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Vilanova Greets Players after Cancer Operation
Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova visited team players at their training ground on Wednesday, less than two weeks after he had cancer surgery, the club said.
The visit raised hopes that Vilanova, 44, may soon return to work with the team, which is flying nine points clear at the top of the Spanish league.
"He came to the Ciudad Deportiva and greeted the players who trained there this morning," Barcelona said in a statement, referring to the club's training ground.
Nine members of the Barcelona squad were preparing there for a friendly match between Catalonia and Nigeria on Wednesday evening.
Vilanova faces six weeks of radiotherapy and chemotherapy but the club's president Sandro Rosell said Friday the coach could be back at work in less than three weeks.
The coach's son, Adria, on Tuesday published on Twitter a photograph of himself and his father standing on a paddle tennis court, further fueling optimism for his recovery.
Adria Vilanova, who plays for one of Barcelona's junior teams, said he had seen in the New Year "playing paddle with someone special".
The club also said that first-choice goalkeeper Victor Valdes would miss the Catalonia regional team's match against Nigeria because of a swelling in the sole of his foot.
"The goalkeeper did not train this morning in the session of the players called up to play for Catalonia due to a plantar fasciitis in his left foot," the club statement said.
"It is planned that Valdes will do recovery work in the afternoon."
It did not indicate how long Valdes would be sidelined for.
Surgeons operated on Vilanova on December 20 for cancer in his salivary gland that had returned following a first operation in November 2011.
The news shocked the Catalan team who have made their best ever league start after Vilanova took over from Pep Guardiola when he stepped down last season.
Unbeaten with 16 wins and one draw, Barca are 16 points ahead of their fierce rivals and title holders Real Madrid and nine points clear of second-place Atletico Madrid in the league.
FC Barcelona's next game is a city derby against Espanyol on January 6.


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Guest Blogger: Corporate Woman's Opinion on Working Moms
I wasn't going to post this essay by my German Hostess. It's not only an unpopular opinion, it goes against my own beliefs as a mother who strives daily to HAVE IT ALL. I have cake! I EAT IT TOO. Then I work off the cake in a wave of guilt and promise to not eat the cake again only to fail the following day.
Are we still talking about cake? I forgot.
This morning I rushed to get the entire family out of the house on time, which would have been a challenge on any day but today, especially, each of us having woken up an hour late with massive sugar hang-overs. I ran around, calling to various people, "Are you getting dressed? Are you going potty? GO POTTY BY GOD JUST GO. Yes, stop talking. Go poop. Ok."
I made lunches, coffee, breakfast. I got homework together and started the load of laundry from my daughter's nightly wetting of her bed. (still) I managed two tantrums successfully and served everyone. Just as I was running upstairs to brush my hair, I heard the bus roll by. Fuck. We ran out in the rain hoping that was the early bus. My daughter and I stood, in the stream of water, like complete idiots looking down the wet road for signs of a giant yellow bus. Ten minutes later, we gave up, head back in, and find the three year old is in a massive melt-down "I WANNA GO WIFF YOU TO THE BUSS I WANN GO WIFF YOU TO THE BUS."
There is no consolation at this point.
An hour later, exactly ONE HOUR LATER, I gather the children in to the car, check myself in the rear view mirror, and speed (responsibly) to the elementary school. We rush in, all three of us, because my daughter is now tardy and it requires my signature admitting that "I failed at getting my child to school on time and also probably putting on makeup."
We dodge the rain, sign her in, grab my now screaming three year old yelling, "I WANT TO STAY HERE" and run back to the car. I check myself in the mirror again and notice I look a little Miss Havisham, my lipstick on my teeth, my mascara running from the rain, my hair stringy. I sigh loudly, over my son's screaming, and drive home defeated.
This? This is Monday and work hasn't even started.
It is because of this, I'm broken down just enough to give in. Hands raised, stringy hair and bad makeup, admitting that I can't do it all. So here it is: The "Essay on Working Mothers" by Betty. Excuse me while I go make some more coffee, wash my face, dry my hair, and raise two children to be amazing little people while co-parenting an amazing little company as well. I'll just be sitting here taking bites of my cake, a piece at a time.
I was the host mentioned in the previous post. We had the discussion of: Can you do both – have a career and kids? I have pretty strong and not too popular opinions on the subject. And I worried that I might have been too harsh or spoken too openly to someone I just met but with whom I felt a close connection. I don't have children, so many will think I am not qualified to speak on this subject. But that's just it, I do feel I can speak on this subject because the INSANITY of trying to work and have children is part of the reason why I chose not to have children. I had a great job, a comfortable salary, was able to travel and live all over the world. I married a nice guy, and we didn't have kids (on purpose that is). We have a carefree, stressfree, joyful, active life together in a peaceful, cozy apartment in Munich. I am afraid you working moms will not like what I have to say on the subject…but get over it, get over the guilt, get over the struggle. YOU all made the choice to have children and frankly just as Leslie has said you can't do both well, so why did you have kids? Or if you wanted kids so badly, why do you want to work so badly? It really is that simple, don't come to me with all the outrage or all reasons to have children, it really is a cut and dry choice of 4 options for women:
1) don't have kids, work or do whatever you want
2) have kids stay at home and enjoy that, but put your life on hold for 20 some odd years then do whatever you want
3) have kids, work, do what you want and OUTSOURCE the parenting. Meaning make enough money for live-in full time help and focus on your job and do that really well.
4) have kids, work and have a stay at home husband
Did you all really think there was a 5) work, have kids, be great not only at both – but be a hot sexy wife and travel the world too? Really? And don't come with all the examples of women that have done it. Yes, they are called exceptions…and if you look closely they probably also have help in some form or have very unconventional work. And I am not talking about single working moms due to divorce or death of spouse. I am talking to double income couples where the wife is juggling the job and doing most of the childcare and feeling alternatively, bad, guilty, great, frazzled, tired, energized, exhausted, hateful, joyful….and so on, just read Dooce.
You all thought "I can do both!" and had a kid, geez sometimes several. So get over it and live with the fact you will be so-so at both work and mothering. Or get over it and realize that you will probably do really well at work and be a crappy mom. Which by the way, being a crappy mom (whatever that means) is actually okay in my book, because honestly the skill sets you have - the stuff you do and know that makes you so good at the work you love and enjoy…..may not be the same skill sets that make a good mother. So stick with your core competencies and outsource the mothering. If that thought is just so horrifying to you - what outsource mothering/parenting? You can't do that! Well then, get over it and stay at home or have your husband stay at home. And don't come to me with the we can't afford it. Yes. You. Can. If you really can't live on one salary, should you really had had kids? Mull over that a little…before you come to me with the outcries of that statement.
The stories that Leslie told me about what she has to sometimes deal with…were rough but I am afraid fairly typical what you working mothers go through. And I can guarantee you that the successful working MEN with children in Leslie's field or in any other field are neither going through the guilt, the struggle nor dealing with vomitting children during their work day. They have wives at home or wives who just took off work taking care of all that shit. That means you working moms are bearing a double load and yes, that was not so smart of you. And as much as I want to be empathetic (and really I am a little)...you did have the choice of not having children, and you still have the choice of not working…or outsourcing.
But alas, if you choose to still be caught in the struggle of doing both, here is a last consolation - no matter how good of a mother you were during your kid's childhood, no matter if you stayed home or worked full time and had a nanny, or did the insane juggling act that is working and being a mom….in every case….your kids will still be sullen ungrateful teenagers….and then grow up to be just fine.

subset: commoncrawl


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In the second Samsung Galaxy S IV teaser video, Jeremy Maxwell reprises his role as secret messenger of Samsung Unpacked 2013. This time around, Jeremy does everything he can to fend off the menacing inquiries of a nosy neighbor girl and keeps the mysterious Samsung Unpacked box out of sight of his mother. No specifics about the phone are revealed, but Jeremy does use a few choice words while peeking into the box.
It's my favorite color! Unreal! Totally amazing!Jeremy Maxwell
When we posted the first teaser, I noted that the video was a little underwhelming considering that fact that the Samsung Galaxy S IV launch is the most anticipated technology event during the first half of the year. The second teaser video installment has done nothing to change my mind. I know that Samsung want's the Galaxy S IV to appeal to an extremely broad audience, but I don't think a mysterious white box in the hands of a 12 year old kid is doing them any favors.
Hopefully Samsung will have something more interesting to show off on "the big day."


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Choosing Your Countertop: A Visit to The Stone Distributor
If you're anything like me, your favorite part of renovating is the countertops. It's near the end of the process and you can see the end in sight. Plus, the thought of covering up unfinished, ugly cabinetry with a pretty, smooth surface is damn satisfying after months of hard work.
Enter your friendly neighborhood stone supplier. Not to be confused with fabricators, which cut the stone to your kitchen's specifications, these are repositories of raw material to pick from. Unlike sleek showrooms, we're talking dusty warehouses filled with slabs upon slabs of granite, marble, and quartz. It's Barney Rubble's dream house. Or maybe Dick Clark's.
Even if I know what I am looking for, I always take a few minutes to roam the aisles looking at all the materials. Some of the slabs are otherworldly, and it boggles your mind to think that they are actual natural materials that COME OUT OF THIS EARTH and not photographs from another planet. Seriously, some of them look like they rode in on a horse straight from Mars.
If you're unsure of where to go, fabricators often have a list of distributors they've worked with. Start there, and don't forget: leave no stone unturned. (I couldn't resist.)
(Images: Dabney Frake)


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Revenue growth of brands with the highest advocacy levels is far above the industry average. Why? And how can other businesses achieve the same high levels of brand advocacy?
BCG's Brand Advocacy Index (BAI) is a unique way of measuring advocacy that is highly correlated with growth. It measures advocacy by means of real recommendations, not good intentions, among current, potential, and former customers. The data helps companies understand:
Our research has shown that brands with high levels of advocacy significantly outperform companies with low advocacy. The average difference between the top-line growth of the highest- and lowest-scoring brands was 27 percentage points.
Brand advocacy data allows companies to make fact-based decisions by identifying and prioritizing critical areas of brand strategy and customer experience as part of a larger brand-centric transformation. Specifically, it assists decision makers in their resource allocation and advocacy marketing efforts.
BAI data can also lead companies to understand the motivations of consumers. Measured accurately, advocacy scores help companies cut through the clutter in a world saturated with media messages.
In addition to guiding brand transformation, data from the BAI offers unique insights into broader issues of operations, customer service, and loyalty programs, all of which can be improved with a better understanding of what customers value.


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Carlson School Adds Five to Faculty
Ai, Fang, Luo, Vitorino, and Xu join faculty as assistant professors
Five new assistant professors have joined the Carlson School faculty for the 2012-13 academic year.
Hengjie Ai (Finance)
Ai returns to the University of Minnesota, where he earned his PhD in economics, after having served as an assistant professor of finance at the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University. Ai's research focuses on asset pricing and its connections with macroeconomics and corporate finance.
Vivian Fang (Accounting)
Fang comes to Minnesota having been on the faculty at Rutgers University. Her research interests lie in the intersection of corporate finance and financial accounting, with a focus on the implications of stock market liquidity for corporate governance and the effect of institutional trading on earnings quality. She holds a PhD from Tulane University.
Jiao Luo (Strategic Management and Organization)
Luo received her PhD from Columbia Business School. Her research interests include organization theory, strategic management, network, trust, learning, relational exchange, reputation, legitimacy, and institutionalization.
Maria Ana Vitorino (Marketing)
Vitorino earned her PhD in marketing from the University of Chicago. Prior to joining the Carlson School, she was on the faculty of the Wharton School (University of Pennsylvania). Her research interests include firms' pricing strategy, consumer-choice models, and using game-theoretic models to explain the strategic impact of firms' decisions.
Linli Xu (Marketing)
Xu received her PhD in business administration from the University of Southern California. Her research interests include advertising effectiveness and new product development, empirical industrial organization, and dynamic structural models.


text: We had an absolutely beautiful experience. Far exceeded my dreams of perfect relaxation in an even more perfect setting. The home has an amazing story behind it, well worth listening to...almost more enchanting than the gorgeous scenery, intricate details in the home, plethora of antiques, and the most perfect hosts you could ever imagine. We felt right at home in... More


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Lee leads Warriors past Hornets
Oakland, CA – David Lee posted a double-double with 23 points and 16 rebounds as the Golden State Warriors pulled away for a crucial, 98-88, win over the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night at ORACLE Arena.
Steph Curry dropped in 20 points while hitting 4-of-10 shots from beyond the arc for the Warriors who maintained their one-game lead over Houston for the sixth spot in the Western Conference standings.
"They're doing a great job of keeping their foot on the gas pedal, running through the rope. I'm awfully proud of them, but we still have a lot of work to do," Warriors head coach Mark Jackson said.
Curry also had nine assists while Jarrett Jack came off the bench to net 19 points and dish out eight helpers. Harrison Barnes chipped in 10 points as well for the Warriors who are seeking their first playoff appearance since 2007.
Eric Gordon had a team-high 21 points for New Orleans, which has lost seven straight on the road.
"We had more defensive breakdowns in the first half than we've had in full games lately," Hornets head coach Monty Williams said.
Robin Lopez had a solid game with 17 points and seven rebounds for the Hornets while Greivis Vasquez tallied 15 points and handed out nine assists. Al-Farouq Aminu dropped in 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting in the losing effort.
Golden State struggled to find its shot in the first quarter when it hit just 31.8 percent from the floor. Curry had an especially difficult time missing all five of his shots from the floor in the period.
Meanwhile, the Hornets got eight points from Vasquez and shot 47.8 percent overall to take a 28-19 lead into the second quarter.
After New Orleans took a 30-19 lead, matching its largest of the game, early in the second quarter, the Warriors finally found their rhythm. Lee and Curry combined to score 11 points during a 25-6 run that allowed the Warriors to pull ahead, 44-36.
A step-back jumper from Lopez put a halt to the run, but the Warriors would push their advantage to nine points three separate times before halftime on a 3-pointer from Curry and consecutive baskets from Jack in the final minute of the first half. Golden State led 51-42 at the break.
Golden State hit 12-of-19 shots in the second period and had just one turnover while Lee ripped down eight rebounds and Curry dropped in 11 points.
The Warriors were unable to pull away in the third quarter as the Hornets stayed within range. A Vasquez 3-pointer with 5:24 got the Hornets to within two points, 63-61, but Andrew Bogut responded with a layup off an assist from Lee on the other end.
After misses from both teams Aminu cut the deficit to two points yet again with a driving layup with 3:37 remaining.
A little more than two minutes later the Hornets would cut the lead down even further on a jumper from Lopez that had the Warriors clinging to a 69-68 advantage. The Warriors would get a 3-pointer from Jack on the next possession to get some breathing room as they went into the fourth quarter leading 74-70.
Lee capped off a 7-2 burst by the Warriors to start the final frame with a 16- foot jump shot after which they led 81-72.
Brian Roberts responded with a floater on the other end to begin a 6-1 spurt from the Hornets that brought them to within six points, 84-78, with just over five minutes to play.
However the Warriors then ripped off a 14-4 run over the next four minutes capped by a driving layup from Curry to take their largest lead of the game, 98-82, and put the contest away.
Game Notes
Golden State has swept the season series with the Hornets with wins in all four meetings...Gordon was just 5-of-17 from the floor but knocked down 10- of-11 from the free-throw line...Gordon also had a season-high five rebounds...Lee's double-double was his seventh in the last eight games.


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Main Site - :: Why Won't God Heal Amputees? ::
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How far would you go to SUPPORT their right to peaceably worship as they see fit?
Would you lift a finger to help if their rights were being denied?
Do you see this as a civil rights issue at all?
How much legal and ethical ground will you concede, in good faith, to the believers so they are truly free to live as they choose, even while you assert that they're doing it all wrong?
But religion is not the root of the problem, I think. Religion is a symptom of a bigger problem - faith based belief.
QuoteDo you see this as a civil rights issue at all? I'm not sure what you mean.
Interesting theory, Screwtape. As far as I understand, you believe that we, humans, are genetically predisposed to making decisions based on blind faith (that is faith in spite of the evidence) . How would you explain this predisposition from an evolutionary point of view?
I'm seeing this as one of those "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" things.
I have spent[1] 7 years on this forum changing no one's mind about anything. 1. wasted?
This is not really true. You were an important part of my deconversion
Quote from: Cadillac on October 23, 2012, 09:42:50 AMThis is not really true. You were an important part of my deconversion wow. well, thanks for that. But still, all in all, terrible track record.


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Would mandatory cybersecurity certifications translate into better security?
Nothing irks a security professional more than the suggestion that the federal government could improve security by setting up a standard certification program for agency staff members.
This idea, which is gaining traction in Congress, might sound reasonable. But many security experts say it is a red herring. One such expert is Daniel Castro, a senior analyst at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, who wrote a column on the topic for FCW.com.
"If certifications were effective, we would have solved the cybersecurity challenge many years ago," Castro wrote. "Certainly more workforce training, although not a panacea, can help teach workers how to respond to known cyberattacks. However, workforce training is not certification, and organizations, not Congress, are in the best position to determine the most appropriate and effective training for their workers."
His column triggered a flurry of reaction from readers, most of whom seconded his remarks by sharing observations and experiences of their own. Here is a sample of the responses, which have been edited for length, style or clarity.
Let go of that security blanket…For once an article that speaks truth and reality. The government — DOD, in particular — has been harping on everyone to become Certified Information Systems Security Professional-certified. This is becoming a Linus security blanket for DOD. Internal training on actual incidents and related techniques on the spear tip technology is the training that good workers in cybersecurity can use, not cramming to take an exam and dump the info from the brain.—Gil, Virginia
A misguided mandate…In what we do, CISSP is not needed. CISSP-type security is mandated from above in generic terms. What we need are classes detailing the security settings on firewalls, Internet security and acceleration servers, domain controllers, exchange servers, Unix, Apple, etc. These are all given by the vendors of the hardware/software we use. Security comes from technical expertise of the product one is familiar with, not a generic book full of security best practices for businesses… The CISSP certification gives the government a warm, fuzzy feeling but secures nothing.—Army civilian
Why managers are to blame…The fault lies [with] top managers not paying attention to what the information systems security manager tells them. Too often, the security issues in an organization are overlooked or ignored by top management because it either doesn't help them shine or they are just not smart enough to comprehend what the ISSM is telling them. Until it bites them in the butt or takes a financial toll, they won't budge.—GB, Virginia
Counterpoint: A new world of possibilitiesI think there is another side of certification that should be discussed. While I agree that on-the-job or hands-on experience is the best way to master a specific technology, you are limited to the technology your company uses. Pursuing certification opens your confined world to new possibilities that you would have never known about had you not pursued a high-level certificate.—Tim
About the Author
John Monroe is Senior Events Editor for the 1105 Public Sector Media Group, where he is responsible for overseeing the development of content for print and online content, as well as events. John has more than 20 years of experience covering the information technology field. Most recently he served as Editor-in-Chief of Federal Computer Week. Previously, he served as editor of three sister publications: civic.com, which covered the state and local government IT market, Government Health IT, and Defense Systems.
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I've got several professional IT certifications and know that they are a poor indicator of my skills. It's been years since I passed those exams, and shortly afterwards I had forgotten almost everything I had crammed into my brain. Relevant work experience is what counts. Experience is how to acquire skills and retain what you've learned. My certifications only prove that I know how to finish what I start--period. Employers, stop looking for certifications if you want to hire the right person for the job.
And while we are all studying for our next certification and continuing credits some 14 year old chinese kid who can care less about the answers to our theoretical questions is working his way through our so called security.
At one time, certification made sense, today it is just a means for some people to take, pass an exam, and give others the impression that passing the test and getting the certificate qualifies the person as an expert in a certain subject or profession. This belief is a fallacy. Case and point: I saw my agency hire an individual who had CISSP, MCSE, CCNA, CNE, and several other certifications totaling about 15 to 20. This individual looked good on paper, but when it was time to show the skill that the certification required the individual did not know what to do, and had to ask or rely on others. We call these people paper tigers. If an individual have all these certifications and can't connect or troubleshoot a PC on an enterprise network then the certifications are useless.
As a certified security practitioner and a security trainer, both academic and corporate, I can see the "good" and the "bad" in this proposal.
Lets start with the "bad", too many people have been promoted to pay grades above their technical and managerial competence. Until we are willing to come to grips with that reality and take steps to correct it we are just fooling ourselves to think that certification will fix the problem. I am a CISSP and have a lot of respect for the certification; however,I have known other's who were able to pass the exam that I wouldn't hire and those who could not pass the exam that I would hire. The exam is grueling and test a "baseline of understanding for the very broad field of security." The exam itself, does not guarantee security competence. I have multiple certifications and could make the same points about most of them as well; I'm not picking on the CISSP cert itself.
On the "Good" side. Knowledge is good. More knowledge is even better. I am often confronted with individuals who are attending training because they need it for a promotion or that it is mandated by their employer; who feel like they shouldn't have to be here,"they've been doing this stuff for 15-20 years." The truth of the matter is there are major gaps in the knowledge base. The DoD 8570 requirements for the three levels of both IAT and IAM, in my opinion are just starting points, assuring baseline knowledge. From this baseline there needs to be a continuation to more hands-on, technical based training and certification. My point here is that many government and military employees have been sent to intense bootcamps at a high cost, only to return neither certified or capable of performing the skills, that they paid to learn.
In my opinion, having attend both bootcamps and private vendor training, these venues are generally successful at actually preparing about 20% of the attendees to return and apply what was covered in the classes.
We need, in-depth training, conducted on a daily or weekly basis, over a longer period of time; where the participants can put into practice what they are learning, and be evaluated on the effectiveness of what they are doing, with consequences. This applies to the private sector as well. This is not a short-term fix.
The problem, as I see it is, we want it fixed and we want it now, yet neither private sector or government sector is willing to hold the players accountable. We want to throw money at the problem, buy some certifications and sleep well at night knowing "thinking" we are secure. If there is going to be these tight requirements placed on the "foot soldiers, in the trenches", there also needs to be adequate compensation for the effort and level of proficiency for the job they are doing.
Certifications are not the problem or the solution. We need to require knowledge and skills that are verifiable. Certifications are a means but not the end.
I think some of you missed the point of the articles. Certifications are entry level period, ENOUGH SAID. Having a body of certified employees leads to a false sense of security. In a basic sense everyone is certified so they and management "thinks" they know the answers, but everyones ego is so inflated that no one every bothers to really research the answer. And certification tests rarely if any test the ability to research an issue. Besides if I wanted to hire a bunch of people to can spit out random trivia to pass a test I would look for former game show contestants. But IT Security is not a game show. As its base even though we are dealing high tech, human nature is behind it all. Attacks originate from humans and defenses originate from humans. Therefore we have to look at the natural human aspects of what certification does. Certifications clearly narrow the knowledge base and hinder diversification. It takes years to develop a test by the test providers own admissions, this narrows knowledge. And when its required to pass a test to keep your job, your primary focus is studying the knowledge to pass the test. The leads to a lack of diversification. I see it in the field happening now and its a sad state of affairs and there is no change happening because the biggest defenders of certification are the certified persons themselves, again human nature. But we need to get past this and properly prepare to defend our networks. My gosh does anyone realize that the enemy just needs to study what we study and then plan attacks outside of that realm of knowledge. In a perfect world of certifications everyone will be certified as well as the enemy. But thats not the case, just how much of the enemy do you believe cares if we are certified. Lets take this thinking back to WWII, and say that every code breaker or cryptographer had to be certified. You see how much of a weakness that would have been? Would the Windtalkers have even existed had the certification requirement been mandated? Now back to today, how many talented crackers are we missing out on?
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The National Credit Union Foundation has activated the online disaster relief system CUAid.coop to raise money for credit union people affected by the wildfires in Colorado.
As donations are posted through CUAid.coop, NCUF will coordinate with the Mountain West Credit Union Association to distribute money efficiently to credit union employees and members in the affected areas.
Click here to read more or make a donation online.


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Skip Kendall Autographed Golf Ball
This golf ball has been personally handsigned by golfer Skip Kendall. It comes with an individually numbered, tamper evident hologram from Fanatics Authentic. To ensure authenticity, the hologram can be reviewed online. This process helps to ensure that the product purchased is authentic and eliminates any possibility of duplication or fraud.
- Autographed golf ball
- Comes with tamper-evident hologram
- Fanatics Authentic Presented by Mounted Memories
- Officially licensed


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This is Halloween
I'm not a huge Halloween fan. I don't like all the spooky and gory stuff that goes with it. However, I do love the candy and cute little kid costumes. I have kids, so I can't very well ignore Halloween. My kids, like all kids, love candy and love dressing up. Since Halloween comes around just one day out of the year, I can put up with the stuff I don't like to make my kids happy.
Although I am not a huge fan, I do know people whose favorite holiday is Halloween. Judging from the video below, either this person loves Halloween or they have a lot of time on their hands, or a combination of both. I have to admit that this is pretty impressive. I know this is from a few Halloweens ago, but this is the first time I've seen it, and it is still pretty cool, no matter when it was done.
If you think of all the time, planning, and the sheer number of lights that went into choreographing this, it is pretty impressive. I don't know how someone could have the patience to pull this off. If it were me, I would have been frustrated after the first string of lights, and the first few lyrics. To be able to choreograph an entire song to a crazy number of lights is pretty amazing. I'm sure whoever did this loves Halloween and isn't scared of much, except maybe his or her power bill.
Joy Larson is a mother of four boys, graduate of the University of Montana, animal lover and writer.


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The Volcano Health Collaborative is organized to improve the health status of residents of Volcano, Hawaii and its neighboring communities by increasing the accessibility of quality, affordable medical, dental and associated health care.
The Volcano Health Collaborative is pleased to welcome Mary Brewer to our organization. Mary is the now the Program Coordinator for our new Volcano Connections program. Volcano Connections is a subscription based program to help seniors and people with disabilities in the Volcano area to maintain their independence and continue to live in their community.
Many of you know Mary from her work with the Cooper Center Council and the Volcano Community Association. Before coming to Volcano, Mary worked helping military families obtain needed support services and aided Native American groups in obtaining grants and other funding to support local projects. We feel that her wide range of experience should help her to help others in obtaining the services they need to maintain an independent lifestyle here in Volcano.
If you are interested in learning more about Volcano Connections, please send an e-mail to email@example.com.
Air quality information and resource links are located on our Local Resources page.
The state Department of Health has created a toll free Vog Hotline (1-866-767-5044) where you can obtain information on vog conditions around the island. A recorded message is updated daily and staff is available to answer questions 5am to 5pm on weekdays and 9am to 5:30pm on weekends.
If you would like to be put on our mailing list to receive updates, please click on the "Get Involved" button below. To find out how you can help us out through volunteer work, click on the "Volunteer Now" button.


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"No I'm not," the writer replied when asked if he was working on Far Cry 3 during a junket for Avatar. "But I know the team are and what I've seen looks pretty exciting."Previously, hints had been dropped that the game would take place in Africa, and Shortt told OPM that the project looks "pretty exciting."
This is Far Cry 2 -- be patient!
Bryn says: It's not exactly a shocker to hear that Far Cry 3 is coming now, is it? The franchise seems to be pretty popular with the shooter crowd. It's a bit of shame that there are no real details yet, but the alleged African setting should provide an enjoyable bullet-fest once again. I reckon we'll start to hear more on Far Cry 3 at next year's E3.


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The Nexus One is sold out! Last week we learned that Google had received their last shipment of Nexus One handsets, but we certainly didn't expect them to sell through so fast. We have known for a while that Google planned on shutting down their phone store, moving sales of the Nexus One to a more traditional distribution model with carriers like Vodafone.
While many may call this the demise of the Nexus One, we want to remind you that just because Google is no longer selling the phone, this does not mean that the Nexus One is no longer available. Google is planning on selling the phone directly to registered Android developers, but the general public will still be able to purchase the phone through Vodafone and KT. Between the two carriers, the Nexus One is available at subsidized prices in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom, and South Korea. Those of us who do not live in any of those markets will still be able to purchase the Nexus One through our favorite cell phone importers.
The Nexus One was hailed by Google as the world's first superphone. Since its launch, the Nexus One has inspired manufacturers to release Android powered phone with similar or better internal specifications. The legacy of the Nexus one will most likely live on for years and those lucky enough to own the only official "Google phone" will most likely cherish it for an eternity (or as long as Google keeps rolling out new Android builds for it).


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Scoutmaster Musings
2018 - Nov Oct Sep Jul Jun May Apr Jan
2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005
First Campout
After their Blue Gold banquets and cross-over ceremonies, many Webelos will be joining troops over the next month. A new adventure for young boys full of excitement and apprehension about camping without parents, cooking their own food, and hanging out with older guys. These Webelos have been top dog for the past year and they're now being thrown back to the bottom of the heap. Making this transition fun and accepting is a key first step for a long Boy Scout experience. Ensuring their first campout is successful and rewarding is a great way to start their time with your troop.
Joining in March gives new scouts a few camping opportunities with the troop before their big Summer Camp experience. Be sure your troop has planned campouts in April and May geared towards the new guys. As you can see in the photo, at least around here, a March campout can be just plain miserable with cold, wet weather and not a great first experience for new scouts - while an April campout is usually beautiful. I'd recommend having the new scouts spend March getting ready for camping by practicing camping skills and patrol teamwork at troop and patrol meetings, then take it to the field in April. Those tents and stoves that are old hat to you do take some practice to master.
These first campouts should provide an abundance of opportunity for scouts to learn, practice, and demonstrate skills for Tenderfoot rank. Scouts should be able to complete half the requirements on their first campout. The Patrol Leader Council members, when planning these spring campouts, have the perfect opportunity to introduce new scouts to their troop. It's a time to show how we camp, how we help each other, how we accept new people, how we live the Scout Law.
The first campout certainly doesn't need to be a big deal - just being out with the guys IS a big deal! Here are some things to consider in planning early campouts for new scouts:
- Hold the campout as close to home as you can, in case someone is just not ready for the challenge of being away from parents.
- Schedule lots of time for breakfast, lunch, and dinner - cooking those first meals is a real challenge.
- Have a Troop Guide help each New Scout patrol - actually helping them the entire weekend, not just listed on paper.
- Raise the American flag Saturday morning and take it down in the evening. You could do this Friday evening and Sunday morning as well.
- Have time Saturday morning to fix some frayed rope and put up some clothes lines - to whip and fuse rope and practice two half-hitches and tautline hitch.
- Go on a hike in the afternoon and discuss hiking safety and buddy system along the way.
- Plan a short campfire program for Saturday night with 3 or 4 skits, a song or two, and a couple stories. Not too long, or too late, since the new guys will most likely be wiped out from the day.
By introducing new scouts to camping in a setting that's easy for your experienced scouts, and geared to the new guys, you begin a solid foundation of their sense of belonging in their troop.
Scout On
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Posted: 11:18 02-12-2013 946
Postponing Membership Decision
The Boy Scouts of America have postponed decision on membership policy changes until the May, 2013 national meeting. Here's the news release:
For 103 years, the Boy Scouts of America has been a part of the fabric of this nation, providing it's youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. In the past two weeks, Scouting has received an outpouring of feedback from the American public. It reinforces how deeply people care about Scouting and how passionate they are about the organization.
After careful consideration and extensive dialogue within the Scouting family, along with comments from those outside the organization, the volunteer officers of the Boy Scouts of America's National Executive Board concluded that due to the complexity of this issue, the organization needs time for a more deliberate review of its membership policy.
To that end, the executive board directed its committees to further engage representatives of Scouting's membership and listen to their perspectives and concerns. This will assist the officers' work on a resolution on membership standards. The approximately 1,400 voting members of the national council will take action on the resolution at the national meeting in May 2013.
Scout On
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Posted: 10:01 02-06-2013 945
Philmont Trek Choices
Going to Philmont this summer? Congratulations!
Your final payment to Philmont is due in less than a month. In just a few weeks, your crew will need to submit trek choices. Of the 35 various treks available, you'll need to decide on your top 5 and hope you get the one you want. Treks are numbered 1 through 35 with 35 being the longest in miles and most strenuous. All treks are long enough to qualify for the 50-Miler award and most offer plenty of program fun - there is no bad trek itinerary at Philmont.
If you've not had a Philmont crew meeting yet, you'd better get moving!
By now, you should be electing a crew leader and selecting chaplain, guide, and other crew positions. In February, your crew should be meeting to hear about the various Philmont programs, treks, and guidelines, and to gather program and difficulty preferences from each scout. Using Itinerary Selection Tools from the Boy Scouts, the crew leader and advisor can decide on the top 5 treks that best meet the crew's desires.
Prioritizing your trek itinerary elements should be done by the crew members, not just the advisor. There are many things to consider when choosing your trek. Here are some:
- Dreams - Many scouts see Philmont as the pinnacle of their scouting life. Find out what each crew member expects from Philmont - what they've heard, special attractions they can't miss, concerns they have. Since they'll probably only do it once, it would be great to fulfill as many dreams as possible.
- Experience - A crew of scouts going on their first big backpacking trip might bite off more than they can handle by selecting a higher number trek. Choose a lower number and enjoy the shorter hikes each day.
- Age - Boys develop muscle as they age. Most sixteen and seventeen year old scouts are physically developed so they can do the strenuous treks, if they're in shape. Fourteen year olds may not have the muscle strength and stamina to take on those hard hikes.
- Program - All crew members should have input about what program elements their trek will include. Since there are around 40 different program elements, you can't do them all on a single trek. Prioritizing what each scout wants and then finding the trek that contains most of the highly desired elements can take a lot of work. See this Philmont Programs checklist to see which treks include which programs. You could give this Philmont Program Choices list to every scout to gather personal program priorities. There are some very useful trek selection tools at this page.
- Medical - Every crew has a weakest hiker. That is often an adult, so honestly assess the abilities of everyone in the crew. Review medical forms and use practice hikes to evaluate physical abilities. Choose an easier trek if it better matches your crew.
There are dozens of Philmont resources online that are very useful in learning about Philmont and planning your trek. Some are out of date, but these have good info:
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Posted: 15:42 02-04-2013 944
January Drawing
Last day to get an entry in for January's random Boy Scout Trail drawing for three prizes.
Hey, it's a lot easier than a Hot Dog Eating contest! All you have to do is type in your email.
Go to Scout Contest page to enter.
- $25 Scout Shop gift card
- $50 ClassB.com coupon
- Cobra Braid survival bracelet
Scout On
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Posted: 15:06 01-31-2013 943
Your Opinion on BSA Membership
Influence the decision by sharing your opinion with the national Boy Scouts of America leadership.
There are three ways you can get your opinion to the BSA folks working towards a decision on the national membership policy. As a member of the organization, in this democratic society, it's your responsibility to participate in the decision-making process. The BSA has set up these avenues for you to get your opinion to them - di it in the next couple days if you want it to count.
- Email -email@example.com
- Phone - call (972) 580-2000
- Web Form - complete the form at BSA Contact Us
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Posted: 14:52 01-30-2013 942
BSA Membership Discussion
See BSA Media Statement
Boy Scouts of America
Monday, Jan. 28, 2013
Attributable to: Deron Smith, Director of Public Relations
For more than 100 years, Scouting's focus has been on working together to deliver the nation's foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. Scouting has always been in an ongoing dialogue with the Scouting family to determine what is in the best interest of the organization and the young people we serve.
Currently, the BSA is discussing potentially removing the national membership restriction regarding sexual orientation. This would mean there would no longer be any national policy regarding sexual orientation, and the chartered organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with each organization's mission, principles, or religious beliefs. BSA members and parents would be able to choose a local unit that best meets the needs of their families.
The policy change under discussion would allow the religious, civic, or educational organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting to determine how to address this issue. The Boy Scouts would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members, or parents. Under this proposed policy, the BSA would not require any chartered organization to act in ways inconsistent with that organization's mission, principles, or religious beliefs.
Boy Scouts of America
Monday, Jan. 28, 2013
Attributable to: Deron Smith, Director of Public Relations
For more than 100 years, Scouting's focus has been on working together to deliver the nation's foremost youth program of character development and values-based leadership training. Scouting has always been in an ongoing dialogue with the Scouting family to determine what is in the best interest of the organization and the young people we serve.
Currently, the BSA is discussing potentially removing the national membership restriction regarding sexual orientation. This would mean there would no longer be any national policy regarding sexual orientation, and the chartered organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with each organization's mission, principles, or religious beliefs. BSA members and parents would be able to choose a local unit that best meets the needs of their families.
The policy change under discussion would allow the religious, civic, or educational organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting to determine how to address this issue. The Boy Scouts would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members, or parents. Under this proposed policy, the BSA would not require any chartered organization to act in ways inconsistent with that organization's mission, principles, or religious beliefs.
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Posted: 17:23 01-28-2013 941
Weather Hazard Training
My biggest concern about bad weather when leading an outing is lightning. Everything else takes time to build, or is avoidable, but lightning is common, unpredicatable, and deadly. So, I keep a thought towards lightning when hiking, choosing a campsite, and scheduling activities.
You should begin to prepare for outdoor adventures by completing the online BSA Weather Hazards training. It takes about 45 minutes to go through the ten sections and print your certificate.
This training is a quick overview of potential weather dangers you may encounter on outings. Extending your knowledge about hazards in your area would be a good next step.
The training starts with a set of questions which is a good way to review what you already know. This is followed by ten sections, each with pictures and narrated text about the weather hazard and then some review questions or activities to check your understanding.
The sections covered are:
- Planning
- Lightning
- Cold Weather
- Hot Weather
- Hail
- Flash Floods
- Tornadoes
- Windsotrms
- Weather Signs
- Hurricanes
A complete tour plan requires someone currently certified in Weather Hazard training. Now, before your spring outings, is a great time to have everyone complete this training at MyScouting.org It might be a fun training topic at a troop meeting for all the scouts, or a crew meeting for the guys heading out on a High Adventure this summer.
The Weather merit badge pamphlet is another good resource for learning more about reading weather signs and anticipating adverse weather conditions on your treks.
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Posted: 11:21 01-28-2013 940
Top 10 Bandana Uses
I always have a bandana along in the wild. I can't think of a more versatile item to have in my pack. It takes little room, weighs nearly nothing, and can be used over and over for many different tasks.
On my 2nd day hiking through Arizona, I used it to keep my face warm from the blowing snow - that was a surprise! Here's 10 uses, plus a couple dozen more - you may not want to use your bandana for the tasks in the order listed. :-)
Leave a comment if you have more ideas to share!
- Keep dust out of your mouth
- Warm air before breathing it in
- Bind a wound
- Filter debris from water
- Wipe off sweat
- Wash yourself
- Soak and wrap around your neck to cool off
- Protect your head from the sun
- Strain food bits from waste water
- Emergency toilet paper
- Collect pop-tart or ramen noodle crumbs when you open the package
- Blow your nose
- Wipe your eyes
- Dry your feet after crossing a stream
- Signal a rescuing airplane, helicoptor, or boat
- Fix broken tent pole
- Hold up your pants
- Hide your identity
- Keep your ears warm
- Ultra-light pack
- Replacement kite tail
- Capture the Flag flag
- Parachute for nut-n-bolt soldier (untold hours of fun as a kid)
- Plug a leak
- Open a tight lid
- Hot pot holder
- Dish rag
- Practice knot tying
- Sling for broken arm
- Binding for splint
- Tourniquet
- Hand warmer
- Hat band
- Leg gaiters
- Molotov cocktail fuse
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Posted: 19:24 01-24-2013 939
Scout Sunday - Feb. 3
Scout Sunday is sneaking up quick this year. It is the Sunday on or before Feb. 8 and that comes earlier in 2013. If you've not gotten to it yet, you're right down to the last chance to start planning how the Scouts can participate in your church's observance.
Individual congregations can hold their Scout Sunday on some other date in February if the pastor feels that would better fit their schedule.
There is a nice set of Resources for a service on scouting.org which might be helpful.
Scout Sunday is a great opportunity for your congregation to touch base with the Scouting community. Scouts helping with the service by ushering, reading, or praying are all ways to show the impact of Scouting on the youth of the church.
Scout On
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Posted: 17:21 01-22-2013 938
New Year - New Giveaways
Don, John, and Denise won prizes in the monthly Boy Scout Trail giveaway yesterday. You can enter for this month on my Contest page.
Scouting magazine is having a giveaway this month also. One winner will get a two-person REI Cirque ASL 2 tent, a Kelty Mistral Minus-20 sleeping bag, and a Therm-A-Rest Z Lite Sol sleeping pad.
Click this Scouting Contest link to enter. Bookmark the link and enter every day to increase your entries.
Scout On
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Posted: 10:59 01-03-2013 937
Doing SOMETHING
If you're wondering if there's anything you can do to help folks in Newtown, even though you're hundreds or thousands of miles away, there are many opportunities to support them. Here's one...
Two of the slain children were Tiger Cubs in Pack 170. The Connecticut Yankee Council has set up a fund to support their families and your financial contributions, as well as cards and letters, are welcome.
Before you contribute to anyone, please check that your support will be legitimately used. See ctyankee.org for the address and instructions for this fund.
Some other funds you might check out, but I have not investigated:
Doing SOMETHING is better than wondering what to do.
Scout On
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Posted: 14:04 12-17-2012 935
Once In a Lifetime
Lots of folks say a trip to Philmont is a once in a lifetime trek. Well, I've been there twice and I hope to go again, so that's a bit of a stretch. But, there are some things that really are once in any lifetime.
For example, tomorrow at a little after noon, there will be six 12s on your digital watch - that won't happen again for 1,000 years. As a matter of fact, the next time a similar time and date will happen is about 100 years away, on 01:01:01 01/01/2101
So what? Well, tons of people are having weddings tomorrow and other special events. Other than that, not much will happen. But, it's pretty cool to notice that you were alive on this special date.
It's a great time for your gang of scouts to make a time capsule to be opened by the guys 100 years from now. Or, just a scoutmaster minute about how every day is a special gift to be used and not squandered, regardless of how interesting the date is.
Scout On
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Posted: 16:24 12-11-2012 933Previous Posts
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Find more Scouting Resources at www.BoyScoutTrail.com


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Flynn Bloom's Street Style
Get Flynn Bloom's Trendy-Tot Look
Get Flynn Bloom's Trendy-Tot Look
When it comes to cute celebrity kids, it's hard to match Flynn Bloom. Not only did the almost-3-year-old win the gene pool with Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom as his parents, but he always looks the part of the son of a supermodel and actor in his on-trend, age-appropriate duds. Steal mini Mr. Bloom's sweet style for your own tot by adding these Flynn-approved pieces to his wardrobe!
Source: Getty and FameFlynet
0previous images
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It's heartbreaking to watch the folks killed, wounded and displaced by the earthquake in the Pacific Ocean. The fury of nature mostly focused on Japan. Surprisingly the damage was not as much as expected in Tokyo. The big city was rattled, nevertheless, but relatively unscathed compared to the lesser known towns and villages. the casualties would have been unthinkably large had the buildings buckled in Tokyo - one of the cities in the world with highest population densities.
How did Tokyo manage to evade the inevitable? Someone twitted - Millions saved in Japan by good engineering and government building code. How profound. Not to belittle the unfathomable suffering of the victims, I couldn't help but think about the parallel to my own profession.
Engineering is not about being superficially creative; it's about reliability and trustworthiness. What good had been to build the highest tower in the world if that toppled over killing thousands and destroying far more in property? The true appreciation for engineering comes if something does not happen when things don't go as expected. When building a database infrastructure, or managing one, the true effort of a DBA is manifested in things that do not occur. Corruptions do not happen, rather than recovery being a necessity, or, security breaches never occur as opposed to scrambling to contain the damage of a breach. When things don't happen, the DBA is likely doing his or her job most effectively. It's not flashy webpages, or nice reports; it's plain simple non-events that differentiates [to borrow from the oft-repeated and near-cliche] men from boys.
I have a simple mantra (well, actually one of several) - success is not an accident; it's planned. Carefully planned engineering artifacts saved the day. Carefully planned processes save the organization from the perils of life - be it tsunamis or attempted credit card thefts. The success of the projects I execute, I believe, depends on how well it was planned - how prepared I was for all contingencies. There are three very important things in any project - details, details and details. Sometimes people around me get a little impatient that I pay too much attention to planning and details before starting the action. Well, without detailed analysis, I don't see how you can succeed in a project. Dumb luck, may be; but definitely not because of effort.
One of the other overlooked factors in success is standardization. It goes for building a good layout or an architectural plan that influences future projects. For years, I have been developing and enforcing strict guidelines in my own organization, to address this eventuality - just in case. Time and again, it has proved invaluable by preventing small and large mishaps, just like the building codes did in Tokyo.
Because of what the engineers did, Tokyo was spared; not because of its good luck. Millions of people should thank the unsung heroes that made it their mission to pay attention to the detail and plan very carefully. And scores of CEOs, CIOs and shareholders should thank the unsung heroes in their own organizations who saved them from corporate perils by making sure nothing happens.
Planning ... details ... boring; but important. Not something you will see in headlines, sadly, though.
Confessions of an Oracle Database Junkie - Arup Nanda The opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone. They may not necessarily reflect that of my employers and customers - both past or present. The comments left by the reviewers are theirs alone and may not reflect my opinion whether implied or not. None of the advice is warranted to be free of errors and ommision. Please use at your own risk and after thorough testing in your environment.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Good Engineering
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I have to agree here.coco_canuck wrote: I'm with you on Pinner, and I've liked what I've seen from Duco so far, but I still want to see a little more from Duco in his own end and offensive instincts in terms of passing and positioning.
You're right, the 4th line will be a huge improvement from what we saw at the start of last year. A line of Pinner-Lappy-Duco can have a big physical and pesty impact on games, but you need them to stay fairly disciplined and aware of their on ice responsibilities.
In terms of style Duco / Lappy / Pinner seems like an ideal 4th line.
All are fast, and physical, 2 of them can fight, and the other 2 can stir the pot.
The question of course surrounds Duco and Pinners ability to play in their own end and score enough goals to justify even a very limited amount of ice time.
You need to get solid defence and at least "some" offence from your 4th line. This BTW is why I like Duco / Pin over Volpatti / VO.
Duco and Pinner both put up decent numbers in the AHL last year and both have shown a bit of offence at camp so far.Volpatti and VO combined for just 6 goals last year and that just isn't going to cut it.


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Say what you will about the struggles of the Indians' offense (and I'm pretty sure everyone has weighed in on that topic in some form or another this season), but the Tribe bats are showing signs of life, with 4.6 runs per game in the past week, good enough for 6th best in the AL. Spurring on this offensive "explosion" has been an increase in doubles (4th in the AL in the past week with 16) and HR (4th in the AL last week with 7), which is a sight for sore eyes as extra-base hits had become such a rare occurrence for this Punch and Judy offense of singles, walks, and HBP (1st in the AL in this category by more than 10 HBP with 35).
The resurgence (term used loosely, but relatively speaking...it is) has been triggered by multiple players in the lineup getting warm at the same time in the past week. Most notably, Jhonny Peralta (.963 OPS, 3 HR), Grady Sizemore (.930 OPS, 4 SB), and Ben Francisco (.819 OPS, 4 2B) have been the pillars of the offense while Franklin Gutierrez (1.053 OPS in 13 AB) and Andy Marte (.833 OPS in 6 AB...which for him is a big sample size this year) have contributed in their limited appearances. Obviously that BIG hit remains elusive (team LOB in their last 4 losses - 9, 11, 13, and 8); but it's starting to come around, Pepper...starting to come around.
While a largely toothless offense is almost guaranteed some semblance of success over the long term, the volatility of relief pitchers can force a bullpen to go from bad to worse relatively quickly, with no sign of improvement. For whatever reason, numerous examples exist for a player being effective for one season followed by a season of difficulty (see Betancourt, Rafael) and vice versa. Really, while certain relievers can exceed expectations over the course of a season, it's rare for a pitcher to simply get on a "hot streak" (like hitters might) once a pattern of ineffectiveness is apparent. It's the reason that the makeup of bullpens, particularly the constant state of flux of middle relievers, change from one year to the next. A linchpin of one bullpen can become a dead weight for the next year's incarnation and continued excellence in a bullpen is a rare commodity, particularly rare for a reliever to be dominant for a few years in a row. Unlike the nature of hitting, either you've got it or you don't from year to year. There is very little "lucking" into a string of successful outings for a reliever and once that downhill trend is identified, it's difficult for a pitcher to simply turn it around based on the frequency (or lack of frequency) that they are used.
With all of that knowledge of how bullpens are about as stable from year to year as Buzz Bissinger's thoughts on the Interwebs, consider that the Indians' 2007 bullpen posted these numbers:
2.51 K/BB ratio
.254 Batting Average Against
.707 OPS Against
78% Saves Converted (49 of 63)
Outstanding stuff, to say the least - and certainly one of the main reasons the Indians separated down the stretch from the rest of the Central.
As for this year, shield your eyes because here are the numbers for the 2008 bullpen, consisting of essentially the same principals as the bullpen that performed so efficiently the previous year:
1.95 K/BB ratio
.283 Batting Average Against
.800 OPS Against
50% Saves Converted (9 of 18)
Compared to the rest of the AL, the bullpen that was thought to be a strength of this team sits 2nd last in ERA (Texas - 4.90), 2nd last in WHIP (Detroit - 1.55), last in Batting Average Against, last in OPS against, 2nd last in saves (Detroit - 8), and tied for last (with Texas) in Saves Converted Percentage.
If the hitting has played below expectations, how does one characterize a bullpen, that was thought to potentially have three future closers (Betancourt, Perez, and Lewis) not even pitching the 9th inning, that has so completely flopped?
Consider that the Indians have blown 14 leads this season (granted not all by the bullpen), and that their winning percentage when leading at the beginning of the 6th inning (.679 winning percentage) and the 7th inning (.783 winning percentage) pales in comparison to even the "lowly" Tigers' bullpen when leading at the beginning of the 6th inning (.783 winning percentage) and the 7th inning (.826 winning percentage) and anyone can see that we have a problem.
I know that "if and buts were candy and nuts, we'd all have a Merry Christmas", BUT what if the percentage of saves they converted last year (78%) applied to the 18 save opportunities this year. Rather than having 9 saves in 18 opportunities, the team would have 14 saves in 18 opportunities - a 5 game swing makes the team 29-24 and sitting ½ game back of the White Sox...all this with the ulcer-inducing offense.
Would it be nice to magically fix the offense to start blowing teams out?
Sure, but realize that the combination of a low-scoring offense AND a bullpen prone to giving up leads is a recipe for disaster that any team would have difficulty in overcoming.
With that knowledge, what's easier to find - a run-producing presence for the middle of the lineup or modestly effective pitchers who can get three outs every couple of days?
Yeah, I think so too.
So, what can or should be done to rescue this bullpen from itself?
Truthfully, I think that the start of the metamorphosis has already happened as the team has jettisoned Georgie GasCan and sent Jensen Lewis down to Buffalo to find those missing MPH. Additionally, The Atomic Wedgie has called Betancourt on the carpet for not throwing inside and will likely relegate him to a middle relief role until he shows that he will...and Brodzoski (The Close) hasn't even been mentioned as he's only thrown 6 of the 136 1/3 innings that relievers have tossed this year for the Tribe.
Right now is not the time to complain about JoeBo's return and the resulting spike in Pepto sales or try to figure out how Jorge Julio could flame out so spectacularly, it's time to find those relievers that are going to be "on" this year and dismiss the notion that some of these guys can work it out, because nothing (not even this offense) can take the spirit out of a team like blown games, surrendered by the bullpen. Much like last year, when Perez and Lewis were promoted to take positions in the bullpen, it's time to see who can help...and fast!
The promotion of Scott Elarton, who (as much as it pains me to point out) did have a 2.45 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP working out of the Buffalo bullpen, and Eddie Mujica, who had posted a 1.46 ERA with 15 K in 14 1/3 IP over his last 10 appearances for the Bisons, represent a nice move in the right direction to take advantage of finding the pitcher that may "have it" (whatever "it" is) this year and slotting them accordingly in the bullpen. Most important to this approach, though, is to keep the open auditions going until the leaks in this 'pen can be plugged by whomever.
More help is available internally (despite the continuation of Atom Miller's finger problems, meaning he's not coming to the rescue in Wainwright-esque fashion) as Rick Bauer has saved 14 games in Buffalo while posting a 1.61 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP while striking out 29 compared with 10 walks over 22 1/3 IP, LHP Rich Rundles has held LH hitters to a .171 Batting Average with 17 K in the 11 2/3 IP he's gone against LH in AAA, and newly signed RHP Oneli Perez has struck out 8 of the 12 RH hitters he's faced since joining the Bisons.
Are they small sample sizes we're dealing with?
Absolutely, but that's how it goes with relievers and it's imperative that the Indians find the right mix of pitchers to lock down the middle and late innings of games, to protect what leads the offense may have been able to stake.
Further down the ladder, the Indians could try to replicate the success of Jensen Lewis last year by looking at Jeff Stevens (2.73 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 32 K to 9 BB in 26 2/3 IP) and Randy Newsom (14 saves with a 0.84 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP) in Akron if the options above them in the organization are unable to stabilize the struggling bullpen.
Regardless of who they use to do it or how they end up fixing the bullpen, the Indians need to find some effective options to protect the leads that are handed to them late in the game or to keep close games within striking distance in the off chance that the offense can mount a comeback. If they're not, it doesn't matter how well or poorly the offense is hitting...because the leads won't last, the wins won't come, and the 2008 Tribe will be done in by a bullpen that looks more and more like a pigpen.


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coagulant dosage monitoring Applications
Water quality monitoring for municipal drinking water industry
Real Tech offers solutions that can provide substantial benefits to drinking water treatment plants. Continuous online monitoring can ensure water quality standards are met without the need for chemical overdosing while maintaining high confidence in the safety of the treated water. Significant cost savings can be achieved by optimizing coagulant dosage, reduced sludge production and reduced energy requirements.
By Real Tech Inc. based in Whitby, ONTARIO (CANADA).
Need help finding the right suppliers? Try XPRT Sourcing. Let the XPRTs do the work for you


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Mom Who Gave Daughter Heroin Pleads Guilty
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A woman accused of regularly giving heroin to her 12-year-old daughter has pleaded guilty to a drug charge in Hennepin County.
Prosecutor Mike Freeman says the 37-year-old woman is expected to be sentenced Feb. 12 to four years in prison. Charges of child endangerment, motor vehicle theft and giving false information to police will be dropped.
The woman was arrested on an outstanding warrant Oct. 14 at the Mall of America after store security caught her and her daughter stealing clothes. The girl was allowed to leave with her grandmother.
The next day, the girl's father called police and said he had taken his daughter to a hospital because she was suffering from withdrawal.
Freeman's office says the girl successfully made it through drug withdrawal but is continuing treatment.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.


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Wednesday, August 22, 2012
* End of Summer Celebration: Backyard Shaving Cream Fight Fun!
I was inspired by Meg Duerksen's family tradition of
an end of summer shaving cream fight in the backyard.
So... last night, before dinner and pre-bath,
I told the girls to go out into the backyard for a surprise.
I handed them each a can of shaving cream and told them to have fun!
The shaving cream was "sensitive skin" formula from the Dollar Tree,
leftover from a shaving cream marbling art lesson.
They decided to wear sun glasses as "protective eye wear" to keep it out of their eyes
but then decided to ditch the sunglasses (and the flip flops) and just have fun.
If anyone got it near their eyes, I just used the corner of my t-shirt
to wipe it away - each of the girls only got a bit in their mouths once.
Both girls had a blast making hair-dos and the mirror by the swing set
(it's on the back of our shed -- a rescue from a neighbor's trash a few years ago)!
When they were both covered, I took them inside,
put them in the shower and hosed them off - clothes and all.
We would have used the hose but it was a bit chilly.
I only ended up with a bit of shaving cream -
they got me on the butt after I took this photo -- nice!
They had a blast, made great memories, I got some awesome photos,
and the girls think I'm the best mom ever (thank you Meg!)
Do you have any (messy) end of summer traditions?
Pink and Green Mama
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Labels: Backyard Fun, Making Memories, Summer
Blog Archive
- ► 2013 (74)
- * Avoid The Summer Brain Drain With Play!
- * Creepy Silly Putty Faces
- * Making Tiny Art With Kids
- * End of Summer Celebration: Backyard Shaving Crea...
- * Shaving Cream Bathtub Paint, Don't Say I Didn't ...
- * Lego Sponge Bob Box
- * Back To School Supply Makeover: Washi Tape Wrapp...
- * Make Your Own Room Art With A Paint Sample Colla...
- * Charting Goals Over The Summer and School Year
- * Ocean Box Diorama
- * Origami Paper Crane Wish Tree - Remembering a Fr...
- ▼ August (11)
- ► 2011 (152)
- ► 2010 (172)
- ► 2009 (161)


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For the 2010 edition, 9 projects have been selected and are divided into two categories:
- Projects, which aim to result in development advances with new functionalities at the end of the program, directly enriching Scilab Code or as an ATOMS module.
- Experimental projects which aims at giving the R&D team concrete clues and functional concepts of development on ambitious technical solutions.
Selected development projects
Extends Scilab UI Control
Han Dong
Extension of Scilab User Interface construction (uicontrol) by providing more elements (tree, image display, etc).
Simulink import in Xcos
Jerzy Zagorski
Importation of most of the Simulink schemas from Xcos.
Cumulative distribution function improvements
Michael Zhang
Improvement and extension of the current cumulative distribution functions (CFD) into Scilab.
Metanet and Boost.graph
Balša Raičević
Extension of the Metanet capabilities in term of graphs by Boost.graph
SOAP Client/server
Artem Glebov
Making available from Scilab both SOAP client and server capabilities as an ATOMS module.
Database module + fuzzySQL
Igor Gridchyn
Allow to access to most databases systems from Scilab. Based on this work, the FuzzySQL will be introduced, a SQL extension to allow flexible conditions in queries.
Python import
Baozeng Ding
Introduction of a mechanism to load and use Python code (objects in particular) from Scilab.
Experimental projects
Use Eigen into Scilab
Joseph Fahnbulleh
Base some components of the Scilab core code on the Eigen library which is a state-of-the-art C++ linear algebra library. This work will be a joint mentoring between Gaël Guennebaud from the Eigen team and Scilab R&D team.
Hybrid Automata module
Ievgen Ivanov
Provide a convenient environment for direct modeling of hybrid automata in Scilab/Xcos.


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On Wednesday, April 3 at 6:15 p.m. in Spiro 2, please join us for a job-search workshop, "Using Social Media to Launch Your Career." This is the second job-hunt workshop conducted by Ethan Chazin, "the compassionate coach." You can watch the complete video of his first workshop on our website.
In today's hyper-competitive job market, Chazin says, it is absolutely necessary for you to align your online and offline branding efforts in order to gain truly competitive differentiation. Your online brand must work to sell your personal brand through your "unique selling proposition."
Come learn a bit more about about social media and the job search from Ethan Chazin. Chazin has provided business advice to many clients on business planning, business development, marketing, and strategic planning to help them achieve their business goals. He will share with you the best practices to brand yourself as a compelling product and to use social media platforms to sell that brand.
During this program you will learn how to:
- Leverage LinkedIn as a networking tool to promote yourself to 200 million professionals
- Create powerful online profiles to reinforce your true value proposition
- Manipulate the Groups and Discussion areas within Linked In
- Join appropriate online organizations you have affiliations with
- Conduct an integrated online self-branding campaign by joining your Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and MeetUp profiles with your blog, and personal/business website
No registration is necessary. This event is open to all students of all majors and class years.
Further information on this and other career-development events can be found in the Center for Academic and Career Engagement, located in the Union right next to the Hawk's Nest. You can also contact the Center for Academic and Career Engagement at email@example.com or (718) 390-3181.


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At the Punxsutawney Area School Board voting meeting, held Monday evening, students were recognized for Advanced Work on the Keystone Exams.
Principal Dave London said six juniors scored high on the Keystone Exams, and those six were awarded certificates.
Pictured (front, from left) are juniors Logan Reed, Jessamyn Malia, Rachel Spack, Ivy Phillips, Elissa Hill and Hunter Smith; with (back row) Cheyenne and Nina Reed, Shelia and William Malia, Paula and Joseph Spack, Lisa and James Phillips, Nicole Hill and Chad and Barbara Smith.


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Coolest Home Offices on Instagram
If you've been living under a rock (or under a Blackberry), let us catch you up: Instagram is a photo-sharing social networking app available exclusively on iPhone and Android smartphones. There are tons of great snapshots to view, share and like within Instagram's digital walls, but if your phone doesn't support the app, you might never see it. Until now.
We've scoured through the #homeoffice hashtag on Instagram to find some of the coolest, most stylish and most enviable home offices ever captured with the photo-sharing app.
Click through the gallery above for some mobile inspiration:
1. User mamaeuquero (mamaeuquero.com)
2. User catsegovia (catsegovia.com)
3. User kontour (stefan_weber.ch)
4. User budweiser_ex (apostrophys.com)
5. User m_heartyou (paperplanes.ca)
6. User yodraws
7. User greyandscout (greyandscout.blogspot.com)
8. User kevsblog
9. User lauragordon (lauragordonblog.com)
10. User braintail
(Images: as linked above)


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By Fathers Glen Lewandowski, OSC, and Jerry Schik, OSC
Special to Catholic News Service
Much of the excitement around a birthday or Christmas celebration comes from the surprise gifts that we receive. If you like surprises you will find a treasure chest in the Gospel of Luke. He continues a tradition which we find in several books of the Hebrew Scriptures. For example, in Deuteronomy 7:7 we read that God created quite a stir by selecting "the smallest of all nations" to be his chosen people. Luke's Gospel contains a superabundance of passages which remind us that God's ways are not our ways and God is frequently catching people by surprise.
Here is a short list of some of the surprises that are found in the third Gospel:
— Elizabeth is elderly but she conceives and bears a son and he becomes the forerunner of the Messiah.
— Mary is a virgin and she conceives and bears a son and he is the Messiah.
— God's messengers (the angels) bring the Good News of the Messiah's birth to the lowly shepherds and not to the leaders of the nation.
— God is throwing down the rulers from their thrones and lifting up the lowly.
— God rejects the prayer of the Pharisee, the professional leader of prayer, and accepts the prayer of the sinner, the humble tax collector.
— The Samaritans are despised by the Jewish leaders but they come across as heroes in the parable of the Good Samaritan and in the cure of the 10 lepers.
Luke has a plethora of surprise stories in his Gospel. It is readily evident that he wants to emphasize how God's action in our world is not in line with what people expect. I have given you only a short list of his surprise stories. Your mission, should you accept, is to pore over the pages of his Gospel and find the rest.
Synod note: The liturgical aid for the opening liturgy of the synod at St. Paul's Outside the Walls contained five full-page illustrations from the St. John's Bible. The image of the Transfiguration captures something of the surprise of God for the three most intimate disciples of Jesus.
The artist paints in delicate black letter at the bottom of the page these words: "This is my Son, the Beloved." And above, between Elijah and Moses, we see a white-faced Jesus-figure — like a photo negative reversing black and white — draped and spangled in rays of gold, dappled with shimmering white speckles of glitter, dazzling with hazy boundaries that envelop and shade off into heaven above, earth below, and every space of light around him. Color without line. The transfiguration light surprises and dazzles because it can't really be seen with the naked eye. It glows golden. It is the light by which we see.
Far down in the right-hand corner, concealed and softly revealed in faint silver letters — as if it were a reverent shushed whisper — the artist writes: "Listen to him."


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Reason ElectroMechanical 2.0 ReFill
Propellerheads have released ElectroMechanical 2.0 ReFill, a collection of multisamples, patches and song files designed to bring the sound of those hard-to-find, easy-to-love vintage keyboards into your Reason rack. Our main focus when creating this ReFill has been on realism; the keyboards used were carefully recorded using both vintage and state-of-the-art equipment, but rather than try to make these old beasts sound squeaky-clean and sonically perfect, we have embraced the flaws, quirks and errors that make up their very soul.
The result is a set of Reason instruments that are stunningly authentic and a joy to play. So here it is, the ElectroMechanical 2.0 ReFill, in all its warm, fuzzy, realistic glory. The ElectroMechanical 2.0 ReFill is available as a free download to all registered Reason 3.0 users. Enjoy!
Featured instruments:
- Wurlitzer EP100
- Wurlitzer EP200
- Fender Rhodes MK I (tubed)
- Rhodes MK II
- Hohner Pianet T
- Hohner Clavinet D6
- Hammond Model A
What\'s new in ElectroMechanical 2.0?
ElectroMechanical 2.0 is basically ElectroMechanical 1.0, but with added presets and Combinator patches that let you take full advantage of the unique new features in Reason 3.0. No new samples have been added to this collection, but the new content more than makes up for that, trust us; ElectroMechanical 2.0 features a wide selection of brand new combination instruments, all created for Reason\'s new Combinator device. The new Combi patches use sampled sounds from this Refill, but also from Reason\'s huge factory and Orkester soundbanks, giving you whole new combination instruments in whole new categories. ElectroMechanical 2.0 is fully compatible with song files created in ElectroMechanical 1.0, the \"multi-setup\" files featured in EM 1.0 have been converted to Combi patches, allowing users of EM 1.0 to sprinkle some Combinator magic on their existing tracks.
The ElectroMechanical 2.0 ReFill is available as a free download to all Reason 3.0 users, right here, right now!
- Download the ElectroMechanical 2.0 ReFill
- Download the ElectroMechanical 2.0 demo ReFill (2.8 mb)
- Download ElectroMechanical 2.0 demo mp3s
Disc Contents
NN-XT Instruments
Patches for Reason\'s NN-XT Advanced Sampler. Each of the featured instruments have a dedicated folder containing a number of NN-XT patches. These patches are your instrument \"presets\", and are divided into three categories: Mother Patches, variations of the Mother Patches and Tweaked Patches:
Mother patches
These patches are basic, no-frills patches designed to sound as true to the original, untreated instrument as possible.
Variation patches
These patches are, you guessed it, variations of the Mother patches, but with a touch of NN-XT\'s filtering and modulation magic sprinkled on top.
More artistic than authentic, the Tweaked patches use NN-XT\'s sound sculpting tools to tweak and warp the instrument samples, sometimes beyond recognition.
Demo Songs
A number of expertly executed example songs that should give you an idea of just how lifelike, funky and downright good the ElectroMechanical instruments can sound. You can download the ElectroMechanical demo songs here and find out.
Combinator Patches
A Combi patch lets you open up elaborate chains of Reason units - instruments, effects, pattern sequencers, you name it - in Reason\'s new Combinator device, all in one go. When a Combi patch is opened, all sounds, settings and routings saved with the patch are instantly loaded, allowing you to load up complex instruments - such as an NN-XT Rhodes running through three delays and a Malström filter - in just seconds. The files called Multi-setups in ElectroMechanical 1.0 have all been converted to the Combi patch format.
Use the wheel!
Whenever you can, try playing around with your master keyboard\'s modulation wheel to see what lurks under the surface; the majority of the instruments in the Refill have some type of effect - vibrato, tone color, Leslie - that can be controlled via the mod wheel.
All material in this ReFill are developed by and licensed from Chris Griffin, New York USA and SampleTekk, Kumla Sweden:
The website of Chris Griffin. This website is almost as devoid of information about Chris as this page but you can at least check out some of his impressive work.
SampleTekk is a Swedish company run by the Gigastudio veteran Worra. SampleTekk\'s goal is very simple: To bring you the absolute best in multisampled instruments
Photos by Börje Svensson, XL-Studio and Mark Vail, author of Vintage Synthesizers and The Hammond Organ: Beauty in the B, photos courtesy of the Audities Foundation, www.audities.org
Related Products
Propellerhead Recycle 2.2
How is it done? ReCycle will analyze your groove and break it up into its rhythmic components. You are now in complete control and free to change the tempo or the pitch, without one affecting the other. And that's just scratching the surface. Then what? Load the resulting REX2 file into your audio sequencer or software sampler and you can…
Web Price:179.00
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Car Deals
Sedan Deals: December 2013
If you're interested in a new sedan, you've come to the right place. Our list of sedan deals includes incentives and special offers on several new models -- and nearly all are available whether you're looking to finance, lease or pay with cash.
Dodge Dart
The Dodge Dart is a compact sedan offered in a range of flavors, from a fuel-efficient Aero model to a sporty Dart GT. For shoppers interested in a 2014 Dart, Dodge is offering several incentives in December. The first is a lease deal: Through the end of the month, drivers can get a 2014 Dart SXT for 39 months with payments from $199 per month after $3,999 down at lease signing. For those who would rather finance, Dodge is offering 0 percent interest for up to 36 months. And for shoppers looking to pay in full, Dodge is offering up to $1,000 cash back on nearly all Dart trim levels.
Ford Fusion
The Ford Fusion is a popular midsize sedan with available 4-cylinder, 6-cylinder and hybrid powertrains. In December, drivers can get a good deal on the 2014 Fusion whether they're looking to lease, finance or pay with cash. For cash buyers, Ford is offering up to $2,000 back on all Fusion models -- a deal that can jump to $3,000 for drivers currently leasing a rival vehicle from a competitor. For qualified drivers looking to finance, Ford is offering $500 cash back plus 0 percent interest for up to 60 months. And for those looking to lease, Ford is advertising the 2014 Fusion SE with payments from $279 per month for 36 months and zero down at lease signing.
Honda Accord
The Honda Accord is a popular midsize sedan that was freshly redesigned for the 2013 model year. In December, it's offered with several deals for shoppers looking to lease or finance. Drivers interested in financing an Accord can get 0.9 percent interest for up to 36 months or 1.9 percent for up to 60 months, regardless of whether they choose a 2013 or a 2014 model. For shoppers who would rather lease, Honda is offering the 2013 Accord LX with payments from $199 per month after $1,999 down at lease signing. Drivers who would prefer a 2014 Accord LX can get payments from $219 per month with the same money down.
Hyundai Elantra
The Hyundai Elantra is a compact sedan with a miserly, fuel-efficient 4-cylinder and lots of available equipment. In December, the 2013 Elantra is offered with incentives for shoppers looking to lease, finance or pay with cash. For buyers paying in full, Hyundai is offering up to $1,500 back on all Elantra models -- a rare cash-back deal for the brand. For shoppers who would rather lease, Hyundai is offering a 36-month term on the Elantra with payments from $159 per month after $2,199 down at lease signing. But the best deal is for qualified drivers looking to finance, as Hyundai is offering 0 percent interest for up to 72 months on all 2013 Elantra sedans.
Find a Hyundai Elantra for sale
Toyota Avalon
The Toyota Avalon is a full-size sedan with V6 or hybrid power, a comfortable interior and a cushy ride. In December, the 2013 Avalon is available with two incentives. For drivers looking to finance the latest Avalon, Toyota is offering 0 percent interest for up to 36 months on all Avalon models and trim levels. For shoppers who would rather lease, Toyota has a 36-month deal available on the Avalon XLE with payments starting at just $249 per month. Taking advantage of that deal, however, requires putting down $2,648 at lease signing.
What it means to you: Once you've found the model you want, our list of sedan deals can help you get the car of your choosing at a reasonable price.


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Car Questions
RepairPal is your advocate for car care advice and guidance
(1999 Ford Taurus)
Displaying 1 answer & 1 comment
Popular Answer
Criteria and a precise drive pattern must be followed to get a car to pass all monitors. The following is a summary of generic OBD II drive cycle instructions The Intake Air Temperature (IAT) should be between 14 and 122 degrees F. Barometric pressure should be equal to or greater than 75 kPa. The fuel tank should be between 25 and 75% full at the start of the test. During acceleration, keep throttle 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 open. During deceleration, slow to less than 15 mph at an engine speed of less than 1000 rpm without touching the brake or clutch pedal. During cruise, maintain a steady engine speed between 1400 and 4000 rpm. At idle speed, keep the throttle closed and the gear selector in the Neutral position. Remember, these are just the preliminary instructions. The actual drive cycle must conform exactly to the following instructions, or the various monitors may not run to completion. The drive cycle begins with a cold engine startup. The IAT must be between 32 and 85 degrees F. Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT), must be less than 127 degrees F. It may be necessary for the customer to leave the car with you overnight so it can cool down completely. The engine coolant and intake air temperatures must be within a tight range to complete all of the OBD II monitors during the drive cycle. If the IAT input is not between 32 and 86 degrees F at the beginning of the drive cycle, the EVAP monitor will not run. Start the engine and allow it to idle in Park for one to two minutes. Within the first minute and a half, accelerate at 1⁄4 to 3⁄4 throttle to 50-55 mph. Hold that speed for 2-3 minutes. Unless your shop is very close to a major expressway, it may be difficult to satisfy this step in the drive cycle. Decelerate to 0 mph without braking, then idle for 1-2 minutes. If you're on an expressway, pull safely off the road during this segment. Accelerate to 55 mph, using 1⁄4 to 3⁄4 throttle, then hold a steady cruise for 10 to 20 minutes. Return to 0 mph with the engine idling in Park, then turn the ignition off.
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"Holidating" is an ongoing Match.com blog series focusing on data from a recent Match.com survey on singles and the holiday season. Stay tuned for more posts examining the data in the upcoming week!
Do you remember your first real kiss? I do. I was in High School. It was a late afternoon in December. Huge snowflakes were descending on New York City, the type that blankets the ground in glittering white. We walked through a local park, passed a tall evergreen wrapped in holiday lights, then sat on a snow-covered bench. She turned and smiled. One of those oversized snowflakes landed on her lip, and I leaned in to kiss her. It was exactly like a scene in a romantic movie. One of those super cheesy movies where one wants to groan and say "Ugh… Seriously?!".
I think there is something about the holiday season that really does make things seem extra romantic. Perhaps that's why 82% of Match.com members surveyed said the holidays make them feel more romantic than other times of the year. Maybe it's all the cheer, festivities, gift giving, a new year and new beginnings, and for some parts of the country those cold snowy nights. All the ingredients for a holiday romance.
Many of us have images in our minds, of what we want our ideal romantic lives to be: with whom, when, where, and how. What psychologists call "love stories." They are the scripts we've made for our very own romantic movie, our love lives. I think the holidays bring forward our seasonal scripts, our desires to feel the pull of something special. We can feel compelled to have those shimmering lights, holiday spirits, and well-timed New Year's Eve kisses be the winter spark to start the flames of love.
Hopefully we can all enjoy those extra feelings of romance that will come with the holiday season this year. Here's to finding that special someone under some well-placed mistletoe!
About Dr. Justin R. Garcia
Dr. Justin R. Garcia is CTRD Research Fellow with The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, at Indiana University, Bloomington. He is an expert on the biological foundations of human behavior, particularly romantic love, intimacy, and sexual behavior. Dr. Garcia earned a MS in biomedical anthropology and PhD in evolutionary biology from Binghamton University. He is co-author of Evolution and Human Sexual Behavior (Harvard University Press). Since 2010 he has served as a scientific advisor to Match.com.
You might also like:
Match.com Presents: Holidating


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Major: Music and Elementary Education with a Math Endorsement
Three years ago, Christa Hill of Oakdale, Minnesota, made the easy decision to come to Graceland University. "I had three main reasons that I wanted to go to Graceland; family, friends and church. I knew I would have a great experience here," explained Hill. However, the inviting community wasn't the only influential factor in her decision.
Christa has always been academically inclined, and it was important for her to feel challenged in the classroom. The Honors Program made that simple both academically and fiscally. With the option to take over 18 credit hours per semester, free of any additional charge, Christa is able to be as studious as she desires to be. This, in conjunction with the scholarships she earned, made Graceland a viable option for Christa. "Scholarships helped out a ton. I have received a number of scholarships and they add up pretty quickly. I also have a work study, which is even better. All of these things helped make Graceland more affordable," Hill says, "It's the best of both worlds!"
Now, Christa is on the cusp of graduating. Originally, Hill was nervous that she wouldn't be able to complete her degree in four years since her Music and Elementary Education majors don't share many courses. This fall she will be taking 23 credit hours in order to graduate in May 2015. She will finish her practicum in the winter, and will fulfill her student teaching requirements in the spring. With her incredible work ethic, and the availability of personal advisors, Christa has been able to complete what would usually take five or six years, in four. Hill says, "My two majors don't really overlap, but my advisor worked some sort of miracle and essentially took two five-year programs and was able to combine them into one four-year program. I've been very busy, but it's doable."
Despite all of her hard work, Christa still attributes a lot of her success at Graceland to the staff and how much they care about students. She really appreciates the amount of dedication and work that professors and advisors lend to students. "The professors are really nice and you can tell that they care about you and want to have a personal relationship with you, but they also want to challenge you." For Christa, it's clear that Graceland has provided everything she could have wanted for her college experience.


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Looking for an awesome and unique Easter Gift? Let me tell you about the Olasonic TW-S7 USB Powered Speakers, their sleek design, will add a little bit of spice to your personal PC. They use no electrical outlet, no drives or software, it only runs off one USB cord. Their neat egg-shape design is to help minimize unwanted sound reflection and diffraction to be an awesome sound source. The base that the speakers rest on is high quality silicone, not only does the stand absorbs base vibrations, they also allow for fine-tuning of the angle of orientation to ensure an ideal stereo listening environment.
♥~ Giveaway ~♥
♥~ Rules ~♥
*Disclaimer - I received the mention product for review purposes and sponsoring my giveaway. In no way did this alter my opinion of their products. All of my opinions are one hundred percent honest and true, your opinion may differ.*
a Rafflecopter giveaway


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Yes, someone basically wrote a story asking if Kelsey Williams was too fat to be an effective cheerleader for the Oklahoma City Thunder. When you'll see the 6 Kelsey Williams photos below, you'll be shocked that this question was even posed.
Anna-Megan Raley AKA Claire Crawford wrote an article for CBS Houston questioning Kelsey Williams. Apparently, she saw some sort of "pudginess" and openly asked if the OKC Thunder cheerleader was "too chunky".
Looking at the pictures, if anything this cheerleader can afford to gain 10 or 15 pounds. She's nowhere near too chunky or pudgy or whatever else is being talked about.
Here are the 6 Kelsey Williams photos. Look at the 6 pics and then tell us in the comment section below if you think she's too chunky.