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What is biofeedback?
Biofeedback is a technique that trains people to improve their health by controlling certain bodily processes that normally happen involuntarily, such as heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and skin temperature. Electrodes attached to your skin -- or in some cases, sensors held in your hands -- measure these processes and display them on a monitor. With help from a biofeedback therapist, you can learn to change your heart rate or blood pressure, for example. At first you use the monitor to see your progress. But eventually you will be able to achieve success without a monitor or electrodes. Biofeedback is an effective therapy for many conditions. But it is primarily used to treat high blood pressure, tension headache, migraine headache, chronic pain, and urinary incontinence.
Are there different types of biofeedback?
The three most commonly used forms of biofeedback therapy are:
How does biofeedback work?
Researchers aren't sure exactly how or why biofeedback works. However, there does seem to be at least one common thread: most people who benefit from biofeedback have conditions that are brought on or made worse by stress. For this reason, many scientists believe that relaxation is the key to successful biofeedback therapy. When your body is under chronic stress, internal processes like blood pressure become overactive. Guided by a biofeedback therapist, you can learn to lower your blood pressure through relaxation techniques and mental exercises. When you are successful, you see the results on the monitor, which encourages your efforts.
What happens during a biofeedback session?
In a normal biofeedback session, electrodes are attached to your skin. They send information to a small monitor that translates the measurements into either a tone that varies in pitch, a visual meter that varies in brightness, or a computer screen that shows lines moving across a grid. The biofeedback therapist then leads you in mental exercises. Through trial and error, you can soon learn to identify the mental activities that will bring about the physical changes you want.
What is biofeedback good for?
Biofeedback seems to be effective for a range of health problems, such as urinary incontinence, which is a problem for more than 15 million Americans. Some people choose biofeedback over drugs because of the lack of side effects. Based on findings in clinical studies, the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research has recommended biofeedback therapy as a treatment for urinary incontinence. It may also help people with fecal incontinence.
Research also suggests that thermal biofeedback may ease symptoms of Raynaud's disease (a condition that causes reduced blood flow to fingers, toes, nose, or ears), while EMG biofeedback has been shown to reduce pain, morning stiffness, and the number of tender points in people with fibromyalgia. A review of scientific clinical studies found that biofeedback may help people with insomnia fall asleep. Other studies suggest it may even reduce the risk of cardiac events by lowering blood pressure levels and reducing the body's "sympathetic" response during times of stress.
Biofeedback can also be used effectively in children. For example, EEG neurofeedback (especially when combined with cognitive therapy) has been reported to improve behavior and intelligence scores in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Biofeedback, combined with a fiber-rich diet, may help relieve abdominal pain in children. Thermal biofeedback helps relieve migraine and chronic tension headaches among children and teens, as well.
Biofeedback may also be useful for the following health problems:
How many sessions will I need?
Each session generally lasts less than 1 hour. The number of sessions required depends on the condition being treated. Many people start to see results within 8 - 10 sessions. Treatment of headache, incontinence, and Raynaud's disease requires at least 10 weekly sessions and some follow up sessions as health improves. Conditions like high blood pressure, however, usually require 20 weekly biofeedback sessions before you see improvement. You will also be taught mental exercises and relaxation techniques that you can do at home for at least 5 - 10 minutes every day.
Are there any risks associated with biofeedback?
Biofeedback is considered safe. No negative side effects have been reported.
How can I find a qualified specialist?
Specialists who provide biofeedback training range from psychiatrists and psychologists to nurses, dentists, and physicians. The Association for Applied Psychology and Biofeedback (www.aapb.org) is a good resource for finding qualified biofeedback practitioners in your area.
Abgrall-Barbry G, Consoli SM. Psychological approaches in hypertension management. Presse Med. 2006;35(6 Pt 2):1088-94.
Andrasik F. Biofeedback in headache: an overview of approaches and evidence. Cleve Clin J Med. 2010;77(3):S72-6.
Blackmore S, Williams D, Wolf S. Skirven: Rehabilitation of the Hand and Upper Extremity, 6th ed. Philidelphia, PA: Mosby, An Imprint of Elsevier; 2011.
Bruehl S, Chung OY. Psychological and behavioral aspects of complex regional pain syndrome management. Clin J Pain. 2006;22(5):430-7.
Burgio KL, Goode PS, Urban DA, et al. Preoperative biofeedback assisted behavioral training to decrease post-prostatectomy incontinence: a randomized, controlled trial. J Urol. 2006;175(1):196-201; discussion 201.
Buse DC, Andrasik F. Behavioral medicine for migraine. Neurol Clin. 2009 May;27(2):445-65. Review.
Chiari L, Dozza M, Cappello A, et al. Audio-biofeedback for balance improvement: an accelerometry-based system.IEEE Trans Biomed Eng. 2005;52(12):2108-11.
Chiarioni G, Whitehead WE, Pezza V, et al. Biofeedback is superior to laxatives for normal transit constipation due to pelvic floor dyssynergia. Gastroenterology. 2006;130(3):657-64.
De Leon Rodriguez D, Allet L, Golay A, et al. Biofeedback can reduce foot pressure to a safe level and without causing new at-risk zones in patients with diabetes and peripheral neuropathy. Diabetes Metab Res Rev. 2013; 29(2):139-44.
Ernst E. Complementary/alternative medicine for hypertension: a mini-review. Wien Med Wochenschr. 2005;155(17-18):386-91.
George R, Chung TD, Vedam SS, et al. Audio-visual biofeedback for respiratory-gated radiotherapy: Impact of audio instruction and audio-visual biofeedback on respiratory-gated radiotherapy. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2006;65(3):924-33.
Glick RM, Greco CM. Biofeedback and primary care. Prim Care. 2010;37(1):91-103.
Heinecke K, Weise C, Rief W. Psychophysiological effects of biofeedback treatment in tinnitus sufferers. Br J Clin Psychol. 2009 Sep;48(Pt 3):223-39. Epub ahead of print.
Hosker G, Cody J, Norton C. Electrical stimulation for faecal incontinence in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007;(3):CD001310.
Husmann DA. Use of sympathetic alpha antagonists in the management of pediatric urologic disorders. Curr Opin Urol. 2006;16(4):277-82.
Jensen MP, Barber J, Romano JM, Hanley MA, Raichle KA, Molton IR, et al. Effects of self-hypnosis training and EMG biofeedback relaxation training on chronic pain in persons with spinal-cord injury. Int J Clin Exp Hypn. 2009 Jul;57(3):239-68.
Kanji N, White AR, Ernst E. Autogenic training for tension type headaches: A systematic review of controlled trials. Complement Ther Med. 2006;14(2):144-50.
Labbe EE. Biofeedback and Cognitive Coping in the Treatment of Pediatric Habit Cough. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2006;31(2):167-72.
Linden W, Moseley JV. The efficacy of behavioral treatments for hypertension. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback. 2006;31(1):51-63.
McGrady A. The results of biofeedback in diabetes and essential hypertension. Cleve Clin J Med. 2010;77(3):S68-71.
Mullally WJ, Hall K, Goldstein R. Efficacy of biofeedback in the treatment of migraine and tension type headaches. Pain Physician. 2009;12(6):1005-11.
Patcharatrakul T, Gonlachanvit S. Outcome of biofeedback therapy in dyssynergic defecation patients with and without irritable bowel syndrome. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2011; 45(7):593-8.
Sutarto AP, Wahab MN, Zin NM. Resonant breathing biofeedback training for stress reduction among manufacturing operators. Int J Occup Saf Ergon. 2012; 18(4):549-61.
Tan G, Thornby J, Hammond DC, Strehl U, Canady B, Arnemann K, Kaiser DA. Meta-analysis of EEG biofeedback in treating epilepsy. Clin EEG Neurosci. 2009 Jul;40(3):173-9.
Terra MP, Dobben AC, Berghmans B, et al. Electrical Stimulation and Pelvic Floor Muscle Training With Biofeedback in Patients With Fecal Incontinence: A Cohort Study of 281 Patients. Dis Colon Rectum. 2006;49(8):1149-59.
Tsai PS, Chang NC, Chang WY, Lee PH, Wang MY. Blood pressure biofeedback exerts intermediate-term effects on blood pressure and pressure reactivity in individuals with mild hypertension: a randomized controlled study. J Altern Complement Med. 2007;13(5):547-54.
Verhagen AP, Damen L, Berger MY, Passchier J, Koes BW. Behavioral treatments of chronic tension-type headache in adults: are they beneficial? CNS Neurosci Ther. 2009 Summer;15(2):183-205.
Woodford H, Price C. EMG biofeedback for the recovery of motor function after stroke. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2007;(2):CD004585.
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On a technical basis, I like ConocoPhillips (COP) -- and this is partly due to its general bullish pattern of higher highs and lows, as well as the fact that the stock is above its 200-day and 50-day simple moving averages. In addition, I'm seeing a Fibonacci price-cluster setup that includes multiple symmetry projections.
For those of you who are not yet familiar with "symmetry," my definition -- as it relates to the markets -- is similarity or equality when comparing price swings in the same direction. This is also known as a "measured move."
In the case of ConocoPhillips, two standout support zones are illustrated on the daily chart below. The first area comes in at $56.41 to $56.83, which includes a 50% retracement, along with at least five 100% projections of prior declines -- i.e., symmetry. The second zone comes in at $55.60 to $56.22, a zone that also includes at least three symmetry projections, along with a 0.618 Fibonacci retracement and a 1.618 extension.
So far the price is holding above the first zone, with a Dec. 31 low of $56.84. Buy triggers have followed this on both the 15-minute and 30-minute charts -- and, in Wednesday's session, I will watch for a possible entry on a pullback to that low, with the risk defined below that level.
If the price continues to hold above this area, target 1 will come in at $60.41 and target 2 at $61.39. Target 3 will come in at $64.20. A key hurdle on the way up, meanwhile, will come between $58.58 and $59.05. When an important hurdle is met as a setup plays out, I typically suggest that you trail up stops.
As far as a pullback entry is concerned, I will typically look for anywhere from a 50% to a 78.6% retracement back to the last low. This can be very easily calculated on most trading platforms via the Fibonacci-retracement tool. But, since this stock finished so close to the high Monday, I have not yet calculated the pullback zone here.
If the recent low doesn't end up holding, I will still look for subsequent buy triggers as long as one of these two key zones remains intact.
For more information on trades and triggers please refer here.

subset: commoncrawl


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By PARM APC Buenos Aires, 21 November 2011
When ultra-Catholics and conservative groups decided to march in San Jose, Costa Rica, in favor of a referendum to veto any hint of legislation in favor of equal marriage or civil union of same-sex people, a group of activists in the LGBT movement decided to make a call to oppose this initiative.
Using social networks to express their opinion, they were gradually joined by a growing number of people and organizations that were willing to oppose what they considered a violation of the rights of the citizenry. Their goal was to demonstrate in favor of keeping the state as the guarantor of absolute respect for the rights of all people and publicly express their conviction that a majority cannot decide on the human rights of a minority.
Social networks provided an excellent platform to spontaneously self-summoned individuals and organizations to attend the public demonstration, with slogans opposing the proposal. When both groups met on the street the situation became tense and progressive groups were accused of provocation by the conservative and ultra-Catholics in the midst of great anger and shouting. But the self-summoned groups achieved their goal: to demonstrate that there was no single opinion on the subject and those who advocated respect for sexual diversity wanted their opinions to be considered when discussing new legislation regarding the rights of sexual minorities.
With the enthusiasm that led to the success of the countermarch, activists did not take into account security and privacy issues in electronic communication. Message exchanges were public throughout the process and LGBT activists' photos were uploaded to the Internet, regardless of the risks and potential consequences.
How many times have enthusiasm and activism sidelined questions about online safety? The opportunities for participation offered by the Internet can be easily used to identify, monitor, control and harass opponents because of their political or religious and philosophical stances or even their lifestyles.
In the panel on "Social movements and data security" held on 10 November at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Costa Rica, representatives of various forums, networks and organisations discussed the issue, taking into account that every day there are more controls on the Internet pushed by governments, companies, information services and undemocratic lobby groups that seek to limit freedom of expression and citizen participation in public affairs.
Among other topics, the panel noted that data security has become a crucial issue for organisations that defend women's rights or that address controversial issues such as sexual and reproductive health, the right to abortion or matters of violence against women. In some contexts, online activism against trafficking or forced prostitution are likely to endanger activists' lives and safety. Many of them are at risk of being attacked or persecuted if they are identified publicly.
The APC Women's Networking Support Programme APC WNSP) participated in the panel, presenting its training experience of women social activists and human rights defenders, including their needs for tools to strengthen secure communications in the virtual world.
With workshops in Asia, Africa and Latin America in the framework of APC's "Connect your rights!" campaign, the APC WNSP also aims to create networks and linkages between various organizations of women's rights defenders so they can assist and strengthen each other by sharing experiences, as well as new skills and strategies for mitigating the risks of their online activities.


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THE Prime Minister, David Cameron, was guest of honour at today's Federation of Small Businesses first ever major policy conference, held in London.
There around 300 delegates, including senior politicians from all parties along with many leading business figures, attending the event that is focusing on growth, enterprise and skills.
FSB Wessex region chairman Ken Moon said: "We are delighted the Prime Minister was able to address our inaugural conference today and to highlight the recognition placed on the long-term economic security small firms provide.
"It is an historic moment for the FSB and the UK's millions of small businesses.
"Small businesses point to the burden of complying with regulation as a major barrier to growth and the work done to cut red tape will help. Importantly Government should ensure when changes are made, they are done properly and with small businesses in mind.
Within Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight, we recognise that there is more to be done, and the Prime Minister in attending our Conference, emphasised the need for Government to maintain engagement with small and micro businesses from across the UK."
The FSB is streaming the conference live to a global audience and those interested can join the debate on Twitter by following @FSBWessex and using #FSBGrowth and #FSBSkills.


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Gomez leads Brewers in "We Energies High-Energy Player of the Year" voting
The fourth returns for the "We Energies High-Energy Player of the Year" award have Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez holding on to first place with 32% of the votes. Fans currently have the opportunity to vote for the Brewers player who they believe best personifies the characteristics of hard work and an aggressive approach to playing the game.
Shortstop Jean Segura is in second place with 23% of the votes. Catcher Jonathan Lucroy trails Segura in third place with 13% of the votes.
From now through Sunday, Sept. 8, fans can vote by visiting brewers.com/WeEnergies. Additionally, fans may cast their votes via text message at designated Brewers home games, and local media have the opportunity to participate via an emailed ballot. Votes from fans, media and We Energies will be combined to determine the winner.
Each fan voting online as a part of the "We Energies High-Energy Player of the Year" promotion will be entered to win a Brewers VIP package. The winner will be randomly selected to receive a VIP pre-game experience and Field Diamond Box tickets for six guests and will participate in a pre-game ceremony on the field when the Brewers take on the St. Louis Cardinals on Sept. 20, 2013. The winner will also receive an autographed jersey signed by the High-Energy Player of the Year and the use of a Club Level suite for one future Brewers home game.
Fans can check results regularly as voting totals will be announced on a monthly basis. Fifty-two lucky fans have also won four Loge Outfield tickets for a Brewers home game between June 3 and Sept. 22.
Ryan Braun won the award in 2012 and 2008. Other past winners include Nyjer Morgan (2011), Rickie Weeks (2010), Craig Counsell (2009), Prince Fielder (2007) and Bill Hall (2006). For more information, please visit brewers.com/WeEnergies.


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Osprey launches its 2009 Brand Team with this post, from Nick Spring, a Brand Team member from Nelson, BC. Osprey Brand Team members are being dispatched to outdoor events all over North America this year, reporting from the ground back to our friends through this blog! Nick will be spreading the Osprey word and wreaking havoc on the many events planned for this year's fantastic Kootenay Coldsmoke Powder festival. This is Coldsmoke in a nutshell (for more check out the event's official site here):
The Kootenay Cold Smoke Powder Fest is a grass-roots gathering where both experienced and debutant backcountry skiers and snowboarders can celebrate the culture of backcountry pursuits amongst breathtaking scenery and world renowned snow. Nelson, British Columbia, the powder mecca of the Kootenays is a natural choice, and so the 3rd annual Kootenay Cold Smoke Powder Fest is slated to be held from February 20-23, 2009. In addition to seasoned veterans, this event will also draw "keen to be" backcountry skiers and snowboarders who want to give off-piste adventures a try. Whitewater resort's terrain combined with the Selkirk's legendary snow, provides fantastic opportunities for all levels to ski, learn, compete, and celebrate off-piste and backcountry riding. The festival revolves around 4 full days of clinics, films, beer drinking, and competitions for all ski/snowboard pursuits as well as a ski/snowboard photojournalism competition.
Nick will be demoing the brand new for '09 Kode 38 pack (check the sneak peak Outdoor Retailer review here) and will be able to show all you eager souls what we think will be a huge hit for next season's snow crowd. Enough of the babble – here's Nick.
I can't believe we are in the middle of another deep winter. The Cold Smoke Festival for people in the Kootenay Region is a platform to showcase the beauty of our mountains, people, community and of course legendary deep snowpack. The 2008-09-ski season has been riddled by many unusual circumstances. We had an unusually long fall that held the early season snowfall at bay, we dealt with a wrath of unfortunate avalanche fatalities and hazards, and one of the longest sustained high-pressure systems recorded to date. Words like catastrophic, epic and "never seen before" were used to describe the storm and avalanche cycle that we dealt with in early January.
So where does that put me? Aside from the edge of my seat it puts me into a state of Zen like patience. One thing is known about the interior of British Columbia, the snow comes for those who are patient. Snowfall amounts that trump most ski area's monthly snowfalls are a weekly occurrence up at Whitewater Ski hill, host and creator of the Kootenay Cold Smoke Festival. With a week of sunshine behind us I find it hard to believe that I spent that last two days lapping deep untracked blower snow just minutes outside of the ski area boundary. Currently Whitewater holds one of the deepest snowpacks in the province and is set up well for future storms to come. If you have not been to the area the festival is a great venue or "sampler pack" if you will of what goes on here daily.
My name is Nick Spring, and I moved to Nelson to pursue a lifestyle in the mountains. I chose Nelson because it is different then other mountain towns; we don't have any large and over powering hotel chains, restaurants or tourist attractions. People come here for the exact opposite, to get away from the rat race, to walk down a main street littered with independent unique shops and eateries owned and operated by local residents. I have an active role in the community and find my time spread thin across my many adventures. I spend my day outfitting the coolest clients in the best gear shop possible, Valhalla Pure Outfitters, whether it is an Osprey pack for extended trips or short day journeys. When I am not at the shop I spend a good deal of my time training and practicing with Nelson Search and Rescue and am ready at a seconds notice for a variety of emergency situations. I have a Talon 44 packed and ready to go regardless of the situation. On my weekends I patrol up at the ski hill and tour the phenomenal backcountry we have in the area on my split board. Come on up to the festival and just maybe if you catch me at the right moment I will divulge some of the deepest of local backcountry secrets. Nelson gets a mixed bag of bio-diesel powder hounds, dedicated heli ski clientele and industry professionals intermingling together in the many cafés and bars around town.
The festival is a great reason to make your way up here, it is action packed with all sorts of events, clinics and demonstrations. The vendor village is a great opportunity to catch up with the latest trendsetters in the industry and talk shop with the brand representatives. The après ski will be full of delicious food and local brewed organic beers, musicians that have set roots in the Kootenay area will entertain until the sun comes up with their eclectic world beats. Bring your ski boots and dancing shoes with you and come spend a week in a powder hounds paradise! I hope to see you out on the hill and keep your eye out for me on the hill; I will be showcasing some of the coolest new innovations from Osprey!


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BOLTON boxing superstar Amir Khan raised a staggering £218,000 at the launch of his new charity foundation.
The Amir Khan foundation was officially launched at a glamorous dinner event at the Hilton Hotel in Manchester tonight, with famous guests including comic host Omid Djalili and former Wanderers star Kevin Davies.
It aims to help underprivileged youngsters around the world.
Before the glittering event, Amir said setting up a charity is something he has always wanted to do.
He added: "I knew it would take a long time to set up and I knew I had to get the right people around me, but I always wanted to have my own foundation.
"I have been doing charity work for a long time, but I really wanted to start doing things hands on for myself — to see and experience it all for myself."
A number of well-known faces, as well as 500 guests from across the country, joined Amir at the sell-out event, including TV presenter, Charlie Webster and basketball star, John Amaechi.
Amir said a recent trip to Gambia had inspired him to start the first project for the foundation, which will see an orphanage for up to 300 children built in the African nation.
He added: "Going to Gambia was amazing but the things we saw were heartbreaking, there was one family where 11 people were living in a small house with no roof — as tough as I am in the boxing ring I don't think I could have lived there for one day."
The former world champion said his Bolton-based community gym, Gloves in Prince Street, would now come under the umbrella of the foundation.
He added: "That gym has changed children's lives — I have had headteachers tell me that naughty kids have turned their lives around and that makes me happy.
"The foundation will be looking at other projects in this country, because you can't forget your roots in Bolton and in England."
Attending the event, former Wanderers captain Kevin Davies who has his own charity, Kids of Bolton, said: "We have both supported each other in terms of charity over the years and it is great to see Amir launching his own foundation.
"He is a new father now and like with me, it can change you a bit, and makes you want to give more to others.
"He has already set up Gloves and it's a great gym, when I was released from Bolton I went down there to train and the guys were great with me.
"I just hope that his charity work doesn't make him too soft for his line of business."


text: Ezekiel was established in 1992 with the goal of making tees, pants, buttondowns, outerwear, and other apparel inspired by surf and skate cultures. Based in southern California, Ezekiel follows the mantra "all we have is now," and fuses the creativity, spontaneity, and passion of the boarding lifestyle into each collection. Ezekel aims to create cutting-edge designs that are refined and upscale, while still staying true to the brand's roots. By focusing on making timeless, rather than trendy, apparel, Ezekiel offers streetwear enthusiasts a way to look sharp without having to sacrifice personality.


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BP Comment Quick Links
|Strength of Schedule Report
December 5, 2012
Resident Fantasy Genius
The Impact of Changing Teams on Fantasy Value
I probably don't say it enough, but BP readers are the best. I love hearing from you guys and talking baseball, and occasionally I'll get an article request, which I like to oblige whenever possible. I received such a request from a reader this weekend:
Imagine you were Zack Greinke (or any other elite free agent), knowing that not only the best offer but the second or third one will make you a very rich man. What would you do to maximize your 'fantasy value'?
With the Winter Meetings now in full swing, lots of players will be changing addresses over the coming days. As a fantasy player, it's crucial to understand how moving to a new club will alter a player's production. From my very first article here at BP, I've preached the importance of context. Yes, it's important to focus on a player's skills, his defense-independent statistics, etc., but that's just one part of the equation. Once we isolate what a player is capable of doing well on his own, we need to either credit or debit him for the things that are quantifiable but that he can't control himself. Analysis often ends with what the player himself can do, but fantasy seasons don't occur in a vacuum. They occur in real life, where there are plenty of external factors that come into play. An ERA higher than a FIP is not always bad luck. Since Greinke was this reader's example, let's start with pitchers.
Offensive Support
Defensive Support
Catchers and Managers
If we're trying to put these factors in a loose order, we might come up with something like 1) league change, 2) ballpark, 3) catcher, 4) defense, 5) offense. Just be sure to pay as much attention to where the player is coming from as you do to where he's going. The move from the league's worst defense to the league's best, for example, may well have a bigger impact than switching leagues.
5 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
Jack Thomas
Great article!
Dec 05, 2012 03:57 AM
Managers can effect playing time which hurts a players value. I had Napoli while he was with the Angels and Scioscia would play Mathis more often for defense, even while Napoli was hitting bombs. He did the same thing when I had Aybar and he played Izturis for defense. I tend to stay away from Angels players now other than Weaver who isn't going to be substituted.
Dec 05, 2012 05:41 AM
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Probably more than you wanted to know about Hibbert, GHill, and Butler.
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Probably more than you wanted to know about Hibbert, GHill, and Butler.
I feel less manly after reading that. I should go chop some wood or something.
I will never understand people who product in their hair before working out or playing sports.
Ashy ?? ASHY ??"I put it on after the games whenever I'm ashy," Hibbert said. "It just smells really good."
Half way thru, I thought i was reading an Onion article.
Ashy ?? :SMFH:
- George Hill being real"We always say you're supposed to look on the inside first, but we know that's false. Everyone looks on the outside."
"We've got to be very clear about this. We don't want our players hanging around with murderers," said Larry Bird, Pacers president.
Who know, I've never thought to myself, "man, I like those shoes but (X player) didn't do his hair last game, I think I'll go with another pair," I get the concept of being a walking billboard, but doesn't mean potential seers of said board really care about how stinky you might be while playing.The added care fits with the (quite literal) exposure that basketball players have while competing. Unlike other sports, where a helmet or uniform covers an athlete's face or body, basketball players are on full display during a game. "We're a walking billboard," says Chandler Parsons of the Houston Rockets. "You want to look good to everyone who is watching."
Just because you're offended, doesn't mean you're right. ― Ricky Gervais.
Read this right after reading the Oscar interview. You'll laugh.
Actually, it's a common problem with black people. Because their skin is dark you can really tell when it gets dry (or ashy) and black people will make fun of each other for looking ashy (Google Ashy Larry). It's not really a metrosexual thing at all, most black people care about it.
I do, but I have long hair that I slick back so its just to keep it out of my face.
Back in the 50's it was normal for players on the road to not wash their uniforms or shower before games, just to make it harder for the other team to guard them....lol
You really never heard of getting Ashy?? You must not hoop very often or not from that life. Hell I put lotion on even when I am not hooping. It really isn't a laughing matter. Prevention is the best solution to ashy elbows and legs . Like the other poster said yes you will get raged on for being ashy it really is nasty looking lol.


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LAST SEASON: 9-22 (1-13, last in Western Athletic Conference)
COACH: George Nessman, eighth season, 77-141
KEY PLAYERS: Senior guard
James Kinney (15.8 points), sophomore guard,
D.J. Brown (7.7 points), junior center
Alex Brown (10.5 points. 7.0 rebounds), junior forward
Chris Cunningham (4.4 points, 2.8 rebounds).
SCOUTING REPORT: Expectations aren't extremely high for the Spartans in their final season in the WAC, with a move next year to the considerably tougher Mountain West Conference. SJSU was picked to finish ninth in the preseason coaches and media polls, behind new conference additions Denver, Texas-Arlington, Texas-San Antonio and Seattle. … The loss of
Keith Shamburger, who transferred to Hawaii, will be felt. He was the team's third-leading scorer last year. … The Spartans have the potential to be a better defensive team than in years past. The 6-foot-11 Alex Brown, a transfer from John A. Logan College, is a good presence in the middle along with Cunningham, a transfer from Santa Clara who sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules. … Kinney and
D.J. Brown are good scorers out of the backcourt. … Senior guard
Chris Jones and sophomore forward
Stephon Smith, who both earned a handful of starts last season, will be contributors. … Kinney was the lone Spartan named to the preseason All-WAC team. A WAC All-Newcomer last year after transferring from Eastern Utah College, Kinney is a second-team preseason pick.


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StrengthsQuest 101: An Introduction
- When:
- http://www.ubalt.edu/strengths
- Description:
Interested in learning about your talents and strengths? You may have heard that UB offers students, faculty, and staff the opportunity to learn from and develop their strengths using the Gallup StrengthsFinder assessment. If you are interested in learning more, visit www.ubalt.edu/strengths to request a code. We will send you a code to take the assessment (takes 45min-1 hour).
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Discspeed; as with anything I think we can have stars in our eyes and want the future to be right now. I find this is when discipline really steps in and controls who is going to progress correctly and who will remain stagnant.
You made me rethink a few things here; specifically that any time invested (regardless of how much total) should be entirely set to moving forward.
I have going to pull the Sword, Vision, Hornet (to be replaced by a Gator), Predator, and TD out of my bag and simply work with the remainder.
I will concede that I must have an overstable mid (a TRULY overstable mid), and am thinking putter also (as JR has suggested prior), but have much less need for the TD / Vision / Sword.
The next thing i am going to do is compile some footage of different throws with different discs. I really want some good critical analysis from you guys.
Thanks so far for eveything,


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Gay marriage is going to be a point of controversy for a while, hopefully this time will come to an end and it will be universally accepted and not questioned. But that time is not here yet.
More and more places are recognising the equality of gay people and allowing them to get legally married, granting them the same civil rights as everybody else n the world. But sadly, some people are not, some people still believe that if gay people got married, it would "redefine" marriage, but it would not, it would simply open up marriage to let more people in to a sacred union of love and admiration.
The main argument seems to be a religious one, that "in the eyes of god, only a man and woman can be married" and the "tradionalists" state that this has been the way for centuries, so it should continue. But female subjugation was the way for centuries, rape within a marriage and slavery were the way for centuries, this does not mean that they should continue.
The love between two straight people does not mean any more than the love between two gay people, their relationship is not inferior or superior, it is equal, we are the same. So kindly treat us the same and with the respect that we deserve. Society is changing and those that stand in the way of gay marriage are standing in the way of change, and those that stand in the way of change will get left behind.
I see myself as being straight when it comes to sexuality and so you might think why would I bother to share my views seeing as I'm entitled to a marriage (and am married) and all the legal privileges this brings with it. Well because people I care about and love happen to love those of the same sex and they don't have the same rights and privileges as I do. Now, I often get ram-rodded with the usual right-wing nonsense about civil partnerships offering the same rights and privileges as a marriage does. Yes, legally, I suppose that is a correct statement (at least to my knowledge) but I suppose the argument isn't really a legal one when you take the legality of the situation out of the 'gay' marriage equation.
So what's it all about? It's about equality, it's about giving a large group of people something which they have been denied - and in the past condemned and criminialised for - for decades. Now can a person be religious *and* a supporter of gay marriage? My view is that the churches who are opposed to gay marriage should have the right to deny marrying two men or women but that if a couple want to be married in a religious establishment that will perform a marriage ceremony (and people are currently being denied this right) then they should be afforded this right. Ultimately the church shouldn't interfere with matters of the state, of the people, because beliefs should be through choice, not force and no one should be forced to follow a moral path just because you believe it is 'right' or 'wrong.'
At the end of the day the major religions won't be knocked by gay marriage, as long as the state protects the right of a church to refuse to perform a marriage ceremony and so with this in mind it obliterates the argument any major religious body puts forward to debunk gay marriage. Yes you may believe being gay is wrong, heck you may even believe that gay marriage is morally wrong...but it doesn't give anyone the right to decide it's wrong for those individuals who have the power of making their own choices in life. If I have the freedom to worship the God and religion of my choice then so should an individual be free to decide who they wish to live with, love and marry. It's that simple in my mind.
I believe we'll get to a point in our history where we'll look back at ourselves and think the human race was very far behind in evolution when it denied marriage between two men or two women. Personally? I don't see a problem with it at all. It wouldn't be my choice but that's the key word; choice. And by denying two people to marry you're taking away their choice to decide what is best for them. To me that's backwards, dis-compassionate and very far removed from where we should be, as a human race.
I do enjoy Shakespeare but I've never been a fan of Romeo and Juliet. I don't buy love at first sight as love, and what it encompasses, deserves more substance that an instant attraction. I can't tell you what true love means , it's meaning changes with perspective, but I do know one thing (Thanks to Burt Bacharach), It's the only the thing that there's just too little of.
Love may be fleeting, with a sell by date that begins degrading from the day it starts, or maybe love truly can survive a lifetime. It don't matter, when it is found it should be cherished and celebrated. If two consenting adults want to stand in front of their friends, family, the world and declare that this is the person they love, the person they believe they want to spend the rest of their lives with, to grow old with, in sickness and in health, then no one has the right to stop them. We should applaud them and hope that everyone else in the world may be just as lucky.
People keep talking about the institution of marriage, as if it's an amazing entity when in reality opposite sex couples take marriage for granted. I know a number of people who married for convenience, safety, security. I know both men and women who cheat on their wives or husbands. So many marriages are flawed, surely what damage can allowing single sex couples to marry as well inflict on the concept? Yes, there are civil partnerships, but the connotations linked with them is 'less than', it's a pretend marriage, a substitution offered that causes segregation and highlights difference. If love is difference blind, shouldn't the process we use to celebrate it be blind also?
I'm not religious, I think religion is process in which to control and supress but I understand that people hold different believes to myself and that they are entitled in a liberal society to worship their faith in any way that they choose as long as it is not at the expense of others. If everyone had the same courtesy there would not be an issue.
Allowing same sex marriages harms no one and the world needs as much love as it can get.
It's really strange: after a debate erupted throughout my psychology class today about gay marriages I come on here, look through the general section for the first time and am greeted by this topic about gay marriage- obviously with it still fresh in my mind I've decided I'd give my opinion on it all. As this is still quite a contaversial debate in life I am going to stress what I say is just my own personal opinion taken from what I've read, seen and my experiences in life- nothing is being write to offend so please don't take it that way.
I'm gonna start by saying I generally can't believe how homophobic my class are after hearing what some of them said today, for a group of young people they have some incredibly strong beliefs and are more than happy to express them in a way I personally found to be quite offensive. I'm not gay and I'm perfectly happy this way but my views very much stand at: if you love someone why shouldn't you be with them? We live life with the aim to make it the happiest we possibly can and I find it hard to believe that someone would defy another person of being their true selfs and having a relationship with another person regarless of gender, race, religion etc. I'm not religious nor am I too bothered about big celebrations so marriage isn't something that particularly appeals to me (I'd be just as happy spending my life with the man I love without having a certificate to prove this) but I have some strictly Christian friends who see marriage and doing things 'properly' as a very important thing in their life and the same goes for many homosexual individuals around the world so I personally think gay marriage (in a church or anywhere else) is fine and the perfect way for many homosexual couples, like hetrosexual couples, to share this with the world and infront of their God make a commitment to the person they want to spend eternity with.
One thing that really stood out to me today was before the argument had even started whilst the tutor was reading an article about gay couples having children one girl loudly stated 'that's disgusting' and something that shocked me even more was the tutor agreed. Now I'm fine with the fact that others don't share my opinions but I found this to actually be a way a horrible way to express so. Though this review isn't about gay couples having children I feel like marriage it is, for many, a basic part of life and why they shouldn't be able to do either to me is just ridiculous. I know many gay couples who love each other a lot more than many straight couples that marry and many who have been much better parents than some straight parents- how our sexual orientation will affect how good a partner or parent we are is well beyond me. You get good straight parents, you get bad: you get good gay parents, you get bad- notice the recurring theme that this is not based upon sexual orientation.
It got very heated today and many of those who believed it was wrong ended up screaming and shouting over everyone else and one girl even admitted she was shacking when it was over as she had got so worked up. Many (if not all) of those who were strongly voicing their opinion come from an ethnic minority and just this thought makes me laugh as they are very much for equal rights for all ethnicitys- it was the way they were born why should they discriminated against because of this- yet the exact same applies for gay people. People don't choose to be gay and just like their race or gender it is something that they can't change so what gives someone they've never met the right to say they can't marry? It doesn't. It eventually got to the point where 'murders can repent but gay people can't'-I don't even want to comment on my thoughts of this as I can't make a promise that it will be appropriate for a site accessible to children.
Many views are based upon religion but I can't find any to bring a substantial arguement when many contradictions can be found in pretty much all religions so how we can take every word written as the truth is impossible. I understand that many say gay marriage is fine as long as it isn't done in a Church, Synagog, etc but then for me this is saying that these people are doing something wrong, that their religious beliefs don't matter and that they are less a person because they want to marry someone that traditionally they shouldn't.
I also can't quite work out why this should matter to many people who don't believe being gay or having a gay marriage is right- all I can think is 'don't have one then'. If you don't like it avoid it. Something that two men, you've never met, are doing officiated by a priest that is happy to do so doesn't require you to get upset or criticise.
Although not as celebrated or noted as other parts of history gay men and women have always been part of life and many of the great people that have made the world what it is today were gay or suspected gay- it is a natural thing, science has proven it is a natural thing, why would 'God' make someone like this if it wasn't a natural thing?
I think it is great that many celebrities and TV shows/ films are now promoting gay marriage as a good thing as that it what it is and it is things like that, that will open up this world to many young people that have been struggling to tell the world that they are gay out of fear of being ridiculed or seen as different- showing them that gay marriage is fine is part of this. The 'It Gets Better' campaign was a brilliant project launched by married gay couple Dan Savage and Terry Miller made to make this world better for many gay young people. I respect these people a lot more than I do someone who for no real reason believes that can make decisions for someone else.
I've grown up in what I see to be a fairly liberal generation where things are a lot more multi cultural and respectful of other people regardless of their lifestyle or belief and although I wouldn't say the same for my parents and some of the things they believe I'm proud to say they have let me defy my own understanding of the world. We are moving into an accepting world where people all have the same rights regarless of who they are and so this should be reflected in the laws, punishments and attitudes we have for homosexual lifestyles. I will walk into my psychology class on Monday with new views on these people I had previously seen as lovely people. There is no reason why gay marriage shouldn't be done so when this country comes to finally accept this I feel we will live in a much better place.
well this is definately a subject that can cause controversy so here we go i just want to put my thoughts on the subject. Gay marriage is definately becoming more popular now a days and i don't see the harm in it.
If straight people can marry then why not gay people they deserve the right to marry as well their no different. I think its great that the law has changed so that gay people have more rights now a day. I'm friends with some gay people and have actually attended some of their weddings and seeing their happiness on their big day was great. I know some religions say gay marriages are wrong but at then end of the day my opinion is you cant help who you fall for and shouldn't be punished for being in same sex relationships. I really do feel for the people who want to enter into a gay marriage and get ridiculed for it. i think the general public have to realise times are changing and get used to it.
Who are we to say who can marry and who cant theres nothing wrong with being in a same sex relationship. I think denying same sex marriages is discrimination based on sexual orientation. I also think its in breach of our basic human rights to deny them of getting married. I hope I havn't offended anyone with this review its a touchy subject to discuss.
thank you for reading my review
I've been debating whether or not to write this "review" as I really don't want to offend anyone's opinions or beliefs so please keep in mind that this is just my opinion on the subject, right or wrong, it's just what I think! I think that almost everyone will have an opinion on gay marriage as it's become quite a popular subject in recent years since becoming legal in the United Kingdom in 2005 (why did it take this long???). I accept that you have to look at all sides of the argument to form an opinion so that is what I am going to do, although my opinion on this was formed a long time ago!!
Christianity And Gay Marriage
I'm not a Christian so have no personal views from this angle, this information is just research based. Some Christians believe that same sex relationships are wrong because relationships should be between a man and a woman so that they can reproduce. The other argument is that God created a man and a woman so going against this with same sex relationships are wrong. Personally, this doesn't really mean much to me because there are many more arguments against these particular beliefs. As I said, I wouldn't want to offend anyone's religious beliefs as we're all entitled to our own opinion so I'm not going to go too much into the religious point of view.
I have never really understood homophobia. I know that some people were brought up thinking that being gay was wrong, to me this isn't a good excuse because we all have our own minds and form our own opinions as we grow older, so why should being told that homosexuality is wrong stick with you for the rest of your life? It shouldn't, there is no excuse. The other thing that sometimes gets pointed out is that the people who are homophobic are the ones that are insecure with their own sexuality..Maybe this isn't a fact but it does seem to happen in that way. I don't think it's fair that homophobia even exists, just because being gay is the minority not the majority, doesn't mean that it's wrong. One thing that bugs me are stereotypes surrounding being gay. Not ALL gay men are camp, I have a lot of gay male friends and not one acts like this, there are some but you can't criticise some one for being themselves! Also, not ALL gay women are 'butch'! I know gay females who wear dresses, make up, perfume, the works. People shouldn't just assume these stereotypes. Being gay, bisexual or straight is just the way you are. You can't change your sexuality, it would be like me forming a club and saying, for example, "you can't be a part of this group because you have blue eyes", but that's not fair because you can't change the colour of your eyes. I know that's a strange example but you get the point?
My Opinions On Gay Marriage
As if I haven't said enough already! Lol sorry, I'm a bit over opinionated. Who cares if a man marries a man or a man marries a woman? Or if a woman marries a woman or a woman marries a man? (Confusing I know, I couldn't think of a simpler way to put it!). Basically, it doesn't affect you personally if a gay couple decide to marry does it? Ok, you may not agree with it, but it won't have any affect on your life. Every person in the world has a right to happiness (with exceptions, obviously), if two people are in a relationship and they're in love and want to spend the rest of their lives together then why shouldn't they? Why shouldn't gay couples have the same rights as straight couples? I think it's about time the country moved on a bit, gay marriage or homosexuality shouldn't be an issue these days when there are so many other things going on in the world. Being gay is no different to being straight, bi, whatever (apart from the obvious things), you can't help who you fall for and everyone deserves the right to do what they want with their lives, so overall, I'm very happy that gay marriage is legal and hope that some people's views change soon.
I hope I haven't offended anyone with this review.
Thanks For Reading!
I am completely in favour gay weddings or civil partnerships or whatever you choose to call them. There is no good reason I can think of why two people of the same sex shouldn't be able to proclaim their ongoing love for one another in front of the friends and family just as heterosexual couples have been able to for centuries.
I hope that the rise in the number of gay couples getting civil partnerships will go some way to destroy the myth that homosexual people are more promiscuous than heterosexuals. I don't know why this myth has persisted but many people still seem to believe that gay men in particular are more likely to sleep around. The gay people I know don't seem to be any more promiscuous than the straight people I know and their relationships don't appear to be any less meaningful than other relationships.
I'm not sure on the legal implications of civil partnerships but I would hope that gay couples in a partnership would be afforded the same rights as a married heterosexual couple. If anyone knows about this please let me know if I am right about this.
As for the members of the dooyoo community - you know who you are - that have commented that they don't like 'camp' and think gay weddings are too loud or flamboyant, I have one question: Have you ever been to a straight wedding? It's a big bundle of frilly dresses, flowers, kids dressed up in dinner jackets, lots of pastel colours and people crying. I don't see how anything could be more camp than that!
I really hope that civil partnerships lead to a greater acceptance of gay couples. I think that often people can't see beyond the camp and flamboyant examples of homosexuality that frequently appear in the media. Not all gay men are giggling and flippant just as not all gay women are butch man-haters. There is as much diversity within the gay community as there is within the heterosexual community and there is no reason why one group should be afforded rights that are denied the other.
If there is one pet hate that I have it is that people outcast other people becuase of their sexuality, race, religion or goodness knows what else. We are all human and because a man wants to marry another man or a woman another woman, who has a right to say that is right or wrong? Nobody! We are all equal, we are all human, we all live, breath, eat like each other and because someone is a different sexuality to yourself doesnt mean that they are not human or they do not have feelings. I hate it when people make comments about homosexual people holding hands in the street, snides like "thats disgusting", it makes me sick. Who are these people to judge someone on what they do or say or feel. I belive gay marriage is correct, there is no right or wrong way to live your life, yes i belive that you should stay within the law and be clean living etc and that is what homosexuals are doing, just like the rest of us. We are all part of a whole and i beleive that gay couples have exactly the same right if not more right to get married than straight people. The reason i say if not more right is because the gay community has had to fight heart and soul to get permission granted for them to be married to someonethey love and we got it easy. Give them a break, we are all human.
If you know me on Dooyoo, I stick up for peoples rights. I get in so many arguments on this site because I believe that everyone has the right to live their life as they wish. If you are not causing harm to others around you, then your actions are not wrong. I also believe that if two by choice are participating in a certain action, then it is the action of two, even if one is taking advantage slightly. Is this relevant to the issue of Gay Marriages? Only slightly, but the link between this and the issue comes later. I think that my views of life are important in this situation, so people can grasp a better understanding of my opinion.
I'm a practising Catholic, admittedly, I am not certain with the situation of what the bible agrees or disagrees with, although I don't think it's approved of. I could hide my head behind the bible and let the bible give my opinions for me, which I think many do. As committed as I am to my prayers and to the Lord's wishes, Its time I place the bible on the table and start having dignity, start sticking up for what I believe - everyone, old or young, has the right to live their own life.
I am not gay, so maybe my opinions on the matter may seem pretty empty and meaningless to some, but its the opinions of the straight that affects the rights of the gay. Its true, but is this justified? Is it fair that straight people, just because their life is more conventional, have the right to be "married", and call one their husband or wife, whilst gay have to use the term "civil partnership"? Gay people are NOT second class citizens in society. Did we not have this same problem many years ago, where white people had the right to do things that black people couldn't? Nowadays we would see this as a horrible, dark, period of history that was unjustified and has now came to a revolution. In my opinion time is repeating itself, just perhaps not as severe, but purely as cruel.
I really, really, wonder what is the deal with people not wishing gay people to be married? Does it affect their way of life? Does it cause harm to their society. There are many unwanted children being adopted by gay couples, do these couples who are rescuing these unwanted children and giving them a loving caring home not deserve to be a proper married couple? Yet, after this some would still say no.
Now think of this, what is the difference between a straight couple, and a gay couple. There are two of the same sexual organs involved? Is this one little difference really enough to say gay people should not be allowed marriage? But honestly, for those who think gays should not be allowed to marry: where is your respect? Why is it so hard so accept gay relationships when most of/if not ALL of the time it has nothing to do with us? It does not affect straight people in any way, shape, or form so why be such a b**** about the situation and let them be!
I say people who disagree with gay marriages are extremely disrespectful towards gays and should sit back and allow people to live their own lives. Its sick!!
Although one day I do think gays will be able to marry like straights all over the world, returning to the issue of blacks & discrimination, we all said there would never be a black president? God bless Barack Obama! I truly believe if changes like this can happen in America, maybe the UK can come to its senses, and start accepting people for their differences. One day, one day.
people may thing gay marriage is wrong and trust me i think seeing two girls or guys kiss is wrong and gross but it's their choice it makes them happy and the people that t are with make them happy girl and girl or guy and guy personally i think if t wanna get married and have a family i'm not gunna try stop them because iwould rather see people happy than misserable i have a best friend who was straight and very misserable she found her girlfriend and now she is the happiest person. people can go around saying shit about gay people but in reality we are all getting called the same stuff just for different things we all get rumours spread about us no matter if we are straight or gay if you don't like it then don't lo no-one is making you watch.......
Whether or not gay marriage should be made legal is one of the biggest issues in most parts of the world today, and causes the most heated debate by otherwise seemingly sane people.
Over the years there have been many, many arguments against gay marriage and I'm about to explain to you why none of them are hold any water in a rational world of logic.
There are plenty of arguments against gay marriage, many of them coming from a religous standpoint, and many coming from pure lack of understanding about homosexuality and homosexuals.
So here goes
Argument #1: Marriage is an institution between one man and one woman
This is very true, and cannot be argued with. However, this doesn't mean that it cannot be changed, and has not been changed. In the past marriage was between one man and one woman of the same colour (For a time African Americans were not actually allowed to marry atall, in fact in one state polygyny was legalised before African American marriage). It's also been a contract between a man and woman of the same religion, then just a man and a woman. You see the defininition of marriage is allowed to change. Sure, you may not want it too, but it can, so that in itself is not really and argument as to why gay marriage shouldn't be allowed.
Argument #2: A Gay relationship cannot produce children, and that's what marriage is about
Nowhere, when a heterosexual couple marrys is there anything written in the contract or said that means they must produce children. They may openly admit not even wanting to have children, they will not be stopped getting married. People who are infertile can also get married, along with the elderly who can no longer have children.
We live in a world practically stretched to breaking point. The population is 6.6 billion and rising on a planet that can naturally support a billion. The last thing we ought to be doing is making having children a moral obligation for two adults who are in love and wish to spend their lives together.
That aside, gay people are capable of having children. The creation of IVF, sperm donors and turkey basters have done wonders for lesbians especially!
Argument #3:But a Gay relationship isn't a good environment for children
Let's be honest, anyone who has been a child, or known a child knows that there are three things that makes a suitable environment for raising a child, and they are the amount of understanding, support and love that child recieves as it grows.
Argument #4:Marriage is a religious institution and all religions believe homosexuality is immoral
Unfortuantely, marriage is not simply a religious institution. It involves legal rights (over a thousand of them) and that makes it a government issue. A taxpayers issue (thats the gay people too that is!).
If it were a religious institution all marriages would take place in a place of worship. They would all be religious ceremonies, but they're not, many atheists have no mention of religion or God in their ceremony. Speaking of atheists, if marriage were purely a religious institution atheists wouldn't even be able to get married.
All of this aside, homosexuals have always been able to have the 'religious' ceremony in a church. It was called a relationship blessing. All they haven't been allowed is the legal rights. What does religion have to do with legal rights?
But ok! I'll play. Say it IS a religious institution, I'm a pagan....Can I please marry now as my religion says nothing against homosexuality. Kthanx!
Argument #5:Gay marriage would force religions to marry gay couples even though they believe it is wrong
This is easy. No vicar or priest is EVER forced to marry anyone. Thats right. Been divorced? Well, they don't have to marry you. Don't go to church? They don't have to marry you either.
Argument #6:Homosexual behaviour is unnatural and legalising gay marriage is encouraging a behaviour that is wrong and should be discouraged
I get irritated when people on the internet condemn something for being 'unnatural'. Don't like unnatural? Then get off your unnatural computer, take off your 'unnatural' clothes, and get outside in the fresh air, eat bugs, drink muddy water, and build yourself a house made of sticks.
To say homosexuality is unnatural is ridiculous. Noone takes drugs to become homosexual, we don't have an artificial chip put in our brains which make us fancy people of the same sex, we just DO. So do many animals. Over a thousand different species have been observed having gay sex, and gay relationships wherein they pair up as if they were with the opposite sex. Generally this happens when that particular species are overpopulated in a certain area.
As for it not being encouraged, people are going to be gay whether you allow gay marriage or not. Having or not having gay marriage is neither encouraging nor discouraging. People aren't going to start 'turning' gay just because gay people can get married.
Argument #7: I think gay couples should be allowed civil unions, but should leave marriage as a sacred religous union between a man and a woman
There is a distinct lack of understanding here by people who actually believe marriage is sacred. Marriage stopped being sacred when you could get divorced, it wasn't sacred from the second you could get forced into marriage with a stranger by your parents, it wasn't sacred when Britney Spears got divorced after 55 hours, it wasn't sacred when you could get married by an alchoholic in an Elvis costume in Las Vegas. Marriage is NOT sacred. How allowing gay people to marry could make marriage any less sacred is beyond me....
Argument #8: Allowing homosexuals to marry will damage the institution of marriage
Allowing people to marry cannot damage the institution of marriage. It's not like straight people are going to suddenly stop getting wed if they see that gay people are allowed to do it!
Argument #9: If we allow gays to marry it will lead to polygamy, beastiality, and adults marrying children
Aaah! The good old slippery slope argument. The last argument you use when you realise there is no other argument. You can literally apply this argument to ANYTHING.
Example: 'A black president? What next?A woman? A donkey? A plant? When does the madness end? It's a slippery slope I tell ya!'
The fact is gay marriage is a consentual contract between two adults who love each other, don't hurt anybody, and are capable of making up their own minds about who they love. No amount of screaming about sheep, goats and babies is going to change that
*Review also published on squidoo.com
Everybody should have the right to choose if they want to get married or not! Whether Straight, Gay or Bi-sexual - it has absolutely nothing to do with anybody else if 2 people in love what to get married! I fully support gay marriage! (Or just marriage, as I call it!)
Homophobia in all of it's ugly forms needs to be put firmly in the past! I have never and will never understand why a person would be against two people falling in love and marrying? Simply because they are gay? Homosexuality is perfectly normal and marriage, for some people, is the natural next step for people in love, so why would anybody want to take that away from gay people?
There should be a 'straight marriage' or 'gay marriage' it should simply just be marriage!
What more can I say, other than I fully support the marriage between two people if that's what they choose, whether gay or straight!
To address the question of gay marriage you really need to address the church's views to homosexuality and figure out whether that's right or wrong. If I work on a solely Christian basis, the main church's tend to be very much against homosexuality and while that attitude is prevalent you cannot expect to have gay marriages accepted. So my aim here is to look at what the church itself believes and whether this is right or wrong.
Church and Homosexuality...and never the two should mix I hear many say. Not in my opinion. I am a "devout" Christian (on a good day)...but I do have a different line on homosexuality than many Christians.
First of all the books in the Bible were written by people belonging to different cultures and speaking different languages. This doesn't seem important on it's own, however to understand the Bible fully we need to have a decent understanding of these cultures and languages. A few points that emphasise are that references to homosexuality in the Bible only ever refer to males, however in todays society where all are equal then lesbianism should be mentioned. Do we take this to mean that it is only male homosexuality that our God condemns, or just that they lived in a male orientated society and females weren't thought of. Also the Greek language has several words for what we would today class as homosexuality; some mean abuse, some mean prostitution but none refer to a consenting relationship and on the same track the Greek language has no word for heterosexuality which makes it hard to find a reference for homosexuality.
Linked to the idea of mistranslating the Greek word for homosexuality I would like to move on to the well known passage of Leviticus 18 often associated with homosexuality - 'you shall not lie will a man as a man lies with a woman.' Seems simple enough, yes? No. This has been re-translated to actually mean 'lie not with a man as males[plural] lie with a woman[singular].' In this it is referring to prostitution rather than a loving homosexual relationship. This is 'confirmed' by Dt 23; 17-28 which are often used as a second version of the Leviticus laws, the corresponding law states 'there shall be no cult of prostitution as for a woman...nor for a man...abomination to God.'
Looking next at the use of Biblical authority against other moral issues of equal importance. For example divorce, Scripture similarly states that women are inferior to men in God's eyes - however this is now classed as a dated idea, likewise Jesus stated that divorce always led to adultery unless the break up was due to infidelity. In the same vein it wasn't that long ago that people campaigned for slavery to be allowed as they believed that certain passages of the Bible condoned this. There are only five possible references to homosexuality in the Bible and they are far outweighed by references to women, slavery or divorce; but the majority of Christians would ignore these or argue against them. So why amend the scriptures on some subjects and yet not on others that take up less Biblical space?
It is on the concept of slavery that this can most clearly shown, Genesis 9 shows how passages can be easily misinterpreted and read incorrectly, in this case condoning slavery. The story of Noah getting drunk, his son Ham seeing his nakedness and telling the brothers, the youngest son covers his father. When Noah awakes he curses Ham and told him he was to be a slave to his brother. Up until the 1950s this was seen to mean that black people were condemned to be slaves by God as they were the sons of Ham. To the largest majority of us this makes no sense and is highly unethical, but this is the way it was interpreted and used to spread 'the word of God.'
I believe the same is being done with the references supposedly referring to homosexuality. One such reference is 2 Sam 10, 1-5 where King David sends messengers to Hanan in an attempt to create good will. Hanan however is convinced that the messengers are really spies so he hands them over to the guards were they have half their beards shaved off making them half men and dangerously close to women, as well as the garments are cut off from their buttocks leading to the suggestion of penetration. When they return however, King David does not make the assumption they are homosexual and execute them, he just tells them to stay put until their beards grow back, knowing this is a form of humiliation. This is not talking about sexual morality but about humiliation, much like the world we live in today; a world of violence, power, and domination.
The way we look at certain things has changed through the use of medical science; for instance depression used to be seen as living under the burden of unconfessed sin and only once you had confessed could you recover. Ever since medicine found that some depression is due to a chemical imbalance this has changed. It has also been accepted that people who are left handed are not morally depraved so children have stopped being punished in class for not using their left hands.
Likewise homosexuality viewed from a medical perspective has changed - Freud stated that homosexuality is to no advantage, but equally it is nothing to be ashamed of. It is no vice, simply a variant of sexual behaviour, and is definitely no crime. Studies have been carried out on identical twins showing that although genetics are not the only reason for homosexuality they definitely play some part which suggests that there is a mixture of nature and nurture leading to homosexuality.
Why are we willing to accept and allow medical sciene to frame our moral viewpoints on some aspects of our moral teachings where we agree with science but not on others? And if it is a biological issue then what God would create someone homosexual and then persecute them for it?
Another point I'd like the make is the church's relationship with the general public, the church appears to be afraid to speak out on certain matters because it fears losing general public opinion, it feels that speaking favourably on same sex relationships would isolate some members. However is the church the tail and public opinion the dog that wags it? Hasn't the church already alienated many by not speaking out and not just gays, but equally their friends and family? Does the church only speak out on non-controversial matters meaning that it cares nothing for justice? Are they worried more about public opinion than about fairness? These are questions that any Christian should seriously think about.
The protestant church has already allowed a divide between the procreative and the unitive aspects of sexual relations by allowing contraception, and once you have done that the only barrier to complete acceptance of gay couples is prejudice. The Catholic church is the only Christian doctrine that can really reject homosexuals, and if that is done due to misinterpretation then there needs to be a rethink about the rules surrounding homosexuality and the church.
To conclude my main argument, the golden rule that Jesus gave us all is to love one another. He gave this commandment to try to avoid a schism in the church as he knew that the day would come when we would all hate each other. But Jesus' hallmark was always diversity and we are to love one another regardless and even because of that diversity. We were all made in God's image and that has to be wholesome, we are made to be loved and to belong in a loving relationship and God should be in any relationship made of love.
Going by what I believe, I can see no problem with homosexual marriage. You have two loving adults in a respectable relationship, both know what they want and them getting married will in no way negatively influence the rest of society in a negative way, but it might make them feel better about themselves and be recognised as a couple. The general saying of; if it doesn't influence you stop moaning. People get so het yp and annoyed by the subject; stop, sit down and think about it. What business do we even have interfering in people's love life when it isn't hurting us? I think people need a scapegoat for their moaning and whining, and unfortunately homosexuals have borne the brunt of this for a long time. It's time to pause and see their needs instead of making them out to be villains. Marriage is something that will make a relationship sacred, so why not offer it to homosexuals? I see no reason not to.
The bulk of this review is also on Ciao.
Firstly, marriage in this country is the union of one MAN
and one WOMAN, voluntarily entered into for life, to the exclusion of all others.
Gay people therefore, CANNOT be MARRIED.
They CAN however, become CIVIL PARTNERS.Even though the MEDIA
may choose to CALL it marriage to sell newspapers.
This Civil Partnership arrangement gives them certain equalities with married people. Along with this, comes
certain RESPONSIBILITIES that are also placed upon married
For example, having to declare their civil partner's income,
savings,investments etc when applying for state benefit.
Certain benefits can STILL be applied for without having to declare this because the government has dragged its feet on changing the wording on certain application forms.
They can DESCRIBE themselves as married, but they are not
ACTUALLY married.
Secondly, they should not be allowed to adopt or bring children into the world artificially. The physical aspect of the way gay people live is contrary to nature.I even know gay people who have co-habited for years who agree with this particular point.
The fact is, that if EVERYONE became gay TOMORROW, the human race would be extinct within 100 years or so. For this reason its contrary to nature and a child should not be brought up to believe that such is natural. (I am trying very hard not to use the word 'normal')
So let them have their 'ceremony', their party afterwards, let them have a happy, long and prosperous life together but the needs of children come first. Its the responsibility of ALL of us to make sure that children receive a balanced view of the world. This can not be achieved in a same sex environment. This, of course, is only my PERSONAL opinion.
Personally I cannot see what all the problem is with gay people having the right to marry, surely giving all people the right to marry means that those people who are in a committed long term relationship can have a way to express that commitment to each other.
By also allowing people to marry it means that they can ensure that their loved one has the same rights as both partners in a hetro-sexual marriage, particularly when it comes to protection in the eyes of the law from an inheritance view point.
By recognising peoples rights to marriage it ensures that from a legal stand point the relationsip is recognised, whilst on the down side this could mean that solicitors will end up making even more money than they already do when inevitably some relationships fail however if people have the benefit of marriage then as a matter of course they also get the right to a divorce.
I know that some people have objections from a religous viewpoint however from my experience the bible can be used to support many different views if you look hard enough and throughout history the church has had to adapt and change as society and culture has changed and in the case of same sex marriage this is just another instance where a change in attitude is required. It is just a shame that it will lead to some divisions in the church over the issue.


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New China/New Americana
Friday, January 28, 2011
11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Ohio State Mansfield Pearl Conard Gallery
1760 University Drive
Mansfield, OH 44906
Presented By: OSU Mansfield
The exhibition will include the works of two artists, Andrew Edwards and Ming Zhou. Edwards, an artist from New York City, likes to create highly realized visions- significant detail with altered perspectives. He works mainly i multicolored acrylic and sometimes in pencil.
Zhou, of Cambridge, Massachusetts, considers his work a critique of China's new middle class. The artist feels China's new middle class blindly mimics things from the West as an expression of "good taste." He exaggerates color contrasts and saturation to make the elements of the paintings look cheap, unclassy and mismatched.
The exhibition is free and open to the public. Gallery hours are 11 am - 4 pm, Monday through Friday.
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thereductor wrote:"Moving to a new body" is a little misleading, as the body and mind of the greater 'being' are both arisen together. But yes, the 'being' does not travel from life to life as a unified thing, but is rather the result of cause and effect on a massive scale. The six elements are impersonal in the sense that none of them is a self, but when acted on by cause and effect they are forced together to create a 'being'. This being responds to the cause and effect (kamma) which is creating it and acting on it, and so it in turn perpetuates the kamma that forces the creation of the 'being' from moment-to-moment and life-to-life.
Now we can see and measure the first five elements, but it is the inclusion of consciousness as an element which can be acted on by events which takes this whole things from the realm of mechanical materialism to the spiritual.
When people struggle with the idea of rebirth I suspect they are struggling with a very subtle perception of having a 'real' self. A 'real' self is not something that can be reconciled with all this talk on the aggregates, rebirth and nibbana.
What I am struggling with is not my perception of the self, but with what's in the suttas. *Something* ties the new being to the old being and I can't figure out what that is. But something does, else how could the Buddha have seen all his past lives? I want to know what the Buddha says it is, and what it arises from, since he clearly says that nothing arises spontaneously.


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May 3, 2013
Overthinking It
This Week in Catcher Framing, 5/3
Let's start with the results of last week's blind framing test. (If you haven't taken it, and you want to know, go back and do it before you see spoilers.) I gave you 10 pairs of pitches, with one called strike and one ball in each pair, and asked you to tell me which was which. The catch was, I cut off the umpire calls at the end of the clips (because, well, it would've been pretty easy otherwise). These were the strikes:
1. Left, Morrow vs. Machado
I received 51 responses via comment, tweet, and email. Here are the results:
Not quite a toss-up, but pretty close. The majority got five right (1, 2, 3, 8, 10) and five wrong (4, 5, 6, 7, 9), with about a 55-45 overall correct rate. The results were sort of skewed by no. 1 and no. 8, which almost all of you called correctly. In no. 1, Nick Hundley pushes an outside pitch farther outside by gloving the ball while his glove is still sweeping away from the center of the plate (and he was already set up outside, so he didn't have to do that). In no. 8, Wilin Rosario waits till the last second and stabs at the ball. Most good receivers relax their wrists after initially presenting the target, which allows them to react quickly to the pitch's trajectory. Rosario sets the target and more or less holds it there until the ball gets to his glove. He's not loose and relaxed.
Both Hundley and Rosario are poor receivers. You perceived that! Where you didn't do so well was nos. 6 and 7, and, well, I don't blame you—I probably would've said the same. On any particular pitch, an umpire can blow a call, a good reception can go unrewarded, or a bad frame can go unpunished. Over the course of a season, that tends to even out.
There was an interesting receiving-related exchange in yesterday's Red Sox-Blue Jays game, relayed to me by @SMcEwen_eh on Twitter. J.A. Happ facing Mike Carp, 1-0 pitch:
The next pitch was in almost exactly the same location, but this time Arencibia caught it cleanly and Toronto got the call.
"That's the art of catching," Martinez continued. "Receiving that ball to a point where you really show the umpire that it's a quality pitch." Arencibia rates as a very poor receiver, and certainly that has to do with his technique. But Martinez and Morris suggested that this has been happening often, so maybe it also has to do with simply not knowing what pitch is on the way to the plate.
Of course, this exchange raises an interesting question: Did Morris teach his catchers to receive to the score?
League Leaders
The Best (min. 30 OZoneStrikes+ZoneBalls)
The Worst (min. 30 OZoneStrikes+ZoneBalls)
This Week in Jose Molina, 4/25-5/01
Weekly Net Strikes: 9
Molina had a heck of a week, saving the Rays nine net strikes in only 22 innings. He was removed from Saturday's game in the fourth inning after being hit by a pitch on the knee, but the 2013 season was saved when he made it back on Monday after a day off on Sunday. Here's his best work of the week:
3. Date: 4/30
2. Date: 4/30
1. Date: 4/30
All of the batters were similarly sad that those were strikes.
This Week in Jonathan Lucroy, 4/25-5/01
Weekly Net Strikes: 4
Lucroy padded his league-leading runs saved total with another week in the black. A few weeks ago, I called Lucroy the king of framing low pitches. This is why:
3. Date: 4/26
1. Date: 4/30
It doesn't seem fair to do that to James McDonald. Pitcher plate appearances should all be caught by Ryan Doumit.
Best Frames of the Week
5. Date: 4/30
And he also recorded the 10th- and 11th-best frames of the week later in the same series. He's not much of a hitter, but the Yankees will survive his offense as long as he keeps catching pitches like that.
4. Date: 5/01
3. Date: 4/30
Not hittable.
2. Date: 4/26
1. Date: 4/29
That's an interesting setup. Molina has a tendency to drop to one knee with a low pitch coming and no one on base, and Corporan does something similar here, getting the call on a low pitch on the outside corner. Corporan is also hitting .360, which is totally sustainable.
Worst Frames of the Week
5. Date: 4/26
Ross is a good receiver, and it doesn't look like he did anything wrong here. He just had the bad fortune to be catching a batter who is roughly half his height. The PITCHf/x operator notes the top and bottom of the strike zone before each at-bat, depending on the hitter's height, so our strike zone data should correct for the fact that Altuve stands only one Altuve in height. Maybe the operator underestimated Altuve's diminutiveness and set the borders too high, which would explain why it shows up as one of the worst frames. Regardless, it's a borderline pitch that didn't go Ross' way. It would be interesting to see whether Altuve gets ball calls often on high pitches that are technically inside his zone.
4. Date: 4/29
Before you frame a pitch, it has to go into your glove.
3. Date: 4/28
Between Hernandez and A.J. Ellis, the Dodgers just aren't getting any extra strikes. Kershaw misses his target, but Hernandez didn't do a great job of adapting (which isn't to say that a better receiver would have gotten that call).
2. Date: 5/01
Our old pal Wilin Rosario, gloving a ball and nudging it outside of the strike zone again. Again, Outman didn't nail the target—it's not a coincidence that there are more missed targets in the worst frames section, than the best frames section—but a better receiver could have made that pitch look a bit better than that.
1. Date: 4/28
Hernandez brings up the rear with another off-balance stab on a pitch over the plate. A season of that is going to get old in Los Angeles.
Thanks to Ryan Lind for research assistance.
Ben Lindbergh is an author of Baseball Prospectus. Follow @benlindbergh
10 comments have been left for this article.
BP Comment Quick Links
Pitcher on #4 of best frames should be Cashner and pitcher on #1 Harrell, no?
May 03, 2013 11:49 AM
I can see why catcher framing is such a popular topic at BP, it really is fascinating and not talked about enough elsewhere. It's crazy how much of a difference Lucroy makes compared to someone highly thought of like Wieters.
May 03, 2013 11:50 AM
Shaun P.
"but the Yankees will survive his offense as long as he keeps catching pitches like that."
May 03, 2013 13:27 PM
FWIW, it seems that there is a tendency for the catchers with the worse frames to be less-centered directly behind the plate. By that, I mean where the catcher is physically positioned behind the plate, not necessarily his mitt. I think this applies to the 4 worst frames of the week (I agree with you on David Ross at #5), whereas you don't see it at all with any of the Molina, Lucroy, 5 best frames, or Ross.
May 04, 2013 07:24 AM
in regards to your comments on high pitches to altuve. from what ive seen it seems he gets a lot of high strikes called on him that are out of his zone but in a more normal zone. but i agree i would be very interested to see some hard data on that.
May 04, 2013 11:14 AM
David Jackson
Why do Yadi and Lucroy lose so many in the zone strike calls (though they get more)? Is there a piece that I missed that addresses this?
May 05, 2013 16:33 PM
Alex Avila has a habit of dropping his glove after giving the sign to the pitcher and then raising it immediately before catching the ball. Seems like poor pitch framing technique with all that extra motion, but he doesn't show up among the worst catchers.
May 09, 2013 09:40 AM
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Just wanted to share this video interview I did with Paul George after the win vs. the Sixers. Threw boxing questions in light of the Manny Pacquiao-Brandon Rios fight and how they were joking about Donald Sloan looking like boxer Adrian Broner. Check it out!!!
(VIDEO) Paul George talks boxing, Pacquiao-Rios, and being in a fight [dSource Interview] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps1kDqDR1ak


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By Jaideep Varma and Jatin Thakkar
Chennai Super Kings 190/3; Kolkata Knight Riders 192/5
(Kolkata Knight Riders won by 5 wickets)
The scorecard of the match is here.
L Balaji was part of the CSK team when they won their first IPL in 2010 and then the Champions Trophy later that year. On Sunday, he helped KKR win their first IPL – by getting injured and not playing.
This is by no means an indictment of Balaji the bowler, who would have been an asset for KKR in this match. But just a recognition of the sequence of events that put Manwinder Bisla in the starting XI. Brett Lee was drafted in Balaji's place, so McCullum had to go out to maintain the foreign players' balance – which put Bisla in as wicketkeeper.
Despite KKR's outstanding consistency right through the tournament, they had one problem that threatened to waylay them at some point. As a team of primarily all-rounders, and the considerable dependence they had on Gambhir with the bat, they were always likely to miss the X-factor that specialist talent brings in a big match situation, in a leading role (as opposed to playing a support role). It is always iffy to rely on all-rounders to deliver that consistently in one specialist role.
This X-factor performance is what Bisla delivered in the final, completely out of the blue, and won the match almost single-handedly for his team. Kallis played a very significant support role, but without Bisla's propulsion at the top, under difficult circumstances, KKR would have been behind the eight ball for too long for any support role to be rendered meaningful. Shakib Al Hasan and Manoj Tiwary played with heart near the end, but if you look at it closely, they really only did their job, given the circumstances. If they had not managed to take KKR home from that position, it would have been a palpable failure on their part.
CSK had one weak spot that they needed to guard against, and that was their bowling (given how low impact it was, as pointed out here. They needed to be disciplined (as they had been in the two playoff games) but sadly, their looseness harked back to the league phases when they were erratic. Only Hilfenhaus showed control, and he too lost it in his last over, as full-tosses were offered repeatedly. It is in this department that CSK lost the game.
Here is the match through the Impact Index prism.
27-year-old Manvinder Bisla was the highest impact player and also the highest impact batsman in the match (89 off 48 balls; IMPACT 7.67). This was the first big match/ tournament defining performance in his T20 career and also the highest impact performance in his entire career. This was some timing. Before IPL 2012, Bisla's T20 Batting IMPACT was 1.31 in 35 matches with a 54% failure-rate. His IPL Batting IMPACT was a mere 1.16 in 15 matches. But in IPL 2012, he already had a Batting IMPACT of 1.84 in 6 matches before this final. The signs of a highly improved player were there – this performance will hopefully take him to the next level.
Despite so many all-rounders in both sides, Jacques Kallis delivered the only all-round performance in the match (1-34 in 4 overs, IMPACT 1.63; 69 off 49 balls; IMPACT 5.17) – the second T20 tournament-defining performance of his career. His IPL 2012 IMPACT of 3.01 has even topped his formidable T20 Career IMPACT of 2.64. He has been one of the rocks for KKR this season.
Bisla and Kallis were actually also the only players to absorb pressure in the match (of falling wickets; their Pressure IMPACT was 0.57 apiece), as Gambhir was out with the score at 3. It turned out to be the most crucial partnership of the match (136 in 82 balls), of course.
Gautam Gambhir ended as the second-highest impact batsman in IPL 2012 (after you-know-who) and Sunil Narine ended as the highest impact bowler of the tournament. Both failed comprehensively in this match, failing to register an IMPACT of 1.
It is interesting that CSK had 4 performances over an IMPACT of 2 in the match, whereas KKR had just 3. And that KKR had 2 players who registered zero impact (Shukla and Pathan) whereas CSK had no such player (though Jakati came close). CSK also lost 3 wickets while KKR lost 5. All this further underlines how much of an individual effort Bisla's effort was in the final (with just one superb support performance, from Kallis). They got their X-factor player at just the right time – from quite an unlikely source.
Equally interestingly, the highest impact bowling performance in the match actually came from CSK – from Ben Hilfenhaus (2-25 in 4 overs; IMPACT 4.04) – he was actually the only bowler from both sides to register an IMPACT of over 2 in the match. And yet, those full-tosses in his last over (and the game's second-last) played a big part in the match entirely slipping away from his team's grasp, especially as 16 runs required in 7 balls transformed to 9 runs in 6.
For CSK, Suresh Raina was the highest impact player in the match. His batting performance (73 off 38 balls; IMPACT 5.17) looked like it had turned the match decisively for CSK at half-time. Interestingly, Kallis registered exactly the same Batting IMPACT as him while making 69 off 49 for KKR in the second innings. While Raina registered considerable Strike Rate IMPACT, Kallis' impact for absorbing pressure and chasing the target down brought him at parity with Raina – an interesting insight that makes the impact of Kallis' partnership with Bisla even clearer.
Due to CSK having their team's impact spread over more players than KKR, and other quirks (such as losing 3 wickets to KKR's 5, and having more high impact players than KKR in the match), a mathematical oddity of CSK registering a higher Team IMPACT (1.57 to KKR's 1.41) ensues. But this also gives an indication that CSK should have won this game even on this day's performance but were denied because of an outstanding individual brilliance. And it came from the team that was more likely to scrap as a team than produce individual brilliance (other than Gambhir or Narine). From a player who produced the highest impact T20 performance of his life, by a mile.
The delightful uncertainty of sport prevailed … but equally, consistency was rightly rewarded, and a worthy champion crowned.
For more information, please go to www.impactindexcricket.com.