (once he gets his sea legs). Good body language. This is reassuring to me at least.
If he gets to a place where they move Lance into the 6th man role, we will have one of the biggest lineups size wise in the NBA. Ball movement and rebounding would be compromised, but size and offense go up. Lance would become the first option on the 2nd team during a normal game. I think he'd like that.
I'd love to see what that looks like in a real game.
I wonder how this "news" will inspire Lance tonight. He's due for a big game.
Well in that game we lost to the Bulls that ended our 9 game streak earlier in the season? No one thought Derrick Rose would play in that game. He strained a hamstring prior to Friday's game against the Raptors. He didn't play in that game, so the following Saturday at home vs. Indy...everyone thought Rose would miss that one too. He was listed as day-to-day. Then he started, and hit 6 3's against us and we lost big. So technically, coaches aren't in the loop normally about this sort of thing sometimes.
The part of the video where he talks about his knee not being a problem at all really put my mind at ease. Just the way he said it made it seem like he doesn't even think about it being a problem at all. It's really hard to not get excited about Danny returning.
So Long And Thanks For All The Fish.
If you've done 6 impossible things today?
Then why not have Breakfast at Milliways!
Sounds like knee pain is affecting his voice.
Lance should start unless the wheels come off. As we've said all along, it's not who starts that matters, it will be who finishes and we have plenty of time to figure out how that is going to play out assuming Danny looks good, but otherwise we're just getting the cart before the horse.
The only thing I fear is a new injury. Otherwise, I think it's just a matter of time before he gets his conditioning up, and I think he'll play like he did 2 years ago.
Per FB today
Danny Granger won't play in tonight's game against Miami, but he discusses a "very good chance" that he'll return to the court on Friday.
Watch video & read more: http://on.nba.com/18AbsHZ
"They want to be famous. We want to be champions. They want to be rappers and backup dancers. We want to play football." - T.J. Ward, Denver Broncos
They have vastly different skill sets and bring unique things to the table. I don't really consider Lance to be a "weak link" as you put it, either. I do think a healthy Granger would be nice to keep Lance in check though when he starts playing out of control, as he is wont to do on occasion.
However, on the offensive end where Lance can spin off out of control? I trust Danny to be far more mature and consistent. Is that going to be more valuable in the starting lineup or off the bench? A much better question and one that also remains to be seen. If nothing else, Danny coming up on Lance's shoulder for the starting position is going to force Lance not to take his place for granted and buckle down.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Or throw in a first-round pick and flip it for a max-level point guard...
Also, Can you imagine the point differential we will be beating teams at once Danny gets acclimated?
I am talking pure domination .. lol It's almost unfair to the rest of the league...... but the heck wit 'em ... lolz
"They want to be famous. We want to be champions. They want to be rappers and backup dancers. We want to play football." - T.J. Ward, Denver Broncos
By the way I'm seriously asking to see a list of older players that have been out for 19/20 months because of injury and came back to be the same.
@WhatTheFFacts: Studies show that sarcasm enhances the ability of the human mind to solve complex problems!
Can we not ruin the return of Danny with the talk of "Lance is better--no Danny is better" etc. Honestly it's all opinion at this point, and has been discussed, argued, and frankly beaten into the ground.
The situation will work itself out, especially if Danny comes back anywhere close to where he was previously. Worst case scenario, we get a good shooting wing player coming off the bench to replace the inconsistent OJ/Solo/Copeland's of the world. Best case scenario, we have a REALLY good 6th man coming off our bench, and a new, completely different set of skills to add to a team that's already playing at a great level. Just enjoy, and chill with all the skepticism until the man actually plays.
It all depends on how well Granger plays. I have a strong suspicion that they'll at least try it to see how it works if he's legitimately back to some semblance of his old form. I'll give you that there's a lot of reason to be skeptical of his chances here, given that it's rare for someone to move fully past a tendinosis-type injury. But if he does, look out.
Since86 posted some article back a few weeks ago that had a quote with Lance excited about the prospect of being the leader of the 2nd team. There's no shame in being the spark plug off the bench. A lot of players have made a hell of a career out of it.
It might also put some downward pressure on his next contract size.
No offense, but what else can be said then? "I hope he comes back to 100%, I'm really rooting for him!" "Can he come back to pre-injury levels?" "Hooray!"
I mean seriously, every angle of everything with Granger has been discussed, argued, and beaten into the ground at this point.


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WHEN A PLAGUE of tree-climbing aphids afflicted pecan orchards in the southeastern United States in the 1970s, federal biologists released a tree-climbing ladybug from Asia to devour them. The multicolored Asian lady beetle (Harmonia axyridis) did a superb job. Unfortunately, it also revealed two unwelcome traits: the wanderlust of a hobo and the appetite of a gourmand. Swarms of the little beetles eventually marched up the Atlantic seaboard into New England and westward across the Mississippi. Along with another foreign import, the seven-spotted ladybug (Coccinella septempunctata) brought over earlier from Europe, the ravenous Asian insect has eaten so many aphids so fast that many native ladybugs may have been left with too little to eat. To make matters worse, the newcomers are apt to eat the hometown ladybugs, too. Possibly due to this onslaught, even New York's official state insect, the nine-spotted lady beetle (Coccinella novemnotata), is now extinct in the state.
In the field of classical biological control—the use of exotic natural enemies to counter invasive pests—examples of biocontrol insects that have themselves gone out of control are relatively few. When it works, biological control is more benign, more efficient, and more precisely targeted than the usual method of controlling pest species, which is spraying their general whereabouts with toxic chemicals.
But just as an exotic plant can turn invasive when freed from the enemies that kept it in check back home, so too can an exotic biocontrol insect run amuck itself in the absence of the predators and competitors it evolved with. (The organisms used for biocontrol include not only insects but also other arthropods, viruses, fungi, bacteria, nematodes and other life-forms.) And when good bugs go bad, they can make big trouble. Whereas a chemical pesticide weakens over time, living creatures have a way of multiplying.
"With a chemical spill, you could theoretically recover all the molecules," says entomologist May Berenbaum of the University of Illinois. "With a biological organism that reproduces, once it's out there, it's out there. You can't round it up."
The first successful U.S. deployment of a biocontrol insect occurred more than a century ago. An Australian ladybug, the vedalia beetle (Rodolia cardinalis), was released in California citrus orchards in 1888 to combat cottony cushion scale. In decimating the citrus pest and keeping it in check ever since, without collateral damage or becoming a pest itself, the beetle has performed superbly—possibly a little too superbly, suggests Erin Stephens, a Cornell University insect ecologist. "It led people to think they could use biocontrol agents as a cure-all," she says, "when in fact they just got really, really lucky."
It was common before 1950 (and not uncommon into the 1980s) to look for pest-fighters with broad appetites. Today, biological-control experts enlist only those insects that attack an extremely narrow range of enemies, ideally a single invasive species. Before the U.S. Department of Agriculture approves a foreign insect for release to control a pest plant, its host preferences are methodically tested under tight quarantine conditions. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of good bugs gone bad are insects that were released long before this kind of policing became common.
On the Hawaiian island of Kauai prior to 1950, parasitic wasps from China and the U.S. mainland were released at least 100 times by the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association to fight sugar-cane pests. (Parasitic insects lay eggs inside the larvae of other insects, the hatchlings killing their hosts from within.) In 1999 and 2000, ecologists Jane Memmott and Laurie Henneman of England's University of Bristol collected more than 2,000 caterpillars of native moths from the island's Alakai Swamp. High, remote and inhospitable, the swamp is one of the wettest places on Earth, bearing little resemblance to the warmer, drier sugar-cane plantations near the coast. Nonetheless, the researchers found exotic wasps developing from eggs in one in five native swamp caterpillars. And most of these, they discovered, were from just three species of parasitic wasps deliberately released in the cane fields more than a half century ago.
That the alien wasps weren't picky about either habitat or host was probably fine with the people who brought them to Hawaii, says Memmott. "What people cared about then were crops, not native insects. If they were conservationists, it was rare Hawaiian birds they were interested in, not little moths." On Kauai as elsewhere, she says, ignoring native insects was misguided. "Invertebrates are the powerhouse that keeps everything else going. Without those native caterpillars, there wouldn't be any insect-eating birds."
Some moths are more obviously worth protecting. The once-common cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia), for example, is one of the largest and most spectacular insects in North America. It is now becoming rare in the Northeast, and a parasitic fly that was supposed to control gypsy moths is apparently the culprit. From 1906 to 1986, Compsilura concinnata, a European fly, was released repeatedly in North America by both the U.S. and Canadian governments as a biocontrol agent. C. concinnata has four generations from May to October, according to George Boettner of the University of Massachusetts, whereas gypsy moth caterpillars are only out in May and June. Says Boettner, "This means Compsilura must be hitting other things as well." A lot of other things. Boettner calculated the number of flies produced on gypsy moths in New Jersey in the 1980s and found that "on average, every two-and-a-half acre plot of forest was producing enough flies to potentially kill 750,000 moths and butterflies in the next generation, per year."
To figure out what all those flies were attacking after gypsy moths pupated, Boettner and his colleagues Joe Elkinton and Cynthia Boettner checked a list of locally declining butterflies and moths to see which ones hatched a few months after gypsy moths did. That led them to silk moths. Sure enough, when they set out cecropia and other silk moth caterpillars for just a week, four out of five were parasitized by C. concinnata.
"Out of 500 cecropia caterpillars we put out on trees, none survived to make it to pupae. None even made it past 40 days of their 60-day life span as caterpillars. It was crazy." C. concinnata has now been found in some 200 species of moths and butterflies, many of which are in decline. On Boettner's to-do list: find whatever it is in Europe that keeps C. concinnata under control there.
The most commonly used biological-control insects are herbivores, which control invasive weeds by feeding on them. Here, too, picky eating habits are essential. You don't want a bug that's supposed to kill kudzu laying waste to forested wilderness, let alone the American soybean crop. Despite the risks, the consensus among experts on invasive weeds is that properly managed biocontrol programs are invaluable. In vast natural areas such as the Everglades, where spraying, snipping or bulldozing exotic weeds is out of the question, a well-tested, well-behaved bug is the conservationist's best weed whacker.
Sometimes a bug's narrow appetite isn't quite narrow enough, however. When a foreign weed invades territory occupied by closely related native plants, a biocontrol insect may fail to tell which is which. In 1989, the Argentine cactus moth (Cactoblastis cactorum), used since the 1950s to control invasive cacti in the Caribbean, turned up in Florida, probably having stowed away in a shipment of houseplants.
"There are five native prickly pear cacti in Florida, and the moth uses all of them as hosts," says Robert Pemberton, a research entomologist at the USDA's Invasive Plant Research Lab in Fort Lauderdale. "It has now spread up to the Florida panhandle and into Alabama. Our fear is that it will spread around the Gulf of Mexico to Texas, where there are nearly 100 species of native cacti." Some of these plants are rare and could be swamped by the large numbers of moths generated by the more common prickly pear species. No doubt there are ranchers who would be happy to see cacti vanish from their rangeland, but native dry-land cacti have an important environmental role, Pemberton points out. They're used as food for wildlife and, in Mexico (where the moth could head next), for people.
Thistles, like cacti, are underappreciated plants, perhaps because of their spikiness. This may help explain why native thistles in North America were exposed to the depredations of a thistle-eating weevil from Europe. The flower head weevil, Rhinocyllus conicus, was released by the Canadian Ministry of Agriculture into Canada in the late 1960s and then by the U.S. Department of Agriculture into Virginia, Nebraska, Montana, California and other states. The idea was to control invasive weeds, especially Eurasian musk thistle, though R. conicus was known to feed on native rangeland thistles, too.
Svata Louda, a University of Nebraska ecologist who studies native thistles and the organisms that keep them in check, first noticed R. conicus in the flower heads of native thistles in 1993. "In 1994, the weevil had doubled its numbers. By the next year, it had quadrupled," she says. "It was increasing at an exponential rate on the native species because there were no exotic thistles around for it to eat." She worries that as the weevil continues to expand its range, it is likely to drive several species of native thistle extinct, including the threatened pitcher's thistle (Cirsium pitcheri) that clings to survival in the dunes along the Great Lakes.
Despite their spiky exteriors, native thistles are worth caring about, Louda says. The American goldfinch lines its nest with their down and feeds on their large seeds, while bees and other insects, including an endangered Northeastern fritillary butterfly, rely on their nectar-rich flowers. There's also a less obvious benefit of these native plants. One of the country's most aggressive exotic thistles is bull thistle, an invasive pest in many western states. In Nebraska, it's not a problem. Louda decided to find out why. "We discovered that native insects feed on a native thistle here in Nebraska that flowers at the same time as this exotic species, so they move right over and feed on the exotic thistle, too." Thanks to the native plant's similar timing and palatability, the alien plant has never gotten more than a toehold in the state.
The interplay among biocontrol insects, their intended targets and various innocent bystanders (including us) can be baffling in their complexity. European seed-head flies released since the early 1970s to control spotted knapweed, a nationwide scourge, can produce larvae in such abundance that larvae-eating deer mouse populations sometimes soar in response. With a jump in deer mice comes a heightened risk of mouse-borne diseases, notably hanta virus. Ultimately, it's a human choice: Which is worse, the weed or the illness?
"It's a balancing act," says Eric Coombs, biological control entomologist for the state of Oregon. "Is the good a biocontrol insect does outweighed by the bad? Right now, our tolerance level for bad is really, really low."
Massachusetts writer Doug Stewart is a frequent contributor to this magazine.
America's Least Wanted
IUCN–The World Conservation Union recently released a list titled 100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species. Among the invertebrates included are these 14 insects, all found in the United States:
Argentine ant (Linepithema humile)Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis)Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus)Big-headed ant (Pheidole megacephala)Common malaria mosquito (Anopheles quadrimaculatus)Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris)Crazy ant (Anoplolepis gracilipes)Cypress aphid (Cinara cupressi)Formosan subterranean termite (Coptotermes formosanus shiraki)Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar)Khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium)Little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata)Red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta)Sweet potato whitefly (Bemisia tabaci)
Supporting Native Wildlife
According to NWF Chief Naturalist Craig Tufts, one of the best ways to help contain populations of pest species is "to support diverse natural habitats" where native predators, such as ladybugs, soldier beetles and tachinid flies, can flourish. Following are some tips for creating an insectary in your yard—a place attractive to beneficial bugs that dwell naturally in your local area:
Find out how you can turn your garden into a Certified Wildlife Habitat.
Web Exclusive
Backyard Bullies: Good Plants Gone Bad
When tamarisk was first brought to the United States from the shores of the Mediterranean in the 1800s, gardeners snapped up this ornamental tree for its feathery, needlelike leaves and dainty pink flowers. Its deep roots also made it a seemingly ideal plant for riverbank stabilization. Today, however, tamarisk, or salt cedar as it's often called, is an ecological nightmare. It blankets 1.2 million acres of the arid Southwest, where it is sucking up excessive amounts of water, pushing out natives and altering riparian or streamside habitat.
What makes a good plant go bad? In many parts of the world, tamarisk is a treasured tree. But when introduced into a new environment, tamarisk became invasive, growing rapidly and outcompeting its neighbors. This frequently happens when a plant is taken out of its native habitat, because it leaves behind the complex array of natural controls that held it in check.
About 1,100 plant species are now considered to be invasive in the United States, according to the Plant Conservation Alliance's Alien Plant Working Group. Some of these plants—such as tamarisk, purple loosestrife, and Norway maple—can drastically change their new environment. When this happens, not only do native plants lose out, but so do birds and other wildlife.
In one study along the lower Colorado River, for example, biologists discovered tamarisk groves supported less than ten percent of the winter bird life found in nearby stands of native trees. When purple loosestrife—a Eurasian aquatic—takes over a Midwestern marsh, it chokes out native rushes and sedges, causing ducks and other waterfowl to lose both food and nesting habitat. Norway maples, which are spreading along streams in the Appalachians and the Northern Rockies, produce a chemical that inhibits the growth of any other type of plant beneath their canopy.
Ornamentals that are harmful to our environment are still sold in many garden centers. Some of these plants, such as Japanese barberry, are even widely promoted by the nursery trade. This Asian exotic, which is a thorny deciduous shrub, has now escaped into the wild from Maine to Georgia and as far west as Wyoming. When unchecked by gardeners, Japanese barberry forms impenetrable thickets that exclude nearly all native plants and also create a physical barrier to wildlife.
The financial cost of these alien plants is staggering. In the United States, for example, over $100 million a year is spent fighting aquatic invasives. Our national parks also expend precious money and resources to keep nonnatives from taking over. In Great Smoky Mountains National Park, one of the most aggressive species is the mimosa, or silk tree. During the last decade, workers have cut down thousands of these flowering trees from just one river drainage.
Unfortunately, it's often difficult to predict ahead of time which exotic plants will turn into outlaws. The best course of action: Garden as much as possible with trees, shrubs, perennials and vines that are native to your area. If you do decide to plant nonnatives, studies have shown that hybrids rarely become invasive. Another option is to use species from different regions of the United States. More than 95 percent of North America's invasive plants have been brought here from other countries.
Whatever you do, give careful thought to what you are putting in your backyard habitat. By checking to see whether a species has the potential to become invasive before you plant it, you can do your part to protect local wildlife as well as America's biological heritage.—Doreen Cubie


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Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Identifying Depression
After an overseas plane travel its seems that my anxiety attacks started to overwhelm me. This plane ride was in February, where I had started to live with my boyfriend a few months ago, its been a year now, I the later had to have an abortion and other events that hurt me very deeply, I have been feeling sad and empty for months now but, the last few weeks, I started having problem concentrating, remembering words, my heart as I'm laying down starts rushing, I mostly feel like I'm in a dream like state, I seem to be fine for two days still having problems concentrating but not as sad and then spend three or more days depressed, sad and in bed dealing with these symptoms. I work at home so when I start going downhill I can't get out of bed or work, I have anger problems as well, I get angry and agitated very easily, I try to pick up fights and get myself all worked up to eventually feeling very empty, tired, hysteric and unable to move. This has really started to affect my life and work and relationships. Can you give me any advice on what to do to?
The best thing to do is get yourself to a good primary care doctor or psychiatrist for an evaluation. It sounds like depression, and it certainly sounds like you'll need treatment, given the duration and severity of your symptoms. But efficient treatment begins with a thorough evaluation.
Lawson Wulsin, MD
Professor of Psychiatry and Family Medicine, Training Director of the Family Medicine Psychiatry Residency Program
College of Medicine
University of Cincinnati


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Product Summary
The CyberPower (PDU20SWVT24FNET) 24-outlet 0U rack mount switched power distribution unit (PDU) provides 120V 20A output. It distributes power to 24 NEMA 5-20R receptacles from a single twist lock NEMA L5-20P plug, with unfiltered electrical pass-through. Outlets can be managed individually over the network, using CyberPower Management Console and the RJ45 Ethernet port for local network connection, or locally using the LCD.
The LCD displays the electrical current used by connected equipment in amps and can be toggled to display input voltage, power being consumed in watts, and the IP address of the PDU. The CyberPower Management Console offers remote management of the unit: monitoring PDU vitals as well as controlling outlets and networked clients.
The unit has a rugged, industrial-grade metal housing and a 10-foot AC power cord. It can be mounted vertically, includes a cord retention tray and is UL60950_1 & FCC Class A certified. A three-year warranty is standard.
General Information
|Product Type
|Manufacturer Part Number
|Manufacturer Website Address
|CyberPower Systems, Inc
|Product Model
|Product Name
|Switched PDU RM 0U PDU20SWVT24FNET 20A 120V 24-Outlets
|Brand Name
Technical Information
|Input Receptacles
|Output Receptacles
|24 x NEMA 5-20R
|RJ-45 Ethernet
Power Description
|Input Voltage
|100 V AC to 120 V AC
|Output Voltage
|16 A Derated
Physical Characteristics
|66.5" Height x 2.2" Width x 1.8" Depth
|Weight (Approximate)
|12.50 lb
|Form Factor
|Zero U Rack-mountable
|Power Cord/Cable
|10 ft
|Package Contents
|Standard Warranty
|3 Year Limited
This product is shipped only within Canada and Warranty valid for Canada only.
Computer Valley makes every effort to provide accurate specifications, descriptions, images and price on all products that are found on www.computervalley.ca
However for complete and updated descriptions, compatibilities, specifications and actual photo we recommend our clients to consult with manufacturer's websites or simply call us for proper clarifications. Computer Valley is not responsible and will not accept returns for items purchased that are not compatible with your system. Please ensure that you have verified compatibility and actual photo with your system by visiting the manufacturer's web site prior to purchase or give us a call to make sure what you are purchasing.
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Computer Valley wants to provide you with the best and fastest possible service. We try to ship in stock orders placed before 2:00pm EST the same day. For in stock orders placed after 2:00pm EST they are usually shipped the next business day. However there are always exceptions. Please contact us prior to placing your order if you need your purchase by a certain date.
We ship by UPS, FEDEX, USPS, CANADA POST , PUROLATOR and LOOMIS from the nearest locations possible based on stock in hand.
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Kenny And Beth's Musakal Boat Rides
Currently unavailable
King Creosote is still living on the marie celeste that is Crail in north east Fife, and has returned to the good ship Domino for the release of his umpteenth long player Flick the Vs. When asked of his three year mainstream sabbatical, KC had this rather fishy tale to tell...
"If KC rules OK was the sunny and relaxed outcome of spending an afternoon with the Earlies, paddling about in the rock pools of Morecambe, breeks rolled up to the knees, a net in one hand and a plastic pail full of small crabs in the other, then Bombshell felt like a month aboard a modern trawler out near Norwegian waters under the command of new skipper Jon Hopkins, yellow sou'westers and oilskins to fore and aft, battling the elements to fill our quotas of haddock and bream. In comparison, Flick the Vs was to have been a Sunday night's angling off the main pier in Anstruther, but it didn't turn out quite so tranquil. This time around skipper Paul Savage sent the Earlies out whaling near Iceland, whilst the Fence boys took a small rowing boat onto Loch Awe for a spot of salmon poaching. Steve Mason himself pulled up a couple of creels out there by the end of the sewage pipe, whilst Hopkins just had to make do with the purchase of a packet of scampi fries to eat whilst sunbathing on the railway platform at Ladybank."
Sounds like someone's been out in the midday sun without their factor 15. Thankfully, first mate the Pictish Trail aka Johnny Lynch has kept his sunstroke in check, and has a few things to say of 'flick the Vs'.
PT: Album opener No One Had It Better starts with a misleadingly quiet Tubeway Army-esque vocoder intro, inviting the listener to turn up the volume dial, and up further still... A thuddering bass drum, rolling toms and a biting snare soon cracks in to transform the song into a soaring seven minute krautrock epic that relentlessly builds and builds.
KC: It's a mantric response to all those accusations of "sell out", and as such draws on familiar themes from 'KC rules OK'.
PT: KC's plaintive vocal and signature accordion summon Two Frocks At a Wedding, suggesting a more straightforward ballad - but 20 seconds in and 80's drum machines and synths hover over with stark menace, making way for an unashamedly funk bassline to parade its way through. It's Reproduction-era Human League meets Station to Station Bowie that even manages to pack in a highland bagpipe-sampling hip hop coda.
KC: Cross-dressing, wedding kilts, small town homophobia... it's all in here.
PT: Camels Swapped For Wives centres around KC's vocal - a croaky slap-back drawl that clears its throat with a breath-drawing "fuck" before crooning into an irresistible lilting falsetto. Lennon-drenched piano teeters you over the edge for the eyes closed heart wrenchingly anthemic chorus that'll have you gritting teeth and smiling back tears.
KC: The effects of mental illness on the whole family, as it happens.
PT: Barking two-tone brass and a pounding hammer dulcimer feature on the buoyant Earlies-driven No Way She Exists. Mysterious electronic whistling and KC's vocal float over and above the swell of guitars and scuffing mandolin.
KC: Misogyny from all directions of the compass!
PT: The delicately ambient Fell An Ox softly hints at instruments brushing past your ear until KC sweeps them together so that they pop and fizz into a percussive lullaby, a solitary fuzzed up Casio provides a short melody while waves of piano slowly swell and hush.
KC: Unwanted attentions.
PT: Conversely Coast On By rasps with an angry electro-bass synth breaking into a Dexy's infused Motown stomp; imagine Kevin Rowland fronting Hot Chip and you're close!
KC: There's times when you can't face leaving the house let alone taking the Anstruther road west out of the village.
PT: A mumbled "shit" opens the ethereal Nothing Rings True; KC, acoustic guitar aloft, finds himself up to his waist in a sea of sound, wading through layers of distorted feedback, dictaphone echo, and sparse piano motifs recalling the dislocated textures of Talk Talk's 'Spirit Of Eden'.
KC: This was an experiment in not listening to each other, playing cards and two timing.
PT: Meanwhile the melancholic wheeze of Curtain Craft with its pleading waltz, undeniably beautiful xylophone and smirking mathematical stabs of brass, shares a solemn sincerity with early Everything But The Girl. Simplicity reigns supreme here - the mere addition of accordion in the second verse following the vocal melody for arguably the most gorgeous moment of the album.
KC: In a song involving nosey neighbours I've used a few musical tricks to mimic the twitching of curtains.
PT: Rims is a different beast altogether - a bluegrass shuffle turned Broadway showtune with its self-deprecating yet oddly chirpy refrains of 'I am the worst' and 'let me remind you/that you have a menu'. Cajun accordion dances over skiffled drums that morph into electronic snares until it becomes full on, unadulterated techno.
KC: A rejection from the village bike will have long reaching and cruel repercussions in later life I fear.
PT: Album closer Saw Circular Prowess is a gargantuan epic of Moz proportions - cymbals splash and strop, strings glide and swoon, with piano and bass brooding over it all. KC's falsetto cuts an ominous character ('does it hurt less over there?') and persists as the song builds heavily, never threatening to cut away early, eyes fixed and Vs flicked.
KC: Vile language - bile, ulcers, acid, vinegar - are embroidered onto a proggy cape.
PT & KC: this new album, played loud, should have KC fans jumping around in their waders and giving two fingered salutes to whomever passes the window.
- Watch King Creosote's 'Love Life' video
- King Creosote Announces headline show at The Barbican in London on Saturday 10th October 2015
- King Creosote To Release 'Largs' as a single on 2nd March 2015 + UK Tour
- King Creosote shares UK tour dates for January and February 2015
- King Creosote shares video for Something To Believe In plus Union Chapel date
- King Creosote announces UK live dates
- King Creosote shares video for new single, For One Night Only
- From Scotland With Love - King Creosote
- King Creosote Helps Us 'To Deal With Things'
- The Quietus & Domino Hook Up For Halloween
This band is a collaboration with Fence Collective.


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deGrom to DL with tendinitis; Montero recalled
PHILADELPHIA -- The Mets announced after Monday's 5-3 win over the Phillies that Jacob deGrom will go on the 15-disabled list with right rotator cuff tendinitis.
deGrom reported shoulder soreness following his last start on Thursday, in which he gave up three runs on seven hits in six innings. He flew back to New York for an exam and an MRI.
"Last start, I felt fine," deGrom said. "I actually felt like I got stronger at the end of the game. And then just playing catch these past couple of days, I felt a little something in there."
Rookie deGrom is 6-5 with a 2.87 ERA in 16 starts. He's posted 94 strikeouts in 100 1/3 innings.
Right-hander Rafael Montero was recalled from Triple-A Vegas to take deGrom's place in the rotation. Montero will start Tuesday against the Nationals at Citi Field.
The 23-year-old Montero has posted an 0-2 record and a 5.40 ERA in four starts with the Mets this season. Manager Terry Collins expects him to make at least two starts this time around.
"We wouldn't bring [Montero] up for just one start,'' said Collins. "He'll make two [starts]. All he has to do is be himself and throw strikes.
"He's a strike-throwing machine. The first time he was here, he nibbled. If he's himself, throwing strikes, he's real good.
"The first time he was up, I told him: 'What gets you to the Major Leagues is what keeps you in the Major Leagues.' For him, it's throwing the ball over the plate.''
Montero has recorded a 6-3 record and a 3.28 ERA in 15 starts at Triple-A Las Vegas. In his last two starts, wins over El Paso at home and Sacramento on the road, he threw a combined 14 2/3 scoreless innings, with batters hitting .085 against him.
"[Montero] certainly has the stuff that will play in the Major Leagues,'' said Collins. "He needs to throw strikes, and if he does that, he'll be here for a long time."
Jed Weisberger is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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CONCORD manager Danny Cowley says new striker Jason Hallett will provide genuine competition to last season's 51-goal strike pairing of Tony Stokes and Harry Elmes.
The Beachboys confirmed the signing of former Canvey man Hallett this week after a successful trial.
Hallett, who scored 15 goals for the Gulls last season, will be hoping to start when Concord host League Two neighbours Southend United in their last home game of the pre-season today.
Cowley said: "Jason will provide real competition for Tony and Harry, which we have not had before.
"And the great thing is that all three of them give me something different in terms of how they play."
Cowley said the club have also completed a deal to bring former Wealdstone midfielder Danny Spendlove to the club, and that they are close to signing ex-Hornchurch right back Billy Coyne.