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September 11, 2013
Reworking WARP
Why We Need Replacement Level
Last week, we talked about different ways to measure offensive performance. Let's talk some about baselines. The past few weeks have had a lot of math; this time I want to step back and talk some theory (although we'll have a fair amount of math as well.)
What's funny is that sabermetrics is regarded as being about math first, when really the heart of the thing is theory. I and my fellow travelers have been accused of "ruining" the game with numbers. But from its earliest days, the spread of baseball was as much about newsprint filled with columns of numbers in agate type as it was about the stories written about the game. Numbers have always had an incredible power to tell us about the game of baseball, and that was as true in 1913 as it is in 2013. Scratch any columnist who talks about how stats are ruining the game and you can find a voluminous knowledge of the history of the game as told in numbers, of the records people hold and the records people haven't managed to break.
But the relationship baseball fans, writers, and front office personnel have with numbers is changing. Traditional baseball stats are, by and large, an accounting of what happened on a baseball field. At their best, they count the fundamental events on the field—walks, strikeouts, home runs, etc. At their worst, you have convoluted and frankly biased counts of things— runs batted in, earned or unearned runs, games "saved." Modern stats, by contrast, attempt to relate what happened to the fundamental building blocks of baseball, runs and wins.[1]
So in general, with traditional baseball stats, you're evaluated by either having lots of the things that are considered good, or fewer of the things that are considered bad. The statistics that have been inspired by sabermetrics, on the other hand, have largely been about evaluating a player inside of a context. What this means is that sabermetrics tends to evaluate things in marginal or relative terms, rather than in absolute terms.[2]
Now, you could do this on a case-by-case basis. If you want to compare Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds, you could take the stats of each, in addition to the complete stats for their respective leagues in their career, and work from there. But you'd end up reinventing the wheel every time, for starters. And it doesn't scale very well—once you start comparing three players, say, that approach starts to break down. And if you want to include Babe Ruth's pitching stats as well, you pretty much have to throw up your hands and walk away. It quickly becomes apparent that having a common baseline makes a lot of things easier, sometimes even possible.
The most notable baseline in use today is replacement level. Originally conceived of by Bill James, it has gained prominence through stats like VORP, WARP and the different WAR implementations at FanGraphs and Baseball-Reference. Though popular, it has its fair share of detractors. So let's examine some of the alternatives, in hopes of seeing why using replacement level may be desirable and meaningful.
If you'll indulge me for a second, let's consider the 2012 Most Valuable Player voting. I know, I know, even I eventually tire of flogging such obviously deceased equines, but I promise to examine the issue narrowly without relitigating the larger point and then move on.
Let's exclude defense, position, baserunning, any of that, and just focus on hitting, using linear weights values (we can cycle back around to Value Added at a later date). According to Batting Runs Above Average, Mike Trout was responsible for 61.7 runs above average. Miguel Cabrera, on the other hand, was responsible for 49.2 runs above average. That's a rather significant gap of 12.5 runs between them.
There is the question of the disparity in plate appearances, though. Miguel Cabrera had 697 PAs, while Mike Trout had 639 PAs. In a sense, that's already accounted for in our batting runs—Trout ostensibly just gets a zero for each of those 58 PA Cabrera has that he doesn't. There's a problem with this, though: the assumption that the PA differential between Trout and Cabrera would likely be soaked up by an average player. Let's take a look at the distribution of True Average in 2012, weighted by plate appearances (excluding pitchers hitting):
It's a close facsimile of a normal distribution, but it isn't quite one. For one thing, it has a leftward or negative skewness to it—in other words, the tail to the left of the average is longer than the tail to the right. More significantly, it has a much higher peak (and is a bit narrower) than a normal distribution would predict—that's known as kurtosis. But still, we see a mean of .264, a median of .266, and a mode of .267. In other words, when you weight by plate appearances, what you end up with is average is average is average. Looking at this picture, you could quite readily believe that Trout's missing PA were likely to be made up by an average hitter.
Things look quite a bit different when you stop weighting by plate appearances:
Now we see a mean of .237 and a median of .246. (The mode is unchanged, however.) What this means is that the average player is, counterintuitively, below average. This happens because a player's offensive ability and his playing time are substantially correlated, at 0.49. In other words, because the better players get more playing time, they drag up the league averages. But if you pick players at random, you're far more likely to find a player who's below average than one who's above average.
In this particular case, we can simply look at the players who played before Trout was called up to see this illustrated. Before April 28th, the date Trout made his first appearance in 2012, Angels center fielders had 73 plate appearances and put up a True Average of .170, or a BRAA of -6.47. It may not be wholly fair to Trout to hold him accountable for just how bad his teammates were before he was called up, but nor is it fair to Cabrera to treat the PA disparity between them as if it was covered by wholly average hitters.
We can also look at the case of the essentially average hitter. Rickie Weeks had a .261 TAv over 677 PA, getting a BRAA of 0.3. Vinnie Rottino also had a TAv of .261, but only 39 PA, netting him a BRAA of 0.0. It strains credibility to the breaking point to suggest that Weeks was no more valuable than Rottino, but that's exactly what using average performance as a baseline does.
Now let's swing 'round to the other extreme and instead of looking at runs above average, look at runs above zero—so instead of everything summing to zero at the league level, it sums to the number of runs scored in the league. It certainly does close the gap between Trout and Cabrera, giving Trout 136.6 runs to Cabrera's 130.8. But that method has problems of its own. Michael Young finally had a season so bad that the Rangers would actually consider trading him, putting up a .243 True Average. But because he managed to get to 651 PAs (owing more to his abilities at persuading Ron Washington more than his abilities as a player), he had 65.2 runs above zero, just a hair above the 64.7 runs above zero of Pablo Sandoval, who had an impressive .290 True Average but was limited to 442 plate appearances. If Pablo Sandoval had a .144 True Average over another 209 PA, he would have brought himself to the same True Average as Young; the average pitcher had a TAv of .140 in 2012. Assuming that PA differentials are gobbled up by hitters no better than the typical pitcher (or worse) is no better than assuming they're taken by players who are league average.
If baseball players all had the same amount of playing time, we could ignore these questions altogether. But they don't, and neither the average nor the absolute runs scale is equipped to properly value playing time: one overrates it and one underrates it. And in figuring out what the correct answer is, we should probably divert some attention to figuring out why this is.
Let's do some back-of-the-envelope math. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, there were 41,688,289 males aged 20 to 39, which we'll call our total population pool for major pro sports in America.[3] There were 1,284 people who played in Major League Baseball in 2012. Another 469 played in the National Basketball Association in the 2012-2013 season. And roughly 2,700 played in the National Football League in 2012. That's something like 4,453 professional athletes in the three major sports playing at the highest level (and thanks to Bo Jackson's retirement, we don't have to worry about double-counting). In other words, professional athletes represent about 0.01% of the total talent pool available. The biggest pro sports leagues aren't going to be able to capture the entire top hundredth of a percent, mind you—there'll be some losses to the military, to hockey and soccer and the like, the Olympics, and maybe even some stockbrokers and car salesmen in the group. But those leagues invest an awful lot into talent scouting, and the incentives of becoming even a backup player in any of the major pro sports leagues in America are pretty compelling.
So what you see in the majors is the result of 30 teams investing significant money, time, and manpower into finding and training the top 500 or so baseball players out of an available population of over 40 million people. It's an incredibly elite group—even the "bad" players in MLB are in the top tenth of a percent of baseball ability in the country. It's hard to notice this sometimes, because everyone major leaguers are playing with and against is also an elite baseball talent, but it's true. So this has two implications:
1) A truly average major-league hitter is not a commodity thing, it's a lot closer to being a one-in-a-million event. The number of average and above major-league players is vastly outstripped by the number of below-average potential major league players, even if you restrict yourself to the top one percent of baseball talent in the country.
2) Because of this, there are thousands of hitters who are below the major league average in talent but who are better than an automatic out in every plate appearance—there is never any need for a major league team to turn to a batter who has no chance whatsoever of getting on base.
One of the most common criticisms of replacement level is that it's hypothetical. As a Boston Globe columnist put it:
This "replacement player" who constitutes the very linchpin of the entire premise is mythical. There is nothing measurable or precise about his existence. Yet supposedly intelligent people have signed off on this utterly bogus piece of baseball idiocy.
And no, there is not one single replacement-level player—he is a hypothetical amalgamation of many different players, just like our average player is, or our "absolute zero" all-outs batter is. But unlike the "absolute zero" batter, there really are replacement-level players in the majors. A lot of them, actually, if you know where to look.
Let's return to our distribution of talent from earlier, but instead of focusing only on players in the majors, let's look at everyone playing in the affiliated minors as well. To put everyone on a common scale, we'll use TAv derived from major-league equivalencies, translations of stats that use minor-league production to estimate how a player would perform in the majors. (These are not wholly projections, although the translations used here are the same ones used in PECOTA for projecting the performance of minor leaguers.)
That's well over one million plate appearances across all levels in 2012. (Pitchers batting are excluded.) Only 184,179 of those PA, or about 17 percent of the total, were in the majors. That's an average TAv of .219, well below the MLB average of .260 if you're weighting by PA, but not too far off the average if you don't weight by PA.
What replacement level represents is the point on the talent distribution where the number of players available exceeds the amount of major league playing time available. Baseball talent is not perfectly fungible—if you need a second baseman, you can probably make do with the best freely-available player if he's a shortstop, or maybe even if he's a third baseman. But if he's a first baseman, he's no substitute for a second baseman unless you can contort the rest of your roster to fit. And the number of available players is curtailed by roster size limits, rules about transactions, and players under contract to other clubs. So while replacement level may be a much better reflection of how talent is distributed in baseball than the average, the inefficiencies in allocating talent make it trickier to measure.
But because something is hard to measure doesn't make it any less important, or any less important to try to do well. What we want to do is quantify the difficulty of measuring replacement level—that is, determine how well we can measure it—and try to do better. (If you've noticed a theme to the series by now, this is probably it.) So next week, we're going to investigate replacement level, and we're going to look at quantifying how well we're measuring it.
[1] There is a somewhat more recent movement to a third kind of stats, stats which neither are content to simply count things nor attempt to measure contributions towards winning. Those are efforts to measure, for lack of a better term, player skills—things like plate discipline, swing rates, the rates at which a pitcher throws various pitches, etc. That's rather beyond the scope of this article.
[2] Even so-called "absolute" linear weights runs don't behave like pure counting stats, because outs have a negative value, and so at a very low point it's possible to have negative production. Other efforts at absolute value stats, such as Win Shares, simply use a rather low baseline and treat performance above it as "absolute" value. The fact that the very few measures sabermetrics has that purport to be absolute value are in fact relative helps illustrate how relative value is a fundamental feature of sabermetric measures.
[3] It's imprecise, as it excludes the ability of pro sports to pull from central and south America, Canada, Europe and Asia. It also isn't a perfect representation of the age distribution among pro sports, but it's close enough. And we could model in the population growth since 2010, but it won't matter enough to spend time on it. If anything, we're underestimating the total talent pool available, which won't undermine the point we're making.
Colin Wyers is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @cwyers
17 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
How did I know the quote from the Boston Globe column was Bob Ryan before clicking the link? Ryan just gets more ridiculous over time.
Sep 11, 2013 03:49 AM
I am curious how it is determined how much of the mythical replacement player consists of offensive contributions vs. defensive contributions.
Sep 11, 2013 04:48 AM
I'm doubtful, and here's why. It's not like replacement players are bench players -- bench players are players you're counting upon needing and having, so I can see different teams having different philosophies about what they're looking for on their bench. A replacement player is a guy who you call upon because you need a guy -- there's an emergency, start the fire drill and get all hands on deck. So, maybe you want certain things out of your replacement, but realistically, you're going to take the best available guy.
Sep 11, 2013 07:25 AM
Maybe you are correct that teams grab on to any port in a storm when they need a replacement.
Sep 12, 2013 09:49 AM
Paul Clarke
Maybe this is just my eyesight, but the weighted by PA and unweighted graphs look identical. They have the same Chi-squared value too.
Sep 11, 2013 06:40 AM
Enjoyed the article. This was my favorite of the series by far.
Sep 11, 2013 06:57 AM
Thinking about the value added discussions from last week, do we have the data (and the computing power) to determine an *actual* replacement level for each player in the majors? I realize this is an exercises chock full of assumptions and questions. It is also an exercise that measures something completely beyond each player's control. But to get a true "value-added" stat it seems like it would be necessary.
Sep 11, 2013 10:06 AM
It gets a bit tricky, for three reasons:
Sep 11, 2013 15:49 PM
I love this idea, though I guess this would be more from the perspective of a player's value to a specific team, rather than his context-neutral value.
Sep 11, 2013 17:39 PM
This is great, and should be required reading for any sports journalist
Sep 11, 2013 10:47 AM
Maybe a dumb question, but if the problem with absolute runs is difference in playing time, what's the problem with absolute runs per plate appearance?
Sep 11, 2013 12:55 PM
Nathan Aderhold
Fantastic stuff, Colin. Loving this series.
Sep 11, 2013 13:13 PM
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of Eichstätt, Karl Braun.1991The novitiate was founded in
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installations, thanks to the support of Bishop Joachim Cardinal Meisner.2000Fr. Albert Gutberlet, the first German Legionary of Christ,
is ordained. 2001Foundation of the first ECYD clubs.
2002First Youth and Family Encounter in Ingolstadt.2003Beginning
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NET.2004Foundation of a center for apostolate of the
Legionaries of Christ in Düsseldorf.2006The "Everest" Kindergarten is
inaugurated in Düsseldorf.2007Foundation of the territory of central
Europe with headquarters in Düsseldorf.Contact Information:Bad
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- Matrix manage field based partner focused SE resources and directly manage the inside SE team.
- Recruit, hire, oversee training and mentor new Systems Engineers.
- HR responsibility for the Systems Engineers in the territory (expenses, reviews, etc.)
- Assist with defining periodic SE training curriculum.
- Provide an escalation point for pre-sales and post sales technical issues that arise in the territory.
- BS CS/EE or related (or equivalent work experience)
- 3+ Years' experience as a pre-sales Sr. Systems Engineer, preferably in a channel focused role.
- Experience working with Channel partners and understanding of a channel centric go to market approach.
- Industry knowledge of security product market trends and directional awareness of Palo Alto Network's roadmap and technology development efforts.
- Prior management experience desirable.
- The role calls for in-depth knowledge of competitive security products.
- Knowledge of how to deliver comprehensive security solutions to PANW's customer base, and maintain a general understanding of competitive selling strategies.
- 50% Travel
- Strong communication (written and verbal) and presentation skills
- 'Whatever it takes' attitude and motivation to do whatever necessary to assist in closing a deal.
|Santa Clara, CA
United States
|Web Site:
|2130 Gold Street
Suite 200
Alviso, CA 95002
United States


text: You have a whole lineup of hotels in Digha to choose from. While most of the hotels range is mid-budget to economy range, there's quite a lot that you can pick from. Some of the posher hotels here are Masara Beach Resort, The Palm Resort, Nest and more. Other hotels with best amenities include Hotel Rajeet and Hotel Sea Coast. The tariffs for Digha hotels usually start from as low as a thousand rupees to further up. Some of the popular budget hotels here are Orbit Hotel, Hotel Ganapati Palace and Hotel Seagull. Even the economy hotels here offer comfortable stay with basic amenities so you can rest assured about the staying options at Digha. You can make your choice among hotels in Digha like Hotel Aditya International, Hotel Dreamland, Larica Holiday Inn, Hotel Tulip, Greenland Inn and New Hotel Classic Inn.


text:
Myriam Bustamante
Professional Bodybuilder
Age: 40
Height 5'4", Weigth: 158 lbs.
Carson, CA
Nutritional supplements have helped me develop my physique to the level it's at now. I also use supplements to keep me feeling healthy and energized.
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Glyco-Maize by Optimum Nutrition helps me refuel and replenish after strenuous workouts.
While dieting, I rely on L-glutamine powder to help preserve muscle tissue and keep my immune system strong. And I use diet formulas by MuscleTech to enhance fat burning while I'm preparing for competition.
I've shopped with Nutrition Express for 8 years. You have great prices and a huge selection of products. I always find what I need.


text:
TWO women have been injured after a car crash in a one-way street.
The police and ambulance service were called to the accident in St Andrew's Road, Droitwich, at about 1.45pm today to reports of a crash between a car and a pedestrian.
One woman is being treated for leg injuries and the other is receiving treatment for shock.
Three ambulances, a paramedic officer and an air ambulance attended the scene.
More to follow.


text:
If you treat your pet to a daily reward, why not make it one that delivers ingredients to support healthy joints? Joint Jerky tastes like delicious real beef jerky because it's made with real beef and beef liver, but it also contains active ingredients like glucosamine, chondroitin, MSM, Vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and manganese. These proven ingredients work together synergistically to help maintain healthy joint function and mobility. 4.5" sticks. 6 oz contains approx. 20; 20 oz contains approx 66. For dogs only.
Directions for Use
Maintenance Dose:
Please click on "More Information" for active and inactive ingredients.


text:
Braves continue dominance of Nats with shutout
Floyd spins gem before injury; Johnson drives in all three runs
WASHINGTON -- The Braves have spent most of the past two months playing like a last-place club. But if they continue to extend their head-to-head dominance of the Nationals, they could be back on top of the National League East standings before the end of this weekend.
There was certainly a sense of familiarity as the Braves opened a four-game series with Thursday night's 3-0 win over the Nationals. Chris Johnson provided all of the necessary support with a couple of timely hits and Craig Kimbrel notched the final three outs in successful fashion. But there was also an unfortunate development as Gavin Floyd suffered a right elbow fracture while tossing six scoreless innings.
"[Floyd] was pretty filthy tonight," Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman said. "He was cruising. We had some runs on the board for him. I just feel so bad for him. He was probably pitching the best game of the year so far."
There was a mixture of emotions as the Braves gathered in the clubhouse after the game and learned that Floyd had fractured the olecranon, the prominent bony portion of his right elbow, with the first-pitch curveball he threw in the seventh inning. But as they sympathized with Floyd, the Braves also felt good about distancing themselves from the frustration felt on Wednesday, when they were swept at home by the last-place Phillies.
"To come out here and get the win and get momentum back on our side, it's definitely a big start to this series," the recently rejuvenated Freeman said after opening this series with a three-hit night that included a pair of doubles and two runs scored.
The Braves entered Thursday with the Majors' fourth-worst winning percentage (.404) dating back to April 28. But with their 19th win in the 26 games played against the Nationals since the start of the 2013 season, they now stand just a half-game behind the first-place Nats in the NL East.
"They're a really good team," said Johnson, whose three RBIs matched his total from his previous 17 games. "We came off a really tough series at home. I think we wanted to get it going against anybody we were facing. It just happened to be these guys."
Nationals starter Jordan Zimmermann had allowed just one hit before Freeman notched the first of four consecutive one-out singles in the fourth inning. Evan Gattis contributed one of those singles to extend his career-best hitting streak to 18 games. Johnson capped the sudden flurry when he connected with a 3-1 fastball and sent it through the middle of the infield for a two-run single.
"You never think you're going to get that many hits off a guy like Zimmermann," Johnson said. "In my opinion, he's the ace of their staff. He's their most consistent guy. You don't ever think you're going to put a crooked number up against a guy like that. So to be able to do that, it definitely got the momentum going for us."
After Zimmermann limited his damage to the two runs through seven innings, Johnson added an eighth-inning single that scored Freeman and provided some cushion for Jordan Walden and Kimbrel. Walden struggled when he came off the disabled list last week. But his perfect eighth against the Nationals was his fourth consecutive scoreless appearance.
Floyd faced the minimum through the first two innings and did not need more than nine pitches to complete the third, fourth or fifth innings. He had retired 11 straight batters before surrendering Denard Span's two-out double in the sixth.
After throwing just 63 pitches through the first six innings, Floyd entered the seventh with visions of going the distance. But his outing ended when he felt his elbow pop as he threw a first-pitch curveball to Jayson Werth.
These six scoreless innings against the Nationals served as the best of the nine starts Floyd made since returning from Tommy John surgery on May 6. He will fly to Atlanta on Friday to be further evaluated by Braves doctors.
"You don't want to see anybody get hurt," Nationals manager Matt Williams said. "It's a long road back. So we hope everything's all right. You never want to see anybody leave the mound. Never want to see anybody get hurt. Everybody competes. Everybody wants to win. But you don't want to see injuries either."
Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Today's Inside the Vault is with Adam Adamowicz, our resident concept artist here at the studio. If you ever visit our offices, his cube is the one you should insist on visiting. When we start a project internally, Adam is one of the first developers to begin work so he always has amazing pieces of art all around his corner of the offices.
What's your job at Bethesda?
Concept Artist, odd noises from the corner.
What other games have you worked on?
Actually published? Working backwards: Shivering Isles, Goblin Commander, NightCaster I & II. The first game I worked on was Hired Guns for Psygnosis, when they were still around. I, we, all literally worked 70 to 90 hour weeks trying to get it in a box. Two and a half years later, Psygnosis went belly up, and we all had our nervous breakdowns. In the meantime our efforts got us noticed and bought by other companies, so at least we were essentially staying afloat. Financially there was always bankruptcy hovering around the corner, like a clammy fart.
Ah, the good ol' days.
Other ones that never made it, Lost Continents, Fugue, Cthulhu Now, Fistful of Zombies…they all had some great ideas I refuse to let die…
What is the best part about working as an artist? The worst part?
Best part, I get to draw all day and wrack my brains trying to come up with more weirdness. Worst? Being stumped for an idea makes me crazy, and crazier when I've created something I think is derivative of all the stuff that's out there. That's when I start pacing the parking lot muttering to myself, and gesturing like a beach crab. And actually, this happens all of the time. Seriously, it's part of the fun, and why caffeine was invented.
How did you get into the industry? Do you have any tips for breaking in?
Back in the day, 1997-ish, I was a penniless tattoo apprentice, cake decorating at a Baskin-Robbins, and making very little money at either. I lived in an unheated 2000 square foot warehouse in the train yards of east Denver.
I started renting the space out to the local goth scene my friends and I frequented for a particular promoter's afterhours fetish parties. You know, to make rent. One day, the human resources person from a small game company up in Boulder called Devil's Thumb showed up at one of these soirees and saw all the murals and crazy sculptures. She got me in touch with their art director and president, who were formerly of DMA Design out of Scotland. I bugged them for about a year until I got in. Oz and Tony took a chance on me, so I like to give credit where it's due, and of course Joanna who told me where they lived. I was hired as a level designer to build an FPS on the then "in development" Unreal Engine. That was 11 years ago.
Advice? Being persistent and sending hardcopies of cool artwork that can be physically passed around an office was my strategy for getting a foot in the door. Of course a disc was included, but people don't always have the time or inclination to boot up a disc. That way if it ends up next to the coffee machine, it still might get noticed.
Don't forget versatility! Elf babes in chrome bustiers are always cool, but branching out into other genres widens your range. Being a concept artist means being part historian, scientist, fashion designer, industrial designer, writer, casting agent…because you are really responsible for creating and populating worlds that can be quickly understood, built, lit, and animated in 3D. And you to be able to do that on demand. Being an avid devourer of books has always helped me create discernible types of characters with distinct personalities. The warehouse parties didn't hurt either. Getting out into the world with a sketchbook in hand is great for documenting these things firsthand.
Drawing constantly is a big part of this. I went to a Syd Mead lecture years ago. He's the visual genius behind Bladerunner and Tron. The main element of design he stressed was the importance of the story being told, and sticking to your own visions of that. He expressed the idea, more or less that, "It's a given fact that no one sees the world through your eyes. Stick to that and you'll carve a niche for yourself in the art world". I hope I've done justice to the quote.
What would you say is your personal favorite game of all time?
MDK. I also liked Skullmonkeys, because all of those things happened on planet Igznatch.
What games are you looking forward to?
The next version of Photoshop. To me, it's the ultimate videogame. So far. Maya drove me nuts as a game. Z Brush is awesome to play, too. Can someone add more hours to the day? When I get some time I'll be reinstalling The Orange Box so my coworkers can gleefully blow up my head.
What makes you get out of bed in the morning?
"Let's draw some monsters. Let's draw some monsters. Let's draw some monsters." I chant that softly to myself on the way to work. If other commuters look at me nervously, I point at them with my index finger, wink, and smile.
Worst job you've ever had?
I've done a lot of low paying jobs, so I always at least tried to do something hilarious and interesting. I've built props for haunted houses, rave parties, store window displays, worked on an oyster boat, drove an ice cream truck, worked at a school, and even cake decorated at an erotic cake bakery in SF.
But the worst? Temping as a data entry clerk at the United Way in SF. My boss would get out of boardroom meetings and throw sharpie markers at my head while saying to the other boss "So, do you think the temp is capable of alphabetical filing?" Let's just say the manner in which I quit was rather spectacular. Oh, and the temp agency didn't go unscathed either.
Any other hobbies and interests? What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
I do a lot of sculpting and painting at home. I read voraciously. I just finished Melville's Moby Dick. It really isn't boring required reading, that book is as sci fi as you can get. Cycling is quite good around DC — I do several trails that strategically link up to outdoor patios. I'm also going to look into some sailing classes when the weather is warmer and more conducive to falling into the Potomac.
I've got a portable watercolor kit I'd like to bring along. So the plan is, bike down to Alexandria, learn how to sail boat, learn how to paint riverscapes, and then bike to an outdoor patio of choice. Having just moved to DC three years ago, I've also been rooting out cool jazz bars in the various neighborhoods. There's also a fantastic array of free museums with amazing stuff in them. Along the way I have a digital camera, so I've got an everexpanding photo log of reference material for architecture, light conditions, you name it. Overall it's all about Bright Colors, Loud Noises.
EDIT: Adam wanted this pic on the blog… enjoy!


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Welcome to Indy. Zionsville is a great little town
If your son is going to Zionsville HS then he is lucky cause it has an excellent baseball program with a very good coach. He is new this year but was the coach at Brebeuf HS and had an awful lot of success there.
Welcome again and maybe we can meet sometime.!!


text:
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Get free shipping on your next order when you spend over $100. The discount will be automatically applied to your purchase; no promo code required. The subtotal of your purchase must be $100.01 or greater after any promotional discounts have been applied. Additional fees such as tax or shipping and handling do not apply toward your minimum subtotal requirement of $100.01. Offer applies to standard shipping only. Certain items that require additional shipping and handling are excluded from this promotion and do not apply towards your $100.01 subtotal minimum. Offer subject to change.
This geometric charm necklace embodies simple design and shapely delights. Each necklace features a delicate gunmetal chain with a small brass charm –– two circle linked together. Each circle is flat on one side and ridged on the other, for just a touch of sparkle.
- Gunmetal chain
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- Necklace measures 16"
- Includes a 1" extender
This product ships from the maker within 7 days, via USPS
If you're not happy with this item for any reason, you may return it for a full refund within 14 days.


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The Force grows stronger with Hasbro...
Toy Fair 2010 coverage brought to you by the following fine sponsors: BigBadToyStore.com, PastGenerationToys.com, and Sekaido.com (YesAnimation.com).
Hasbro Also Celebrates 30th Anniversary of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
with Dramatic Re-Imagining of Iconic AT-AT Vehicle
The FORCE remains strong at Hasbro, Inc. which continues to bring all the action, battles and fantasy of STAR WARS to life with a full array of toys and games. In 2010, STAR WARS fans can celebrate the launch of the third season of the highly-rated STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS animated series with toys that replicate the battles between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems. This year, Hasbro also commemorates the 30th anniversary of fan-favorite Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back with toys, special packaging and promotions that recreate the excitement fans experienced when the film stormed into theaters a long time ago.
2010 is the year of the LIGHTSABER! Kid-favorite villain GENERAL GRIEVOUS, introduced initially in the live-action films and prominently featured as the villain in the STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS animated series, has put his own twist on the noble weapon of the JEDI by spinning multiple LIGHTSABERS simultaneously. Utilizing completely new technology, the new STAR WARS GENERAL GRIEVOUS LIGHTSABER allows kids to have the power of the dark side warriors signature move by spinning two LIGHTSABERS in one hand.
Stomping onto the scene in 2010 is the new STAR WARS AT-AT (All Terrain Armored Transport), which captures the size and power of this seemingly impenetrable Imperial vehicle prominently featured in Episode V. Hasbros design team packed this vehicle with a mind-blowing array of features! Large enough to hold up to 20 action figures (sold separately) inside, the exceptionally detailed vehicle features LED lights, authentic movie phrases, projectile-firing cannons, a deployable speeder bike, and even a retractable zip-line in its belly to recreate one of LUKE SKYWALKERs signature scenes from the movie. Despite YODAs declaration in the movie that size matters not, fans will agree that this largest-ever
AT-AT vehicle is a great way to bring home the action from THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.
The mysterious Boba Fett played a key role in the original STAR WARS trilogy, firmly establishing him as a favorite villain for generations of fans. For the first time ever, kids can pretend to be this legendary bounty hunter with the new BOBA FETT HELMET, which features key phrases from the STAR WARS trilogy and includes a light-up tracking scope.
STAR WARS products available in 2010
(Approximate Retail Price: $34.99; Ages: 6 & up; Available: August 1, 2010)
JEDI warriors have long recognized the prowess of GENERAL GRIEVOUS as a highly skilled, elusive and often multiple-LIGHTSABER-wielding adversary. Now, kids can engage in LIGHTSABER battles just like this powerful cyborg with the new STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS GENERAL GRIEVOUS LIGHTSABER. Battle with the power of GENERAL GRIEVOUS by spinning the two LIGHTSABERS simultaneously in one hand, take out the spinner and connect the two LIGHTSABERS for double-bladed LIGHTSABER action, or use the two separately to ward off an opponent. Both LIGHTSABERS include electronic lights and battle sounds!
(Approximate Retail Value: $99,99; Ages: 5 & up; Available: August 1, 2010)
In space, size does matter, and Hasbro certainly kept that in mind when creating its all-new, highly detailed STAR WARS AT-AT. The AT-AT (All Terrain Armored Transport) played a significant role in the Empires military assault in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, and it will play an equally important role in every fans toy collection this year! Measuring more than 24 inches tall, nearly 28 inches long, and 12 inches wide, this colossal vehicle holds up to 20 STAR WARS figures 6 of which can fit in its head alone! and includes so many play and electronic features true to its on-screen counterpart that its hard to believe! From the zip-line in its body and articulated legs for superb poseability, to its LED lights and authentic movie sounds and phrases, this is the must-have addition for STAR WARS fans of all ages. Includes a 3 ¾ inch AT-AT driver action figure and a pop-out speeder bike.
(Approximate Retail Price: $34.99; Ages: 4 & up; Available: August 1, 2010)
Show off your bounty hunting skills like Boba Fett, the greatest bounty hunter in the galaxy, with the
STAR WARS BOBA FETT HELMET. Impressively designed and styled, the STAR WARS BOBA FETT HELMET allows children to pretend to be their favorite bounty hunter as featured in both the movie THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and the new animated series STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS. The helmet also features electronic sounds and phrases and a light-up tracking scope!
(Approximate Retail Value: $49.99; Ages: 8 & up; Available: Fall 2010)
Han Solo once bragged that the Millennium Falcon made the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs and now fans can give it their best shot with the all-new STAR WARS R/C MILLENNIUM FALCON! For the first time ever, the MILLENNIUM FALCON the most beloved and iconic STAR WARS ship of all-time is available as an indoor flying remote control vehicle. Measuring an impressive 11 inches long and 8 inches wide, the largest flying STAR WARS R/C to date is highly detailed, easy to fly and includes a charging controller and vehicle battery for up to five minutes of flying time.
(Approximate Retail Price: $59.99; Ages: 8 & up; Available: August 1, 2010)
A Separatist droids value in battle is based on two factors: firepower and aggression. And with the
STAR WARS HAILFIRE DROID R/C VEHICLE, you have both! The first STAR WARS R/C vehicle to be offered in the 3 ¾ inch scale, this powerful droid vehicle is armed with 18 projectile-firing cannons that can be fired from the handheld remote to take on opponents from a distance. Sensitive remote-controlled handling makes this droid great for flips, stunts and taking down the 3 ¾ inch clone army. Between its versatile maneuverability and high-fire power, no galactic army should be without it! 3 ¾ inch CLONE TROOPER action figure included.
(Available: August 1, 2010)
STAR WARS fans, prepare to battle your friends in head-to-head action and unlock the hidden powers of your favorite action figures. In 2010, a wide selection of Hasbros STAR WARS 3 ¾ inch action figures will include the all-new STAR WARS GALACTIC BATTLE GAME. Each figure is packaged with a competitive gaming base, a unique battle attributes card and a die to play the game, allowing kids to interact with their STAR WARS action figures in a whole new way. Game on!
Fans can collect the GALACTIC BATTLE GAME components with STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS 3 ¾ inch ACTION FIGURES, STAR WARS SAGA LEGENDS 3 ¾ inch ACTION FIGURES, STAR WARS
DELUXE FIGURE AND VEHICLES and STAR WARS BATTLE PACKS.
(Approximate Retail Value: $7.99; Ages: 4 & up; Available: August 1, 2010)
In 2010, Hasbro is taking STAR WARS fans back to a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away with 28 STAR WARS 3 ¾ inch VINTAGE ACTION FIGURES. The selection includes all-time favorite characters from throughout the six-film Saga, such as LUKE SKYWALKER, 4-LOM, DENGAR and HAN SOLO. Each of the figures in this assortment will feature the exceptionally accurate design and superb articulation customary to Hasbros action figures, and they will be offered in packaging reminiscent to that of the original 1978-1984 STAR WARS packaging!
Additionally fans are also encouraged to collect five of the marked figures in the new vintage lineup to send away for their very own Rocket Firing BOBA FETT action figure, identically styled after the 1980 mail-away figure.
(Approximate Retail Price: $39.99; Ages: 3 & up; Available: August 1, 2010)
The youngest STAR WARS fans continue to enjoy action figures inspired by the Republic and Empire thanks to Hasbros wildly popular GALACTIC HEROES lineup. And now, children can celebrate the 30th Anniversary of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK with the GALACTIC HEROES AT-AT PLAYSET! The largest vehicle ever introduced in the GALACTIC HEROES toy line features electronic lights and sounds, poseable legs, a speeder bike and AT-AT DRIVER figure.
(Approximate Retail Price: $14.99; Ages: 5 & up; Available: Spring 2010)
Usually C-3PO needs help and R2-D2 comes to the rescue, but this time, the roles have been reversed with the R2-D2 IS IN TROUBLE GAME. This is the classic game of TROUBLE featuring a new fun STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS twist and R2-D2 is in the pop-o-matic bubble. Includes authentic R2-D2 electronic sounds.
(Approximate Retail Price: $9.99 to $19.99 to $34.00 up to $119.99; Available: August 1, 2010)
2010 is the year of the LIGHTSABER! Hasbro is offering its widest range ever of
STAR WARS LIGHTSABERS the quintessential battle weapon for JEDI and SITH across the galaxy. From the BASIC and ELECTRONIC LIGHTSABERS, to the all-new spinning GENERAL GRIEVOUS LIGHTSABER, to the line of authentic high-end replica FORCE FX LIGHTSABERS, Hasbro offers STAR WARS fans of all ages a variety of ways to engage with the noble weapon of the JEDI. The new ELECTRONIC LIGHTSABERS even offer a DVD featuring the greatest lightsaber battles ever, including epic duels from the animated television series and the live action battles between the most famous JEDI and SITH. (Each sold separately.)
Source: Edited Hasbro Press Release
For a great selection of action figures and collectibles, BriansToys.com, ToyWiz.com, SmallJoes.com, MonkeyDepot.com.
For a great selection of pop culture t-shirts and apparel, check out TShirtGurus.com and 80sTees.com.


text:
Inflammatory Bowel Disease(IBD)Database (IBD)
This study is not yet open for participant recruitment.
Verified December 2010 by Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center
Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center
Information provided by:
Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
First received: December 23, 2010
Last updated: NA
Last verified: December 2010
History: No changes posted
- Full Text View
- Tabular View
- No Study Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
Biospecimen Retention: Samples Without DNA
Detailed Description:
This will be a comprehensive epidemiological, clinical, endoscopic and histological database for inflammatory bowel diseases patients in our medical center that will further provide clinical and basic investigations.
|Inflammatory Bowel Disease
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Time Perspective: Prospective
|Official Title:
|Epidemiologic, Clinical, Endoscopic and Histological Database of Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Further study details as provided by Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center:
Primary Outcome Measures:
- flactuations in gastrointestinal inflammation [ Time Frame: ongoing, up to 4 times a year ]
Secondary Outcome Measures:
- development of IBD-related morbidity and complications over time [ Time Frame: ongoing, up to 4 times a year ]
Biospecimen Retention: Samples Without DNA
blood serum, gastrointestinal biopsies, fecal samples
|Estimated Enrollment:
|Study Start Date:
|January 2011
|Estimated Study Completion Date:
|December 2026
|Estimated Primary Completion Date:
|December 2026 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
IBD patients
Patients diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
patients after a Large Bowel Resection
Patients after a Large Bowel Resection, with or without a pouch.
Control group
Family members of IBD patients, Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Fap (familial polyposis)patients after a large bowel resection, Patient performing screening endoscopy
Detailed Description:
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), which include Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), undefined IBD and pouchitis (in patients who required IPAA for their colitis) affects about two million people in the world. At this time there is no definitive cure and current treatment is aimed at managing the symptoms and inflammation that accompany these diseases. These diseases are predominantly chronic, and patients may experience various gastrointestinal symptoms depending on the location, nature, and extent of their disease. Both genetic and environmental factors play etiological roles. The overall goal of our research is to understand the etiology and course of these diseases in order to prevent and to manage cases more effectively. In order to do so we are aiming at building a comprehensive database that will include detailed clinical data conjoined with dedicated research information and collection of biological specimens that will target the gut epithelium immune system, the microbiota and specific genetic risk factors.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
|Sampling Method:
|Probability Sample
Study Population
- Cases: Patients diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) attending the departement of Gastroenterology (Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center) for a regular follow up / treatment.
Controls:Family members of IBD patients, Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Fap (familial polyposis)patients after a large bowel resection, Patient performing screening endoscopy
Inclusion Criteria:
Diagnosis of IBD Regular treatment and follow up in Tel Aviv Sourasky medical center Fap (familial polyposis)patients after a large bowel resection, as controls Family members of IBD patients as controls Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), as controls -
Exclusion Criteria:
pregnancy age<18 years
Contacts and Locations
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the Contacts provided below. For general information, see Learn About Clinical Studies.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01266538
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01266538
|Contact: Iris Dotan, MD PhD
|Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center
|Not yet recruiting
|Tel Aviv, Israel, 64239
|Sub-Investigator: Hagit Tulchinsky, MD
|Sub-Investigator: Henit Yanai, MD
Sponsors and Collaborators
Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center
|Principal Investigator:
|Iris Dotan, MD PhD
|Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center
More Information
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017
|Responsible Party:
|Dr. Iris Dotan, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT01266538 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|December 23, 2010
|Last Updated:
|December 23, 2010
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Intestinal Diseases
Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Gastrointestinal Diseases
Digestive System Diseases
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


text: The hottest event of the summer continues as the attack on Earth has begun and only the super-team known as G-Force stands between the forces of evil and our planets utter destruction. Can Mark Jason Keyop Tiny and Princess defeat Zoltar and the soldiers of Spectra? Buy this issue with an all new Alex Ross cover and find out!!!


text:
The T3-BMW2 is a direct fit replacement/upgrade speaker system for select BMW® models. Speaker features a BMW® factory connector, 1" silk tweeter and glass fiber woofer.
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16 AWG Speaker Wire Packaged 30 Foot Black/Silver
Sound Deadening Speaker Kit


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An Intimate Apartment in Rome
An heirloom sofa was re-covered in a Lelievre linen velvet.
Color and pattern are not confined to the fabrics — they reappear on the walls and even the ceiling, painted in a glorious trompe l'oeil by François Roux. In this room, Roux mixed the motifs of Christie's two great passions, music and gardens. The 19th-century French chandelier was inspired by a 17th-century Dutch original. An antique fabric covers the table.
Exclusive: Inside Tracy Anderson's Corporate Apartment in Los Angeles


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Hi everyone.
So we've all seen in the "Roy Hibbert is a class act" thread that Lee Eddins, the 12 year old boy who loved Roy Hibbert and was terminally ill with Leukemia, passed away while Roy was boarding a plane to go visit him as his dying wish. Just a terrible, tragic story that has truly touched my heart.
It got me to thinking... Area 55 auditions are rolling around again. I've been brainstorming ways to "out-do" my 2 previous 15 minute long joke-entries, and had a few ideas. But honestly, after reading about this story and what Lee's family and Roy are going through... It all seems so pointless to be doing something "funny" instead of something helpful.
So here is my idea for my Area 55 audition tape, as well as a memorial fund.
Instead of the normal silly shenanigans, I'd like to dedicate my audition to Lee and to his memory. Since it's obviously very important to Roy that his memory and his causes be remembered and well taken care of, I thought perhaps I could also start some sort of fund for either Leukemia research, the Eddins family, or whatever is appropriate.
My thought was that I would donate $55 dollars to (whichever) charity up front, and then donate 55 cents to the charity for every made Free-Throw that Roy hits all season, and perhaps $5.50 for every Pacers playoff win or something like that. Based on Roy's previous FT #'s, this will probably work out to be around $100 donated via the Free Throw makes, and HOPEFULLY quite a bit more from the playoff wins!
But where I think this memorial could really go viral is if others in Area 55 and PacersDigest will pledge to take part as well. Who known, maybe we could get the Pacers and FSI involved as well?
I don't want any credit or acknowledgment for doing this. I love the Pacers and Roy, and would be very happy to continue making silly Area 55 videos for the next decade. But this just feels like a "Bigger" impact type thing to do. I don't have tons of money, so I can't really pledge big bucks or anything, frankly the 150-200 dollars from my ideas above is a huge stretch for us... But it also feels like the right thing to do.
So, how do you all feel about this? Good idea? Bad idea?
If I can get a good number of people to jump on board I'll begin looking at making plans to go-ahead with it for my Area 55 video and beyond.
RIP Lee.


text: Heartland Payment Systems releases latest data about Durbin Amendment's actual effects on business owners. A grand total of $11,720,068 in signature debit interchange reductions have been deposited into merchant bank accounts by Heartland Payment Systems, one of the nation's largest payments processors. Of these Durbin Dollars, restaurant merchants received $4,042,859 and lodging merchants received $513,852.


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Matheny sees Craig finding swing
CHICAGO -- Allen Craig finds himself in a rough stretch at the plate as the Cardinals take on the Cubs this weekend.
After going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts in the Cardinals' 7-6 loss on Friday, Craig is hitting .136 (6-for-44) in July, and is continuing his struggles against a Cubs team that has held him to a nearly identical .135 (5-for-37) average this season.
"It happens to everybody," Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. "He hasn't had it happen that much to him that often, if ever, obviously to this degree. It's been a situation where it's just hard to figure it out. But for what he's done for such a long period of time as the hitter that he is, right now he's in a fight to figure it out and get it right."
Craig remained in the heart of the order on Friday, hitting fifth against left-hander Travis Wood.
Matheny said before the game that Craig has made strides to regain his swing, and he noted that the ball hasn't necessarily found the gaps.
"I think we all saw during different periods … where it looked more Allen Craig-like," Matheny said. "Just a couple games ago when you watched him off [Dodgers ace Clayton] Kershaw -- real nice swing."
Daniel Kramer is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Grain spoilage is evident in some grain being removed from storage in South Dakota. The best way to prevent, or control, the problem and maintain the quality of the stored grain is to never let the storage problems get ahead of you.
Grain in storage should be checked regularly, particularly in a year, when the average temperature is above normal. Insect activity and spoilage are most apt to occur when the grain temperature is about 80 degrees F. Checking the grain once every week is recommended and once every other week would be an absolute minimum during the summer.
To check the grain, climb into the bin. If the bin is peaked or filled to the roof, move, sell or feed enough so you can level it and safely get on the grain surface, then Durland advises:
- Check the bin roof and look for signs of moisture condensation or accumulation.
- Look for crusting, wet, sticky or frozen grain. Grasp a handful of grain from the surface and at arm depth in the grain and check for musty or moldy odors.
- Run the aeration fan and check the exhaust for odors.
- Poke a small-diameter stiff rod down the center and outward to the sides of the bin. Check for hard, compacted, or moist masses.
- Use a temperature probe to accurately check temperature variations and to locate potential "hot" spots.
- Grain should be cooled in the fall, and warmed in the spring, with the aeration system at night or other times when the temperature is below 70 degrees.
- Always run the fan continuously during a complete cooling cycle. Stopping midway through a cooling cycle guarantees a deposit of condensed moisture that will encourage spoilage. A complete cooling cycle is when all of the grain has been stabilized at the same temperature.
- Continue weekly grain inspections throughout the rest of the summer and fall.
- If there are signs of heating or hot spots in the grain, no matter what the season or the weather, run the fan continuously until no heating can be detected.
- Remember that if a problem is detected, it is better to sell the grain with a little spoilage, than to do nothing and lose the whole bin.
For more information consult Extension Fact Sheet 774, Aeration of Grain in Storage, which is available in your County Extension Office or from the Agricultural Engineering Department at South Dakota State University.


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A CHEPSTOW cook has struck gold by winning a top award at the world's biggest marmalade festival.
Angharad Underwood, who runs The Preservation Society from her home in Bulwark, won a gold award for her Limey Lime Marmalade at The World's Original Marmalade Awards Festival.
The event was held in Dalemain in Cumbria last weekend.
She said: "It is absolutely amazing because you know the people who are judging it know what they are talking about." The Preservation Society's Limey Lime and Seville Orange marmalades were entered at the festival last year and both were commended.
But this year, she decided to only put the lime marmalade forward and went one better in the Any Citrus Marmalade category.
The production process starts with her having limes delivered to her home from a Newport-based supplier, and she makes a batch of about 80 jars every time.
The Limey Lime marmalade is made by leaving sugar and limes to cook for about two hours.
The marmalade is then left for six to eight weeks.
And the mum of two, who changed careers two years ago after working as a transport manager, said: "It gives you a real kick."
The jars will now feature a sticker informing buyers that it has been commended by the competition.


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- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill GF Cornmeal
- 1/2 cup rice flour or ground rice
- 1 egg
- 5 slices cooked turkey bacon, chopped into 1″ pieces or smaller
- 1 cup shredded non-dairy cheddar, such as Daiya
- 1-1/4 cups soy milk or other milk alternative
- 1 tbsp olive oil or sunflower oil
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C)
- Put the sugar, salt, baking powder, cornmeal and rice flour into a bowl and stir to combine.
- Beat egg and stir in oil. Add to the cornmeal mixture and stir well.
- Gently stir in cheese substitute and bacon.
- Pour into a 9 inch pie dish. Grease or oil the pie plate well.
- Bake 20-25 minutes until beginning to brown.
- Serve as soon as done and cut into squares.
Becky Lowder is the founder of glutenfreebecky.com. It's a gluten free blog about discovering new food, life experiences, and finally enjoying life! She's been gluten free for less than six months and living every day to the fullest.
Stop by and say hello on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/glutenfreebecky or
twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/glutenfreebeck


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Posted 5 years ago
(2 items)
I have so many questions about this. I have no history or provenance on this. It is about 4 in. tall and about 5 1/2 in. wide. The "strap" appears to be a type of animal skin with hair from the animal still intact and visible in several places. I am making an assumption that this is American Indian, maybe it is not. Is this Native American? What is the rawhide strap called, what purpose does it serve? Any help or direction to identify this would be appreciated.
I have attached further pics as requested. The broken portion of the rim is still with the bowl. The last picture is a photo of the bottom of the bowl. Thanks for the help and comments.


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If you see Eclipse is not able to connect to Market Place or not able to download any Maven dependency, first thing to check is your connection proxy settings. If you don't know where to find connection proxy settings for Eclipse IDE or doesn't know how to configure proxy setting for internet in Eclipse IDE, then you can follow steps given in next section of this article.
By the way, this is one of the several tips, which I have shared on Eclipse IDE e.g. Eclipse keyboard shortcuts, Eclipse debugging tips and productivity settings.
Since Eclipse is one of my favourite and most widely used FREE IDE for Java development, it's important for every Java developer to some useful configuration and settings details.
Steps to Configure Internet Connection Proxy Settings in EclipseYou can follow below steps to fix Eclipse not able to connect to Market place error :
1) Open Preferences Screen by clicking Windows-->Preferences on main menu in Eclipse
2) Expand General node, usually first option on right side, this will open Network connection settings, See first image.
3) On Active Provider Combo box, choose Manual and now select proxy entries for Schema HTTP and HTTPS, one by one. See second image
4) Put your proxy server and port usually 80 and if your proxy server needs authorization, put your username and password as well.
5) Don't configure SOCKS Schema, until you know you need it. This has some issue, and we have seen it Eclipse not able to connect to Market place and download plug-in because of this schema. You can see in first image, we have not configured proxy server for SOCKS schema
6) Click Apply and Ok
So, now we know how to configure connection proxy settings for Eclipse, but you may find one day that its not working any more, because your company has updated there internet proxy settings. Remembering few things will help you there :
1) Always update your proxy server in Eclipse connection settings, if it changes (though this happens rarely).
2) If your proxy server needs authorization to connect to internet in form of username and password, then keep them updated as soon as you changed. This is by far most common reason for Eclipse internet connection issue.
3) Don't check the SOCKS Schema, until you need it explicitly. This has caused lot of problems and can leave you wondering what's the issue, if proxy server and user name and password is correct. By unchecking SOCKS schema I was able to connect Eclipse market place in a second.
4) Use "Manual" as your Active Provider if you are connecting to internet using Proxy.
That's all on How to configure proxy settings in Eclipse for using Internet. So next time when you Eclipse not able to connect Market place, update plugins or failed to download Maven dependency, follow above steps to verify your proxy settings and update them if they are changed.


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Canadarm2, the Canadian Robotic Arm of the International Space Station
Launch: April 19, 2001
Status: Active
Canadarm2 is a 17 metre-long robotic arm that assembled the International Space Station (ISS) while in space. It is routinely used to move supplies, equipment and even astronauts. As well as supporting the Station's maintenance and upkeep, it is responsible for performing "cosmic catches," the capturing and docking of unpiloted spacecraft that carry everything from science payloads to necessities for the 6-person crew on board the ISS.
- Date modified:


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Get an overview of this hotel3-star bed & breakfast with free breakfast and outdoor pool
Popular property highlights
Situated in Nuevo Vallarta, this bed & breakfast is within 2 mi (3 km) of Paradise Plaza Shopping Center, Vallarta Adventures, and Nayar Vidanta Golf. Plaza Lago Real Shopping Center is 2.1 mi (3.4 km) away.
Property Features
This bed & breakfast features an outdoor pool, laundry facilities, and barbecue grills. Free full breakfast, free WiFi in public areas, and free self parking are also provided.
Room Amenities
All 12 rooms have free WiFi and feature kitchenettes with refrigerators, stovetops, and microwaves. Satellite TV, coffee makers, and in-room massages are among the other amenities available to guests.
Guest Highlights
- Beach
- Breakfast
- Pool
- Helpful staff
Casa Virgilios
Bed & Breakfast Amenities
Bed & Breakfast Amenities
Guests can enjoy a complimentary breakfast. Public areas are equipped with complimentary wireless Internet access. This Nuevo Vallarta bed & breakfast also offers an outdoor pool, barbecue grills, and laundry facilities. Limited complimentary onsite parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Total number of rooms - 12
- Number of floors - 2
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- Parking (limited spaces)
- Free self parking
- Barbecue grill(s)
- Free breakfast
- Free WiFi
- Laundry facilities
- Outdoor pool
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Outdoor pool
- Free Wi-Fi
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Kitchenette
- Laundry facilities
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- Refrigerator
- Microwave
- Cribs/infant beds (complimentary)
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Free self parking, Parking (limited spaces)
Room Amenities
- Microwave
- In-room massage available
- Kitchenette
- Stovetop
- Rollaway/extra beds available
- Free WiFi
- Free cribs/infant beds
- Ceiling fan
- Air conditioning
- Refrigerator
- Coffee/tea maker
- Hair dryer
- Iron/ironing board (on request)
- Satellite TV service
Where to Eat
Guests are offered a complimentary full breakfast.
Nearby Things to Do
Recreational amenities at the bed & breakfast include an outdoor pool.
Spa Services
- Massages
Bed & Breakfast Policies
Check-in time starts at 3 PM
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Rollaway/extra beds are available.
- Free cribs (infant beds)!
- Pets allowed
- Dogs only
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
Bed & Breakfast Name
- Casa Virgilios
- Casa Virgilios B&B
- Casa Virgilios B&B Nuevo Vallarta
- Casa Virgilios Nuevo Vallarta


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Cerebral Toxoplasmosis and AIDS (TOXODFA)
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- No Study Results Posted
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- How to Read a Study Record
With a HIV incidence much higher in the DFA than in European French territory, this disease is a major public health problem in these areas, especially in French Guiana.
Cerebral toxoplasmosis is a priority among the opportunistic infections in AIDS patients from the DFA because of its frequency (French West Indies) and of its lethality (French Guiana).
The diagnosis of cerebral toxoplasmosis may be difficult because based only on presumptive clinical and radiological features. The response to specific antitoxoplasmic therapy confirms a posteriori the diagnosis.
In reference to the data collected by the Biological Resource Centre Toxoplasma, in particular in French Guiana, we think that T. gondii strains reactivating in AIDS patients from DFA are genetically different from those reactivating in AIDS patients from Europe, with an increased capacity for dissemination via peripheral blood in the first ones. This more frequent or more prolonged parasitemia could facilitate the diagnosis of cerebral toxoplasmosis by PCR test from peripheral blood samples in AIDS patients from the French departments of America.
|Cerebral Toxoplasmosis AIDS
|Other: Toxoplasma PCR assay
|Study Type:
|Study Design:
|Observational Model: Cohort
Time Perspective: Prospective
|Official Title:
|Cerebral Toxoplasmosis and AIDS in the French Departments of America (DFA). Diagnostic Contribution of a PCR Assay and Genetic Diversity of Toxoplasma Gondii.
- Isolation, genetic typing and storage of T. gondii strains collected among AIDS patients with cerebral toxoplasmosis from the DFA. [ Time Frame: 3 years ]
|Study Start Date:
|June 2009
|Study Completion Date:
|December 2013
|Primary Completion Date:
|December 2012 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
Other: Toxoplasma PCR assay
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years and older (Adult, Senior)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
|Sampling Method:
|Non-Probability Sample
Inclusion Criteria:
- Adult patient (> 18 years)
- Patient being informed and accepting to participate in the study with signature of informed consent
- HIV positive serology
- Clinical and radiological suspicion of cerebral toxoplasmosis justifying the start of specific antitoxoplasmic therapy
Exclusion Criteria:
- Protected patient
- Patient uncovered by social insurance
- Specific antitoxoplasmic therapy already initiated since 72h or more
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00803621
|Service des Maladies Infectieuses - CHU de Pointe à Pitre
|Pointe à Pitre, Guadeloupe, France
|Services Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales- CHU Fort-de-France
|Fort-de-France, France
|Dermatologie et CISIH- CH Andrée Rosemon
|Guyane-Française, France
|Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales - CH Andrée Rosemon
|Guyane-Française, France
|Médecine- CH Ouest Guyanais
|Guyane-Français, France
|Study Director:
|Daniel AJZENBERG, PharmD, PhD
|CHU Limoges
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
|Responsible Party:
|University Hospital, Limoges
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00803621 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|Study First Received:
|December 2, 2008
|Last Updated:
|March 22, 2014
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Toxoplasmosis, Cerebral
Protozoan Infections
Parasitic Diseases
Brain Abscess
Central Nervous System Protozoal Infections
Central Nervous System Parasitic Infections
Brain Diseases
Central Nervous System Diseases
Nervous System Diseases
Central Nervous System Infections
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on September 21, 2017


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Moderator: Mahavihara moderator
2. The commentaries insist that "body" here means the breath, but this is unlikely in this context, for the next step — without further explanation — refers to the breath as "bodily fabrication." If the Buddha were using two different terms to refer to the breath in such close proximity, he would have been careful to signal that he was redefining his terms (as he does below, when explaining that the first four steps in breath meditation correspond to the practice of focusing on the body in and of itself as a frame of reference). The step of breathing in and out sensitive to the entire body relates to the many similes in the suttas depicting jhana as a state of whole-body awareness (see MN 119).
starter wrote:I feel both piti and sukha seem to be more bodily feelings instead of mental qualities. "piti" seems to be a strong feeling of energy "showers" in the body, while sukha (轻安?)seems to be an extraordinarily pleasant bodily feeling associated with very tranquil mental feeling which can last hours or days following strong piti. But I'm not sure about them.
I'm interested in figuring out the meanings of piti and sukha because Ven. Thanissaro interpreted "piti" as a sense of refreshment (bodily feeling) and "sukha" as a sense of pleasure/ease (a mental feeling) for steps 5 & 6 of anapanasati in Meditation4. This way of contemplating steps 5 & 6 seem to be better than the method I've been using (breathe in/out experiencing bodily feeling and mental feeling). But even the sense of refreshment and pleasure might not occur so easily during the contemplation.
starter wrote:Hi friend,
I'm studying Anapanasati sutta, and would like to know if "sabbakayam patisamveti" mean "Experiencing the entire body" or "Experiencing all bodies"? Ven. Thanissaro translated it as "sensitive to the entire body", but Ven. Buddhadasa referred it as "Experiencing all bodies" (both breath and flesh body). The early Chinese version had "experience all breaths". I wonder if "kayam" is singular or plural?
I found the following definition for "piti" and "sukha" in "A Glossary of Pali and Buddhist Terms":
starter wrote:I'm studying Anapanasati sutta, and would like to know if "sabbakayam patisamveti" mean "Experiencing the entire body" or "Experiencing all bodies"? Ven. Thanissaro translated it as "sensitive to the entire body", but Ven. Buddhadasa referred it as "Experiencing all bodies" (both breath and flesh body). The early Chinese version had "experience all breaths". I wonder if "kayam" is singular or plural?
How is it that (5) he trains thus 'I shall breathe in acquainted with the whole body;' (6) he trains thus 'I shall breathe out acquainted with the whole body'?
[Analysis of the object]
Body: there are two bodies: the mental body and the material body.
What is the mental body?
Feeling, perception, volition, contact, attention, and mentality are the mental body, and also what are called mind fabrications: these are the mental body.
What is the material body?
The four great elements and the forms derived from clinging to the four great elements, the in-breath and out-breath and the sign for anchoring [mindfulness], and also what are called body fabrications: this is the material body.
How is he acquainted with these bodies? When he understands unification of mind and non-distraction through long in-breaths, his mindfulness is founded. By means of that mindfulness and that knowledge he is acquainted with those bodies. When he understands unification of mind and non-distraction through long outbreaths ... through short in-breaths ... through short out-breaths, his mindfulness is founded. By means of that mindfulness and that knowledge he is acquainted with those bodies.
When he adverts [to the three trainings of higher virtue (adhisila), higher mind (adhicitta), and higher discernment (adhipanna)], he is acquainted with those bodies. When he knows, he is acquainted with those bodies. When he sees ... reviews, steadies his mind ... resolves with faith ... exerts effort ... establishes mindfulness ... concentrates mind ... When he understands with understanding ... When he directly knows what is to be directly known ... When he fully understands what is to be fully understood ... When he abandons what is to be abandoned ... When he develops what is to be developed ... When he realizes what is to be realized, he is acquainted with those bodies. That is how those bodies are experienced.
(3) "'Experiencing the whole body, I breathe in,' thus he trains himself:" In two ways he knows the whole body, through non-confusion and through the object. Q. What is the knowledge of the whole body through non-confusion? A. A yogin practises mindfulness of respiration and develops concentration through contact accompanied by joy and bliss. Owing to the experiencing of contact accompanied by joy and bliss the whole body becomes non-confused. Q. What is the knowledge of the whole body through the object? A. The incoming breath and the outgoing breath comprise the bodily factors dwelling in one sphere. The object of respiration and the mind and the mental properties are called "body." These bodily factors are called "body." Thus should the whole body be known.
Sabbakayapatisamvedi Assasissami... passasissamiti sikkhati... = "Experiencing the whole body I shall breathe in... breathe out, thinking thus, he trains himself." He trains himself with the following idea: I shall breathe in making known, making clear, to myself the beginning, middle, and end of the whole body of breathings in; I shall breathe out making known, making clear, to myself the beginning, middle and end of the whole body of breathings out. And he breathes in and breathes out with consciousness associated with knowledge making known, making clear, to himself the breaths."
"To one bhikkhu, indeed, in the tenuous diffused body of in- breathing or body of out-breathing only the beginning becomes clear; not the middle or the end. He is able to lay hold of only the beginning. In the middle and at the end he is troubled. To another the middle becomes clear and not the beginning or the end. To a third only the end becomes clear; the beginning and the middle do not become clear and he is able only to lay hold of the breath at the end. He is troubled at the beginning and at the middle. To a fourth even all the three stages become clear and he is able to lay hold of all; he is troubled nowhere. For pointing out that this subject of meditation should be developed after the manner of the fourth one, the Master said: Experiencing... He trains himself."
"Since in the earlier way of the practice of this meditation there was nothing else to be done but just breathing in and breathing out, it is said: He thinking, I breathe in... understands... and since thereafter there should be endeavor for bringing about knowledge and so forth, it is said, Experiencing the whole body I shall breathe in."
At any time when a disciple of the noble ones is recollecting the Tathagata, his mind is not overcome with passion, not overcome with aversion, not overcome with delusion. His mind heads straight, based on the Tathagata. And when the mind is headed straight, the disciple of the noble ones gains a sense of the goal, gains a sense of the Dhamma, gains joy connected with the Dhamma. In one who is joyful, rapture arises. In one who is rapturous, the body grows calm. One whose body is calmed experiences ease. In one at ease, the mind becomes concentrated.
Yasmiṃ, mahānāma, samaye ariyasāvako tathāgataṃ anussarati, nevassa tasmiṃ samaye rāgapariyuṭṭhitaṃ cittaṃ hoti, na dosapariyuṭṭhitaṃ cittaṃ hoti, na mohapariyuṭṭhitaṃ cittaṃ hoti; ujugatamevassa tasmiṃ samaye cittaṃ hoti tathāgataṃ ārabbha. Ujugatacitto kho pana, mahānāma, ariyasāvako labhati atthavedaṃ, labhati dhammavedaṃ, labhati dhammūpasaṃhitaṃ pāmojjaṃ. Pamuditassa pīti jāyati, pītimanassa kāyo passambhati, passaddhakāyo sukhaṃ vediyati, sukhino cittaṃ samādhiyati. Ayaṃ vuccati, mahānāma, ariyasāvako visamagatāya pajāya samappatto viharati, sabyāpajjāya pajāya abyāpajjo viharati, dhammasotasamāpanno buddhānussatiṃ bhāveti.
Dmytro wrote:However later sources, Visuddhimagga and Atthakatha, interpret this as only the "breath body":
sabbakāyapaṭisaṃvedī ti sabbassa kāyassa paṭi paṭi paccekaṃ sammadeva vedanasīlo jānanasīlo, tassa vā paṭi paṭi sammadeva vedo etassa atthi, taṃ vā paṭi paṭi sammadeva vedamānoti attho. tattha tattha sabbaggahaṇena assāsādikāyassa anavasesapariyādāne siddhepi anekakalāpasamudāyabhāvato tassa sabbesampi bhāgānaṃ saṃvedanadassanatthaṃ paṭisaddaggahaṇaṃ. tattha sakkaccakārībhāvadassanatthaṃ saṃsaddaggahaṇanti imamatthaṃ dassento "sakalassā" tiādimāha. tattha yathā samānepi assāsapassāsesu yogino paṭipattividhāne paccekaṃ sakkaccaṃyeva paṭipajjitabbanti dassetuṃ visuṃ desanā katā, evaṃ tamevatthaṃ dīpetuṃ satipi atthassa samānatāya "sakalassā"tiādinā padadvayassa visuṃ visuṃ atthavaṇṇanā katāti veditabbaṃ.
thereductor wrote:So what I'm usually left with is akin to what Buddhadasa seems to refer to above. Take note that I've not read his works, so I'm going by what you quote. But at step 3 and 4 my perceptions of the body become more pronounced; I begin to experience the breath movement of the body, the sense of those body parts that are not moving, and the experience of the body's posture and size.
starter wrote:Very good point. I agree that we can just treat the whole physical body (including both the breath body and the flesh body) and the mental body as an entirety, without trying to separate them into individual parts while practicing anapanasati. Metta,
starter wrote:I agree that we can just treat the whole physical body (including both the breath body and the flesh body) and the mental body as an entirety, without trying to separate them into individual parts while practicing anapanasati. Metta,
starter wrote:Hi Geoff,
Thanks for the very helpful links. For steps 5 & 6 of anapanasati, I think I'd better just contemplate on "experiencing bodily pleasure I breathe in ..." and "experiencing mental pleasure I breathe in ..." instead of trying to figure out the exact nature of piti and sukha.
"I tell you, monks, that this — the in-&-out breath — is classed as a body among bodies, which is why the monk on that occasion remains focused on the body in & of itself [not the flesh body or mental body]."*
Although we can just treat the whole physical body (including both the breath body and the flesh body) and the mental body as an entirety, the sentence "experiencing the whole body I breathe in/out" in the sutta itself seems to mean following the entire breath (a very good way to concentrate the mind), instead of pervading the breath sensation to the whole (flesh) body which doesn't seem to be remaining "focused on the body (breath) in & itself".
Except that the Satipatthana Sutta goes on to explain "body" fairly unambiguously in terms of the physical body. I won't quote it, because it's long, but it's right after the portion on breathing. Which relates back to another thing, that this first quote* from MN 118 is from 1 of 4 parts showing how the tetrads of anapanasati relate to the 4 satipatthana. I believe that since the 1st satipatthana appears to be referring to the usual physical body, it can be inferred that the 1st tetrad of anapanasati also deals with the physical body, otherwise they really wouldn't be compared in that way.It seems to me that "Or his mindfulness that 'There is a body' is maintained to the extent of knowledge & remembrance" in MN 10 also refers to the in-&-out breath as far as Mindfulness of breathing is done.
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