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PITTSBURGH (AP) — Having won the World Series two of the last three seasons, the San Francisco Giants have rarely been an afterthought.
They were role players, however, when Gerrit Cole made his major league debut Tuesday night, taking a shutout into the seventh inning and hitting a two-run single in his first at-bat to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to an 8-2 victory over San Francisco.
The top pick in the 2011 draft, the right-hander allowed two runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings after being called up from Triple-A Indianapolis earlier in the day. He began his highly touted career with a three-pitch strikeout — all 96 mph fastballs — of Gregor Blanco and struck out two overall. He did not walk a batter.
"We knew he had big-time talent and he showed it," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "He had good command of his pitches, he located pretty well and did a good job of keeping us off balance with his breaking pitch to go with the fastball."
While Cole commanded his pitches, Pirates reliever Tony Watson gave the Giants a scare. The left-hander hit second baseman Marco Scutaro with a pitch on the left pinkie in the seventh inning.
The pitch bent the finger backward and Scutaro left for a pinch-runner. However, X-rays were negative and the Giants averted losing their second infielder to the disabled list in the same day. Third baseman Pablo Sandoval went on the DL before the game with a strained ligament in his left foot.
Scutaro thought his finger was broken and was concerned that he might miss some playing time.
"It was bent, like a snake," Scutaro said. "If you try to pull it straight, it goes back down. It looks pretty bad. I guess what they said is it's not broken but I don't really know."
Pedro Alvarez went 3 for 3 with a home run to back Cole. Starling Marte also homered and Andrew McCutchen and Russell Martin had two hits each.
San Francisco put two runners on in the first and loaded the bases in the second against Cole (1-0) but failed to score in either inning.
Cole then set down 13 in a row, starting with Scutaro's flyout to end the second. The Giants finally broke through in the seventh inning, but the Pirates had built a 5-0 lead by then.
Many of the 30,614 in attendance cheered every move made by the pitcher who is expected to be the Pirates' ace of the future.
"Really, I couldn't have asked for anything better," Cole said. "The guys played great defense and we scored a lot runs. I was able to take us pretty deep into the game and I even got lucky and got a hit. It's tough to draw it up any better than this."
The sizable crowd for a weekday game, though, caused problems for the organization, which instituted a new security measure for fans entering the stadium. The use of electronic wands slowed down the entrance procedure and Pirates President Frank Coonelly issued an apology during the game.
Tim Lincecum (4-6) gave up four runs — two earned — on seven hits in 4 2-3 innings while striking out four and walking two. It was the two-time Cy Young Award winner's fourth loss in his last five starts.
"I kind of put myself in some holes with some pitches that weren't really even close to the zone," Lincecum said. "I really wasn't challenging the zone with quality strikes. When I did throw quality strikes, they put them in play and hurt us.
San Francisco reliever George Kontos, who gave up a two-run home run to Alvarez in the seventh inning, was ejected for hitting McCutchen with a pitch in rear in the eighth. There were a total of four hit batters in the game.
"It was the right thing to do," Bochy said of the ejection. "Both benches had been warned and George hit him. That's the way it goes in that situation."
Cole snapped a scoreless tie when he lined a two-run single into right field in the second inning with one out and the bases loaded. Cole did not have hit during his two seasons in the minor leagues, going 0 for 6 with three strikeouts.
"I got totally lucky there," Cole said with a grin. "That's my first hit since high school. It's been a long time and I wasn't expecting it."
Martin, Alvarez and Walker singled to load the bases with no out. After first baseman Brandon Belt reached two rows into the stands to catch Clint Barmes' foul pop, Cole delivered in his first plate appearance.
Lincecum was knocked out during a two-run fifth that pushed Pittsburgh to a 4-0 lead. Marte's solo home run, his sixth, made it 5-0 in the sixth.
San Francisco closed to 5-2 in the seventh when pinch-hitter Brett Pill drove in a run with a ground out.
The Pirates answered with three runs in the bottom of the seventh to increase the lead to 8-2. Martin singled in a run and Alvarez hit his two-run homer, his 14th.
"We put some pressure on (Cole) early but we just couldn't get the big two-out hits when we needed them," Bochy said. "We didn't take advantage of what opportunities we had."
NOTES: San Francisco recalled INF Nick Noonan from Triple-A Fresno to take Sandoval's roster spot. Joaquin Arias started at third base. ... Pittsburgh placed LHP Wandy Rodriguez on the 15-day DL with tightness in his left forearm to open a roster spot for Cole. RHP Charlie Morton, who had Tommy John reconstructive elbow surgery last June, is expected to come off the DL and pitch Thursday against the Giants in Rodriguez's place. ... Giants LHP Barry Zito (4-4, 4.06) faces Pittsburgh LHP Francisco Liriano (4-2, 1.75) on Wednesday night.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Having won the World Series two of the last three seasons, the San Francisco Giants have rarely been an afterthought.


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More than three years ago, The Biggest Loser fan favorite and poster child for healthy living had a shock at his physical. "The doctor said I had high cholesterol — and it had to be genetic because I eat well and exercise," Harper says. So he studied up on plant-based diets and tested out vegan living (no meat, eggs, or dairy) in an attempt to lower his cholesterol. To the shock of Harper and his doctors, his total cholesterol count dropped 100 points after making the switch. Since then, Harper has connected his diet with his love for animals. He's now the spokesperson for the Walk for Animals, a fundraiser for Farm Sanctuary, which aims to end animal cruelty.
Harper took a break from filming The Biggest Loser to chat with FITNESS about his vegan lifestyle, his healthy eating tips, and his crusade against factory farms.
FITNESS: "You certainly noticed changes in your cholesterol after you stopped consuming animal products, but did you also see effects in your performance, energy levels, or other areas of your life too?"
Bob Harper: "My body went through a major transition, but I can say as a vegan and now 45 years old, I feel better, stronger, and cleaner. This diet is a great fit for me. I'm not condemning animal eaters, but just showing there's another option that's out there."
"What are your favorite foods these days?"
BH: "Chef Tal Ronnen, The Conscious Cook, has a paella recipe that I absolutely love. Some of my favorite standbys include Ezekiel muffins, Quaker oatmeal, and a green drink, made of a mix of vegetables, hemp seed, and Maca Powder. And I tell people they can even have pizza! I make mine with a whole-grain crust, marinara sauce, and rice cheese."
Get healthy recipes from Chef Tal Ronnen
"What is the biggest misconception about veganism, in your opinion?"
BH: "People always ask me how I get enough protein and other nutrients. I can get all that I need with the way that I eat — I just have to do a little recon. No matter what diet you follow, eating right isn't easy and takes planning."
"What are your go-to vegan meals?"
BH: "You have to have color on your plate. I keep kale salad in my fridge, because it's so hearty and will last for days. It's a mix of kale, walnuts, peppers, and currants. I also enjoy quinoa with black beans and salsa. Healthy eating can be easy if you plan ahead and have staples like these in your refrigerator."
"Do you have any healthy eating tips for our readers who may or may not be interested in full-fledged veganism?"
BH: "Absolutely. Eat breakfast! I've been in the health business for more than 20 years, and I've seen how much it can slow your metabolism to skip it. You also need to have healthy snacks readily available. This takes planning, but if you have fresh fruits and vegetables, hummus, or Greek yogurt with berries on-hand, that will help keep you on track. And complex carbs are good, but stay away from them at night if you can."
"How do you stay on track when travelling or have to grab something quick away from home?"
BH: "Finding good options with fast food is really, really hard. Salads can be good choices, but watch the dressing and skip anything fried on the salad. Seek out the lower-sugar options and bypass buns on sandwiches. If there's a grocery store nearby, that's a better choice than fast food. Grab dry roasted or raw nuts or fresh fruit to snack on to hold you over."
"What are some of the influences that helped you decide to eat the way you do now, or continue on with this plan?"
BH: "The China Study, [which discusses the link between nutrition and heart disease, diabetes and cancer] really spoke to me and opened up my eyes. President Clinton actually just started a plant-based diet and talks about the book. It's like a school book — thought-provoking and dense. And a documentary called Forks Over Knives was made recently and is so powerful. It's like Food Inc., but a whole new level."
Learn more about Forks Over Knives
"Why did you decide to work with Farm Sanctuary?"
BH: "I grew up on a farm where cows had pastures and a good life. Now factory farms are too painful. Animals have been turned into objects rather than living, breathing, and feeling beings. Farm Sanctuary is doing their part and I love being able to help out the organization."
Learn more about Farm Sanctuary and Walk for Farm Animals fundraiser
"After filming more than 10 seasons, how would you explain the effect of The Biggest Loser on viewers?"
BH: "Biggest Loser gives inspiration. You can get back on track no matter how far you are off of it. I get e-mails and tweets every day from fit people who really get something out of the show. I think of it as informative reality TV."
Originally published on FitnessMagazine.com, November 2010.

subset: commoncrawl


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News that Samsung's developing a handset based on Google's Android mobile OS is nothing new. But a mole on the inside claims to know that the firm's Android phone plans are actually much more ambitious than a single device for 2009.
According to a "reliable source" that spoke to website Android Arena, Samsung will launch a further two Android-based handsets before this year is out – bringing its Android collection to a minimum of three handsets before Christmas.
The bad news is that nothing's yet been leaked about these rumoured phones, other than the fact they'll run on Google's mobile OS, of course.
Punters are still eagerly awaiting further news about Samsung's first Android, which has been slow coming. The company's confirmed that one's in development, but has remained tight-lipped about the specifications.
Last month a blurry picture cropped up online of a phone rumoured to be the first Samsung Android. It's said to feature a touchscreen, camera, Micro SD expandable storage and HSDPA 3G of up to 7.2Mb/s and 1.4Mb/s HSUPA. ®


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Winston Salem Black Foot Soldiers are calling the death of veteran Police Officer Mickey Hutchens a "victory in the name of justice and righteousness."
"Of hypocrites & dead pigs is the life & death of so called officer Mickey Hutchens. His stinking corpse is not fit to be buried in Mother Earth." – Winston Salem Black Foot Soldier Issac Lincoln
"We know, today, that everything this so called law man represented, upheld and believed in was morally corrupt," Winston Salem Black Foot Soldier Issac Lincoln is reported as saying before fellow Foot Soldiers who assembled to discuss a street penitentiary protest many hoped to carry out in the event of Hutchens' death.
"For those of us who made offerings to God, Allah and or righteousness that justice might befall hypocrite Hutchens from the wounds he sustained from brother Evans, we know, today, our offerings were accepted.
"We know that white police are racial terrorists who uphold laws of institutional racism that favor whites.
"While we should never forget the unrighteousness of brother Evans in his abuse of our sisters. In his last moments of life he answered the call to become a hero against the racism and terrorism we face from those who call themselves the law."
Lincoln says local Foot Soldiers will stage a street penitentiary protest to disrespect Hutchens' funeral.


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Emma was called the "pride of the SA Police Service (SAPS)" by spokesperson Captain Colette Weilbach, the Daily Dispatch reported:
Drug lords and drug dealers in Gauteng feared her. During her years in police service Emma has assisted in closing down 12 drug laboratories and putting more than 350 drug dealers behind bars in Gauteng. (Gauteng is the country's most industrialised province, including both Johannesburg and Pretoria)
Emma's nose led to some six million dollars' worth of drugs. Her crime-fighting partner, Inspector Leonard De Jager, trained Emma from when she was a puppy.
The value of the drugs that Emma sniffed out added up to around R60million. Emma has received trophies for the most drug arrests in Pretoria, for the best drug dog, as well as for the dog with the most arrests involving violent crimes, such as house robberies and hijackings, both of which are very common in South Africa.
The canine crime hunter has also received an award for the most searches done in open fields, vehicles and buildings.
Her partner in fighting crime, Inspector Leonard De Jager, trained Emma from when she was a puppy. When asked what he would miss most about working with the cocker spaniel, De Jager said she would stick her head out the back window, and he would reach back and Emma would press her small nose into his palm.
Because De Jager has dogs of his own at home, he has had to find Emma a place to stay, but this poses no problem, as it will be at the house of one of his best friends so he can visit any time.


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not give twopence(redirected from give two pence)
not give twopence
To not give in the slightest (about something or someone). Primarily heard in UK, Australia. I don't give twopence how you get it done, just make sure the deed to that estate is in my possession within a fortnight! I know that Jeremy has a crush on me, but to be honest I couldn't give twopence for him.


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Trying to Clear Up DeLong's Muddle for Him
First, let us look carefully at Nagel's example, and see what he is using it to demonstrate (emphasis mine):
"The distinctive thing about reason is that it connects us with the truth directly.... [S]uppose I observe a contradiction among my beliefs and "see" that I must give up at least one of them. (I am driving south in the early morning, and the sun rises on my right.) In that case, I see that the contradictory beliefs cannot all be true, and I see it simply because it is the case. I grasp it directly.... [W]hen we reason, we are like a mechanism that can see that the algorithm it follows is truth-preserving.... Something has... gotten our minds into immediate conact with the rational order of the world.... Rational creatures can... make up their own minds.... It does seem to be something that cannot be given a purely physical analysis and therefore... cannot be given a purely physical explanation.
If I decide, when the sun rises on the right, that I must [not] be driving... south.... I abandon the belief because I recognize that it couldn't be true.... I operate in the space of reasons..."
So Nagel gives us two beliefs:
1) The sun rises in the east (where I am); and
2) I am driving south, which means the east will be on my left.
And a fact: But the sun is rising to my right!
So Nagel's point is that we cannot continue to hold 1) and 2) simultaneously: "I must give up at least one of them." How could he have said that more plainly?
Then Nagel goes on to state that "IF" (notice, that "if" is right in the original text, I did not add it!) he decides to give up belief 2), it will be because he sees he cannot logically hold 1) and 2) at the same time. Notice what the "if" implies: Nagel clearly understands that he has the option of giving up belief 1) instead! Otherwise, no point to the "if."
Now, Brad Delong comes along and says, "What an idiot! [And he really does insult Nagel like that.] Once, I was in that situation, and I had to give up belief 1)!"
Ahem. One does not disprove the proposition that one ought to give up at least one of two contradictory beliefs by showing how once, one gave up one of two contradictory beliefs.
What DeLong ought to have done is, given that he had made the "heuristic guess" that he had just found one of the great philosophers of our time committing an elementary logical blunder, stopped and said, "Perhaps this here jumped up monkey needs to guess again?" Instead, he took his misreading and ran with it, and now insists on digging deeper and deeper into the mud of heuristic error.
Game over.


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What to expect from big Barclays Center transportation meeting next Tuesday--and what's missing (and why the first year may be a risky experiment)
Beyond consultant Sam Schwartz, who works for developer Forest City Ratner, representatives of several government agencies will be present, including the Metropolitan Transportation, Long Island Rail Road, and Department of Transportation. The meeting should focus on incentives to use public transit or at least to not drive to the arena area.
We should learn how the MTA and LIRR will increase service, how Forest City Ratner will use incentives (like a free MetroCard with ticket and remote parking lots with shuttles) to encourage use of public transportation, cross-marketing with area businesses, how bike parking will be run, perhaps even how they rationalized cutting the surface parking lot to fewer than 550 spaces, and whether the incentives will be used for other large events beyond Nets games.
The plan was supposed to be released last December, and the delay--let's hope for a clear explanation why--is seen by elected officials like Council Member Steve Levin as precluding effective public input. (Maybe we'll also get a straight answer about the likelihood of the Carlton Avenue Bridge reopening before the arena opens, given that the current schedule puts it about a week late, portending traffic chaos.)
The missing disincentives to drive, and the risks
Indeed, what we apparently won't learn, as representatives of Atlantic Yards Watch have pointed out, are any plans for parking disincentives, such as a surcharge on area parking lots (as in Newark) and residential permit parking (as in several other cities with sports facilities).
And that runs the risk of a rough first year of operation, before policies are revised. "I have always been concerned that a purely incentive-driven program runs the risk of failure through non-interest," observed Community Board 2 District Manager Rob Perris, speaking personally. (The board has not weighed in) "If it is not successful, I do hope everybody finds the will to fix what's not working."
In recent comments on The Local, several area residents expressed dismay about the future. One asked if there would be permit parking, given that some streets are already jammed. Perris replied in the comments:
There are no immediate plans for residential parking permits. The City Council passed a "home rule message," seeking authorization from Albany to implement "RPP" in New York. However, the necessary state legislation, schedule for a vote a couple months ago, is bottled up in committee.What we already know
Gib Veconi of the Prospect Heights Neighborhood Development Council commented that the outline of the TDM has been available since December 2009, in section L of the Amended Memorandum of Environmental Commitments (also reproduced below).
The measures described are all incentives to use mass transit. The issue is that effective demand management requires disincentives (like the residential parking permits mentioned above.), and disincentives generally require action by government to implement. The focus on next weeks' Sam Schwartz meeting seems to have created the impression something big is going to be announced, but without a joint effort with legislative leaders, little that's meaningful is likely to emerge. The one exception would have been information about the capacity of the on-site surface parking lot, but that news was broken by Kenneth Adams at a 5/2 Borough Hall meeting.Below is the "Transportation Progress Report" issued by Schwartz's office in January, which described effective measures at other sports facilities. It frustrated some observers because it essentially described what had been discussed for years.
2012 01 26 Transportation Progress Report
Amended Memorandum of Environmental Commitments for The


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Both the U.S. Senate and House voted on Wednesday to tighten sanctions against Iran's energy, shipping, and insurance sectors, in an effort to cut off the necessary funding for Iran to develop its nuclear program.
The Hill reports, "The bill would expand U.S. sanctions under the Iran Sanctions Act, and would sanction any company that deals with Iran's petroleum, petrochemical or natural gas sector." The bill also applies sanctions to companies that offer any services to Iran's energy, financial, consulting, or other industries, as well as to companies that insure Iran's oil sector or operate or insure the National Iranian Oil Company.
The legislation also creates a set of sanctions pertaining to human rights abuses in both Iran and Syria, requiring the Obama administration to identify those leaders guilty of such violations. Additionally, it requires the administration to block financial transactions with leaders in the Syrian government.
The vote followed an announcement from the Obama administration that additional sanctions would be imposed against Iran. Fresh sanctions will be imposed on foreign banks in China and Iraq that help Iran avoid the penalties. Obama's announcement is likely in response to accusations by GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney that Obama is not tough enough on Iran.
Addressing the new rounds of sanctions from Congress in addition to those announced by the White House, White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said, "The congressional efforts can be complementary to what we're doing."
The Iran sanctions bill, H.R. 1905, was passed in the House by a vote of 421 to 6 and in the Senate by voice vote. The six House members who voted against the bill were Reps. Justin Amash (R-Mich.), John Duncan (R-Tenn.), Tim Johnson (R-Ill.), Walter Jones (R-N.C.), Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), and Ron Paul (R-Texas).
Congressman Ron Paul delivered an impassioned speech against sanctions just before the vote, observing,
I think this bill would be better named if we called it "Obsession with Iran Act 2012" because this is what we continue to be doing is [being] obsessed with Iran and the idea that Iran is a threat to our national security.
He continued by establishing that Iran poses no demonstrable threat to the United States:
Iran happens to be a Third World nation; they have no significant Navy, Air Force, intercontinental ballistic missiles — the IAEA and the CIA said they're not on the verge of a nuclear weapon.
It's so similar to what we went through in the early part of this last decade when we were beating the war drums to go to war against Iraq, and it was all façade. There was no danger from Iraq.
When you put sanctions on a country, it's an act of war, and that's what this is all about. The first thing you do when war breaks out between two countries, is you put sanctions on a country, you blockade the country. So this is an act of war.
Paul went further by explaining that Iran does not have a history of violence that would suggest that the United States must engage in war with the country. "They don't have a history of invading their neighboring countries," he said. "The last time they were at war was with Iraq, and we bugged Iraq to go into Iran."
Similarly, Rep. Dennis Kucinich stated that the bill would place the United States on a "path to war":
It's likely that any negotiated deal that would prevent a nuclear-armed Iran would provide for … uranium enrichment for peaceful purposes under the framework of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Weapons Treaty, with strict safeguards and inspections. So we're taking a path here that guarantees that we're put on a glide slope right to war.
But House Foreign Affairs Committee chairwoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) asserted that the bill is necessary in order to interrupt Iran's economic development so that it does not produce nuclear weapons. "Ultimately, we will all be judged by a simple question: Did we stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapons capability? If the answer is no — if we fail — then nothing else matters," she insisted, adding, "History is full of avoidable tragedies, of foolish countries that have allowed their enemies to prepare to destroy them. The entire world now is fully aware of Iran's true intention. Now is the time to take a stand."
Likewise, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) declared that Iran has proven to the world that additional sanctions are necessary:
There is no better evidence why this bill is so important than the fact that two weeks ago, a terrorist attack in Bulgaria that killed six innocent civilians, five of them vacationing Israelis. There have been numerous press reports linking Iran to that attack.
As long as Iran continues to pursue nuclear weapons, call for the destruction of Israel, and provide arms to terror groups like Hamas and Hezbollah, it will face the consequences in the form of sanctions … isolation, and the continuing reality of the option of military action.
And Howard Berman (D-Calif.), ranking member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, contended that Congress can do even more to address the growing threat of a nuclear Iran. "Let there be no doubt, there is more we can do, more that we will do if Iran does not end its nuclear weapons program verifiably and completely," he said.
The Senate passed the same bill later in the day by unanimous consent. As noted by The Hill, sanction legislation "has been very easy to pass in the last several Congresses, and this time it was no different."
Senator Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) added that military action against Iran should remain a consideration, but asserted that increased sanctions are the best approach at this time to stop the country's nuclear development: "Ratcheting up the economic pressure against Iran is imperative. So that Iran sees it's not in their best interests economically to continue on this path [of nuclear weapons development]."
Meanwhile, officials in Iran have responded to the new sanctions, calling them "warfare."


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ATLANTA - Sept. 23, 2013. Protecting the stem cells that reside in and around the hippocampus - a C-shaped area in the temporal lobe on both sides of the brain associated with the ability to form and store memories - substantially reduces the rate of cancer patients' memory loss during whole-brain radiotherapy without a significant risk of recurrence in that area of the brain, a new study shows. Results of the Phase II clinical trial of patients with brain metastases are being presented today at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) annual meeting.
"Memory loss, especially short-term recall, is an important consideration for patients receiving whole-brain radiotherapy," says the study's co-principal investigator, Minesh P. Mehta, M.B., Ch.B., professor of radiation oncology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "We found that reducing the radiation dose to the stem-cell niches surrounding the hippocampus during treatment was clearly associated with memory preservation without an inordinate risk of relapse in that portion of the brain. The findings far exceeded our expectations."
Based on previous research, the predicted rate of cognitive decline at four months for patients receiving whole-brain radiation for brain metastases was 30 percent. Researchers designed the clinical trial so that a positive result would be a rate reduced by half, to 15 percent. The observed rate in the trial was actually 7 percent - significantly better than the baseline rate of 30 percent. With a third fewer patients to evaluate, the rate of decline observed at six months was 2 percent, although comparable data from the historic control study were not available.
"These Phase II results, while not absolutely conclusive, offer very important insights which we hope to validate in a larger, randomized Phase III clinical trial," says Dr. Mehta, a radiation oncologist at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center who chairs the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) brain tumor committee. The RTOG, which managed the Phase II trial, also plans to manage the Phase III Study.
Co-principal investigator Vinai Gondi, M.D., will present the findings at the plenary session at the ASTRO annual meeting in Atlanta. He practices at Central DuPage Hospital Cancer Center in Warrenville, Ill.
E. Albert Reece, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., vice president for medical affairs at the University of Maryland and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and Dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, says, "Preserving neurocognitive function is extremely important in treating patients with brain metastases, and the results of this latest study on hippocampal-avoidance radiotherapy led by Dr. Mehta are very encouraging. This technique, if validated in a randomized clinical trial, will give physicians a significant new tool to help maintain patients' quality of life while aggressively treating their cancer."
Patients in the study, the majority of them with lung cancer that had spread to the brain, were treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), which enabled doctors to shape the radiation beams to avoid the hippocampus. Researchers used a standardized cognitive function assessment - the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT) - to measure patients' baseline memory, such as their ability to recall information immediately or after a delay, with follow-up at two, four and six months.
A total of 113 patients were recruited between 2011 and 2013; investigators were able to evaluate 42 patients at four months and 29 patients at six months. The median survival for the participants was 6.8 months. Three patients (4.5 percent) experienced progression of their disease in the hippocampal region, which was within the expected range.
Dr. Mehta says that the radiation affects cognitive function by damaging nerve cells as well as stem cells, which help to regenerate nerve cells that support memory formation. "These stem-cell niches are exquisitely sensitive to radiation and are involved in neurogenesis - the process of generating new neurons, or nerve cells. Although we call it hippocampal-avoidance radiotherapy, we really are targeting the stem-cell niches in and around the hippocampus," Dr. Mehta says.
He notes that factors other than radiation may also contribute to cognitive decline in patients with brain metastases, including medicines to control seizures or swelling in the brain. The cancer itself may also have an effect.
The research was supported by RTOG grant U10 CA21661 and CCOP grant U10 CA37422 from the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
About the University of Maryland School of Medicine
Established in 1807, the University of Maryland School of Medicine is the first public medical school in the United States, and the first to institute a residency-training program. The School of Medicine was the founding school of the University of Maryland and today is an integral part of the 11-campus University System of Maryland. On the University of Maryland's Baltimore campus, the School of Medicine serves as the anchor for a large academic health center which aims to provide the best medical education, conduct the most innovative biomedical research and provide the best patient care and community service to Maryland and beyond. http://www.
About the University of Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center
The University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute-designated center in Baltimore affiliated with the University of Maryland Medical Center and University of Maryland School of Medicine, offers a multidisciplinary approach to treating all types of cancer and has an active cancer research program. It is ranked in the top 50 cancer programs in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. For more information, go to http://www.


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Lesson Plan
Slipping, Sliding, Tumbling: Reinforcing Cause and Effect Through Diamante Poems
|6 – 8
|Lesson Plan Type
|Standard Lesson
|Estimated Time
|Four 45-minute sessions
|Lesson Author
Avon, Massachusetts
Combine higher order thinking with creativity in this lesson that uses diamante poems to illustrate the phenomenon of cause and effect. Students define and identify instances of cause and effect to help them generate their own examples. After practicing the diamante format in a shared writing experience, students construct their own diamante poems illustrating cause-and-effect scenarios of their choice. The diamante poem will start with the cause and transition to the effect.
- Diamante Poems: This interactive tool helps students get their poems in shape.
- Cause and Effect Diamante Writers Checklist: Students can use this checklist to make sure their poems fit the diamante format.
Zwiers, J. (2004). Developing academic thinking skills in grades 612: A handbook of multiple intelligence activities. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
- Teaching concepts of cause and effect helps students to think logically and draw conclusions based on evidence.
- Cause and effect is an important jumping-off point that allows students to move beyond memorizing answers or facts and consider alternative possibilities and underlying concepts.
- In addition to modeling cause and effect questions, the teacher can "scaffold the process of figuring out cause and effect with activities that support content and language learning."


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Photographer's Note
Salvador is one of the most beautiful and visited cities of Brazil.
Beaches, historic sites, which refer to the beginning of Brazilian colonization, lots of music, typical food, religion, poultry, besides having the largest carnival in the world, Salvador is a "must see" wonderful place and features like the Lacerda Elevator (lift),the Lighthouse Bar, the Market Model, the Pelourinho and Church of Senhor do Bonfim are ashtonishing icons..
The mixture of races, creeds and colors formed a unique culture in Salvador, which is present in all parts of the city throughout the year and can be appreciated in its various manifestations, such as capoeira, candonblé ,the percussion, the dances and carnival.
Salvador is among the sunniest cities in the world which yo can realize with this view from a escuna in All Saints Bay.
Model - NIKON D700
DateTime - 2012:10:11 12:17:36
ExposureTime - 1/250 seconds
FNumber - 22.00
ExposureProgram - Manual control
ISOSpeedRatings - 200
MeteringMode - Multi-segment
LightSource - Auto
Flash - Not fired
FocalLength - 28.00 mm
FocalLengthIn35mmFilm - 28 mm
Image Quality RAW manually converted to JPEG
Direitos de Autor Reservados © : Proibida a reprodução por qualquer meio sem a prévia autorização por escrito do autor. Favor contactar Rui de S. Camposinhos.
Critiques | Translate
Waylim (25436) 2014-01-28 12:29
Hello Rui,
I can feel the movement of the current and wave of the passing ferry. A really good time for photo with this warm sunset light painted the whole landscape in golden tone. The sea water is rich with indigo blue and the wave give sense of motion and energy. Excellent POV using the ferry as an anchor point and leading the viewers in to the scene. Very good quality photo.
PaulVDV (50954) 2014-01-28 12:35
Hello Rui,
Among the sunniest cities in the world ... That sounds very interesting!
Here the evening sun creates beautiful warm tones on the buildings and even on the people in the boat.
These warm colours make a good contrast with the darker blue waves.
I guess you were sailing on another boat.
Best regards, Paul
Periko (8289) 2014-01-28 17:12
Nice picture, Rui. I like the afternoon light.
When I read the title I remembered the song "Salvador" by Sadao Watanabe, a Japanese jazz performer.
danos (110395) 2014-01-29 8:37
Ola Rui,
very nice the seascape view with the returning boat to the port of the city.I like the good presentation with the excellent light and colour management to brings out the beauty and the charmy of the image.
kwekwekan (1078) 2014-01-29 16:12
Hello Rui,
A nice view of the city with the boat well placed so as to not block any significant portion of the skyline. The texture of the choppy blue ocean is also well captured with an appropriate exposure length. Very good composition and balance as well.
ricardomattos (13477) 2014-01-29 16:35
Oi Rui,
Belíssima foto com ótimas cores e nitidez. Bela luz de entardecer e uma ótima nota também.
npecanhuk (79329) 2014-02-01 5:18
Oi Rui!
Que bela foto desse seu passeio de barco!
A luz está linda deixando o colorido do lugar muito atraente!
Parabéns, abraço e até mais,
josepmarin (59385) 2014-02-03 0:10
Olá Rui,
bonta superposición del barco con la ciudad al fondo, en una composición bien estructurada.
Me gusta el fuerte contraste creado por el azul intenso del mar y el azul suave del cielo con respecto a la luz y los colores de los edificios de la ciudad.
La imagen es muy nítida, tiene una gran iluminación, y unos colores vivos y naturales, que dan una gran potencia a la foto.
Buen trabajo.
Um abraço,
fotka (6993) 2014-11-08 5:42
Hi Rui,
Great shot taken from the water toward coast with a ferry in the foreground. Picture has good quality as well colors, light and sharpness.
Have a nice weekend,
Photo Information
- Copyright: Rui de Camposinhos (ruisc_pt) (11518)
- Genre: Lieux
- Medium: Couleur
- Date Taken: 2014-01-01
- Categories: Transports, Architecture
- Camera: Nikon D700, Sigma 24-70 2.8 EX DG Macro, 82mm Circular Polariser
- Exposition: f/22, 1/250 secondes
- Versions: version originale
- Carnet de voyage: BAHIA - BRAZIL
- Date Submitted: 2014-01-28 9:50


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Just because two of you have work does not discount that the rest of us do not. I struggled to get 1000 lines yesterday, had to keep dialing back in scrounging for work. And as others have said here, we have talked to Dorothy and MDI is aware that there is not enough work to go around. Maybe you two have an account that they did not put too many MTs on. Apparently on mine they did. I have been on this account for many years and I have always had work until the last several months.
The MTs who can do it all have a much better chance of actually liking their job. I have always done anything from ERs to Op notes. ESLs do not bother me, some of them are better than the US docs. I have worked for the larger companies and am now with a small national and absolutely loving it. I honestly do feel like I am part of a team.
I have heard MTs say they will not do ESLs and they will not do Op notes. That is such a shame!
I think that with anywhere you work, your always going to have those who hate it and those who love it. I have only been at Precyse 4 weeks, and so far my TM has always communicated back to me in less than 10 minutes and is always there to answer questions, and if she is not, someone else is always there to help me. I think it has alot to do with who your TM is. But I have to say so far, everyone has been extremely helpful to me anytime I need it. I LOVE it......


text:
I'm trying to design or steal a gambling game for Metropole Luxury Coffin (MLC). It needs to be playable by a mixture of individuals and teams. I've been reading about lots of games and have yet to find one that fulfills that requirement. I'd prefer to use regular playing cards, but I'm open to other ideas, a long as it's not too strange.
Something I'd like to avoid is having to shuffle multiple decks together. Smaller hands combined with communal cards (like Texas Hold 'em) is a possibility. I also like how Poker builds up tension. Unfortunately, that game only deals with individuals, not teams. I also don't like having to remember the various ways to win at Poker. It adds unnecessary complexity to the resolution.
Any other game suggestions?


text:
Here is a sample of what some leading scholars, writers, and other thinkers have written or said about play.
It is a happy talent to know how to play.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
American writer
Play is our brain's favorite way of learning.
Diane Ackerman
Contemporary American author
Culture arises and unfolds in and as play.
Johan Huizinga
Dutch historian
Almost all creativity involves purposeful play.
Abraham Maslow
American psychologist
The true object of all human life is play.
G. K. Chesterton
British author
Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.
Fred Rogers
American television personality
A child loves his play, not because it's easy, but because it's hard.
Benjamin Spock
American pediatrician
Play has been man's most useful preoccupation.
Frank Caplan
Contemporary American author
To the art of working well a civilized race would add the art of playing well.
George Santayana
American philosopher
People tend to forget that play is serious.
David Hockney
Contemporary British painter
Children need the freedom and time to play. Play is not a luxury. Play is a necessity.
Kay Redfield Jamison
Contemporary American professor of psychiatry
Do not…keep children to their studies by compulsion but by play.
Greek philosopher
Surely all God's people…like to play.
John Muir
American naturalist
Necessity may be the mother of invention, but play is certainly the father.
Roger von Oech
Contemporary American creativity guru
The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct.
Carl Jung
Swiss psychoanalyst
In play a child always behaves beyond his average age, above his daily behavior. In play it is as though he were a head taller than himself.
Lev Vygotsky
Russian psychologist
Creative people are curious, flexible, persistent, and independent with a tremendous spirit of adventure and a love of play.
Henri Matisse
French painter
Play is training for the unexpected.
Marc Bekoff
Contemporary American biologist
Creative play is like a spring that bubbles up from deep within a child.
Joan Almon
Contemporary American educator
Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.
O. Fred Donaldson
Contemporary American martial arts master
Human beings need pleasure the way they need vitamins.
Lionel Tiger
Contemporary Canadian anthropologist
When children pretend, they're using their imaginations to move beyond the bounds of reality. A stick can be a magic wand. A sock can be a puppet. A small child can be a superhero.
Fred Rogers
American children's television host
The debt we owe to the play of the imagination is incalculable.
Carl Jung
Swiss psychoanalyst
Play is hard to maintain as you get older. You get less playful. You shouldn't, of course.
Richard Feynman
American physicist
Children have always learned and created places for themselves through play.
Donna R. Barnes
Contemporary American psychologist
There is for many a poverty of play.
D.W. Winnicott
British pediatrician
The very existence of youth is due in part to the necessity for play; the animal does not play because he is young, he has a period of youth because he must play.
Karl Groos
German evolutionary biologist
If you want to be creative, stay in part a child, with the creativity and invention that characterizes children before they are deformed by adult society.
Jean Piaget
Swiss philosopher
A child who does not play is not a child, but the man who does not play has lost forever the child who lived in him.
Pablo Neruda
Chilean poet
I believe that those boys who take part in rough, hard play outside of school will not find any need for horse-play in school.
Theodore Roosevelt
American president
It is in playing, and only in playing, that the individual child or adult is able to be creative and to use the whole personality, and it is only in being creative that the individual discovers the self.
D.W. Winnicott
British pediatrician
Now in myth and ritual the great instinctive forces of civilized life have their origin: law and order, commerce and profit, craft and art, poetry, wisdom and science. All are rooted in the primeval soil of play.
Johan Huizinga
Dutch historian
The playing adult steps sideward into another reality; the playing child advances forward to new stages of mastery.
Erik H. Erikson
American psychoanalyst
Ritual grew up in sacred play; poetry was born in play and nourished on play; music and dancing were pure play.... We have to conclude, therefore, that civilization is, in its earliest phases, played. It does not come from play...it arises in and as play, and never leaves it.
Johan Huizinga
Dutch historian
We all need empty hours in our lives or we will have no time to create or dream.
Robert Coles
Contemporary American child psychologist
The child amidst his baubles is learning the action of light, motion, gravity, muscular force…
Ralph Waldo Emerson
American writer
So, in all these spheres—in painting, sculpture, drawing, music, singing, dancing, gymnastics, games, sports, writing, and speech—we can carry on to our heart's content, all through our long lives, complex and specialized forms of exploration and experiment.
Desmond Morris
Contemporary British zoologist
Play, while it cannot change the external realities of children's lives, can be a vehicle for children to explore and enjoy their differences and similarities and to create, even for a brief time, a more just world where everyone is an equal and valued participant.
Patricia G. Ramsey
Contemporary American educational psychologist
As astronauts and space travelers children puzzle over the future; as dinosaurs and princesses they unearth the past. As weather reporters and restaurant workers they make sense of reality; as monsters and gremlins they make sense of the unreal.
Gretchen Owocki
Contemporary American early childhood educator


text:
(By Delegates Barker, Kump, Butcher and Manypenny)
[Introduced January 11
, 2012; referred to the
Committee on Government Organization then Finance.]
A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §29-6-29, relating to the civil service system; establishing a living minimum wage for public employees; adjusting classification pay scales; and providing salary range adjustments to be substantially equivalent to existing pay ranges.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §29-6-29, to read as follows:
§29-6-29. Minimum living wage.
(a) Effective upon passage of this section, the Division of Personnel shall establish for all classification pay plans a minimum living wage for all full-time state employees equal to not less than $20,000 per year. A minimum living wage shall apply to all public employees regardless of classification, job titles or job duties.
(b) On or before July 1, 2011, the Division of Personnel shall adjust all classification pay scales and salary ranges of all public employees to reflect the minimum living wage established in this section. The division shall adjust and prorate all classification pay scales proportionally based on seniority and longevity of service. In order to preserve the seniority and recognition of the longevity of service of all public employees, the division shall direct such adjustments as necessary to all pay scales in the classified and classified exempt service of the state so that the placement of all public employees shall remain substantially equivalent to the placement of all employees in the existing pay ranges prior to the effective date of this section.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to establish a minimum living wage for all public employees of not less than $20,000 per year.
This section is new; therefore, it has been completely underscored.


text:
There are quite a few over-the-counter products that claim to kill
lice or their eggs (nits). The over-the-counter hair products that have been around the longest and are recommended to treat head lice and pubic lice are:1
These medicines contain chemicals that kill lice. Be sure to follow the directions about proper use and safety.
Itching may continue for 7 to 10 days after successful
treatment with one of these medicines. Do not reapply the medicated shampoo or lotion during this
time. You may want to try an over-the-counter cortisone cream to relieve the
itching. Hydrocortisone cream should not be used for longer than 7 days without
talking with your doctor. Note: Do not use the cream on
children younger than age 2 unless your doctor tells you to. Do not use in the
rectal or vaginal area of children younger than age 12 unless your doctor tells
you to.
A variety of other products say that they treat or prevent lice in a nontoxic way. But more study is needed to find out how well they work or how safe they are. Some of these products are homeopathic or contain essential oils. Some products say they smother (suffocate) lice. Others use hot air or another way to kill lice. Some of the active ingredients you may see are:
Talk to your pharmacist or doctor if you have questions about the safe use of over-the-counter lice products or if you want to know how well a product might work.
CitationsDrugs for parasitic infections (2010). Treatment Guidelines From The Medical Letter, 8(Suppl): e1–e20.
Last Revised:
August 30, 2012
Healthwise Staff
Medical Review:
John Pope, MD - Pediatrics & Susan C. Kim, MD - Pediatrics
This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
To learn more visit Healthwise.org
© 1995-2012 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated.


text:
Thank you for this link. I love this board game and FAQ helped me a lot :)
There are some updates to the first edition of Viticulture that will become standard in the second edition. These updates can be seen along with an overall summary of the game on this one-page printout created by supporter Nersi Nikakhtar. The most current version of the game is the Essential Edition–it is bigger and better in every way than the second edition, for the same price.
Grande Worker
The grande worker is henceforth part of the core game of Viticulture. Each player starts the game with 2 regular workers and 1 grande worker, and in total you may have up to 5 regular workers and 1 grande worker by the end of the game. The grande worker now has the following ability:
It may be placed on an already full action to perform that action. For example, if you are playing a 2-player game and the other player chooses to give a tour with regular worker to gain 2 lira. If you really needed to give a tour, you may then place the grande worker on that action (on the art for that action, not an action space) to gain 2 lira as well. Multiple players may place their grande workers in this way. Otherwise you may place your grande worker on any action as you would place a regular worker there.
Why the Change?
Viticulture is a very tight game–that was our intention when we designed it. It adds plenty of tension to the game. The problem is, there are times when that tension crosses the line into frustration when a player was really counting on getting a certain action but they couldn't get it due to something out of their control (like turn order). The result is that selecting one of the first slots on the wake-up track becomes much less of a choice and more of a necessity.
Also, the end of the game can be quite anticlimactic. Once the wine order and winter visitor action spaces are full, there are no other ways to get points (beyond lira for the tiebreaker), which makes for a deflating end to the game, especially if you're one step away from getting another point or filling an order.
The addition of the grande worker and its new ability fixes all of those problems. The game is still very tight, but you have that one out if you really need it. And the final year of a game has many more meaningful actions.
What Should I Do If I Don't Have Grande Worker Tokens?
You have a few options:
- Wait for the expansion Kickstarter campaign. Because all retail copies of Viticulture are missing the grande workers, we're going to offer one version of the expansion pack that has the grande worker and other updated components. That way you can get exactly what you need depending on if you were an original Viticulture backer or a post-Kickstarter buyer.
- Use meeples from any other game. If you have lots of games with meeples, there's a good chance there's one sitting in the back of your closet gathering dust. Take one meeple of each color from that game and use them as your grande workers. They'll look weird, but functionally they're the same.
- Buy some big meeples. MeepleSource has "super mega meeples" that are the same size as the grande worker (24mm) and look very similar. The colors almost match up perfectly.
Making Wine
The "crush grapes" action will henceforth be knows as "make wine." Specifically: Make up to 2 wine tokens. If you choose the middle action space bonus, you may make an additional wine token.
There are no restrictions to the type of wine you can make. You are only limited by your grapes and your cellar. Thus if you want to make one red wine and one champagne, if you have 1 white grape, 3 red grapes, a medium cellar, and a large cellar, you can make those 2 wine tokens.
Why the Change?
Two reasons:
- The old rule was really confusing. If you've played Viticulture a number of times now, you probably don't find this rule confusing anymore. That's great, and we appreciate you sticking with the game. However, we've found that most new players really struggle with the old rule (crush grapes into one type of wine). It's a rule that doesn't stick–it needs to be repeated over and over, and players often forget how it works between gaming sessions.
- It streamlines the game. With the old rule, making wine could be an arduous process–so much so that some players would make as little wine as possible. There was a disconnect between wine orders and crushing. Now you can have a few wine orders in hand, and you can target one of them specifically with a well-timed crush action.
What About Visitors Like the Crusher or Crush Expert?
For example, the Crusher says, "Crush grapes into any or all types of wine." This card–and the other crushing visitors–retains the original meaning. Thus if a visitor card says, "Crush grapes into one type of wine," that's exactly what it means. Crush as many grapes as you want to make one type of wine.
These visitors are now a little less powerful than before, but that's probably a good thing. They are still quite potent, especially if you need to make a lot of wine at once or if you can combo them with another winter visitor card.
Visitor Cards
We are changing three of the visitors cards that we determined (after much consideration), to be imbalanced to the point of unfun. This might be the toughest decision we made, because the cards aren't all meant to be equally useful to all players at any time–that's why they're cards instead of face-up choices in the game. But these three stood out a little too much, so here are their revised versions (also available for download here):
- Entertainer: Pay $4 to draw 3 winter visitor cards OR discard 1 wine token and 3 visitor cards to gain 3 VP.
- Handyman: All players may build 1 structure at a $2 discount. You gain 1 VP for each other player who does this.
- Horticulturist: Plant any 1 vine even if you don't have the structure(s) required OR uproot and discard 2 vine cards to gain 3 VP.
We are also making minor edits to the following cards:
- Mentor: All players may make up to 2 wine tokens. Draw 1 vine card or 1 summer visitor card for each opponent who does this.
- Crush Expert: Draw 1 wine order and make up to 3 wine tokens.
- Crusher: Make up to 4 wine tokens.
- Uncertified Oenologist: Lose 1 VP to upgrade your cellar to the next level.
- Jack of All Trades: Choose 2: Harvest 1 field, make up to 2 wine tokens, or fill 1 wine order.
- Vendor: Draw 1 vine card, 1 wine order, and 1 winter visitor. Each opponent draws 1 summer visitor.
- Tour Guide: Gain $4.
- Novice Guide: Gain $3 and draw 1 vine card.
Also, the tour guides no longer count towards the tasting room (they give you money instead of saying "give a tour to gain X," which was confusing for some players).
Replacements for these cards will be provided in the Tuscany expansion pack to those who have the original version of Viticulture, and only the revised versions will appear in the second edition of Viticulture.
Starting Player
This is a very minor change. Instead of the starting player being the oldest player or the player with the fewest points in the previous game, the starting player will be randomized at the beginning of the game by blindly selecting one rooster. The player of that rooster's color will be the first to select his/her wake-up time.
Either of the Yoke's abilities may be used in any season. You can harvest in the summer or winter or uproot in the summer or winter. You can still only use the Yoke once per year.
The "Friendly" Rule
In the original Viticulture, there was a rule that said you could not choose an action space just to block someone–rather, you must be able to use the space to its full capacity (including the bonus if applicable). However, this rule is pretty clunky to explain, so we feel it's better left to the players themselves to decide if that's the type of players they want to be. Thus players can now place workers anywhere within the current season (within the action space limits for the number of players in the game) to use the action even if they can't or don't want to use the bonus. You must use the action–it's only the bonus that is optional.
It should be noted that the rule regarding playing visitor cards does not change. To play a visitor card, you must be able to complete all the things that card says you must do. If it says to harvest and fill a wine order, you must harvest and fill a wine order.
What We Aren't Changing
We've heard some feedback about end-game points, but with the changes to the grande worker and crushing grapes/making wine, if you have tons of excess money (beyond the amount for a tiebreaker) or excess wine, you're not playing the game as optimally as you should. It's important for us to make changes that work thematically, and there will be thematic ways to convert lira and excess wine to victory points in the expansion pack. We don't think those changes are needed for the core game, though.
Leave a Comment
92 Comments on "Second Edition"
Hey Jamey, the link to the "Updated Rules" at the top of this page is now broken. One can still find the updated rules, but there's always a little bit of doubt as to whether one has the right ones when the link is broken
Hey there, is it possible to just order the wine crate sleeve from here?
So it's all right to order from your website.
Hi Jamey, Thank you for the quick answer. The copy has several update items, e.g. some pads to overlay the gameboard. But I already ordered the extension pack by your website, and in addition the treasure box and the metal coins. I only need the 11 cards, but it's not a big problem for me to buy it for 8 $ because shipping costs are not too much expensive. And I prefer it to buy direct from the artist to avoid sponsoring other unnecessary parts of the chain (Amazon). Thanks for your great game development, Volker
Hi Jamey,
I bought Viticulture 1st edition and Tuscany from two different boardgame dealer in Germany, promoted by BGG market place. In the box of Tuscany are several updates for Viticulture and the Viticulture box contents also some update material. Now I'm only missing the updated visitor cards. How can I get them avoiding to buy several items a second time (like the expansion arboriculture, which I possess twice now).
Best, Volker
Hi Jamey,
Let's say I have 1st Ed Viticulture, with the Update Pack, does it then make it 2nd ed? If no, what would I be missing? Thanks!
I am specifically talking about the 2 player game only. In a 2 player game, there is only 1 action space available, right? So there is no way to get a bonus in the 2 player game, because you only use the left-most action circle, which has no bonus, correct?
So please clarify this for me… in the 2P game, can the Grande worker get the bonus or not?
Which of the following is/are true?:
1) He lets you get into an action that would otherwise be blocked
2) He can get you the bonus if he is the first worked placed in a given action
Hello Jamey,
can you tell me when Viticulture 2.0 (without Tuscany) comes approximately onto the market in Germany?
Thanks a lot! Greetings!
Gotcha. Thank you, Jamey.
Can you explain the difference between the collectors edition which includes Tuscany, or just purchasing both viticulture 2nd edition and Tuscany separately?
OK I see it now, I thougt i saw the list before but could not remember where. Thanks, and I am a backer of Tuscany so I am anticipating the new updates with the Expansion. I backed the project at the Complete Collectors Edition, so plan to give my 1st edition with the updates to a gamer friend and keep the shiny new Viticulture 2nd edition for myself.
It is getting closer to the date that Tuscany will be shipping and as stated on the KS page "These updated components are standard in every second-edition copy of Viticulture, and we will provide them for free in the Tuscany box for any current Viticulture owners".
I do not recall seeing any list of what components will be included to the Tuscany backers. I am pretty sure you have confirmed there will be the updated visitor cards and a Grande worker for each color. I would like to know if the new components include a new game board with the "Crush Grapes" winter action reprinted as "Make up to 2 wine tokens", and the new player mats with the table on what wines can be made with what grapes"? Or will there be just be a sticker to tape on the old boards available?
I like that idea Larry. It feels like the bonus action is always taunting you in 2 player games without being able to take it. And I liked the original Grande worker rule for 2 players where you can take the bonus. But perhaps it made the Grande worker too powerful, and that's why it was dialed down a notch.
I have only recently stumbled across Viticulture on BGG last month, and loved the concept so much I ordered the game (unknowing that it was only the 1st edition). After more research on the web, I found the Kickstarter project for Tuscany and signed up for my pledge to get the 2nd edition update to Viticulture along with the Tuscany expansion.
As of this date most of the stretch goals are met including the Soldato (solo play). After reading thru the rules of solo play, the "bonus activity token" rule caught my attention. This is the rule that puts a one time use glass token next to each of the 7 wakeup chart spots. When you choose a turn order spot on the wakeup chart with a token next to it, you get to accumulate the token to use on a bonus space on one of the summer/winter action spaces and take the bonus action along with a placed worker on a regular action space.
Playing the 2 player game can be frustrating since you are locked out of the bonus spaces from the middle action spaces. Since the Soldato play is technically a 2 player game of you and a virtual player, I added the "bonus action token" rule into the two person player game. Using the same rule but available to each player, the one time use glass token next to the wake up chart can be picked up by a player who chooses the spot on the wakeup chart that has a glass token there. This allows the bonus spaces to be available when one has the bonus token, and it also encourages the players to use all the wakeup chart spots instead of just the most powerful ones (usually the 1 victory point or the extra worker) every year.
Correctio, I menat to say Automa play for solo play, not Soldato.
From the Tuscany KS page pertaining to updating the components and card changes to the first edition of Viticulture:
"These updated components are standard in every second-edition copy of Viticulture, and we will provide them for free in the Tuscany box for any current Viticulture owners (we'll ask you in the post-KS backer survey)."
I just want to clarify that the updated components/cards will be mailed to me along with a copy of Tuscany, as I will be able to indicate so once the KS is done, correct? However, I have a friend who is not sure if she will be buying Tuscany yet. Can she somehow still receive the updated components/cards for free for her first edition of Viticulture?
Thank you for changing the "crush grapes" part. This led to more than a few debates in our group. Specifically cards that allowed you to crush grapes into any/all types. Most people assumed that meant a free-for-all on wine-making. Glad to see this clarification.
Hi, thanks for the rules updates. As a general rule, will you also include the quick reference sheets without a background image. On files I have to print myself, they are much easier to read without the beautiful background images. I usually open them up in Illustrator and remove the backgrounds myself, but then I lose your font selections.
Yes!!!! Let's do it
Still patiently waiting for the new Kickstarter here …. well perhaps not so patient as I was in November. Let's say waiting with growing anticipation.
Whatever happens please bring more copies of Viticulture to the United Kingdom!
[…] Expansions: Viticulture: Arboriculture Expansion, Viticulture: The Tuscany Expansion Pack (2nd Edition, coming soon?) […]
Jamey- Thanks for the response. One other minor suggestion. Could you reprint the text on the Crusher/Crush Expert to support the rule change? Something like 'Crush any or all of your grapes into wine'?
It's a minor point, but the issue with the current text 'any or all types of wine' My group was reading into the card that 'any type of wine' meant that the crusher had some magical power to make white white from red grapes.
Ooh, Jamey. just thought of a request. In the kickstarter, can you include a Clear sticker with the words "Make 2 Wine" on it, in the same font as the board? That was I can make my board version 2
Another cool idea would be including El Grande workers in the kickstarter too for us folks with version 1. make it a stretch goal?
Great game, Viticulture I'll be playing tomorrow with my family on Christmas day!! Looking forward to February..
I'm late to the Kickstarter world and only recently found out about Viticulture and the upcoming Tuscany expansion. I've signed up for the mailing list and am looking forward to supporting the 2nd edition and the expansion. I.e. I'm in!
When do you think the second edition will be Kickstarted?
In regards to the Grande Worker – I wonder how people would feel if you didn't start off with one, but you could 'upgrade' one (and only one) worker by sending them to the school. You would then have a choice of getting a new worker or upgrading the worker that goes there. This will put an interesting decision (due to a conflict of interests) in the player's hands. Since the main intent of the Grande worker is to alleviate the end-game problem, this helps facilitate that, without loosening the restrictions too much. People who have Grande workers will be less concerned with waking up early (especially at the end), but other players may still want to, leading to multiple strategies.
BTW, I did this testing with and without the grande work as well. It definitely matters less with the grande worker available.
I've not had a problem with the middle space rule at any point. It's just a case of "Oh, can you do that bonus? No? Just move it to the left a bit and it's all good". I think it adds spite to the game where none is needed.
@anyone – I know this sounds ridiculous, but how do you rate a game on BoardGameGeek? My luddite tendencies are preventing me from figuring it out.
The easiest way: from the search page. Search for Viticulture ( https://boardgamegeek.com/geeksearch.php?action=search&objecttype=boardgame&q=viticulture&B1=Go ), then, in the Viticulture row, click in the "N/A" cell where "Your Rating" is and you'll be able to rate the game. There's a handy reference hovering over the (i) icon. Of course, you need a BGG user (and to be logged in) ;)
Thank you! Viticulture now rated at a 9. :)
Hi guys, just want to say well done on getting your game published, the artwork is super and the theme is original. I have played mostly 3 player games, and a handful of 4 player games of Viticulture. The new rules you have suggested I hope will aid in the games playability. I have the retail version, and in the games I have played, I have won every time without needing to fill wine orders. My game plan is to buy the tasting room and the cottage and simply gain my points from the visitor cards and giving a tour. Taking this path tends to make the other players frustrated as it is meant to be a game about producing wine. The new rules about the Grande Worker I feel will limit my ability to win with this strategy, due to the blocking/limited spaces available each turn to make wine and complete an order. This is a good thing, the visitor cards at times seem a bit to powerful, and I was considering playing with a rule that it cost money or a VP to play them.
Jamey – I played Viticulture several times with my friends last month, and we found that the Windmill is too expensive for what it achieves. A couple players even made sure to buy the Windmill by the second or third turn to maximize the ability to gain VP's – all to no avail. Our thought is that it needs to come down in price by one.
I'm new to your website, so I haven't read any of the previous discussion. Have others expressed a belief that Windmill is not a viable strategy as it is currently priced?
Can you use the grande worker on an action you have already taken? So in your two player example, one player gives a tour and wants additional lira, so plays their grande worker to give a 2nd tour.
Like the changes!
Hi Jamey,
I'm excited to try out the new changes to the base game. I'm a little bit leery about allowing the Grande worker to take fully occupied actions though, as I thoroughly enjoyed trying to plan my turns in such a tight environment; however, I understand that the game may be more fun this way for the less serious gamers. I have a question about the Crusher cards though… do they have to operate within the 2 wine token limit or can they crush any number of wine tokens? You said they can crush any number of grape tokens, so I assume they are not restricted to a number of wine tokens, but just wanted to be clear.
With respect to the 'be nice' rule, I think I'd be in favor of eliminating it as you suggest. As you state, it is awkward, and the subject of a lot of the questions asked on this and the BGG site. Also, with the Grande worker officially implemented into the game, people can still gain the bonus if they need it. I think the Grande worker having the ability to use a fully occupied action makes the game a little less interactive and a little more solitaire-ish, so maybe taking away the no-blocking rule will help tip the scales back a bit to the more competitive side. They could be extremely complimentary rules. Players would now have to choose more often between taking a bonus, or being able to take a fully occupied space each year.
In my expansion submission I was actually going to present an alternate approach to the Grande worker's ability which would've been to allow players to build a structure ( a toolshed for example) that would then allow them to use a fully occupied space one time. But I guess that would not be relevant anymore.
Random question, which I'm fairly sure I have the answer to…..any chance the second edition will have any of the first edition kickstarter bonuses? Even like a bonus pledge level reduced to say 25(If you HAD EXACTLY 25 copies of the original kickstarter left, that is). ?
Super excited for the next Kickstarter campaign!
Having playtested the proposed changes, I heartily agree with the direction they have been taken.
With regards to the non-blocking rule – I quite like it the way it works now. And, while I don't find it too difficult to understand, it won't really be an inconvenience for new players as long as a single person in the table understands it – it doesn't really affect the actions they can take. I find it adds interesting layers to the game, making the second and third placements of a season more meaningful. So I'm against changing it, although I can see how it might be a little confusing. Perhaps a new, clearer wording is in order?
Here's a possible take (after having introduced the bonus spaces, stating that they are available in > 2P games, etc, and writing from memory):
The "Be Nice" Rule
Some of the bonus spaces allow you to take an action more times than you are normally able to, usually twice. This includes the Play a Visitor / Plant a Vine bonus spaces (which allow you to play 2 cards instead of just one), the Harvest a Field bonus space (which allows you to harvest two fields instead of one), and the Crush Grapes bonus space (which allows you to make 3 wine tokens instead of 2).
For these actions, you are not allowed to take the bonus space just to block other players if you don't intend to take advantage from the bonus. In other words, if both a regular space and the bonus space are available, you can't play your worker in the bonus space if you would get the same result from placing it in a regular space – you have to "be nice" to your opponents, take the regular space and leave the bonus space open.
For example, if you only want (or are able) to play a single visitor card, you can't take the bonus space (which would allow you to play two) unless it's the only space available, so that other players after you still get the chance to use it to play two cards.
You are always able to take a bonus space if it's the last space available for an action, regardless of whether you will benefit from the bonus or not. "
Finally, another suggestion for people without Grande Workers – Give each player a coin or any other kind of token. When placing a worker, the player has the option of placing the coin along with the worker (perhaps under it) to signal that it is a Grande. At end of year, each player takes his/her coin back.
I can't get the print-out file to work, but other than that, I really like these changes.
As for making one of the meeples a Grande worker, I simply tied a ribbon around their necks to look like a scarf, at least until I can get the actual grande workers from the Viticulture Expansion Kickstarter. It works fairly well!
Seriously loving the scarf suggestion :)
I have a feeling that the change to the not use bonus slot rule may negate the benefit of the change to the grande meeple. I'd have to think about it /play it a bit to test that out tho…
I could see the Grande Worker being a problem, but we found in several 2-player games that the game moves much faster. We play with a clarified rule:
(1) If the Grande Worker (whom we call 'Mondo') is played first in a slot, Mondo gets the bonus.
(2) If the Grande Worker is played second (ie, slot is full with either a normal worker or the opponent's Grande), Mondo gets the normal action, no bonus.
(3) If the Grande Worker is already in the slot, only the other Grande worker can be played.
What this does is prevent a player who goes first from locking out the end-turn altogether. If the game comes down to the final placement and the first player gets the only order fill, or the only crush action, there are two ways to keep the end interesting. One is for the other player to have a crush or fill order winter visitor, the other is for Mondo to come in.
Mondo also opens up the sell grapes VP option in summer, and, I've found, makes us more likely to build the Tasting Room, Windmill and Cottage, because we can now earn VPs more reliably each turn by giving tours, planting vines, and have more access to the visitor cards. Or maybe we're just playing the game better.
Feedback sent… Change to Grande Worker would be unwelcome under my roof and a sure way for it never to hit the table again. If I wanted that sort of loose worker placement experience I could always buy a second copy of the game and let my partner play on her own board ;-)
… OK, I am being facetious here, but come on, a worker placement game NEEDS action contestation otherwise is it anything more than a multi-player solitaire?
I like the change. I think the game is a little too tight, especially with even player counts. Plus, the Grande Worker only works on one space each year. It's not like there won't be any competition. There should still be plenty.


text:
2016»15th Tour of Qinghai Lake (2.HC)
2016 Stage 2 » Xining › Datong (165k)
Profile scoreMenu
The results for difficult races or stages are included in the PCS climbers ranking. If not considered difficult, the results are included in the PCS sprinters ranking. We consider a race difficult if the ProfileScore is 50 or higher, or the ProfileScore of the final 20k is 25 or higher. Read here how the ProfileScore works. To compute the exact ProfileScore, we need to know the length, steepness and position of climbs on the route. If this information is not available, an estimation can be used.


text:
It may not be the scam it sounds like.
We've been hearing a lot lately from consumers who've received letters from life insurance companies saying that they're the beneficiary on a long-deceased loved one's policy.
The letters often include a form that the consumers need to fill out to receive the money, and the form requires them to provide sensitive personal information.
Not surprisingly, many consumers have been skeptical about these letters. But while it may sound too good to be true, the letters may be legitimate. (Keep reading and we'll tell you how to check.)
Here's the background: Until recently, many large life insurers didn't aggressively research whether policyholders had died, even when the person's date of birth suggested that they were almost certainly dead. (This isn't as easy as it sounds, particularly with records that predate the widespread use of social security numbers as an identifier.) Last year, insurance regulators and consumer groups started challenging the insurers to do a better job.
As a result, many life insurers have started checking the names of policyholders against the Social Security Administration's Death Master File. When the companies find an apparent match, they contact the person/s listed as the beneficiary.
But how to be sure that the letter is real? If you live in Washington state, you can contact us at 1-800-562-6900 or reach us 24/7 via our online complaint and information form. We'll get in touch with our contact person at the insurance company who can verify that the letter you received is legitimate.
If you don't live in Washington, here's the contact information for your own state's insurance regulator, who may be able to help.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
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yards preview on ET!
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Joined: 12 Oct 1999
Posts: 1025
Location: Jersey Shore*
Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2000 6:19 pm
Post subject: yards preview on ET!
omg on ET they showed alot of clips from the yards! i had never seen anything from it yet so i was really excited when it came on! if u can still catch ET or watch it when it's on later tonight i definately recommend it! the movie looks like it's going to be so good! mark has a really thick new york accent in it and lemme tell u ... he looks so sexy and BUFF! hehe i read somewhere he took off his shirt to film some scenes for the movie ... ahhh can't wait for it to come out!!
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Joined: 12 Oct 1999
Posts: 1025
Location: Jersey Shore*
Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2000 6:30 pm
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oh forgot to mention .. they show a clip of him up against the height wall (that thing u go up against before going to jail) and it looked like it read 5'10 1/2 or 5'11
and i read somewhere that charlize theron is 5'9 and in the movie he's about an inch or more taller than her.
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Cathy Y
Joined: 28 Apr 2000
Posts: 120
Location: Middletown, NJ 07748
Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2000 8:57 pm
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Hey, thanks for letting us know! I usually don't watch ET but was able to catch the repeat broadcast. Those clips look GOOD! And Mark's accent, wow. Looking back over his film career I think his command of speech has improved so immensely. I finally saw Renaissance Man and I noticed that in the beginning he started out speaking with a Southern accent (and his character was supposed to be from down South) but then it kind of disappeared, and in Travellers wasn't clear what kind of accent he was doing. In Boogie Nights, The Corruptor, the Bit Hit and Three Kings, he didn't really have any discernible accent ... and now he's doing Noo Yawk for The Yards and, I understand, a c*ckney (working-class Brit) accent for parts of Metal God. And of course for The Perfect Storm he's reverting back to the Dorchester accent that he worked hard to lose.
Anyhow, can't wait to see The Yards...
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Annie M
Joined: 08 Jan 2000
Posts: 1683
Location: Muskogee, OK, USA
Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2000 1:24 am
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"Tiger-Tiger, burning bright in the forest of the night..."
Thanks for the info!! That reminds me, I'd better see when ET This Week is on for sure and set my tape up for it, just in case!
Cathy, I think on the non-accent roles, he was usually supposed to be from up North. I forget which states, but I know I have seen 'em mentioned for The Travellers and Three Kings. Boogie Nights was in Cali, so I don't know, do Cali folks HAVE accents?
The NY one doesn't surprise me, as it is the northeast anyhow. But the Brit one now... Mmmmmmm-boy, I am going to fracture when I hear that one!! Holy Cats and MEOW, Batman!
Annie M
[This message has been edited by Annie M (edited 10 June 2000).]
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Cathy Y
Joined: 28 Apr 2000
Posts: 120
Location: Middletown, NJ 07748
Posted: Sat Jun 10, 2000 2:56 am
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The New York accent is VERY different from the Massachusetts accent, even though they're both northeast. In the non-accent roles, Mark's characters are indeed supposed to be from places that don't have a distinct accent -- California, and the generic, non-working-class, Northeast accent. (You know, the sort of generic "American" pronunciation that is used by TV news people, etc.) In TK, Troy Barlow is supposed to be from Detroit, right? I've spent some time in Detroit and I don't think there's any real distinct regional accent, either.
I think he had an accent in "Traveller" but I couldn't quite tell what it was, maybe just a less pronounced version of the Dorchester accent which was pretty heavy in "Fear." It kinda cracked me up because I know a few people in Massachusetts who actually speak like that. Before I got used to it, I remember one time when I was being given directions and it took me a while to figure out that the guy was saying "Park Street."
By the way, I'm sure you know this, but just in case, the c*ckney accent is not what we think of as the British accent, I mean not like Hugh Grant. It's more like, if you remember "My Fair Lady," the way Eliza Doolittle talks before she gets speech lessons from the professor. You know, where you drop all the H's at the beginning of words so that "home" sounds like "ome," and prounounce "a" like "i" -- i.e. "ace" sounds like "ice," "take" sounds like "tyke," etc.
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A suburban New York congressman who represents the area where Bravo films its series "Princesses: Long Island" says the show is "the most objectionable thing I've ever seen on television" and promotes stereotyping of Jews.
The network should show a disclaimer before every episode to say there's nothing real about the nonfiction show, said Rep. Steve Israel, a New York Democrat.
Bravo said Friday the new series has averaged just over 1 million viewers over three airings on Sunday nights, which is considered a very successful start. "Princesses: Long Island" is reminiscent of MTV's "Jersey Shore" in focusing on a small subculture, in this case six young, unmarried women who are generally of comfortable means with plenty of idle time.
One of the women, Ashlee White, is nearly 30 and lives at home where her parents cook her food and do her laundry. She's looking for Mr. Right, but has high standards. "I'm Jewish, I'm American and I'm a princess," White said.
"I initially thought it was all in good fun," Israel said. "But 20 minutes into the show, I realized that promoting anti-Semitic stereotypes isn't that fun. It's one of the most objectionable things I've ever seen on television, and there are a lot of objectionable things on television."
Jodi Davis, a Bravo spokeswoman, said the show is "about six women who are young, educated, single and Jewish living in Long Island, and is not meant to represent all Jewish women or other residents of Long Island."
Israel said he's not encouraging Bravo to take the show off the air, but would like a statement like Davis' shown on the air. She had no immediate comment on whether Bravo would be able to or want to do that.
"Princesses: Long Island" has already had one incident that compelled an apology. White was quoted in one episode as calling the Long Island community of Freeport a "ghetto" in a cellphone conversation with her father, who advised her to roll up her car windows.
White, in a Bravo blog post, later apologized, saying she had been "stressed, overwhelmed and not thinking" when she said that.
Israel, a former president of the Institute on the Holocaust and the Law who once worked for the American Jewish Congress, said the show "leads viewers to believe that this is what being Jewish is all about, that if you're Jewish and live on Long Island, you're narcissistic, you are all about money and that a Shabbat dinner is all about drinking and fighting," he said.
The congressman, who also wrote about the show on The Huffington Post, said he wasn't concerned that speaking out publicly would encourage more people to watch it.
"Silence never works," he said.