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Smoothies, soups and snacks: Easy ways to get your 5-a-day
Article date: 24 February 2014
There is no real mystery to healthy eating. If you formulate your diet according to a few fundamental principles, then this should ensure what you eat gives your body the best chance of remaining healthy.
One of those key rules is to always consume five-a-day - that is, five daily portions of fruit and/or vegetables. This is because they are extremely rich in all of the various vitamins and minerals that the body needs to carry out vital biological processes. Without these, deficiency diseases and other secondary ailments can develop.
Five portions may sound like a lot. However, just one apple or one banana counts as a portion, as do just three heaped tablespoons of cooked vegetables. And yet, some people find it hard to make sure they are hitting this target.
So, if you are one of those people who find you are not eating enough fruit and vegetables, what new ways might encourage you to do so?
They may seem like they would take a lot of effort to make, but for people who are not keen on gnawing on an apple once a day, smoothies are one of the most delicious ways to get more than one of your five-a-day in one fell swoop.
All you need to make them is a blender of sorts - whether that's hand-held or a standalone device - to mix up all of the different ingredients. You can have either fruit or vegetable drinks - or ones that contain a bit of both!
Once you have combined your various ingredients, top the mixture up with juice or yoghurt and blend it all together to make a delicious, antioxidant-filled, health-boosting beverage.
Popular combinations include:
- All kinds of berries - strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries
- Tropical-flavoured fruits - mangoes, passion fruit, kiwi, papaya
- Peaches, nectarines, satsumas, oranges
- Carrots, oranges, ginger
- Bananas, coconut, pineapple
You can even have fun experimenting and combining different flavours to see what you come up with. Apple, spinach and avocado green smoothies? Why not?
Soup is a great way to tick off more than one hearty portion of vegetables and is much easier to make than people may think. Furthermore, at a time when many household budgets are coming under strain, making soup en masse can be an extremely cheap way to feed several mouths in comparison to expensive - and unhealthy - takeaways and ready meals.
Take a pan of stock - this can be homemade or put together from a stock cube - and add all of your vegetables to it. You can also add other flavours like herbs and spices. Let the vegetables cook in the tasty stock and, once they are soft, use a stick blender to pulp it all. Season with salt and pepper, and that is all there is to it. You may want to add a dollop of creme fraiche or a swirl of cream to each bowl once you serve it up, especially if it is a little spicy.
Popular combinations include:
- Carrot and coriander
- Leek and potato
- Broccoli and stilton
- Butternut squash, parsnip, turnip, swede
Unhealthy snacks are the downfall of many individuals who struggle to eat well - crisps, biscuits and cakes are adding inches to waistlines the country over.
However, if you can learn to change your snacking habits, you could find yourself consuming many more portions of fruit and vegetables every single day, without even realising you are doing so.
Carrot, cucumber and celery sticks are an extremely popular snack. If you don't like the taste, you could enjoy them with some low-fat hummus or another dip of your choosing. Similarly, enjoying a mid-morning mashed banana with some yoghurt is infinitely preferable to hitting the vending machine.
While it may feel hard work at first, once you get into a routine of nibbling on the healthy stuff, it will become easier not to slip back into your old ways.
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Written on: 20/05/2013
great to see a choice of uk campsites I haven't come across an equivalent to date so thank you. The rating system is excellent as are maps, & information, photos are fantastic too.
Small glitch on screen when filling in details kept, jumping out of the box.... bit annoying but not much.
other than that top notch

subset: commoncrawl


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My Nonprofit Reviews
Review for Franklin County Humane Society of Missouri, Union, MO, USA
I've been a volunteer at Franklin County Humane Society for 4 years and I watch how hard our animal shelter struggles. We are supported only by donations from the public; and that's all we have. I see the love in each employees eyes when they take in and care for the homeless animals. I volunteer on the Wine Whiskers and Wags benefit and each year it amazes me how an idea can come together and present one of the best events of the year. It is hard to watch an animal be put down because they are not adopted; but a wounderful experience when you find a home for homeless animal. Our shelter needs a lot of things but it is one of the best shelters I have seen.
More Feedback
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
I was overjoyed by our Wine Whiskers and Wags Benifit last year . Everyone contributed to it and made it a huge success
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Make Franklin County help support the sherter. We take in animals from all over the county and get no support from Franklin County.


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On 12/08/2005, at 2:36 AM, Erinn Clark wrote:
I think Herman likes to prod things and see if they explode. ;) It's fun, but you need to stand back and have good life insurance.Haven't you ever had that urge to stand up and shout "Fire!" in a crowded, dark film theatre? Or to pull a tablecloth out from under crockery? To build up a card house and then blow it over?
Actually, I don't fancy doing physically dangerous stuff just for the hell of it. I post jokes without a smiley, just for the hell of it. Smileys are for wussies! And I like making jokes that can be taken seriously and still be meaningful. (As a backup detonator...)
Hmm, maybe Herman and I need to see the same sort of counsellor... :D
Nah. You are either much worse than me, or you are just bragging. -- Herman Robak, herman at skolelinux no


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April 16, 2012, 09:11 PM
Have a a couple rifles and want some advice on best bore brush to use for cleaning and also cleaning rod? I am thinking about getting some Butch's Bore Shine to use to clean my barrels good that I reload for.
Thanks for the help.
Thanks for the help.


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At Gemvara, we believe that the white gold october birthstone tourmaline band jewelry you wear should be precious because it's personal. Every beautiful Gemvara design is made just for you, in your choice of gems and precious metals. Your child's birthstone in white gold. Your favorite gem in rose gold. Add your own meaning to every design, creating beautiful memories and brilliant reminders. It's jewelry for all life's occasions, from a birthday or engagement to your own personal milestones and celebrations. Celebrate the birth of a child with a push present that will capture the emotions of this moment in precious gems. Gemvara uses only the highest quality materials to craft your white gold october birthstone tourmaline band jewelry with meticulous attention to detail. Our precious metals are recycled or responsibly mined. Our wide selection of white gold october birthstone tourmaline band jewelry by Jeet Palavwala, Bijoux & Bijoux, Carl Ansley, and other talented designers means you can find jewelry that's just your style. The gem of creativity and innovation, tourmaline has the power to inspire artistic expression. Available in a rich palette, there is a tourmaline for every jewelry design. Gemvara offers tourmaline in a warm pink and a lush green. Tourmaline is an October birthstone and the 8th anniversary gem. October's birthstones are opal and tourmaline, gems that span the rainbow. Choose flame-colored fire opal, soft rosy pink tourmaline, or verdant green tourmaline: there's an October birthstone for every mood. The appeal of 14 karat white gold is as versatile as it is beautiful: it shines no matter the occasion. Gemvara also offers every design in premium 18k white gold, which is 75 percent pure for even more lasting value. All Gemvara white gold jewelry is rhodium plated for extra brightness. Clean your white gold october birthstone tourmaline band jewelry with mild dish soap: use a soft brush where dust collects. Gemvara's fine quality white gold october birthstone tourmaline band jewelry is designed to be passed down for generations to come, crafted by hand in the United States.
We can help right away. Chat with a jewelry expert now!


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The show must go on, and at the Old Globe the next one is sure to be bittersweet.
The Globe has just announced the cast for its production of Christopher Durang's "Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike," the Tony Award-winning farce that originally was to have been directed by Nicholas Martin.
The Globe associate artist and nationally renowned director, who earned a Tony nomination for his Broadway staging of "Vanya," died last Wednesday at age 75. Martin's protege Jessica Stone already had taken over direction of the Globe production due to Martin's declining health; her direction is officially billed as being based on his original work.
Joining the cast of the Durang work, which won the best-play Tony last June, are Candy Buckley as Masha, Marcia DeBonis as Sonia, Tyler Lansing Weaks as Spike, Allison Layman as Nina, Martin Moran as Vanya, and Haneefah Wood as Cassandra.
Buckley most recently did a run of "The Patron Saint of Sea Monsters" at Playwrights Horizons in New York. Among her Broadway credits are "Cabaret," "Thoroughly Modern Millie" and "Ring Round the Moon."
DeBonis is a founding member of the off-Broadway company The Barrow Group, and has acted in numerous films. Among them: the Sundance Film Festival entry "That's What She Said," with Anne Heche and Alia Shawkat. That film came from the production company co-founded by frequent Globe and San Diego director James Vasquez (of the theater's "Grinch" show).
Weaks made his Broadway debut recently in former Globe artistic director Jack O'Brien's production of "Macbeth"; he has appeared in numerous other New York and regional productions.
Layman, who is in her final year of the Globe/University of San Diego MFA program in acting, made her Globe debut in Nicholas Martin's final show at the theater, "Pygmalion," in January 2013. She also appeared in all three productions of last year's summer Shakespeare Festival.
Moran's recent credits include the off-Broadway run of his one-man play, "All the Rage"; he has appeared in such Broadway shows as "Spamalot," "Cabaret," "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" and "Big River" (the latter two of which both launched at La Jolla Playhouse).
And Wood, who's making her Globe debut, has appeared on Broadway in "Rent," "Avenue Q" and "Brooklyn," and has done frequent film and TV work.
"Vanya" is the tale of a comically clashing set of siblings; it draws its cues (loosely) from the plays of Anton Chekhov. Martin's original Broadway cast included David Hyde Pierce, Sigourney Weaver and Kristine Nielsen, who won the Tony for featured actress in a musical.
The Globe production runs May 17 to June 22 on the Donald and Darlene Shiley Stage; opening night is May 22.
For tickets and more information: (619) 23-GLOBE or TheOldGlobe.org.


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I've been waiting for the right time to brew and taste this remarkable Verdant '04 Shu. You know, waiting for the peaceful mood and amount of time without any interruptions. Then, last night I had a night of rest without pain! I woke up with a prayer looking forward to whatever God has in store for my day, being mindful to be thankful for whatever comes.
This is not a sample tea! I bought enough to have over and over again. Oh the delight of it all!
My brewing method for Pu'erh's has become my Yixing purple pot that looks like a bird. It's very easy to use. It has a handle and filter in the spout that looks like a bird beak. I am having some steeping adjustment issues! The Western style that I used before had much longer steep times…and the Yixing method is shorter. Also,the Western method might give 5 steeps and the Yixing 18! Who drinks 18 cups by themselves?! I know I can't do that much drinking all at once so I devised my own plan of 5 infusions and then transfering the leaves into my Gaiwan for later since it isn't porous. I don't want any mold in my porous Yixing pot! I hope this is useful information to anyone else just starting off with a Yixing. Cut the steep time down like the instructions say!
Rinse the Nuggets 10 seconds and do this twice. Use Spring water (especially if you have a clay pot!).
1. I blew the steep time on the first infusion…ha! It went about 3 minutes. Old habits are hard to break! The liquor was very dark and sweet smelling like linen and cake. This is the most linen scented tea I've had. The Pu'erh was juicy and smooth without tannin or bitterness. When I went back to smell the leaves, they were still a hard clump of bark and also sweet smelling like the tea but not earthy or malty.
2. This time I only steeped 8 seconds with good rich brown color in the liquor. This was much better tasting. The flavor had not opened up yet but it had become creamier and less linen like. The leaves were still hard in a clump and black brown.
3. I could taste a tell-tale Pu'erh-ness that I love on this pour. Sweet earth and cinnamon biting my tongue. The tea was juicy and I tasted waffles warm and nutty.
4. Now I did a 5 second steep and pour. The leaves had opened up quite a bit now and smelled more leathery. The liquor was dark and malty, rich and smooth. There was a definate sweet bakery undertone with peppery cinnamon filling my mouth. The linen was gone but not the juice. I could feel the coolness with the pepper which was an interesting sensation.
5. I think this was my favorite pour. Short and sweet, peppery spice up front with a little linen scent and dry but juicy (if that makes sense). I gave the tea my best winery tasting- room slurp to the back of the mouth, rolling it around your palate test. Sweet, slightly malty, vague salt, super smooth, sweet yeast bread dough, cool cinnamon bark with pepper finish.
6. (I added a little sugar which brought out a vanilla yammy taste due to some subtle malt I suspect).
At this point there were still some hard parts to the leaves that must open up in the water! I have 12 infusions to go! Whoa!
I love Pu'erh…love, love, love! This was so good already! I'm not even half way done with the first tasting and it will go on all day! How much Pu'erh do you think I used for these 18 infusions? 1.5 teaspoons! Crazy Wonderful!


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Is 1066x CF card a waste in a D800?
Does anyone know the maximum read/write speed of the D800?
I have a D800 and shoot 14-bit RAW bursts of sports and also video.
I want the newest/fastest memory card available, but don't want to waste money on a card that is faster than the camera.
Lexar's recently introduced their 1066x CF card with:
- 1066x Speed Rating
- Max. Read Speed 160 MB/s
- Max. Write Speed 155 MB/s
- UDMA 7 Compliant
Lexar's next step down is 1000x:
- 1000x Speed Rating
- Max. Read Speed: 150MB/s
- Max. Write Speed: 95MB/s
- UDMA 7 Compliant
My question is, would a 1066x card be wasting money in a D800?
Is the D800's processor fast enough to justify the higher cost of this new 1066x card?
IOW if the D800 can only read/write around 95 MB/s then a cheaper 1000x CF cards will work identically in a D800.
I realize Lexar now has a 3333x CF card but I'm not even considering that card. $$$$$$
Also this is not about 'compatibility' as in, "Does a 1066x card work in a D800?"
I'm virtually certain it will work since Lexar's website says the 1066x CF is compatible with the D800.
FWIW, Nikon has tested only up to 1000x and I think they only test new cards about once a year.
But "compatible" is not the question.
The question is similar to, "What is the speed limit where I drive and should I pay a fortune for a car that can go much faster?"
Sure, you can pay $300,000 for a Ferrari and only drive it 55 MPH.
The Ferrari works fine at 55 MPG.
Does anyone know the maximum read/write speed of the D800?
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Rosie O'Donnell will soon be taping an HBO special called The Bitch Ain't So Nice, reports FoxNews.com's Roger Friedman, and her recent stand-up performance at the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Conn., seems to confirm that the former talk-show host will live up to the show's title. The New York Post's Page Six says she told the crowd that she didn't speak to Bill Clinton, who jammed on saxophone at the casino with an all-star band, because "he disgusts me. And I know I'm not supposed to say this, because I'm a good Democrat, but I didn't want to [talk] to him, because he lied to me when he said 'I did not have sexual relations with that woman' and then put the scarlet-letter blow job on her for the rest of her life.... I still hate you!"
O'Donnell also ranted about Michael Jackson, whom she met at Liza Minnelli's wedding to David Gest (an event O'Donnell called "the gayest thing since my last show"). "Michael Jackson wanted to speak to me, but I didn't because I don't speak to pedophiles," said the newly out comic. "He's a freak, and I don't mean that in a nice way.... He's cream-colored and has no nasal passages whatsoever. He doesn't look human. Did he look into the mirror one day and say, 'Perfect'?" Other O'Donnell targets included Sharon Stone (for reading John Lennon's "Imagine" in its entirety at an AIDS fund-raiser a few years ago), Anne Heche (for telling Barbara Walters she was never really gay), and Oprah Winfrey (who O'Donnell says was too "busy...[at] home counting her money" to do O'Donnell's casino show).


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wikiHow to Transition to a Raw Vegan
So, you've heard about raw foodism, the potential dangers of meat and dairy in your diet, all the glorious qualities of living enzymes, and all of this has inspired you to go raw? Raw veganism is a great way to have more energy than ever before, lose weight, feel great, and help heal various dis-eases. However, transitioning to the raw vegan lifestyle can be a bit of a challenge.
1Ask yourself why you want to be raw vegan. To truly succeed, you need a strong reason. Write this reason down for motivational purposes.
2Do your research. Learn all those facts about what meat and dairy does to your body. Learn about sources of protein, fat, carbohydrates, and nutrients in an all-plant based diet. When people question you on how you get the nutrition you need, have an answer prepared.
3Research where to buy raw, organic produce, and if there are any raw, organic, vegan restaurants in your local area.
4Stock up on supplies. Replace processed snacks with raw food, and consider investing in a good blender, food processor, juicer, and dehydrator.
5Start slowly integrating raw into your life. Don't do it all in one blow. Slowly but surely, replace snacks with raw foods, then one meal, then two. Easing into the raw food life makes the detox period easier.
6When you go all raw, prepare for a detox period. All the toxins built up in your body will be released, and it's not necessarily too pretty. You may feel worse before you feel better.
7Eat what your body wants. If you're craving fruit, eat fruit. Your body knows what it needs, just as long as everything is plant-based and raw.
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Bullpen Fodder
Written by guest, Posted in General, Minor League
I started to write this as part of The Hypothetical 2014 Chicago Cubs but I think it deserved its own article since the bullpen is in such a state of flux. Bullpen arms have very little value to most analysts and fans – outside of the closer – which is a discussion for another day – but they are still a highly important piece to the contending puzzle. I haven't cared about fixing the bullpen; mostly because I didn't expect us to compete so the more losses the better these last two years.
Next year is different. I do expect us to be solid so the bullpen is something that needs to be addressed. But I also know bullpen arms are volatile, and performance year-to-year is unpredictable minus the handful of elite late inning arms scattered across the league. Many fans still think we should be spending money on veteran arms to sure up the bullpen for next season but I am not a big fan of spending money on the bullpen, yet I understand the thought behind it.
Looking at the Cubs' bullpen performance this year, they rank 2nd worst only trailing the Astros in terms of fWAR and SIERA and they're 5th worst via ERA. They've blown the most saves this year, have struck out the lowest number of hitters while walking the 9th most. Any way you look at it, the bullpen as a whole has been atrocious. If the Cubs even had a league average bullpen, they'd have about 10 more wins. This is definitely an area the Cubs could improve their record drastically with an overhaul.
Dumping Carlos Marmol and Shawn Camp at the end of June were major steps in the right direction but they only accounted for 6 of the 24 blown saves. These two combined were worth -1.5 fWAR, had an ERA of 6.54, and drew the most ire from Cubs fans. The bullpen has improved since, especially due to the production of Pedro Strop and Matt Guerrier, who have been excellent for the Cubs since being acquired. Unfortunately Guerrier is having surgery on his throwing elbow due to a flexor mass buildup and is now lost for the rest of the season. The bullpen's ERA has went from 4.37 to 4.16 since the end of June but even with that noticeable progress, that doesn't improve the team – a 4.16 bullpen ERA is still 5th worst in baseball, a 4.37 bullpen ERA is only one spot worse, not much of a difference.
Kevin Gregg, the replacement closer after Marmol was dumped has accounted for 4 of the blown saves, but his save conversion rate of 86% is actually about 10% above league average over the past decade. He's been a stabilizing force for the bullpen, and if it wasn't for a swoon in early July, he would've been traded. He's still an option to be traded by the waiver deadline but the team that still needs bullpen help the most is the Orioles, and they're they team that waived him earlier in the year.
The pitcher who has been most valuable in terms of fWAR, James Russell, has accounted for 7 of the team's blown saves. His numbers are actually very good, which made me think he was misused before I even looked deeper at the numbers. Russell is an excellent LOOGY, allowing a .165/.216/.244 triple slash line against left-handed hitters in 26IP. However against righties, he's giving up .309/.395/.567 and has actually faced 17 innings worth of right-handed hitters – that's about 17 innings too many. In fact, his only blown save against a left-handed batter was on 7/1 against Jason Kubel. As long as Russell is used in the correct situations, he's been dominant.
Some of these mistakes weren't entirely on Sveum; during a season you're going to have to use bullpen in matchups that aren't favorable and in a couple of the cases, Russell was used to try to rest the bullpen; like the first game of the doubleheader vs Milwaukee on 6/30. Cubs up 5-2, with 1 out and 2 on in the 7th, Sveum tried to keep Russell in there to escape with a lead, but Russell gave up a game tying 3 run homer to right-handed pinch hitter Khris Davis. Another reason to defend Sveum's use of the bullpen is the lack of talent on the bullpen roster, and we've heard that from our front office many times this season. For instance, rule 5 pick Hector Rondon has been the worst pitcher still on the roster. Rondon isn't a bad pitcher, he's just not ready for the majors; he should be sitting in AAA right now refining his command and developing his repertoire after only pitching 7 innings the past 2 seasons for the Indians, instead Sveum is stuck with him on the 25-man so he has to use him. It's also been a revolving door with the rest of the bullpen spots. We lost Fujikawa early, we've claimed nearly every arm that has been sent to waivers, and we've used a bunch of young guys from our farm trying to piece it together for the season.
Nevertheless, I am not letting Sveum entirely off the hook, maybe this is something that improves with more experience, but the area he needs to work on the most is how to handle the bullpen. He's late with the hook with his starting pitchers (this could easily be related to a lack of trust of a terrible bullpen though), he gives very little slack to young bullpen arms and trusts veterans to figure it out too long even when it's clear they're struggling. Overall, I think Sveum is an solid enough manager with some areas he's excellent in but bullpen management is critical for a contending team, so he must improve if the Cubs are going to win under him.
Looking at next year, after looking at this free agent market, there's not much there either for relief pitchers. I like 3 names, Jason Frasor, Jesse Crain and Joe Smith – all 3 guys have contender experience in the AL, with an excellent track record, so all 3 should be highly sought after by contenders. I don't think the Cubs will spend a big amount on a top tier free agent reliever so it looks like internal options may be our only choice.
Internally, barring any unforeseen trades, Villanueva looks to be the swing man, Russell as a LOOGY and Strop as the late innings righty are locks. I would assume Fujikawa is the closer if/when he is healthy. Those 4 should be very good in their respective roles, but after that is where it will be interesting. I don't expect the Cubs to tender an offer to Gregg. The team will also lose Guerrier who is in the last year of his deal, and with his injury I don't think the Cubs will be interested in bringing him back. We've had a lot of auditions this year and we'll have more these last 6 plus weeks. Many younger arms with potential like Putnam, Bowden, Dolis, Rusin, Raley, Rodriguez and Parker will be in the mix for next season and if they don't make it, some will have to be outrighted off the 40-man completely since we've hit a point where we have too many prospects that need to be protected and we've also got quite a few guys out of options, so expect to see the Cubs make long-term decisions on a lot of players in the near future.
One important name for instance is Jake Arrieta who will have to be on the 25-man one way or another. I expect him to get a rotation spot, but if he struggles the rest of this year (he's being called up today), he may end up a late inning reliever next season. A side note on Arrieta, the Cubs gained an extra year of control and avoided super two status by waiting to call him up until August.
As I mentioned last week, I have Arodys Vizcaino penciled into the BP, and after listening to Jason McLeod yesterday on the Keith Law's podcast, I feel a little more confident expecting Vizcaino to be ready. The short take, Vizcaino was throwing especially well in Spring Training before his setback, and the Cubs expect him to throw multiple innings each outing in the Arizona Fall league to rebuild arm strength and get back into the routine of pitching to be ready to pitch for next season.
That leaves 2 spots. I like Bowden but he's really struggled lately and could be on the chopping block, again. Raley and Rusin both still have options and are lefties so unless something happens with Russell, I expect them to be at AAA. Rusin pitching well enough to stay in the rotation mix and is probably our best internal option if there is an injury so I'd be shocked if he's not starting at AAA next year. Dolis has the stuff, but I think he's the first guy outrighted off the 40-man due to his health. Putnam is probably outrighted as well since he's returning from an elbow injury. Blake Parker has pitched extremely well and is deserving of a spot right now but that can change by next Spring and he also has options left. Rodriguez could also be outrighted if he continues to struggle.
Down on the farm, we have a couple intriguing options including Alberto Cabrera, Justin Grimm (recently acquired in the Matt Garza deal), Barret Loux (replacement for Jake Brigham, as part of the Geovany Soto deal), Kyle Hendricks (part of the Ryan Dempster trade) and Tony Zych (2011 4th round draft pick). Most of these guys are being groomed as starters but I'm a believer in the theory that it's smarter to let a rookie pitcher start their career in the bullpen to get them acclimated to the majors and to also keep their innings down as long as it's not an instance where the role keeps changing back and forth. If the Cubs don't want to take that route, Zych is a definite BP arm, that is close to being ready for the majors. He has a 2.52 ERA in 50IP with 36 strikeouts to only 20 walks but with the 40-man issues the Cubs are facing, adding another player who doesn't need to be there just complicates matters more. And then there's service time/player control to consider and this option works best as a midseason call up, not to start a season.
So out of all the internal options right now, I'd lean towards Bowden and Parker getting those spots. Other than getting back Fujikawa, that's basically the same bullpen minus the 3 worst pitchers this year while also losing Guerrier and Gregg, who were 2 of the best albeit in limited time and with major questions marks going into next year. On paper it's not a terrible BP, and like I said earlier, an average BP would have been worth roughly 10 more wins this year. But I thought this year's BP was going to be solid and look how far off I was then.
Who do you guys want in the BP? Is removing the 3 worst performing pitchers plus hoping for some progression from young arms going to be enough of an improvement? Is adding Fujikawa and Vizcaino, two very high upside arms to the BP going to replace the production lost from Gregg and Guerrier? Is free agency our best course of action? As always drop your thoughts and questions below.
- The Cards took 2 of 3 from the Pirates, moving them within 2 games. The Reds beat Milwaukee, putting them only 2.5 games back. I think all 3 end up making the playoffs, but it's going to be an exciting 6 weeks in the NLC even if the playoff teams are pretty much locked down. I really hope the Pirates don't end up a wild card and then get bounced after 1 game.
- The AL on the other hand is still wide open with Detroit, Boston, Texas, Oakland, Tampa, Baltimore, and Cleveland fighting over divisions and/or wild cards.
- While the Yankees lost and see their playoff hopes drop each day, Alfonso Soriano did his part to win going 4-5 yesterday. He's got 10 hits including 4 HR and a double with 14 RBI plus a walk in his last 15 plate appearances. I don't think he's going to even make it past the first ballot, but he's a fringy Hall of Famer for me. We'll see what he does these last few years but there's only 4 guys in the 400 HR + 300 SB club (A-Rod, Bonds, Mays, & Dawson) and he's going to be joining that list soon. He at least deserves some serious consideration especially since he's one of the few power hitters who we think did it clean this era.
- Jayson Stark wrote yesterday that Miguel Cabrera is one of the greatest hitters ever, and I agree. He's probably going to run away with another MVP, which I think he actually deserves this one over Trout. Last year I thought (and still do) that Trout was the MVP. But this year Trout has slipped a bit, while Cabrera has increased his offensive production across the board. The only real threat is if Chris Davis carries Baltimore to the playoffs.
Starting Pitcher
by Rob Willer
Top Prospect: Pierce Johnson
Bio: Johnson was born in Colorado and was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 15th round of the 2009 Amateur Draft. He bypassed the offer by the Rays and attended Missouri State University instead where he played the next three years. After his junior season Johnson established himself as one of the top college arms in the draft. Finally after 42 picks in the first round the Chicago Cubs selected Johnson 43rd in the 2012 Amateur Draft becoming their top pitching prospect. He measures at 6 foot 3 and 170 pounds which seems to be the pitcher's build of today's game. Overall he has had a great story bypassing the first draft after high school to attend college and get rewarded for his choice.
2012-2013 Season: Overall Johnson has pitched for four affiliates of the Chicago Cubs including Rookie Ball Cubs in the Arizona League, Boise Hawks (Short Season A Affiliate), Kane County (Low A) in the Midwest League and Daytona Cubs in the Florida St League. Over his 2012 season he combined to go 11 innings between both affiliates while allowing five runs (four earned) and striking out 14 in six games. Next he moved to Kane County at the start of the 2013 season where he started 13 games for the cougars. Johnson's season stats include 69 and 2/3 innings pitched while registering a 3.10 earned run average. Some other stats of note are 74 strikeouts to 22 walks which is good for a 3.36 SO/BB ratio. The Cubs felt their second pick of the 2012 draft behind Albert Almora deserved another challenge so they called up Johnson to Daytona. The Daytona Cubs play in the Florida St. League which is regarded as pitchers friendly league where most dominate their opposition on a nightly basis. So far through seven starts in eight games he has completed 41 and 2/3 innings and put up a minuscule earned run average of 2.16. Johnson will most likely finish out the year at Daytona as they are headed for the playoffs which will be very important in Johnson's development (playoff pressure). I believe if he keeps up this pitching we could see him start at Tennessee next year and have the chance for a mid to late season call-up to Iowa.
Sleeper Prospect: CJ Edwards
Bio: Edwards was one of the three pieces in the Matt Garza deal last month which also netted the Cubs 3rd Base Prospect Mike Olt and Starting Pitcher Justin Grimm. The most shocking thing about Edwards is that he was a 48th round draft pick by the Texas Rangers in 2011. He attended Mid Carolina High School in South Carolina and is considered to be one of the biggest steals in the draft after being drafted so late. Edwards got his start with the Rangers system at the age of 20 where he followed the same path as Johnson mentioned above. They both spent their first season in each system at Rookie Ball and then got called up to Short Season A Ball. Edwards combined to go 5-3 with a ridiculous low earned run average of 1.48. Some other key stats to know about his 2012 season include 85 strikeouts in 67 innings pitched and no home-runs allowed while having a KK/BB ratio of 3.40.
2013 Season: Before the trade Edwards pitched at A Ball Hickory where he turned an impressive 18 starts registering an 8-2 record. Edwards pitched 93 and 1/3 innings and struck out 122 batters with yet again you guessed it giving up a home-run. After the trade with Texas, Edwards reported to Daytona to join the High A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. Due to the rain in July and August, Edwards only has gotten in three games where he has went 9 and 2/3 innings and struck out 17 batters while walking just 5. CJ Edwards features three pitches–a four-seam fastball that comes in anywhere from 90 -95 mph, a big curveball at 75-80, and a fading changeup at 82-86. Right now, he generates a lot of his strikeouts by changing hitters' eye levels with high heat and low curves. Most scouts have said that Edward's best pitch is his curveball as already at only 21 years old its a plus pitch. He should start the season next year at Double A Tennessee and be on the same path as Johnson mentioned above. Should be fun to watch this system develop and start to build depth. Other possible candidates include Dillon Maples, Ivan Pinyero and Kyle Hendricks.


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By Cecil Flentge
Box wine, bag-in-box, evenflo bottles for adults. Yes, that is what I am telling you. But what would you expect? I already have jumped the natural cork boat for the screwcap bottle, is it that much of a surprise that I might try the dark side of wine – the box? I have tried several and the most important thing I have learned is that they are not all bad. A few are quite pleasant and you cannot beat the convenience or price. The labeling is different than it used to be. A box wine was called, "Juicy White" or "Burgundy" (even if it was from California). It was made by, wait, let me get my magnifier, the print is just too small, oh here it is, AmalgaMuck industries. Vintage? We don't need no vintage! But times change and now we have a winery that also sells wine in glass bottles, doin' da box! Why?
They're cheaper to produce and that means cheaper to buy.
They're lighter, so even if the box holds the volume of four bottles of wine, it isn't that heavy.
They stay fresh longer, so if you only drink a glass a day you can enjoy the last glass as much as the first.
If you do the math, there are 20 to 24 glasses per three-liter box, so at least three weeks to consume. No problem because the wine does not have air in contact with it until it is in your glass. The oxygen in air is what makes the wine taste bad after a few days. But a regular bottle? Five or six glasses at one a day? Man, the last two glasses will be a little tangy! Or you will just throw it away. (You could still cook with it.) Wine in a box will last at least six weeks after you open it.
Big House, Unchained Naked Chardonnay, California 2011
Available at H-E-B for $18/3 liter box
This particular wine has the hardest to open box-spout arrangement I have encountered. Most of them have a punch out circle and a fold-out flap. You punch the hole and move the flap to pull the spigot forward. Then move the flap back to hold it in place. This one just has the hole and my blunt digits could not do the job so I opened the top of the box, pushed things out where they needed to be, taped the top closed. Then, since it is a Chardonnay, I needed to chill it. You have to give four hours at least to chill that big a bag of wine, so plan ahead. On the other side, once you have it cold, you could take it out on the patio and it will stay cold for an hour or more.
But this is a huge preamble to the main event, how does it taste?
A light yellow wine in the glass with moderate fruit on the nose. Apple, lemon, and a hint of pear notes that repeats on the palate. Decent weight on the tongue with persistent fruit flavor throughout the short, dry, finish. The wine is not bone dry, but it is not one you would casually call sweet. Since I know you are thinking it, no, there is no metallic/odd/chemical/whangy taste at the end. I know because I was in an anticipatory cringe expecting it to happen!
I am working at making dinner, yes – a guy slaving over the hot stove for his honey! It makes me want to taste something cold so I do and it feels nice. I do not have to think about, "But if I open a bottle, I won't be home until late tomorrow night and then I am out with friends the next and it will go bad by the time I get back to it." I just get me a glass, or a half glass, or a glass and an eighth, and relax. It matched well with a lightly curried chicken and at 90 cents a glass, a steal!
Cecil Flentge is a San Antonio wine educator for professionals or novices and a cooking instructor. Restaurant events or home tastings. Questions? Email firstname.lastname@example.com


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COPENHAGEN — Britain's Prince William and his wife Catherine made their first overseas humanitarian trip Wednesday when they visited a UN aid depot in Copenhagen serving drought-hit East Africa.
After having lunch with Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik and his Australian-born wife, Crown Princess Mary, the British royals and their Danish hosts toured UNICEF's emergency supply centre in Denmark.
The visit aimed to "help maintain the global spotlight on the humanitarian crisis in East Africa, which has left more than 320,000 children so severely malnourished that they are at imminent risk of starving to death unless they get urgent help," according to a UNICEF statement.
The supply centre, which contains a warehouse the size of three football pitches, sources, packs and distributes supplies including food, water and vaccines, for children around the world.
The Duchess of Cambridge, who has turned knee-high suede boots and fitted coats into a wardrobe signature, donned a slim scarlet topper cinched at the waist with gold-accented crocodile belt and matching suede clutch.
Poppy-hued coats have also become a theme for the Duchess' public appearances — fashion watchers may remember the red Catherine Walker coat-dress she wore in July for her last engagement in Canada.
Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, wore a more subdued dark coat with a cornflower-blue blouse and windowpane-check trousers.
The royal couples were first briefed on the workings of the depot and the situation on the ground in East Africa. They were also offered a taste of high-protein peanut paste intended for malnourished children, with all but Princess Catherine giving it a cautious try.
They also pitched in and helped pack cardboard boxes of supplies as workers at the centre explained what they contained and why.
"An incredible amount is being done. UNICEF is leading the way and doing a fantastic job, but sadly there's lots more still to do, and that's why we're here today," Prince William said as the visit was wrapping up, according to a UNICEF statement.
Princess Catherine said that she and her husband had chosen to visit the centre because "We really hope to put the spotlight back on this crisis."
They also pitched in and helped pack cardboard boxes of supplies, as workers at the centre explained what they contained and why.
The British couple and their hosts were also scheduled to watch a British Airways Boeing 747 being loaded with 45 tonnes of food and medical supplies before it leaves for the region, where millions of people face starvation, mostly in lawless Somalia.
A spokesman for the couple said the decision to visit "has come about at short notice following the worsening crisis in East Africa."
After marrying in April, William and Catherine made their first overseas trip together to Canada and California in July, but this is their first joint visit in support of a humanitarian cause outside Britain.
The United Nations estimates that more than 13 million people are in need of food assistance in East Africa. The region is suffering from its worst drought in years, which some experts link to climate change.
The couple have an emotional attachment to the region as it was during a holiday in Kenya last year that William proposed, using an engagement ring that belonged to his mother, the late Princess Diana.
With files from National Post staff


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Shares of Tesla Motors Inc. (TSLA - Free Report) hit a new 52-week high of $97.12 on May 14, which is above its previous level of $88.00 a day before, and closed at $83.24 on the same date. The closing price represented a whopping one-year return of 176.9% and year-to-date return of 135.4%.
The Palo Alto, California-based leading manufacturer of electric vehicles and electric vehicle powertrain components has a market cap of $10.05 billion. Average volume of shares traded over the last three months stood at approximately 4,651.6K.
Shares of the company started escalating following the release of its surprising 2013-first quarter results on May 8. The company posted its first-ever quarterly profit of $15.4 million, or 12 cents per share, on an adjusted basis, in the first quarter of 2013 compared with a loss of $79.3 million or 76 cents in the corresponding quarter of 2012. This indicates a whopping positive earnings surprise of 271.4% given the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 7 cents for the quarter.
Revenues jumped manifold to $561.8 million from $30.2 million in the first quarter of 2012. Thanks to the impressive 5,000 units of Model S electric car sales during the quarter.
The automaker continued to supply full electric powertrains and battery packs to Toyota Motor Corp. (TM - Free Report) for their RAV4 EV program. It also completed various deliverables under Daimler's (DDAIF - Free Report) Mercedes Benz B-Class EV program, which contributed to total development services revenues of nearly $7 million.
Although, total gross margin decreased to 17.1% from 33.8% a year ago but rose from 7.8% in the fourth quarter of 2012 due to higher Model S production rate, manufacturing efficiencies, cost reduction measures and regulatory credit sales.
Tesla expects to manufacture 5,000 Model S vehicles in the second quarter of the year. For full year 2013, the company expects to deliver 21,000 Model S cars globally, up 5% from its prior guidance of 20,000 units.
Tesla also plans to spend about $200 million as capital expenditures in 2013, as it concludes the majority of investments in the Tesla Factory and Model S tooling. Capital expenditures also include the expansion of services, store development, Supercharger networks and new product development.
Currently, shares of Tesla retain a Zacks Rank #3, which implies a short-term (one to three months) Hold rating. Peugeot S.A. with a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) is performing well in the broader automotive industry.
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Fannie Mosteller
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German: unexplained.


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I had the same problem and originally I tried the best FM transmitter, and it still had static all the time. I just got an FM modulator for best buy and had them install it too, all for $100 cdn. The modulator is installed into your radio and is connected directly into your car antena. Then you set the radio to a specific station and just hook the end of the cable into your headphone jack. It works very well. Hope that helps.
I bought the Creative Zen Vision M 60gb and I love it!. Now that I have my mp3s on it, I would like to play the music through my car stereo. I heard that you need an FM transmitter to do that? If so, does anyone know which one I should get? Thanks.


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Sameer Goel, Head-Asia Rates and Currency Research at Deutsche Bank believes the Finance Minister opted in favour of credibility premium by sticking with the fiscal consolidation target.
Budget was much more positive for bonds than expected says Sameer Goel, Head-Asia Rates and Currency Research at Deutsche Bank.
Goel believes the Finance Minister opted in favour of credibility premium by sticking with the fiscal consolidation target.
Since the start of the year we have seen big outflows from the market and that had made investors nervous if India was victim of all the negatives in global markets, he says adding, the Budget has brought about some amount of confidence.
He expects emerging market currency including Indian rupee to be under pressure.
Although hard to provide a short term view, he says, 10-year bond yield might hover around at 7.5 percent by second half of the year and the rupee would be around 68-70 to a USD going into later part of the year.
Below is the transcript of Sameer Goel's interview with CNBC-TV18's Anuj Singhal and Sonia Shenoy.
Sonia: What has the takeaway been from the conference today?
A: It has been interesting. There has been a lot of interest which has come back into India to be honest. Going into the conference there was at one point in time the idea whether the India story was in a way coming off the boil but the Budget is to some extent revived a lot of interest into the country, into the trade, more generally the macro trade on equities and currencies and interest rate. And there has been some very good takeaways, obviously recognising what the issues and problems that are both with an interesting perspective of domestic versus offshore investors in what they are looking at and it is just the beginning. We have a three day conference, so I am sure a lot to look forward to.
Anuj: We have see big rally in bond market, big rally in rupee market over the last couple of days. But if you put it in context before that we had a bit of a sell off as well. So, do you think with correction of that and secondly from this point on do you think the bond rally is here to stay?
A: There is definitely a part of it, probably even a substantial part of it which I would argue is correction to bearishness which has built up on both bonds and currencies. Since the start of the year we have seen one of the bigger outflows from the market as compared with everything else in the region and that had clearly started to get people more nervous about whether the India story was finally being claimed as a victim to everything which is happening in the global market. At the moment the Budget was clearly a positive surprise as I like to put it, there was a sweet spot hit, there was clearly in some sense the gamble taken to try and build on the credibility premium of keeping to a fiscal target but that in a way was a sweet spot between the equity and debt investors that both markets were managing to take away something positive from it. Some of it was position correction. As to where we go from here I still find and I would take probably a conservative approach that it doesn\\'t necessarily shift the needle on a lot of the very underlying macro fundamental issue. In the country there still is, while it looks to us increasingly like the reserve bank would cut rates once more but it is not obvious to me that whether they will read into what happens with structural reforms sufficient to allow Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to have a larger space than just maybe one more rate cut. It is still something to be decided.
Sonia: If you had to give us two levels, one on the rupee and one on the bond markets, of course the Budget was more positive on bonds than one would have expected but from here on where do you see the bond yields?
A: It is very hard to say short term. Short term we will probably see a little bit more of this rallying specially in anticipation of the next rate cut. What will become very important is the guidance from the reserve bank after that and whether there is a deeper cycle in place, beyond 6.5 but I would argue if he was to look on the second half of the year or where we try and civilise I will still argue it would be about 7.5 percent on yields and I would argue probably in the 68-70 region as far as dollar-rupee is concerned going into the later part of the year.


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wikiHow to Learn Guitar Scales
Four Parts:Basic Concepts and TerminologyMajor ScalesMinor ScalesOther Useful ScalesCommunity Q&A
Scales are an instrumental part of any musician's repertoire. They provide crucial building blocks for composition and improvisation in virtually every style and genre. Taking the time to master the most fundamental scales can make the difference between an average player and an excellent one. Luckily, when it comes to the guitar, learning scales is usually a matter of memorizing simple patterns through practice.
Part 1
Basic Concepts and Terminology
Already have a little basic musical theory under your belt? Feel free to skip to the scales themselves by clicking here.
1Learn to read the fretboard of a guitar. On a guitar, the front of the long, skinny part where you put your fingers is called the fretboard. The raised metal bumps on the fretboard divide it into frets. Scales are formed by playing notes on different patterns of frets, so it's important to be able to identify them. See below:
- The frets are numbered from the tip of the neck towards the body of the guitar. For example, the fret at the very end of the neck is the first fret (or "fret 1"), the next fret in is the second fret, and so on.
- Holding down the string on a certain fret and strumming the string over the body of the guitar plays a note. The closer the frets get to the body, the higher the notes get.
- The dots on the fret are just for reference — they make it easier to know where you're putting your fingers without having to count the frets up the neck constantly.
2Learn the names of the notes on the fretboard. Every single fret on the guitar plays a note that has a name. Luckily, there are only 12 notes — the names just repeat over and over. The notes you can play are below. Note that some notes have two different names:
- A, A#/Bb, B, C, C#/Db, D, D#/Eb, E, F, F#/ Gb, G, G#/Ab. After this, the notes start at A again and repeat.
- Learning the positions of the different notes is something that's not super hard, but it takes a little too long to cover in this article. If you need help, try our article on the subject.
3Learn the names of the strings. You can talk about the different strings with names like "thickest, second thickest," and so on, but it's a lot easier to discuss scales if you know the strings' proper names. This is also handy because the strings are named after the note that they play when you don't press any of the frets. On a normal six-string guitar in standard tuning, the strings are:[1]
- E (thickest)
- E (thinnest) — note that this has the same name as the thickest string, so some people will say "low" and "high" E to tell them apart. You'll also sometimes see a lowercase "e" used for the thinnest string.
4Learn the concept of whole and half steps in a scale. In simple terms, a scale is just a sequence of notes that sound nice when you play them in order. When we learn scales below, we'll see that all scales are built from patterns of "whole steps" and "half steps." This sounds complicated, but these are just ways to describe different distances on the fretboard:[2]
- A half step is a distance of one fret up or down. For example, if you play a C (A string, third fret), moving one fret up will give you a C# (A string, fourth fret). We can say that C and C# are one half step apart.
- A whole step is the same thing except that the distance is two frets. For example, if we start on C and move two frets up, we'll play a D (A string, fifth fret). Thus, C and D are a whole step apart.
5Degrees of a scale. We're almost ready to start learning scales. The final concept to understand is that, since scales are sequences of notes that are supposed to be played in order, scale notes get special numbered names called "degrees" to help you identify them. The degrees are listed below.[3] Learning the number name for each degree is most important — the other names are used less often.
- The note you start on is called the root or first. It is also sometimes called the tonic.
- The second note is called the second or supertonic.
- The third note is called the third or mediant.
- The fourth note is called the fourth or subdominant.
- The fifth note is called the fifth or dominant.
- The sixth note is called the sixth or submediant.
- The seventh note is called the seventh — it has a couple of other names that change depending on the scale, so we'll ignore them in this article.
- The eighth note is called the octave. It's also sometimes called the tonic because it's the same note as the first, only higher.
- After the octave, you can either start over again from the second or keep going on from the ninth. For instance, the note after the octave can be called the "ninth" or the "second," but it's the same note either way.
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Part 1 Quiz
Moving 1 fret up or down on the neck of the guitar is an example of a:
Part 2
Major Scales
1Pick a starting note (root) for your scale. The type of scale we'll learn in this section is the major scale. This is a good choice to learn first because many other scales are based off of the major. One nice thing about scales is that you can start them on any note at all. To begin, pick any note below the 12th fret on the low E or A string. Starting on one of the lower strings gives you plenty of room to move up and down the scale.
- For example purposes, let's start on G (low E string, third fret). In this section, you'll learn how to play a G major scale — scales are named after their root note.
2Learn the pattern of steps for a major scale. All scales can be written as patterns of whole and half steps. The step pattern for a major scale is extra important to learn because many other scale patterns are derived from it. See below:
- Start on the root, then follow these steps:
- Whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, whole step, half step.
- For example, if we're starting on G, first we'd move up one whole step to A. Then, we'd move up another whole step to B. Then, we'd move up a half step to C. Following the pattern above, we would continue up the scale, playing D, E, F#, and ending on G.
- Start on the root, then follow these steps:
3Learn the fingering pattern for a major scale. You can play a whole scale on one string, but this is very awkward — you won't usually see guitarists do it. Instead, it's much more common to move up and down through a few different strings as you play your scale. This minimizes the amount of motion that your hand has to make.
- For the G major scale we just learned, we would start on the third fret of the low E string. We would play A and B on frets five and seven of the E string.
- Then, we would hit C on the third fret of the A string. We would hit D and E on frets five and seven of the A string.
- Then, we would hit F# on fret four of the D string. We would end by hitting G on the fifth fret of the D string. Notice that we didn't have to move our hand up and down the neck to do this — just change strings and stretch our fingers.
- All together, it should look like this:
- Low E string: G (fret 3), A (fret 5), B (fret 7)
- A string: C (fret 3), D (fret 5), E (fret 7)
- D string: F# (fret 4), G (fret 5)
4Try sliding this pattern up and down the neck. As long as you're starting on the low E or A string, the major scale fingering pattern you just learned can be played anywhere on the neck. In other words, just shift all the notes up or down by the same number of frets/steps to play a different major scale.
- For example, if we wanted to play a B major scale, we would just move up the neck to the seventh fret of the low E string. Then, we'd use the same fingering pattern as before to play the scale like this:
- Low E string: B (fret 7), C# (fret 9), D# (fret 11)
- A string: E (fret 7), F# (fret 9), G# (fret 11)
- D string: A# (fret 8), B (fret 9)
- Notice that we're putting our fingers in the same pattern of frets as before. Just move this pattern up and down to play different major scales.
- For example, if we wanted to play a B major scale, we would just move up the neck to the seventh fret of the low E string. Then, we'd use the same fingering pattern as before to play the scale like this:
5Learn the scale going up and down. Usually, scales aren't just played in one direction. Once you master going up the major scale, try playing it back down again once you reach the octave. All you need to do is play the same notes in reverse order — no changes are necessary.
- For example, if we want to play the B major scale up and down, we would play these notes:
- Going up: B, C#, D#, E, F#, G#, A#, B
- Going down: B, A#, G#, F#, E, D#, C#, B
- If you want to get the scale to match up with a 4/4 beat, play each note as a quarter or eighth note. Hit the octave twice or go up to the ninth (just a whole step above the octave), then go back down. This will give you the right number of notes for the scale to "line up" with the measures.
- For example, if we want to play the B major scale up and down, we would play these notes:
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Part 2 Quiz
What note should come next in this D major scale: D, E, F#/ Gb, G, A...?
Part 3
Minor Scales
1Learn the difference between a minor and major scale. A minor scale has a lot in common with a major scale. Like a major scale, it's also named for its root note (e.g., E minor, A minor, etc.) Most of the notes are even the same. There are just a few changes you need to make:[4]
- The minor scale has a flat third degree.
- The minor scale has a flat sixth degree.
- The minor scale has a flat seventh degree.
- To make a note flat, just move it down one half step. This means that the third and seventh notes in the scale will be one fret lower than in a major scale.
2Learn the step pattern for a minor scale. Having a flat third, sixth, and seventh in a minor scale changes the step pattern from the major scale. Memorizing the new pattern can be handy as you get familiar with minors.
- The step pattern for a minor scale, starting from the root, is:
- Whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, whole step.
- For example, if we wanted to make a G minor scale, we'd start with a G major scale and move the third, sixth, and seventh degrees down a half step each. A G major scale is:
- ...so a G minor scale is:
- G, A, Bb, C, D, Eb, F G
- The step pattern for a minor scale, starting from the root, is:
3Learn the fingering pattern for minor scales. Just like with majors, the notes in minor scales are played with a certain pattern of frets you can slide up and down the neck to play different minors. As long as you're starting on the low E or A string, the minor pattern is the same.
- For example, let's play an Eb minor scale. To do this, we'll just take an Eb minor scale and slide the third, sixth, and seventh degrees down one fret, like this:
- A string: Eb (fret 6), F (fret 8), F# (fret 9)
- D string: Ab (fret 6), Bb (fret 8), B (fret 9)
- G string: Db (fret 6), Eb (fret 8)
- For example, let's play an Eb minor scale. To do this, we'll just take an Eb minor scale and slide the third, sixth, and seventh degrees down one fret, like this:
4Practice playing the scale up and down. Just like with major scales, it's most common for minors to be played going up, then going down again. Again, you're just playing the same sequence of notes in reverse order with no changes.
- For example, if we wanted to play an Eb minor scale up and down, we would play this:
- Going up: Eb, F, F#, Ab, Bb, B, Db, Eb
- Going down: Eb, Db, B, Bb, Ab, F#, F, Eb
- Like with major scales, you can add the ninth (the F above the octave in this case) or play the octave twice to get the beats to line up with a 4/4 beat.
- For example, if we wanted to play an Eb minor scale up and down, we would play this:
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Part 3 Quiz
What is the difference between a major scale and a minor scale?
Part 4
Other Useful Scales
1Practice chromatic scales for form and speed. One type of scale that's useful from a practice perspective is the chromatic scale. In this scale, all the degrees are a half step apart. This means that a chromatic scale can be made simply by going up and down the frets in order.
- Try this chromatic exercise: First, pick one of the guitar's strings (it doesn't matter which). Start counting a steady 4/4 beat. Play the sting open (no notes fretted) as a quarter note, then the first fret, then the second, then the third. Without stopping, play the first fret, then the second, third, and fourth. Keep the beat steady and play the second fret, then the third, fourth, and fifth. Continue this pattern until you reach the 12th fret, then go back down!
- For example, if you're playing on the high E string, your chromatic exercise would look like this:
- Measure one: E (open), F (fret 1), F# (fret 2), G (fret 3)
- Measure two: F (fret 1), F# (fret 2), G (fret 3), G# (fret 4)
- ...and so on up to the 12th fret (then back down).
2Learn the pentatonic scale. The pentatonic scale has only 5 notes and they all sound good when they're played together, so this scale is used often for soloing. Specifically, the minor pentatonic is especially popular in rock, jazz, and blues music. It's used so often that it's sometimes just called the "pentatonic" for short. This is the scale we'll learn below.
- The minor pentatonic contains these degrees: Root, flat third, fourth, fifth, and flat seventh (plus the octave). It's basically a minor scale without the second or sixth.
- For example, if we start on the low E string, the A minor pentatonic scale would be:
- Low E string: A (fret 5), C (fret 8)
- A string: D (fret 5), E (fret 7)
- D string: G (fret 5), A (fret 7)
- From here, if we want, we can keep going, playing the same notes on higher strings:
- G string: C (fret 5), D (fret 7)
- B string: E (fret 5), G (fret 8)
- E string: A (fret 5), C (fret 8)
3Learn the blues scale. Once you know the minor pentatonic scale, it's very easy to play a related scale called the "blues scale." All you need to do is add the flat fifth scale degree to the minor pentatonic. This will give you a scale with six notes — everything else is the same.
- For example, if we wanted to turn the A minor pentatonic scale into the A blues scale, we would play:
- Low E string: A (fret 5), C (fret 8)
- A string: D (fret 5), Eb (fret 6), E (fret 7)
- D string: G (fret 5), A (fret 7)
- G string: C (fret 5), D (fret 7), Eb (fret 8)
- B string: E (fret 5), G (fret 8)
- E string: A (fret 5), C (fret 8)
- The flat fifth is known as the "blue note." Even though it's in the scale, it sounds a little weird and discordant by itself, so if you're soloing, try to use it as a leading tone — that is, play it "on the way" to another note. Don't hang on the blue note for too long!
- For example, if we wanted to turn the A minor pentatonic scale into the A blues scale, we would play:
4Learn two-octave versions of all the scales. Once you reach a scale's octave, you don't always have to go back down. Just treat the octave as the new root and use the same step pattern to play a second octave. We touched on this briefly with the minor pentatonic scale above, but this is something you can learn for virtually all scales. Starting on one of the bottom two strings generally makes it easier to fit two whole octaves in the same area of the neck. Note that the second octave usually has a different fingering pattern even though the steps are the same.
- Let's learn a two-octave major scale — once you know this, it's easier to figure out two-octave versions of the minor scales. We'll try G major (the very first scale we learned at the top of the article). Right now, we know this:
- Low E string: G (fret 3), A (fret 5), B (fret 7)
- A string: C (fret 3), D (fret 5), E (fret 7)
- D string: F# (fret 4), G (fret 5)
- Keep going, using the same step pattern: whole step, whole step, half step, and so on...
- D string: G (fret 5), A (fret 7)
- G string: B (fret 4), C (fret 5), D (fret 7)
- B string: E (fret 5), F# (fret 7), G (fret 8)
- ...and then back down!
- Let's learn a two-octave major scale — once you know this, it's easier to figure out two-octave versions of the minor scales. We'll try G major (the very first scale we learned at the top of the article). Right now, we know this:
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Part 4 Quiz
What is a "blue note?"
Community Q&A
Can you provide more technical steps for the right and left hands and give more information about scales?wikiHow ContributorJust practice. There are many tutorials online and in books on building your hands and fingers. As for scales, the notes contained therein are the building blocks for any style of playing or melody.
I saw a C major scale that started at the open E, aren't scales supposed to start at their roots?Jelke de JongWell, normally speaking, yes, a C major scale would have to start on C. Each scale has 7 modes, though, which tell you on what note they start. So, for example, E in the Frygic mode would be the scale of C, but starting on E.
What is the penatonic major scale?wikiHow ContributorThat's a scale made of full extents from a major scale. For example, a pentatonic major scale made in C major would be: c, d, e, g, a.
- Looking for an easy way to learn fingering patterns for a huge variety of scales? Try this helpful site, which lets you quickly browse scales by root note and type.[5]
- In the instructions above, we started our scales on the low E and A strings. In reality, you can also start them on the higher strings — this is especially useful for soloing. Try looking at the different variations for the scales on the site above to see how many ways the same sequence of notes can be rearranged around the neck!
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Categories: Guitar Chords and Songs
In other languages:
Español: aprender escalas de guitarra, Italiano: Imparare le Scale sulla Chitarra, Português: Aprender Escalas de Guitarra, Русский: выучить гаммы на гитаре, Deutsch: Tonleitern auf der Gitarre lernen, Français: apprendre les gammes à la guitare, Nederlands: Toonladders leren spelen op een gitaar, Bahasa Indonesia: Belajar Skala Gitar
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Off-Road Golf is for Players Who Love the Rough
A Northern California craze lets you build your own backyard country club.
"It started out back in the '90s as extreme croquet," says Sales Manager Bill Foster of The Barbecue Store, which developed and sells the packaged version of the game. "The problem was that over the distances being played there were too many arguments over whether the ball went through the wicket. The answer was holes, so the guys started burying one gallon flower pots and Off-Road Golf was born. I think it caught on so quickly because anyone can play, you can build a course anywhere, you don't need lessons and it's really inexpensive."
Off-Road Golf evolved over the years and developed its own equipment to become the game it is today. Like traditional golf, it is typically played by a foursome over a course of par-rated holes. Unlike golf, however, a standard course consists of 10 par three to par five holes, a single multi-use rubber-headed mallet replaces golf's set of clubs and the balls are slightly larger than baseballs. Balls can be driven or putted with the mallet or flipped out of difficult lies with a grooved handle-end of the mallet.
"Laying out the course is almost as much fun as playing," says Foster. "You can build on a lawn, in a field, on hills or out in the woods and you set par based on distance and challenge. A relatively clear 60 foot shot might be a par three, while a 200 foot hole with a couple of obstacles like hills, qbdvd rocks or trees might be a par five. I've seen permanent 10-hole courses out in the woods, and I've seen three-hole temporary courses set up for a weekend camping trip. I've even seen a one-hole course with half-a-dozen tees, each with its own par; it was like playing six different holes."
Asked why the game is being marketing by a company that manufactures and sells barbecue accessories, Foster had a ready answer. "Off-Road Golf just seems to go with outdoor food. I'm not saying you have to barbecue to play, but I'd recommend it. That's not to say that folks don't take the game seriously. We just had the 12th Annual Off-Road Golf World Championship with 60 participants. It's always very competitive."
Foster knows of at least 140 courses in Shasta County alone and suggests another reason for building one. One of the rules of the game is that, as a player, you should leave the course better than when you got there, so players are regularly picking up rocks and twigs as they play. "My course is out in some pine woods, and after several years it's like a park out there," he says.
The complete kit for building a course and playing the game consists of 10 hole liner cups, 10 marking flags with stands, four mallets, four balls, instructions for course design and rules for play. Additional balls can be purchased in sets of four and additional mallets are available individually or in sets of four. Detailed information on the game is available at www.off-roadgolf.com and the equipment can be ordered at the site. Orders are being taken now for holiday shipment.
In addition to selling Off-Road Golf game kits, The Barbecue Store (toolwizard.com and bbq-tools.com)
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Re: Benjamin Kinnear m. Cathrine Spencer
In reply to:
Re: Benjamin Kinnear m. Cathrine Spencer
Gary E Young 3/15/02
I appreciate your information, as the date difference of birth for the kids would clear up a big question- how one husband could be married to two women in two different locations.
The Benjamin Kinnear will (made 30 Jan 1855, probated 29 June 1855)lists 3 children in Ohio (Ann Delamer McPherson, William Jesse Kinnear and Francis Kinnear)and 3 children in MO (James Mathew Kinnear, Samuel Huston Kinnear and Paulina J. Kinnear).The book "Kinnear and Kin" had birthdates listed for James Mathew (1831) and Samuel Huston (1833).These conflicted with birthdates for the children in Ohio.
According to the census, what were the ages for Samuel and PJ Kinnear?
The correct birthdates for the MO children would fit in better with a divorce/separation than polygamy.
Is this a family you are related to?
Thanks for the info and the directions to find the research.


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The Problem 'Too Big to Be Seen'
Wick Sloane discusses some of the heartrending stories he encounters embedded in the community college landscape.
The problem "too big to be seen" is what I signed on for here. I won a fellowship to write a series about equity for half the 20 million students in college in the U.S. today. My half is the 11.5 million at the 1,195 two-year campuses called community colleges. At the last meeting for my fellowship, Henry Braun of ETS and Boston College, an author of America's Perfect Storm -- Three Forces Changing Our Nation's Future, explained how continued failure to deal with divergent skill distributions, the changing economy, and demographic trends may destroy the whole nation. Braun called the problem, for which community colleges stand alone on the front lines, "too big to be seen." It's time to write.
Since October 2006, 19 months ago, I have been embedded at Bunker Hill Community College, an 8,900-student campus in Boston. I teach expository writing, I tutor, I write for college publications. I don't understand why so many journalists rush to Iraq and Afghanistan, when so many are dying right here in the U.S. In March 2007, one of my students, Cedirick Steele, 19, was shot. Six times, we thought at the time. It turned out to be seven shots. Boston police stuck with the case and have made two arrests. The suspects have said they just wanted to shoot someone; Cedirick happened to be the one. Cedirick's was a physical death. What 1,195 community colleges struggle to prevent are the deaths called poverty.
Those are the living deaths, perpetrated by the economy, of the millions of bright and motivated human beings who don't survive the obstacle course, the minefield, the live-fire field that we, the people, tolerate today as an education system for the poor. Community colleges, I've found, are the emergency rooms for those struggling for the basic critical thinking and problem solving and reading and writing and calculating skills that I have taken for granted since my time at Yale and at Williams College and even before that, at Phillips Exeter Academy, where the dining halls have dessert bars and half a floor of the library for 1,000 students dwarfs all that's available to the 8,900 at Bunker Hill Community College. The federal subsidies via tax policy alone of each student at the schools I attended are at least $25,000. Cedirick Steele, because he lived with his grandparents who had jobs, not his mother, could only afford to go to school part-time. Remember, the maximum federal Pell Grant, the major federal aid for low-income students, is barely $4,000. Before he was shot, Cedirick was trying to qualify for more aid.
Beside me now are thousands of words and pages and pages of my own rage and stupefaction at the inequities and struggles I see each day faced by students and staff and faculty at Bunker Hill. It's the same at any community college I've visited. These pages keep spinning out in rage and gibberish. I can't circle longer, looking for the perfect storyline on this problem "too big to be seen." I can see the slides.
Slide One: 6:15 a.m. last Monday, I was the third car into the Bunker Hill parking lot. A student, nearer 30 than 20 years old, was standing beside his car, brushing his teeth. He looked embarrassed to be seen. Ted Koppel might have rushed over with the camera for the story. I turned and left him to the privacy he had. I do know the story of the student who fled the war in Sudan, who was on time for my 7 a.m. expository writing class that day. He comes to class from Logan Airport, where he is a security guard seven days a week.
Slide Two: 3:30 p.m. on a miserable, grey, wet Boston winter Saturday. I've just finished a three-hour College Writing 1 class where 22 students showed up. A colleague needed to go to his grandfather's funeral, and I filled in. My section of the same course meets for two 90-minute classes, at 7 a.m. Monday and Wednesday. Who showed on winter Saturday? Alexey, Russian, valet parking, working 35 hours a week. Kristina, Russian and fluent in German, a barista, 35 hours per week. Sondo, Polish, a nanny, 50 hours per week. Tatiek, Indonesian, home with children. Hayat, Morocco/Arabic, hotel front-desk manager, 50 hours a week. Lucia, Brazil/Portuguese interpreter, 55 hours a week. Vilma, Costa Rica, mother 24/7 and unit coordinator, 40 hours a week.
Slide Three: I gave away my last copy of the Axelrod & Cooper college-writing textbook. A student asked if he could wait two weeks, until his next payday, to buy the book. That week, he had to pay for his health insurance. That student was fortunate. When U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry Jr. (D-Mass.) visited a Bunker Hill class last year, he asked, "How many of you have health insurance?" No hands went up. That class included two single mothers. One, who wrote poetry, spent weekends locked in her home with her daughter, worried that her ex-husband would break out of prison again. The week before, that single mother told a Haitian student, "Your story sounds like Edwidge Danticat."
Slide Four: Senator Kerry asked a young mother from Haiti about her two jobs, earning barely $600 per week, and he asked the cost of rent and of day care, which added up to about the same. "That's cutting it pretty close. Is anyone from home sending you money?" Kerry asked. The student replied that she sent money back to Haiti.
Slide Five: A Thursday last spring. A textbook publisher has brought lunch for two students whose essays she wants to buy for a new book. On Tuesday, one student had e-mailed his lunch order. Thursday morning, he canceled. He had to quit school. No explanation.
Slide Six: The final paragraph of his essay.
"My stomach begins to churn as I start the last phase of my pilgrimage. The last phase consists of walking out of the train station, down the walkway and into BHCC. I compare this walk to the walk death row inmates take before they are executed. As I take this walk I begin to ask myself, "What the fuck am I doing here?" Within seconds my sensible half answers, "You're here so that you don't have to live like the rest of your family. The rest of your friends are in school, and lord knows half of them aren't half as smart as you. Lastly, we already paid for this shit so get it done, lil' nigga." With BHCC right in front me, I take a deep breath and end this pilgrimage by entering the Mecca that will start me on the path of reaching my pinnacle."
Slide Seven: My friend, Lyn Marino, an engineer weary of the defense industry who has taught math for 25 years at Capital Community College in Hartford, Conn.: "If they're not breaking your heart every day, Wick, you're just not doing your job."
In the weeks ahead, I'll try to wrestle the rage into constructive declaratory sentences and keep filing here. This weekend in Philadelphia is the annual convention of the able and tireless American Association of Community Colleges. Nothing I can write is new to the people at that convention. They have ideas and answers, if anyone will listen. I worry that I can't type fast enough to beat that Perfect Storm.
Wick Sloane, who writes The Devil's Workshop, won a fellowship to write about community colleges from the Hechinger Institute at Teachers College, Columbia University. This is the first of his reports from that work.
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Officials in Southern California's Imperial County, where 70% of voters supported Proposition 8 in 2008, have appealed Judge Vaughn R. Walker's
decision in Perry v. Schwarzenegger to the U.S. court of appeals for the ninth circuit.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the Imperial County board of supervisors voted 4-1 to approve the appeal, though Walker has previously denied the county's attempt to intervene in the suit.
The legal team representing two gay couples who sued the state had argued in court filings that Imperial County does not have standing to sue. "Imperial County fails to satisfy any of the requirements for intervention as of right," the attorneys wrote to the court in December. "Its motion is indisputably untimely, and it lacks any cognizable interest in this case — much less a significantly protectable one."
Legal observers have questioned whether Prop. 8 proponents including ProtectMarriage.com, which argued in favor of the ballot measure at trial after Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declined to defend it, have standing to appeal the decision to the ninth circuit.
Imperial County is represented by Advocates for Faith and Freedom, a Murrieta, Calif.–based organization. "California voters have the right to vote pursuant to their religious and moral beliefs," the group said in a statement posted on its website. "Judge Walker's determination that Proposition 8 lacked a rational basis is contrary to both well-established precedent and democratic principles."


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If you caught the premiere of a new documentary called Miss You Can Do It on HBO, you'll know why I'm enthralled with the idea of a beauty pageant for young girls with disabilities. I've never been so moved by an idea, and this pageant has been around for 10 years!
The national pageant was created in 2004 by Abbey Curran, a former Miss Iowa and Miss USA contestant, specifically for mentally and physically challenged girls ages four to 25. Why would Abbey Curran be inclined to launch a pageant of this nature?
Abbey Curran has cerebral palsy. In 2008, she was the first woman with a disability to compete in the Miss USA pageant. She simply wanted to give other girls with mental and physical disabilities like Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, and muscular dystrophy an opportunity to compete for the chance to win the coveted crown.
Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age two, Curran wore leg braces until she was eight. In high school, she saw a flyer announcing a beauty pageant, got excited, and wanted to enter, but her teacher told her to "be realistic. You can't do that." Really? Curran begged to differ. Apparently, teachers aren't always right, and this teacher's mistake was pure inspiration for the future beauty queen.
The HBO documentary focuses on the pageant held in the Kewanee, Illinois area–Curran's home town–where dozens of girls entered.
Some of the absolutely adorable contestants arrived in wheelchair accessible vans and others were ambulatory, but they were all there for the same thing–to show off their smiles, sassy sportswear, elegant evening gowns, and, above all, their spirit. You have to see it to believe it. Do keep plenty of tissues handy.
To say the audience was filled with proud parents is an extreme understatement. Every girl was greeted with wild applause, and you saw nothing but absolute joy on the face of every contestant. A few of the girls were featured in heartwarming segments about their lives at home. Crown-hopefuls Meg and Alina are sisters with cerebral palsy; Alina was adopted from an Eastern European country in which children with disabilities aren't valued. Meg's family welcomed Alina with open arms and hearts full of love, and she's a happy little girl because of it.
For the competition, the girls were asked to "write" an essay, and the essays were read during the competition. A pageant organizer read the essay for Teyanna, who has severe cerebral palsy, and Teyanna said, "The meaning of disabled is not having any power, but I have the power to do anything I am willing to try. That makes me able."
I thought Teyanna had a really good shot at winning. She's an amazing kid. Who won? You'll have to watch the documentary to find out. Even as a writer, I can't find the words to express how exhilarated you'll feel after seeing this stunning documentary, other than to say it's unforgettable.
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Cardiac Diagnostic Services
For inpatients and outpatients whose physicians have noticed irregularities in heart function, our Cardiac Diagnostic Services Department provides electrocardiograph monitoring and evaluation. It evaluates chest discomfort, shortness of breath, anti-arrhythmic therapies, and pacemaker function. It also helps physicians confirm reports of heart palpitations and poor blood supply to the heart.
24- and 48-Hour Holter Monitor
A Holter monitor is a machine that can be worn for 24-48 hours to continuously record the heart's electrical activity and rhythms during normal daily activities.
Electrodes are attached to your chest and also to a small recording monitor. The Holter monitor, which is battery operated, is carried in a pocket or small pouch worn around the neck or waist. You must keep an accurate diary of activities performed while wearing the monitor. After 24-48 hours you will return the monitor and a cardiologist will look at the records and see if there have been any irregular heart rhythms. A Holter monitor may be used after a heart attack, to diagnose arrhythmia and when starting a new heart medicine.
A physician's order is required. To schedule an appointment, you can reach The Bolduc Family Outpatient Center at 443-718-3000.
24-Hour Blood-Pressure Monitoring
Ambulatory, or 24-hour blood-pressure monitoring, is used to take regular blood pressure readings over a 24-hour period, as you conduct your normal daily activities. It uses a special automatic blood pressure monitor that records blood pressure at certain intervals throughout the day. You must keep an accurate diary of all activities. After 24 hours, you will return the monitor and a cardiologist will look at the records and see if you need further treatment.
This kind of monitoring is often used when a doctors suspects "white coat hypertension" (a condition in which high blood pressure only occurs in the physician's office due to stress and anxiety). Other conditions that might cause a doctor to recommend 24-hour blood pressure monitoring include syncope(fainting) or when a patient doesn't respond to a medication. It is also a more accurate predictor of patients at high risk for a cardiac event.
A physician's order is required. To schedule an appointment, you can reach The Bolduc Family Outpatient Center at 443-718-3000.
ECHO (Echocardiography – Adult and Pediatric)
An echocardiogram (also called an ECHO) is a type of ultrasound test that is used to diagnose cardiovascular diseases. It sends high-pitched sound waves through a device called a transducer, which picks up echoes of the sound waves as they bounce off different parts of your heart. These echoes are turned into moving pictures of your heart that can be seen on a video screen.
ECHOs are done for variety of reasons:
- To look for the cause of abnormal heart sounds (murmurs or clicks), an enlarged heart, unexplained chest pains, shortness of breath or irregular heartbeats.
- To check the thickness and movement of the heart wall.
- To determine how well the heart valves are working.
- To determine how well an artificial heart valve is working.
- To measure the size and shape of the heart's chambers.
- To determine cardiac performance (the ability of your heart chambers to pump blood) as well as the ejection fraction (the fraction of blood pumped out of a ventricle with each heart beat.) You might have a low ejection fraction if you have heart failure.
- To detect a disease that affects the heart muscle and the way it pumps, such as cardiomyopathy.
- To look for blood clots and tumors inside the heart.
The following types of echocardiography tests are provided at our facility:
- Adult resting transthoracic echocardiography is the most common type of ECHO. Views of the heart are obtained by moving the transducer to different locations on your chest or abdominal wall.
- Pediatric resting transthoracic echocardiography
- Adult Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) testing. For this test, the probe is passed down the esophagus instead of being moved over the outside of the chest wall. TEE shows clearer pictures of your heart because the probe is located closer to the heart and because the lungs and bones of the chest wall do not block the sound waves produced by the probe. A sedative and an anesthetic applied to the throat are used to make you comfortable during this test.
To schedule treatments, you can reach The Bolduc Family Outpatient Center at 443-718-3000.