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The Money Pitch
The Widening gap between rich and poor teams means only a handful will have a shot at the World Series
(continued from page 5)
But as many as 15 of the 30 Major League clubs—possibly more—have virtually no chance of winning the World Series. Their dim prospects don't stem from a deficit in runs scored or high earned run averages or any of the standard statistical barometers for that matter. Their problem is more basic: they simply lack the cash to field a championship team.
Of the eight teams that made the playoffs in 2001, six spent between $75 million and $109 million on payroll. The only playoff contenders spending under $75 million were Houston ($60 million) and Oakland ($33 million). Both were eliminated in first-round division series.
Sixteen other teams spending under $75 million sat out the playoffs.
"From 1995 through 2001, only four teams from the bottom half of payrolls reached the postseason, and combined, they won a total of five out of 224 games," says Andrew Zimbalist, Robert A. Woods professor of economics at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, and the author of Baseball and Billions: A Probing Look Inside the Business of Our National Pastime, an award-winning study of baseball business from Civil War times to the present.
"There is a stacking of the deck; the most problematic part of that stacking of the deck is that there are teams at the top that spend so far above everyone else in payroll. There is clear evidence today that the problem is not just the Yankees, but it is the growing disparity between the top and bottom revenue teams.
"Just over a decade ago, in 1989, the revenue difference between the highest and lowest teams was around $30 million. By 1999, this difference grew more than fivefold, to more than $160 million. When you get to the top handful of teams, they are not spending five or ten percent more than the teams below them, they are not just spending 100 percent more, or 200 percent more."
The advantages of the rich teams reach to 300 and 400 percent and beyond. Last year, the Yankees and the Red Sox led the way with payrolls of more than $109 million each, while Oakland and Minnesota held up the rear at $33 million and $24 million, respectively.
At the outset of Major League Baseball's 132nd season, how dire are some teams' hopes of winning? Consider the numbers:
-The Minnesota Twins won the World Series in 1991, the last time a team with a payroll in the bottom half won a championship. The Twins were 17th in payroll that year, spending just $22.5 million.
-A difference of more than $85 million separated the 2001 payrolls of the highest team, the New York Yankees, with $109,791,893, and the lowest team, the Minnesota Twins, with $24,300,000. This awesome disparity is not even the greatest ever. In 2000, the Yankees spent $113,365,867, nearly $98 million more than the Twins' bottom- feeding $15,822,000.
-Before last season, the last time a team not in the top five in payroll was in a World Series was 1998, when the San Diego Padres, who ranked 10th with a payroll of $53 million, were swept by the Yankees.
-The 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks ranked eighth in spending ($81,206,523) and won the World Series. It was the first time in nine World Series that a winning team ranked that low.
-In the 25 years since 1977, seven teams ranked below the top 10 in spending have won the World Series. But only one—Minnesota in 1991—has won any of the last 10 Series. (See table of Series winners since 1977 and where they ranked in payroll, page 109).
In addition, teams that once had winning traditions seem to have little or no chance today. Since the 1970s, teams like Kansas City, Milwaukee and Detroit have enjoyed successful runs. Now, ranked in the bottom half of payrolls, these three clubs have not only failed to win a World Series, but not one has won a pennant, division or wild card in 15 years. (Milwaukee won the pennant in 1982, Kansas City won the World Series in 1985, and Detroit won its division in 1987.)
Moreover, the problem is one of image, not just numbers. "The perception of the fan is also relevant," says Zimbalist. "It's not an absolute measure. In absolute measures, the Yankee dynasty of the last five years is no worse than the Yankee dynasty of 1949—53. The perception is the greater problem today than it was then because it's more on the table. The money [George] Steinbrenner is spending is all there for everyone to see.
"Baseball once stood alone on the pedestal of team sports. But today, baseball is seriously challenged by the NFL and the NBA as well as by a growing list of new professional sports and entertainment options on television and the Internet. So baseball has to care more about fan sensitivity to these issues since fans have so many more options now."
If fans perceive unfairness, baseball risks losing its prestige and—in the lexicon of advertising—market share. "What you're really interested in competitive balance is what turns the fans on and what turns the fans off," says Zimbalist. "What fans respond to is a sense of hope for their team, a sense of fairness in the process. And insofar as they respond to outcomes, I think they are much more inclined to respond to winners of championships, winners of divisions, and so on than they are to winning percentage. Keep in mind, that inequality isn't necessarily bad. Any rational league would want to have some inequality toward the larger cities. Because you get more rating points if the Yankees are in the Series than if the Oakland A's are. You don't want perfect equality. It tends to be a turn-on to have a king of the hill to go after."
Recent evidence also shows that payroll alone doesn't take you to the promised land. Baltimore, Anaheim and Los Angeles have been emptying the vault lately and the last of them to win a Series was Los Angeles in 1988. Even the Yankees were spending a lot of money 10 years ago without results. They finished 67-95 in 1990, leading conservative pundit George Will to quip, "As the Yankees have recently shown, the absence of baseball acumen in the front office can be a great leveler, regardless of financial assets."
Among the top-ranking teams in payroll last year, five—Toronto, Los Angeles, Texas, Boston and the New York Mets—didn't make the postseason. Seattle ranked 11th in payroll, yet tied a Major League record with 116 wins. So the correlation between high payrolls and a high won-lost percentage is imperfect. The best that can be said is that payrolls influence the outcomes and create a greater probability of one outcome over another. Predictions fit the realm of inductive logic and probability, not deductive logic and certainty. "The correlations between payroll and performance for the last five years is that payroll explains about 30 to 40 percent in the variations in performance," Professor Zimbalist says. "That leaves 60 to 70 percent of the variation explained by other factors. There's no guarantee that you're going to win by spending a lot more money. It's just more likely that you'll win."
So the phrase "economy is destiny" overstates the case. But is there any chance for a team in the lower half of the payroll rankings to win the World Series in 2002? Economist Charles R. Link is unequivocal in his answer. "No; it's purely accidental if it happens." A professor at the University of Delaware, Link thinks that payrolls are highly predictive of outcomes. "I feel that I can predict the five or six teams that are going to be in the World Series next year. And I'll be shocked if one of those five or six is not there." Who are the contenders? "Well, the Yankees are one of them. Could be Boston because Boston just got bought by an owner who has the resources and they paid a humongous amount of money for the franchise. I see Atlanta. I see Arizona. I see Seattle. The Mets are going to be there; they just invested a lot in beefing up the team. Cleveland will be there. And I think eventually Texas will get back into it, because they've got the money to start buying. One thing they didn't buy was pitching." But if predictive power is so assured, should Minnesota, Tampa Bay, Montreal, Kansas City and a few other low payroll clubs just pack it in? "No," says Roger I. Abrams, the dean of Northeastern University School of Law and author of The Money Pitch: Baseball Free Agency and Salary Arbitration. "It just means that someone who is rich has to buy those teams. But if you're not ready to put money into the team, don't play the game. You don't go out on the field without a glove. Don't go out and own a club unless you're willing to put in the money it's going to take. If you're almost rich, I think that's nice, but go play another game." What makes this money talk more urgent from the money talk of decades before? It all changed in the 1990s.
At the outset of the '90s, hopes for competitive balance in baseball were high. A new national television contract with CBS and ESPN for 1990 through 1993—together with growing central licensing, superstation and Copyright Royalty Tribunal revenues—funneled some $19 million a year to each team. In 1990, $19 million was nearly 40 percent of average team revenues.
A significant change occurred in 1994, when baseball's new national television contract fell by more than 60 percent. Compounding the bad news for the small-market teams was that big-market teams were earning more than $40 million a year in unshared local media revenues. The gap between rich and poor was widening. Then, too, this was the era of new, big-revenue-generating stadiums, ushered in by Camden Yards (Baltimore) in 1992. Camden was followed by Jacobs Field (Cleveland) and The Ballpark in Arlington, Texas, both in 1994, and Turner Field (Atlanta) in 1997. "With centrally distributed monies below $10 million per club," Zimbalist says, "teams with a big market or new stadium found themselves with a rapidly growing revenue advantage. The ratio of richest to poorest in payroll has thus grown to unprecedented proportions."
Baseball's caste system was set. But to some this talk of money elicits a shrug. Rich owners and poor owners—so what? That's nothing new. Teams have always won because of some monetary advantage.
The owners ruled the roost from baseball's beginning. A reserve clause was instituted by owners in 1879, eight years after the beginning of the National Association, baseball's first major league. The reserve system chained players to their teams in perpetuity. Salaries were capped at $2,500 for the vast majority of players in the 1880s. Poor teams sold players to rich teams just to survive. While player sales were becoming commonplace, the players didn't profit from them: the productive values of players were not marketed but traded between owners. Albert Spalding, who pitched for Boston and the Chicago White Stockings of the National League before becoming the owner of the latter, admitted later that he earned $750,000 from his Chicago club in the late 1880s.
The reserve system held salaries in check, even as attendance boomed. Baseball attendance in 1910 reached an unprecedented 7.25 million, and future Hall of Fame players like Ty Cobb and Christy Mathewson earned $9,000. The average salary, however, was a paltry $1,200. Competition from a new circuit in 1915, the Federal League, spiked the average to $2,800. Cobb's salary jumped to $20,000. During this time, players might earn as much as $3,000 extra if their team won the World Series (sometimes more).
The wealth of owners at the time didn't show up in team payroll but took a different form. The Yankees of the 1920s bought the Red Sox's best players when Boston owner Harry Frazee needed financing for his Broadway show No, No, Nanette. Salary dumping was nothing new. Connie Mack, whose Philadelphia A's had won three World Series from 1910 to 1913, began selling off his stars after losing to Boston's "Miracle" Braves in the 1914 Series. He even unloaded his so-called "$100,000 infield" of Stuffy McInnis, Eddie Collins, Jack Barry and Frank "Home Run" Baker. (After building the team up again and winning three straight pennants and two World Series with the A's of 1929—31, Mack again sold stars because the Great Depression caused attendance to fall off sharply after the 1931 season.)
Both leagues made a profit every year from 1920 to 1930, with the Yankees leading the way with a reported profit of $3.5 million. Babe Ruth was a symbol of their outsized wealth, though his salary was singular. The median salary on the historic 1927 Yankees was $7,000; Ruth earned $70,000 that year. Ruth's salary hit $80,000 in 1930, higher than President Herbert Hoover's $75,000. When someone mentioned the discrepancy, Ruth replied, "What the hell does Hoover have to do with it? Besides, I had a better year than he had."
An owner's right to hold players forever, or trade them at whim, ended nearly 100 years after it began. In 1969, Curt Flood challenged baseball's reserve clause. The St. Louis Cardinals had a poor season in 1969 and decided to trade Flood and others for Philadelphia slugger Richie Allen. Flood was making $90,000 with St. Louis; Philadelphia offered $100,000 and then increased it to $110,000. "There ain't no way I'm going to pack up and move 12 years of my life away from here," Flood insisted to reporters. He sued, challenging baseball's reserve clause. Flood lost the case before the U.S. Supreme Court in a 5 to 3 decision. Justice Harry Blackmun said the proper way to revise baseball was in Congress, by legislative action, not by judicial action. But Flood's challenge emboldened other players and they slowly chipped away at the reserve clause.
By 1973, players had won the right to salary arbitration, thanks to a concession negotiated by Players Association head Marvin Miller in his first Basic Agreement with the owners. As the World Series was about to begin in 1974, Jim "Catfish" Hunter, that year's American League Cy Young award winner with 25 wins, decided to terminate his contract with the Oakland Athletics after the season. Oakland owner Charlie Finley had failed to make an agreed-upon $50,000 payment (half of Hunter's salary) into a life insurance fund. Hunter cited Section 7A of the Standard Player Contract, which stated "…the player may terminate his contract upon written notice to the Club, if the Club shall default in the payments the player provided for…." Arbitrator Peter Seitz voided the contract.
While Seitz's decision was only indirectly related to free agency, the bidding war that ensued for Hunter's services was a harbinger of things to come. Representatives from 15 Major League clubs descended on Ahoskie, North Carolina, near Hunter's home, and participated in a 13-day bidding period. Hunter eventually signed a five-year deal with the Yankees for $3.75 million, including a $1 million signing bonus.
In 1975, pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally challenged the reserve clause in a new way. Miller observed that the standard player's contract bound a player for one year. But what if a player didn't sign a contract while playing for his team that year—would he then become a free agent? Management claimed that the player would still be reserved by his team. The dispute went to an arbitrator and again Seitz ruled in the players' favor, saying that the option year in every contract was just that: one option year that could not be renewed perpetually. Now players could fulfill their contracts and then sign with the highest bidder. McNally and Messersmith refused to sign contracts with Baltimore and Los Angeles, respectively, and became free agents. Miller cautioned players against flooding the free agent market and thereby hurting their own bargaining position.
The owners tried to arouse fear by arguing that minus a reserve system, baseball would be ruled by the wealthiest teams. Free agency would have dire consequences for competitive balance, they warned. Many media members, fans and players believed this. It couldn't have been further from the truth.
In the first 16 years of free agency, from 1976 through 1991, 13 different teams won the World Series; only the Yankees (1977—78) won back-to-back championships. Fans could enjoy unpredictable World Series matchups like Pittsburgh and Baltimore, Philadelphia and Kansas City, St. Louis and Milwaukee, Philadelphia and Baltimore, San Diego and Detroit, and San Francisco and Oakland. One wonders if some of those matchups would even be possible now. The perennially inept Washington Senators won in 1924. The 1950 Phillies and the 1959 White Sox—both pennant winners—had a kind of small-scale charm. The New York Mets went from ninth place in 1968 to a World Series title in 1969 against the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles. But will we see their unlikely equivalents in years to come? Not if the trend of the last 10 years is any indication.
Since 1991, when Minnesota edged Atlanta in the 10th inning in one of the most thrilling World Series ever, the Braves and the Yankees have made up nine of the 18 Series contestants, with Toronto (twice), Cleveland (twice), Philadelphia, Florida, San Diego, the New York Mets and Arizona making up the rest. (No World Series was held in 1994 due to a players' strike.) While nine different teams out of a possible 18 signals a frightening, dynastic dominance to some, that's more variation than in the 1950s, when only seven different teams competed in the World Series—mostly the Yankees and the Dodgers—and not far behind the 1940s, when 11 different teams competed.
Marvin Miller thinks it was harder for most teams to win the World Series 50 or 60 years ago, unless they were one of a few elite teams. "The Yankees won 14 American League pennants in 16 years [1949—1964] and most of the World Series in that period. And in those years, it didn't matter what your payroll was.
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News Release
Media Contact: TPWD News, firstname.lastname@example.com, 512-389-8030
Nov. 7, 2005
Lake Houston State Park Transfer Proposed
AUSTIN, Texas — On Nov. 3, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission heard a proposal to transfer Lake Houston State Park from the state park system to the City of Houston. Commissioners directed Texas Parks and Wildlife Department staff to move forward with formal negotiation with the city and to hold a Dec. 5 local meeting to get public input. The commission could approve the transfer at its Jan. 25 meeting.
Key factors behind the proposed transfer include low public visitation of the state park and a lack of state resources to fully realize public opportunity there, assurances through a legally binding agreement that there would be no change in the park's current recreational character or natural resource and historical characteristics, and clear enthusiasm from the city and counties involved to assume management of the park.
"Because of the financial constraints facing the Texas state park system, and the fact that here we appear to have local partners who have the passion and resources to do a good job of resource stewardship and public service, this transfer looks positive for the park and its resources, for the public and for government," said Robert L. Cook, TPWD executive director. "But, we will do our due diligence as we move forward to make sure this is the right thing to do."
This park lies in three political jurisdictions: the City of Houston, Harris County and Montgomery County. Because the city has all of the park acreage in its ETJ, it is the only government entity eligible for transfer of the entire park.
"We're constantly trying to expand our available recreation opportunities, preserve our green space and improve the quality of life for citizens," said Houston Mayor Bill White at an event to announce the proposed project locally on Oct. 28. "This park project shows what good can be accomplished when we all pull together to make it happen."
The mayor emphasized that with the requested transfer, Houston would gain significant resources to serve its northern metropolitan area. A city news release said "rapid growth in north Harris and south Montgomery County areas begs for the preservation of Lake Houston State Park in the face of impending area development and state budget constraints."
"Planning, preserving and partnering for today and tomorrow is what this effort is all about," said Joe Turner, Houston Parks and Recreation Department director. "Twenty years from now Lake Houston State Park will be surrounded by residential development. What a marvel it will be to have an incredible 5,000-acre park right in the middle of such a development for everyone to enjoy."
Lake Houston State Park contains 4,919.5 acres and is located near New Caney, thirty miles northwest of Houston. The state park was purchased from Champion Paper Company in 1981 and was opened for day-use in 1992; overnight use began in 1995.
The park is situated at the confluence of Caney Creek and the East Fork of the San Jacinto River and extends northward to FM 1485. The terrain consists of many bayous, lakes and canals. Most parts of the park are heavily wooded.
In the early 1980's, the state purchased 4,710 acres from Champion Realty Corporation. In 1990, 202 adjacent acres were bought from the San Jacinto Girl Scout Council, which had been home to Peach Creek Girl Scout Camp since 1955. The Girl Scout Camp and Horse Ranch lodges, camping areas, and trails have all been updated for state park use. Current activities include camping, nature study, bird watching, hiking, biking and horseback riding.
Fiscal year 2005 revenue generated by the state park was $41,695. Annual expenses include about $125,000 in personnel costs and $61,000 in operating expenses.
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text: WVU offense not seeing many blitzes By Dave Hickman September 20, 2012 Story Share MORGANTOWN - There was a point last season - much of last season, in fact - when Geno Smith was just getting hammered by opposing defenses.In the first 11 games of 2011, in fact, he or backup Paul Millard were sacked at least once in every game except - oddly enough - the one against LSU. In a six-game stretch beginning at midseason, opponents averaged more than three sacks per game. Cincinnati and Pitt combined to drop Smith nine times.A funny thing happened on the way to being permanently battered and bruised, though. Smith stopped getting hit. In the four games since - South Florida and Clemson last season, Marshall and James Madison this - Smith has been sacked just once. Even his instances of getting hit at all have all but disappeared.The easy answer to why is that West Virginia's offensive line has performed better, which is probably true. But there's another, perhaps more significant, reason.Teams have just stopped blitzing."You're right, we hadn't seen much of that for a while,'' offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson said.Why? Well, go back to those same stat sheets that showed Cincinnati dropping Smith four times and Pitt five. Taken alone they are perhaps impressive. But the fact is that with Cincinnati blitzing, Smith threw for 372 yards and a touchdown and the Mountaineers knocked off the then-No. 18 Bearcats on the road. And Pitt gave up 244 passing yards, saw Smith throw just nine incompletions and the Panthers lost 21-20. In other words, there's a risk to committing too many defenders to the pass rush against a seasoned quarterback with big-play receivers. And for the most part, the teams the Mountaineers have faced since then have not been willing to take that chance.James Madison did, though, especially late in the first half and in the second against the Mountaineers last Saturday. And while the results were not what the Dukes had hoped - Smith still hasn't been sacked since the South Florida game last season - they weren't what the Mountaineers hoped, either.That high-powered offense floundered a bit against the blitz, which should only encourage future opponents to do more of it. West Virginia's reaction? Bring it on."When people blitz and take chances, that should get our guys excited,'' Dawson said. "It's a chance for a big play. It has to be a mindset that we have to keep hammering home, that we want them to blitz.'' After not facing much pressure since early last December, though, Smith and the offense need to be a bit more prepared than they were against JMU."It's got a little bit to do with timing because you have to speed up your routes,'' Dawson said. "You've got to speed up your routes, and obviously the quarterback's got to get the ball out of his hand quicker. So it would behoove us to get open quicker.''Again, as it turned out, the blitz by James Madison didn't result in any sacks, but Smith did get hit a few times after releasing the ball, and big plays against the blitz were rare. He usually wound up scrambling or throwing the ball away."He got caught a couple of times and he got hit a couple of times,'' said coach Dana Holgorsen. "It was actually good to see James Madison hit us up like that because we hadn't seen that very much. We hadn't seen that very much for some time and we have to be able to recognize it and we to have be able to communicate up front as far as what's going on.'' For the most part the offensive line handled the pressure fairly well, but even that group wasn't entirely prepared."One time we had a miscommunication and one time they brought seven guys and we had six guys blocking,'' line coach Bill Bedenbaugh said. "That's the thing in pass protection, they can always outman you, every single down, if they want to.''They can also pick on younger players on that line. The interior of the line - center Joe Madsen and guards Josh Jenkins and Jeff Braun - know all about blitzes, having started a combined 92 games. Tackles Pat Eger and Quinton Spain, though, are fresh faced by comparison. But together they should be better at handling pressure now that they've been awoken to the fact that teams will still bring it."Those three guys have been playing together for a long time. We put a lot on those three guys, and they didn't play too well this past week,'' Holgorsen said. "They were relatively soft and their communication wasn't very good. We're going to challenge them to get better.''Just as importantly, though, Smith and his receivers and backs have to speed things up and learn to relish pressure."I know I say this all the time, but it really doesn't matter what they do,'' Dawson said. "It can't be about [the defense]. It's not about them. Did [JMU] change their scheme? Yes. Was it something we can't execute against? No. We just have to do our job.'' Reach Dave Hickman at 304-348-1734 or firstname.lastname@example.com or follow him at Twitter.com/dphickman1. Story Share Story Share Trending Now 1 Police seek car driven by woman found dead in Kanawha River 2 Teen pleads guilty to involuntary manslaughter in Oakes Field shooting 3 Facebook founder visits Cabin Creek Health Systems 4 Man allegedly cuts father in Rand over argument about sandwich 5 Esa Ahmad ineligible for first half of WVU men's basketball season WVU's Braun up for Senior CLASS Award Previous Story Family and friends: Historic Rice Stadium just doesn't pack 'em in Next Story


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Celebrate Teen Read Week @ Your Library! Teen Read Week is a celebration of teens reading for fun!
Submit a photo of yourself or one of your friends reading. Photo format: jpg - 300 dpi or higher. Email your entry to firstname.lastname@example.com by Saturday, October 19. Include your name, age, grade, and school in your email. Multiple entries will be accepted. Have fun with the contest. Be creative! First prize is a $50 gift card!See the winning entries on our blog!
Come see how the pros do it. Learn how to apply Zombie make-up with Special Effects Artist Brian Stock. Be ready to discuss all things Zombie.Wednesday, October 16 @ 4pm, Hastings Branch LibraryClick to see a video of the program
"Seek the Unknown" Sci-fi edition! Celebrate with themed snacks and activities. Discuss new books, nibble on sci-fi cookies, and make your own clock! Registration required. Call (626) 744-4066, option 4 for reservations.Thursday, October 17 @ 7pm, Central Library/Teen CentralSee photos and read a recap on our blog
Seek an unknown adventure! Bring your leftover reading or old favorites and swap them for with some great stuff for your next rainy day reading. Young adult and middle grade books would be best. The book swap is open to all ages, but since it's Teen Read Week, teens can pick up a free book while supplies last!This event is co-sponsored by the YA Book Council. For more info, visit yabookcouncil.comSaturday, October 19 @ 2pm, Central Library/Teen PatioClick to view photos on our blog!
For more teen programs, view the Events Calendar.


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Modus.Ponens wrote:My understanding is that she ordained in the chinese vinaya, but her teachings were theravada.
hermitwin wrote:the simple reason is she could not ordain as a nun in theravada.
there were no theravada nuns at that time.
lojong1 wrote:Just listened to Ayya Khema for the first time, I'm all giddy now.
alan... wrote:lojong1 wrote:Just listened to Ayya Khema for the first time, I'm all giddy now.
isn't she wonderful? i bought "who is my self" which is a book on meditation by her.
lojong1 wrote:alan... wrote:lojong1 wrote:Just listened to Ayya Khema for the first time, I'm all giddy now.
isn't she wonderful? i bought "who is my self" which is a book on meditation by her.
Local library has this and 'i give you my life' and 'being nobody, going nowhere.'
Who is that person, who needs more? A figment of our own imagination, fighting windmills. That "more" is never ending. One can go from country to country, from person to person. There are billions of people on this globe; it's hardly likely that we will want to see every one of them, or even one-hundredth, a lifetime wouldn't be enough to do so. We may choose twenty or thirty people and then go from one to the next and back again, moving from one activity to another, from one idea to another. We are fighting against our own dukkha and don't want to admit that the windmills in our heart are self-generated. We believe somebody put them up against us, and by moving we can escape from them.
Few people come to the final conclusion that these windmills are imaginary, that one can remove them by not endowing them with strength and importance. That we can open our hearts without fear and gently, gradually let go of our preconceived notions and opinions, views and ideas, suppressions and conditioned responses. When all that is removed, what does one have left? A large, open space, which one can fill with whatever one likes. If one has good sense, one will fill it with love, compassion and equanimity. Then there is nothing left to fight. Only joy and peacefulness remain, which cannot be found outside of oneself. It is quite impossible to take anything from outside and put it into oneself.There is no opening in us through which peace can enter. We have to start within and work outward.Unless that becomes clear to us, we will always find another crusade.
nem wrote:So, I would run on that machine, running through the pain and through the sweat, just hearing Ayya Khema's words, and remembering that I can keep running, mind is the master of the body, watch the mind, and have awareness of what it is trying to do with the body! The mind was always making excuses. But, when pain came, or exhaustion came, I stopped the mind and just let the body keep moving. 30 pounds of weight gone in a matter of months with only a simple elliptical machine and Ayya Khema's slow calm talks playing while I was running fast.
hermitwin wrote:i would love to read 'i give you my life'. can you post some excerpts or give us a synopsis of the book?
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Jurrah reportedly held after fresh assault claims
Former Melbourne half-forward Liam Jurrah has reportedly been held in custody in Alice Springs overnight after a series of alleged assaults.
If charged, he will face an Alice Springs court later today.
Jurrah was last week acquitted of assaulting his cousin Basil in a violent brawl last year that helped end his AFL career.
Jurrah, 24, was due to appear in a Elisabeth magistrates court in South Australia this morning to face an aggravated assault charge, but he failed to appear. Jurrah's lawyer Joanna Caracoussis told the court that he was staying in the Northern Territory for the delayed funeral of his grandfather, who passed away last year.
However, the charge is to be dropped.
Jurrah's bail required him to attend the on Thursday on a charge of aggravated assault in Adelaide in January.
Ms Caracoussis said the funeral was postponed on the day last week when a NT Supreme Court jury acquitted Jurrah.
The new date has not been set, she added.
Magistrate David McLeod said Jurrah was probably taking the indulgence of the court in assuming that "by simply referring to the fact he is attending an Aboriginal funeral that that somehow gives him a free kick".
"It is not up to defendants to determine whether they attend court or not," he said.
"It is up to them to follow the law."
Mr McLeod said he could understand the necessity of attending a funeral if it was imminent, but if no date had been set "it seems somewhat unsatisfactory".
The police prosecutor said the alleged victim had signed a form saying she did not wish to proceed with the aggravated assault charge.
The magistrate said if the prosecutor had said the assault matter was proceeding, he would have issued a warrant for Jurrah's arrest.
Instead, he issued a warrant which is to lie on the file until his next appearance date on May 2. He directed Ms Caracoussis to provide the court, within the next 48 hours, with evidence corroborating the statement that Jurrah was attending a funeral and to give the date of the funeral.
If that did not occur, he gave the prosecution leave to bring the matter back to court.On Tuesday, Jurrah failed to appear in the same court on a drink-driving charge. Another magistrate issued a warrant, but it will only be activated if Jurrah fails to turn up at Elizabeth Magistrates Court on April 2.
Jurrah had hopes of resuming his football career after being cleared, and planned to play in the Central Australian league.
Jurrah had lived in Adelaide since being delisted by Melbourne last year, where he also faces a separate charge of drink driving.
Jurrah was Melbourne's leading goalkicker in 2011 and won the award for the AFL's mark of the year in 2010.
Jurrah spoke no English when he first left his desert homeland, and his elevation to the Demons' senior team was hailed at the time as one of the AFL's greatest stories.
- with AAP
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Moderators: Timko, Fritz, Solty, Booter, Blake_T, Frank Delicious
honkeytiger wrote:Just curious of the best course in each state. I am doing a wide sweeping trip of the west and was looking to play the best courses possible.
Discobedience wrote:I can only vouch for Maine (and soon Europe). These are three pemiere courses, imo.
Ackers Acres in Bowdoinham, ME
Woodland Valley in Limerick, ME
And Sabattus in Sabattus, ME
tgm wrote:Not having played all of the course here in MN yet (but all the metro ones), my vote would go for Blue Ribbon Pines.
Cavere wrote: I hear Diamond X is quite the course
AciDBatH666 wrote:In Louisiana, I'd have to say in the southern part of the state, Flanacher in Zachary is one of the top ones. It's pretty new and in a really nice park.
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Question for the Money Doctors
Question submitted on Apr 15, 2010.
QuestionWhat should students know (financially) before graduating high school?
The below are some places to secure good information for high school students.
In terms of topics to know as a high school student, you should know the following;
1. The majority of financial literacy is not mathematics, but language related. For instance, a credit card interest rate is the component that the mathematics are applied to. There may be between two to four rates in a credit card contract. However, the pages of the contract are written in English. It is the contract that must be read so that you know what your duties and obligations are.
2. You should find as much information as you can on saving and investing. When I teach, I talk about the Three Key Pillars of Investment Wisdom. There are many more of course, but very few people understand what these simple rules of thumb are, and that would result in a dramatically different result for them.
The Pillars are:
- Rule of 72s,
- How to measure risk (Standard Deviation, you may have had a course on this already, but this is typically in University curriculum), and
- Alpha.
These Key Pillars measure:
- How long it will take to double your investment,
- How much your investment can rise and fall, and
- Whether the money manager is less effective, as effective, or more effective than just throwing your investments in a related index.
For additional information visit http://www.360financialliteracy.org/


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Elkay EHW214FPK
EHW214FPK ADA Wall Mount Single Level Heavy Duty 14 Gauge Soft Sides Fountain with Freeze Protection: Stainless Steel
Almost a century ago, a father and son duo founded the company now known as Elkay with a plan to make the best sinks in the market and deliver excellent service to each and every one of their customers. Fast forward to the present time and that same spirit of commitment to quality and customer satisfaction is still very alive and well. While staying true to their mission, Elkay has grown and gained significant market share in the bathroom and kitchen market to the point where they re one of the best respected names in the business. Firmly believing that sinks are no longer required to have a traditional square or oval shape has freed Elkay to make waves in sink design today. More a work of art than a plain old sink, Elkay has proven that the art factor is indeed in high demand these days. Whether it is a kitchen sink , bar sink , or bathroom sink , Elkay products are beautiful creations that can transform an otherwise plain home into something sensational to behold. Consider Elkay as your trusted provider of quality kitchen and bathroom components. Available at AppliancesConnection
- Wall mounted drinking fountain
- Contoured basin to minimize splashing
- Vandal-resistant bubblers, and push-button
- Keyed in location to prevent rotation
- Bottom cover plate included
- Flow regulator provides constant stream from 20 to 105 psi water pressure
- ADA compliant
- No lead design
- Base Flow Rate: 0
- Rated Watts: 0
- Full Load Amps: 0
- Shipping Weight: 25 lbs
- Fountain Type: Standard
- Installation Type: Wall
- Hands Free Operation: No
- Voltage: 0
- Height: 23-7/8"
- Width: 18"
- Depth: 10"
- Vandal Resistant Bubbler: Yes
- Freeze Protection: Yes
- Glass Filler: No
Be the first to ask a questionAsk A Question
Be the first to review this productWrite A Review
- Brand:Elkay
- Stock Id:206343
- Product Number:EHW214FPK
- Width:18"
- Depth:10"
- Installation Type:Wall
- Height:23-7/8"
- Approximate Shipping Weight:25 lbs
- Fountain Type:Standard
- Weight:25.00 lbs


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Women's Maddie Powers
Brighten up your work day with fresh designs by Maddie Powers. These simplistic yet sassy designs coupled with vintage images make this Collection stand apart from everyday boring laptop cases. Incorporating actual pulp magazine images from the 40's and 50's, both the Men's and the Women's Collection offer style unparalleled to others. Laptop bags have never looked this good.
Maddie Powers Messenger - Purple
Regular Price: $89.99
Special Price: $59.99 (33% Off)


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Warriors stadium is too loud
As I sit in my living room two blocks from the new architectural masterpiece that is the Warriors stadium, I am overwhelmed by the noise of the announcers and the game music. A peaceful family night at home will not be happening. While the sounds of the once-a-week Boardwalk concerts coming from the other side of the hill during summer are kind of charming, this sound is repetitive, very loud and annoying. If this sort of sound were coming from any other venue other than the one the council made a sweetheart deal for, it would be repeatedly cited by our local law enforcement and eventually shut down. The City Council needs to either open the doors for any music venue to be as loud as they want, or address the noise pollution problem they've just created.
Philip Rosenblum, Santa Cruz
Cost of development
I read with great interest the op-ed piece by Mayor Hilary Bryant and Councilman David Terrazas in the Sentinel Dec. 30. The theme was helping small businesses, and it sounded like the Republican playbook from the last election campaign. Like the Republicans, it was all about helping small businesses and precious little about the environment and the character of Santa Cruz, reasons why we moved here.
Here is a challenge to the mayor and City Council: Let's apply business practices to these development projects and compute the NET revenue to the city. All we hear is about jobs and tax revenue. But how much does it cost the city to support these developments? If the council doesn't do it, is it because they don't want to know the answer? Are we operating like the old joke "Losing money on every sale, but making it up on the volume"?
Renwick Curry, Santa Cruz
Garbage piles up along the river
I just spent another Saturday with a few locals trying to slog through cleanups of unbelievable trash heaps littered with used needles along our gorgeous river. I do not think the responsible citizens of Santa Cruz realize how terrible this situation is and that it gets washed into our river and into the ocean. My opinion is that our fairly small community is shouldering the burden of providing services for transients. Some people are homeless yet responsible, and these are not the people who are uncaring about our environment. Unfortunately, we are attracting many drug users who are not acting responsibly. I would like to invite Don Lane and others who want to ramp up our efforts to open up more services to join us out there in getting dirty cleaning up messes. People of Santa Cruz, it is pretty bad out there in some spots. We need accountability from our public agencies to clean this up.
Norma Hadland, Santa Cruz
Photo promoting illegal behavior?
The inclusion of a photo of dogs off-leash on a state beach (Dec. 29) and referring to it as "Life's a Beach" seems to be promoting illegal behavior. California State beaches prohibit dogs off-leash for a variety of reasons -- one being environmental damage. Furthermore, it certainly does no justice to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary to photograph situations that are detrimental to the environment with a headline that indicates the Sentinel's approval of this behavior. Dogs on the beach belong on a leash.
Mike Malbon, Santa Cruz
Pay attention to geography
Your recent article about a young woman lost in the woods overnight after losing her way while at a "retreat" at Bosch-Baha'i off Comstock Lane identified her as being "found" in the Felton area. The Bosch-Baha'i is located at around elevation 2,000 feet in Bonny Doon off Empire Grade. Felton is located down below in the San Lorenzo Valley, quite a distance lower. Someone in your office should consult a "topo" map or ask before assigning our local area to Felton. Geography does matter!
Will Malcolm, Santa Cruz
Don't romanticize dogs off-leash
I couldn't help noticing the irony in your photo of Its Beach with dogs running off-leash titled "Life's a Beach." For the shore birds whose survival depends upon feeding there "Life is certainly not Its Beach." It should be noted that all the dog owners in the photo had to walk past the clearly posted signs which require dogs to be on leash. Ignoring this law, which is in place to protect the birds, marine mammals and people, is nothing new at Its Beach. For years the major off-leash dog group in town coached its members on how to outwit the rangers.
That you should see fit to romanticize this activity is inexcusable.
Grant Wesman, Santa Cruz
Zunes doesn't understand the Mideast situation
Steve Zunes cannot see the difference between terrorists and those who try to kill them.
The recent conflict in Gaza was the culmination of years of Israeli civilians being targeted by terrorists in Gaza. Thousands of rockets were fired. Zunes agrees that this is bad. However, he condemns Israel for fighting back.
His solution of an arms embargo is laughable, as the weapons that Hamas has come from Iran despite Israel's imposed embargo. The fundamental difference between the actions of Israel and Hamas is the purpose of the killing Human Rights Watch, no friend of Israel, reported that "Palestinian armed groups made clear that harming civilians was their aim." In contradiction to Zunes' assertions, they also found evidence that they deliberately fired from civilian areas and could find no evidence that they either warned civilians or evacuated them. It was Israel that dropped leaflets and made phone calls urging civilians to evacuate. As in all wars, there are civilian casualties. Zunes didn't cite a single instance where Israel targeted civilians.
There is a fundamental difference between those who specifically target children and place their own population at risk by placing them in danger zones and those who try to protect their people and actually take steps to warn enemy civilians. Too bad Zunes cannot see it.
Gil Stein, Aptos


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twmccoy wrote:Thatdirtykid wrote:I lost 25 lbs in the last 4 months, my diet, not enough money for food and high stress levels...
(I cant wait to gain that weight back, I had just finally gotten to the higher side of the ideal weight for my height, now I am back to gross to look at underweight...)
You were pretty damn skinny to start with. You must look emaciated.
I am noticbly skinnier, but most of the weight I lost was muscle, which is sad. I am now on the free mexican food diet and am gaining my weight back fine. Also started running and doing light workouts again. (I will have acess to my rec center gym again in a couple days, mabey I should buff out)


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Last time we covered certain aspects of specific warranties on tires, mainly tire life and tread life. Now we'll dig deeper into the not so well known type of warranties.
Road Hazard Warranties
Tire stores only typically offer these warranties, which come into play if you get a flat tire. If the tire can be repaired, the repair is covered for the duration of the warranty. If the tire can't be repaired, the company will prorate the remaining mileage toward the purchase of a new tire.
Road hazard warranty prices vary, based on the tire and the vendor, but on average, they range from $10-$20 per tire. Feelings are mixed about these types of warranties – some consumers have put them to good use, while others feel that they are a waste of money.
While the warranties are a major source of profit for tire shops, that doesn't necessarily mean they don't have value to drivers. These warranties are essentially insurance policies. If you're considering whether to buy a road hazard warranty, think about how many times you've had a nail or a puncture in your tire in the last few years. Was the amount you spent on repair or replacement enough to justify the warranty? Do you drive in an area where there is a lot of debris on the road? Depending on how you answer these questions, the warranties might be worth your money.
Workmanship and Materials Warranty
The workmanship and materials warranty protects the consumer from any defects in the manufacturing or materials used in the tire. Most manufacturers offer this coverage for the life of the tire. Workmanship and materials means that the manufacturer and/or tire dealer stand behind the product, should you run into some issue.
Some of the problems that would be covered include severe cracking in the sidewall or the loss of a block of tread. If a workmanship or manufacturing failure comes up within the first 2/32nds of an inch of tread, most manufacturers or dealers will replace the tire free of charge. Anything after that will usually be prorated.
Uniformity Warranty
The uniformity warranty is one that a driver might never encounter. This warranty covers excessive vibration or ride disturbance caused by a tire. For most companies, the buyer has to notify the company within the first 2/32nds of an inch of tire tread. However, a problem like that would be very obvious to any driver. In most circumstances, a uniformity problem would be covered under the 30-day manufacturer's or tire dealer ride guarantee, but the uniformity clause is there to protect the consumer against problems that happen past that.


text: The 50th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council is an opportunity to revisit the clear teaching of its documents and reject distortions and false interpretations that have gained traction in the Catholic Church, a council scholar says.Alan Schreck, professor of theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio, spoke at the Graymoor Spiritual Life Center in Garrison on "Vatican II: World Church or Church of the Little Flock?"Vatican II is still a sure compass for the church today, Schreck said, and each pope since the council reaffirmed its teachings as "God's teachings in our time." Nonetheless, he said, there has been tumult as the postconciliar church sought to understand what the council meant and how to implement it.Schreck said extreme responses vary from those who thought the council did not go far enough to create a democratic church to those who thought it wrought too many changes and opened the door to secularism and modernist heresy."The documents of Vatican II are among the great unread documents of our time," said Schreck, a theologian, author and scholar of the council. "People are not sure what it said. A lot of things that are blamed on Vatican II are not in the documents."Vatican II consisted of four sessions, each approximately three months long, in the years 1962-65.Although the Catholic Church was clearly present worldwide long before Vatican II, Schreck said the council promoted a concept of "world church," which he described as a mentality that redefined ecumenism. "Rather than expect all Christians to simply return to the Catholic Church, there's more of an attitude of reconciliation and reunion, where the Catholic Church joins with other Christians seeking that unity for which Christ prayed," he said.Schreck said some people misinterpreted the new understanding of ecumenism as a rebuke to evangelization. Schreck said distortions of the council teaching dismissed anything European or Western as being intrinsically paternalistic, colonial or oppressive.One significant misinterpretation of the documents held that non-Christians would win salvation solely through the goodness and truth of their religions and not through Jesus Christ, Schreck said. "People asked, 'If non-Christians can be saved, why preach the Gospel?' It's little wonder that Catholics rejected this false universalism," he said.


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Grower-shippers expect strong demand for high-quality sweet corn as Florida shipments give way to Georgia in late May or early June.
Doug Ohlemeier
Grower-shippers expect strong demand when sweet corn production switches from Florida to Georgia.
A truck shortage has limited how much sweet corn Belle Glade, Fla.-based Wilkinson-Cooper Produce Inc. has been able to ship out of Florida, said Randy Wilkinson, president.
With Floridaâs weather woes this year, there was limited movement and many truckers either moved to different shipping areas or went out business, creating the current shortage, Wilkinson said.
âWeâre pulling a lot and selling a lot, but weâre not selling enough,â he said. âTransportation has been extremely tough.â
Wilkinson-Cooper expected to sell Florida corn for $8.95 per crate through May 19, then $9.45 through May 30, Wilkinson said.
Steven Johnson, salesman for South Georgia Produce Inc., Lake Park, Georgia, expected good demand heading into summer. After the typical post-Memorial Day lull, demand should steadily pick up in June as July Fourth nears, he said.
On May 18, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported a price of $8.95 for wirebound crates of 4½ dozen ears of yellow, white and bicolor corn from Florida, down from $8.95-9.40 last year at the same time.
Wilkinson-Cooper expects to begin shipping sweet corn from Georgia about May 23, slightly later than normal, Wilkinson said. Florida will likely continue to ship until the first week of May, he said.
South Georgia Produce expects to begin its Georgia deal about May 24, four days later than first expected and slightly late to take full advantage of Memorial Day pull, Johnson said.
Florida could overlap Georgia, he said, though Florida growers have not had a lot of success in the past shipping into June.
South Georgia Produce expects to ship from Georgia through about July 10. Johnson expected outstanding quality out of Georgia this season. Growing weather has been mild to warm with a little rain sprinkled in.
âOur crop looks phenomenal,â he said. âThe weather the last two months has been real good.â
Wilkinson also reported excellent quality out of Florida in mid-May.
After three years out of the corn deal, Tifton, Ga.-based Georgia Vegetable Co. Inc. will be shipping again from the Peach State, said Shay Kennedy, co-owner, vice president and sales manager.
Shipments should begin the first week of June and last long enough to take advantage of July Fourth pull, Kennedy said. Georgia Vegetable will ship all three varieties, and distribution will likely extend into the Midwest and the Northeast and possibly even Canada, Kennedy said.
After heavy rain early in May, growers have enjoyed two weeks of excellent growing weather, she said.


text: OverviewBack to top DaVinci Laboratories - Gluconic DMG 125 mg. - 60 Vegetarian Tablets Item# :120989UPC# :026664238061 Brand:DaVinci Laboratories Size/Form:60 Vegetarian Tablets Ship Weight:0.05 Servings:60 Dosage:1 Vegetarian Tablet(s) DaVinci Labs DMG 125 mg - 60 Vegetarian Tablets DaVanci Labs DMG dietary supplement to support immune system, circulatory, cardiovascular, neurological functions, muscle recovery and endurance. DaVanci Labs DMG (Dimethylglycine) is a nutrient which is found in the cells of both plants and animals. The human body produces DMG in very small amounts. Supplementing the diet with higher levels of DaVanci Labs DMG greatly improves the nutritional environment of the cell. Dimethylglycine has been found effective in supporting immune system function and better utilization of oxygen at the cellular level. DaVinci Laboratories of Vermont has been awarded three U.S. Patents for N,N-Dimethylglycine's value and use in improving immunity and for benefiting cellular processes. DaVanci Labs DMG reduces lactic acid build up in the muscle thereby shortening recovery time after strenuous exercise and improving endurance. DaVanci Labs DMG is available in 125 mg sublingual, 250 mg or 500 mg chewable tablets and a 300 mg per ml liquid formula. Research and clinical experience has shown that DaVanci Labs DMG supplementation supports: Physical and mental performance. Oxygen utilization. Strengthening of both arms of the immune system, including antibody, lymphocyte and cytokine production. Detoxification, especially in the liver. Circulation and vascular health. Glucose and fat metabolism. Blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides and homocysteine levels within normal ranges. Physical and mental energy levels by reducing lactic acid build-up during periods of stress. Mental alertness and brain function. Overall body health by acting as an indirect methyl donor and providing useful building units for the biosynthesis of vitamins, hormones, neurotransmitters, antibodies and nucleic acids. About Davinci LaboratoriesStrength in Experience For over 35 years, DaVinci Laboratories has been a leader in nutritional research, product development and innovation from the state of Vermont. Their dedication to higher integrity, and insistence on superior quality are a reflection of Vermont values. They are a family-owned and managed company and are always willing to assist in any way possible on matters relating to nutrition. Every day, DaVinci Labs continues to set new standards for quality and product innovation so we can keep you as healthy and informed as possible. Strength in Nature Raw materials used in DaVinci products are as natural as possible and are guaranteed to contain no artificial flavorings, preservatives, colors, sweeteners or other foreign agents unless otherwise stated on our labels. Each lot of tablets or capsules is carefully assayed to be sure they meet their product specifications. These assays are available upon request. Strength in Integrity DaVinci Labs is one of the few companies to offer you truth in labeling. They know their you're honest with your patients, so they'll be honest with you. Pledging total truth in labeling means their family of products contain only the purest and most potent ingredients. Guaranteed. Strength in ResearchDaVinci Laboratories' research focuses on the complex relationships that exist among nutrients and the latest advancements in nutrition therapies to develop and produce some of the most significant products available to Holistic Practitioners. DaVinci Laboratories' extensive research into the exciting properties of N,N- Dimethylglycine (DMG) has been unparalleled. Their company has been awarded four patents for DMG's beneficial effect in the areas of immune response and cell support. Their Research and Development Department is under the direction of a Ph.D. Nutritional Biochemist


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Venable's homer powers Padres behind sharp Stults
Momentum grows as more solid pitching lifts Friars to third straight
SAN DIEGO -- It wasn't the heavy marine layer that rolled in off the Pacific Ocean that got Will Venable on Tuesday, nor was it the expansive dimensions of pitching-friendly Petco Park that, momentarily, at least, left him crestfallen.
When Venable turned on a fastball in the second inning, he was certain he got enough to cause damage -- home run or otherwise. Then he saw Marlins right fielder Marcell Ozuna raise his arms in the air after apparently losing the ball and suddenly all bets were off.
"I was disappointed that I didn't hit it better at that point," he said.
As it turns out, Venable's first thought proved to be the right one, as his missing fly ball ended up in the right-field stands in the second inning for a two-run home run that went a long ways in the Padres' 5-1 victory over the Marlins before a crowd of 16,2623.
Venable's home run was part of a three-run second that essentially did in the Marlins (10-24), with the Padres (15-18) winning for the 10th time in their last 13 games. The Padres will go for the series sweep on Wednesday.
The Venable was-it-or-wasn't-it home run was the talk of the clubhouse, though there was more than just a passing nod to the pitching of the Padres, as starter Eric Stults (3-2) allowed one run over 6 1/3 innings with the bullpen taking care of the rest.
During this blissful 13-game run, the Padres pitching staff -- not too long ago, the scourge of the team after a handful of short and ineffective starts in April -- has a 3.43 ERA. Better still, over the last three games, the Padres have allowed two runs.
"This is a good sign of where the pitching is headed," said Padres manager Bud Black. "The consistency of the starting pitching is starting to build a little momentum."
A little early offense made sure Stults didn't feel the burden of pitching quite so fine, as Yonder Alonso gave the team a 1-0 lead in the first inning with a sacrifice fly.
Then in the second inning, Jedd Gyorko singled and was at first base when Venable turned on a pitch from Marlins starting pitcher Alex Sanabia (2-5).
"I thought, off the bat, that he crushed it," Gyorko said. "Then I saw the right fielder run for the ball and that threw me off."
Ozuna ranged in and to his left, toward the right-field foul line and searched the sky for Venable's ball. He never found it. First, he raised his arms in the air. Seconds later, Venable's ball landed in the porch area in right field, good for his fourth home run of the season.
Even Venable was initially fooled by Ozuna's actions.
"[First-base coach Dave Roberts] said he lost it and to keep running," Venable said.
From the dugout, Black did the one thing many of the fans and even many of the players didn't do -- he tracked the towering fly ball with his eyes.
"I followed the ball. They were both in my sight line -- the ball and the outfielder -- so I knew right away he didn't see it," Black said. "I thought off the bat it was going to be a home run. I knew we were in pretty good shape when he had his hands in the air and he didn't see the ball.
"I knew one way or the other it was going to be a good result. It was going to be a good outcome there. Then when the ball landed in the seats like I originally thought, I thought it was the best result possible -- a two-run homer for Will to get the lead to 3-0."
Stults, who allowed seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts, got a handful of good defensive plays made behind him to keep him from many sticky situations. In 21 starts with the team since last May, he is now 11-5 with a 3.48 ERA.
"I felt good," he said. "I tried to use the Marlins' aggressiveness [against them]. I tried to keep them off-balanced. But I can't say enough about our defense."
Third baseman Chase Headley smothered a ball hit by Miguel Olivo to start the first inning on a diving attempt, recovering in time to throw him out at first base. Shortstop Everth Cabrera made a spinning, off-balanced throw to get Justin Ruggiano to end the eighth inning.
Headley, Alonso and Venable each had two hits. Headley extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a single in the first inning. Venable knocked in another run in the eighth inning on a grounder to give the Padres a four-run cushion, which also allowed them to give closer Huston Street the night off.
As for the Marlins, things couldn't be worse.
Sanabia, who allowed three earned runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings, departed the game with tightness in his right groin. Later in the game, second baseman Chris Valaika left the game with what was termed a small fracture of the left wrist after making contact with Alonso, who was stealing second base.
Corey Brock is a reporter for MLB.com. Keep track of @FollowThePadres on Twitter. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Having the Big Talk
Finding a love match is fraught with ups and downs, with tried and failed Internet dating site connections and blind dates set up by well-meaning, if sometimes misguided, friends. Allergies simply add an important extra aspect to finding the right personal chemistry.
Andrea Shainblum of Montreal knows this well. She was single in her 20s and 30s, and dated a lot. Some men did not respond well to the fact she has severe allergies to sesame, peanuts, tree nuts and eggs. There was the boyfriend who swore off all foods that might kill her, only she'd find empty candy bar wrappers that carried the warning: "may contain traces of peanuts."
Then, there was the doctor who, on their first (and only) date, appeared uncomfortable while Shainblum was telling the waiter about her severe food allergies and checking which menu items were safe. By the time the appetizers arrived, the doctor's attitude had cooled perceptibly.
"He had an idea of the kind of person he wanted to be with, and someone with severe food allergies wasn't part of the picture," says Shainblum, who is now a married mother of a toddler. "I thought, 'OK, next!'"
Miller, the allergy coach, has had mostly positive dating experiences. Still, like Shainblum, she notes that her dates' responses to her allergies are as varied as the men themselves.
"Recently, I was out with another guy who kept interrupting me as I explained what do in an emergency. It was clear that he was uncomfortable. When I showed him my Benadryl, he rolled his eyes and said, 'I know what that is.' I didn't see him again."
Miller's story raises another key issue of dating with allergies or celiac disease, namely, 'the talk.' The talk encompasses more than kissing. It's about lifestyle and having to explain that the most severe form of food reaction, anaphylaxis, can be life-threatening and usually comes on swiftly.
Or that you have celiac disease and if you accidentally ingest gluten, you're likely to get symptoms such as severe bloating or diarrhea or perhaps cramps that can make you double over. While any of those would make for a painful date, you'd also be damaging your small intestine, and affecting your ability to absorb nutrients.
As with kissing, this talk is better done at or near the beginning of a date. In the case of allergy, you have to show a date where you keep emergency numbers, your epinephrine auto-injector, and you have to demonstrate how to use that auto-injector. (Remember, without instruction, novices may mistake which end is up and inject themselves.)
As well, for either condition, being upfront with the talk will prevent your date making plans at a restaurant where you cannot possibly eat. Shainblum, Miller and Medoff all agree there is no easy or perfect way to broach "the talk". Like the Nike slogan counsels, they say to "just do it."
"When you're out for a first time with someone and giving him instructions in how to use an auto-injector, that may not be romantic, but neither is being rushed to hospital," says Miller.
Finding A Safe Dating Haven
At Zero8, a restaurant in Montreal's trendy Latin Quarter, couples sit on the terrace on a balmy evening, sharing bottles of wine or quaffing gluten-free beers as they enjoy everything from garlicky bruscetta to Thai stir-fries, pasta and thick-cut French fries. This could be any bistro in this resto-rich city, complete with a "Z"-shaped, burnished wood bar, moody recessed lighting indoors and a pony-tailed, bespectacled owner who bustles around, making sure everything is perfect. But it isn't.
Zero8 is so named because its menu is free of the eight main allergens: seafood (fish and shellfish), peanuts, tree nuts, sesame seeds, milk, soya, eggs and wheat or any other grain that contains gluten, such as barley, oat, rye and triticale. Its kitchen staff is specially trained in preparing and handling food.
While Zero8 was the first on the continent to offer tis level of accommodation for food restrictions, it would be smart to find a couple of restaurants in your community where you trust the kitchen to prepare you a safe meal. Then they can become places to suggest to a date. Depending on the allergies or intolerances, such eateries are not always easy to locate.
The impetus for Zero8 arose from co-owner Dominique Dion's own bad experiences eating out. He was getting sick in the best Montreal restaurants before his celiac disease was diagnosed. Tired, bloated, suffering eczema and frustrated that there was no restaurant for people like him, he and some partners opened Zero8 in February 2009. He acknowledges that keeping the premises as allergen- and gluten-free is a full-time job.
"It's a challenge when we go see suppliers," he says. "People don't understand. They'll ask me why I'm talking to them about allergies. And I explain to them very carefully why."
Next: Teens Need to Be Taught to Think Twice


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Last month a company called MiKandi launched "Tits and Glass," the first-ever Google Glass App for the 18-and-over market. This made it the first porn app for Google's new 'Glass' wearable computer, but Google within a few hours it was removed and Google announced that it was banning porn Apps from Glass. MiKandi doesn't appear to be just rolling over and have posted up a great short file with Google Glass that stars porn stars James Deen and Andy San Dimas.
The film is obviously a parody, but we got a laugh out of it and had to share it with you. Since it is on YouTube and deals with adult content it might not be work safe, so don't get yourself in trouble by watching it at your desk (unless you have a really cool boss).
Comments are closed.


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Video: Monster® iSport Immersion headphones
Most of the people appearing in our videos are employees at Crutchfield. We pull in folks from around the company to share their expertise. A lot of our on-camera stars come from our Advisor Group — they help people choose the right gear via phone, email and chat every day, so they're good at explaining the products and technologies.
Heads up!Welcome to this article from the Crutchfield archives. Have fun reading it, but be aware that the information may be outdated and links may be broken.
CJ, Crutchfield advisor, tried out the Monster® iSport Immersion sports headphones. He was impressed by how they blocked out the noise at the gym while he ran on the treadmill, and how they were machine-washable after his workout.
Video Transcript
Monster® iSport Immersion sports headphones
C.J.: So I got the chance to try out the new Monster iSport Immersion headphones. Immersion is a great name for these headphones because, number one, they've got a natural sound isolator with the customizable ear tips. You can literally make them fit in your ear perfectly. And once they're there, just because of the way they're made they're blocking out all the sound that's around you. So you're on the treadmill you're not hearing the guy next to you who is having a hard time running that extra mile.
Sweat-resistant and machine-washable
But what's also remarkable is that they're sweat resistant, but also they're machine washable. So you can immerse yourself in music and then immerse these guys in water and clean them up so they're not gross and germy.
Tangle-free cord and in-line remote
So the headphones that I used were these blue ones and when I was at the gym they actually got quite a bit of attention. I had three separate people come to me and point out my bright blue headphones. But don't worry, if blue's not your thing, they also come in black, too, so that's awesome. But what you also get with the headphones in blue or black is, you know, a pretty awesome tangle-free cord and it's also got an in-line remote control so you can control your volume, you can play, pause, skip to the next track, or answer and receive phone calls on your iPhone.
Customizable ear tips for a great fit
So as I mentioned there are customizable ear tips and, as you see, it comes with lots of different sizes so you can basically fit them in any ear shape. And what's a really awesome kind of like little feature that I found very useful is that they're actually labeled and every ear tip says L or R, for left or right, but they're also labeled for like small, medium, large so you're not trying to like hold them up and decide, you know, which two match and all that kind of stuff. And so that was very useful, you know, when I was trying to figure out which ones were right for my ears. And, you know, as you see how it's made the tip has, you know, that natural sound isolation and so that really lets your music come in loud and clear.
If you have any questions about these headphones or any of our products just give us a call.


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More than 75 people turned out to the opening Saturday night to see the 47 highly-creative entries, including five from exhibit judge Chick Schwartz.
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I am just breaking into Linux and I have dual booted Ubuntu a couple of times to test it out, but always crawl back to windows for games and such. I really want to use linux as my main OS and Windows as my backup. I am currently loading it onto a Sony Vaio S VPCSB190X which has some trouble with Hybrid Graphics (AMD 6470m and Intel 3000) when I have run it on Ubuntu. Anyways, I want to test out a distro which has more customization and will test me a bit more than ubuntu, but doesn't require me to spend 8 hours of work just so I can goof around on reddit or play something in Wine. Thank you so very much
- It has to be customisable.
- It has to be more challenging than Ubuntu.
- The user should be able to do basic tasks such as browsing the web.
- Mate
- Consort
I am only going to list distributions that I have actually used as I can only really make a judgement based on my own experience.
- SolusOS - Consort
- Linux Mint - Mate/KDE/XFCE
- Snowlinux - Mate/KDE/XFCE
- Debian - KDE/XFCE
- Mageia - KDE/XFCE
- openSUSE - KDE/XFCE
- PCLinuxOS - KDE/XFCE
- Arch - KDE/XFCE
- Slax - KDE
- SolydXK - KDE/XFCE
- Linux Lite - XFCE
- Xubuntu - XFCE
- Emmabuntus - XFCE
Narrowing it down
I was really impressed when I reviewed SolusOS in February 2013. Again SolusOS will not be particularly challenging as it is one of those distributions that pretty much works straight out of the box. It comes with a great set of applications installed by default including LibreOffice, Dropbox, Thunderbird and PlayonLinux. Really it makes a good alternative to Linux Mint.
The final countdown
- Fedora
- Debian
- Mageia
- openSUSE
- SolydX
- Xubuntu


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Note: This item is more than 13 years old. Please take the publication date into consideration for any date references.
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News Release
Media Contact: TPWD News, firstname.lastname@example.com, 512-389-8030
June 14, 2004
Reyes Honored As Sharelunker Angler of the Year
ATHENS, Texas — Jason Reyes of Humble was honored at a banquet May 29 at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center for having caught the largest Budweiser ShareLunker of the 2004 season
A total of 14 anglers entered 15 largemouth bass weighing 13 pounds or more in the program. Richard Mims of Laredo caught two big bass from Lake Casa Blanca in January.
Each angler received ShareLunker clothing, a certificate and a fiberglass replica of their trophy made by Lake Fork Taxidermy. Reyes also received a lifetime fishing license for being the Texas resident entering the largest fish in the program.
At the banquet, ShareLunker program director David Campbell expressed TPWD's thanks for anglers' support for the program and called them "the finest conservationists in the state."
Also honored during the evening was Michael ("Shorty") Powers of Terrell, who was inducted into the Texas Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame in recognition of his work involving physically challenged people in outdoor activities.
Photographs of the evening's events, including all the honorees, may be viewed on the Budweiser ShareLunker Web site (http://tpwd.texas.gov/fish/infish/hatchery/tffc/sharelunker.htm).
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(5.4.16 i)


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Friday July 27,2012 : BODOG DEVELOPS MAC COMPATIBLE CLIENT
"Must have offering" says chief
The Bodog Poker Network has announced the launch of its Recreational Poker Model software as a fully compatible Mac client this week.
Bodog Poker Network's chief executive officer, Jonas Odman, said: "The Mac client was always a 'must have' offering but to have it up within the first year of the software going live puts us well ahead of where we hoped we would be in terms of player reach at this stage. Now that the Mac client is ready we can concentrate on the first B2C marketing push of the Recreational Poker Model."
Get Bodog For your Mac Now.
Gambling News :
New Racing UK free-to-watch show -
Wake up to Luck on Sunday join Nick Luck and guests for new Racing UK free-to-watch show. BHA Chief Executive Nick Rust to appear on first broadcast this Sunday
MLB Odds: Stroman Gets the Nod Against Royals -
The Toronto Blue Jays (70-80, 20.18 betting units) begin their final home stand of the 2017 campaign this Tuesday when they welcome the Kansas City Royals (73-76, +2.56 units) to Rogers Centre. Sportsnet has the coverage at 7:07 p.m. Eastern.
Microgaming in bingo software deal with Marathonbet -
Marathonbets loyal customers will now be able to enjoy an extensive Bingo offering marking another big expansion of its online gaming collection.
Microgaming QuickFire enters Coloumbia -
Wplay signs for Quickfire; strategic deal sees Quickfire enter Colombian market. Colombian-licensee Wplay has signed a deal for Quickfire, powered by Microgaming.
Partypoker to sponsor WSOPC Uruguay -
Partypoker to sponsor WSOPC Uruguay in December. Qualify exclusively on partypoker for WSOP Uruguay Main Event. December 7th to 17th in beautiful Punta del Este.
MLB Odds: Jays Hope to Spoil Orioles Visit -
The 2017 season is just about over for the Toronto Blue Jays (66-77, 21.19 betting units), but they can play spoiler in Tuesdays game against the visiting Baltimore Orioles, starting at 7:07 PM ET on Sportsnet.
Money Storm Casino -
Money Storm is not your typical online casino. While many focus on the quantity of games they offer their players, this one is more focused on the quality of their games.
Big Online SLot Win on Ultimate 10X Slot -
At 9.20PM on August 28th, Kasey R was enjoying the new Ultimate 10X three-reel slot at Miami Club. The game has a random 'must win' progressive jackpot that is guaranteed to pay by the time it reaches $25,000
MPN Greatest Poker Player in the Universe -
The MPN announces the third annual Universal Championship of Poker (UCOP III), boasting 750,000 guaranteed across 59 tournament events this September
PartyPoker Exits Australia -
From 31st August 2017 partypoker players will no longer be able to play from Australia. Players deposited funds are safe and available for withdrawal.
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2009-09-10 / Religion
Special Services Saturday, Sept. 12 ¦ Beulah Presbyterian Church, Mill Gap, Ingathering Day. Gospel singing by "The New Directions" at 10:30 a.m.; free will offering lunch at 11:30 a.m.; auction at 1:30 p.m.
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DedicatedRebus brain teasers use words or letters in interesting orientations to represent common phrases.
Sister Bunneefied was examining her religious vestments in the orphanage where she worked. The items below were hanging in her closet:
Hanger 3: soiled-beyond-redemption cape
Wall Hook: worn and tattered tunic that was beyond salvation
Doorknob: even the devil wouldn't be caught dead in that frayed and seam-ripped wimple
Hangers 4, 14, 26: veils and scapulars full of holes and tears
She quietly and methodically gathered each of them up and put them in the orphanage donation box for the poor.
What was she doing and ... what's the rebus?
HintCould she be doing this because of "habithabithabithabit"?
Answergetting rid of bad habits
Obviously she belonged to a religious order that refers to the things they wear as "habits". Several different religions use this terminology. It's just another name for "uniform", or "vestments", and is a "costume" characteristic of a certain calling, rank, or function within those religious orders.
Hint shows "force of habit" (four "habits" = "fours of habit" = "force of habit".)
Cape, tunic, wimple, scapular, and veil are specific names for various types of this clothing or categories of raiment.
What Next?
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Now that the holidays are over and school is right around the corner, it's time to get the kids motivated and back into the school routine. Easier said than done, right? But it doesn't have to be an uphill battle—just get the kids involved, and it can help ease them into back-to-school mode before the break is over. Here are some ideas to get the kids focused, motivated, and ready for school.
Refresh school supplies
It seems like eons ago when the kids rushed home from school to start their winter break, and backpacks got shoved into closets. Now's the time to dig out those backpacks, take inventory together, and see what supplies they'll need to tackle the rest of the school year.
- See a lot of loose papers and worn folders stuffed in their backpacks? It's time for them to consider using a binder. Avery Binders make it easy for kids to keep their homework, test papers, and notes in one specific place. And with a variety of colors and sizes available, they can choose the one that fits their style best, or assign a separate binder for each subject.
- Not sure how to start organizing that binder? Try Avery Durable Write-On Plastic Dividers. The large tabs have a writeable surface so kids can customize their dividers easily with a ballpoint pen or pencil. And whether they want to rename their dividers, or have a new schedule of classes and want to reuse them, they can simply erase the tab and write in the new subject.
Establish good study habits
Heading back to school also means getting back on a school schedule. Take some time with your kids to discuss how the daily routine will change when they return to school, and make it easier to make the transition with these tips.
- Make sure their study zone is free of distractions. Their desk and computer should be in a quiet place where you can monitor it. Time to turn off Facebook, iChat, cellphones, TVs and all other distractions that keep kids from fully focusing on the task at hand.
- Designate a set time for studying. Whether it's a certain hour of the afternoon or right after dinner, establish a time dedicated to studying each day. You won't believe the difference it makes and kids actually like the structure. They want to do well, too!
- Keep their desk stocked with study tools. Avery HI-LITER® markers are a must-have for highlighting text. Set up a whiteboard and Avery Marks-A-Lot® Dry Erase Markers in their study area so they can write down current assignments, upcoming tests and school events.
Switching from holiday mode to school mode can be easier with a little preparation. And when you get the kids involved by thinking of the supplies they'll need and setting up their study area, they'll have a head start in establishing good organization skills that will help them get in gear for the rest of the school year.


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Just in time for World AIDS Day, iCondom has been released in two U.S. cities, with more slated to come on line soon. The app will be available free for 48 hours from the iTunes Store.
First launched in France — in Paris and Marseilles — on Oct. 18, the iCondom app lets users find condom dispensers and free condom sources closest to their location, 24/7. The U.S. launch takes place jointly with the release of an improved version 1.1, with better mapping functionalities, the app's creators say. The U.S. version now available only covers New York City and Washington, D.C., "but should grow rapidly based on the users' contributions," according to a press release.
iCondom geolocates 200-plus locations in New York City where free condoms, lubricants and female condoms can be found, including bars, restaurants, barber shops, hospitals, clubs, medical centers, associations and beauty salons. In D.C., the app geolocates 140-plus places to get covered. iCondom users can add locations, rate the locations and comment on dispensers or places so other users have up-to-date information.
Creators called the app "an innovative tool to reinforce safe-sex messages and speak more directly to the youth by using their favorite communications tool: smart phones."


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Braves weigh rotation options, but Floyd has spot
ATLANTA -- Gavin Floyd's role with the Braves was in a state of flux when the club activated him from the disabled list on Sunday. Three days and an impressive start later, Atlanta manager Fredi Gonzalez wants to keep the right-hander in the rotation.
"He's one guy that would not go to the bullpen, I don't think, just because of the Tommy John [surgery]," Gonzalez said. "We all know how the bullpen thing is. You get up, you get down, you go in, you don't go in. You've got to warm up in 50 [games], and I don't want to do that to him."
Gonzalez first hinted at the possibility of keeping Floyd in the starting rotation following Tuesday night's 2-1 win over the Cardinals, when he said he couldn't wait to see Floyd throw again in five to six days, but the Braves have yet to set a date for Floyd's next start.
Julio Teheran will start Friday's game against the Cubs, Ervin Santana will return from a bruised right thumb to pitch on Saturday and Alex Wood will take the hill in Sunday's series finale.
"We have options, obviously," Gonzalez said. "We could go a couple of different directions. ... We've got to sit down and talk about it."
Gonzalez reiterated Wednesday that he will not use a six-man rotation, and Wood is the most likely candidate to move to the bullpen to make room for Floyd. The Braves would like to keep Wood on an innings limit during his first full season in the Majors.
The lefty is only two years removed from his days at the University of Georgia, and he threw a combined 139 2/3 innings last season while splitting time between Atlanta, Triple-A Gwinnett and Double-A Mississippi.
Wood, whose limit would likely fall somewhere between 170-180 innings, has thrown 45 frames in his first seven starts this season. Should Wood switch to relief, he would join Luis Avilan as the only left-handers in the bullpen.
Joe Morgan is an associate reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


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Anyway, care to answer what the longest flat spell they ecountered during summer is?(memorial day to labor day)
By flat I mean, Knee high or under....not counting longboard waves here. Anything, not rideable with shorboard=flat. Also, not talking about your ability to get in the water because of your work schedule. I'm talking about number of flat days in a row.
So how many days in a row was the longest stretch of flatness?
Also, how many days a season on average have waist high or above during the summer months?
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National Liberal Party powerbroker Brian Loughnane allowed political donations banned in NSW to be funnelled through federal party channels, the NSW corruption watchdog has heard as two more state MPs fell on their political swords.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC)on Wednesday resumed hearings on Operation Spicer, an investigation into allegations NSW Liberal Party figures tried to circumvent fundraising bans ahead of the 2011 state election, which was won by the coalition.
Counsel assisting the ICAC Geoffrey Watson SC told the inquiry Federal Liberal Party director Mr Loughnane gave the green light for the use of federal avenues to sidestep the NSW ban on donations from property developers.
An email shown at the inquiry suggested Mr Loughnane - the husband of Prime Minister Tony Abbott's chief of staff Peta Credlin - agreed to filter banned donations through the Canberra-based Free Enterprise Foundation.
"Brian Loughnane has agreed that for the time being the Fed Sec (federal secretariat) will operate on the policy ... in effect, there is no benefit for a NSW donor to donate to via the Fed Sec, unless they are a property developer," the July 23, 2010 email written by federal Liberal executive Colin Gracie to then-NSW Liberal party finance director Simon McInnes said.
Property developers have been banned from making political donations in NSW since 2009.
"It seems the federal party was willing to allow itself to be used in that way," Mr Watson told the inquiry.
"In particular, we will be examining most or all of the members of the Liberal Party finance executive."
But NSW Liberal Party state director Tony Nutt said the email exchange related to a "potential donor", who was not a property developer, and any funds were intended for an election campaign in the federal seat of Banks in NSW.
"The potential donation was not for a state election," he said in a statement.
The stench from Operation Spicer, which has resumed after breaking in May, continues to claim political scalps in NSW.
By the end of Mr Watson's two-hour-plus address, two state MPs - government whip Andrew Cornwell and Newcastle MP Tim Owen - had stood down from the party as the ICAC heard allegations of "serious irregularities" in their 2011 NSW election campaigns.
Mr Watson said there would be evidence Mr Owen's campaign for the seat of Newcastle was partly funded by illegal sources, while there were serious irregularities in electoral funding in Mr Cornwell's neighbouring seat of Charlestown.
Mr Cornwell has told ICAC he was given $10,000 in a brown paper bag by Newcastle mayor Jeff McCloy while sitting in the mayor's Bentley in the lead-up to the 2011 NSW election.
Mr Watson said Mr Cornwell passed the money to a Liberal party colleague.
The bag was described as either a brown paper bag or brown envelope full of $100 notes.
Mr Cornwell is due to give evidence at the ICAC on Thursday.
Councillor McCloy declined to comment on the allegations.
Mr McCloy, property developer Hilton Grugeon and businessman Nathan Tinkler are also alleged to have made illegal campaign donations to the Liberal party in the form of sham invoices.
Beyond Liberal Party figures, the corruption inquiry also heard of former NSW Treasurer and Ports Minister Eric Roozendaal's brazen attempts to advance Mr Tinkler's proposal for a coal terminal in Newcastle.
"There will be evidence of Mr Roozendaal meeting with representatives from Nathan Tinkler's company Buildev, and, somehow, documents provided by Buildev wound up in the re-made treasury advice," Mr Watson said.


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How does Cold Transport Work?
In the not so distant past, shipping temperature-sensitive and perishable products over long distances relied on the use of real ice and its obvious limitations. Today, advancements in cold shipping technology combined with rapid delivery options from shipping companies have made it possible to reliably ship perishable items much longer distances. Products such as meat, fish, produce, chocolate, pharmaceuticals and other perishable goods can now be shipped across the country or across the world without compromising their integrity.
The use for cold transport technology is vast. The medical industry relies heavily on cold shipping technology to transport medicine, vaccines and other biological materials. Perishable foods such as meat, produce and chocolate are exported and shipped all over the world using the same or similar technologies. The specialized supply chain involved with transporting temperature sensitive products is called the cold chain. The cold chain refers to an approach to logistics in which the temperatures of goods are controlled throughout all phases of transportation including loading, shipping, unloading and storage.
Dry ice makes it possible to ship refrigerated packages while keeping their contents cold, but newer cold transport technologies have eliminated some of the drawbacks involved with shipping dry ice. Packages shipped with dry ice require compliance with stringent packaging protocols and must be marked with a hazard class 9 label, UN 1845. While dry ice is still widely used for shipping temperature sensitive products, innovations in cold shipping technologies have made cold shipping safer and eliminated the need for the hazardous material designation.
Water-based gel refrigerants such as the Ice Brick™ Shipping Pack from Nortech Labs have emerged as the next generation in cold transport. These water based refrigerants are designed to provide a safer, non-toxic alternative to dry ice that does not require the hazard class 9 label. The versatility of cold shipping packs makes them ideal for diverse applications, from complex cold chain activities to shipping chocolates to your mom. With many countries across the world relying on cold transport technology to export billions of dollars in perishable goods, manufacturers will undoubtedly continue to advance this logistically critical technology.
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Labels: cold chain, Cold shipping, cold transport, ship meat, shipping meat